Quick A/N— I hate doing these because I know you guys just want to read the book; however, I wanted to thank everybody for all of your votes and putting my book on your reading lists!! It means so much to me to know that your guys love my story so this next chapter is for all of you!!
---Narrator POV---
Jughead Voiceover: Guilt, innocence. Good, evil. Life, death. As the shadows around Riverdale deepened, the lines that separated these polar opposites blurred and distorted. "I'm guilty," Cheryl said in Biology class. But of what?
"To clarify," Cheryl Blossom says in the office later on while talking to the Sheriff and the Principal. "I didn't mean I was guilty of killing Jason. I loved him more than I do myself." She pauses. "But I am guilty of lying about what happened on July 4th."
"The autopsy puts his death about July 11th." Sheriff Keller informs her. "When was the last time you saw your brother?"
"It was July 4th." Cheryl tells him honestly. "I don't know what happened the week after that, but," She trails off.
"Cheryl, in your own words, what happened at Sweetwater River?"
"The plan was bananas, even for me." Cheryl said thinking back to that tragic day over summer. "Jason wanted to leave Riverdale and never come back. He asked for my help to stage a tragic accident, so that our mom and dad wouldn't come after him. Our story would be, we went for an early morning boat ride, and the boat tipped, and capsized, and Jason drowned. In fact, we made it to the other side dry as bones. We said goodbye on the Greendale side of Sweetwater River. He promised he'd call me as soon as he was in a place where he couldn't be reached or pulled back by our parents. One month, at the most. Every day, I waited for him to call, for an email."
"You tell anyone about the plan?" The sheriff asks and the red head shakes her head no. "Any way that you can corroborate it?" Again the snawer was no. "And you have no idea why your brother wanted to run away, fake his own death? Doesn't that seem cruel?"
"No, he wasn't, Jason wasn't cruel." Cheryl defends him feroshiously.
"So maybe this is all just a web of lies you're spinning to cover your own tracks."
"I didn't kill Jason!" She yells causing them both to shut up. "There was a gunshot that morning. We heard a gunshot on July 4th. Maybe whoever killed Jason took a shot at him, and missed that morning."
"You heard a gunshot, and you're just telling us this now?" Sheriff Keller asks slightly sespichous.
"I was upset. My brother was murdered." She said as though it was obvious.
"So upset that you sang and danced at a pep rally yesterday." The slamming of a door cut the sheriff off.
"What the hell is going on here?" Cheryl's mom demands.
"Mommy." Cheryl says.
"Don't say another word, Cheryl." Her mother demands again. "Get up. Why didn't you call us?" She asks at they shove her out of the office and down the halls.
"Because she's a liar, Penelope." Clifford Blossom says talking about his only daughter. "When we get home, you're telling us everything."
---
"I think I know something that can help with the Blossom investigation." Archie says in the principal's office that morning. He decided to ignore what Ms. Grundy wants, and do what he feels and know is right despite the consequences that may follow. Right now he was sitting in front of the principal desk with the principal himself and Sheriff Keller leaning against it. "People are saying Cheryl heard a gunshot?" He verifies slowly testing the waters of their conversation.
"That's what she's claiming, yes." Sheriff Keller rolls his eyes a little as if he doesn't believe the story the female red headed Blossom told though, who would blame him. She's lied before what's to stop her from doing it again.
"I heard it, too." Archie tells him which causes both the principal and the sheriff to pause and to continue listening intently. "I was there that morning. I didn't say anything because at first, like everyone, I thought Jason had drowned. But then when the autopsy came out and said he died later,"
"What were you doing down at the river so early on July 4th?" The Sheriff asks squinting his eyes slightly.
"Um, working on some songs." Archie lies smoothly, saying it as though he's a little embarrassed to tell people this personal information. "I, uh write songs." He continues to look slightly embarrassed.
"Did you see who fired the shot?" He questions following Archie's last reveal.
"No, sir." He shakes his head answering truthfully.
"Were you alone?" The rapid fire questions continue.
"No, sir." He answers honestly again after a slight pause.
"Who were you with?" Sheriff Keller asks leaning forward.
"My dog, Vegas."
---Cassie POV---
"Hot off the presses." Mom slaps down the paper on my bed on top of all of my work.
"Mom. First you leak Jason Blossom's autopsy report, and now this?" I ask her incredulously after looking at a few sentences on the page.
"People are loving the coverage." She smiles playing it off as if what she's doing is justified by her audience.
"You have to stop sensationalizing this horrible thing." I tell her disappointed that my own mother would do and say such horrible things.
"It's news, Cassie." She shakes her head like she's the one disappointed that I don't get it. "We own the Riverdale Register. We have a responsibility to keep the people informed."
"Whatever Jason did to Polly, he's still a person."
"You reap what you sow." She brushes my comment off.
"You should be writing about the real story." I try again. "What happened to Jason? Who was holding him captive? Why was he frozen? And who shot that gun on July 4th?" She gets up and walks back over to the door and turns around to look at me.
"Well, if you are so keen on reporting, why don't you come work with your father and me?" She offers. "The Register could really use a Lois Lane type like you. Besides I've read some of those stories and songs you think we don't know you write, and you've got a gift sweetie."
With that she leaves the room and I throw my book at the wall in anger. I take a deep breath and pick up my guitar and strum a few notes.
"Oh, Cast out to sea Drifting with the tide And no way of finding me. Now that I'm free, Nothing but blue skies Paradise in front of me. Awake from this dream I hold my breath and just believe. Tired of all the troubles They've been wasting my time. I don't wanna fight Gonna leave it behind. Taking on faith Now I'm ready to fly, I'm in the middle of starting over. Back to the beginning Gonna hit rewind. Chance to do it over Get it right this time. Life gives you pennies Turn them into dimes I'm in the middle of starting over. I'm in the middle of starting over.
"Oh, Alone in a room, Tearing down the walls, Painting over scars and bruises. Now, this is home Fill it up with love And make the best of something new, yeah. As hard as it seems I hold my breath and just believe. Tired of all the troubles They've been wasting my time. I don't wanna fight Gonna leave it behind. Taking on faith Now I'm ready to fly. I'm in the middle of starting over. Back to the beginning Gonna hit rewind. Chance to do it over Get it right this time. Life gives you pennies Turn them into dimes. I'm in the middle of starting over.
"The colors and the stars Seem a little brighter, Tomorrow isn't far away! Through the hardest part I'm working towards a happy ending. Tired of all the troubles They've been wasting my time. I don't wanna fight Gonna leave it behind. Taking on faith Now I'm ready to fly. I'm in the middle of starting over. Back to the beginning Gonna hit rewind. Chance to do it over Get it right this time. Life gives you pennies Turn them into dimes. I'm in the middle of starting over. Tired of all the troubles They've been wasting my time. I don't wanna fight Gonna leave it behind. Taking on faith Now I'm ready to fly. I'm in the middle of starting over. Back to the beginning Gonna hit rewind. Chance to do it over Get it right this time. Life gives you pennies Turn them into dimes. I'm in the middle of starting over. I'm in the middle of starting over. Oh!"
I'm in the middle of starting over...