Iridescent - Jughead Jones [2]

Chapter Three

IRIDESCENT

CHAPTER | THREE

Truthfully? She'd been seeking him out the second she turned her back to Jughead. The boy that felt so familiar to her, despite barely knowing him. They'd been growing closer - they were friends.

"Betty and Jughead?" Archie had asked, the two sitting in a booth.

He'd struggled to enter the diner, but with a little helping hand from his friend, he'd sucked in a deep breath and overcome his fear. He could feel the barrel of a gun pressed against his head as soon as the bell jingled above their heads.

"Yeah." Savannah asked, supporting her head with her hands. "Am I crazy? I mean, they kissed, and he said it meant nothing."

"Hold on." Archie held up a hand. "They kissed?"

"Did they not tell you?" Savannah sat back suddenly, feeling sheepish. "Whoops. Surprise!"

The two were silent for a moment before Savannah placed a hand on Archie's in comfort.

"Are you okay?"

Archie didn't get to respond as Veronica came bounding over, her eyes locking onto their hands. Savannah retracted her hand with a smile and slid out of the booth, placing a hand on Veronica's shoulder.

She didn't say a word as Veronica turned her gaze to her boyfriend in concern.

Savannah watched the two converse quietly, Veronica pressing a kiss to Archie's cheek. It made her feel guilty for how she had spoken to Jughead - her somewhat boyfriend.

"Savannah."

The voice made a shiver run down her spine, the name sounding so familiar on the woman's tongue, yet she felt so much like a stranger. She hadn't expected her mother to turn up at the diner, not tonight, and not with Kyle by her side.

Cheryl would be pleased.

"Mom." She cleared her throat, stepping forward to them, holding her hands up in protest when her mother moved forward for a hug.

Patricia Clarke didn't flinch as she stepped back, "I'm sorry you couldn't have dinner with us, but I thought I could meet your friends."

Cheryl swooped in suddenly, as if she had a "Kyle" radar installed in her brain. "Hi, I'm Cheryl Blossom, Savannah's best friend and Kyle's future wife. It's so nice to meet you!"

Kyle choked at the mention of his name, eyes growing wide at the red-headed girl.

"Oh, you're dating my son?" Patricia asked, curiously.

"Not yet, anyway." Cheryl winked at the boy before plucking a cherry from a nearby milkshake and tugging it off the stem.

"Alrighty then, well I'm going to head out." Savannah announced, growing uncomfortable with her friend's advances toward her brother.

"When will you be home?"

"I won't, I'm staying at a friend's tonight." She said, sending a glare at Cheryl, one that held an underlying message.

"Oh yeah!" Cheryl piped up suddenly, "She's staying with -"

"Me." A voice broke in suddenly.

Savannah whirled around to face Jughead, his eyes trained on the woman in front of them. She stared at him, mouth agape as he slid his fingers through her own and gently pulled her to him, without resistance from her.

"I am?" Savannah asked him quietly.

"Yeah, you are." Jughead replied, removing his hand from hers to instead wrap around her waist. "Mrs. Clarke." He turned to the woman abruptly, "I'm Jughead Jones, your daughter's boyfriend."