GOODBYES [r.m]

EIGHTEEN

Sammy's POV

christmas flew by quick but it didn't feel like christmas. benny has been ghosting me for a while and i don't know why. archie has been talking about his stupid new years party he wants to throw. it's tomorrow and i have no choice to go.

it isn't going to be at the center, he's actually having a huge party here at his house. mary is out of town for the work so it's just me and archie for new years. well us two and teenagers.

today was the party actually and i don't plan to partake in anything tonight. i invited benny and he said that he's willing to come which is the only part i'm looking forward to.

i haven't spoken to reggie since christmas when he texted me. i didn't even respond, i just left him on read.

while people were starting to arrive, a few people were outside and in the house patting. yet, we were still expecting more people.

"enjoying yourself?" jasmine asks sarcastically as she sips her drink. "is my attitude giving it away?" i give her a tight smile before sweet pea walks over to us.

"hey ladies," he huffs and fixes his leather jacket. "um, if jughead asks, i'm not here," he says before walking away quickly.

"hey, isn't that benny?" jasmine questions as points towards the front door that was wide open with teens coming inside and out. i nod at her. i walk over to benny, squeezing through the crowd of tipsy teens who are grinding against each other to the beat of the song that was playing through the speakers.

"hey come in," i said with a smile. "actually, i can't stay for long.... can we talk?" he asks and scratches the back of his head. "of course," i nodded. we stood on the porch awkwardly as people took the hint that we wanted to be alone and went inside the house and left me and benny alone.

"what did you want to talk about?" i asked him once we were alone. "i-i'm moving," he says sadly. my stomach drops at his words.

"what? why?" i asked and placed my hand on his bicep.

"ever since me and reggie got into the fight my old man has been up my ass about it. saying how stupid it was to get into a fight and how it could've ruined my record. he also found out that i've been vaping and going to parties which apparently is "unhealthy" for me. i stopped vaping of course. he found out that it wasn't the first time that i got in a fight with reggie, i had to tell him. i'm super close to my dad and i always tell him everything. so now he's sending me away to some boarding school in minneapolis,"

he explains with a huff at the end. we look at each other in disbelief, he pulls me close and hugs me.

"i'm so sorry, sam." he whispers into my ear and kisses my cheek. i couldn't care less now that he called me sam. i'm just sad that he's moving away because of.... him.

"no i'm sorry. you should've never met me and i should've never met you. i brought trouble into your life and i'm-" he cuts me off by kissing me softly, he cups my face gently as well.

"meeting you was one of the best things that's ever happened to me," he says once he pulls back from our kiss. "you're good, sam. no matter what other people say or think of you, you're a good person. remember that," my eyes start to water as do his.

"i'll never forget you," i breathed out as he wiped a tear that rolled down my cheek.

"and i'll never forget you sammy santiago. you'll always have a special place in my heart,"

__________

"sammmyyyy,"

i heard someone yell my name from the hall way. i sighed as i got up from my bed and opened my bedroom door. i saw a betty coming my way with a look of concern.