Hold You Down

Chapter 18 - Tear It Up

*Veronica has been away at a rehabilitation center for a month. Story continues after her first week back in Riverdale. Things are uncomfortable between Varchie*

"You taste like beer and weed" she says, scrunching her face up as he leans in to kiss her again. "Mhmm" he says, his wows are red and squinty, and his mouth is in a permanent smile.

Archie was having the best time at Cheryl's first barbecue of the spring, him and the boys had been riled up all afternoon, playing many games of beer pong, while enjoying several joints that Reggie, Moose and Chuck had brought.Archie was most definitely high, and feeling a happy buzz from the beer he had consumed.

The past month had been lonely without Veronica, but after he got past his differences with Reggie, Archie started spending a lot of time with his teammates. Which had proven to be a great distraction. He was at his peak physical performance, and felt a great relief of aggression through intense training. In Veronica's absence, Archie tried to stay as busy as possible, because any reminder of her was too painful. He had an insanely hard time sleeping in the first week after she left, but eventually his brain grew as exhausted as his body. Afterwards he trained every night, to the point of exhaustion so that he could just take a shower and collapse in his bed, falling into a dreamless sleep. His morning runs proved difficult, Veronica filled his thoughts, he wondered about her, how she was doing there and whether or not she missed him as much as he missed her.

Veronica wanted to be mad at him, she was annoyed that while she had vowed to remain sober, he was partying more than ever. She missed her supportive boyfriend, the Archie she had left a little over a month ago. She had to admit things had been different between them since her return, and even though a week in they've settled into old routines, Archie's heart seems more guarded. Veronica can't help but be hurt by the fact that he wasn't opening up to her lately. She couldn't blame him, but Veronica wondered if he missed her half as much as she missed him. Rehab was isolating, and while she made significant strides in helping herself, through a lot of therapy, she had come back ready to let Archie all the way in.

 Unfortunately her boyfriend had turned into a brick wall in her absence. She swallowed hard, and attempted to bury her thoughts, reminded herself that it would take time for him to trust her again sadly.

"Let's eat something!" she exclaimed trying to entice her drunk boyfriend to soak up some alcohol with burgers."I'm tanked" he admits suddenly feeling everything hitting him at once on an empty stomach, Archie wobbles and sits down on the garden chairs in Cheryl's massive yard. 

"Babe you don't look good" Veronica says as she gently pushes his hair off of his now sweaty forehead.   

"I'm fine Ronnie, just need a minute" he lies to her, and himself. 

"Ok...don't get up, I'm going to bring you some food and water, it'll help" she says looking at him for his approval, "you're the best" he says smiling at her drunkenly. 

Veronica kisses him on the cheek despite his sweaty, unshaven appearance and makes her way toward the patio where Kevin, Betty and Jug were making various barbecue foods. Veronica smiled to herself thinking about how familiar Archie can feel just based on the fact that she knows exactly how he would prepare his burger, and he knows exactly how she likes hers as well. After countless days spent at pops, numerous Andrew's barbecues, and town fundraiser's; Veronica was confident in delivering an Archie-grade burger to him. Veronica started listing off orders to Kevin who was currently flipping patties on the massive and expensive looking grill. Jughead and Betty just laughed, finding it funny seeing Veronica try so hard for someone, who wasn't herself.

Meanwhile Archie started to feel even dizzier the chair and there was a bubbling in his stomach that was causing him a lot of nausea. 

But he was too high to realize that he needed to get to a bathroom, Archie naively thought that this feeling would pass, until suddenly he feels hot liquid in his throat, and he is projectile vomiting all over the ground, and his shoes. He continues to gag between gasps for air, then vomits over and over again emptying out the entire content of beer and this morning's waffles on the tile-stone are in Cheryl's backyard.