The day bleeds

.24.

The year is almost over, Spring is approaching meaning more rain. My mother kicked me out about four months ago and I haven't talked to her since. My father, no ones seen him since that video came out, but he's still out there. I'm reminded of that every night when my eyes are closed. 

Everything is black and it's getting harder to breathe, the air smells like gasoline and that ground is wet and sticky. I'm alone until the sound of a lighter fills the silent room making my bare arms and legs visible. The sound of the lighter fills the room again sparking showing a path of oil leading up to me drenched in a liquid. The lighter lights catching the path on fire leading up to me. The whole room is orange except for his face, my fathers. 

I sit up from the bed groaning and standing up from the bed feeling my skin heat up spreading all over. "Betty, look at me." Jughead says getting up from the bed standing over me. "It wasn't real." He adds fondling with my hair. Tears stream down my face while looking up at him then looking around the room for fire. "You're safe, I promise." He whispers pulling me back to the bed holding me next to him on the bed while I snuggle into him.

"I don't get it, it's been months and I'm still having nightmares." I whisper feeling the rhythm of his breathing calming me down. 

"Sometimes our minds make things for us to be afraid of." He tells me

"That's fucked up." I mumble causing him to chuckle. "What are you afraid of?" I ask.

"Failing, losing you." He admits making me smile a little. 

"You're not going to lose me, and you're not a failure." I assure him. 

"I hope so." He whispers before we both fall back asleep in each other's arms. I wake up alone in the bed with the distant sound of typing coming from the other side of the room. I flip onto my back looking down seeing Jughead sitting at his desk working on his computer. I stare at him not making a sound watching him work smiling enjoying this small piece of my life. He looks over his shoulder smirking at me seeing I'm awake. "Good morning." He smiles. 

"Morning." I smile back.

"Are you okay?" He asks now kind of concerned. 

"Yeah," I tell him sitting up from laying down. "I'm just happy." I smile looking around the room looking out the window seeing my old bedroom, unoccupied. I let out a breath looking away from the window and back to him. "What are you working on?" I ask standing up from the bed standing behind him.

"Nothing important." He says turning around facing me holding me by my waist. 

"Can I read it?" I question looking down at him.

"Maybe when it's finished." He states spinning back around holding onto my hand pulling me onto his lap, we sit there in each other's company. 

"Do you have plans for today?" I mumble starting a conversation leaning into his body looking up at him. 

"Just going to the bar." he answers fiddling with my hand. 

"Okay." I hum.

"We still need to talk about you joining the serpents." He adds.

"I don't know." I sigh sitting up resting my arm on the back of the chair.

"You already act apart of it, why not make it official." He points out looking back at me. 

"There's a lot of people that want me gone, for reasons I still don't understand." I reason.

"It'll be easier for me to protect you." He replies.

"But they'll want you and everyone else involved with me dead too." I tell him.

"Betty, we're a serpents. Protecting each other and fighting is what we do." He assures me.

"But people like Malachai and Penny might not ever stop. I'm tired of fighting for myself, how will I do it for 100 other people." I mumble.

"They won't be able to hurt you." He says

"Yeah, but who will they be able to hurt?" I ask him. "I'm terrified, who will get hurt because of me." I whisper.

"I know, but if you join you can protect them and have back up around you." he adds trying to convince me. "You'll have a family by choice,"

"You never give up, do you?" I smile slightly shaking my head. 

"Never." He whispers 

"Fine, I'll join." I tell him making him smile and looking satisfied. "Don't make it a big deal though." I add.

"No promises." He hums slowly leaning close to me.

"I hate you." I whisper.

"You love me." He whispers back still leaning close to me.

"I don't think so." I whisper, messing with him.

"Really." He replies

"Yeah." I add before he attaches his lips with mine, I place my hand on the side of his face while he pulls me closer into him. I pull away before a knock fills the room, I get off of him going to the door opening it seeing FP holding Jellybean in his arms. I open the door wider so he can see Jughead walking away from the door. 

"It's time to go." FP tells Jughead.

"Okay." he says getting up when I realize he's fully dressed. "See you tonight." he adds looking at me walking out of his room.

"Tonight?" I question stopping him from walking.

"You just said..." He snickers.

"I didn't think it would be tonight." I exclaim, he tilts his head smirking at me before heading for the door again. "You have it all planned already, you just needed me to agree" I smirk shaking my head watching him stop in the frame. 

"See you later." He responds walking away.

"Fuck you!" I call after him earning a quiet chuckle within the house. I sigh closing the door so I can get dressed in the clothes I brought the day before. Blue jeans with a grey tank top and a black jean jacket. I leave my hair down naturally wavy before heading out for the day.