𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒

𝐈𝐈|𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄: 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐋

Mary is back. Mary is back trying to give him orders and parental advice when it isn't her place. Sticking up for his dad, the dad who's choosing the wrong side of this war. Giving him lectures that are too late to be had. To make it worse she's not even back for him, she's back for Fred. His Mary is back for Fred, because Fred needed her she came back. Archie needed her his whole life and that was never enough to keep her or make her come back. Archie hates that the women in his life are so difficult. They don't seem to understand what's best for them, or which sides to choose. Not Mary, not Betty, not Veronica. It makes him so mad. How can Archie be the only one seeing things clearly? Simple, they called him. Then why is he the only one with common sense? How? Betty won't talk to him, Veronica is never around anymore. She seems to spend all of her free time with Serpents. If Archie steps in to protect her from Serpents, Archie's the asshole. It isn't fair, but it's life now. Those scumbags get everything handed to them. The only thing they've ever learned was how to cry about things being unfair and how to take things from others.

Mary's arrival and lecture makes him late for school. He wanted to talk to Veronica before class. He knows he's been hard on her. He knows she is under a lot of stress too. He's just as at fault for the distance between them as she is. He's only been adding to her stress. He's been overbearing with his jealousy. Every time he tries to talk to her these days it comes out wrong. It all just hurts. He watched silently for a month as Veronica cozied up to the Serpents. Bringing them coffee and meals while Jughead was in his coma. He was bitter about it because she was ignoring him, but that had been his fault so Archie kept it to himself. Then she had been unnaturally caring for Jughead while he was out of it. She read him books, and held his hand, and a lot of other things only a girlfriend should do. Or a mother. She's never done that for him, nobody has done that for him in a very long time. Then Jughead wakes up and he finds out they slept together and all of Veronica's actions make sick sense. She caught feelings for Jughead. That's not an easy pill to swallow. Archie doubts it will ever go down completely.

Somehow Archie cannot stop thinking about how long they were attracted to each other for that to just happen. He sees the way they still look at each other. He wouldn't of known the look if it wasn't the same look he shares with Betty. And somehow he lost Betty too. Betty won't talk to him anymore. She doesn't come over to help him with homework anymore, she won't meet his eyes at lunch, she won't even reply to his text messages. Betty doesn't even keep her blinds open anymore. It's too much to deal with on top of watching Riverdale fall into darkness. And now he's late to the classes he's barely getting by. He's never been above a B student, but all these distractions have him falling into hard fought lower C's. Without Jughead, Veronica, or Betty to help, Archie doesn't know if he's going to make it out of the tenth grade. But working for Hiram he might not need school anymore at all. Archie is learning more with Lodge Enterprises than he could ever learn in those ugly four walls. Those walls feel like a damn cage, and Archie's tired of being caged in. He's walking towards the side entrance when he sees FP parked in student drivers. Someone is with him. Archie's hand is on the door when he realizes that Veronica is the girl getting out of the truck. His stomach burns like hot coal. Not FP, Jughead. Veronica's walking into the student driver entrance by the time Archie's processed what's happening. He's going to explode. He's sick. Everything hurts with anger. Him or her? Which one first? Her! Archie slams the door open and tears through the hall. He reaches her locker and slams his fist into it. He needs to explode. How could she? How could she? How could she?! How could they?! Archie has to kill him. Jughead needs to go. No more games. He grips his hair and slams his head into the locker. Archie's rage is pure and hot. He needs to get a grip. He's too angry. He can hear Veronica's heels clicking as she walks down the hall. He breathes deeply and steadies himself. It won't work. Archie's trying so hard to not to blow up, but he can feel the flames licking at every part of his insides. Archie is so angry it's blinding. It feels like the rage that came immediately following the pain after his father was shot. It feels like the anger at seeing another black hood victim in the headlines of the Register. It's feels like uncaring Mary leaving as Archie begged her not to. Rage. Archie is sick and tired of things not being as they should in his town. Archie turns around and spots her. Veronica, the Veronica that doesn't seem to be his anymore. The girl Archie didn't even realise he was losing the fight for. The girl Archie didn't realize there was even a fight for. And all the fighting he's done has been for her. The deep cut in his hand hasn't even scabbed over yet. He sold himself to Hiram Lodge the monster for her and she sold him out for Jughead. Fucking Jughead! He picks himself off her locker as she approaches.