"Don't let go"

13- dinner and a show

Jugheads Point Of View-

I was sat at the bar eating my dinner and nobody was around so I pulled out my laptop and started to write, as I do everyday.

My dad and some of the elders all started to fill the room but I didn't think anything of it since I was so engrossed in my work.

Then the lights came on.

I didn't think anything of that either.

They gathered around the large stage that was at the back of the bar and then it clicked. The music filled the air and I stood at the balcony looking down to floor of people in front of me. Through the thing layer of fog caused by everyone's cigarettes I saw her walk on to the stage.

The pink and purple and green blinding lights lit her body up as she danced against the pole, with every change of colour a garment of clothing would come off. Don't get me wrong, she was absolutely breath taking, but my mouth set into a straight line when a dollar bill got threw on the stage and burly laughs from croaky joe.

The rhythm carried on and she grinded and spun on the pole, her black lace corset and panties and her black fluffy heels were the only things protecting her modesty.

"What do you say boys? Serpent material?" My dad said as Betty stood there awkwardly looking down at the floor. My dad was uncomfortable too, anyone would be if the teenager your living with was just basically stripping in front of you.

A chorus of yeses rang through the air and there was one no.

My eyes shot to who said no and of course Is was tall boy.

"Shut the hell up tall boy!" I screamed from behind him and everyone spun around to me, Betty's eyes shot up off the floor and locked on mine.

"She's a northsider" tall boy spat.

"With a pretty bad ass south sider in her screaming to get out, she done the dance, against my fathers wishes and mine to please dirty old pervs like you, now give her the fucking jacket" I said really starting to lose my temper now.

I watched as my dad wrapped her in the jacket and everyone in the room dispersed apart from Betty who was sat on the edge of the stage with her newly acquired jacket wrapped round her and barely clothed.

"What's up blondie" I asked her as I stood in between her legs and looked down at her.

She looked up at me with a tear in her eye.

"They didn't like the dance" she sniffed.

"That's just tall boy, he has a crazy vendetta against the north side he always has and he always will, some of the best serpents have been from the north side, like Alice cooper" I whispered wiping the tears from her face as she looked up at me with her big blue eyes.

"My mom was a serpent" she grinned.

"How do you think her and my dad know each other, they were king and queen, they owned these streets, at one point they were in love" I smiled.

"What happened?" She said curiously leaning into my hand that was placed under her chin.

"They grew up, got jobs, drifted apart, she got pregnant with another man and become northside royalty instead of south" I grinned.

"Well thank god she did! I mean we would be brother and sister!" She giggled causing me to laugh.

"I'd have a pretty hot sister" I smiled leaning in to kiss her.

"Guys, there's something you need to see" I heard Toni's voice come from behind us crashing through the doors and interrupting us, yet again.

"What is it?" Betty asked pulling in her skirt and jacket.

"Bad!" Toni shouted turning in her heel and running out of the room, indicating that we had to follow her.

We followed her out of the bar, through the front doors, past a group of men who were wolf whistling at Betty, but she ignored it and held on tight to my hand as I slightly dragged her to were toni was leading us.

There was a youth hostel , about 7 or 8 buildings away from the bar and Toni ran to it, like her life depended on it. We followed her through the maze of corridors till we got to a door with the number 996 on it.

Inside was something that no one could of prepared for.

Riverdale's Cheryl blossom freaking out.

"What has she took!" Betty screamed.

"Uh I don't know, jingle jangle, a bunch of pills, she texted me saying how much she loved me and she was saying good bye for good, I got here too late!" Toni cried.

I noticed there was cuts on Cheryl's arms which were fresh and still bleeding, so I got the closest thing to her which was the blanket and wrapped her arms in it.

"Call 911 toni!" Betty shouted as she sat Cheryl up on the bed. She stuck her fingers down Cheryl's throat causing her to throw up the contents of her stomach.

"I'm so sorry" Cheryl would sob between retches.

Betty continued to stick her fingers down Cheryl's throat making her be sick until the paramedics came to take her away, to hospital.

The scene was like something from a horror movie, blood all over the sheets, sick all over the floor, Toni was so shaken in the corner she could barely stand up.

"It's all my fault Jug" Betty cried as we drove to the hospital to be with her.

"It's not your fault, you didn't know how much shit Cheryl was going through, how could you? You've been apart for nearly a month now" I soothed as we pulled up to the hospital.

"Cheryl blossom, what room is she in!" Betty demanded as soon as we reached the front desk.

"Room 7A floor 3" the nurse smiled and we practically ran to it.

"I'm so sorry Betty" Cheryl cried in the bed, she was still delirious but in a stable condition.

"It's okay Cheryl, you just get better okay" Betty said sitting down on the chair next to her and holding her hand.

"Everybody leaves" Cheryl cried.

I noticed the bags under her eyes because she had cried all her make up off. I noticed how stick thin her legs were and on her arms I noticed under the cuts little red scars from previous attempts. I guess you never really know what's going on with someone huh?

"I'm not going any where" Betty choked out stroking Cheryl's hand.

"Not ever" she whispered kissing her hand as she fell asleep.

And I wondered.

How many more time is she going to be sat at the edge of a hospital bed, caring for those she loves, she looks after everyone, but who looks after her?