Panic Room || Jughead Jones

The Locked Room // Part Three

I couldn't stop the laugh from escaping my throat as I put into words what had been so hard to wrap my head around. People I loved more than anything had no problem pushing me off the plank into rough seas to help their causes.

"Forget it. Nothing I say is going to change what happened anyway, so consider me out of your life, Jughead Jones. Next time, it would be way easier to ask."

I didn't wait for him to even provide an answer and ripped my seatbelt across my chest to buckle. There was no point in constantly repeating myself because it truly wouldn't change anything that happened. Nothing would.

Jughead's fingers pushed into the seatbelt buckle and released the hold it had before turning fully toward me so I couldn't avoid him. "Stop. You're right, okay? You're right. We, I put you through hell. I did. You didn't deserve any of this. I know that, you know that, and everyone else involved knows that."

--

"Are you sure about this?"

Veronica Lodge stood in the infamous bunker, looking quite torn up despite how she typically presented herself. The past two days had been horrible for her. She not only dealt with almost losing one of her friends, but she couldn't shake the image of leaving her sister in the state she did.

Jughead was still groggy as he leaned against the cold walls of the bunker. His head was wrapped tightly with gauze, eyes unfocused as he looked up at her. Betty and Archie had been here a few moments ago before dismissing themselves to put on their show together as according to plan.

"What-"

"She's a wreck, Jughead," Veronica stated bluntly. "And despite what Betty likes to say, I don't think she'll be okay. She's pissed at all of us, which I expected, but I don't think she'll last without knowing."

Jughead let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. This had been the hardest part of the plan. Betty and Charles ensured it was necessary but Jughead and Veronica had their doubts.

"She's my sister, Jug. I refuse to be someone who hurts her like everyone in the past. She of all people does not deserve that."

"I know, I know," Jughead sighed and opened his eyes. "What do we do?"

For once, Veronica didn't know. The slightest slip-up could send everything spiraling and she wouldn't be able to stop it.

The Lodge teen shook her head. "According to Charles, there's nothing we can do. She was out for the entirety of us setting everything up but it won't take long before Felicity and Reggie are up our asses with questions and accusations. That's not even the part I'm worried about though."

Jughead knew where she was going with this. Had he been conscious within the first day, or even after what had happened, he would've made sure Savanna was aware enough to know he was okay.

"Jughead, I'm worried she's going to hurt herself."

That was what he was afraid of. The two of them in particular were not strangers to Savanna's past and her tendencies. As strong as she was, something like this was too heavy for her to handle on her own.

"Where is she?" He asked as if he had any clue how to help without telling the truth.

"I wish I knew." Veronica shrugged. "She turned her location off. I saw her yesterday morning at Pop's, to which she rightly cussed us out, and I haven't heard from her since. I'm sure Felicity is with her but still, it's-"

"Call Cheryl," Jughead's response was instant. "Talk to her about whatever but make sure you say the word 'flower' and 'plan' in the same sentence. Do not tell Charles and Betty, I'm not sure if she'll figure out that it's me, but she'll handle it."