CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

REVENGE

VIRGINIA SLOUCHED ON THE COUCH in the student lounge, listening to Archie sing a duet with Valerie.

As the song ended, Veronica entered, "not to be that girl, Archie, but, I didn't get the memo that we were adding another voice to the mix."

"Ronnie, hey. Great news! Valerie quit the Pussycats." Archie placed his guitar on the ground and Virginia snatched it up into her hands, ready to play.

"So, that makes me what, then? Backup?" She dropped her sheets of music onto the table, crossing her arms as she stared at the duo in front of her.

"No. I mean, you were just doing it as a favor to me, right?" Archie asked and Virginia rolled her eyes at Arch's naivety.

"You are unbelievable, Archie. You literally have zero loyalty, you ginger Judas!" Virginia halted her actions, a sour note resounding from the strings as she stared at the hurt look Veronica sent Archie.

"Okay, Ronnie. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong, Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever, is that your father kissed my mother."

Virginia didn't know whether it would be insensitive to start playing a showdown song on the guitar to raise tension more.

"Um, maybe I should leave." Valerie told Archie softly.

"No, hold on. Hold on." Archie stood up, confused to what was going on with V. "When my dad told me how he felt, it seemed like they were both really into each other."

"They're married to other people." Veronica hissed out, her sculpted eyebrows coming together in a frown.

"Hey, my mom and dad are separated and your dad is–" Virginia felt the guitar strings, loving how new it was compared to her old, rusty guitar. She didn't want to listen to what's going on because she didn't want to be involved with the drama– she didn't want to chose a side.

"My dad is what?" Veronica interrupted quietly, a hint of danger in her words.

"He's–He's incarcerated, right?" Archie stumbled over his words and Virginia rolled her eyes at the boys naivety towards Veronica's feelings.

"That is so not the point, Archie! "

"Of course not. Of course not." Archie held up his hands in surrender, "I'm sorry. You're right. Do you wanna talk about it? We can go somewhere and talk. Or do you want your part back?"

"Oh, don't do me any favors, Archie."

"Veronica–"

Virginia sent Archie a sympathetic smile as she hopped off the couch to follow Veronica. She wasn't necessarily friends with the girl but knew that Veronica may want a friend right now.

Virginia didn't say anything but Veronica knew she was there, both walking quickly until they entered a room that Josie was in. On the way there, Veronica grabbed a poster off the wall and the brunette girl glanced at it, noticing the Pussycats were needing a new singer.

"Your hunt for a new Pussycat is over. I can sing, and I've got a lot of aggression that needs channeling into something positive." The dark haired girl held up a poster to show the Pussycats.

Virginia glanced between the two girls, knowing that both powerful girls would want this to their advantage against Valerie and Archie.

Oh boy.

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VIRGINIA WAS ENJOYING HERSELF AS SHE watched the Pussycats perform. Her eyes narrowed in on Veronica who wasn't paying attention anymore to the song, rather focusing on her phone. Josie noticed Virginia's stare as well as the loss of backup vocals, stopping her singing to turn to the new singer.

"Um, sorry, Duchess. Is our practice interrupting your texting?" Josie asked sassily.

"I'm just– I'm just stressed out about–" Veronica stumbled over her words and Virginia felt sympathetic to the girl who thought the world was ending.

"Poor little rich girl. What do you have to be stressed out about? We're doing a cover of a disco song, and my dad is skipping Jazz Fest to hear it." Virginia winced, lowering her camera as she sat before the Pussycat's rehearsal.

"Okay, well, I'm sorry you have daddy issues, but at least your father can be in the same room with you. I haven't seen my dad in three months because he's in jail. And my mom is–" Veronica paused, taking a deep breath. "You know what? It doesn't matter. You don't care, and it's not important."

"Veronica. I'm sorry about your dad." Josie told her, stepping towards her, the mood of the room lightening slightly from its previous tension.

"Thanks." Veronica said softly, holding her phone tightly.

"Um," Virginia piped up, cringing that she ruined the moment between the two girls. "Can you guys continue a bit? I need more pictures for the article." Virginia wiggled her eyes in excitement.

Virginia didn't think much, rather took it upon herself to make this an article for the Blue and Gold. She knew that Betty and Jughead were too involved with themselves right now to make the deadline for the next issue.

She was all one her own.

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VIRGINIA HOPKINS SUPRISED HERSELF AS she sat in a booth at Pop's with Veronica and Josie. After rehearsal, they had invited her to join them and she couldn't refuse them. She was low on Jughead and needed a few new friends to help her to not feel alone.

"Pop music isn't jazz. Beyonce is not Josephine Baker. It's an impossible target to hit, and I keep trying right– But he just– I'm." Josie felt herself getting flustered and held her hands up as she pulled herself together.

"Anyway, what's your sob story?" Josie grabbed a fry from Virginia's plate and the later girl frowned, noticing how she was the only one who ordered food.

"Nothing so glamorous. I caught my mom and Fred Andrews in an intimate moment."

"Are you gonna tell your dad?"

"Josie, the only thing that keeps me going right now is the thought of how, when he gets out of jail, we can all be together again. And we can go back to the way things were."

"Mmm." Virginia hummed around her mouthful of fries, starving after she didn't eat all day.

"And if I tell my dad about my mom, that just all goes away." Veronica sighed, holding her coffee cup close to her.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Josie told her new friend.

"You don't know my father–"

"Yeah, but I know dysfunctional families." Josie told her, "I'm not sayin' that what your mom's doing is right, but maybe there's another side to the story."

Virginia snorted as she stuffed her face with her fries. She swallowed quickly, noticing how both looked at her in disgust as she mumbled around her food.

"I agree with Josie but, honestly, sometimes a family can be too fucked up to be fixed."

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IT WAS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON after school, the two alone resting on Archie's bed. Virginia was happy that she was hanging out with Archie again, especially after freshman year when his crush on her made it uncomfortable to have an enjoyable time with him. It wasn't like Virginia didn't like Archie, she just was too in love with Jughead to care about anyone else.

"What are you even doing here, Ginny?" Archie smirked at her as they laid down.

Virginia rolled her eyes, "I don't know, Arch. I'm Switzerland in this drama– don't bother me with it."

"But–"

"But what?" Ginny interrupted, her eyes narrowed. She knew what Archie was going to ask. It had been awhile since the girl had interacted with other people other than Evie and Jughead.

"Why aren't you with Jughead right now?"

"He's with Betty," she sat up, clearing her throat.

"But why is he?" Archie pushed.

"Because I told him to," Virginia sniffled, letting her head fall onto Archie's shoulder. "I-I'm so dumb, Arch. I love him, but I told him to try going out with Betty–"

"Hey, hey," Archie's fingers lifted Virginia's chin up so she would be eye level with him. He felt sad for his friend, watching her light eyes water from the sadness she felt.

The close proximity between the two slowly became palpable and Virginia held her breath as her eyes fluttered up from his lips to his eyes. She had only kissed a few people before and Archie was quite tempting . . .

Virginia leaned closer until she felt his breath on her skin. Her lips met his and Archie reacted, pushing his lips against hers in an urgent manner. His tongue pressed against her lips and she let his tongue explore with hers. Virginia let her eyes finally flutter shut, letting her body fall onto the bed as Archie's frame towered above hers. Their lips didn't part, both slowly loosing their breath but neither caring, both wishing the moment wouldn't end.

She just wanted to feel wanted.

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