Something Different- Fangs Fogarty

Fifteen

  I push open the door to my science classroom just as the bell rings out, I sit beside Reggie as he taps his nose with a tissue. He looks over at me before rolling his eyes "What do you want? Don't you think you've done enough already?"

  "First off, I didn't do that" I wave my hand in front of his nose "Secondly, I just want to apologise for going off on you even when you swore you didn't do it. Because I know now that you didn't."

  "I...You know I don't want an apology from you for this, I don't want an apology from anyone because I know you're all just struggling" He shrugs lightly as everyone else starts to pile in including Toni and Sweet Pea "I'm sorry for even threatening Fangs with the gun. He didn't deserve it. He was a real good guy"

  We both fall silent as Pea and Toni sit in front of us not saying anything to either of us as the teacher starts speaking, I turn to Reggie "Thank you for saying sorry, I appreciate and I'm sure if Fangs were alive to hear it...He'd appreciate it too"

  "He would" Sweet Pea looks over his shoulder at Reggie with a smile, "I'm sorry for fracturing your nose too dude. Probably should have heard you out before throwing punches about"

"So that's it?" I look across the lunch table towards at Betty who's giving Jughead daggers whilst raising her voice at him "You know exactly what's happening right now and you have nothing to say?"

  I pull a pack of cigarettes out of my box and wave them towards Sweet Pea who nods before following me out of the school, "That was awkward" I refer to the conversation between the two young lovers back there

  "Do you know what's happening? Because I know full well she isn't referring to Fogarty" he passes me a lighter as I shrug lightly

  "Not a clue, Pea"I look down at my shoes as I scuff against the concrete whilst we stand there in silence, I wasn't even sure what Betty was talking about but damn was I curious. I won't ask though because I could just be sticking my nose in where it's not wanted but it's not like I haven't don't that already, maybe I'm a little nosey. Fangs used to say I was but I always thought he was joking, maybe he wasn't.

  "You know the power has gone to Jug's head, right?" I shake my head at Pea with a laugh "It has, Saskia! He's being really off with everyone."

  "It's just a lot to suddenly take on. His dad's stepped down and now he's taken over? How would you feel in that position?" I follow him through school as he just shrugs "See...Exactly"

  "But he hasn't officially taken over yet, There's the thing next weekend to for him"

  *

  "Why are we here?" I look between Veronica and Archie who are sat on the otherside of the Betty's dining table "Not that I don't want to be here, It's just that we're never...here and I'm digging myself a hole"

 Betty takes a deep breath as Jughead stands next to her with a hand placed on her back, "My dad's the black hood. I know it"

  "What?" Veronica, Archie and I say in unison whilst our eyes dart between the pair stood at the head of the table "You're joking, right?"

  "I'm not...This isn't something to joke about and I wouldn't say something like this to Arch if I wasn't 100% sure" Betty smiles sympathetically at Archie who just looks away from her "Arch..."

  "I think I'm just going to head home...You're dad shot mine, Betty! He nearly killed him and you think that i'm going to sit here and pretend I'm okay?" Without another word Archie storms out with Jughead hot on his trail calling out after him.   

  "You know this for sure though? You can't just accuse somebody of something like this, Betty" Veronica stands to her feet slinging her bag over her shoulder "It's not right."

  "Vee, I'm right. I know, It's my dad...I just know" Betty shrugs crossing her arms over her chest as I watch the pair discuss the situation but in the distance I can hear Archie yelling at Jughead, I couldn't understand what he was saying but he sounded the same kind of angry I was when I yelled at Reggie in front of everyone on the school field.

 "Saskia?" I look towards the pair shaking my head to come back to the reality from the daydream I had just been in "What do you think?"

  "About what? The thing with Mr Cooper?" Veronica who nods her head at me with a smile like I was going to agree with what she was saying "I don't know, I don't have an opinion as of yet because we don't know if it's an actual thing that's true" 

  As I tune out of the conversation, once again, my phone starts to buzz in my coat pocket, I reach over to the chair that my coat is hung on to pulling my phone out to see my 4 missed calls from Sweet Pea and 6 texts,

 If you don't answer your god damn phone, I'll literally come to your house right now- Pea

Hey??? where r u dude??? I'm at your house and you're not??? God damn it, Hurry up it's urgent- Pea

  I stand up shrugging on my coat before turning to the pair who are still bickering, "Guys I've got to go. Alex needs me so I'll see you tomorrow probably?"

  "Are you sure it's not Sweet Pea that needs you? Because you guys have been spending way too much time together recently...Like way too much." Betty looks at me with a frown spread across her face "I don't want you doing something you'll regret you know? You might be feeling vulnerable and you could look for comfort In Sweet Pea but you need to know, In advance, that It's the wrong type of comfort"

  I roll my eyes at her before shaking my head at her, "Nothing like that is happening at all. You know what is happening? We're grieving, Betty. We're fucking grieving, We're hurting and yes I'm aware that I could come to you guys to talk to but you don't understand the pain that we're feeling right now. You don't know what it's like to lost your best friend nor your boyfriend so don't you dare stand there and tell me what I'm doing. And yes I'm going to see Pea because he said it's urgent" 

  "I've lost both my best friend and my boyfriend before thank you very much." Betty raises her voice at me as she steps closer to Veronica who backs away slightly 

  "How are you comparing that to my boyfriend being fucking murdered? You're out of order for even comparing the two things, Betty. I'm going now because this is fucking ridiculous and I'm getting madder the longer I stay in the same room as you"

  Without another word I'm out the door to see Jughead and Archie sat on Archie's porch, As I look across the road to my house I see Pea sat on his bike outside with a cigarette in one hand and his other hand occupied by his phone, "Pea!"

  He looks up as I rush across the road towards him as he stands up "Look I need to tell you something but I don't know if it's true and I don't want you to get your hopes up just to be let down, Okay? If I'm wrong then I'm so ridiculously sorry and you can hate me forever for it, deal?"

  "Uh...yeah, deal. Do you want to come inside? It's cold out here." He follows me through the house to the back room of my house "What's this about anyway?" I pass him a can of drink before sitting next to him on the couch 

  "I don't know if you've noticed but FP keeps sneaking off at all times of day and night? Yeah well It seems I'm the only one who's noticed because I even asked Toni and Jones before coming to you and believe me it was the biggest mistake" He shakes his head leaning away from me as he wipes his hands over his face "Because they told me I was being delusional"

  "Yeah I've sort of noticed that he hasn't been around as much as he usually is but I didn't think too much of it. Maybe he's a got a new lady friend?" I wiggle my eyebrows at him as he laughs along with me 

  "A new lady friend? What are we 50? No one says that anymore, Saskia. Also I think Alice would possibly crush his balls in her hand." He rolls his eyes at me with a chuckle "But in all seriousness I really need to say something but I'm so scared I'll be wrong"

  "Tell me because you're making super nervous" I tap my feet against the wooden floor as he leans his head in his hands 

  "I think Fangs is alive"