Guess I'm Not {Jughead Jones} [2]

Chapter 3

Unedited because I'm annoying

Chapter 3 - The Kiss of Life

Jughead had spoken to the Serpents about finding the shooter while Macie was in the bathroom at some point. After how much he'd made it clear that he hadn't wanted anything to do with them, she probably would've given him the knowing smirk she knew he hated. Though when she'd gotten out, Veronica had asked her and Jughead to go back to Pop's and look for the older Andrew's missing wallet. Maybe he'd left it there after getting shot?

Just from the exterior Macie had felt this uneasy vibe, but said nothing as she and Jughead made their way in. Right off the front entrance, there a puddle of blood lay. Larger than they'd expected, footsteps leading out the door. Pop made his way out of the back with a mop and bucket, staring at the teenagers with sorrow.

"Sorry, kids, we're closed today." He declared. Without even noticing it, Jughead and Macie held hands as he led her to the bar. "It was—"

"Pop, we heard." Macie nodded. "We actually just got back from the hospital."

"Yeah, we're looking for Mr. Andrew's wallet. It's missing." Jughead finished for her.

Pop hurried a small ways toward them. "Is he..?"

"He's out of surgery...now we just wait." Macie sighed to herself. Pop nodded, allowing it to sink in for a second before getting back to his duties with the mop.

"The police have already looked, but you're free to double check if you'd like." The old man shrugged. "He was in that booth there." He'd pointed. Macie hurried over to it, hopping over the puddle. She'd wanted nothing more than to get out of the diner, but Jughead stayed in his spot as he looked around the dimmed place.

"So, uh, what happened..?" He'd asked. "Pop, from your point of view."

"I wish I knew. As soon as that gun turned off me...oh, god help me, I dove. I don't even remember calling the police, but I guess I did." Pop had begun mopping the floor up as quick as he could.

"Hey, how much cash did the creep end up taking anyway?" Jughead questioned.

"Not a penny." He replied. Macie stood up at this, staring in confusion between the old man and her boyfriend. Jughead gave her the knowing smirk this time.

"I knew it." He whispered as she made her way back toward him. "What kind of thief shoots up a joint then doesn't take a single dollar bill?"

"He wasn't a thief." Pop interrupted. "Over the years, this place has been robbed many times, breaks through the window sometimes even during the riots, I've looked plenty of thugs in the eye. But this man, his goal was something else. Darker. It was like the angel of death had come to Riverdale."

"Jeez, Pop, lighten up." Jughead joked. "You sound the cranky old guy in the Friday the 13th movie. Band of all hope, ye who enter here."

"Wallets not here." Macie whispered, hinting for them to leave already.

"Hey!" Pop called. "Are you kids hungry?"

"Oh, no, you don't have to." "I'm always hungry, yeah." Jughead and Macie's voices toppled over each other. The boy had dug right into his burger, whereas his girlfriend played with her fries.

"You know, times like these, some people lose their appetite. But me? Mine increases 10 full." Jughead made an effort to lighten the mood though she'd only given him a small smile. "Come on, try not to think about it."

"How?" She asked, staring down at the barely touched food before her.

"I don't know. Let's talk about something else." He shrugged. She thought for a moment, before giving him a guilty smile.

"We can talk about the jacket." Jughead let out a rough sigh. "I mean...it seemed like it fit you pretty well. Like it was you."

"Listen, M, it was just a little show. It doesn't mean anything, okay?"

"But, Jug, you didn't see it. You had this sparkle in your eye like...like you've been waiting all of your life." She sighed, putting a comforting hand on his free one. "I don't care if you want to be a Serpent or anything, but you have to tell me. I don't want a call in the middle of the night saying that you got shot in some gang war and that you may not make it."

"Mace, that's not gonna —"

"—You don't know that, though. You can't guarantee that nothing will happen to you." Jughead now turned to her, staring into her green eyes that seemed to grow by the second. He held her hand, confidently nodding as his blue ones got soft.

"Nothing like that is going to happen. I promise." He whispered, kissing her before going back to his food. "But, honestly, I don't know. It's no doubt that my dad and Janice are going to go away for a long ass time, so...maybe riding his motorcycle, wearing the jacket, staying at the trailer...maybe it'll be like I've still got a part of him." He then admitted, staring down at his plate. "Or maybe that's just stupid or—"

"It's not stupid." She shook her head. "I thought that I finally had Janice back and that her, my mom, and I were going to finally get back to normal, but it doesn't look like we're gonna get there anytime soon. If it makes you feel better, I can always stay in the trailer with you..." She flirted and Jughead scoffed.

"You'd actually stay in a trailer for me?" He smirked.

She wrapped her arms around his bicep, bringing her face close to his cheek. "Forever and always....until I see bugs. First bug, I'm going back to my house." Jughead chuckled to himself as she kissed his cheek. They'd sat there for a bit in complete silence, only Pop's burgers being grilled filling the air.

After the two had brought the remaining burgers to the awaiting teenagers within the hospital, Archie had confessed something. The four sat around the red head as he stared down as his shaken hands. He'd confessed that after his father had gotten shot, he did nothing. He'd allowed the hooded man to pull the gun onto his head as he awaited for his soon undoing. Though Archie had made it sound as if it were his fault, that there was something more for him to do, his friends could tell otherwise. He'd referred to himself as a coward. That he possibly had enough time to take the gun out of the masked man and call the police, and in response his friends had explained that he couldn't.

The red head left them alone, dismissing their comments, as he made his way to his fathers room. There he'd begun apologizing to the man for not doing anything and replaying the events again and again, each time with more guilt within his tone. And soon enough, as fate had it, Mr. Andrews woke up.

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I'm getting annoying with these short chapters. I promise next one will be longer. IM PROMISING.