heal.

CHAPTER 4;

CHAPTER 4:

It's you, it's you, it's all for you.
Everything I do.

It's been three weeks of torture, constantly being with her but not being with her. Rides to school, hangouts at Pop's, football games.

One party where Reggie gets a little too close and all he can see is red, even though she can do as she pleases. He can't escape the feelings- the taught emotions that wrap around his heart and make him feel like he'd rather feel nothing at all.

Pictures on his phone sting, but he can't peel his eyes away when it's 3 in the morning and he can't sleep. One catches his eye and brings a slight smile to his face. She's mad at him, rolling her eyes at his red bull in his truck.

She came to his door that night, shivering and tear-soaked.

"Grab your keys, and some blankets." Her tone was dry, flat. Archie had no way to know what was wrong. But he listened, joining her in the front of his truck as she turned the radio up.

"What's this about?" Archie frowned, kissing her hand.

"My parents. I'm just stressed, wanted to get my mind off of it." she sighed, stretching her arms.

"I won't ask questions."

He didn't, just sang with her and laughed with his head tilted back at her jokes that were always spot on. "Let me fill up your tank, and we can get some snacks." she suggested, refusing his wallet when they purchased more sugar than humanly possible.

"So where are we going?" he asked as they returned to the car. Cracking open his can of red bull, he noticed her sassy look from his peripheral vision.

"I don't know. Lets just drive."

That night, they parked the truck in an old field. Talking about anything and everything, they finally returned home at 3 in the morning to face Fred.

Veronica stayed over for three days before Mr. Andrews finally went with her to face her parents, who apologized profusely and begged her to stay.

She did, but the pearls they had gifted her, while beautiful, no longer meant anything to her.

Looking through the window, he sees her on Betty's desk chair, filing through papers and notes. She pauses for a moment, her perfect exterior breaking and he senses the pain before he sees it. He's not positive they're tears, but something is in her eyes and it kills him to see her like this.

"Ronnie?"
He wants to catch himself before the words slip out of his mouth but he doesn't, he calls her name and just stands there as she turns. It's not like her to be embarrassed or ashamed, but he senses guilt as she turns to him with her broken demeanor.

"Hey." she replies softly, gently as the words tingle in Archie's ear.

"Hi." Per usual, he doesn't really know what to say. Just stands there, feeling as far apart from her as he has everything in his life. His mom, Mrs. Grundy, it feels like everyone he loves just leaves- but she's back and he takes that as some tiny token. "Are you going to Reggie's party tonight?"

"Yeah," she replies, drifting over to the window. And he feels something, deep in his gut.

He's recalled for years and years, staring out that window and seeing Betty. It brought him a complete sense of admiration, and peace. But now that he sees a different set of eyes- warm and deep ones- he's home.

"I was gonna ask if maybe you wanted to, go together, or something?" he says, nervously scratching the back of his neck with his left hand.

"I'm going with Mel, but if you're free... we could grab a milkshake after?" his heart sinks and rises by the end of her sentence, as he immediately nods his head eagerly; after all, he is a lovestruck boy.