four and one // roxy x archie [senior high]

The Second Time

Archie was waiting outside Abyss. It was a Friday night and he thinks he deserves a break from all the shit that has been happening in the house lately. Mukhang iniwan na sila ng dad nila and his mom? Probably with the guy she's been cheating with. Whoever that fucker is. He didn't want to be inside the house and the second best option was to get high again. In his defense, it has been a while since he's done it. Tsaka, progress isn't linear after all. He's bound to do it again sooner or later. Only if dumating na kaagad yung lintek na kausap niya.

i've been here for 5 minutes. where are u?

He rolled his eyes as he exited the messaging app to look around again. Surprisingly, there weren't many people around despite it being a weekend. Z refused to come with him because Gino wasn't here. Actually, his friends outside of school were rather MIA lately. They all got their own shit to deal with lalo na't may umaaligid palagi yung Sky sa kanila. The thought made him stressed all over again kaya he opened up his phone to check his messages when he noticed a movement. A colorful movement from his peripheral view that made him look up.

It was Roxy. Wearing a flowy maroon dress with her dutch braid adorned in colorful butterfly and star clips, the sight made him smirk. He leaned back against the wall as he unconsciously stared at her from head to toe. Her sense of fashion should abhor him; ang daming kulay na dapat masakit na sa mata but somehow his eyes lingered. And they continued to linger as she appeared to be texting and calling someone. Perhaps she's waiting for someone din?

It didn't even cross Archie's mind that his stare could probably be felt because the next thing he knew, Roxy looked behind her and made eye contact with him. It caught him a bit off guard but his smirk remained in place as he tipped his brows and nodded at her and her wide eyes. Pero instead of getting a reaction out of her like he intended, she turned back around and ignored him; pretending like she didn't even see him.

He frowned and shook his head, napaka-maldita talaga nitong babaeng 'to. He got his back off the wall and walked towards her. But once Archie was in her vicinity, she started to rattle with her annoyingly alluring voice agad,

"Nako Archimedes wala akong panahon para sa'yo. Please. Go away!" She wasn't even looking at him. It troubled him more than it should have.

"I didn't even say anything!"

"Style mo bulok! Ano? Manghihipo ka ulit ngayon na wala akong kasama? Pwes naka-video ka ngayon dahil tumitino lang kayo kapag may nakatutok na camera sa inyo eh! Ano? Ano?"

"Ibaba mo nga 'yan." Archie tried to reach out to take the phone but Roxy only took a step away from him and continued pointing the phone at his face.

He sighed, "I'm sorry, okay?"

It took her another second to process what he said, "Ha?" she looked from her phone to Archie's face. She was finally looking at him.

"I'm sorry."

"'I'm sorry' lang? Yun lang? Bakit wa–"

"Well it wasn't an accident and I don't want to say bullshit excuses."

Roxy stopped the video and crossed her arms, tilted her chin up and squinted at him, prompting him to say more.

But Archie didn't know what else to say. He doesn't usually apologize. Unless pilitin siya ng dad niya. Kaya he shrugged and said, "I have a sister. I should know better."

She slowly nodded her head, "may utak ka naman pala."

He rolled his eyes at the remark, knowing that she meant for him to hear what she said.

"So are we okay?"

She tipped his head to the side with her eyebrows creasing, "ha? Kailan ba tayo naging okay, Archie? Friends ba tayo? Hindi ako na-inform ah!"

He took an internal sigh of relief kasi, finally, they're back to this dynamic. Apologizing in general makes him uncomfortable but these types of conversations with Roxy? Well, they also kind of make him uncomfortable but in a butterflies-in-stomach-riding-down-a-roller-coaster type of way. It's more thrilling. He likes it. Not that he'll ever admit it out loud.

Archie copied her movement and tilted his head, mocking her facial expressions, "ganyan ka ba sa mga loyal customers mo, Roxy?" He loved to see the anger and annoyance in her face build. It starts with her brows furrowing, then her eyes squinting, nose scrunching, until sumabog siya sa inis at tumalak ulit. It's always been like this the first time he saw it and he'll never get tired of seeing it.

"Loyal customer mo mukha mo!"

"Bakit? I paid for everything naman ah."

"Paid for everything," she mocked, "paid for everything pero late at kailangan pang hunting-in at blackmail-in para magbayad. Yaman-yaman mo pero ang kuripot. Che!"

"Roxy," he clicked his tongue multiple times, "I know naman na pera lang habol mo sa'kin," Archie ignored the loud 'ha?!' that she let out.

"Kaya nga I offered you last time na bayaran kita para kausapin ako diba? My family and I are very charitable people naman. All you have to do," he paused and looked at her from head to toe, "is ask."

"Archie, lumayo-layo ka na nga sa'kin. Nakakainis mukha mo baka masapak ko pa."

"Kanina ka pa comment nang comment sa mukha ko ah baka naman you–"

"Roxy!" A shout from behind made them turn around to see Tim rounding the corner street, walking fast towards them. Tim immediately went in between them and it made Archie's eye twitch.

The couple–pfft couple–assured each other saying multiple 'okay lang ako, bhie' as if Archie would do something evil again. He already apologized! Tim looked back at him and Archie only raised his brows as if to challenge him, before rolling his eyes and started walking away.

Drugs forgotten and phone on silent, he made his way home.

He already got his high for tonight.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: sorry for taking a bit longer to update this. i was waiting to see kasi how the show will actually handle the roxchie arc and i wanted this fic to be pretty canon--AND HEY ! LAST EPISODE INCLUDED ARCHIE HAVING HIS NOTIFS ON FOR ROXY'S LIVESELLING !! JUST LIKE I MENTIONED LAST CHAPTER ! HIHIHI--so next update might also take a while (kasi it's also finals season for me so 🫠) thank you so much for the love from last chapter ! hope you guys also like this one (even tho im not as proud with it dlkfjsdlkjf)