Picnic || jarchie

eight

Jughead knew how things worked. He could read people easily, that was his quirk. Because Jughead wasn't a cookie cutter kid like everyone else at Riverdale high. When jughead got home from school he would see the trailer park boys across the street coming home from Southside High and he knew that's where he was supposed to be. Every decision Jughead made was a mistake, starting with his birth.

His mother was too young, she didn't love his dad and god forbid if she loved him. They were a few years out of highschool and FP Jones was going to do anything in his power to stop pretending like the way Alice Smith made eyes at Hal Cooper made his stomach flip in ways he didn't like. That's because Hal Cooper turned his south side queen into a northside princess. She traded in her red lipstick for pink gloss and twirled her hair around her finger. Alice Smith was his girl, and he wished everyone could know. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops as he beat the pulp out of Hal Cooper. Sadly, the Jones in question was only capable of plan B. Alice Smith and Hal Cooper were opening a newspaper company. Settling down, with their Polly and  another on way, Alice was becoming  the wife in a perfect house in their perfect north side life.

FP Jones was livid. He was angry. It wasn't turning out the way it supposed. Hal Cooper was president of the chess club, major Dork. He screamed doofus who lived in Riverdale.  That life, that amount of normalcy, that wasn't Alice Smith. He was taking out his heartbroken anger on the Pacman machine in the Wyrm when the door jingled.

Gladys didn't need an introduction. She was tall, long legged with a head of unruly curls. They were pulled out of her eyes by a red bandana. She had black eyeshadow and adorned in all leather. Her shoes, as bright as her red lips, clicked loudly. Her presence was known by every single guy in the wyrm. She basked in the attention, walking around like she owned the entire building. FP was heartbroken, hurt even, He wanted to get his highschool sweetheart out of his head for one night. Maybe with the thought of gorgeous Alice smith tucking her  baby into bed in their two story northside house that angered him enough to ask Gladys if he could buy her a drink. Whatever it was, it led to one night, one that happened to lead to October 2nd.

Forsythe pendleton Jones the Third was born on a rainy, gloom, October day. It wasn't quite enough into October to be in the spooky spirit, but too late into the year to have a fresh summer feeling. Just like how his mother felt at the idea of a son, Jughead was born in a bleek boring, hospital, on a bleek boring day. He was a sad looking baby, born frowning. He was just a tad smaller than a baby should be when born, and his face was squished up and wrinkled. The nurses nicknamed him "Jughead" from his particularly weirdly shaped head . The nickname was the only thing that day that stuck around, considering his mother would leave him 14 years later too.

-

When Archie kissed him, Jughead almost felt like for once he wasn't making  a mistake. Thats why he kissed back. They were 14 year old boys, in Archie's bedroom, and neither honestly knew how. They pulled away, and Jughead felt almost light headed.

"Juggie?" He remembered Archie asking. But it sounded far away. Like Jughead was floating in the room, floating around Archie's room, with flustered pink lips from kissing and a glazed over look in his eyes.

It wasn't until a couple hours later when he heard Archie talking in a hushed voice to Mr. Andrews that Jughead thought maybe he actually did pass out. His eyes were spotty, and he couldn't really lift his arm to rub the sleep from them because they were too heavy. A curl had fallen from his forehead and now danged on his face, tickling his nose. he blew on it but it only fluttered back down into the same space.

"You awake?" Archie's voice was louder now, and Jughead felt the bed beneath him creak. The curl that was bothering him was pushed out of his face. Jughead blinked a couple of times as his maroon best friend came into focus. Archie looked worried, like the sight of him would make Jughead faint again. Jughead smiled at the boy, who melted in response and smiled back.

Jughead still looked sleepy, and honestly Archie thought he looked pretty. But really, He had to stop thinking these things because Jughead was his best friend, and even worse, a Boy. If there was one thing Archie learned from the boys locker room it was that boys are not for Romantic feelings. That's what girls are for. Apparently they don't have cooties? Archie knew he was a late bloomer but couldn't people have told him that when he told cheryl blossom he wouldn't go to the 8th grade promotion dance with her because he has a weak immune system.

Jughead tapped Archies forehead, gaining his attention. "Penny for your thoughts," He questioned. Archie shook his head, smiling it off. He grabbed the water bottle from his bedside table and handed it to Jughead.

"I hope i didn't scare you that bad. I'm really sorry about that, i got caught up, we can just forget it happened." Archie stumbled out, he was sputtering even after practicing it in his head for the hour jug was out.

Jughead had laughed, actually laughed at Archie's speech. Almost choked on his water.  Should he be offended? Instead he took back the bottle from Jughead and put it on the table again. He moved around to lay next to Jughead. They lay in comfortable silence, almost as if that was confirmation that the kiss was okay. They were too young to really understand. They were just boys. Kids, even. They didn't know any better. They had all the time in the world to grow up.

-

YES THIS WAS BASICALLY JUST FILLER IM SORRY

next chap is a big time jump to the summer before sophomore year,,,except maybe less death?? hahaha i wont tell u >:)

but uh,,,Veronica Lodge makes her debut next chap. She's gonna be fun.

Thoughts? theories? suggestions? Let me hear from you!

would anyone be interested in a character Q&A?

- ann