So many people are reading...didn't think so many people would care about my writing, but thank you <3333
(Totally optional, but I suggest more to the end of the chapter though) Song of the chapter: "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay
Chapter 13 - The Belly of the Beast
I hadn't gone to the drive-in that night and gladly Jughead understood. He hadn't pressured me, just simply asked if I was sure and I nodded.
Now the weekend had passed and it was the start of a new week...new slate. Kevin was pinning a series of pictures and articles up on the cork board, explaining to Jughead, Betty, and I how his father had his set up before someone completely destroyed it the night of the drive-in.
"Any leads on who did that?" I asked gently, sitting beside Jughead as he observed the board intently, trying to memorize every detail.
"Nope. No finger prints. They stole a bunch of files, background checks, and all the video and audio files of police interviews." Kevin sighed.
Disrupting our train of thoughts, trying to pin a suspect on who could've done this, someone burst through the door semi-shyly.
"Hey, Betty..." the tall teenager smiled at the blonde and I raised an eyebrow.
"Trev, hi..." Betty grinned, friendly.
"Sorry to interrupt.." Trev said, walking further into the room and I noticed Jughead staring him down.
"No, no, it's all right. We were just working on our..."
Betty was trying to lie thought Jughead had finished her sentence with, "..murder board." He blandly said, disinterested entirely of this kids existence as his fingertips were over his mouth. Betty nodded nervously, keeping her crinkled bright eyes to the boy.
"Well, I was just wondering if we were still on for tomorrow night.." Trev explained with a nervous and wary smile.
"Absolutely. It's a date!" Betty announced with a wide grin and I now turned my full attention to her, my eyebrows raised. "..I meant...I'll see you there.." she saved herself as they both chuckles nervously and the boy walked out backwards slowly.
"So you're going on a date with..Trev.." Kevin stated as Betty spun toward the three of us, the tall teen making it as if it the hardest thing in the world was to say those four letters. "Does mama cooper know about that?"
"Kev, I'm not on house arrest." Betty rolled her eyes and I scoffed.
"Sweetheart, you've been on house arrest since we were 8." I laughed and now she scoffed, more annoyed while mine was in disbelief.
"Ok...she's out of town on a women in journalism spa retreat.." Betty sighed in defeat. "Anyway! It's not a date-date." She shrugged.
"You..just called it a date." Jughead deadpanned. "You literally said 'it's a date'." He added and I nodded in confirmation.
"Well, that's just my cover. It's just a focus gathering mission. We should focus on one thing that we have access to that your dad doesn't; the kids at Riverdale high. You know maybe Trev knows something about Jason that he didn't think was important." Betty changed the subject slightly and I shook my head in thought.
"Are you sure that's not a date?" I asked and she sighed sharply.
"It's not a date, Mace. I'd tell you if it were." She replied. I shrugged, taking a sip of my coffee in disinterest of the subject now.
•••
*third person POV*
"Betty, you're positively radiating Nicolas Sparks. Tell me everything about this Trev!" Veronica gossiped as four out of the six teenagers were walking on the bleachers during lunch.
"Oh, there's nothing to tell. Just one of Betty's sources, there is nothing romantic in the offing." Kevin sarcastically replied to Veronica in a monotone voice as they all sat around Archie, the fifth of the six.
"Why is everything weird here? Why can't a date just be a date?" Veronica announced. "What about you, Archie? How is life in a PG world?" she then asked, and the red head turned around to her confused. "..PG..Post Grundy..What? Too soon?" she mocked. Miss. Grundy was forced to quit her job and move away by Mr. Andrews and Mrs. Cooper, Archie and Betty's parents, when they found out about the romantic relationship the night of the drive-in.
"Coach Clayton says that I have a shot at being varsity captain, so I'm not thinking about anything else right now." Archie sighed, looking down at the papers in his hands.
"So you're back to being boring?" Veronica rhetorically asked.
"Don't you think that throwing yourself into football is your way of avoiding your feelings?" Betty whispered and Archie narrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the blonde.
"I'm not avoiding anything, Betty. I'm trying to get my life back on track." He replied sharply.
Then a dark-skinned young woman who played in Josie and the Pussycats sat beside Archie, immediately catching everyone's attention. "I can help with that." she smiled. "I know Miss. Grundy was tutoring you.." Valerie started.
"Understatement of the year.." Veronica whispered.
"..but there's this amazing songwriter from New York. He's an adjunct at Carson College. Incredible mentor. He does some coaching on the side and I told him about you." She continued, her blue eyes soft as she stared into his and her smile growing little by little. "Do you want to meet him?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'd love to, but football..." Archie tried to deny.
"No, Archie can and he will!" Betty replied, taking on the role of Macie due to her absence.
"No, Betty.." Archie whispered to the blonde lowly.
"If Macie were here, you wouldn't even have a choice." Betty smirked and Archie sighed, turning back to Valerie now with a shrug. She placed the smile back onto her face before continuing.
"Call him if you want.." she said, sliding a green piece of paper into the young boys jacket pocket. "...but do it soon because spots fill up fast." She informed, patting the pocket lightly before walking away.
"Now you have zero excuse for avoiding music." Betty added and Archie nodded with a small worried smile.
"Where is Macie, anyway?" Kevin asked, looking around the field in front of them, scanning for the strawberry blonde.
"Tutoring some kids." Jughead mumbled, continuing to eat his lunch in silence behind the other teenagers.
"Sorry to interrupt, sad breakfast club." Cheryl said, announcing her presence. "But I'm here to formally invite you to Jason's memorial at Thornhill this weekend." she said, handing out black envelopes to each of her classmates.
"What about Macie?" Archie asked, looking up at the red-head.
"I will be giving her her invitation personally." She replied before moving her gaze to Veronica. She then slowly handed her the dark invitation as she stared her down. "To my surprise and chargrin, mother added you to the guest-list. In case you're tempted to steal our silver candlesticks; don't. We'll be searching bags." Cheryl said to the raven-haired girl with a grimacing expression before strutting away.
"Hey, try to remember that shes burying her brother." Betty sighed, turning to Veronica.
•••
*Macie's POV*
"Macie!" I heard my name being called from down the hall. I spun around, seeing Cheryl walking toward me with a black envelope in her hand. "Just the little duck I wanted to see." She grinned and I raised an eyebrow.
"Duck?" I repeated.
"Here is an invitation to Jason's memorial this weekend." She stated, dismissing my question as she handed me the envelope. I nodded, looking down at it. "It would really mean a lot if you came."
"Yeah..yeah. Definitely, wouldn't miss it." I sighed.
"I'm also having a sleepover the night before." She added unsurely. I looked up at her, about to object though her saddened eyes just seemed to grow. "I don't want to spend the night before I bury my brother alone.."
I thought for a moment, looking down at the envelope and up at her numerous times.
"I'm sorry Cheryl. I can stay for dinner, but my mom really needs me right now." I sighed and she nodded.
I began walking away until she said a small sentence. One that made everything seem as if nobody else heard except for me.
"You know, we both lost someone; you losing your dad, me losing Jason...I would've thought that we were in this together." She said and I raised an eyebrow as I spun around.
I slowly exhaled, pushing the memories of this weekend further back. "Just know that it gets easier." I lied with a fake smile before trying to walk away again.
•••
I hadn't made it to dinner that night. Not even to my own dinner that I set on the table for my mother downstairs. I decided to stay inside, watching movies and doing homework as I would when younger.
I then woke up that next morning, thinking about how awkward the funeral might go. All of the Blossoms in one place, the whole town gathered around, and how much pressure the family must be under to not screw it up was enough to trigger my anxiety.
I later got ready, putting on a black mini dress and while putting in my earrings I heard knocking on my door. I turned around with a small smile, thinking it'd be Jughead but instead got my mother.
"What are you dressed for?" The blonde asked, her hair messy as if she just woke up.
"Jason Blossoms memorial." I sighed, turning back to the mirror and patting my dress down straighter.
I heard her take a gulp of beer as I felt her eyes looking me up and down. "We never had a memorial for your father, did we?" She asked lowly.
"No...Janice and I didn't have the heart to plan it." I muttered, now putting on some eyeliner.
"You know the whole town would've come.." she sadly chuckled as if thinking about how it would go. "..everyone loved your father.." you could now hear the smile playing upon her lips. I looked to her reflection on my mirror, seeing her look down at her feet. When she brought her eyes back to me, I continued putting the eyeliner on as if I hadn't been staring. "Better put waterproof on." She suggested after clearing her throat roughly.
"I'm not going to cry. I barely knew Jason." I replied, now putting mascara.
She thought for a second before nodding knowingly, "Yeah...forgot it was Janice who liked Jason.." she stated. She then scoffed at the memory of her first daughter. "Oh how much she wanted to be one of his little play things like Polly Cooper."
I then spun around, shaking my head. "You don't get to talk about Polly that way." I defended. The woman then put her hands up in defense, placing her beer bottle on my dresser before walking toward me.
"I know. I just wanted you to look at me." She sighed, fixing the straps on my dress before looking up at me as her eyes started to get glossy. "I miss them too, Mace. Every time I think of them I just..." she exhaled sharply, looking down at my shoes. I sighed, rubbing her back as I pulled her into a hug.
"I know, mom. I know." I lowly replied. Then the doorbell downstairs rang and she sniffled a few times, looking me up and down as a proud smile made its way onto her lips now.
"I'll go get that, you finish getting ready." She ordered happily, going to the door before I could object. I then heard a conversation downstairs that caught my attention. "Jughead Jones." My mother announced from downstairs.
"Hi, Ms. Johnson. Long time, no see." Jughead replied.
"Yeah...I've been busy." She responded sternly.
"Uh...is Macie ready?" He then asked after a few moments of silence.
"Oh yeah. Yeah, she's getting ready." My mother sighed as I finally heard the door close. "You could go up if you want..unless there's something going on between you two that I need to know about.." her voice now getting playfully protective as my father would with Archie when we were younger.
"There's nothing you need to worry about, Ms. Johnson." The smile being heard from upstairs where I was standing in my doorway listening intently.
"Are you sure? You seem like quite the looker.." my mom started to go on and my cheeks went hot. I rushed out of my room before another word could be said and I leaned over the banister slightly, looking down at the two talking in front of the staircase.
"Hey, Jughead." I smiled, catching his attention now. "You could just..come right up.." I hinted and my mom smirked as she watched my awkward posture. Jughead handed my mother a few flowers he was holding before joining me in my room.
"Are you ready to enter the belly of the beast Juggie mocked, speaking of the Blossom residence. I stared at him for a second, admiring the small features that I hadn't noticed before. "What?" He asked, confusion filling him. He then looked me up and down subtly before replying, "This was the best I could do." He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets, revealing the suspenders underneath.
"You look cute, Jughead, don't worry." I complimented, going up and tightening his tie a little. A small smile planted themselves comfortably onto him as he began to blush slightly, looking down at the ground. "Is Jughead blushing?" I teased and he cleared his throat.
"Well, I am 'quite the looker'." Juggie responded, putting air quotes around the words my mother had used. I chuckled, now aligning it and sweeping off some imaginary dust off his shoulders. I then noticed him staring as I did so. I looked up, not responding to the stare directly, but staring back into those beautiful ocean blue eyes that I've been unknowingly drowning within.
"Don't you two look cute." I heard my mother comment. I looked to see her observing us from my doorway, so I cleared my throat before taking a few steps back.
"Um..we were just heading out." I sighed, grabbing a small purse off my bed and going to walk past her until she stopped me.
"Take the car." She nodded and I stopped for a moment.
"Uh..mom.." I whispered, but she put her hand up as if not taking no for an answer.
"Take it." She ordered. I nodded shyly, giving her a small hug.
---
So this chapter seems like such trash to me and I've been trying to work on it little by little between exams, but I just hope you all like it !!! Added a little Mughead or Bacie moment after the obvious Jughead jealousy of Trev, so what do you think?
Any comments on anything within the story?
OH YEAH! THANK YOU ALL FOR READING, VOTING, AND COMMENTING SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS FROM SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE !!! AHHH THANK YOU !!!