Autumn // Jughead Jones

Chapter 5

I set my stuff down and sit with Kevin, Veronica, and Archie at our favorite place at school, the lounge room. Kevin starts joking about Cheryl, making me laugh. I see Jughead and Betty come in, making me stop laughing. I take out my phone and ignore them. I can tell Betty is upset, but I still feel hurt from yesterday. I hear Betty start getting emotional about Polly, and I look up to see Jughead sitting beside her with his arm on her shoulder and her holding his hand. She looks at him and gives him a smile. I grab my bag, get up and leave.

I exit the lounge room and hear Chuck's voice approach me. "Autumn, you ready for our date?" He smirks grabbing my hand. If I wasn't already pissed I would have just told him off, but I turned around and slapped him.

"Leave me alone. I don't like you and I never will!" I stop in the almost empty hall. He grabs my arm and pushes me into the janitor's closet.

"Chuck what the hell," I yell. He starts to kiss my neck, making me scared. I try to kick him, but he keeps me pinned to the wall. He starts to take off my shirt and I struggle trying to escape. "Help!" I yell with the familiar water running down my cheeks. 

"Shut up everyone's in class." He starts to unbutton my jeans.

"Help!" I scream as loud as I can, still crying.

My head hits the back of the wall making my vision blur. I hear the door open, but I keep my eyes closed covering my body as I fall to the ground. I see Archie, Jughead and the others. Archie is holding back Chuck along with Kevin. Jughead is right beside me asking if I'm ok. I look around for my shirt but start crying more when I can't find it. Jughead places a hand on my shoulder and I yell stop. He looks taken back, but he hands me my shirt.

"P-please don't touch me," I stand up when Veronica helps me.  I see the principal and Kevin's dad come running taking Chuck away from Archie and Kevin. 

"Kevin get her to the hospital. Her heads bleeding," Kevin's dad instructs him. Jughead steps back when Kevin grabs my arm and helps me out of the school building.

I see passing cars on the way to the hospital. Kevin looks over at me occasionally checking on me. I get out of the car when we get to the hospital. A nurse comes over to me and escorts me to a room they check on me until my dad gets there to take me home.

/// 

I wake up in my bed from multiple nightmares. I sit up and start to cry. I keep thinking about being touched by that douche bag.  I see a sleepy Jughead walk to my door.

"Hey," He says quietly. I look over and read the clock, 2:34 AM.

" I-i'm sorry. Did I wake you?" I wipe away the wet tears.

"Autumn it's ok, I was worried about you anyway." He sits beside me and I can't help but think back to The Variety Show, and Him not being there.

"Why weren't you there," I frown.

"What do you me-."

"The Variety Show. Jug you were the only one I wanted there."

"I'm sorry Autumn, we just got really important evidence that helped Polly's story. Betty and I found a car full of Jason's things"

"That's great Jug," I reply in a hurt tone.

"Hey, I kissed Betty and she didn't run away," Jug jokes. I feel my heart sink, making me confused about how I feel about Jug.

"That's great," I repeat.

"You seem tired, I'm gonna let you sleep," He hugs me, gets up and leaves.

"I wasn't tired," I mutter to myself softly and try to go back to sleep.

///

Over the next week, things start to go back to normal. I start to hang out with Archie, Veronica and Kevin more. I try to connect back with Jughead but... He's always with Betty. The rest of the group can tell I'm not myself. I understand why I don't know how I feel. I keep thinking about how happy Jug made me, and how I feel hurt when I see him with Betty. 

"Autumn? Hello Autumn," I look back over to Archie. We are currently sitting in the outside eating area of our school.

"Yes?" I blink a couple of times.

"Ok, what's going on in that head of yours," He laughs.

"Archie, I feel like I lost my best friend," I look over at Jug and Betty laughing together.

"Autumn, Jug loves you he just has a girlfriend now," I feel myself starting to tear up. Archie notices and gets up from in front of me and sits beside me.

"Is it Betty?" He looks at my face for any hints to why I'm crying.

" I told him to tell her how he feels. I'm so stupid for doing that."

"No. You're a good friend for doing that," Archie tries to make me feel better.

"Archie, it hurts seeing them together," I feel the hurt and sting in my heart when I see them kiss in the corner. "She's so lucky."

"Autumn, do you like Jughead?" Archie looks at me shocked but with a hint of sadness. I look over at the boy with the beanie on. I go back to when we were close and how I felt. I remember smiling at his weird jokes and feeling safe when he was around me. I remember the hurt I had in my nightmares because I saw him get hurt. I remember my heart racing when he would hug me or let me borrow his clothing. I remember feeling complete with him beside me.

"Yes, I think I like Jughead."

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She finally admitted it 

Who's your favorite character in Riverdale? 

Mine is Jughead and Kevin.