❝ SEASON ONE, EPISODE TWO ❞
💀A Touch of Evil💀

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Isabella, Kevin, Veronica and Betty made their way out to their usual lunch table. "So, what did Moose want?" Betty asked Kevin. "Oh, my God, I don't even think he knows," Kevin replied while Isabella laughed. "I mean, I am devastatingly handsome in that classic, pre-accident Montgomery Clift kind of way, and sexuality is fluid, but can someone named Moose actually be that fluid?" Kevin asked the three girls who laughed in response.

"Oh, well, I ship it," Veronica replied to him. "Well, of course, you would. You're a big city girl with loose morals," Kevin replied creating awkward tension. "Nice one, Kev," Isabella muttered as she bit back the smirk. "I just meant that Moose has an official girlfriend. Midge," Kevin said in an attempt to break the tension. "Anyway, it's terrible to say, but a part of me wishes he would just stay in the darn closet," Kevin continued without thinking causing Betty and Veronica to falter.

"So, how deep do you wish your grave to be? And what song shall I play?" Isabella asked Kevin who nudged her in the ribs before looking toward Betty and Veronica. "Obviously, I didn't mean literal closet," Kevin added. "Not really helping, Kevin. Try again next time," Isabella taunted as she moved around the table to sit next to Archie. "I get it, Belle. Thanks," Kevin muttered back while the brunette happily bit into her burger.

"Archie!" Veronica cheerfully spoke in hopes to push past the awkward tension. "Any new material you wanna try out on a very forgiving audience?" Veronica pleaded. "I..." Archie trailed off unsure. "Please? Would you? I'd love to hear it," Betty encouraged. "I'm still working on the lyrics, so..." Archie warned them before he began strumming, "Come on, turn the radio on. And, honey, we'll dance, dance, dance. For the rest of the night, I'm not ready to go."

Though Isabella enjoyed the lyrics, she could see the tears welling in Betty's eyes and it made Isabella very upset with Veronica and Archie. She didn't blame Archie for not feeling the same way towards Betty, but she did blame Archie and Veronica for sharing a kiss despite knowing how it'd affect Betty ─ She barely had time to accept the fact Archie didn't feel the same before some new girl, trying to be her friend, swooped in and kissed her crush.

"Betty? You okay?" Archie asked the blonde before she laughed through her clear tears. "I'm supposed to say yes. That's what the nice girl always says, but... No, I'm not," Betty answered as she sniffled quietly. "I want to be. I thought I could be. But it's too much, too fast," Betty told him before she got up and took off with Archie following behind her. The three remaining occupants were silent for a moment before Kevin looked up at Isabella, "What's going on between you and Jones?"

Isabella looked up at him with a smile, "We're friends. He's practically becoming my best friend at this point. Why?" Kevin shrugged with a smile before sharing a knowing look with Veronica, the raven smirked. "Seriously? Silent eye contact conversations?" Isabella asked dramatically as the two continued. "You know what, I'm gonna go find Jughead. You two are annoying me," Isabella told them before grabbing her bag and walking away.

"I bet by homecoming, those two will be together," Veronica told Kevin who thought for a moment before smirking. "I bet they'll be together two weeks before homecoming," Kevin replied before the two shook hands with a laugh. Meanwhile, Isabella was stopped in the halls by Principal Weatherbee. "Can I help you?" Isabella asked the older man. "Where were you on the fourth of July?" Weatherbee asked her.

"Pops for breakfast, lunch was spent at a restaurant in Greendale with my parents and dinner was at home with my parents," Isabella answered him with her arms crossed. "I'll be cross-checking that with your father," Weatherbee warned her. "Wouldn't expect any less, Weatherbee," Isabella replied before watching him walk away, she rolled her eyes and continued her search for Jughead Jones.

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"I've been looking everywhere for you, Jones!" Isabella grumbled as she stepped into pace with the teen. "Maybe you should've sent me a message?" Jughead suggested causing Isabella to scoff with a small smile. "I would've, except that I gave you my number but never got your number and you haven't used my number," Isabella told him with a teasing grin. Jughead sighed realising she was right before pulling out his phone and sending a message to her.

Isabella pulled out her phone and rolled her eyes seeing the message; I'm right next to you. -JJ. "You're very funny, Jones," Isabella told him as she nudged his shoulder. As she turned her head, she noticed two familiar people within the glass of a door, she gasped before grabbing Jughead's hand in hers, dragging him towards the door. Jughead stood behind Isabella as they looked through the door, Isabella's eyes widened at the close vicinity between Archie Andrews and the music teacher, Ms Grundy.

"Oh, Archer... What are you thinking?" Isabella whispered as Jughead pulled her away from the door, the two of them made their way down the corridor. "I just don't get it..." Isabella says as she tries to understand how this happened between the two, her mind was going crazy with theories until Jughead stopped her. "Hey, we are gonna confront him like we agreed and get the answers we need, alright?" Jughead asked her, his hands on her shoulders. "Okay..." Isabella breathed out with a small smile, their hands still interlocked.

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Jughead and Isabella sat on the Andrews household steps waiting for Archie to show up, Isabella's leg was bouncing in anxiety as they waited. "Hey..." Jughead breathed out as he placed his hand on her knee, the brunette looked at him and let out a breath. "I'm worried about him, JJ... What he's doing is wrong on so many levels," Isabella told Jughead as she looked down at his hand, she began fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve.

"We'll help him as much as we can, Isa..." Jughead told her, she looked up at him with a small smile. "Bella, Jug. What's up?" Archie spoke pulling the two from their staring, which neither had realised. "What's up is we saw you, Archie," Jughead told him as he stood up, reaching his hand out to pull Isabella up with him. "In the music room. With Ms Grundy," Isabella added with her arms crossed causing Archie to step closer to the two.

"Keep your voice down, my dad's inside," Archie told them. "We're trying to help you, dude. I'm trying to be your friend here. Even though we're not anymore," Jughead told him. "How long? You and Grundy?" Isabella asked Archie, the redhead avoided her eyes and focused on Jughead knowing he could face his former best friend but not his cousin who was practically like his sister. "Since the summer," Archie answered making Isabella scoff. "I like her," Archie added.

"So I'm guessing she's the reason you've been acting weird since summer?" Jughead asked Archie as Isabella leaned more toward Jughead. "One of them," Archie replied quietly. "One of them... Seriously, there's more?" Isabella asked her cousin. "We were at Sweetwater River on July fourth. We heard a gun. The gun," Archie told them truthfully causing Isabella's eyes to widen before she turned away from her cousin fighting the urge to punch him.

"Dude, you have to tell somebody," Jughead told Archie before glancing at Isabella to make sure she didn't wander off. "I can't... Neither can either of you. If people find out about Grundy..." Archie defended softly. "Jason Blossom is dead, Archie Andrews!" Isabella snapped harshly at him, she stepped between Jughead and Archie with a harsh glare that Archie never wanted to be on the other end of. "And you're worried about some predatory cougar?!" Isabella added.

"Don't call her that," Archie snapped back before cowering down again, he did not want to be on the other end of her fist. "She's not like that, she cares about me," Archie added softly in hopes to calm Isabella down. "Stab in the dark," Jughead began as he pulled Isabella behind him ─ Archie was momentarily stunned by the fact that Isabella let Jughead touch her when she was this angry, usually the person touching her is punched.

"I'm guessing she cares more about herself. She's the one who's telling you not to say anything, right?" Jughead asked as Isabella took slow breaths, her anger was something she struggles with and had learnt to control because its like a snap of a string in her head ─ Then you'd wanna hope you weren't in her line of sight. Jughead reached his hand around and grabbed her hand. "Look, I saw you guys. She's messing with you, man. And she's messing with your mind..." Jughead told him.

"What the hell do you know about it, Jughead? Or about me, even?" Archie snapped back causing Isabella to raise her head and glare at Archie, her expression fell to disappointment which struck harder than any anger she portrayed towards her cousin. "Nothing... But I used to know this guy once. Archie Andrews. He wasn't perfect but..." Jughead let out a sigh, "He always tried to do the right thing at least." Isabella nodded before the two went to walk away.

"Jug..." Archie spoke as he grabbed Jughead's arm to stop him from walking away. "If either of you tells anyone about this..." Archie warned. "What? What are you gonna do?" Jughead asked Archie as the front door opened. "Hey, Jug. Hey princess. Coming in? We got take-out from Pops," Fred offered as Isabella walked over and hugged her uncle, Fred smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "They were just leaving..." Archie said.

"Thanks for the offer, Uncle Fred. But JJ and I have a project to work on," She told her uncle before walking towards Jughead, she made eye contact with Archie as she walked by him and shook her head. "You alright?" Isabella asked Jughead once they were a distance away. "JJ, huh?" Jughead asked with a smirk. "Isa, huh?" Isabella fired back before the two laughed. "Looks like we are on a nickname basis then," Jughead stated as he placed his hands in his pockets. "Congrats, JJ. You're my best friend," Isabella replied before they laughed.

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Isabella stood with Jughead against a table by the vending machine in the student lounge with a book in her hands that Jughead had suggested she'd read. "And Sheriff Keller's grilling me, Mantle the Magnificent," Reggie explained to the other jocks sitting around him. "Mantle the Moron... more like it," Isabella muttered to Jughead who laughed. Archie stood at the vending machine trying to put money into the slot but it kept denying the note while Reggie Mantle rambled.

"'Cause I'd want Blossom dead," Reggie stated sarcastically as Isabella moved her head to rest on Jughead's shoulder, turning to the next page. "When he was, like, the only good quarterback we had. And speaking of offensive tight-ends, I should've sent the cops to you, Moose. Because here's another unsolved mystery," Reggie taunted as he leaned forward and looked at Moose, "What exactly were you and Kevin doing at the river, huh? Or does being with the sheriff's son give you a free pass? Keller?"

"Reggie's just being a blowhard, Kev," Betty told Kevin from the table where she sat with the mentioned boy. "I don't care what he says," Kevin replied. "You sound envious, Mantle the Moron. Perhaps do this room a favour and shut up for once," Isabella spoke up causing the room to laugh while Reggie scowled at her. Betty and Kevin smiled at Isabella before looking down at the notebook on the table.

"I mean, let's think about it. If a kid at Riverdale killed Jason, it's not gonna be a jock, right?" Reggie continued as he threw the football to Moose. "Now let's be honest. Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid?" Reggie rambled causing Isabella to tense up, she raised her head and went to step forward knowing what direction Reggie was going only for Jughead to grab her hand and stop her.

"Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak, like Jughead?" Reggie finished off as he turned to look at Jughead, everyone laughed and whispered amongst each other. "What was it like, suicide squad? When you shot Jason? You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? Like... after?" Reggie asked while Isabella took a breath, Jughead's grip tightened in hopes she wouldn't react ─ he didn't want her snapping and getting in trouble defending him.

"It's called necrophilia, Reggie, can you spell it?" Jughead replied with a slight smirk, Isabella laughed at the comment, his smooth tone and slight smirk was attractive. "Come here, you little..." Reggie jumped over the couch towards Jughead but Archie stepped between the two. "Hey, shut the hell up, Reggie," Archie warned Reggie as Isabella stood up straight, placing the book onto the table. "Boys," Veronica warned them as Reggie looked between Jughead, Isabella and Archie.

"What do you care, Andrews?" Reggie asked with a raised brow. "Nothing, just leave him alone," Archie answered him hoping to defuse the situation knowing that Isabella would kick the taller teen's ass. "Holy crap. Did you and Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brother thing?" Reggie asked before Archie shoved him. Jughead pulled Isabella back as Reggie shoved Archie into the vending machine causing the glass to shatter from the impact.

Reggie pushed Archie to the ground and went to punch him when someone else caught his fist before kneeing him in the stomach, pushing the boy off Archie. "You ever touch my cousin or my best friend again, Reginald Mantle and I swear to God, I will leave you bleeding on the ground," Isabella seethed as she stood protectively in front of Archie and Jughead, the latter helping the former off of the ground. Reggie swallowed carefully before walking away with the jocks following behind him ─ Isabella stormed out before anyone could speak.

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Rosemary Speaks

I'm not sure if it seems like I rushing their friendship... I just... I love Jughead so much, fam!

Also, Isabella is a boss in my eyes. What do you think?

Opinions on the nicknames?

See you in the next chapter!