Chapter Eleven

Gabby groaned when she heard her cell phone started to buzz on her nightstand. She flipped to her other side and snuggled up into the massive pile of blankets on her bed. Worked hard to stay warm against the air conditioning that blasted through her room.

Her phone continued to ring, making her huff, eyes fluttering open. Gabby rolled back the other way and reached out, grabbing her phone before it skipped off the desk and crashed to the floor. Not that it mattered that it was her fourth phone since January, it wasn't her fault that phones were being made to be broken easily nowadays. Who knew that a two-foot drop would completely shatter her phone screen? Another time Cheryl had taken it out of Gabby's hand and threw it out the car window when she felt that Gabby wasn't paying attention to her.

And twice she had kept it in harm's way during Volleyball practice, but that was just to prove to her dad that she really needed a new one. Nevertheless, Gabby held her phone tightly in her hand when she brought it to her ear, hard enough that the plastic pink case that covered it started to crack under the pressure.

She answered with a grouchy, "If you called me to say that your nail polish is the wrong color and that's your biggest crisis, I'm going to shoot you."

"I'd think I'd look a little funny in nail polish, don't you?" Jason replied calmly.

Gabby sighed, bringing her other hand up to rub her eyes. "Jay, you're as bad as Cheryl. Both of you hate when someone disturbs your 'beauty sleep' but you have no problem keeping everyone up from their own."

"Well, as Cheryl says, 'No one else can be as beautiful as a Blossom'," Jason replied.

"Goodnight, Jason."

"I need your help."

"I figured that out a long time ago."

Jason chuckled to himself. "Well, therapy is something that my dear mother Blossom doesn't quite believe in. And don't even get started on my father." When he spoke again, his voice changed, making Gabby slowly wake up. "But, I didn't say I needed help. I said I need your help."

"What in the world could I possible help you with right now? In the middle of the night? When we're all supposed to be sleeping." She couldn't help but add. "Unless you're with Polly…"

Jason ignored her comment but said, "'It has to do with Poly, yes." Gabby sighed once more but didn't respond. "Come on Gabs, I said I'd keep your secret. And I have. Now I need you to keep mine."

"When have I ever asked you to keep a secret for me?" Heart hammering, Gabby slowly sat up in bed, running a hand through her hair. She brought up a hand and started to tap at her teeth, a nervous had bit she'd thought she'd given up years ago. Or, her parents had tired to break her out of by putting hot sauce on her fingernails.

"I'm sure there's something I can find out," Jason practically purred. Gabby got a mental image of him wearing that smug smile that it seemed that all the Blossoms were born with. It drove her insane as much it as it made everyone else fall at the Blossom's feet. "Or, at least, I can cask Archie about it. That's who you were staring at today, right?" He paused for a second. "But I know you're smarter than other people think you are."

Gabby froze. She tightened her grasp around her phone. Clamped her lips together. Gritted her teeth. Wondered what it was going to take so that she didn't have a Blossom hanging over her head all the time. "What do you want, Jason?"

"I just told you, I need your help."

"I meant, specifically."

"Wow, I'm surprised you can say that word. You didn't even have to sound it out." Gabby rolled her eyes. Jason took her silence in stride. He probably knows he already has me, she thought. And knew she was right, when he continued with, "I need you meet me at Sweetwater River."

"In the middle of the night?"

"Yes, or else other people will see us. I really didn't think I needed to give you the play by play on how sneaking out works. I know you and Cheryl have had enough trips up to New York that your parents would be interested to find out."

"Fine." Gabby swung her legs to the floor and stood. She wiggled her toes in her thick carpet, hoped the tickling of the fibers to wake her up. "I'll meet you there." She hung up, took a step, then stopped, hanging her head. Her car was still in the shop. How was she going to get to Sweetwater River? She could hitchhike but…

"Are you insane?" Her father's voice whispered in her ear.

"I've trained you for nature, that's nothing," Her mother's voice whispered in response.

Nevertheless, Gabby got dressed as quickly as she could, made sure her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, moving almost on autopilot. Cheryl's voice whispered in her ear, "If you're going to do something even remotely physical, then a ponytail is a must. At least you'll have something interesting to play with when you're bored." Her voice wasn't nearly as loud as her parents' voices but she listened to it closer.

Gabby went down to the ground floor. The flickering light of the TV caught her attention and she walked to the living room. Her father was asleep on the couch, snoring softly, arms placed in his lap a loose blanket covering them. She reached over and pulled up the blanket, tucking him in before backing away. Left a note on the arm of his chair, just in case; Went for a walk. Be back soon. -Gabby.

She left the house, started down the driveway and walked and walked and walked. The suburbs to the heart of Riverdale wasn't very far. But the richer houses, in the richer neighborhoods may as well have been an entirely other world. And yet, she continued to walk. She was strong, she could handle walking a little bit. And it wasn't like she wasn't ready for it; she'd done even worse when training for volleyball. (And even, even worse when she and Cheryl had spent an entire day shopping, shopping, and more shoping.

It'd been fun.

It was always fun.

Cheryl was always fun…until she wasn't. Until something better came along. Until something more interesting caught her attention. A chill blew through the air, and unless that clear night was suddenly supposed to turn into an endless storm, Gabby was sure, in some way, Cheryl was able to hear her inner thoughts. Why else would it all suddenly become so cold? Why else would Gabby suddenly bring her arms to her chest and look over her shoulder to be sure no one was following her.

But that was silly, wasn't it? Riverdale was the town with pep! People slept with their homes unlocked. No one worried about people breaking in. People went in and out of each other's houses on social calls. They kept themselves separated from those that would be the wrong people to hang out with. There was the Northside and the Southside and things were supposed to stay that way. The darkness was supposed to stay on the other side of town.

And yet, it loomed over Gabby's head.

Thirty minutes later, Gabby finally arrived at Sweetwater River. She could hear the water rushing over the rocks; swirling and bubbling over the mud and branches that lined the sides and bottom of the biggest tourist attraction Riverdale had to offer. Every year, every summer, there were people that came all over to see Sweetwater River, to have picnics by the water side, to sail their boats, and bask in the blossoms the trees would rain down.

Gabby always thought it was strange, that people would come from all over to her tiny town just to see the same thing she saw every day. But looking at the water that night, she sort of understood. There was a mystery about it, a sore of allure that made it the best place for viewing the fireworks that were set off every 4th of July.

So much so that she jumped and nearly screamed when she heard the sound of a branch cracking behind her and her name whispered. Gabby whirled around to see Jason standing behind her, eyeing her with an expression of annoyance. "You knew I was coming, Gabs," he said dryly.

"Don't scare me like that, you jerk!" Gabby reached out and punched him hard on the shoulder. Frowned when Jason barely took a step away from her, barely reacted to her punch. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"There's nothing scary out here," Jason replied in the same dry tone. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket, the hood brought up to cover his red hair, shadow hanging over his face. "Unless you thought Cheryl was going to show up."

A beat of silence stretched between the two. A silent understanding that they were doing something dangerous in keeping a secret from Cheryl. From one of the most important people in their lives. If Cheryl found out…

Gabby's skin tingled the moment Jason's hands landed on her shoulders, enticingly dragging down to her wrists. She wasn't sure how she knew it was Jason but could tell the moment he leaned over her shoulder.

Or maybe, intuitively, she knew from the way Archie glanced at her from across the hall, his eyebrows rising, dark eyes shifting over her face before moving just to the left. From the way they flickered downward for a second before he lifted his chin and gave a nod, backing slightly out of the lunch line, turning his attention to whatever Betty was telling him.

Jason's breath tickled in her ear, making butterflies erupt in a fiery volcano of, of what—guilt?—as he whispered, "Can you keep a secret?"

Whatever a Blossom wants, a Blossom gets, Gabby thought.

And Jason got what he wanted when he said he needed her to keep the secret about Polly. But, most importantly, keeping the secret from Cheryl. He didn't go into the reasons why, then and there, but they both knew it. Because Cheryl was…Cheryl. All the things that made her great, made her…not so great. And it was Polly, someone who Cheryl was always comparing herself to. And it was Jason, her best friend, he rother half, the biggest influence in her life. If there was something he wasn't telling her…who knew what else there was that wasn't being said.

"Cheryl doesn't like hiking," Gabby finally replied. She giggled quietly to herself. "She has all the outfits in the world for it, but unless she's practicing archery or working on her tan lines, the outdoors are not for her."

"I know, I know," Jason agreed. He rolled his eyes. "The amount of tantrums she'd throw whenever mother and father even thought about going out into our chalet for a getaway."

Gabby nodded. Got right to the point. "Why'd you bring me here, Jase? Why"d you want to meet here?"

Jason nodded. Once. Twice. Three times. Watched her as if sizing her. As if working to figure out what it was he was trying to say, was going to say. It was then that Gabby realized why she was so fidgety, why she couldn't hold still, why she was so nervous. It was because Jason was nervous. He dropped his façade of knowing everything he was going to do before he did it. He wasn't "Jason Blossom" he was just Jason…who had a kid on the way.

He was scared.

"I need you help me and Polly," he explained.

"Help you do what? Keep a secret? Believe me, I'm not going to say anything."

"No." Jason shook his head. He took a deep breath, looked her in the eye. "I need you to help me and Polly…get out or Riverdale."

Gabby yawned and reached up to rub at her eyes, then immediately slapped her palm back to her side. She couldn't rub her eyes. Couldn't ruin her makeup. Couldn't let anyone see the dark bags under her eyes, and the redness in the whites that she worked hard to cover up. Couldn't let anyone see her sweat. Couldn't let anyone know that she was up at all hours of the night, talking to Jason to come up with some sort of a half-baked plan to, maybe, get him out of Riverdale.

Then spent the rest of the night tossing and turning because…what if it worked? What was she going to say if someone asked what she knew about it? What about when the Blossoms asked? What was going to happen to Jason and Polly and the baby?

But she had to act as if everything was normal. So, Gabby held her head high and practiced her fixed stare in front of her, not paying attention to any of the faces that turned her way. Not caring for those that had to move out of her path while she continued forward.

She was ready for the day. Nothing was different. She was going to meet Cheryl in the student lounge and they'd gossip over their morning cups of coffee before going to their first class. Gabby went into the lounge, waving to Reggie as she went, and sat down on the biggest couch. She picked up her bag and started to root around for the school's camera, wanting to look over the photos from the football game.

Her peace and quiet was disturbed seconds later.

"Gabby."

She didn't have to look up to know it was Betty standing in front of her. She knew it from the ballet shoes that came to a stop in front of her. Only Betty would wear shoes that were so sweet. "I need the camera. It was supposed to have been returned to the The Register this morning."

"Isn't that a bit dangerous? For you to take your mother's property and use it for your own personal gain?" Gabby pursed her lips, making a tsking sound as she shook her head. "What would Alice Cooper think, knowing her perfect daughter stole from her?" She purposefully paused for effect. "if she even notices."

Betty hugged.

"Last I checked, Betty, it's still morning," Gabby replied. She pointedly kept her head down, brought up a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, continued to shuttle through the photos. "A few more minutes isn't going to hurt." Gabby's lips curled at the corner, amused. "I just need to get a few more photos off then you can take it."

"More pictures of Reggie and Moose butting heads over and over again?" Betty replied. "I think the Yearbook is already filled enough with that sort of thing."

"And it'd be better filled with, what?" Gabby finally lifted her head. She casually swung the camera back and forth in her hand. "Your bright smiles at those…" she yawned. Perfect timing. "Those boring debates. What was the audience like last time? How were those crickets?"

Betty pressed her lips firmly together. She reached forward to grab the camera, then stopped. Her eyes shifted and she brought her hand back. Gabby glanced at her then at the camera and felt her blood run cold.

"What's that?" Betty asked.

Gabby stayed silent.

There was a sudden roaring from the crowd that whipped Archie's attention to the field. And, for a moment, he was transfixed. Eyes searching for the source of the sound, lips parted as he quickly took in the surprising tackle that'd happened. The turnover—or whatever—that'd been given to Riverdale High. (That is, if what Jason had told her about football had finally sunk in). Gabby watched him for a moment, the weight of her camera gently pushing against her chest when the wind blew once more. On a whim, Gabby took the camera into her hands, brought it up to her eye, adjusted the lens, then took the picture.

The sound of the camera shuttering must've grabbed Archie's attention, for he blinked and flashed Gabby a smile before facing forward again.

Gabby lowered her camera and studied the picture. Saw Archie in a way other people didn't see. Where he was completely himself, didn't have to put up a air to fit in with everyone around him. Wasn't worried about the jokes and teasing he got in response to his appearance. But she saw the way his eyes sparkled as he watched the field, excited for the start of the game and what was to happen next.

Gabby unbuttoned her jacket, suddenly feeling very warm.

If anyone asked about the picture, if anyone noticed, it anyone wondered why she was paying so much attention to Archie Andrews…she'd say it was for the Yearbook.

"Why do you have a picture of Archie?"

Gabby immediately came back to life and rolled her eyes. She tightened her grasp around the camera. "Because he was the football game," She said snootily. She couldn't help it, being around Betty always seemed to bring out that side of her, as it did for Betty when Gabby was around. "Why else would I have it?"

"That's what I'm asking you."

Gabby sighed, turned off the camera, and held it out toward Betty. "If you don't want the camera—"

"—You better not be doing something to him—" Betty interrupted. Gabby snorted. Both in surprise of the change in topic, and in offense. "Cause if you're going to do something to Archie with this," Betty insisted. "If you're going to embarrass him—"

"—Oh, like I can embarrass him any more than you already do," Gabby shot back, finally tired of hearing Betty's constant babbling in her ear. "You talk for him all the time. You defend him from everyone. If he wants to defend himself, let him defend himself." She waved her hands. "But why am I surprised? Betty Cooper; has to be in everyone's business. Has to save the world. Has to be the best at everything even though she's hopeless at just about everything she touches." She moved to step around Betty, but Betty moved to block her way.

Gabby sighed heavily, waiting for the lecture she was sure she was about to receive. You could never talk to Betty without getting some sort of lecture.

Betty's eyes narrowed slightly when she stepped in front of Gabby. Her blue eyes shifted over the latter's face, looking her up and down, as if unsure of who she was. Gabby simply folded her arms over her chest and stared back at Betty.

It was hard to believe they used to be friends.

A/N: Ooh, so what's going on with Betty and Gabby? I've had that plotline for them in mind for a long time (no, it's not Archie that's tore them apart) and I'm glad that it's at least being shown here. I'm pretty excited for it. But, geez, Gabby's got a lot going on right now.

So, it's been a long time since I've updated and that's mostly due to the fact that I stopped watching Riverdale partway through season 2. To me, it became something I didn't enjoy as much but I still plan on finishing this story and The War At Home which is going to be set entirely in season 1. So far, I have no plans to move forward after that.

Thank you for at least continuing to read along with what I've come up with.

Hope you liked it.

Cheers,

-Riley