"Found it!" Jellybean shouted, "Right across from each other. Obviously."

"You sure you wanna go here, Starlet?" Mad Dog whispered as he set down a box of my belongings. I nodded in response. Archie had insisted on dropping me off but I declined. Right now, he needed to be with his mom and family.

From across the hall I heard Jughead whistle, "Starlet, Betts. We are not in Riverdale High anymore."

He was absolutely right. I loved it.

"Nicolette?" Betty interrupted my moment with Mad Dog, "I'll miss you so much." I noticed a box in her hand, "It's a care package from Cheryl, Toni, Archie, Peaches, Reggie, Vee, and me. I just wish my mom and Polly..."

Her voice cracked while mentioning Polly.

"I know, Betty. We'll find them, Betty. And we'll burn that hellhole to the ground. I promise."

"I-I uh, I'll call you later." Betty said, "Charles said to tell you about any leads ASAP so you could help us, if you'll..."

"Of course..." I said, "You're the most important person in my life, Betty. We're family no matter how much DNA Hiram and I share. You and I are ride or die, Elizabeth."

"I, uh, gotta go. Love you."

"Love you, too. Remember to call me if you so much as hear the name Evernever and I'll kill him myself."

-

"You rang!?"

"Jesus Christ!" I jumped.

"Hey, Brett." Jughead said.

"Juggie," I said, "Can I have a word with you?"

"What?"

"You know how Betty just left? And now you're stuck with me? I know this isn't Riverdale High, but I intend to be the HBIC of this godforsaken place. I promised Cheryl."

"Did you now?"

"Obvi. Now can we get to class so I can get out of this ridiculous uniform ASAP?"

"What class do you have?"

"Same as you, Forsythe." Brett interrupted.

"Yeah," I smiled.

"Don't." Jughead warned.

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third."

"I hate you." He rolled his eyes.

"Funny. You weren't saying that while we were dating."

"Very funny."

"Okay, Forsythe."

"Shut up, Lodge."

I stopped, "You wound me, Jones. But I swear if you call me a Lodge one more time, I'll call Sweet Pea."

"Ooh? I'm so scared."

"You should be."

-

"What does everyone think of Brett's story."

"Well..." Jughead started, "I think it's kind of lacking..."

That's when I spoke up, "Adding to that, I think it was rather depressing and quite frankly not relatable."

"I'm sorry, Nicolette Lodge, is it?" Brett said.

"Nicolette Woodhouse, actually..." I said, annoyed, "I told you this a billion times. But proceed with your predictably idiotic statement."

"I'm sorry but I can't relate to an orphan littered with bruises."

"At least I'm not a rich boy who..."

Brrring...

"Miss Woodhouse, no phones in class."

"I have to take this..."

Jughead grabbed my arm, "It's Betty. I have to take this, Jug. What if it's..."

"Why's she calling you?"

Bzzz.

Betty: Edgar called me. He has demands.

"Fuck." I looked at Jughead and whispered in his ear, "Edgar."

"Shit." He gasped, "I'm coming with you."

"The fuck if you are."

"Language." Mr. Chipping said.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Chipping," I said sweetly, "It's just my aunt is sick and I need to get back to the Riverdale General Hospital before she dies..."

"Alice is-"

"Betty didn't tell you? Anyhow, Mr. Chipping, It's an emergency and I really would appreciate it if you'll just let me go see her. Please. She's dying."

"I suppose."

"Thank you for your sympathy, Mr. Chipping."

"Nicolette..." Jughead said.

"I'll call you later, Jug." I said, "To tell you if Alice is alive or not."

"I-"

"Jones."

"Starlet."

"Jones."

"Starlet."

"Jones."

"Starlet."

"Charles?"

"Maybe."

"Is she with..."

"I really gotta go, guys. See you later."

Brett smiled, "I'm here for you, Starlet."

"Thank you, Brett."

Jughead rolled his eyes.

-

"What the fuck, Betty?" I said, "I ditched class for..."

"Polly?"

"Betty... don't..."

"Holy shit! Polly!? What the actual fuck?"

-

"Veronica?"

I was reading in my room in the Pembrooke while Veronica worked at La Bonne Nuit since Jughead insisted I sleep in Riverdale until Brett Westin Wallis stopped flirtatiously stalking me.

"Jesus Christ, Archie, if that's you, I'll give you another brand." I got up, wielding my knife the same way I did when I first moved to Los Angeles. I wasn't sure if it was my paranoia or something but I swear to god what I saw made me wish I'd kept my gun.

"And I'll gladly do the same to you, Mija."

This is impossible, I thought to myself, I'm dreaming.

"You're not real... you're not real. I'm dreaming. I can't possibly..."

"I heard a rumor that you were going to that school..." He said, "How many times do I have to tell you that I won't support that... You understand that, don't you?"

"I am."

"Good. Then come back with me to the prison. We can be together. With your sister."

I scoffed, "Oh, Ronnie won't..."

"Your other sister..." Oh shit.

"What are you doing here?" My sister finally came home after a long silence, "Starlet, go get your bags, I'm having Mary Andrews take you to Stonewall tonight. I honestly don't know what Jughead is trying to do over there but I told him if anything happens to you that I'd have his head on a stake. Anyway, Daddy, aren't you supposed to be in prison?"

"I own that prison. And I've come to get my daughter back. She ran away and she needs me. Also, I couldn't help but notice that you're changing your name."

"I am."

"I would slap you for how disrespectful you're being to me right now but your little sister has defied me enough for the both of you. Do you know I wasn't always Hiram Lodge? I changed my name from Jaime Luna. And never have I felt my father's rage more than now." Hiram's gaze shifted to me, "Come along now, Nicolette."

"No." I said, "I'm not going back there."

"We'll see..." He said, "Don't bother changing the locks. You can't keep me out of my own home."

When he left Veronica looked at me, "Pack your bags, I'm having FP take you back to Stonewall.