Holding On // Sequel to Lucky

Chapter 12

    The bright lights of the sun, shine through my closed eyes making them flutter open. I wasn't in Betty's room. I was in Fp's or well I guess Jughead's trailer. His arms wrapped tightly around me. "Juggy," I call out.

  "Mmmm," He groans hiding his face in my shoulder.

 "Juggy come on babe get up," I say, "we fell asleep its morning we have school."

"We can just go in late," he says kissing my neck.

"Noo Jug we have to," I say trying to get his arms off of me.

"Fine," He groans letting go of me. We get up and I grab my jeans from the floor. It was PG I promise. I just didn't want to sleep in jeans.

"Alice is going to have y head on a stake," I tell him.

"Yeah well she'll have to try damn hard to get you," he says.

"It'll be one hell of a fight," I tell him causing him to laugh. 

"Here," he hands me one of his shirts. I pull mine off and switch it to his. It was one of his S shirts. 

"Thanks," I say kissing his cheek. "Bye Juggy."

"Bye," He says.

******

  "I hate this class," I groan. I traded my partner from Jughead to Kevin.

"Oh we know," Cheryl says from in front of me, "in fact, you say that every time you sit down you say the same thing."

"Because it sucks ass," I groan.

"Do I need to stop my teaching for your conversation?" The teacher asked.

"No sir," I say mentally flipping him off. He resumes his lesson. After a couple of minutes, Weatherbee walks in.

"Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Phylum, but Sheriff Keller and I need to see Archie Andrews in the hallway," Weatherbee says.

"Goddammit, Archie!" I groan.

"I'm sorry Principal Weatherbee but the T-shirts were my idea, not Archie's," Veronica says now standing.

"This is not about T-shirts, Miss Lodge, please sit down," Weatherbee says.

"It's okay, Ronnie," Arch says, "There's nothing to worry about." He walks out and I turn to Kev.

"We are putting that boy on a leash and not letting him out of our sight," I tell him.

"I know," Kev says.

****

   Soft knocks on the door snag my attention from my homework. "Who could that be?" Betty asks.

"I don't know," I say to her. I jump and walk towards the door. She hides behind a Peeping threw and I see Jughead.

 "Who is it?" She asks again.

 "Jughead," I say as I open the door.  "Hey, Babe."

"Can we talk?" He states more then asks. Wearing the look of disgust on his face.

"Yeah," I say as he walks in without the answer. I close it behind him and sigh. We move back into the living room. "Whats up?"

"When you left this morning, you forgot some of your books. Your notebooks," He says, "Look, I wasn't snooping, believe it or not, but It just fell out." He tosses a stack of notebooks down. I look through them.

"What did?" I ask. 

"Your guys' letter, from the Black Hood," He says.

"Jug," I say looking up at him. Betty snatches it from his hand and shoots me a dirty look. That's why I had it in the first place. So no one would find out. 

"I'm assuming that it came with the cipher," He says, "why haven't you two told anybody?"

"She told me," I say, "and we told Kev."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks us. 

"Because you've been at Southside High, running around with the Serpents," Betty says trying to buy us time.

"Betty, I'd been gone for two days," Jug says, "And yeah, it sucks that we don't all go to the same school anymore. But that's not the reason you guys are sitting on the fact that the Black Hood has sent you a letter. -So why is it"

 "-Because of what it says, Jughead! Because of what he wrote. That I Inspired him. I inspired all of this Madness," She says.

"You think people are gonna blame you for this?" He asks.

"Not people, just one person," she says. I roll my eyes. I already got this speech.

"Archie? For what? For writing a speech that this lunatic has twisted around in order to mess with you and mess with the town? Yeah, Archie's definitely shook, but he knows who the bad guys are, and you're not one of the bad guys," Jug asks, "You're Betty Cooper. Like Nancy Drew meets Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

"Oh, my God!" She says as the realization hits. "I have to go to the library I'll be back." 

"Take my truck," I say tossing her my keys, "Be careful!" She nods and runs out. Leaving me with Jughead.

"Now why didn't you tell me?" He asks.

"It wasn't my drama," I say.

"No Y/n, not that again," He says, "listen, the Chuck situation I got that but this could have got you killed."

 "I would have been fine," I say.

"But what if you weren't!" He yells, "what if the Black Hood decided to go after you and Betty? What if he was doing this to lead you to him!"

"I can defend myself," I tell him.

"But what if you couldn't! Huh? What if you died?" He says tears falling from his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I mumble. I was being stupid.

"Damn right you were," He says. His face softens, "I just can't lose you."

"I know," I say. He touches his forehead to mine. "I promise no more secrets."

"Alright," He says, "no more." He kisses my forehead and I sigh. "I love you," He says.

"I love you too," I say. 

******

     Betty sat up reading her book as my head laid on her shoulder. Our simple dynamic as basically sisters restored. The quiet environment broken by the sound of Betty's ringtone. "Hand that to me," she says.

"Fine," I groan sitting up. I grab the phone. 

"Who's it from?" She asks.

"Unknown," I say handing it to her.

"What?" She asks.

"I know," I say, "put it on speaker. But turn it low." She nods and does as I say. 

"Hello?" She asks.

  "Hello, Betty," The deep voice says, "This is the Black Hood speaking,"