Return to Riverdale

XIX

With barely any time to come down from our intimacy, FP gets a phone call.

"Betty?" He asks, shooting me a confused look.

His face falls almost immediately. Without another word he hangs up the phone. Giving me a hard look, he rushes to find his clothes. I follow suit, dressing myself sloppily and quickly. Before I can ask questions, FP is pulling me out of the trailer and onto his bike.

As we speed out of Riverdale I can't help wondering what could be going wrong. The air rushes against my face and my hair, my mind whizzing just as fast. I grip around FP's waist tightly. My mind wanders. I can't help but appreciate the concern and determination FP possesses. However, there's no doubt in my mind this means something is wrong with Jughead, and that worries me. Giving FP's waist a squeeze, I peck the crook of his neck in an attempt to offer comfort.

We reach the edge of town and I start to realize where we're headed. Jughead went back to Penny Peabody. I can't fathom why, but it's not a good sign. Once we pass the signs for Greendale, I know we're getting closer. A shiver runs up my spine at the memory of being kidnapped and tied up under the watchful eye of her henchmen.

Minutes later we reach the familiar edge of the woods, vacant aside from Betty, Archie, Cheryl, and Toni. The four of them watch as FP and I jolt to a stop and demount FP's bike. Archie's face holds a mix of confusion and disbelief looking at the two of us. The rest of the kids all look around with faces full of concern. FP excuses himself and heads off deeper into the forest to search for Jughead. None of us can imagine what's become of his fate.

I wrap Betty in a hug, consoling her aching heart. She mentions a phone call he made to her about a goodbye. Immediately she asked Archie to help her look for Jug, and Cheryl knew just where to go. Her and Toni lead Jughead's closest, most loyal supporters to where he might've been off to.

Apparently, Jug offered himself in exchange for the Serpents, and in exchange for this troublesome gang war. Without a second thought, the Ghoulies took their turns treating Jughead like a punching bag.

FP emerges, carrying a lifeless, limp Jughead. I try to hold back a cry at the sight in front of me. Betty and I hold each other as we take in Jughead's life-threatening condition. Archie calls 911 for an ambulance, and Toni takes note of the flesh missing from Jughead's shoulder. The Ghoulies removed his tattoo just as Jug and the other Serpents had done to Penny a few months prior. An eye for an eye.

.

.

.

"That war is the last thing you want to do right now, FP." I try to reason, as he paces through the trailer. 

After we got Jug to the hospital, he's been in intensive care for four days, and FP is hellbent on destroying the Ghoulies. 

"They hurt my son!" He yells, lashing out seemingly at me, but I know he's under a lot of pressure and he's worried about Jughead's wellbeing. "I can't..." he stops, glances at me, and sinks against the wall. "What kind of father would I be if I didn't fight back?" He sobs, tears running down his cheeks, past his chin, down his shirt. 

I take a seat next to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He lets his head fall onto my shoulder, crying into me. 

"I know you want to retaliate to protect Jughead." I say, running my fingers through his hair to offer comfort. I stop for a moment, trying to swallow the lump in my throat, a few tears fall from my eyes. "But what would he do if he woke up, left the hospital, came home, and found the trailer empty because you fought the Ghoulies and they got the best of you." The thoughts paired with the words coming out of my mouth only adds to my own mild hysterics. "Even if you can't fight in his honor, it's better than having no father at all."