♡

Johnny wasn't sure what he was expecting when he answering the door that morning, but it sure wasn't Harvey Kinkle.  The nice and soft doorbell had just run throughout his house as he lifted himself from his seat at the coffee table, his robe left unwrapped as he shuffled in his slippers to the door.  When he opened it, he leaned his arm against the frame of the door, looking at the white boy expectantly.

"Hey," Johnny finally said.  He noticed how well dressed the boy was and how he was grinning.  No teen should be smiling that hard that early in the morning, he thought.  But then it hit him.  "Let me guess.  You're here for Caroline?"

"Uh, yes sir.  She asked me to walk her to school today, I'm Harvey," he smiled, reaching his hand out for Johnny to shake.

Johnny returned his kind smile, creases showing by his eyes as he shook Harvey's hand.  "And I'm Uncle Johnny."

"Caroline talks about you all the time," Harvey said as they dropped their hands to each side.  "She said you're her favorite uncle."

"That makes sense, seeing as I'm her only uncle," Johnny added, smiling at the thought.

"Morning!" Caroline weaved her way into the conversation.  She stood with a cherry red long-sleeve, a puffy white jacket, black jeans, and black combat boots to match.  Her long hair was straightened to perfection.  She smiled widely at the two in the doorway.  "What're we talking about?"

"Nothing much," Johnny shook his head.  "Just that I trust Harvey with my favorite niece, and he better not let me down," he said with pointed eyebrows.  Even though his voice sounded intimidating, his smile let both of them know he just meant well.

"You got it, sir.  I won't let anything bad happen to her," Harvey smiled.

"Bye Uncle Johnny!" Caroline quickly kissed him on the cheek and fled as her old bookbag swung by her side as she did so.  Johnny watched for a moment before deeming it unbearable to watch any further, closing the door and returning to his room to get ready for work.

"I'm so glad to see you today," Harvey breathed.  "After I got your text last night, I was just happy to have something to look forward to."

"Aw, you think of me," Caroline beamed.  When she saw how pink his face was turning, she changed the subject.  "Rough night?"

His smile disappeared as she asked.  "Yeah, I guess you could say so."

Caroline chewed on her bottom lip nervously, fiddling with the fabric strap of her bookbag nervously.  "Wanna talk about it?"

"Well, I got into it with my old man last night," Harvey exhaled.  "He's, uh making me start work at the mines."

"I thought you hated the mines," Caroline said softly.

"I don't just hate them, I—" Harvey stopped.  

"It's okay," Caroline said, almost too low to hear.

"Eight years ago, I was playing hide-and-seek with Tommy and a couple of his buddies.  And I, like an idiot, decided to go hide in the mines.  And I'm in there, alone.  Half an hour goes by, and then an hour and no one finds me.  And I'm trying to get back to the mine entrance.  And then I—and then I saw it."

"Hmm?"

"It's gonna sound crazy, but I swear to God it— it looked like a goat.  Only bigger, and standing upright on its hind legs, and it— it smelled like a— a book of matches had been struck.  Brimstone.  And it terrified me.  I couldn't move.  I couldn't breathe.  I started to cry.  I was still crying when Tommy found me five hours later.  It's been years.  No one else has seen the goat guy.  But I keep thinking, what if it's still down there waiting for me?"

"Wow, Harvey," Caroline took a deep breath, going over Harvey's words in her head.  She grabbed Harvey's fist that hung on his side.  Harvey unclenched, allowing Caroline to hold his hand in hers, pancake style.  "It sounds like you suffered a panic attack down there.  I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Harvey looked down at his and Caroline's hands, something they hadn't done before, but it was a nice gesture.  He hadn't thought about holding her hand until this moment.  "Uh, yeah."

"I'm glad you told me.  You're safe now," she gave his hand a small squeeze.  "It's not going to get you."

♡

"Take one.  It's required reading.  There you go.  Here, take it," Ms. Wardwell was passing out flyers to students walking in the hallway.

"What the—?" Caroline knitted her light brown brows in confusion.

"You'll never guess," Sabrina said with a smile that Caroline returned with excitement and curiosity.

"What's happening, Ms. Wardwell?" Harvey asked.

"Well, the young ladies of W-I-C-C-A, that's WICCA to you, Mr. Kinkle, are making their voices heard."

"Here's a list of books Baxter High doesn't want you to read!  And they also happen to be great works of literature," Caroline's eyes widened as Roz yelled.

"Wow...when...?" Caroline asked.

"Last night," Susie grinned.  "I mean, they're just books, you know.  What are people so afraid of? That Principal Hawthorne's gonna—"

Principal Hawthorne cleared his throat, alerting the group that he was standing right behind him with crossed arms.  Everyone turned to face him.  His pale skin was gross, he looked sicker than he had before he left on his vacation.    "Ladies, about your claims..."

"You can't punish someone for handing out flyers, Principal Hawthorne."

"On the contrary, Miss Spellman, I just wanted Miss Walker to know that I called the PTA  and the school board about The Bluest Eye.  They are reviewing the matter and will come back to me tomorrow with their thoughts.  You're welcome, Miss Walker."

♡

"Hey, you okay?" Caroline approached Sabrina in the locker room, noticing how distraught the blonde looked.  "Earth to Sabrina?"

"Yeah, I just, I um—" Sabrina blinked rapidly.  "I'm just thinking about something."

Caroline rocked on the heel of her feet.  "Anything I can help with?" she asked hopefully.

Sabrina calmed at her new friends' words, smiling softly at the slightly taller girl.  Her eyes left Caroline's gaze for a moment, and Caroline could practically see the wheels in her head turning.  "Actually, yes!  This is gonna sound weird—"

"Girl, trust me.  I know weird.  Riverdale, remember?" Caroline laughed, trying to help Sabrina ease up.

"Okay," Sabrina straightened her posture.  "I need your help looking for a birthmark on my body."

"Oh, okay," Caroline smiled.  "Not that weird."   It truly wasn't even close to the top five weirdest things of all time.

"It's a really big deal for me," Sabrina continued, her eyes glossing over as her breathing became rapid.  "I don't know if I have one, if I do I need to find it—"

"Hey, hey, 'Brina, it's cool," Caroline bunched together her hair, throwing it in front of her left shoulder to show Sabrina her bare neck, where there was a large discoloration protected by her baby hairs.  "Look at mine, see?  You know, one time my friend told me that birthmarks might be where and how you died in your past life, which would be crazy because mine's on my neck!" she said in an attempt to calm Sabrina.  "I probably got stabbed from behind."

Sabrina smiled weakly.  "That sounds interesting."

"Her name was Veronica," Caroline smiled at the memory of the two girls going over the birthmark idea in English.  At the time it was just a fleeting thought, but now every time she saw a birthmark she thought of the raven-haired beauty.  "I should text her."

"It's okay to miss them, you know," Sabrina placed her hand tenderly on Caroline's shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Your old friends," Sabrina smiled.  "I would miss mine too if I..." 

"Had to suddenly leave?" Caroline raised her eyebrows, not trying to be rude by cutting her off but somehow feeling like they understood each other.

Sabrina nodded, sighing.  "Yes, exactly."

"I—" Caroline began before trailing off, chewing on her bottom lip as she was unsure how to finish her sentence.

"I don't want you to leave either," Sabrina closed the space between them, wrapping her arms under Caroline's.  Caroline was taken aback, standing there for a moment dumbfounded before relaxing into Sabrina's touch.

"Yeah," Caroline said softly, agreeing more than ever with the blonde.

♡

SWEET CAROLINE ;
caroline x sabrina 👀