the town with darkness | bughead

ch. 12 | the aftermath

"Let him go, FP," Archie said stepping forward, Betty close behind.

"Think you need to get out of here kid," FP growled. "Can't you see I'm having a private conversation with my son?"

"Let him go now," Archie repeated, "I'm not joking. I'll call the police. Get Sheriff Keller down here in five minutes. Your choice."

"Fine, have it your way," FP said. He turned back to Jughead who stiffened visibly under his father's gaze. "Where are you gonna go then, Jughead?"

Jughead tried to talk but no words came out. He swallowed and tried again. "A-Archie's."

"Sounds like a plan," FP said, nodding. He grabbed Jughead's right shoulder hard eliciting a sob of pain from his son. "Get out of my sight then."

He threw Jughead to the ground and to be honest, Jughead didn't even have the strength to get back up at that point. His shoulder was on fire, his ribs made every breath agonising and his heart felt like it was breaking. He heard FP slam the driver's side door of the pickup and then gun it, down the street, away from the Whyte Warm and away from him. Suddenly there were hands on him and Jughead flinched at the touch.

"Jughead, it's just us," Betty said worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Archie helped Jughead up to a seated position, unfortunately grasping his right shoulder gently making Jughead gasp in pain. He hugged his right arm close to his torso and focused on slowing his breathing. He kept his gaze on the ground. He didn't know what to do or think. His father had abandoned him yet again to his friends - one of which had completely betrayed his trust.

"Juggie? Are you okay?" Archie's question echoed Betty's and he nodded in response before thinking better of it and shaking his head 'no'. "Alright, it's okay. Let's get you back to my place. Your stuff's all still there, everything's gonna be fine."

"A-alright," Jughead whispered in response.

"Can you stand?" Betty asked.

"N-not without help."

"That's alright buddy, we'll help you," Archie said reassuringly. "Betty, why don't you bring the car closer?"

"S-sure thing Archie," Betty said, taking one last look at Jughead's face, screwed up in agony, before running to where they'd parked the car.

Archie helped him to his feet not without a groan of pain from Jughead as his vision blurred from hot tears. Archie grabbed his right arm and made to put it over his shoulders but Jughead jerked it back. "Not that arm, Arch."

"Okay, no problems," Archie said, studying his friend's face anxiously. He moved to Jughead's other side and pulled his friend's left arm over his shoulders, wrapping an arm around Jughead's waist to support him better. Archie's hand pressed painfully on bruised ribs but Jughead wasn't sure he'd be able to walk on his own right now so he didn't complain.

Betty stopped the car and jumped out to help. Archie motioned to the back seat and she opened the door so he could gently lower Jughead into the car. There was a brief moment when Archie had shut the car door and Jughead was alone. The physical and emotional pain of the night hit him like a freight train and a violent sob wracked his entire body. He bit his lip hard to push it down as Archie jumped in the other side of the back seat next to him.

The drive back to Archie's was more or less quiet. Archie and Betty didn't say a word and the only thing escaping Jughead's lips were sharp inhales when an injury was jostled by a merciless pothole. Jughead leaned his head on the cool glass of the window, letting the cold numb his aching face. He didn't even try to stop the tears when the pain of everything caught up to him and the trickled silently down his face, dampening the collar of his flannel shirt.