The Sad Breakfast Club // BUGHEAD + VARCHIE + KEVIN

QUATORZE

"I don't think either one of them gives a shît about me. It's like they use me just to get back at each other."

~ Claire Standish, The Breakfast Club (1985)

🌻🌻🌻

JUGHEAD

WHO THE HELL WOULD want to go to school and sit in detention for no reason?

"You're out of you fúcking mind."Archie spoke, laughing softly along with the res tof us at Veroncia's answer. "I'm not kidding!"Veronica said in between laughs, her hand weakly slapping her knee. "I came here because I hate it at my house. I hate it there!"She added, rolling her eyes. "I have shïtty parents."

"Oh my god, same!"Betty chirped, practically bouncing on her seat. "My parents are the worst."She slurred, leaning back onto Jughead, resting her back on his side as she stared up at the ceiling. "I don't hate either of them, but I also don't love them. I'm closer to daddy, though, because mom scares me."Betty spoke, and Jughead let our a light chuckle.

"Your mom scares everyone, Betts."He said, and immediately Betty nodded her head in agreement. "But I bet yur mom can't compare to how scary my dad is."He told her, sighing softly as the image of his father popped into his head, wasted, and he quickly shook the image off of his head.

"Both my parents are even worst than all of yours combined, I'm not even kidding."Jughead said, and everyone listened to him. Betty knew so much about the topic, having been the one who got an earful of Jughead's rants back when they were younger, before they the world's stereotypes separated them from each other. Jughead melted into Betty's warmth, letting his head rest on top of hers, letting her back remain pressed against his side.

"When my parents had me, their life and relationship had already gone off the tracks. My parents were working like, triple shifts and it still wasn't enough for everything. They were barely at home, and since I was this needy kid who can't cook shît, I'd hang around with my best friends, but mostly Betty."Jughead started to explain. "I would stay away from the trailer as much as possible, so that I'd avoid seeing my parents fight, but it's inevitable. My dad got into the Serpents and he and my mom always fought about it."

"Then when I was seven, my sister Jellybean was born. And my mom got tired of my dad, and she gathered her things and left, and she brought Jellybean with her. She didn't bother saying goodbye, all I remember was that I went back home that afternoon to get some of my stuff and when I looked around for her, she was gone. With her things, and with Jellybean. She left me alone with a monster."The anger in Jughead's voice was obvious, and it was written all over his face as well.

"Every night since then, he'd come home wasted, and oftentimes he'd hit me when all I'm trying to do is help him. He's done nothing but abuse me and yell at me to go fúck myself, but he's still my father, and at least he didn't just leave me like my mom did. It only took a while before my dad started fúcking up our finances, so I joined the Serpents too, so I could survive on my own. Some of the Serpents let me go couch surfing at their houses, and they've offered a small apartment for me by the Whyte Whrm as long as I do what they ask. Thankfully, it's nothing illegal, just bartending."

"That's messed up, Jug."Archie was the first to react, and Jughead's gaze snapped to meet his. "I know."Jughead told him, nodding his head slightly. "Now you know why I had to put on this jacket,"Jughead tugged on the lapels of his leather jacket, the Southside Serpent logo embroidered onto the back of it. "And now you know why I wear this like it's some jacket of honor. The Serpents may be the gum you scrape under your shoes, but they're all I got."

"If only I knew, Jug—"

"You couldn't have known, Archie."Jughead cut him off, fists curling in anger. Archie remained silent, letting Jughead speak. All those years, he's looked down on Jughead because of his decisions, saying he's not worthy of his or anyone's time. Whatever Jughead was going to tell him, Archie knows he deserves to hear it.

"You abandoned me, just like everyone else."Jughead told him, venom and hurt laced in his voice as he pointed a finger at Archie. "All I asked was for you to understand!"He yelled, the sudden change of the tone of his voice startling Betty. She flinched slightly, leaning away from him and sitting up straighter. "All I asked was for you to stick by my side through all of that bullshît!"

"You pushed me away, Jughead! How was I supposed to understand if you didn't let me?"Archie replied wth a scoff, his tone raised as well. "You can't blame this all on me, Jughead! Or on Betty, for that matter!"

"Don't you fúcking dare drag Betty into this!"Jughead yelled at him, slamming his fist on the lounge table in between their couches. "This is between you and me, Archie. What happened between Betty and I is already forgiven and thrown away into the past, so don't bring it up again!"

"Fine then!"Archie huffed. "You can't just blame everything on me, Jughead, because you pushed me away!"

"If you hadn't been treating me and the other Serpents like we're all Southside scum and the dirt of all of you Northsiders step on, then I wouldn't have pushed you away."Jughead shot back, finally getting Archie to shut his mouth. "After all the Serpents' done for me, the least I could do is respect them and honor them and help you Northsiders understand that we mean no harm. It's just the way the Southside is, and without their jobs and everything they do, they won't survive. It's never easy for a Southsider to get a job that pays well, which are on the Northside, you know. So sometimes they have to stoop down low to provide for their families. I know that very well because they've provided for me too."

Jughead took a deep breath after what he said, staring at Archie to see what he has to say for himself. Archie thought about what he said and replyaed them over and over in his head, while Betty turned to face Jughead, a concerned look on her face. She doesn't give him a pitiful look, because she knows that Jughead wouldn't want to do anything with her pity. Instead, she asks him to calm down, to take a deep breath.

"I should go back to the Blue & Gold office."Jughead said, standing up on his feet despite Betty asking him to stay. "It's where Weatherbee locked me up, and he wouldn't be thrilled if he doesn't find me there."Betty sighed in defeat, watching Jughead make his way out of the room they were in. Before he could leave, Archie called his name, and Jughead turned to face him.

"I'm sorry."

After thinking about it, Archie realzied that Jughead was right. Everything he said was right, and it only made him feel more like an âsshole for everything he's said about him and done to him since he's become a Serpent. Jughead could see the regret in his eyes, and so a corner of his lips tugs up, a ghost of a smile on his lips. It was barely there, but he was smiling. Jughead nodded his head.

"Me too."

Jughead left the room and walked to the back of the library, climbing jo the shelves to get to the ceiling, the path he would use to get back to where Weatherbee kept him in. Betty watched him go, and so did Archie, while Veronica and Kevin's heads hung low, gazes set on the floor.

Archie felt like a burden was lifted from his shoulders, and for the first time in so long, he felt light.