Polaroid // Reggie Mantle (2)

Chapter Five

Early the next morning, Caia received a strange phone call once again at no more than 7 in the morning. Already up and getting ready for school, she picked her phone up from the counter at Sweet Pea's house, where she had stayed the night. This time it was Reggie instead of Betty.

She took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She knew something bad had happened because Reggie had never called her this early in the morning, not even when they were dating.

"Reggie," she greeted.

She could tell Reggie was upset from the tone in his voice. He wasn't crying, but he was so somber. It was a definite change from his usual demeanor. "Coach Clayton just called me. Apparently, he's at the hospital with Moose. He got shot last night."

Caia cursed. She rubbed her temple. "Oh my god. Only in Riverdale." As she continued to talk to Reggie, she began to put on her shoes. "What happened, do you know?"

"Moose was with Midge at Lover's Lane. They got shot at, I guess. Midge is fine. Moose like, shelided her from the bullet." Reggie sucked in a deep breath. Caia could tell, even through the phone that something was bothering him.

"Are you okay?" She quizzed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he responded. "Anyway, you need a ride to the school? I can come pick you up."

Caia shook her head, even if Reggie couldn't see it. "No, no. It's okay."

"You sure?" Reggie asked. "With a killer on the loose, I'm not so sure it's safe for you to be out alone. Especially on your bike." He shot.

Crap. He knew something was up. "No. I'm walking, thank you very much." With that, she brought the phone down from her ear and clicked the end call button. She was still a little mad with Reggie, and he wasn't helping his case.

She plunged her phone into her pocket and finished zipping up her other boot. She had just grabbed her jacket off the wall just as a shirtless Sweet Pea came down the stairs. His hair was messed up and there was still sleep in his eyes. "Where are you going at this ungodly hour?" He questioned groggily. "Who has plans at 7 in the morning?"

Caia slipped on her jacket. "First off, school. Second, I don't have plans. Somebody else got shot last night."

Sweet Pea ran his fingers through his hair. "God. That's horrible." Caia nodded as she began to open the door and go out. "Hey, wait!" Pea called behind her.

Caia stopped and turned back. "What?"

"You need a ride? I can take you."

Caia turned her gaze to the motorcycle sitting in the cement driveway in front of Sweet Pea's house. She slowly turned back around. "I don't think that's such a good idea," she mused. "Pretty sure me riding into the school parking lot on top of a motorcycle next to a brooding stranger in a South Side Serpent jacket would draw a little attention to myself."

Sweet Pea smirked. "Brooding stranger, huh?"

Caia narrowed her eyes and raised her middle finger in front of her. "Shove it, Sweet Pea."

*

A while later Caia sat on the floor of next to her friends. She scrolled through the pages and pages of paperwork she had dug up from the files on her computer. She was trying to find out how she could open her bank account to extract money for the bills. However, there was a common theme throughout the files. There was no way for her to access the account until she was eighteen.

Caia was trying to tune out the details Kevin was sharing about the scene he had stumbled upon in the woods, but with his graphic story telling, it was very challenging. "It was full on Carrie. Midge covered in Moose's blood screaming like a banshee. It was insane."