We Were Merely Freshmen

By: Riley

Summary – Before Jason's death, before the Black Hood, before the Northside and Southside went to war, Riverdale was the town with pep. And as Cheryl's best friend with her spot at the top of the social food chain, Gabriella Rush had to be like everyone else and keep up appearances. She didn't want anyone to know she was being tutored by Archie Andrews and that she really liked him. She didn't want anyone to know she had problems at home that would eventually entangle her with the Lodges, with her best friend's murder, and leave her smack in the middle of the war. Who knew freshman year could be so complicated? Riverdale, before it became the town that dreaded sundown, was a wholesome town with pep and its own fair share of drama. -Pre-Series-.

Chapter One

"So, you have to tell me."

"I have to tell you what?"

Gabriella 'Gabby' Rush looked at Cheryl with raised eyebrows, tearing her gaze away from her reflection in her compact mirror. Flawless brown skin, dark hair, with dark eyes to match and a brilliant white smile that off-set her skin and let her get anything she wanted. She closed her compact with a snap after touching up her lip-gloss, then glanced down at her books. Weren't they, just a minute ago, working on their history project? What in the world did she need to tell Cheryl about Ulysses S. Grant that she couldn't already figure out from her own textbook? Not that it'd help much, Cheryl cared about schoolwork about as much as she cared about…anything that wasn't Cheryl Blossom. And to Cheryl Blossom, nothing was more important than Cheryl Blossom.

Except her of course. BFFs always cared about each other more than anything in life. Even Jason said he wondered if she and Cheryl were twins rather than him and Cheryl. One look at the two of them and they'd know it certainly wasn't true. Other than the obvious differences in skin tone, Gabby at least liked to think she was a little more grounded. In 'the town with Pep' Cheryl was known as royalty and Gabby was known as her best friend, sidekick. It wasn't a bad gig, since Cheryl had practically adopted her since she'd moved to Riverdale.

Her mother, Sergeant Julia Rush, had been stationed in Riverdale the last time she'd come back from her deployment in Afghanistan. It should've been her last time on tour, before tensions rose and suddenly she was off again. If it weren't for Cheryl and Jason, Gabby realized, she'd probably had broken down ages ago.

"Who's escorting you to the dance?" Cheryl asked. Oh, so that's what she was after. Cheryl cupped her chin in her hands, leaning across the table towards her best friend. "We need to have the best dates." Gabby gaped at her. "Why are you looking at me like that? Other than my fabulous new outfit that you haven't said anything about." Cheryl threw her arms in the air, showing off her sweater, high-waisted skirt, and matching stockings.

Gabby lifted her eyebrows and mimicking Cheryl's previous stance, resting her chin in her hands. "Mm. Haven't you had that for a while?"

"'I love that you're so aware of my closet, but this is the official Cheryl Blossom shade of red. No one else has this set, I made sure of it. And don't change the subject."

"Cherry," Gabby fitted Cheryl with her special nickname for her. She remembered when Jason tried to call his sister that and nearly got slapped for it. "Homecoming is months away."

Cheryl placed a hand to her chest. Her mascara-heavy lashes shifted upwards, eyes widening ins hock. "Two months! And that's not nearly enough time to get everything together. For our first prom, we need to make a statement. And the statement is made at homecoming, everyone knows that."

"Prom?!" Gabby repeated. She stared at Cheryl as if she grew a second heard. Or a triplet. Knowing how crazy the Blossoms were, whichever came first. "Cherry, it's September!" It was official. Cheryl Blossom, Cheryl Bombshell, Cherry Blossom, Gabby's best friend, had finally cracked.

It was a long time coming, Gabby supposed. Cheryl's family, by Gabby's own testimony, were nuts with Cheryl and Jason the sanest of them all. And if that was sane, Gabby didn't want to know what insane was.

"Yes, the month signifying change, the growth of a new harvest and the maple syrup from the Blossom family flowing through the veins of Riverdale." Cheryl placed a hand to her chest, taking the moment to blink her eyes closed as if in rapture. Talking about herself was always one of her favorite things. "And as the new captain of the River Vixens, I have to make sure I have the best piece of mindless man candy on my arm. We have a new crop of boys this year."

Gabby rolled her eyes as soon as Cheryl not-so-subtly-mentioned her placement at the head of the River Vixens. It was known by everyone with ears that Cheryl had begged Gabby to join the Vixens since they started Middle School. They had to eat, sleep, and breathe Vixens while Gabby wanted nothing more than to eat, sleep, and slap Cheryl in the face every time she brought up the Vixens.

Cheryl waved her hand, waving away Gabby's indifference about the school's cheerleading team. Gabby never wanted to be a part of the River Vixens. She had an athletic streak-her mother called it an aggressive streak-that only was remedied by smacking a ball and not smacking another girl's face. She preferred to be on the volleyball team. As girly as Gabby could be—she couldn't beat a good sale in the nearby Metropolitan city-volleyball was one of the few things that kept her grounded. Not much felt better to her than getting that perfect spike that shot the Riverdale Bulldogs to the top. Well, a good dress for homecoming could do it, too. That and a good date. Both of which she didn't currently have.

"It's up to us to take our pick of the litter, you can even ask Jay-Jay if you like." She shrugged and turned back to flipping through the fashion magazine she didn't bother to hide in her textbook. "He's plenty suitable."

"'I'm not asking Jay to go with me as my date." Gabby's nose wrinkled. "He's like, my brother. That'd be, like, dating you."

"And I'm a catch," Cheryl pointed out.

Gabby laughed.

Cheryl sat up straight, moving her long red hair behind her shoulders and laced her fingers together, hands resting atop a folded sheet of paper she produced from somewhere. Cheryl always had a trick up her sleeve. Honestly, it was something Gabby loved about her. Cheryl Blossom was never boring. "Just like cupid wrangling true love together with his arrows, I've compiled a list of suitable dates that we need to go through."

Gabby snorted, grinned. "Can you ever be normal?"

Cheryl ignored her. "I've put height and weight into consideration to us and each other–"

"–Did you mark down whether they're friends, too?" Gabby teased. "And their hair color? Eye color? Future aspirations? Trace their family lineage back to the Stone Age? Determine if we're going to take our last names or keep theirs? Sperm count? You know,"–Gabby leaned in and whispered conspiratorially–"sperm count is really important."

Cheryl's eyebrows came together as she tilted her head. Not taking her eyes off her best friend, she unfolded the sheet of paper, smoothed it with her hands. Finally, her eyes flickered over everything listed on the sheet. "Of course! I have to take all of it into consideration."

Unfazed, Gabby laughed again. Cheryl's antics would never get old. No matter what it was, it didn't take long for Cheryl to get an idea and for Gabby to go along with it simply because, well, because shew as her sister from another mister. Her ride or die. Her everything. They'd done a blood pact to prove it. Even if I had to talk Cheryl into that one, Gabby thought, finding it ironic considering Cheryl's favorite–and signature–color was the same crimson shade.

Gabby watched Cheryl push the list into the center of their table, waving away the prying eyes of the rest of the River Vixens who sat at their table and started to explain the pros and cons of each of the boys on their list. As she did so, Gabby lifted her chin and looked around the library.

The rest of their classmates were busy with their work; Reggie, Moose, and Midge sat at their own table, laughing quietly while Reggie and Moose played paper football. Since joining the team, the two ate, slept, and breathed football. Midge, Moose's girlfriend since forever, was by Moose's side, cheering him on as she always did. She was so sweet, greeting everyone with a smile and a helping hand ready. Kevin Keller sat a table away, taking obvious peeks over the top of his textbook while trying to appear inconspicuous.

Gabby's lips curled. When Kevin finally came out as gay she didn't know how anyone else couldn't see it and were surprised. Kevin was as out and proud as a flashlight since they were in elementary school. She watched Kevin smile to himself as the rest of the football team around Reggie and Moose slowly chanted louder and louder for their teammates to win. Dilton Doiley shot Moose a disapproving glance over the top of his textbook, making Moose sheepishly grin in response.

"Just one more point and I'll win, Little Buddy," Moose reassured Dilton. "Then we can get back to work."

"Like that'll help," Josie McCoy murmured form the table on their other side. She rested her cheek in her palm, staring down at her notebook. From where Gabby sat, she could see her writing bits of lyrics—or poems—and song notes in the margins. Around her, Valerie and Melody did the same. "Can't break through a thick skull."

"That's what the helmet's for," Reggie said. "Got to protect the important equipment."

"I thought that's what the cup was for," Moose said.

The football team broke out into raucous laughter that not even the Pussycats could refrain from joining in. Dilton huffed and buried his head in his book. Far enough so that his bespectacled eyes peeked out over the top, glancing longingly across the library towards another table. The only table that was the furthest away from the rest of the class.

Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, and Jughead Jones sat there, working quietly all the while Miss. Grundy oversaw all the students from the circulation desk. Every now and then Miss. Grundy would shush them, but wouldn't get too involved. She was a young teacher, who Gabby and Cheryl called "Ms. Four-Eyes" and "Humpty Grundy" not so secretly, and was as much of a pushover as she could be stern when her buttons were pushed too far.

Clearly, Miss. Grundy was in a good mood that day as no matter the raucous the students caused, she didn't do much more than clear her throat. At least, until Moose's cup comment and the ensuing laughter. While Betty and Jughead both rolled their eyes, Archie glanced over towards the football team, almost with a sense of longing.

It had been a surprise when Archie Andrews showed enough prowess to join the football team. But, as Gabby noted, he was not the football type. He wasn't fat, she thought snottily, but certainly nothing to look at. Enough that she dubbed him 'Aren't Ya Bald' off his true first name. And he was too nice for his own good. Didn't he that being a bit of a dick was the way to go? Instead of acting like you sucked one? One thing she could say for sure, of the football games she'd been to, he did a good job of warming the bench for everyone.

Betty. Of course, perfect Betty Cooper would have issues with the noise in the library. If she couldn't study, couldn't get good grades, couldn't be perfect in every way shape or from from the tips of her shoes to the tips of her annoying ponytail, then she couldn't be Betty Cooper. Gabby hated being around her and if it weren't for Jason dating Polly, Gabby would've avoided Betty all together. Jughead wasn't much better, with his mind on everything Riverdale lacked and he thought he was above, Gabby didn't have much feeling for him at all. As far as she was concerned, Jughead wasn't there. Just a dark cloud that continued to hover around Archie and Betty and make snide comments when he felt the need.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Miss. Grundy got up from the circulation desk and walked to Reggie and Moose. She rested her hands on their shoulders, gently moving her fingers front and back. She smiled down at the two. "Let's settle down and get back to work, the period's almost over."

"What about your period, Ms. Grundy?" Gabby called over. She caught Cheryl's eye, who smiled her encouragement. "Or have you hit menopause yet? You must be, what, pushing forty?" She, Cheryl, and the River Vixens all burst out laughing.

Miss. Grundy merely pushed her glasses up her nose and brought her fingers to her lips. Gabby rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Cheryl. Miss. Grundy wasn't fazed by her comments. Boo. That was no fun. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. She jumped up along with the others, gathering her discarded books and shoved them into her large cross-body bag that doubled as her purse.

"Ugh, I can't wait to get home and get away from these peasants," Cheryl commented, barking the last word towards Jughead, who crossed in front of her. Jughead merely smirked at her, shaking his head as he moved to blend into the crowd of Riverdale High, all eager to start the weekend. "I tried to get Mommy and Daddy to let me go to New York for school, but they said it wouldn't be good for their image. Like Riverdale is the pinnacle of reputations."

Gabby looped her arm through Cheryl's and they walked through the halls, their high heels click-clacking as they went. "I thought you were coming to my house."

"I am." Cheryl looked at Gabby in surprise. "Mi Case es Su Casa or whatever it is." She waved her hand. "I don't speak Spanish, all I know is Pina Collada." She nudged Gabby's arm. "Like the ones we had in Cabo this summer."

And what a summer it was. Nothing but surf, sun, sand, and the amazingly cute boys they hung out with all day every day. It was a good distraction from real life that was slowly falling apart. But the last thing Gabby wanted to talk about was missing her mother so much.

Gabby and Cheryl walked outside of Riverdale High in time to find the Blossom's luxury car pulling up to the curb. Without Jason in sight—he had football practice, Cheryl remembered—the girls had the backseat to themselves and talked and laughed the entire way back to Gabby's house. Gabby lead the way inside, haphazardly kicking her shoes off by the door.

"Daddy?" She called. A chill went up her spine, hearing her voice echo back to her. A sure sign the house was empty. No dad and certainly no mom. Still, Gabby tried again. "I'm home!"

Gabby walked into the kitchen, her eyes immediately landing on a post-it note that sat on the otherwise pristine cabinet doors. A sigh escaped her lips and she marched over to grab it. Apathy spread over her face as clear as the three bullet pointed messages: Working late, don't wait up. We need to talk about your report card. Mom says she'll call soon.

He was always working late.

Since when was he around enough to care about her grades?

When was the last time her mom said she'd call? Right, a few weeks ago. She said she'd video call, too. But internet was spotty in Kabul and the call continued to drop reminding her that Afghanistan certainly was another world away.

Gabby ran a hand through her long hair. Fourteen years old and she was the loneliest person she ever knew.

"Do you want to go to my house instead?" Cheryl asked quietly, taking Gabby's hand and holding it firmly in hers. A steady force in the storm that brew around her. Gabby felt a swell of pride for her best friend, who always knew when to be supportive. "We could hang out with Jason."

"No." Gabby hitched her purse up her shoulder. "Let's just go to my room." Without a backwards glance, Gabby ripped the Post-It note from the cabinet and tossed it to the floor. She squeezed Cheryl's hand, pulling her along behind her.

A/N: This story isn't meant to be very long. Just a way to give some back story that'd be mentioned in my upcoming fic The War At Home. That'll be posted after this is there's much interest. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the start, let me know what you think.