The Only One (Archie Andrews x OC)

Chapter 5

October 11th

Jasmine's P.O.V

I stand in front of my new bedroom, pale yellow walls and dark wooden floors. I'm still processing the fact we have even left North Carolina.

My dad is the CEO and founder of Rockwell Industries. It's all about the compounds of materials, mostly used for building purposes. He's done well for our family. With my mom being a professor in psychology, we've always been well taken care of. That would include myself and my two younger siblings Anna and Jacob. Jacob is ten years old and Anna is a whole four and half, and don't you forget it. I was the surprise my parents didn't plan for. But they stayed together and raised me until they felt the time was right for having more children.

Most of my things are still in boxes aside from the necessities. My bed is made up with the same sheets and blankets from home, and my clothes packed away in the new, and huge, mahogany dresser with an attached vanity. The best part is the view I get from my window, looking out into our large backyard full of maples and cherry blossoms.

I can hear my family yelling to each other from one level of the house to the other. Asking who brought in the box of coffee mugs and where had they put it and so on.

I sigh as I sit down on the edge of my bed.

I can't be upset that we're here in a new place. A new, unfamiliar town with unfamiliar people and places. As much as uprooting our lives was horrible, we were safer here than North Carolina.

I was safer here.

I smooth out the bedspread, biting my lip as tears sting my eyes and the memories rush back.

A knock comes from my door, and I sniff quickly and hold back the waterworks. I've done enough crying this summer, I don't need to do any more.

The long elegant fingers of my mom close around the edge of the door as she pushes it open slightly. Her face is worn in with smile lines and her dark blonde hair is piled high on top of her head.

"Hey sweetie," she says as she walks through. "Pretty good for short notice huh?" She asks with a once over of my bedroom.

I smile weakly, nodding. "It is." I reply.

Her brows furrow over her brown eyes, her motherly instincts picking up on the undertones of sadness in my voice.

"What's going on honey?" She asks and I can't help but have my eyes fill up once more.

"It's all my fault mom, all of it." I say and she rushes to pull me against her. The scent of her familiar perfume and that feeling you only have when you hug your mom, soothes me.

"Shh, no sweetie. None of this is on you. No one asked for this to happen. This is a very unfortunate and dangerous set of circumstances that happened. No part of it was your doing." She tells me as she runs her hands over my hair.

I just nod, not able and not really wanting to find a response to that.

"This is a new start for us. This place is small, and sort of a nobody town. But that's what we need Jaz, a clean slate. A place where no one knows us. It's safest for you here." Her voice is calm and hopeful, and I can tell without looking that the edges of her mouth are turned up ever so slightly in a wistful kind of way.

"I really hope you're right mom." I say as I sit up and out of her arms.

Her warm eyes meet mine as she wipes my cheeks. She holds my face and smiles.

"You'll see Jasmine, Riverdale will be good to us. To you."

And in that moment, I believe her.