Thus with a kiss || Riverdale •~•~• Bughead (Heartache Juliet Sequel)

True Love

C H E R Y L B L O S S O M

"Are you okay, T?"
"I'm fine," she's not. She stares down at her milkshake, stirring and stabbing the straw into the clumpy liquid. Her hair hangs over her face, as if she is trying to hide. Her sadness creeps into me and I do the same in looking down and swirling the straw around my half empty glass.

Is it something I've done or said? She just feels so distant. Maybe I could pull it back into reality but it feels just too far away. I feel like she's slowly slipping out of my grasp and I'm gradually losing her because I'm not paying attention. The last time I felt like this was when Jason died. I always felt like someone else had control of me after that. Like I was easy to manipulate and now I feel like I'm slipping back into it. Without Toni I'm nothing. I have nothing. I'm just that girl who is a major bitch and deserved her brother to die...

I can't do this alone or take it anymore. I'm not becoming that depressed nobody ever again, and I won't let it happen to Toni either.
"Hey," she doesn't answer, "Toni?" No answer. I reach across the table and try to remove the hair from her face but she jumps back. The next thing I know, my wrist is in the tight grasp and her eyes stare into mine, tears staining her tanned skin. She scowls and I sit shocked at how she treats my right now.
"Just leave it, Cheryl! Please just leave it! I'm fine!" She releases my wrist sharply.
"No," I say after a pause, "'no you're not okay and I'm not going to leave it,"
"Cheryl plea-"
"Do you know why?" She stays silent, "Hey! Do you know why?"
"No, Cheryl! I don't! Why don't you enlighten me?"
"Because I was you."
"What does that mean?"
"I've lost people too, T. I've lost connections and I've lost hope before but that doesn't mean that you can lose me. I understand what Jughead is to you, and I promise you, he will be okay. I can't say that for Jason I'm afraid but maybe you can understand me too."
"I had nothing before he found me, Cheryl. I came from nothing!"
"Well I turned into nothing! No one cared who I was once Jason left! Once my dad committed suicide! Once my mom became a -" I pause, realising what I'm about to say before swallowing my words, "you know what, none of that matters. None of it matters because I know what it's like to be manipulated too, Toni. And you don't have to be anymore, because I love you," a sharp silence fell over us and Toni lowered her face again. I did the same, finally losing hope.
"I love you too."

V E R O N I C A L O D G E

"Thank you so much, Archie! Are you coming in?"
"I'll meet you inside, I'll just park up!"
"Okay, see you in there," I peck Archie on the cheek before diving out of his dads truck and running as fast as I can in heels into the hospital.
"Betty?" I begin to shout. I don't have time to wait around at a reception so I follow a trail of people who seem familiar to me. I begin to wonder why they're all here. Has something bad truly happened? Has there been more injuries? Am I too late?

"Betty!" I see her in sight. She slumps on a chair outside of the end room, holding her head in her hands. I slow my pace and try to reduce the loud clicking of heels, but she doesn't look up anyway. "B?" I take a seat next to her, laying my bag on the floor but still holding some food from Pops for her. "Betty? Are you okay?" I watch her hesitate. Not for what to say but for weather she wants to say anything at all. Instead she just shakes her head as it stares into the floor. I hesitate my self. I'm not very good in these situations.

"I know what happened, Betty," I begin to speak but she remains in her position of grief, "with Jughead. I know. Toni told me. Look... I'm no so good in these situations, mainly because it was always me causing people to feel the way you probably do right now. I can't say that I understand because I don't. But all that I know is that you're my best friend and I don't think that I could make it without you here. So that means that I'm here for you," I see her slowly raise her head, tears streaming down her face as I turn to face her, "no matter what."

She collapses her frame onto my shoulder and I sit with her, leaning into my coat until she calms down.
"So? Any news on him?" I ask, attempting a peep into the window. I feel Betty slowly shake off her sadness and lean up to finally have a conversation.
"Yeah. We got news alright," she smirks, disapprovingly, to herself, "he took several blows to the head and it's left him with a lot of damage."
"Anything really serious? Permanent ?"
"Maybe permanent trauma but other that that there's only one major temporary problem." She's hesitant to say it. She doesn't want to. She need to though.
"What is it?"
"He's blind."