Just The Two Of Us <Sweet Pea FF>

61. Coming Home

Hey Ju,
Something terrible happened.
How fast can you come home?

Never wanted I to return to this forsaken town. Never.
But still I packed my things and got on the first plane back to Riverdale when I received the message. May it be the death of Fred Andrews or the word home.

Seeing everything from afar, riverdale really is my home. There are my friends and I regret how I left everything. I was selfish when I left and one thing I learned from Fred was to think about others first. I want to be there now, saying goodbye to him. I just hope they dont hate me, since I simply disappeared, leaving my friends, the serpents and sweet pea.

~

It was just the mentioning of her name and it feels like strings wrap around his heart, pulling and tightening until it feels like it was about to explode.

You could describe his heartache as the music of a great orchestra. At times it was quiet and allowed him to function, at other times the violins would play and he would be sad, then at other times it would rise to a crescendo and the anger would burst from his chest in a vicious shout of anguish. Right now there was a flute playing and he was able to remember her with fondness, that was rare though.
Just the mentioning of her name and sadness and anger overflow him.

The hope she might come back to him died a long time ago but now the rumours started she is on her way back to Riverdale.

The music playing inside him and the questions burning under his skin. But on the outside he was cold, like ice was flowing through his veins.

He knows that everybody he cares for leaves, may it be his parents or Julia. Better not care at all.

~

Perhaps this breakup was the only way I was able to rediscover who I am, the me that is purely myself. I had these dreams. I had these amazing technicolour dreams that I needed to make into some kind of reality for me. Believing to find them abroad I took the first plane away from here. Every crazy thing that ever happened to me came together and drove me away from this town. Just to realise that I was happiest when I'm right here.

And if sweet pea can find it in his heart to forgive me, I want to try it again. Because the truth is I'm not even half as happy when we are apart.

I hope he came to the same conclusion and wants to get back together.

My parents, their murder,
The foster family, the beating,
Black hood, Gargoyle king, Farm,
The fear and the pain.
I wanted to flee instead of facing my issues and hurt my loved ones in the process.

Accepting the scholarship was just an excuse I put forward to get away.

But I'm back, wanting to turn back time.

And it feels like I did, standing in front of the Jones' house.
For a moment I just look at it. The white veranda with the flag out front.
The door opens and jughead steps outside. Despite the sadness on the occasion of fred andrews death, he wears a little smirk on his face.

I fall into his arms.
"I missed you" I muffle into his shirt.
"Too"

With a sigh we step inside and after greeting Fp and Jb we get ready for the service.

The last time I was at the graveyard was at my foster fathers funeral.
It feels so far away and at the same time it is like I never left.

I greet Ronnie, Betty, Kevin, Cheryl, Toni and all the others. My eyes fall on an all too familiar red head.

"Archie" we hug "I'm so sorry for your loss" a tear drop runs down my cheek.
"I'm just happy you're here. Thank you for coming" a mild smile appears on his face.

The service starts and I sit down next to my friends. It's a beautiful service and very tearful, especially when Archie holds his speech.

They put a picture up next to the coffin and all the memories come flooding back like a tidal wave. All the time I spent at Archies home, all the help Fred offered, when he gave the serpents shelter.
His face seems so alive and happy in this picture and I can't help but wonder what he looks like now, under that closed wooden box. He did not deserve to die like this, not this early.

It's crazy how things can turn upside down for you. You see the person every day and suddenly, they're gone and when they go, a part of you goes with them too.

Later, we all sit in the Andrews' backyard, watching the firework in honor of Fred. Looking up into the black sky and the colourful sparkles when Archie gets up and enters the garage.

"There's a club"
At my words Archie, who was leaning his arms on the car he worked on with his dad, shuffles. His head, which was down, turns and he looks at me.

A couple steps and I am right next to him "The dead dads club. And you can't be in it until you're in it. You can try to understand, you can sympathize. But until you feel that loss... My dad died when I was 9. I'm really sorry you had to join the club"

"I... I don't know how to exist in a world where my dad doesn't." His head sinks back down.

"Yeah, that never really changes"