Weirdo - Jughead Jones

5: Drama

Madison Parker

"Jughead Jones?"

He nodded, smiling as I smiled back curiously. "The Third."

"Okay," I chuckled. "I'm Madison Parker. No numbers."

"So no one's asked Madison Parker to the Semi-Formal?"

"No," I replied. "Well, my friends asked if I wanted to go with them, but y'know."

"I'm not a party person either." He shook his head.

"Guess I'm just more of a 'drink at Pop's' person."

"As am I." Jughead smiled and raised his mug. "To the weirdos."

"To the weirdos." I chuckled and raised my mug of hot chocolate to meet his coffee. I couldn't help it when I got lost in his blue-green eyes. He was so unique. He had a style he accepted as his own; the T-shirts underneath a jacket, and a flannel that was sometimes under the jacket and sometimes tied around his waist. Not to mention his name, or the signature beanie that looked like a crown. It was charming. Jughead Jones was pretty cute.

The chime of the bells on the front door ripped me away from my thoughts and his eyes. I looked to see Archie in a blazer, his tie untied and hanging around his neck. He looked worried and disoriented. "Archie?" At this, Jughead turned around to see our redheaded peer.

Archie turned in our direction but upon seeing Jughead he stalled, going to talk to Pop first. Jughead turned back to me, looking quietly offended and disappointed. Was something weird between these two? I saved the question for later as Archie came to us.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Have either of you seen Betty?" He asked us.

Jughead shook his head. "No, why?" I replied. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know. I think I messed up." He ran a hand through his hair. Jughead shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "Jughead. You met Maddie?"

"I've finally had the pleasure." Jughead flashed me a smile that made me blush a little before he looked at Archie again. "If you're worried about Betty, just talk to her. It'll go a long way."

Archie nodded, frowning in concern.

"Would've gone a long way with me," Jughead added quietly.

"Yeah." Archie sighed. "Thanks, Jug. Bye, Maddie." With that he walked away and exited the shoppe.

Jughead looked me over. "You want to talk to her?"

I felt bad. "Um, will you still be here after I make a phone call? I'm- I'm sorry."

"No problem," he said genuinely. "Yeah, I'll be here."

"Thank you," I smiled gratefully and got out of the booth, walking near the bathroom. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and found the contact she'd put in earlier. I pressed the number and started pacing.

Straight to voicemail.

"Shit," I muttered, tugging my bangs. I went back to the booth as Jughead eyed me expectantly.

"Nothing?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Her phone is off."

"Are you going to go see her?"

"I'm sorry I'm bailing—"

"No, it's fine," he stopped me and gave a reassuring smile. "You're going to make sure she's okay. You want to talk to her. It's admirable. You're a good friend, Madison." I gave him another grateful smile as he got up. "Can I walk you to Betty's, though?"

"If it isn't out of your way."

"Nah."

"Okay, then." I smiled at him.

Once we left the Chock'lit Shoppe I knew where to go. Betty had told me where she was living now and it just so happened that she and Archie were living on the same street as I had moved into.

After a few moments of walking in silence, Jughead spoke up. "By the way, by walking with you, I don't want to come off as a stalker. People say a lot about me, and that's probably one of them. I just want to be... gentlemanly." He finished this and looked me with a smirk.

I laughed and blushed a little. "I know. Thanks for walking with me." Then I remembered something he'd said earlier. "Back there with Archie, I noticed something you said. About how talking would have gone far with you. What did you mean? Was there something that happened between you two?" Before he had time to open his mouth I kept talking. "Crap, that was nosy. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." He chuckled. "Archie and I were friends. Pretty good friends. And this summer we were planning to go on a road trip. But he bailed last minute. Didn't say anything. It was weird." He shrugged, shaking his head. "Now we're just acquaintances, I guess."

His story made the feeling of guilt I'd had earlier return. I had done that. I had left without saying anything. "When I left seven years ago, I had no idea. My parents just called me home after the last day of school. They made me pack, and we just left. I couldn't even say goodbye to Betty or Archie."

"Do you know why they made you leave?" He asked, eyeing me curiously.

"All I know is that my dad said Riverdale wasn't safe anymore. He didn't answer a lot of questions."

There was silence while he processed this. "And then you just came back seven years later?"

"My parents separated. My mom just took me and left. I didn't have the option to stay with my dad. It was weird, because until then we were happy. Nothing was wrong. And suddenly... they're split up and we're moving back home." We reached Betty's house and stopped outside. I looked up to see her light on. I turned back to Jughead. "I still feel bad," I said quietly. "I was like Archie. I just left without saying anything and—"

"You didn't do anything wrong." His eyebrows furrowed as he shook his head. "Archie wasn't forced to do anything. He just canceled our plans last minute. He was also right here, so he could have said something. You didn't have that option."

I nodded. Hearing him say this made me feel better. "Thanks, Jughead."

"Usually I would provide a bit of dark humor to lighten the mood, and usually it would scare people away, but I'm glad I could help."

I laughed. "Well just so you know, dark humor is always fine with me."

"Good to know." He smiled. "Well, I'll let you go now."

"Oh, thanks. The dungeon was getting a little toasty."

"I know. I'm hot. Now go see Betty." He smirked.

I blushed a little. "Okay." I climbed the stairs and turned back when I got to her front door. He was still waiting.

"Catch ya later, weirdo," he said, smiling up at me.

I chuckled. "Bye."

I watched as he walked away and into darkness.