CARMEN, riverdale.

' scorpio '

🐍

   THE WORST feeling that Robin ever felt was the hopelessness, and the fact that he could even hear Carmen cry. And the reason was because of what he said. This was the only ever time he'd heard cry because of someone, and even then, it was because of his stupid mistake. He should've stayed quiet instead of using against her what he promised he wouldn't.

He had the urge to knock on the door, hold her, apologize. He knew how fragile she could be, Jesus, she'd go as far as to blaming everything out of reach on herself. Guilt for Carmen was never a good thing, most of all the feeling of being alone.

Robin had only been glad he'd taken most of the pills from her bathroom. If he knew what ends Carmen was willing to connect, he would've taken it altogether. Being in New York after the news of Apollo Barnes being supposedly killed was a bad thing for them, it put them in a toxic position.

He paused at her bedroom door, just like he did every morning. It was always open, so when he put his hand around the knob and didn't go all the way it should, he didn't realize how comforting it was go go into her room every morning to wake her up until it was closed off.

There wasn't even a sound or something else to tell him that Carmen was awake, but judging by how there was someone breathing softly against the door, she must've cried herself to sleep.

He shut his eyes, sighing and then turned away, trudging down the stairs. It wouldn't even make a difference as he made his own coffee. Now thinking about it, he would have preferred if she'd made it, mostly because he had no damn idea about brewing the coffee he always looked forward to in the mornings. His wife always had that ability, and maybe Carmen got it from her, too.

He wouldn't even consider himself surprised as Carmen passed by the kitchen doorway, her fist curling. She clenched her jaw as she strode up to the counter, in front of him, and he just now noticed the paper clenched in her grip. He winced inwardly, her grips always did hurt.

Carmen tossed it in front of him, saying flatly, "Apollo wants you to call him when you have time."

She didn't kiss his cheek goodbye or even glance and smile, she just whipped around and forward out of the house, and then must've seen him watching her from the corner of her eyes, he sighed once again at the sound of the front door closing.

🐍

   BETTY STARED at Carmen with wide and worried eyes as the emotionless brunette sat in front of her in their usual seat, casually waiting for the rest of her friends. Jughead sat just beside the brunette, furiously typing on his laptop, not that they seemed to mind.

Said girl just plainly rubbed her reddened knuckles, while she would admit that she was not exactly the most tactile person, and especially not the most violent Murdock although can be quite cruel as her father just the same, what that foolish boy commented about her father and most certainly her mother just bit at her nerves.

Jughead seemed to notice the unusual state of silence, since Betty would always be blabbering about everything and Carmen would casually toss in a few comments here and there along with a few chuckles.

Clearly distracted, Carmen stared aimlessly at the screen of her phone, the brightness set to almost the lowest setting so her companions wouldn't be able to read the threat. Not through text, but an email, instead. The same source.

This, however, didn't sit well with Jughead. He looked at both of them licking his lips as he tried to decide an approach.