𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏' ≛ m. kelso ✔

≛ chapter fourteen

July 1978

Archie leaned against the counter of the local cafe, tuning out Lucy's and Donna's chatter. The two had come closer recently. Much closer. Well, Lucy had once told him that she wasn't opposed to a "feminine relationship."

He cut into their conversation. "How come June isn't here yet? She hates being late; this isn't like her."

Lucy's eyes flicked toward him. "Well, our boss is pretty lenient about lateness and such, especially on slow days. Maybe she had an errand to run for her parents or somethin'."

"Speak of the devil," Donna chuckled as the bell rang.

The three turned to face the door where Juniper and Michael had walked in. Archie studied June before his focus trailed down to her hand, which connected with his. Upon noticing this, Juniper hastily let go and made her way behind the counter.

He surveyed Michael, who had some dopey grin on his face as he watched her unwaveringly. Archie wasn't stupid. He knew there was something going on, even if it wasn't physical. June wasn't... emotionally available. But he didn't say anything about it; he just hoped it would fade away before it got too far.

Juniper appeared in front of him and kissed his cheek. She greeted him and told him she loved him, but Michael's eyes had followed her and consequently met with his.

Michael noticed a hostility in his gaze but pretended to ignore it, though Archie knew fully well that Michael wasn't oblivious to June's feelings toward him.

The two stared at each other, as they both felt it was only a matter of time until everything burned down.

≛

Later that afternoon, Archie followed Juniper up to her room.

She quickly pulled him toward her and locked the door behind him.

"Junie-"

"Dance with me," she interrupted, guiding his hands to her waist and wrapping her arms around her neck.

Archie couldn't help but smile at her giddiness. "You can't dance if you have no music."

Juniper rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, fine, if you insist..."

She turned and carefully put on a Fleetwood Mac record- Rumours. "There we go." She returned to him and swayed, albeit not with the beat, to "The Chain."

He rested his head on top of hers when she closed her eyes and pressed her cheek to his chest. 

"Isn't this album beautiful?" Juniper sighed.

"What do you mean?" her boyfriend asked for further clarification.

"Well, the band was on the brink of breaking up because of romance drama and all, but they used that to make art."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool."

"And if you don't love me now, you will never love me again. I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain."

Archie swallowed. "Uh... Do you... Do you love me?"

Juniper frowned slightly. "Of course I do."

"No, I mean, do you really love me?"

June stopped and pulled back to look him in the eye. "Arch, where is this coming from?"

The boy panicked, not wanting to upset her. "Nowhere, it's fine. I'm just being stupid."

"No, if there's something bothering you, we should talk about it."

Well, there was no going back now. Archie pursed his lips. "Is there... something going on?"

Juniper raised an eyebrow as the bass solo began, the quiet and deep tone filling the room.

"Between you and Kelso."

June scoffed, but she wasn't a good liar, at least not to Archie. "Where did you get that idea? You know we don't have that kind of relationship."

He grew exasperated and frantically ran a hand through his artfully messy black hair. "Junie, please. If there's something between you two, tell me now so we can fix it."

She shook her head as the solo crescendoed. "I told you already, you have nothing to worry about. Don't you trust me?"

"I do, I just..." he gritted his teeth. The guitar and drums flooded in and blasted the room with a beautiful cacophony of bitterness. "Damn, June, I see the way he looks at you! He cares about you!"

"That's because-"

"As more than a friend! And you can't tell me you're oblivious to that. I saw you two walking into the cafe, holding hands. You haven't gone out with me in, what, two weeks?"

At this point, Juniper wanted to tell him the truth, she really did. But all she could do was stare at him with an open mouth. The words refused to come out.

"I care about you," he continued, "and I want you to be happy, but I need to think about me too. I don't want to find out that you've been cheating on me with him since he fucking got here, because it's going to ruin shit with us and with Lucy and I don't want to lose you!"

"Chain, keep us together..."

The upbeat intro to "You Make Loving Fun" made a stark contrast to the air of the room as Juniper stepped back from him. They hadn't realized that they'd inched closer to each other as Archie had rambled on.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom," she said meekly, before turning and escaping into the hallway.

Archie sighed and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't meant to distress her like that. He almost regretted even saying anything. How could he have doubted her, with how amazing she was? He wandered over to her desk and lifted an open envelope.

"Photos of Love."

He smiled softly, as he figured it would've been a collection of photos of him and her, and slipped the first photo out.

He was wrong.

≛

(not) brought to you by photos of love lololol

(not) brought to you by me kinda making june unlikeable? idk I'm not feeling like i should give her a happy ending at this point; instant karma's gonna get her, y'know?

(not) brought to you by the chain - fleetwood mac

brought to you by lissy <3