Darkest Minds || Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones [3]

Pure Evil

PURE EVIL

Eleanor holds her legs closer against her chest, and sighs. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't think you would ever talk to me again after what went down with... With Fangs. And now you being Serpent Queen –."

"We all have our dark moments, Reggie." Ellie makes sure he knows that it's ok, and that's something she's familiar with. "We just gotta make it back to the light,"

"But you're here." He reminds her. "This is not your light. And I'm not giving you pills, because I don't have them anymore, and because you deserve better than that."

"I won't lie to you, I could really use some pills." She faces him now, and confesses. "But the truth is, I'm really lonely right now."

Reggie feels sympathetic towards her, but still frowns. "What about Jughead?"

"Ah I messed up." Ellie looks back ahead, and sighs.

"You can tell me."

"I really can't." She shakes her head, and breathes.

"Come on, I won't judge you. You know I won't." Reggie reassures her. "I'll just listen,"

Ellie swallows the limp on her throat, before speaking up. "Jughead is back with Betty, because I... I was too scared to tell him how I feel."

Reggie nods as if he's understanding each and every word of hers, and it doesn't come as a surprise. He always knew Archie Andrews couldn't love Ellie Cooper the way she's meant to be loved, she's meant to be loved like she's magic. And there's only one person Reggie knows that looks at her like that every time, and that's Jughead Jones.

"You know, I really had this sudden thought that you were going to end up with Jughead at some point, when he finally got you out of the pills." He comments, and his eyes find her green ones next. "But I realize something now, you don't want things to change. You didn't tell him how you feel so you don't have to feel anything real."

"You don't know what you are –."

"Because if you really give in to whatever you feel for Jughead, you're afraid that will break your sister's heart, and that must mean you're just like your Dad."

"Stop." Ellie mutters, the tears threathning to fall with his words. "What are you saying? I got over my Dad! But am I afraid that I'm gonna be like him at some point? Hell yes."

"You're better than him, Ellie! What are you talking about?" Reggie exclaims in desbelief. "You don't walk around killing sinners. You're smart and funny... And I've always thought you were beautiful. But for some reason you resent the best parts of yourself."

"I don't do that."

"Really? Then why don't you let people love you?" He wonders, and reminds her. "You didn't let me love you, and now you're not letting Jughead love you. That's not ok,"

. . .

"I'm deep in trouble, E." Veronica says while looking down at the paper. "I'm up to my eyebrows in bills. Pop's hemorrhaging money."

"What about the speakeasy?" Ellie wonders. "How far long?" The dark-haired girl looks away from her friend's eyes which turns the blondes features into a confused frown. "What is it?"

"Ah" She takes off her glasses, and places them on the table. "The speakeasy is ready. It has been for a while now."

"What? And why isn't it open yet?"

"I wanted us all to be together." Veronica confesses. "And that means Archie."

"V, we talked about this. Archie will understand." Ellie tells her. "He wouldn't want our lives to hit pause because his... well, because his did."