Forever And Always

Chapter 67

What happened to Dilton and Ben had Callie up all night. Barely getting any sleep, the next day was the first day of school. Last year Callie was rushing to school to meet Reggie at the flagpole. This year she was working an early shift at Pop's with Veronica. They were pouring coffee and getting food for her dad, Mr. Keller, and Fp.

" I just got off the phone with the warden at juvenile hall," her dad informed as he sat back down. " He says that Archie's been processed. He's okay."

" Thank God," Callie sighed as poured coffee.

" Yeah. I got a line on those three thugs who gave false testimony against him," her dad added.

" I'm friends with the sheriff over at Shadow County," Mr. Keller informed. " They found the remains of a campfire in the deep woods."

" Archie's in jail and these cretins are basically camping," Callie said.

" Not for long," Fp assured her. " We'll make damn sure of that."

" Meanwhile, I'll keep the home fires burning at Riverdale High, so everyone knows my Archiekins we will be back in time for homecoming," Veronica prompted. " And everything will be just as he left it." After the shift, Callie went to school, when she got to her locker she saw Sweet Pea.

" Good morning," Callie greeted as she walked over to him.

" Early morning?" Sweet Pea asked.

" Early shift at Pop's," Callie answered.

" Before school?" Sweet Pea asked.

" It helped keep some things off my mind," Callie answered as she opened her locker. " Especially from last night."

" What happened last night?" Sweet Pea asked as Callie opened her locker. She saw Sweet Pea's serpent jacket in the locker and it decorated. " Quicker way out of the school."

" Sure," Callie breathed as she playfully rolled her eyes.

" So what happened?" Sweet Pea asked. Callie looked around and carefully, in a whisper told Sweet Pea.

" Doiley is dead?" Sweet Pea gasped. Thankfully nobody was around them.

" Keep your voice low," Callie warned. " And yes. Ben from the drive-in, he's barely hanging on. Doctor's don't know when or if he's gonna wake up. Sheriff Minetta has asked me and Jug to keep the whole thing hush-hush for the family's sake. But what we saw was..."

" What was it, Shortstop?" Sweet Pea asked as she closed her locker.

" It was like a ritual site," Callie answered.

" Like the steps for becoming a serpent?" Sweet Pea asked.

" Not exactly," Callie answered, " It was darker."

" How so?" Sweet Pea asked.

" Their lips were blue. There were these chalices that were filled with poison or something. Animal bones in a circle. The tree had markings on it," Callie explained. " There was a winged totem with a skull and branches."

" Was it a murder?" Sweet Pea asked.

" I have no idea, they had those carvings on their backs, same from the ones we saw at Sweetwater Swimming Hole," Callie answered.

" You are not investigating," Sweet Pea ordered

" Pea...Jug saw Ben and Dilton playing this odd game at Pop's, Dilton was raving on about the gargoyle king."

" This sounds dangerous," Sweet Pea sighed.

" I will be investigating with Jug and Betty," Callie informed, Sweet Pea looked at her. " A group is better than going at it alone."