CHAPTER FOURTEEN
COMMON CRIMINALS

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     With the events of what happened at Pop's still fresh in everybody's minds, Luna's mother was hesitant about letting her or Rosalie go there, especially alone. Luna and her friends tried to carry on with their day but now going to Pop's to plan their performances, setlists or even as a quiet place for Luna to write her songs, wasn't an option anymore. No one was going there anymore, the staff quit and it was very certain that the place was going to have to close down soon. It was the one place that could give Luna and her friends a little taste of the Northside since it was one of the few places they could go without getting dirty looks from people because it was one of the few places they were welcome.

     "Apparently this preppy girl from the Northside is trying to save Pop's. It turns out he's selling it," Peyton mumbled with her cheek squished against the heel of her hand as the five of them sat at their usual lunch table in the cafeteria.

     "The mayor refuses to try and keep it open and to be honest, I don't blame her. It just really sucks," Kai sighed.

     "I can't help but feel like everyone is going to crusade for Pop's after a man gets shot yet when the Twilight Drive-In was being closed because of lack of funding to keep it running, everyone just accepted defeat. No one says anything when we lose something over here but the second something on the Northside is threatened, light your torches and sharpen your pitchforks," Naomi said before blowing a piece of her pink hair out of her face.

     "Why does everything have to be about the Northside versus the Southside with you two?" Kai asked while looking at Naomi and Peyton.

     "Because most of the time, it is," the blonde said bluntly.

     "I would totally like to find this preppy girl you speak of and help her save the diner since it's the only place on the Northside where we're welcome, but my mom is already losing her mind enough as it is. She doesn't want me or Ro going anywhere near that place alone and I have a very strong feeling she would prefer if we didn't go there at all," Luna said as she leaned back in her seat with her arms crossed.

     "My parents don't want me to go over there either," Maya said while picking at her cuticles. "I'm gonna miss their chocolate fudge milkshakes."

     "I gotta say, I'll never forget the day Luna dumped that new song on us over there," Naomi said with her eyes narrowed and her head slightly tilted.

     "Hey, you all learned it before the show!" Luna replied while glaring at Naomi. "Plus, I promised to never do it again so don't make me go back on my word."

     "What are we talking about again?" Maya questioned.

     "Pop's," Luna and Naomi replied.

     As much as it would make her mother upset, Luna really wanted to go there with her friends one last time, especially if it was going to be closing down or sold to someone else so they could close it down anyway in less than a week. Maybe order a double bacon cheeseburger with poutine and a mango milkshake. Once everything was said and done, the entire group would be down a hangout, leaving the school's music room and Luna's garage to have their music related discussions along with practices.

     "We should probably go to Pop's later today. If it's going to be the last time we eat there, I say we make it count," Luna suggested while looking at her friends.

     "As much as I would like to do that, our parents aren't very keen on any of us going over there," Maya said with a nervous smile. "I'm pretty sure my mom would slap me with her slipper if she found out I deliberately went to the exact same place she told me not to go."

     "I don't know about you guys but my parents always ask me where I'm going before I can even step out of the house. If I don't tell them, they get suspicious," Peyton said.

     "They think you're meeting up with a guy?"

     "Oh, they wish I was meeting up with a guy."

     "Hey, what happened to that ginger haired girl you hung out with for one day and never mentioned again after that?" Luna asked curiously.

     "She ended up being a Ghoulie who got arrested while I was waiting in line at the gas station for God knows what before we could see a movie at the drive-in. I did not leave that store until she was gone and told my parents she bailed when I got home," Peyton replied with a small shrug.

     "Forget I asked," Luna sighed.

     "I just shouldn't date anyone in Riverdale 'cause everyone is either too preppy or one step away from ending up in a jail cell," Peyton said with her arms crossed.

     "If that's your mindset, you're definitely not going to find Mrs. Right in this freaky deaky town," Naomi laughed and Peyton just looked at her. "Take notes from Luna."

     "What is that supposed to mean?" Luna questioned with her eyes narrowed at Naomi.

     "You know what I mean," the pink haired girl replied.

     "Choose your next words carefully or I will hit you in the face with this turkey sub," Luna said while holding up her sandwich. She had an idea of what Naomi was thinking about but she was daring her to just say it. "And you know I will do it."

     Everyone just laughed as Maya checked the time and reminded them all that they had to go to class soon. But even during class, Luna's idea was still very present in her mind. She really wanted to go to Pop's for one last meal while it was still open and maybe talk to Pop Tate. He was always such a kind and gentle man but many people in Riverdale seem to take him for granted. Luna could recall a few times where she couldn't pay for one single milkshake but Pop would still give her the milkshake and she would always pay for it the next time she went. She also liked going there to pick up takeout on the nights where her mother didn't feel like cooking because it was simple and just a ten minute walk from her house. It was the place she and her friends would talk about their band and a lot of other things like what they would do if they were to all move out of Riverdale and move into apartments across from each other like in that nineties sitcom Friends.

     Maybe closing down the diner would be for the best but if they could just go there one last time and enjoy one more meal or milkshake, that would be great.

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     Was it a stupid idea to sneak out of the house to go to a diner that was recently a crime scene? Most definitely. But after convincing her friends to meet her outside the diner with an airtight alibi that they were all just going to study together at the library. Since none of them were going to be alone, technically there was nothing to worry about. Her plan was probably flawed but there was no turning back.

     When she walked past her sister's and mother's room, both of them had their lights off but she was still careful when passing through the hallway. She was still wearing her socks so she wouldn't make much noise with her footsteps and quietly closed the door as soon as she was outside. She quickly put her shoes on and started heading to Pop's where her friends would be waiting and texted the others to let them know she was on her way.

     Once she got there, the four of them were waiting for her in front of the parking lot and Luna couldn't help but smirk. "You guys actually went through with it," she laughed.

     "This is very far out of my comfort zone and I am hoping this doesn't get me grounded," Maya said with her arms crossed.

     "All the more reason to make this last visit count," Naomi said as she opened the door and they all went inside.

     Not many people were there but there was Pop Tate, a blonde girl and the same dark haired boy Luna ran into in the hallway at Southside High the other day.

     "What's up, Pop?" Kai said and the older man smiled kindly at them.

     "Hello, kids. Would you like anything to eat?" he asked and all five of them smiled.

     "Is your memory still good enough to remember what we all like?" Luna asked with a lopsided smirk as she leaned over the counter.

     Pop just chuckled as he shook his head. "I may be as old as a dinosaur but I still know you want your double bacon cheeseburger with extra cheese, a poutine on the side instead of regular fries and a mango milkshake," he said.

     "God, you know me so well."

     "I'll be right out with your orders."

     While Pop Tate started cooking the food, Luna and her friends picked a booth and sat down. There were other girls wearing yellow t-shirts with the Chock'lit Shoppe's logo on the front with a pair of black shorts putting up decorations and Luna looked at the Jones kid talking to the blonde girl.

     "That Jones kid is here," Peyton said, also noticing the boy's presence.

     "Does he always wear that beanie?" Maya questioned and Luna laughed as she sat up.

     "Wait, where are you going?" Naomi asked.

     "Just saying hello to our new Southside buddy," Luna replied before poking the boy on the shoulder to grab his attention. "What's up, new boy?"

     "I remember you. From Southside High," the boy replied and Luna nodded.

     "Luna. You didn't get shanked by any Ghoulies on your first day, did you?" Luna asked with a little smirk.

     "Jughead. And no, I didn't get 'shanked' by anyone," the boy said.

     "Excuse me. You guys know each other from Southside High?" the blonde girl asked and Luna simply nodded.

     "I simply gave Jonesy here a little Southside High survival one-oh-one tip," she said while shrugging her shoulders.

     "I don't officially go there yet but I will soon. The other day was to just get an idea of what I'm up against," Jughead said while Luna looked at the blonde girl.

     "Something gives me the feeling that you're the one trying to save this place," she said and the blonde nodded.

     "Betty. How did you and your friends even know about Retro Night?" she asked and Luna laughed.

     "Retro Night? We didn't know anything about a Retro Night, we just came here to make our last meal at Pop's count. But if you're trying to save it then I guess it's possible this won't be our last visit," the dark haired girl said and turned around to head back to her friends. "I'll get out of your hair."

     When Luna sat down, Peyton nudged her shoulder. "What kept you so long?" she asked.

     "Got to know the new boy a little more. Oh, and that preppy girl you mentioned earlier today? Blonde ponytail sitting next to Jones," Luna replied while pointing at the two kids at the counter.

     "You two can be blonde hair buddies," Maya laughed and Peyton rolled her eyes.

     "She wouldn't last a day at Southside High and I would get kicked out of Riverdale High in the first five minutes," she said.

     "You're not wrong," Naomi said.

     "About her or me?"

     "Both."

     Everyone laughed as someone brought their milkshakes over to their booth. Luna smiled as she took a sip of her mango milkshake while the girl told them their food would be ready soon. Eventually, a blonde woman who looked like the older version of Betty walked in and Luna just assumed it was her mother and also Alice Cooper. She remembered seeing her face on the news when everyone was looking for her other daughter, Polly. It was funny that she didn't recognize Betty but all she knew was that Alice Cooper was ruthless when it came to slandering the Southside in The Riverdale Register.

     "Maybe we should go," Maya said when she noticed Alice Cooper sitting in a booth.

     "We haven't eaten yet. Besides, what is she gonna do? Throw a bunch of insults as us we haven't already heard?" Kai questioned as he rolled his eyes.

     "Also, we're not breaking any rules. We're just a couple of kids ordering some food and milkshakes and talking to each other," Luna said while shrugging her shoulders.

     "Alice doesn't see us as a couple of kids, she only sees us as Southside trash and there are lots of people who agree with her," Maya said while slightly shaking her head.

     "Well, for tonight, we have fun," Naomi said as she held up her glass of vanilla milkshake.

     "I'm down," Peyton said as she held up her milkshake as well.

     Eventually, their food did come around and Luna found herself laughing and having fun with her friends, just like she wanted to. No word from her mother or sister which meant they were still asleep. Rosalie was going on about how the day made her tired and her mother was tired from working her shift which meant they ended up going to bed early. As soon as they were asleep, that was when Luna snuck out and now she was here with her friends hoping to enjoy the night and hoping that they could have many more nights like this.

     Luna got up to get another mango milkshake and someone's voice grabbed her attention. She turned her head and Alice Cooper was watching her intensely like a hawk. "I thought you and your people would stay on your side of the tracks," she said with her eyes narrowed.

     "Listen, lady. This is the only diner in all of Riverdale so if my friends and I want to come here and enjoy the food and milkshakes, then that's what we're gonna do," Luna replied as the girl working behind the counter handed her a now full glass of mango milkshake. "If you have a problem with a couple of kids trying to enjoy a night out with each other, you can leave but we're not going anywhere."

     Luna joined the rest of her friends with her milkshake and Peyton nudged her arm. "Did you seriously tell off Alice Cooper?" she asked.

     "It may be a hard pill for her to swallow, but we are just kids. We're just eating burgers and drinking milkshakes yet she still treats us like we're common criminals so if she has a problem, she can go," Luna answered as she rolled her eyes.

     "Watch your conversation with her end up in The Riverdale Register," Maya said and Naomi laughed.

     "She'd probably tell everyone that she threatened her," she said.

     "And everyone would believe her," Kai added.

     "Because she is the head of the local newspaper so why would she lie about that?" Luna asked sarcastically before taking another sip of her milkshake.

     The five of them laughed and kept talking until Pop Tate asked for everyone to turn their attention to him. Starting off, Pop's was going to stay open because of Betty and her persistence. On top of that, they were getting a donation from the Lodge family so if anything else happened, they would still be able to keep the place open. But overall, Luna was happy that she and her friends could keep hanging out at Pop's.