I'm Darkness || Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones [2]

Long Night

"No shit, I'm not kidding."

"But you didn't." Veronica insisted. "You walked away, so that's fine."

"Yeah, because my sister walked in on us talking about feelings that should have stayed back in when we were like twelve." Ellie leaned back against the booth. "I'm such a horrible person."

"No, you are not. You're the most amazing person ever."

"Even if every boy I like, my sister liked too?" She raised her brow at her friend.

Veronica leaned slightly over the table. "Not everyone. Not Reggie."

"Maybe I should have stayed with him, in the end of all this." Eleanor sighed. "I mean, I love Archie so much but... But Reggie would be someone away of all our messes, you know."

"Yeah, I know, E."

"Well. It's like ten pm." She said while looking over to the watch on the wall. "We should probably go home."

"I don't know if I'm ready to go back." Veronica looked down at her hands.

"What happened?" Ellie frowed.

"My parents got a gift earlier tonight. I thought it was for me, so I opened it but..." The raiven-haired girl glanced up at her friend. "It was General Pickens head, Ellie."

Eleanor almost chocked on her own secrets, she didn't know that they would send the head to Hiram Lodge, a part of her already thinking it seemed like something Jughead Jones would do. She looked away from her friend's eyes, trying not to give much away.

"It was a Serpents' gift. I know my Dad was behind it."

"I'm sorry, V. That wasn't me." Ellie shrugged slightly. "But your Dad was asking for war."

"I know, ok?" Veronica changed her features. Suddenly, she was a business woman just like her Daddy and it surprised the blonde at first. "But it doesn't have to be like that anymore."

"Oh." She scoffed. "That's why you called me here."

"E, listen –."

"No, Veronica! Your Dad tried to cause a munity on Southside so the Serpents would cast me out! I bet he didn't tell you that. So, no. No deals for him."

"I didn't know that." Veronica swallowed, and she wondered for a second if she should still go ahead with that. But it was for the best. "I know you want peace. At least, you used to. We can have it now, bring FP to the table and I will make sure my Daddy plays nice. A Settlement."

"Hiram Lodge doesn't play nice." Eleanor told her. "Not even for his hija, V."

"Trust me on this." She took a hold of her friends' hand. "We can make it right, Ellie."

"If this goes wrong, the Serpents will blame me."

"Let's make sure it doesn't."

Ellie sighed in defeat. "So what do I have to do?"

"When I propose it to Jughead, you just have to convince him." Veronica told her.

"Jughead and I are not on our best moment, you know that." She warned.

"But he still loves you just as much, Ellie."

. . .

It was pure coincidence, but when Eleanor arrived at her front porch so did Betty. Ellie had thought her sister had been home for hours now, and she felt a sting on her heart when she saw her climbing up their front stairs with a huge smile on her face.