When Jason Blossom is presumed dead, Riverdale shifts on its axis. Letting in the horror, and darkness that had been held at bay.
Archie, Veronica, Clary, Jughead, and Betty grapple with desires, love, drama, and murderers all while coping with the...
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Jughead Jones
I PLACED THE OVEN PIZZA ON THE COUNTER AS ARCHIE SEIZED THE PIZZA
cutter.
"So... John Landis double feature at the Bijou. American Werewolf in London and Animal House," I said, settling onto a stool near the island.
"That sounds great. Except..." Archie interrupted, clearing his throat. "You're going with Clary instead." I let out a sigh. "You told her about my birthday? Come on, dude. That feels like a primal betrayal."
"Why do you despise your birthday so much, Jug?" Archie probed, causing me to shift uncomfortably.
"PTSD from when I was a kid. I don't know," I explained. "Things were always messed up at home, usually because of my dad. And then there was this one day we'd gather, pretend everything was great, that we were a normal family. But it just made me feel utterly lonely."
The next evening, Clary and I settled in for a movie at the Bijou.
"Hey, Kevin mentioned something about Betty and Chuck having a scene in the cafeteria yesterday," I said, curious for details. Clary glanced at me and shook her head. "It wasn't a big deal."
I paused briefly before gently probing, "So, what exactly happened between them?"
Clary quickly intercepted her tone firm. "Veronica asked me to keep that under wraps, okay?"
"Yeah, sure. No worries," I muttered, then draped my arm around her. "I was just asking because you seemed upset."
"If I was upset about anything, it was finding out about your birthday from Archie instead of you, Jug," she teased with a smile.
"Yeah, well... I didn't peg you as an American Werewolf kind of girl," I replied with a sigh.
She smirked and took a sip of her soda. "Oh, you're mistaken, Jughead Jones. I'm all about the beast within."
I chuckled softly in response.
After the movie, we headed back to the Andrews house. Clary had opted for a cozy cream knit sweater and jeans—not exactly dressed for a party, which made what awaited me all the more surprising.
"Surprise!" My friends shouted as I entered the living room, lights flickering on to reveal balloons and streamers everywhere.
"So this is why we ditched the double feature," I chuckled sarcastically at Clary.
"Happy birthday, bro," Archie hugged me, and I whispered, "You really shouldn't have." I caught a strong whiff of alcohol. "Ugh, are you drunk?"Archie shook his head.
Veronica approached, greeting me with a "Feliz cumpleaños."
"Thanks, Veronica. Thanks, everyone," I said, not quite feeling the excitement. "Oh, it's Kevin!" I exclaimed as Kevin hugged me. "Happy birthday, bud. And this is my boyfriend, Joaquin."
