Return to Riverdale

I

Trees whiz past in a green blur as I rest my head on the windowsill of the backseat. My eyes droop closed every so often as I try to fight exhaustion. Twenty hours of travel and I'm still miles away from Riverdale. 

Begrudgingly, I decided to return to my hometown once I graduated college. I may have a masters degree, but I still don't have a use for it. Dad suggested I come home for a while and stay with him and Kevin. I read up on the town during my years away, and I was uneasy about returning. Dad assured me, though, that I'd be plenty safe with him as the Sheriff. After months of fighting myself, I agreed to come home. 

Once my cab starts to get closer to the outskirts of the town, I get nervous. It's been at least five years since I've been in Riverdale, and a lot has changed. I've changed. 

Welcome to Riverdale the town with Pep!

We pass the worn wooden sign at the town's edge and I can't help but take a few deep breaths. My nerves start to get the best of me so I roll down the window of the cab. Cool air seeps into the cab and I breathe it in. The smell of the trees helps me relax and feel at home. 

"Make a right here," I say to the driver as we near my street. 

So far, everything looks the same– but I know it's not. 

"Thank you," I say after the cab stops in front of my house. 

Dad's patrol car sits near the edge of our lawn, making me smile. I'm home. 

I step out of the cab and grab my suitcases, rolling them up to the front door as I hear the cab drive off. With another deep breath I knock on the door, feeling foolish. It is still my house, but I don't want to barge in. 

Quickly, the door opens to reveal Dad and Kevin waiting to greet me, big, warm smiles on their faces. Dad takes my suitcases and ushers me inside, wrapping an arm around me after setting down my bags. 

"Good to see you, kiddo!" He greets, pulling me into him and kissing the top of my head. I laugh lightly and return the greeting, pulling out the hug. 

"Hey Kev!" I exclaim, running to my younger brother's arms. We tightly hug, rocking back and forth. 

"Oh. My. God. Kim I'm so glad you're home!" Kevin exclaims, not letting me out of his grip. "I took it upon myself to keep your room in tip-top shape while you were gone. No dust, no spiders, and perfectly up-to-date color schemes." I laugh as Kevin rambles on about my bedroom. 

"Thanks Kev," I reply with a bright smile. The boy always had a knack for design. 

"Oh, and, by the way, B, V, Arch, and Jughead can't wait to meet you!" I give him a confused look as we carry my bags up to my room. "My besties! B and V mostly, with Arch and Jughead in tow as their boyfriends, respectively." Kev explains. 

"Speaking of..." I grin, waiting to hear any juicy gossip on my little brother's love life. 

"Please," he scoffs, waving his hand. "What about you?" He asks after a minute of silence. 

I give him the same look he have me, without saying a word. A raised eyebrow and a minute eye roll say enough. He shrugs. 

"Wanna come to Pop's?" He asks, not missing a beat. I let out an exhausted laugh. "I know you need to unpack," he says, reading my mind. "But, you can do that after you have a full stomach of burger, fries, and a milkshake." I laugh again, wholeheartedly this time. This boy really knows the way to my heart. 

"I am starving," I admit, caving, to which he grins. 

"Great! Well- not great. But let's get you changed! I've been dying to see your fashion snags!" 

After almost a half hour of Kevin rummaging through my bags to find me the "perfect outfit" we head over to Pop's. Dad seemed a bit hurt that I was already leaving again, but I'm back for good now so he has no need to worry. 

The bell above the door to Pop's chimes, and immediately Kevin announces my presence once he spots his friends in a booth. It looked full already, but Kev insisted we could squeeze. 

"Kimberly Keller, as I live and breathe, it's so great to finally meet you! I'm Veronica," a girl beams, scooting over to make room for me on her side of the booth. I slide in cautiously, glancing around at all of Kevin's friends. "This," Veronica gestures to the boy on her arm, "is Archiekins!" I stifle a laugh at the nickname. It's truly high school up in here. 

"I'm Betty, and this is Jughead." The blonde next to Kevin introduces her, and her boyfriend I'm guessing. 

Weird how the guys don't introduce themselves, but more power to the girls for being in charge. Betty and Jughead seem like a weird pair, but maybe that's why they work. I've seen plenty of couples where "opposites attract". Kevin grins at me expectantly. 

"It's really nice to meet you guys. I'm so glad Kev has a good group of friends to look out for him." I say with a genuine smile. Kev looks over at me slightly embarrassed, but he knows I mean it from my heart. 

"You kids want your usuals?" Someone asks, making me look up. The waiter stands in a white uniform with a very fitting-to-the-theme hat on his head.  

Pop's is a staple of Riverdale, and it'll always be the same. Fifties style restaurant complete with neon signs, a jukebox, and hand-crafted shakes. I used to come here a lot as a kid and study. Now it seems like a hang out for the high school kids. 

Scanning the waiter, I notice his tall stature and broad shoulders. His face glances around our booth expectantly, with a salt-and-pepper beard on the lower half of his face. He looks down at me, noticing I'm not a regular member of Kevin's little crew. His eyes meet mine and I catch a twinkle in them from the light above our booth. The corners of his mouth tip up slightly. 

"Oh, Mr. Jones, this is my sister, Kimberly." Kev introduces, looking between me and the older man. I turn my attention to Kev and the man clears his throat, looking around the table to take our orders. 

"Nice to meet you, Kimberly. What can I get ya?" I exchange looks with the kids around the table and shrug. 

"Classic burger, fries, and a chocolate shake?" I decide, sounding unsure of my order as I peer up at the older man. 

I haven't had food from Pop's since my first summer back after my freshman year of college. The waiter nods, his lips still turned up slightly as he walks away with our orders. 

"Who's that?" I whisper to Kev from across the booth. 

"That's Jug's dad." Kevin replies, gesturing down the booth to Jughead.