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AURORA WAS CAREFUL NOT to touch the bandaging on her arm as she rubbed her arm up and down, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. Jughead's jacket rested on her shoulders, a sign that Jughead cared for Aurora like his own family. She stared at Chic with narrowed eyes as he slowly awakened. "What? What's going on? Mom, why are you —"
"Stop. No more playacting. It's just time for answers now," Betty said. "You can start by telling us your real name," said Jughead. "I am Chic. Mom, untie me! Please, I'm scared," Chic whimpered. "You must've known him. My brother. When my mom, sister and I went to the hostel and asked for Charles Smith, they sent us to your room so why were you impersonating him?" Betty asked.
"I never said I was Charles Smith, I said I was Chic," Chic sobbed. "Then where's Charles? How did you know him?" Alice demanded. "We met out on the streets, then moved into that flop house. He told me about you guys. The Coopers. This perfect family in Riverdale. Who gave him up for adoption. Who didn't want him, never even looked for him. One day, he knocked, and you answered, Alice. You practically slammed the door on his face, you said, 'We're not interested.' You remember it, don't you? Charles went on a bender that night. He OD'd on jingle-jangle."
Alice wiped a tear away before turning and running up the stairs, Betty asking Jughead to watch Chic before she followed Alice upstairs. Aurora looked at Jughead and gave him her jacket back. "This is too much," she said, running her hands over her face frustratedly.
A couple minutes later, Jughead and Aurora walked upstairs and into the kitchen. "Was that mom?" Aurora asked once she saw Betty hang up a phone call. Betty sniffled up her tears and wiped under her eyes, though it was still noticeable that she had shed a couple of tears. "Uh. . . No, it was Dad," Betty looked between her boyfriend and sister, "We need to go back there, Jug, Rora. To where we first found Chic. I don't think he's telling the truth about what happened to our brother."
—
AURORA SCOFFED AND PUSHED Jughead and Betty towards the front desk. "Alright you two, go in there and pretend to be horny teenagers who need a room for the night." She said with a shake of her head, turning to glance at the hallway. After a couple of minutes, Jughead and Betty returned and they made their way into the hallway. The lights flickered above their heads and loud music and shouting was heard from a mile away. Jughead knocked on the door of the room they had found Chic in, only to hear a man shout 'not now! go away!'
"Okay." Aurora whispered as she turned and walked down to the next available door. She knocked and an older woman walked out with a confused expression. Aurora gave her a soft smile. "We won't take up much of your time, ma'am. My brother, Charles Smith, I think he used to live next to you in Room 237." Aurora looked at Betty and Betty pulled out the picture of Charles from her bag and handed it to Aurora. Aurora showed the woman the picture. "Does he look familiar to you?"
