Taken- A Bughead Fanific

Chapter 23: "You're Too Late, Archie."

She took the liberty to be the first to speak.

"You are a boldface- liar. You lied to me! Again. And you lied to everyone else. I have been fooled by you for the last time, Jughead." Her eyes dared him to respond, but he just stood there. "You gonna say anything for yourself?"

Jughead sat the duffle bag down on the couch and sneered at her, "I'd rather not waste my time," Betty dismissed the dig and continued on.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe you." She slammed the journal down. It made a loud smack! Jughead flinched from the living room. "Murder? Really, Jughead? You are going to kill someone? That was your solution?"

"Correction," He interrupted, clearing his throat, "Is my solution."

He is acting like a child! Betty thought to herself, irate at his bullheadedness. How could he not see that I was right? She kept a blank, insessient stare.

"You have any better ideas?" Jughead was unrightfully defensive. No matter what he said, he knew all of his points would be inadmissible to her.

Betty glared at him intensely, like she was trying to figure out his logic. He quickly looked away, afraid he would break under those intense, green eyes.

"Certainly not killing someone," Betty laughed, the conversation still incomprehensible.

Jughead flailed his arms up into the air, "No one else is going to fix this! You think if I had any other solution I wouldn't have already done it?"

Betty stayed silent, fixing him a cocked brow.

"I am the one, yet again, that had to fix everything, while you just-" He stopped himself before it was too late.

"Just what, Jughead? Why don't you finish that sentence?" She knew he was right, and that's what hurt. It was her fault she was in the hospital and no one else's. It anguished her.

"I don't think you understand how many people depend on me; how many people I have let down already."

"No, you don't understand, Jughead-" she bellowed, leaving the desk, "-and you will never understand."

He shouted over her, "What? What do I not understand, Elizabeth?"

She was fuming at his ignorance. "Do you not think I know what happened is my own fault? I was stupid. And now, I am treated as a puppy. I have never felt more helpless, do you know what that feels like?" Betty's rage quickly snowballed into a descent of hot tears and sobbing inflections in her voice, "I would scream and no one would hear me, do you get that?"

"Maybe I don't," he replied, "But I don't need to-"

"- And of course, you make this about you. It's always about Jughead! Step out of this melodramatic cocoon you have so thirstily wrapped yourself into. The magnanimity of life and death are bigger than you and your desire to be melancholy."

Despite Betty's frustration, all she wanted to do was walk over and hug him. One could effortlessly perceive that his provision of criminally insane thoughts running in his head was due to his self- torment. How conventional it would be for Betty if she could wish away everything with the simple snap of her fingers, including this exquisitely invidious situation.

"I thought you would be the one to understand," Jughead whispered dully.

Betty snapped out of her trance quite abruptly. "So, Wait, lemme get this straight. You are going to judge me?" She inquired, jabbing a finger at herself, "When you are the one that is planning to actually end someone's life? The audacity!" She stepped closer to him, flailing both arms up into the air theatrically.