Hold You Down

Chapter 12 - Trust Issues

Archie steps out of his shower still angry, towelling off then quickly moving to his room, he was thankful that his Dad was away, that he could have some space. But a little part of Archie wished that his Dad's wise words could guide him right now, he knows his Father has always regretted letting his mother go, as well as letting his chance with Hermione slip away (which Archie thanked god for, otherwise his relationship with Veronica would be taboo). Archie feared he'd suffer the same fate as his Fred, ending up single and alone. No one could tell him there were other girls he could met and potentially fall in love with one day, and that this pain would be gone, because he knew that was lie. Veronica was so unimaginably unique, and his whole being craved her, and no one else.

As Archie started to get dressed, he looked back at his phone, seeing a 'thank you :)' from Kevin, and a missed call from his Mother.

He'd answer those later, right now, he was still intent on reaching Veronica, completely unaware of the drug-induced psychotic break she suffered at the Pembrooke, or that she was resting at the hospital, with Hermione and Betty in the waiting room. He called her once before hearing her voicemail and shutting it off before the hearing her voice and causing even more pain.

Then he decided to try Betty, but her phone had also gone straight to voicemail, must be dead he thought to himself, but a small part of him was already panicking and worried. Archie tried to ignore the negative thoughts in his mind. Finding it increasingly harder to convince himself that something wasn't wrong. He decided to call Jughead for a peace of mind, if anyone could belittle Archie's girl problems with news from the outside chaos it would be Jug, he also knew that Jug was being fragile with him ever since Betty had filled him in, not laying into Archie like Betty had. "Hey Jug" Archie's thankful that his friend answers, but his nerves are immediately set off when he hears the panic in his friends tone.

"Archie, have you heard anything? Betty hasn't updated me in hours, I think her phone died" Jughead rambles nervously assuming that Archie was in crisis mode after finding out that Veronica was in the hospital, except Archie didn't know, he had been completely unaware and purposefully left out of the loop.

"Jug, what the hell is going on? Where is Betty? Is she with Veronica?" Archie questions worriedly, hoping that they didn't do anything dangerous. 

He hears his friend sigh on the other end of the phone, I guess Betty forgot to mention that Archie was not privy to this evenings catastrophe at the Lodge's, "Arch, can I come over man, I think we need to talk this out in person, so that you don't do anything stupid immediately after I hang up, are you home?" he says treading lightly.

"JUGHEAD, what's going on, is it...Ronnie? Is she ok?" he panics, and Jughead racks his brains as best he can to quickly end this call and rush over to his best friend's house, "Archie, she's going to be ok, but I need to talk to you in person ok? Hang in there for 10 minutes" and with that the phone call is swiftly ended, and Jughead is on his motorcycle on his way to Archie's.

Archie starts to pace around his room, preparing for the worst, was she ok? was she hurt? where was she? why wasn't she answering any of his calls? Why had Betty been texting Jughead about it but not him? Was Veronica going to break up with him? he feared everything all at once, causing his heart to palpitate faster, his hands were clamy, thoughts paranoid and overwhelming. Archie was going to have an anxiety attack, if he couldn't manage to settle himself down. 

He tried calling her over and over again, until he got frustrated and threw his phone onto the couch, and broke down crying.

When Jughead arrives, he opens the door to find his friend slumped on the floor with his back leaning against the couch. Jughead can tell Archie had been crying and was trying his best to collect himself before his arrival.