Learning To Love You

Chapter 2

"Are we gonna have a problem?" the young serpent asked, crossing his arms as he stood at one end of the long oak table. His brows knitted together in a frown, eyes challenging the tall man beside him.

"We are if you're not going to listen. FP this kid doesn't know what he's doing" Tallboy complained, throwing his arms in the air. Jughead rolled his eyes, looking over at his father expectantly.

"Tallboy back down, Jug is heir to the throne and he's taken on the position well. If you don't like it the door is that way" FP warned, pointing over to the door of the Wyrm.

"I'm not gonna sit around and listen to you talk down about me just because you're angry my dad didn't pick you. Get over yourself" Jughead scoffed, pushing past him straight out of the bar. He scuffed his shoes across the ground as he walked further away, head drooping just wishing he didn't have to put up with all of this. He didn't ask for this life.

Somehow Jughead found himself roaming the streets of the Northside, muttering to himself until he was interrupted by the sound of cries. He looked up from the concrete pavement and turned his head, a blonde girl coming into his sight. Her eyes were rimmed red, looking sore from even just a glance. She had tear-stained cheeks, more continuing to flow down her pale skin that was shaded amber by the fluorescent streetlight she sat under.

"Hello?" Jughead spoke gently, making his way towards her. The girl's head shot up, flinching as she saw the boy in leather approaching her.

"Stay away from me" she pleaded, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Woah, I'm not going to hurt you. I can help" he assured, kneeling down in front of her. She sniffled looking up at him with wide eyes, filled with more fear than he'd ever witnessed.

"Do you have somewhere to go tonight? It's cold and dark, you can't stay out here" he whispered, wrapping his jacket around her shaking figure.

"I wanna go home" she mumbled, the warmth of the jacket oddly comforting. He nodded and moved to sit next to her- keeping his distance still as she seemed anxious.

"I can take you home, you live on the Northside?" he asked gently, eyes locked with her emerald orbs.

"Yeah...a few streets away" she sniffled, managing a small smile. The boy helped her up from the rough ground, gently holding her arm which she didn't seem to mind. "I know it's none of my business or anything but...well if you want to talk about it I'm all ears"

"Just a fight with my boyfriend, it was my fault" she shrugged, pulling her sleeves down so he couldn't see her scars. At first, he seemed threatening but the way he spoke to her was soft and sweet.

"Was it really?" Jughead questioned with a quirked eyebrow, turning a corner with her. She pressed her lips together to stop more tears from falling, knowing she was nearly home. So he received no answer, and he didn't push her for one.

"What's your name?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence. 

"Betty Cooper" she murmured, tightening her already strained ponytail. 

"Cooper? Your mother doesn't like me very much" he chuckled softly. "I'm Jughead Jones" 

"As in serpent?" she asked, biting down on her bottom lip. He nodded in response, surprised when she only nodded and continued walking with him. He half expected her to be disgusted and tell him to leave immediately. 

"My mum doesn't like anyone who doesn't conform to Northside standards, she's not a bad person really" she sniffled. 

"I know, people can't help how they were raised. Though I think she'd kill me if she saw me walking her precious daughter home" he joked, eliciting a giggle from the sad girl.

"See I prefer that" he smiled, turning his head to look at her. 

"Prefer what?" she questioned, not understanding his comment. 

"Hearing you giggle, it's cute" he replied, leaving Betty's cheeks bright pink at his answer.

"It's just here" she whispered, gesturing to her house as they approached the metal letterbox. "You gonna be okay?" he asked, his hand gently touching her arm. The way she flinched and drew back didn't go unnoticed but neither of them dared to mention it, just nodding at each other as she handed back his leather piece. The blonde turned away and walked up to her door, shakily turning the handle before looking back at him. She mouthed a simple 'thank you' that said more than she ever needed to, receiving a sweet smile in return. He seemed kind, but then so did Nathan in the beginning...

---

"Boy, you're back" FP smiled when he saw his son enter the stuffy trailer that sat in the centre of the Southside. When he didn't get a response he placed his coffee down "You know you shouldn't let Tallboy get under your skin, as a leader you're gonna have to deal with stubborn members a lot more now. You have to stay in control"

"I'm trying dad" he sighed, sitting down on the sofa as he pulled off his knitted beanie.

"I know you are and I'm proud of you. You're doing your family proud"

"Some family" he scoffed, shaking his head "Why do you talk about her like she's still here?"

This time FP was the one who didn't respond, pursing his lips as he stared down at the floor. He simply picked up his coffee and took a sip, watching the TV with his son in complete silence. Jughead sat there thinking of the sad blonde, wondering if she had fixed things with her boyfriend and maybe if she was thinking of him too.

Meanwhile, Betty curled up in her window seat with a fluffy blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she wrote in her journal. It's getting worse, and though I love him I think he's stopped loving me now. I don't know who he really is, he's so different. Jughead was so kind, acted like he knew what had happened before I'd even spoken. It was nice to have someone there for once. 

Love never came easy for Betty, so when the most popular guy at school asked her out it was a complete shock. There was one time before where one of her classmates, Trevor Brown, asked her to the school dance. She had been so excited, picking out a new dress and spending hours getting ready to impress him. However the whole night he had just ignored her, left her sitting at the food table miserably picking at the plate of fruit whilst he messed around with his mates. Nathan wanting to be with her seemed too good to be true, and she was correct all along. It was nothing like she expected.

She closed her diary and placed it down on the pillow, staring out at the window at the dark streets outside. It seemed so peaceful out there, much unlike the daytime where all she could hear was Nathan's screaming. But how could she leave him? She was trapped, stuck in this world of torture where she didn't know whether he loved or hated her. If this was love then she wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

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