I Got You ☆ Archie Andrews

48

[ DAUGHTER OF A GANG LEADER ]

word count: 653
not edited

"Thank god Andre didn't leave when I told him to." Veronica said as the five friends now sat in a booth at Pop's. "Thank god you two didn't catch up to that hillbilly in the woods. He might've killed you guys.. and that would've been.." the girl trailed off, not wanting to think about what could've happened to her friends.

Archie put his hand on the table, and Jade intertwined hers with his. Veronica put hers on top, followed by Betty and Jughead.

Archie and Jade didn't say any more about what happened in the woods that awful night. Well, not to them at least.

☆

"You can stop worrying now, Archie. I'm home." Jade said as he sat her bag down in the trailer, Jughead has taken Betty home and her father was off somewhere.

"Are you mad?" He asked

"Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know.."

"Because my boyfriend was defending his ex girlfriend and her dad, who is completely trying to take over the southside, my home?"

"Jade.. I wasn't defending them.. I just think what Mr. Lodge is doing could help Riverdale.."

"And if that means taking away my home, you're fine with that?"

"It's not taking away your home, it's just making it better.."

"That's all you privileged North Siders think. That the southside is hell on earth."

"Wouldn't you rather be living a normal life, than in a drug ridden side of town? In a gang?"

"I would've said yes if you asked me that when I was 13. But, now I've changed. I'm not the same girl that wants to grow up, go to college, get married and have kids in a house with a white picket fence. Now, I'm the daughter of a gang leader, Archie. I'm the serpent princess. I've done things that I can't undo, and that I can't come back from.. or lead a normal life because of them. Okay?" Jade said, "I think you should leave.."

She closed her eyes and sighed, hearing his footsteps toward the door.

"No, Jade." He said and she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm not going to just leave when we get mad at each other. I'm not just going to walk away from a fight." He says, "I'm not going to let our opinions get in between us." He sighed, grabbing her hands. "I love you, Jade. I love you just the way you are, I'd love you if you wanted a house with a picket fence or not. I love you for who you are, not what you are. I love you for so many things.. for how passionate you are for things you love and care about, for how you put others before yourself.."

"Arch, I'm going to stop you before you write a novel longer than Jughead's.." She laughed and put her hand on his cheek, "I love you too."

☆

Fp and Jade walked into the trailer after Fp's shift at Pop's and her being at the Whyte Wyrm.

"Hey." Fp said to his son who was standing in the kitchen.

"What's all this?" Jade asked after seeing all the papers pinned to the wall.

"Hopefully, this is the article that saves the town from Hiram Lodge."

"Jughead.." Fp started but Jughead kept talking.

"If I can fit the pieces together."

"Boy, you need to drop this. He rescued us. He.. he bought the trailer park, forgave our debts."

"What? He's the reason we almost lost the trailer park."

"Hiram's slicker than a bottle of snake oil, no doubt, but this is—" Jade started but Jughead cut her off, sitting down and rubbing his face.

"Dad, Jade, please." Jughead said, "Hiram Lodge just bought the Riverdale Register." Fp sat down, taking in the new information. "He's trying to silence dissenting voices before he makes his big play. He's afraid. He's afraid of this exposure."