Darkest Minds || Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones [3]

The Kingdom

THE KINGDOM

"We're looking for a place to settle down. I'll let you know when we do, okay?" Jughead mumbles into the phone, even though Ellie's voice isn't welcoming him on the other side. "I'll see you at the end of the road, don't forget that. Bye," And he puts the phone back.

"Still no answer?" Archie wonders, he knows the dark-haired boy has been trying to reach Eleanor since this morning, and she's not picking up for some concerning reason. "Have you tried Betty?"

"I did, even though that could be weird. We're mostly communicating through Ellie these days, since... I broke up with her,"

"Why did you do that?" The red-haired questions. That brings some relief but also some unsettling feelings that might envolved every bit of jealously that Archie always had towards Jughead and Ellie somehow. "I never really asked."

"We weren't happy anymore, I guess things changed." Jughead shrugs with a statement that's not that far away from the truth. Yet, for some reason he can't look his best friend in the eye, so he decides it's best to go back on topic. "Uh, anyway Betty didn't answer either."

"Look, Jug, maybe you should go back." Archie worries, and looks over to the dark-haired boy picking up his bags. "I'm fine. Really, dude, I'm gonna be fine."

Jughead is definitely concerned for Ellie, specially. He remembers her voice sounding way too sad last night when she last picked up his calls, she sounded like she was falling apart on the other side of that phone. Jughead almost turned back, but she managed to ease all his worries and fears by the end of their conversation, yet this crushing concern persists.

"Archie, I'm worried. I am. But Ellie and Betty took down a serial killer last year. You can't go for five minutes without being kidnapped or getting the crap kicked out of you," He tells him, his tone slightly sarcastic which lights up the mood a bit. "That was before you were marked for death by Hiram Lodge." And he starts walking down the road.

Archie stands up, and follows him with a sigh. "It would be nice to stop looking over my shoulder all the time. Just find somewhere to settle, you know?"

"We will." Jughead thinks out loud, trying to sound as optimistic as he can right now. "When we find the right place, we'll know. We'll feel it."

. . .

"Ellie?" Veronica's voice echoes into the small tunnel. "Are you in here?"

"Right here," She calls out from the small table where the light shines on the most.

The first thing Veronica notices is how terrible Eleanor Cooper looks, like she has just been run by a car, but maybe it's just what our parents' disappointment does to us. Veronica should know, her parents are also the reason why she is down here, in this bunker.

"I brought you some clothes, like you asked." Veronica tells her, and places the bags she carries down on the bed.

Ellie frowns. "That looks like a lot more than some clothes, V. You didn't need to bring me your entire wardrobe. I'm planning on going back to my house once my Mom flees to the Farm."

"Right, this isn't just your clothes." The dark-haired girl sits down on the matress, and sighs. Her eyes down on her hands. "I moved out of the Pembrooke, and I was hoping we could keep each other some company."

Eleanor breathes all of friend's sadness in, before standing up from the small chair and walking up to take a place next to the dark-haired girl. She reaches for her hand. "I'm so sorry,"

"Don't be." Veronica then shakes her head in plain disappointment. "I can't believe Archie actually had to run away from this town to get away from my Dad."