I Got You || Jughead Jones

Anatomy of a Murder // Part Two

As much as I loved Jughead, I knew he needed time. He texted me this morning that he wouldn't be coming to school. Probably a good idea, too. Everyone was talking about FP and Jason's murder. That's all you could hear circulating the lunch room.

"The police report said FP worked alone," Betty said as she flipped through the newspaper.

Archie twisted the spoon in his hand. "No mention of your dad, guys. That's good news, right?"

Ronnie nodded. "I can't stop thinking that...maybe my dad hired another Serpent to plant that gun."

I didn't bother to comment as I twisted my fork in my salad. I had no appetite right now. Not when Cheryl was sucking up all the attention, not when I knew Jughead was suffering. Kevin suddenly pushed his way next to Betty.

"It's surreal, isn't it? How's Jughead doing?" He asked as he set his lunch down.

"Not good," I sighed, "He's not coming in today. He's at the station."

Ronnie rolled her eyes. "Being grilled by your dad."

"Who's just doing his job," Kevin defended, "I mean, of course he's gonna ask Jughead questions."

I slammed my fork down. "Okay, well, he's wasting his time, Kev. FP didn't kill Jason."

"Savanna, he confessed," Kevin reasoned.

"Or," Betty suggested, "He was coerced. Or maybe he's protecting someone, maybe a Serpent. My mom saw him and Joaquin together."

Kevin lashed out on that one. "Don't! Do not drag my boyfriend into this."

"Oh, no." Archie almost dropped his yogurt.

"What?" I looked around Ronnie to see him. Majority of the cafeteria stopped talking as Jughead made his way across the room.

Ronnie watched my boyfriend cross the floor. "What happened to him not coming in today?"

"Oh, my God, Jug." I spun around and moved to get up but Ronnie's hand held me down. He looked awful. He definitely didn't get any sleep and it was showing. I'm so sorry, Jughead.

We watched as he stopped in front of Cheryl. He whispered something lightly before the redhead stood up. Suddenly, her hand connected with my boyfriend's face before she started hitting him with everything she had.

Jughead did nothing to defend himself as we all scrambled towards him. Archie's arms wrapped around Cheryl as he pulled her away from her. I ran towards Jug, my hands grabbing his cheeks gently just as Principal Weatherbee stormed in the room.

"Enough!" He shouted, "Mr. Jones, you need to come with me. Right now."

"No!" I yelled as soon as Jughead twisted out of my hold, "He was apologizing."

"He didn't do anything wrong!" Archie added from behind me. I watched in anger as Weatherbee lead my boyfriend out of the room. I was seeing red at this point.

You just fucking had to, didn't you Cheryl?

I turned on my heels and stomped out of the cafeteria in the direction Cheryl ran off to. I could hear her stupid crying as soon as I entered and wanted nothing more than for her to feel half the pain Jughead was.

"Cheryl." I gritted my teeth together.

Her eyes met mine in the mirror, "I barely touched him."

I sighed and threw my backpack on the ground as I approached her. "It's not his fault, Cheryl. Even if his dad did do it, it's..." I trailed off.

Cheryl sniffled and tried to recompose herself. "Everybody keeps coming up to me, and hugging me, and telling me that I must be so relieved that my brother's killer has finally been caught. That this nightmare is over." She looked at herself in the mirror before turning to face me. "Then why doesn't it feel that way?"

I sighed. "I can't answer that for you, Cheryl. That's something you have to figure out for yourself." I turned to grab my backpack.

"Savanna." I glanced at her over my shoulder. "I know you told me to talk it out when I was sad, but how did you move on? From...your brother?" I sighed and kept my back to her.

"I didn't."

--

Jughead slammed the office door shut as I quickly caught up to him. "What happened in there?"

"My second interrogation of the day," Jug said as we turned the corner. "I don't know who's more of a dick, Keller or Weatherbee."

I turned to look at him. "Don't listen to them. Everyone else is wrong. Your dad's innocent, and we just need to prove it, Jug."

He stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. "Who killed him, then, Savanna? Tell me. If it wasn't my dad, who killed Jason Blossom? He said he did it and you know what? I've been waiting my whole life for that man to do the right thing, and I'm done."

I shook my head and pointed at him, "Don't start acting like this towards me, Jughead Jones."

He pushed past me. "Get over it, Savanna. Move on. For once in your life, let it go." He turned and continued his way out of school.

I sighed and dropped my head back. Riverdale was going to tear me limb from limb, I just knew it.

--

Phones are a beautiful thing. Truly, they were. The way the world stayed connected through a tiny screen. Everything could be shared, whether you wanted it to or not. It was a glorious thing.

What wasn't so glorious was my phone buzzing at around two in the morning. A groan left my mouth as I rolled over and grabbed the dumb device.

Betty <3

6 iMessages

Jug :)

3 iMessages

Double A

2 iMessages

Panicked filled me as I quickly unlocked my phone. I clicked on Betty's first since she had the most messages. It was a group text with Ronnie and me but my sister hadn't responded.

Dad stole all the files from Sheriff Keller's office

Um, turns out that the Coopers are just Blossoms removed. We're Blossoms. Polly's kids are Blossoms.

Double update - going to Thornhill to get Polly

Blossom parents knew about the incest, please gag me with a spoon

Polly's home

I think the Blossoms killed their own kid. We have to get FP out of there.

My mouth hit the floor at the series of messages. I decided to respond in the morning before clicking on Archie's messages.

My dad just basically told me I shouldn't be around Jughead...in front of Jughead.

He's really upset, Vanna. Please make sure he's okay.

Why did I miss all the good stuff when I was sleeping? Not that Archie's texts were good, but still. I clicked out of his thread before finally clicking Jughead's.

Sorry that I acted that way earlier.

You're my getaway, you're my favorite place. Don't leave me, please.

I love you, Savanna.

My eyes welled with tears as I read and reread his messages. My hands shook slightly as I tapped out a reply.

It's all going to be okay, I promise.

I love you too, Jug.