Derrière le Rideau (Behind the Curtain)

•Un•

"Well, well, look who it is, a wolf, have you howled at the moon lately? Seeming lonely?" A black haired girl mumbles with a bright blue straw peeking between her lips. A rather shaggy young man rolls his eyes with deep sarcasm and an unforgettable hat planted on his head.

"If howling for me was possible," he replies taking a sip out of an overused plastic soda cup that has multiple stains presently on it, from chicken nugget grease to bright orange Cheetos. Common fast foods, but overall the stench of rotten onion rings, an undeniable favorite between the two.

"Oh, please, if I can howl you most definitely can my, wild boy." She chuckles and falls back against the metal can that once held oil or some sort of liquid that should not be digested. Or it could have been some sort of fancy syrup, just maybe.

"Wild boy? We aren't five-"

"No we aren't, but, hey, living wild ever since, you have to love family." A forced laugh comes from his mouth and she hears it right away. Her hand pulls off his covering and he sighs heavily at her childish act.

"Do we have to discuss --- that? I don't want to." The girl who has two different colored eyes peer down at a boy who is lost, dazed, confused and overall, needy. Would he admit it? Oh no, he's "Mr. Independent" but who could blame him for that mindset?

"Then howl, I'll do it with you of that helps. I know how much you like looking at the moon for comfort," she stands up and places the beverage down. This action doesn't surprise him for she would do anything to get his mind off of relatives. Even though she brought the subject up.

"I can't deny that, but after all, comfort is very limited when it comes to affection and that sort-" a loud and slightly impressive imitation of a wolves call interrupts his words. For a solid minute, it lasts a desperate sound for longing and wanting. But to those ears, it's a normal noise. Once it ends she smiles and lets out a sigh of relief.

"Go on, I know you want too."

"You always get me into trouble."

"And I always get you out of it." The teenage boy shuffles his feet around the gravel ground as this feat isn't one of his least favorite traditions. Meaning he absolutely loves it. And once again, aggressively denies it.

"Atlasmaps."

"Jughead, wild boy, a young rebel at heart but then again, you, you attractive you-"

"Okay, now that is pushing it."

"Oh please, I know where your eyes are, Miss Three-Piercings, oh I know you too well." A faint blush falls on his cheeks, making one heart continuously falling into a pit that only gets wider and deeper as time continues. Will it ever stop? Never. Will it ever end? Nope. For the feelings of a close friendship can never tear, burn or go bad. It always thrives.

"Oh, I'm going on a trip with Archie over July, a road trip I believe, and so, I'm sorry but you'll be alone. Is that okay?" The thought of being alone startles the facade she was elegantly playing. But he didn't see. He uses his eyes but never does he ever view her. The real her.

"Alone? I'm not scared of being alone, I'm immune to it. Saying that in the best way possible for being in, solitary-" now her thoughts are cut off from a fully blown call that beats her easily. The light mist of breath is brought forth from his heaving chest as his eyes are closed in a painful manner. A water droplet escapes the salty confinement and rolls down his cheeks to his neck and then, hides.

"Wow, I, Atlas," he turns and places both his arms around his best friend that's a girl. Whoa, guy and girl hugging oh they must love each other. No. This love, if you would call it that, is one-sided, but, the saddest stories are ones that only one side is shown because the other is too painful to completely comprehend. She takes this embrace and closes her eyes, this time pain fills her soul and mind. It doesn't dare show true, to reveal of such a significant emotion isn't like, her.

The only person she has ever connected with is leaving, it isn't going to be for long but, without him...they both would be elsewhere, and nowhere is better than in someone's arms. Especially his, one of her special places. Romance never struck a cord between them, just two teens who wanted more to life than parents who were torn apart by money, alcohol, and smoking. For that is what made their lives miserable. Their own blood. Their own mothers and father.

Jughead backs off and lays both hands against her pale skin.

"Will you be alright?" She scoffs and pushes back the tugging knife that is slowly drowning her and will kill her in the end.

"I should be asking you that question. Will you, Jughead Jones be alright with Archie-Arch? Or to put it in our words-"

"No, we will not say his nickname. That is for strict use only, as is the other names." She sits down and his legs slide against hers. Not in a weird way okay?

"Yeah, I'm the invisible friend and you are the movie junkie that is in love!" A squeal echoes in the woods behind them. Jughead stares at her with an 'I-cannot-believe-you-just-did-that' face. He is in love, and she, is happy for him.

"Movie junkie? When was the last time I saw a movie?" Atlas waves her limbs in the air and acts over dramatic. A natural reaction to any circumstance she is in.

"Not even three hours ago Mr. Jones."

"Fine Miss Know-It-All," he punched her shoulder with grace and she returns the favor.

"Oh I know more than "all" I know everything, and you out of all people should know that, hopefully." Jughead gives an upward motion and a sparkle of curiosity comes into his eyes. Now that is a facial expression she loves. That twinkle makes her heart beats speed up just a little over the normal rate, but, that doesn't matter to him.

"And, you should do readings-"

"Now that is something I will not dabble with, there's a major difference between having the knowledge and using power to gain it. And I know that two families love to squabble with dominance," Atlas says raising both her feet and hands in a dinosaur way or a child acting as an adult with large shoes.

"The Blossoms and the Coopers-"

"The Civil War split in Riverdale and it has been going on for centuries." He lies down on the ground with a flop and stares up at the stars. Atlas joins and rests her head against his chest. Not in a weird way, for the last time. Jughead may be an open book to some but he has torn out chapters that he won't let anyone see. "You know, if anything happens between people or persons, events, or even a fantastic murder that brings this town apart, I've got your back, and I hope you still have mine."

"I will always have yours."

Now the description "fantastic murder" wasn't the way she thought it would be. Well, both of them had no idea what would happen on July fourth, but the girl, she has a way of predicting or even seeing events that happen before they do. And to get this off from the beginning, she is completely normal and she doesn't use any source of power or weird stuff.

As she has said:

"There is an enormous gap between knowledge and using power to gain it." And power is a deadly factor that could bring anyone down and become an addiction that can't stop.