Here & There - Riverdale

Chapter Two - Jason, who?

"So, where is the hottie we were with last night, you know the red-head Ansel Elgort," Veronica sighed, the whole group was heading towards the gym for the first day of school assembly. Unlike Veronica and Katherine, Kevin and Betty knew exactly what the assembly was going to be about, and honestly, neither of them wanted to hear it. "Is he your boyfriend?" Veronica gasped, the look of realization popped onto her face, she looked towards Kevin and Betty, her eyes searching for answers.

"No he's straight."

"No we're just friends."

Kevin and Betty spoke at the same time, it took Betty a moment to understand what her best friend said, she ended up rolling her eyes and slapping Kevin's shoulder slightly. All Kevin did was give her a goofy smile as Katherine allowed herself to let out a chuckle.

"Oh really? Well then put a good word in for me, can you? I've tried every flavor of guy but orange," Veronica grinned. She completely ignored the look of horror on Katherine's face as she pulled Betty into the gym before Kevin could speak up once more. You would have to be blind to not see that Veronica hated Katherine for some reason, and Kevin Keller was just in the cross fire. She had yet to find anything about him to hate.

Kevin looked over to Katherine, he scanned her up and down before commenting, "you're not going to try to make me your gay best friend, right?" He asked a smile on his lips. Katherine laughed, she found joy in Kevin's comment that bashed Veronica. She shook her head to show that she wasn't going to call him that, which he responded in grabbing her wrist and pulling her into the gym to find their seats with Betty and Veronica. "Come on, now we have to listen about Jason Blossom's death for the 100th time," Kevin muttered as he fully pulled them into the gym.

"Jason who?" Katherine whispered, not wanting the other students to hear her. It might make her sound rude, and she didn't want that. Her mother made it a big point that this was a small town, people talked, people talked a lot. She needed to make sure people only talked good about her, she had to keep her mother happy, it was for the best.

She didn't have time to listen to Kevin talk because right as they sat beside Betty and Veronica the teenager who stood in front of the whole school started to speak.

"Thank you for that moment of silence. Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and everyone of you meant the world to Jason. I loved my brother, he was and will forever be my soulmate. Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives. Which is why I asked the School Board not to cancel the Back-to-School semi-formal," the crowd of high school students let out cheers of happiness. Only soon to be silenced by Cheryl Blossom's words once more, "but rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. Thank you all."

Cheryl Blossom, the twin of Jason Blossom. The poor yet feisty twin sister who lost her soulmate, she watched him drown to death, incapable to do anything to help her brother. Not everyone saw past her mourning though, most ignoring her mean girl side, excusing it because of the accident.

But Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper were not ones to take pity upon the rich red-head.

"Can I sit?" Katherine asked, she directed the question to Kevin, it did not take long for Kevin and Betty to respond with a nod. The other two had completely different reactions, Veronica just rolled her eyes as she leaned on the table listening closer to whatever was playing off of the phone in front of them, and the red head that Katherine has never came in contact with yet looked confused as he scanned over Katherine.

Using her brain she had already pieced together that sitting across from her was Archie, the one that Kevin was telling Veronica about, the one who Betty was madly in love with. Aka Mr. Off-Limits. Katherine understood that, but Veronica didn't seem to. Her eyes watching him like he was a treat and she was a dog.

Kevin sighed, turning towards Katherine to create conversation as Veronica butted him out of the one he use to be in. "So, how is your first day going?" he asked, resting his head on his hand. He looked like he was been through hell and back, but then again everyone in Riverdale has, and if they haven't, they will soon.

"Pretty underwhelming. I prepared myself to be asked all these questions and the most I've gotten was just about me being an Anderson," Katherine shrugged taking a bite of her curly fries that she got for lunch. In her mind, the first day of school for a new student should be all about them. Instead everyone was talking about a dead guy, what a perfect time to move into a town.

Kevin laughed slightly, "this year, though, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow." After Kevin explained to Katherine about Cheryl and Jason's accident, she kind of understood why people were so shaken, but it's been a month. He had drowned, they couldn't do anything about it now.

Right before Archie stood up, he glanced over to Katherine, a smile on his face. "If you need anything, I'm Archie, and I will be happy to assist you. But right now I have to talk to Ms. Grundy before Football practice," he explained to the blonde who was basically swooning over him. But of course she remembered he was off limits, he was Betty's.

Giving him a bit of a wave, Katherine hid a smile as Betty looked over to her, jealously flooding her eyes. Katherine was about to reassure Betty that she would never steal her man, she understood how that felt, but before she could get a word out another unfamiliar yet familiar voice spoke loud and proudly in front of her.

Cheryl Blossom stood in front of their table, how she stood showed how highly she thought of herself. "Veronica Lodge, Katherine Anderson, I've heard whispers. I'm Cheryl Blossom," she spoke clearly, then she pointed to the seat asking, "can I sit," but without waiting for an answer she plopped herself down right in front of Katherine. "So what were you four hens gossiping about?" Cheryl asked. Katherine kept it to herself, but she knew what Cheryl was thinking, Cheryl was hoping that they would just come out and say, 'you and your brother, and how he drowned. Your brother's own death changed the school,' but they didn't.

"Extracurricular activities," Veronica shrugged, clearly she got the warning that Betty did not want Cheryl knowing that they were talking about her love her one of her best friends.

"Weatherbee wants me and Veronica to sign up for something," Katherine butted it, just to make it seem more realistic. No doubt that Cheryl was buying it by the look of disappointment on her face at first, but that all changed.

Surprisingly, Cheryl's face lit up, "Cheerleading, you both must!" She clapped her polished hands together, she looked towards Katherine, "I'm senior captain of the River Vixens," she explained, it seemed to make her happy that Katherine was slightly interested in this.

As Katherine opened her mouth to agree, Kevin beat her, "Is Cheerleading still a thing?" He asked, by the tone of his voice it was a mix of sarcastic and a true, meaningful question. Cheryl's smile went away as she glared at him, "Is being the Gay Best Friend still a thing?" She hissed back at him, but then turned her attention back to the new girls, her eyes full of hope as they both nodded towards Cheryl.

"But, Betty is trying out too," Veronica said right before Cheryl was going to get up and leave. Betty's eyes widened, she didn't expect that her new found friend was going to up her up to something that reminded her so much of her past. After all last year she tried out, she was fat shamed and pushed aside.

Cheryl bit her lip, nodding her head, "looks like Betty has a lot on her plate, but the River Vixens are open to everyone," she sighed looking at her nails for a moment, studying them before standing up. "Oh, follow me on Twitter @.cherylbombshell and I'll do the same! Good luck, girls, and Betty," Cheryl smiled before heading off towards her group of friends who were waiting for her by the sidewalk.

Betty let out a long sigh as she watched the red headed Gothic princess walk away from their table. "Well, I guess I can show you some of my moves," Katherine smiled at Betty. Betty nodded agreeing with her, "well I'm totally in, so why not."