The damning evidence
"He didn't do it."
Bella declared, and if smoke could It would have oozed from her ears. The adults sighed, tired of her constant rebuttal of their words.
"Jessebelle, they found the gun in his trailer." Fred Andrews explained once again, each word filled with strain as he fought to stay awake.
"Which wasn't there when Archie and Veronica checked, that's what you both said wasn't it?" Bella turned to the two stood awkwardly to one side, everyone's mood sinking along with their hopes. They shook their heads, glancing at one another as Bella frantically turned back to the adults.
"He must've been framed, why else would the gu-..." Her voice was wavering, mind racing to catch up with both FP and Jughead.
"Honey, I know this is confusing. But evidence was found and we have to handle the new truths." Mary Andrews interrupted her as the panic rose in her tone, a motherly hand resting on Bellas arm as if in reassurance.
"But you don't understand, FP would never do that. I know he could never do that!" Her defence wasn't taken to heart, each adult taking her words as a frenzied mania. But her words rang true to her, she knew the man who FP was.
"Wouldn't he?" Alice muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes as the serpent girl was on the verge of manic tears.
"No. That man took care of two kids left orphaned. That man saved me two freaking years ago so I'm sure as hell he isn't a murderer."
________flashback________
Jessebelle Rhodes wept into the forest floor, her tears watering the grass beneath her. Her clothes had been torn and her skin bloodied. And it felt every last morsel of her soul had been shredded on that day.
As the red headed boy scurried back into the shadows, leaving the girl to wither away, Bella cried. The sun had set earlier that evening, leaving her with nothing but the darkness as she shivered under the nights cold wind. A black ribbon laid beside her, tattered and muddied along with her clothes.
And for a moment Jessebelle was ready to let go.
At 14, she had nothing to hold her back. Nothing but a boy. And as his face leaked itself into her thoughts, soft words filling her ears, Bella knew she had more to live for than a dangerous future. She had Jughead Jones. And she would always fight to keep him in her life.
_______
She always kept running.
Since that night when she ran for her life, when she ran to find purpose, and she never really stopped. Archie's truck jolted to a pause as the four teens leapt out of the car, hoping to catch their friend before he ran too.
He hadn't been at the bus station, which Bella had stated before they had even arrived, and so the teens raced into the diner. A familiar beanie and burger shone like a beacon to the group, a wave of calm washing through the air.
"Juggy." Bella mumbled as she slid into the booth, scared of his rejection.
"Please don't leave." Was all she managed to say, his brooding stare sending her quickly mute. The door chimed open as three detectives strolled in, Sheriff Keller leading the pack. Bella softly squeezed jugs hand, a silent thought finally making itself heard.
"I love you Jughead Jones, I didn't mean to shut off." Her voice was uncharacteristically sweet, true meaning behind each word. The typical smirk rested on the boys lips as sheriff Keller stopped beside the table, hesitant to do his job. The group all looked up, confused and tense at the sheriffs appearance. All but Bella. Who slowly slipped her hand from Jugheads.
"Miss Rhodes." Keller nodded, aware she knew what was coming. She went to stand but Jugheads hand caught her bicep, willing her to stay.
"What's going on, Pea?" He asked, panicked another person would be taken away from him. She smiled, hiding the tears that glossed her vision and detaching his hand from her arm.
"It's going to be okay, Jug. It's time the truth came out."
Without another word, without another sound, Jessebelle Rhodes was escorted out of Pops Diner. It wasn't a shock to her, nor was she worried. Because it was time to share what had made her poisonous, even if it would poison her doing it.
Princess poison, no longer could she reign.
•••
Will we finally find out what happened to Bella to make her run away?
Who knows
Happy Easter week 😉