Play with Fire || c. blossom

4

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David was doing his homework in the guest room when there was a knock on the door.

     "Dad's heading out for grocery shopping. Is there anything you need?" Archie asked, leaning against the door frame.

     David shook his head. Archie nodded and was about to leave before stopping himself at the door frame.

     "I've got another question."

     David sighed and looked at him again. "Yeah, cus?"

     "What the hell was that with Betty today?"

     David smirked. "Why? Did it bother you?"

     Archie frowned. "Yeah, actually. What were you trying to pull?"

     "C'mon Archie. Don't you know what flirting looks like?"

     Archie clenched his jaw. "Stay. Away. From Betty."

     David scoffed. "First stay away from Cheryl, now stay away from Betty? Can't I get any action while I'm here?"

     Archie stepped into the room, squaring his shoulders and balling his fists.

     "I still don't know what it is you're trying to do, but I suggest you stop."

     "Or?"

     "Or I'll beat you into a pulp."

     David chuckled beneath his breath. "Cheryl will come to me on her own time. But Betty? I think I can persuade her to —"

     Archie grabbed David by his shirt then and lifted him to his feet. "Go ahead, David. I dare you to finish your sentence."

     "Boy, your face is as red as your hair," David laughed. "You're really jealous."

     Archie furrowed his brows. "What?"

     "You're so in love with Betty, that you can't even stand the thought of me being anywhere near her."

     "That's not what's happening here," Archie said, releasing David.

     "Who are you trying to convince? Me, or you?"

     Archie scowled at him in response.

     "If you'll excuse me, cus, I've got homework to finish."

     Before Archie could say another word, David sat back down on the floor and picked his notebook back up. Archie shook his head at his cousin before leaving the room.

     He felt reassured knowing David was only messing with him in regards to Betty, but he still got no where with keeping him away from Cheryl.

     David had said that Cheryl was capable of taking care of herself, and Archie knew that for a fact, but he also feared that David was right about something else; Cheryl would run towards David completely by her own will.

     Question was, how much was David planning on wearing her down in order for that to happen?

* * *

     David lay awake that night, staring at the ceiling. He felt stupid being there.

     Oscar Andrews made it clear to him that he never considered his younger brother as part of his family. Because of that, David felt like a stranger to his uncle and cousin.

     Yet there he was, laying in the Andrews home in Riverdale. He ran from his own father and wound up at Fred Andrews' doorstep. His uncle had given him a once over and invited his nephew inside.

     "So why are you here, David?"

     David sighed, looking at the glass of water his uncle offered him. He couldn't meet Fred's eyes.

     "I don't really want to talk about it."

     Fred nodded. "Does your father know you're here?"

     David shook his head. Then in a panic he looked up and met his uncle's eyes with a stern expression. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

     Fred nodded again. "Okay. But don't you think your father would like to know where you are?"

     David chuckled humorlessly. "Please. I'm pretty sure he's celebrating the fact that I'm gone."

     Fred frowned at him, but he didn't question it any further. Nor had he insisted on him calling his father.

     As much as David felt that he was a total stranger, he could tell that Fred wasn't going to treat him as such. He'd probably never admit it out loud, but he was grateful for his uncle.

     David sighed and turned over. He still couldn't fall asleep. On the floor by his bag, he saw an old rabbit toy, with floppy ears and limbs. David inhaled and stepped out of the bed. He walked over and grabbed it off the floor. Walking backwards, he sat on the edge of his bed. He held the rabbit up to the moonlight and looked at it.

     He could still see young Cheryl, running across Thornhill's backyard towards David, the toy flopping every which way in her hand.

     "Mommy hit me," she had said, wiping at her dripping nose with her sleeve.

     "Why'd she do that?"

     Cheryl sniffled. "I don't know. Maybe it was my fault."

     "Cherry girl, don't say that. It's never your fault."

     She looked at him doubtfully.

     "Look, you've got a rabbit. Rabbits are supposed to be good luck, you know?"

     Cheryl looked down at her toy. "Well, it wasn't lucky today."

      "Yeah, but I'm pretty sure it has your back."

     Young Cheryl looked back up at young David and furrowed her brows at him.

     "I think you need more luck than I do."

     David had scoffed. "What makes you say that?"

      "Because your daddy's a meanie."

      "Hey—"

      Cheryl had grabbed his hand and placed the toy in it.

     "It's okay David. He'll have your back from now on."

     And Cheryl had run off.

      David stared at the toy. It was once beige in color, and now it was brown.

      David sighed. "It didn't work, cherry girl. No one had my back," he whispered.

     Even with that said, he tucked the toy between the pillows and lay back down to sleep.