The man - who looks a lot like Pop Tate - types something into the computer that sits in front of him. His hands are very noticeably dry and the rough skin makes an uncomfortable sound against the keys.
"He's in room 267, second floor," he tells us matter-of-factly before going back to what he was doing and straightening his keyboard.
"Thanks," I mutter and push myself off the counter with my hands.
Betty and I were forced to take the elevator, which could not have been more awkward. She stood there with her hands interlaced in front of her, while I stood next to her with my hands in my jean pockets. I remember that this is how I felt when I first kissed her, not knowing at all what to do next. Is she uncomfortable? Should I leave?
"I hope he's okay.." she says and gives a pained smile.
Her hands move up to hold her stomach, which looks slightly rounded and I remember when Polly mentioned the possibility of her being pregnant.
"Me too." I agree as the bell dings, signaling that we were on the floor.
Archie's room is at the very end of the hall. We aren't there yet, but we can tell because there stands Veronica with a hand on her forehead. She paces back and forth.
"Veronica!" Betty calls, quickening her pace.
Veronica's head snaps toward us and her face expression immediately changes. "Oh, thank God you're here!"
When they finally meet, they nearly knock each other down but Betty steadies Veronica by her shoulders. She looks carefully at Veronica's face. "Are you okay?"
::::::::::::::::::::::
"Are you okay?" I say, studying her tear covered face.
"No," she admits, her bottom lip quivering. "Archie got in a crash."
"Is he alright?" Asks Jughead, urgently and apprehensive, leaning in to our conversation. He looks only half awake with drooping face and dark circles around his eyes.
"No," she squeaks, her hands flying up to wipe tears off.
My - and, I imagine, Jughead's - face falls. Archie can't not be alright. He's Archie. He's my best friend and he's going to be an artist and he's engaged to Veronica. (I acknowledge, unfortunately, that the way I found these things out was from Fred and not my two best friends, but I push the thought out with an angry shudder).
"What?" I whisper, my eyes already leaking the salty water I've come to hate. "He's alive, right?"
She just nods and walks into a room with a gray colored sheet curtaining the room from outsiders view. She pays gently on it before moving it to the side, revealing what used to be my neighbor and best friend in the hospital bed.
"He's- he's in coma. He's been for a week now."
I've never seen something so heartbreaking.
Just the sight of him sent me running to his side and sobbing. He had the biggest black and purple and yellow bruise - which covered most of his face except for one spot. A huge, disgusting slash on his cheek was being bandaged by another man in the room.
I don't even want to think what was hidden under the thin bedsheet, so I just sob on them. Veronica soon finds her way beside me, joining in.
"Oh, my god." whispers Jughead from somewhere behind me.
I don't want to be here. With my dying friend and my ex boyfriend that I, admittedly, still love, but I needed to and that just made me sob harder.
——————
ugh does anyone even like this book haha
THANK YOU IF YOU DO ILOVEYOU
b
