Dark Hearts || Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones [1]

Choose

"She taught a lot of people." Archie remarks. "What's your point?" 

"My point is you don't know anything about her, Archie."

"Betty, let this go." He pleads. "If you are really my friend, any of you, you'll let this go."

"Ok." Betty nods. Not sure if she means it though. "I'm sorry. I'm done."

Archie then turns to face Eleanor now, waiting for a reply from her as well. Instead, he only gets a sloppy shrug from her. So, he begs. "Please, Ellie."

"I can't stand by and watch you do this!" Ellie argues, she's not ok with his priorities. "Betty is just looking out for you, we all are. And the fact that you keep defending Grundy, putting her over everyone, over -."

"I thought we were really good about this, but clearly we're not." He shakes his head as if he's disappointed, and that pisses her off more.

"We'll never be good until you stop throwing us under the bus to protect Grundy, Archie." She explains, her voice a bit too loud. "I can't keep seeing you do that."

"Then why are you still here, Ellie?!" Archie's pressure takes the best of him, and he loses it. "I want to be with her, so stop being jealous about –."

Betty leans forward, and tries to stop them. "Guys, calm down!" 

"Jealous?" Ellie scoffs, and she fakes a laugh then as if that's the most absurd thing she has ever heard. 

"Yes, jealous of the fact that I moved on. Jealous that I have someone and you don't." Archie's looking into her eyes at this point, but he still doesn't realize what he's reallt saying. "That's what this is about, right?" 

"Stop this!" Betty slams her hands down on the table.

Both friends, arguing before, look up at the blonde with big eyes staring back at them, she's clearly confused as to how that meeting became so bad so fast. It's what happens, they should know by now, when feelings get hidden for far too long and far too deep in their chests.

Archie feels the need to say something, when everyone's falls into an awkward silence. "I'm not putting Grundy over anyone, I just –."

"Really?" Ellie arches her eyebrows at his words. "So if you had to choose between Grundy and I, who would you choose, Archie?"

Betty frowns, shocked by her sister's question but, above all, confused at the hidden meaning of the conversation going on between them. Veronica, on the other side, fully aware of what the conversation really is about, looks at them in a nervous anticipation, already knowing Ellie will leave Pop's more hurt than when she got in.

"Come on, you were the one saying people seem to do all the choosing for you, so I'm giving you a choice only you can make," Ellie pressures him. Archie hesitates, he doesn't have an answer for Ellie. And his silence is the only answer she needs, because she knows exactly where she stands with him now. "I got it. I won't stand in the way of your happiness, don't worry."

. . .

Even tho Eleanor is the sister who fought with Archie earlier, she's the one to stay behind. When Betty comes to her asking for help to investigate Grundy, Ellie refuses. Maybe because Archie asked them to stop – no, that's really not the real reason – maybe it's because deep down the whole thing is just hurting her too much.

While dressing her pajamas, Ellie hears her phone beep. So she walks to the desk, and reaches for it. Betty's name shining on the screen.

Betty: OMG Ms. Grundy is Jennifer Gibson. And we found a gun. A GUN.