The sound of her alarm was what woke Mariah up the next morning. Groaning she went to turn it off. It's then that she remembers that she had school today. She pulled herself out of bed and into her bathroom.

She brushed her teeth and then took a shower. When she was done, she got dressed. She made sure to wear something that was simple, but would also make people stop and stare. She had to look good, one; because she wanted to, and two; because Cheryl would murder her if she didn't.

She got dressed in a yellow floral dress and brown boots. She grabbed a brown jacket and slipped it on. She then picked up her black backpack.

After getting dressed, she put on her makeup and did her hair. When she was done, she walked downstairs and to the kitchen, where she expected breakfast to be. Imagine her surprise when she found her mom eating french toast, and none for Mariah.

"Good morning," her mother smiled before continuing to eat her breakfast. Mariah looked at her mother in disbelief.

"Where's my french toast?" She asked. Her mother laughed before replying. "There are eggs in the fridge and you know where the bread and other ingredients are," she answered. Mariah tilted her head and blinked. "Make your own french toast," her mother continued.

"Wow mom, that's cruel," Mariah said, shaking her head. Her mother took a sip of her coffee. "It's not my job to make you breakfast. I'm already taking you to school. What more do you want?" Her mother said.

"Okay, first of all, who else is gonna make me breakfast? And second, you wouldn't have to drive me to school if you got me a car. How am I going to get to school when you have work?" Mariah asked. Amara rolled her eyes at her daughter. "You can make your own damn food. And Cheryl can drive you to school or you could take the bus," she replied.

"No way am I taking the bus, I get claustrophobic. Do you want me to have an anxiety attack? And besides, things would be a lot easier if I had my own car. I already have my license. What's the point of having it if I don't have a car?" Mariah argued. "You haven't had an anxiety attack in two years. And how did we go from talking about breakfast, to me buying you a car?" Her mother questioned.

"That doesn't mean that I won't have one ever again. And it's fate. The universe wants you to get me a car," Mariah said, raising her hands and look up at the ceiling. "Yeah, right. Just make yourself something to eat. You have ten minutes," her mom said, standing up with her coffee and leaving the kitchen. Mariah huffed and went to the pantry and grabbed a bag of pop tarts.

She opened bag and put the pop tarts into the toaster. When they were done, she ate them slowly, trying to lengthen her time at home and not go to school. As she ate, the previous night's events came into her head. She groaned, remembering that she'll most likely see Archie in school. Another confrontation was the last thing she wanted.

"Hey, it's time to go," her mother said, breaking her from her thoughts. With a sigh, Mariah stood from her chair, threw away her trash, and went to grab her school bag. The two Coleman's left the house and walked to the car.

The drive to school was silent. When they arrived, the two stayed in the car. "Do you want me to show you to the office?" Her mother asked her, after a while. "No. I can find it. I'll see you later mom," Mariah replied. She opened the passenger door, preparing to leave. "Alright, have a great day in school," her mom called after her. Mariah scoffed and mumbled incoherently under her breath before closing the door and walking towards the school.

Upon entering the school, she immediately saw a mass of students. Many of them were hugging one other, as if they hadn't seen each other all summer. The again, maybe they hadn't. Mariah tried to maneuver her way through the crowds of people and simultaneously look for the office.

When she finally found it, she quickly entered and let out a breath of relief. She hated large crowds, they made her uncomfortable and feel like she couldn't breathe. She also just didn't like people. She walked up to the secretary and told her that she was new. The secretary went to get her schedule and Mariah stood awkwardly for a few minutes.

When she returned, she handed Mariah her schedule and told her to wait because someone would be coming to show her around school. "That's not necessary. I'm sure I'll be fine on my own," Mariah tried to object. "Nonsense. We can't have you getting lost on your first day," the secretary replied with a smile and a wink. Mariah sighed and went to sit down in one of the chairs as she waited.

After a few more minutes of waiting, someone quickly entered the office. "Sorry I'm late. I had to drop something off. But I tried to get here as fast as I could," he said. The secretary smiled at him and said it was okay. Mariah scoffed, it definitely was not okay. She didn't enjoy sitting in that office where everyone kept sneaking glances at her. It made her extremely uncomfortable and she was glad to finally be able to escape.

The brunette boy looked around the room before his eyes landed on Mariah. A smile immediately engulfed his face and he quickly walked over to her. "You must be Mariah Coleman. I'm Kevin. Kevin Keller. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, the smile not leaving his face as he held his hand out for her to shake. "It's nice to meet you too, Kevin," Mariah replied, shaking his outstretched hand. "Again, sorry I'm late. I just had a few things to do this morning," he said.

Mariah smiled at him a little as she replied, "It's fine. Let's just get this tour started."

"All right, after you malady," he said, holding his hand out for her to walk out first. Mariah opened the door to the office and walked out, Kevin following behind her before walking alongside her.

"So this is Riverdale Highschool. The worst place on the planet. It opened its doors in 1941, but I'm sure you don't care," Kevin started out as Mariah smiled to herself. "Is there anything in particular that you want me to show you?" He asked her.

"Well, you could show me to the cafeteria because I love food. But, I'm sure the food here sucks. Uh, you could also show me the music and the art rooms," Mariah answered. "The food isn't that bad. And you're into music and art?" Kevin asked her. Mariah nodded slightly at the question. "I play the piano and sing a little, although I'm not a very good singer. I also like to draw even though I suck at it," Mariah said, with a laugh.

"I'm sure you're an amazing singer and artist. And that's really cool, I could--" Kevin started out, before stopping in his tracks as he looked at something. Mariah followed his line of sight and saw Betty Cooper walking with Veronica. Kevin smiled and beckoned Mariah to follow him as he walked towards the two girls. Mariah sighed as she followed after him.

"--any night clubs?" Mariah heard Veronica ask as Kevin butted into the conversation. "A strip club called The Ho Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo. Friday nights, football games and then tailgate parties at the Mallmart parking lot," Kevin began as they all continued walking, Mariah trailing behind them.

"Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou, and you better get there early, because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale. And Sunday nights, thank God for HBO," he finished, placing his arm around Betty's shoulders. "Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller. Veronica's new here Kevin is--" Betty began introducing the two before Veronica cut her off.

"Gay, thank God. Let's be best friends," Veronica said, reaching her hand out to shake Kevin's hand. Mariah rolled her eyes at the girl's words. "Is it true what they say about your dad?" Kevin asked Veronica. Mariah looked at him in confusion before speaking. "Wait, what happened with your dad?" She asked Veronica. It was then that the other two girls noticed she was there. Veronica, ignoring her question, answered Kevin. "That he's the devil incarnate? I stand by my father," Veronica said.

"Does everyone here know?" Veronica asked. "Uh, I don't know," Mariah said, raising her hand. Once again, she was ignored and was starting to get very annoyed by it. Betty and Kevin looked away from Veronica, awkwardly. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High," Veronica said as she began walking away, Betty quickly following as Kevin stood confused.

"What happened with Veronica's dad?" Mariah asked him. "Don't you keep up with any of Riverdale's gossip?" He asked her. She shook her head and he sighed. "Walk with me." He said motioning for her to follow him as he began explaining what he knew.

Not long after, Kevin and Mariah caught up to Betty and Veronica. Betty was telling Veronica about a dance before Veronica interrupted her as she spotted Archie. "Oh! There's the hottie we were with last night. The redheaded Ansel Elgort. Is he your boyfriend?" Veronica said, as Archie walked down the hall. "No we're just friends," Betty said and at the same time Kevin said, "No he's straight." Mariah looked at the two after they spoke, narrowing her eyes.

"In that case, mind putting in a word? I've tried every flavor of boy but orange," Veronica said. Mariah scoffed and looked away, and Veronica glanced at her in slight confusion. "Actually to clarify. Betty and Archie aren't dating, but they are endgame," Kevin said to Veronica.

"Why are they 'endgame'?" Mariah asked him annoyed. "Why do you care?" Veronica asked Mariah. The latter didn't reply. Instead, she decided to look at the ground and it was then that Veronica came to a realization. "Oh my God!" That's him isn't it? Archie, your Archie? I can't believe I didn't figure it out before," she said.

"Okay, he's not 'my Archie'. We're not even friends," Mariah said. "Yet," Betty interjected with a hopeful smile. "So wait, he is the Archie that you told me about, right? The one you have a crush on?" Veronica asked. "Yes, he's the one I used to have a crush on," Mariah answered, emphasizing the "used" as she spoke. Veronica and Kevin scoffed in disbelief before the latter spoke.

"Ah yes. The tale of Mariah and Archie. The two had the biggest crushes on one another. Everyone knew it too, except for Archie and Mariah, obviously. Then Mariah left and broke little Archie's heart in the process. It's sad, really. Almost as tragic as the death of Jason Blossom," Kevin said before his eyes widened as he realized what he said. Mariah took in a sharp, painful breath as a lump began to form in her throat. Betty slapped Kevin on the arm. The three looked at Mariah sympathetically as Kevin began to apologize.

"I'm so sorry Mariah. I shouldn't have said that," he rushed. Mariah smiled a faux, weak smile. "It's fine. I'm fine," she told them. "Are you sure?" Veronica asked her in concern. Mariah just nodded her head and looked at Kevin. "By the way, Archie never had a crush on me," she told him. Kevin laughed a little, nervously, "You really were oblivious weren't you?" He said and Mariah rolled her eyes.

Veronica, sensing Mariah's discomfort, changed the subject. "Anyway, if Mariah doesn't have feelings for Archie anymore, like she claims, you should ask him to the semi-formal then," she told Betty, a smirk forming on her lips as Mariah glared at her. "She should but, I heard it might be getting cancelled. Because of what happened to Jason. They're gonna tell us at the assembly," Kevin said to her. Mariah recalled Cheryl mentioning an assembly, but she didn't know what it was for.

Mariah sighed sadly as Jason was, once again, brought up in the conversation. A somewhat tense mood settled upon the four as they continued walking. They went to the gym, where the assembly was being held, and went to find some seats. Mariah immediately spotted Cheryl and smiled as she took in the girl's attire. She always did have a knack for dramatics. The four took their seats and then there was a moment of silence, before Cheryl started speaking.

"Thank you for that moment of silence. Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and every one of you meant the world to Jason. I loved my brother. He was and always will be my soulmate. So I speak with the confidence only a twin could have. Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives. Which is why I asked the School Board not to cancel the back-to-school semi-formal," Cheryl was saying.

People began to cheer at her words, happy that the dance was still going on and Cheryl smiled before continuing. "But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. Thank you all," she concluded. Everyone in the gym clapped as Cheryl ended her speech. Mariah clapped with them, although she couldn't care less about the dance. But, she found Cheryl's words somewhat comforting.

Mariah looked around at the students around her and her eyes landed on Archie. He was looking at one of the teachers, who was looking back at him. Mariah scrunched up her nose and looked away. But when she looked back, Archie's eyes were trained on her as he stared. When he saw that she noticed, he quickly looked away and back to where Cheryl stood.

Mariah stood, along with everyone else and attempted to leave. This proved to be difficult considering that everyone was trying to leave the bleachers at the same time. She felt herself grow hot as the masses of people swarmed around her. She was very uncomfortable now.

When she finally made her way out of the crowded bleachers, she was relieved. She then walked over to Cheryl. "That was some speech," Mariah said. Cheryl smiled, "Was it bad? I tried to make it good. I wanted it to be something that Jason would like," she said nervously. "It was great. Jason would have loved it," Mariah replied. Cheryl's smile widened as she pulled her friend into a hug. The two broke away from one another.

"You look amazing by the way," Cheryl said to Mariah. "So do you," Mariah replied back with a smile. "I always do," Cheryl stated bluntly. She then decided to show Mariah to her first class. But not before she showed her to her locker.

"Here's your locker, which is unfortunately not next to mine. But, you do have a good view at some decent looking guys," Cheryl said with a smile, followed by a wink. "Oh how wonderful, now I won't be so bored when I come to my locker," Mariah said sarcastically. "Hurry up so that I can take you to class," Cheryl said impatiently.

"You know just for that, I'm gonna take my time," Mariah said, opening her locker and slowly putting things in it. Cheryl grabbed some of Mariah's things from her hands and threw them into her locker. "That was rude," Mariah said, with a dramatic gasp. Cheryl closed the locker door and took Mariah's arm as she began to guide her through the halls.

The two girls were then stopped by someone stepping in front of them. "Well look who it is. The Mariah Coleman, in the flesh," the guy said. Mariah looked at him in confusion. "Do I know you?" She asked him. The other guys who stood behind the boy began to laugh. Mariah noticed that Archie was there too though, he didn't laugh.

The boy laughed a little dryly. "I'm Reggie Mantle," he said. When he noticed the look on her face he continued. "We were in middle school together. Surely you remember me. I mean, who could forget this face?" He said laughing, his other friends laughed too. "Yeah, I have no idea who you are and I honestly don't care. I don't understand why you came over here but could you please move your big ego? The simplicity of it and you are blocking my way. Excuse me," Mariah said, brushing past him and dragging Cheryl along with her.

She could hear the other guys oohing as she walked with Cheryl to wherever her first class was. Archie smiled as he looked after her before heading to his own first class.

····

After a few boring classes, it was finally time for lunch. You could say that Mariah was very happy about that. She followed some students and found the cafeteria, quickly going to get her lunch. When she got it, she went outside to look for Cheryl, who had told her to meet her outside to have lunch.

Mariah wasn't exactly thrilled to be eating lunch outside, where there were bugs. She really loathed any and every kind of insect. She scanned the area around her until her eyes landed on her friend. Mariah made her way over to Cheryl and sat down at her table. "No no Mar up you go. There's a stop we need to make," Cheryl said standing up.

"But I just sat down and I haven't even started eating yet," Mariah complained. "Come on!" Cheryl urged. She groaned as Cheryl began pulling her up from her seat. Mariah quickly grabbed a few french fries and shoved them into her mouth as she allowed Cheryl to drag her away.

It was then that she noticed that Cheryl was taking her toward Archie's table. Mariah tried to turn around and walk away but Cheryl gripped her arm tightly and continued walking, pulling Mariah along. Archie quickly got up and left the table after saying a few words to his friends.

The two girls approached the table and Cheryl spoke. "Veronica Lodge, I'd heard whisperings. I'm Cheryl Blossom, may I sit? Betty, would you mind?" Cheryl started, sitting down and practically forcing Betty to move over. Mariah sat down next to Cheryl.

"So, what are you three hens gossiping about? Archie's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?" Cheryl asked the three with a fake smile. It was Veronica who answered. "Extracurriculars. Weatherbee wants me to sign up for a few," she said.

"Cheerleading. You must. I'm captain of the River Vixens," Cheryl replied, flipping her hair over her head. "Is cheerleading still a thing?" Kevin asked and Mariah glared at him a little. "Is being the Gay Best Friend still a thing," Cheryl snapped back before looking back at Veronica.

"Some people say it's retro, I say it's eternal and iconic," Cheryl said. "At Spence I sat at the top of the Elites' pyramid. I'm in," Veronica said. "Betty, you're trying out too," she finished to which Betty looked slightly shocked.

"Of course, anyone's welcome to try out, but Betty's already got so much on her plate right now and being a Vixen is kind of a full-time thing. But open to all. This will be great Mar, don't you think?" Cheryl said.

"Yeah, really great," Mariah said unconvincingly but Cheryl ignored it. She pushed Mariah a little and the two stood. "Follow me on Twitter and I'll do the same. My handle is  @cherylbombshell," she finished before the two walked away, Mariah offering the three a smile.

They walked back to their table and Mariah gratefully ate her food. But, she was not looking forward to the remainder of the school day.

°°°°

Alright, finally chapter four is here. It's kind of a long chapter. This is the beginning of the first episode if you couldn't tell. I feel like it took me a long time to update but I've been busy with school and stuff. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I would also like to thank you for getting this book to over 3K reads. I appreciate it so much. I can't believe people actually like my book but it is makes me very happy. I hope you all have a great day!