If We Had 5 More Minutes

“And the moment of truth between you and me.” Cheryl uttered. She pondered the thought of Toni spending her last five minutes with her, if that were an option. But deep down she knew the answer to her question, a tear streamed her face, as she stared down the comet and braced herself for impact. Everything happened rapidly, then there was a flash and cheryl’s face was met with the cool pavement. Her vision grew blurry as she was blinded by the lights from Pop’s Chocklit Shoppe sign. Her head was spinning with so many questions as she collapsed. Did she do it? She can’t say, her eyes grew heavy, so she did the only thing she felt she could, she closed them, and she was met with pitch black nothingness. 

The town of RIverdale had grown silent, not even crickets in the distance could be heard. Everyone waited anxiously for the inevitable impending armageddon that awaited them. Yet they were only met with silence, whether that silence was a good or bad thing, only time would tell. Jughead sat at the table with Tabitha and Pop Tate, heads bowed down and the ticking of the clock that drowned out the heavy silence.

“Jug. Jughead.”

“Hm.” Jughead asked, previously lost in thought.

“Do you think it worked? Do you think Cheryl pulled it off?” Tabitha repeated, her voice shaky. 

“I don’t know, I- maybe.” Jughead sighed, there was no way of knowing if the dreaded had happened yet, but he turned to the window and saw what he had always seen, Riverdale. 

“I’m gonna call Veronica.” Tabitha stated before getting up to make the call.

“I’ll call Archie.” Jughead responded, lingering at the window a bit, anticipating a sign, waiting for something to happen, but it never did, he was met with nothing, instead the silence mocked him in the distance. 

    “That was Jughead, him, Tabitha and Pop Tate are alright.” Archie said as he walked into the living room to join the Cooper family and his mother, as they awaited what might be their final moments. 

“Well I just got off the phone with Veronica, her and Reggie are fine as well.” Betty huffed out with her face buried in her hands, her head pounding as the room started to feel enclosed and she started to feel suffocated by everyone's remarks. 

“Well what now?” Alice chipped in, stating  the elephant in the room. 

“We wait.” 

“For what Archie? We can’t sit here forever.” Archie’s mother questioned as she sat down next to her soon, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. 

“What else can we do?” Archie said as he looked towards Betty, who was looking towards the window, but it wasn’t Riverdale she stared at, it was her own reflection. Betty stared away mindlessly, haunted by her self doubt and guilt, was it really the end of the world she was frightened by? Or was it what awaited her if it didn’t? What would her life look like in the aftermath? Would it include a white picket fence, and who would Betty Cooper be if not an FBI agent? Truth was she didn’t want to find out, deep down she was waiting for the comet, for that wave of relief to hit, and she hated herself for it. 

“Betty.” Betty turned towards Archie, snapped out of thought when she was met with a look of concern.

“I’m all good Arch.” she responded as she plastered a fake smile to her face. 

    Toni held on to her son's hand as well as Fangs. What had felt like hours had passed, as they waited in the bunker for a loud crash, a bang, something to let them know the light at the end of the tunnel was near, instead they were met with silence.  

“That’s it, I'm going up.” Fangs stated, breaking the silence as he let go of Toni’s hand and got up from the table. 

“Don’t be ridiculous Fangs.” Toni scoffed as she got up as well with the intention of stopping her husband from his reckless behavior. 

“Well it’s better than sitting here like ducks, Toni.” , just as Toni was about to retaliate, they heard the heavy hatch to the bunker. Serpent instinct immediately kicked in. Toni had no idea who or what was coming down that ladder, but she and Fangs made eye contact, ready to do whatever was needed if it came down to it, to protect their son. Toni couldn't tell if the noise was the footsteps growing closer or her heart beating louder, however as soon as the shadow emerged from the entrance, they both let their guards down. 

“Heather?” Toni asked, startled. Relief washed over as she was finally able to let out the breath she was unaware of holding.  

“It’s done. Cheryl did it.” Heather mumbled as she stared down at her feet, refusing to make eye contact. Toni could feel it. The tension and the sudden heaviness that now lingered in the air, an unspoken truth that held the weight of a tombstone. 

“Thank god.” Fangs let out as he slouched back down in his seat relieved to hear the good news. However the moment Toni met Heather’s gaze, she felt her heart sink and she knew it was over at a cost. 

“He-Heather.” Toni hesitated as her voice trembled, not knowing if she could handle hearing it out loud.

“Where’s Cheryl now?”