Young Gods || [Not Updating]

•13•

[chapter thirteen]

Strangely, the next few weeks pass without any sort of drama.

Jughead and Veronica meet at the cabin more times than not. He's got enough notebooks to make a decent sized library and she's got enough money to supply a emergency bunker full of food. It's cute in a way. How enthusiastic Jughead gets the closer they get to discovering the truth.

Veronica pretends that she's equally as enthusiastic.

She listens to him talk and doesn't once mention all the second thoughts that swamp her head. Then she goes home and sits across from the man she's helping take down and pretends that she's still the perfect daughter.

Luckily, pretending is something Veronica is good at.

She tells herself to enjoy the peace while it's happening. Good times can only last so long and having a friend she can actually talk to is a nice change from the small talk she's used to.

That is, until Hermione makes her big announcement.

They don't run it past her or even warn her that it's going to happen. Why would they? It's not like Veronica's they're only daughter and the fact that her mother is running for mayor could put a target on her back. No. As always, it's better to scheme first and back-pedal later.

Maybe that's why Jughead stops answering her calls. And her texts. And her emails.

As big as a slap in the face as it is to her, it's going to seem worse to him. She can say that she didn't know about it but he probably won't believe her. Not when she lives under the same damn roof.

She considers going to the trailer park but that just seems like bringing an open flame to a gunpowder party.

Instead, she goes to Pops.

It's empty for a Saturday morning. Usually that wouldn't matter but Pops being empty at that particular time means there's nothing stopping a certain redhead from noticing her.

She see him first. Of course she does. It's kind of impossible not to notice him. She almost walked past Pops when she saw the flash of red hair in the window.

His inability to read the room seems to have held up because instead of minding his own business, Archie waves at her to come to his table.

"I heard your mom was running for mayor." He says, nodding for her to sit down. "It's all Betty and her parents are talking about."

"And where is Nancy Drew?"

"At her house, she's got to finish a piece for the paper."