I'll Keep You Safe | Bughead

26.)

After the appointment, I texted Veronica and Archie to meet us at Pop's so we could tell them about the pregnancy. I would've invited Cheryl, too, but she's been distant ever since her and Veronica's break up.

I kept the sonogram picture in the pocket of jeans until we went to meet up with our friends when I took it out to hold in my hands underneath the table. When it was in my sight, I couldn't look away. 

Even after almost four months, I was still blown away by the fact I was gonna be a mom. I knew it wouldn't be perfect and that a lot of things would become complicated but I had support from my mom and Jughead; hopefully, after telling Archie and Veronica, they'd also supportive.

"How're you feeling?" Jug asked beside me, noticing how my gaze hadn't left the picture since we came in. "I'm...I'm good. Excited," I answered, putting the picture back in my pocket and bringing my hands to the table, tapping my fingertips impatiently while my leg bounced under the table. 

"When do you think we should start thinking of names?" I asked, looking over at Jug as he took his jacket off. "Well, do we wanna know the gender when we can?" he asked, setting the balled-up fabric between him and the wall.

I sat back in thought. "I mean, maybe. I don't really think it would change much with prepping, though," I replied. I'd never been one for "blue boys" and "pink girls," when it came to babies. I imagine its clothes would be gender-neutral, whether or not we found out before birth.

"Yeah," I said, nodding slightly. "I think I wanna know." "Then I do, too," Jughead replied, putting a supportive hand on my thigh before the bell chimed on the door and Veronica and Archie walked through. 

I adjusted myself in my seat to sit up straight as they found our booth and came over. "Okay, what's the important news you have for us?" Veronica said, leaning close to the table with a smile on her face as Archie slid in beside her. "Wow, hello to you, too, V," I chuckled.

"Come on, I wanna know!" she nearly whined. "Okay, okay," I replied, looking over at Jug. "You wanna start or should I?" "You can," Jughead answered, slightly motioning to me with his hand. "Okay, well," I began, turning back to Veronica and Archie.

"Jughead and I went to an appointment today, and they gave us a few of these," I said, pulling the sonogram picture out of my pocket and sliding it across the table. "Oh my gosh, B!" Veronica squealed, clapping her hands together happily.

"Wow, congrats, you guys," Archie said, looking up with a grin. "How long?" "Almost 14 weeks," I answered with a smile, looking over at Jug, who was just as happy as me. Veronica continued to examine the picture before asking, "Boy or girl?" 

"We actually don't know yet," Jughead answered. "We won't know for about another four weeks," I added as Jughead wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Names?" "We're waiting on the gender for that one," Jughead replied. 

"You guys have got to let me throw you a baby shower," Veronica said, firmly placing both hands on the table as I took the picture back. "Eh, I don't know, V. Isn't that more of a third-trimester thing?" I asked, putting the picture away to resist the urge of staring at it endlessly. 

"Fine," Veronica replied. "Call me the second you get seven months in so I can get decorations," she said. I rolled my eyes and laughed  before Archie chuckled and asked, "Is that why you were craving french fries yesterday?" 

I just nodded in response before my stomach growled and my eyes widened. "You know what sounds really good right now?" I asked, grabbing onto Jug's arm. "What, baby?" he asked with a grin probably expecting me to say some kind of weird pregnancy food.

"Onion rings!" I answered happily, my mouth watering even at the thought. I didn't understand why my cravings got so strong; I wasn't even really I fan of onion rings. "Do you wanna order some?" Jughead asked, nodding slowly with a smile, probably because of how ridiculously happy the thought of onion rings was making me.

"Ooh! And a chocolate milkshake!" I added as the other two across the booth gave me the same look as the one Jughead was giving me. "Okay, that's where I have to draw the line, babe. No more caffeine for the next five months," he said, making my lip pout. 

"Oh my gosh, stop arguing and just order the damn food," Veronica chuckled, wearing a look of fake dread. "Some of us are hungry, too," Archie added with a grin as we all laughed. My eyes lowered until I saw the corner of the picture hanging out my pocket. I smiled, putting a hand on my stomach.

I know that realistically my baby was only skin cells at this point and it certainly wasn't a life, but I could feel it that in that booth, there weren't four of us, there was five.