Second Chances [Sweet Pea x OC]

Chapter 4

"My mom told the whole story last night," Betty said. "Did you get anything out of FP?"

"Yeah, he told me his version, start to finish," I replied. "I'd say we should meet up and compare stories, but you'd either have to come here, and I'm not sure the boys want anyone knowing where we are, or we'll have to wait for tonight and meet up at the Serpent camp."

"No, no, no. This can't wait. We need to talk to Jughead," Betty said. "I'm on my way to meet him at the bunker. Do you think you can get there?"

I glanced over at Dakota and Hunter who were hunched over the phone. "What bunker?"

Betty sighed. "Dilton Doiley had this bunker in Fox Forest. It's where he used to play G&G with Ben and Ethel. Only a few people know about it. Can you get there?"

I ran a hand through my hair, knowing it was a risk. "Okay. How do I find it?" After getting directions from Betty, I walked over to the pair still on the phone. "Anything good?"

"Bates has information for us, but nothing good," Dakota said.

"What's going on?"

"That game is popping up in other places, Abi," Bates said. "I've got reports of it being played as far away as Athens."

I sighed. "Have you heard anything about people having seizures like they were over here?"

"Nothing like that," Bates said. "It's mostly kids playing, sitting wherever they can with those dice and papers in front of them. But, uh, there's something else." I glanced at Hunter and Dakota who shrugged, waiting for Bates to continue. "Jingle jangle isn't being used like it was, but there's a new drug that follows G&G. And it's being pushed by a new gang, calling themselves the Gargoyles."

"Okay, what can you tell us about them?" Hunter asked. "The drug or these Gargoyles."

"That's about all I know about the gang, but they're easy to spot, they wear gargoyle masks," Bates said. "And they're pushing something called Fizzle Rocks. It looks like the old-school candy, but it's laced with something else, I'm not sure what."

I tuned out the rest of the conversation, lost in thought. Could these Gargoyles be working with the Ghoulies? Were the Ghoulies manufacturing these new Fizzle Rocks and letting the Gargoyles distribute them? Or were the Gargoyles buying Jingle Jangle and adding it to the Fizzle Rocks themselves? No matter what, I needed to talk to Betty and Jughead about the game.

As expected, Hunter and Dakota weren't happy about my plan to venture into Riverdale during the day, but a short time later I met up with Betty in the forest, letting her lead me to the entrance to the bunker.

"Jughead's been playing the game," Betty sighed, gesturing to the table littered with papers and cards in front of Jughead.

"You didn't know that?" I asked, looking between them. "I thought you two were joined at the hip."

Betty turned to me, shocked and slightly angry. "Um, no, I didn't know."

"Okay, so can we get to the point of why we're here right now?" I asked, taking one of the empty seats around the table.

Betty sat as well, launching into the tale that Alice had told her last night. It was pretty similar to what I'd gotten from FP, a few minor differences and information the other wouldn't have known about.

"So my dad played G&G in high school, huh?" Jughead asked when Betty was done. "Of course, it makes so much sense."

"Not just your dad and Alice, but also Mr Andrews, the Lodges, Cheryl and Josie's mothers, and Kevin, Dilton, and Reggie's fathers," I said. "They swore each other to secrecy."