———This is a couple of weeks after Chapter 7——————————————

Y/N PoV
The Black Hood. A mysterious killer. He terrorizes the streets of Riverdale. No one walks alone anymore. He lurks in the shadows watching everything, everybody can feel him breathing down their necks. One person Riverdale knows him better than anyone. She is getting letters and calls from him.

I am one of the unlucky few who know about these interactions. Betty called me after she supposedly got gone of these horrifying calls. Her words didn't make sense. The Black Hood calling her? Scary and quite frankly weird.

It never made sense to me, why chose her? What's the one thing the Black Hood finds so special about her and not anyone else? I don't know and neither does the third person who knows about these calls, Archie.

All of this baffles me, it's like fiction but I'm living it. Veronica doesn't know about any of the communications between the Hood and her friend. She carries on like normal, "I need some help. One of my old friends is in town and I want to make him feel welcome, maybe help him get to know Riverdale."

"Who is this guy?" I stab one of my pieces of fruit with my fork and eat it. Archie took forever in the bathroom this morning so I didn't have time to eat breakfast. He is such a joy sometimes.

"And did you guys date?" Kevin asks quickly with a lot of curiosity.

"His name is Nick and I were the 'will they or won't they' of our jet set. He's an outrageous flirt, but we never dated. We'd hop from club to club, go on these madcap adventures, stayed up all night."

Archie walks in and sits down on Veronica's chair's arm rest, "Who's this now?"

  She grabs his hand, "Oh, Archiekins, don't be jelly, it's just a ghost from my bad girl past, Nick St. Clair, breezing into town for the Open House. You have nothing to worry about."

"St. Clair." I eat a slice of apple with a smile, "Fancy, sounds like my kind of people." I say sarcastically.

————

  I knock on Betty's bedroom door and something breaks on its way to the ground, inside. She opens it and I see Archie siting on her vanity chair, "Hey."

  "Hey. Everything ok? I heard something break." I flop onto her bed.

  "Yes." She points to an old little vase sitting in pieces on her floor, "I jumped when you knocked and dropped it onto the floor."

  "I'm sorry." I've felt bad for her lately. Calls from a serial killer, crazy mom, insane amount of school work, and a dad That is only half way in the picture. That's hard, "I'll pick it up." I'm glad the vase only cracked in 6 or 7 bigger pieces, an easy clean up.

  Once I pick it up and return to the spot on my bed, her phone rings. Lollipop, a sound of remorse and nerves. The three of us look at each other until Betty picks it up and puts it on speaker, "Hello?"

  "Your mother's at work." The deep voice says.

  Betty shudders, "Yes, she and my dad are.."

  "I know, I'm looking at them through a nice, big picture window. Are you alone?"

  She gives me and Archie a glance. We nod in response to get her to say yes. "I am." She tells him.

  "She's a thorn in both of our sides, your mother. We can't have her looming over us."

  "Wait if your suggesting," Betty starts.

  "Check your email. Publish what I've sent. And then I'll know that you're loyal."

  She gets off her bed, "I want something in return. To prove your loyalty."

  "How about you do this for me. And then you get to ask me a question. And I have to answer it. You have until tomorrow night." He hangs up the home quickly.

  I scoff, "He's such a great guy to talk to." I say sarcastically, "Check your email. What're we publishing?"

  She grabs her laptop from her bedside table and logs onto it. Her email is empty except for one. A news article written on a girl from the Southside that got arrested. The teenager, a person I know, actually a person everybody knows. Alice Cooper.

————

  I go to my locker the next day, avoiding people. Betty looks at me with a frown and I only give her a nod. She needs to do this. It might be the only chance we have to stop him.

————

  Jughead has been busy lately. No calls or texts. It makes me very uneasy especially with the calls. Finally, after trying for a day or two, he agreed to meet me at Pops.

  "Y/N L/N." He chuckles as I turn around with a huge smile, "You are a sight for sore eyes."

  I get up, walk over to him, and give him the most love filled kiss I could muster. I pour all of my fears and frustrations and love into it, finally able to let go of it all.

  He kisses me back with his arms cupping my cheeks firmly surprised by my eagerness. When we pull away, his eyes shine, "God, I've missed you. I just.." We sit down on opposite sides of our booth, "I'm feeling, I don't know. Unmoored."

  "Me, too."

  "I just wanted to make sure you were still alive." Jug holds both of my hands securely within his own.

  "What do you mean?" I ask confused.

  "Aren't you helping Betty with the Blue and Gold? I heard that you helped Betty publish that expose about her mom?"

  I forget our cover. The supposed reason why I'm always meeting Betty in the Blue and Gold is because I'm helping her keep up since Jug isn't there anymore. I'm actually making another mystery board with her, fun times, "Oh, um. That's a long story, but yeah, pretty intense. What happened to your hand?" I change the subject quick.

  He hesitates, "I'm dog sitting. Toni's niece has a dog and they wanted someone to watch him. Don't worry, he's got the shots."

  We fall quiet, staring at our connected hands. The lies we told each other are pretty obvious. We've known each other forever and it's not unusual to know when the other is a liar, "I wish we could just go. Just hop on the motorcycle and just leave Riverdale. Go someplace where there's no Northside, or Southside, or Serpents, Ghoulies."

  I laugh quietly, "No crazy dads, no Black Hoods." I sigh, "Like Romeo and Juliet, but we live happily ever after instead." One small tear falls down my face, but as soon as I reach for it Jughead wipes it away.

————

(Texts between Veronica and Y/N)
V-Party at 5 Seasons in room 107! Wear something nice, I'll see you there!

Y/I-Sure, I guess. Borrowing a dress from your closet?

V-No problem.

  I walk into Ronnie's room to borrow some sort of outfit. My outfits are perfect for me, but when Veronica says to wear something nice you have to wear something really fancy. I look through her many dresses, until I find the one. It's a tight fitting black dress that would look amazing on me. It's not too formal, which is great, but enough that Ronnie won't say something. I quickly put it on, and do my makeup and hair.

  Within an hour and a half, I'm at the 5 Seasons in Nick's room listening to some story about going to like fifty upscale clubs."We walk into the Gilded Lily, and there's Gal! Again!"

  "Gal?" Archie asks.

  I take a sip of my water, "I'm lost."

  "Gabot. Keep up." Cheryl answers harshly.

  "Archiekins? A refill? S'il vous plait?" She hands her boyfriend the empty glass and gives him a warm smile.

  "Forget the teetotaling." Nick sits down, "Lets move on to something with a little more kick." He opens his jacket and sticks of Jingle Jangle poke out of his pocket.

  "Is that?"

  "Jingle Jangle? Why, yes. It is." Nick grabs them.

  Reggie puts up his hand, "I hooked him up."

  He holds them up for us to see, "Tasters? Who's up first?" 

  "Dude, we told you, we're not.." Archie tells him, but Nick won't take it.

  "Archie, don't take this the wrong way, but you are an epic buzzkill." Nick turns to Ronnie with a charming smile, "Come on, V. Like back in the day." He smirks, "Aren't you supposed to be showing me a good time? Per Daddy's orders?"

  Ronnie exhales looking at all of us, "Down, Nicky, I'm just getting going. And now that you mention it, I in fact, wouldn't mind a little sugar to spice up this party." We give her looks, "What? Every other night it's burgers and milkshakes. Can't we just cut loose and pretend we're normal, for once?"

  I groan, "Ronnie, no."

  "Ronnie, yes." Nick says giving her one then he turns to me, "Would you like to take part, beautiful?" He puts his hand on my shoulder, flirtatioshly.

  I give him a polite smile, "Not in a million years, dumbass." I push his hand off my shoulder quickly.

  "Y/N!" Veronica yells.

  Cheryl grabs one from the coffee table, "I'm in!" She obviously has zero respect for her body, predictable.

  "'Me too." Reggie agrees.

  "Kevin?" The demon asks, and sadly he agrees.

  Nick holds out more, "Pussycats, care to partake?" They nod.

  "Betty?" Veronica asks.

  "No, thanks." She says apathetically.

  "Come on, it'll be fun!" Veronica smiles and practically bounces in her seat, excited to relive her version of fun.

  "I said no, V." Betty almost yells at her.

Whats her problem now?

  Ronnie twirls her candy stick in her hands, "Okay, relax, Betty, this is strictly voluntary."

  "Perhaps we should decamp to the bedroom, so as not to corrupt the country mice." Nick suggests to Veronica.

  Archie quickly sits down next to V to keep Nick away from Veronica and the bedroom, "You know what? I changed my mind. I'm in."

  I give him a death glance while Nick gives him a friendly pat on the back, "Bravo, Archie Andrews. There's that good, strong Riverdale stock I've been jonesing for!" He chuckles and rips open the drug, "Dig in."

-------

  I don't want to be in this room with drugged teenagers anymore. It reminds me of my old home too much. And I don't wanna see anymore making out from Rosie and Varchie. You can't imagination how gross it is to see your brother stick his tongue down your friend's throat. The only good thing I have gotten from this party is time to talk with Betty, and big news! Her and Sweet Pea are officially dating! It makes me so happy she found someone of her own, and I get her off Jughead's back.

  Veronica finally breaks away from Archie's neck kisses to come check on us, "Come on, you two, don't be such wallflowers. You guys are boyfriendless for a night! Have some fun!"

  "I'm good." I whisper, "I'd rather be with my boyfriend."

  The blonde scoffs, "Like you, you mean? I was gonna say you're making a fool of yourself. Acting like some privileged, shallow, airhead party girl," Betty purses her lips together nervously.

  "Excuse me?"

  "Yeah. I mean it's all recycled banter and plunging necklines and throwing shade to distract us," She walks towards Ronnie, "From the fact that there's really going on underneath."

  "Betty, what the hell are you saying?" Archie asks.

  "What we're all thinking. That the only reason Veronica hangs out with us is circumstance.  She's not our friend. The minute someone from her trashy past shows up, she starts using us for drugs or music or distractions, and why should we be surprised? Like father, like daughter, right?"

  "You better shut it down, Betty." Veronica demands.

  Betty throws her hands up, "Or what, Veronica? You'll have your dad put a hit on me or maybe you'll do it yourself?"

  I stand up quickly to break it up, "Okay, that's enough for one night! Betty, we are gonna go now." I grab her shoulder and drag her to the door. Nick begins to speaks up, but I interrupt him, "I know your about to ask me for my number, and that's a no. I have a boyfriend."

  Betty and I walk back down to the lobby, and around the corner to a lonesome bus stop to talk. I sit down on the bench, "What was that back there?"

  Tears form in her eyes, "It was a test of loyalty."

  "You mean for the-"

  "Yes, for him. He said I had to cut Veronica or he will do it for me, his way." She starts to let tears fall down her face in big sobs until Lollipop starts to play, "Not again." She picks it up, "I did it. But now I want my question, what will make you stop?"

  "You," I hear from her phone, "As long as you continue showing me your devotion."

  "I can't keep doing this."

  I can almost feel his smile from where ever the call is being placed, "I'm sure you can. Jughead and Y/N. You don't need to cut them out, just break them up. They sin when together. If you don't, I will make sure they are forced apart by death. Jughead will be dead." He hangs up.

  The thought makes my tears collect in my eyes. Me and Jughead, broken up, "No..no it's not happening. There has to be another way."

  "Y/N, I am so sorry." She gives me a hug, "Listen to me. You have to do this. Otherwise, It will be bad."

  "I-I can't do that to him." I shake with a sob, "It would hurt him too much. I love him and I don't know if I can live without him."

  She shakily sighs with a short shake of her head, "You have to try. We can get Archie to tell him something, like you don't want to be in a relationship anymore? Or you never loved him?"

  "No, that would hurt him too much. I can't hurt him more than I will. I'll figure it out." Tears fall harder and harder. My one true love, my soulmate, taken away from me when all I want is him. I love him, but I love him enough to protect him.