PANIC

Tuck Your Chin and Tumble

So what was Jughead doing and why wasn't he with his sister in this very moment? Well, because he was too busy with something else. Or rather, someone else.

"Ok, now c'mon. Let's do what I actually came over here to do." Betty said as she lifted herself off of Jughead's lap and towards a desk instead.
"So you're saying you didn't come over here for me?"
"Well that was part of the reason." Betty smirked and Jughead chuckled a bit at the response.
"Alright. What do we have to do?" He said, getting off the end of his bed and standing behind Betty as she sat at the desk. He leaned over her shoulder only to turn around quickly and flop back onto the bed. "Nope. Not happening."
"C'mon, Jug." Betty got up and pulled the beanie off his head, ruffling his hair.
"Hey, hey!"
Betty laughed. "C'mon, bedhead. Algebra isn't that bad."
"No, it's not. It just feels like a thousand needles." Then he shuddered at the word. "Needles." He repeated.
"They are not that bad!" Betty laughed.
"It's a pointy stick that is stabbed into your arm on purpose. No, not bad at all." He sat up as he joked.
"Alright. Oh, by the way, what time do we have to pick up your sister at?"
"Six." Jughead responded, pulling his cap back on his head.
"Six? Jug, it's 6:14."
"You're kidding."
"I'm not kidding."
He got up abruptly from the bed and jogged to the desk, peering down at his phone. "God, it's 6:14!"
"Yeah, I know!"
"We gotta go!" He grabbed the keys from the desk and ran downstairs, through the house and to the truck. He jumped in in a matter of seconds and Betty hauled herself in on the passenger side. Starting the ignition, he sped off at high speed for his sister's sake. He didn't bother telling his dad he was leaving although he couldn't help but wonder, how did dad not notice?

"Avalon!" Jughead yelled as he pulled up next to her on the side of the road. She was hugging herself. Her bare arms, her bare stomach, her bare legs. All frozen. She planned on wearing a crop top because the weather was supposed to be nice. Well, it was. Just not when it struck five.
"J-Jug..." Avalon sputtered as Jughead jogged up to her and pulled her into his lap.
"Avalon, I am so sorry."
"Avalon, let's get you in the car and warmed up." Betty urged as she jumped out of the large vehicle. Avalon didn't talk. She just moved but only by a little bit. She was shivering. Icicles could practically hang from her nose.
"Jug..." she muttered, getting as close as possible for warmth.
"Here, take my jacket. Stand up, c'mon, stand up, Avalon." Jughead pulled her up but the second she was on her legs, she was leaning. Fast.
"Jug!" Betty announced, putting her arms out for Avalon but Jughead grabbed her in time, sweeping her up and into his arms as he carried her back to the truck. He opened the back seat door and gently lay her down on the seat before slamming the door shut once again and turning to Betty.
"We have to get her home, now!" And with that, he jumped in and Betty crawled back into the passenger front seat. Jughead turned to look at his little sister and immediately took off his leather serpent jacket to hand to her. Since she was too frozen to grab it, he draped it over her pale body and hurried home.

"I'm calling Archie." Jughead shook his head as he drove, not believing that he had just left his sister past dark in the rain at school without food or a phone and forced her to watch a football match. To say the least, he felt bad.
"Why?" Asked Betty as she turned to look at the state of Avalon. Nothing had changed.
"Because his house is closer and I'm worried! I'm worried about Avalon! I'm a horrible brother!" Jughead slammed his palm down in the centre of the wheel causing the horn to be heard although no one was around.
"Don't say that, you're a great brother. A little overprotective but not horrible." Betty shook her head.
"Tell me that again after knowing that I took her phone away because she was looking at a boy on Instagram and I forced her to go watch the football game tonight."
"You took her phone away? She's 14, Jones!"
"I know!" He cried out. "Look, I'm just gonna call Archie, okay?"
"Okay but let me speak to him. You're driving."
"No, it's fine."
"Jughead, give me the phone."
With an exasperated sigh, he knew she was right and reluctantly handed his phone over. "Just put it on speaker." He said, receiving a nod. A few seconds went by before the phone actually started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Archie, Archie I need your help!" Jughead exclaimed.
"Woah, slow down. Are you... driving?"
"I'm holding the phone." Betty clarified.
"Oh, okay. So what's up?" Archie asked.
"No time to explain. Can we come over?" Jughead rushed to the question.
"Sure, where are you?"
"Again, no time to explain."
"Ok? Well, see you soon?"
"Bye!"
Betty hung up and slid the phone into a Jean pocket of hers. At the same time, Jughead once again hit the steering wheel. "Jughead, it's fine. She's fine, look at her." Betty gestured to Avalon asleep or frozen from the cold. Jughead glanced back before keeping his eyes on the road once again. "She's going to be fine."
"Betty?" A small and weak voice submerged. Betty flung her head around back to Avalon.
"Avalon, hey. You good, you warm?" But she only received a nod in response. Then Jughead turned around.
"Avalon, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm ok."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know, I know, you're right. I'm the stupidest brother!"
"Jug..."
"You always say it and you're right, you really are!"
"Jughead."
"What, Betty?"
"Jughead!"
"What?!"
"Tree!"

At that very moment, Jughead turned around in his seat to come face to face with a tree. Betty, Jughead and Avalon were all flung forward in the car. None of them awake. All unconscious.