Smokestacks - Jughead Jones [1] ✔

Chapter Three

SMOKESTACKS

CHAPTER | THREE

It had been odd.

Savannah had encouraged him to come over,  probably because she knew he'd be the only one to stop her from going to  Thornhill. She'd been trying to stay away from Jason, yet he was like  the forbidden fruit. He was all that more desirable.

They had  decided on pizza, Savannah feeling kind enough to involve her brother in  the order. Kyle had snatched up a box for him and Piper, wagging his  eyebrows toward Jughead as he walked backwards up the stairs.

"Just ignored him, he's an idiot." Savannah groaned as she bit into a particularly cheesy slice.

Jughead  was already on his third slice and looked disturbed by her statement,  "I didn't even know you had a brother either. You're a mystery."

"That's  what I thought about you." She simply replied, eyes landing on a photo of herself and Kyle that hung on the wall. It was from when they were  younger, their father stood between them.

The dark haired boy  followed her gaze to the frame and he slid out of his seat, taking a  slice of pizza with him, to inspect it closer. "That your dad?"

"Yep." Savannah popped, jumping up to join him, leaving her pizza on the lid of the box.

Jughead turned his head to face her, "Who took the photo?"

"My mum."

"What happened to her?"

Savannah  glanced at the boy beside her, wondering whether their barely week long  friendship was strong enough to handle the truth. "Uh, she's a  recovering alcoholic." Without the recovering part. "Spends most of her  time in her room."

It felt like minutes ticked by in the  monochrome room, the two just standing with their backs to the door. The  black clock that hung above the stove was deafening, ringing through Jughead's ears as he found himself entranced by the girl beside him.

Jughead  Jones was just as much of a mystery to her as she was to him. He always  wore the same grey hat, his dark head of hair peeking beneath it with curls running through the unkempt waves. A dark shirt donned his  shoulders, his black denim jacket hung over the back of his seat.

"How did you become friends with Piper?" He asked, moving around her to retake his seat at the table, not noticing her staring.

Savannah  snapped out of her daze and turned to lean against the wall, "Ballet."  She said simply, her eyes meeting his from across the room. "Started  when I was six, stopped when I was seven."

Jughead snorted, "Wow, you're committed."

Savannah laughed along with him, pushing the box toward him, allowing the boy to have the last slice of pizza.

They  sat in silence for a while, Jughead feeling the sadness wash over him  as they ran out of food. Thankfully, though, Savannah seemed to notice this fact and sauntered over to the fridge, pulling out a Mississippi mud pie.

"You are the love of my life." He said, his eyes latching onto the chocolate wonder that lay in her hands.

"Woaaaah boy!" Savannah placed the pie down and backed up with her hands up by her shoulders, "Cool it cowboy."

"I'm  talking to the pie." Jughead snapped, the vicious tone in his voice was  teasing, reaching over to pluck the fork from her enclosed fist.

"Of course you were, Jug."

His head snapped up at the name and he couldn't help but think of Betty. The girl who was in love with his best friend.

"Share."  Savannah commanded, pulling against the plastic case so that it slid to  the middle of the table. She propped herself up on her knees, resting  against the table as she reached over to steal the fork that was making  its way to Jughead's mouth.

The dark haired boy watched in horror as she ate his forkful of pie, snatching the fork back from her, "Get your own fork."

Savannah flashed a fork in his face, having pulled it from her jeans pocket. "But stealing from you is much, much more fun."

Jughead scowled.

*

He  had swaggered up to her, his red hair glinting like fire and sunsets,  football jersey spread across his broad shoulders. The polished floor  passed under his maroon boots, picked out by his fashion-accessory of a  sister, Cheryl.

Savannah felt him before she heard him, his hand catching on her dainty wrist as she perched it against the side of her locker. Her eyes were wild and frightened, jumping slightly away from  his skin while her body sang at the contact.

"Jason." She  breathed, her voice growing thicker at the sight of his face so close to hers. She looked around the hallway anxiously, feeling uncomfortable  with how many students were around. "What are you doing?"

He  smiled softly at Savannah, her heart thudding loudly in her chest, so  loud that he could almost hear it. His hand slipped from hers and the pulsing ceased, the swirling pit of guilt and regret threatening to open  up beneath her and swallow her whole.

"Hey you." He greeted,  shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the set of  lockers with ease. "You've been avoiding me."

"No I haven't." She found herself replying quickly, "You know this is wrong." She pulled away from her locker to face him completely, hand pressed flat against  it as she pushed it shut. "We need to end this."

"That's what I  wanted to talk to you about," Jason started, the small smile seemingly  etched permanently onto his face. "I don't want to end it."

Savannah  was stunned. Her hand fell back to her side, body ridden with shock.  Her stomach churned as his hand reached for hers, his thumb stroking the back of her hand as her eyes glided up his body to meet his gaze.

"I really like you, Savannah."

It  was a punch to the gut that she hadn't been expecting, but she should have been expecting. The unpredictable ocean that was Jason Blossom  rolled in waves, soft and wild, kind and unforgiving.

"You don't even know me!" Her words came out harsh, bitter with the taste of the  truth. Savannah yanked her hand harshly out of his hand and stepped back  from him. "Do you even know my last name?" She demanded furiously.

"Why are you making this so difficult, I know you like me too." Jason wanted  to yell, but he composed himself and maintained the irritating façade that had haunted her since the start of their scandalous affair.

"I don't." Savannah repeated with a scowl, "You were just a distraction, I never wanted anything with you."

That  had stunned him. He had been raised with the love and affection that every child deserved. He had been given everything that he had ever  wanted and it had ruined him, spurring a game of chase that set his nerves on fire and pumped the blood through his veins just a hundred times faster.

Why did this girl have to be different than the others?

"Savannah, come on. You can't be serious -"

"Why  are you making this into a big deal?" Her hand shot out to cut him off,  "Do you really think that I could even consider being with someone who  would cheat on his girlfriend for six months?"

"It takes two to tango." Jason said shortly.

"Thanks for the biology lesson."