Resilience | Sweet Pea.

6 - Guard dog Archie.

I sit cross-legged on my bed later that night, immersed in my book with Vegas sprawled out in front of me. Knowing Archie's downstairs in guard dog mode makes me uneasy. So, I haven't exactly been sleeping well either. I wish he'd sleep, he's getting more and more paranoid, I've never seen the bags under his eyes look so intense.

I get a fright when I see Vegas' jolt up unexpectedly, before hearing something from downstairs. I rush downstairs to make sure Archie's alright only to see Archie aiming a baseball bat at Jughead.

"Woah woah woah! It's just me!" Jughead gasps, holding his hand to his chest.

"Jughead?" Archie asks, putting down the bat.

"What the hell are you two idiots doing?" I ask, walking up to them.

"Jug are you insane?" Archie asks, ignoring me.

"You're the one that looks like a Dream Warrior from Nightmare on Elm Street 3!" Jughead retorts, also ignoring me.

"Let's just sit down okay?" Archie asks.

"What did the lawyer say, Jug?" I ask, as all 3 of us sit around the counter.

Jughead had just been in a meeting with his dad and a lawyer, to see how long his dad would be going to prison after the whole Jason Blossom vendetta. Jughead sighs, which indicates it's not good news.

"I've been walking around all night trying to wrap my head around how bad it is." Jughead sighs. He looks at Archie and I almost teary-eyed. I put my hand on his forearm.

"It's bad." He says in barely a voice. A troubled, terrified expression plastered all over his face.

"Jug..." Archie mutters as Jughead tries not to cry.

"Guys, my dad is facing 20 years." Jughead says, emotions bleeding out through his tone. Archie puts his head down and sighs.

"Crap, Jughead. I'm sorry. That sucks." Archie says.

"Juggie, I'm so sorry." I say softly, gently squeezing his arm.

"The lawyer thinks he should take the deal, and if he doesn't and the case goes to trial, he could be facing 40 years." Jughead says, his breath trembling.

"Jug..." I whisper.

"I'm just... Really, really scared." Jughead says.

"Hey, of course you are. Come here." I say, pulling Jughead into a hug. Archie walks over and puts his arms around the both of us too.

"Yeah, me too." Archie sighs, releasing us from the hug.

"About what?" Jughead asks as we both look at Archie in confusion.

Archie looks out the window, as if remembering something.

"Nah. Nothing." He closes off.

"Arch?" I ask him.

"Nothing. You should go back to bed, Nova." Archie says.

"Or you could not tell me what to do?" I snap.

"Nova-"

"Absolutely not, Archie. I'm worried about you." I say.

"Well don't." Archie snaps at me.

"Hey, dude. Don't go off on her, she just cares about you." Jughead defends me.

"I'm just scared, what if he comes back?" Archie asks.

"Archie If that psychopath ever comes anywhere near you or Fred ever again I will shove a knife through his jugular. No one will ever hurt Fred or you again." I say.