lola | JUGHEAD JONES ✔

f i n a l e

The sound of the gavel falling sounded throughout the courtroom. Everyone erupted in noise, white noise that Lola pushed to the back of her mind. Her vision blurred through a sheen of tears as the jury began to file out of their stand. A supportive hand gripped her shoulder and she wished it would have been Jughead's familiar grip as the hand pulled her up and began escorting her out amidst the throng of people. It seemed as if the entire town had come to watch the trial, the weight of Jason Blossom's murder sagging their shoulders.

Outside Jughead tapped his foot impatiently, his head resting in his hands. Betty Cooper's hand rubbed soothing circles between his shoulder blades but he didn't register it, too absorbed in his thoughts; the anxiety that whipped his mind into a frenzy.

Archie sat across from him, he was talking in hushed whispers to Betty, "Can you hear anything?"

His voice was rough, scratchy from the lump of anxiety in his throat. "Maybe I would be able to if you two ever shut up?" Veronica's voice taut with anger interrupted the pair.

She wore the same hooded cape she had worn when she first met Lola, it had been a month since they had last seen her and Veronica had never been as scared and excited for an event as she was this court hearing.

Suddenly the courtroom erupted in noise, Jughead sat bolt upright his eyes red and cheeks gaunt from sleepless nights. He stood up and joined Veronica in her pacing. "I can't believe we can't go in there," Archie sighed, resting his head against the wall behind him.

"It's bullshit." Betty agreed.

In normal circumstances, Jughead would have made a comment about Betty Cooper cursing but instead he pictured the way Lola would have laughed and raised an eyebrow, the way her laughter would have rung through the room as she agreed, 'Bullshit." The thought brought tears to his sore eyes.

The doors eased open, their hinges creaking in protest as hordes of Riverdale citizens flooded out of its doors. The courtroom had been full of people, the entire town had come to watch the murderer of Jason Blossom's persecution.

Jughead's eyes scanned everyone in the crowd before they connect with a familiar pair, Fred Andrews crinkled eyes met his and he pushed through the crowd to get to the group.

"Dad, what happened?" Archie shouted over the murmur of the crowd.

A smile lit up Fred Andrew's aged features, crinkling the corners of his eyes, "They pinned all charges on Clifford Blossom. Lola's free."

---

Lola's eye's found a familiar grey beanie and despite the exhaustion that had seeped into her bones in her month of prison time, a bright smile cracked her cold facade. She pulled away from Reggie, who had been her only visitor in prison after Veronica, Archie, Betty, and Jughead had been banned for attempting a prison break. The memory caused a bubble of emotion to swell in her chest.

"Lola!" Veronica exclaimed pushing through the crowd to wrap her arms around Lola's small frame. She was drowned in the grey material of her prison scrubs and her hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of her head, the blond hair shiny with grease.

Veronica wrapped her arms around Lola, a beaming smile painted across her features. "Oh god, I missed you guys." Lola sighed into Veronica's hair.

Veronica pulled away, "the Scooby gang doesn't feel the same with only four members."

"You're counting the dog as a member?" Betty asked over Veronica's shoulder.

Veronica moved away as Betty wrapped her arms around Lola, "We missed you."