A Touch Of Colour

Chapter 16

Kevin, Archie, Betty and Veronica sat around one of the lunch tables, discussing their project.

"Ethel? Seriously? I've literally never spoken to this girl. How am I supposed to write a whole short story with her?" Kevin complained.

"I think part of the point is to step out of your comfort zone, to talk to people you haven't before." Betty reasoned.

"I don't think any of us have really spoken to our partners before. It's a nice change of scenery," Archie said.

"Are you saying you're tired of us, Archiekins?" Veronica smiled. Archie smiled back sheepishly.

"Well I got Sweet Pea. Isn't he one of Jughead's friends?" Betty said, switching the focus of the conversation.

"I think so. Hey, have you spoken to him recently? It's like he dissociated from us when you two broke up." Archie said.

"No, we haven't really talked. I think it's easier this way, neither of us get hurt by hanging on to the past, hanging on to what we wish was still there." Betty sighed.

Veronica seemed noticeably uncomfortable by Betty's comment, and yet Betty didn't notice.

"Does he feel that way?" Kevin asked.

"I... I don't know, we haven't spoken."

"So what are you guys planning to write for your projects?" Veronica smiled, switching the subject to one that didn't involve her soulmate being hung up on her ex.

"I don't know. I think it'll be easier for inspiration to flow when I'm actually working with Sweet Pea, that way I won't get too hung up on my ideas only for him to crush them," Betty sighed.

Speaking of Sweet Pea, he, Fangs and Toni were sat around one of the smaller tables in the cafeteria. Jughead was nowhere to be found.

"Where do you think he could be, though? I haven't seen him since... since the night I came to apologise to you two," Toni frowned.

"We haven't seen him either." One of Fangs' hand was toying around with Sweet Pea's, the other shovelling food into his mouth.

"Hey, how about that English project? Can't believe I got paired with the most stuck-up bitch on this planet. I heard Cheryl's not felt emotions since middle school. How'd I manage to get her as a partner? She won't be able to write a short story if she has no emotions," Toni smiled half-heartedly, trying to cheer up the table. They weren't sad, exactly, just a bit down having not seen their friend in a few days.

This wasn't usually something Jughead did, so it made his friends worry.

"I'm sure she's not that bad," Sweet Pea assured. "Fangs, who'd you get again?"

"Archie Andrews. I've no idea if he's any good. Though his head's probably more in the game. I have a feeling I'll be the one doing all the work," Fangs sighed. "You got Betty, right Pea?"

"Yeah. Heard she's good at writing," Sweet Pea said. "Works with the Blue and Gold school newspaper things. By the way, why would they call it the Blue and Gold? That's a bit insensitive to the people who haven't met their soulmates, don't you think?"

"People like me?" Toni smirked.

"Yeah. People like you. You don't think so?"

"I guess. But it isn't really a problem, it's just the school newspaper," Toni argued.

"True," Fangs agreed. "Hey, do you think you'll be meeting your soulmate any time soon? I had a bit of a gut feeling for a while before Sweets and I figured it out."

"I don't know, maybe. How is it supposed to feel?" Toni half-frowned.

"Like your life is about to begin," Fangs said, sort of like a question, more than a statement. He turned to look at Sweet Pea, who was smiling at him like his life depended on it.

"Well, I guess I feel a bit different. Like something's trying to tell me something."

"Kev, you always take the bus, right?" Archie asked once everyone else had left the student lounge. He was previously sitting on the seat across from Kevin, but stood up and walked around to sit next to him.

"Yeah, why?" Kevin smiled coyly, closing his book.

"I could drive you home after school, your house is on the way to mine, so it wouldn't be an inconvenience, and—"

"I think that's a good idea," Kevin smiled.

"Yeah? Okay, cool. Do you want to, uh, should we.. do you—"

"Should we go now?" Kevin chuckled, finishing Archie's words for him.

"Yeah," Archie blushed.

"Come on." Kevin stood, grabbing his bag on the way up.

Archie drove out of the school's parking lot, as Kevin put music on through Archie's phone.

"You and Betty have a similar taste in music," Archie stated.

"We do?"

"Yeah. But yours is a bit more upbeat. It's... refreshing."

"Refreshing?" Kevin laughed.

"Yeah. I've been listening to the same stuff Betty's been putting on for years. It's nice to have someone with new songs. I was getting sick of her songs."

Kevin had a feeling he wasn't just talking about the songs.

"Have you told your dad?" Kevin asked, picking at his nails out of nerves. He wasn't exactly sure why he was nervous.

"I haven't, yet, but I'm planning to. I just... don't exactly know how to tell him."

"Do you want me to be there with you? I could do that, if you'd like. I know how it feels to come out to your dad," Kevin offered.

"I would like that, it's just, I think this is something I should do on my own." Archie moved one hand away from the steering wheel to take Kevin's. Kevin looked over at Archie, who was focused on the road.

"Of course. I get it." "Thanks for the offer, though. It means a lot," Archie smiled over at Kevin, but managed to keep his eyes on the road. Kevin smiled back