𝐒𝐎𝐋 | ˢʷᵉᵉᵗ ᵖᵉᵃ

• T H I R T E E N •

« Gran Diversión »

It was a day like any other. Everything seemed normal. But in Riverdale, there was no such thing as normal.

Earlier that morning, the Vixens had all had seizures, besides Cheryl and Clemintine.

By lunch time, Clemintine had to hold onto Kurtz to keep herself standing. She felt sick, tired. She hadn't felt like this since last year. "I need to sit." Clemintine instructed her boyfriend, her eyelids became heavy. She knew this feeling all too well. It clicked as to what was happening to her. "Julian..." She whispered as her eyes rolled back and she dropped.

Kurtz panicked, immediately calling 911, then called Julian as per Clemintine's request.

At the hospital, Kurtz held onto Clemintine's limp hand. Julian paced the room. "How didn't I see the signs? This is last year all over again."

"She's done this before?" Kurtz looked up, now even more worried.

Julian nodded, finally sitting down in a chair by the window. "She's done this since she was 13. Clemmie rarely gets depressed. But, when she does, it gets bad. She doesn't eat. It's like her body shuts down and tells her that she's not hungry. It's only gotten this bad twice, this being the second time."

Kurtz sighed, looking back at his unconscious girlfriend, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. "They're going to keep her here, aren't they?" He asked sadly.

"I don't know." Julian responded. "My dad had convinced Dr. Masters to ler her go home, but now... he's not here."

"Your dad or the doctor?"

"Both."

A soft knock broke their conversation. "I'm Dr. Pyper." The tall man introduced. "Which one of you is Julian?"

"I am." The platinum blonde stood. "When can I take her home?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Julian. I understand that your Uncle is now her legal guardian."

"I'm on her information release form, my Uncle's at work, Kurtz is allowed to stay."

"Okay..." Dr. Pyper took in the new information. He looked down at the paper, seeing Julian's name, along with Clemintine's elegant signature. "I've read Dr. Masters notes. He released her on the promise that she had a good support system."

"She does." Julian answered. He crossed his arms over his chest, determined to take his sister home.

"Julian, it's been less than a year." Dr. Pyper informed him. "Your parents can't watch her anymore. She needs to be admitted."

"She's not suicidal." Kurtz entered the conversation.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Her support system." Kurtz answered. "She's scared of dying, I know her. She's gone through some traumatic stuff for the past three years, that's why this happened. From now on, she's going to be watched while she eats. No less than three meals a day. I promise you."

Dr. Pyper turned to Julian, who immediately agreed. He sighed, looking a Clemintine. "I can see that you both care greatly for her. Let me know when she wakes up and we'll go from there."

"Thank you." Julian spoke. He and Kurtz released a breath they didn't realize that they were holding.

5 hours later, Clemintine was home. She had eaten and now just wanted to sleep. Kurtz had reluctantly gone home. Jackson was sat in Clemintine's room as shelaid in bed. "I wish I would have known that this happened before."

"It's fine, Jack." Clemintine told him. "I'm like you, remember?" She weakly smiled. "I love food too much."

"Yeah." Jackson chuckled. "I'm like you though, Clemmie." Jackson smiled. "I don't eat when I'm depressed either." He stood up. "Goodnight, Clemintine."

"Goodnight, Jack-Jack." She smirked. Jackson chuckled once more.

Clemintine stayed awake, however. She was overthinking things. She was more like Jackson than her own father. "I cheated on your father while you were away." Her mother's last words rang in her skull. What if that wasn't the only time? "I've lied my whole life."

Clemintine got out of bed. She moved to her closet, reaching up to the storage box on her shelf. Pulling it down, she knew what she was looking for.

The next day, Clemintine arrived early to work, headed to her favorite room in the Sheriff's station. "Hey Lou."

"Clemintine Bartholdy!" The older, bearded man greeted. "What can I do for my favorite girl?"

Lou was Steven's best friend. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but they were. When Clemintine and Julian were younger, they would help Lou while their parents worked.

"I'm trying to help a friend out." Clemintine placed her bag on Lou's desk. "She thinks that her Uncle is her father. Please don't question it. I know how strange it sounds." She laughed, understanding his confusion and slight shock. "It's a long story." She pulled out a gun. Lou didn't react. He worked with cops. "The gun has had a lot of hands touch it, except the bullets." She then pulled out a hairbrush, then another, and finally, a ziplocked piece of gum. "This is her brothers. It's the best she could do." Lastly, she took out one of Jackson's chewed up pencils. He only chewed on them when he was deeply thinking.

"Alright." Lou rubbed his hands together. "Label them for me and, if I don't get too busy, you should have the results tonight."

"Thanks, Lou."

"Anything for a Bartholdy." He smiled.

☀️

Clemintine entered Jackson's home office after her shift. "Here's this."

Jackson looked at his niece strangely. "Where did you find it?" He took the pencil.

"I took it. I wanted a DNA test."

"Oh?" Jackson rose a brow.

"For me." Clemintine looked down. "I had the suspicion that you're my dad."

"What makes you think that?"

"We have the same eating habits. The same body language. You're only a year younger then her."

"So, did you get the results?"

Clemintine frowned. "Julian can't know."

Jackson nodded shortly. "She told me that he was Steven's, while your mom was with me in New York. She had Steven fooled, though. And me, apparently."

"What about me?" Clemintine asked.

Jackson ran a hand through his hair. "When you were six, your dad figure it out. You were too much like me. She told us everything."

"Did you love her?"

"No." Jackson answered without skipping a beat. "Your mom was a good liar, manipulator. Only my brother had a heart big enough to love her."

"So what do I call you now?" Clemintine spoke weakly.

"Jack, like always. In my mind, Steven's your father. He always will be. After you were born, he didn't want a kid of his own. You were enough."

chapter word count: 1097