Play with Fire || c. blossom

2

Archie Andrews never really liked his cousin. It didn't surprise him that David was the spawn of his uncle Oscar.

While his dad gave up on his music and baseball to keep the family business running, his uncle finished studying business in college and left Riverdale. Oscar grew to wealth in real estate affairs, and never shared his spoils with his younger brother. Fred Andrews struggled, and Oscar Andrews prospered.

Every year they'd get Christmas cards from Oscar and his young wife. One year, they showed up at the front door holding gifts. Archie looked across the threshold at a scowling boy the same age as him. It was weird because they had never heard of David up until that very moment.

"You sure look like an Andrews, kiddo. Except that ginger hair, that's definitely Mary's," was the first thing Oscar ever said to his nephew. Archie didn't have a response for him.

Archie had returned his gaze to David, who seemed disgruntled by his father. David's mother laid a hand on his shoulder, and that calmed him.

Archie was thinking of this very thing when David came home that night.

"Hey cus," David called, about to go up stairs.

"David, wait." Archie walked over to the bottom of the steps and put his hand on the banister.

David looked down from the step he was at. "Something the matter?"

Archie sighed. "Yeah, actually."

David frowned. "Okay." He'd only been there a day, so David was confused as to why Archie already had a complaint.

"Listen, I don't exactly know what it is that you did to Cheryl, but I'm asking you to stay away from her."

David scoffed. "Excuse me?" David wasn't expecting that.

Archie frowned disapprovingly. "Whatever you did to Cheryl —"

"I heard you already. You don't even know what happened. I know she probably asked you to be her knight in shining armor, but you and I both know she's capable of taking care of herself."

"Well, I'm not so sure. You seemed to really spook her today." That remark made David roll his eyes.

"She just needs some space to remember the good times we had. She'll be fine soon enough." With that, David started climbing the stairs again.

"So that's it? You're not even gonna tell me what you tried — or you're trying — to do to her?"

David stopped and turned around. He walked back down a few steps, but stayed on the stairs in order to be above Archie.

"You seem to think I'm the villain here. Would a villain tell you his diabolical plans before he actually enacted them?"

Archie frowned at him again. He didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Exactly. What happens between me and Cheryl stays between us. And she might not want to see me now, but I know she'll come to her senses and come running back to me in no time. As for you, you don't fit anywhere into that equation." David's expression turned dark suddenly. "So stay out of it."

Archie stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs as David finally reached the top. He closed the door to the guest bedroom with a bang.

* * *

That night, Cheryl was tossing and turning in her canopy sleigh bed. The one thing that would at least give her comfort at night was now making her sweat and tangling her up into the sheets. She was drenched with sweat and finally nodding off to sleep from the exhaustion until she felt a warm presence.

"I know you're thinking of me," David's voice whispered into her ear.

Cheryl gasped. Her heart hammered in her chest as she reached over and turned on the lamp on her bedside table. She looked over to see nothing, and no one, in bed beside her.

"I know you like me, cherry girl. Quit saying you hate me."

"No, I hate you! My mommy says you're a bad boy."

"Doesn't matter! I know you still like me, you don't care what your mommy says."

"Jason!"

"Go ahead! Call your brother over. It's too late."

Young Cheryl's lips quivered. "What - what do you mean?"

"I'm already in your head."

"No!" Young Cheryl was on her knees, covering her ears with her hands. "Get out of my head! Get out of my head!"

Jason had dragged David away from Cheryl that day. Jason had saved her once again.

    Cheryl was sitting at the edge of her bed in present day, tears falling down her cheeks. She lifted her hands over her ears.

"Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head..."

But it was no use. David Andrews had once again planted a seed in her mind, making her feel insane.

She opened her eyes and ears, giving up. It pained her how much she had started thinking about him again. He was consuming her thoughts.

All she could think was of how innocent he looked. Before she knew who he was, Cheryl thought a random — yet beautiful — boy had decided to mess with her. He looked like someone you'd introduce your mother to. That innocent face alone must've been what he used to get him out of trouble easily. No one would suspect a boy that looked like him to be so sinister.

Cheryl shook her head. She knew him. She knew David for who he was. She just didn't expect him to grow up looking like that.

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Author's Note:
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