Forever And Always

Chapter 69

Callie left the locker room and ran into Sweet Pea.

" Hey," Sweet Pea greeted he grabbed her hand. " How was studying?"

" Really good," Callie answered. " I think I am really going to remember for the test."

" You ace every test," Sweet Pea reminded her.

" Would you like some study help?" Callie questioned. 

" No," Sweet Pea quickly denied. " What are you doing after school?"

" Helping Betts and Jug, going to cheer on Archie as a football game is hosted, a shift at Pop's, visiting Ben, and hanging out with you," Callie answered.

" Sounds like a long day," Sweet Pea huffed.

" Saving the best for last," Callie stated. 

" That sounds a bit better," Sweet Pea sighed.

" What's wrong? " Callie asked.

" With school in session, I thought we would have seen each more by now," Sweet Pea groaned. " When are we going to be able to spend more time with each other?"

" We will figure it out," Callie assured him. " It's the beginning of the school year, everything still needs placing."

" Meaning?" Sweet Pea demanded.

" Meaning everything is still a bit of a mess," Callie answered. " It's junior year, SATS are this year, how about we study at the library together, like every Saturday?"

" You want to spend time together studying?" Sweet Pea questioned in disbelief.

" It can be one of the things we do together," Callie stated.

" Sounds boring," Sweet Pea said.

" Then you think of something," Callie ordered.

******
Hours later she was out at Fox Forest with Jughead and Betty, they just uncovered the opening to Dilton's bunker. It was later that led right to the bottom.

" Well," Jughead breathed.

" Dilton really was a hardcore survivalist," Callie confirmed. " I'll go first."

" Nope," Jughead argued as he went down the latter first, Callie rolled her eyes as Betty went next, and then Callie. She got to the bottom and shined her flashlight over anything to could see. The same twig dolls hung from the ceiling, the same ones Ethel made Ben.

" Oh, God, " Jughead breathed as they walked further into the bunker. " It's like the inside of a Philip K. Dick novel. " Betty pointed at the flashlight, as Callie glanced around the sides of the room.

" I think this all the game they were playing," Betty suggested as shined her light on the table.

" Yeah, Gryphons and Gargoyles," Callie agreed as shined her light at the board game cover. " It looks like Ben and Dilton were in pretty deep. " She then picked up a game piece, her eyes then laid on a card that looked like a snake, kind of like the Serpents symbol.

" I wonder if Ethel was playing with them," Betty wondered. " Jug, Cal." They turned to see her shining her light on a beast that was on the wall, it was a drawing. " Doesn't that look like the thing that came at us last night?"

" Yeah, the Gargoyle King," Jughead recalled. 

" He's also featured prominently on this copper coin," Callie announced as she held up a coin before handing it over to Jughead.

" Betty? Cal?" Jughead called, they got closer to him. On the wall was a poster.

" Oh god," Callie breathed.