Opposites Attract | Bughead

Band-Aids

Betty's POV

I was making my way to Sunnyside Trailer Park since Toni invited me over when I saw a fight going on in an alley.

At first, it looked like Jughead and Sweet Pea, but I quickly brushed the thought away.

"There's no way that could be them. The boys don't fight," I told myself. But I came a bit closer and saw that it was the boys. Oh no.

There was a bleeding boy on the ground who resembled Malachai.

No, no, no! I never should've told Jughead what happened yesterday after school.

I could only watch the fight from afar. I was frozen. All I could do was watch my Juggie beat up on another boy.

That was, until I saw Malachai get up from the ground and Jughead go down. I heard him grunting in pain as the Ghoulie kneeled down and punched him repeatedly while Sweet Pea tried to fight him off.

I was running down the alley now, trying to save Jughead. Sweet Pea turned his head to look at me as I approached the boys, before looking down at Malachai and picking him up by the neck and punching so hard he fell.

I came over and tried to help Jughead up, but he looked like he was about to fall unconscious. His nose was bleeding and his face was cut up and bruised. He looked miserable.

"Betts? Ba-baby?" He stuttered, trying to look at me. "It's okay, Juggie, we got you," I said, grabbing ahold of one of his hands while Sweet Pea got the other.

We slowly helped him up, his arms draped across me and Sweet Pea as he stumbled out of the alley.

---

After we got to the trailer, Jughead collapsed onto his couch, passing out as Toni and I tried to clean the blood and cuts meanwhile Sweet Pea got supplies.

"Does he usually get this...violent?" I asked, dabbing a wet cloth on his forehead.

"Jones doesn't like fighting. It reminds him of his dad. But when he heard what went down with you and Malachai, he talked to me about putting that punk in his place," Sweet Pea explained.

"And the truth is, you weren't supposed to know that was happening. Jughead made me swear I wouldn't tell you. His heart was in the right place, head not so much. He really was just trying to look out for you, Blondie."

"Okay, the blood's off and the peroxide cleaned the cuts. The best thing to do right now is let him sleep. Thank you, for helping him, you guys," Toni said, getting up and looking at Sweet Pea for a second, upset expression on her face, before walking back into her room.

"Did somethibg happen between you two?" I asked, concerned.

Sweet Pea sighed and responded, "She doesn't like me being in rumbles. Even if they're one-on-one. Toni isn't sensitive and she doesn't really get emotional, but I've known her long enough to know when she's upset with me."

"Maybe I can talk to her?" I suggested. "Toni and I had gotten pretty close, I'm sure she's listen."

"I appreciate it, Blondie, but her and I, we'll just have to figure things out. And we will. I gotta head out, you think you got this, Betty?" Sweet Pea asked.

"I think I can handle it," I laughed before he patted my shoulder and walked out.

"Oh, Juggie," I sighed, gently tracing my fingertips along the side of his face. I looked at the fight marks. They made him look tough and edgy. Like a fighter. Like something he's not.
Of course Jughead's tough, but he's not a fighter.

"He really got cut up, huh?" Toni asked, stepping out of her room. "Yeah. I wish he didn't rumble. I wish I didn't tell him what happened."

"You did the right thing, Betty-Girl. Jughead...well, Jughead didn't. These boys don't know their own strength. So when they rumble, they end up getting hit ten times harder than they hit."

"Is that why you don't like Sweet Pea fighting?" I didnt mean to ask that, it just slipped out.

"Sweet Pea's always been quick to anger. Insult him--get punched, insult me--get beat. And that scares me. A few months ago, he was shooting off his mouth, saying how he could beat any Ghoulie any day easy," Toni started to explain.

"Turns out some of them heard. They jumped him." I gasped. "Stole a switchblade, tore up his shoulder with it and left a scar. He ended up breaking one of their jaws with his bare fist. After that I made him promise no fighting. He was doing so well, but now..."

"I'm...so sorry, Toni." She sighed and responded, "It's okay, Betty. At least it will be. But as for you, make sure you have enough band-aids to take care of Jug."