"you are so dead, cooper!"
deborah cooper was your average high schooler. straight a student who could do no wrong by day, publisher of scathing articles alongside cousin betty by night. despite her cousin's numerous attempts and warnings to stop he...
"engines warm and ready, gentlemen?" chapter eight — off to the races
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The day of the infamous race began normally, with Betty going off to help Jughead soup up his vehicle and Veronica going over to Archie's for god knows what. Debbie, on the other hand, drove to Pop's to prepare for a dumb, possibly deadly race. This time, after numerous warnings from Alice that she'll get diseases from her sugary sweet milkshake she adored, Debbie opted for a coffee with extra cream instead, laptop in tow.
As she sipped on her coffee, satisfied with her finally completed piece, Debbie watched, from her booth, across the train tracks, where plants and shrubs seemingly disappeared after crossing an invisible boundary. A flash of action caught her eye and she leaned closer against the window. Nothing was there. "Weird," she thought to herself. She could've sworn she saw a little boy.
Suddenly, a message from Betty illuminated her phone. In all caps, she peered over, "RACE STARTING IN FIFTEEN, GET OVER ASAP."
And with that, Debbie left a few bills on the table and grabbed her laptop, greeting Pop along the way to the exit. It was off to the races.
—
"Alright, let's do this!" A tall man yelled, clapping his hands and causing an eruption of sand and dirt to emit from his clap. The whole Riverdale high school gang was there, and as Debbie looked closer, she realized some Serpents were there as well. Meaning, he was there too. She refused to make eye contact. The Ghoulie from the other day no longer donned his cheap, "vintage" shawl, now dressed in a blinged out leather jacket and some tacky bracelets and rings. Debbie was pretty sure she saw the same ring at Walmart the other day.
Kevin clapped, furrowing his eyebrows. "Not the kind of drag race I ever imagined myself going to, but at least the guys are hot."
Debbie scoffed jokingly when Kevin eyed the Ghoulie leader, playfully punching his shoulder. "Eyes on the prize, Kevin. We're not here to scope out new meat."
Kevin raised an eyebrow, motioning to the group of Serpents nearby. "Seems like someone else has their eyes on you, though."
Ignoring his comment, Debbie focused on the upcoming race. She feared that if she looked back, she might crack. If looks could kill, she would probably be six feet under right now. Remaining unaffected, she simply looked ahead, listening intently.
From a couple feet away, Veronica and Archie were bidding goodbye and exchanging sweet nothings, exchanging a kiss, to which Debbie had to avert her eyes. Maybe they should keep it until after the race when they win. If they win. Betty, on the other hand made some final checks on the car, so Debbie was left with Kevin and Cheryl, looking as dramatic as ever. She seriously had to ask Cheryl where she got her wardrobe from some other time.
"Let's do it!" The tall man announced once again, this time, everyone responding with cheers and toasts instead of claps. Jughead and Archie entered their car, and in turn, Ghoulies entered theirs as well, smirking smugly as the did so amid enthusiastic yells and hollers.
