Athena sat and watched as thousands of files were taken from her home. Unknown to her and the rest of her family, her father transported heroin all around the country, disguising and hiding it within the barrels of the Blossoms Maple Syrup. One of which, helped her father intentionally lose his footing causing his neck to snap from the rope around his neck. The Blossoms empire had crumbled, now it was time to deal with the aftermath.
"They're acting like the last week and the last few months didn't even happen. Polly's back home, my dad's back home, my mom's back at The Register. They all just keep smiling and talking about the Jubilee." Betty complained as she walked alongside Archie and Athena. "That's good, right?" The three trudged through the snow, their shoes satisfyingly crunching on the ground.
"No. No, it's horrible. It's exactly the way things were before, pretending to be normal and perfect when really, we're like a Greek suburban tragedy. My family imploded, Arch, and we barely survived. If we don't start dealing with our crap, it's all going to happen again." Betty sighed out. "Betty, don't you think this is at least better than the alternative?" Athena questioned with an eyebrow raised. Having a dysfunctional family has got to be better than having a torn apart one.
"Not one bit." They all split and went to their classes as education would wait for no man or woman. After the more than dull class, the group eventually gathered in the cafeteria. "I told her I wouldn't do it. Not unless you're up there with us, Jug." Betty told Jughead about the Jubilee. "I appreciate the righteous indignation, Betty, I do, but Jubilees aren't my thing." Athena could not imagine Jughead on stage at Jubilee, it would seem made up if anyone had told her that. "She also said and I quote 'Athena is a Blossom'. That's all like it's a crime." Athena scoffed as she ate her food.
"Betty, in this town, it might as well be." Archie sadly smiled at her. "Jug, how's your dad? Did you get in to see him?" Archie changed the subject as he held Athena's hand under the cafeteria table as she leaned on his shoulder. "Here's the latest. Mayor McCoy wants my dad to name names in exchange for a lesser sentence." Athena shook her head. FP was too proud to do anything like that. "What? Whose names?" Jughead sighed out. "The Serpent's. Sheriff Keller thinks they're the ones dealing the drugs that Clifford Blossom brought into the town."
"My dad says more and more drugs are hitting the streets." Kevin told the group, dramatically."Kevin, relax, this isn't The Wire." Jughead told him causing Athena to snort and continue to eat her food.
"My dad says they're not the ones dealing," Jughead told the group "And meanwhile, Mayor McCoy hasn't even said the words "Clifford" or "Blossom" in public. It's all about how the Serpents are the problem, the villains. This is outrageous. I'm writing an article about this, and not just for The Blue and Gold, for The Register. This is a town story." Athena and Jughead cringed. "Okay, as long as the article doesn't include my dad." Athena pointed at Jughead and nodded.
"Or me." She piped in. She did not want the flames from the residence of Riverdale. "No, it is going to be about your dad and the Blossoms. It doesn't matter how many Jubilees Mayor McCoy throws. This town has changed. That needs to be acknowledged. Why are people so afraid of the truth?" Betty asked. "The truth is what frightens people the most. I got to go. Got a funeral to attend." Athena stood up before arriving back at her haunted mansion of a house whilst her friends watched her retreating figure with concerned faces.
The funeral felt like something being swept under the rug or an ice cube being kicked under a fridge. No one attended apart from the family as the police wanted to make it a subtle and discrete event. Cheryl and Athena sobbed as they loved their father but after the horrible things he'd done, Athena's love had shrunk slightly. "It was to have been the grandest funeral in Riverdale history. Instead, he was buried like a pauper. Why are you both crying? You hated him."
"Don't-- Don't say that, Mommy." Cheryl's lips quivered as tears ran down her cheeks. "He was still our father." Athena defended as Penelope scoffed before her teary eyes stared straight at her daughters. Athena remembered the times when she was younger and everything was better. She didn't miss her father. She missed the memories.
"We've always been cursed ever since the original murder when brother killed brother. Who will the Grim Reaper take next? You? Me? Athena? Maybe your father had the right idea. Just end it. Better the sweet hereafter than this awful limbo." Athena shook her head before taking her sister back into the main house which was more haunted than ever before.
+ + +
"It was chilling, Betty. I'm telling you, there are some dark goings-on at Thornhill." Veronica shivered. Betty, Veronica, and Athena were having a girl's day which they had not had in weeks since the school year had taken a turn for the worst. "I can confirm that." Athena nodded before biting her lip in concentration and painting Betty's nails. "Well, not just at Thornhill. Townwide. You can feel it. Something wicked this way comes." They all chuckled as they felt some joy within their particular, recently grim lives. "Which reminds me, I loved your article."
"Betty, it was truly amazing. I can't believe you won't be able to publish it." Athena finished her nails before Betty smiled. "Well too late because I already posted it on the Blue and Gold's website, with hard copies in circulation tomorrow morning." The girls laughed as Betty turned her computer around to show them that very article.
"So, Athena, how is your relationship with a certain red-headed prince?" Veronica chuckled out as the girls had very little knowledge of all the inner workings of their relationship. "It's nice, he's been super supportive but we haven't really defined the status of our relationship. Is that bad?" Athena questioned. "Honey, that boy is whipped. You'll be defined in no time." The girls laughed before hearing a knock on the door.
"Aw, I miss this. Gossiping, doing homework, being a River Vixen. Basically, just going to school." Polly rested her hand on her large belly and fondly smiled as if reliving the memories prior to all the drama. Prior to Jason. "Then come back." Betty shook her head as the answer was painfully obvious. "Mom doesn't want me to." Polly shook her head. "Naturally, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her." Betty had a mischievous smirk on her face as the girls softly chuckled.
+ + +
The next day, the whole gang was missing for the first part. That left Athena to try and communicate with her unusually calm and nostalgic sister. Entering the cafeteria, Athena smiled at Jughead and Veronica before seeing her sister walk in front of her and beeline to their table. "Jughead. I'm sorry. I had no right to pummel you the way I did that day. As recompense, I'd like to give you this." Cheryl handed over her spider brooch. Athena almost fainted at the sight of her sister just handing it over.
She remembered the day that they got one each. Jason received a golden snake with red jewels covering the back. Cheryl had been given her spider brooch which she wore proudly for years and Athena was given a koi fish with the stripes covered in red jewels. Her parents told her that it represented strength, courage, and bravery. As a child, she thought she had all those qualities, but now she had been shed of those and was left with a facade.
"My iconic spider brooch. It'll catch a pretty penny at the local pawn shop. Enough to keep you in burgers and S T-shirts for years, if not decades." All their eyes widened as they looked at the brooch in Jughead's hands. He slipped it into his pocket before smiling at the redhead. "Cheryl, what is going on?" Veronica asked but before the girl could reply, Kevin rushed towards them.
"Guys hurry. It's Betty's locker. Come on, it's bad. Come on, come on!" Athena without thinking about her sister, followed Kevin as he led them to a horror scene. "What's going on?" Archie walked past them before She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "Something's happened." They were then taken to where Betty's locker would be except it was surrounded by a crowd of students taking pictures. They pushed to the front to see the words 'Go to hell. Serpent Slut!" written on her article in what looked like blood with a doll of Betty hanging from a noose.
Jughead jumped in front of the red letters before consoling his girlfriend. "Betty." Betty's eyes were glossy as she stood still. "Hey, no It's nothing, Jug, it's just a jerk with a can of spray paint." She launched forward and attempted to rip it down before being held by Jughead as he quietly informed her of what it was. "I don't think that's spray paint, okay?" He dragged her away, cameras flashing at them. Athena had had enough.
"Show's over, everyone. Get out before I make you." The crowd walked away, afraid of what the Blossom girl would do. Her family and her had become a signal of murder and hate. That's what everyone thought of them.
ONE MORE CHAPTER!!!!!!
(EDITED)