Paranoia // Third Book To The Lucky Series

Chapter 1

"Thanks, Mom," Archie says to her and she smiles slightly at him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, the charge is first-degree murder," The Judge says as he pounds the gravel against the table, "You may retire to begin your deliberations."

"All rise," The bailiff says. All of us stand as the jury and the judge exits. Jug leads me outside with the rest of the moving crowd. As we get outside I slump against the wall.

"This is crazy," I say softly, "I haven't been to a trial like this since my dads, It's rough. I can't imagine how Archie is feeling." Jug pulls me into a hug and leans his forehead against mine.

"You doing okay?" He asks.

"Of course," I say to him as he pulls back. I nod softly as he looks at my cautiously. As Fred and Mary approach us I tilt my head at them.

"You were great in there, Mary," Fred says.

"Thank you, Fred," Mary says to him as she glared at me, "It's only the most important case of our lives. And one of our key witnesses flopped."

"I already said I was sorry," I say to her, "I feel awful about it."

"It's not really her fault Mary," Fred says, "no one on our side asked if any of them were drinking."

"Still-"

"You were amazing, Mrs. Andrews," Betty says, "Really."

"Betty, your help over the summer was a godsend," Mary says to her, "I'm glad you were there to help unlike others." I roll my eyes at the comment.

"Have you guys seen Archie?" Veronica asks rushing towards us.

"No," Jughead says sensing the tension between Mary and I, "But we will help you look. Right Y/n?"

"Anything for Archie," I say looking to Veronica. "Come on." All of us search around the courthouse until finally we see the bright red ball of hair.

"Archie? There you are," Veronica says as we reach him on the stair case.

"How are you holding up, Bud?" Jug asks as Veronica sits down beside Archie with Betty. While Jug and I stand before him.

"Yeah good, Jug," Archie says.

"What were you thinking about just now?" Veronica asks him smiling slightly, "How you're going to walk out of this courthouse a free man?" I bit my tongue from questioning her confidence in the jury to set him free.

"No, I..." He starts, "There was this place.
We've never been before, Ronnie, but Betty, Y/n and Jug, do you guys remember Sweetwater Swimming Hole? How we went there every summer?"

"- I was just thinking about that place earlier," Jug says.

"Yeah, me too," Betty says.

"I loved that place," I say smiling slightly.

"What made us stop going?" Archie asks smiling softly.

"Uh, probably when we got covered in leeches," Jug says and I shudder at the memory.

"God that was fucking awful," I say, "our parents were furious."

"Was that us or was that a movie?" Betty asks having no memory of the event.

"- That was definitely us," Archie says chuckling.

"- That was us," Jug says and I roll up my sleeve.

"Yeah cause I got a scare on my arm from it," I say showing her.

"Oh," She says.

"Yeah," I laugh pulling my sleeve back down, "I literally can't forget."