Lynn Winchester In Riverdale

Chapter 11 (Part 2)

That night I was invited over to the Andrew's house for a pizza dinner. I sat between the boys as I ate some pizza, but there was a knock at the door. Fred answered it. The three of us watched Fred's back, he moved to the side and we spotted Cheryl, she invited herself in.

"The Ice Woman cometh." Jughead commented.

"More like Lilith." I commented myself.

"Hey, Cheryl." Archie said nice to her.

"As a maj thank you for coming to the maple banquet with me tomorrow, I wanted to give you this." Archie stood up and stood by Cheryl as she opened the guitar case she was carrying. Archie's eyes widened at the electric guitar, I rolled my eyes at the instrument. "An '84 Les Paul. In our signature color. You're welcome." The rest of us didn't approve. "Okay. That's all. I'm going now. My claustrophobia acts up in small houses." I glared at the red head. "See you tomorrow." She kissed Archie's cheek and walked out of the house. I focused on my food as the rest were silent.

"I'd give that back if I were you." Fred encouraged.

"Dad, come on. The Blossoms, they're helping me get into that summer music program. Like the best in the country." Archie tried making the situation better.

"And since when did the Blossoms ever give a damn about you, Archie?" Fred spoke to his son.

"Well, they think I have potential, Dad." Archie spoke back.

"He's also pimping himself out to Cheryl." Jughead mentioned.

"The Blossoms tried to run our business into the ground." I looked at Fred.

"Maybe if you tried talking to Mr. Blossom-"

"I tried talking to him, Archie, he laughed in my face." I looked back at Archie motioning with my eyes to let this go. "Don't think for a second that the Blossoms are looking out for you."

"They're using you, Archie." I spoke up making him look at me. "They look at us like we're dirt under their shoes."

"I'm over it." Fred concluded and walked off.

"Archie in the future you can get a guitar like that but with hard work, not small gifts." I explained thinking of my family and the hard work we have gone through.

The following day I was again pulling into the student lounge this time by Jughead as Betty was ranting about her parents, Erin walked in just as she was pacing.

"My parents are unbelievable, guys. Polly is locked up in that house like a character out of Jane Eyre, and what are they doing? Changing each other's login accounts and throwing bricks through windows."

"Now that actually seems interesting." I commented, Betty looked at me annoyed. "Sorry. I needed to say some type of joke to lighten the mood."

"It's like, you know how, in a time of crisis, people either come together or fall apart?" Betty's eyes were watering. "It feels like we're falling apart. And the way things are going, pretty soon, the Coopers, we're not gonna exist anymore. And there's nothing I can do to stop that."

"Betty, don't do that." Erin spoke up concerned for her friend. "Don't give up."

"Your family is definitely splintering right now, but it won't fall apart, because of you." Jughead spoke up next to me.

"Because you're holding them together." I added as Jughead tapped his pinky against mine, I locked mine with his with a sigh.

"You're so much stronger than all of the white noise. You're stronger than your mother, you're stronger than your father. You're holding this family together." Erin took Betty's hands as she cried. "So don't. Don't let go."