The Dark Side - A Bughead Fanfiction

- c h a p t e r t h i r t e e n -

Just letting you guys know, in my story everyone already knows Jason was actually murdered on July 11th, based on his autopsy. Also, there was the same Ms. Grundy/Archie relationship and hearing the gunshot on July 4th as before. Just had to say that because there is a line in this chapter that might confuse you if I didn't say so, sorry if that was unclear before. 

"Why don't you get changed, I'll make you some coffee or something?" I say as we enter the trailer.

"Thanks." she smiles walking into our room.

I turn on the kettle to boil water, Betty is a fan of french vanilla. As the sound slowly increases, the water moving rapidly, I take off my shoes and fall onto the couch. My mind feels like it's expanding with the amount of thoughts going through it. I never thought Archie, our childhood best friend, would ever hurt a soul, let alone Betty. I unbutton my shirt slightly, feeling like I couldn't breathe. The kettle stops and I go back to the kitchen, mixing the french vanilla powder with the water and stirring.

Betty walks out of the room, now in her the blue pajamas she wore last night, her hair in a low ponytail and her makeup off. She closes the door behind her, looking down as she walks towards me. 

"Here you go." I say giving her the hot drink. 

She walks to the couch, bringing her legs up and to the side, taking a sip. I follow and sit next to her. 

"Should we tell your mom?" I consider.

She simply shakes her head, drinking more of her french vanilla.

"She'd make me come home." Betty says looking at me.

"Okay."

"Why would he do that, Jug?" she says, her eyes still staring into mine.

The pain in her eyes causes a gut-wrenching pain in my body. The idea of all she had been through. Abuse from her dad, both intentional and unintentional self-harming, the Blossom relation, leaving her home, her sister being taken away and now this. And she deserved none of it.

"I don't know." is all I can say. "I'm sorry, Betts, I shouldn't have left you alone."

"Don't, Jug. Don't put this on yourself. We were surrounded by our classmates, our friends. No one could predict what would happen, especially when it was Archie. He is- was my best friend."

"I should've known, I saw him drinking and we knew he had some feelings." I shake, wishing I prevented it.

"Stop!" she says, putting her drink on the table and grabbing my hand. "Juggie, you did everything you could and it saved me. You couldn't have known."

I pull her head onto my chest, wrapping my arm around her. 

"I'll keep him away from you." I say, telling myself more than I was telling her.

Her face nuzzles deeper into my chest. Her fingers skim the skin exposed from the low opening of my shirt. She sticks her whole hand under my shirt, rubbing my skin as she wraps her arms around me in a hug. I lay a kiss on the top of her head, making her smile and look up at me, pecking my lips. We sit like that for a while, taking in tonight's events, slowly drifting off to sleep.

~~~

We wake up to the sound of Betty's alarm in the same position as last night. Betty's french vanilla sits cold on the table. 

"I don't want to go to school." she whines.

"As much as I wish we could stay here all day I don't want to ruin your perfect attendance."