Picnic || jarchie

three

"I hate baby showers!" Jughead whined, as he flopped down on the swing at Pickens Park, as Betty tied her shoes and gawked up at him.

"How do you hate something you've never done before?" She pondered, but jughead didn't answer, instead his head perked up at the familiar honk of Mr.Andrews car. The two turned their heads to see Archie getting out with a baby pink bag in his arms and a big grin, Jughead would never tell anyone but it made his tummy do some flips like when he went too high on the swings, or when he hung upside down from the ladder up to Archie's  treehouse. Betty and the butterfly boy  abandoned the swings  and ran to the boy in question.

The two barreled into him just as Mr. Andrews took the present out of his sons hand, and the three went tumbling down, a giggling pile. Betty squealed as she got up, her soft pink sweater was new and the last thing she wanted was to get mud on it, and that was likely when her two best friends were boys who didn't care about muddy sweaters or perfect frilly socks. She loved them, but as she watched them, with mud streaks on their sneakers, not caring if their hair was perfect, Betty kind of wished she had a girl best friend too.

The three had trotted over to Jugheads mom, who was very very pregnant and setting up a park table to have plates and napkins that were all a soft baby pink. Jughead thought that it was stupid. His mother was as far from soft pink as you can get, if anything these colors belonged to Betty Cooper, and not his mother. The party was Cigarettes disguised as bows and strawberry cupcakes with baby bottles on top. He grimaced as his mom giggled and laughed with Betty's mom like they were the bestest of friends. Jughead knew better then that, he had heard his mom tell his dad that betty's mom was serpent scum just like his dad. Archie grabbed his hand to gain his attention.

"Hello?  Earth to Jughead Jones?" He asked. Jughead turned his head to look at him, freckles across peachy skin and Maple syrup brown eyes. Jughead practically melted at the sight of him, he just adored his best friend. He shook his head and sighed, "Mom," he grabbed the side of his moms shirt. "Mom, Mom," he repeated trying to gain her attention.

She turned around to look at him, cold icy blue eyes yet again. Jughead frowned, "Do i have to help you set up some more or can i go play with Archie and Betty?" She just rolled her eyes and nodded, the boy took that as confirmation and pulled Archie towards the swings, Betty following the two as she complained about boys being boys.

-

"Where's Dad?" Jughead asked his mom, for the sixth time since the party had officially started. There were most guests, even the blossoms came to the party, and the park was shuffling with parents talking about their kids and kids playing on the slides and swings, well everyone except Jughead. His dad hadn't made an appearance yet, and the boy was starting to get worried. "Mom," He whined, as he tugged on her shirt again. She was talking to Mr. Keller, Kevin's dad, which Jughead guessed had to be really important if she wouldn't stop to pay attention to her son.

Finally after one particularly aggressive tug, she turned to look at him, "What? What could be so important?" She spat. Jughead felt his lip quiver at her tone of voice and tried to swallow his tears, as he stuttered out, "wh,,where's dad?" she scoffed and shrugged, rolling her eyes at her son before going back to the conversation. Jughead stood there for a second, before running off to where Archie was chatting loudly and excitedly to Reggie and Kevin. Archie faltered at the sight of his best friend, and quickly told his friends he had to go, before running to meet Jughead half way.

"Archie!" Jughead whined, "Archie, the stupid baby is making my mom hate me and my dad isn't here and im gonna live on the streets!" He rambled, tears pouring out of baby blue eyes meeting Archie's warm pair of brown ones. He wrapped his arms around the hysterical boy without batting an eye as he ran his hand through the smaller boy's hair and felt him sob against him. Honestly, Archie only caught about half of what Juggie was  freaking out about  but it didn't matter. Someone had hurt his Jughead, and he didn't like when people did that. It was Archie's job to keep Jughead safe, because Jughead was fragile. He might have been grey to himself, but Archie thought that Jughead was gold, gold and bright blue and silver. Jughead was special, and he loved him a whole lot.

-

Two days after the baby shower, Jughead's mother was rushed to the hospital. Jughead didn't really understand much of what was happening, but he knew that hospital waiting room chairs were uncomfortable and the whole place smelled terrible. His dad had given him money for the vending machine when he had gotten there and then had rushed in the room his mom was in that he wasn't allowed in. Jughead now stood at the vending machine with a mission to spend his five dollars wisely because he was a growing boy and he liked to eat. Just as he put his money in and got a pepsi and two packs of m&ms, Betty cooper strolled in with her mom. Jughead practically glowed at the sight of her.

"Betty! Betty! What're you doin here betts?" he called, getting her attention as she let go of her mom's hand to greet him. She said, "Polly broke her leg chasing Jason blossom for taking her backpack. " They both snickered. Jason Blossom had the world's biggest crush on 5th grader Polly cooper and made it obvious by teasing the girl endlessly, which ended up being a bad idea because the Cooper girls did not take anything from anyone so most times it ended in roughhousing. It had been routine since they were all little.

"Why are you here, Juggie?" She asked. Jughead just sighed and opened up his bag of m&ms, shoving a handful in his mouth as he shrugged, "Mom's havin' the baby," He said as he swallowed. Betty squealed with delight and jumped up excitedly, like it was great news. Jughead didn't think it was such great news. He sat back down in the stick to your skin, gross hospital seating as Betty and her mom waved good bye and went to go visit polly. Jughead leaned back as he swung his legs back and forth, as he snacked on m&ms.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but he must've, because he was being pulled into his Dad's arms, and he knew it was dad because he smelled cigarettes and spearmint gum. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes, "Did she have the stupid baby?" He mumbled. He felt his dad laugh as he pushed open a hospital door and jughead was practically blinded by the bright white Florescent lights. His mom looked even more ragged and tired then normal and in her arms was a pile of blankets and a scrunched up tiny pink face.

Jughead grimaced, "She looks like an alien." He leaned forward in his dads grip to get a better look at the baby. "What's her name?" He whispered. His mom sighed as she ran a thumb over the baby's cheek. "I don't know." she croaked out.  Jughead studied the baby before stating  "She looks like a jelly bean." The adults laughed as FP sat Jughead down in the chair next to the bed. "Do you wanna  hold her?" FP asked him. Jughead nodded, biting his bottom lip.

The girl was in his arms, staring up at him with big brown eyes and a frown, she reached a small wrinkly hand out for jughead's finger and wrapped her smaller hand around it. Jughead giggled, any hatred he had for the baby prior seemed to melt down as the moments passed. "Hey there Jelly bean," he greeted.

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Jelly bean!!!!!!! ok so like i feel like this isnt that good i promise im trying haha. next chapter takes place a lil bit later, welcome to MIDDLE SCHOOL its time to get ANGSTY oh boy