Picnic || jarchie

six

Jughead awoke to a stuffed pink bear hitting his face repeatedly and a child like laughter. He sat up, rubbing  the sleep from his eyes as jellybean practically jumped on him, screaming and laughing.

"Hap'y burt-day juggie!" She sounded out, a head of of unbrushed hair with  bright brown eyes that twinkled in a way that only childish wonder could do. The innocent brain of someone who hasnt experienced a bad day in it's full definition. JellyBean Jones was only 4 years old, and she was sunshine embodiment, she radiated bright yellows and golds and Jughead would do anything to protect her. However, today was a special day because Jughead turned 14. Which was honestly the age everyone started to believe you're not a kid anymore. Jughead lifted Jellybean with ease as the last little bit of sleep was shut out by his pure excitement at being a teenager. He stumbled out of their shared room and into the kitchen area of the trailer, where his mother was waiting.

"Happy birthday, Fp Jr" She remarked. Jughead just smiled softly at her. He knew she was trying.

Trying her hardest to like a kid she never wanted. He was hard work, and he knew that. He knew that he blew up on her too much, expected too much a mother who didn't like him. Although he thought maybe she might be happier that his meltdowns went from 4 times daily to once a week. He stopped trying so hard to make her like him. By 13 he realized that maybe he just wasn't good enough, because seeing her interact with JellyBean was different. He saw the way her eyes softened when she was holding her daughter. Sometimes he was jealous. He wanted to kick and scream for her to hold him the way she held his sister. He wanted his mother to look at him like he was something she wanted, he wanted her to love him. And yet, it was his birthday and that was probably the only thing she'll say to him all day.

He sat jellybean down at the table and made a straight line for the phone on the wall, clicking in the all two familiar numbers as if his brain didn't even need to recognize what they were, muscle memory at its finest. It rang two times before Archie Andrews answered, "Happy birthday Juggie!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, so loud jughead pulled the phone away from his ear before pulling it right back and laughing at him.

Jughead wrapped the cord of the phone around his finger as he listened to Archie talk excitedly about the day he had planned for him and their friends. He watched his mom cut up and feed jellybean the pancakes she made smiling as she did it, unlike Jughead who couldn't help but grimace. He turned to face the wall and pressed his forehead to it as Archie kept talking. Jughead hummed along in response before the line went silent.

"Archie?' Jughead asked. No response. He bit his lip as he heard the sound of faint footprints on the other end and the phone being picked up. Someone said his name and he would have recognized it ages ago, Fred Andrews. He smiled as he greeted him before a throat clearing sound was heard on the other end. Jughead's smile got bigger as he heard Archie and his dad sing Happy Birthday to him. His cheeks tinted pink as Archie yelled, "I love you Jonesy!" And the line went silent. Jughead closed his eyes as he untangled his finger from the cord and slowly hung up the phone.

He turned to face Jellybean, who gave him a syrupy smile and he returned a softer one. It was going to be a long day.

-

"Jughead how does it feel being  a man now?" Kevin asked as he happily dunked his fries into steak sauce and ate them. They were stuffed into a booth at pops, all four of them. Next to Kevin was betty and next to Jughead was Archie.

Jughead laughed as he pushed  a curl out of his eye. "I don't know," He answered honestly, "I don't feel like a man." he lifted up his arm and pretended to flex the muscles he didn't have. Everyone laughed at his familiar antics and Jughead almost forgot about his mother, who didn't want to spend his birthday with him, Almost. Archie started up another conversation talking with Kevin and Betty about what they think the spring musical will be this year. Archie was interested because he finally quit football this year to spend more time being a regular teenager, and he wanted to learn more about his bestfriends' obsession. Jughead went to chime in when his phone started ringing. He furrowed his eyebrows before pulling it out. Mom. Okay now he was scared.