I hope you guys enjoy the update! And more A/N at the bottom!

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Ch. 5 | | The Plot Thickens

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"Oh, hey Effie." Moose said rubbing the back of his neck. "Um can I sit?"

"Sure." I shifted over to let him sit on the steps beside me.

Silence stretched between us, as we both sat there neither one of us knowing what to say.

Well this is awkward time to go. With that decision made I got up from the steps.

I felt Moose grab my wrist, "Wait."

I looked down at him, a confusion making me furrow my brow. Why would he want to talk to me? We weren't friends, I was his girlfriend's best friend and he was my best friend's boyfriend—potentially ex-boyfriend with the way Midge was acting. That was the nature of our relationship, and we had never once crossed the lane of being friends without her being the central reason for our communication.

He seemed to be struggling on what to say next. His brown eyes were conflicted and he looked away, and then turned to his hand wrapped around my wrist, and then away again. I didn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figured he had something really important weighted on his mind.

I bit on the inside of cheek and then let out a sigh. I pulled my wrist from his grasp. "It's okay you know."

He's attention was back on me, "Huh?"

"If you just tell Midge, she'll understand. I mean. She's going to be upset yeah, but if you just explain everything—"

"Woah, woah, woah." He put his hands up in a 'pump the brakes' motions. "I know where you're going with this Effie. I'm not gay. Okay. I like Midge a lot."

"Um, okay. You know there are people who can like both sexes it called bisexual..."

"Okay, first of all I don't know if you know this but I'm not that dumb. I'm very aware of different sexualities. My aunt is bisexual."

"Oh. Wait! Mrs. Garrison is bisexual?"

"Well you can be bisexual can still marry the opposite sex, it's not like there's rules on determining how someone's supposed to be gay."

"Oh…sorry. Well If you're not…" I rose an eyebrow, "then why did you go to the lake with Kevin."

"Um…" He paused then looked down, "It's complicated."

"Why?" I asked stunned. It didn't make sense, why would he go down to the lake then. "This is a huge deal Moose! Midge thinks you're hiding yourself from her and lying to her. On top of that you haven't been messaging her back."

"Listen all I can tell you is that I didn't go there to have sex with him or anything like that. I was supposed to…scare him a little."

"Scare him! Why? By who?"

"You gotta understand, I don't have anything against Keller but none of this would've happened if he just kept his mouth shut." Moose stood up from the step towering over me. "It's all his fault."

"What are you talking about what did Kevin do?" I looked up at him in confusion. He wasn't making a lot of sense.

"He saw something he shouldn't have. And then instead of pretending he hadn't seen it he goes and blabs. He messed with the wrong people. He should've just stayed quiet." Moose ran his hands through his hair, his face distressed and anxious as he looked around.

"Moose…what are you involved? Who told you go 'scare' Kevin?" I asked.

He shook his head, "No. I can't tell you that."

"Why not? If you're in trouble, the girls and I could help."

"No, you can't help me. I got myself into this mess and they're not going to let me go until I warn Keller. But while I'm here I might as well warn you. Keep Nancy from investigating. It will only make things worse."

With those parting words, Moose left.

I bit my lip. What the actual fuck. None of this makes sense, Kevin saw something he shouldn't have, Moose is definitely being ordered around by someone, and Nancy is involved.

What the hell happened to Riverdale…?

. . .

I actually only skipped two periods, something I hadn't done before. Just hanging out in the student lounge area on my laptop watching Netflix. And each time a teacher came by I would say that I was working on homework for a class and that I had permission to be there, or that I was working on student council stuff. Sometimes it was good being a good-two-shoes, it means the teachers don't ever suspect you're lying.

However I knew I was pushing my luck if I didn't go to third period. Mrs. Travis had come in twice while I had been in the lounge and I think she was starting to suspect that was skipping.

So when the bell rang for the end of second period I decided to go to Biology. It was actually one of my favorite classes. It was taught by one of my favorite teachers Dr. Phylum. Why he has a doctorate and he's still teaching biology to a bunch of annoying teenagers? Your guess is as good as mine. He's a pretty cool teacher, as long as you do the work. He'll let you talk all period, and even let you take out your phones.

Getting up from my very comfortable position on the couch, I packed up my stuff and headed to the biology room. I pushed through a group of people who had decided to stand in the middle of the freaking hallway and talk to their friend. Biggest pet peeve.

I walked into the open biology room, the chemical smell permeated my senses making my nose wrinkle. Gross.

I sat at one of the middle tables, flipping through the book to the page written on the board as the class filled with more students. Third period was one of the few classes that I didn't have one of the girls in, but I did have with almost everyone else in my year. Betty and Kevin had sat down two tables behind me with Veronica at the table next to them, Archie was leaning against the countertop by them. While Cheryl had just entered by herself and sat with a huff on the stool beside me.

I merrily gave her a glance out of the corner of my eye. Although both my brother and I were confused about the nature of Jason's death and Cheryl's involvement. We had been both explicitly told by our father to not speak about anything until we went into our interviews tonight. The police had decided to question everyone again after finding the body. So despite the fact that Teddy and I wanted to confront Cheryl on the rumors that Jason had been shot, not drowned we kept quiet.

"You're not going to speak to me either?" Cheryl said pulling out her own book.

I sighed, "Cheryl, I'm not having this conversation with you here."

She seemed slightly upset by that until Tina and Ginger approached out table, and face smoothed until a look of nonchalance.

They both hopped onto the table sitting on either side of Cheryl. Causing me to shift over so I wouldn't get hit by Tina's legs.

"We were wondering Cheryl. Back in July, you told the po-po that Jason had drowned." Ginger stated.

"Yet, we come to find out that Jason didn't drown. He was shot. That's slightly suspicious, no?" Tina asked coyly.

Cheryl smiled sweetly, but her words were definitely not so sweet. "Are you living mannequins suggesting I had something to do with my brother's death?"

"We're just curious. What do the police think happened?" Ginger asked.

"It's none of your business Ginger. Back off." I said finally cutting into the conversation.

"Oh come on Effie, you're not curious either?" Tina smirked, "Only person who was there that day was Cheryl. And yet she didn't say anything about Jason being shot."

"Well you're not the police so she doesn't have to explain to you anything."

"Don't worry dear cousin," Cheryl smiled at me but there was something behind that smile that sent a chill down my spine. She turned her attention toward Tina and Ginger, "I'll tell you what I told them, which is that Jason did fall into the water. We both did. I made it to the shore. HE didn't. Maybe he made it to the other side of the river and someone shot him there. Who knows?"

Dr. Phylum walked into the room interrupting the showdown between Cheryl and her minions. "Seats, everyone. Pair off, gloves on, scalpels up."

As I was about to pull on some gloves, I hear from behind us.

"Can I be with Cheryl?"

"What the hell," I said under my breath. I had always been Cheryl's partner. I shared a look with Cheryl.

I packed up my stuff and got up from my seat letting Archie sit down. While I looked for another seat. "I'll take Buff"

I felt a hand grab my arm and pull me toward a table depositing me onto a stool, "What the—"

"Hey Buff, glad you agreed to be my partner." Reggie said giving me a crooked smiled.

I glared at him. "Aren't you normally partnered with Moose?"

"Yeah, but he needed to talk to Keller about something." Gesturing with his head toward Moose and Kevin.

I watched Moose and Kevin for second. Their conversation definitely didn't seem very flirtatious or even nice. It seemed to be very much tense, as though both parties were uncomfortable about what was going on.

I turned my attention back to Reggie, who seemed to have been watching me. He had this odd look in his eyes that made me remember something that I had long pushed to the back of my brain. I gave myself a mental shake before, pulling on some gloves. "I'll grab the frog. Can you grab the tools?"

The odd look was gone and replaced with the Reggie Mantle I knew, he winked, "No problem babe."

"I'm not your babe, Reginald."

"Keep telling yourself that."

We both got the stuff for the dissection and sat back down at our station. We both worked in silence, he opened up the frog while I answered the questions.

"What's on your mind?" Reggie asked, taking his gloves off with a snap of the latex.

I finished writing the last sentence to the final question putting the pen down. "Do you know what Moose is talking to Kevin about?"

Reggie took a look behind us at Kevin and Moose, "No, but I'm assuming it as to do with him showing up in the locker room."

I tilted my head in confusion, "What does that have to do with anything."

"I don't know all the details, but apparently Chuck found Keller in the locker room." He said shrugging.

"Wow that's not vague or anything," I stated rolling my eyes.

"C'mon doll, I can't tell you everything there's a bro code I gotta follow."

"Oh my—" I think my eyes are going to roll out of my head with how much I was rolling them. "Seriously bro code?"

"Yes bro code, it's a real thing. Don't act like girls don't have one too."

"Whatever, so Kevin was in the locker room big deal. He's allowed in there. I don't know if you knew this but he's a boy."

"Yes, but unless you're in a fall sport the locker room is closed to everyone until school starts to prevent people from stealing."

"Oh yeah, the girls had that too." I paused, "So Chuck thought Kevin was stealing?"

"Eh, probably," Reggie took out his phone and started scrolling on it.

I felt my eye twitch, snatched it out of his hands putting it between my legs. "Why would Kevin steal anything from you guys?"

Reggie rolled his eyes, "Really out of all the places, you put the phone somewhere I'm used to being."

I felt a warmth flood my cheeks, "Shut up."

His eyes hooded slightly as he leaned toward me. I put a hand to his chest, his muscular chest and push him back. He laughs while shaking his head softly. He paused, a serious look crossing his face. "I don't think he did."

"You don't?"

"No, I think Chuck's covering up for something."

I opened up my mouth to say more but the bell rang signaling the end of class. I started putting away my stuff when I felt a hand in between my shoulder blades and a husky voice at my ear.

"Mind handing me back my phone."

I swallowed, taking the phone out from between my thighs and handed it back to him. "Here."

"Thanks doll." Reggie winked and got up from his seat with his backpack in hand and followed Moose out of the classroom.

I shook my head. "I hate him."

My phone buzzes, pulling it out of my pocket to read the message.

Oh-so-amazing:

We're gonna eat at the bleachers.

Me:

Okay I'll meet you there.

I left the lab after turning in the paper and went outside toward the football field. Sitting at the top of the bleachers were the girls, they were all quiet as I approached.

I sat down in front of them my back to the field facing them. Midge and Nancy were both leaning against the fencing behind them, while Opal was straddling the bench I was sitting on. All their eyes were on me waiting for me to say something.

I took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for being a horrible friend. I've been invasive and vague. Which isn't what a friend is supposed to do and I'm sorry."

Nancy titled her head, seemingly analyzing me. She sighed, "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have come at you like. Especially given my relationship with Chuck."

Her eyes went downcast at the mention of Chuck. Today I noticed that Chuck had shown interest in the new girl Veronica, which gave me two thoughts. One that Chuck had found a new target, while giving false hope to my friend. And two that Veronica had moved on from the apparent 7 minutes she had with Archie. I nodded, then turned my attention to Midge who seemed to be pouting.

Midge pursed her lips before inhaling through her nose, "I wanna stay mad at you."

I nodded my head in understanding.

"But," I saw her eyes start to water up, "I can't really stay mad at you. I don't like being mad at my best friend. And it was so horrible at practice this morning being partnered with anyone else was so awkward."

I chuckled, "It really was."

"And all Shelby wanted to talk about was how Ross was telling her that he wanted an open relationship." Minnie continued rolling her eyes.

"That's Ross for you." Nancy chimed in.

"He's the literal embodiment of Hugh Heffner. Like what did you expect? He's been with so many girls I'm surprised his penis hasn't fallen off." Minnie said running a hand through her short locks.

"As funny as this is I think it's time that you" gesturing toward me, "tell them everything."

I looked at her then Minnie and Nance. "Okay."

And I told them everything.

"Fuck Betty." Minnie said.

Opal nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah, I'm still shocked that Betty would be the other woman."

I shrugged, "Don't know, maybe she knew that's all she had."

"Wait, when did you and Archie break up again?" Nancy asked.

"It was a couple weeks after school ended. So it was at the beginning of June." I replied.

"Are you sure." Nancy said.

I looked at her funny, "Of course. Why?"

"Because I remember Betty leaving the week of finals to go to some sort of internship with a publishing company or something." Nancy explained her eyes wide in the realization.

"What?" I gasped. Suddenly I was recalling last year when in our shared science class Betty wasn't there for the final.

Minnie looked in between Nancy and me, "What does that mean?"

"It means that Archie lied about who he was cheating with." Opal said.

Unedited.

I'm soooo sorry for being late with the update this chapter kicked my ass. It was very difficult to write because I'm rewriting the canon interactions. Moose and Kevin's interactions are going to be important to getting some of the minor characters to get closer to the main storyline. We also got some Reggie in there your friendly neighborhood asshole.

I hope you guys liked the hint of Reggie and Effie's relationship. There's definitely more to them then what's on the surface.

Thank you for the reviews and follows and favorites. Please review it makes my day!