𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚

chapter 1: a bomb

betty and archie raced out of the andrew's home immediately following the anonymous phone call, not looking back.

they stood in the middle of elm street, watching as the house blew up in fire and smoke.

betty dialed the fire station as fast as she could, while archie stood beside her.

he was heartbroken. his childhood home, where his father raised him, up in flames.

"no, it was just us two inside, and we're both out now," betty assured the person on the other end of the phone.

or so she thought.

she couldn't have known jughead jones was in the garage at the time.

well, until he came running out.

a look of shock was across betty's face as she realized, while archie was too fixated on his home going up in flames.

"jughead! are you okay?" betty asked as she ran up, meeting him in the street.

he nodded, "how did you guys know to get out?"

"betty got a call. betty who was that anyway?" archie pitched in.

"i don't know.. it was cutting out too badly."

the three friends looked at the home they had all really grew up in as if in a trance.

betty was heartbroken for archie, and so was jughead.

shortly after, the firetrucks, ambulances, and police cars rolled in. the sound filled the streets as neighbors came outside of their homes to see what was happening.

including a terrified alice cooper smith, who instantly rushed over to her daughter, pushing both jughead and archie out of her way.

"elizabeth! are you alright? why is the house on fire?" she cried out, cupping her daughters face.

"mom, i'm okay. we're all okay. and as for the house.. that's what we're trying to figure out." betty sighed.

just then, a police officer runs over to them, ushering alice away.

"is anyone inside or hurt?" he asked first.

"no, we're all out." archie nodded.

the officer nodded, filling the firefighters and medics in and telling them to try to put out the fire.

the man then walked over to archie, "is this your house?"

"my family's, yes," he sighed.

"now what started the fire?" the officer said, almost interrogating him.

"a bomb." betty interupted.

"i'm sorry, miss. you were inside as well?" 

betty nodded, "and jughead was in the garage." she said, pointing to her ex-boyfriend on her right.

"i see. now about a bomb?"

"there was a bomb under my bed.. betty and i- caught it." archie explained.

betty glanced awkwardly at jughead, which was reciprocated. he knew that meant betty and archie were back together.

"now how did a bomb get in your house? especially under your bed?"

"it wasn't me, sir. it was obviously planted." archie said.

"do you have any clue who it could have been?" the officer asked.

an idea sparked in betty's mind instantly, "hiram lodge."

"hiram lodge? didn't he just leave town?" the officer asked betty.

"that would make perfect sense. i mean, he put a bomb in pop's blowing it up," jughead exclaimed.

"but we ran hiram out of town.." archie said to his investigating friends.

"maybe this was his last thing before he left," betty theorized.

"that would be logical," the officer nodded.

"well, do any of you have injuries?" the officer asked.

the three shook their heads as the officer walked away.

archie's eyes darted back up to his house. the fire was out.

the firefighters were coming back from the house, informing the officers something.

"see, arch, your house is okay," betty said, rubbing his shoulder.

archie held her hand.

jughead glanced over before looking back at the scene.

the firefighters walked over, "archie, the fire is out. somehow, there is minimal damage and repairs that can be done in very short time."

"that's a relief. thank you guys so much," he shook the main one's dirty hand before the firefighters walked away.

he went to hold betty's hand again, but she refused as she saw how nasty his hand now looked.

a/n: ahh, it's finally published. this story has been a long time in the making! i really hope you enjoyed the short first chapter setting up the story. what are your thoughts? i'd love to hear them :)