The Mystery of Y/N

Chapter Eight - Andrews Household, the Safe Haven

You knew you should have listened to Kevin when he told you to stop. It's just you got greedy. You wanted more money, in your eyes it was easy cash and a few more wouldn't hurt, right? Well, it's true what they say. Karma is a bitch. You were now walking down some road having no clue as to where you are. Summer was coming to an end, the sweltering heat replaced by the cool breeze, the clear nights sky replaced with pouring rain.

Archie was walking down his street after a late night rendezvous with Veronica. The smile that was previously dancing on his lips changed to a frown once he saw you walking in the opposite direction to him. You were soaked to the skin without a coat on. Your hair plastered across your face. It was dark but Archie was sure he could a bruise on your cheek and some blood trickling from your nose. He also noticed that you keep looking behind you as if you were running from someone. "Y/N? What are you doing out here  at this time of night?" Archie asked jogging over to you. You flinched when you heard Archie's voice. You were so wrapped up in your own head you didn't even notice you weren't the only one walking down the street in the middle of the night now. You opened your mouth then closed it again not knowing what to say or how to explain it, you didn't plan for bumping into someone let alone one of your friends.

"I could ask you the same thing." You joked, trying to distract from the fact you were a mess and trying to hide from someone. The whole time you were stood in the middle of the street you kept glancing around you just waiting for him to come which Archie noticed.

"I was at Veronica's." He told you. "Hey, why don't you come to mine. You must be freezing without a coat on." You reluctantly agreed knowing he wouldn't give up until you said yes. You followed Archie to his house and stood on the porch as he unlocked the door giving one last look around you before heading inside.

The warmth from the house was a welcoming gift. Archie led you to sit by the fire as he busy bodied around you to find clean towels and some clothes you could change into along with making some hot chocolate. The whole time you sat and stared at the front door just waiting to be found. Once he got everything he sat down beside you causing you to jump slightly. He handed you to mug and you took a sip, smiling gratefully at him. "Thank you."

"So, are you going to tell me how you got that bruise or why you were walking in nothing but a dress in the pouring rain?" Archie asked getting straight to the point.

You reached your hand up to where the bruise was. "Oh, this? I- I err fell." You told him, but it was unconvincingly.

"Did someone do this to you?" When you looked down not making eye contact Archie knew they had. He got up to grab the phone. "We need to call the sheriff and let him know."

Your head shot up at his suggestion. You shook your head viscously. "No, no, you can't."

Archie lowered his hand from reaching to the phone. "What? Why?"

"Be- because I already have. I have told the sheriff what happened." You lied. It was a bold faced lie but you couldn't risk Archie, or anyone for that matter, to know the truth. "Anyway, I should probably get going." You quickly changed the subject. You tried to look like you weren't terrified of whatever was waiting for you outside that door but it was hard when you were.

"Stay here. Just for tonight. It's still raining and you live on the other side of town. It's much safer for you to stay." You thanked him as he handed you a blanket. You had insisted you slept on the couch so you weren't being more or an inconvenience than you already were.

The next day Archie woke up to find you were gone.
-
Everyone looked at Archie expectantly, waiting for him to spill what he has been keeping. "Well." Jughead said prompting him to tell the group.

"The last time I saw Y/N before the day of the bonfire she was walking in the pouring rain in just a dress. A bruise was forming on her cheek." Archie admitted.

"What, like she fell bruise or someone hit her bruise?" Veronica asked.

"Someone hit her. She didn't say explicitly but she didn't deny it when I asked."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Betty questioned him. "And don't say we didn't say anything about Y/N's secret we knew because that is different. Money problems or secret boyfriends is a secret you should keep but if someone was hurting Y/N you should have said something Archie. What if that person is the one who took her? She could have been in trouble and you didn't say anything!" Betty was no longer calm. She was worried for her friend.

"I didn't say anything because she told me she went to the cops. Also, I thought she was going to tell you herself. Obviously she didn't though and obviously she didn't tell the cops either. Look, I was going to ask her about it again the next morning but when I woke up she was gone." Archie told them.

"Why didn't you say anything when you saw her at Pop's?" Jughead asked.

"Like I said, I was waiting for her to say something or for the right time to bring it up."

"Was Y/N wearing a Y/F/C dress?" Veronica asked interrupting the conversation.

"Yeah, why?" Archie replied confused as to why Veronica wants to know that.

"I can't believe it." Veronica scoffed. "It makes total sense now."