jock → reggie mantle [riverdale]

16

I groaned as my phone kept continually buzzing as I tried to finish my homework, "oh dear god." I finally gave in and picked up the device, furrowing my eyebrows as I saw the long list of texts on my phone, almost all from Reggie, but one from Chuck.

I quickly unlocked my phone, scrolling to the top of my boyfriends messages.

I'm sorry baby
I didn't think he would hear me
I shouldn't have even been talking about it
But Kevin was interrogating me
Babe?
Answer me, I'm sorry
Jackie, please
Don't be mad at me
I thought he knew

I typed a quick response, knowing deep down that I wasn't going to like what his answer was.

What did you do?

I opened Chuck's message and felt my stomach clench as another one came in.

Can we talk? It's important.
It's about this summer.

I ignored the buzzing from my phone and dialed Reggie's number, "what the hell!" I snapped as soon as he answered, "how could you!" I pulled at my hair. "Baby, calm down okay, I didn't mean to-" "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone, so you go and tell my brother after I specifically said not to, and now Chuck knows!" I hissed, falling back into my chair, unsure of what to do as I felt my eyes burning with tears. "Jackie, I said I was sorry." Reggie sighed, as if it would change things. "No, I can't, I can't talk to you now, I've got Chuck to handle." I stated, letting out a deep breath, "don't hang up, Jackie, ba-" his voice cut off as I hit the red button.

Meet me at Pop's in twenty.

I anxiously tapped my foot on the floor, my eyes shooting up every time the door opened on this busy Friday night. What do I say? What do I do? I don't even know what his reaction is. "Want to order?" Pop's called from the counter, flashing me a grin, I put a fake smile on my face, "I'm waiting for someone." I replied, looking away once he nodded. The door opened again and my heart felt as if it stopped for a moment when I saw Chuck staring at me.

I stayed seated, unsure on what the protocol is for meeting-with-your-summer-fling-who-could've-had-a-baby-with-you. My mouth felt dry as I watched him sit in front of me, "am I really that hard to talk to?" He wondered aloud, I resisted the urge to scoff and roll my eyes, be mature Jackie, I reminded myself. I shrugged lightly, "I don't know, I just panicked I guess." Defending myself without directly answering his question. "Were you ever gonna tell me, or was the plan always to keep it a secret?" He questioned, relatively calm, I'm not sure what the standard reaction is to this though.

"Secret." I mumbled, looking out the window to avoid having to look at him, "I know I'm an ass, but, I feel like, ugh I don't know." He covered his face with his hands for a moment, dragging them down his skin before continuing. "You could've told me, and I would've agreed with you on the pill." Is all he said, which I was grateful for, but nervous to as if he was holding something back. "Is that all?" I raised my eyebrows, finally looking toward him. He looked relatively, controlled, for being himself. It's as if he were young again, at that age between kids and teens, where you still try to control your feelings. "I guess, what is there to say? What's done is done." His shoulders raised and then lowered, slowly, I let out a shaky breath. "So this stays between us then? Well, everyone who knows I mean."

He nodded at me, "yeah." And then he left.

This time, I was the one dragging my hands down my face.

***

"Betty!" I scolded when she said something about my dad, he's doing his job, and as much as I believe that FP is being framed, my dad is still my dad. "Jackie." She groaned, and I just shook my head, looking down at my food silently, everything is turning to crap. Reggie and I haven't been talking like we used to since Chuck found out about, well, you know. Now this, which is just putting a strain on everything else.

Days felt like weeks as my day to day life continued to be altered by the arrest of Mr. Jones.

"Can I steal her for a minute?" Reggie asked hurriedly to Kevin as he suddenly came over to us, my brother nodded, a smug smile on his face as I glared at him. "What?" I grumbled as Reggie grabbed me by the hand gently tugging me out of the cafeteria, I tried to ignore the way I felt when he laced our fingers together, out of habit. "Reginald." I demanded once we we were in the empty hall. "Jacqueline." He mimicked, as if this was funny, "goodbye." I tried to walk back into the cafeteria but he wouldn't let me.

"Reggie, I swear to god, if you don't-" "just stop, okay?" He cut me off, making me face him, and cross my arms over my chest. "It was an accident, for him to find out, please, just believe me." He pleaded, not sounding desperate, but the sheer need in his voice was enough to make goosebumps appear on my arms. "Good god, Keller, you're head over heels for him. What happened, with us, is done, move on." Chucks voice rang through the hall followed by a door slamming shut, I felt my skin warm up at his statement.

"Hello?" I answered my phone instantly, not wanting to face Reggie, "slow down, V-okay, okay, I'm coming." I glanced back at the boy who was staring me down, "we're coming." I corrected.

***

"Cheryl!" I shouted, all of us desperately searching for the red head, who said she was going to be with Jason, and we all knew what that meant. "Cheryl!" I couldn't quite tell who it was that shouted but I looked over as they gathered by the shore of the frozen river, staring out to the middle where Cheryl was smashing the ice in with a rock. Veronica tried coaxing her back to us, but it didn't work, "Cheryl!" I shrieked, unknown to me, maybe it was the fact that I was watching a girl fall into the icy water, but I felt my feet taking me towards her, almost as quickly as Archie.

"Jackie!" Reggie was hauling ass after me along with everyone else, despite our previous worries about the ice breaking, we all desperately started searching for Cheryl who was being pulled by the current.

I turned around quickly as I heard the sound of ice breaking, to find Archie on his knees, slamming his fists into the ice, Cheryl being just beneath it. I took a step to get closer and felt my feet go out from under me, the freezing water surrounding my legs immediately. A scream tore itself from my chest as I grabbed onto the ice at the last second, feeling my body start to be pulled.

Reggie practically yanked me out of the water, at the same time Archie looked relieved that Cheryl had coughed the water out. I stumbled into his chest as I shook from the cold weather, my fingers slightly numb and my mouth dry. "Jackie." Betty gasped, as Reggie lifted me up, not caring if I wanted to protest, he started stalking off, similar to how Archie had Cheryl in his arms, keeping her as close as he possibly could in any hopes of warming her freezing body.

"Thank you." I mumbled through my clanking teeth, resting my head in the crook of Reggie's neck, hearing him take a sharp breath when he felt how cold my skin really was. "You're gonna be fine." Is all he said as we navigated our way through the woods.

***

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?" Reggie asked for the hundredth time as we sat on his living room floor, the fire blazing before us, I tugged the blanket tighter around me as I blushed at the sight of his clothes on my body. "I'm sure." I answered quietly, watching the wood crackle, I could feel his eyes on me. My breathing hitched in my throat momentarily as his fingers ran across my cheek, lightly moving to my hair as I looked over at him. "Am I forgiven?" He cracked a smile, as I leaned my face into his hand, feeling comfortable with the rough warmness coming from him.

He took a deep breath through his nose as I pressed my lips to his, silently answering his question with the gesture.