He Left Sparkles in his Wake

I Hope You're Happy (Archie-End)

(So, this chapter is going to be pretty dark. This is the last one for Archie, so if you don't read it, that's fine. I highly advise to avoid this chapter if you are not in a good state of mind, under the age of 15, are easily disturbed, or do not like graphic/explicit writing. Please proceed with caution.)

Archie slowly walked to the Normal Boots club room. His heart felt abnormally light. His very being was hovering above the ground. He felt, for the first time since the breakup, happy. He eagerly clutched the item in his hand closer to his chest and walked faster. The halls were barren: class had ended nearly two hours ago, but Normal Boots had delayed their meeting due to the Student Council holding an emergency meeting about festivities.

He entered the room and found it spotless. Archie chuckled and turned his precious over in his palms. It was so beautiful; he had really outdone himself with the penmanship. The door opened behind him, making Archie's face morph into a wide smile. He looked up and acknowledged each member as they walked to their seat. This was the most Archie had looked like his old self.

He looked like Richard. There was a sparkle in his eye that hadn't been their for a while. The others looked relieved. The Continue boys smiled at him, Jirard and PBG each gave him a hug, Jon gave a thumbs up, Satch patted him on the back, Shane held eye contact with him for longer than 3 seconds. That was a new record. Someone cleared their throat from behind Archie.

"You're in my way." Jared said bitterly. Archie's smile somehow grew and he moved to stand next to Jared.

"I've got something for you." He said eagerly. He bounced from foot to foot, eyes trained on the fallen god of his world. Jared's face turned up in disgust.

"I don't want it." He stated dryly. He moved to grab his chair, but Archie quickly caught his wrist.

"Believe me. You'll want this. Just let me give it to you, and I'll be gone." The boy insisted. Jared rolled his eyes and turned to face him. He folded his arms over his chest and eyed Archie suspiciously. He sighed melodramatically as he thought about it.

"Make it quick." Jared finally stated. Archie's smile, unfathomably, grew again.

"Promise you'll read it." He remarked, causing the taller one to groan.

"Fine! I promise to read it after you leave!" Blue Eyes White Dragon urged. His patience was running incredibly thin.

Archie swiftly grabbed the lapels of the Normal Boots jacket and pulled Jared into a brutal kiss. The same one that had bruised both of their lips. The same one that had been filled with insecurity, passion, and trust. The same one that had indirectly caused their breakup. But this time, Jared was the one caught off guard. Archie skillfully placed his desired gift in Jared's shirt pocket before breaking off the kiss and hurrying out of the room.

Archie rushed back to Bluebell and climbed the stairs back to his favorite place: the roof. His nerves felt like they were on fire. His heart was lighter than ever before. His mind was on cloud nine. He breathed in the fresh air, and found his desired place to sit. The wind gently blew against his neck and ruffled his hair. 

Richard leaned back into the breeze.

==> Jared: Examine and read gift

Jared froze and watched Richard rush out of the room. His face was red, but he didn't know why. The room was silent; everyone was taken back by what had happened. He reached into his jacket and pulled a beautiful envelope from his pocket. His first and last name were delicately written is cursive, along with permission to read it to the entire club. Jared carefully opened the envelope and found a letter.

"Dear Jared and Normal Boots Club,

You all have made Asagao Academy a wonderful place for me. The first few weeks were difficult, I will admit, but your club made me feel less alienated. I would like to thank you for that. I know that I was never a member, and most times it felt like you all were simply tolerating me, but you all made me feel at home. I also realize that I drastically changed the club dynamic when Jared and I broke up. I apologize for my actions. As far as going forward, you will not need to worry about me interrupting meetings or hanging around: I'm going away for a while. If you don't mind me being sappy, I would like to say something to Jared in particular (as I assume he is reading this aloud to the entire club if I timed things right). Jared, I never hated you. I loved you even after we broke up. I'm sorry I was such a crummy boyfriend. I guess the only way I can finish off this letter is in my typical fashion. I hope these lyrics convey how I feel about you all.

'There will be days when you falling down. There will be days when you're inside out. There will be days when you fall apart. Someone else will break your heart. But they're never gonna hold you back. I'm always gonna have your back. So try to remember: I hope you're happy. I hope you're good. I hope you get what you wish for and are well understood.'

Oh and this little extra part of the song for Jare-bear!

'And whatever your progress, I know you'll be fine. Because I hope you're happy, even though you're not mine. Try to remember that I hope you're happy.'

Well, you probably won't hear from me again. I love all of you: you are my family. Thank you for making my life wonderful, if only for a short while.

-Forever and lovingly yours,

Richard Lee Jones"

Jared finished reading the letter and the room returned to a heavy silence. He parted his lips, tried to speak and liven the mood, but was cut off by the sound of an ambulance racing onto the school grounds.

A single teardrop slid down Jared's cheek and landed on the paper, leaving sparkles in its wake.

(We made it through the saddest ending! If you got to the end, thank you for putting up with this. I promise all the other endings will be happier than this one, minus one where everyone involved is just sort of disgruntled. See you in the next chapter!)