"Hey, girl, do you really wanna do this
You don't know what you're stepping in
He's got more where that came from
You're not so special in the end."

"Hey Betty, you okay?" Athena asked the blonde and she stared at nothing whilst Nick went on about his friends in high places. Betty gave a slight nod before smiling a bit and a beaming Kevin. "Forget the teetotaling. Let's move on to something with a little more kick." Nick pulled his jacket to the side to reveal brightly covered candy cane like straws.

"Is that--?" Cheryl started to query before being cut off by Nick who sounded proud of the drugs hanging inside his pocket. "Jinglejangle? Why, yes. It is." Athena tensed up as did Veronica and Archie when he pulled the straws out of his pocket. Athena quickly switched her gaze from the straws to Archie who looked as concerned as she did. "I hooked him up," Reggie shouted as Nick stood up, waving them around. "Tasters? Who's up first?"

"Dude, we told you, we're not--" Archie attempted to stop the people in the room from taking the drugs before being shut down by Nick. "Archie, don't take this the wrong way, but you are an epic buzzkill." Nick chuckled before slowly walking towards Veronica who sat, looking at the floor. "Come on, V. Like back in the day. Aren't you supposed to be showing me a good time? Per Daddy's orders?" Veronica quickly glanced around the room, looking at the faces of her friends who urge her with their eyes not to do it.

"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." Athena slowly shook her head before playing with her fingers in her lap. "What? Every other night its burgers and milkshakes. Can't we just cut loose and pretend we're normal, for once?" Soon, Cheryl and Reggie chimed in, each taking a straw from Nick's hand.

"Pussycats, care to partake?" The girls, all dressed in a brilliant red, nodded their heads with a smile on their faces. "Athena?" Veronica asked causing Athena to shake her head nervously. "I don't think so. I'm not really into drugs." Nick and Veronica sighed out as they stood in front of her.

"All the more reason to do it in a safe environment with us. Come on, live for once." Athena felt the peer pressure behind the eyes of the whole room and she slowly extended her hand, taking the straw. She kept her head facing the floor, feeling the stares of Archie and Betty on her.

"Betty?" Veronica turned to Betty who sat in between Athena and Kevin. "No, thanks," Betty said in a drained voice as she slowly shook her head. "Come on, it'll be fun," Veronica replied playfully. "I said no, V." Betty kept a calm, cold tone as she spoke directly to her best friend.

"Okay, relax, Betty, this is strictly voluntary." Nick slowly coaxed Veronica into his arms before speaking to her. Athena lifted her gaze to see Archie looking straight at her which caused her to look ashamed. "Perhaps we should decamp to the bedroom, so as not to corrupt the country mice." Archie slipped his drink down on the table before sitting on the arm of the couch next to Athena. "You know what? I changed my mind. I'm in." Athena's eyes widened as she felt guilty for unintentionally dragging him into this, but as he smiled and wrapped his hand around hers, her nerves calmed down.

'Bravo, Archie Andrews! There's that good, strong Riverdale stock I've been jonesing for!" Soon after everyone had taken the drug, it was if Athena's emotions were turned upside down. She giggled as she and Archie danced with Veronica and Nick dancing beside them. Archie encircled his arms around her waist as he kissed her neck. Athena threw her head back before looking at Veronica walking towards Betty.

"Come on, Betty, don't be such a wallflower! You're boyfriendless for a night! Have some fun!" Athena heard Veronica say before hearing Betty's cold tone reply back. "Like you, you mean? I was gonna say you're making a fool of yourself. Acting like some privileged, shallow, airhead party girl." Athena stopped dancing and she and Archie turned to face the pair. Veronica had walked back and had her arm around Nick.

"Excuse me?" Veronica chuckled, a smile still on her face. "Yeah. I mean, it's all recycled banter and plunging necklines and throwing shade to distract us all from the fact that there's really nothing going on underneath." Betty had managed to get the attention of the whole room. Athena scoffed in disbelief as sentences came out of Betty's mouth that she thought Betty wasn't capable of saying.

"Betty, what the hell are you saying?" Archie asked her with his arms still wrapped around Athena. "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 distraction, and why should we be surprised? Like father, like daughter, right?" No one in the room could believe what Betty was saying.

They were B and V, the pair that would tear down anyone who got in the way of their friendship. Why was it that Betty was ruining it all on her own. "You better shut it down, Betty," Veronica spoke with a low harsh voice as her best friend touched on the sensitive topic. "Or what, Veronica? You'll have your dad put a hit on me? Or maybe you'll do it yourself, because you may have fooled all of them, but not me."

"Betty, stop talking." Athena snapped as she didn't want to hear any more from her. "Athena, stay out of it. Try to reform all you want, but you're a bad person, Veronica. You'll always be a bad person." Veronica kept a cool hard look on her face but you could see the hurt that flickered in her eyes. "Why don't you just go, then, if I'm such a monster?" Betty stood still for a second before storming out. The room stood in silence and shock as the door closed over. Athena turned to Veronica, taking a step towards her. "Veronica--"

"I'm fine. Obviously, she's not." Veronica snaps at Athena as Archie and her look at the raven-haired girl with concern swirling in their eyes. The two look at the door where Betty resided before, this action not going unnoticed by Veronica. "What? You wanna go after her, be my guest. But I'll be damned if I'm chasing Betty down after that--Whatever it was. In fact, Reggie? Turn the music up, will you?" Reggie complied and the party soon returned back to the teenagers raging and drunkenly making out. Archie and Athena said their quick goodbyes before walking out onto the streets.

"Archie, what do you think is wrong with Betty?" Athena sighed as he walked her quickly to her house. The air cold, Athena leaned into Archie as the two went closer together for warmth. "I don't know, but she's my best friend. I'll find out." The two knew something was off that the words the Betty said to Veronica were not her own. It was that or Betty was no longer the Betty they knew.

+ + +

After the Blossoms had been invited to the Lodge's gala, Cheryl and Athena had been sent to uphold the family name as their mother was still recovering. "Cheryl, I'll be back." Athena departed from her sister's side, swiftly walking towards Veronica who clinked glasses with Nick. The boy walked past her, giving her a quick smirk as she gave him a glare. Veronica had called Athena late last night, slightly hysterical as she realized that she had lost Betty and that her one old friend from New York had tried to come onto her.

"What's the verdict? Do I need to bash some heads together? Is this a Panic in needle park situation?" Athena quickly grabbed a lemonade and took a huge sip whilst looking at her friend who had a confused smile on her face. "Betty is to be determined, but Nick is fine, he apologized and made up so definitely not Panic in needle park." Veronica laughed before the two focused their attention on the clinking of glass on the stage. Hiram Lodge stood there in all his glory with a gigantic smile covering his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen. A new story begins in Riverdale tonight. A story about reinvention and aspiration. This building will be the first chapter of that story. Luxury apartments, shopping, and even a golf course. The Southside as we know it will be gone, replaced with a new Eden. So let us raise our glasses to a brighter tomorrow. Today, let's celebrate with a little music." Veronica giggled to herself before walking onto the stage with the rest of the Pussycats. Athena stood at the front cheering them on before furrowing her eyebrows as Veronica gestured to behind Athena.

Confused, Athena spun around to see her sister stumbling out of the venue with Nick's arm wrapped tightly around her waist. The fiery redhead stormed out after them, cursing as she watched them hop into a black car. "Athena!" Veronica ran next to her with the Pussycats trailing behind her, all eyes focused on the car driving away. "Alright, Josie. Can we use your car?"Athena turned to the beautifully dressed girl who nodded causing the girls to run to her car and speed towards Nick's hotel.

"I am going to beat the shit out of this boy if he touches her." Athena tried to call her sister for the fifth time, once again being sent straight to voicemail. Josie drove her car next to the curb in front of the hotel, the five women jumping out and storming through the lobby. "Let's kick his ass," Melody smirked before the four walked down the halls, looking at the numbers on each door.

"Yes!" Veronica quickly spotted the keys to open his room, grabbing them and opening the door. As soon as the women round a corner in the room, they spot Cheryl lying on his bed, completely out of it. Nick stood at the foot of the bed, preparing to lean down on the unconscious girl "Get off of her!" Veronica quickly rips Nick away before pummeling him in his face causing him to let out a yelp of pain.

"My turn." Athena walked right up to him before kicking him to the ground and kicking his sides. Josie took care of Cheryl as Athena beat the rich, snobby boy. Valerie pushed Nick's bruised body so he faced Athena who wore a face of pure anger. Athena bent down next to his face before gently whispering into his ear. "You touch anyone I love ever again and I will come after you until you experience true pain." Athena quickly pulled her fist and back and gave him one last satisfying punch which in turn hurt her hand.

The women quickly escorted Cheryl to the Lodge's house which was empty as Hiram and Hermione blissfully socialized at the Gala. "Arch." Athena quickly embraced her boyfriend before leading him to the room Cheryl was in. "I called Betty." Athena just slowly nodded as she hadn't seen her friend since the malicious words she'd thrown at Veronica. Moments later, the blonde arrived.

"If you hadn't come when you did--"Cheryl at on Veronica's bed, huddled up in a blanket with Veronica and Josie on each side. "Where the hell is he?" Athena didn't try to calm down her boyfriend as the anger felt was spread around all of them. "You can put your cape away, Archie. Athena and The Pussycats already saved me." Cheryl gave her sister a soft smile which caused Athena to let a tear drip down. Deep down, Athena did love her sister even if she did malicious things to other people. The Blossom girl had gone through too much to have this shit happen to her.

"I feel so sick about this. Nick's a monster. And there's no way he hasn't done this before. Probably right under my nose." Athena gently put her hand on Veronica's shoulder to comfort her silently. "It's not your fault, Veronica," Betty said, causing the former best friends to stare at each other. "I wanna press charges. I want Nick to pay. To suffer. To burn in hell." Athena put her hand out which her sister grabbed tight. When angry, the Blossoms were a force to be reckoned with. Nick St. Clair was going to feel their wrath.

WOAH, that was a close one. I am sooooo sorry that this chapter is so close to the next episode but as it is the end of the year, the stress of school is piling up. Also, I am not exactly sure if the next chapter is going to be up the day it comes out because I do have an exam the day after and when the episode is released, I am working so it may or may not be up. Also, Cigarette Daydreams has HIT 23K WHICH IS BLOODY BONKERS SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

Thanks, Queenie.

(EDITED)