Smokestacks - Jughead Jones [1] ✔

Chapter Twenty-Five

SMOKESTACKS

CHAPTER | TWENTY-FIVE.

"Let me know how it goes." Savannah sighed into the phone, her heart going out to the boy on the other end.

"I will." Jughead reassured the girl, a smile on his face at the thought of her. "I'll call you later."

He hung up the phone and Savannah clutched it to her chest, hugging it as if it were him. She let out a breath and stepped back into the living room, where Cheryl sat with Kyle, the two of them playing monopoly on the floor.

"Did you move my piece?" Savannah cried out in disbelief as she sank back down to the floor, retaking her position.

"No." Kyle scoffed, holding a hand to his heart as if she'd hurt him. "I am wounded, Sav, I can't believe you'd accuse me." He then paused before quickly pointing at Cheryl and announcing, "It was her!"

"Traitor!" Cheryl gasped, folding her arms in mock outrage. "You said you wouldn't tell!"

"Eh, I was losing anyway." Savannah shrugged, standing up to fall dramatically back onto the couch.

"Who was that?" Kyle waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Lover boy?"

"Hey! Don't refer to him as that." Savannah blushed, covering her face with a pillow.

Cheryl raised an eyebrow at Kyle, who mouthed his name and she gaped at him. "You and Jughead? Well I never, I am shocked."

"You're always shocked, Cheryl." Savannah let out a snort and looked at the clock. "The Jubilee is starting." She sang, "Archie and the Pussycats will be singing as we speak."

"You didn't have to miss it for me." Cheryl told her, losing her pep.

"I didn't want to go anyway." Savannah waved her off, "How boring."

"Uh, just thought I should let you know, Sav..." Kyle trailed off awkwardly, "Mom left again when you were on the phone. She had a large bag with her."

"Great." Savannah rolled her eyes. "I've spoken to my mother twice since dad died and she's off on an impromptu road trip."

"She better bring back gifts." Kyle added.

"I second that notion." Savannah nodded in agreement before turning to Cheryl, "Did you want to stay the night?"

"Would that be okay?" Cheryl asked quietly.

"Yeah." Kyle said from behind her, starting to clear up the game that they had been playing. "You can stay as long as you'd like. We have the guest room, or you could sleep in with Sav, if you'd like."

"Would it be alright if I stayed with you?" Cheryl asked Savannah almost timidly. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Sure." Savannah told her, holding her arms out for the girl to move into, the two of them perched on the edge of the couch.

"Tell you what." Kyle put the game back on the bookshelf and pulled out a movie, "How about we watch a movie? I'll even allow a chick flick."

"What do you want to watch, Cheryl?"

*

Cheryl had picked The Devil Wears Prada, a classic.

However, she and Kyle had fallen asleep on the couch, Cheryl's head rested on his stomach. Normally, Savannah would feel sick at the sight of them, but Cheryl was feeling fragile and needed the support.

She turned off the movie and placed a blanket over Cheryl, sacrificing her brother to the cool breeze, and ventured up the stairs, planning to go to bed early, for it was only ten past eleven at night.