Bury a Friend // Sweet Pea

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After a while Veronica comes over, she is looking furious.

"V? What's wrong?" I ask. "Ask your dumbass brother." She says. "Archie?" I ask. "I asked her to get something for me. My gun." He explains. "At least you were smart enough not to keep it in your locker. But a gun? Why? For what?" Veronica says. "To protect myself." Archie says. "Against the Black Hood?" I ask. "That video, the gun. If I'm following you I need to know where." Veronica says. "We need to know the full truth Arch." I say. "I want him dead! Okay?" Archie then says. "I want the Black Hood dead. And I want to be the one who does it. I wanna be the last thing that he sees." He says. "Spoken like a true vigilante." Veronica says. "No, you wanted the truth. I made that video and showed him my face so he'd make me his next target." He says. 

"I went to the South Side hoping he'd come for me." He adds. "You did what?!" I yell. "I told you the whole South Side want your head on a stick and you go there? Alone!" I add. "So you find the Black Hood and then what, huh? You shoot him?" I yell. "You can go to jail. Or you miss him and he kills you, Archie." Veronica adds. "It doesn't matter what happens to me, Veronica." He says. "Yes it does, Arch. It matters to us. And Dad, Betty Jughead, Mom." I say now with a calm voice. "Meanwhile like an idiot I'm trying to support you by designing t-shirts." Veronica says. "I didn't ask you to do that." Archie says. "No, you just asked her to get your loaded gun, Arch." I say. "And in case you wonder where it is. I threw it in Sweet Water River." Veronica says. "What?" Archie asks. "You can be mad at me now, but you'll thank me for it later." She says.

Then someone knocks on the door. Archie and I open it and see the football team standing there with... Pizza! "Reggie?" Veronica asks. "Can we come in?" Reggie asks. I nod and open the door further. "So why are you guys here?" I ask Reggie while eating pizza. "Archie could've told Weatherbee the hood was mine... But he didn't. In the book of Reg, that makes you a top-tier loyal badass. And we were talking today. And decided, if you wanna keep the Red Circle going... We're here for you, dude." Reggie explains. Then I hear the sound of motorcycles. Veronica and I look at each other and get up. We look trough the windows of the front door and see a group of Serpents walking up to our front door. "Not a moment to soon. Archie, trouble." Veronica says. "Why are they here?" I wonder out loud. Archie gets up and I open the door. 

"What do you want?" I ask. There is a really tall, handsome guy in front of me and Archie pushes my aside to talk to him. "How stupid are you Northsiders? You really think you can come to my house, stick a gun in my face in front of my boys, and there wouldn't be any payback?" The tall Serpents asks. "You did what?!" I yelled at Archie. "Sssssh, you can be mad at him later." Veronica says. Then Reggie opens the door to reveal the Bulldogs. "You have a crap timing, bro. Bulldogs eat Serpents for lunch." He tells the tall Serpent. "We'll see about that. And the more the merrier." The tall Serpents says, stepping forward. But Reggie pushes him back. "Hey, chill." He tells the guy. "Veronica, Jayden, stay here." Archie tells us. "What? Archie, no." Veronica says. "I'm not going to stay here. I'm coming with you." I say. "Veronica, after our dad... I made a promise to protect, him, Jayden and this house. Stay here. You to Jayden." Archie says then he turns back to the tall Serpent.

"If you wanna fight, we'll fight." He tells them. "What about your gun?" The Serpent asks. "What about your knife?" Archie asks in return. "How about no weapons?" Veronica says. "Sounds like a good plan to me." I say glaring at the tall guy, who's smirking at me. "No, Jayden. You're not coming." Archie says. "Ahw, Arch, please?" I ask. "Come on Archie, let Jay fight. She's one of the strongest in our team." Reggie says. "Fine." Archie then says. I smirk and then walk to the car pushing past all the Serpents. "You guys coming or what?" I say standing by the car.

After a good 5 mins we arrived at the place of the fight. It was raining really bad and we were already soaked, but I didn't care. The tall Serpent walked to the front and so did Archie. The Serpent just glared at him, waiting for Archie to launch the first punch and just as I thought Archie fell for it. He punched the Serpent right on the jaw. Then everyone launched at each other and I just stand here, kinda playing the referee. The tall Serpent tackles Archie and I chuckle. That's what you get if you challenge a Serpent. The next thin I see is some Serpent grabbing his knife and Archie trying to warn Dilton, but getting punched on the jaw. He falls to the ground and the tall Serpent kicks him in the stomach repeatedly. I run towards him and punch him on the eyes, he falls to the ground by the sudden contact and I helped up my brother. Then we all hear a gunshot. We turn around and see Veronica holding a gun.

The Serpents take a run and I help Dilton to the car. Reggie drives him to the hospital while Veronica takes me and Archie home. "Yo, Arch did you see that punch?" I ask him. "Yeah, he's going to have a serious black eye." Archie says while chuckling. When we come home I go upstairs to shower, while Veronica cleans Archie's wounds. When I get out of the shower I walk downstairs to grab something to drink and I see my dad sitting on the table. "Hey, dad. How was the meeting?" I ask. "Oh, well, it was fine." He says. "Dad, about Archie. He is telling the truth. I know you don't believe him, but the mask, it really was Reggie's, he just didn't want to rat out his friends." I tell him. "I know, princess. I've been way to harsh on him." He says and then pulls me into a hug. "I love you, Dad." I say. "I love you too, princess." He says kissing my forehead. Then I let go and go upstairs to sleep. "Goodnight." I say. "Goodnight." He says back. Then I get into bed and drift of in a long, deep sleep.

*DREAM*

Archie and I am walking to Pop's and then suddenly the Black Hood is standing in front of us. He wants to shoot me, but Archie jumps in front of me. He gets shot and falls to the ground. "NOOOOOOOO!" I yell and fall onto my knees. "Arch, why would you do that?" I ask, the tears streaming down my face. "I doesn't matter what happens to me, Jay. The only thing that matters is that you are save. I love you and I'll always will, Jayjay. Keep an eye on Dad while I'm gone, will yeah." He says, coughing up blood. "No, Arch. You're not leaving me. You can't leave. Not now, not ever. You can't leave me. Do you hear me? You can't leave me. I need you Arch. I need you." I say and he closes his eyes. He's gone. I cry my eyes out on his chest, holding on to him tightly. Then the black hood comes back and shoots me too.

*REAL*

I wake up screaming and all sweaty. Archie bursts into my room and hugs me. "What happened? Are you okay, Jayjay?" He asks, his voice calm and sweet. "T-t-the B-black Hood. Y-you d-d-d-died." I couldn't get the words out of my mouth as I was crying uncontrollably. "Hey, Jayjay, look at me. I won't leave you, okay? Not now, not ever." He says to me and I nod. When I calm down Archie stays telling me stories about when he tried to hit on girls, but didn't succeed. Eventually I fall back asleep and this time, my dreams are peaceful and nice. 

[A/N] Oof, Jayden punched Sweet Pea in the face first time they even saw each other. Nice. Anyways do you guys have a ship name for Jayden and Sweet Pea? I can't think of one, so yeah. Try your best to make one.