Chapter 23

When the Andrews kids got home, they told their dad what happened with Betty at school.

"It was pigs blood dad," Callie said.

" Where do you even get pig's blood?" Archie asked. " I wanna slam whoever did that through a wall."

"Betty's getting threats," Callie added.

" Jughead is being thrown into a snake pit, and I can't do anything to help them," Archie ranted. 

" Sometimes you help them just by showing up," their dad advised.

" We've been showing up all year, Dad," Callie informed him. " And it hasn't made one bit of difference. We're getting our asses kicked."

********

The next day Callie sat int he student lounge with Archie, Veronica, and Betty.

"And the craziest thing is I have a long-lost brother," Betty explained, she just told them the story of what happened her mom and dad were crowned King and Queen at homecoming.

" It's positively Dickensian. I love a long-lost brother," Veronica commented.

"How old would he be?" Callie asked.

" Mid-twenties," Betty answered.

"Oh, my God. A blonde Adonis, no doubt," said Veronica. At that moment Betty's phone rang, it was Jughead, he transferred to Southside high.

" FP warned me that he would cut me off and go to the Southside," Archie brought up.

" Archie, we can't let him do that," Betty insisted. The three of them ran out of the school and all the way to Southside high.

"Where would he be?" Veronica asked when they walked through the metal detectors at Southside high.  

" Cafeteria," Archie answered. When they entered they found Jughead laughing with a couple of others.

"Jug," Betty said softly, everyone turned and looked at the four.

"What are you guys doing here? " Jughead asked. Callie looked up, her eyes looked with a  familiar pair of eyes. Those eyes belonged to Sweet Pea, he looked a bit angry. Jughead, Betty, Archie, Veronica, and Callie went outside to talk. Callie stood alone when she sensed someone walks up to her, she turned to see Sweet Pea.

" Looks like you were wrong," Callie stated. " We would see each other again."

" Do not stand alone here," Sweet Pea advised.

" Why not?" Callie asked.

" Too dangerous," Sweet Pea answered. Callie went to open her mouth. " Don't fight me on this." Callie looked at his fist to see he was not wearing the brass knuckles. " I didn't think you would bring three others the next time we saw each other. Have you found all the answers you are looking for?"

" Not yet," Callie answered. " But I will as time goes on, and without all the questions."

"Guys, we have to go!" Veronica insisted to all of them. Callie took one glanced.

"Go," Sweet Pea told her as he put a note in the pocket of her coat before pushing her away. She then left with the others.

"Cheryl?" Callie called out as they searched around Sweetwater river.

" Cheryl!" Archie called out as the treaded through the snow. " Cheryl?"

"She's not here," Callie panted as they stopped.

"She's over there!" Betty pointed out, Cheryl was on the ice, she was trying to break it.

"Cheryl!" they all shouted and started going after her.

" Cheryl, stop! What are you doing?" Jughead shouted.

" Wait, wait! Wait, Jug," Archie tried to stop them.

" The ice. He's right,' Jighead said as they heard the ice cracking.

" Took much weight and we'll go under," Callie added. " Cheryl!"

"Cheryl, please," Veronica cried out. Cheryl slowly stood up and looked at them with tears in her eyes. " Just come to the shore and we'll figure this out together, okay?" They all looked at her, and the ice gave away, Cheryl went under the water.

"No!" Callie cried out, she went forward.

" Cheryl!" Archie yelled, they all ran across the ice-covered river to the spot where Cheryl went under. They all shouted her name. When they got there, Cheryl wasn't there.

"The current gots her," Jughead informed them. " Spread out, spread out!" They started to kick the snow away to find here.

"She's here! She's here!" Archie shouted he started to try to break the ice as everyone ran over to him.

" Archie, careful!" Veronica and Callie warned him. 

"Help!" Jughead cried out. The more that Archie punched the ice, the more blood came out of his hand. Soon he broke the ice and the water turned red from Archie's blood. When the hole was big enough, Archie reached down and pulled Cheryl out of the water and back onto the shore. He laid her on the ground and started to give her CPR. After a couple of tries, Cheryl spits up water and started coughing. 

" Cheryl!" Veronica cried. They carried Cheryl all the way to the Lodge's home. There she was wrapped in towels and sat by the fire to get warm.

******

After all that happened, Callie was at home getting ready for the Jubilee. She wrapped up Archie's hand before they picked up Veronica. Callie now sat in the crowd next to Reggie and her father.

" Welcome, one and all, to Riverdale's 75th anniversary Jubilee celebration!" Mayor McCoy began her speech. Everyone applauded. " I couldn't be any more thrilled to introduce my daughter, Josie and her Pussycats, as they performed alongside our local hero, Archie Andrews!" Everyone applauded as the band and Archie walked onto the stage, ready to perform.


" Hi, everyone," Josie greeted the crowd. " We're switching things up tonight. We are singing a song that my boy, Archie Andrews, wrote. So..." She backed up and let Archie take the microphone. Callie leaned her head against Reggie's chest as they listened to the song. Everyone clapped and cheered when the song ended. As the group left the stage, Betty walked on to give her speech.

" Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Betty greeted everyone. " I'd like to thank Mayor McCoy for inviting me to speak on this historic day. Seventy-five years of Riverdale..." She looked at Jughead who just walked into the room and smiled. " But what is Riverdale? It's the people, right? You, me, our friends, our neighbors. Riverdale is Archie and Callie Andrews. Kevin Keller is Riverdale. Veronica Lodge, she's Riverdale. " But you know who else is Riverdale? FP Jones, who we were so quick to blame for Jason's murder. Jughead Jones is Riverdale, the very soul of Riverdale. Without him, we may not have ever found out what happened to Jason. And yet how do we thank him? By banishing him. Which is what we do when the truth gets too ugly in Riverdale. Truth being that Clifford Blossom was also Riverdale. Riverdale's at a crossroads. If we don't face the reality of who and what we are if we keep lying to ourselves and keeping secrets from each other, then what happened to Jason could happen again. Or, God forbid, something even worse. Riverdale must do better. We must do better." She finished her speech, it was dead silent, Jughead started clapping, Kevin stood up clapping, Callie and everyone else followed their lead. Callie went home and went to bed early that night. It had been a long week, from Clifford Blossom murdering his own son, getting kidnapped, the Jubilee. And for some reason, she could not get Sweet Pea out of her mind. The bad boy from the other side of the tracks made quite the impact on her, she just doesn't know how yet.

*******

The next day Callie was at Pop's with her dad and Archie. She sat there with her dad laughing. Just as they finished ordering Archie walked in.

"Hey Ronald Weasley, " Callie greeted her brother.

"We ordered your usual," their dad added.

" Thanks, Dad and Cal. I'm just gonna go wash my hands," Archie informed him. While Archie went to go wash their hands a man walked into the restaurant with a black hood on, his face covered by a black mask.

"Who's in charge here? Show me where the safe is!" the man demanded as he pointed a gun at Pops.

" Get down Callie," her dad warned her as he got out of his seat.

"There is no safe!" Pops shouted as the man broke things.

" You've got a safe. Show me where it is!" the man shouted. " Where's the safe, old man?" The man got on the counter and put the gun to Pop's head.

" There ain't no safe," Pop cried.

"Show me where the safe is!" The man shouted in anger. Archie came out fo the bathroom, their dad shook his head at his two children. The man threw Pop to the ground and got off the counter, he pointed the gun at everyone. " Give me your wallet!" The man pointed the gun at their dad. Archie and Callie both got up to protect him, the man pulled the trigger. The man left, Pop's called the cops. Callie and Archie both put their hands on their dad's wound to try to stop the bleeding. Fred Andrews laid on the ground with his head in his son's lap. 

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top