❝ The River's Edge ❞

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Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world. . . Safe. Decent. Innocent. Get closer, though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath.

The name of our town is Riverdale. And our story begins, I guess, with what the Blossom twins did this summer. On the Fourth of July, just after dawn, Jason and Cheryl Blossom drove out to Sweetwater River for an early morning boat ride.

The next thing we know happened for sure is that Dilton Doiley, who was leading Riverdale's Boy Scout Troop on a bird watching expedition, came upon Cheryl by the river's edge. Riverdale Police dragged Sweetwater River for Jason's body, but never found it.

So a week later, the Blossom family buried an empty casket and Jason's death was ruled an accident, as the story that Cheryl told made the rounds.

That Cheryl dropped a glove in the water, and Jason reached down to get it, and accidentally tipped the boat, and panicked, and drowned.

As for us, we were still talking about the "July Fourth Tragedy" on the last day of summer vacation, when a new mystery and an familiar pretty face showed up in town.

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Stacey removed her helmet and looked up at the house that her Uncle now owned in the Northside of Riverdale. It was an average two-storey home with a picket white fence and had two separate balconies for two separate rooms on either side of the home. "So what do you think?" Sam asked his niece, she shrugged her shoulders. It was rare to hear more than a sentence from the girl since her father had died so Sam hadn't expected her to say much, though he never stopped trying to encourage her to speak. "You get first pick, Stacey," Melissa called out to her daughter, she had already made that agreement with Sam and Mike.

Stacey grabbed her suitcase from the car, her dog companion, Buddy trailing after her before heading into the home. It was nicely decorated, she now undersood why her uncle said to bring necessities rather than anything else as the home was already furnished with a modern design. She trudged up the stairs with her suitcase and turned to the right where there were two doors, the left side had three doors. She opened the first door to reveal a clean bathroom before turning to the second door that was a nice sized room for a teenage girl along with one of the balconies that had a tree grown by it.

"I had a feeling this was the room you'd pick," Sam spoke as he leaned on the doorway with his arms crossed, "Mike and your mother will be taking the two rooms to the left of the stairs. I'll be taking the main bedroom downstairs." Stacey turned to her uncle and nodded her head before sitting on the edge of the bed. "It's nice," Stacey spoke making Sam's brows raise. "And so she speaks," Sam teased making Stacey scoff and bite back a smile. "Why don't you and Mike head to Pop's to pick up dinner before settling in to your room?" Sam offered, she nodded her head and grabbed her phone and keys.

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Mike and Stacey climbed out of Melissa's car and closed the doors, Mike locking it before they both looked up at the familiar diner that they hadn't seen since they were kids. "It hasn't changed much," Stacey said softly to Mike who grinned. "That's what makes Pop's the best," Mike replied to her before the cousins headed inside. The bell chimed above the door alerting the people inside that there were more customers, Pop's was talking to a raven haired girl wearing what Stacey assumed was a cloak of some kind appearing to be mysterious which made her look down at her fishnets covered by a red plaid skirt and a band shirt tucked into it.

"No way!" A voice from the side caught the cousins' attention, they both turned their heads to see a blonde teen with a ponytail and a ginger teen staring directly at the two of them. Stacey furrowed her brows before a smile that Mike hadn't seen in a long time appeared on her face. "Archie? Betty?" Stacey questioned as she moved towards the two of them, Archie got up instantly and wrapped the brunette into his arms. "Stacey Donovan!" Archie cheered making Pops laugh as the brunette tapped his back as a warning that he was squeezing her a little too tight.

"Calm down, Andrews. You'll squeeze her to death," Mike spoke up as he stepped up to the them. Archie let go of the brunette who moved to hug Betty, "You look amazing, Betty." The blonde smiled wide at her words, holding her close before pulling away. "Are you staying?" Betty asked with wide hopeful eyes. "Yeah, just moved in a few houses down from your place... if you still live there," Stacey replied. "This is amazing!" Betty cheered before looking at Mike who had been staring in a daze at the blonde. Stacey smirked, she knew that Mike had a thing for Betty Cooper and she was keen to see what may happen there.

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Neither Donovan had been expecting their old friends to be so welcoming nor did they expect to be remembered. However, it seemed to spark a light in their lives in a way they hadn't felt in years.

But me? I sat in my usual booth with my eyes watching the familiar brunette girl who I hadn't seen or spoken to in five years. She still had wide doe eyes and a grunge band aesthetic like when she was younger.

But time changes everything and everyone. I knew better than anyone how quick a person could change. I had changed. But the question was. . .
Would that promise still be kept?

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After catching up with Betty and Archie and meeting the new girl, Veronica Lodge, the two cousins had grabbed their food and returned back home. They all ate dinner as a family before Stacey went up to her room and smiled slightly seeing that her uncle had put all of her stuff in her room along with a new credit card she could use to decorate the space. Stacey spent half of the night putting her room together, she was finished with her things by midnight and practically collapsed onto her bed with a groan. She rolled onto her side and let her exhaustion take over as she pulled a random blanket over her body.

She woke up to her alarm playing You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi and she rolled over to grab her phone only to fall off of her bed. "You good?" Mike called out having heard the loud thud. "Just peachy!" Stacey called back hearing her older cousin laugh as he walked away from her door. Stacey huffed debating on just staying on the floor but she knew she had to get up for school where Betty would be giving her and new girl, Veronica, the tour. And so, she got up and went into the bathroom for a quick shower and to brush her teeth.

Her outfit for her first day consisted of a Metallica shirt tucked into a green plaid skirt, mesh tights underneath and her Chuck Taylors on her feet. She brushed her hair before doing some make-up that made her eyes pop, smoky and dark because it's only school and she wanted to hide the eyebags while showing that school was indeed hell. Her lucky pack aka barely held together backpack with all of her favourite band pins on sat on her shoulders as she slipped her phone into the skirts pocket. She snagged her necklace and clipped it on, the small red rose hanging from the chain had been a gift from when she was young.

The brunette seventeen year old made her way down the stairs and spotted the home office door was open and her mother was inside working, she was a seamstress and owned her own boutique chain so she was always coming up with new styles and fabrics for the stores. "Bye mom!" Stacey called quickly, Melissa looked over distractedly and waved with a smile before focusing back on the mannequin. Stacey shrugged being used to it, she grabbed a muffin from the kitchen counter and headed out the front door. She noticed Mike leaning against the fence looking at his phone and his dad's car was gone so he was at work.

"So my guess is we are riding your bike?" Mike asked as he noticed the brunette approaching her bike. "Obviously, unless you want to drive your car?" Stacey asked him, he owned his own Camaro while she owned a Dyna Super Glide Sport that was equipped with a V-twin with a displacement of 1450cc; the same motorbike that Jax Teller rode in Stacey's favourite show Sons of Anarchy. "Alright, meet you there," Mike told her as he walked up to his car, the two raced off to school bringing the attention to them; why not? Being familiar faces gave them attention anyway, so of course they spiced it up.

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Students all over Riverdale High turned their heads at the revving Camaro they hadn't seen before but it was the motorbike that kept their attention. Mike climbed out of his car as Stacey shut off her bike and removed her helmet, brushing down her hair unbothered if it looked messy. She looked around at the vague familiar faces that she spotted from her years in Middle school, she could guarantee that they've all changed to fit the status quo in high school but it wasn't like she was looking for friends in high or low places. She just wanted to attend school and keep out of trouble per her agreement with her mother and the principal who had been hesitant to welcome her due to her history.

"Welp, we made an entrance alright," Mike told his cousin as she sat her helmet in his car, the two made their way into the school and headed straight to the office for their necessary items. Betty stood there waiting for them and Veronica to give them the tour of the school however, Stacey's attention was taken by someone who stood by a locker with a familiar beanie on their head, the style reminiscent of a crown. A denim jacket covering what she guessed to be a flannel or random shirt, jeans and some random boots on his feet for comfort. Her heart admittedly skipped a beat at the sight of the familiar boy, and she wondered how much he had changed through the years.

"So, usually I start of my tours with a little history and context," Betty spoke pulling Stacey's attention to the blonde as she lead them down the hall, "Riverdale High first opened its doors in 1941 and..." Mike interrupted the blonde, "And hasn't been redecorated since, huh?" Veronica laughed at Mike's comment while Betty rolled her eyes at him, Stacey shook her head knowing that Mike was showing interest in Betty but the blonde was clearly hung up on one Archie Andrews; just like when they were kids. "Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of Our Town," Veronica added.

"So what's the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" Veronica asked Betty but someone else spoke instead, "A strip club called the Ho Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo." Stacey smirked seeing the familiar face of Kevin Keller as he continued speaking, "Friday nights, football games and the tailgate parties at the Mall-mart parking lot. Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou, and you better get there early because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale. And Sunday nights... thank God for HBO." Stacey smirked while Veronica grinned at the new presence, Betty smiling fondly.

"Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller," Betty introduced, "Veronica's new here. Kevin is..." Veronica cut Betty off, "Gay. Thank God. Let's be best friends." Mike snorted at that, "Wow, Veronica, you don't waste time. Straight guys can be great friends too, you know?" Veronica turned her head, "Are you offering?" Mike smirked and winked, "I prefer blondes." Stacey laughed at that while Betty blushed, Kevin looking between the cousins with wide eyes. "MIKEY!? STACEY!?" Kevin shouted alerting the entire corridor of the cousins. "Hey Keller," Mike greeted while Kevin pulled Stacey into a hug, she laughed softly at the embrace.

Once Kevin calmed down, he turned his head to Veronica with curious eyes as he asked, "Is it true what they say about your dad?" Veronica raised a brow at him, "That he's the Devil incarnate? I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" The others were silent while Stacey had turned her attention towards the familiar boy hoping to spot him but she only saw his back as he turned a corner. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High," Veronica complained while Mike took notice of Stacey walking down the hall. "The tour?" Mike encouraged Betty who nodded and lead the way.

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Stacey turned the same corner she saw the boy walk and noticed him in the distance, she quickly made her way towards him avoiding the people who were slowly beginning to recognise her. "Donovan?" Reggie Mantle spoke up from where he had been talking to a few other Bulldogs. "Hey Mantle, can't talk right now. Moosey," She sent them a smile before continuing down the hall with a huff as the familiar boy took another turn. "Is it just me or did Stacey Donovan get hotter?" Reggie asked Moose who laughed, the two walking off down the hall but Reggie's mind focused on Stacey's return to town.

As Stacey turned the next corner, she bumped into someone causing her to step back with a slight stumble. She looked up to see the familiar eyes of Jughead Jones, a smirk on his face as he looked down at her with his arms crossed. "Should I make a report to the Sheriff that I've got a stalker?" Jughead asked making Stacey smile. "I've got a cosy basement," Stacey offered, "Just let me free the others so you've got the space." Jughead held back a laugh, "And all your attention?" Stacey hummed as though she was thinking it over carefully, "If you misbehave for me." The two laughed before Stacey wrapped her arms around his torso.

"You came back," Jughead whispered to her as he wrapped his arms around her, his head resting in the crook of her neck. "I promised that I would," Stacey replied to her childhood best good friend who she thought she may never see again. "To stay?" Jughead whispered to her. "Yeah, Juggy. I'm here to stay," Stacey assured him, his arms tightened around her and all felt right in his world for once. "Welcome home, Star," Jughead told her as he pulled back from the hug. "Glad to be home, Juggy," Stacey replied with a smile on her face that had been taken away a long time ago. "Come on, we've got an assembly," Jughead took her hand in his and it was like nothing had ever changed.

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Rosemary Speaks. . .

How do you like the first chapter?

What about Jughead and Stacey's reunion?

Thoughts, Suggestions or Questions?

See you in the next chapter!