Holding on to You

Chapter 21✔︎

Jug's PoV
   I walk over to the school's fogged up mirror. Then I brush my hair trying to tame my wild curls. My beanie will cover up the the curls that refuse to be neat.

   I brush my teeth with my minty toothpaste. It kind of numbs my mouth and I wish it could numb my life sometimes. I look up at me in the mirror expecting only one teen boy but see two.

   Archie staring at me makes me jump and laugh. "Oh!"

   He smiles at me, "What are you doing here?"

   "Taking advantage of the school's state-of-the-art facilities." I shrug it off and run my fingers through my wet hair.

   Archie looks around the locker room and I turn back to the mirror. "No really, Jughead. What are you doing here?"

   I toss my things back into a box I have. "Let me change first."

   "Sure Jug."

   I put on the outfit I've been wearing some kind of version of my whole life. Archie is waiting for me when I leave the locker room. I take him to the janitor's closet I've been staying in.

   He studies his surroundings, "How long?"

   "Well, since they shut down the drive in. That's where I was living before." I explain to him.

  "Why the hell are you not living at home?"

   I look down at the small stack of books I have on my bed. "The truth is, things aren't good at home."

   "With your dad?"

   "Yeah. He kind of fell off the wagon. After your dad fired him, to tell you the truth. Hasn't had a job since. He keeps promising that he's gonna get his act together, but my mom couldn't take that roller coaster anymore so she grabbed Jellybean and went to live with our grandparents." The bell rings and I grab my bag containing a few of my belongings. "Come on."

  "God, Jug, why didn't you tell me? And where does your dad think you are?" Archie leaves the sad closet with me.

   "He thinks I'm couch surfing."

   Archie gets a little bitter at my dumb actions, "Well screw that. Live with me."

   I stop him in the hallway, "This is temporary man. I'm going to figure something out. Just don't tell anybody. Especially not Y/N.

  "Y/N?" He scoffs, "You didn't tell her your living in that thing? Also Veronica is the one you should be worried about. She will be a snob about it."

   I shrug, "Didn't want Y/N to be worried...just don't tell anyone." I walk away from the red head to the lounge. At this point I just want to see my girlfriend.

   The student lounge was almost empty besides from the Sad Breakfast Club.

   "My mom and dad don't want to get the police involved. They don't want anyone to know that she ran away, or about her shameful condition." Betty slumps into the couch.

    I sit down next to Y/N which is luckily no where near Betty. She gives me a kiss on the cheek. I wrap my arms around her and hold her close to me. There is no way I'm letting Betty take this angel away from me.

   "Please. What decade is this?" Veronica asks.

   Betty shrugs, "Also, since she knew where Jason's getaway car was, they're afraid people might think that she burned it and if she did..."

   "She could be the murderer, trying to cover her tracks." I fiddle with one of Y/N's hands.

   "Who did burn the car then?" Archie cracks his knuckle.

   "Sheriff Keller says it's possible someone was following us."

   Veronica takes a sip from her coffee, "Oh my god. Honestly, guys, we should just move."

   I laugh at her. That is the only way to solve problems in Riverdale it seems. I'm on board only if Y/N is.

   Betty sighs, "Guys, what if Polly's really hurt? What if whoever killed Jason is coming after her next?

   "Wouldn't be so bad if he came after you." I hear Y/N mumble.

   I give her hand a squeeze and kiss her forehead, "Your mine not her." I remind her.

   She gives me a small smile but it diffuses once she sees Betty rolling her eyes. "Got a problem Betty because I do." Y/N looks at Betty sharply.

   "Yes Y/N I do. My problem is you! You've know how I've felt about Jughead and you stole him from me." Betty stands up.

   Y/N stands up to intimidate Betty, "Actually all I can recall is Archie rejecting you then after you kissed my boyfriend. If I were you I would stay away from me and Jughead."

  Kevin's jaw drops, "The tea! Where is the popcorn? This is going to be good."

   Veronica gazes at the girl's heated argument, "Wait a second, Betty you kissed Jughead?"

   Betty shrugs and smiles, "Whats wrong with that V? You did the same to me."

   "Archie and you weren't dating! It's completely different. What you did is evil and too your best friend." Veronica stands up to join the spat.

  "Ooh bitch fight!" Reggie yells from the corner.

   "Jughead doesnt want you Y/N just live with it." Betty crosses her arms.

   Y/N lunges at Betty but I grab her in time. "Hey! Calm down Y/N..." I hold onto her to cool her down.

   She takes a deep breathe and nods. Y/N sits back down on the couch with me next to her.

    The other girls take a seat as well. We are quiet for a while until Archie makes a suggestion, "Betty even though your parents don't want to, maybe you should go to the police."

  I guess we are saving this fight for later. Kevin nods, "Second it. We can talk to my dad together about how he has be discreet."

   "No offense, Kev, but your dad answers to a higher authority than God: the Blossoms. They're the first people he would tell." I place my arm back around Y/N.

   Betty agrees, "And if there's anyone to keep this secret from, it's the Blossoms. They'd twist it around and go after Polly out of spite"

   "How can we help? Tell us B and we will do it." Veronica asks. She must have decided to save the biggest problem for later and focus on Polly. Hopefully Y/N will do the same.

   Betty hides her face in her hands and sighs into them. This is going to be a long day.

Y/N PoV
   I leave the student lounge with Ronnie while making sure Betty doesn't follow us. "I'm sorry Veronica."

  She gives me a baffled glance, "What are you sorry about?"

  "Betty dragged you into our fight. Now you and her will be having friendship problems too." I play with the strap of my backpack trying to loosed it.

   "What friendship problems? You and me aren't fighting." Veronica gives me a smug smile, "I am also sick of her shit."

   I nod.

   We leave the hallway and head to class. Kevin runs up to us panicking, "Guys oh my god!"

  "What?" I ask.

  "Cheryl just tweeted #PollyCooperKilledMyBrother, #NowhereToHide, #SharpenYourPitchForks."

   My jaw drops and I steal the phone out of his hand. "We need to find Polly before the Blossoms do." This situation might be centered mostly around Betty but I don't care. This isn't her problem...it's all of ours.

  "I love the drama here!" Kevin says happily.