❝ SEASON ONE, EPISODE THIRTEEN ❞
🍒 The Sweet Hereafter 🍒

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

It was the ultimate cliffhanger.
Clifford Blossom had killed himself. But why?
Life's not an Agatha Christie novel. It's a lot messier.

Turn's out, maple syrup was a front for his true business, transporting heroin from Montreal on trucks.

A narrative quickly emerged...

"That Jason Blossom had learned about dear old dad's drug running and threatened to expose the truth, which led to Jason's abduction at the hands of a Southside Serpent named Mustang."

And then to Jason's murder, at the hands of his father.

"Clifford killed Mustang to cover his tracks, making it look like he'd overdosed, and tried to implicate a rival businessman, Hiram Lodge, as having masterminded the whole thing."

And, oh yeah, I almost forgot.
Mr. Blossom threatened my life so that my dad would confess to pulling the trigger even though all he did was clean up the mess.
It turned out that the faith of a fighter proved to be true.

And he would've gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for a group of pesky kids who uncovered the truth.

"Even as Clifford Blossom, consumed by guilt and shame, took the coward's way out."

Jason's murder had revealed some dark truths none of us were too eager to face.
Especially not Mayor McCoy, who wanted every last vestige of corruption crushed like a snake under a boot heel.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

Isabella startled awake, she sat up and blinked until her vision cleared. Her head was pounding, her jaw was aching and she could feel the pain in her side. She turned her head to see she was in the Medic room at the Butcher on the Southside, flashes of her fight played through her head and she remembered why she had stumbled back to the Fight Club. She had been informed that FP was still going away for a long time and the punching bag just wasn't enough. Isabella wanted to be hit back, she wanted to feel the pain and the club allowed her that but despite winning the fight; she did let her opponent beat her down.

"You are incredibly stupid, you know that?" Noah's voice pulled Isabella from her mind, she turned her head to him and frowned at the angered expression. "You were free, Isabella. You didn't have any last ties here anymore and you had to show up tonight," Noah continued as he walked towards her, she furrowed her brows in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Isabella rasped out causing Noah to run his fingers through his hair. "My mother... She saw you fight," Noah answered her causing Isabella to freeze up. She had managed to put herself back on the mind of Penny Peabody and clearly, it wasn't a good outcome.

"I'm sure she's interested but I want to make a deal with you," Noah spoke as he picked up the ice pack and held it gently against Isabella's jaw. "You don't return to this place and I'll keep her off your back," Noah practically pleaded with her. Isabella frowned at his expression, he was scared for her and she knew she couldn't deny his request. She finally looked down and took notice of the jacket he wore, the bruises that were on his face, and the cover on his wrist. "You're a full Serpent?" Isabella questioned making Noah smirk. "I completed the initiation during the weekend," Noah replied to her with a slight boast making her roll her eyes playfully.

Noah cleared his throat, "The deal, Isabella." She looked up at him and sighed before nodding in agreement with him. Noah helped her clean up before she changed into some jeans and a baggy sweater, he walked her to her car and wished her goodnight. Noah sighed as he watched Isabella's car drive away, his gaze turned to a person standing in the shadows. "Good job, kid. Now make sure she stays away," They spoke before walking away leaving Noah standing there with a pained expression. He knew everything was about to get worse for everyone.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

Isabella made her way into the house, she locked the door behind her and crept up the stairs spotting her father asleep in the spare room as he still couldn't sleep in the bed his wife once slept in. Isabella wasn't expecting someone to be sitting on her bed with their head in their hands, she cleared her throat to gain their attention. "What happened? Where were you?" Jughead asked as he walked up to her and gently rested his hands on her bruised face. "I'm fine, Jug. I was letting off some steam," Isabella told him causing him to step back from her.

"You went back to that fight club?!" Jughead whisper-yelled knowing that Christian was asleep and he knew better than to wake the older Larkin. "It doesn't matter... I'm never going back," Isabella told him as she stepped closer to him. "We can't keep secrets, Isa..." Jughead told her after stepping back from her. "With everything that has been going on... We cannot be keeping each other in the dark," Jughead continued as Isabella watched him with sad eyes. She knew he was right, they couldn't be keeping things from each other; the town was already tainted with secrets.

"I know..." Isabella whispered before she sat down on her bed, she looked down at the ground as she felt Jughead sit next to her. "I've never... been good with my emotions. When everything becomes too much for me, the punching bag just isn't enough. And something that's always helped is physical pain..." Isabella expressed softly, she refused to look at Jughead as she spoke but he watched her. "That's not healthy, Isa," Jughead told her with the same soft tone. "I'm always so scared that I'm going to become some emotionless robot and the pain gives me something to feel..." Isabella told him honestly.

"I haven't been able to find something else to get me through those moments..." Isabella said as she looked up at Jughead. "Then let's find a solution together," Jughead told her as he placed his hands on her face. "From now on, when those doubts hit you, I want you to find me and I'll remind you about how amazing you are. How you never give up on the ones you care about or about how incredible it is that you continue to fight every day," Jughead expressed before leaning his forehead against hers. "Promise me that you'll do that," Jughead whispered to her, eyes pleading. "I promise," Isabella told her before she kissed him softly.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

A simple promise between two souls.
In a time when the shadows taunted the people of Riverdale, two teenagers had a promise that would strengthen the bond between them for what would come next.

I never once doubted Isabella in her promises,
And I never will.
Because Isabella Larkin never went back on a promise.

I wasn't sure what would happen next with the reveal of Jason's case, my father's arrest, and the death of Annelise Larkin; but I knew that I'd always have a lifeline.

Isabella Larkin, my fighter.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

Rosemary Here!

Two more chapters till the end of Act One.
I'm gonna stick to my promise to WinterDixon and not cause drama/angst between Jughead and Isabella as there is plenty of drama surrounding them. And a majority of Jughead books do have that drama between them.

I'm not saying they won't have their arguments, 'cause every relationship has minor inconveniences, but they won't be breaking up or falling apart.
I just can't find it in me to do that to them.

#JUGBELLA4LIFE

See you next chapter!