Lifeline ((Jughead Jones)) 1

20

"Dad, hey." Jughead greeted, getting out of the armchair he was sulking in as I stood up also. FP was carrying a large present. I hadn't even given my present to Jughead yet as I had planned to give it to him tonight. FP said Happy Birthday as he made his way into the room. Archie told him to put the present on the table for later and FP started to walk out.

"Did Betty call you?" I asked, stopping the man in the doorway. FP turned to face me.

"Yeah, she came by too. I thought you would have come by as his girlfriend. I'll be back." Then he was gone. Jughead bit his lip to stop him from saying something offensive or hurtful. Betty acted on impulse and didn't think of the consequences of her action. Jug was noticeably annoyed. I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around him and he leaned into me slightly. This isn't how I wanted this evening to go.

Betty entered the small garage, requesting to speak with Jughead alone. I kissed his lips before I left the room. Drunken members of the football team and other students dancing together was not my idea of fun. Decideing to grab Jughead's present, I ran upstairs to Archie's room where I had hidden it. The red wrapping paper was still crisp as I pulled it out from the drawer I had stashed it in. Then I headed back downstairs with the small package in my jacket pocket. I was walking around aimlessly, until I saw my brother and Cheryl stop Jughead from leaving the house. I walked over quickly.

"You can't leave now." Cheryl pouted. "We haven't even played our game yet." I was behind Jughead and I could feel his anger. I put my hand on his arm, moving closer to him so he would know who it was. "Listen up, party people! Everyone has their secrets. And we've all done our fair share of sinning," Chuck grinned wickedly at me from behind Cheryl and I pushed myself towards Jughead further, seeking his comfort. "That's one thing my dear brother's death has revealed. So, let's play a little game to get those secrets out in the open." Cheryl locked the door and we all stood around in a circle.

Jughead stood next to me, asking what 'Secrets and Sins' was. It was a game that Cheryl invented that was her way of getting gossip on people who were slightly intoxicated.

"I'll start the game with Veronica Lodge." It was clear that Cheryl now had a personal vendetta against the girl who stood up to her in front of the Vixens. There was no point in trying to stop Cheryl as she walked in the centre of the circle with Chuck by her side. They were like lions and we were the gazelle. They controlled who lived and died in this game and Veronica was about to become the first meal.

"Let's begin with the day you and your mob wife mother came to town for a so-called fresh start. Tell us Veronica, what's so fresh about defiling Archie Andrews in a closet?" I turned to Jughead, burying my face in his chest, not wanting to hear my sister's nasty and vindictive words. He covered my ears and pulled me close. I felt him breathe slowly, and I matched his breathing pattern. My train of thought was cut off by Chuck announcing the next victim of the game.

"My turn now. Look at little miss innocent hiding with her boyfriend. Got anything you want to reveal, Cynthia Blossom?" Chuck smirked. I jumped away from Jughead and looked at him with wide eyes. My heart raced. He wouldn't say it in front of all of these people. Cheryl looked at him in shock, telling him to stop. She didn't want anything bad to happen to me, but he was too focused on me to care what Cheryl had to say.

"No? Then let me enlighten you. You see, little miss innocent victim, over here, isn't so innocent after all. Just over a year ago, I took her on a drive and we stopped in the woods. She practically threw herself at me. Of course, I didn't refuse." I watched people start whispering while tears poured down my face. Cheryl looked at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"I didn't... you started... I d-didn't want i-it Chuck." I cried, barely managing to get my words out. I turned to Jughead who was glaring at Chuck with the evillest stare that was ever possible.

"But, you knew all about her putting out, right Jughead?" Just as Chuck turned to Jughead, he was punched as Jug jumped up in rage. Chuck punched him back, sending him flying as I saw FP move towards the pair. Chuck went to punch Jughead again, but I moved in front of him, crying at him to stop. FP then wrestled Chuck out of the house as I helped up Jughead while crying hysterically. I saw Cheryl look at me apologetically, and I just shook my head. She didn't know it happened because I didn't tell her, and she couldn't have imagined that I would have been brought into the game.

Jughead walked straight out the door while I sank to the floor crying. He had told everyone. We had driven out into the woods and I had asked if he could just drive me home. He suggested we have a little fun and when I refused he didn't stop. The thing you are supposed to give the person you love when you lie with them the first time, was taken from me. I didn't want Jughead to find out this way, in fact, I didn't want him to find out at all, but he did. By him walking out I assumed he hated me. So I sat on the floor of the Andrews house, crying while everyone left.

Jughead's POV.

"I want you to go back inside and talk to your girl." My dad said as he stopped me from walking away. Some birthday this turned out to be. I found out that my girlfriend, the one who was supposed to be perfect, had slept with another guy. It hurt that her first time wouldn't be with me. I couldn't work out whether she didn't want me to know or didn't want to do it with Chuck. Either way, I just wanted to leave and never look back.

"I don't think it's gonna work out." I said as tears welled up in my eyes. I felt the blood slide down my face and I wiped it away. I turned away, but dad pulled me back, telling me not to go. He had never stopped me from walking away before.

"Don't run away. You've got something good here. With her, with your friends. Something that we could never give you. And also, man up," I snapped my head to look at my dad as I held back my tears. My face was throbbing from Chuck's punch, but I wasn't about to show that to him.

"After what I just saw in there? She needs you." He was right. I nodded to him, turning to walk back inside. Why did I leave her? She must have been terrified to tell me. The way she was crying had to mean that she hadn't wanted it with Chuck, that he had forced himself on her. I just wished she had told me herself.

Cynthia POV

Someone came over and put their hand on me. I screamed immediately, pushing them off.

"Hey, it's only us." I heard Betty say over my screams, Veronica telling me it's all right. I still screamed, pushing them away and trying to move back. The walls of the house were moving closer together again and they were blocking my way out. Their voices were raising, and I heard Archie come over to try and stop me crying. Nothing was working, and my breathing was getting shallower. I couldn't breathe. They weren't helping. I heard someone shouting at them to move and suddenly they were all gone. Two hands were placed either side of my face and I fought against them, but they pulled me closer and told me too look at them. Jughead was knelt in front of me, pressing his forehead to mine.

"You're safe." He said, softly. My hands reached up to his as I listened to his breathing. I copied him, eventually matching his pattern. I wiped the small trail of blood that went down his face. He leant in and kissed me. I pulled away, feeling like I had to explain, or he would leave me alone again.

"I didn't want it Jug, Chuck h-he m-made me—"

"I know. It's ok. We're fine." He silenced me with a kiss. It was Jughead that suggested we go to Pop's to escape the house. After the night we had so far, Pop's was the best idea. Jughead pulled me close, walking with me as close to him as I could be.

I was sat next to him; my head lay on his shoulder as his arm was around me. His eye was swollen and bruised, and his cheek was cut. We were silent, neither wanting to speak, or not knowing what to say. Jughead was facing me as I lay on him, his right hand on my shoulder, other around my waist. Silently, I slid the small present over to him, it was a simple woven bracelet that I thought he would like. He kissed my head in thanks, putting it on. That's where we stayed for the rest of the night. In the one place that we both felt perfect at home, with the one person that made it all better.

Whether you believe in order or chaos, in the end, it's the same. We are either in control of our lives or merely think we are.

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