The Midnight Club Riverdale (Volume 3)

Alice's POV: Denial

Read other parts before reading <3

"Alice? Alice?" I snapped out of my trance as Hal's voice rang out from across the table. He chuckled "Are you okay?" I looked around, getting myself together. I'd been sat at the table for goodness knows how long, in a trance. My coffee was in hand and I hadn't touched a drop. I nodded, "Yes, Hal, I'm fine, just thinking" Technically I wasn't lying, I had been thinking. I'd been thinking A LOT. Ever since I'd recieved the letter a few days ago, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I'd tried to ignore it, put it in the back of my mind, but I just couldn't. Every time I woke up I started thinking about it, everytime I ate breakfast I started to think about it, even when I was busy I started to think about it. Morning, noon and night it was on my mind, from when I woke up in the morning to when I went to bed at night. When I went to bed, I couldn't sleep for hours, just staring up at the ceiling whilst Hal snored from next to me. I placed my mug of coffee down on the table, my thoughts ticking away "Are you gonna drink that? It'll get cold" Hal asked, who was now helping himself to another pile of pancakes "Mhm" I said, not even looking at the mug "So, are we still on for The Pop's Halloween Bash tonight? Heard things are getting SPOOOOKKY!" He chuckled, adding an effect to his voice. I nodded my head "Yeah, sounds good"
I stared down at the plain pancake in front of me that was untouched "How about some syrup for that?" I shot up from the table as Hal held out the jug of syrup "No, I'm fine" I exclaimed, stood up. I grabbed my coffee and got up from the table "I'm just gonna head upstairs, I need to....freshen up" I said, already at the stairs. I ran up them and into my room, shutting the door behind me. I placed the mug down as my breathing got heavier. All I could think about was letter. If it was real, and actually from The Angel Of Death, it would mean he was back, in Riverdale, taunting us again. I calmed my breathing down and opened up the top drawer of my dresser where I'd put the letter. I took it out and unfolded it, reading over it again and again. I knew it off by heart by now, I could probably recite it all in my head. I sat down on my bed, going through every possibility. My first thought had been that the letter was from one of the others, trying to prank me. They hated my guts after all, just like I hated theirs.
'MEET UP, REUNITE'
But if it was one of them, why would they say that? They wouldn't want anything to do with me after the pact we made, we weren't supposed to meet up again? But I'd rather it be from one of them than him. The real Angel Of Death. I'd thought about what to do for days, and I didn't know. But my best option right know was to see if any of the others had gotten a letter, then if it really was from one of them I could sus out who it was. I turned my head to look out my window at the house next to me, out of the four of them, there was one I could easily talk to.

I stood still, frozen. The cold October chill rushed over me sending shivers down my spine. I'd been stood there for a while now, staring at the house in front of me. My bare legs were beginning to shake now from the cold. I took a breath, realising I couldn't stand there much longer and began to make my way up the driveway. The house was next door to mine, but slightly smaller. A truck was parked in front of the house and there was pots of flowers dotted all about the front porch. I stepped up and pulled a face. The house looked a lot cheaper than ours, and run down. There was scratches on the paint on the door and the 'Welcome' mat below my feet was scruffy. I remembered being utterly disgusted when I found out this house was next to mine "Utterly Ridiculous" I'd said to Hal, "I mean this a nice, respectable estate with modern, expensive houses and there's a house like that?! It's insulting!" Turns out the house had been abandoned for some time as the woman who had lived there had been very old. It took a while for the house to be sold, but it eventually did. I decided it would be nice to great our new neighbours so I baked some fairy cupcakes and went round. I dropped the whole box of them in shock when I saw who our new neighbours were.
It hadn't meant to happen this way, apparently they'd bought the house without knowing we lived next door, But it didn't help that one of the people I was trying to avoid happened to live next door. It was the worst coincidence ever. I held my head up high, now, and began knocking on the door. Nobody answered. I sighed, impatient, and began banging "Hello? Fred? Are you in there!? I need to talk to you!" I stopped banging but shouted "I haven't got all day!" "Alright, alright, hold on!" A familiar voice behind the door replied. I stopped hammering on the door, and stood back. My stomach churned, maybe this wasn't such a good idea? But this was no time for cold feet. The door opened and Fred Andrews appeared, looking taken aback when he saw me "Alice?" "Hello Fred, is Mary in?" I asked, looking around "No, but-" "Good" I said, pushing past him and stepping into the house "Alice, what are you doing-" I looked around the house and sniffed. It was plain and boring and just as grotty as the outside. I sniffed, tempted to spray a bit of perfume about. I didn't though, and remained calm, my handbag on my arm "I see you haven't bothered to decorate the place much" I said to Fred as he closed the front door behind him "How long have you lived here again, two, three years?" "9 months" He replied, quietly "Still, enough time to sparkle up the place a bit- is that damp?" "Alice what are you doing here?" Fred asked as I began to inspect the walls. I stood still, a frown on my face. I turned to him, smiling "Just wanted a nice, neighbourly chat, you know?" He folded his arms, clearly telling I was lying. After all, since when would Alice Cooper want a nice neighbourly chat with him? We both fell silent "Is it about the letter?" Fred exclaimed, startling me "Did you get one too?" I didn't reply for a moment, "Yes" I said, quietly. I folded my arms, holding my head up high, again "But how do I know you didn't send it?" He folded his arms too, "How do I know you didn't?" I shrugged "Why would I do that?" "I don't know, maybe as a prank?" I scoffed, smiling "You really think I would waste my time bringing up bad memories for some stupid prank?" His face remained stern but somewhat calm "And you really think I would?" I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. He was right. Why would he? Fred had been affected physically by The Angel Of Death, when he'd been shot. He wouldn't make a joke out of that. I kept my arms folded still "Well, how do we know it wasn't one of the others? I mean do we know if they even got letters?" Fred shook his head, "I don't have contact with Hermione anymore" He looked up at me "And you?" I frowned and shook my head "No, I haven't seen or heard about FP in years" Fred unfolded his arms "Well, do you think it was one of them?" "I don't know" I snapped. I changed my tone, talking quietly this time "But I have a feeling we may find out soon" "What do you mean?" I shrugged, "Well, if it wasn't them, they're bound to reach out, aren't they? Or accuse one of us" Fred seemed to agree "So in the mean time?" "We wait" I said "But I wouldn't worry about it too much, after all I wouldn't put it passed her to do something like this" I spat, coldly. Fred didn't say anything back, but judging by the look on his face, he seemed to disagree "Well, I'd better get going then" I said, walking passed him and towards the front door "And if it's not them..." Fred started, from behind me "You know what this means, right?" I stopped at the front door, my hand on the handle. I stayed staring at the door, trying to push every possible thought of it not being them to the back of my mind. It couldn't be. It couldn't be. It HAD to be them. It HAD to be a joke. I closed my eyes, my back to Fred and as he uttered the words I couldn't help but shiver slightly "It means he's back, it means it's not the end- It means it's only just the beginning" A part of me knew he was right.

I'll try to update as often as I can <3