Bughead || recovering

6

The next few weeks we spent side by side
Hanging out almost every day
I felt like I was actually living , everything was going fine.
I was at school after hours doing some stuff for the news paper , when I left I felt the presence of someone else , I brushed it off thinking maybe it was because
It was 10 at night and I was in a empty school parking lot
When I was in my car looking at something on my phone I heard a car door close
That was enough to freak me out so I turned on my car and started to drive off
I noticed a car behind me pop out of nowhere , the feeling of being followed brushed off, because at this point I knew I was,
Every turn I made they did , I tried to lose them and I accidentally turned into a alley
With a dead end , I locked my doors and sat there not knowing what was gonna happen
They knocked on my window for a few seconds , and the knocking soon
Became banging , I figured that if I didn't role down my window they'd break my window and be even more mad
"Open your door" "do you want money or something , I have money"
"Just open the door"
The second I opened the door they grabbed me from my hair and threw me at the wall ,
I could've fought all I wanted , but I was overpowered by this 6 ft man that had me cornered in the back of a random alleyway
A minute or two passed and I laid on the ground , curled up in a ball as I got beat up , I couldn't even see
"You can never leave me" he said before he spit on me and then got in his car and
Drove away
I crawled back to my car and drove home hysterically , my family was out for dinner
So I stood at jug heads door step and banged on his door
He awnsered and stared at me , with my clothes dirty and tears in my eye
"Oh my god , come In"
He basically carried me to his room , I laid on his bed and he sat next to me
"What happened" "I just got beat up in some random alley"
I sat on the toilet while he put alcohol on my cuts as I tried not to scream
"Do you know why they did that" "I don't know , it was so motivated too
, nobody puts that much
Energy into beating up someone who didn't even fight back"
"That's weird , and random" , I nodded
We stared at each other for a second before I stood up
"Can you walk me home" "sure"
We were in my room and he was helping me to my bed
"I've never been in your room before"
"Don't get used to it" "it's, nice"
"I don't like people in here , I don't know why"
"Alright well I'll go home now" , I nodded
The next morning my sister was bothering me for something "Polly get out"
"I just need to find something" "no get out" "just give me a second"
I raised my voice telling her to get out ,
"God betty you are such a bitch" "just go"
She was heading for the door but right before she left he turned around
"But seriously, just look at yourself , the only person you've talked to in the last year
Is the beanie wearing weirdo that lives 3 houses down"
"I'm sorry that I don't give you the attention that you need to function"
"Not even, it's just so annoying and embarrassing having to have you as a sibling"
"Oh please you're a spitting image of me" "of who you once were"
"Seriously just get out" "one day your going to look back at your high school days
And bang your head against a wall , like seriously when was the last time you lived"
I sat in quiet for a moment "that is if you even live long enough to look back at yourself now"
"You don't even know a quarter of what happened to me Polly ,
You can't stand there and say that , but if you were in my position you would be ten times worse" "you may still be here physically but mentally you died that day"
she said right before storming out and shutting my door.
Today was a football game , I hated going to them even when I was normal.
I sat on the bleachers , on my phone for majority of the time ,
after it was finally over I went to the bathroom to wash my hands because I touched something sticky under the bleachers , "hey Betty" I heard a familiar voice say , I turned and saw nick I just walked towards the football locker room , witch was only down the hall ,
"Going to go visit your boyfriend ? , even after that whole bet thing? That's kinda pathetic"
I stopped and turned at him "the only pathetic thing here is you"
"You know , we never properly broke up"
"No but anyone with at least 2 brain cells could comprehend that whatever that was is over"
He somewhat speed walked towards me "stop walking towards me" I said before he grabbed my neck and pinned me against the wall with my feet dangling , practically hanging me,
I was kicking him or punching him
I could somewhat mumble up words or sounds , enough for someone to hear
I heard a loud "hey"  then he went off running , while i went on the floor and started coughing and someone walked over to me , I sat back up and saw jughead "out of all people why are you here
"I was drinking water in the locker room and I heard a bunch of noises"
I nodded , "what happened" "nothing me and my , friend were just play fighting"
"why'd they take off running" "they panicked" "you don't.... Have any friends Betty"
"You ask too many questions , cmon just help me up" I said holding out my hand
I got up and he looked at my neck "Betty this isn't a play fight someone just full on chocked you out" "I'm fine"I said , "no your not , why are you lying right to my face I literally heard you telling them to stop" "don't worry about me , I'll see you tomorrow , bye"
He grabbed my wrists before I walked away "
"Why are you lying to me" , I looked around the empty hall
"It's really cold , I'm gonna go turn the heater on in the car"
Ten minutes later he came out the locker room and got in the car , looking , mad
The car ride home was silent , we knew if she did end up talking theree'd be a fight.
I pulled into his drive way and he sat there , "there's so much I wish I wish I could tell you , but I just don't know where to start" "I'm not pressuring you or anything"
"Well most of the times it feels like you are"
"I don't know when I do that, I don't meant to at least"
I nodded , "normally I'd walk in and we'd pretend that nothing happened,
But this is completely different , you can't just act like it didn't happened"
"why do you care so much" "because , I'm you're friend , I want to look out for you"
"Well don't" "it's not that easy" "you don't have to worry for me,
You're not my dad" "why do you act like me caring is like the worst thing ever"
He said in a louder tone , "because it is"
"whys that" "again with all the questions , your my friend not a survey"
"maybe I wouldn't have to interrogate you if you wouldn't pretend like
It's just nothing" "I'm fine , I don't need you to patrol me , I'm coping with whatever it is just fine" "yeah I'm sure you are" he said right before he grabbed my wrist and held it in the air"
I pulled my arm back and turned my Body facing the door
And started crying , after a few seconds of processing it I think he realized how fucked up it was "you know I didn't mean it" "just go home" I said quietly
we sat there while he apologized for a few minutes
"I'd never want you hurt you" I slowly turned ,y body towards him again
"We don't even know each other , we're two strangers sitting in a car"
"I know that you used to like art museum, I know that you're one of the coolest people I've ever met , I know that you're favorite movie is empire records , and that you love the fall"
I didn't say anything for a minute or so
"I didn't like you caring because nobody ever cared before , everyone knew it was happening and did nothing to prevent it ,so I just assumed nobody ever really cared"