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

Broken Battlefield

BROKEN BATTLEFIELD

Ellie feels like her head is about to explode, it's like her chest is a big shelter for uncertain feelings and broken promises. She wants to scream, but no one is listening, and even if they were who says they would do anything about it?

"Hey, cutie." Reggie Mantle approaches her, and he doesn't need a couple of minutes to realize something is wrong. "Are you ok?"

"I'm great." She faces him, a smile on her face as always. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem a little off today."

Ellie shrugs. "I was just thinking." And starts walking away, knowing he'll follow.

Reggie catches up to her, and asks. "About Archie?"

"Will you stop?" She pleads, and decides that it's best if she lights up the mood a little. "Because if this is you being jealous, it's ridiculous."

"I'm not..." He trails off. "jealous."

Ellie chuckles. "Sure."

"Why would I be jealous?" Reggie rolls his eyes, and replies. "You've just spent the entire summer kissing him and all the feelings you –."

"You know what?" Eleanor smirks at him, and says. "I take what I said, it's not ridiculous. You're kinda cute when you jealous."

"Do you know how much I want to kiss you right now, cutie?" He stops walking, which forces her to stop too. He grins. "Bet you don't."

Ellie places one hand on his chest, and pushes him away slightly. "Calm down, lover boy. I only kiss on the second date."

"Does that mean we're having another one, Eleanor Cooper?"

"Hm, maybe." She shrugs. Ellie then spots her friends down the hallway, and kisses Reggie's cheek goodbye, walking up to Veronica and Kevin a few feet away. "Hey, guys." They both turn to face her, and she wonders. "What are you talking about?"

"Ethel's poem. It seemed like a cry for help." Veronica explains. "So I invited her to lunch tomorrow."

"It seems bad." Ellie sighs sadly, and she makes her very own cry for help without really meaning to. "We never know what goes behind peoples' smiles."

"Which reminds me..." Kevin speaks up, calling her attention. "I heard you fought with Betty."

"Yeah," Veronica takes that chance to ask about it too. "have you two talked?" 

"No." Ellie shrugs, and confesses. "We have a lot to deal with right now. Polly and Dad..."

"But –."

"I have to go find Jug." She excuses herself, before the conversation goes any further. "I'll see you guys later." And walks away.

Jughead is actually the one who finds her, and they go to class together, making their way to the students' lounge once it's over. He tells her about FP on their way there, and about how he denied to kill Jason. There's no surprise there, because Ellie never considered it.