As soon as Juliet and Electra arrived back at the house, Juliet had emotionally shut off. When they entered the house, they saw Betty and Jughead snuggled on the couch with a blanket around them. Jughead had his arm around his wife and Betty leaned into his side as they watched a movie.
"Hey girls!" Betty greeted, looking up from her position.
"Hi Betty, hi Jughead." Electra greeted.
"What were you two up to today?" Jughead asked.
"Library. Then we went for a drive. I'm gonna go to bed, I'm really tired." Juliet declared and went upstairs without another word.
Electra swallowed, really Juliet? You had to leave me alone with your parents?
"Goodnight, nice talking to you, Jules." Jughead attempted to make Juliet smile but failed at the sound of her door closing. At least Juliet had the decency not to slam it. Electra hoped she hadn't pissed her off that much.
"How was she today?" Betty asked gently.
"She seemed a little distant, but I think she's just trying to hide it from everyone." Electra said as she stood awkwardly off to the side of the couch.
Betty sighed, "Electra, can you sit over here for a minute please?"
Electra obeyed and sat on the end of the couch, "did Daphne tell you something this morning?" Electra recalled this morning at breakfast.
"She did." Betty sat up on the couch, "she told me that she found Juliet sleeping on the roof using half a blanket."
"What? Why would she..."
"I don't know. All I know is that I know Eden has something to do with it." Jughead stayed silent as his wife spoke.
"She acted kind of strange at the library when we left. She kind froze on the stairs and stared at the street corner. It was like she saw someone or something, I don't know what it was though. I didn't ask."
"Why are you guys at the library so much?" Jughead asked.
Electra remembered they didn't know that the kids were trying to solve this case, same as they were. "It's one of her favorite places, it's easy to spend hours there. We can talk, read and get food downtown." Electra didn't lie per say, she just didn't specify what exactly they were reading.
Betty and Jughead exchanged looks like they could communicate telepathically. This freaked Electra out, it was like they knew she wasn't telling the whole truth. Did all parents have this unspoken language between them? She recalled times when her own parents had done this, she never understood it back then, and she certainly didn't now.
"We would spend hours there too when we were younger. But, I believe we were there for different reasons." Betty had that tone in her voice that made Electra's skin crawl. Betty knew she was lying but she chose not to call her out on it.
Jesus, Juliet's parents scared her.
"Anyways." Jughead nudged Betty, "we did want to thank you."
"Thank me? For what?" Electra asked incredulously.
"Juliet actually seems happier than we've seen her in years. I mean sure, it's hard to see that around this time of the year but before this, she's almost returned to the person she used to be. You've done something to her, I don't know what, but don't stop because she's got that spark in her eyes again. Our whole family is in debt to you for helping her." Jughead thanked her affectionately.
Electra was flabbergasted, feeling a sense of pride pull her upward and make her stomach flutter. Resisting the urge to grin like a loon, she also felt a wave of remorse drag her back into the shadows where she'd come from.
"Really?"
"Yeah, she trusts you. It's been years since she's had a real friend. Thank you for being so patient with her." He smiled warmly at her and Electra felt her cheeks heat up.
"Oh, um...thanks Jughead. I like Juliet, she's fun to be around, she seems to bring out the best in everyone." Electra had no idea how she was supposed to respond to that.
"You don't have to say anything else." Betty chuckled.
Electra stared blankly at the Jones' and nodded, "ok, you're welcome? I guess."
"See you in the morning then." Jughead dismissed her.
"See you in the morning, goodnight." Electra waved and returned to her room downstairs.
—-
Juliet sat by the window, she'd been sitting there for the last two hours. She'd heard her parents go to their room at 11:00, she assumed that Daphne and Cylus would be spending the night at their friend's houses tonight.
With the house completely silent and asleep, Juliet let out a sigh and rested her head on the windowsill. Where was she? She promised she'd come back again, Eden never goes back on her promises.
The street was dark, signaling the end of trick or treating. Now it was November first, and even though Halloween might've been over, the demons inside Juliet would linger around for another twenty-four hours before slowly fading into the background of her mind until they would rage again the next year.
"Where are you E?" Juliet whispered, glancing up and down the street, as if she expected her to just appear.
"Julie, c'mon, you've gotta trust me."
Juliet took Eden's hand as they ran through the darkness, dodging the street lights on the road.
"Where are we going?" Juliet whisper-yelled.
"Oh hush, a little surprise is healthy for you." Eden grinned and pulled her along across the street and into the woods.
They hopped over bushes, stumps and climbed over fallen trees. Their hands never letting go of the other's. Finally, they came to a clearing, they reached a pond half surrounded by trees and then a meadow that seemed to stretch out forever. It was a cloudy night, Juliet could only imagine how enchanting this place would look on a starry night.
"Pretty isn't it? I found it on my way home from school." Eden squeezed her hand.
"How did you find this? Your house is on the two blocks down."
"Ummm, I was...exploring?" Eden shrugged and Juliet laughed at her.
"I've showed you more places in the last month than you've shown me. You live here and you've never seen half of the spots I've taken you. Riverdale is so cool, it's like there's all these hidden places scattered everywhere just waiting to be discovered." Eden lead Juliet towards the tree at the end of the forest just before the clearing.
"Yeah, I've never thought about that before." Juliet sighed.
"Let's go lay in the grass, it's June. There's no better time." Eden stepped over a root and lay down on the ground.
Juliet lay beside her, their hands still intertwined as if they were one. "Can you believe it's been a month?" Eden whispered, turning her head to admire Juliet.
"It feels shorter than that, like I can't get enough time with you." Juliet kissed her hand.
"You're not sick of me yet?" Eden giggled, but her eyes softened.
"You're crazy if you think I'd ever get sick of you. I don't ever not want to be around you. You help me see things differently." Juliet scooted closer so the sides of their bodies touched.
"You don't think I'm annoying?"
"Absolutely not, who made you think that?"
"I dunno, lots of people. They talk." Eden said sadly.
Juliet rolled to her side and with her free hand, reached up to brush Eden's hair from her face. "They don't matter. You're so happy all the time, it's infectious. I wish I was as happy as you all the time. You view the world like it's full of new discoveries and there's always light, you see the good in other people. You're not a loner and cynical like me, I need you. I'll never be the same without you. Never change, I think you're perfectly imperfect and you're everything I've been missing all my life."
Eden smiled and her eyes glazed over. "And you're everything I've been missing. You keep my feet on the ground and my head in the clouds Juliet. I don't think I could ever go without you in my life. I don't care that it's only been a month, what we feel is real. Realer than anything I've ever seen between two people. You're all I need to be happy."
Juliet touched her forehead to Eden's. Then she sat up and had an idea, "I've got it!" Juliet announced and scooted towards the tree.
Eden sighed, "way to kill the moment Julie."
"Shh, watch." Juliet pulled out her pocket knife and began to carve something into the trunk of the tree.
Eden scooted over and wrapped her arms around Juliet's torso. "Look E, now it's official." Juliet showed Eden her work.
"You really brought a knife on our date? Should I be concerned?" Eden giggled and Juliet shoved her.
"Really? I'm trying to be cliche and romantic as shit and that's what you say?" Juliet pouted.
Eden burst into laughter and sat up and sat beside Juliet to admire her work. On the tree was E+J encircled inside a heart. "Now it's real, it's official. You and I until the end of infinity." Juliet gazed at Eden's beautiful expression and cupped her fair skinned face in her hands.
Eden beamed and moved closer, a breath away as she whispered, "you and I until the end of infinity. Happy one month anniversary Julie."
With that, their lips met for the first time and it's was a first kiss to ruin all other kisses.
Juliet hit her knee on the windowsill and swore. "Fuck." She hissed.
She stared at the clock, 2:00 a.m., where the hell was she?
"Julie please, I love you!"
"If you did, you wouldn't be afraid to tell everyone. We're done."
Juliet felt tears burning in her eyes, she was suffocating, the room seemed to shrink. She began to hyperventilate, she had to get out of here. She couldn't be here. The world began to spin and her vision blurred with tears.
Pulling on her shoes and grabbing the bottle of whiskey she'd hidden under her bed, Juliet opened it and swallowed the burning liquid. With tears streaming down her face, she opened her window, crawled out and with the bottle in her jacket, she shimmied down the drainpipe and ran out onto the street. Chugging the whiskey like it was a bottle of water.
—-
Electra heard a thump followed by footsteps by her window and she rubbed her eyes. It was 2:00 a.m., who on earth was outside at this hour?
Electra put her head back on the pillow for a moment before her eyes shot open.
Juliet.
Shit.
Electra pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and snuck upstairs, wanting to check Juliet's room before acting on her hunch.
She opened Juliet's door and to her horror, she saw that the window was wide open and her bed was unmade.
"Damnit." Electra cursed and tip-toed downstairs as fast and as quietly as she could until she reached the front door and sprinted out into the street. Not calling Juliet's name until the Jones' house was out of sight.
—-
"Juliet! Juliet where are you?" Electra whisper shouted as she jogged down the street lit sidewalks.
Electra had no idea where Juliet could be. If she wanted to be found, Juliet would've gone to the place where she'd taken Electra this evening and given the history of today, Electra knew Juliet wouldn't go there.
Not to mention that her bike was still in the garage, it would take her hours to walk there.
The air was frigid and misty, the moon wasn't even out to help Electra see. After she'd been out for thirty minutes, she'd called Betty who picked up on the fourth ring.
Betty had sounded exhausted for the first fifteen seconds of the call and snapped to life as soon as Electra said she'd heard Juliet leave the house.
As of right now, Betty and Jughead were driving around looking her. And Electra had been tempted to call Daphne but decided against it. She didn't want to worry her, not until they found Juliet.
Off the road near Magnolia's house, Electra noticed a path that had been shielded by overgrown weeds.
Recalling Magnolia's conversation from the other day about Eden who used to live just a few houses down, Electra decided that it wouldn't hurt to try this. It seemed to fit the criteria Juliet needed for tonight.
Electra walked down the path, listening for any sound to indicate that Juliet was here. Finally, as she emerged from the trees, there was a clearing.
There was a field with dead brown grass and a single tree on the bank of a pond. Electra squinted her eyes and saw a black outline of someone.
As soon as she heard Juliet shouting something incoherent, Electra texted Betty saying that she'd found her and that Juliet was safe.
Staying out of sight, she crept towards Juliet who was staggering around, carrying an empty bottle of vodka.
"You promised me!" Juliet slurred, her head tipping back and forth.
Electra stayed hidden near the trees, she didn't want Juliet to see her just yet.
"You promised me you'd come back tonight and you didn't! You didn't come back! Why did you lie to me!" Juliet sobbed and dropped to her knees in front of the tree. She raised her hand to touch the trunk, her fingers tracing over the etched initials they'd carved so many years ago.
"You left me again! You left me and I hate you!" She shrieked, then cried harder, still tracing over the initials on the tree.
"I'm sorry. I don't hate you E, I-I don't know why I said that." Juliet sniffled. "I'm just...I just miss you. I never should've done that on Halloween. You were never afraid of your feelings and I was. Why couldn't I have been better?" Juliet tipped her head down and squeezed her eyes shut, her words echoing in her haunted mind from that night.
"If you did, you wouldn't be afraid to tell everyone. We're done."
"I should've told you I loved you that night. That I'd felt that way since the night I first met you. And now you're gone because of me." Juliet's voice was hoarse and in one swift moment shattered the whiskey bottle on the ground.
Electra emerged from her hiding place, she knew it was time to interfere. "It should've been me! I should've died that night, not you! You deserve to be alive and I should be dead because of what I did to you!" Juliet wailed and raised a shard of glass to slit her wrist just as Electra shouted her name.
"Juliet don't!"
Juliet felt the sharp glass slice across her wrist and she didn't even scream. This time, the pain wasn't enough to bring her back.
Raising her hand again to make another permanent mark on her skin, she felt something latch onto her arm and yank her around.
Juliet could hardly see clear enough to see it was Electra. "Juliet, stop. Please stop." Electra pleaded, feeling her heart swell with despair at the sight of the broken girl in her arms.
"No. No. I'm done. She promised and she's gone and it's my fault." Juliet blubbered.
Electra grabbed the shard of bloody glass from Juliet's hand and chucked it into the field. "No it's not. You've gotta stop blaming yourself for her death Jules. It was never your fault." Electra wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly.
To her surprise, Juliet squeezed back with even more desperation and sobbed into Electra's shoulder. "It is my fault. You don't know how that night went. You don't know that if I hadn't been so stubborn and told her how I'd really felt then she would still be here."
"Hush, Shh, just let it out. It's okay to be sad."
Juliet cried out loud and Electra felt like someone had sliced open her heart. She'd never heard someone cry with so much agony before. "I loved her so much. I love E so much." Juliet whispered, wiping her eyes and her bloody wrist left a red line across her face.
"And you were fortunate to have loved someone so much." Electra sighed, "and she was lucky enough to have your love in return."
Juliet bawled again, "it hurts. It hurts so much Electra. It doesn't get any easier."
"And some days won't be, and that's okay. It's okay to feel things. It's okay to be angry and sad." Electra stroked her back.
Juliet sniffled, "I saw her last night. We talked on the roof." Juliet rambled, Electra knew that if she wasn't drunk, she wouldn't be saying this. "We talked about the first time we met. We snuck out on the roof just like we always did. She promised she'd visit me again and she never came."
Electra rocked Juliet back and forth as they sat on the dirt surrounded by broken glass. Electra knew better than to try and convince her that she'd imagined the whole thing. "That means she still loves you if she came to visit you."
"But why now? She never came before." Juliet whimpered.
Electra had to think for a second as Juliet pulled away, her teary eyes pleading Electra's for the answer. "I think she came to see you because she knows you need her help."
"I've needed her help for two years." Anger replaced the sadness in her eyes.
"Maybe now she knows you need it the most. It just doesn't feel like it." Electra took Juliet's hand and her gaze fell to the tree. "You guys did this?"
Juliet wiped her eyes, "yeah, we snuck out late one night and found this place over the summer. We came here every time we got the chance."
"She must've been a pretty special person."
Juliet began to cry again, "I wish you could've met her."
Electra pulled Juliet back for another hug. The two girls sat there in the dark holding each other, Electra stroking Juliet's back and whispering softly to her as Juliet finally allowed herself to grieve for the person she'd lost.
A/N: dear god I am so sorry for such a long gap between my updates. I haven't been super inspired to write anything lately and I'm so sorry, I hope this won't happen again.
Anyways, I decided to hit you with a heavy chapter. What did you guys think?