I knew I should hurry but I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I sat on the edge of the bed, closing my eyes against the sight of mine and Sweet Pea's things spread around the room.
"Abigail?"
I wiped the tears off my cheeks roughly, looking up at Sweet Pea standing in the doorway. "I thought you'd left already."
"I got up late," he answered, coming into the room. "I couldn't sleep last night, I was worried about you. You never called or anything, then FP wouldn't tell me where you were. What happened?"
I moved away as he sat next to me, forcing myself to ignore the hurt look on his face as I did so. "You're asking me what happened?" I snapped. "I should be asking you that. But no, I already know what happened. What I don't know is why."
Sweet Pea sighed, looking at his hands in his lap. "Cheryl pulled me aside after rehearsal yesterday morning. Said saw you kissing someone else at the cast party. I just got so angry at the thought of you doing that and I wasn't thinking straight when Toni pulled me and Peaches into the theater." His voice broke as he looked up at me. "You have to believe me, Abigail, I'd never do anything to hurt you. I screwed up and I'm so, so sorry."
"No, that's not you," I said. "You get angry and punch holes in the walls or beat the shit out of whoever pissed you off. You're not the one who quits thinking and does something stupid when they're angry, I do, like running away and getting myself stranded on the side of the fucking road." I could feel tears running down my face again. "I don't know which is worse, the fact that you believed Cheryl, that you even thought I could do something like that, or that you were about to cheat on me."
"I know, I know I made a mistake," Sweet Pea said. "I wasn't going to go any further, I swear. Abigail, please. You have to believe me."
I moved away as he stood, reaching for me. "I think you should go right now," I choked out. I couldn't look at him, part of me wanting to believe him, fall in his arms and forgive him for everything while part of me was still angry about what I'd seen. "Sweet Pea, just go."
He hesitated before making his way slowly out of the room without another word. I stayed where I was, frozen in place as I listened to his footsteps descending the stairs, followed by the roar of his motorcycle going down the street. It was only then that I did what I'd come here for.
Digging a duffle bag out from the back of the closet, I shoved some clothes and other necessary items in. Zipping the bag closed, I looked around the room again before making one last rash decision before going back next door.
Jughead was waiting for me in the kitchen when I got back. "You don't have to do this," he said, watching me carefully. "You can stay here, process everything."
I shook my head. "No, I can't just sit around doing nothing. I've done enough of that already. Let's go."
The Serpents were already waiting in the bunker when we arrived, minus Fangs and Sweet Pea who were on musical detail. I stayed in the back of the group, knowing my eyes were still red from crying earlier, while Jughead assigned everyone their sections of town. So far, no one had managed to track down the old Jones trailer, but Jughead was determined.
A few hours later, Tonsils and I waited for Jughead at the edge of Junkyard Steve's lot. "They stole the trailer, left it at the junkyard, set up shop inside, and yet they still had the decency to leave the flag hanging on the outside," I muttered.
"Just when I thought there was nothing good at all about the Gargoyles," Tonsils replied. "We should take it down, give it FP or something."
"If my dad wanted it, he'd have taken it when we moved out," Jughead said, appearing behind us. "You really did find it after all."
Jughead stared at the trailer, a mix of emotions on his face.
"You didn't go inside, did you?"
I raised an eyebrow at Jughead. "What do you think?"
Jughead sighed, not saying anything. "Betty should be here any minute. I'm going to meet her at the gate."
"Yeah, I'm, uh, I'm gonna head out," Tonsils said. "You need a ride somewhere?"
"No thanks, I'll get one of them to take me wherever I need to go after this." I replied, leaning back against the shell of a rusted car, looking around the lot. There seemed to be a mix of everything left here. Car parts, appliances, clothing, broken toys and dishes. Fortunately though, no creepy dolls.
"He's been pulled in, Jug," I heard Betty saying as the pair returned. "Weatherbee said he agrees with Edgar's doctrines, said he thinks they're 'fascinating and appealing'. He sees nothing wrong with the photos I showed him."
Okay, so we'll just have to deal with the Farm another way," Jughead said. "Right now though, we have this. Tonsils called it in."
"You don't have to go in," I said as Jughead started towards the door. "I can tell you exactly what it looks like in there."
"No, I need to do this," he replied.
Betty gave me a worried look as we followed him in, the three of us stopping in the kitchen. "Oh, my God," she said, gazing at the drug cooking equipment spread across the counter and up into the cabinets above. Luckily for us, everything was cold. It had been days since the Gargoyles had used this lab.
"This was my childhood home. My mom destroyed it," Jughead said, walking into the living room. "And how the hell did it get here? When did our lives from worrying about who was going to sit next to us on the bus to drug lord mothers?"
"And serial killer fathers," Betty said, sinking down onto the couch next to him.
"And unstoppable cults," I added.
"What are we gonna do?" Jughead moaned, pulling his beanie off to run his hands through his hair.
I shrugged at Betty when she glanced at me, a hand on Jughead's back. Silently, I wandered down the hall to the single bedroom to give them a few minutes alone. I peeked in the few boxes, finding nothing more than odds and ends that were left behind in the move, nothing important.
"We're going to Pop's," Betty said, poking her head in the room. "You wanna come with us?"
"No, no I don't want to be a third wheel with you Jughead," I said, not looking at her.
"Please, Abigail," she said. "Jug doesn't want to give this place up. I need your help."
I sighed, giving in. "Alright, but I need a ride from one of you. FP hasn't given me the keys to the truck back yet."
I could see the questions forming in Betty's mind but she kept quiet, even on the drive to Pop's. Jughead ate mechanically while Betty picked at her food. Once the waitress refilled my coffee, Jughead spoke up. "Maybe...maybe we can steal the trailer back while everyone's at the play. Arch can lend me the keys to his dad's truck, and I can move it, get it out of my mom's hands."
"Is this idea maybe more emotional than practical?" Betty asked. "Because another thing you could do is–"
"What?" Jughead demanded, cutting her off.
"You let it go," I answered. "Keep it from falling into her hands again."
"And how would I do that?" Jughead snapped. "It wasn't safe in Tent City, so where would it be safe?"
I shook my head. "I'm not talking about moving it somewhere new where another gang could take it over, start cooking their drugs. You need to let it go completely."
"How do you suggest we do that?" Betty asked. "We can't just clear it out and sell it to some innocent family."
"You're thinking too small," I said. "I say we burn it down."
Betty looked between Jughead and I with wide eyes as he nodded slowly. "No, you can't do that. What about all the chemicals in there?"
I looked at her over the rim of the coffee mug. "Why do you think the Gargoyles chose to leave the trailer there?"
"She's right," Jughead said, Betty and I both looking at him, wondering which of us he was referring to. "We need to purge Riverdale of anything to do with Fizzle Rocks. We're gonna burn down our old trailer."
Betty sighed, seeing she was outnumbered in the plan. "Okay, but when?"
"During the play," Jughead said. "Everyone will be there, so Abigail and I won't have to worry about anyone seeing us."
"Jug, no," Betty protested. "You have to be there opening night. And before you even say it, Abigail, you're not going alone. You're already known as an arsonist, we need to be sure people don't suspect you."
I rolled my eyes. "It was one fire. And considering everything else going on that night, it wasn't even a major thing."
"It wasn't even a major thing?" Betty echoed. "They had to rebuild the entire Sheriff's station because of it."
"Okay, so you and I will go, Betty" Jughead cut in. "Before the play. The three of us will be at the house, and you and I will leave early, say we have some pre-show ritual. By the time anyone realizes the trailer's on fire, you and I will be at the school."
"We'll have solid alibis and the trailer will be done for," I said. "Not bad, Jones."
There was only one night left until Opening Night, so Betty and Jughead left to get a few cans of gasoline. I spent some time with the Serpents before making my way back to the Jones house. Gladys gave a small nod as I let myself in. It was weird staying in the same house as her, but weirder still to see her in the kitchen like some domestic housewife.
Down in the basement, I emptied my duffel bag , sorting out what I'd brought. It was times like these I was glad of my limited wardrobe, there was less chance of having something I wouldn't need. I hadn't brought everything, some part of me hoping I'd go back, fix things with Sweet Pea. But I didn't know if that was possible. Not with the necklace he'd given me left on the bedside table.
With a sigh, I made my way back upstairs, pausing halfway up as I heard FP come in the front door. When I heard his footsteps going upstairs, I waited another minute before continuing myself.
"And where do you think you're going?" Gladys asked.
"Out," I replied. "I'll be back later."
"You're gonna miss out on supper."
"I'm not hungry." I shut the door behind me, cutting off any further conversation.
It was already dark out, but I still kept to the shadows as I made my way back to Junkyard Steve's. The lot was as deserted as it had been earlier, but I still waited a few minutes before getting close to the trailer. It was darker than I'd expected, and I briefly wished I'd brought a flashlight with me until I realized I'd have no way to hold it. I was going to need both hands to untie the knots holding the flag up.
Working by feeling more than anything, I managed to free it, watching as it floated to the ground. Gathering the cloth up in a ball, I moved to a clearing Tonsils and I had checked out this morning, spreading the flag flat on the dirt as I pulled up the YouTube video I'd found earlier. I was probably breaking dozens of laws treating the flag like this, but there's only so much a person can do on their own.
It took nearly an hour and a lot of swearing under my breath, but I finally had the flag folded into an honorary triangle. It wasn't perfect, considering the video involved a lot of folding the flag with crisp lines, but it was done.
It was late enough that the town was quiet as I made my way to the new Serpent HQ. Names for it had been suggested, but so far nothing had stuck. There weren't many Serpents there when I arrived. Tonsils came over as I placed the folded flag on the motorcycle they'd somehow managed to get inside. "Is that..."
I nodded, answering his unfinished question. "It didn't feel right leaving it there, I said, leaving out Betty and Jughead's plans to torch the place.
"Why didn't you call us, we'd have helped get it down," someone asked.
I shrugged. "It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. If anyone can think of a better place, go ahead and move it. Just, don't make a big deal about my being the one to bring it in."
Tonsils threw an arm around my shoulders. "Jughead may not have wanted to save it, but I think you did the right thing."
I nodded, sighing. It was about time I did something right around here.
The next night I sat at the kitchen island, picking at the pizza in front of me, Betty trying to talk to me about Sweet Pea. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't know why I'd even taken the plate Jughead handed me, but now I was stuck here, half listening to Betty. I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to talk about it, I didn't want to do anything. Nothing but disappear. That drive to California was starting to sound better and better.
Everyone's heads turned as one when the front door opened, letting FP in, dabbing a napkin at his cheek. "Well, finally," Gladys said impatiently. "We gotta motor in ten."
"Whoa, what happened?" Jughead asked, standing.
"Are you okay?" Betty asked.
"Oh, I'm fine, it's just some scratches," FP said, waving them off. "JB, uh, run and pick me out a clean shirt, please?"
She gave a small nod, quickly running upstairs while Betty moved to pull out some ointment and bandages, passing them to Gladys. "Did you piss off a cat in heat?" Gladys asked.
"Some tweaked-out Fizzle-head was playing G&G in the middle of the damn road," FP said. "The candy store is definitely back open. But I am gonna find whoever is cooking that crap."
"Drugs, it's terrible," Gladys said with false sincerity. "What a nightmare."
I have a small nod to Jughead and Betty once Gladys's back was turned, urging them to get going. "Dad, if you're okay, I think Betty and I are going to ride ahead," Jughead said. "We'll just meet you at the play."
"Why?" Gladys asked sharply, turning to look between Jughead and I. "What's going on?"
"Just a quick stop," Jughead replied, gesturing for Betty to go. "A little pre-show tradition."
I shrugged at FP's questioning look. For all I knew, those two did have some strange pre-show ritual that involved setting places on fire. I dropped my plate into the trash can, walking to the stairs just as JB came down with a clean shirt for FP.
"Where do you think you're going?" FP asked.
"Downstairs," I said over my shoulder. "I thought that was kind of obvious."
"The hell you are," Gladys snapped. "You're coming with us."
I turned around, crossing my arms in front of me. "Why? I've never seen Heathers, so there's no point in me going to some high school musical version of it." JB looked nervously between Gladys, FP, and I, not saying a word. It hadn't taken her long to pick up on the tension between her mother and I.
"Neither have I," FP said. "But we're going to support Betty and Fangs and your other friends. Everybody, get in the truck, we're leaving now."
I followed Gladys and JB out slowly. As we drove, I looked in the direction of Junkyard Steve's for the glow of the fire, but the trees hid it too well. At least, that was my hope. It was either that, or something had happened and they weren't able to go through with the plan.
The four of us sat in a row, the audience quickly filling up around us. When I got the text from Jughead saying it was done, I was relieved. The Gargoyles may not have been using that lab to cook their drugs in right now, but there was still another out there we needed to track down.
Jughead's next text confused me though, saying he'd been roped into taking part in the final number and would be staying backstage. What confused me more than that was the large number of people wearing all white in the audience. Had we missed some kind of memo? No one else seemed to notice, so I slunk down in my seat by JB to wait for this night to be over.
"Some of my friends told me about what happened last year," JB said quietly to me. "Do you think that's gonna happen again?"
"I hope not," I replied. "I didn't know the girl, but I don't want another of my friends arrested for a murder they didn't commit. And if something does happen, then I'm gonna think musicals in this place are cursed."
JB gave me a small smile as the lights dimmed. As the play began, I wished desperately to be anywhere else, but I couldn't leave, there were people to either side of us blocking me. I wondered if FP had chosen these seats for exactly that reason. Overall, I was impressed though. FP had been right, a good number of my friends were performing. And I had told Sweet Pea I'd be here, so I guess I'd kept my word about that.
The final number concluded with everyone standing in a line, looking expectantly at the silent crowd. JB looked at me in confusion, her hands half lifted to clap. Someone began clapping towards the center of the audience, slow and rhythmically. A single man in white.
One by one, the others in white I'd noticed earlier stood as well, clapping in time with the leader. JB's hands fell as we looked around us. Between people, I could see Evelyn onstage, smiling broadly saying something too quiet to hear. I should have known the Farm would be involved somehow.
"Fucking cursed," I whispered to JB.