The Darkest Times

𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙙

When the time 3:30 had come, Jughead could feel the euphoric feeling pulsing through his blood. He was beyond excited to meet Sweet Pea at Pop's. As he let one foot fall in front of the other, as he walked down the steps of Riverdale High, he felt Archie come up behind him.

Archie put his arm around Jughead's shoulder, catching Jughead by surprise as he had his headphones in. "Hey" Archie started the conversation. "Hey." Jughead said back as he pulled one of his earbuds out and let it fall to his side.

"What're you doing later?" Archie asked him? "I'm just a bit busy." He didn't know if Betty had said anything to Archie about him being gay and he didn't know if Sweet Pea cared or not about people knowing, so he thought it best to keep it to himself.

"With what?" Archie questioned curiously as the walked to Jughead's bike. "A thing." Jughead said, keeping it short. Archie soon unwrapped his arm from Jughead. Archie soon sighed and cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Betty told Veronica and I." Archie stated, not making eye contact with Jughead and stuffing his hands into his blue jean pockets awkwardly. Jughead felt his heart skip a beat suddenly. "Told you about what?" Jughead asked almost choking on his words.

"About you being gay. I don't care or anything, but why didn't you tell me?" Archie asked, almost as if he were hurt. Jughead sighed lightly. "I don't know. You and I are close so I didn't know how you'd feel." Jughead spoke honestly as he sat on his bike.

Archie nodded slightly. "I get it." Archie spoke. "But just know you can talk to me about anything." Archie spoke. Archie and Jughead has been friends since they could walk and he loved Jughead. He wouldn't stop being friends just because Jughead was gay. "Thanks" Jughead said with a small smile, his anxiousness fading.

Archie nodded. "I'll see you around, okay?" Jughead nodded before Archie smiled and walked away. Jughead let out a heavy breath before starting his motorcycle and going home.

•••

Stepping inside of his trailer, the sense of loneliness hit him along with the lingering aroma of alcohol. Jughead closed the door quietly to the trailer as he'd seen his father asleep on the floor. No blanket or anything.

Just some bottle of New Amsterdam. A few more bottles lay around him, Jughead not caring to much what they were. He quietly made his way to his room, shutting the door behind him as quietly as possible.

He then smiled to himself at the thought of having a date with Sweet Pea. He then sat down on his bed before laying fully laying down and before he knew it he was asleep.

                    •••

⚠️HUGE TRIGGER WARNING ( PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE) ⚠️

"WAKE THE FUCK UP!" That made Jughead jump right out of his sleep. He quickly looked over at the alarm clock by his bedside table seeing that it was about 6:45. His father was standing angrily at the entrance of his door.

"Shit" Jughead said quietly under his breath as he'd realized he hadn't locked his door. He felt like such an idiot. Fp quickly snatched Jughead up by his denim jacket and pulled him close to his face. Jughead could I obviously tell he'd been drinking way too much.

More than usually anyways. He completely wreaked of alcohol. "Who the fuck do you think you are going to sleep when there is shit to be done in this house?! This place is a complete shit hole because you don't do shit to clean up! You're so fucking pathetic Jughead! You're a complete piece of shit!"

Fp yelled loudly and angrily at Jughead as he shook him and gripped his shirt tighter. Jughead scrunched up his face, terrified. He was on the verge of tears but couldn't let himself cry.

"ANSWER ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT! ANSWER ME FAGGOT!" He screamed before slapping Jughead across the face. That one hurt the most. His father had never hit him that hard before. He'd never called Jughead that word before.

Suddenly he couldn't hold it in anymore and tears flowed from his eyes like a melting spring. "You're such a little bitch. Why did God have to curse me with a faggot of a son. I told Gladys she should have had that fucking abortion."

Fp said coldly as he shook his head before walking out and slamming the door as hard as he could. Jughead looked over at the clock as it read 6:55. He had tears streaming down his face and he couldn't stop them. He didn't know how.

"Please stop." He said as he tried to beg himself. "Please stop" He repeated silently to himself. Of course the river didn't stop flowing so he allowed himself to cry. Just this one time, he allowed his father to hurt him.