↳ Monday
May. 15th↲
My stomach and face hurt from laughing so hard, my smile unable to go away no matter how hard I tried.
It was an early morning for Jughead and I, mostly because it was our six month anniversary. It was a big deal since neither of us have had such a long relationship before, and such a close one at that.
We were both sitting in Pop's, like we normally would, but we both treated ourselves to a loaded pancake, with lots of chocolate, sprinkles, and even ice cream! It screamed obesity, but we sure as hell deserved it.
Jughead pointed to his pancake with his spoon. "This has to be the best idea you've ever had, hands down," he smiled at me.
"I knew you'd be down. You're easy to treat since food is practically your religion," I teased him.
"You know me so well," he leaned in with a grin, before kissing me gently. I couldn't help but laugh a little afterwards.
"What?" He asked, almost offended, thinking I was laughing at his kiss.
"I can taste the vanilla ice cream on your lips," I laughed even more.
He took his spoon and smothered his lips with it, so it was practically dripping.
"Come here," he leaned towards me as I pushed away, screaming and laughing.
"Jughead! NO! JUGHEAD MY MAKEUP!"
I had no chance.
He gave me a fat cold kiss on my cheek, before laughing hard himself, falling back into the corner of the booth in hysterics as he saw the ice cream slide down my cheek.
"You're so mean!" I took a napkin and dabbed the ice cream off my cheek, hoping to salvage my foundation and blush. "I spent a lot of time on my makeup today!"
"You can touch it up later..." he pulled me into a half hug. "Besides. I'm probably going to kiss all of it off eventually."
He leaned in for another kiss, and I pulled back.
He rolled his eyes. "These lips are clean."
I smiled again, giving into his embrace.
After making a mess of ourselves at Pop's, we walked to school with each other, hand in hand. We could've taken his bike, but the weather was beautiful! The leaves were already green, the flowers bloomed, and the skies were the bluest they've ever been since last year.
I had also bought him a new helmet since we kept passing around the only one he had, and I wanted both of us safe. Also, it was an easy Valentine's Day gift.
The air smelled of fresh pine and flowers, as they were lined up next to the sidewalk. It mixed with Jughead's cologne, which I could smell days on end. It was the type of scent that you smell when you finally come home after a long day, and you melt into the couch to get comfortable, knowing that your troubles were far away.
I nuzzled my head onto his shoulder as we walked, him telling me excitedly about the plot of the movie we were going to watch tonight.
As we were approaching school, we heard the bell ring and students scramble inside.
"Oh shit! We have to go!" I went for a sprint, until Jughead scooped me up and swung me around.
"Slow down, Jingles!" He smiled. "No rushing today. We have time."
After setting me down, I let out a deep breath realizing that we was right. We always did rush around, not absorbing the world around us.
"Besides," he continued. "I'm going to beat you to class."
Before I could process what he meant, he went for a sprint.
"HEY!"
I darted after him, catching up only slightly. He pushed through the doors, which closed behind him. I hit them a mere few seconds after, running through the threshold to have Jughead grab me and pull me into a hug, panting.
"I'll always win, Bell," he said, giving a cocky grin.
"Yeah, but maybe not at a fair race, Jones," I took his hand, bringing him to our first period where the bell had rung in the nick of time.
。♡ 。
After pushing through class by class, it was finally time for lunch. Jughead and I held hands as we walked toward the table, under the tree with the most shade. The grass beneath our feet was flourishing with new life thanks to the spring.
"So, prom," Jughead brought up, a grin plastered on his face as he scoffed at the idea. "Never thought I'd be going to it with a date."
"Well, you are." I felt happy, almost giddy. "So what color should we match as? Red? Blue?"
"Why not black? Plain and hassle-free," Jughead suggested.
"Every girl is going to wear black for the exact same reason!"
We had just arrived to the table, where everyone was tuned into our conversation.
"Is this about prom?" Kevin breathed almost rapidly, ready to talk about anything prom related. He was a sucker for school dances, even though during the dance he'd act like it sucked to look cool.
"Yeah. We're discussing colors," I explained, opening my lunch bag. I handed half of my sub to Jughead since he didn't typically have enough money for lunch.
Veronica leaned close. "Don't pick black. That's what Archie and I are doing."
I shot a glare at Jughead, to drill in my point.
"Alright! Okay. Let's go with a velvet red. It's dark and colorful," he came to a compromise.
I nodded in approval slowly. "Okay... I can work with it."
"We're all going dress shopping together," Veronica eagerly told Betty and I.
Betty rolled her eyes with a slight sigh. "I think I might miss prom for this year."
"No!" Veronica and I exclaimed, which Betty flinched from our sudden yell.
"It's the first prom we get to experience! We were lucky to even get invited!" I pleaded. Typically it was only juniors and seniors who can participate, but since there was such a low turnout from them, they reached out to the sophomores.
"Exactly. I have two more years!" Betty argued.
"Look, Betty. I don't have a date either and I'm still-" Kevin made the longest gasp. So long, that we all thought he died for a few seconds. "We should go together! Please! Please!!! PLEA-"
"Kev! Okay!" Betty laughed. "Fine. I'll come. What color are we wearing?"
"Pink, because it's your color. It compliments your complexion and..."
Kevin droned on and on about the outfit choice, which we all listened in and out.
I looked up at Jughead, smiling a little. He glanced over at me, and then did a double take.
"What?" He asked, laughing slightly at how strange it was of me to just stare.
I shook my head. "Nothing. I just love you," I smiled even wider.
He rolled his eyes, smiling. Casually, he threw his arm around my shoulder and kissed my head, letting me lean on his shoulder.
Kevin babbled all the way until the bell rang, which we were quick to leave the table.
We entered the hall, and Jughead and I were about to part ways until he stopped me.
"Hey," he took my hand. I halted and turned to him, which he pulled me close. We were face to face, gazing into each other's eyes as his grip tightened slightly. I felt vulnerable, my walls let down. It wasn't a foreign feeling, but I felt secure at the same time.
He leaned down a little and kissed my forehead, then saying: "I love you more than you know."
I smiled gently, lifting his hand and placing it on my cheek. "I'll see you later."
With that, knowing that class was about to start any minute, I rushed down the hall. Only a few feet away, I heard a loud pump.
It was a shotgun.
The world went from spinning slowly, time at a standstill; to spinning too fast for me to comprehend anything that was going on.
The gun went off, causing me to flinch and scream, to which a hand was roughly placed over my mouth.
Jughead was several feet away from me, a helpless look on his face.
"CATHERINE!"
I broke free for a moment, my mouth released from the grip.
I reached out for him.
"JUGHEAD!"
He tried to chase after me, being pushed back from several students trying to get out of the way and leave. Finally, I felt something prick my neck, causing me to pass out. All of the sounds of students screaming and stomping, along with Jughead's shouts were muffled into nothingness as my vision faded to black.
。♡ 。
I watched as Catherine reached out for me, a final attempt to be saved.
I tried. I really tried!
I shoved students out of the way, some falling or hitting the wall. I've never felt so strong yet so weak at the same time.
Before I could reach her, Derek stuck — what looked like a tranquilizer — into her neck. It immediately hit her bloodstream, so she struggled for a mere few more seconds before collapsing into his arms.
"NO!" I screamed, watching as he threw her over his shoulder.
He fired the shotgun one last time into the air, to which everyone moved faster.
I finally had room to go after him.
As I sprinted towards him, a couple of seconds away, Archie slammed into me and practically pulled me away shouting: "IT'S NOT WORTH IT JUG! STOP! YOU'LL KILL YOURSELF!"
I could only scream and try and fight Archie as I saw him turn the corner with my girlfriend.
Once he vanished, I felt limp in Archie's arms. I had completely given up, all in a matter of a few seconds.
Archie threw my arm around his shoulder as he ran me into a classroom that was just about to lock their doors. Veronica and Betty were inside, watching with concern.
Archie laid me down on the floor where Veronica and Betty both caressed me, asking what happened to Catherine and Kevin.
My mouth opened as I tried to speak, but shock was lodged in my esophagus, causing it to be impossible to explain.
"It was Derek," Archie spoke for me, his voice solemn and sad. "He took Catherine."
"That man is the devil incarnate..." Veronica shook her head, angry. "We'll get her back, Jughead."
"Yeah," Betty agreed. "All of us are here. You're not alone in this."
I picked my head up, tears streaming down my face. My throat suddenly cleared as I looked around to see my friends, determination all over their faces along with sorrow.
I took a hard swallow.
"He's not getting away with this."
As soon as the coast was clear, school was dismissed due to the fact that it was a school shooting. Thankfully, no one was injured, besides Catherine of course.
Slowly, I was able to come to my senses and stop shaking and crying. I had to. If I was like this for a week, nothing would get done.
We all walked out of school, when Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee, And Detective Bell both stopped us by the front doors.
"We have to ask you kids some questions," Catherine's Mom told us, her voice still shaken. She probably gained wind of the news. I could tell by her desperate eyes and frail voice.
"We can either take this down at the station or Weatherbee's office," Sheriff Keller explained.
"Station. I've felt like I've spent an eternity here already," I crossed my arms, itching to get away from the crime scene.
Keller looked at everyone else, which they nodded in confirmation.
"Is Kevin okay, Sheriff? We haven't seen him," Betty questioned.
"My boy's alright. He's the one that called me first thing," the Sheriff gave a kind acknowledging smile. "Since there's so many of you's, one of y'all is going to go with Detective Bell here," he nodded towards her.
"Jughead will," she plucked me from the group. I was about to be annoyed when I realized that she was going through the same hell that I am, and was looking for a friend to relate to.
I turned to everyone who stared at me, wide eyed, wondering what was my next move. I gave a slight nod, to assure them that I was going to be okay. They all seemed to relax a little, but were still tense from the whole ordeal.
I walked over to Miss. Bell and let her guide me to her car. She placed her hand on my back, rubbing it in support and comfort.
"I can't even imagine what you're going through, Jughead," she sighed.
"Not as much as you," I said. It was true. Catherine was her own flesh and blood.
We got into her car, which she started up right away.
"So I'm talking to you as her mother. Off the records," she pulled out of the parking space. "What happened?"
I looked down at my hands, fiddling with them as I gathered all of the moments.
"It all happened in a blur," I scoffed, a slight smile of disbelief on my face. "The first thing, I let her go to her next class, and then a few seconds and steps later she was... snatched."
"By who?" She asked. "If you know, of course."
"Derek. Her ex."
Her speed accelerated, her grip on the wheel tightening.
"The serpent? The one that ran her off of the road? The one that hurt her?" She demanded.
"How do you-"
"Once everything blew over after she came back from Shellville, we had a spill session," she explained. "It's a mother-daughter thing," she smiled a little, reflecting.
We arrived to the Sheriff's station. Once we pulled into the parking spot, she stopped the car and turned to me.
"You're a good kid, Jughead. You've always been. I trust that you make the right decisions today. Tell the truth, and let us handle it. If you have any leads, come straight to me or Keller. Capisce?" She told me. Her stiff eye contact made me feel as if she was opening me up, looking at all of my deepest secrets. I gulped and nodded.
"We're on the same team, Ms. Bell. We all want Catherine home," I reminded.
Her eyes grazed over my body before returning to my eyes, looking for any signs of lying or uncomfortableness. "And that we are," she agreed.
She kicked open the car door, and I left, closing the door behind us.
The detective burst through the double doors of the station, which stayed open long enough for me to walk in. She walked quickly, in a rush to find answers.
I was introduced to an empty room with only a table and two chairs. She huffed in frustration before storming down the hall. I overheard something about adding more chairs. I quietly sat down, fiddling my thumbs and tapping my foot on the ground rapidly. I was still shaken from the whole ordeal, but my nerves were worked up from worrying about Catherine.
I thought about what he could be doing to her. Touching her. Hitting her. Killing her.
I almost wanted to throw up at the thought, but I took a hard swallow, knowing that if I didn't keep myself together nothing would be solved.
Thankfully, the detective walked in with two chairs in hand, and a secretary of sorts with another two; six chairs in the room, total.
Not soon after, Sheriff Keller ushered Betty, Archie, and Veronica into the room. All of them seemed pale, their faces grave. I ran my hands down my face, trying to calm down but it was nearly impossible.
Sheriff Keller sat down across the table alongside Detective Bell, while the rest of us sat beside each other on the opposite side. I had never heard a room full of this many people so quiet.
The Sheriff placed down a tape recorder and hit the record button, and the tape began to spin.
"Let's get started, shall we?"
AN: Oof a LOT happened lol. Unfortunately my computer has been really wonky lately and I haven't put the gifs in the next chapter so y'all are gonna have to wait a hot minute to know what's happening with Catherine ;)