word count: 1390

↳  CHAPTER TWO:

REUNION  ↵

      SCHOOL HAD FINALLY ENDED AND Virginia couldn't be sadder. The young girl was smart and liked learning and would rather stay in school with idiots than go to work. She did like working at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. It was rather the customers she didn't like. In a way, Virginia wasn't a people person. She wasn't popular or an outsider at school, she was just a ghost. She could get through a day without getting noticed while some days, Holly Parker or Cheryl Blossom would boss her around.

Virginia Hopkins could be a people person if needed. At Pop's she managed to be polite and get good tips from the customers and it was what she lived off of to survive. 

Virginia wasn't necessarily poor but she did live on the edge of town where the police frequented more often than where Archie Andrews or Cheryl Blossom lived. There, she lived with her mother, a lazy drug addict, who was the joke of the town. 

She was a smart girl for being fifteen and found a job with Pop, who took her in as his own. Virginia knew that her money was for college and couldn't risk leaving her money at home, so she left her money with Pop's until she could deposit the money in a secret bank account.

It was 3:30, the typical end of a school day and Virginia hopped onto her old rusty bike. She looked around, noting how the parking lot was already empty of students before pushing off the ground to get to work. It took her about 20 minutes to get to Pop's, leaving Virginia with ten extra minutes to change into her uniform and clock in.

The brunette wore the typical server's outfit of a button up shirt and apron and immediately began to pick up tables.

A couple hours into her shift, she realised lots of kids who went to her school were there eating dinner in fancy outfits. Then, it dawned on her that it was the school dance and yet again, she missed a school dance.

"Hey," Virginia turned around and sent a small smile to Evie who stood in front of her nervously. 

"Hi," Virginia replied.

"I'm sorry about this summer," Evie gushed, wringing her hands together. "I know I've become a bitch and I'm sorry! I got caught up with the whole popularity thing and now I'm friends with Cheryl and Holly and it feels so weird! I'm not sorry for making new friends but I'm sorry that I left you behind and forgot about you."

"It's okay, Evie." Virginia picked up plates from an empty table as Evie followed her around. "I always knew you would want more friends and I get it, I'm not a people person."

"I know you aren't," Evie laughed. She pushed her hair behind her ears and sent Virginia a smirk, leaning forward to whisper in the shorter girls ear. "You're more of a Jughead Jones person."

The plates in Virginia's hands didn't fall to the floor but she almost did drop them.

"Evie," Virginia hissed. "Don't say that!"

"C'mon girl," Evie pouted. "You loved that kid and I know you miss him."

"I don't," Virginia told her with a tight face. "Jug and Archie had issues and I don't know really why they stopped being friends but it was because of me."

"You mean the whole Archie having a crush on you?"

"Evie!"

"I'm just saying! Jughead has been your best friend since you were like, six. Archie and you didn't start being friends until you were twelve. Show some loyalty, Gin, he misses you."

"I know that," Virginia turned to her friend. "I'm just not sure if I can be just friends with Jug. He's content with being just friends it seems."

"So?" Evie asked her sharply. Virginia piled more plates into her hands before walking to the back where the dishwasher cleaned. Evie stood in the doorway of the back, her arms crossed. "Jughead just wants to be friends? Fine. You can't ruin a friendship because you're too in love with someone. If you're in love with someone you'd do anything for them– like bury the feelings for said person."

"Fine," Virginia snapped as she walked out of the back and pulled out her pad for orders. "Does your table need food?"

"Yes please," Evie said with a bright smile. Virginia rolled her eyes at her friends antics and followed her friend to her table. Virginia knew who was going to be at the table and braced herself as she was met with Cheryl, Holly, Moose, and Reggie.

"Hi," Virginia started off with a fake smile. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Waters, with lemon." Cheryl told the brunette server, not even caring to look up and say thank you.

"Couple of cokes, please pretty." Reggie smirked at her and Virginia wanted to stab out her own eyes.

"Of course," she said with a tight smile. "I'll be right back with those."

Virginia did her job well, and in a way, liked it. She quickly put a tray together of the tables drinks and sent it to Evie and her friends. The young server ignored the stares of the others and quickly turned away to attend to her other customers.

Time slowly passed and it was time for Evie to leave, who had run up to Virginia to say goodbye and give her a hug.

"Hey, Evie?" Virginia called out as her best friend was walking through the front door. Evie popped her head back in with a confused look and Virginia continued. "You look beautiful tonight."

Evie's smile widened even more and she hurried from the diner to the dance, leaving her best friend behind. Virginia didn't mind, she didn't like dances.

Time then began to fly by as the dinner rush came to an end at 9 o'clock and she wandered aimlessly in the kitchen, bored.  Virginia knew that she had to do something and walked back into the dining area where she would busy herself somehow. She needed to distract herself from her thoughts.

The brunette faltered in her spot by the counter as she noticed Jughead sitting in his typical booth with his computer pulled out.

Virginia took a deep breath, combing her hair out with her hands and walked up to the table before sitting down.

"Hey," she started softly.

Jughead closed his computer as he made eye contact with the girl who was his oldest friend. "Hey, Ginny."

"I-I'm sorry," she gushed. "I'm sorry for yelling at you when you helped me this summer. I'm sorry that I ignored you for so many months. I'm sorry that the fight between you and Archie happened and that I got mad at you for it. I'm so–"

"Ginny," she gulped as his hand grasped her two shaking ones. "It's okay. I'm sorry too for what happened, with your mom."

Virginia reveled in her special nickname but bit her lip at the memories of the past year. It had been spring, right before school let out for summer when her mother went overboard with the drugs and alcohol, she almost killed Ginny. The young girl had ran away from home on her bike to Jughead's, panicking.

She just didn't realise that spilling her mother's abuse would lead Jughead to call the cops on her mom.

Ginny's mom had gone away for a few months to a psych ward where she'd be guarded. Her mother was too far gone for jail so the only place for her was an asylum. Now, she was back at home with Virginia and she knew that with time, her mother would be back in that crazy place– or would wind up dead.

"Also, I'm sorry I lied about what I said, Jug." Virginia cleared her mind of her mother to focus on the boy in front of her whose eyebrows were furrowed in concentration on her. She felt warm inside at the love Jughead showed her, even if it wasn't the love she wished she could have.

With all the shit happening after Jason Blossom's death, maybe she needed Jughead in her life. She knew that eventually, she could hurt her best friend but she was being selfish, she needed him.

"What did you lie about?" Jughead asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"That I didn't miss you."

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