Nameless ≫ Jarchie

_50_

"Care to tell me why you're all over the news!" Archie yelled as Jughead picked up the phone. The boy winced, holding it further away from him.

"Well, you know why I am on the news since you watched it," the boy said carelessly. A part of him knew that his story would be on the news, which is why he took some precautions to make sure nobody who didn't know him could figure out it was him. He told the police the important parts of the story, but nothing about himself personally. He also refused to take pictures. He was careful. As far as the world knew, he was still Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to do that?" Archie yelled again.

"Are you really asking me that question?" Jughead snapped back.

His response was met with silence.

"I have to go, Archie."

"You're still mad," the redhead sighed.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I am not mad."

"Then why are you ignoring me?"

"I am not ignoring you. I have given you time to talk to me but you still do not want to talk to me about what we need to talk about. Until we have that conversation I do not see the point of engaging in meaningless ones."

"So our conversations are meaningless to you?"

"Of course not, but if we are not going to last much longer why have stupid ones?"

"So basically, you're mad because you're acting like an insecure little boy and you think I'm going to date someone better than you in college," Archie said bluntly.

"First of all, I am not mad. Are you deaf? Second of all, I am anything but insecure. That was a funny joke. And lastly, there is no one better than me so where is your point?

"You must think I am really shallow. I do not care that you are going off to college and I am not. I do not care that you might find someone else there. I care that you will not let me be happy for you. I care that you will not communicate with me. How will we last if you cannot even communicate with me now? You will not even answer any of my questions about our relationship so how can you blame me for assuming that you do not have faith in us? You want to talk to me about everything else but the problem at hand," Jughead ranted.

"I never said I didn't have faith in us," Archie mumbled pathetically.

"And you still have not said that you do. I am hanging up," the boy said with finality.

"Juggy! Wait, don't!" Archie said quickly, and against his better judgement Jughead obeyed.

"What?"

"I'm coming over. Okay?"

"Archie..."

"I'm coming over."

———

"Are you crying?" Jughead frowned as he opened the door.

"Allergies," Archie mumbled, wiping his eyes and sliding past the boy to get in.

"It is early February," the boy pointed out.

"Jughead, not now," Archie sighed as he sat down on the couch.

"I hate when you say that. It irks me," Jughead grunted as he sat down next to him.