“Wendy?”


    “Ruby! Let’s go catch the sunrise!” Wendy’s voice was practically buzzing through the phone.


    “Where are we supposed to see it?”


    “Cloud Peak.”


    “Isn’t Cloud Peak private property? I thought nobody was allowed up there!”


    “That’s what I thought too! Turns out they’ve just opened it to the public,” Wendy said, her excitement barely contained. Everyone in Riverdale knew Cloud Peak–highest spot in the city, bought up years ago by some old–money family andpletely off–limits ever since..


    The family who lived there? The most powerful, established name in all of Riverdale. If they actually ran into them…. <fn8083> Chapters first released on Find[?]ovel</fn8083>


    Ruby didn’t even want to think about it. <!--


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    “Come on! It’ll be fun. Just keep mepany, okay?”


    “Alright, where are you now<i>? </i>I’ll get the driver to pick me up.”


    After hanging up, Ruby headed upstairs. Her mom, Tina, followed her into the bedroom, watching as Ruby stood in front of her closet, rifling through clothes.


    “Are you seriously going?”


    “Why not? Sometimes you’ve got to give your friends a little sweetness.”


    <b>“</b>Cloud Peak is private. The people up there… they’re not the type we can afford to upset.”


    “We’re just going to watch the sunrise, not cause trouble. If it’s not really open, I’ll juste home,” Ruby said, acting casual, though she knew exactly what she was doing. “Mom, you just don’t want me getting too close to Wendy. But who knows–maybe one day we’ll end up working with the Jenson family.”


    “Rtionships need a little maintenance now and then,” she added with a shrug.


    Tina looked at her, surprised at how much her daughter had changed. “You’ve really grown up. You never used to think about things like this.”


    Maybe it was those two years abroad–Ruby almost felt like a different person now.


    <i>She </i>f


    shed <b>a </b>quick smile. “Maybe it’s just that I finally know what I want.”


    Wendy picked Ruby up, along with a few other friends from their circle. They crammed into the car, chatting andughing the whole way.


    “I’ve never been up to Cloud Peak in my whole life!”


    “Same! Even my dad says he’s never been up there.”


    “My grandpa actually went once, back when he was young and got invited to some fancy banquet. The car stopped at the base, then everyone had to switch to the family’s own vehicles for the ride up.


    All the windows were tinted ck–you couldn’t see a thing. When they got there, all he ever saw was the banquet hall.”


    “No one ever gets near the main house.”


    “It’s so mysterious. Do you think we’ll see the main house today?”


    “Yeah, right. If they’re opening up the mountain, they’ve definitely made sure their private life stays private.”


    They finally reached the top and crashed in the van, trying to grab a little sleep before sunrise.


    At five, the sun started to rise. The whole crowd let out these soft, amazed sighs.


    Ruby thought, No wonder they’ve kept this ce to themselves all these years. With a who wouldn’t want it all to themselves?


    By five–thirty, people were already heading back down.


    “I’m gonna run to the bathroom. Wait for me in the car,” Ruby said.


    Wendy nodded. “Got it.”


    By six, the sky was bright and Ruby still hadn’te back.


    Someone checked the time. “Should we go look for her?


    -ben ages


    With a view like this,


    “I’ll go,” Wendy offered, heading toward the restroom. She looked everywhere–but Ruby was nowhere to be found.


    “Mr. Jenson?” The knock at the bedroom door was quiet but firm in the early morning calm.


    Oliverid his arm over his eyes, annoyed at being woken up.


    “What is it?”


    “There’s news from down the mountain. Someone went missing while watching the sunrise. The police are already searching.”


    Oliver was silent, his face unreadable.