CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
"I hope you know that pinky promises are like, legally binding back in the U.K."
After they all agreed to put together a search party Marley went to her lesson that she was meant to have with Jughead.
She sat down on the desk they would normally sit out and pulled out her phone to text him.
To: Juggs
Hey, where are you? You're not in class.
She got a text shortly after.
From: Juggs
I had to do something, I'll see you later x
Marley shrugged before replying.
To: Juggs
Okay, btw there's a search party for Polly happening at Eversgreen forest after school. I'll see you there x
Marley sent the text and put her phone back into her bag and pulled out her backpack.
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"Okay, the sisters of quiet mercy are due north, the getaway car was west on the old route 40." Betty said loudly to the group of people that had come together to help look for Polly.
The search party consisted of Betty's parents, Gina and James, Josie and the Pussycats, Drew and Dakota, Kevin and Veronica, Reggie Mantle and Archie and a few more people Marley didn't recognise.
"Closest bus station is east, headed towards sweet-water," Marley continued standing next to Betty while fixing the scarf around her neck as it was getting cold.
"If Polly wanted to leave Riverdale without being seen, she probably would've left through right-" Jughead began before Betty interrupted him.
"Right here. Eversgreen forest." Betty continued. The three of them planned the route that Polly could have taken to escape the home.
Betty started leading in the direction she wanted people to follow and everyone followed behind her.
All of them shouting Polly's name hoping she'll come out of a tree or something.
Marley grabbed Jughead hand while walking in between him and Valarie. Valarie had little binoculars to try see if she could find Polly.
Betty and her parents started slowing down when they saw the Blossoms with a search party of their own.
The blossoms approached The Coopers.
"Alice Cooper. Where is she? where's Polly?" Penelope Blossom asked approaching Alice.
"I think if I knew that I would be out here with the mosquitoes?" Alice asked.
"Face facts, Mommy Dearest, Polly killed Jason." Cheryl imputed.
"Why are you dressed like you're about to go horse back riding?" Marley asked looking at Cheryl who just shot her a look while Jughead gently squeezed Marley's hand.
"She escaped from the asylum once. Who's to say she didn't before? Say, the day Jason got murdered?" Clifford said to The Coopers.
"The noose is tightening around your murdering daughters neck." Penelope said spitefully to Alice.
"I know it, Sheriff Keller knows it-" Penelope continued before the sheriff cut her off.
"Hold on, now," he said trying to diffuse the tension but Penelope just ignored him.
"And I promise you, when we find her, and we will find her, the entire town of Riverdale will know too." Penelope said to Alice.
Before it could get anymore awkward Alice Cooper turned around to the search party.
"This search party is over for now. Press conference in an hour outside the church." Alice said before walking away with Betty and her husband following behind her.
"Why do I have a bad feeling that this is just the beginning of a shit storm?" Marley asked Jughead slightly squeezing his hand.
"I'm having the same feeling Ro," Jughead responded sighing.
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An hour later nearly the search parties gathered outside the church, including reporters and including the Blossoms.
Marley,Jughead and Archie were at the front waiting for it to start.
"Here they come," Marley said to the boys when the church doors opened emerging Mr and Mrs Cooper and Betty.
"There's been a swirl of rumours today about our daughter Polly." Alice started.
"And we are standing here to tell you that they are all false. Yes, Polly was seeking treatment in a private-care facility and she was under the strict observation even at the time of Jason blossoms death." Alice spoke while Betty looked at Marley, Jughead and Archie.
"When she found out about the murder, she was beside herself with grief. You see, my daughter Polly is pregnant with Jason Blossom's baby." Alice revealed. Nearly everyone gasped other than the Coopers, Jughead and Marley. People started muttering to each other.
"Polly wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone the father of her unborn child." Alice continued pausing while she watched the Blossoms walk away. Alice turned to look at the camera before continuing.
"Polly, darling, if you're watching this, please come home." Alice said before walking back into the church with her family signifying that the press conference was over.
"We should wait and walk Betty home." Marley said to Jughead and he nodded in agreement.
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"You guys didn't have to walk me home." Betty said to the two of them.
"Uh, there's a killer on the loose, remember?" Jughead to to her.
"Besides, we wouldn't want to walking home alone after all the commotion in the forest." Marley said to her best friend. Marley and Jughead noticed Betty seem to zone out.
"What is it?" Jughead asked her after a few seconds of silence.
"She wouldn't have run away if it wasn't for me, guys." Betty said to them.
"Oh Betts, it's not your fault," Marley said letting go of Jughead hand and wrapping an arm around her best friend.
"Your parents were the ones lying to her and keeping her in the dark. You did the right thing by telling her the truth." Jughead said trying to make Betty feel better.
"It's funny, this isn't the first time Polly's run away from home." Betty said smiling at a memory.
"What happened the first time?" Marley asked her friend.
"When she was nine, she and my mom got in this huge fight and she disappeared for hours, the whole neighbourhood was out looking for her." Betty said telling the story.
"Well, how far did she get?" Jughead asked Betty. Betty zoned out again into deep thought before a look of realisation took over her features.
"What?" Marley asked her. Betty looked at the two of them pulling the both of them into a hug.
"Thank you guys, for walking me home. I'll call you later. Goodnight." She said before walking into her house. The pair of them watched her walk into the house and shut the door behind her.
Marley turned to look at Jughead " My turn, Quentin Jacobsen." Marley said referring to one of the characters in a book she's read while grabbing his hand walking towards Marley's house.
"Is it just me or was the movie trash?" Jughead asked her while interlocking there fingers.
"The movie was such trash." Marley agreed slightly laughing.
"I heard you threw water at Cheryl and then slapped her across the face." Jughead said slightly smiling.
"It was justified Jug, the little ginger bitch tweeted about Polly and my mom." Marley shrugged.
"What? Your mom? What did she say?" Jughead asked her.
"Yeah, she just said how my mom was a psycho. She somehow managed to read the letter My mom sent my aunt." Marley explained.
When they arrived at Marley's house Marley turned to look at him before grabbing his face and kissing him.
"That was the first time I've ever kissed you. It's always you that does it first." Marley said when the pulled away from each other.
"Yeah, well now you can do it whenever you want." Jughead said to her while Marley smiled.
"Do you want to come-" Marley was inviting him in before her front door opened Chewie running out the door and towards her.
Marley gasped and dropped to one knee down to her dog that she hasn't seen for two days.
"Hey baby, when did you come back home?" She said stroking his fur while Chewie licked her face. Jughead chuckled crouching down to also stroke the dog.
Marley looked up towards the front door where Drew was standing.
"It's about time you came home. I've been waiting for ages." Drew said leaving the house and walking down the porch steps while Jughead stood up.
"Sorry about that. Thanks for watching him." Marley said hugging him while Jughead awkwardly put his hands in his pockets.
"No problem, I'll see you tomorrow." Drew said pulling away from her before looking at Jughead.
"Jughead." He said awkwardly while nodding, and Jughead nodded back before Drew walked away and got into his car.
"I can't believe you didn't know he was gay." Marley said giggling still stroking her dog while Jughead playfully rolled his eyes.
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Jughead helped Marley move her things into her newly painted room before the both of them sat on Marley's bed. Marley wanted to watch a movie but Jughead forced her to try and study for her American History test.
"Why weren't you in history?." Marley asked randomly after a few minutes of Jughead helping her study.
"I went to see my dad." Jughead answered.
"You don't talk about your family much." Marley said moving closer to him.
"We are not much of a family anymore." Jughead said to her beginning to open up.
"What happened?" Marley asked him concern lacing her town.
Jughead sighed before answering her question.
"I guess you can say it happened after Mr Andrews let him go." Jughead shrugged leaning back on Marley's bed frame.
Marley crossed her legs under her while waiting for him to continue.
"They used to work together and then he got fired. My dad turned to alcohol to drown his problems, didn't work though, clearly. My mum took my sister and they went to live with my grandparents and i told my dad if he doesn't get himself together I'll leave too. He didn't get his shit together so I left." Jughead said looking at his hands Marley frowned and put her hand in his squeezing it slightly.
"Wh-Where did you go?" Marley asked him worriedly. Jughead laughed breathlessly, it wasn't a happy laugh it was more like a laugh without humour and a little bit of disbelief.
"Remember when I was working at the drive in?" Jughead asked her and Marley nodded "I was living there." He said to her.
"So your the worker?" Marley asked him in disbelief.
"Are you mad that I lied to you?" Jughead asked her worried that he had upset her.
"No, I was homeless too once Jug, I understand why you lied. Where did you go after?" Marley asked him.
"The closest, underneath the staircase at school." Jughead shrugged and Marley gasped.
"Why didn't you tell me Jug? Do you need somewhere to stay? We have a spare room in this house it wouldn't be a problem. Aunt Gina is downstairs right now let's go ask her she won't have a problem with it." Marley said getting up but Jughead pulled her arm gently so she fell back onto the bed.
"I was staying there until this morning. Archie found out and he's letting me stay with him for the time being." Jughead said while Marley took in his facial expression.
"You're not lying to me again are you?" Marley asked him.
"Because it's honestly no problem Jug, there's a room here if you want it." Marley said to him while Jughead smiled wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his chest.
"I'm not lying to you Rose, I won't lie to you again. Archie is letting me stay at his." Jughead said reassuring her.
Marley pulled away from him getting up and walking to her dresser, pulling open one of the draws she pulled out a spare key and walked back over to the bed sitting down in front of Jughead.
She got his hands and put the key in his hand wrapping his fingers around it.
"This is the key to my house, whenever you need somewhere to stay you can just come here. It doesn't matter if I'm home or not. My aunt wouldn't mind. You can even come when Archie is being a twat and you need some time away from him." Marley said still cupping Jughead's hand giggling at the last bit while Jughead chuckled.
"This means a lot Ro," Jughead said seriously.
Marley kissed his hand that she had in hers before speaking.
"Pinky promise me that if you ever need a place to stay you'll come here?" Marley said holding out her pinky and Jughead took it in his.
"I pinky promise." He said smiling at her. Jughead began leaning forward, his finger still intertwined with Marley.
"I hope you know that, pinky promises are like legally binding back in the U.K." Marley joked also leaning in and Jughead chuckled.
"Whatever." He said finally closing the gap between the both of them kissing her.
When they both pulled away from each other and looked at each other.
"I'm so lucky." Jughead stated while Marley smiled.
"Ditto." Marley said before laughing. "Right, back to the American values." She said pulling the book closer to both of them going back to studying.
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After an hour of studying Marley changed the subject bored again.
"Tell me about your sister, Jellybean her name is?" Marley asked closing the book at pushing it aside. Jughead smiled and the mention of his little sister.
"Yeah Jellybean, she wants to go by JB now, she thinks it's cooler." Jughead said smiling.
"Hey, Jellybean is still a pretty cool name." Marley said smiling while looking at Jughead's smile.
"She's a pretty cool ten year old, she listens to Pink Floyd on vinyl." Jughead said while interlocking his fingers with Marley's his smile getting even bigger.
"I have Pink Floyd on vinyl!" Marley laughed and Jughead smiled at her.
"You have to meet her Ro, she'll like you." Jughead said seriously slight smile on his face.
"Jughead I've just witnessed the biggest smile you've ever had when you just spoke about your sister. If she can make you smile like this? I'd love to meet her." Marley said to him while he just kissed her.
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After Jughead left, much to Marley's dismay she got ready for bed. She changed into pyjamas and took a sleeping pill. She laid in bed looking at the ceiling praying for sleep to come and it never did.
A few hours later Marley got out of bed and went to the attic and got out a tin of blue paint and a tin of yellow paint before going back down into her room. She pulled Chewie's bed along with Him in it out of the room and opened her bedroom window.
She got her step ladder, extending it making it longer so she could reach the ceiling starting to paint. After a few hours Marley had only done a quarter of her ceiling.
Gina walked past Marley's room to get water before accidentally tripping over Chewie who was outside Marley's bedroom looking up at Marley, Gina took a few steps back to look into Marley's room confused.
"Marley its three in the morning what are you doing? And why is Chewie outside the room rather than inside it?" Gina asked rubbing her eyes.
"I'm walking my pet rhino, aunt Gina," Marley said sarcastically looking at Gina who just shot her a look in reply.
"I got bored of looking at a white ceiling and I put Chewie out there because of the fumes." Marley said going back to her ceiling painting.
"What are you painting?" Gina asked looking up at the ceiling.
"Van Gogh's starry night." Marley answered tucking a curl behind her ear before continuing "it will never be as good as the original but I can try." She added before going back to the painting sticking her tongue out in concentration.
"Okay. Just make sure you get some sleep tonight Marls, and be careful on that ladder." Gina said before walking away, she didn't mind Marley painting on the walls as long as she does it in her room.
"Goodnight." Marley said after her aunt before going back to her painting.
"So how does it look Chew?" Marley asked her dog after a few minutes and Chewie just turned his head to the side before settling down in his dog bed going to sleep and Marley just chuckled before going back to her painting.
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A/n: I STILL CANT BELIEVE I HAVE TO WAIT THREE WEEKS FOR THE NEXT EPISODE.