Resilience | Sweet Pea.

5 - Death Diner.

It'd been a week since Fred had been released from the hospital, Mary Andrews had come to town to help him recover, which he is. But Archie's the one I'm worried about. Before all of this, we would always say goodnight, or re-cap our days to one and other but Archie never comes to his room when I go to bed, a few times I've gotten up for a class of water and found him sitting on a box by the stairs with a bat. 

He's barely sleeping, too busy trying to protect Fred. I've tried everything, bargaining, telling him I'd do watch for him, hell I even told on him to Mary, but to no avail. He wouldn't budge. So long as the man in the black hood was out there, I assume that's exactly what Archie plans to do.

"I'm worried about Archie, Jug." I sigh as the two of us walk towards Pops Diner.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"He's been playing prison warden every night since Fred came home." I say.

"What?" Jughead asks.

"He's barely sleeping, as soon as Mary and Fred go to bed, he sits on a box by the stairs with a bat guarding the place. I've tried bargaining, pleading, I offered to 'keep watch' for him so he could sleep, I even fucking told on him to Mary! But he won't fucking budge. He's traumatized, Jug. And I don't know how to help him." I sigh.

"Hey," Jug says, patting my shoulder. "We'll figure something out."

I nod, we walk up to the diner, immediately shocked at the state of it.

"What the hell?" I say to Jughead. The diner is completely deserted, with DEATH DINER spray painted in black along the side of it.

"C'mon we should talk to Pop." Jug says, as the two of us rush into the diner.

We walk in to see Pop Tate looking as sad as ever. Hat in hand hunched over the bar.

"Pop?" Jughead asks.

"Did you see?" Pop asks sadly. "Did you see what they wrote on my Chock'lit Shoppe?"

"Pop, whoever did this are bullies, looking for their next target." I tell him.

"Well, it's working. I'm afraid this might be the end of the Chock'lit Shoppe." Pop sighs.

"Pop Tate that is quitter talk!" I scold him.

"Nova, Jughead, I don't know what to tell you. Besides myself and you two, no one else is here. My entire staff quit. I don't know how I'm going to stay open. I don't think we'll even last the week." Pop says.

"Surely there's something that can be done?" Jughead asks.

"If you figure out what, please let me know." Pop sighs again.

"Well, I know a start." I say.

"What?" Jughead asks.

"Well, Jug. You talk to Betty, Veronica and Archie at school and see if they have any ideas. I will go and get some cleaning stuff from home and get the awful spray paint off the wall." I say.

"Oh, Nova that's nice of you but you don't have to-"

"It's non-negotiable, Pop! I'm cleaning up the place and absolutely no one is going to stop me!" I say.

"You really are a sweet girl, Nova. I can see why Fred raves about you like he does." Pop says.

"He does?" I ask.

"Absolutely, he tells me how talented you are, with your cross-country and your artworks and all the nice things you do for him and Archie. He's very proud of you." Pop tells me, I look down and smile.