Secrets- Riverdale X Reader Chapter 2- A Touch of Evil ((Jughead Jones))
part 1: http://fanfictionandstuff.tumblr.com/post/157068434249/secrets-riverdale-x-reader-chapter-1-the-rivers
Word count: somewhere over 3000
You woke up in a cold sweat on Monday morning. You knew something was wrong from the second you opened your eyes. You turned on your phone, using it as a light source in your pitch black room.
Immediately you froze, your fingering hovering over the unlock button. You had a ridiculous amount of missed calls and texts from Betty, Veronica, and Kevin. You glanced at the time, your eyebrows knitting together in confusion. It was 3:30am. What could they want this late?
You opened your texts and were flooded with information.
Kevin was going to the river with Moose, Kevin and Moose had been caught at the river.
Veronica was wondering if you had seen Betty.
Betty was letting you know she was okay
And finally, all three had messaged you the exact same thing, in almost uniform wording. five words that explained your feeling of dread.
They found Jason Blossom’s body. He was shot.
Body.
Corpse.
Dead.
You knew Jason was dead…but it was still like a punch to the stomach. Maybe a little part of you hadn’t believed it. Maybe a little part of you hoped your half brother was just…missing. But a corpse was irrefutable. Final.
And more importantly…someone had killed him.
After a restless four hours of attempting to sleep, your alarm saved you from your thoughts. Every time you closed your eyes you saw Jason staring back at you, his eyes dead, hair dripping with water, a bullet wound through his head.
You couldn’t shake it from your head, you had no idea why you even cared that Jason was dead. You hadn’t known him.
You reached onto your nightstand and silenced your alarm. You threw the quilt off you and onto the floor, climbing out of your bed. You walked across your carpeted floor into the bathroom. You splashed cold water onto your face and then ran a damp hand through your hair to calm down.
You stepped into the shower and let the warm water wash away the dark thoughts and fears plaguing you.
You got out of the shower and finished getting ready. You glanced at your phone after pulling on your shirt and groaned, you had taken longer in the shower than usual and had no time to eat breakfast. With a resigned huff, you pulled on your shoes and walked out the front door.
When you got to riverdale high, Betty’s name was called over the announcements to come to the office. You decided to go to the office. You wanted to check on Betty after the shit storm that was the weekend.
You got to the office at the same time as Betty and Kevin. They smiled at you in greeting before Kevin caught sight of the mysterious yellow roses on the desk.
“Oh, my god, those are gorgeous*. Are those for Betty, Mrs. Phillips?” Kevin said, walking closer to the flowers.
The decrepit old woman behind the desk gave Kevin a harsh stare. “That’s why I called her.”
Kevin snatched a white card from the center of the bouquet, “Dear Betty, please forgive me. XOXO, V?’ Who the hell is V?”
“Veronica.” Betty and Veronica said at the same time. Veronica stepped through the door from the hallway, holding a white box.
“The yellow’s for friendship, I also had magnolia cupcakes flown in from New York…because, as my mom likes to say, there’s no wrong the right cupcake cannot fix.” Veronica took a tentative few steps towards Betty. “Also I- I booked us for hers-and-hers Mani-pedis at Chez Salon…blowouts too. I am so, so sorry, Betty. I don’t know what happened to me that night…It was such a basic bitch move. It- it was like I was possessed by-”
Kevin interrupted her, “Madame Satan?”* he asked snarkily.
“The old Veronica.” Veronica finished, looking down in shame. “And I will never, ever, do anything like that to you again. I swear on my mothers pearls. Just…can you please* give me one more chance?” Her eyes were pleading.
Betty smiled and shrugged, “Okay.”
You, Veronica, and Kevin all spoke at the same time, “What?”
“Really?!” Veronica’s words were excited, a huge grin on her face. Your’s and Kevin’s were shocked, his also accusing. You weren’t the hurt party here so you had decided to follow Betty’s example on the whole Veronica thing…but you honestly hadn’t expected that.
“Awesome! I’ll take it. And you won’t regret it!” Veronicas grin got wider.
“Okay.” Betty said again, so quietly you almost hadn’t heard her.
“I’ll bring these to lunch so we can celebrate.” and with one last grin Veronica walked out of the Office as the Bell for class rang.
As soon as she was gone you and Kevin stared at Betty in shock, “It’s the path of least resistance guys. A week ago Veronica and I weren’t friends… Next week, we’ll nod to each other as we pass in the hall, but that’s it. In two weeks, she won’t even remember my name. And in three, she’ll have latched on to some other girl to destroy.”
You and Kevin frowned. You didn’t think Veronica was out to destroy Betty…and you were positive that Betty wouldn’t get rid of Veronica that easily. But you kept quiet, not wanting to get on Betty’s already crowded bad side.
So you just nodded awkwardly and walked with them to class.
The speakers crackled on and Weatherbee began the morning announcements before you could say anything more to Betty.
“There have been many inquiries about the upcoming pep rally. So let me state clearly…it is happening as scheduled. Now, on a less felicitous note…if you could give your attention to Sheriff Keller.”
Another man’s voice came over the announcements, who you assumed was Kevin’s dad. “Most of you already know the details, but your classmate Jason Blossoms body was found late Saturday night. So as of this weekend…Jason’s death is now being treated as a homicide. It is an open and ongoing investigation.”
The entire school was silent. Everyone was staring at the speakers. Your fingers clutched at the necklace you were wearing, your knuckles going white. You were the only one not staring at the speakers. You were staring down, your face emotionless.
Cheryl’s voice crackled over the speakers. “And may I interject? Neither I nor my parents will rest until Jason’s death is avenged, and his cold-hearted killer is walking the green mile to sit in old sparky and fry. I for one, have my suspicions. hashtag “riverdale strong.”
Kevins father’s voice came back on, “If you know anything that could help us find and apprehend jason’s killer, or anything about what happened to him on july 4th, I strongly urge you to come forward immediately. You can speak with me or principal Weatherbee. A death like this wounds us all. Let’s not let Jason down.“
Your first class was biology. As you walked in you instantly regretted it, there were dead frogs splayed on trays at each work station.
It wasn’t that you were afraid of blood or anything, you just didn’t like…dissecting things.
Betty and Kevin had taken their seats at a desk by the window and all the other seats were taken… except for the one next to Jughead.
“Hey…this seat taken?” You smiled hopefully at him.
Jughead didn’t answer and just gestured for you to sit down. You smiled and took a seat next to him, setting your bag down on the floor.
“You look moodier than usual…you okay?”
Before he could answer or you could press further, the teacher came in.
“Seats everyone! Pair off, gloves on, scalpels up!”
Your friends quickly paired off leaving you with no partner for the dissection.
“Heyyyyyy…so how are you with a scalpel?” You asked Jughead who, you assumed, also had no partner. considering he was still sitting next to you.
“Is that your way of asking me to be your partner?” Jughead raised an eyebrow at you.
“Yes?” you grinned sheepishly
He just rolled his eyes. It wasn’t with annoyance though, it was more on the side of amusement. Jughead took out a pen and filled out your names on the top of the assignment paper.
Two of Cheryls cronies leaned on the desk you were both sitting at, completely ignoring you and Jughead and whispering nasty things about Cheryl. You were quickly becoming annoyed with them, but before your anger could get the best of you there was a sickening squelching sound of a scalpel being stabbed into one of the frogs. The girls jumped, you and Jughead whipping around to see Cheryl with her hand tightly gripping the scalpel. Her face was neutral but there was a definite murderous glare directed at the girls.
You and Jughead stared for a few seconds more as the girls turned and fled from Cheryl’s eye line. You hadn’t known Cheryl Blossom that long but that had been extremely unsettling.
The rest of class passed by in a blur. You tried making jokes to cover your squeamishness and Jughead mostly ignored you, occasionally smirking or doing that eye roll thing again, but most of the class was passed in silence. Something was definitely off with jughead…but you couldn’t ask him what.
Later that day at lunch you, Kevin, Betty, and Veronica were walking across the field, trays of food in hand.
“sooo…” Veronica started, a playfulness in her voice, “what did Moose want?”
“Oh, my god. I don’t even think he knows. I mean, I am devastatingly handsome in that classic pre-accident Montgomery Clift kind of way, and sexuality is fluid, but can someone named ‘Moose’ actually be that fluid?” Kevin ranted.
Veronica laughed, “Okay, well I ship it.”
“I ship it too! You deserve pretty things, Kev.” You grinned.
“Well of course you guys would! You’re big city girls with loose morals.” Kevins tone was teasing, but his joke wasn’t well received, given what had went down just two days earlier. “I just meant…that Moose has an official girlfriend. Midge. Anyway, it’s terrible to say, but part of me wishes he would just stay in the darn closet.” Kevin finished as you approached the blue picnic table where Archie was already sitting.
Archie shot the four of you a confused and concerned look.
“Obviously, I didn’t mean literal closet…” Kevin corrected.
“Comfy.” you said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Archie! Any new material you wanna try out on a very forgiving audience?” Veronica expertly changed the topic.
“I–” Archie trailed off.
“Please?” she said, her eyebrows raised in plea.
“Yeah, please Archie? you didn’t even let us hear the end of the last song!” You added.
“Would you? I’d love the hear it.” Betty said, a soft smile on her face.
Archie sighed in resignation and reached for his guitar. “I’m still working on the lyrics, so…okay…”
Archie sang the first few lines while the four of you watched him. It was actually amazing and you freaking loved Archies songs, even if you were a little unsure on how much you liked him as a person.
Before he could get far into it, Betty looked like she was about to cry and he stopped.
You Kevin and Veronica applauded quietly.
“Betty?” Archie’s voice was laced with concern, “You okay?”
Betty had a distant and sad smile on her face as she looked away from the group. “I’m supposed to say yes. That’s what the nice girl always says, but…No, I’m not. I-I want to be. I thought I could be, but it’s too much, too fast. Archie…” Betty turned and walked away crying.
Archie bolted up, “Betty–Betty, wait!” Archie ran off, leaving you, Kevin, and Veronica watching in stunned silence, none of you knowing what to say.
You watched as Betty and Archie had a pretty intense conversation. You, Kevin, and Veronica all sat with baited breath. You couldn’t hear what they were saying but it didn’t look good. Finally it ended, Betty walking off about to cry and Weatherbee calling Archie to see him. The three of you shared a stunned look, Kevin’s mouth open in shock and Veronica at a loss for words.
The next day you caught up to Betty and Veronica at their lockers, both locked in an intense conversation. When you approached they stopped talking and smiled at you. “Hey (y/n)!” Betty greeted you. You waved awkwardly, feeling like you had just intruded in on a relatively intense moment.
“Hey guys, sorry can’t actually stay to talk I haven’t eaten yet and I’m freaking starving. There’s a vending machine in the lounge thingy right?” Betty nodded and pointed in the direction of the vending machines, You smiled gratefully and took off.
You walked through double doors into a room filled with couches and loud-mouthed jocks. You navigated your way to the back of the room. Betty, Veronica, and Kevin arrived in the room soon after, but quickly split off into different places, Veronica began talking to resident playboy (and suspected dickwad) Chuck Clayton, and Kevin and Betty took a seat at the edge of the room to do some homework.
You walked over to the vending machines and contemplated the machines contents, There were mostly off brand chips and overly processed suspicious looking packets of jerky. You groaned in frustration, “I think I’d rather starve to death than attempt to eat anything in here…” you muttered to yourself.
“I think eating anything in there would kill you a lot faster than starvation.” You jumped slightly, startled at the sound of Jughead’s voice.
“Jesus! Don’t you know its not polite to sneak up on people?” You accused.
“I didn’t sneak up on you.” Jugheads lips were curled into the faintest of smirks.
You were about to argue back that he had, in fact, snuck up on you, when Reggie’s voice cut you off.
“If a kid at Riverdale killed Jason, it’s not gonna be a jock, right? No, let’s be honest. isn’t it always some spooky, scrawny, internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid? Some smug, moody, serial-killer-fanboy freak. Like Jughead!” You rolled your eyes at Reggie, his loud-mouthing was getting old real fast.
“What was it like, suicide squad? When you shot Jason? You didn’t do stuff to the body, did you? Like, after.”
Jughead closed his eyes in annoyance and then lazily turned his gaze to Reggie, his arms crossed. “It’s called necrophilia, Reggie. Can you spell it?”
You grinned at Jugheads retort, Reggie however, found it less amusing.
“Come here you little–!” Reggie leaped over the back of the couch he was sitting on, towards you and Jughead. But before you could blink Archie had shoved in front of the two of you, pushing Reggie back.
“Hey, shut the hell up, Reggie.” Archie shoved Reggie away. You took the opportunity to get out of the way before things got ugly.
Veronica stood up, “Boys?” her face plastered with concern.
Reggie looked Archie up and down, “What do you care, Andrews?”
“Nothing, just leave him alone.”
“Holy crap. Did you and Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy blood brothers thing?”
You snorted in amusement. This kid was a special kind of stupid.
Archie didn’t answer and shoved Reggie forcefully, Jughead shouted but it was lost in the chaos as Reggie and Archie slammed into the vending machine, shattering the glass. Jughead tried to pull Reggie off of Archie but one of the Jocks pulled him off. Reggie punched Archie, knocking him out.
You didn’t know what to do, but it looked like Reggie was going to punch him again. You did the only thing you could think of…and hit him with your backpack.
The bag made contact with Reggie’s back and he stopped mid swing. He got up and stared at you, rage in his eyes. You were a little terrified but Archie was your friend…kind of. And Reggie was a massive dick.
Everyone’s eyes were on you as you spoke, a false confidence making your words sound steady.
“That’s enough, Mantle. He’s unconscious.*”
He grinned, “Oh, so Andrews gets his girlfriend to rescue him now? Can’t fight his own battles?”
“Im not Archie’s girlfriend. What I am is someone who doesn’t like loud mouthed jocks that pick on everybody to hide their own insecurities and issues.” your tone was cold and biting.
Reggie was pissed, his hand curled into a fist, but you weren’t done.
“You, reggie mantle, are just a highschool has-been waiting to happen.”
He actually looked like he was going to hit you, but you knew better. Hitting a girl is a big no-no, even among the jocks. He walked up to you and towered over you, trying to be intimidating.
“What are you gonna do, Reg? Hit a girl?”
You sidestepped him casually and knelt down next to Archie, motioning for some of the guys to help carry him to the nurse’s office. You walked out alongside the people carrying the unconscious red-head and your friends followed you out.
Kevin and Veronica cornered you as soon as you were clear of the room.
“Holy crap (y/n)! Where did that come from?” Kevin grinned at you, a flicker of what seemed to be pride in his voice.
“Yeah girl, that was AMAZING!” Veronica added.
You smiled wearily, “Yeah, well, can it be amazing in the bathroom? Because I think I might puke. That was straight up terrifying.”
-
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The night of the pep rally you were running to the football field. You were already late, and you and you had promised Betty and Veronica that you were going to watch their cheer performance. Your shirt had been buttoned in a hurry and you had forgotten your jacket, but you were sure as hell not going to break a promise to your friends.
You got there as the game was just starting and you swore, You spotted Jughead and jogged over to him. “Any chance in hell I didn’t miss the cheerleaders performance?” Jughead furrowed his eyebrows at your weird question and disheveled performance.
“I promised Betty I’d come out and support them…and then I kind of lost track of time…” you offered as explanation.
Jughead nodded with a faint smile on face.
“Is that a real smile on your face, Jones? Wow that’s gotta be like, the seventh sign of the apocalypse, right?…So what brought that on?”
Jughead rolled his eyes, but, like always, there was a warmth behind it. “Just had a good chat with an old friend.”
You grinned playfully, “Well, I like it. Looks good on you.” You suddenly looked semi-concerned. “Hey do you think they noticed I was missing? Probably not, right? Jeez, if I had known I was going to miss it anyways I would’ve grabbed my sweater. It’s freaking freezing.”
Warm fabric was gently draped around your shoulders. You looked up in confusion to see Jughead’s jacket on your shoulders.
“Just to be clear, this isn’t a boy giving his coat to a girl he likes. This is a friend lending another friend his jacket because she tore a new one in Reggie Mantle to stop him from further beating up the first friends other friend.” Jughead was staring at the football field, turned completely away from you.
“You lost me at the third friend, but thanks for the jacket.” You smiled softly and turned to the game.
You passed the next few hours in comfortable silence, just watching the game surrounded by noise and people and the rain. But it all just kind of blurred as you stood next to Jughead.
After the game, Archie had invited Jughead and you to Pop’s, which you had happily accepted. Any excuse to go to a place with food was good with you.
When the three of you walked in the door, Betty and Veronica were already in a booth. The five of you stared at eachother and betty smiled. “Do you guys wanna join us?”
Jughead smirked. “Yes, but only if you’re treating.” You nodded in agreement as the two girls laughed.
“Veronica Lodge.” Veronica introduced herself.
“Jughead Jones, the Third” Jughead answered, climbing into the seat next to the window.
“Jughead Jones the Third.” Veronica echoed, her eyes narrowing a bit and a smile on her face.
You laughed and pulled up a chair rather than squeezing into the booth. “He really likes the ‘the Third’ bit.”
Everybody was laughing and smiling as you all sat there around the booth at Pops.
And for one shining moment, you were all just kids.
