Deadline ((Jughead Jones)) 4

7

A sudden banging on the front door was heard, and I knew that the phone line had gone dead. I had taken a deep breath before moving into the living room. Betty had picked up a fire poker from beside the fireplace while I grabbed one of the others, wishing I ran upstairs to collect my bow first. Then, with Betty leading the way, she opened the door.

Instead of a black hood impersonator, Charles stood at the door, pizza in his hand. Releasing the breath I was holding, I returned to the living room to put back my weapon, while Betty welcomed him in. With his presence alone, I felt more at ease.

"So, someone pretending to be the Black Hood keeps prank-calling you?" Charles asked. He, Betty and I were around the breakfast counter, tucking into the pizza that Charles had come with. So much for a chilled night with my boyfriend reading gothic horror novels and watching cheesy scary movies.
"Yep. They've called a couple times throughout the night," I told him, Betty nodding with me.
"You know, I could help you trace the call." His offer was a saving grace. We had spent all night in fear, but Charles saying he could trace the call was a breath of fresh air. Without Jug, Betty and I had felt helpless against the assailant over the phone. This led to Charles getting the unit out of his car and all three of us just waiting for the next call.

Charles and Betty were setting up the tech, talking about their very clearly awkward brother/sister friendship, while I was trying to get through Frankenstien and resist the urge to call Jughead again. Personally, I had no problem with Charles. Sure the situation that led to him being in Riverdale was a bit strange, but he hadn't tried to kill me yet, so he was already in my good books.

Then, as if on que as Betty and Charles were wrapping up their conversation, the phone rang. Charles told Betty to keep him talking and I put the book down.
"Hello?" Betty answered, me sitting closely to her so I could hear what the person said on the other side. After they had greeted each other, Betty asked who it was.
"Don't play dumb."
"Sorry. It's just we've been getting a lot of prank calls pretending to be...you." Betty answered, and instead of looking scared, we were watching Charles, waiting for any indication that he traced the call. One thing I knew for sure was that Jughead would be gutted he missed all this.
"You're testing my patience," The voice said.

Betty began to ask if the person remembered halloween, and how they would go trick or treating as a family, and some years invite her friends, meaning Archie, Betty, Jug and I were running from house to house collecting candy.
"I remember Cynthia dragging Forsythe away from you, and you getting very upset. That's why she won't make it through the night," The voice said. I saw Charles gesturing to Betty to try and keep the conversation going, that he was nearly there. Betty then looked at me and my nervous fidgeting. It showed how much I wasn't over everything. I thought I was fine and healed, but one impersonator through a phone and a couple of kids dressed in fancy dress had me shaking and quivering in the safety of my home.

With a nod from Charles, Betty hung up, bringing me into her arms to comfort me. It was times like these when I could really use Jughead.
"Did you do it? Did you trace the call?" She asked him, her arms still around me as I leant my head on her shoulder. What would the world do without Betty Cooper? Charles didn't answer, instead raising his eyebrow, listening intently to whatever was coming through the headset.
"Where's it coming from?" I spoke up, not bothering to lift my head from her shoulder. There were two places I didn't want it to be. One was in this house. If the call was coming from inside this house then I wouldn't be able to live here. The only other one here was Jellybean and there was no way she'd pull a stunt like that. The second was the trailer park, because that would mean either a Serpent had betrayed me and the gang, or a Ghoulie had managed to sneak in.

"It's coming from Shady Grove Treatment Center, where your sister's been staying." Charles said to Betty, caution in his tone. I could feel Betty tense beside me, angered at the knowledge that it was her own sister tormenting us.
"Want me to kill her for you?" I asked her, sounding unbothered by the question I spoke. I felt Betty laugh at what I said. She knew I wouldn't do anything to Polly other than threaten her, but that didn't stop me from saying it. Betty just shook her head at me, telling me that it was her fight, then asking Charles to call Shady Grove for her.