After school, I had the night off from Pops and I had to collect the rest of my stuff from the Andrews household. I'm standing in the kitchen with Jughead and Archie as Fred walks over to the door. I hear her voice before anything
"Mr. Andrews! Nice haircut. You're looking extremely DILF-y today." I almost spit my drink out all over Jughead "Is Archie home?"
"Cheryl, yes." Fred sighs. "Um, come on in." Cheryl walks back to us, I step closer to Jughead glaring at the redhead as she proudly made her way into the Andrews home.
"The Ice Woman cometh." Jughead mumbles causing me to laugh a little.
"Hey, Cheryl." Archie glares at me and Jughead. Cheryl places a large guitar case on the table next to the open pizza box.
"As a maj thank-you for coming to the maple banquet with me tomorrow, I wanted to give you this." Cheryl looks at Archie a gleam I knew all to well in her eye. "An '84 Les Paul. In our signature color. You're welcome." I turn around leaning against the sink staring out the back window. "Okay. That's all I'm going now. My claustrophobia acts up in small houses. See you tomorrow." I just sighed as Fred chuckled. I could hear Cheryl's boots marching away. I finally turn back around when I hear the front door shut.
"I'd give that back if I were you." Fred took the words right out of my mouth.
"Dad, come on. The Blossoms, they're helping me get into that summer music program. Like, the best in the country."
"And since when did the Blossoms ever give a damn about you, Archie?"
"Well, they think I have potential, dad."
"He's also pimping himself out to Cheryl." Jughead also speaks up for me.
"The Blossoms tried to run our business into the ground."
"Maybe if you tried talking to Mr. Blossom..." Archie spoke quietly, I remained back near the sink staring the boy with the red kiss mark on his cheek with a new found anger.
"I tried talking to him, Archie, he laughed in my face. Don't think for a second that the Blossoms are looking out for you. They're using you, Archie."
"THANK YOU!" I finally spoke up causing the room to jump, Archie saw the glare for the first time. "Archie, we talked about this last night! You told me you understood and now you are standing here trying to convince yourself that what is happening is okay. That's it, I'm finding a way to get into this banquet if its the last thing I do."
"Arch, the Blossoms look at us like we're dirt under their shoe. I'm over it. I'll help you get in Kat, anyway I can." I nod to Fred who walks out of the room. Archie looks down at the guitar and I sigh.
"Archie, you know that this is wrong..."
"They are making me a suit Kat. Cheryl already has what she wants what am I going to do about it?"
"I'll be your plus one."
"It doesn't work like that." I nod slowly.
"Oh Archie, but it does. Come." I give the two boys a sly smile as I practically march into the living room that has the bags of my stuff. I bend down opening one and pulling out a cherry red ST Dupont Atelier wallet(AKA a very very expensive wallet). I stand turning around slowly.
"Kat, how is a wallet going to help?" I smile to Jughead.
"What color would you say this is?" The two boys look at each other confused.
"Black with red leather?" Jughead starts
"Almost Cherry Red? A signature color for a very specific family?" Archie nods slowly. "The Blossoms gave Perry this wallet for his fifteenth birthday, they would send us presents every birthday and Christmas. Even if they had to send them to our caseworker until they could be delivered." I sighed remembering all the things that sat in my room back in the trailer park. "This one was extra special. All of this is annual, and Perry always wanted to be a part of it. To feel as if he truly belonged in Riverdale, not just on the southside. So, Jason made a deal with his parents." I reach into the wallet and pull out a laminated card that Jason made with a signature from both parents and himself. "I have a get-in-free ticket." Archie takes the card and reads the front.
"To be used for one Tree tapping Ceremony and other Annual events by Perry Jackson Quinn or whomever he deems fit if he is unable to attend."
"But..."
"But nothing Archie, I have the wallet and the card. With Perry gone it is mine to use."
"Kat, do you really think the Blossoms will let you in?" Jughead looks at the card next.
"They will if I have some help from a certain redhead and a certain down and out rich girl."
"I'm down to help." Archie chuckles thinking I was referring to him.
"I know you are, which is why I was talking about Cheryl and Veronica."
"Oh, Makes sense." I laugh taking the card back.
YOU ARE READING
Back In Black
FanfictionKathleen Quinn has moved from home to home since she was ten, years have passed and she is finally able to return to her home town of Riverdale. Yet the struggling photographer and horror film junkie will come across some rough patches when an old f...
