ghosts // riverdale

[13]

Snow fluttered in the dark winter sky as Christmas carols filled Riverdale. Children squealed as they went door to door, eager to sell their fundraisers as potential Christmas gifts. There were tubs of fresh cookie dough, tins of caramel popcorn and chocolate covered pretzels. Archie Andrews purchased a tin of the caramel popcorn as it was his fathers favorite. Besides, he could afford it given that the $200,000 hospital bill he was working for had been paid in full. Perhaps it was Kris Kringle. Then again, maybe it was his fathers attempted murderer.

While Archie Andrews had spent the last few weeks tossing and turning worrying about how he was going to pay for his fathers hospital bill, now Archie Andrews spent his nights tossing and turning worrying about who had paid for his fathers medical bills. It was a worry that couldn't be taken away by divulging in caramel popcorn. A worry that couldn't be smothered by the hungry kisses of Veronica Lodge. It was a worry that buried itself deep inside of his chest, festering further and further into fear and panic.

----------

"So $200,000 was paid in full?" Jughead asks as he piles a large spoonful of hot fudge into his mouth. Archie nods his head nervously as he raises his sweating eyebrows. Veronica tightens her grip on Archie's forearm as she leans her raven hair against his shoulder as she sinks deeper into the booth. "But who paid it?" Betty asks as she rests her pale chin onto her palm.

"That's the thing," Archie says with a shake of his head, "They said they couldn't give me that information." Betty furrows her own blonde brows as wonder and confusion barrels through her mind. "Honestly Arch," Jughead murmurs through hot fudge, "why question it? I mean, that's $200,000 dollars worth of pizza that you don't have to deliver." Archie shakes his head again before pressing his dry lips together.

"That's not it, Jug," he mutters, "why would someone just anonymously pay a $200,000 hospital bill?" Jughead takes in a breath between spoonfuls of hot fudge and vanilla ice cream as Betty slouches beside him. "They wouldn't," Betty states simply, "unless maybe they had something to do with him getting injured." Archie nods with a faint smile as he points directly in Betty's direction. "Exactly," Archie whispers with another nod.

"This all seems a bit extreme," Jughead shrugs as he rests his spoon onto a napkin. "I agree with Jug," Veronica says as she removes her head from Archie's shoulder, "what if it's just a concerned citizen?" Archie shakes his head as he leans away from Veronica. "Who hands over $200,000 without wanting some sort of recognition?" Archie asks as confusion and frustration rattles his voice.

"Your lack of believing in the goodness of people is frightening, Archiekins," Veronica coos as she pushes his red hair back with her manicured fingertips. "Yeah well, I guess that sort of innocence escaped me the second that my dad was shot in this very diner," Archie shrugs as he leans his hands onto the table in front of him. Betty nods her head as she understands Archie's frustration. Why should he believe in the goodness of people when a stranger attempted to murder his father? That seemed like asking a lot of someone who was still suffering.

"I understand your fear, Arch," Betty says as she wraps her hands around his, "that's why I'm going to help you find out who made that anonymous donation to your dads medical bills." Jughead's eyes are too focused in on Betty's hands wrapped around his best friends to concentrate on what Betty had just said. Veronica feels the same way as her dark brown eyes are zoomed in on their pale hands slowly intertwining.

"Thanks Betty," Archie says with a faint smile. Betty gives him a small smile back before speaking again. "And Veronica and Jug are going to help too," she murmurs as she feels both of their eyes focusing in on her. "What?" Veronica and Jughead say in unison as they're busted out from their trance. "Jughead," Betty begins as she releases Archie's hands, "you use your journalistic reporting skills to dig up more regarding Fred's medical files and bills."