SOUTHSIDE STARLET *editing* (RIVERDALE)

1.2 He's Not Dead Yet

Cheryl Blossom came waltzing into Riverdale General and straight up to me. Words cannot describe how much I hated the Blossom girl. She was Jughead's and my personal hell.

"My deepest condolences to the fallen Starlet, no matter how much of a scummy southsider she is."
I glared at her, attempting to get up, "Cheryl Blossom, here to make up for years of lost torment?" The Blossom girl chuckled, "Actually Nicolette, I'm here for my mother... Oh, you guys didn't hear? There was a tragic fire at Thornhill. Mumsy ran back in to rescue me." Then she sashayed away.
~
At the end of the week, Fred Andrews was okay and was granted permission to leave the hospital.
Unfortunately, Pop's was vandalized the following Monday with the words, "Death Diner." I know because Jughead Jones sent me a photo. At lunch that afternoon, Betty Cooper sat next to Jughead and I in the field.
Archie Andrews was in the middle of a big soliloquy about the shooting and tarnished memories.
"To be honest I don't want to go back there either. Keke shouldn't either." He said.
"Is this acceptance?" Betty said, "No. No. No. I'm taking point on this."
And so, Betty Cooper took point on the situation by waking me up at seven the next morning to go to Pop's. Once I reminded her I wasn't permitted to be walking, she reconsidered.
Later, Betty called Kevin Keller, Veronica, and me into the newspaper room.
"Why Pop's Betty? Why this hill to die on?" Veronica asked.
"Orange freezes with Polly after ballet. Grilled cheeses with Archie on the last day of summer. It's where Nicolette and I would read Nancy Drew books together. It's where I met Kevin. And You, V. And Jughead, he might lose his dad, but I can save this one place for him." She concluded.
There was a knock on the door.
"Veronica, may I speak to you?" a man said.
"Daddy?" she said.
"Daddy?" Kevin and Betty gasped.
I however said, "Excuse you?!"
Veronica rolled her eyes at me. Kevin looked at me. "What?" I said.
~
That afternoon, Veronica Lodge invited me home with her for a sleepover. It was quite weird since I'd just met her for the first time in my life. Apparently she wanted to give advice from one former New Yorker to another. Little did she know, I was a Riverdale Resident before I ever lived in New York.
I tried to object but Dani and Hermione insisted.
~
The lights were out once Veronica and I entered, me on crutches.
"Veronica," a voice said.
"Daddy."
"I should go. I'll call Danielle to send an uber."
"Not neccessary, Nicolette." the man said. I nearly fell over when I saw his face. Hiram Lodge. How the fuck did he get out of jail.
"Good evening sir." I said, stuttering a bit. Veronica rolled her eyes at him. "Let's go, Nicolette. To my room. Now. He probably had you and Fred Andrews shot."
What? Did she just say what I think she said. How is that even possible.
I really needed to get out of there. The tension was too much.
"Disrespectful much?" I said.
"No, mija. I did not have Fred Andrews shot."
Then, Veronica looked at him, "I changed, Daddy. Have you?"
This time I literally dropped my right crutch and fell. I didn't know what the hell happened until I had to get up for school on Monday and I was still in the Pembrooke.
"Oh my god, Nicolette! You're awake!" She said, "We gotta go to school. Danielle dropped this off for you."
~
Finally, Retro Night arrived, and Archie Andrews was my personal escort for the night. I ditched my crutches and the wheelchair, opting for him to carry me wherever. When we arrived, Veronica came over, "You two okay?"
"Yeah."
"Take her, Ronnie." Archie tried to pawn me off to her. She refused. However, Jughead Jones, took me and placed me on the main counter. Cheryl had just stormed off in anger and entitlement. Then, Hiram and Hermione Lodge entered looking like a million bucks. I, meanwhile was lying there with Archie Andrews' letterman jacket on with a huge cast on. Aunt Alice had arrived just to record Pop's demise.
I was lying there, supervised by Jughead and Betty, bored out of my mind.
Once they started making out, I lost it, "Get a room, you two... Oh god, what did I do to deserve this."
"Keke, stop being so..." Jughead stopped as his best friend threw a fry at him. She was about to quip at him when, "Nicolette, would you like to join us?"
I looked up to see Hiram Lodge at the table with Dani. I wanted a night with my friends so I tried to decline by saying I couldn't walk, so Dani legitimately glared at Jughead and he carried me to the table.
"Nicolette, we wanted to address your career." Dani looked me in the eyes. I gave her a 'can we not do this right now' look.
"Hermione and I would like to pay you to support the SoDale Project. It's simple, sing and perform at our events and endorse us. Then, we will fund your training and make sure you are paid well."
I sighed, "Look, I don't know what Dani told you, but I want a normal life. I'm not interested."
Then he dropped the bombshell, "I suppose you don't want to be involved in Broadway Youth either."
I looked at Dani and sighed, "Okay. But, promise me if my friends start asking questions. You won't hurt them. And I honestly want to know what this project even is."
"It's housing for Southsiders."
"Okay. You have yourself a deal." I shook his hand but he handed me a pen instead. A contract. I signed. Dani signed. I wanted to get out of this.
"Forsythe." I snapped my fingers. He laughed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah Keke?"
"To the counter please." The Jones boy came and whisked me away as Dani looked at me in disapproval.
~
That night, Alice and Dani called me into the kitchen.
"Nicolette, I thought you'd like to know that the show you and Jughead put on at Pop's tonight was completely unacceptable. I won't tolerate it from Betty or you." Alice slammed her hands into the table. I stood.
"Fine. Then, I'm leaving." I said, grabbing my crutches. The farthest I got was to Archie Andrews' front lawn. Instead of a hello, he came out wilding a baseball bat, repeatedly asking who was out there.
"Jesus Christ, Archibald. It's me." He lowered the bat and carried me inside his house.
"Nicolette, what are you doing here?"
"I want you to drive me and my belongings to the Southside." I had put my backpack into a luggage.
"You know I can't do that, 'Colette."
"Arch. Please." I gave him my best puppy dog eyes. He sighed, and dialed a number, "Ronnie. I need you to come pick up Nicolette and take her to the Southside... Thanks..."
Later, Veronica arrived and drove me to Jughead's. When I arrived at the trailer, there were a bunch of Serpents there. Veronica left as soon as she could. She set me down on the ramp.
"Killer KeKe?" a pink haired serpent came up to me. I recognized her.
"Intolerable Topaz, it's good to be back. Have you seen my best friend? A certain son of the Serpent King."
She gestured to the trailer, "I've never met him but..."
"Nicolette? How are you starlet?"
"Fangs Fogarty, I'm good."
Then, "Who the hell let the spoiled starlet back in town?" Sweet Pea came at me with a switchblade.
"Chill. I'm good. I'm just gonna go see Forsythe."
"FP's kid. Who the hell..." He put the switchblade to my neck and I screamed. Then, by the grace of god, Jughead Jones came out and carried me into his trailer. He rolled his eyes at the Serpents, "She's family."
"What are you doing here KeKe?"
I spilled all the tea on Hiram Lodge and the truth behind the Broadway Youth Theatre. He looked at me and sighed, "Did you read the contract?"
I looked at the floor then I teared up, "Can i stay here Jug?"
"As long as you want."
~
"The new season of the matcherolette is tonight. I want all of you to come over and watch."
A week later, Veronica was trying to get our minds off of the Black Hood. It would work if Kevin Keller hadn't just concluded sharing the news that Moose and Midge were shot by the Black Hood. Three weeks after my shooting, my leg was in a boot. I could walk on my own.
~
"Come sit by me, lover boy." Archie was being more emo than Jughead tonight.
"I wanna go after this guy, but my dad says leave it to Sheriff Keller. Cuz he did such a great job with Jason's murder, oh wait. That was us!"
"Inside voices," Veronica whispered.
I laughed, "Is it Friday cuz I think Archie and Jughead switched personalities."
"She's right," Jughead said, "Archie going Travis Bickle is my favorite Archie yet."
Veronica talks about a getaway and Hiram Lodge interjects, "I just love that little house."
"Daddy, these are my friends."
Jughead shakes his hand, "Jughead Jones, you may know my dad."
"he's a good man. I hope he gets out soon."
"So do I."
Veronica smiled, "This is my best friend Betty."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Lodge."
"You've met Nicolette." I shook his hand.
Archie was looking at the floor. I kicked him lightly, "Red, are you completely there?"
He looks at me, I look at him, "now" i mouth.
"Sorry, this is..." I said.
"Archie Andrews, the guy who's after my daughter's heart."
Jughead looked at me, I looked at Archie, who was fucking blushing. I rolled my eyes at him.
When they left, Hiram spoke again, "Archie? Nicolette. We'd love to have you over for dinner this week."
~
The next night, I was sat at the Lodge's dinner table as Archie kept staring at me nervously. "Archibald," I whispered, "Calm down." Archie proceeded to shake the table. Then, Veronica Lodge put her hand on his thigh in front of her parents.
"Um... the rizzoli was great Mrs. Lodge." He said, looking at me once again. Mr. Lodge was looking at us.
"What Archie is trying to say is, thank you for having us, right Arch?" The redhead nodded and his eyes widened, "He's never really been good at compliments."
To my surprise Mr. and Mrs. Lodge laughed.
"Archie, do you drink rum?"
"Rum like, the alcohol?" he said.
"He'd love some." Veronica volunteered.
"He'd what? Arch, you've never even-"
He got up and went to Hiram's study. Hiram came back out to get me.
"The two of you have a fear of the black hood. Sometimes law enforcement needs to be avoided. Fire with fire." He said, or at least, that's what I heard.
"Thank you, sir." Archie said to him.
"Call me Hiram, both of you." Hiram said.
~
Jughead Jones was downstairs at the Pembrooke when I got out. "Hey Juggie. Let's go before Dani finds me."
"Yeah, about that..." Jug's vocals trailed off as Dani revealed herself. She dug her nails into my arm and whispered in my with vulgar language. Apparently Hermione called her.
"Bye Jug. See you later."