Bleeding Out l Riverdale

Chapter 1

A/N: Originally written 6/2/17. Sorry if it sucks.

Archie's POV

I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. I looked at myself in the mirror. I smile. I think things are going start getting better in Riverdale.

Or at least I thought.

As I was drying my hands, I heard the sound of glass breaking.

I turned towards the door. I stared at it for a second, slightly afraid of what was on the other side. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen.

I snap myself out of that.

I walk out the door and start head back to the table, but I look at my dad and stop. He was sitting there stiffly. I looked and saw a tall guy in a mask, holding a gun to Pop's head at the counter. I turned back to my dad whom shook his head.

He wanted me to stay there.

But what about him?

Maybe he would just take some money and then leave. Maybe my dad will be okay. Right? He's just here for the money, right?

Everything will be okay.

I kept telling myself that over and over as he took money from the register after pushing Pop's onto the floor. But then he looked over in my dad's direction. He stopped, looking as if he were fixated on him and it was like my heart stopped. I felt sick. He took a few steps towards him, holding the gun up. I stood there frozen as my ears then filled with the sound of the gun going off.

Then he was gone.

The man in the mask took off as my dad fell onto the floor after the bullet went into his chest. I looked down as my dad laid there on the floor, bleeding. I wanted to scream, but instead I rushed to him. He was bleeding and I tried to stop it, but there's not much I can do. He was bleeding out and I couldn't stop it.

I didn't know what to do.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" I screamed, but I could barely get those words out without my voice breaking.

"Dad." I choked out as I put my hand over the hole where the bullet went through in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Why did this happen? Why did they do this?

Then I realized...

What if he never gets to tell me what he wanted to tell me?

...

Veronica's POV

It had only been what? Twenty minutes since Archie left? And already his name was flashing on the screen of my phone.

"Oh Archiekins, I didn't think you'd miss me already." I said as answered the call and fell back onto my bed.

"Ronnie"

"Archie?" I sat up as the smile on my face faded into a concerned frown. Something was wrong. I knew just by how he sounded. "What's..."

"My dad...he...I don't know...they just..."

"Archie, slow down." I stood up.

"They shot him."

"Who?" I asked, putting my hand onto my chest.

"M-My dad." It sounds as if Archie just barely can make that out. Fred Andrews was shot? Why? Who would that? There were thousands of thoughts running through my head, but I was snapped away at Archie saying my name, with his voice breaking.

"Ronnie. I need you."

I got in my car and started to drive after I had gotten off the phone with Archie. I can't even begin to imagine how Archie is feeling right now. How could this happen? Why did this happen? Fred Andrews is a good guy. Who would want to kill him? I don't know if it has anything to do with all that's happened with the Jason Blossom scandal or anything, but none of this made any sense.

I can just hope that Fred will be okay; mostly for Archie's sake.

I walked into Riverdale Hospital and I find Archie sitting in the waiting area. Funny. For some reason, I would have imagined him pacing.

"Archie." I say and he looks up at me. I stand there, waiting for him to get up and walk over to me but, he doesn't. He just looks at me for a moment before looking back down at the ground as his left foot taps the ground repeatedly.

I let out a soft sigh before walking over and sitting next to him.

I wanted to ask what happened, but the words didn't form. I just sat there motionless for a moment, looking at Archie, whom just looked numb?

"I just went to wash my hands" Archie eventually speaks up when I don't. "and then when I came out, this guy...I thought he was just there for the money...but then he turned around and shot h-him." Archie said, his voice breaking as a few tears escaped his brown eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Archie." I said. I couldn't bring myself to say anything; I didn't know what else to say.

"W-What if he doesn't..."

"He's going to be fine." I said, with much certainty. Fred was strong. I was sure, he would get through this. He would be okay; I knew he had to be for Archie.

"I shouldn't have left him."

"Archie, it's not your fault." I tell him. It's not like he could have done much if had been there next to his father. What did he think he could have done different? "There's nothing you could have done."

"I c-can't lose him, Ronnie." Archie started to cry. I wrapped my arms around him tightly. I wish there was more I could do. I wanted to take the hurt and fear away, but couldn't. All could do is hold him in my arms and be there for him through it all.

"I got you."