Another Love~J.J. {1}

~43~

Anatomy of a Murder

* * *

        "Jughead?" Lia called the moment she walked into Pop's, her eyes went over to Pop who pointed over to her left and she turned, seeing the familiar mop of black hair leaning against the wall in a booth. She sighed with a soft smile and made her way over, ignoring the looks everyone gave her since she was still in her dress from the dance. She slid in the booth in front of him, watching him with sad eyes and soon he sighed, his eyes going to her. 

        "I think my life is going back to the middle." He finally said and Lia couldn't help but chuckle softly, Jughead doing the same. 

        "Oh, Juggle..." Lia trailed off, her smile dropping and Jughead's along with it. Lia stretched her arm over to Jughead's side of the table, the palm of her hand facing upwards and waiting for Jughead to place his in her own. He did, letting Lia use her other hand to enclose Jughead's cold on and soon she was cradling his hand in both of her hands. 

        They remained silent, enjoying each other's company until the door to Pop's burst open and Betty, Veronica, and Archie rushed in. Lia let go of Jughead's hand quickly, bringing her hands into her lap and Jughead sent her a confused look before Betty sat down beside him, Archie went to the seat behind him and Veronica sat beside Lia. 

        "Jug." Betty whispered but Jughead just kept his gaze out the window he was leaning against. 

        "Jug, we're so sorry...About everything." Veronica tried but again, Jughead did nothing. 

        "Juggy, we screwed up. We all did-

        "Speak for yourself." Lia muttered in between Archie's words, earning the smallest smile from Jughead that no one but her noticed.

        "Breaking into your dad's trailer was wrong, but at least some good came out of it." Archie finished. 

        "Pretty sure my dad was just arrested for murder." Jughead scoffed. 

        "That gun wasn't there when we searched his trailer." Veronica said. Lia looked at her with a confused look. "Someone put it there after we left."

        "What are you talking about?" Jughead asked, causing Betty, Veronica, and Archie explained everything to them and soon the group of five ended up at the Sheriff Station, to tell him that FP Jones was being framed. 

"Then why did he just confess?" Keller replied to them after they explained that FP was being framed. Lia was about to speak but then she saw deputies walking FP towards where the cells were and Lia couldn't help but yell at him. 

"You liar!" She screamed, trying to charge at him but Archie held her back. "Who're you protecting FP!? Who!?" 

FP just gave her a blank stare as he walked off with the deputies and soon they were gone. Lia huffed, ripping Archie's hands off of her and folding her arms over her chest, trying to calm herself down. 

* * *

        "The police report said FP worked alone. No mention of your dad, Ronnie. That's good news, right?" Archie asked. The group sat at lunch the next day without Jughead. He was at the Sheriff's station being interrogated by Sheriff Keller and Lia couldn't help but worry about him. Her thoughts would keep drifting to him as she was in class and even now at lunch and she found herself fidgeting and jumping at every little thing.  

        "I can't stop thinking that...Maybe my dad hired another Serpent to plant that gun." Veronica sighed.

        "It's surreal, isn't it? How's Jughead doing?" Kevin asked and Lia sighed at the question.

        "Not good. He's not coming in today. He's at the station." She answered.

        "Being grilled by your dad." Archie added on. 

        "Who's just doing his job. I mean, of course he's gonna ask Jughead questions." Kevin defended. Lia knew it must've been hard being the Sheriff's son, having to defend his father every time someone close to his friends was brought in. 

        "Okay, well, he's wasting his time, Kev. Because FP didn't kill Jason." Betty said firmly, hitting her fingers on the table at the last bit. 

        "Betty, he confessed-

        "Or he was coerced." Lia suggested, making everyone look at her. Or he's protecting someone, maybe a Serpent."

        "My mom saw him and Joaquin together-

        "Don't! Do not drag my boyfriend into this." Kevin snapped at Betty. 

        "Oh, no." Archie muttered. 

        "What?" Lia asked as she looked in the direction of where he was looking to see Jughead walking in. "Oh, God." 

        "What happened to him not coming in today?" Veronica asked as everyone in the lunchroom went silent, staring at Jughead as he walked up to Cheryl. Lia held her breath, waiting to see what would happen and was saddened at Jughead's words. 

        "I'm sorry, Cheryl." He said. Lia hated whenever he apologized, ever since they were kids she hated it but she just watched and waited for something to happen. Cheryl stood but didn't say anything but then the soud of her palm connecting with Jughead's face echoed throughout the cafeteria. 

        Lia jumped up and dashed over with Archie as Cheryl began to slam on Jughead's chest. Cheryl was only stopped by Archie who dragged her away and Lia forced Jughead downwards so she could examine his cheek which already had a red mark on it but Jughead never once met her eyes. 

        "Juggle, are you-

        "Enough!" Principal Weatherbee shouted, causing everyone to freeze. Lia stood with Jughead still leaning down and her hands rested on her face as her eyes went to Principal Weatherbee. "Mr. Jones, you need to come with me. Right now."

        "He was apologizing!" Archie shouted at the same time as Lia. 

        "He didn't do anything wrong!" She yelled. 

        "Right now!" Principal Weatherbee snapped and Lia heard Jughead sigh, before she felt him grab her hands and take them off his face before following after Principal Weatherbee while Cheryl stomped off.