CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

PITCHFORKS

JUGHEAD JONES WAS GLAD THAT ARCHIE was the one to find him in the school. He knew that if anyone else found out, he would get kicked out from sleeping there– or worse it be Virginia who was already burdened enough with secrets he was dying to know of.

"How long?" Archie asked his friend, crouching down to survey Jughead's current living space.

"Well, since they shut down the drive-in. That's where I was living before."Jughead told his old friend with a shrug, watching him survey his small hideaway.

"Why the hell are you not living at home?" Archie breathed out, standing up.

"The truth is, things aren't good at home." Jughead replied, scratching the back of his head.

"With your dad?" Archie's brows raised in question, wondering what had happened during the summer– during freshmen year, everything was fine with the brown haired boy.

"Yeah. He kind of fell off the wagon. After your dad fired him, to tell you the truth. Hasn't had a job since. He keeps promising that he's gonna get his act together, but my mom couldn't take that rollercoaster anymore, so she grabbed Jellybean and went to live with our grandparents."

The school bell rang loudly, cuing Jughead to close the closet door and hide his secret. "Come on."

"God, Jug, why didn't you tell me? And where does your dad think you are?" Archie asked, concerned for his friend– he was living in a freaking closet!

"He thinks I'm couch-surfing. Mostly thinks I'm at Gin's."

"Well, screw that. Live with me." Archie retorted, not wanting to question why he wasn't sleeping at Virginia's. He knew that the past day or two something had happened between them and didn't want to bring it up.

"This is temporary, man. I'm going to figure something out. Just don't tell anybody. Especially not Betty."

"Betty?" Archie scoffed as Jughead looked at the ground. "She's not gonna care. If anyone's gonna be a snob about it, maybe Veronica."

"Right," Jughead sighed. "Well, exactly. Don't tell her, either."

"Jug," Archie grabbed onto his friends arm, a concerned look plastered on his face.

"What about Ginny?"

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VIRGINIA FURROWED HER BROW AS Archie entered the lounge with Jughead. She shifted in her seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable after her storming out on him the other night. In response, Jughead had bombarded her phone with texts of apology and calls begging her to pick up.

"What's going on?" She asked her old friends and Archie looked to Jughead for a response. Archie shook his head, trying to hint to her to drop it– she did, for now.

"My mom and dad don't want to get the police involved. They don't want anyone to know that she ran away, or about her shameful condition."

"Please. What decade is this?" Veronica scoffed, it was weird how people over thirty would have a problem with teens having sex, getting pregnant, and not getting married.

"Also, since she knew where Jason's getaway car was, they're afraid people might think that she burned it and that if she did She could be the murderer, trying to cover her tracks."

"Who did burn the car, then?" Virginia bit her lip, wondering what the hell had happened to have Betty and Jughead leave her out– she thought they were friends.

"Sheriff Keller says it's possible someone was following us."

"Oh, my God."

"Honestly, guys, we should just move." Veronica piped up and Virginia thought that the comments thrown in by V weren't necessary.

"Guys, what if Polly's really hurt? What if whoever killed Jason is coming after her next?" Betty sighed and Virginia felt her heart hurt as Jughead reached towards the blonde.

"Betty, even though your parents don't want to, maybe you should go to the police."

"Second it. We can talk to my dad together about how he has to be discreet." Kevin piped up, his back straightening as he thought of a plan.

"No offense, Kev, but your dad answers to a higher authority than God, the Blossoms." Jughead retorted. "They're the first people that he would tell. And if there's anyone to keep this a secret from, it's the Blossoms."

"They'd twist it around and go after Polly out of spite."

Veronica turned to look at Betty, a determined look sent her way. "How can we help? Tell us, B, and we'll do it."

Virginia sighed, she wasn't really wanting to help the girl who stole her best friend.

º º º

ARCHIE ANDREWS SIGHED SLOWLY, turning to the boy with the beanie. "Hey, Juggy. Remember before how you said you didn't want Betty knowing where you were living? Is that because you and Betty–"

"We may have had a moment– " Virginia rolled her eyes and walked away from the boys, tired about hearing about Betty Cooper.

The young loner saw Betty with Veronica, deciding to steal herself up against Betty and knew that her new friendship with Veronica was definitely what she needed right now.

As she began to go to the duo, Kevin rapidly approached the two girls, Virginia in tow behind him. "You guys, oh, my God."

"What?"

"Cheryl just tweeted #PollyCooperKilledMyBrother, #NowhereToHide, #SharpenYourPitchforks." He stared at his phone in disbelief and Virginia snatched the phone out of his hand, favouriting and retweeting the tweet on his account. That was a good tweet.

"This is so good," Ginny mumbled under her breath. She wished she had a twitter account right now.

"Oh, no. We need to find Polly before the Blossoms do."

Oh boy.

º º º

FP JONES COUGHED, NOTICING his son in the doorway. After school Jughead had decided to visit his dad after the talk he had with Archie. "The prodigal son returns. How you doing? You look good."

"I'm hanging in there."

"Yeah?" He questioned his son, his tall frame no match for the young boy.

"I came by to ask If you would consider going back to work with Fred Andrews." Jughead breathed out, hoping that his dad would say yes.

FP scoffed, thinking of his old friend with a sour taste in his mouth. "Yeah, he called me. I said no. He fired me, Jughead. What kind of man would I be if I went back, hat in hand?"

"For starters? A man with a job, trying to fix his family." Jughead told his father, a frown in place. Why wouldn't his father try?

"Talk to your mom. She's the one who gave up on us, took your sister." Jughead resisted the urge to roll his eyes, his father's drunk propaganda out of control.

"Can you please just go see Mr. Andrews? He's willing to give you another chance."

"Oh, he's willing, huh? That's generous of him, after all the crap he pulled on me." FP spat with a frown in place.

"Dad, don't you want to see our family back together? Mom and Jellybean could come home. I could come home. It's not too late." Jughead told his father and FP's face softened at the thought of reuniting with his family.

"Hey," Jughead turned to see his dad send him a smile as he was exiting the small room.

"How's your friend Ginny doing?"

º º º

back at it again with another update sorry there wasn't much action going on :) what do you think will happen next with ginny?

starting to add dedications to each chapter for my fave people reading this story and supporting me :)