CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:
UNRAVELING TRUTH

GINNY HOPKINS NEVER THOUGHT that her friends would ever find out about her home life. But sadly, today was that day. She had gone to the bar her mother had frequented often– the one that she ran into FP Jones that summer day.

The young brunette went because she was allowed to drink alcohol, no one there gave a shit that she was underage. So there she was, drinking after school instead of at Pop's. She was moodily staring at her drink, knowing Jughead was probably with Betty. Virginia Hopkins had found a spot at the bar, knowing some alcohol would cure the blinding headache that she had. After waking up at noon to an empty house, she walked down the street to the Whyte Wyrm bar.

The young girl didn't know when it became habitual for her to go to the bar, maybe it was her mother who made her go there– maybe it was just the thought of alcohol that persuaded the girl to drown her thoughts away.

Ginny left her phone at home, knowing the only person who wanted to talk to her was Jughead, and right now, she didn't want to hear from her best friend. Her thoughts were plagued by their almost kiss.

She definitely needed to talk to Jughead about this. Shit, his birthday was coming up! Virginia cursed herself for being so stupid. She knew that Jughead wasn't a birthday person. He enjoyed his movie marathon and milkshakes at Pop's. But, with that came the tradition of Ginny giving him a small present: a journal. Each year she would find a new notebook for her best friend.

Maybe it was the old school heart in her but she felt that the best works were written on paper. Although Jughead typed his story, she knew that he would use her present– he always did.

Ginny yanked one of the cigarettes from her pack that rested beside her drink, grasping her lighter in the other hand. The hand she held the small piece of wrapped nicotine was wrapped from the other night, she frowned at the thought of the altercation she was in. Ginny lit it quickly, sucking on the death stick before exhaling smoke in relief. From the corner of her eye she saw a blur of a redheaded person approaching her.

"Ginny?" Archie asked, shocked as he walked up to his friend. He took a double take when he noticed her smoking, at a bar.  "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ginny coughed through the smoke, waving her hand that held the cigerette around to clear the air and her lungs. "Archie? What the f–" She paused, watching her other friends gather around her, confused to why she was there. Archie, Kevin Keller, Moose, and Joaquin where there.

It was a good question, none of them really knew she frequented this area since her mom practically lived there. She knew Joaquin, she just didn't know that Kevin was dating him. She glanced at Joaquin and he shrugged, his eyes glued to the ground as he tried to avoid the confrontation happening in front of him.

"You need to get out of here, Ginny." Archie told her with a frown, worry etched in his features. "It's dangerous here."

Virginia scoffed, tilting her head to the side to look at her friend in disbelief. "Archie, I know dangerous," she flipped open her pocketknife that hid in her jacket pocket. After her first visit to the bar, she always came prepared.

"And when did you start smoking?" Archie shook his head, disappointed in his friend and Ginny frowned, wondering when Archie became such a concerned friend/parental figure.

"I smoke once in awhile," she shrugged, leaning back onto the bar. "What the hell are you doing here?" She prayed he didn't acquire more of her presence at the bar.

"We're trying to find the people who beat you and Moose up." Archie explained, gesturing to her mangled hand that was wrapped.

"Archie that's the stupidest thing you could do–" Ginny protested, eyes wide in fear.

"That's what Jughead said," Archie said with a frown.

"Oh," she knew that Jughead didn't want his friends to find out about his father. She glanced up to the second floor of the bar, hoping FP didn't come downstairs. Sure her secret was exposed, why should Jughead's be too? With strangers in the bar, whispers would reach him and he would come investigate, surely.

"Get out of here, Archie." Virginia told her friend, standing up. Her friends were surprised to see Ginny acting so different— she definitely wasn't the quiet girl they knew. "I'm warning you now, nothing good is going to happen."

Archie, however, ignored her. That's what he would do when he was determined. He put his mind to a task and would do anything to complete it— that was his fatal flaw.

"Is that one of them?" Archie asked Moose, Ginny watched with narrowed eyes as the other boys played pool.

"I can't tell. He looks kind of familiar." Moose said and Ginny took in the guy who was across the bar, squinting as she tried to remember him. Honestly, she didn't see it.

"Oh, God!" Kevin yelped, jolting Virginia out of her gaze and she cussed loudly as Archie rapidly approached the stranger.

She watched the interaction and immediately approached the angry duo.

"Archie, back off." Ginny warned, this was a stupid idea.

"What the hell is this?"

"You like beating up teenagers?" Archie asked the older man.

"This isn't the first time one of you Bulldogs has come in here, looking to 'cause trouble." The man spat, glancing at the teenagers behind Archie.

A fight broke out between the two and Ginny screamed in shock as she was bulldozed down by a push.

"Hey! That's enough, Mustang. Let 'em go. I'll take care of this." Ginny panted as she stood up from her fallen position, FP Jones came down the stairs to stand before Archie and Virginia. "Not you, Red, Gin, you stay." Ginny sighed, watching the others hurry out of the bar.

"I'm good."

"What the hell are you doing here?" FP asked and Ginny narrows her eyes at the sudden concern. It's not like he ever was concerned for Jughead.

"Looking for the thugs that trashed my dad's equipment. We figured it was the Serpents, angry for getting kicked off their land, but now that I know you're a Serpent, I'm thinking this is personal. Going after my dad, his company, that is payback, right? For when he fired you?"

"Man, you've got a bigger imagination than Jughead, and that's saying something." FP shook his head disappointed in the young redhead.

"This isn't a joke. My dad could lose everything." Archie replied angrily, throwing up his hands.

"You think I'm responsible? That I've been, what, waiting all these years for a chance to get back at your old man? No. No, kid, life's too short. You don't know that now, but you will."

Tires shrieked behind the three as a truck pulled up- it was Fred Andrews. "I called him the second you set foot in the bar."

"Get in the truck, Archie." His dad told him and his eyes landed on Ginny. "You too, Virginia." Ginny's heart sank at the tone of disappointment in his voice and how he said her full name.

The two older men stood there, talking as the two teens approached the vehicle.

Archie yanked Ginny by the hand, pulling her away from the trunk and down the street.

Oh boy, someone's feelings were hurt.

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y'all pray for me i'm gonna try to get harry styles concert tickets friday omg