Come Back For Me | Jughead Jones

Chapter 25: False Promise

I cowered my head between my knees, allowing myself to cry in seclusion. After staying there, wallowing for an unknown amount of time, I finally stood back up and pushed myself off of the tree.

I didn't know what to do with myself. All I knew was to blankly stare at the distant lights of buildings through the wooded area, rubbing my sore damp eyes as I sniffled. My shallow breath quickly turned into a fog from the frigid air.

Suddenly, I remembered that I was supposed to go to Archie's to play a video game. I could care less about the game at this point, and just wanted to sleep it all away.

I went to Archie's anyway, knowing that I couldn't keep this list to myself like Catherine did.

After freely walking into the house, I ran up the steps to Archie's room and closed the door behind me, not knowing if he was in there or not.

"Jughead?" He stood up, worried.

"She left," I told Archie, with an accidental tone of anger. Was it accidental? I couldn't decipher what emotions I was feeling at that moment.

"What do you mean she left? Like she left the house when you came?" He questioned, seeming worried.

"She left Riverdale. She's gone. Her car is gone, her things are gone, and I don't know if she's coming back any time soon," I fretted, pacing back and forth in the room.

Archie gripped my shoulders and forced me to sit down. "Slow down! Tell me everything."

I spilled everything. The letter, the reason as to why she was behaving the way she was, her crying mother and frightened father, it all fell out of my mouth easily. I handed him the list and rested my head into my palms, supported by my elbows resting upon my thigh. I then looked down at my shoes as Archie examined the note.

"December 18th? That's tomorrow!" Archie glanced over to me.

"She said if nothing happens then she'll be back after the 18th, but-"

"No buts, Jug," Archie placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. "If she said that then she'll come back. She probably bailed town for a little while to clear her mind."

"Exactly! She left Riverdale. She's going to spend her night in a car, in the middle of a foreign town, with creeps lurking all around her!" I shook my head and looked at Archie with my bloodshot eyes. "You don't get it. She said if nothing happens. What if one of us gets hurt? She won't come back."

I buried my head in my palms again.

"She's not going to come back."

"Hey! Stop talking like that, Jughead. We'll keep an eye out tomorrow and make sure everyone is okay. Then we'll see what happens after that. It's all going to be fine," Archie assured me, rubbing my back slightly.

I took a deep breath and sat up, then looked at Archie. "Okay," I confided. "I believe you."

Archie grinned slightly, before patting my back again and standing up. "Now let's go get that game. You definitely need it tonight."

I decided that it was better to let myself cut loose and try to relax in amidst all of this confusion and uncertainty.

I felt as though Catherine would rather have me relax like this instead of curling in bed and wallowing in self-pity.