FRONT PAGE ☆ SWEET PEA

SEVEN

"i beg your misogynistic pardon?"
chapter seven — far from normal

After the events that happened today (she was still quite shaken from witnessing someone getting slammed into a locker), Debbie was in solid need of the iconic strawberry milkshake at Pop's. So when Betty announced that she was going there to try to get a statement for the Blue and Gold from Sheriff Keller ("Sounds fake, but okay."), she seized the opportunity to get her cousin to make up for waking her up in the early hours of the morning.

They entered the diner, a soft bell ringing as they rushed in, instantly spotting Sheriff Keller, currently devoring a burger and drinking some black coffee. Wasting no time, Betty went up to him, holding her papers curtly. "Sheriff Keller? The station said you might be here."

Sheriff Keller was as quick to shoot her down. "I'm off the clock, Betty."

"Just a few questions, for the Blue and Gold story on Jingle Jangle?" Betty pleaded, and it worked, since Sheriff Keller turned around and obliged, letting her ask one question. Betty nearly jumped on the barstool eagerly. "Have you ever heard of a dealer called the Sugar Man?"

"Heard of him... Oh I know him. The Sugar Man, the Maple Man, the Delivery Man. I mean, he's had a million other names, but it's always just one man." Debbie listened as well, seeing as she was also a fellow writer in the Blue and Gold. She had learned from one of Alice's many lessons to always be alert, because a good story is always around the corner. "Clifford Blossom."

"But he's dead." Debbie stated, confused. Sheriff Keller explained further, letting them know that Jingle Jangle was released after he died. After a few more words, Sheriff Keller hoisted himself off the seat and bid them good night, off to god knows where.

"Drafting your next savage take down?" They heard a voice behind them, and turned at the same time. Veronica sat, alone, reading a book and accompanied with a quarter-finished chocolate milkshake. Betty hesitantly made her way over, though Debbie hopped into a booth, reaching for a fry, but Veronica slapped her hand away.

"I don't expect you to believe me, but I didn't mean anything I said. There's no sane excuse—" Betty started, but Veronica cut in.

"No, there isn't. So tell me, B," Veronica looked at Debbie. "And D. What's the insane excuse?"

Of course, Betty couldn't answer without a vanilla milkshake, and according to Debbie, she needed a milkshake as well after what she experienced today, (Betty scoffed at that. "Sounds fake, but okay.") Betty loudly slurped on the milkshake, not speaking until it was halfway empty. Veronica rolled her eyes. "So, to recap... You're talking to a serial killer on the reg, and he's been puppet-mastering you?"

Debbie nodded, as bewildered by this as Veronica was. That actually explained a lot, and she wondered how she didn't figure it out. Betty spoke up, finally. "I'll never forgive myself for what I did, Vee. To you guys, to Jug, to my mom, to all, hell, even Nick St. Clair."

Veronica motioned to Debbie and nodded, "Girl, we would've given Nick's name and then happily treated ourselves with a facial—"

"My skin's sensitive, so maybe a massage?"

"A massage. I still might... but yes. But you're in a toxic relationship with the Black Hood, and you need to break up." Veronica tapped her fingers on the table to emphasize it.

"Or," Betty leaned in to both of them. "I could turn the tables on him. He says he'll go away if I do one, last thing. Find out who's behing all the Jingle Jangle, some creep who's called the Sugar Man."

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"If I found out who he is, I can't just give him his name. The Black Hood will kill him. And drug dealer or not, he's still a human being." Betty argued, to which Veronica muttered that he barely was. "Will you both help?"

After a moment of consideration, Debbie and Veronica had a silent agreement and sealed it with a soft toast of their milkshakes, the glasses shimmering in the neon light as all went back to normal. "We're in."

—

Debbie and Betty discreetly watched from a far alley, ready to intervene at a moment's notice as Veronica approached the presumed Jingle Jangle dealer. She stuck out like a sore thumb, pracically emulating the North Side. Debbie tried to convince her to forgo the heels, but Veronica insisted. Now that she looked at them clearly, she had to admit, the heels were a nice touch in fooling the dealer.

Veronica pulled out a load of cash, in deep conversation with the heavily tattood man. He quickly handed her three colorful straws of Jingle Jangle. She continued talking, and suddenly the man broke out into a run towards a nearby alley. That was their cue.

Appearing out of nowhere, Debbie and Betty broke out into a run as well, Betty smirking as they all followed him into what they hopefully would find the Sugar Man. Betty's ponytail was back to normal, a rare smile on her features. Debbie was happy her cousin was back.

Despite their enthusiasm and motivation, they were too late to realize that it was a trap, and soon they were being hauled into a druggie infested building, by a couple of men wearing outdated 80s fashion. As they were led into a room, they all noticed Archie and Jughead, who were seemingly in the middle of deep conversation.

The dealer they followed rambled to the presumed boss, but none of them cared at the moment.

"Archie?" "Jughead?"

"Veronica?" "Betty?"

"Debbie? Seriously, does anyone care that I'm here? Where's my boyfriend?" Debbie sighed, but Betty gave her a pointed look, which was a sign to shut up. Debbie looked down. Maybe now wasn't the time for her snark.

"What are you doing here?" Everyone asked at the same time, rasing a few eyebrows.

The dealer frowned. "So these are your bitches?"

"I'm no one's bitch, you—" Debbie nearly charged at this guy, who thought he was high and mighty, but resisted, due to the things at stake here. Who knows what else these Ghoulies could do? Veronica, in turn, spoke up, offended. "I beg your misogynistic pardon?"

They were both ignored, beginning to be dumped out on the streets once again, but Jughead interrupted the shirtless guy, who looked like the leader. "If you win, we'll give you the Whyte Wyrm. You can expand your drug dealing horizons and upgrade out of this literal hellhole."

The leader chuckled. "Oh, we'll take the Wyrm. And Sunnyside Trailer Park."

A grim realization set in all of them. An idiot didn't have to know much to realize what was in stake her, and they all simultaneously looked at each other, worried. Debbie could practically see the Southside in even more shambles now. Jughead remained hard as steel, nodding.

The Southside was in so much trouble. Safe to say, things were far from normal.