Valentina

My hearts breaks, slowly beating to the rhythm of my feet pounding against the cold grass. My high heels are long gone, I probably left them behind as I escaped the large mansion.

I hate everyone inside that house, specially my family. Why would they do something like that? What kind of demented people are they?

"No." I whisper under my breath, running even faster towards the river.

The river... That's where it all started. And that's where everything will come to an end. Sighing weakly as I stop by the rocks, my bare feet against the cold stone, feeling the cold air hitting my face. Long forgotten are the smiles and giggles my friends and I shared in these rocks. Now, they're filled with hatred and pain.

I lace my fingers around one of the rocks, slowly gliding towards the water. It's calling my name, slowly whispering it until I break and lunge forward, waiting for the cold water to embrace my body. 

The river itself feels like a curse. Cursed bring bad luck and horrible consequences. And that's exactly what the river brought me. Bad memories and dead bodies. I'll just add a new one to the pile of unsolved mysteries in Riverdale.

It's getting darker and harder to inspect my surroundings under the chilly waters. The violent waves are crashing against the rocks, and the sound is deafening underwater. At the same time, it's like those same waves are creating a melancholic melody, as if saying farewell to who I used to be.

I close my eyes. It feels amazing, finally letting go of all my worries, all my problems. I can see them flying away from my brain, from the tips of my fingers.

It's so peaceful. Yet so dark. That's definitely not how I imagined dying. My young mind always imagined a bright field with horses and flowers all around my deceased body, as my family members cried their last goodbyes.

Oh, but this is better. No one to disturb me, just me and the water. Me and my fate. Me and death. Finally.

Before I can succumb to the darkness surrounding me at the lake, a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around my waist, my head resurfacing and hair filling my lungs once again.

"No." I whisper after my head resurfaces, tears running down my cheeks as I cough for air. "No, no."

I fight the urge to vomit and punch Archie. He tightens his arms around my frail body and swims towards the rocks. He is saving me.

No. Please, no.

"Let me go." I yell, my fists colliding with his solid chest. "I said, let me go."

"Valentina, shut up." His eyes never meet mine, keeping them focused on he rocks, but I know what he's thinking.

He probably thinks I'm a freak, a girl who deserves to be in a mental institution. Guess what? Maybe that's who I am, or better, who I became over time.

I close my eyes, the sadness and cold too much for me to handle. All I want is to rest, my body and mind completely exhausted.

That's exactly what I do. I let my eyes close, my cheek resting on Archie's shoulder as he pulls me to safety. And I sleep. 

ΨΨΨ

I wake up with a pounding headache, as the sun enters the large bedroom through the massive windows. I sigh, rubbing my eyes as I remember how horrible my life is going to be from now on.

I'm not dead.

"Guess what?" A girl with long ginger hair knocks on the bedroom door, entering with a tray of hot chocolate and small heart-shaped cookies. "A new Valentina is about to rise."

I stare at her face, aware of the dumb look I have on mine. She doesn't elaborate, and I just shrug. At this point, anything is better than having her and my family yelling at me for the events that occurred at the lake. How long was I out for? Hours? Days?

Why am I still here? Why am I still alive you may ask? Let's just say a certain red-headed boy saved my life.

"Do you know what day it is today?" Cheryl asks, circling her arms around my shaking figure.

"The day a new Valentina comes to life?" I chuckle darkly, remembering that night.

I don't regret it. In fact, I dread the moment I leave the faux safety of Cheryl's cold home, the moment I face my mother and her stern eyes, judging me for being weak. Because I am weak, not a strong woman. I'm not like my brother, who suddenly rose from the dead and became the most valuable asset of this town.

Believe me, Viktor will become an overnight success. If he hasn't already. The boy-comes-back-home-after-a-decade-MIA facade he has going on will help him in his quest for popularity. What else may he be after? I can only think of one thing: fame. Our family is known all around town, sometimes not for the best of reasons. Yet, we still need more. More attention, more money, more useless and shallow friends.

"Get ready, my friend." Cheryl sits by my side and caresses my cheek. "It's time for you to show them who's in charge. You can't let them treat you like crap."

I nod my head, tears slowly forming behind my eyes. I fight them, ignoring the intense need to cry and crawl back under the covers. But I can't. This isn't me, I'm not that weak.

Like Cheryl said, I need to face my fears and be strong. And the first thing I have to do is face my mother, along with my brother and his new-found cockiness.

My best friend left a fresh change of clothes for me on her desk, a comb and a hair tie as well. I sigh, dreading the moment I step outside of this room and into the utter madness of my house.

But I have to.

After showering and making sure I look decent, I hug Cheryl goodbye, already missing the eerie silence of her home. Every step I take brings me closer to hell, also known as the Adams' household.

The sky is grey, rain falling upon my face like small knives piercing my skin. I like the cold, at least I'm feeling something other that nothing.

The front door to my house opens and two figures rush to my side creating a mess of arms and tears. My brother and mother both hug me tightly, whispering how much I'm loved and beautiful. This gesture makes me cry along with them, which is something I promised myself I would never do again.

The father figure in our household is nowhere to be seen, but I don't care. I have never had a connection with him anyways. He was always just another person in my life, unlike my brother. My mother was also a bit distant in the past years, but I can feel her warming up to me once again.

They take my inside, choosing he warmest seats on the house, right in front of the fireplace. A tray of warm cookies and chocolate milk arrives a few minutes after we sit down, and I'm grateful for everything they're doing.

My mother is silent since our heartwarming moment outside, while Viktor is babbling about a tournament of poker he wants to organize in our basement. I wonder if they really know what happened to me.

And once I start to wonder, my mother lays her hand on my cheek and her eyes fill with tears.

"Why did you do it, my angel?" My mother's voice cracks and she buries her head on my shoulder. "We could have talked about it, we could have-"

"We could have talked about it?" I spit, moving away from them. "Viktor shows up after years missing and no one bats an eye, you all act like you already knew the truth."

Neither of them says a thing, and the way they share a glance with each other makes the hard truth sink into my brain.

They knew.

"Oh." The blanket that my mother wrapped around my cold shoulders falls to the floor as I stand. "I see how it is. When were you going to tell me?"

Both open their mouths at the same time, but I put my hand up and silence them. It's useless, their words won't affect how betrayed and hurt I feel.

"You knew, and you chose not to tell me." I walk backwards towards the door. "Now I choose not to look you in the eyes again."

I run upstairs, wishing for a new start, for a new life without lies and pain. Of course that's impossible, but a girl can wish.

Laying on my bed for hours, sleep doesn't come to me as fast as I wished. So, as it's expected after such traumatic experiences and revelations, I stare at the ceiling, counting the seconds until my

ΨΨΨ

School has never been easy for me, at least since my brother disappeared. Eventually, I got used to the stares, the whispers and the nasty gossip. I overcame all my weaknesses and became the second most popular girl of the entire school, showing all the haters that I could in fact be someone.

But when I step inside the cold hallways on Monday, a heavy feeling falls upon my shoulders, and I'm sure I have every eye on me this morning. I walk as fast as I can around the hallways, grabbing my books from my locker and deciding where to hide during the last few minutes before class starts.

I decide against my instincts and follow a familiar blonde head towards the small garden near the front doors of the school.

When I get there, she is venting about Jughead. Oh, what a shocker.

"Mr. Jones told me Jughead's never had a birthday party." She sighs and plays with her fingers. "Let's have one for him. Like, a low-key surprise party."

"Uh, no, no." Archie says before shaking his head, hands on his hips.

"That's a fantastic idea." Veronica butts in and smiles, satisfied with the idea.

"Jughead doesn't like his birthday." Poor Archie, trying to argue with two girls about a party.

He notices me standing behind his little group and excuses himself for a second. Before I can escape, he grabs my arm and twists me around to face him.

"I know what you're about to say." I keep walking, yanking his hand from my arm. "I don't want to hear it."

"Valentina, we need to talk. I don't care if you want to hear it or not, I want you to know that you can count on me." His sincerely warms my heart and I find myself smiling. "I'm serious, if there's something bothering you, come to me and we can fix it together."

Touched by his words, I start tearing up but cover it, forcing a small on my lips.

"Thank you." I pat his arm and walk away.

My morning was very normal, if you don't count the amount of times I was stared at -I stopped counting at ninety four- or the whispers that followed me everywhere I went.

Everything was going great until my peaceful thoughts were interrupted.

"Hey, Valentina"

Betty finds me at my locker just before lunch break. Her fake smile and bright eyes make me want to roll my eyes. This is not what I want to be doing a few days after trying to kill myself.

Yeah, I came to terms with my decision, and I'm calling it what it is. It wasn't just a little swim by the lake. I truly wanted to end my life. And I almost succeeded.

"I have good news for you! My mother will assist us with the Blue and Gold, and we are going to have a meeting in a few days to help her settle down." She bounces on her feet and I smile.

"Alright." Is the only thing I say, gathering my books.

"Also." The real reason why she came to me is far more deep than her mother intruding in or school's paper. "The guys and I are planning a surprise party for Jughead's birthday."

The memories of past birthdays sting the back of my head, and I have to clutch the books against my chest not to lash out at her.

Jughead hates his birthday. I want to tell her that I know her boyfriend better than she does. But I can't. I won't.

"I heard he doesn't like parties." That's all I offer, as my hands are already shaking.

"Everybody says that, nobody means it." She giggles like I just said the funniest thing in the world. "Okay, so I'm thinking a quaint gathering, inner-circle only."

"Okay?"

"All I'm saying is that you can come if you want." It's not an official invitation, I think it's more of a I-don't-really-want-you-there-but-I'm-trying-to-be-nice type of invitation. Betty grabs my arm and looks me deep in the eyes. "Look, there's a lot I can't do, a lot I can't control. But I can damn well make sure my boyfriend has the best birthday of his life."

Her choice of words kills me inside, but I swallow my pride and nod.

"I'll see what I can do, I don't know if my parents will let me go."

Betty looks at me like she wants to say more, but she only nods and walks away from me with a tiny "thanks".

But then I remember she didn't even tell me where the party will be held at, so I call her name and walk after her.

"You forgot to tell me where and when the party-"

"Oh, that's right." She whispers something under her breath and looks down. "We were planning on using Archie's house. Tonight at eight? Does it work for you?"

"Let me check with my parents and I'll let you know." I smile and walk back to my locker, trying to find an excuse to end this conversation.

I know for a fact I don't have to ask my parents for permission, and after last night's events I don't ever want to look them in the eyes again.

When I get back to my locker, Cheryl and Chuck are waiting for me, both of them staring at me with malicious smiles on their faces.

"Oh no." My head falls back. "What do you want?"

"I believe we have a party to attend." Cheryl says and high-fives Chuck, before leaning towards me and whispering. "It's time for the new Valentina to show the world who's boss."

I bite my lip. This isn't going to end well.

ΨΨΨ

I skip practice to buy a nice present for Jughead. According to Cheryl, she lost a dance battle against Veronica, who's now the captain and supreme leader of the Vixens. Her words, not mine.

As I was walking around the little shops in the center of Riverdale, I found the perfect present for Jughead. It sparkles in the small sun rays that penetrate the dark cloudy sky, and I know he's going to love it.

At least I hope he loves it. It's something meaningful, something that reminds me of our childhood and the times we spent playing as kids.

I wrap the shining red car toy in equally red wrapping paper, writing a small note and attaching it to the lace. The note says: from Valentina, to remind you all the broken things can be fixed.

A tear escapes my eye, and I wipe it away before opening my car door. Standing outside Archie's house, fear crawls inside of my stomach. I'm not afraid of what they'll think or how they'll act. I'm sure they already know what happened, Archie saved me after all, and the stares at school weren't pointless.

"You can do this." I whisper, walking up to the door and knocking. "All you have to do it spend a few hours here and have some fu-"

Archie opens the door for me and everyone jumps from their hiding spots, yelling "happy birthday". I roll my eyes and smile a little, the fear slowly evaporating.

"Do I look like Jughead to you?" They giggle at my question and I hand Veronica the gift. "Is there somewhere you want to hide all the gifts in?"

"Just put it somewhere, you can give it to him later." She shrugs.

"Oh. Betty just texted me. They're almost here." They all run around the house in excitement, making sure everything is perfect for Jughead's party.

While they do that, I decide to explore the house and hide the gift in a secret place. Maybe they have a small underground hole where I can hide it until Jughead finds out where it is. But then I remember this is not my house, which means secret passageways and hiding spots are a no-no.

So I decide the best place to "hide" his present is in plain sight. Because I know this party is going to get wild -courtesy of Cheryl and our dear troublemaker friend Chuck- I need to place it on top of Archie's bed. I'm sure he'll want to lock it once they get here.

"Guys, they're really coming this time." I hear as my hands linger on the present one last time.

"Everybody hide." I hurry downstairs and hide near Archie behind the counter.

"Ugh, I'm so over this." Veronica grunts and I giggle behind my hand.

Once the door opens, we jump in the air and yell "Surprise!" while laughing and watching Jughead's features change from calm and collected to actually surprised.

Betty disappears into the kitchen as we all with Jughead a happy birthday. When I finally get my turn to hug him, I keep it short and only say a few words.

No need to make this more awkward than it already is.

"Um, has anyone seen Betty?" Jughead asks and we turn to the entrance of the kitchen, where she stands with a cake in her hands.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Jughead..." Betty pauses and holds the cake near his face. "Happy birthday to you."

The way they look at each other and the way their bodies get slowly closer together hurts me in ways that I never thought were possible.

"That was haunting, Betty." I hear someone whisper next to me, but I can't decipher who it is.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish." Jughead sighs but does as Betty says, whispering something to her afterwards.

Once everyone settles down, groups start to form and I'm left with Kevin and his boyfriend. The conversation is light and polite, but is interrupted by the doorbell.

"How many more people did you invite to this thing?" Jughead asks from the kitchen.

"No one. Inner-circle only." Betty responds as loud music starts playing outside.

I look out the window and curse. There stands Cheryl with half of the student body from our school, looking fairly proud of herself. Beer tanks are being unloaded from a truck parked behind my car.

"Did you really think you could have a party without inviting moi?" I hear Cheryl's voice when Archie opens the door.

"Or me?" Chuck asks from Cheryl's right side,

"Archie, where do you want the kegs?"

"Screw it! One in the kitchen, one in the backyard." Archie loudly claps and the crowd cheers, quickly finding their way inside.

"Oh damn" I whisper under my breath when I see my boyfriend coming in.

But he's not alone.

By his side are two girls, each one glued to one of his arms. They have gleeful expressions on their faces and the urge to vomit rises to my mouth.

A shadow stops me from lunging at him and breaking every bone of his face. Chuck stands there, his hands on his hips. Reggie is now kissing one of the girls and the other is not satisfied with the lack of attention from the asshole.

"I never knew what you saw in that bastard." Chuck comments and I shake my head.

"Me neither." But I knew exactly why I started dating him.

I look over Chuck's shoulder at the mess Reggie created. The two girls -one with short blonde hair and the other with long brown locks- start slapping each other over the asshole standing in the corner, admiring his conquer.

I don't even know why I decided to date him. I really thought he liked me. Even after the whole "girls we have screwed" book incident, I still fell for his facade.

I'm so stupid.

And now, after what Cheryl told me during this past week, he has been cheating on me since the beginning of our so-called relationship. Again, I feel so betrayed and stupid, I can't even think straight.

So, when his eyes lock with mine, I do the most irrational thing in the world.

I kiss Chuck. 

His lips against mine feel like soft silk being pressed on them. There's no emotion behind it, at least from me. Only rage towards the guy that cheated on me, and the guy that stole my heart and broke it in tiny pieces.

This kiss is for them. To show them -even if I can't fool my own feelings for the idiot- that I'm not affected by their actions. To show them that I'm not bothered by the fact Jughead and Betty are oh so in love, and that Reggie's side chicks are no longer on my mind.

Even if that's all a lie, I can at least fool them.

A scoff comes from behind us, meaning someone is either walking to or from the stairs. Chuck breaks the kiss and smirks down at me, both of us aware of the lack of feelings between us.

"That was a good kiss, Adams." He says loudly after pecking my lips one last time. He whispers the last part for my ears only. "A good one, indeed. But let's not repeat that. We have reputations to keep."

After staring at me for a few more seconds, he acknowledges the presence behind us with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Hey. Whoa. Where you going, guest of honor?" Chuck goes back to his cocky self and raises his eyebrow.

"Get out of my way, Chuck." Jughead spits in his direction, his eyes never meeting mine. Instead, he stares at the door with anger.

"Oh, but you can't leave now." I know for a fact Chuck isn't planning anything good. "We haven't even played our game yet. Listen up, party people."

"Chuck." I tug at his arm, looking around in apprehension. "What are you doing."

"Shh." He shushes me and nods at Cheryl who moves to the center of the living room, her hands on her hips and a devious smile on her face.

"Everyone has their secrets. And we've all done our fair share of sinning." She sways her hips seductively and looms at everyone with her shining eyes. "That's one thing my dear brother's death has revealed. So let's play a little game to get those secrets out in the open."

"Let's play Secrets and Sins." Chuck's voice booms from my side and he takes me to the nearest sofa so I can have a seat next to Betty.

"What the hell is Secrets and Sins?" She asks, her voice rising in anxiety.

"It's a variation on Truth or Dare. In which we own our truths. By telling it like it is. I'll start the game with Veronica Lodge." Cheryl claps her hands.

"Naturally." The Lodge girl sits by my other side and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Let's begin with the day you and your mob wife of a mother came to town for a so-called âfresh start. Tell us, Veronica, what's so fresh about defiling Archie Andrews in a closet?"

"That was your doing."

"Moving on to dear Daddy Lodge Isn't it true that your father, from prison, illegally purchased the drive-in land? Which makes me wonder." Cheryl stops for a moment, glancing around before settling her eyes on Veronica. "What else is he doing from behind bars?"

"Well, I can't speak for my father, but I can think of someone with a very dirty secret." It's Veronica's time to spicy the game. I don't love a muscle as my eyes are captivated by the duel between the two girls. "Specifically, Cheryl killing her very own brother."

Everyone gasps, and even I lean back from her, shaking my head. What is she doing?

"Everyone knows how much I loved my brother." Cheryl looks disgusted.

"Exactly." Veronica stands to have her opponent. "But did you love him maybe in ways that a sister shouldn't love a brother? And as you got older, Jason started to think it was strange, unnatural. So he chose Polly over you. So you shot him between the eyes with one of your father's many hunting rifles."

Silence lingers in the air as Cheryl fumes and Veronica smirks at her little victory. Oh dear child, if only you knew what she has planned for you.

"I wanna go next." Dilton Doiley -whom I had no idea came to this party- raises his hand and smirks.

"That's the spirit, Doiley." Both Cheryl and Chuck -standing side by side in the middle of the room- cheer.

"What secrets do you have to reveal to us?"

"I saw Ms. Grundy's car by Sweetwater River, the day Jason went missing." Some party-goers hold their breaths, while others glance around in fear. "I told Betty and Jughead, and then, Ms. Grundy quit her job and left Riverdale, like, two days later. And let's not forget that Archie was also at the Sweetwater that morning."

"Oh, my God, color me shocked, Archie Andrews. Is that why you became a mediocre musician overnight?" The bitterness in her voice is evident. "Because you and Ms. Foureyes were pulling a Mary Kay Letourneau?"

"Don't say anything, Archie. Don't get in the gutter with them." Veronica, now by the boy's side, grabs his hand.

"Wait, what? Andrews was banging a teacher?" Chuck laughs. " Well, damn, I wish I would have known. I would've added you and Ms. Grundy to the board of conquests."

"Classy, Chuck, as always." I roll my eyes, not enjoying the path this game is taking. 

My eyes lock with Jughead's, and the world around me disappears. It's cheesy, yes. But that's exactly how I feel when those eyes of just examine every inch of my body. Words and insults are thrown around us, but none of us cares. But Chuck interrupts my momentary happiness when he pulls me up from my seat. 

"Well, I guess it's my turn now. Boy, do I have a twisted secret to reveal." He chuckles. "In fact, I have two revelations to make. Let's start with the one starring Betty Cooper."

"Leave her the hell alone, Chuck." I pull against the strong hold he has on my shoulders, but to no use.

"Not now, princess." He looks at Archie, who's glaring at him like he wants to commit murder. "Look, you may get a free peepshow every night, but you do not know her. Hell, Betty doesn't even know herself. Everybody knows why I got suspended. But what you don't know."

He stops for suspense and sighs, pretending to be the victim in the entire situation. Chuck can't fool me, and I bet he isn't fooling anyone else.

"She dressed up like a hooker, in a God-awful black wig, drugged me, handcuffed me in the jacuzzi, and I almost drowned until she got me to say what she wanted to hear. And then she really lost it." His chuckles turn dark, his eyes calculative. "She actually thought she was Polly. But, hey, you knew all about this, right, Jughead?"

And then the worst thing happens. Jughead tries to punch Chuck's head, but Archie stops him in time. Then, as if to cause even more trouble, Chuck's eyes land on me and he smiles deviously. 

"My second revelation stars this beautiful girl right here." He points at me and squeezes me in his arms again. "I don't know if you noticed, but she had a pretty busy weekend."

My eyes meet Cheryl's and the apprehension I see there tells me she knew nothing about Chuck's evil intentions with the game. Until now, I still saw Chuck as part of our group, a friend. But I never thought he could be so mean. I should have known by what he did to Veronica.

"She tried to kill herself, the same way her brother supposedly died. In the river, all by herself." He laughs maniacally. "But she wasn't lucky enough, because golden boy over there saved her!"

Chuck points at Archie and opens his mouth to continue his story.

"And her brother is not even dead. We all thought he was, but apparently it was all a publicity stunt-"

I'm faster than his words and land a punch to his mouth. My hand stings but I don't stop, consumed by the rage and fear of what his next words could be.

Guess we'll never find out.

"Enough! That's enough!" Arms wrap themselves around my waist and pull me back from Chuck's fallen figure, but I fight against the hold this person has on me. "Calm down, it's me."

His voice soothes my sharp edges and I let him take me away from the living room. And thinking that I kissed that bastard just a few minutes ago.

"Get out!" Someone yells and silence lingers in the air. "What are you looking at? The party's done. It's over! Go home!"

It's Jughead's father who yells the order. One by one, the teenagers start abandoning the house while Jughead and I stand in the kitchen, his arms still around me. I tremble from his touch, and I don't think I'm the only one affected by our proximity.

FP Jones calmly walks back inside the house after making sure everyone is gone. Veronica, Betty and Archie are all gathered in the couch, supporting each other.

"I'm so sorry." I look at Jughead's father and apologize. "I believe this is partly my fault, I was the one who told them about the party and-"

"Did you invite them?" FP asks, his eyes shining with pure rage.

"I just told them about the party, I didn't invite them h-"

"Then it's not your fault, honey." He interrupts, but his voice is kind. "Now, if you could help me take the trash out."

Motioning to my group of friends, FP walks ahead of me, and we both tell the teenagers to leave, some of them needing a bit more encouragement to leave the Andrews' property.

When all is calm again, I remember where I left Jughead's present. My help isn't needed anymore and the party is very much over by now. So, ignoring the pain in my heart, I hug everyone goodbye and wait for Jughead to notice me. He finally does and I don't hug him, I just look up at him.

"You didn't open my gift." I smile sadly.

"I'm sorry, I forgot I had presents after everything that happened." He sounds very sorry, and that gives me a bit of hope.

"I left it upstairs, on Archie's bed." I walk to the door, holding it open so I can leave. "Hope you like it."

Something deep inside me stirs as he looks at me, and I can't decipher what his eyes are trying to tell me. We don't speak, and I close the door behind my back, slowly making my way to my car.

When I'm already covered by my warm blankets, my phone rings on my bed and I check who decided to text me. I smile, as the text is from Jughead.

That was he best gift anyone has ever given me.

He doesn't need to specify or say anything else. I reply with a "you're welcome" and lay on the pillows, falling asleep faster than usual and with a large smile on my face.

For the first time in weeks -if not months- I sleep like a baby.

ΨΨΨ

Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! I have bad news for you: I will not be writing a second book, as I dislike the second season of Riverdale. I'm so sorry if I disappointed any of you, but I'll try to write the last few chapters as fast as I can and as magnificently as my skills allow me. Anywayssss, I hope you liked this chapter, and if you did don't forget to vote and comment to show your support.
Byeeeeee
QUESTION: did anyone understand why Valentina gave Jughead a car toy for his birthday?