𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 ¹

|𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓽𝔂-𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓻|𝓝𝓸 𝓔𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼|

Chapter Forty-Four - No Expectations

No, I don't mean to pry, I don't need no play by play,

All I need from your side is for you to communicate,

Respect for my time, respect for my space, respect for my energy,

Cause I've been waiting here all night for you to warm me up but you haven't once thought of me,

I wish I had no expectations, I really wish I could get through your head, with no confrontation wish we could talk about it instead,

All these tears that I cried while I'm turned to the side and you're in the same fucking bed,

Wish I had no expectations but I expect you expect we expect,

-Lauren Jauregui, "Expectations,"

•••

Veronica

"And you're sure it's him?" Jug asks carefully for what seems like the hundredth time in the last hour, a deep frustrated sigh escapes Mike as he paces the short expanse of his living room, frantically, his bruised knuckles buried deep in his silky raven mane,

"Yes, I'm fucking sure, Jughead," he groans the same exact response he's been uttering for the last hour Jug's question has been repeated,

"Well if he's back then it's safe to assume, Penny isn't far behind," Toni comments, her hand grips mine tightly,

"If Penny is back, then we're all fucked," Jazzy chimes in, her arms folded over her chest as she leans against the kitchen counter,

"Yeah, no shit," Sweet Pea remarks with his usual snark, my eyes scan the room thoroughly, the unease scribbled on everyone's faces makes me worry all the more, they've been uttering the same things over and over again, the situation seems to be one of peril, but I can't share their same unease as I'm completely obvious to what's occurring,

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" I speak up finally, fed up with the mystery surrounding my new acquaintance, everyone pauses their current actions, all gazes slowly landing in my direction, the silence is deafening and it makes the pit in my stomach expand,

"I already told you, it's safer if you don't know," Mike explains in a calm tone of voice,

"That's bullshit, Michael, and you fucking know it," Jazzy speaks up, it seems as if she too has lost all patience,

"Don't," Mike warns, shaking his head,

"Don't what? Warn her? What a-are you scared that if she finds out the deep shit you've gotten yourself into she'll leave?" she raises an eyebrow as she slowly stalks towards him,

"Jazzy, calm down," Fangs attempts to intervene but she shakes his hand off continuing her path towards a fuming Michael,

"This shit all of it, revolves around her," she continues, lifting her hand her pointer finger lands in my direction making my anxiety caused by this situation worsen, " and if for one fucking second you think that keeping her in the dark, keeps her safe then you're a bigger fucking idiot than I thought you were,"