Perfect || Jellybean Jones

5. ARCHIE AND VERONICA

     The next day before Jughead went to school, I heard him and my dad talking. I stayed in the hallway, silent as can be.

     "She's not safe here! She can't be alone!" My dad shouted. "Yeah, well that's not my fault you didn't wanna keep her here. Now she's all paranoid about mom dying." Jughead snapped back. A tear rolled down my cheek.

     "The high schools in Nevada are 4 through 12. Maybe she can go." My Dad said angrily. "I can't stay home everyday." He said. "Fine." Jughead said. There was a slam, and then silence.

     I ran to my bedroom and shut the door, climbing on my bed and under the covers. I hadn't realized my palms were bleeding. I quickly wiped them on the floor under the bed before more tears ran out. The door opened, and my dad stood in the doorway. I ran up to him and hugged him. "JB, what happened to your palms?" He asked.

"Um, I was trying to open the box." I say. "Oh, go wash them. I'll get lunch ready." He said. "Okay." I say.

I run into the bathroom and wash my hands. The water stung my hands which caused more tears down my cheeks. I washed my face before drying everything off.

     After me and my dad had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, I walked back into my room and took out a clean sheet of paper. I settled in on drawing a format of my dream bedroom.

•     •     •

     "Okay, I've gotta head off to, um, run some errands. I'll be back when you wake up." Dad said, an hour after Jughead arrived home. "Okay." We both said in sync.

     My dad bandaged up my palms where they got cut from the box. It was actually from my nails. At least Jug didn't see them..yet.

     Jughead pulled out his laptop and started typing something. I was currently watching a boring show on the TV.

     It was about fifteen minutes after my dad left when Jughead asked, "Wanna go to Pop's?" I shut the TV off. "Sure." I say. I got my my coat and hopped into the backseat.

     "Jughead?" I ask, when we were about halfway through with driving. He glances at me. "Yeah?"

     "Am I going to..um..start..um...school?" I ask. He glances at me again. "You heard us this morning, didn't you," he asks. I nod. "Well, Dad wants you to..get an education so you don't become like him. So, maybe."

     "But we'll be in the same school?" I ask. He nods and smiles at me. I smiled back.

•     •     •

     "Can I get one Sprite, a coffee, and two burgers with fries?" Jug asks the waitress. "Of course." She replies, and heads off.

     "Juggie, do you have any other friends besides Betty?" I ask Jughead. "Well, Yeah. There's Archie, and I guess Veronica is my friend, too." He answers.

     I nod. "That was her mom." Jughead says. "The waiter?" I ask. He nods.

     Once we get our meals I start eating. For some reason I was very hungry. Jughead hesitated to take a bite out of his burger and noticed my bandaged hands.

     He frowns. "What happened?" He asks. "Um, I cut myself while opening a box." I try and say as normally as possible. He looked at me with a look that said, 'that's a terrible lie'.

     "Fine," I give in. "I hurt myself." He looks sad. "JB, you need to stop doing that. You are perfect, and don't deserve to harm yourself. Promise from now on you won't do it?" He asks. I sigh. "Promise."

•     •     •

     A few more days went by, and now it was Friday. Jughead got home an hour ago and my dad left for something about a half hour ago. I was currently drawing a girl. I tried my best to draw her like me.

     I finished the drawing and felt bored. I decided to go inside and see what Jughead was up to.

     When I walked into the living room Jughead was—like always—sitting there typing on his laptop.

     "Writing anything new?" I asked. "Not yet. Just emailing Betty. Speaking of which," he said. "Wanna go meet Archie at Pop's?"

     "Sure." I say excitedly. Once we put our jackets on—well, i put a jacket on. Jug put on his Serpent jacket—we got in the car.

Once we got there, it was dark out again. I yawned as we walked into the diner. There was a red haired boy sitting next to a raven haired girl. Across from them was Betty.

"Betty!" I say and run towards her. "Hi, Jellybean. How are you?" She asks. "Good." I reply. I wait for Jughead to sit down first so he can be next to his future wife, and so I can sit next to Jughead, too.

"JB, this is Archie and Veronica." Jughead introduced. "Hi." Archie waved. "Hi, Jellybean. I'm Veronica Lodge." Veronica said. "Hi." I say quietly.

I was very shy around new people, but Betty is very nice and she is my older brother's girlfriend. So of course she'd be nice.

"Hello, what can I get you all?" The lady who I remembered was Veronica's mom said. "I'll get a tea and fries." Veronica said. Betty got the same but with a burger too. So did Archie. "I'll get two burgers and lots of fries with a coffee," Jughead said. "JB, what do you want?"

"Um, I'll get fries." I say quietly. "And more fries for her." Jug said. "Of course." The lady says kindly. "Thanks, mom." Veronica said to the lady. "No problem." Her mom replies.

Then a girl with red hair in another booth purposely knocks down her drink, making it spill on the table and floor. Veronica got up. "Ronnie—" Archie tried to hold her there, but Veronica stormed over to the red haired girl.

"Cheryl." Veronica snapped. "I got it, Mija." Veronica's mom said. "Cheryl, I knew your mom
in school. She was just as bratty as you are. And I see she carries it in her gene." Veronica's mom snapped. Cheryl glared at her as she walked away. Veronica came back and started talking.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Where were we?" "Here." I reply. All four of them laugh for second or two at my cheesy joke. I smile.

"So, Jellybean. Are you gonna attend Riverdale School?" Veronica asked. "Um.." I trail off. "No, she's gonna attend Southside School. I think it's better for her since I'm there and Cheryl's at Riverdale School." Jughead says. "Good reason." Archie said. Jug laughed.
We got our food after a few minutes. "Is that all?" Veronica's mom asked. "Yep." We all reply and start to eat.

Once me and Jughead say goodbye we get in the car. After I buckle up, I lean my head against the window and let sleep take over.