Braking Hard (Riverdale-Jughead Jones)

8

Needless to say, one hang out turned into several, and I found myself actually enjoying Jughead's company.

I didn't think I'd ever realised what it was like to actually have a friend to skip work to be with, and after time I found myself growing closer with Betty too.

I was never as close to her as I was to Jughead, but I thought of us as friends. Kevin and Archie became my informants to the world of school, letting me know exactly what was going on, when, and how to act if a certain person came up to us at lunch.

I was getting used to being visible to people. Specifically Cheryl, who decided that I wasn't worth terrorising.

She actually still wanted me in the Vixens, no matter how much I protested I couldn't do it, and I figured I must be doing something right if she seemed to like me. To maybe something very, very wrong.

I didn't really get to know Veronica, and I assumed it was due to the differences in us. I was a small town girl who is always in baggy shirts and overalls, usually with oil involved, and she was the city girl. With fancy clothes and expensive jewellery.

I doubted you'd ever see her covered in bike oil.

I figured that me and the others had something in common. Betty and me had both grown up here, and Jughead was affiliated with the serpents, as well as me. Archie had grown up around broken buildings and building sites, similar to how I had grown up around broken engines and auto repair shops.

Kevin however, well that's a long story.

I got used to the 4 friends I had somehow, don't ask me how, managed to make, stopping by  the yard and asking if I wanted to come out for the evening, despite me saying 'no thank you' every time.

I also became accustomed to Jughead stopping and giving me a lift to school, despite my protests that he would be late himself.

I was waiting for him right now, stood by the front of the yard when my phone dinged and I lifted it up.

Sorry, can't pick you up today, something came up. J.

I groaned and took off running, throwing the helmet I had to Garret before doing so.

I had forgotten how it felt to be late, and was panting by the time I reached the outside of my classroom. I stopped to take a breath before pushing the door open and slipping to my usual seat at the back.

"Miss McFarlane." I froze in shock, before turning slowly to face the teacher. "If you're going to be late to my lesson, at least be subtle about it." My eyes widened in shock.

This was the first time I had ever been acknowledged by a teacher and I was very confused. She raised her eyebrow at me and I quickly sat down, looking down in shame at being caught.

"Sorry Miss Turner. Won't happen again."

"Let's hope not. I wouldn't want you back to your old ways of being late every day." She said pointedly, turning back to the board. I stared in shock.

I wondered why, if they knew I was late everyday, they hadn't said anything about it.

"Could you stay after class please, Miss McFarlane. I need to address your attendance." I was shocked at the words. Once I thought about it, I had never once been directly addressed by a teacher during high school. I quickly nodded to her and grabbed my pen, beginning to jot down the dates on the board.

By the time the end of class had rolled round, I had, had enough time to think of at least 5 reasons she wanted to talk to me.

But I hadn't done that.

Instead I spent the lesson wondering what came up for Jughead.

"So. Miss McFarlane. Despite the fact your attendance is 100%, your punctuality is a different story. You were always late and we let it slide because we knew you had a business to take care of. Yet recently you started to pick it up. Why did it happen to be today you start slipping into your old ways?" She asked, sitting at a desk in front of me.

"Well, I was only on time because Jughead started giving me a lift, but then he couldn't pick me up today which is why I was late again." I tried to be as polite as I thought I could be.

I'd never spoken to a teacher before, besides the occasional mumble after giving them some overdue homework.

"Right. I saw that you'd been hanging around with Betty Cooper and Archie Andrews?" She confirmed, her tight bun that must give her headaches giving me my own headache.

"And Kevin Keller, Miss."

"Right. Keep with them, they're good people. And don't forget, try to be on time." I nodded wildly at this and took it as a dismissal, grabbing my bag and leaving the room and my thoughts far behind.

By the time it reached the end of the day, I was tired and bored, my head filled with all sorts of nonsense about lateness and Bikes and Jughead and Bikes and Miss Turner and Bikes.

And of course my head was filled with thoughts about Bikes.

"Hey Al." I heard and my head snapped up to see Jughead sat on his bike, a cheeky grin on his face and I smiled in relief.

"Good. Thought I was going to have to walk all the way home!" I spoke sarcastically, waving goodbye to Betty.

I saw his eyes turn to Betty and my smile dropped slightly.

"Anyway I'm sorry about this morning, serpent business. But I promise it won't happen again unless I really can't do anything about it." I smiled wider at this and reached up to hug him, my arms outstretched.

"Its ok Jug. I don't blame you at all." He hugged me back and held out a spare helmet, which I gratefully took and starged to clip on. As I did our eyes locked and I smiled gently.

"Look, Al- I-" I cut him off by leaning forward slightly and locking my lips with his.

It was my first kiss and I leant into him, hoping I was doing it right.

"Oh, um-" I closed my eyes as Jughead ripped his lips from mine and stuttered out, looking over to Betty.

"It's ok. I get it. You like her. Here." I held out the helmet and turned away from him.

"No, Al just lis-" he started, grabbing hold of my shoulder.

"It's fine Jug. Really. I guess I just wanted to see if it worked. And it didn't, so it's fine."

I turned away, and began the walk to Cogs and Gears.