Return to Riverdale

IV

"Dad!" I call from the kitchen once I hear him come through the front door. "Did you hear? The mayor resigned her post!" I relay the news I just heard over the radio. 

Dad comes in, clearing his throat, placing his holster in the table. 

"That's a shame," Dad comments. "Mayor McCoy had Riverdale's best interest at heart. She did a lot of good for this town." I nod, listening to my dad praise the former mayor. 

I excuse myself and head upstairs. 

"Hey, Kev!" I call, knocking on his door. "Wanna go to Pop's?" I open his door to see him video chatting with a blond boy who has a strong jaw. Kev turns around, defensively, and immediately shuts his laptop. 

I eye Kevin suspiciously, as he glares at me, silently fuming. 

"Don't you knock?!" He exclaims in an outburst. 

"I did," I admit, feeling bad about invading my young brother's privacy. 

"Oh," he sighs, averting his eyes shamefully. "Sorry," he continues. "It's just Chic and I are very private." 

I raise my eyebrow at him, a smile spreading across my face. 

"So his name's Chic." I reply, still smiling at my brother. "Are you two..?" 

"It's nothing sexual...yet." Kevin blurts, afraid of what I might be thinking. "He seems like a really nice guy, and we're starting to hit it off." I beam at my brother and enter his room to give him a hug. 

"I'm glad he makes you happy." I say. "So, do you want to get Pop's?" I ask again, still in the mood for a milkshake and a glance at my favorite waiter. 

"Sure," Kev agrees. "One more thing, don't tell Betty." He requests as we leave the house. 

I agree, deciding not to question his secrecy. Surely, everyone in town knows he's gay. But maybe no one knows that about Chic. I have to respect that. 

We get to Pop's and slide into a booth. It's pretty vacant, the sounds of the jukebox and the fryer being the only noise in the whole place. I look around, trying to be casual as I search for FP. So far, he's always here when I'm here. Kevin excuses himself to go to the bathroom. 

"Couldn't stay away?" I hear FP ask, gaining my attention as he stands over the table, tiny notepad in hand. His smirk looks the same as always, almost like he knows he has an affect on me. 

"Well, I do get hungry," I defend, smiling so he knows it's lighthearted. He chuckles, escalating my nerves. "Five years away from this place, I can't get enough of the food." I add, sheepishly. 

"Where'd you go?" He asks, sounding genuinely interested. "And why the hell would you come back?" I snicker, looking down at my hands. 

"I went off to college, got my masters, and didn't have any major job offers, so I came home." I explain, shrugging at the end. "It took a lot of convincing from my dad." I add, chuckling. 

"Right, Sheriff Keller." FP says, more to himself than to me. "Well, we're lucky to have you here. You want your usual?" I smile. 

"That'd be great," I agree with a nod. 

After stuffing our faces with the delicious diner food, I tell Kevin to head home. I explain that I want to talk to Pop for an article I'm working on. Thankfully, Kev accepts my explanation and heads home. To be fair, it wasn't a total lie. I walk up to the counter and sit on a barstool, watching FP wipe the countertops. He notices me watching and smirks to himself, not fully acknowledging my presence.