The Hoax

Chapter Four

The usual chilled October breeze was unusually warm on the Monday I had been waiting for. The sky was no longer blanketed in grey stormy clouds, instead filled with the brightest of clear blue. The sun beat down on every inch of Riverdale, many people breaking out their sunglasses for the first time in awhile. 

   Two days. Two consecutive days were spent inside that monstrous household. Usually on the weekends, I'm able to sneak away either by myself or with Veronica. Sparing me the near consistent fear of being in my fathers presence. However, due to the town wide curfew, I was unable to escape my living hell.

  The day had brought the same as every other day. School work filled my mind for most of it, trying my hardest to keep my grades good for the remainder of my final year of high school. The lunch hour was filled was the same chatter between Kevin, Archie, Veronica and I. Veronica trying to gain Archies attention, Archie being as airheaded as ever and Kevin making his same smart ass comments. Don't get me wrong, these three are some of the most important people in my entire life, but living through the same routine day in and day out gets tiring.

   The Blue and Gold room was quiet, the slight hum of old box computers filling the void. The rare sun peeked through the half opened blinds, providing a comforting warmth to the room. The mailbox was about as full as usual, letters from students wanting us to write an article about either them or something they're apart of, to-do lists from random teachers and a bountiful amount of flyers. Flyers announcing sporting events were the majority of them, school club meetings and fundraisers, however the one that caught my eye was a Halloween flyer. Likely distributed from one of her many minions, Cheryl Blossoms Annual Halloween Costume Ball. The yearly talk of the town around this time. Everyone upon everyone dresses in their best costume in hopes that Cheryl will finally choose someone other than herself as the winner. I'm one of the few who have never attended.

   "Halloween already, might as well be graduated" that familiar voice stated causing me to snap my head up. "I'm guessing that's Cheryl's party? Those are always more fun than you'd think" he pointed out looking at the cherry red flyer in my hands.

   "I wouldn't know, I've never gone" I pointed out, placing it on the desk before making my way to the same side as Jughead. He looked the same, dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a flannel tied around his waist. Of course paired with his infamous crown beanie.

   "Really? I honestly thought she made those things mandatory, especially since you two are cousins" he pointed out. I turned to him, my eyes widened in shock. Very few people know the fact that Cheryl and I are cousins. We didn't even know until our sophomore year of high school when her father killed himself.

   "How did you know that?" I asked curiously, a smirk forming as I looked at him.

   "Surprisingly enough, Cheryl and I are actually pretty close" he points out walking closer to me. "She's one of my best friends girlfriends"

   "Ahh. I honestly thought she hated everyone" I chuckled as I pulled myself up on to the desk, allowing my feet to hang.

   "Oh, she does" he said with a laugh. His curly black hair was falling out of his beanie giving him something to fidget with as the room begins to fill with silence. "So, what are the plans for today?" He asks as he copies me and props himself up on the desk next to me. As he swung his feet back and forth his knee tapped against mine.

   "Okay, so I was doing some digging after hearing what happened to Ben. That night he got 15 calls from the same number, all about an hour apart until 7 P.M. Then he got a text from that same number saying to meet him at this abandoned house on the edge of town." I explained as he listened intently.