Real

1

Jughead still lay awake at 4:42 am his eyes staring up at the ceiling blinking. In nights of insomnia like these, he thought of her. He loved her with all of his being, with everything in him. She loved him too he was sure of it. With an annoyed sigh, he threw the blankets off his sticky & sweaty body and trudged his way to the kitchen. Time for a midnight; well more so 4 am snack should fix this. He would not call her. He fixed himself an English muffin and sat at the table and laid his head on the small plastic table and closed his weary eyes. His thoughts would not stop racing. He could not get his brain to shut off no matter how much he tried. He missed her with everything in him. The pop of his muffin finishing toasting startled him out of his sleepy state and when he raised his head there she was.

"Hello dear," she said with a bright smile.

He stared for a moment before mumbling out a barely audible "hi."

She followed him bare feet padding behind him as he pulled his hot English muffin out the toaster.

"C'mon," she said pouting her lip out "don't ignore me, Jug, I came all this way just to see ya," she said reaching a handout.

Her fingernails had been chewed down to the point of scabs forming where the nails had disappeared. Once her hand came in contact with his shoulder he let out a small sigh. Jughead was yet to say anything besides his simple mildly annoyed "hi" from earlier. She continued to hover over him her breath fanning across his long dark hair that reached just above his collar bones.

"So," she said pulling herself on the counter up on the counter and snatching half of his English muffin.

"What's up with the 'tude you've got today," she said taking a large bite of it then continuing "not happy to see me." She was smiling that smile that taunted him.

"No, I'm just tired" he mumbled out yet to touch the half of English muffin she had left him.

"Then go to sleep silly," she said with the giggle he was certain was a sound he would hear in heaven.

"It's harder to do it," he said.

She didn't understand why he couldn't sleep.

She didn't understand it was mostly her fault.

"It doesn't really matter anyway." he continued finally taking a tiny bite out of his snack.

"I have to get up in an hour and 36 minutes anyhow I'll be fine I'll just drink lots of red bull and coffee," he said dryly.

"Good idea" she squealed hopping down from the counter with a loud thump.

She was always like this encouraging the bad habits he had and knew were bad. She knew they were bad too she just didn't care. She loved to see the self-destruction that came from not sleeping.

"How'd you even get here and why are you here. Haven't you heard it's polite to knock?" he said slightly annoyed but still trying to be kind.

Loving her was the most exhausting thing.

She rolled her green eyes at him. She seemed to do that a lot.

"I came because I felt like it and it none of ya business how I got here" she snapped slightly annoyed at his cross tone with her.

"Besides you should be happy to see me no matter why I'm here."

He could see that annoying temper starting to flare up. She expected so much from him. She was still harshly looking at him as he struggled to fumble out a proper and apologetic reply that would satisfy her.

"I'm sorry," he said lamely.

"Good you should be you're lucky I'm even with you."

He prevented himself from rolling his eyes knowing it would set her temper off.