Weirdo - Jughead Jones

3: Archie Andrews

"So what's new? What did I miss?"

Betty and I carried our lunch trays outside. "Not much, I guess. But it's been weird after what happened to Jason."

I nodded in understanding. Suddenly I realized something. "Where's Polly? She hasn't graduated yet, has she?"

Betty looked down at the mention of her older sister. "Polly.... Polly isn't here anymore."

"Oh my God-- what--?"

"She's in a group home now."

"What? Why? She was perfectly fine when I saw her last. What happened?"

"Jason happened," she sighed. "Something went wrong between them and afterwards something went wrong between Polly and Mom. Mom said such... awful things. And then she sent Polly to the home, claiming that she wasn't her daughter anymore."

"B." I stopped walking and she did the same. "I am so sorry." I looked up at her, trying to hold back tears. Polly was such a role model to Betty. To us both.

Her eyebrows creased as she shook her head. "Maddie, it's okay. You didn't do--"

"No. Betty," I looked away, ashamed. "I could have been here. I could have been there for you. And I left. Without even saying anything and--"

"Mads." Betty gave me a soft smile. I felt better when I heard her old nickname for me. "It's okay. It isn't your fault that your family's drama made you move away. You didn't have a choice."

"Do you know why...?"

"Just that your parents made you move to California."

I nodded, looking away.

Betty smiled wider and nudged my shoulder with hers. "Hey. You're back now."

I returned her smile and leaned my head on her shoulder, the tray in my hands holding me back from hugging her. She rested her head on mine for a second before we started walking again. "Oh my God." My lips spread into a grin. "Archie?" A red haired boy was sitting at one of the picnic tables, a laptop in front of him. The computer reminded me a little of the boy from Pop's, but I was too distracted by how much Archie had matured.

"I know. Someone got hot over the summer." Kevin joined us. "Betty! Why don't you tell Maddie what we've been talking about?"

I turned to Betty, who blushed, opening her mouth and then shutting it.

Kevin stepped in for her. "Betty here is thinking of asking this ginger masterpiece to the semi-formal this weekend."

"Betty!" I squealed, nudging her like she had done a minute ago. "You and Archie?"

"I-- Uh...."

"Not yet," Kevin explained. "But I think we can expect some great things. Right, B?"

She didn't say anything, but smiled at me shyly.

We approached Archie from behind and I went up and covered his eyes. "Guess who."

"What?"

"No, who. Guess."

"I honestly don't know who you are and I'm a little scared right now," he laughed.

"I guess it isn't really fair," Betty spoke up. "He hasn't seen you in seven years."

"I guess not." I removed my hands from Archie's eyes and let him turn around.

He grinned instantly, wearing the same look of disbelief that Betty had. "No way!"

"Mads is back!" Betty wrapped her arms around me, having laid her tray on the table.

"You guys," I said as I sat down with them. I looked at them shyly. "Can we be best friends again?"

"Are you kidding?" Betty looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Of course. I don't think we ever stopped being best friends, Maddie."

I smiled at them, relief seeping through my chest. I began to feel the same feeling I had at Pop's last night; the feeling of home. I was reunited with my best friends.

"Hey, guys," Archie spoke up after we ate a bit. "I just finished this song, and I have it here so I was wondering...."

"Yes! Archie, can we listen to it?" Betty propped her head up on her hands, watching him intently.

"You write songs, Arch?" I looked at him, surprised.

"Uh," Archie scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"Let's hear it."

He smiled shyly and nodded, clicking a few times before we heard the music start to play. And it was beautiful. Knowing the little boy who nearly failed the second grade, he surprised me with this new found passion.

"Can I join?" We looked up to see Veronica with a lunch tray.

"Yeah." I moved closer to Kevin to make room.

Veronica joined us at the table. "What are we doing?"

"Listening to one of Archie's songs." Betty smiled proudly at Arch.

"I thought we were going to have to pretend to like it, but it was actually pretty good." I laughed at Kevin's comment, lightly punching Archie's arm.

"That was you singing? Something you wrote?" Veronica questioned.

"It's rough," Archie said quickly.

"No, it's great," Betty stated.

"Yeah, that's awesome, Arch." I smiled at him. But looking at him, I could tell something was off; he wasn't just shy. Something was distracting him, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"It's incredible, actually," Veronica spoke up. I noticed her intrigue in Archie, a spark of something in her eyes. She was into him. "The little snippet I heard. Is that your thing, music? Are you doing something with it?"

"Yeah, that's the plan," Archie replied. I knew how he felt. The constant fear that you weren't going to make it doing what you want. "So how's your first day going, good?" I had the feeling that Archie already knew the new girl.

"Not to be a complete narcissist," She smiled. "But I thought people would be more--"

"Obsessed with you?" Kevin asked. Veronica shrugged with a smile. "Yeah, any other year you'd be trending number one for sure. This year, though, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the 'Best Supporting Psycho' Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved red widow."

I recalled the speech Cheryl had given after our tour this morning. She told the student body how she had agreed to let the Semi-Formal take place as planned, and not to cancel it due to her brother Jason's death.

I had also seen her around school today. I remembered how Cheryl and I were friends in the younger years. Not as close as Betty, Archie, and I were, but still a person who would always offer to work together, who would ask for help and provide help when needed in class. I don't know if it was because of Jason's death, but she had changed. She was cold and judgmental. With almost everything she said to someone she was bullshitting them. I guess Cheryl Blossom turned into the mean girl. Some things really do change.

This was a shitty chapter