Return to Riverdale

VIII

A knock sounds on the front door, urgently rapping. Again in my robe, I open the door. Jughead stands on the porch looking anxious and in a hurry. When he sees I've opened the door his immediately walks in. 

"Jughe-"

"Look, there's something I've gotta tell you." I close the front door, nodding and leading him into the kitchen. "Hiram bought Pop's." He says, not wasting any time. My eyes widen. 

"What? Why're you telling me this?" I question, taking a seat next to him. 

"You wrote that article, so I know you're interested in the situation." He replies. I nod, letting a silence fall over us. 

Honestly, I was hoping he'd say something about FP. It's his turn to avoid me, and I wish I knew why. I haven't seen him since the other day at the diner. And even then, we barely acknowledged each other. 

"Do you want to come over later to help me investigate and research?" Jughead offers. I have to keep myself from jumping at his offer. "I can get my dad to bring us burgers and milkshakes." He continues, smirking. 

"You know me too well, Jughead. Pop's is the way to my heart." I agree, laughing to myself. FP knows an even better way to my heart. All he has to do is exist and my heart melts. 

Grinning triumphantly, Jughead waits for me to get ready, and takes me to his trailer on his bike. I haven't been on his bike since the night FP and I first kissed. My brain drowns out the purr of the bike and the wind in my face while I relive that moment. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss FP's kisses. A chill runs down my back, and I grip tighter to Jughead. The turns on the road worry me and shake me out of my thoughts. 

"Relax, Kim!" Jug yells over the engine. "I'm a skilled biker." I can't help but laugh at him calling himself a biker. I don't tend to think of him as one. 

"I think you mean driver," I reply, still laughing a bit. 

"Whatever," he jokes, killing the engine once we're outside of what I'm assuming is his trailer. 

I'd never been here before. I observe my surroundings and cautiously follow Jughead across the crunching gravel and up the stairs to the trailer. Once he opens the door, I continue to glance around. Oddly, it's about how I expected it to be. 

"Feel free to sit anywhere." Jug offers, gesturing around to the kitchen stools and the living room couches.

 He disappears down the hall and I awkwardly sit on the arm of the couch. This is not how I imagined my first time coming to their trailer... 

"I have a lot of stuff I've already started looking through, but don't be afraid to sift through anything." Jughead announces, joining me on the couch with his arms full of books and charts, and his laptop. "You can actually sit, you know." He snickers at me, waiting for me to sink onto one of the cushions. 

After an hour or so, Jug calls his dad to bring us burgers. 

"Me and Kim are working to expose Hiram, can you bring us some brain food?" Jughead explains, listening to his dad's response. "Because she obviously shares an interest in what the Lodge's are up to... It's fine, Dad. I'm not gonna get her fired from her job." Jug adds, laughing at his dad's worries. 

My heart clenches and jumps slightly, imagining FP worrying about me losing my job. He's so sweet and caring towards everyone, and when it's me I feel warm inside. I love feeling cared for. 

"He'll be here soon." Jughead informs me, ending the phone call. I keep quiet and simply nod, afraid I might say more than I intend to.