↳ CHAPTER TEN:

GUILTY ↵

VIRGINIA HAD GOTTEN A RIDE HOME FROM EVIE and since then, hadn't left the house. The young brunette didn't go to school either, as well as ignoring her phone. She felt ridiculous for staying home but it was safe there. She couldn't be around Juggie either, she felt guilty. Even though it happened before,

After talking with Evie, the guilt of this secret began to eat away at the young Hopkins. She felt relieved that someone knew, but she felt as if she was betraying Jughead. It wasn't even his fault but if he knew, how could he ever look at his father the same way again?

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KEVIN SIGHED AS HE PINNED THE LAST PICTURE to the replicate of his dad's murder board. It was his, Betty's, and Jughead's study hall and they gathered in the Blue and Gold's office to discuss the robbery that occurred during the weekend.

"This is how my dad had Jason Blossom's murder board before it was trashed."

"Any leads on who did that? Or what they were looking for?" Jughead asked, looking closely to the information in front of him.

"Nope. No fingerprints." Kevin sighed, thinking back to his father's office and how angry his faith got. "But they stole a bunch of files, background checks, and all the video and audiotapes of police interviews.

The trio turned as the door opened and in walks a boy. "Hey, Betty." He greets the blonde with a shy smile sent her way.

"Trev, hi!" Betty replied brightly, smiling at the attractive boy.

"Sorry to interrupt..." Trev replied, noting the two other boys in the room and board.

"Oh, no... Uh, it's okay. We're just, uh, working on..." Betty bit her lip, trying to say something that wasn't so weird as a murder board.

"Our murder board." Jughead included, as if it wouldn't sound creepy. Trev's mouth opened in surprise and Betty tried her best to keep a casual smile on.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure we're still on for tomorrow?" Trev asked Betty with a shy smile.

"Absolutely, it's a date." Betty said before faltering nervously. "I mean, I'll-I'll see you there. Bye."

"So, I'll see you. Bye." Trev smiled as he left and both boys looked at Betty in intrigue.

"So... Bye." Betty mumbled as he left before turning to the boys in the room.

"Going on a date with Trev?" Kev asked. "Does Ma Cooper know about that?"

"Kev, I'm not on house arrest." Betty replied but paused at the look of disbelief sent her way. "Okay, she's out of town at a Women in Journalism spa retreat. Anyway, it's not a "date" date."

"You just called it a date." Jughead replied, fixing his grey beanie. Instead of his typical black beanie, he decided a new beanie was in order. "You literally said, 'It's a date.'"

"That's just my cover." Betty replied as she pressed her hands down on the desk in front of her. "Really, it's an intelligence gathering mission. We should focus on the one thing we have access to that your dad doesn't. The kids at Riverdale High. You know, maybe Trev knows something about Jason he didn't think was important."

Silence fell between the trio and Jughead tapped his fingers against his phone, frown in place. Kevin noticed Jughead's slight change in demeanor as he focused on the device in hand.

"You okay, Jug?" Kevin asked.

Jughead looked up and pocked his phone. He had no new messages. Not one. And that worried him. All weekend he had tried to talk to Virginia but nothing.

"I-I don't know yet," Jughead replied. "Ginny's gone awol."

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VIRGINIA WAS IN THE SHOWER WHEN SHE heard a knock on the bathroom door. She shrieked at the sudden sound and slipped, falling in the shower.

"Ginny?" The door flew open at the sound of her scream. "Oh my god." Jughead had decided to stop by her house before he went to school to meet up with Betty at the Blue and Gold office. He was worried for his best friend and how she just went mia.

Ginny didn't mind that her naked form was revealed to Jughead, rather the pain consuming her body. Her eyes fluttered as she noticed Juggie cover his eyes before passing her a towel.

"Put this on, Gin, I'll help you get out."

Ginny breathed deeply, "o-okay." She grasped the towel tightly and draped it over her front and grabbed onto Jug's extended hand. He gently pulled her out and Ginny winced at the pain blossoming from her back. The tall boy's face tightened as his hand held up the girl and turned off the facet, noting how hot the water was.

Jughead helped her to the toilet where she sat on the closed lid. The towel only covered the front of her body and Jughead inspected her back, noting the red splotches across the expanse of her back.

"Does this hurt?" He asked poking a spot and Virginia flinched at the sudden pain erupting from that spot. "Okay," he mused. "You're definitely going to bruise, I'm not sure what else to do."

Virginia looked up at a thoughtful Juggie, his forefinger and thumb stroking his chin as he examined her injury. "I-It's okay," she whispered. "I-I think I'm fine."

Jughead frowned as he heard the stutter in her small voice but didn't comment on it, rather turned to the door. "I'll wait out here, why don't you finish up?"

Virginia nodded, she was pretty much clean before she was interrupted. She liked standing under the scalding water, as if it would burn away her impurities.

She got dressed, thankful that she had brought her change of underwear and her robe into the bathroom. She wiped the mirror of its fog, peering at her face in the mirror. Virginia hadn't done much these past few hours, she hadn't eaten or done anything– not even sleep. There were dark circles under her eyes in indication, giving away how awful she felt.

Virginia plastered on a smile as she stared into the mirror. She knew that faking it was the only way to go right now, even if Jughead could see through her facade. She cursed Jughead for having a key to her house. She didn't want him to see her like this.

"Why haven't I seen you?" Jughead asked her as she exited the bathroom. "You've ignored my calls, my texts. . ."

"Why did you ignore me at the drive-in?" She spat out, frowning as she clutched her robe close to her. "How are you?" She asked, changing the subject after a silence fell between the two.

"I'm okay," he told her shortly, not wanting to go into details about his unfortunate situation. Ginny knew that he lived in the drive-in but for some reason, she didn't seem to remember that he did. Jughead realised something was bothering her– probably her mother– and didn't want to pressure her to say anything, or worry her about him being currently homeless.

"C'mon," he tugged her up from the bed. "Let's get you ready to go to school."

Virginia pouted but let him tug her from the bed until he wrapped his arms around her fragile form. He frowned as he noticed her pale skin and how thin she had gotten in three days but didn't say a word. Jughead knew that food in her household was a rare occurrence.

"How 'bout we stop by Pop's before school?"

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I'M SO EMO HE'S HELPING GINNY, MY POOR SMOL BEAN </3