WARNING: This chapter does contain one scene in which physical abuse takes place. Please be careful while reading the ending of the chapter if you are triggered by mentions of physical abuse.

Chapter 13: The Grundy Chronicles, Part 2

Today I've cried a many tear

And pain is in my heart

Around me lies a somber scene

I don't know where to start

But I feel warmth on my skin

The stars have all aligned

The wind has blown, but now I now

That tomorrow will be kinder

Tomorrow Will Be Kinder by The Secret Sisters

"Rosie, your ginger haired, cookie-cutter boyfriend is here!"

The Green girl rolled her glasses-clad eyes in annoyance as her brother's irritating voice sounded from the first floor.

"He's not my boyfriend, Will," she reiterated as patiently as possible as she thundered quickly down the stairs. The faster she got Archie out of her brother's exasperating presence, the better. "I've told you that I don't know how many times. We're just friends."

"Uh-huh, that's not what Reggie was telling me," smirked the sandy-haired blonde from the living room couch.

"Reggie's brain is made of a solid brick of fudge, so I don't know why you would trust his word against mine. You could have at least let him inside, douche-waffle," she shot back crossly.

"Hey!"

Before her brother could protest any more, Rosie flung open the front door to reveal Archie waiting. He smiled brightly.

"Hi, Arch," she smiled back. "Come on in."

"Thanks," grinned the redhead.

As he kicked off his converse, he greeted the Green boy.

"Hi, Will," he said kindly.

"Andrews," spat Will.

Rosie intervened. "Will, seriously?"

"It's okay, Ro," Archie murmured graciously.

"If Mom or Dad need me, I'll be upstairs," Rosie told Will as she and Archie started up the stairs.

"I don't care!" the boy called over his shoulder. "Have fun doing…whatever gross things you two do together all the time!"

This time, it was Archie who rolled his eyes.

Then, to his confusion, Rosie continued past the second floor. He expected her to stop there, as there was a long, winding hallway with many doors.

"Where is your room?"

Rosie screeched to a stop, eyebrows scrunched. "Up here…?"

She swept a long, dark curtain to the side, revealing a skinny, dark set of steps. She gestured up.

"Your room is in the attic?" he asked hesitantly.

Rosie was puzzled. "Haven't you been in my room before? I could have sworn you'd been up here."

Archie shook his head. "I don't think so. I think we hung out in your backyard."

"Oh, yeah. Well…my room is in the attic."

She spun on her heel and started up the steps.

"Why are you in the attic?"

"Mom thought it'd be better for Will if he had his own few rooms for his stuff. They buy him so much crap, he doesn't have space for everything. She put me up here so I wouldn't 'bother him' while he's studying…or whatever the heck he does when he's home. I honestly wouldn't know what he does in his rooms. I'm never home enough to pay attention…or care."

At the top of the stairs was a small landing with a welcome mat that read Coffee?

A smile tugged at the corner of Archie's mouth as Rosie unlocked her bedroom door.

She plugged in twinkle lights strung up around the room as he entered. And as soon as the lights began to glow, he was better able to see how Rosie had set up her cold, dusty attic. It was cozy and comfortable, just like Rosie.

Archie instantly felt at home in the space, and appreciated the warm color scheme – the burgundy, burnt orange, and pale green accents were perfect.

The simple, white tapestry with sketch-like wildflowers tied everything together. And while Archie was not one who was necessarily gifted in the area of interior design, he knew that he felt at home. He wasn't sure if it was the room, the girl, or both…but he liked it.

His brow lowered as he watched her latch the door behind them.

"Do you always lock your door?" he wondered as nonchalantly as possible.

She nodded as if it was no big deal. "Yeah. After Will walked in and smashed by uke to pieces, I don't trust him – or my parents. They used to sneak in and read my journals and song notebooks while I was at school."

The Andrews boy said nothing. His brow scrunched lower. He shrugged, deciding not to question why her parents would do such a thing.

She flopped down on her bed, sitting with her legs crossed under her.

Archie sat next to her.

Rosie sensed some hesitation on his end. She chuckled slightly.

"I don't care if you sit on my bed, Arch. It's not weird," she laughed. "Why so quiet?"

He stared down at his lap for a moment, slung off his letterman jacket, and threw it onto the office chair at her desk.

Her dark eyebrows scrunched as he sighed.

"Betty was pretty angry with me," he relayed. "I hate having her be angry with me."

"You answered her questions honestly, Arch," Rosie replied kindly. "She was just mad that you hadn't told her about you and Grundy before then, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I think she was more frustrated with the fact that you had told me about Grundy and not her."

"I can't exactly tell her when she doesn't hang with me as much as she used to. I wonder if she's jealous…?"

"Of me?"

"Maybe. I mean, you're pretty new to town. I've known Betty a long time and I've been spending a lot of time with you."

"Maybe. Is that normal for Betty? To feel jealous of others like that?"

"I guess so. I'm not sure. It hasn't happened a lot."

Rosie smiled, feeling somewhat bashful as she spoke. "Guess she was used to having you all to herself. Now she has to share."

Archie grinned widely, nudging her with his shoulder, cheeks turning a tad pink. "Yeah, yeah."

"I'm just hoping that Betty drops this altogether," Rosie continued more seriously. "Digging into something she has no business digging into in the first place will make this much messier than it needs to be."

Little did either Rosie or Archie know, messy didn't even start to describe the chaos that was to come with Grundy's situation.

The next day at school, Rosie sat with Veronica and Kevin in the student lounge. None of them had a clue as to where Betty was, and Rosie knew that Archie was helping Jughead pass out fliers for the Twilight Drive-In's showing of Rebel Without a Cause the next night.

The Green girl's night in with the resident ginger teen had been spectacular. The two had been able to talk and hang out without any interruptions. It had been quite late when Archie finally went home, and even though Carol Green had lectured her fairly extensively about timing and how imperative it was to have her friends out of the house so that Will could have his precious beauty sleep before basketball season began.

Rosie sat on a sofa in front of the vending machine, Veronica seated in the armchair facing her. Kevin was searching for his early morning chocolate bar fix. The three were discussing the drive-in.

"It's this quintessential rite of passage, making out with your boy or girlfriend at the movies," Kevin told them dreamily.

He fell over the top of the couch, almost knocking Rosie in the head with his shoes. She amusedly pushed his legs out of her way.

"Careful there, Casanova," she joked.

Kevin stuck his tongue out at her. She and Veronica chuckled.

"Why don't the three of us go together?" the Lodge girl suggested. "I mean, I can't promise either of you any action, but maybe I'll bring you good luck."

"Rosie here doesn't need any luck." The Keller boy smirked and smacked Rosie's arm with his heel.

"Hey!" she complained good naturedly. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Ro," Veronica said, shaking her head. "You and Archie?"

Rosie groaned. "Seriously? Guys, we're just friends."

"That's what everyone says. When I was talking about that quintessential rite of passage, I was referring to you and our resident copper-haired James Dean," clarified Kevin. "You two are endgame. Rarchie for life."

Rosie rolled her eyes, flicking her braid over her shoulder. She was tired of his constant nagging about Archie.

"Kev, I've told you a million times. Archie and I will never be more than friends. I don't see him that way."

As soon as the sentence left her lips, a small shadow of doubt sank into her stomach. Something about that statement felt wrong to her. It was like she was lying to herself. Did she see Archie as more than a friend? And if she did, could she even admit it to herself?

"Ro," said Veronica gently. "When you and Archie are together, there's a spark. I see it. Kevin sees it. Literally everyone notices how well you two work together. It's like it was fate."

For a moment, Rosie admitted those feelings to herself. She couldn't deny she felt something when Archie was next to her. She was comfortable around him. He felt like home.

But after that moment had passed, she was back to denying it. Archie could never like her. Betty had been his best friend for years and she was gorgeous; the girl next door type. How could he not like her? If Archie hadn't crushed on her by now and made a move, then why would he feel the same about Rosie?

"No, guys. It's not like that."

The brunette was strangely quiet as she said so. It was unlike her.

Veronica and Kevin shared a look.

"Well, I'll go with you," he told Veronica. "You know…another night, another hag."

Veronica and Rosie laughed, not noticing Cheryl Blossom marching through the doorway.

"Speaking of hags," she announced, "Veronica, it's so devastating to me that your mother has to sink to such unspeakable lows just to keep those knockoff Hermes bags on your arm. What's next, selling her hair extensions?"

Rosie rolled her eyes.

"My mom's a waitress, Cheryl, not Fantine," Veronica retorted. "And your faux concern reeks of ulterior motive. What is it?"

Rosie listened as Cheryl continued to spout insults, eventually showing them all a picture of Hermione speaking with a tall, dark-haired man in a leather jacket.

And as she pirouetted away, Kevin explained to Rosie and Veronica about the infamous Southside Serpents – a biker gang whose territory was on the South side of Riverdale; the side of town no Northsider dared to step foot in. There was even another high school – South Side High – that wasn't advertised on the town website.

Rosie was curious about this side of town, and about the Serpents.

Why were they so isolated and why was it that all those on the North side were so afraid?

Rosie entered Pop's, vehemently puzzled at Betty's phone call from earlier. The Cooper girl had requested she meet them at the local diner but wouldn't give her a reason for the meet-up.

She saw Veronica, Betty, and Archie gathered at their usual booth. Archie didn't seem particularly pleased to be there.

Rosie approached the table, doing her best to look somewhat upbeat rather than confused.

"Hey, guys," she greeted. "What's with this impromptu gathering? Something going on at school that I don't know yet?"

"Kind of," Veronica nodded. "Betty has something she'd like to share with you and Archie."

Even though Veronica usually had no trouble being upfront and honest with others, she seemed to be holding back.

"O-kay…" said Rosie hesitantly. She slung her messenger bag from her shoulder, adjusted her burnt orange and black thinly striped shirt under her jean jacket, and slid into the seat next to Archie.

"What I'm about to tell you – this is for both of your benefits," Betty said somberly.

"What's with the file?" interrupted Rosie, gesturing to a yellow folder resting in front of the blonde on the table.

"You'll see." Betty directed the conversation. "Ms. Grundy showed up in Riverdale a year ago, out of thin air. There's no record of her before that."

The Cooper girl opened the file and shoved it across the table towards Archie and Rosie.

"Her Facebook, her LinkedIn account, they were all created one year ago."

Rosie examined the printed screenshots of each website, squinting to understand the words on the papers. Her dyslexia made it difficult to read things quickly. She adjusted her glasses, hoping that would help, but to no avail.

"Before that, she's a ghost. She doesn't exist. The only Geraldine Grundy I could find was a woman who died seven years ago."

Her finger slammed onto a newspaper cutout of an old woman's obituary.

Rosie's brow furrowed. What was the point of all this?

She and Archie shared a perplexed glance.

"How…where did you find all this?" asked Archie skeptically.

"The deep web. The dark internet," mused Veronica dramatically. "Check it, it's all online. Simple googling."

"Okay, as interesting as this may be, guys," Rosie said as she set down the Facebook printout, surrendering to her incompetent skimming skills, "why was this necessary?"

"And did you cyber-stalk Ms. Grundy before or after you interviewed her for a fake article?" added Archie.

"You do realize that she and Archie are no longer dating right?" Rosie said firmly.

"I'm not in any danger, Betty," Archie agreed. "I never was."

"You don't know that," the blonde retorted sharply.

"Yeah, I do, I was with her," replied Archie determinedly. "For several months, actually."

"What about her threatening Rosie? Huh? Rosie, don't you feel like you're in danger?"

Rosie shook her head. She was upfront with the blonde. "No, I don't. Archie resolved things with her in a civil manner. Besides, I don't think she's capable of doing me any harm. She's all bark and no bite."

Betty huffed and changed tactics. "She taught Jason Blossom. Did you know that?"

There was a beat.

"And?" Rosie urged. "What of it? She probably taught a lot of people."

The Green girl was growing tired of Betty's pestering.

"Yeah, Betty, what's your point?" Archie chimed in, sounding as equally frustrated.

"The point is you two don't know anything about her," snapped the Cooper girl. "You've let her off the hook for doing something illegal and ask us to just stay out of it and leave it alone? She didn't have any internet footprint until one year ago. Doesn't that worry you? You have to share a classroom with her every day, not knowing who she really is."

Rosie shook her head in disbelief.

"Betty, let this go," pleaded Archie.

"We asked you to leave her alone, Bets," Rosie agreed. "The past is the past. We don't have a problem with her anymore and she's not going to cause any issues."

Betty seemed desperate. "Archie, Rosie, please…"

"She's just trying to help, Archiekins," Veronica interjected gently.

"We understand that, and we're grateful for the attempt." Rosie jumped in to say something kind before Archie ended up digging himself into a hole of insults and hurt. "But we're okay with Grundy. She's a harmless music teacher who is obviously going through some psychological…breakdown of some sort. There's something going on with her that's not got anything to do with me or Archie. Just please, Betty…let her work through her own difficulties in peace."

"Okay, I'll stop digging. I'm sorry," conceded Betty. "I'll let it go."

She snatched the file from the table and shoved it back into her bag.

"Thank you, Betty," said Archie, relieved.

Betty's attempt at a smile didn't reach her eyes. "I'll see you at the Blue & Gold staff meeting tomorrow morning, Ro?"

Rosie cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be there."

"Okay. Let's go, V."

Betty waved her hand towards the restaurant exit, Veronica following along and scooting out of the booth.

Rosie and Archie stayed glued to their seats at their two friends left Pop's, watching warily as Smithers, the Lodge's chauffer, ushered the girls into the swanky vehicle and drove off.

As soon as the car was gone, Rosie's head plonked onto the diner table with a resounding SMACK.

Archie couldn't help but chuckled slightly.

"That's exactly how I feel," he agreed, amused.

"I just don't get it," Rosie exasperated, her head raising. A small red circle in the middle of her forehead served as proof of the amount of force she had hit the table with. She faced the boy next to her in disbelief.

"Of course you do," reasoned Archie, inwardly still amused with the red circle on her forehead. "You always get every side of every argument."

Rosie scoffed good naturedly at the comment. "I mean sure, yes, I understand her reasoning perfectly. She's concerned for our wellbeing near Grundy. And she's concerned about your history in particular with this teacher, but…what I don't understand is her lack of trust in us."

Archie shook his head, his swept back copper hair bobbing slightly with the motion. "It's not us she doesn't trust. It's Grundy."

"You could take out Grundy with a flick to her nose. She'd go toppling down like a tree in a windstorm," countered Rosie. "She's my height at the most and thinner than me by a long shot. She has no muscle to her. How much harm could she do to me? Especially if you're there? I don't fear for my safety at all if you're around."

A smile twitched at the corner of Archie's mouth. "You don't?"

"Not at all. You'd come to my aid immediately. And I would do the same for you, too, obviously. I'm not exactly equal in strength, so I'd do my best to go for vulnerable bits…but you know what I mean. It's the fact that Betty took time out of her day to do something that was unnecessary, and, frankly, none of her business – especially when we specifically told her not to."

The almost smile turned into a disappointed scowl. "She does have a point, I guess."

"Really?"

"Maybe. I mean it is just a little weird Ms. Grundy hasn't had those social media accounts very long."

"I understand that. I've had Facebook since I was thirteen."

"Right, and Grundy is our teacher – old enough to have had a Facebook for a while now."

"Maybe she just wasn't interested until a year ago."

"That's true."

Suddenly, a low grumbling sound halted their conversation.

"Oops, that's me," chuckled Rosie. "I didn't eat lunch today."

Archie suddenly looked concerned. "You didn't? Why?"

The girl adjusted her glasses nervously. Her eyes flickered to the tabletop. She shrugged. "My mom forgot to pack me a lunch and was too busy to put money on my school lunch account."

"I would have gotten you something," he offered kindly.

She shook her head, finally meeting his eyes. "No, it's okay. This isn't the first time that's happened."

A smile crept over Archie's face. "My dad wanted me to pick up some dinner while I was here anyways. Want to eat with us? And maybe you can help me with my geometry homework…?"

The hopeful tone in his voice when asking for math help sent a grin cascading over Rosie's features.

"Only if you can assist me with getting my thesis statement written for English," she bargained.

Archie couldn't help but laugh. "Deal."

The mid-autumn evenings had begun to get chillier with each passing day. The golden strands of the dying sun enveloped Riverdale in a warm glow. The crimson and orange leaves were lit up like strands of twinkle lights within the great trees along the streets leading to the Andrews residence.

With a bag of still-hot food from Pop's in one hand, Archie traipsed slowly along with Rosie at his side. The two teens joked and teased each other.

Veronica was right. There was a spark between them that, at some point, they weren't going to be able to deny any longer.

And while the two had almost forgotten about Betty's rundown of Grundy's internet history, the woman in question hastily approached from the corner before them.

The two stopped in their tracks – and so did Geraldine Grundy.

She was jogging. She slowed to a walk and stopped in front of them.

Neither Rosie nor Archie knew what to say.

"Hi, Rosie, hi, Archie," she greeted warmly.

"Hi, Ms. Grundy," Rosie replied politely. "How are you?"

"Just getting in some daily exercise," Grundy said. "How are the two of you?"

Her eyes seemed to glaze over slightly when she realized that they must be headed somewhere together.

"Going to my house," Archie told her. "Rosie is coming over for dinner."

"Oh, how nice. Do you go over often, Rosie?"

The girl in question nodded, although a bit hesitantly. "Yeah, at least once a week."

"If not more." Archie smiled down at her. She smiled back. But then something else crossed her mind.

"Ms. Grundy, I'm sorry if Betty's interview today made you uncomfortable," she apologized. "She wasn't trying to pry, really. She was just curious. She is about most new teachers."

Not all of that is a lie, thought Rosie. So I hope I didn't come off too strangely. I'm a horrible liar. I'm sure Grundy would be able to tell if I was lying.

But Grundy seemed to brush it off. "It's alright. I understand. Riverdale is a small town. Everyone knows everything about everyone. I'm somewhat new. It's a big adjustment for some students who have lived here their whole lives. They get used to hearing about the same teachers throughout their years of schooling."

"I understand that," Rosie said. She felt that she and the music teacher had finally found something they had in common – besides their interest in Archie. "Things were a little rocky for me at first, too."

Grundy seemed surprised. "They were? I'm sorry to hear that."

"There were a lot of misunderstandings," Archie added. "Between her and a lot of…other people."

Grundy cleared her throat awkwardly. Misunderstandings. It was a kind word for a messy situation.

Rosie felt the need to make the conversation less awkward. "Archie told me how beautifully you play cello, Ms. Grundy. He said your concert was spectacular."

This seemed to make her feel comfortable again. "Oh, thank you. I always find joy in playing my music."

"Did you always want to be a music teacher, Ms. Grundy?" asked Archie.

Rosie raised her eyebrows and secretly shot her friend a knowing smile. This was Archie's way of doing some digging – of proving Betty wrong.

The teacher scoffed good-naturedly. "Oh, no. I graduated Julliard, and I auditioned at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, all the big symphonies, but I didn't make the cut. Not even close." Her demeanor changed. "I had a dream but…sometimes that's all they are. Just dreams."

There was a pause.

Rosie felt a certain sympathy for her teacher. While Grundy hadn't exactly welcomed her into the school, or her own classroom, for that matter, with open arms, she understood what it was like to not be able to achieve what she always had wanted.

"Don't give up, Ms. Grundy," she told her boldly. "Keep playing. Audition again and again. Audition a thousand times until those panelists and conductors are sick and tired of seeing your face and hearing your cello. If you have a dream, then you should go for it."

Geraldine's expression was one of shock.

"You get summers off, right?"

"I do," she confirmed, somewhat mystified.

"Save money. Fly out to all the big auditions. Don't stop believing in yourself because somebody else didn't believe in you."

Guilt flooded Geraldine Grundy's mind like a tsunami. This teenager that she had threatened and called horrible names was encouraging her to do what she loved? Being kind to her?

Tears flooded her eyes for a moment and she quickly wiped them away.

"Thank you, Rosie," she beamed. "I will consider it. I promise I will." She cleared her throat once again and began to slowly jog past them. "I have to finish this run. I'll see you both in class tomorrow?"

"Yes, you will," confirmed Rosie. "Have a good night, Ms. Grundy."

"Have a good night, you two," the teacher smiled.

And with that, she jogged down the street and out of sight.

Rosie smiled up at Archie, who was staring down at her, completely stunned.

"You are…so wonderful," he gushed.

Rosie couldn't help but laugh. "Wonderful?"

He swept her into a bone-crushing hug. His arms wound around her waist, clinging to her in a way that was unfamiliar to Rosie.

Her arms went up around his neck, holding him close.

She wasn't sure what had brought on this sudden intimate moment, but she was glad.

And when the two let go of each other, after a moment of holding the other tightly, both of their cheeks were bright crimson.

"W-what was that for?" she giggled in a very un-Rosie like way as they walked together.

"Ms. Grundy was so awful to you at the Taste of Riverdale and you still are so nice to her. You told her to follow her dreams of being a musician," he said, as if in awe. "That's insane to me and I don't really understand it."

"I felt for her," Rosie explained.

"Why?"

"There was this…emptiness in her eyes. I've seen it in my own before. I've felt it. She deserves some compassion, just like anyone else in this world."

And while Archie had an overwhelming urge to sweep Rosie up in his arms and kiss her, he resisted. Instead, he took her hand and interlaced his fingers with her own.

Rosie was speechless.

But instead of questioning him, she went along with it, her insides flittering and fluttering wildly.

And so it was confirmed. The phrase rolled around in her mind like a bowling ball.

I have a crush on Archie Andrews.

But Archie and Rosie's dream-like, teen rom-com walk to the Andrews residence ended more quickly than either wanted.

Two figures stood by the front steps up the porch. Betty and Veronica, faces strewn with guild and concern.

Archie and Rosie very quickly dropped each other's hands as they approached. They didn't want the two girls to get the wrong idea.

"Oh, god," muttered the redhead dreadfully. "Please don't tell me you're still on this crazy witch hunt."

The four teens gathered close, hoping that no one else in the neighborhood heard their topic of discussion.

"It's not a witch hunt, and it's not crazy," hissed Betty.

The blonde looked to Veronica, who simply nodded once.

"We were just in Grundy's car…" she admitted.

"What?" he deadpanned.

"You were in her car?" demanded Rosie. "What the hell, guys? That's illegal!"

"Yeah and thank god we were. We found a gun," Veronica said matter-of-factly.

"People have the right to own guns, Veronica. So what if she did? She's a single woman living alone. Self-defense from home invaders is totally a thing. Why not if she obtained it legally and she's got proper training?" Rosie challenged.

"Yeah," agreed Archie.

"No, it's not that part, we'll tell you why it's concerning," Veronica clarified.

"We also found an ID with the name Jennifer Gibson. This is proof Ms. Grundy is not who she says she is," added Betty.

Rosie's stomach dropped.

"Then who is she?" asked Archie.

"Obviously some sketch-queen named Jennifer Gibson," Veronica commented.

"Archie, what if she had something to do with Jason's murder? She taught him, she made you lie about him, we know she was at the river, she has a gun!"

"Betty, that's ridiculous," Rosie shook her head, not wanting to believe it. "So she has a gun. Big deal!"

"So does Dilton Doiley, but you never thought he killed Jason," Archie pointed out.

"Open your eyes, Archie," exasperated Veronica. "Jason was her student last year. Everything about her is a huge, boldfaced question mark."

"Okay we literally just talked to Grundy," Rosie butt in. "Archie asked her about her past. She was a musician before taking this teaching position. She wanted to be a cellist in a professional symphony. We know something about her. But we can't go finding out information about her illegally! It's going to take some time for her to open up."

"And whatever her name is, she's not a killer," argued Archie.

"You didn't ask her, did you? About her name? And why there's no record of her before last year? Why not?" pushed Betty.

This had obviously shoved Archie over the edge. He was done with the conversation. He squeezed Rosie on the arm, nodded at the door, glared at the two girls, and went inside.

"Rosie," said Veronica firmly, "don't tell me you're on Archie's side."

Rosie huffed. "I am. And I can feel it in my gut – that woman is not a killer. I can see it in her eyes. She's a lost soul, but she's not capable of murder."

Before either Betty or Veronica could get a word in edgewise, Rosie marched up the front steps and entered the house. She inhaled deeply, calming her heart rate.

She slammed her bag down onto the floor, then spotted Archie sitting on the staircase, his jaw firmly clenched.

"Why did they do that?" he murmured angrily.

Rosie sighed, moving to sit on the step next to him. Their arms were pressed together. "They thought that their extreme tactics would convince us not to trust Grundy."

"They're only making it worse," he complained drearily, resting his head on her shoulder.

She chuckled darkly. "I know. I just can't believe she killed Jason. I don't believe it."

"You said you saw emptiness in her eyes. That you'd seen that in yourself before."

"I have."

"Why?"

The brunette went silent, staring down at her black Doc Martens.

Archie sat upright, eyes flickering around her now-serious features. "If you don't want to talk about it…"

"No," she stopped him suddenly. "No, I do, actually."

She kept her eyes on her shoes as she spoke. Her voice was low. "There have been times in my life where I've felt no one cares for me. Not my parents, not my brother, not my friends or teachers…it's lonely. Isolation is not easy. What got me through was music – playing, writing, singing, listening. I see that in Ms. Grundy. She's gone through something horrible. I saw it when she was talking about her dream of being in a professional symphony. I understand that longing. I was just too young to try to achieve my dreams."

"That's why you encouraged her to go for it?"

She nodded.

His arm went around her shoulders. "I'm sorry you went through that."

She leaned into his embrace. "It's okay. I'm stronger now because of it."

"Archie? Is that you and Rosie? I'm starving, son! Get in here with those burgers!"

The two laughed quietly as Fred yelled from the back of the house.

They stood from the stairs and tread into the kitchen, smiles on their faces.

"How did you know I was here, Mr. Andrews?" Rosie asked, humor lacing her tone.

"When are you not here, Rosie?"

"Touché, Mr. Andrews."

Somehow, the next morning as Rosie spoke to him at his locker, Archie couldn't help but notice how cute she looked. Her hair was in its usual braid swept over to the side and, of course, sh had on her glasses. Her two silver necklaces layered over one another contrasted nicely with her emerald green sweater, black skinny jeans, and pearl white boots (her favorite, he noticed). He assumed she must have stuck her jean jacket in her locker.

"Archie? What do you think?" she wondered.

His eyes widened. He was snapped from his trance. "Uh, what?"

She smacked his arm. "You weren't listening, were you?"

"No, no, I was."

"Then what did I just say?"

"Uh…"

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "That's what I thought. I said we should talk with Grundy."

His mood instantly darkened. His voice went low. "So you think we should straight up ask her if her name is Jennifer Gibson?"

Rosie nodded. "There's no sense in creeping around in the dark like Betty and Veronica have been doing. If she wants to share that information with us, then so be it. There has to be a good reason why the name on her ID was different."

Archie sighed.

Rosie was right – as usual.

"Okay."

"You want to?"

"Let's do it. We've got nothing to lose."

"Exactly. And we can finally get to the bottom of this."

So the two went to the music room, and there they found Ms. Grundy sorting through a filing cabinet full of sheet music.

Rosie closed the door behind them, hoping another student wouldn't walk in on them.

"Good morning, you two," said the teacher.

"Hi, Ms. Grundy," Archie replied. "Can we…talk to you?"

"Of course."

The two teens shared an anxious glance.

"Is your real name Jennifer Gibson?" Rosie asked slowly.

Geraldine Grundy froze. Her eyes were wide, like a deer in the headlights. Her hands that were rifling through the folders dropped to her sides.

There was silence.

"Who are you? And what are you really doing here?" pressed Archie.

"What…" stammered Ms. Grundy.

"Why the new identity?" Archie was more insistent. "Why the moving from place to place?"

"We just want the truth," Rosie added gently.

Ms. Grundy was uncomfortable. Her hand went to her glasses. And as she inhaled sharply, she ripped the frames from her face. Her eyes clouded over as she leaned against the filing cabinet.

"I…" She placed the glasses on top of the cabinet. "I was in a bad relationship." She shook her head, correcting herself. "A relationship…I was married – to a man who would come home from work every night late…and drunk…and with a temper."

Rosie's heart sank.

But Ms. Grundy continued, her voice cracking every other word. "One night, I ended up in the emergency room with broken ribs and a shattered collarbone. The next morning, he barely remembered the fight, and he promised that it wouldn't happen again. But…it did…again. So – I left. And I got a divorce, changed my name. Then I came here. And I…well…I met Archie…and then I – I lost Archie. I – I feel like I always mess things up. I hate being alone. Alone and hurting."

Rosie then understood why Grundy had gotten so defensive of her relationship with Archie – why she had flung herself at him and become so obsessive. She had finally found someone who didn't treat her like dirt. No wonder she had been so jealous of Rosie.

But the abuse…that had struck a chord with Rosie. She wasn't sure why, exactly, but the fact that her ex-husband had injured her so badly, promised to never do so again, and then repeated his actions reminded Rosie of past events in her life.

Her had brother put her in the hospital twice before.

Sympathy swept through Rosie.

She walked forward and did something she never thought she would ever do – she hugged Ms. Grundy – Jennifer Gibson.

The teacher was overcome with emotion. She had not at all expected that response from Rosie; especially because she had been so horrid to the teen not too long ago.

Jennifer sniffled and let go of her student.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," said Rosie sadly.

"Please let me and Rosie know if you need anything, Ms. Gibson," Archie agreed.

"You both are incredible students and wonderful people," she sniffed. "And please, continue to call me Ms. Grundy. I can't let my ex-husband get an inkling that I'm here."

"Of course," nodded Rosie. "We'll see you in choir?"

Ms. Grundy smoothed down her dress and shoved her glasses back onto her splotchy face. "I'll see you both in choir."

And with that, Rosie and Archie left the music room.

They stood together outside the door; heads bent towards one another.

"That poor woman," murmured the Green girl.

"I can't imagine what she's gone through," whispered Archie.

I can, thought Rosie. But I'm not about to say that.

"We need to update Betty and Veronica so they can stop this whole witch hunt," said the ginger.

Rosie nodded fervently. "Absolutely. I'll talk to Veronica if you talk to Betty."

Archie agreed, and the two hugged briefly before parting ways for their first class of the day.

"No. Way."

"Yes, way. And the only reason she has a gun is because she's afraid her ex-husband will find her."

Veronica and Rosie sat on a bench outside the school after hours.

Archie was currently talking with Betty about what the two had discovered earlier that day, and Rosie was doing the same with Veronica.

"The poor, poor woman," sighed Veronica.

"I know," Rosie sighed back. "It's awful."

"No wonder she was such a bitch to you at the Taste of Riverdale."

"Exactly my thinking."

"So what can we do? I want to help out this miserable Jennifer Gibson in some way."

Rosie's face lit up. "Archie had the most spectacular idea today. What if we got her a new bow for her cello? She was so passionate about auditioning for those incredible symphonies and it would be just the best if we could get her a new bow she could use for auditions."

Veronica gasped. "That's genius! Please, let me fund this gift."

"Oh, Ronnie, you don't have to do that!" Rosie shook her head. "Archie and I have enough for a mediocre one at that swanky music store in town. But thank you so much for offering!"

The raven-haired girl held up her hand and smirked. "Ro, I'm a Lodge. I have money for days. Please, I insist. I would love to give a portion of the funds for this brilliant gesture. Not all – I understand – but just a fraction of the price of a high-end bow."

Rosie beamed. "Thank you so much. We will let her know you contributed, too."

The two girls hugged.

Finally, things seemed to be clearing up.

Or so Rosie thought. Little did she know, her world was about to snap again – like a frayed knot.

The Andrews boy and the Green girl had picked out the most beautiful cello bow they could find in Riverdale's most expensive music store – that being said, the only music store in town.

They snuck into the school. They knew nobody else would be there – everyone else was at the Twilight Drive-In for its closing night showing of Rebel Without a Cause.

The two shared an excited grin as Archie knocked on the door to the music room.

"Come in!" called Ms. Grundy.

Rosie leapt into the room enthusiastically, holding the gift-wrapped package behind her back.

Ms. Grundy's eyebrows shot up, but she smiled as Archie closed the door behind them and came to stand next to Rosie.

"No drive-in for you two tonight? I would have thought you'd have jumped at the chance to see James Dean on screen, Rosie," she joked.

The girl in question's face grew warm. She giggled quietly. "Nope, not tonight."

"Show her, Ro," laughed Archie, nodding his head at her.

Rosie laughed, too, and brought the present out from behind her back, holding it out proudly.

"We got you something," she announced.

Ms. Grundy scoffed, but she smiled all the same. "Is this to make me feel better about my tragic past?"

She took it gingerly.

The teens shook their heads.

"No," Archie told her, "it's to say thank you. For everything you've done for me and for Rosie."

"Without you, Mr. Andrews never would have fixed up the garage for Archie and I to record and write in. He believes in us. He believes in Archie. And I think without you, it wouldn't have been easy to convince him," Rosie said gratefully.

Ms. Grundy simply smiled again, took the box from Rosie, sat down, and opened it. Her jaw dropped; eyes wide like a kid on Christmas morning.

"You guys…" she whispered softly. She took the bow out of its wrappings. "This…you cannot afford this."

"Four of us chipped in," Archie clarified. "I had money from working at my dad's construction company."

"And I had some left over from my days as a barista in Portland," Rosie explained. "Veronica and Betty contributed, too. They insisted on helping out when we told them what we wanted to do for you."

"You guys…shouldn't thank me. There's no need to thank me. Not after everything I've done and…what I did…"

"Ms. Grundy, your first choice for a career may not have been a music teacher," Rosie told her, "and you're right, you haven't made the best decisions while you've been here, but you are an incredible teacher who knows how to help people. You inspire other musicians more than you realize."

"What we had may not have been healthy or right, or even legal, but you believed in me when I didn't believe in myself," said Archie.

Ms. Grundy sighed and smiled, speechless. "I don't know what to say."

"A thank you for the bow would be nice," joked Rosie.

The three of them laughed.

Ms. Grundy stepped forward and hugged Rosie for the second time that day.

"I'm so sorry for everything," the teacher apologized profusely.

"Please, please forget it ever happened," Rosie told her as they both stepped back.

Grundy stepped forward to hug Archie. "And I'm glad to have met you, Archie."

"I'm glad to have met you, Jennifer," he replied, calling her by her real name.

Their interaction warmed Rosie's heart. She was so glad they had resolved everything. Maybe the rest of this year would be less dramatic than the past few weeks had been.

SLAM!

"Well, well, well!"

In stormed the strangest mix of people Rosie could imagine – Alice Cooper, Betty, Fred Andrews, and Carol Green, her own mother. But why?

Betty's face was red and splotchy, her eyes bloodshot. She'd been crying.

Fred looked disappointed, his arms crossed, and his brow furrowed.

Both Alice and Carol's expressions were murderous. Rosie hadn't felt fear caused by her own mother in a long while, but her heart immediately began pounding like a frantic drum.

Archie shuffled to stand by Rosie, partly shielding her with his shoulder. She was tall enough that she could see over his shoulder, but she was comforted with his instinctual attempt to keep her safe.

"There they are. What did I tell you?" Alice announced.

"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" demanded Ms. Grundy.

"Of course. Archie," she barked, "would you like to share with us what you and Mrs. Robinson have been doing during your 'music lesson?'"

"They haven't had music lessons in weeks," Rosie chimed in firmly. "So nothing, Mrs. Cooper."

"Hey, you keep your mouth shut, Rosemary!" spat Carol, pointing a finger accusatorily. "You knew about an illegal affair and you hid it from authorities? How dare you!"

"This isn't about you and your talentless daughter, Carol. This is about Archie and his disgusting secret. Why don't tell us about it? And please, don't leave out any lurid details, because Betty here keeps a very meticulous diary and I'm more than happy to fill in the details."

No wonder Betty had looked so upset.

She mouthed I'm sorry to both Archie and Rosie.

The three in line of fire were so shocked with everything, they all went mute.

Carol scoffed and shook her head at them all.

"I never thought that I would live to see the day. I thought the one thing that we could keep our Riverdale safe from was child predators," Alice sneered, stepping closer to Ms. Grundy.

"Ms. Grundy's not a predator," Archie defended. "She's a good person."

"She cares more about the students than any other teacher here at this school," Rosie added angrily.

"Archie, Rosie, you don't have to defend me," Ms. Grundy told them firmly, staring Alice back right in the eye.

"I am amazed that the school board even hired a slanderous heap of garbage like you to teach our precious children," Carol retorted bitterly. "I'm lucky my Will never had you as a teacher. You'd pounce on him faster than a fat kid on cake."

"Mom, stay out of this!" growled Rosie. "You didn't care one bit until you heard about an opportunity to get me into trouble. Ms. Grundy cares more about me than you ever did or ever will."

"Rosie, please, you and Archie don't have to defend me at all," Ms. Grundy pleaded.

"No, he doesn't," deadpanned Fred.

"Well, they're not denying it, are they? They're clearly guilty," Alice decided. "I think the next step is we take it to Sheriff Keller and let the wheels of justice take over."

"Dad, you can't let that happen," Archie told his father rapidly.

"Son, it's complicated," said Fred.

"She didn't force me to do anything," Archie proclaimed. "I went after her."

Rosie paced side to side near her friend as Ms. Grundy sat with her head in her hands. Her stomach grew queasy. This was never supposed to happen.

Archie continued. "Everything that happened, I wanted it to happen. But we're not together anymore – not even close. It was Rosie that convinced me that what was going on wasn't right. I've learned my lesson. We have learned our lesson. Please, I promise that everything was consensual."

"There's no surprise there," commented Mrs. Cooper.

Rosie halted in her tracks. While she wasn't exactly Alice Cooper's biggest fan, her accusations and assumptions about Archie made her blood boil. She gritted her teeth, stopping herself from yelling a slew of very disrespectful insults that would have made her mother slap her.

Fred sent Alice a shocked look.

"Why are you doing this, Mom?" begged Betty tearfully. "Putting Ms. Grundy on trial?"

"This isn't just about her," Alice shot back. She pointed to Rosie. "This is about her." Then to Archie. "And this is about him."

"I've been in town for a month and I've apparently already given you a reason to hate me?" scoffed Rosie. She laughed darkly. "What the hell, Mrs. Cooper?"

"You give plenty of reasons why people would hate you, Rosemary," bit Carol. "Alice and I don't always see eye to eye, but I have to agree with her on this. You're poison! Nothing but poison to this poor girl!"

"Exactly! Elizabeth, I want you to what kind of people Archie and his little slut here truly are."

Alice jabbed Archie accusatorily in the chest. She sent daggers into Rosie's face, which the girl returned with ease. A mutual hate was forming between the two.

"Wait a minute – that is what this is about?" Fred chimed in angrily. "Your crazy grudge against my teenage son and his perfectly nice, new best friend?"

Alice was about to speak, but Betty's protests interrupted her.

"I'm never going to stop being friends with Archie and Rosie, Mom. Ever."

"We are done here," Fred said resolutely.

"Not even close, Fred!" shouted Carol. "I am furious my daughter would even think about keeping something this repulsive to herself!"

Rosie finally lost it. Her blood had finally boiled over. "It's not like I don't keep everything to myself anyways! You don't care! You refuse to listen to anything I have to say!"

"We are far from being done here!" Alice refuted.

"Shut up!" snapped Fred.

"Stop!" Archie intervened. "Stop! Stop! Please."

Everyone did as he asked.

Rosie's chest heaved and fell. Her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest. Her mind reeled with every word her mother had screamed.

"You're right, Mrs. Cooper." Archie's voice cut through the mess in her mind. "You're right. I'm selfish, and I'm stupid, and I don't deserve to be your daughter's friend. But Rosie is not a slut. She is anything but, and I am not okay with anyone calling her that, especially an adult that doesn't know her at all." He put a hand on her shoulder for a moment.

All Rosie could do was stare at him in amazement.

"But please," he went on, "don't hurt Ms. Grundy because you wanna hurt me."

Alice shook her head and lectured him. "This isn't about hurting anyone, Archie. It's about doing what's right, and, of course, informing our neighbors."

"Alice, I swear to god…" started Fred.

"Publish one word about this, Mom," Betty warned, "and I will tell everyone that I broke into Ms. Grundy's car."

"Betty –,"

"That I robbed her and made up the story of their affair that's not even happening anymore, by the way. It will be like I finally…snapped. Like Polly."

"Betty…"

"It'll prove what everyone already thinks about us. 'Crazy runs in that family.' Like mother, like daughter."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I'll quit." A different voice. A quieter one.

Rosie whipped around. She shook her head. "No."

Ms. Grundy ignored her. "I'll quit my job. Will that satisfy you?"

"Yeah, it will. It has to," agreed Betty quickly, turning to her mother. "And I absolutely would dare, Mom."

But Rosie wasn't going to give up that easily. She knew what would happen if that ex-husband caught wind of the teacher's moving about to different towns after finally finding a place to settle down. "No, Ms. Grundy can't leave. She will not leave. She can't. Students here need her. I need her."

"Rosemary, this doesn't concern you any longer," her mother griped. "Now shut up. The adults are making decisions now."

The Green girl scowled at her mother. "Doesn't concern me? I'm sorry, am I speaking a different language? When did this not concern me? This is a teacher that I care about. I'm not letting her go without a fight."

"She has to leave town," Alice chimed in seriously.

"The hell she does! I'm with Rosie," Archie countered.

"Son," Fred cautioned.

"Why does she need to leave town?" he demanded.

"Because it's what's best."

"Please, Mr. Andrews," pleaded Rosie, "please don't make her leave."

"Rosemary!" snarled Carol.

Rosie decided it was better to bite her tongue than get into a screaming match with her mother in front of everyone.

"Alice will keep her word," Fred promised.

"I will," deadpanned Alice.

Ms. Grundy picked up her new bow and kept her eyes towards the ground as she trod out. "I'll pack my things. I'll be gone by morning."

"Ms. Grundy," Archie called.

"Jennifer," Rosie said.

The two teens rushed towards the door. They both stood, teary-eyed, as their now former teacher spun on her heel, and gave them one last glance.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

And with that, she was gone.

Suddenly, a hand clamped down firmly on Rosie's shoulder, the nails digging sharply into her flesh. It was Carol, dragging her back into the music room.

There was a considerable difference in height between Carol and Rosie Green. Carol was at least five foot eleven, while Rosie stood around five foot seven to five foot eight. It was obvious to those around the two that this was a trait that Carol used to her advantage around her daughter.

Rosie's eyes went wide. This was a familiar feeling. The panic. The rush of blood to her head. Her palms turning clammy at a moment's notice. The crackle of angry lightning in her mother's pupils. She was in for it this time, and she could tell it was going to be another memory she would wish she could just block from existence altogether.

"Rosemary, I am ashamed of your behavior! How dare you sneak around hiding this behind my back! You are a disgrace to this family!"

Carol screeched in her face, loud enough that Rosie's eardrums were in pain.

What happened next was completely unexpected. Rosie had to ask Archie about the details after. She couldn't quite remember everything.

But this is what she did remember:

The vice-like, bruising grip Carol had on her shoulder.

A hand raising.

A sharp, blinding pain across the side of her face.

A dull throb from her elbow and hip.

Faded carpet.

Tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.

It was as if she had entered a scene from The Twilight Zone where she was stuck in a dream-like trance.

But she was shaken from the trance by red hair. Archie. Archie had rushed to her side as soon as her body had hit the floor.

His hand went to her cheek, holding it tenderly, asking her over and over again if she was okay.

When Rosie finally had the strength to nod, she turned her head to see Alice holding her daughter back by her elbows. Betty's face was screwed up in fury. She was fighting her mother to get to Rosie. Alice was yelling at her, telling her it was none of her business. Then, in an instant, the two were gone, Betty still refusing to back down, even as they shuffled down the hallway.

Fred stood with his back to Rosie, facing Carol. While Rosie couldn't see his face, the tone of his voice told her everything.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Carol?" he questioned, voice raising with every syllable.

Carol Green was shocked. Her sandy hair, that had been so nicely pinned back in a low bun, was suddenly as disheveled as Rosie had ever seen it.

Archie's warm hand dropped from her cheek, leaving it cold as he watched the chaos unfold.

"That is my daughter and I'll discipline her however I see fit, Fred!"

"I don't usually butt in when it comes to parenting, but that is abuse and I sure as hell will not stand for it!"

"That's low coming from a man who let their teenage son sleep with his music teacher!"

"Leave Archie out of this. This is about Rosie. I've seen how little you care for her from the moment you stepped foot in my company trailer. You've got the nerve to tell me how to parent when you not only have a favorite child, but beat the other one up when she can't trust you with information about one of her friends?"

"I'm sorry, when did you become Dr. Phil?"

"I can't let Rosie go back with you."

Carol laughed. "Excuse me? That's my daughter. She's coming with me."

"No, she's not," refused Archie, getting to his feet and standing by his father.

Carol laughed once again. "Please, I don't expect you of all people to understand. You're a child. You are a pervert. You slept with your teacher. Your opinion of me and my daughter is invalid."

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Slower, Rosie, the brunette thought to herself. Calm down.

She could feel herself starting to have a panic attack. Her chest cavity felt as if it was collapsing in on itself. Her stomach flipped, making her nauseous. Her cheek and lower lip stung. Her mother had never done something like this before.

"If you take Rosemary with you, I'm calling the cops," Carol threatened.

"Then it's a good thing my close friend is Sheriff Keller," Fred retorted. "If he caught wind of this, he'd take her away from you faster than you could say 'oops.' And from what I can tell, you can't wait to get her back so you can psychologically torture her even more than she already has been. She's coming back with us. I will drive over later and pick up clothes for her for the rest of the week and you won't say anything else about it."

If it was possible to see smoke curling out of someone's ears from anger, Carol Green would have had two dark clouds enveloping her head.

Eyes blazing, she stomped out the door, not bothering to glance back at her daughter, who she had unwillingly left behind.

And that's when Rosie finally broke.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Ends of the Earth! I know it's been a while, so I made sure this chapter was extra-long.

I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long! I recently got a full-time job that correlates with my college major, so I've been super busy figuring everything out and getting into the swing of things. I've been there for about a month now, and I feel like I'm finally settling in okay.

I promise I'll try to update more often if I can. Please be patient with me! Thanks so much!

Here are my review responses:

silentmayhem: Ooh, such interesting theories! I love reading what you have to say. Keep guessing! 😊

10868letsgo: Hmmmm okay! Interesting theory…

Djone246: Thank you so much for always leaving a couple reviews! I really appreciate it. Your comments about Rosie and Clifford and Grundy OMG you're the best! I love that you love Rosie and how much you hate Grundy! Hopefully you hate her a little less now. Unfortunately, I don't watch Charmed, and I don't really have time to do any other fanfictions. Thanks for thinking of me! I appreciate it. I hope you loved this chapter! 😊

Hinanui98: Haha YAY! That makes me so happy to read. Thank you SO much for reading this fanfic. 😊

klandgraf2007: It makes me SO HAPPY to read that this fanfic is one of your faves! I'm so excited to read your theories about this. 😊

BarbyChan4ever: Thank you SO much for loving this last chapter! Your review warmed my heart. I hope you liked how I solved the Grundy situation. It was difficult to figure out in terms of particular moments and changing aspects to fit my own version of everything. So glad you think Rosie fits into the group well! 😊 Thank you for reading!

AnImEfReAk4994: Hmmmm….interesting theory….I'm excited for you to read on and find out more about everything…. 😊

The next chapter is going to have more of Jug, Veronica, and Kevin, I promise!

Thank you SO much for reading. If you like this fanfic, please, please, please give it a follow, favorite, or review! (Or all three if you like!) I'm still BLOWN AWAY by the amount of people who have read this and continue to read this. 3