Sick Of Losing Soulmates

Get Ready

Elodie was the first to leave her third hour period. She quickly made her way to the green courtyard of Riverdale High. She sat with her back against a tree and started writing.

Everything she could remember about her strange dream on the riverside, she wrote down. She had a feeling that the dream meant something more. It was like a vision. The gunshot, her and Archie's phone call—it wasn't a coincidence that they had happened exactly as they had in her dream.

Jughead suddenly appeared in front of her, casting a shadow over her notebook. She pulled it it towards her chest and looked up, one eyebrow pulled into a perfect, inquisitive arc.

"Can I help you?" She asked the boy with the permanent frown etched on his face. 

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. About following you guys and your locker" He nodded, not making eye contact, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"What were you looking to hear?" Elodie asked.

Jughead frowned at her.

Riverdale was simple.

Riverdale was surface level.

No one questioned anything in Riverdale. Everyone was happy with the obvious explanation. Drowning. Accidents. No one dug further. Everyone was connected. Everyone had a bias, an opinion. No one was innocent. So no one questioned anything in Riverdale.

But Elodie, Elodie Nova had chosen to question everything. Even the twin sister of the murdered. And he only knew of one other person who would do that.

Him.

"I'm writing about what happened to Jason Blossom" He replied after a moment.

"Good luck then" Elodie replied cooly, a hint of warning in her tone. And with that, she returned her gaze to her notepad and Jughead left her on the sunny side of the only oak tree on campus.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Everyone sat in the bleachers as Cheryl stood in the spotlight, gushing out words that people wanted to hear. Elodie ignored them, knowing they didn't do Jason any justice at all, and simply watched everyone else. Veronica was watching Betty, seeing as she had no personal connection to Jason, trying to figure her out. Archie was staring at Ms Grundy, who was staring back at him. Elodie rolled her eyes. Kevin was MIA, probably out fucking some closeted or experimenting boy in the bathroom. And Jughead Jones sat in the very last row of bleachers, up high where he typed and watched, being the ever-observant recluse detective that he was.

"I've asked the board not to cancel the Back-To-School Formal!"

Cheering drowned out the rest of Cheryl's words having to do with Jason and healing.

"God this is such bullshit" Elodie said loud enough for many to hear her. She stood and left the gymnasium, not particularly caring who was watching her.

The boy on the top of the bleachers gave the slightest smile as he watched the blonde casually walk out in the middle of Cheryl's big announcement and the school's celebration.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

"Please Elle. I need you there. You know I do" Archie begged over the phone after Elodie had finally picked up on the 7th call.

She sighed.

"Do I have to wear a dress?" Elodie resigned.

"Yes! You can go dress shopping with Betty!" Archie exclaimed excitedly.

"Betty Cooper? Betty Cooper hates my guts Arch" Elodie countered.

"Really? Why?" He sounded confused.

Elodie gave a sharp, sarcastic laugh.

"God you're such a clueless boy Archie. She thinks we were having sex all summer" Elodie explained

"Oh. Well, we weren't" Elodie could practically hear Archie's shrug.

"Obviously" She chuckled, "When should I pick her up?"

"5. She'll be with Veronica too, if that's okay?" Archie added cautiously.

"Invite the whole world why dontcha Archie? Who's next? Jughead and Cheryl?" Elodie said sarcastically.

"Well actually...."

"Jeez! Bye Arch. I'll see you at 7" And with that, she hung up, grabbed her car keys, and hit the road.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Betty, Kevin, and Veronica were all waiting outside the Cooper household. Alice Cooper stood in the doorway, her eyes forever searching and scanning.

Elodie honked her horn twice.

"Evening Ms Cooper!" She called out annoyingly, waving her leather-fingerless-glove-clad hand in the air.

The woman simply retreated inside. Betty was holding in her laughter as she entered the passenger door.

"You know she's gonna hate you for that? Right?" Betty greeted.

"Nothing new" Elodie shrugged as she shifted the car back into drive, "Just so you know Betty, me and Archie weren't pitty fucking this summer. Trust me, he's all yours" Elodie said casually before tearing noisily down the road, just to spite Ms Cooper a bit more. Betty blushed bright pink.

"Oh... Good to know" She gave a small, embarrassed smile. Betty reminded Elodie of herself before Jason's death: sweet, innocent, playful, and caring. A gentle flower. Riverdale's pastel sweetheart. Now she was much different, but you do what you have to to survive.

"As for you Kevin! Nice to see you! It's been what? Since the fifth grade since we last hung out? I think you stabbed me with a plastic sword and threw water balloons at me" Elodie recalled, smiling at her old friend in the rear view mirror. Kevin smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah I think so" He chuckled, recalling his 11th birthday party.

"I'm Elodie Nova" She spoke to Veronica in the rear view mirror next, "I'm sure you spotted me exiting yesterday's school-wide 'Cheryl Blossom Pity Party'. You must be Veronica Lodge"

"That I am. And I admire your style. The whole subtle goth-biker-chick vibe suits you" She smiled.

"Thanks. It's new" Elodie chuckled.

"Very. Elodie used to only ever be spotted in pastel blues. Like walking Easter all year long" Kevin added.

"The death of your best friend will do that to you I guess" She chuckled.

The car silenced.

"Sardonic humor and sarcasm are my main grieving techniques guys. Get used to it" She rolled her eyes. The rest of the car found that fair and moved onto chatting amongst themselves. Elodie simply drove.

"Here we are" Betty gave a slight smile as Elodie pulled into the parking lot.

"Let's get dolled up" Veronica smiled before leading everyone in.