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

──────────❝ 🐍 ❞──────────

──────────❝ 🐍 ❞──────────

Jughead had spent ages trying to find Isabella after she stormed off, Archie warned him to let the girl cool down but he wasn't about to let his best friend handle this alone. He let out a sigh when he realised he could just call her, he pulled out his phone and pressed on her contact ─ Isa :P ─ with a small smile. "JJ?" Isabella's voice came through the phone allowing the boy to relax knowing that Archie had been wrong, she did answer the phone.

"Where are you?" Jughead asked straight away as he walked down the corridor and out the front doors of the school. "By the bleachers," Isabella answered before letting out an audible breath. "I'm on my way, Isa," Jughead told her before she hung up. Jughead made his way to the field, looking around before walking down by the bleachers spotting Isabella leaning against the chainlink fence with her arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Isa?" Jughead spoke up softly causing her eyes to open and turn to him, the boy opened his arms and let the girl fall into his embrace. The two were quiet for a few minutes before Jughead moved his head by her ear, "Thank you. For sticking up for me. And Archie." Isabella laughed quietly before pulling back slightly and looking up at her best friend, "I don't think I've snapped like that in while... If you can't tell, I have some anger issues."

Isabella looked down in shame, she had been diagnosed with IED ─ Intermittent Explosive Disorder ─ when she was younger and so the young brunette had turned to Boxing to get her anger under control. "Hey..." Jughead spoke softly as he placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her head to look up at him. "You stood up for us. Nothing to be ashamed of, okay?" Jughead asked her, he didn't lose eye contact with her and she felt her heart skip a beat for the first time.

"Thanks, JJ," Isabella whispered as the crowd filled the bleachers for the Pep Rally. "I gotta be honest, I never expected you to be such a hot-head," Jughead teased as they let go of each other and walked closer to the field to watch the Pep Rally, Isabella leaning into Jughead's side for warmth. "It's called IED, JJ," Isabella told him as she watched Archie approach Ms Grundy. "Remind me to never get on your bad side," Jughead whispered to her as he watched Archie.

"Girl trouble? You?" Jughead asked Archie as the boy stood in front of Jughead and Isabella with a sheepish look on his face. "Grundy and me. We're telling Weatherbee. At least, I am," Archie told the two best friends who shared a look before looking back at Archie. "And also, I didn't mean all that crap I said to you. I'm sorry," Archie told them before looking at Jughead knowing that Isabella would want him to apologise to Jughead rather than her.

"It's cool," Jughead replied causing a small smile to appear on Archie's face. "We're not gonna hug in front of this whole town," Jughead told him with a chuckle, "So why don't we both just do that bro thing where we nod like douches and mutually suppress our emotions?" Isabella laughed as she crossed her arms watching the two, she was beginning to feel the cold but the scene before her was worth it. "Yeah, but as friends, right?" Archie asked.

"To be discussed, over many burgers, and many days," Jughead told him with a smile before the redhead looked at Isabella with a raised brow. "You know what I wanna hear," Isabella told him with a smirk on her face. "You were right, I was wrong..." Archie told her before sighing in defeat while Jughead watched the two with furrowed brows. "I'm sorry, my Queen. I shall treat you to a free milkshake to persuade your forgiveness," Archie said bringing a smile to Isabella's face.

"Sounds like a plan, Jester Andrews. Now, leave my presence, peasant," Isabella told him before smiling and winking. Archie walked off leaving Jughead and Isabella by the fence with smiles on their faces. "I knew he'd pull through," Jughead told Isabella as he rested his arm around her shoulders, she leaned into him. "Yeah, I guess he did in the end, Archer makes the right decision after all," Isabella replied as they turned toward the stage.

"Now to kickoff this pep rally, I'd like to hand it over to our very own Mayor McCoy," Principal Weatherbee spoke through the microphone before stepping to the side. "Thank you, Principal Weatherbee. It is heartening to see so many of you here, even in weather like this," Mayor McCoy spoke while Isabella nodded. "Yeah, it's so cold..." Isabella muttered with an eye roll, Jughead heard her and pulled his jacket off before wrapping it around her shoulders.

"JJ, you'll be cold," Isabella told him as she went to remove the jacket but Jughead stopped her, "I'll be fine, Isa. Just wear it." She smiled at him. "Thanks..." Isabella told him before sliding her arms into the sleeves and pulling the jacket on tighter around her as Jughead stood close by her. "But a lack of heart and school spirit has never been the Riverdale way. Tonight's pep rally isn't like any other we've had in the past," Mayor McCoy spoke.

"And we shouldn't pretend that it is. Which is why I would like to dedicate this evening to the memory of one of our brightest. Jason Blossom. We're with him tonight. Now please, join me in welcoming to the field our very own River Vixens, and their special guest stars, my daughter, Josie and her Pussycats!" Mayor McCoy announced before the girls began singing, the River Vixens doing their rehearsed dance.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

After the pep rally, Archie joined Jughead and Isabella out the front of the school and the three began their walk to Pops with smiles on their faces. "So, you two are best friends now?" Archie asked with a smile on his face. "Yep, JJ is stuck with me now," Isabella replied with a grin on her face while Jughead pretended to not like that. "Save me, Arch. She's a monster, I'm being forced into this friendship," Jughead said before the three began laughing together.

Isabella's phone began playing Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" causing the three to stop walking, both boys raised their brows at Isabella who rolled her eyes. "Shut up, it's my dad," Isabella told them before walking away from the two boys to answer the phone. "Hey dad," Isabella greeted once she answered the phone. "Hey Belle, where are you?" Christian asked his daughter with a sigh.

"I'm with Archie and Jughead, what's up?" Isabella asked, she began thinking the worst before looking over to the two boys that seem to be having their own conversation. "I just wanted to know where you are... remember, I said─" Christian began only for Isabella to cut him off, "That you wanted me home before dark but it was the pep rally and I'm with Archie and Jughead, so I'm pretty safe." Christian sighed and nodded to himself.

Meanwhile, Archie had turned to Jughead the moment Isabella stepped away and sent the boy a teasing grin. "So you became friends without my help, after all?" Archie asked Jughead who looked away from his friend. "Shut up, Arch," Jughead replied but Archie just smirked at the Jones teen. "Oh, come on, Jug... Did you think I forgot all about your little crush on Isabella?" Archie asked him but Jughead looked up at Archie before looking towards Isabella, she was still distracted so Jughead turned back to Archie.

"We were eight years old, Archie... You can't say anything!" Jughead told Archie who simply laughed at the slight panic on Jughead's face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that crush didn't disappear," Archie teased before letting out a breath, he knew pressuring anything would be a bad idea due to Jughead's ─ Inexperience ─ and Isabella's habit of running from things that involved confronting her heart's desires. "I'm not gonna say anything, Jug. Relax," Archie assured him.

Isabella let out a sigh as she said goodbye to her father, reassuring him that she'd be home soon before making her way over to the boys. "Everything okay?" Archie asked Isabella. "Yeah, just dad wondering where I was. He wanted me to stick to a curfew of being home before dark until the killer is caught..." Isabella explained as they continued their walk. "Let me guess, he stated that it isn't a strict rule but he'd appreciate you following it anyway?" Archie asked.

"Yeah, you know my dad, Archie. He spent his teenage years being controlled and he doesn't want that for me... I told him I was with you two and that eased him," Isabella explained as they reached Pops. "I can walk you home after," Jughead offered her, she smiled and nodded. They walked into Pops as Archie told them a joke, laughing at the joke before noticing Betty and Veronica sitting at a table by themselves.

"Do you guys want to join us?" Betty asked the three who glanced at each other. "Yes, but only if you're treating," Jughead replied before he walked over, climbing over the booth into the window seat. "Veronica Lodge," Veronica introduced herself to Jughead. Veronica let Isabella slide in next to Jughead, Betty moved over to let Archie sit with her. "Jughead Jones, the third," Jughead replied causing Veronica to repeat it before they all laughed together.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

To someone on the outside, peering in, it would've looked like there were five people in that booth. But I was there, and I can tell you.

Really, there were only four. A blonde girl, a raven-haired girl, the luckiest red-headed boy in the universe, and the most captivating brunette I've ever seen. For one shining moment, we were just kids. Those bright neon lights of Pops keeping the darkness at bay. Giving way, as all nights must, to a morning of reckonings.

And that night, I got the chance to learn more about Isabella Larkin. I learnt how similar we are, I got an insight into a bucket of secrets that were threatening to tumble into a stream of tears.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

After saying their goodbyes, Jughead once again offered to walk Isabella home and after a moment of hesitation, she accepted the offer. The two best friends were silent as they walked through the streets, only the light posts lighting up the night like small spotlights on them. "I noticed that you hesitated with accepting..." Jughead spoke up breaking the silence. "Uh, yeah... Archie is the only one who really knows where I live, but things have changed since he was there last," Isabella told him.

"What do you mean?" Jughead asked as he stepped closer to her, their shoulders brushed against each other as they got closer to the borderline between the Northside and the Southside, the Jones boy noticed straight away. "You live in the Southside?" Jughead asked with genuine curiosity on his face rather than judgement. "Uh, yeah... I live in the old MaxVille Baby Dollhouse," Isabella told him. The house was the nicest in the Southside and closest to the Northside.

"I'm not ashamed of living in the Southside but I'm not open about it either," Isabella told Jughead before he could say anything, the two reached the house. "I get it... I, uh... I'm Southside too," Jughead told her, she smiled at him. "That makes sense," Isabella replied making Jughead tilt his head with a raised brow. "I just... It makes sense that we prefer each other's company rather than Northsiders, you know?" Isabella told him.

"That's a good point," Jughead replied as the front door opened to reveal Christian. "There you are, I sent like two messages," Christian told Isabella as he walked down the stairs towards the two teenagers. "Wow, two? Impressive," Isabella teased while Christian rolled his eyes. "Anyway, who is this?" Christian asked as he looked at Jughead. "This is my best friend, Jughead Jones. JJ, this is my father, Christian Larkin," Isabella introduced as the two shook hands.

"Wait... Jones? As in FP's kid?" Christian asked Jughead who swallowed carefully and nodded, Isabella smiled at the realisation. "How is it that I've known you my whole damn life but I didn't put two and two together?" Isabella asked causing Christian to laugh. "You gotta remember, Belle. The accident when you were a kid, you forgot a lot," Christian reminded her making her nod and sigh. "Accident?" Jughead asked with furrowed brows.

"Isabella tumbled down the steps when she was around seven and hit her head, she had a mild case of amnesia and forgot some of her childhood. Which is why she probably doesn't remember hanging out with you when you were kids," Christian told them causing Isabella's eyes to widen while Jughead looked down. "Wait... we were friends as kids?" Isabella asked. "Yeah, FP and I go way back. How's he doing?" Christian asked Jughead.

"He's, uh, he's okay," Jughead answered awkwardly and Isabella could tell he didn't want to talk about his dad. "Hey dad, could Jughead sleepover?" Isabella suddenly asked with a smile on her face. Jughead was certain the older man would say no but he happily agreed, the father-daughter duo turned to Jughead. "Wanna stay?" Isabella asked with a smile. "Yeah, sure," Jughead answered, he couldn't say no to her.

Isabella let out a slow breath knowing the boy would walk by her mother's room, he would see the frail woman and ask questions but she didn't want to run ─ she couldn't run anymore. So when they walked by the room, she stopped as Jughead looked in before turning to Isabella with sympathetic eyes. Once they got into Isabella's room, they sat down on the bed and she told him the truth, about how her mother had fallen ill over the summer break.

Jughead held her in his arms as she cried, every emotion she felt was finally being released as Jughead Jones held her against his chest. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep in his arms, the boy carefully laid her back on her bed and pulled the shoes off her feet, removed the jacket and flannel from her before pulling off the beanie on her head. He smiled softly as he pulled the blankets over her and lightly brushed her hair out of her face.

Christian had bought a mattress and some blankets into the room for Jughead, the teen thanking him. Jughead laid back on the mattress with the blankets over him, his arms behind his head as he process everything he had learned. From everything he had learned that night, he knew that underneath the sunshine that is Isabella Larkin, a crowd of shadows threaten to tear her apart ─ And in that moment, Jughead Jones promised to never let those shadows attack.

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

And come the next morning, Sheriff Keller followed behind Principal Weatherbee into Biology class ─ where Jughead and Isabella had been showing each other memes ─ and caught the students' attention. "You're here for me, aren't you? Because of the autopsy?" Cheryl asked the Sheriff. "We don't need to do this in front of your classmates, Cheryl," Principal Weatherbee told her. "It's all right, Principal Weatherbee. They'll find out soon enough," Cheryl said as she held out her wrists.

"Now, that won't be necessary," Sheriff Keller told her. "Wait, Cheryl, find out what?" Veronica asked her with wide eyes. "That I'm guilty," Cheryl replied before following behind Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller. "Oh, my God..." Isabella whispered to Jughead as she stared towards the door. Isabella refused to believe that Cheryl Blossom possibly murdered her own brother, there was no way but what could she possibly be guilty of?

⊱ ──── {⋆🐍 ☠ 📓⋆} ──── ⊰

As shocking as those three words were, they were nothing compared to the secrets that Jason's body had given up during its autopsy. That Jason didn't die on July fourth, as we believed, but over a week later.

──────────❝ 🐍 ❞──────────

──────────❝ 🐍 ❞──────────

Rosemary Speaks

Geez! This is my longest chapter so far...

Honest opinions;
Were you expecting Jughead to have a past crush on Isabella?

What did you think about the sudden reveal of them being childhood friends?

Am I moving too quickly through their friendship? I'm not gonna put them together for a while but like... they are gonna be best friends.

See you in the next chapter!