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↳ CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

THE BREAK DOWN ↵

     IT WAS THE NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL IN the office of the Blue and Gold where Virginia found herself cramming her studying in for a test. She bent over the table, frown in place as she studied her notecards on the Civil War. She sighed in exasperation, knowing that she didn't know anything for the test. The brunette girl peeked over the edge of the desk and into her open backpack, longingly staring at the pack of cigarettes taunting her.

After the weekend, Virginia went to the closest 7/11 and picked up a pack of cigarettes, craving the relief the death stick could give her.

"Juggie, I feel like I don't even know who my mom and dad are anymore." Virginia pulled her gaze away from her bag to see Betty pacing around the room, distressed.

"They're assholes, that's what they are." Virginia replied dryly from the couch and Jughead sent her a glare. Sometimes the brunette girl didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.

"Betty, if your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more that they lied about." Jughead told her as he thought of what events occurred the previous night.

"What do you mean?" Betty asked him, a frown in place. She stepped closer to the tall boy, arms crossed.

"Your dad said he would do anything to protect Polly. So the next logical question is– How far would he go to protect her?"

Jughead bent down, pencil in hand as he began to scribble something down. Virginia pushed herself out of the chair, stepping closer to the pair by the board.

"Jughead, whoever broke into Sheriff Keller's house and stole all his evidence wasn't at the drive-in. My Dad wasn't at the drive-in.

"We need to talk to Polly." Jughead told her and Virginia bit her lip as he passed the blonde the thumb tack and paper.

She held her breath, as if her heart was breaking as she noticed the longing stare Betty sent to Jughead.

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VIRGINIA AND JUGHEAD SAT IN their usual booth at Pop's after school. Virginia's head was placed on the table, frustrated how horribly her test had gone and Jughead was typing away on his computer, waiting for his best friend to stop wailing about her grades.

"So," Virginia prepped her head onto her vertical arms, resting her chin on her hands. "It seems like Betty has a little crush on you." All day it had bugged her. The itching voice in her head, telling her that Jughead was better off with a pretty blonde like Betty.

She stared at her best friend, watching him look up at her in surprise before he looked back down at his computer with a blush. "What are you talking about Ginny?"

"I'm not kidding, I know girls and she likes you." Virginia hated herself for bringing up the topic. She hated Betty for ruining their friendship and even though they were on the mend, why was Betty crushing on Jughead. Betty didn't even know him like she did.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I never thought of Betty that way— or any girl that way." Jughead told Ginny thoughtfully, shutting his computer to engage in the discussion.

"Yeah," Virginia smiled tugging on his hands that were placed on his closed laptop. "I know that, remember?"

"Ah, yes." Jughead grinned. "How can I forgot my first and only kiss?"

Virginia rolled her eyes, blush in its usual place. "You make it sound bad."

"It wasn't bad," Jughead laughed, leaning back in the booth. "We were just six years old, it wasn't anything."

Virginia felt as if her heart froze, that kiss they shared had begun her crush on Jughead and now he's saying it didn't mean anything? It meant everything to her.

"O-Oh," Virginia whispered.

"No, Gin. I don't mean like that–" Jughead stumbled over his words, noticing the crestfallen look she had. "I mean we were young and didn't know what love was like—"

"I get it," she told the dark haired boy, plastering on a fake smile. 

"It's not like you've kissed other guys, right?" Jughead asked. "When you kiss someone else I know for sure our kiss won't even matter." Virginia tried not to show the guilt flashing through her eyes at the thought of the stolen kisses FP had taken from her.

It does matter because it's you. Virginia thought, you're the only one I want.

"You don't wanna kiss me, huh." Ginny teased, clearing her mind of the dreadful thoughts. "I have cooties?"

"No," Jughead laughed, sipping his chocolate milkshake. "If I wanted to kiss you, I would make it a meaningful one."

"O-Oh?"

"Yeah, but it's not like we're ever gonna kiss," Jughead shrugged. He kept his eyes down on his half-eaten burger, his heart sad. He knew that Virginia was too good for him, even if all he wanted to do was be with her.

"Y-Yeah," Virginia said.

"I don't know, maybe I should think of relationships more. Is it weird that I don't?" Jughead asked. He was confused, he had never thought of girls, besides Ginny. That was the way his mind went. He knew that he wanted to marry Virginia Hopkins, no other girl mattered. He loved her.

"It's not weird, Jug." Virginia finished eating his fries, popping the last one into her mouth with a hum of approval. "I know people at school think sex is everything but it isn't, and I respect you for not being a horndog."

Jughead rolled his eyes, he picked up his cheeseburger. "Are you sure about Betty, though?" Jug asked Virginia. He had only begun talking to her, like, two weeks ago– why would she crush on him?

"You should talk to Betty, I think you should give her a chance." Virginia's heart broke at her own words, what was she doing? Why wasn't she screaming at him about how much she loved him? How she should be the one for him.

But she didn't. She wasn't good enough for him– she was too fucked up.

Silence filled the booth and Virginia's eyes fluttered around the restaurant at the other customers happily chatting as they ate their dinner. The young girl knew that Jughead was staring at her in confusion, waiting for something else– as if she didn't just give him the seal of approval.

"I-I'm going to go outside, I-I'll be back." Virginia breathed out as Jughead's long hard stare softened. She felt as if she was suffocating under his gaze and she felt as if he could see through her facade– see how heartbroken she was– how the guilt and shame of the weekend were eating her alive.

But she knew he couldn't– she was just going crazy.

Virginia stood on the street outside of Pop's staring at the side of town that led to the Southside. She needed a smoke break, her lungs aching for the relief of the sweet drug.

The brunette girl turned her head slightly, watching Jughead approach her. She took a drag of the deathstick, closing her eyes at the relief of the toxins filling her lungs.

"What the hell, Gin?" Virginia cracked her eyes open as Jughead grabbed the cigarette from between her thin fingers, throwing it to the ground. "I thought you quit months ago?"

It was true, Virginia had been a smoker after picking up the habit from her mother and the many delinquents from the Southside. Jughead, however, had stopped her from smoking, and she was glad he had.

"I did," she shrugged. "Didn't see the point to quitting."

Jug furrowed his brows, watching his best friend vacantly stare into the street, watching cars pass by.

"Gin," Jughead closed in on her, trying to get her attention. "Are you okay? You haven't been at school."

Her lithe body tried to escape the entrapment of his, her heart beating faster– and not in a good way. With her eyes closed, all she could see was FP Jones in front of her– even when it was Jughead, her best friend.

"Get off of me," she shrieked loudly, pushing against his chest. Her tiny hands curled up into fists that hit his body, trying to get away from the male figure in front of her.

Jughead stumbled away, hands in the air and his eyes wide. "Gin?"

She fell to the ground, a sob wrenching through her whole body as the trauma had finally hit an all time low with her. Why did she think of FP when he touched her? Why did this happen to her?

He knelt beside the broken girl, not touching her but close enough.

"I-I'm s-sorry," she broke down, curling up into a small ball. The young girl was sorry about her freakout but knew she just wanted to be alone.

"It's okay," Jughead soothed, he felt awful for some reason. He just wanted to ease her pain.

Jughead pulled Virginia Hopkins up, watching his friend, as if for the first time in awhile. He had forgotten what the broken girl had looked like, and now he was scared. Before, he knew that she was afraid of the jocks and cheerleaders at school bullying her, or her mother's verbal abuse.

But now, something was different, and Jughead didn't know what.

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