Kevin had called his dad, and then Elodie, who in turn, had called the Blossoms.
When Jughead and Elodie arrived on the scene, the sun was rising and they stayed on top of the hill that sloped down to where medics were putting the body in a bag.
"Do you-"
"No. Up here is fine" Elodie cut the black-haired boy off. He nodded solemnly.
The Blossoms, The Coopers, The Andrews, The Kellers, and The Lodges were at the crime scene, down on the edge of the river.
The Jones and The Novas were not present, only their eldest children.
"I don't know how they can stand so close to him" Elodie mumbled. Jughead cast her a questioning sideways glance.
"Stand so close to who?" He inquired
"Jason" She clarified, a twisting feeling in her stomach.
'I promise you, I'll solve this murder if it's the last thing I do' Elodie thought to herself as she stared at the bright yellow body bag. She wanted to scream that the color didn't suit him. That he hated yellow.
'I promise Jason. I promise' She made one last vow before turning to Jughead. They stared at each other for the slightest bit too long before Elodie finally spoke.
"Thank you for coming with me, and I'm sorry for keeping you this long. You're probably exhausted. Do you want a ride home?" She offered
"No. I'm okay. Are you, Elodie?" He asked, taking note that contrary to everyone else, she was still wearing her Back-To-School formal dress. She looked older, more tired. He didn't want her to feel like that.
Elodie was slightly distracted by the way he said her name.
"Not at all, but I'll manage. I always do" She gave a weak smile before heading to her car and driving home.
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Once she had entered the house and assured her parents that she was safe and fine. She headed to her room.
Just as she closed her eyes, she heard Rosemary start crying.
She let out a small sigh before mustering all her energy up to stand and go to Rosemary's room.
Once in the calming, light pink room, she picked up the small girl and held her in her arms. She stared at the young girl's curly blonde locks that resembled her own. Her crystal blue eyes were filled with tears and her cheeks were splotchy and red.
"Hi Rosie" Elodie said softly. Rosemary simply grabbed her shirt and clung closer to her old sister.
"Shhhh, it's okay. You're okay" Elodie comforted the small girl as she began rocking her.
"Sing me?" Rosemary mumbled
Elodie smiled as she rocked her little sister and made her way over to the window.
"Deep in the meadow
Under the willow
A bed of grass
A soft green pillow
Lay down your head
And close your sleepy eyes
And when they open again
The sun will rise
Here it is safe
Here it is warm
Here the daisies guard
You from every harm
And here your dreams are sweet
And tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you"
Rosemary was fast asleep again. Elodie gently laid her back into her crib and kissed her head before leaving the room.
Elodie closed the door behind her carefully and quietly. She then sunk down the wall and sat in the hallway. Her parents hadn't even noticed Rosemary's crying. She loved her siblings endlessly, but she hated having to be the adult around the house--managing everyone, including her parents. She wished that just once, someone would take care of her. But just as the thought entered her head, she dismissed it as wishful thinking. She stood and entered her brothers' room.
"Caspar, River?" She called
"Elle!" River smiled and jumped into her arms.
"Ellie! Ellie! Ellie!" Caspar shouted excitedly and clung to her leg.
"Are you okay Ellie? Momma said you were in danger?" River asked, putting his tiny hand on her cheek. She leaned into it.
"I'm perfectly okay now that I'm with you guys" She smiled.
"Yay! Can we go get ice cream today?" Caspar asked, his smile wide. Elodie sighed.
"I need to sleep Cas, but tomorrow. I promise okay?" She compromised.
"Okay!" He smiled as Elodie set down River and ruffled up Caspar's hair.
"Kisses before I go to sleep" Elodie smiled. Her two brothers moved to either side of her and gave her kisses on the cheek, which she returned before closing their door and collapsing onto her own bed. Finally.
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"Jason's death is now being treated as a homicide. It is an open and on going investigation" The words that Sheriff Keller spoke over the loudspeaker were more antagonizing and hard-hitting than most of the students were expecting.
Jason's death was a homicide.
Homicide meant murder.
"Has anyone seen Elodie today?" Archie asked his class as the bell rung. He only received shakes of heads. He huffed and dashed to the front desk.
"Did Elodie Nova call in sick today by chance? We have a project due next hour and I haven't seen her yet" Archie lied.
"No. She has an unexcused absence" The woman at the front desk told Archie over the brim of her glasses.
Archie nodded. For now, if she wasn't at school, she couldn't tell anyone. Archie splashed his face with water at the drinking fountain.
Jughead was approaching Archie, wanting to talk on the subject of a road trip they were suppose to take this summer over the Fourth of July weekend. One that Archie had bailed on. But the doors of the school into the main hallway clattered closed, and there stood Elodie. Jughead sensed the tension between Elle and Archie and decided it best to dip behind a row of lockers and simply eavesdrop.
"Elle" Archie breathed
"Don't Archie. If you cared, you would've done this differently" She said through clenched teeth.
"Hey! Don't go blaming me now Elodie! It's not like you're innocent either!" Archie countered
"I had a dream Archie! It's different! Don't try and pull that shit on me" Elodie laughed dryly, "Some friend you turned out to be" She scoffed and brushed past him to her fifth hour.
Archie sighed and leaned back, covering his face.
Once she was out of sight, Jughead stepped out. It was now his turn to interrogate poor, guilty Archie Andrews.
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Elodie slumped into her lab seat.
Normally, she loved science, but she wasn't up for it today. She wasn't up for anything today. She wasn't up for arguing with Archie or doing a lab or being at school. She simply couldn't understand how Cheryl Blossom continued to smile. It gave her a twisted feeling on the inside.
She watched as Archie and Cheryl sat together behind her, an odd pairing no doubt. Behind them was Veronica and Betty, and further back was Kevin and Moose (surprise, surprise). Her observations were cut off but the thud of a book bag dropping on the floor by the seat next to her.
"Mind if I sit?" Jughead asked, he sounded annoyed.
She motioned to the chair to show it was open to him. He huffed as he sat down.
"Archie got you down?" She chuckled quietly.
"How'd you know?" Jughead narrowed his eyes and furrowed his dark eyebrows at the girl.
"Are you kidding? I'm in your position every other day, I know. Plus, I saw you when me and Archie were talking, again. Archie has a way of destroying things he comes into contact with unconsciously" Elodie said casually.
Jughead looked over to her, a small smile on his face.
She always managed to surprise him.
"What are you smiling at?" She smiled
"What are you smiling at?" He countered
She rolled her eyes playfully.
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At lunch, Archie sat at one of the tables outside, practicing his music. Elodie sat by the oak tree again, a few feet away from Archie. She was drawing and writing, adding to her list of strange things related to Jason's murder. They paid no attention to each other.
Soon Betty, Kevin, and Veronica joined Archie, begging him to play his music for them as a much-needed distraction. They gave Elodie a greeting wave, which she returned half-heartedly, as her focus was elsewhere.
And the suddenly, Betty Cooper started crying.
Elodie raised an eyebrow at the group that seemed to already know what was going on. Betty started blubbering about something then took off, but as Archie went to chase her, principle Weatherbee called his name.
The look on Archie's face read 'guilty' as Weatherbee took him aside and started asking questions.
"We're going after Betty" Veronica said, suddenly appearing above Elodie with Kevin at her side, "You'll be okay here alone?"
"I'll watch over the Heartbreak Hazard™" She nodded her head towards Archie, who looked nervous as he spoke to Weatherbee.
"Alright, see you later" The black haired girl nodded.
Elodie watched the conversation between her principle and her friend carefully. Suddenly, Archie was excused and he darted into the school. Elodie sighed at the thought of chasing the red head through the school, but stood and slung her bag on her shoulder anyways.
Moments later, she found herself in an empty hallway, watching Jughead look through the music room window. She could only guess what Archie and Ms Grundy were doing inside the room.
"Jug" Elodie's voice came out harsher than she had expected. He jumped but relaxed slightly at the sight of her. "I've already tried" She sighed
"Why the hell does he think this is a good idea?!" Jughead threw his hands in the air.
"I'm not sure" The blonde leaned against the archway of the hallway. "I can see him second guessing himself, but he keeps going back"
"Well he needs to second guess himself further" Jughead rolled his eyes before turning and heading down the hallway, leaving Elodie alone.
"Good going Arch" Elodie sighed before returning to her class.