Strangers

back again

Jughead's POV:
My names Jughead Jones and I am 17. When I was 5 my mother took me and my 1 year old sister and left the town of Riverdale. We left my dad behind. I don't really remember my dad, all I remember is him telling me he was sorry as he hugged me tight and placed the same grey, crown shaped beanie, I wear today, on to my head. Ever since then I barely took it off. It was the last thing I had that reminded me of him.

It's been 12 years since I've seen my dad and today I made the bold choice to go back to Riverdale, I want to know him and his life. I've been in contact with him for a few months, he knows I'm coming, what he doesn't know is I'm running away. My mother's alway been overprotective, ever since we left she never let me contact him, she refused to talk about him. So about a year ago I got a job at the local newspaper writing small columns, it was a good job and paid well. Ever since then I've been saving up, getting ready for today.

I was standing at the bus stop holding a letter addressed to my mum, I open it one last time. It says:

Hey mum,
I'm guessing by now you know I've gone. I need you to know, I haven't left because your not enough. I love you and I love Jellybean so much, but somethings missing and I need to understand what that is. I promise when I reach where I'm going I will contact you again but mum please if you love me, I need you to let me do this. I need to understand where I came from.
You've looked after me my entire life, you have done nothing but thought about me or Jellybean. But now it's my turn to understand why you made the sacrifices you did.
If you haven't figured out where I am don't worry, I'll let you know when I reach where I'm going. I promise I'm safe, I have a place to stay and enough money to keep myself going.
Tell Jellybean I'll miss her.
I love you mum, I just need to be me.
I'll be in touch,
Jughead xx

As I put the letter back in the envelope and seal it, I post it through the letterbox knowing it will reach her by this afternoon. I turn around and see my small group of friends standing there ready to say goodbye to me. They understand why I'm going and they know where I'm going.
There was Mason, I met him when we were 6 and we instantly became friends, we got each other into trouble and faced the punishments together. Next was Danny, me and Mason became friends with him when we were 10. He had just moved and didn't really have any other friends so we befriended him and the three of us have been inseparable ever since. And finally, there's Alex. She has been my next door neighbour since I moved into town. Alex is short for Alexandra. She's literally like a sister to me.

'Jug, I swear if we don't see you soon we're gonna have to come to Riverdale' Mason says while hugging me goodbye. I let out a laugh and say 'I promise I'll be back, don't know when but I need to know. I need to understand his life' I go to hug Danny goodbye and he whispers 'gonna miss you bro' I lean out of the hug and say 'your not going soft on me now, are you Danny?' He lets out a laugh before punching me in the arm. I turn to Alex and I see she's trying her hardest not to cry 'Alex...' I start to say but she reaches around my neck and pulls me into a tight hug. 'Just promise you'll write. So we know your okay' she says quietly into my ear 'I promise' I say back 'please promise you'll be home soon' I can feel her tears on my neck, I lean out of the hug and wipe the fallen tears from her face and say 'Alexandra, if I don't come back you can come to me. It's only a 4 hour bus journey' I say to her while she punches my arm lightly. I smile before pulling away and grabbing my bag.

The bus pulls up and I start to walk away when I turn to my friends and say 'I'll talk to you soon, keep an eye on my mum for me. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid' they all nod before I hear Alex say 'good luck Jug, I hope you find what you looking for' I smile and walk onto the bus. As I take a seat near the back I watch as my friends stand on the pavement waving me off. I close my eyes and I start to think: I've just said goodbye to my life long friends, the people who know me best so I can go and find myself. I just hope that in the end it's all worth it. The bus starts to drive away and the town I once called home was now a blur in the distance. I pull out my phone and text the man I call my dad: