jock → reggie mantle [riverdale]

09

"I don't want to know, Kev." I sighed, cutting Kevin off as he tried to tell me what Reggie had said and been like last night when he went to take him home. "Why not? It's not eating you up from the inside out?" He questioned, following me up the stairs, "no, and we're broken up remember, as much as it hurt me to listen to him like that, I can't go crawling back to him like that." I rambled, turning to face my brother as he stopped in my doorway. "Yeah, but he really cares about you, forget everything I said about him." He sighed, giving me a solemn smile, "Kevin." I sighed again, walking up to him, "he hurt me, he didn't do a lot but he still hurt me, he needs to tell me why before anything else happens." I explained, thinking to myself on how true it was, "and he needs to be sober when he tells me."

***

"Hello?" I answered my cell phone, balancing a hot pan in my other hand, "about last night." Reggie started off, I glanced up from the pan, letting out a scream as I saw someone standing outside the kitchen window, "calm down!" Reggie called through the phone, and that's when I saw the person outside turn around, revealing Reggie. "Jackie!" Kevin almost ran into me, "what's wrong?!" He frantically looked around and I set the pan down and pointed out the window, "Reggie, you asshole." I snapped, pushing the window open as I hung up, "I could've burned the crap out of my arm." I added, glaring at him as he tried not to laugh at my annoyed face. "Go home, Reggie." I sighed, going to shut the window. "Ba-" He stopped himself, "Jackie." He corrected, "can't we just talk?" He asked, before rushing over to the front door.

I let out an inhuman noise as I ran over there, trying to get there before he could open the door, since Kevin had walked by and unlocked it. "Ha!" Reggie smirked at me as he stepped inside, making me cross my arms and narrow my eyes. "What do you want?" I tilted my head to the side, trying to decide the many ways to torture my brother for helping Reggie get in. "To talk." He retorted, leaning against the door slightly, "about?" I egged him on, surely if he wants to talk about it so badly he can say the words.

"About how we broke up." He stated and I widened my eyes at him. "How we broke up? No I think it was more like you dumping me in the middle of school, because of your own issues, which I'd like some more insight on." I explained, raising my eyebrows, daring him to make it sound like it was a mutual decision again, "okay, fine." He rolled his eyes, and all I could think of to do in response was roll mine. "Why'd you do it?" I asked after we stood in silence for a few minutes, before he could speak I held my hand up in a hang on motion. "Kevin, quit eavesdropping." I sighed, hearing him mutter under his breath before he left. Or so I thought.

"Go ahead." I mumbled, glancing down at my bare feet for a moment, "I was overwhelmed, it was an impulse decision, I didn't think about it." Reggie sighed, nodding to himself, "when I found you with Chuck, and you told me what had happened it made me feel like it was my fault." I guess I can see why he thought that, "if we weren't together, Chuck would've moved on, that's a fact." He added. "Reggie-" "And then football, coach has been so hard on me, and being captain, it's just a lot, and then my parents, good god my parents." He let out a laugh that had no sign of real humor. "They're never there and when they are they make me feel like I should be doing so much better, I didn't want them to find out about you because I would've been really pissed if they said something about you." I bit my lip as I listened to him continue to list off all these reasons.

And at once, it all lined up, I could see how he did that, but how am I supposed to know he won't do it again?

How am I supposed to jump back into this without knowing what could be around any corner?

"Reggie?" I caught his attention, my voice coming out small. He looked at me with hopeful eyes, I looked away, "I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes." I murmured, flinching when I heard the front door slam shut. "Reg." I sighed, looking out the window as he stormed off, "this is why I eavesdrop." Kevin mumbled coming over to me. "I just want a normal relationship, is that to much to ask for?" I groaned, leaning into his side, "first Tom and now this." I added, crossing my arms as I let out a breath. "Hey, I told you not to date the guy from out of town." Kevin pointed out, trudging along with me, "I know, I know, 'he's just hot, he's literally got no brain he doesn't know how to treat a girl like you'." I quoted him from over the summer.