❝ SEASON ONE, EPISODE SEVEN ❞
♧ In A Lonely Place ♧

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What makes a place feel like home?
Is it warmth and familiarity?
Some idealized, make-believe version of the American Dream?
Is it love and acceptance?
Or is it simple safety?

Or it's none of those things.
And it's a place where the captain of the football team is murdered.
Or maybe it's just a forgotten closet under a well-trod staircase, where it's just you and the mice and the spiders, like an extra in a Wes Craven movie.

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Isabella winced as she stood under the water of her shower, her body was aching as she carefully washed her skin; patches of bruises covered her right side and her thigh. She shook her head ignoring the pain in her ribs as she reached up to wash the blood from her face and hair, the night was a flurry of memories that made her feel conflicted. As she looked in the mirror, she knew she'd struggle to cover up the bruises on her face and she'd had to lie about her split lip somehow; perhaps she bit it in her sleep and woke up with a slightly swollen lip, that could work as a lie.

After dealing with the bruising, she pulled on some black jeans and picked out a shirt that definitely belonged to Jughead before pulling on Archie's flannel. A knock on her door pulled her attention, she walked over and opened it to see her father standing there. "That's a bad wound, how'd it happen?" Christian asked her as he noticed her lip instantly. "I think I bit in my sleep... woke up with it bleeding and swollen," Isabella tested the lie she would use, Christian chuckled at his daughter's misfortune. "I wanted to let you know that I won't be doing the night shift anymore so I'll be here to spend time with your mother, so if you want to hang out with your friends more; you can," Christian informed her.

Isabella smiled at her dad, "Thanks, Dad." But truthfully, this only helped Isabella's lie, with him home looking after her mother, that allowed Isabella easier access to her newest shady job; an illegal fighter. She gave her dad a hug before she finished getting ready, she skipped breakfast as the idea of eating put her off at the moment and headed straight to the school. Honestly, she really needed to see Jughead right now but she knew she would be lying to all of her friends and that hurt her more than any of the punches she got the night before. However, true to Noah's word, she won enough money to replace the missing funds from her college savings and have some money on the side.

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Isabella sat between Jughead and Betty on the couch in the student lounge, Archie sat on the armchair on the other side of Betty with Veronica seated separately next to Archie; leaving Kevin to be seated in the armchair on the other side of Jughead. "My mom and dad don't want to get the police involved. They don't want anyone to know that she ran away, or about her shameful condition," Betty explained to the group. "Please. What decade is this?" Veronica asked while Isabella nodded in agreement with her, though her attention wasn't completely focused.

"Also, since she knew where Jason's getaway car was, they're afraid people might think that she burned it and that if she did--" Betty was cut off by Jughead, "--She could be the murderer covering her tracks." Isabella sighed, she had heard about the car situation from Betty and it also didn't take long for the information to spread through the small town. "Who did burn the car?" Archie asked the question they didn't know the answer to. "Sheriff Keller says it's possible someone was following us," Betty replied to Archie. "There's also the possibility that the person who burned the car knew it was there, knew it could trace back to the people involved," Isabella added while zoned out; a sight that concerned Jughead.

"Oh, my God. Honestly, guys, we should just move," Veronica spoke up with wide eyes, Isabella huffed at her words and smirked at her. The Raven scrunched her nose playfully at Isabella who shook her head with a slight laugh, Veronica smiled triumphantly as she had also noticed how Isabella seemed out of it. "Guys, what if Polly's really hurt?" Betty asked interrupting Veronica and Isabella's playful expressions. "What if whoever killed Jason is coming after her next?" Betty asked next with genuine fear in her eyes. "Betty, I doubt she's in that kind of danger," Isabella spoke up, the two made eye contact and Isabella could only hope Betty felt reassured.

"Betty, even though your parents don't want to, maybe you should go to the police," Archie suggested to her, Isabella sighed as she internally agreed with her cousin. "Second it. We can talk to my dad together about how he has to be discreet," Kevin spoke up in agreement with Archie. "No offence, Kev, but your dad answers to a higher authority than God, the Blossoms," Jughead told Kevin while Isabella sat forward. "JJ has a point actually. They're the first people that he would tell and they are the last people you'd want to inform," Isabella spoke up completely present for the first time since they all sat down in the student lounge.

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"Belle!" Kevin's voice caught Isabella's attention, she turned to him with a raised brow. "What's up, Kev?" Isabella asked as they linked arms. "I've been thinking and I realised that between all of this ongoing drama--" Isabella cut him off, "--Murder case--" Kevin huffed before continuing, "--You and I haven't gotten the chance to do our usual Thursday night ritual of facemasks and celebrity fashion judgements." Isabella giggled at Kevin's dramatic pout before sighing. "Alright, this Thursday," Isabella told him making Kevin cheer happily. Kevin pulled out his phone when a tweet caught his attention, "Oh no..." Isabella looked at his phone and began seething.

The two moved through the corridors packed with students before running into Betty and Veronica. "You guys, oh, my God," Kevin panicked as Isabella was gritting her teeth. "What?" Veronica asked the two noticing the anger and worry in Isabella's expression. "Cheryl just tweeted, '#PollyCooperKilledMyBrother #NowhereToHide #SharpenYourPitchforks'," Kevin read out causing panic in Betty's eyes. "We need to find Polly before the Blossoms do," Betty told the trio, Isabella nodded in agreement before they made their way out of the school. "I'm gonna do some severe damage to that Red Queen," Isabella muttered.

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Betty and Jughead stood in front of a small group of people that agreed to help with the search, Isabella stood with Archie and Valerie. "Okay, the Sisters of Quiet Mercy are due North. The getaway car was West, on the old Route 40," Betty explained to the group. "The closest bus station is East, headed towards Sweetwater. If Polly wanted to leave Riverdale without anyone seeing her, she probably would've left through--" Betty cut Jughead off, "--Right here. Eversgreen Forest." Isabella shivered in the cold breeze but she sent Betty a reassuring smile before everyone split off to search for Polly.

Isabella was walking alone as she called for Polly, she frowned as she rubbed her hands together for warmth. She was startled by a new presence walking with her, she looked over to see Noah Sinclair walking beside her. "What are you doing here?" Isabella asked her as she looked around spotting her friends walking by the river. "For two reasons, making sure my best fighter doesn't go getting herself hurt," Noah spoke as he looked around the environment. "And the other reason?" Isabella asked him with a raised brow. "I'm not a monster, you know. I heard that Polly Cooper was being hunted by the Blossoms and wanted to help," Noah told her.

Isabella rolled her eyes but didn't notice the rock in her path causing her to trip, Noah quickly caught her and the two laughed. "For someone who's well balanced on their feet, it's obvious that hiking would be a bad idea for you," Noah teased as he helped steady her. "The forest bed is unpredictable and you are distracting me," Isabella argued back lightly, the two laughed as they continued walking. "You know, you aren't as bad as I thought you were," Isabella told him, Noah chuckled at her words. "Well, I certainly appreciate that. You're pretty cool yourself," Noah told her with honesty, the two continued talking without any clue about the beanie-clad boy watching intently.

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Rosemary Speaks!

Well, I did say that Jughead and Betty wouldn't happen but I never said someone else wouldn't get between them ;) or maybe he won't... We'll see!

See you in the next chapter!