february 2011
fourteen years old
For the first time in almost a month, Archie was packing his things for school. After what happened his parents wanted to just homeschool him the rest of the year. He wouldn't have it though. His mom so badly wanted whoever did this to Archie to get punished but Archie just kept lying to her saying that he didn't know who did it. Although he could've easily had them punished quickly. He had two of the groups first and last names. He even knew where one of them lived.
A video was spread of Archie the day the incident happened. He figured it was Jughead who took it because he would've seen Ridge or Clint take it. It had circled the school anonymously. So everyone saw what happened to Archie. Archie even saw the video too. It made him want to die. He didn't want to go to school but he knew he had to. He couldn't hide forever.
Now he was packing his bag getting ready to possibly face them again. He didn't feel safe. But Reggie had his back. Him jaycee and Betty said they would walk with him to each of his classes. He didn't think it was necessary. But he loved his friends and wouldn't mind the company.
He walked past his parents room and saw they were both still asleep. He quietly shut their door. He walked to the kitchen and grabbed an apple and started eating it as he walked out the door to his bus stop.
•••
Once he arrived at school he felt like all eyes were on him. It was just like the day he came back from break. Except this time there was no giggling girls or no high fives. There was no pride in his walk either. He felt weak. Normally he would love the attention but now he wished that no one would ever look at him ever again.
"Hey look it's "Fuck you"!" He heard someone say.
"Damn what a pussy he was really too scared to come to school."
"You looked better with the spray paint fucktard!"
"Go back to the hospital your face still looks screwed up!"
Jaycee ran over to Archie and grabbed him pulling him away.
She even slapped someone as she dragged Archie away.
She pulled him into a closet where Betty and Reggie also were.
"Arch we think you should go home." Betty said.
"No I can't. I have to be here. I can't hide forever Betty." Archie sighed.
"We're worried about you Archie." Jaycee held his hand lightly.
"Yah man this isn't where you should be." Reggie patted Archie's shoulder. "We just want the best for you."
"I know you guys do but this is my problem I gotta just face it and move on."
"We've been reporting the video everytime we see it Archie." Betty said hoping to make some light of the situation.
"Thank-wait it's still spreading? It already happened a month ago why is it still going around?" Archie said nervously.
"Well..." Jaycee started as she looked from Reggie and Betty to Archie. She was hoping one of them would say it so she didn't have to but she knew they wouldn't. "The video spread to south side high as well..and other schools. Some serpents have been threatening you Archie." She squeezed his hand this time.
"What??? I'm getting threats now from another school? For what? What did I even do? Yah I spray painted over there hang out place yah I may have burned some important things to someone but I didn't fucking kill someone!" Archie yelled.
Jaycee rubbed his hand with her thumb watching him sympathetically. She didn't like when he yelled but she knew they couldn't stop it.
Betty looked like she was about to cry. "We won't let anything happen to you Archie."
"Someone's actually going to kill me for one mistake I made." Archie yanked his hand from Jaycee and stormed out of the closet. As he was walking out he ran into someone.
They stumbled a bit, Archie didn't care who it was until the person grabbed his arm and turned him around.
Archie was met with green eyes.
Jughead looked at Archie with so much pain in his face. "Archie." The name rolled off his tongue like it had done so many times before. His grip on Archie's arm tightened. "Archie." He said his name again, this time with more urge.
"Let go of me asshole" Archie yanked his arm out of his grip. "I swear to god if you don't get away from me I'll hurt you." Archie threatened.
"Archie please. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Jugheads green eyes turned sad. There was no more rebellious in them. A small part of Archie just wanted to take him all in. He was dressed differently now. His dads old leather jacket was discarded for a sweater with sweatpants. Under his eyes were dark circles and once again on top of his head was a crowned beanie.
"Yes you fucking did. You broke me. My first day back and you've already broken my heart. I knew you'd do it someday. I didn't think it would be this way though." Archie walked away. He didn't meet Jugheads gaze. He didn't even turn around.
•••
Archie tried his hardest to pay attention in his psychology class. It used to be his favorite class of the day but he couldn't pay attention when people were drilling their eyes into him. He was at the front of the class and he could just feel people staring and hear people talking about him.
He could hear the things they were saying. Apparently one of the serpents were gonna attack Archie at school today out of nowhere. Archie didn't understand. He was so scared. What did he do? He didn't do anything to deserve this. He couldn't handle it anymore. He got up and walked out of the classroom not caring if he got called back he just wanted to be far away from there. He walked out into the hallway and went down to the bathroom. Maybe he could just cry in there.
But when he walked into the bathroom he was horrified. Spray painted in red on the bathroom wall was "We're gonna get you Andrews." Archie gasped in horror and ran out. He felt like he was seeing it everywhere he couldn't unsee it. He felt like he was tasting his own blood again. He couldn't feel the painkiller anymore he could feel the blood running down his throat. Archie was panicking he was looking up and down the hallway turning in circles trying to find someone. Anyone that would help keep him sane. His eyes brushed across a figure and he quickly looked back and saw Ridge Davis.
No. Not now. Why you. Why was this happening.
Archie did the only thing he knew how to do at this point. He ran.
He could hear Ridge yelling threats behind him. He pushed the doors of the school and ran so fast down the street.
All he could see was the video. He could see the spray paint being sprayed on him. He could feel the words "Fuck you" on him as if they were embedded into him. He could hear the sound of his own breathing. It was staggered. He could feel Jugheads eyes on him. Those terrible eyes almost feeling sorry for him. He wanted to feel his fist against Jugheads face so bad.
But more then anything he wanted this to end.
He ran to Sweetwater River. He didn't look at the bridge. He looked at the water. He was taken back to Fourth of July. Him Reggie Betty and Jughead. The jokes that were made. Betty's bright white smile. Reggie's contagious laughter. The way Jugheads wet hair hung over his face. The way their lips nearly touched underwater. How good it felt to be the light of the group. How good it felt to have his friends all together. How good the water felt on his skin.
Archie took a couple steps into the river.
He reflected on how the swinging rope that he gripped tightly with his bare hands that day. He looked at the rope as he slowly made his way into the river.
All he wanted was to rest. He didn't want to go to school. He didn't want to go home to see his parents and feel guilty for all the stress he's caused them. He didn't want to see his friends who he knew he would end up losing because they wouldn't want the hate. He didn't want to see Jughead and his gang. The ones who caused this.
His head went underwater and his feet no longer touched the dirt.
He felt himself sinking. The cool water surprisingly felt good. He closed his eyes and wondered how long he'd be able to stay under before he couldn't take it anymore.
He heard the sound of splashing but he didn't care. He felt like he was finally at peace.
He felt everything going away. All those visions were finally being wiped away. Everything was fading away from him. He couldn't hold onto anything anymore.
Then he was gone.
•••
His eyes were barely opening as he coughed up a bunch of water. He sat upright and turned over to cough up the rest of the water. He wiped what was left of it from his mouth and moved back onto his back and propped himself up with his elbows. He had to blink a couple times. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He thought he was going through a flashback.
Hovering over him was Jughead Jones. He was breathing heavily and his wet hair hung over his eyes dripping onto Archie's neck. His clothes were stuck to his body and his beanie was missing.
Out of all the thoughts going through his head, "Your beanie" was the first thing that came out of his mouth.
Jughead sighed in relief. "Oh thank gosh you're okay." Jughead gripped his shoulder. "What the hell were you doing?!"
Archie looked to the river and saw Jugheads beanie floating. "I'll get it for you." Archie could barely understand himself.
Jughead grabbed both of his shoulders. "No! What the hell were you thinking?! We're you trying to.." Jughead looked at him heartbroken and even though Archie was the one who nearly drowned the look Jughead was giving him made him feel terrible.
"I just...i just wanted to clear my head. I wasn't trying to kill myself. I just wanted to go for a swim." Which was most of the truth. He felt being underwater would be silent. And it was. It let him slip away for a moment.
"I just wanted to get away." Archie said.
"Well don't do that ever again! Please! You scared me I thought I was gonna lose you." Jughead exclaimed.
"You already have." Archie said staring into Jugheads eyes.
Jughead looked down not wanting to be met with those eyes.
"Look at me." Archie said.
Jughead didn't.
Archie grabbed Jugheads chin between his fingers and lifted it up. "You...did this to me." Archie said.
Jughead couldn't read his tone. It was a mix of someone who had been broken and someone with rage bottled up inside him.
"I know." Jughead said. "And I'll never be able to forgive myself for it."
"I'll never forgive you either." Archie said blatantly. "Why are you here..how did you know?"
"I followed you." Jughead said. His eyes drifted down to Archie's hand which was still on his chin. Archie was gripping it tight as if Jughead would pull away at any moment. He figured he'd make his hands comfortable where they were on Archie's shoulders. "I saw Ridge running after you so I stopped him then I ran after you. I saw you go under so I ran in and saved you I thought you were drowning. When we used to go to the lake you weren't always the best swimmer."
"You still remember that?"
"Of course."
Archie shook his head. "You were gonna kill me that day. I saw you grab the knife."
Jughead frowned. "I was taking the knife away from ridge. He dropped it but I took it because I was afraid he was gonna reach for it to stab you. What you did was wrong but I wasn't going to let him kill you so I've kept it away from him. I can't watch someone kill you. You still mean too much to me for that to happen."
Archie wanted to just forgive him right then and there. Just kiss him. He wanted to move his hand from Jugheads chin to the back of his neck and pull him down and kiss him. He couldn't stop staring at his lips but he forced himself to look up into his eyes. He couldn't forgive him. Ever.
"Can't mean that much to you if you let them hurt me."
"I knew they were gonna do the spray paint but I didn't think they were gonna beat you up."
"Still doesn't change anything. You even took a video and sent it to everyone."
"Arch I took the video yes. It was on Clints phone. He was the one who spread it. He told me to take a video but I didn't know he would send it to everyone. If I knew that I wouldn't have taken it. Arch I'm never gonna forgive myself for what I did. And you can do whatever you want to me for it. You can punch me, kick me in the face, hell if you want I'll even get in the river and stay in there and think about how I let you down." Jughead said searching Archie's eyes.
"It doesn't matter Juggie. I'd just go in there and save you anyways." It felt good to call him Juggie. It didn't mean anything to him though anymore.
"You'll never forgive me?" Jughead said.
"We'll see." Archie said.
"Are we still friends?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"I just don't want you to hate me."
"Is that your reputation talking?"
"Archie."
Archie sighed. "To be discussed. But not now. I need to go home."
"I'll see you around Archie."
"Goodbye Jughead."
"GoodNIGHT Archie."
•••
If you're a true fan of this book you'll recognize what I did there at the end from a previous chapter🤔🤔
So yah um...I updated like what 4 times after not updating for like 8 months.
See ya guys in 8 months!!
Lmaoooo I'm jk but seriously I hope you guys enjoyed these updates! I love you all!
~Kate