𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒

𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈|𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀: 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓

Going through the rest of her day isn't easy. Seeing Archie attack Jughead has enraged her. She's done with this game. If Archie wants to get himself killed than she's going to let him. She will no longer stand by while he and his little group of dumb jocks keep starting fights with the Serpents. She cannot wrap her mind around how the whole town can hate a group of boys that she knows are so sweet and kind underneath the toughness they've learned to wear. The way she feels about their group as a whole is how she thinks she should probably feel about her family. She's going to have their backs no matter what, and she cannot do that standing next to Archie.

Veronica walks into the girls locker room before being joined by Cheryl, Tina, and Ginger. They watch the older Vixens finish dressing from practice and make room for them. Veronica passes Rose packing her school bag. The taller brunette smiles at her and they bump hips with a laugh. For the first time Veronica truly thinks about the fact that she always had the capability of making friends outside of Betty and Archie. Why did she shackle herself? Was she too attracted to the light? Blinded by it.

"Hey, we're throwing a little get together at my place. I'm inviting Jordan. You should bring your boy toy so mine doesn't feel like a fish out of water. He's a cool kid. Beanie boy." Rose says making sure to keep her voice to herself. Veronica cannot bite back her smile. A senior invite from Lily Rose one of the most popular seniors in Riverdale. And for her to mention Veronica and Jughead as an item.

"Really? Me?" She asks with barely restrained enthusiasm. Then she remembers the other part of the equation. A date with Jughead. Technically their first one. She has a boyfriend, could this be considered a date? He did bring her to breakfast, was that a date?

"Wait. Who's Jordan?" Veronica has to fight a shriek. She claps her hands over her mouth as Rose laughs. "Oh my god not Sweet Pea!" She shouts in a whisper from behind her hands.

"Oh yeah. That ugly nickname." Rose says with a roll of her eyes. "They've all got some weird ones. What's your boyfriend's?"

"Jughead isn't my boyfriend." She says hurriedly. He's more. So much more. She had asked him to be hers and he said yes. Deeper than memory. Jughead is hers. Forsythe is hers.

"Jesus that's a bad one." Rose says closing her locker.

"His name." Veronica hesitates to say it. The words feel forbidden on the tip of her tongue. Forsythe. Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third. A mouthful, her mouthful.

"Wow, that blush." Rose laughs. "Girl you are gone for, you need to ditch baby red." Veronica smiles. She likes Rose a lot. Rose knows her secret and she feels like she can trust her with it.

"Yeah I have a thing for Forsythe." Veronica says with a conspiring smile.

"So you in? Tomorrow night?" Rose informs her.

"Yeah. I'm in." She answers.

"I'll get you the details. See you soon Veronica." Rose tells her before taking off.

By the time Veronica heads to her own locker everyone is already dressed for practice. Her mind is on Jughead and the state she last saw him in. She knows he left campus after the mayhem in the hallway, most of the Serpents left. She wishes she could of been the one to walk him out that hallway. Instead she was playing the villain, once again. She pulls out her phone and begins to call him as she changes into her practice uniform.

"Hey Princess." Jughead answers calmly. She feels her world tilt back into his. She loves that feeling.

"Jug are you okay? Where are you?" She asks even as she rushes to catch up with the rest of the girls. She cannot hide the worry in her voice. He sounds calm, but he should be anything but. Archie attacked him in the hallway and she knows it's her fault even if Jughead doesn't know it.