CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR:
JEALOUSY
VIRGINIA HOPKINS FELT HER HEART SINK. After Jughead had gotten up to join Betty, Archie and Veronica walked in. She knew in her heart that despite her selfish intentions, Jughead did just cheat on Betty with her. Sure, they weren't technically boyfriend-girlfriend but that betrayal would hurt Betty. Even though the young brunette wasn't close with the blonde female, she knew that she didn't deserve that. And Jughead probably knew in his heart as well that their kiss was wrong.
Unfortunately, both knew it was so right between them. Just not the right moment.
Virginia plastered a fake smile on, she was obviously a master of the act so it wasn't difficult for her to not show how upset she was.
Archie sent his old friend a wave as he noticed her in the distance. She gripped the counter, her emotions in a whirlwind.
Why couldn't she ever get what she wanted? Was she not worth it?
Ginny, however, was glad she was working. She let her grip go and decided to work rather than stare at her friends at a distance. It wasn't like Jughead would confess his mistake in front of his close friends.
Jughead sighed, glancing back to find Ginny. He was annoyed that he couldn't talk with Betty, was this a sign?
His heart ached as he saw Ginny Hopkins walk away so she didn't have to watch.
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JUGHEAD JONES AND ARCHIE ANDREWS found themselves playing video games, it was definitely better than doing homework. Screams we're heard from the screen, both boys had their brows furrowed in concentration as they tried to win.
Jughead sighed at his best friend, his grip on his controller tight. "Gotta stop blowing me up."
"You're going the wrong way. You're going the–"
"What are you doing?" Gunshots echoed throughout the room and Ginny sighed as she laid her head on her propped up on her hands. She was hanging out after school with the two boys, rather peeved that she couldn't get some alone time with Jughead without making it obvious. She just wanted to talk. Did their kiss mean anything? She didn't want to make a big deal out of it if Jughead didn't see her the same way.
"Come on." Archie groaned as their characters blew up, annoyed to no end.
"You're the one who keeps accidentally killing me." Jughead commented lightly.
"War is hell, Jug." Archie sighed, running a hand through his red hair.
"No, Archie, hell is other people." The dark haired boy let his stare linger on the girl sprawled out on the bed, a frown in place.
A knock came from the door and Fred Andrews stuck his head in. "Hey, guys, getting pretty late– and whoa, it's kinda ripe in here. Does someone wanna open a window?" Ginny wrinkled her nose, she did smell it. She guessed that teenage boys were immune to their own smells.
"I got it." Ginny pipped up, pushing herself off of the bed to open the window. She struggled for a moment before it popped open, letting a cool breeze enter the room. It was slowly becoming colder and colder and Ginny was snuggled up in a borrowed sweater from Archie. When Archie passed her his dark sweater she blushed, wishing it was one of Jughead's baggy ones instead.
"You settling in, Jug?"
"Oh, completely. It's like Archie and I are just roommates in a college dorm." Jughead told the older man, looking at his best friend fondly. He was grateful to have a place he could stay at.
"Oh, great. What does that make me, the RA?" Fred asked them, a look of mock horror on his face.
"No, you're the third roommate." Ginny giggled at the quick comeback sent his way.
"All right, guys. I got a big day tomorrow." Mr. Andrews smiled wearily and Ginny bit her lip as the topic of the Drive-In neared.
"Yeah, breaking ground on the SoDale project, right?"
"Yeah. Indeed, we are. Sorry, 'cause I know it's kind of a sore spot with you, Jughead, about the drive-in."
"As long as you build something beautiful in its place." Jughead told him with a small smirk.
"Well, I don't know about beautiful, but it's gonna be big." Hopefully not big enough to ruin the Southside further. Riverdale was trying to beautify the Southside, trying to make it look normal and not like it was rundown with ugly houses.
"Ginny, are you spending the night?" Fred asked with raised brows, rattling the young girl from her thoughts.
Ginny blushed, looking down abashed. "No, sir. Gotta get home, haven't been in awhile." She stood up, taking the question as a cue to leave.
"Night, guys." Fred told the boys and she waved goodbye to them, closing the door behind her.
"Night, Dad." Archie called out, "Get home safe, Ginny."
She blushed again as she forgot to return Archie's sweater. Maybe that would make Jughead jealous.
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IT WAS THE NEXT DAY at school, and Ginny wished she was anywhere else than besides Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and Cheryl.
"Polly's convinced herself that no one wants her baby." Betty sighed and Ginny squinted her eyes at the close proximity Jughead was to her. Sure, Betty was going through a lot, maybe that's why he was still with her. Maybe would feel bad to pull away when she needed someone beside her the most.
"Besides, of course, the child-snatching Blossom monsters." Kevin began before looking wide eyed at Cheryl. "No offense, Cheryl."
"None taken." Cheryl told him with sharp eyes and Ginny had to hold back a snort.
"So your mom and dad want Polly but not the baby, and the Blossoms want the baby and not Polly. That's a true Gordian knot." Jughead's head rested on his hand and Ginny took in his outfit of plaid flannel, light pants, and beanie. She liked his look.
"It's an impossible situation." Betty sighed in resignation.
"Betty, come on. An impossible situation is being invited to both the Vanity Flair Oscar party and Elton John's Oscar party on the same night. Which happened to me one year, I know." Virginia rolled her eyes, oh rich people problems. "This is merely an annoying situation. But luckily, I've been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in its conception. What if my mom and I were to host a baby shower?"
"Count me in."
"You want Polly to feel loved and supported, right? Yeah, but ideally by her own parents." Veronica told Betty, and Ginny nodded at the direction the raven haired girl was going in. "Okay, so, baby steps, girl. Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can't fight, and, voila, let the healing begin."
Ginny liked that idea, it was time Betty stopped making everything about her. Everyone else had problems too.
"Am I expected to come to this thing?" Jughead asked wearily his eyes flitting between the group of girls.
"Of course! You're Betty's boyfriend, so–" Everyone froze at Veronica's words, especially Virginia. "Oh, my God, you guys, relax. It's just a word that starts with the letter B." Ginny didn't like that, they weren't in a real relationship before. "Betty, what do you say?" Ginny raised her cartoon of chocolate milk to her lips, trying to avoid Jughead's stare.
"Elizabeth Cooper." Ginny almost spat out her milk as Mrs. Cooper rushed into the room and yelled her daughters name.
"Mom?" Betty asked, flabbergasted to see her mom at school, it was so displacing to see a parent surrounded by teens.
"I need you and you. Right now."
Ginny sighed, slumping down in her chair, can't this drama end already?
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who do you think killed jason? i think kevin!