IN SUBURBIA | jarchie |

ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ｏｎｅ

|ＳＴＡＲＴ　ＯＦ　ＰＡＲＴ　ＯＮＥ|

I grabbed my bag from my locker and slammed it closed. Reggie put his hand on my shoulder and told me about his new girlfriend. This probably his 14th.

"Bro, she's so into me. It's definitely the muscles. I bet it is. I took her out to the drive-in last  night. They were playing the Outsiders, I think. I wasn't playing attention. We were making out the whole time."

"Cool, I gotta get home, see ya later, bro." I waved and walked down the sidewalk. My friend Betty caught up to me.

"Hey Archie!" she said in her chipper voice.

"Hey Betty, what's up?"

"Oh... nothing really. Do you maybe wanna go to Pop's for dinner or something?"

"Sure, I got nothing else to do."

"Great! Then it's a date!" We arrived at our houses. Since we lived next to each other, we see each other all the time. We've been friends since kindergarten.

I went upstairs, put my stuff down, and took out my guitar. I practiced a little, playing songs that I wrote. I want to sing one of them for our school's talent show, but I'm a little nervous. I've never performed in front of a crowd. With sports it's different. That, my head's in the game. I'm not thinking, I'm just doing. With music, I'm thinking. My mind has to be focused on everything. I got a text from Betty.

Betty: Ready to go to Pop's?

Me: Yeah, I'll meet you over there. I just have to do something really quick.

I went over and grabbed my Letterman and my laptop. I think I want to show Betty my songs. She's definitely the first person I would choose to show my songs to.

Pop's is the dividing feature for Riverdale, along with the drive-in. It separates the north and the Southside. I live on the Northside. The plastic 50s style neighborhood with white picket fences. The Southside is the run down, bad side of town. It's where the Southside Serpents dwell. The nasty biker gang. My dad always told me to stay away from them. 

When I walked in the diner, only three people were there. Betty, Pop, and a mysterious kid engulfed into writing on his laptop wearing a weird beanie. I assume he's from the Southside. I sat down with Betty.

"Hey, so why'd you bring me here?" I asked.

"Oh, well, I kinda wanted to tell you something."

"Okay, then tell me."

"I like you, Arch, and not just as a friend."

"I'm sorry Betty, but I don't exactly like you like that." Hopefully I'm letting her down easy. I've just always seen her a friend, not anything else. Gosh, I feel so bad. "We can still be friends, right?"

Betty looked down at the table, then back up with a smile. "Of course."

"Well, on that note, I have something to show you." I took out my laptop.  "I've been writing songs and I wanted to show you them."

"Writing songs? That's definitely not what I'd expect from you, the captain of the football team."

"I know, just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I won't."

I took out earbuds from my pocket, plugged them in, and handed them to her. I opened one of my songs, "I'll Try". She listened and started smiling.

"It's so good, Archie! Just, wow. I mean, it's really sad, but just amazing!"

"Thanks, it's a little rough. I'm still working on it."

We talked a little more in our booth and once we were ready to leave I noticed that the other kid in the diner wasn't eating anything. I went over to his booth.

"Hey, do want anything to eat? It'll be on me." I stated. He looked up at me, bewildered.

"What?" he asked.

"Cheeseburger? What flavor milkshake?"

"I don't need food."

"You already ate?"

"No, I just don't need anyone's kindness."

"Fine." I backed off and once I noticed that he was looking back at his laptop I ordered a cheeseburger and a milkshake for him. Betty was waiting outside for me.

"Why were you talking to a Southsider?! He could've been dangerous!" she blurted.

"I was just trying to be nice. Besides, if he tried to go at me, he wouldn't have gotten very far. He looked scrawny, which is one of the reasons why I got him food." I argued.

"I know, but if any of our parents saw that, you would've gotten in trouble. Especially if my mom saw it. She exaggerates everything."

"I promise I won't talk to any more Southsiders..." I grumbled.

"Good." Betty smiled and we walked back home.

~

For some reason I can't get that kid out of my head. There's just something about him that makes me want to know him better. But I can't. I promised Betty. Besides, as she said, it could be dangerous. Who knows, his dad might be the leader of the Southside Serpents. I wouldn't know. And I will never know because won't talk to him again.

Now that just makes me more curious.