CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE, THE BEGINNING OF CHAOS
As Lauren Davis made her way to the group she always sat with it, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of exhaustion, her coffee and apple in her hand, she was hesitant to move forward and watch the four conversing. With her head held high, Lauren approached the group, making her way next to Veronica, who gaped up at her.
"I hope you guys don't mind." Lauren said quietly as she took a seat next to Betty who beamed at her.
"Laur! Of course not!" Betty exclaimed putting her hand on the girls shoulder.
With a grimace Lauren looked at the other three, them staring at her in shock. "Are you going to keep staring at me or continue with what you were talking about before?"
Veronica shook her head with a polite smile. "Right. Enough about my drama. Betty, you were saying something about Jughead's birthday?"
"Yeah." Betty nodded. "Just that Mr.Jones told me he's never had a birthday party!"
Both Lauren and Archie simultaneously nod, humming a response.
"Lets have one for him." Betty grinned as Lauren dropped her apple on the table, echoing a loud thud in the room. "Like a low-key surprise party."
"No!" Archie and Lauren say in unison, giving each other a look of disagreement. "Jughead hates his birthday."
"Every one says that but nobody means it." Kevin chimed in.
"No," Lauren added shaking her head. "Jughead despises his birthday, not to gain attention, he hates that. He doesn't like presents or parties or fancy dinners, and I think you guys should respect that."
Archie nods his head, stuffing his mouth with pasta. "She's right, Lauren out of all of us knows this best."
"Okay, ignoring the negativity." Veronica says with an eye roll from Lauren. "Betty, Laur, you know me, any excuse to wear a cute party dress."
"Yeah."
"Okay, so I'm thinking a quaint gathering, inner-circle only." Veronica proposed.
Lauren tried desperately not to let out the fact that Jughead didn't consider any of them acquaintances, especially Kevin and Veronica, so with that though she kept her mouth shut, deciding not to burst the girls bubble.
"Oh my god." Kevin broke out, breaking Veronica's talk. "Don't turn around."
Despite his warning, all the girls turned to see the commotion, curiosity lurking through their minds as their eyes wonder over to the person Kevin had pointed out, Chuck Clayton. The boy gave a cunning, sly smile towards Betty and Lauren, it supposed to be taunting yet doing so to neither.
A small ache grew in the pit of Lauren's stomach, the food she had barely digested, coming into her mouth at the thought of his return. Lauren squeezed her eyes dhut, hoping it would subside the burning rage she suddenly felt but apparently Betty couldn't, the girl stood up, anger practically boiling out of her.
As everyone's eyes set on the blonde and her unknown tactics a sudden loud bang cought Laurens attention seeing Betty burning her gaze into a satisfied Chuck's.
When the girl returned, her eyes slightly watered and widened in disbelief, the crowd murmuring over the dead silence.
"What was he doing?" Veronica finally asked.
Lauren's eyes found hers a wave of guilt washing over the Raven haired, making Lauren glance back at Betty.
"Nothing." Betty whispered. "He was apologizing."
"Apologizing?" Lauren repeated, her voice low from the lack of faith she had in the statement.
Betty nodded, her blank expression unnaturally changing back to a sickening beam. "Anyway we were talking about Jughead's birthday?"
Lauren sighed shaking her head in disappointment, the girl was obviously jealous of Betty and her relationship with Jughead but she knew that the girl was going to end up in Jughead's bad side eventually especially when she ignores his decision to be him. .
It amazed her that the girl was so stubborn she wasn't going to listen to her own boyfriend's conditions. She didn't want to feel this way but Lauren was so sure she could be such a good girlfriend to the boy. She loved him so much, she knew almost everything about him and they respected each other. Betty obviously wasn't doing that. And although being both their best friend, she should accept their relationship and be supportive but she couldn't. That was something she wasn't able to do.
"You know what, screw it. I agree with Betty." Archie finally said, with a smile. Making Betty do the same. "My dad's away this weekend. We can do it at my place."
"Now you're talking my language." Veronica added with a smirk.
"We all need a distraction." Betty adds.
"But using Jughead's birthday as an excuse for a distraction isn't fair." Lauren cut in with a scoff just as the bell started to ring. The girl gathered her stuff. "Do what you want but just know it's gonna have serious consequences, Betty."
With that said, Lauren walked away from the group who gaped at her exit along with pitiful looks Betty's way.
As Lauren continued on her journey to class, she hadn't noticed Chuck Clayton follow her out with a smirk that couldn't vanish even with vigurous scrubbing.
"Woah, slow down, Ms.Davis!" Chuck called out as Lauren sighed turning around, her face void of emotion. "Why does it always feel like your running?"
"What do you want, Chuck?" Lauren demanded, looking unimpressed as the boy let out a fake chuckle.
Chuck put his hands up in surrender, licking his lips. "Hey, I just wanted my presence to be known."
Lauren raised her eyebrows, taking a step closer to him, gaining a surge of confidence. "Why does it matter? Forgot how to get laid?"
It was like a twig had been snapped in his brain, his smirk turning into a scowl. "No, just thought I'd be sweet enough to give you a heads up." He then leans closer, his lips barely touching her right ear. "I know things about you, now, Davis. We wouldn't want those things getting out, right?"
With a swift movement, his lips were on her cheek, it was such a cold move, chills ran up Lauren's arm. But Lauren wasn't going to let him have the last say, so instead she took a step closer. "I know you want to win, but I hope you know this isn't a game, Clayton."
With that said, Lauren gave him one last smile, before walking away with pride swelling in her heart.
****
It was the day of Jughead's birthday, which meant Lauren and him would have breakfast together and usually, Archie, Jughead and Lauren would go to the movies together but since almost every tradition in the group had already been broken, this one had too, later in the afternoon, Betty was going to take him.
"So, you and Betty..." Lauren trailed off, taking a bite from her pancakes, her eyes were sad, ducked out of view as she tried to make her voice as nonchalant as she could.
"Yeah." Jughead nodded, his voice slightly muffled from chewing. "It's complicated."
Lauren raised her brows in confusion. "What is?"
Jughead shrugged his shoulders with a frown. "I mean I like her, but it sometimes doesn't feel like I do. You know? It just disappears."
A swarm of butterflies erupt into her stomach, it was something she hadn't felt in a long time. It felt like hope but it was mixed with some sort of happiness. But she couldn't betray Betty and suddenly everything felt so wrong. It felt like back stab, but it felt good. Lauren wasn't a bad person, she always looked out for people, but for once in her life she felt good for herself, she so desperately wanted to let the boy know about her feeling but she couldn't. Her conscience would not let her.
"Oh." Lauren finally breathed out, biting her lip to hide her growing smile.
"I shouldn't have told you, you guys are so tight, I don't want to be a douche." Jughead sighed, setting his knife and fork on the plate.
"No," Lauren said almost immediately, shocking the boy at her speed. "I mean, you should talk to me, yeah, Betty is my friend but you are too."
Jughead shakes his head. "Anyway, I hope you didn't plan anything extravagant, you know how hard it was for me to accept breakfast let alone something crazy. Birthday's are really weird."
"I agree." Lauren nods, taking her last bite of pancakes before setting the utensils down. "I hate birthdays."
"At least someone understands." Jughead says, his eyes gleaming.
"I always understand." Lauren shrugs, giving the boy a halfhearted smile, setting her hand on his jokingly. "We're practically Soulmates."
"That we are, Ms.Davis."
Quickly though, his mood had changed, his joking matter turning into a serious discussion, he removed his hand from Lauren's. Sighing he spoke quietly. "How have you been?"
Reciprocating his previous actions, Lauren let out a sigh as well, extracting her hand from it position. "Don't spoil your day more by asking about me."
"But I need to know, Laur, you know I don't like to worry for too long." Jughead plead, his eyes squinting just a little. "Are you happy, Laur? Or do you fake it to make everyone else happy?"
Lauren gave him an assuring smile. "Don't stress, Jughead, we wouldn't want frown line on your face, would we?"
****
Finally the time of utter chaos had arrived, meaning it was Jughead's surprise party, Veronica had managed to convince the girl to attend, at least to see what commotion it was creating, so as the two girls walked in together, barely glancing at each other.
A few hushed voices yelled out as Veronica entered after Lauren. "Surprise!"
"Do I look like Jughead to you?" Veronica snapped as she stormed into the house, with her cloak flowing behind her.
As the two approach the other three, Kevin lets out an excited gasp. "Oh. Betty just texted me, their almost here."
"Laur, you've met Joaquin, right?" Kevin said semi-introducing the two.
"I have. I am quite aware of your rendezvous." Lauren said smiling slightly, making the boy laugh with a nod as he shook her outstretched hand.
"I, however, have not had the pleasure to." Veronica chimed, before whispering to Kevin. "Also I thought it was inner-circle only tonight."
"Joaquin is my boyfriend, that counts as inner-circle."
"Anyway, I am super stressed, Laur, can we go for milkshakes after this, I could really use it." Veronica asked, her face contorting into a mix of deflation and anxiety, making the girl nod. "It's a long over-due of apologies."
"Guys, hide, they're really coming this time." Ethel warned, as she hid behind a curtain as Lauren rolled her eyes deciding to stay in her position because she didn't want to look like this has her involvement.
As the couple spoke in a hushed whisper, the boy not noticing the reason for their dim lights, the rest of the crew all yell out a Surprise as the lights turn on.
"Surprise!"
Lauren musters up a small smile even though she couldn't understand why Ethel had arrived in the first place, not that she cared. Betty beamed bright, Veronica not even yelling out with the other
Jughead lets out a fake, humorless laugh as he looks at Lauren with a grimace. "This is why we left the double feature. "
Archie walked forward, a smile on his face. "Happy Birthday, bro."
Jughead whispers something in the boys ear, the red-head looking at him confused.
Veronica says something in Spanish and Jughead says Thank you just as Kevin pulls the boy in a hug.
"Oh, it's Kevin." Jughead breathed out, already exhausted with the social interactions.
Finally Lauren gives him a grimace slightly mixed with a halfhearted smile, one she gives often. "Happy Birthday, Jug."
The boy let out a sigh of relief, voluntarily bringing her into a warm embrace as she whispered into his ear. "I don't want to be here as much as you don't."
"Trust me you can't. Can we ditch?" Jughead answered back squeezing her more as the girl pulled out.
Before anyone could question where Betty had gone, the girl emerged from the kitchen, holding a cake that had several candles in it. The girl started to sing a soft, more devious and haunting version of the Birthday tune, originally it is supposed to be more charismatic but her tune was absolutely horrifying and embarrassing to watch.
Jughead's face was priceless as he looked mortified at the blondes action, however Lauren couldn't form an expression, since it was indescribable how she truly felt about the seductiveness in Betty's tone.
Almost halfway through the song, Lauren had noticed Veronica's disappearance, so she made her way to the kitchen, seeing the girl cry as she had her hands hovering over the sink.
"Ronnie? What's wrong?" Lauren asked, quietly as she approached the girl.
Veronica shakes her head, letting out another whimper as Lauren pulled her into a hug. "It's my dad, he blackmailed me into making a statement on his behalf, said if I don't, he'll do something to my mom. I mean how much worse can this get."
Archie entered, this time, a spooked look on his face as he stood next to Lauren. "You two okay?"
"Yeah." Veronica said, rubbing any traces of tears off. "Just stuff with my dad."
Archie nodded in understanding. "Oh. Well, my dad is visiting my mom. They're about to finalize the divorce."
Lauren frowned suddenly, giving him a sympathetic look. "Archie... I'm sorry."
"God, Archie, if my mom had anything to do with that..." Veronica started, shaking her head in guilt.
"No," Archie interrupted. "It was them. My mom wanted to leave Riverdale, my dad wanted to stay. I had to chose and I chose my dad. Forget it, it's nothing compared to what you're going through."
Veronica furrows her eyebrows in thought before, her eyes dipped into over-whelming guilt. "Oh my god, Laur, I'm so sorry for complaining about my dad when you just lost yours."
Lauren manages a small smile. "It's okay."
"No and I feel so bad for not coming to give you support but I'm just so bad at it. I promise, I will support you through everything." Veronica added, tears leaking out of her eyes again.
"Thanks Ronnie."
With that the two girl pulled each other into another embrace, Archie joining too, towering over the girls as Jughead and Betty walked in, through the small doorway.
"Oh." Jughead said as he walked is eyes falling onto Archie and Lauren wrapped in the latter's arms, a pit of jealous growing.
"We just came to get Ice Cream, is everything okay?" Betty asked.
"Yeah, no, We just aren't in the party mood like I usually am." Veronica mumbled.
"Makes the two of us." Jughead added, making Betty look at him.
Betty frowned as she continued. "Woah, wait, you're not actually upset I threw a birthday party for you, right?"
"It is nice, Betty, I appreciate it." Jughead winced. "But I'd be happier if it was just the five of us in a booth at Pop's.
"Yeah but we always do that, I wanted to do something special." Betty argued.
"'The road to hell is paved with good intentions.'" Jughead recited as he stared at the girl.
"Why is everything so doom and gloom with you, Jug?" Betty exclaims, annoyed. "Why can't anything be normal with you?"
"I'm not normal." Jughead whisper-yelled. "I'm not wired to be normal."
Just as he spoke, the bell rings, the teens suddenly too alert. Walking to the front door, Lauren could practically sense the chaos that was to happen very soon. A herd of high school students waited in the lawn as Cheryl and Chuck made their way to the front.
"You really think you can have a party without inviting me?"
***
HELLOOOOO.
Im back, finally, I know.
Things have been very lazy/stressful over here, it's been weird for sure. So i'm just going to end this here and yeah.
I've got my finals in a few weeks so that's fun. not really although I don't need to stress about it becuase I am changing all of my subjects so I don't need to worry about getting amazing grades. I'm dropping all the subjects I take this year so that's good for me.