|| 10: M i l k s h a k e s, M i n t s & S e c r e t s ||

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A brisk summer breeze blew across the roads and down the alleyways, tickling the skin of my legs and cooling the flush of my cheeks.

As I walked, feelings of dread and thoughts of angst and sadness arose in my mind. How could such a terrible, terrible thing happen in the small, cosy town of Riverdale? Behind the sympathising smiles, the kind, caring eyes, and the various shades of black on that grey, overcast day lay a dark secret; a secret so awful no one dared to utter it, a secret so appalling no one wanted to uncover it, a secret that could be walking the very streets of this quiet little town.

It was the secret of Jason Blossom's murderer.

"Most of you already know the details about how Jason Blossom's body was found late Saturday night," Sheriff Keller's gruff voice clearly resounded throughout the town square. Dozens of people were flocking past him, following Jason's casket as it was carried to the cemetery. "But, as of this weekend, Jason's death is now being treated as a homicide. It is an open and ongoing investigation."

At this, I paused, my hooded figure lingering on the outskirts of the town square. I gazed upon the mourners as they crowded the streets. I looked at the staunch and regal forms of Jason's red-headed family as they attended to the casket. I stared, wide-eyed, at Sheriff Keller as he addressed the multitude.

"If you know anything that could help us find and apprehend Jason's killer or anything that happened to him on June 4th, I strongly urge you to come forward immediately," the sheriff continued soberly. "A death like this wounds us all. Let's not let Jason down."

My eyes flitted over towards the cluster of relatives and family-members as they encompassed the casket. Suddenly, a girl, her ginger, waist-long locks curling up against her back, looked over at me. Her brown eyes, crusted with anger and sadness, bitterness and brokenness, bore straight into mine.

Unable to bear the tension any longer, I tugged my hood lower over my face before turning around and walking away into the thick morning mist.




"And this, my dear Kenz, is our musical slash footballer genius!" Veronica chirped as she gracefully waltzed over towards a park bench upon which sat a boy. "Archie Andrews, meet Mackenzie Jones!"

The boy, waves of deep red hair brushing against his forehead, glanced up at the two of us and smiled, dimples appearing in both cheeks. "Hey V, good to see you. Mackenzie, I've heard a lot about you from Jug. It's nice to finally meet you. And don't listen to V. I'm not a genius." Standing up, he reached over the table to shake my hand.

I shot him a small smile as I returned the gesture. "Hi."

"You can sit down if you want," Archie teased, twinkles flashing in his deep brown eyes. "The seat's not taken."

Veronica giggled as she agreed and scooted onto the bench facing Archie.

"So, is there a reason you stopped by or ..." he raised his eyebrows as he looked between the two of us.

"Nope," Veronica pursed her lips and shook her head. "Kenz and I were just hanging out and I saw you and I thought, why not introduce you both? She's new and, as you can imagine in the wake of such a tragedy, it's not going to be easy making friends. So, Archikins, be nice."

Archie guffawed, heaving his shoulders in exaggeration. "As if I would be anything but," he rolled his eyes as he turned to me. "You doing okay? You know, with the - er - murder and the funeral this morning?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I - I guess. I mean, I didn't know Jason but still ..." I trailed off with a sigh.

Archie ducked his head and fiddled with the folds of his shirt. "Yeah," he mumbled. "It's awful, just awful."

"Hey guys!"

Upon hearing the sweet, merry tone of Betty Cooper, the three of us all looked in her direction. With her ponytail swinging from side to side, she skipped over to us, a couple of paper bags clutched in her hands.

"What's this?" Archie queried curiously.

"Leftovers from Pops," Betty returned as she handed the bags around. "He was going to throw them out but I volunteered to make good use of them."

Unwrapping the brown paper that was on the outside of my package, I paused. A disbelieving smile broke out on my face. "He was going to throw out perfectly good milkshakes? Betty," I frowned at her, trying to sound stern.

Betty blushed as she scooted over next to Archie. "Aw c'mon, guys, like I'd pay for everyone's milkshakes! Pops stuck em in with the rest as a bonus."

"Oh, I love him!" Archie murmured as he swallowed a mouthful of his drink. "Mmm. So good."

Veronica laughed at him and Betty and I joined in.

"Yes, he's a very sweet old man," Veronica affirmed as she bobbed her head up and down.

For a moment, the only sound breaking the warm, noonday air was the stirring of straws and the slurping of liquid.

"Does anyone want some mints to take home?" Veronica offered as she pulled a bright-coloured packet from the front pocket of her dress.

"Oh yeah, why not?" Archie shrugged as he helped himself to one.

"Thanks V," Betty smiled appreciatively at her friend as she too received one.

I waved my hand in front of my face when Veronica held the packet out to me. "I'm good thanks. Peppermint's too strong for my liking."

Archie paused. "What?"

"Yeah, I prefer spearmint," I chuckled. "It reminds me of the big Christmas lollipops I used to get back in the city with Mum."

Veronica was mumbling something under her breath about the parallels to peppermint and Christmas when Archie suddenly piped up, "By the way, does anyone know where Jug is?"

I glanced over at him and pulled a face. "He's back at the trailer with Jelly and Dad. Oh, did I forget to mention that he pulled a nice, little stunt on me last night and left me hanging when Dad was at the hospital with alcohol poisoning?"

Archie frowned. "Jeepers."

"I know right?" Veronica sighed as she rested her elbows on the surface of the wooden table. "It's such a dick move."

"It doesn't sound like Jug at all," Betty agreed.

"But, you have to admit, he hasn't been acting like himself lately," Archie pointed out.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Really? I didn't notice."

Archie shook his head. "No, listen. He started being all weird weeks ago ... before you came. Your arrival must've topped the icing on the cake though. He's done a complete three-sixty. He used to be so jovial and easy-going. Now he's all uptight and mysterious. I don't know what's gotten into him."

I leaned back, studying Archie's features closely. If he was telling the truth, could it be possible that me coming to Riverdale wasn't the reason Jughead was so upset?

I had no idea where to start, but I was determined that I would not rest until I had found out what my brother was hiding.








Gif: Mackenzie as she sits at the park bench with her friends.

*PLEASE REMEMBER to give this chapter a vote if you enjoyed and I'd love to hear any feedback from my readers; so pepper me with questions. If you're confused, I'll try and clarify it for you. If you want more information on a certain point, I'll do my best not to give you spoilers. If you just wanna chat 'bout random stuff, then I'm in *

Q: Do you think that Jughead is hiding a secret or is he just being a jerk?

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