Author's Note: Merry Christmas, everyone!

My apologies for not updating in a while. My personal life has been busy. I did type up half of this chapter and it fell to the wayside. But here's a brand-new chapter, folks!

A big thank you to Boris Yeltsin & GiJoefan985 for the reviews, I hope you guys enjoy it. And another big thank you to Southside Serpent 57 for the review; as well. To answer your question, I found this online article on Amino Apps through Google, titled "If Jason Wasn't Dead". However, I decided to do my own story with twists such as: Polly escaping from her house, unnoticed & in disguise, Jason asking FP if he could convince Hal Cooper to steal Sheriff Keller's files, Polly sending Betty a cryptic text message without revealing the real reason why she ran away & leaving out the incest part. I thought of addressing that in the story, the question is how would Jason feel about it…but I left that alone.

Anyways, let's get rolling then!

Riverdale doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 70

"The drive-in closing, it's just one more nail in the coffin that is Riverdale." Jughead laments.

He, Betty, Kevin, and Veronica were sitting in a booth at Pop's Chock' Lit Shoppe; hanging out. They were discussing the Twilight Drive-In's closing.

"No. Forget Riverdale," Jughead added. "In the coffin of the American Dream. As the godfather of indie cinema, Quentin Tarantino, likes to say…"

"Please, God, no more Quentin Tarantino references." Kevin interrupts, not wanting to hear another word about the prolific film director.

"What?" Jughead retorts. "I'm pissed,"

"And not just about losing my job. The Twilight Drive-In should mean something to us. People should be trying to save it."

"In this age of Netflix and VOD, do people really want to watch in a car?" Veronica asks. "I mean, who even goes there?"

"People who want to buy crack," said Kevin.

"And cinephiles and car enthusiasts," Jughead interjects.

"Right, Betts?" He turned to the blonde, who is keeping quiet.

Betty snaps out of it and answers "Totally,"

"Anyways, it's closing because the town owns it but didn't invest in it." Jughead points out.

"So, when an anonymous buyer made Mayor McCoy an offer she couldn't refuse…"

Veronica frowns, a suspicious look on her face.

"Anonymous buyer?" She asks in disbelief. "What do they have to hide? No one cares."

"I do," Jughead snaps.

"You guys should come to closing night." He suggests, not before glancing at Betty, who remained quiet and cool as a cucumber.

"I'm thinking, American Graffiti. Or is that too obvious?"

"I vote for anything starring Audrey Hepburn. Or Cate Blanchett." Veronica piped in.

"Or The Talented Mr. Ripley," Kevin offered.

He and Veronica turn to Betty.

"Betty, your choices?" Kevin asks.

Betty doesn't say anything.

"Everything okay, B?" Veronica asked, noticing her friend's dazed expression.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just thinking." Betty snaps back into reality. "Um…"

"Maybe Rebel Without a Cause." She suggested.

Jughead looks at her, and they both chuckle.

Hermione comes over to their table, with two plates of food.

"Here you go, kids." She said, setting the food down.

"Thanks, Mom." Veronica said, smiling in gratitude. Hermione smiles and walks away.

On the opposite side of the diner, Cheryl is eyeing Hermione and Veronica, frowning. She is sitting with Ginger and Tina in a booth.

"If I would have Mama Lodge was working at Pop's…I never would've given Veronica a spot on the Vixens." Cheryl sneered. "It's off-brand, a false message about acceptance."

"After her TMZ-style takedown of Chuck, all of the Vixens like Veronica now." Ginger interjected.

"Do they?" Cheryl asked coolly, feeling rather insecure that her squad were favoring the new girl, instead of their cheer captain.

As Hermione walked over and reached for the bills, Cheryl lays her hand on the money.

"Be sure to put all that cash in the register." She warned sharply. "You are a Lodge, after all."

Seeing what is unfolding between her mother and Cheryl, Veronica gets up and walked over.

"And Lodges are known to have sticky fingers." The red head added, taking a jab at Hermione's husband and Veronica's father, Hiram Lodge.

"Cheryl," Veronica began to say.

"Honey, I got this." Hermione interrupts her daughter.

"I went to school with your mother." She informed Cheryl, her tone laced with sharpness.

"She didn't know the difference between having money and having class either."

Hermione gave the Blossom girl a glare before walking away. Veronica grins in satisfaction.

Cheryl exhales and the raven-haired girl returned to her seat.

The door opens and Kevin looks up, seeing who it is.

"Well, look who's back," He remarked.

Betty follows Kevin's gaze and turned to see Archie and Fred.

She stares at them for a brief minute and starts to get up.

"I'll be right back," said the Cooper girl.

"Betty, no. Don't," Jughead warned and tried to stop Betty, but she's already making her way over to the Andrews'.

"Wait, what's happening?" Kevin asked, curious.

Betty approaches the table where Fred and Archie are sitting. They look up to see her.

"Hey, Betty." Fred greeted.

"Hi, Mr. Andrews, Archie." Betty said in response. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure. Call you later?" Archie asks.

"No, actually, now. Outside?" Betty insists.

Archie reluctantly gets up and followed Betty outside; not before glancing at Jughead, Kevin, and Veronica.

Jughead looks away, frowning. He even peeks out the window.

Archie, as your best friend, is there anything you want to tell me?" Betty began to say.

"About what?" Archie asks.

Betty sighs.

"Ms. Grundy was at Sweetwater River on July 4th. And you were there with her. Is it true?" She inquired.

Archie hesitates, a troubled look on his face.

"Yes," He answered.

Inside the diner,

"What's happening out there?" Veronica asks, rather worried. "Do we know? Is it about me?"

"I have a strong inkling. And no. Also, I'd let it go." Jughead responded.

"Yes, but you're you, and I'm me." Veronica pointed out. "You do you, I'll be back." She gets up to go outside.

Jughead rolls his eyes. He really didn't want Betty nor Veronica to get caught up in the Archie & Grundy fiasco.

"What was it like before she got here?" Kevin asked the loner.

Jughead doesn't respond, he just eats a cherry.

"I honestly cannot remember," said Kevin.

"Okay, maybe it's a little like what you're thinking…" Archie started to say.

"Archie, you and Ms. Grundy, were like together?" Betty asks in disbelief. "Like, romantically?"

"Oh, my God." Veronica said, approaching the blonde and redhead.

Archie turns to look at Veronica.

"So, it's true then? You and your music teacher were having an affair?"

"We were together." Archie replies. "Look, I know that sounds bad, but…"

"Bad? It sounds scandalous." Veronica commented.

"Plus, it's jail time. Illegal!" Betty added.

"Don't go there," said Archie.

"Already there," Betty snapped.

"Ronnie, a little help here?" Archie looks to Veronica for help.

"I mean, technically, Betty's right." Veronica admitted. "And, ethically, well, what is Grundy to you anyway?"

"Your girlfriend? Your booty tutor?" Veronica adds.

"Ugh, I don't know what to call her." Archie said.

"Well, all before you confessed; you lied to Sheriff Keller and Detective Smith. To all of us," Betty retorted, her voice full of hurt and anger.

"You didn't even tell me about seeing Polly before she vanished."

"Betty, I'm sorry about not telling you about your sister. At that time, I lied, I was protecting Ms. Grundy. She believed in me when no one else did." Archie responded.

"Okay, we get it," said Veronica.

"Betty, say something, please." Archie begged, looking at his next-door neighbor.

Before Betty could say anything, a car horn blares loudly, twice. As if on cue, a vehicle pulls up in front of the trio.

Sitting in the driver's seat is Alice Cooper. She eyes Archie and Veronica critically, not liking the fact that her own daughter is fraternizing with them.

"Get in the car, Betty. Now," Alice commanded.

Betty shrugs and reluctantly complies. She gets inside the car.

"What have I told you about those two?" Alice asked sharply, as Betty put her seatbelt on.

"Can we just go?" Betty demanded, annoyed by her mother's judgmental attitude.

Alice glances at Veronica and Archie, before driving off. The Cooper women can be heard arguing.

Veronica sighs.

"Oh, Archiekins. You're in it deep this time." She remarked.

At the Cooper home, Betty's in her bedroom, writing in her diary. As the thought of Ms. Grundy crossed her mind, she decides to consider Ms. Grundy's past. Her laptop open, Betty enters the name "Geraldine Grundy" into the search engine on a website.

Back at Pop's, Cheryl is sitting in her car with Ginger and Tina outside the diner. Rock music is playing over the speakers. Suddenly, Cheryl spotted something or rather someone.

She sees Hermione conversing with a leather jacket clad biker guy, by the name of FP Jones.

"Turn down the music," Cheryl ordered her minions. Tina turns the volume down.

"I spy with my little eye Hermione Lodge, full of secrets." Cheryl gloated with glee.

She watches FP and Hermione conversing.

"Riddle me this, hair models of the damned." Cheryl said. "Why is Veronica's mother having tete-`a-tete with a Southside Serpent…behind a dumpster at Pop's?"

With her phone out, Cheryl snaps a pic of the two adults. Satisfied, the HBIC smirks and so does Ginger and Tina.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it!

Drive-In movies are starting to become a thing nowadays, especially with the pandemic. I'm sure by now, you've all seen the trailer for Riverdale Season 5 on YouTube. Believe me, I have & I'm very excited! The show will return on January 20 (or is it the 21st or 22nd?), and I'm curious to see what will happen next for our gang. I'm even wondering if Polly will be back in season 5 & will she have her act together?

I have about three chapters written, and I should update soon…if not, I will see you all in the New Year. Have a safe holiday season, stay warm & safe, & Merry Christmas to all! Bye for now!