"Can you do a Jughead imagine where the reader and jug breakup and the gang take his side, and in loneliness she tries to kill herself ( like what Cheryl does in the finale ) and jughead saves her?" –Anonymous
Warnings: Implied sexual abuse, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt.
Listen To: "All I Want", Kodaline
You were the perfect girl, to the outsider's eye. A River Vixen, a good student, a good friend, a beautiful girl. You didn't have the vindictiveness of Cheryl, or the reputation of Veronica, or even the pretentiousness of Betty. You laughed at the right times, smiled just enough, and never showed up to school with smudged eyeliner or a hair out of place.
When you'd moved to Riverdale High, everyone had their eyes on you. When you suddenly asked Jughead Jones III, the boy who sat next to you in English class, to go to Pop's with you, everyone was shocked. Including him.
Jughead quickly learned that there was more to you than meets the eye. You immediately delved into talking to him about deep philosophical topics, complicated film theories, and general snarking about the surrounding town. Combined with your beautiful appearance and kind nature, he was enthralled. He almost unconsciously uttered an invitation to go steady with him. You immediately said yes.
You'd been dating for a few months now. You were over the moon with happiness. Every day, you'd walk into school clinging to your boyfriend's arm. You'd plant a kiss on his cheek before every class, and take pictures with him every chance you got. Your Instagram was plastered with selfies of the two of you, filled with comments of "#couplegoals" from classmates from your old school, more times than you could count.
While you were elated, Jughead felt differently. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the school following his back. Ever since his suspected involvement in Jason's murder and his huge fight with Betty one year ago, he knew everyone thought he was a freak. Coupled with his newfound relationship to the new town sweetheart, he'd made you into a target, too.
It started out with whispered comments in the hallway, which you brushed off. "They're just jealous of you, Juggie," you said with a smile.
Then, things got physical.
"You need to step away from that Southside trash. I'll show you what a real man is like, (Y/N)," Reggie said, cornering you in the empty locker room. You tried to run, but he grabbed your arms and shoved you against a locker, mashing his lips into your hungrily.
"Jughead!" You screamed. You knew Jughead waited for you every day after cheer practice to walk you home. Reggie plastered one hand over your mouth, another creeping up your skirt.
The door swung open, Jughead standing in the doorway.
Wordlessly, with a look that could kill, Jughead pulled Reggie off of you and punched his lights out. Being a star football player, it merely earned Reggie a reprimand from the coach, while Jughead earned slew of detentions.
Needless to say, Veronica and Betty were furious at what had happened to you, and got to work in earning your justice. Jughead had other things on his mind. He seemed more distant, more distracted.
One day, you couldn't take it anymore. Jughead no longer returned your kisses. He avoided pictures. There wasn't that same warmth in his eyes.
"Jug, we should talk," you said, crossing your legs on your bed.
"Yeah, we should." Jughead never met your eyes. "I... I think we should break up."
Your eyes widened. "...what?"
Jughead gulped. He had been rehearsing this conversation with Archie for a week. Jughead no longer wanted you to suffer because of your relationship with him. "I'm not good for you, (Y/N). You deserve a lot better, and..." He took a breath, preparing to say the lie that Archie said was necessary for you to let go. "I... I don't love you anymore."
Jughead expected screaming, crying. Instead, your eyes went to your hands in your lap. "...okay, Jughead. Okay."
Before he could change his mind. Jughead stood jerkily, and walked to the door.
With his back facing you, he said, voice steadied, "Be good, okay?"
Softly, you repeated, "Okay, Jughead. Okay."
It had been one week since Jughead Jones III had told you he didn't love you anymore.
Originally, you had ran to Veronica's house. You shakily explained what had happened, but Veronica cut you off, saying, "I think it's for the best, sweetie." The gang had been well briefed in Jughead's situation, and they agreed to support him in any way possible. If it meant pushing away (Y/N), then so be it. Visits to Betty and Archie's house were met with the same refrain.
After that, you stopped attending school. Your parents were on a business trip and couldn't make you attend, so you locked yourself in your room. You remained buried under blankets with the blinds closed. You probably looked like a ghost. Not so perfect, anymore. You kept going through the break-up in your mind, over and over. You were obsessed with that moment when the loving warmth left his eyes. You couldn't help but blame yourself. If you hadn't been found with Reggie in the locker room, none of this would have happened. You should have just let it happen to you. It would have been worth it, for Jughead.
Jughead grew worried about you. His friends kept him from reaching out to you, knowing old feelings would arise. They took him to Pop's and parties to distract him.
When Betty posted a picture of them at a party, his arm slung around her, it sent you over the edge. Sitting up in bed, you slowly and deliberately did your makeup. It was time to go outside.
The core four were eating lunch in the cafeteria when Jughead got the text.
Hey, Jug. You probably don't want to hear from me. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything. Be good, okay? Goodbye forever. I love you.
Jughead stood quickly, walking towards the doors. "We need to go!" He yelled out to his friends, who began to follow behind.
You sat, cross-legged on the ice coating the Sweetwater River. This was where Jughead had asked you to be his girlfriend. You were on a boat, were having a picnic on the water when he asked the question. It seemed natural that this is where you go, to die.
Standing on the ice, you looked like a fairy or witch, with flowing hair and an immaculate dress. You took an ice pick, and smashed away at the ice. Smashed away at the pain you had felt.
Finally, the ice had cracked enough for you to slip inside. That was when you saw a blur of colors at the river's edge.
"(Y/N)!" the four of them shouted.
To Jughead, you mouthed, "I'm sorry."
That was when you fell through the ice.
At first, your flight or fight instincts kicked in and you attempted to swim. You fought the urge, and eventually let your body relax. You were so tired. You just wanted to sleep. The cold water enveloped you like a blanket, pulling you to the bottom.
The four staggered across the ice, searching for you in the water. Archie eventually spotted a blur of your hair in the water, and called out to the others. Jughead slid over, and immediately started pounding his hands into the ice. He punched the ice so hard it broke the skin on his hands, blood seeping into the water. He was crying, hot tears forming steam on the surface of the frozen lake.
Jughead's fists finally broke the ice, and he dove into the frigid waters. Wrapping his arms around your lifeless form, he pulled you out.
"Oh fuck, fuck fuck fuck," he sobbed, starting chest compressions. He alternated chest compressions and breathing, and you eventually jerked upwards, coughing up water.
"Get away from me!" You screeched, pushing him off of you. "Why can't you let me die?"
You attempted to run back to the hole in the ice, but Jughead's arms wrapped around you, immobilizing you.
"Let me go!" You shouted. Your shouts quickly turned to sobbing. "I'm... so tired. Please, Jug."
Your begging to die hurt Jughead more than anything. He covered you with kisses. "No, no, no."
You realized that they wouldn't let you die, so you helplessly let Jughead carry you like a doll to the truck. Archie dropped the two of you off at your empty house. A house that seemed much emptier than before.
Jughead turned the radiator on and heated up water on the stove. He peeled off your wet clothes and dried you with a towel, gently replacing them with clean pajamas. He started a load of laundry while you sat on your bed, holding a cup of tea that Jughead had made. Your eyes were as lifeless as if you had drowned.
He settled down next to you, holding his own cup of tea. As his clothes got wet too, he sat cross from you clad in only his boxers.
"You can go now," you whispered, voice rough from the choking on water and screaming.
"No," he said simply, sipping his tea.
"You don't love me." Hot tears leaked from your eyes.
"I do," he argued.
You turned to him, shocked. "Then... why?"
That was when Jughead felt the most guilt. "It killed me inside to see Reggie do that to you. It's because everyone at that damned school hates me. I couldn't see anything like that happen to you again, so I thought it was better that we break up." He looked down, holding back tears. "I... I'm sorry (Y/N). I should have never left you alone like that."
You were crying now, too. Tears made little plops into the cup of tea, mixing with the hot liquid. You sniffled loudly. "I couldn't help but blame myself, Jughead. I-I thought that if you never knew about Reggie then you would still love me." You sobbed. "I'd let him do that to me if it meant you would still love me."
Jughead's arms went around you. "Never say that, (Y/N). I should have never taken out other people's backwards views on you. I never stopped loving you." A tear leaked from his eye. "That's why it hurt me so much to see you want to end your life."
You touched your forehead to his. "I don't care what other people think, Jug. I don't care that you're not rich, or a football player. You're the kindest, smartest, guy I have ever met. That's why I fell in love with you. That's why it broke me inside when we broke up. I need you."
He leaned in, whispering, "Will you be my girlfriend, again?"
Smiling into his lips, you whispered back, "I wouldn't want anything else more."
You curled up on your bed, in the warm, empty house. You pondered how life could go from good to bad to good so quickly. What was the point of all this heartache? Looking up at Jughead's loving gaze, you knew whatever the point of it was, Jughead made it worth it.