𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒

𝐈|𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄: 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄

He can only watch as they enter the cafeteria. Anger is coursing through his veins furiously. He's been paying attention to the cafeteria door for the last ten minutes. He knows the always walked to lunch together, a habit he had been hooping would come to a stop. But there they are at the C side entrance to the cafeteria. Jughead says something to Veronica and she stops in her tracks. She looks back at Jughead and says something while grabbing Jughead's hand. Archie almost gets up right then to go pound his best friends face in. His mind cannot comprehend how Jughead of all people got the luxury to put his hands-on Veronica. His Veronica.

It's never been important to him the differences between himself and Jughead. Not until now. He would never hold it against his friend, but Jughead doesn't fit in. He's tainted, by no fault of his own, with the disease that is Southside. He is simply not on Veronica's level. That's what it all boils down to. Like the Southsider he is, Jughead stole something that was not his to touch. Anger rages through Archie in a way he's been becoming all too familiar with.

Archie has been living in a constant state of fear. The black hood had caused too much chaos and violence. Seeing his father get shot had broken something inside of him. He had been so naïve his whole life, but not anymore. He will never be a victim again. He has heard that in danger people have two natural reactions, fight or flight. Archie will never choose flight again so long as he can fight. The Southsiders are part of the problem. Jughead is part of the problem.

Jughead and Veronica stare into each other's eyes with a heat and intensity that Archie can feel from where he sits. He has never hated Jughead so much in his life. Archie glares at them until they are finally seated across from him. He tries his hardest to school his features once they're seated. He tries to avoid Veronica's eyes because he is sure the disgust would show on his face. He cannot fathom how she could degrade herself with the likes of someone like Jughead. What was it about him that made girls like Betty and Veronica aim a little lower? If Jughead was not recovering from a serious injury, Archie would have knocked his lights out.

Archie had the decency to push Betty away before it got too far. But Jughead? Jughead couldn't give him that same respect. But what could he expect? Jughead, as amazing of a person as he usually is, will always be part Southside trash. Sweet Pea, Fangs, Arrowhead, Full Metal? All of them lack basic human decency. They weren't raised with it.

And here Jughead is. Sitting right next to what belongs to him eating lunch. Veronica. He won't lose her, not to anyone. Not even to his best friend, if Jughead can even still be considered his best friend. If Jughead steps out of line with her again, Archie will end him. This bullshit amnesia? He doesn't like that excuse. He doesn't have the benefit of just forgetting and moving on like it never happened.

Archie messed up. He can't admit that. He and Betty danced the lines a few times to often too. But Betty, even objectively, deserves more than Jughead. Jughead is like Archie, they will never leave this town. Their fates are already in motion, they were born in motion. Betty is going to leave this town. She's too big for this world. All Jughead will do is drag her down, tie her up, and keep her in Riverdale too. Step in her light and cloud it up with his shadows. To make it worse, Jughead is not simply stuck in Riverdale like Archie, Jughead is stuck in the wrong part of Riverdale. Destined to lead that pack of savages. Archie is beginning to realize maybe he's stuck here to hold the line. To keep them in check and end them if ever so he gets the chance. Hiram is going to give him the power to stop them.

He stares at Jughead's ugly face all lunch. Veronica reaches for his hand after a while of silence. Archie moves his hand to eat. He needs them busy. He doesn't want her to touch him, he's too angry. Those hands touched Jughead, Jughead's hands touched her. His Veronica.