Slowly Giving Up ~Bughead~

Chapter 10

**this chapter is really depressing, and may be uncomfortable. Please don't do these actions.**
          Jughead's POV: My treehouse was gone. The only thing I had left of my childhood. The only place I had left to live in. It was ruined. Who knew the things you love could disappear from you in the blink of an eye. I sure didn't.
          I was on my knees like an idiot, staring at the pieces that remained of my last home. It felt like someone was ripping my heart out, one by one. When my eyes started getting too blurry from the tears, and the sky released its own tears, I thought of Betty. Was this how she felt? Is this why she did what she did? And deep down, I knew the answer to every pathetic question I was asking myself.
          It's like my body completely shut down. All of my thoughts and feelings were swept away like dust on an old table. I finally just snapped. Like a pencil. My chest started to ache, and my head was sending dizziness to my barely opened eyes. I was laying in the grass, like Betty. I knew how she felt now. Like the whole world wanted her gone. Like the walls were falling over her. From under, I saw the trees. They were dancing like crazy, and it was causing even more raindrops to hit my face. Every single one I watched fall and then felt it splatter on my pale skin. It was a little sting to my now freezing cold body.
          Betty was right that day. Sorrow makes you do crazy things. And that's what happened while I was laying there, in that cold, soft, grass. I reached into my pocket. I didn't know what I was doing, and I'd never even thought about it before. I took my pocket knife that I hid from Betty so she wouldn't do this exact same thing I'm doing right now. I held it up to my skin, feeling the sharp metal threaten it. I cut slowly, and noticed I didn't feel a thing. It was all numb, like Betty said.
          That night, if the one streak of thunder and lightning wouldn't have happened, who knows where I'd be. It struck, and I jumped. I sat up, dropped the knife, and I was back to me. I looked down, and saw the cut. What have I done? I asked myself a million times.
          I got up onto my feet and grabbed my stuff that I had dropped. It was all drenched with rain...even the clothes I had on. I pulled my wet sleeve down and began walking. I don't know where, but I had to be anywhere but here.
          My eyes were still burning from tears, and I was tired. I couldn't hardly move, and everything was sore.
          A few minutes later, I found myself at the entrance of Pop's. I walked in to hear the ring that alerted the few people inside about my arrival. Pop waved, and I waved back with my left hand. I went to the usual booth Betty, Archie, Veronica and I sat at. Luckily, Archie and Veronica weren't there. Who knows where they went.
          I didn't order anything, and I just sat there looking out the window that had thousands of little raindrops on the glass. I could see the reflection of myself through the darkness. Who am I? Why am I even here? I trailed off in thought, but I was still thinking about one thing. Betty. Now that I know what it feels like, I feel even more sorry for the poor girl. She's been through so much, and I wasn't there because of a stupid fight with Archie. I had to talk to her. She's the only one who can or will help me as much as she can.
          I saw her house. Her perfect little house sitting perfectly on the perfect curb.
And then I saw her side window. Her small lamp was on, reflecting a faded pink light throughout her bed area. I ran over to her window as fast as I could, holding on to my bag so I wouldn't drop anything from it. I grabbed the latter, and put it up to her window.
           I climbed one step at a time, slowly. When I reached the top, I hesitated before tapping. I saw her laying on her pink flowery bed, and she was wearing her pajamas. Her hair was wrapped into a bun, with her pretty pink lips no longer glossed. She was flipping through a magazine when I finally got the nerve to tap lightly on the window, careful not to startle her.
          She looked over at me with a surprised look attached to her face. She started smiling as she walked over to the window. She quietly opened it, probably being wise to not wake up her mom, Alice. "Jughead! You look like you're freezing!" She said. I climbed in. "I just needed to talk to you." I said. "Of course, of course!" She took my bag, and put it by her closet door. "Oh, Juggie." She said sadly. She looked at my wet hair all the way down to my wet clothes. "Jughead! How dare you wear wet clothes this long!" She said concerned. I shrugged at her. "I think I still have some of your clothes from last year when you and Archie snuck in." She said. She walked over to her closet again, except going inside this time. She pulled out a plaid pair of soft pajama pants, and my other shirt that said "S". Yes, I have like three.
          "Here, put this on." She handed them to me, and I walked into the bathroom.
Betty's POV: When I saw Jughead at the window I felt so bad for him. He was freezing, and I could tell he was crying. When he went into the bathroom, I looked at the stuff he had. It was all he'd had for a while. I started to tear up myself, when he walked out. His hair was still dripping wet, but his beanie still sat on his head. I quickly walked over to him, and started talking. "Jughead, what happened?" I asked. His eyes started to tear up, and he wasn't making eye contact with him. I guided him to my bed, making him sit down. He was crying harder now, uncontrollably. I hugged him, so tightly letting him know I was here for him. I let go, and lifted his chin up. "Hey, it's gonna be ok." I said. He looked at me in the saddest way I'd ever seen him look. "It's gone." He said, trying not to choke on tears. Another tear rolled down his cheek, but I swiped it up with my thumb. "What's gone, Juggie?" I asked worried. "The t-treehouse. It's gone. Someone made it fall to the ground." He said, this time failing to not choke. I hugged him again. "I have nothing else, now." He said. My shirt was getting wet with tears. "Jughead, you're staying here now, ok?" I asked. "I don't care what my mom says". I assured him. He didn't say anything. He just kept on hugging me. I let go, feeling guilty right after. "Why don't you go to sleep, now?" I asked. He looked like he hadn't slept in a year. He shook his head, and he got right into bed. "Thank you, Betty." He said. I smiled at him before he drifted off.
          I turned my light off, and covered up by the now sleeping Jughead. I examined his face, seeing his pale skin, and his perfect features. He was tucked under the blankets perfectly, with both arms holding himself tight. I looked down at his right arm, and saw something that made my heart rip in half. A cut. Just like mine. Jughead was now going to stay here, even if my mom or himself doesn't agree on it. I felt a tear run down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it up. I leaned over, and kissed his pale cheek. He was cold, in fact ice cold. I turned the other way, and I thought. What is Jughead Jones doing to me?
And this was only the beginning.