Dark Hearts || Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones [1]

The Only Option

THE ONLY OPTION

People like to say that when you grow up you learn how to diferentiate the good and the bad, but they never tell you how much harder it becomes to choose between the two. The Blossoms are the closest thing to monsters in real life, and Ellie stood up to them. But what consequences will that have? How is it possible to face the monster without letting a little darkness inside?

They will find out eventually, there's a dark side to every person.

Alice approaches her daughter. "What are you doing, Eleanor?" 

"Thinking."

She sits down next to her, and tells her. "That was really brave of you, to stand up for Polly. But that family is crazy, you know that now. Just like Jason was –."

"Jason wasn't like them." Ellie looks over to her, and confesses something. "And I thought Cheryl wasn't either."

"I warned you, Ellie, about those people." Alice reaches for her hands, and holds them. "Why can't you see that I want what's best for you."

She scoffs at that statement. "Maybe because you and Dad keep lying to us and we've to figure out things on our own."

"I do the best I can." Alice makes sure she knows, that she wakes up and falls asleep worrying about her kids. "Everyday." 

"Sometimes it's not enough." Ellie stands up, she knows her mother loves her, but sometimes that love is suffocating. And it ends up hurting them. "Polly got hurt. Who will be next, Mom?"

"I –."

"Let's go." Ellie gestures with her head towards the exit, her voice bitter. "Do your so wanted public speech about Polly's shameful condition. That's what you're calling it in front of them as well?" She turns her back on her, when Alice doesn't answer. "Thought so."

The Cooper family stands up there, giving their faces to the public as they finally come forward about Polly, the daughter they sent away due to her pregnancy. 

Betty is about to reach for her sister's hand but, when she looks down, she is able to see Ellie shove her slightly shaking hands into her pockets. It's clear that her sister is far from ok, the all thing too much. Betty sometimes forgets Ellie is human too. She's so used to her sister keeping everything in, she sometimes has to remember herself that Ellie suffers too. It's absolutely terrifying to realize the deep suffering the happiest looking people are able to hide inside themselves, behind their smiles.

. . .

"Hello?"

Ellie is lying down on her room when she hears noises coming from the attic so she dares to take a look. She holds onto her phone a little too hard, the fear kicking in, the flashlight from her phone lightning the room, and it's dark up here even though it has a small light on the top of the stairs.

"Is someone up there?" 

No one answers, and she feels stupid for even considering someone might. Still Ellie climbs up the small staircase and points the flashlight at the space in front of her. The attic is filled with dolls, and a bunch of other stuff that she doesn't even remember ever being around.

"Ellie?" She turns around with a light jump, her name echoing from downstairs. Ellie can almost swear it's Betty's voice but she's only sure when her sister reaches the last step, her face coming into few. "Is Polly here?" 

"What do you mean?" Ellie frowns, and of course she can't help the sarcastic remark. "I just heard a noise, and your suddden appearance didn't help my obvious fear of the dark."