The Only One (Archie Andrews x OC)

Chapter 6

Jasmine's P.O.V

October 15th

I sit at my dining room table, algebra homework in front of me. I've always done pretty well with school, never struggled with much of anything which keeps me close to the top of the honours list. My mom likes to say I inherited that from my grandfather, because he never had to try very hard with school to maintain impressive grades. Whatever the reason, it comes in handy when I procrastinate homework to the night before.

Jacob is playing his XBOX in the living room, making mangled cries of anger when his character dies in the game. Anna is playing a few feet away from me with her bin of dolls, cars and other hand-me-down toys from both mine and Jacob's four year old days. She brings me a toy every few minutes and asks if I can play, but I just keep telling her I have homework to do and it'll have to wait.

Anna is precious to me; bouncy corkscrew blonde curls and big curious brown eyes that take in everything with such wonder. I hate that we lose that as we get older....That we can't look at the everyday things around us with the same kind of astonishment and excitement as little ones can.

I'm often asked if having siblings so much younger than me annoys me, but truth be told I'm happy there's such an age gap. Jacob is seven years younger than me, and Anna is twelve and a half years younger. My parents were barely finished college when they had me, just two kids who were madly in love and couldn't bring themselves to abort the pregnancy, even if it was ill-timed. My mom says even if I was one of the biggest curve balls life threw at her and my dad, that it was the best one she ever got.

My parents raised me the best way they knew how, and when they were ready to take on more kids, they did. I don't blame or resent them for waiting. I can only imagine how nerve wrecking it would be to be parents at twenty-two when you had your whole life ahead of you. I think it was mature of them to wait until they knew that it was time.

My mom is down the hall in her study, working on professor stuff. The university she teaches at isn't super close, but it's within an hours drive of Riverdale so it's manageable enough for her. Having a mom as a psychologist is both a blessing and a curse. You can get advice and insight you never would've had, but you also can never keep your emotions under the surface for long before she digs away at your brief comments and aloof attitude to expose to truth.

Amongst Jacob's loud video game and Anna's constant dropping of toys against the wooden flooring, I hear two distant knocks coming from the front door. I look up only to see my mom open the door to her study and step out, walking further down the hall and rounding the corner to the entryway.

I shrug to myself and return to my homework. This algebra is dry as can be, being I learned most of this last year in North Carolina. But I guess that's what happens when you change states...Different curriculums for each grade. I sigh and shake my head as I feel my thoughts beginning to wander. I just need to keep myself distracted.

My mom's heels are now clicking their way back down the hall toward me.

"Jasmine!" I hear her call out. I look up to see her walking further towards me, a weird expression on her features. It's like she knows something I don't and is excited about it. It makes me nervous honestly; that expression is one I don't see often, but when I do, usually means something big is to come.

"Yeah?" I answer back, bracing myself for impact of whatever it is she's about to tell me. My stomach has tightened in anticipation.

"You have someone at the door for you." she says, and my brows knit in confusion as I push my chair back to stand up. I make my way around the table to go down the hall, passing my mom who is still smirking. "Honey, all I can say is....well done. Very, very, well done."