Them [bughead]

~Him~

His hand hit her cheek and she was pushed back by the punch. He turned around and saw her lip quiver. He stared at the red circle forming on her cheek. His hand hurt. He shouldn't have punched Archie to begin with. This was a mess. All he wanted to do was hug her and help her. But he knew he was only going to hurt her again. It is what he always does. He looked at Archie, who was bleeding, and then he walked out of the house. Determined to never hurt Betty again. He can't. It's not right. He walked towards his car when he heard the door open.
"Don't go. I'm okay." Betty shouted after him. He didn't turn around, didn't look at her, just walked to his car. "Jughead!" She screamed. He could hear her stumble down the stairs and felt her hand wrap around his arm. She pulled him closer. "I'm okay." She whispered. He stared in to her eyes. Perfect and calm. How could she not be terrified? He stared at her for a while and then got in to his car and drove away. He could not bare the thought that he had hurt her. He wanted to scream. So he did. The whole drive back to Southside he screamed his lungs out until he no longer had a voice.

"What happened to your voice?" Toni asked him. He shook his head and stared at the tiny girl in front of him. He hated this. He had never questioned being a Serpent. He had always loved it. But in this moment, all he wanted was to be a Northsider. He just wanted to be as perfect as she was.
"Nothing." He mumbled and she laughed. Her laugh was bubbly and sounded like water dripping. She touched his hand probably to show some sort of support. It hurt so bad he wanted to scream. But he couldn't. She knew he was lying but she knew him well enough to know he's a closed person. He wouldn't tell her jackshit. So she didn't ask him, which pleased him.
"Drink some tea." She said and he glared at her. The wind whipped her hair, causing her to put it in a bun. He carefully witnessed her smooth movements. He shook his head.
"Shut up." He said, voice raspy and hard to hear. She didn't bother him, she never had. She was one of the few people he could actually stand.
"I'm just taking care of you." Her voice was soft and filled with care. The trees around them bent in the wind as if they were bowing for the wind. It made Jughead feel calmer when he watched the leaves falling to the ground and listening to the wind. He waited for the rain to surround him, he knew it was coming, he could feel it.
"How did it go with the guy who tried to rape Betty?" Jughead asked her, ignoring her statement.
"It went great. He won't say shit for a few weeks. Little rape-boy is scared to death and does not have a tattoo anymore." She laughed and showed her knife. No matter how nice and fluffy-puffy-cutie she felt she had the dark side too. The gang side of her. Protecting the Serpents with her whole life. It used to amaze Jughead how she went from cute and caring to evil so fast. He only had the evil side. But since he met Betty he kind of understood. Some people just bring out the nice side of you.
"Thank you, Topaz." He said. And he meant it. If Betty hadn't asked him to stay yesterday he would've found that boy and killed him with his bare hands. He could not stand the thought that he had put her in such danger. He should've just left his dad and stayed with Betty. Then again, if he wouldn't have stayed he wouldn't have hurt her. The thought made him want to throw up. He needed to stay away from her, he told himself over and over again.
"Always." She said and Jughead gave her a slight smile, hard for anyone who didn't know him as well as Toni did to see.

Someone with a red leather jacket wrapped their arms from behind around Toni. She squeaked and laughed. The gang side of her disappeared as she turned around and she laughed. Her hands cupped Cheryl and their lips met. Jughead rolled his eyes. He hated intimacy. It was way too...intimate. He didn't see the point of sharing all your dreams and deepest secrets with someone because no matter what they were eventually going to leave you. Leave you alone, knowing all your secrets. He shook his head. Dating was stupid.
"Hey beautiful." Toni said. Cheryl smiled so big that Jughead thought her face was going to break. He rolled his eyes over and over again. "Hi Jones." Cheryl said and Jughead made a quick nod towards her.

"I'll leave you two here on the grass so you can make a baby or something." Apparently he said something extremely funny because both Cheryl and Toni laughed.
"We are two girls, we can't make a baby." Toni laughed. Cheryl sat down beside Toni in the grass.
"Sorry, my bad. I'll leave you two here on the grass so you can fuck her or something." Toni shook her head and Cheryl rolled her eyes to tease Jughead. "Fuck off." He said as he got up on his bike. He put his helmet on and was just about to drive away as Toni said his name.

"Don't kill that guy from the party. Promise me?" Jughead glared at her for bringing him up. He couldn't promise her. He wanted to find that cunt and kill him. "Jughead" She stood up and got closer. "if the cops find out that you..." Toni lowered her voice and turned around, making sure Cheryl didn't hear what her girlfriend was about to say. "killed someone else..." she whispered so quiet that Jughead almost couldn't hear her. "they will put you in jail for a long ass time." He looked at her. Not knowing if he was going to slap her for bringing it up or thanking her for reminding him.
"Topaz, what did I say about bringing that up?" He said through gritted teeth. His voice was low and threatening. She knew she had stepped over a line but she cared too much about him. They had been friends for too long. She had to make sure he wouldn't get in...more...trouble.
"I don't care anymore. Don't you dare get in to trouble. The Serpents need you, I need you." They had always had the kind of brother and sister relationship. As kids he always protected her from everyone and they practically lived together. He was her best friend and she was his. Until he killed that guy. He deserved it. At least that was how Jughead reasoned. And one might think he hurt Jughead and that is the reason he no longer was alive. Only Jughead and Toni knew the real reason. And it would be buried with them.

If it wasn't for Betty. But they didn't know that yet. Neither did she.