Weekdays, from 8:25 a.m. to 3:01 p.m., we adhere to a strict regimen, everything in our lives controlled. But then something like the murder of Jason Blossom happens, and you realize there is no such thing as control. There is only chaos. Nevertheless, some of us strive to impose and maintain order, in what is, fundamentally, an orderless world.
A fact which very soon be confirmed, in ways none of us could have foreseen.

"One, two, three, four-" "Stop" Cheryl calls out during the cheerleading practice, interrupting Angel as Veronica comes in way too late. "You're late. We've already reviewed the new choreography for homecoming. That means, you'll be in the back, where you'll do the least damage." "With you front and center no doubt." "Of course. I do have the maddest skills on this squad" Cheryl replies. "Because you're a Blossom, we have to accept whatever you say as gospel truth?" Veronica states. "You're welcome to challenge me, Veronica, but you'll lose." "We live in a democratic society, Cheryl. Let's let the Vixen decide who's cherry on top" the black head exclaims, turning to the other girls.

Snapping her fingers twice, the dance-off begins with Veronica going first, getting cut off from the red head. And that's how it goes the rest of the song.

"All those for Cheryl?" Betty asks as no-one except for the girl's best friend and co-captain claps. "All those for Veronica?" The rest of the group claps, Tia and Gina not clapping for either.
"Never cross a Lodge."

"What was that all about?" Angel asks Veronica as they get changed, not understanding what just happened. "It's nothing" she waves her off. "Okay, if you say so" Angel says slowly, scrunching up her eyebrows.

"Angel" Betty turns to her as the three walk out of the changing room. "Jughead's birthday is tomorrow and we're planing on a little surprise party for him. Just inner circle, you, Ronnie, Archie, Kevin. Do you wanna come? I even invited his dad" "I'm sorry but from what I've heard, he really hates his birthday, I don't want to be part of that. I'm sorry but I wish you the best wishes and pray for you that it works" she declines as nicely as possible, smiling at the blonde apologetic.

"But I can talk to FP if you want, making sure he really shows up" she proposes. "That would be great, thank you" Betty thanks the girl, smiling. "But how do you even know him? I was really surprised when you were sitting on his couch." "He and my mom where best friends in high school and over the years he kind of turned into a second father for me when I visited Cheryl and Jay-Jay" Angel tells the two.

"Do you want me to take you two home?" Angel asks her two friends as they stop in front of her car. "You don't have to-" "I have nothing to do anyways. Come on, get in girls" she interrupts Veronica, unlocking the car before the three get in.
"I've never sat in an expensive car like this" Betty comments as she looks onto the car ceiling that looks like stars. "It's just like any other car" Angel shrugs, starting to drive. "No it's not" Veronica inputs from the back seat. "We drove expensive cars but we never had a Rolls Royce. That's like next level, Angel" she tells her earning an eye roll and chuckle from the driving girl.

"Like I said earlier, I really hope this party works out" Angel tells Betty as she gets out of the car, after they dropped Veronica off. "Thank you and if you change your mind, you can always stop by." "I'll think about it."

——

The night of the following day comes fast. Angel went to visit FP after she dropped the girls off the afternoon before, trying to get him to visit his son at his birthday. It may be a good start into their new father-son-relationship. After some talking he agreed with her and now is on his way to his son's surprise birthday party.

Angel is currently at her friend's trailer.
"You have a great influence on FP" Toni comments as the two of them watch some old re-runs of Brooklyn 99, having witnessed their little conversation earlier on. "I just want Jughead to have his dad back, and the other way around. And if that means I have to run around and tell them what to do, I'll do it."

"And why aren't you at his party?" "FP tells me every year about how Jughead hates his birthday, I'm not going there so he can be angry at me or worse, hate me because I didn't respect his wishes. No can do" she tells her friend, shaking her head. "You like him" the Serpent girl states after a moment, looking at her friend with big eyes. "No, I don't" she declines immediately. "Yeah, you do. You like him and that's why you're not there" she concludes with a grin on her lips. "Yeah, he is handsome and really interesting and has that darkness inside of him-" "Darkness like the one you're trying to hide?" Toni comments, earning an annoyed look from the girl for interrupting her, "but I do not like Jughead." "Tell yourself that, but we both know the truth."

"Besides, I think he has something going on with Betty" Angel tells her friend, taking a sip from her drink. "You think?" "I mean they're kinda cuddly since a couple of weeks back but I've never seen them kiss or even hold hands" she elaborates. "Maybe they're just really good friends" Toni voices, shrugging her shoulders as she turns back towards the TV. "Maybe..." Angel mutters as she gets a message from Cheryl.

"Party @ Andrews."

"I have to go" Angel exclaims as she reads the text, rushing through the little trailer to gather her stuff. "What's happening?" Toni questions surprised. "Cheryl is going to crash Jughead's party with I don't know how many people. He's going to be really, really mad" the girl explains as she takes her purse and helmet. "I'll see you later!" she calls out as she leaves the little home and gets on her bike.

"And you're telling me you don't have any feelings for that boy" Toni says to herself as she sees her friend drive off, a smile on her face.

"Burgers @ Pop's? I'm outside if you wanna leave" Angle texts the birthday boy as she parks in front of the Andrews' house. Leaning against her bike, her helmet atop of the seat, the girl crosses her arms, watching the party from outside and waiting for a reply from the boy.

As the girl realizes it's too silent, she knows something is happening and knowing her best friend, it probably isn't anything good. Taking a bobby-pin out of her leather jacket's pocket, she picks the locked door, entering just as Chuck is about to say something about Betty, which the girl clearly is uncomfortable about.

"Boy, do I have a twisted secret to reveal, starring Betty Cooper." "I would shut up, if I were you, Chuck" Angel makes her appearance known as she enters the circle, earning everyones attention. "Oh, you don't want me to reveal her secret? Don't worry, I have a better one" he starts, walking up to the girl. "About you, Miss Morningstar." Expectably the girl crosses her arms, looking at the boy with raised eyebrows. "Oh tell me, Chuck, what did you find out about me?" she challenges, smirking.

"Our Angel here had a brother" he starts, as Cheryl tries to step in, knowing this is a sensitive topic for her best friend. "Chuck, stop." "A drug addicted brother who got shot dead after not paying his many drug dealers" he exclaims, ignoring the red head, as everyone looks at the girl in the red leather jacket in shock, but she doesn't seem fazed at all, in fact, she's chuckling.

"Are you sure, we're talking about my brother?" she asks the boy, slightly laughing. "Because let me tell you something, Chuck" Angel states, saying his name as if it's venom on her tongue. "My brother wasn't a junky. He got shot by a dealer, yes, but not because he owed someone drug-money. The ex-dealer of my brothers fiancé pointed a gun at her because she didn't want to buy anything anymore, she wanted to stay clean and he didn't like it. My brother jumped in between to save the life of his fiancé and his unborn child and payed with his life. That's how we died and not of anything the articles said" she tells them, never breaking the eye contact with the ex-football player.

"And you wanna know something even funnier? I know this version is true, because I was there that day. I stood not even five meters away as he got shot. Never ever talk about my family or my friends with disrespect again" she tells him through clenched teeth, as she punches him in the face, knocking him to the floor and shocking the people around her. Never did they think they would see the new girl, who always smiles and is always friendly to everyone, to throw a punch at their ex-football star.

"My brother died as a hero, something you'll probably never be. Next time you talk shit about people, get the facts straight first" she spits out as she leans down to him.

"Get him out of here, Reggie" Angel tells her friend, who just nods and helps the boy up. "Everyone get out!" she calls out to everyone and everyone does as they're told, leaving the little friend group by themselves.

"I'm gone, see you guys on Monday" Angel speaks up after making sure everyone left, while turning around to leave the house as well.

Getting onto her bike, she sees Jughead coming up to her. Questionable she looks at him. "Does the invitation for burgers still stand?" he asks her as she smiles up at him and pushes herself a bit back, so the boy can sit in front of her. "Sure, but you're driving."

"Happy Birthday, Jug" she smiles at the boy as she hands him a little gift. "I know, you don't like your birthday and today really didn't end well, but I still wanted do give you something small" she tells him as he opens the envelope.

"I know, you're living with Archie, but after what happened at Polly's baby shower and what happened tonight..." she begins explaining her reasoning behind giving him a paper with some numbers on it. "This is the pin to my apartment. If you ever need somewhere to stay the night, my guest-room is always welcoming you." Taking the paper in his hands, he smiles at her thankfully. "Thank you, really. And thank you for showing up and getting me out of there. You literally are an angle" he smiles at her as she returns it.

"Let's eat, I'm starving" the girl speaks up, breaking their intense eye contact and taking her burger to take a big bite out of it, making the boy laugh lightly as he sees her round cheeks. Silently they eat their food while listening to the music someone put on at the jukebox across the room, enjoying each others company and the food.

"You're right hand is really good" Jughead speaks up after a while, swallowing the last bit of his burger. Taking a sip from her water, Angel chuckles lightly. "Thanks" she says, a little grin on her lips as she looks at him. "Mazikeen taught me." "Mazikeen?" "She's the best torturer back in hell before my father and her came to earth, but now she's the bartender at my dad's club and one of the best bounty hunters out there. After my mothers death six years ago she kind of took over the role of a mother, she was always around" she tells him, smiling softly. "The whole devil thing-" "I'm not lying to you, Jug, really" the girl cuts him off, earning a skeptical look from the boy.

"I know it's hard to believe but it's true. My father is the devil, the fallen one, king of hell, what ever you want to call it. But I am telling the truth, I would never lie to you, Jughead. Why should I?" "Okay, let's say I believe you-" "Oh, I will tell my dad he has to show you his devil face when he visits some day" she tells the boy, pointing at him with a fry before the two laugh.

"But seriously, how did that even happen? With your parents?" "I don't really know" she replies with a shrug. "My mom told me she had to move a lot since she was around 16 and somehow they ended up in LA a couple of years later. She was walking along the beach when my dad literally fell down next to her, out of nowhere, with his big white wings. At first she said she thought she had a really bad sunburn and started hallucinating, but she obviously wasn't. My mom helped Mazikeen cut his wings off and they started talking. She showed him LA and other parts of our country and somewhere along the way, they fell in love with each other and a couple of years later I came into the picture and my dad vanished for a while" she tells him.

"My dad told me he came back because one of the souls down in hell told him about my mother. She sent him a message through that person, telling him about me and about her sickness, that she doesn't have a long time to live anymore, so he came back, trying everything to save her, negotiating with his father-" "God?" She nods, wiping her tears away with a napkin.

"It didn't help and she died a week after he came back. He took me and my brother in, bought this huge skyscraper and gave us the apartment at the very top so nobody can come to us, due to him opening a bar two levels under it. He lives in between our, or my apartment and the bar so we weren't far away from him but still away from all the drunk people. He took really good car of us, he still does. He and Mazikeen, even if it was really, really hard for me in the beginning. I didn't know who he was. I mean, suddenly there's a man telling you he's your father? Nobody believes that. But my mom always told me about him and when he showed me his pentecostal coin, I believed him."

"What did your brother think about it? He was older, right?" Jughead asks after a moment of silence. "Yeah, he was four years older than me. Mason didn't remember much, I mean he was just a little child when they met but he recognized him instantly when he walked into that hospital room that day. I still remember how happy Mason looked as he was our dad. He run to him and hugged him. Mason loved our dad as if he was his real one. He was his real one, maybe not by blood, but in his heart, he was always his dad. The two were like one person sometimes, it was really funny to watch, especially when it came to food" she laughs, remembering how much the two could eat in one sitting and how strange their eating habits were. "When Mason died, my dad took it almost worse as when mom died. She was the love of his life, but he was his son. That day was really hard on all of us. His fiancé gave herself the fault on his death, even when we told her it wasn't."

"Loosing a parent is terrible, but loosing your sibling, your other half? It broke me. And those nightmares I told you about when I slept at your dad's trailer? I sometimes wake up screaming for Mason, hoping he would be there and what I just saw in my dream wasn't a memory but just a bad nightmare. But it never happens..." Angel chokes, as the boy sits down next to her and takes her in his arms, holding her and letting her cry, while trying to suppress the tears that threaten to fall.

"Enough about me" Angel begins after a couple of minutes, taking a deep breath while sitting up straight again, turning to the boy next to her. "Tell me, what's the secret behind Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks?" she asks him, taking a sip from her drink, always looking at him. "There isn't really any secret. My mom couldn't handle my dad and his drinking problems and one day she took Jellybean and left to live with our grandparents. My dad didn't get better since then and I moved out around two years ago now, I would say" he tells her. "What about your birthday? Why do you hate it so much? Every time I talked with your dad about it, he always said, "He just does". What happened?" she wants to know.

"PTSD from when I was a kid. I don't know. Things were always messed up at home, usually because of my dad, and there was this arbitrary day, that we would just get together and pretend things were great, we were normal. It just made me feel really lonely" he honestly tells her, as she takes his hand in hers, squeezing it lightly with a soft smile gracing her lips. "Well, now you're not lonely anymore" she states, grinning at the boy who smiles a bit, as the two hold eye contact.

Slowly they lean into each other, only breaking eye contact to look at the other persons lips, as they connect. Closing their eyes, Jughead lays his hands on her cheeks, deepening the kiss as she leans more into him, liking the feeling of each others lips on top of their own.
Breaking the kiss a few seconds later they look at each other, breathing heavily, as they try to hold onto that moment as long as possible.

Whether you believe in order or chaos, in the end, it's the same. We are either in control of our lives or merely think we are.

——

How do you like the book up until now?