When Jason Blossom is presumed dead, Riverdale shifts on its axis. Letting in the horror, and darkness that had been held at bay.
Archie, Veronica, Clary, Jughead, and Betty grapple with desires, love, drama, and murderers all while coping with the...
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Jughead Jones
EVERY TOWN HARBORS A SPOOKY HOUSE THAT KIDS AVOID, AND OURS WAS Thornhill—the eerie mansion of the Blossom family, complete with its own graveyard. Trapped within its walls, like a character from a Gothic novel, was Cheryl Blossom, still mourning her beloved brother Jason, their lives intertwined even in death.
"This is how my dad had his Jason Blossom murder board before it was trashed," Kevin remarked, reconstructing his father's board after their house had been broken into and everything stolen.
"Any leads on who did it or what they were after?" Betty asked, handing Clary some papers from her bag.
"Nope. No fingerprints. They took a bunch of files, background checks, and all the video and audio tapes of police interviews," Kevin explained.
The door opened, and Trev walked in.
"Hey, Clary..." he began.
"Trev, hi!" Clary greeted him warmly.
"Sorry to interrupt," Trev said awkwardly.
"Oh, no, it's okay. We're just working on..." Clary started, trying to recover the conversation.
"Our murder board," I added, teasing her.
Clary playfully hit my arm. "Well, I just wanted to make sure we're still on for tomorrow?"
"Absolutely, it's a date," Clary replied, catching herself and blushing slightly. She turned to me, flustered. "I mean, I'll... I'll see you there. Bye."
"So, I'll see you. Bye. So..." Trev stammered out, feeling the awkwardness.
"Bye," Clary waved as he left, then turned back to us.
"Going on a date with Trev? Does Mama Cooper know about that?" Kevin teased her.
"Kev, we're not on house arrest," Betty defended her.
"Okay, she's out of town at a Women in Journalism spa retreat," Clary explained, returning to her files. "Anyway, it's not a 'date' date."
"You just called it a date. You literally said, 'It's a date,'" I mocked her cheerfully, with a hint of jealousy in my tone.
"That's just my cover. Really, it's an intelligence gathering mission. We should focus on the one thing we have access to that your dad doesn't: the kids at Riverdale High. Maybe Trev knows something about Jason he didn't think was important," Clary suggested, shifting the conversation back to the task at hand.
The whole gang gathered around Archie, who was sitting on the bleachers outside.
"Clary, you're positively radiating Nicholas Sparks. Tell me everything about this Trev," Veronica teased as Clary chuckled and sat down next to me on the third row. Kevin and Veronica took seats on the second row, while Archie and Betty settled on the first.
"Oh, there's nothing to tell. He's just one of my sources. There's nothing romantic happening," Clary explained, setting the record straight.
"Why is everything weird here? Why can't a date just be a date?" Veronica mused aloud. "And what's wrong with Jughead's face? He seems even more broody than usual today."
"Oh, he's just being a bit grumpy," Clary remarked, glancing over at me. Veronica smirked at me before turning her attention to Archie. "What about you, Archie? How's life in a PG world?"
The others on the lower bleachers gave her a funny look. Clary, focused on adjusting my hat, missed the look.
"PG. Post-Grundy. What, too soon?" Veronica clarified, prompting a sigh from Archie.
"Coach Clayton says I have a shot at being varsity captain. So I'm not thinking about anything else right now," Archie replied.
"And you're back to being boring," Veronica teased, popping a fry into her mouth.
"Are you maybe throwing yourself into football as a way to avoid your feelings?" Betty probed gently.
"I'm not avoiding anything, Betty. I'm trying to get my life back on track," Archie asserted.
Just then, Valerie from the Pussycats joined Archie, sitting next to him.
"I can help with that. I know Ms. Grundy was tutoring you," Valerie offered.
"Understatement of the year," Clary muttered under her breath.
"But there's this amazing songwriter from New York, adjunct at Carson College. He's an incredible mentor and does coaching on the side. I told him about you. You want to meet him?" Valerie handed Archie a piece of paper.
"Yeah, I'd love to, but football..." Archie hesitated, but before he could finish, Clary grabbed one of Veronica's fries and threw it aggressively at Archie's face.
"No, Archie can. And he will," Clary interjected firmly. "Call him if you want, but do it soon. His spots fill up fast," Val added.
Archie stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking up. "Archie, usually normal people say thank you," Clary teased him gently.
"Thank you, Val," Archie smiled gratefully at Valerie. Betty grabbed Archie's arm, chiming in, "Hey, now you have zero excuse for avoiding music."
Just then, Cheryl walked up to the group, interrupting their conversation.
"Sorry to interrupt Sad Breakfast Club, but I'm here to formally invite you to Jason's memorial at Thornhill this weekend," Cheryl announced, handing out invitations. She paused at Veronica.
"To my surprise and chagrin, mother added you to the guest list. In case you're tempted to steal our silver candlesticks, don't. We'll be searching bags," Cheryl snapped before walking away.
Clary reached out, putting a comforting hand on Veronica's shoulder. "Hey, try to remember, she's burying her brother."
