X. MOVING ON & RETURNING
𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝
"Thanks for inviting me for breakfast even though I would have come in anyways," I say hugging Betty the both of us laugh.
"Right. I've been meaning to ask, how did you get in yesterday?" Betty asks I smirk before pulling out the spear key in my pocket.
"You still have that?!" Betty asks shocked.
"It never leaves my side," I say putting it in my pocket and tapping it.
"Your so weird I don't even have a key to your house," Betty says
"That's because you didn't win the bet," I say
"Ok but what ten year old asks for a key to someone's house?" The both of us begin to laugh again. The door bell rings and I look at Betty confused.
"Did you invite someone else? Wow and I thought I was special," I say she rolls her eyes at me as she opens the door to Jughead.
"Ew it's you?" I say
"Hi to you too," Jughead says I roll my eyes.
-
"So, Jughead Delia I suppose we have you to thank for Betty's ongoing obsession with this Jason Blossom ghoulishness?"
"Actually, Mom, I was the one who asked Jughead to help me write it for the Blue and Gold."
"Relax, Betty-."
"And I just joined in. For you know Fun," I say stabbing my fork slightly aggressively into my bacon.
"I'm just making conversation."
"Do you guys have a bathroom I could use?" Jughead asks
"Sure, I'll show you." Betty offers the two going to stand.
"No, no. I'll show him." Alice says standing along with Jughead.
"Follow me Jughead." Alice leads him to the bathroom.
"You know despite her angst she is quiet a good cook. Not amazing, god no, but better than I thought. But my dad though, definitely top notch." I say Betty laughs at me shaking her head at me.
-
I'm sat in the auditorium watching Archie audition for the Verity Show. I came because I heard how nervous he sounded and I wanted to come for some support.
"And what will you be auditioning with?"
"Uh, an original song that I wrote called I'll Try."
"Try harder! Maybe try not sucking so much." Reggie yells the other bulldogs laughing. I turn around and look at them.
"And I'll try not to break your hand but you know us Andrew aren't good at trying aren't we so you know maybe I'll do just that?" I threaten
"Trying to threaten me Princess," Reggie says cockily.
"Oh that wasn't a threat. That was..let's say a peak into the future if you don't shut the hell up. And don't call me Princess." I say before Turing around and watch my brother sing hopefully.
"Take your time, Archie. Though we do have people waiting."
"Oh no." I mutter
"Archie? Clock's ticking."
"Excuse me. Sorry, I gotta go." Archie then runs off stage and the bulldogs begin to laugh. I just shake my head and run backstage.
"When I was up there, looking out I don't know, I just I froze."
"That was stage fright, Archie." Valerie answers.
"Yeah, but when I'm on the football field, the stands can be packed. Packed, and it doesn't affect my game at all."
"Singing makes you vulnerable in a way that football doesn't."
"Or maybe what I was missing out there onstage was my team. Or at least a partner. What if we sang I Got You? "
"Archie, I'm a Pussycat. We're headlining the Variety Show."
"What if you sang with them first and then me? Just this once? To help me get my sea legs." I don't even intertwine it seems to me that Valerie already has it under control and Archie doesn't need me.
-
"Guys I Found it!" I say as I rush into the student lounge and sitting next to Jughead.
"You found where Polly is?" Betty asks I nod smiling wide.
"How?"
"I have my ways and plus the clues couldn't be more transparent," I say
"So where is she?" Jughead asks.
"The Sisters of Quiet Mercy."
"What is that? Like a church? Or a charity?"
"No It's a 'Home for troubled youths. Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline and respect, enjoying lives of quiet reflection and servitude'."
"You definitely learnt that of by heart from the website," Jughead says
"Oh how did you'd know," I say sarcastically before nudging him.
"Poor Polly. It's been months. There's gotta be a reason my mom and dad don't want me to see Polly. But I don't care anymore."
"What are you guys talking about? Anything I can help with? What we're attempting is a stealth operation, Archie." Veronica asks walking in along with Archie.
"If we go in there with the entire Scooby Gang, forget it, we're compromised. Well, don't you have to practice for the Variety Show anyways?"
"Uh, no, I don't-" Archie starts
"Except that yes, you do. Thanks to a certain Veronica-ex-machina." Veronica says to Archie.
"What do you mean? Oh, nothing. Just that I had a few words with our director/host, and reminded him that he's heard you sing on numerous occasions. Even though it compromises my artistic integrity. Cutting to the chase, you have a slot if you want it."
"Veronica, thank you, but you saw what happened. We all did. Playing my songs in front of you guys is one thing, but getting back up on that stage by myself I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."
"If it's a partner you're looking for, Veronica Lodge is more than willing and able."
"Veronica, I didn't know you could sing." I say
"Like a nightingale. What do you say, Archiekins? Be the Jay to my Bey?"
-
Betty Jughead and I get off the bus at the stop where Polly is being kept. Worst thirty minutes of my life were sitting on that bus. Not because it's a bus but because of the absolute vile smell.
"Don't judge a home for troubled youths by its facade, right?"
"I already have a bad feeling about this place." I say before the three of us cross the rode and make up up to the front of the building.
"Hi. My name is Elizabeth Cooper.I'm here to see my sister, Polly."
"May I see some identification?" Betty shows her, her id. "Sign in here, please." The receptionist asks Betty nods taking the pen and signing the paper.
"They'll have to wait." She says pointing at both Jug and I both of us nodding and stepping away. "Polly's room is right this way. Though right now it's silent reflection time, and she usually spends that time in the Garden of Deliverance." Betty nods and she makes her way there and Jughead and I look at each other before sighing deeply.
-
Betty is being held tight by her mothers grip Jughead and I behind her with a man standing ether side of us making sure we don't escape. Apparently Alice pays the sisters to get notified when Polly gets a visitor that's how she knew we were even her. We then see Polly turn in from a corner causing us to stop.
"Jason's dead? And you didn't tell me?And you kept me in here?" Polly asks I start to feel a bit emotional Polly was so kind to me she was like the older sister I never had. She always had my back and now I can't even help her.
"Baby, it's for your own good."
"Ugh! You always say that. And it's not true!" Just then Guards come over grabbing onto Polly holding her back.
"No! Betty!"
"I'm gonna get you out of here, I swear to God. I love you, Polly." Betty says quickly pulling her sister into a hug the guards blocking Jughead and I's entrance enabling us to walk in front of us.
"No!" Polly yells for the last time before being dragged away. I shove the guard a bit harder then I initially wanted which ended up catching the guard by surprise and so in that split second I escape pulling Betty into a hug as she cry's into me. I let a few tears fall as I watch her being dragged down the hallway.
-
I had gotten home a couple minutes ago and I automatically go into Archie's room and look out the window to see how Betty is doing. I see as her parents leave her room leaving her in tears and automatically feel the anger boil up inside me.
I march downstairs no one being here as both Archie and Dad has gone to diner at Veronica's with Joise's parents to discus a deal Dad is proposing. I knock on the door as I feel like walking in is just not polite enough as I want them to let me in.
"Urg its you. I don't want you anywhere near my daughter after today," Alice says
"Look Alice you can shut me the door on me. Block out her windows so she can't face me. Block my number. Or even pay me to keep me away but I swear by lord you will not ruin Betty and I's Friendship because it is worth more than any diamond in the world but you wouldn't know a single thing about friendship. So go on shut this door. I'll find a way to speak to her even if you forbid her to." Alice stands there shocked as if she expected kindness, bitch she's known me for a long time she should know I don't take things easy going.
All she does is shut the door right in my face and I just roll my eyes and make my way to the garage to fetch a ladder. I lean the ladder I against the house and begin making my way up till I get to Betty's window. I look in and see her sitting on her bed crying.
I start to feel bad and I lift up the window immediately getting her attention and climb through.
"Dels what are you doing here?"
"I can't just let my best friend cry on her own," I say she looks at me in awe before I walk over and sit on her bed pulling her into a hug.
"I heard what you said to my mum," she says
"You did?"
"Yeah and I want to say that I glad that Cordelia Andrews is my best friend."
"And I'm glad Elizabeth Cooper is mine." The both of us smile at each other before pulling each other in for a hug.
-
All morning I have been thinking about what Polly said and Jason's note. Betty has told me Polly had said that Jason and her were gonna run away so that's where the word Escape could come from and then she mentioned a maple syrup billboard and something about a car so that could be the word Car and how Polly and sisters come from but what about First Walks? Ok so obviously this must be something I know because then he wouldn't have put it in. First walks.
When Jason and I crossed paths. When I was walking in the woods. We walked around together and then we hid behind this massive billboard that had a massive bush and we just talked for hours and then we walked back.
First Walk. That's it. I rush out the house and run into Betty's no one stops me so I quickly go upstairs and burst into Betty's room only to see Betty and Jughead kissing. I stumble and the two pull apart quickly. I smirk at the two. "I'll give you guys a moment," I say walking back out squealing so loud as I hear them laugh at me.
After a couple seconds I grow bored wanting to know how this happened but also to tell them my news.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah." Betty says I walk in.
"Before I say anything. I knew you guys liked each other and it was about time!" I say smiling widely the two laughing at me.
"What's are you doing here Cordy?" Jughead says rolling his eyes.
"The car." I say they two look at each other. I take out the note from Jason and a sheet of paper where I had written Polly's story form what Betty had told me underlining words that matched to Jason's note.
"Look this is Jason's Note to me and what Polly had said to Betty. I underlined all the words corresponding with Jason's and I found ever single one. Except this one."
" 'First Walk' What does that mean?" Jughead asks
"I'm glad you asked because it is where Jason and I walked around in the forest where this maple syrup billboard is and where the escape car is hidden."
"So we find the billboard and we find the car." Betty says
"Oh honey I already know where it is," I say smirking the two looking at me.
-
Jughead Betty and I rush to the car once we see the billboard the rain pouring down heavily. We find the car cover in a tarp Jughead yanking it off revealing the car.
We all look at each other before making our way to the truck where there is stuff full to the brim but what catches my eye is a blue and yellow jersey with the name engraved on it as 'Jason.'
"We need to tell Sheriff Keller," Betty says taking out her phone and calls the sheriffs telling him where we are and to come quick.
"Betty What are you doing here in the rain at this time?" Sheriff Keller asks once he makes it after a few minutes of waiting.
"It's for a good reason Sheriff," I say handing Betty the Jersy.
"We found this. It's Jason's," Betty says
"Where'd you get it?" Sheriff asks now holding the jersey.
"In the trunk of a car with a bunch of his other stuff. Jason was running away with Polly." The sheriff looks at us like we are crazy but starts to think this through.
-
One minute we were in the pouring rain talking to the sheriff the next we are running though the buildings in the sisters trying to find Polly and break her free.
We finally find her door bursting it open only to see a broken window with a few blood stains on the glass. She jumped out and escape. I slowly walk over to the window and examine the surroundings. "The blood is still fresh meaning she must have just gone out a few minutes ago ten at the most meaning she isn't very far. So I say if we head out now we might find her but the chances are very slim considering she could go anywhere..." both Jughead and Betty look at each other before looking at me.
"Ok I watch a lot detective movies don't kill me. Now let's go she could be halfway across town by now but considering she's Pregnant she would definitely find shelter for the night." "
"Ok you need to chill out this isn't some murder mystery show."
"Um Jug hate to break it to you it kinda is," Betty says placing a hand on his shoulder.
"And we are kinda losing time so let's go."