Anarchist | Riverdale

Anatomy of a Murder

Jughead and Ellie walk to the bus station, hearts beating fast in their chests, not saying a word to each other, thinking of everything that could come from this little 'trip'. But right now, neither of them care and they arrive to grab a bus ticket each and wait to go to Toledo with small, hopeful smiles on their faces.
"Hey you got twenty cents? I need to warn my mom we're coming." Jughead says as they approach a phone box. Ellie hangs at the door whilst Jug makes the phone call.
"Hi, mom." He says once she answers and that gives Ellie little butterflies in her stomach, they're actually doing this. "Hey guess what? Ellie and I got bus tickets to Toledo." He waits for a response. "Yeah, we thought we'd come and see you and Jellybean for a while." His face then drops from his grin and Ellie's heart does the same. "We can crash on the couch." The tears then start to form in Jughead's eyes and Ellie reaches to place an arm round him, preparing to give him a massive hug. "No, I understand." Ellie had no idea what was said on the other end of the phone but she knew it wasn't good news. "Look, uh, forget I said anything, okay? All right, bye." He says, fighting through tears and places the phone down. He begins to cry again and Ellie pulls him in for an embrace to offer some kind of comfort.

A few minutes later, the two were back at the ticket booth to give their tickets away, no words were spoken about what Jug's mother had said but, Ellie just understood.
"Look, we changed our mind about Toledo, can you just put us on whatever the next bus out of town is, don't care where it's going." Jughead asks the women behind the counter and this is when Ellie starts coming to her senses, this is stupid and not well thought out at all. She begins to feel sick but doesn't back out for Jughead's sake, she knows she can bring him back to the town in no time.
"Citrusvillie, Florida." The lady says, stamping their tickets. "Leaves tomorrow morning at 6."
"All right." Jug replies.
"Lobby closes in 15 minutes, reopens at 5:30." The women then says, leaving Ellie more unsure, where will they stay until 5:30?
"Pop's?" Ellie suggests, maybe she can talk him out of it over a coffee.
"Pop's." Jug replies with a small smile.

The two sit in silence at Pop's whilst they sip on coffee and think, neither of the two hear the doorbell ring to signal someone walking through the door.
"Jug, Ellie." Archie's voice catches their attention. Jughead turns his head away again and Ellie offers a sad smile to her sister and the two who she's not sure she can call friends anymore.
"Jug, we're so sorry." Betty says sitting next to her boyfriend, who is still deep in thought. "About everything."
"Juggy we screwed up." Archie adds, leaning on the table next to Ellie.
"You think?" Ellie snaps back, her coffee mug shaking in her hand from all the pent up anger of the night. Archie swats the comment away and carries on.
"We all did. Breaking into your dad's trailer was wrong, but at least some good came out of it." The older blond looks at the redhead as if he's mad.
"Pretty sure my dad was just arrested for murder." Jug speaks up.
"That gun wasn't there when we searched his trailer. Someone put it there after we left." Veronica says and the two 'runaway' teens look at her in shock and confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Ellie asks, a crack in her tone, her voice shot from crying.

Betty, Archie, Veronica and Jughead follow Ellie to the Sheriff's station, who took off demanding answers.
"Excuse me sir, we need to speak to Sheriff Keller." Archie says once reaching the front desk.
"There's been a huge mistake." Betty adds.
"Sheriff, we need to talk to you about FP Jones." Ellie demands as she spots Sheriff Keller walking past.
"What about him?" Keller asks.
"He's innocent." Archie says.
"He's being framed." Ellie buts back in.
"Well, then why did he just confess?" The Sheriff tells the teens, which sends them into a state of shock all over again, Ellie's body filling with goosebumps, anger and sadness. That's when FP comes down the hall in handcuffs followed by two officers and looking away once he notices his son is here.

The night was sleepless and upsetting for Ellie, lying awake thinking over just about everything in her life. She came to the conclusion that she needs to build a relationship with Penny, her mother, because someone who you care about can be taken so fast, without warning, just like FP was taken away from Jughead. FP is going down for murder, Ellie's pretty sure that means he won't see the light of day again but hell, will the five teens try like shit to prove him an innocent man. It's what they do, they never leave each other stranded.
The next day at school seemed harder, everyone talking about FP and Jughead not being around, having been advised not to show up for school. Ellie and the rest of the gang are sat at a table in the cafeteria looking at the newspapers, FP's face already printed on the front page of every one.
"The police report said FP worked alone." Betty says, making Ellie jump as she catches herself falling asleep.
"No mention of your dad, that's good news right?" Archie says to Ronnie.
"I can't stop thinking that, maybe my dad hired another Serpent to plant that gun." Veronica worries, Ellie for once staying quiet, different scenarios racking her brain.
"It's surreal isn't it?" Kevin comes and takes a seat. "How's Jughead doing?"
"Not good." Betty says in a half sarcastic tone.
"He's not coming in today, he's at the station." Ellie informs Kevin, deciding to throw her hair up into a messy bun for more comfort in her tired state.
"Being grilled by your dad." Veronica adds.
"He's just doing his job, I mean he's gonna ask Jughead questions."
"Okay well he's wasting his time Kev, because FP didn't kill Jason." Betty says, so sure of herself.
"Betty, he confessed." The older blond says, taking a sip of her energy drink.
"Or, he was coerced." Ellie's sister suggests. "Or he's protecting someone. Maybe a Serpent. My mom saw him and Joaquin together."
"Do not drag my boyfriend into this." Kevin snaps, protecting his man.
Ellie looks up as there is a commotion rising in the cafeteria and she sees her best friend, Jughead Jones walking through the doors. Her heart drops. "Oh no." She whispers causing the rest of the table to look up.
"What happened to him not coming in today?" Veronica asks.
The five teenagers look in worry as Jughead approaches Cheryl Blossom, who is being consoled by friends. "I'm sorry Cheryl." They hear Jug say weakly. The redhead stands up and slaps the boy across the face causing the whole room to gasp, she then continues to shakes Jughead around, but he doesn't fight back. Archie Andrews has to swoop in and stop Cheryl from attacking Jug any further.
"That's enough!" Weatherbee shouts from the entrance. "Mr Jones, you need to come with me. Right now."
"He was apologising, he didn't do anything wrong." Archie calls to the principal who ignores him and walks off with the Jones boy.