Picnic || jarchie

sixteen

Trigger warning! I wouldn't say graphic, but still, depictions of death, child abuse, smoking and murder. please read at your own cautions.
-ann.

-

Jason Blossom sat on the edge of Sweetwater river. The sun was starting to rise, soft oranges reflecting against his pale cheeks. He watched the river move against the wind, the trees were stand still, and yet, if you stared long enough the leaves started to move against each other.

He looked at his watch one last time, it was nearing 7:30 am. He felt his heart continue to shatter. Polly, oh god polly. Polly Cooper was everything Jason could ever dream of. Polly was older than he was, but,  young at heart. With green blue eyes and soft blonde hair that he would run his fingers through. His dad had hated her the second he saw her. Bringing Polly to dinner and watching the way his mom ate her mashed potatoes with a glare. Silent against the sounds of cutlery and napkins shuffling against thighs. Polly had found Jason's had under the table. It felt warm and soft.

Now here he sat wondering if every moment he ever shared with the girl had been a lie. He was overreacting, he tried to tell himself, but he couldn't. Instead he made  a quick decision. He would go across sweet water river to meet Joaquin alone.

"How do you know this?" Archie asked abruptly. Jughead turned to him confused. Archie gave him a look back before returning to Joaquin, "You weren't there so how do you know he was thinking that Polly left?"

"He told me." Joaquin stated bluntly. Jughead just patted Archie's shoulder softly trying to silence his boyfriend. He motioned for Joaquin to continue.

The trip across the river left Jason time to reflect. He watched the sky turn from blossom red and orange to a more proper riverdale blue. He found himself reaching the other side fairly quickly. Turning to a darker side of the forest he searched for his family. The serpents had taken Jason Blossom in when nobody else could. He had been found covered in bruises by Joaquin. He took him back to the Whyte Wyrm where the taller boy, who Jason now realized was in a serpent jacket patched him up.

"your dad hit you?" Joaquin had repeated as he handed Jason a cloth to wash off the dried blood on his nose.

"His dad hit him?" Archie repeated, gawking at the boy. Jughead facepalmed as he paused the recording device yet again, "Archie,  please, no more questions, okay?" Archie pouted, but nodded, crossing his arms. 

When Jason had reached Joaquin he felt relieved. He smiled at the boy. He was leaning against a tree with a cigarette hanging between his lips. Joaquin only smoked when he was nervous. He was probably concerned as to why his best friend hadn't shown up yet. Jason moved into the light, and when he caught Joaquin's eye, he expected the boy to relax at the sight of him, but instead he flinched and looked around uneasily.

"Jason," He whispered. He got close to him and frantically threw his cigarette away, "Jason please, go Just trust me."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows together, "Why? Oh its Polly right? Yeah, she ditched me, Jay, isn't that shitty? I still want to leave though. Get me away from my dad. "

Joaquin shook his head, he grabbed Jason's shoulder, "Please, Jason, You'll be safer from your dad if you just stay here!"

Before Jason could respond, the bushes surrounding them began rustling as someone moved into the clearing. FP jones. He had been iffy about Jason as first, knowing that the boy was  a blossom, but eventually had given in. Instead from the normally tired but nice expression on his face, FP looked sullen.