CALAMITY
zeta.
06.
( broken )
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ARCHIE MUST'VE GOTTEN quite a fright when he returned to his house, because when he got to the door he was met by two stony faced blondes wrapped up in dark clothing. "What the hell is this about?" he asked once he was in front of them. "Please don't tell me you're still on that crazy witch hunt."
"It's not a witch hunt. And it's not crazy," Betty replied indignantly. "We were just in Grundy's car-"
"What? You were in her car? Why didn't you stop her?" He asked Delilah.
"As if I could stop her, you know how she is when she's set on doing something," Delilah answered as if it was something Archie obviously should've known. "Besides, thank God I didn't stop her because we found-"
"A gun," Betty jumped in to finish Delilah's sentence.
"What?" Archie did a double take.
"And an ID with the name Jennifer Gibson," Delilah added.
"This is proof that she isn't who she says she is," Betty said, desperate for Archie to see the truth.
"Then who is she?" asked Archie. It was the question they all wanted to know but no one actually had the answer. If Geraldine Grundy didn't exist, who was Jennifer Gibson? And what did she want with Archie?
"What if she was involved in Jason's murder?!" Betty exclaimed.
"Whoever she is, she's not a killer. I can swear that on my life." Archie made it clear he was done with the conversation after that, walking away and leaving Betty and Delilah out in the cold.
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As it turned out, they didn't have to worry about Grundy for much longer. For only a day later she could be seen packing her boxes into her car and driving all the way out of town. Delilah watched her leave from her place on the sidewalk and thought at last things might go back to normal.
After talking to Betty, Delilah had learned the reason for Grundy's quick departure was down to Alice; who had found the gun hidden in Betty's room and consequently read her diary that contained every little detail about Archie's romance with the young teacher. Alice had stormed into the school and caught Grundy and Archie in the act - well not that act but they'd been close enough for her to know her daughter's diary told the truth. In return for Alice keeping quiet, Geraldine, or rather Jennifer, had to leave - hence why she was driving away, nothing more than a cloud of dust and car fumes to show she'd ever been.
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"Sorry to interupt sad breakfast club." The group that consisted of Delilah, Betty, Veronica, Archie, Jughead and Kevin had been discussing Archie's music and football opportunities before Cheryl rudely interrupted. "I'm here to formally invite you to Jason's memorial at Thornhill this weekend," she said, handing them all black envelopes. "To my surprise and chagrin, mother added you to the guest list," she said at Veronica. "Incase you're thinking of stealing our silver candlesticks, don't. We'll be checking bags." With those words she started to flounce off, leaving everyone staring at each other and the envelopes in bewilderment.
Delilah was shocked that she'd received an invitation, she thought she'd be the last person Cheryl would want to invite. But she supposed she had been Jason's friend too - and to deny her the chance to pay her respects would be beyond harsh, even for Cheryl. Still, she jumped off the bleachers in persuit of her old friend anyway, catching up with her before she got out of distance.
"Hey Cheryl," she reached out to grab Cheryl's bare arm, causing the red-head to recoil as if she'd been burned.
"What do you want?" she hissed, not bothering to hide the venom in her voice.
Delilah stumbled back at the malice of her words. "I... I just wanted to see if you were okay."
"Well I'm fine, so you can go back to your new freaky friends now."
"Can we talk?"
"Not here," she said. Delilah was happy she was even considering it.
"Meet me behind Pop's at four?" She asked hopefully.
Cheryl nodded curtly then turned on her heel and left.
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After departing from the group on the way home, telling them that she was just going for a walk, Delilah set off down the familiar street that led to the flashing lights and lively atmosphere of the diner.
She waited till half past four and there was still no sign of Cheryl so she was all ready to give up and go home. But just as she pushed off from the firm brick wall, Cheryl emerged - dressed in a crimson dress that matched her hair, and stood out garishly from the impending darkness.
"I thought you weren't coming," Delilah breathed a sigh of relief. But satisfaction turned to fear when Cheryl's cold eyes locked on to hers, her arms folded defensively as she stared Delilah down. For a few moments all that could be heard was the chatter of the customers inside Pop's, and the odd car driving past.
Finally Cheryl broke the silence. "Are we going to stand here all evening or are you going to tell me what this is about?"
"Right yeah, um, I wanted to see how you were holding up." This response seemed to surprise Cheryl but she quickly regained her steely focus.
"I'm fine," Cheryl answered. "If that's all," she started turning round and moving back onto the street.
"No!" Delilah grabbed Cheryl's arm desperately.
"Don't touch me," Cheryl seethed, causing Delilah to shrink back. Almost immediately she regretted her reaction - she hated how Cheryl had this much power and control over her all of a sudden.
"Please Cheryl, we can't go on like this," Delilah began. "We used to be best friends," she emphasised the words to convey their meaning to the stoic looking girl.
"Yeah, used to. Things have changed," she replied quietly. The anger had faded slightly and she wouldn't meet Delilah's eyes.
"I know how you feel, C," Delilah spoke softer too, in fear of rattling the cage of a very unsettled beast lying within Cheryl Blossom. "Jason was an amazing person and he didn't deserve to die. But I've lost people I love too - and it hurts, yes. But you can't keep using it as an excuse to shut people out."
"You don't know how I feel!" And just like that the rage returned. It reminded Delilah of what Betty had said just days before. Maybe she didn't know anything, about anyone, but at least she was trying.
"Cheryl, please. I don't want to make things worse. I just want us to be able to have a civilised conversation with each other," she tried to reason with her.
Cheryl yelled in reply. "And I want Jason to be alive!"
"I think you need to just take a deep breath an-"
"You know what I think, Delilah? I think you need to stop acting like such a victim! Everyone knows you're a freak, you proved that the day you left. I think it's best for everyone if Alice Cooper sent you straight back to what ever hospital for weirdos you came from," by the time Cheryl had finished she was right up in Delilah's face, her fuming eyes level with those of her ex-best friend, whose hope at reconciliation was just about buried six-feet under the Earth they stood on.
"I'm sorry you feel that way Cheryl." A year ago, if Cheryl had said what she had to her, she'd have quick fired a nasty retort. But that was a year ago, and now Delilah was feeling nothing but an overwhelming sense of loss. It was as if Cheryl had cut the final chord that was left to hold their decaying friendship in place. Now they had nothing between them but fragmented moments they'd created together, all but lost in the face of the bitter end they faced.
"I'm not," Cheryl scoffed, flicking her hair. "And if you try to bother me again, you'll sincerely regret it," she said finally, closing the conversation for good. Then she stepped back into the street-lamp lit road, leaving Delilah alone in the shadows.
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"Hey are you okay?" Delilah was snapped out of her daze by a concerned looking Betty who stood before her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Delilah tried her best to sound convincing. Before Betty could argue any different the door to Betty's bedroom swung open and in walked Jughead, wearing a black suit and tie. Both girls stared at him in shock as he fidgeted under their gazes uncomfortably.
"It was the best I could do," he said nervously, referring to his outfit.
Betty simply laughed and followed him out of the door as Delilah stayed sat on the bed for a few seconds, trying to figure out the weird feeling in her chest. After composing herself she followed Betty and Jughead down the stairs where the three of them began walking the journey to Riverdale's most feared property, but also the home of the most talked about family in town. Thornhill.
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Watching Cheryl take her place on the podium as she spoke about her brother, you wouldn't have thought that less than 24 hours ago she had been behind the most popular venue in Riverdale and dumped her best friend of 6 years.
As she addressed the crowd she spoke with little confidence, eyes barely meeting those of the guests gathered in her home. It was as if the Cheryl they were seeing was a ghost, another version of the Cheryl everybody knew - or thought they knew.
She was tired, and broken, and for the first time in her life she was letting everyone see her for who she was; a scared little girl who had lost her only true source of happiness. The one person she could tell everything to. Who would never judge her, or betray her and would be there till the end of time. Up until the 4th of July, Cheryl Blossom had never known life without Jason - the other half that made her whole - and now without him, she was reduced to a hollowed out body with no one left to love, no one left who loved her.
Cheryl didn't necessarily have to say these things for Delilah to know they were true. It was clear, in her eyes, her movements, and the way that Cheryl just looked as if she'd crack if someone simply touched her.
Delilah knew how that felt. She'd known only too well the feeling of utter hopelessness when every piece of herself shattered and fell to the floor, as she was left hoping and praying that someone wasn't foolish enough to come along and cut themselves on the shards she'd left in her wake. She wanted to pick up every single piece of herself up, so she could spare everyone else the trouble, but the problem was that every time she tried, her hands ended up marred by the sharp edges, her fingers coated in the blood of her sorrows and the thoughts that kept her up at night. At this point, there wasn't a single place on her hands that wasn't metaphorically scarred. Her arms, well, that's where the metaphor stopped and the real terrors marked her skin.
Delilah shifted uncomfortably in her seat next to Betty, suddenly paranoid that people could see what was hidden beneath the sleeves of her black jumper.
"He protected me, every single day," Delilah tuned back into Cheryl's trembling voice. A few tears slid down the pale cheek of the last remaining Blossom child. "I wish that day at the lake, I had protected him." She turned to the coffin behind her, laying her hands - covered in silk white gloves - onto the black lid. "I'm so sorry Jay Jay. We failed you. All of us." Then Cheryl ran off stage, a blubbering mess, leaving a ripple of murmers and stunned onlookers who began gossiping immediately. Delilah latched on to a few conversations around her, catching a few words here and there.
"Poor thing, she must be distraught."
"I can't imagine how she's feeling."
Others weren't so kind.
"Looks like the girl finally snapped, proves that she's just as crazy as her creepy mother."
"I heard her parents hit her, no wonder she looks so frightened all the time."
Mrs Blossom hurriedly climbed onto the platform and tried to cover her daughter's dramatic exit. "I think we'll adjourn now, to the winter salon for a light supper," she announced with a tight-lipped smile.
As the crowd of guests dispersed into the next room, Delilah looked around for Betty. She spotted her styled blonde hair slipping through the hoard of people going in the opposite direction, Jughead hurrying alongside her. They were up to something, but what? Delilah had a desision on her hands. Find Cheryl and make one last attempt at reconciliation; or follow Jughead and Betty, and discover what the pair where hoping to achieve by slinking off into the depths of Thornhill.
Without a moment to lose, Delilah set off down the corridor, desperately hoping she'd made the right choice.