Secrets • Jughead Jones [1]

|Suspended Not Expelled|

' Weekdays, from 8:25 am to 3:01 pm, we adhere to a strict regimen everything in our lives is controlled. But then something like the murder of Jason Blossom happens and you realise there is no such thing as control. There is only chaos. Nevertheless, some of us strive to impose and maintain order in what is, fundamentally, an order less world. A fact which would end very soon be confirmed in ways none of us could have foreseen.'

~•~

"Veronica, there is something we need to talk to you about." Aria said as she sat in the lounge room with Jughead and Veronica opposite them.

"Bring it. After the morning I've had, I'm ready for just about anything."

"Ok, well Jughead and I was at the banquet at my house and," Aria waited and let Jughead say the rest.
"We overheard Mr. Blossom say he's responsible for your dad being arrested and put in jail."

"Are you kidding?"  Veronica asked.

Jughead shook his head and Veronica continued, "Why the hell would Clifford Blossom have anything to do with why he's in prison?"

"No idea..." Aria mumbled.

~•~

As Aria walked through the halls Archie came up behind her, "Hey, uh. You may or may not no this but it's Jughead's birthday."

"What? And he didn't say anything?" Aria gasped.

"It's tomorrow. He doesn't like making a big deal out of it. Every year, he goes to a double feature at the Bijou. It's like this tradition. The last few years I've been his movie buddy. Anyway, now he has a girlfriend—"

Archie was cut off by Aria, "Of course I'll take him. But are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"I'm fine, I don't wanna be the third wheel." Archie laughed.

"Oh come on Archie, it'll be fun!"

"The three musketeers."

"Actually Archie, there were four musketeers." Aria hinted.

"I'll see you later, Aria."

"Ok."

~•~

"Anyway, what about Jughead's birthday?" Veronica asked.

They were all sitting at a table at lunch.

"We can't through a surprise party that for sure. He's never had one." Archie said.

"What?! We have to through one then, it'll be amazing!" Betty excitedly spoke.

"We can't do that. Jughead doesn't like his birthday." Aria spoke.

"That a fantastic idea." Veronica smiled.

"Everybody says that. Nobody means it." Kevin interrupted.

"Jughead is a lone wolf." Archie said.

Veronica didn't listen, "Ok, ignoring the negativity. Betty you know me. I'd use any excuse to wear a cute party dress. Ok so I'm thinking a quaint gathering. Inner circle only."

"Oh my god. Don't turn around." Kevin ordered but everyone did anyway.

As Aria did she was rapidly filled with nervous feeling. She felt sick to the stomach and her chest started to close up as she knew she was having a panic attack. Kevin spoke but it was muffled in Aria's ears, her and a Chuck made eye contact and he smirked. Suddenly, he eyes began to burn with tears and went blurry. That night

"Aria? Are you ok?" Betty asked.

She managed to hear what she said and Aria shook her head.

"I. Need. To. Leave." Aria spluttered through breaths. She quickly got up and paced out of the lunch room to fresh air, Betty followed behind.

As Betty calmed Aria down she knew she had to explain what happened that night.

"What happened? Is this because of Chuck? Because of the hot tub thing?"

"No. It's not."

Aria sat on a bench as did Betty and took a deep breath. She explained everything about that night.

"Oh my god. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was afraid. Only my mom knew and I didn't know what to do."

Betty hugged Aria. Aria felt relieved to get it off her mind, it felt good to tell someone.

However, back at the dinner table Veronica and Archie had organised a surprise party for Jughead and told Betty and Aria later.

~•~

Aria was at home, checking her phone suddenly there was a knock on the door. She went downstairs and opened but no one was there. But as she looked down her eyes widened as horror suffocated her. Tears threatened her eyes as she remembered that she left that bag, the same exact bag, in Chuck Clayton's car. There was a note stuck to the side of it and she kneeled down to look at it.

"You left this in my car babe xx"

She looked around to see if Chuck was there but he was no where to be seen. She grabbed the bag and walked to the front gates of her house.

"You think you can scare me! Well this doesn't. You think this is funny, it isn't! If you even dare come anywhere near me again... I will kill you!" She through the bag into pile of leaves on the floor and paced back to the house locking the gates and her door.

"Darling, who was that?" Penelope said sweetly.

"No one." She stormed to her room.

~•~