Paranoia // Third Book To The Lucky Series

Chapter 27

I curl into my bed. The whole room was nice and warm versus it's normal ice cold feel. My alarm was loud and cause me to jolt right up. I look around to see I'm by myself in the room. Honestly it's weird seeing that Jug's not here. It's so rare that we aren't together, cause recently he and I were attached at the hip. I pull from my bed and get dressed. Once I have the outfit on I move upstairs. Archie most likely has already left seeing as he is chasing Josie tail constantly. Archie and Josie somehow became a thing out of no where. Maybe it was Josie's thing to go for the unexpected. Regardless they are happy. But since he's running around with her when Jug isn't here I'm all alone in the mornings. I grab my things and rush to my truck. But standing in front of it is a girl. I walk towards her to see a familiar face.

"Amanda?" I ask her. She turns to me smiling brightly.

"Hey It's nice to see you," She says. I move hugging her tightly and she follows suit. Once we pull apart I look at her in confusion.

"Why are you here?" I ask her, "better yet how are you here?" She pushes back her wavy brown hair. Her expression tending slightly.

"Well if I'm being honest," she starts then looks away from my eyes, "the people I was staying with threw me out. They were tired of taking care of another kid."

"Oh I'm sorry," I say to her. It must of really hurt her since those people were like her own parents.

"It's fine," she says looking back to me, "but now I'm heading back home. Since I was passing through I decided why not stop by and say hi to my old partner in crime."

"Right. That's great," I say to her, "it'll be nice to catch up with you. So where are you staying?"

"Well I was hoping-"

"That I'd let you stay with me?" I ask her. She nods carefully. "Well I'll have to ask my foster dad. But I don't think he'd have a huge problem with it for a day or two."

"Thanks," she smiles, "this really means a lot to me. I mean I haven't had it so well as of late."

"I'll help anytime," I say to her, "I'm always around." She smiles and looks back to the house.

"Cool place you got here," she says to me, "a lot better than the place in New York."

"A lot safer too," I say looking back, "then again safety is relative. Hey listen I actually have to head out so think you can head somewhere until about 2?"

"Why?" She asks me curiously.

"I still go to school," I tell her, "I just can miss first period since I just have an empty study hall. There is a diner in town that I work at you can stay until then. I can give you some cash."

"I could come with you," she offers. I lift a brow in confusion, "what? I want the full Riverdale experience. We can tell the office I'm planning to transfer or something."

"We Can try," I say as I unlock the truck and climb in, "lets go I can't be late!" She gets into the truck and sits beside me eagerly. Something seemed off with her. She seemed a little spaced out and not all there. The drive to school she describes the cafe after I left and how school was. The two of us both enjoying the light hearted chat.

"Well how about you?" She asks me, "how's life here in grand old riverdale?"

"Hectic as always," I tell her, "we have another murderer running around town accept this time his wife is the mayor and its organized crime."

"Gang crime in a town like this?" She asks completely baffled I nod.

"Yeah courtesy of Mr. Hiram Lodge," I say to her. I might of been slightly laughing but the matter was all too serious. I mean he almost had Archie and Jug both killed. Her eyes go wide looking at me.