word count: 1,900

CHAPTER THIRTY:

LONGING

LUNCHTIME FINALLY CAME AROUND and Ginny peeked around the corner of the hallway to see if the coast was clear. The halls had emptied and all that was to account for were the teachers on their way to the teachers lounge.

"I think we're good." Ginny whispered softly as she stared around the hallway. Both were nervous on skipping school but they wanted to spend the day together.

"What?" The brunette girl stiffened as she felt Jughead's warm breath tickle the back of her neck.

She turned her head slightly to the side and blushed as her face came in close proximity to her best friend's. "C'mon!" She grabbed onto his large hand, tugging him from the confines of the corner before pushing the door open.

The two laughed loudly as they sprinted off campus and onto the street. It was time to celebrate Jug's birthday.

They made it to Pop's diner quickly and both plopped down in a booth, sitting across from one another. A relieved laugh escaped Jughead's pink lips as Ginny's head fell back onto the vinyl covered seat.

"That was invigorating." He commented lightly, propping his elbows behind him on the red vinyl. Both turned to the waitress who approached them with waters and a smile on her face.

"The usual, please." Jughead told the waitress and Ginny rolled her eyes. Maybe it was a bad thing that the two of them ate so often at the family diner but hey, when you live alone you gotta do what you gotta do.

The cool waters in front of the two made Ginny salivate and she quickly grabbed one, bringing the straw to her lips. The cool liquid fell down her throat smoothly and she sighed in contentment.

"Hey," Jughead muttered quietly and Ginny looked up in surprise. Her hands were on the table, awkwardly playing with the other and the young brunette blushed as Jughead's hand was placed in the middle of the table. His palm was facing upward and Ginny's eyes flitted from his own eyes to his hand, pondering if she should place hers within his.

She did, letting her hand slide onto his, as if imitating a handshake. Jughead laughed quietly and placed his other hand on top of her own, securing their hands together.

"I'm going to tell Betty," Jughead announced to his best friend, giving her hand a light squeeze.

Ginny's eyes widened in shock and she tried to peel her hand away from his but his grip was too tight. "What are you talking about, Jug?"

"I'm going to tell her we kissed."

"No!" Ginny yelped and she shut her mouth quickly as their plates were placed in front of them.

"Why not?" Jughead frowned as Ginny's hand escaped his own. He grabbed onto his burger, taking a bite of the delicious food.

"Because Betty will hate me!" Ginny's eyes were wide in shock and fear. 

"She'll hate me too." Jughead shrugged, too cool for this scenario. "I don't know why I ended up with Betty, you kinda told me to give it a chance, and I did. I just don't like her that way. I like you that way."

"What?"

"I've always had a crush on you," Jughead told her nonchalantly and Ginny could feel her heart beating fast within her chest. Was this a dream? "I'm going to break up with Betty so I can try to date who I really want."

"Oh?" Ginny was breathless, she felt like she was going to faint.

"I want to date you."

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JUGHEAD EXHALED, SITTING IN HIS SEAT as Archie busied himself around the kitchen. "So A John Landis double feature at the Bijou. American Werewolf in London and Animal House." Although he was sad Ginny wouldn't be able to go to the movies because of work, Archie was always a good second choice.

"That's awesome. Except–" Archie cleared his throat, looking guilty. "You're going with Betty instead."

Jughead sighed again, glaring at his friend. "You told her about my birthday? Dude, come on. That's a primal betrayal."

"Why do you hate your birthday so much, Jug?" Archie asked, he had always wondered.

"PTSD from when I was a kid. I don't know. Things were always messed up at home. Usually because of my dad. And then there was this arbitrary day, that we would just get together and pretend things were great, we were normal. And it just made me feel really lonely."

Silence filled the room as the two boys ate their dinner.

"I plan on breaking up with Betty," Jughead announced to his friend. He didn't know why he told Archie, maybe after his confession to Ginny, he decided he needed another's opinion.

"You do?"

"Yeah, and I plan on asking out Ginny instead."

º º º

JUGHEAD WAS AT THE MOVIES WITH Betty. He wasn't sure how this whole girlfriend thing was working and he didn't want it to continue any longer. He knew it was his birthday, maybe for his present from Betty she could give him a reason to break up with him. "Hey, I was talking to Kevin. He told me that you and Chuck had some scene in the cafeteria yesterday."

"It wasn't a big deal." Betty shrugged uncomfortably, this felt like an interrogation.

"What exactly happened between you guys that night?"

"Veronica asked me to keep the details under wraps, okay?" Betty snapped at Jughead and he bit his lip, was this a good time to break up?

"Yeah. All right. No worries. I only really asked because you made it sound like you were upset." Jughead replied defensively.

"If I was upset about anything, it was that I had to hear about your birthday from Archie and not you, Jug." Betty cooed, changing the subject.

Jughead sighed. "Yeah, well I didn't think you were an American Werewolf kind of girl. Ginny loves these types of movies."

"Ooh. That's where you're wrong, Jughead Jones. I'm all about the beast within." She frowned, however, as she focused on the screen as the movie began.

Why did he always have to mention Ginny?

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GINNY SAT IN THE CORNER OF ARCHIE'S HOUSE, a frown in place as she watched Archie, Veronica, Ethel Muggs, Kevin Keller, and Joaquin mill around. After her shift ended, she waited for Jughead to stop by for a milkshake but he never did. Instead, Virginia got a call from Archie with an explanation of what was going on that night.

She wasn't that happy– especially since Betty and Jughead were together at the movies watching Animal House– one of her favourite movies. She knew Jughead wasn't going to like this.

"Surprise!" The group of teenagers hollered as Jughead and Betty entered the room. Jughead's eyes were wide in shock before his bottom lip was tugged in between his teeth.

"This is why we left the double feature." Jughead said, realising the plan. His eyes landed on Ginny who stood to the side, near the kitchen, smiling softly at him.

"Happy birthday, bro." Archie called out, gripping his best friend in a tight embrace.

"You really shouldn't have. Ugh, you reek. Are you drunk?" Jughead asked his best friend, frown in place. Archie never acted like this, something was wrong.

"No." Archie defended himself, pushing away from Jughead.

Veronica approached Jughead, a smile in place as she spoke words in Spanish to him. "Thanks, Veronica. Thanks, everyone. Oh, it's Kevin!" Ginny knew immediately how awkward Jughead felt– he rarely spoke to Kevin and didn't think it was necessary to have someone pretend to be his friend for the day.

"Happy birthday, bud. This is my boyfriend, Joaquin." Ginny's arms were crossed as she took in the scene. She didn't like this whole Kevin and Joaquin dating thing.

"Hey, nice to meet you. Um, has anyone seen Betty?" Ginny approached Jughead with a small smile but frowned at the mention of the blonde girl.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Jughead– happy birthday to you." Betty sang, standing in front of the birthday boy with a coy smile in place.

"That was haunting, Betty." Jughead told her as she stood before him with a cake in hand.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish."

Jughead sighed, leaning towards Ginny. "I wish it were just the two of us right now."

"Sorry," Ginny's hand felt for his own and gave his a quick squeeze, letting go as Betty's gaze landed on their intertwined fingers.

"One blow!" Kevin said loudly, bringing the the two girls out of their staring match. Jughead had blowed out the candles in a quick blow, ending the festivities.

Archie and Veronica disappeared and the few remaining gathered around the cake. Ginny, however, was in the mood for ice cream. It seemed like Jughead had the same thought as her and both walked to the kitchen together... Betty following behind them.

"Oh, sorry. Just coming to get ice cream, so—Is everything okay?" Archie and Veronica were in the kitchen hugging and it felt like they had just ruined a moment.

"Yeah, no, I'm just not in a party mood like I usually am." Veronica replied and Ginny thought it was stupid for Veronica to come at all. First, she wasn't friends with Jughead and secondly, if you weren't in the mood why come and bring the mood down?

"That makes two of us."

"Whoa. Wait. You're not actually upset that I threw you a party, are you?" Betty called, bringing everyone's attention to the two.

"It is nice, Betty. I appreciate it. It's just I would be happier if it was just the five of us in a booth at Pop's."

"I told her that," Ginny pipped up, shrugging her shoulders as Betty sent her a glare.

"Yeah. But we always do that. I wanted to do something special."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Jughead told Betty with a heated look. He just wanted to be having milkshakes at Pop's with Archie and Ginny right now.

"Why is everything so doom and gloom with you, Jug? Why can't it just be normal for once?" Betty asked, getting frustrated with her new beau.

"I'm not normal, I'm not wired to be normal." Jughead hissed out to Betty, the only other person who heard him was Ginny— and she knew that statement to be true. Jughead was the silent type, he relished in having two friends and enjoyed being alone.

The doorbell rang and everyone turned in confusion. "How many more people did you invite to this thing?"

"No one. Inner-circle only." Betty replied defensively, raising her hands up.

Loud music blared from outside as the front door banged open revealing classmates, especially Cheryl Blossom and Chuck Clayton.

"Did you really think you could have a party without inviting moi?" Cheryl Blossom asked, a smirk playing at her red painted lips.

"Or me?" Chuck Clayton asked and Ginny's eyes flitted between him and Betty Cooper, what was that all about?

"Archie, where do you want the kegs?" Moose called out, shouldering one of the large tins.

"Screw it! One in the kitchen, one in the backyard." Archie hollered and Ginny's jaw dropped. What the hell was Archie doing? It was his best friends birthday and he let a rager kick in at his place?

"Jug–" Ginny's hand tried wrapping around his wrist but she was bumped to the side as bodies pushed past to get to the kitchen.

She was left alone.

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y'all i published my fp jones fic go check it out it's called daddy issues ;)