Just The Two Of Us <Sweet Pea FF>

94. All out of catastrophe

"The ides of March.
In modern times, the Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caeser was assassinated in 44 BC. Caesar was stabbed to death at a meeting of the Senate. As many as 60 conspirators, led by Brutus and  Cassius, were involved. According to Plutarcv, a seer had warned that harm would come to Caesar no later than the Ides of March. On his way to the Theatre of Pompey, where he would be assassinated, Caesar passed the seer and joked, 'The Ides of March are come', implying that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied 'Aye, Caesar; but not gone.' This meeting is famously dramatised in Shakespeare's play Julius Caeser, when Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to 'beware the Ides of March.' The Roman biographer Suetonius-"

"Jesus Christ, Jug. We get it you're a walking Wikipedia entry." I roll my eyes as we make our way into the woods for that stupid party. Can preppies even throw good parties?
"When I agreed to come to this I thought there would be a lot more partying and a lot less lecturing involved." Archie huffs.
Jughead sighs dramatically, "I live in a cultural wasteland."

The party comes into view and it doesn't look bad if I'm being honest. Every tree around the place is wrapped in fairylights, lampions illuminating the space in different colours, there's food, drinks, a dj playing music, a fire cackling in the middle and-

"Oh god."
"What is it, Jay?" Veornica turns to look at me before she looks ahead to see Brett in a roman costume.
"Was this supposed to be a costume party?" Archie asks.
"I don't know but that has to be the least sexy thing I've seen since...ever."

"Julia," Bret comes towards us with open arms, embracing me as I push out a "Hi."
"Jughead," he eyes him with a weird look before glancing at the others, "Good to see you, glad you could come."

"You want a drink?" He looks down at me. "Oh, definitely."
I can only hear my friends snickering behind me. I guess that's what I get for screwing around with Bret.

A couple drinks later and some cringey conversations with bret and his friends I finally break free and find Ronnie, archie and Betty.

"Finally got away from your boyfriend?"
"Please, V, he is not my boyfriend. In that costume I don't know what he is..." I trail off, taking a sip from my cup, "I don't even like him that much." He is just a distraction. No feelings just comfort but no matter what I say they'll bring up sweet pea.

Let's change the subject.

"What do you think about the party?"
"It's like a midsummer night's dream had a baby with euphoria." Veronica answers as she takes the cup archie hands her.
"Gotta hand it to these jerks, they know how to throw a party."

I hum, looking at Betty who's been awfully quiet.
"Whats wrong, B?"
"Have you seen Jughead? He said we'd meet up at the fire but he had to do something first."

"Well, he wasn't with Brett and the others or maybe he was I really didn't pay attention. But I'll go look if you want." I shrug.
She nods, "That'd be great. I'm gonna do a lap as well. See if I can find him."
Archie hands her another drink and sends her off.

I make my way back to where I left the costumed blond and his friends, only to find half of the original group standing there drinking their beers.
"Hey, uh-" shit I don't even know their names, "Have you seen Jughead?"
"He's with bret."
"And where is bret?"
"Last time I saw him he was with Donna." The other one chimes in.
"And where is Donna."
"The last time I saw her she was with bret."

I groan, not knowing if they're just that stupid or making fun of me. Probably a mixture of both.
"Well, thanks, that was not helpful at all," I turn around deciding to go back to Archie and Ronnie, "Idiots." I mutter under my breath as I walk back to my friends.

If only they were still there. I leave out a frustrated sigh. Now I'm all alone at a party full of weirdos.
Until my eyes land on two familiar pairs of eyes. Unfortunately I don't know their names either. Yet another testimony of how badly I fit in here. If it wasn't for Brett I wouldn't even be here. I don't like his friends, his pretentious school, the circles in which he runs, damn I don't even like this party. Parties were always fun fun with sweetpea tho. Everything was fun with him, actually.

"Hi, have you seen Veronica and Archie?" I ask the two, retiring the plans of finding Brett or Jug.
"I think they went that way, into the clearing behind the trees." She points into the darker part of the forest. Great, they better not be doing anything inappropriate.
"Thanks." I nod with the beginning of an insincere smile.

I'll find them and tell them I'm going home. My mood was ruined the moment I saw bret in that blue gown with that golden plastic on his head. Besides, I don't think I'll be able to ever have sex with him again. And then sweetpea popped into my head and the evening was ruined. Why won't he let me live I peace, why must he hunt me every waking second and then again in my dreams. Why can't Brett or justanyine else replace him and the whole he left in my heart.

I kick up some leaves on the ground. 

As I step further into the woods, leaving the sounds of the party behind, the light fades away with every step I take. But I find no serenity in the darkness between the trees, instead an uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach and quickly spreads throigh my entire body, every vein, every muscle tenses in dread.

"Beware the Ides of March." I whisper to myself. Just when I realise how stupid of an idea this was, walking alone into the dark woods, my eyes land on my friends.

I heave a sigh of relief and step towards them. They are standing in front of something yet I can't make out what it is, too dark, too far away.
Archie steps forward and crouches down.
"There's no pulse." I hear him say.

A deep frown settles on my face, "What are you doi-" I step onto the clearing and their heads turn as they see me. But what I see is much more horrifying.

Never before have I noticed how time is so much like water; that it can pass slowly, a drop at a time, even freeze, or rush by in a blink. The clock says it is measured and constant, tick tock, part of an orderly world; the clock lies. 

Seeing my best friend lay as lifeless as any cadaver and just as pallid on the dirty ground, a pool of blood surrounding his head. Those couple of seconds passed like thousands of camera frames per second shown one at a time.

The bloody stone falls from Betty's hand, a dull thud on the ground and liek a snap it brings me back to reality. Time seems to move normally again.

"What have you done?" My voice is nothing more than a whisper.
I look up into their eyes but they stay silent.

Once again I look down to his lifeless body, his blood seeming almost pitch-black in the darkness of the forest.

Even as bring my best self to the fore, to meet his face and be fully there in that moment, my nostrils are filled with the smell of blood and there is a lurching of my stomach.

I stumble, turning around and running. Falling over fallen trees, slipping on leaves but I run.
The voices of my friends calling my name doesn't even register in my brain.

Thoughts become so scattered that normal functioning is impossible. Only one thought screaming in my head.

Jughead is dead.

He is dead.