Aftera good minute Jughead sucked his teeth. He didn’t really think Archie would go as far as not answering the door. It was a stupid fight between two very stubborn boys but Jughead didn’t think it would go as far as their friendship did over the summer. No, Jug couldn’t have that again. He was suffering with his small group already. He almost gave up, going as far as turning from the door with slightly slumped shoulders but he’d try to perk up again by the time he’d get back to Betty’s. Then he heard Archie’s voice and turned back around. “Arch…” He said. “Come on man. Don’t slump around your house. I… I’m sorry. I hate apologizing but… I am.” He said trying not to sound defeated. “Come watch this movie with us… you don’t have to talk to me or anything but do it for Betty. I know she wants us all to spend more time together.” Jug shook his head. “I know I can suck but when I said I wasn’t going to let you take that cast off… I was trying to look out for you.” 

amusement ticklesglazed lips, as his caramel-colored gaze flutters upward in thought. who would be a goodcandi-date for riverwood’s golden boy? veronica had been all over william, so shewas out of the deck. then, there was betty but meh – what archie needed was afreak, not a princess. and not anyone he could potentially fall for – this wouldstrictly be a distraction; a way for archie to get all his frustrations out. everyoneknows the weight of every man’s frustration is in his balls. “doesn’t cheryl digyou? plus, she’s grieving. i bet you could pull-off friends with benefits withthat one. I predict great sex too.” not only was cheryl a bitch but she was acontrol freak, she’d probably ride archie until his balls fall off. “trust me,bro. football vs sex with a vampire? that’s a no-brainer. you’ll feel a helluva lot better. your problemis, you’ve been hanging around girls that are looking for their princecharming. there’s too many emotions and things get complicated. A.A needs somegrade-a untapped lust n’ thrust.” giving a small shrug, jake returns his eyeswith a wide open-mouthed grin. “—let these girls know why they call you arch’,”

    “dude, you just said it all. she’s grieving. i’m not trying anything with her.” archie’s attention wasn’t on anyone right now, so he knew it wasn’t the time for anything with anyone. his answer said it all and gave archie everything he needed to know. “plus i think i remind her of jason.. so that’s weird on my end.” he was always friendly with cheryl, he would even consider her a friend, so anything more with her would just feel odd in his mind. his hand moved to pick at the edge of the cast, clearly irritated about it. shaking his head, his eyes moved out to the ball being tossed around the field. “if something is to happen with a girl... it’ll happen. i’m not looking to jump into anything right now. not after what happened last time.” he instantly bit the inside of his cheek, trying to hide the fact he had just said that. jake had no idea about what happened over the summer with archie, not many people did. and he wanted to keep it close to his heart. “i’m fine for now.”

 Jughead had to admit he was still pretty steamed about the reaction Archie had when Jughead refused to take off his cast but to go as far and say he wouldn’t speak to Archie again was a far cry from the truth. That’s why when Betty first brought up the idea of hanging out he was skeptical but not against it, he just knew there definitely would be tension but maybe with Betty there she’d be able to fix it. Apparently Archie was a bit more heated about it and that seemed to hurt Jughead even f there would never be a day where he’d admit that. Now he was walking to Betty’s house holding a bag of burgers and one requested milkshake to continue with said movie night but something stopped him the second he came up Archie’s house. He didn’t want to do what his heart was telling him due to his stubborn bullheaded personality but he knew deep down he couldn’t let their friendship shatter again. Jughead needed Archie, and even if Archie was mad at Jughead… there had to be a part of him that knew he needed Jughead too. So before moving onto the next house that held a pretty blonde waiting for a milkshake and to watch the classic Mean Girl’s movie; Jughead made one quick turn toward Archie’s door and rang the doorbell. “Come out, come out, where ever you are.” Jughead called hoping Archie wouldn’t ignore him. The crown hatted boy had to at least try to get Archie to come around, at least enough to spend time as the three best friends once again. 

@gingvrstallion

“Never thought I’d pop one of your cherries,” Jakelaughed, nudging his friend’s good-arm with an elbow. “…Yeah, I get that,” he respondedto why Archie was into football. Jake joined football after he droppedbasketball because he wanted to smash some heads in himself. Tyler humiliated himby breaking his ribs and taking Brooke. Jake wanted to hurt everyone. But heeven lost interest in football. Marijuana took precedence. Not that he wouldever suggest drugs to Archie. The red-haired poster boy was too wholesome for that. “Listen, if youwanna throw body, why don’t you get yourself a hot girl? Best contact sport outthere. Get all those frustrations out. Plus you have the broken hand… hashtag,sympathy points. Chicks love a wounded soldier…”

    he wasn’t surprised to hear jake’s next suggestion, biting down on his tongue to keep him from laughing. archie hadn’t been himself as of late, he didn’t want to be around a girl to take out his mood swings on her even if it was just a stupid hook-up. it was honestly the last thing he wanted, but it didn’t stop him from amusing the idea. “and who do you suggest??” his head turned to look at jake, brows slowly rising. it wouldn’t be totally unlike him considering he had been juggling different girls weeks before --- turns out girls actually did like a redhead more than archie thought. “not the sort of contact sport i was thinking about, man. but it’s definitely up there.” 

“Thanks, man.” A wide grin returned to theformer playboy’s face. Marrying Brooke was the best thing he’s ever done and hecouldn’t be happier. Yeah, they were young and had all the time in the world,but did they really? With a killer on the loose, everyone is sitting outsidethe refrigerator waiting to spoil. Plus, why wait? They’ve been each other’ssoulmate since the bassinet. Sixteen-years was longer than most other marriedcouples wait. “I was going to wait until after high school but why wait? It’snot going to change anything. I’ll still be in love with Brooke 100-years fromnow.” Jake wasn’t usually the type to expose his softer side to people, butwith Archie it was natural. Archie was the type of bro guys don’t have to be ajackass around. He wasn’t really the locker-room-talk type. Because of this, itallowed Jake to be more serious and less douchey with him. “When everything is settleddown we plan to renew our vows – have a huge wedding. Of course that includesyou on the guest list.” Turning his attention onto the field, Jake squintedunder the rays of sunlight. He knew Archie wanted to be back out there. Tylertook away his passion, like he tried to do to him, too. Hell, he succeeded for awhile; Jake dropped basketball and turned to pot. “It’s not just football you’remissing, bro. It’s being out there, being active. Sitting here has youdepressed. There are alternatives, y’kno? You ever try soccer? You needsomething to keep you in shape. Football will still be here for you, dude. Trust me.”

   “yeah, why wait.” archie was sure if he was madly in love with someone the way jake was, he would have proposed the same idea considering people were getting killed off left, right and centre. they worked well together and in archie’s mind, they would absolutely be solid. all he could do was celebrate them and be happy for his friend and his girl. “i've never been to a wedding before, you’d be my first.” he teased, shaking his head. “i’d love to go, man. of course.” once the conversation was turned archie’s way, he dropped his head ever so slightly and huffed out an exhale. he really didn’t want to talk about himself, but he knew he didn’t exactly look happy watching his teammates play without him. “soccer? i played it when i was little but then i started getting more aggressive which was why football was perfect.” he loved the contact sports, so nothing else would work considering he liked throwing his body into basically everything. he missed the sport, missed the glory, missed performing in front of people, it was getting to him. “let’s just hope it heals quick.”

“Well…no, not really,” she said after a moment of thought. “At least i’m pretty sure it isn’t. But I think it should be, how else do you describe someone who gloats all the time?” She asked with a shrug. Aria looked at him for a moment, gauging what was going through his mind. She didn’t know him particularly well, but that didn’t stop her. “Then i’ll stay,” she said after a moment, sitting down besides him and looking out at the game. “I don’t really have anywhere else I want to be right now,” she said, looking at him.

    aria was always someone who intrigued archie --- but that was usually how he was with everyone he wasn’t close to. at least he knew some of her friends, so she was cool. “and out here listening to coach clayton yell, sitting with someone you don’t know to do your homework is more appealing?” he raised an eyebrow, smiling nevertheless. “you alright though? i assume something’s wrong..” he didn’t want to pry, that wasn’t his place to do so. but he couldn’t help himself from caring for those around him.