#it was in a ward and the girls were honestly terrified of me lashing out on them and it took an hour or so for me to stop sobbing

[sargeant-bxrnes]

1 step forward, 3 steps back.

warnings: rafe being… rafe. drug mention & consumption, cursing, toxic relationship, sexual situations/implications, mental health issues. ANGST.

[AN: this is the first thing i’ve written, ever, so my apologies if it’s not flawless ; also, english is not my first language, that’s a warning on its own]

my requests are open btw

click for my master list

word count: 4.4K

Called you on the phone today

Just to ask you how you were

All I did was speak normally

Somehow I still struck a nerve

“Hey,” you said in a soft tone as soon as Rafe picked up the phone, you were laying down on your bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Hey princess,” his tone was calm, but his voice was rough and raspy all together.

“How you doing?” you asked him, even though you’d seen him last night, up close.

“I’m doing great,” he replied in a surprisingly cheerful tone, which is weird this early in the morning. Rafe is not a morning person. “You sound tired.”

“I am tired,” you confirmed with a sigh. “Guess I have you to thank for that.”

“My pleasure.” he replied cockily, and even though you couldn’t see him, you could practically hear his proud smirk.

“So, what’s the plan today?” you asked in a casual tone, fidgeting with the edge of Rafe’s shirt, the one you wore to sleep.

“Uh, what do you mean?” he asked in a distracted tone, he sniffed subtly and coughed.

You knew what that meant, but still, you hoped it wasn’t what you deep down knew it was.

“Yeah, I mean—“ you said and made a brief pause. “Wanna go to the club? Maybe we can take a ride on the boat, you know, with food, alcohol... just us.”

“Can’t, I’m busy.” he said after a few seconds, if you didn’t know him better and his occasional mood swings, you would’ve said his tone was harsh.

"Really?" you asked in a soft tone, trying to disguise your disappointment with interest. "But I thought we were going out together today."

"Y/N, just because I'm your boyfriend it doesn't mean I have to be with you all the fucking time."

Okay, now he was definitely angry, you thought you said the right thing, but it still made him angry.

"Rafe-"

"No, Y/N. I have a life of my own, you know? Things to do besides you."

“That’s okay Rafe, I get it,” You said calmly, nodding your head softly. “Have fun today.”

Now you clearly heard the sound of him sniffing something and the sigh that left his lips after, and Barry’s voice in the background. “Don’t play the victim card on me, that’s not gonna work. I deserve to have some time off.”

“I didn’t,” you said softly. “And it’s okay baby, you’re right, you deserve to have some fun.”

“See? No need to be so fucking dramatic,” he said, his voice and words slurring. You? Dramatic? It was all him. “But don’t worry princess, I’ll drop by tonight and fuck the attitude out of you, yeah? That way I’m not just doing things with you, I’m doing you.”

And with such a vulgar comment and a harsh tone, Rafe hung up on you, leaving you completely dumbfounded and filled with incredulity.

What you did know for a fact, is that he would keep up his word. And judging by his tone of voice and how annoyed he was, you could already imagine the ache between your legs.

You got me fucked up in the head, boy

Never doubted myself so much

Like, am I pretty? Am I fun, boy?

I hate that I give you power over that kind of stuff

You knew exactly what you were getting into when you started hooking up with Rafe, and what you were committing to when you agreed to be his girlfriend.

You know that man carries more problems than he shows, he prefers to make himself appear as the Kook prince who lives a life of partying and money; hiding all the things that were going on in his head.

However, there were times when his attitude made you doubt yourself.

You couldn't help but think, ‘What if one day I don't manage to calm him down?’ ‘What if one day he realizes that there is someone prettier, or hotter, or wealthier out there?’

And Rafe would get angry if you doubted yourself. He would complain to you about it, saying you had no reason to be insecure about your looks; if you are absolutely gorgeous, or to feel insecure about your personality; if you were the most genuine person he'd ever met, and you could make him laugh until he forgot all his problems.

But what really made him furious was when you had doubts about the relationship itself, about whether or not he was capable of leaving you for someone else. He took those doubts personally, as if he wasn't trying hard enough to show you how much you mean to him.

When in reality; you were doubting yourself.

'Cause it's always one step forward

You were preparing dinner for you and Rafe, your family was out for the weekend, and Rafe had decided to spend it with you.

Your hair was tied up in a bun, your attire consisted of nothing but your underwear and a shirt that used to be Rafe's, but you took it so long ago that it's yours now.

Music from your shared playlist played in the background, as you danced absentmindedly with a spatula in hand, extremely calm and enjoying time with your boyfriend.

Rafe could do nothing but stare at you with admiration, you are literally the only good thing in his life; his little piece of heaven. You are everything to him.

As soon as Dark Red by Steve Lacy started playing, you let out an excited gasp. That song in particular is Rafe’s and yours, like… if you two had to choose a song to describe your relationship, it would be that one. It represented how you two did not always have good times, but your love prevailed.

Seeing you this happy, comfortable and at ease with him made Rafe's soul happy. All his life, he had done nothing else besides make people angry, disappointed, terrified. But with you, everything was different.

You were so focused on swaying your hips to the music and singing, that you didn't notice when Rafe stood up and walked over to where you were.

It wasn't until he stood behind you, chest to back and with his hands on your hips, that you realized he was closer. His head was bowed, you could feel his breathing close to your ear, so he was able to murmur in your ear the lyrics of the song:

“Only you, my girl, only you, babe,” he sang in your ear, his voice a soft whisper as he wrapped his arms around your body and started to sway with you. “Only you, darling, only you, babe.”

The gesture quickened your heart to unsuspected levels, you felt your knees weaken as you pressed closer to his body, appreciating his closeness as he pressed a kiss against your temple.

“You know I love you so much, right?” he mumbled in your ear, as you closed your eyes and relished his presence.

“I love you too, baby.”  you mumbled back, leaning your head against his chest, caressing one of his arms around your waist with your fingertips, and bringing your hand to his ash blond hair, stroking it softly.

and three steps back

“Why is he mad at you, again?” Topper asked you with a raised eyebrow, after witnessing Rafe utterly avoiding even looking at you when he walked into the room and then left without a word.

“Because I told Barry to not open the door if Rafe dropped by,” You replied with a shrug, closing your eyes and leaning back against the chair. “And when Rafe tried to lash out on him, Barry said it all had been ‘Mrs.Country Club’s’ request.”

“And he’s mad at you because you don’t want him to get all fucked up?” Topper questioned next, trying to understand the situation. But he never knew what the fuck you two were up to.

“Yes, but it’s Rafe, are you surprised?” you said with a heavy sigh.

“No, not really,” Topper admitted. “Honestly, I don’t know why you keep up with him, Y/N.”

“I ask myself that all the time…” you said with a deep sigh. “But I love him, so I guess that’s the answer.”

“And? I mean, I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ Y/N, but he’s…” Topper trailed off, apparently looking for the right word.

“I know exactly how he is, Topper, I don’t need you to remind me. I already think about that way too much.”

You and Topper had easily assumed that Rafe was no longer around, since he seemed to be making his best efforts to avoid you.

But Rafe was there, and he heard everything. He’d heard Topper giving you bad advice (or what he considered bad advice) And he heard you, having doubts about why you loved him or stood by him at all,and it made him want to lash out again.

I'm the love of your life until I make you mad

It's always one step forward and three steps back

Do you love me, want me, hate me? Boy, I don't understand

No, I don't understand

[+18. Really]

“Leave me alone!” his voice boomed in the room, his brows furrowed and the veins in his neck were popping out.

“Rafe—“ you tried once again, approaching slowly in an attempt to place a hand on his shoulder, but he waved it away aggressively.

“Leave-me-alone,” he said, pausing in between each word to emphasize on how much he meant it. His eyes were bloodshot, his nose had specks of white dust, his lips were dry and his voice was coarse.

You weren’t entirely sure what you could say to get him to calm down. Or if there was anything at all you could do.

Normally, what upsets him the most is Ward. His own father. Rafe has spent his whole life trying to prove he's a good son, to make his father proud, and Ward never appreciates his efforts, only notices the bad, and ignores Rafe's clear calls for help, has since Rafe was 10 years old, so he certainly wasn't going to pay attention to him now that Rafe finally had a steady girlfriend, someone who had willingly decided to help.

95% of the time, you managed to talk to Rafe before he decided to resort to intoxication. Most of the time just seeing you helped him calm down, hearing your voice soothed him, and your lips, your skin, put him in a state of peace.

But the other 5% is when Rafe resorted to alcohol and, above all, drugs.

When Rafe is upset and decides to get high, he only manages to become unstable, erratic and yes, aggressive if not handled with care.

In those situations, the best thing you can do, putting yourself first, is to give him his space. Let him screw himself as much as he wants for that day, and help him deal with the consequences the next day, while you listen to him lament his attitude.

Rafe always said he would quit the vice; claiming you were all he needed to calm himself down, that you made him feel at peace. And above all, that you weren't slowly killing him; on the contrary, every minute he spent with you made him feel more alive.

However, for one reason or another, he always came back to it. Whether it was at a party, because Kelce suggested it, or, as is almost always the case, when he's upset with his father and needs quick relief.

And usually, this ‘quick relief’ ends up with Rafe fucked up, big time.

Once he was convinced that you wouldn't try to intervene again, Rafe went back to his business. He turned to the table, and since he already had the line ready, he simply leaned over and inhaled it, throwing his head back, running his hand through his hair and exhaling as he closed his eyes.

You exhaled heavily, shaking your head as you stared at your feet.  You knew he would struggle to quit, after all it is an addiction and he has to fight it, but sometimes you get the impression that Rafe doesn't want to quit, not really.

"Do you want to help me?" asked Rafe eventually, turning his head to look at you. You didn't know if it was a trick question or not, so you hesitated before answering. "Answer me."

"Yes, of course I want to, Rafe." you replied with your respective hesitations, wondering what he was up to.

"Come here then," he said, making a 'come hither’ sign with his fingers.

You took a hesitant step but stopped, your eyes narrowing as you analyzed Rafe, trying to determine his intentions.

He raised both eyebrows in your direction, in a silent question of whether or not you're going to go with him.

Eventually you walked over to where Rafe was, he smiled at you while biting his lip lightly. Without saying anything he approached you and kissed you; the drugs made his senses heighten, so the kiss was intense from the beginning.

So that's when it made sense to you what he wanted, he wanted you. Your most obvious thought is that he would use you to take out your frustration, put the drugs aside and, most likely, fuck you.

Your idea seemed to be the right one as soon as Rafe grabbed you by the waist, still with his lips on yours, left a little bite on your lip before pulling away; and without any problem, lifted you off the floor and placed you on the table.

It's something you wouldn't admit out loud,—mostly out of shame and guilt,—but this kind of sex with Rafe was the best, he's completely unrestrained, rough, full of stamina and teasing, and above all, possessive. And that, in combination with his attractiveness, always drove you crazy.

And honestly; if what he wanted was to fuck you to take out his frustration, you'd let him.

His kisses were hungry and his hands desperate, running all over your body without distinction, as if he didn't know where to start.

He parted his lips from yours, and left a kiss at the corner of them, on your jaw; and began to make a little trail of slow kisses down your neck. The feeling of his lips on your neck made you bite your lip as you wrapped your legs around his waist to feel him closer.

You slid your hand under his shirt, caressing his defined abs and the sides of his body gently with the tips of your fingers, as he left little bites on your neck. Your hands slowly moved up, intending to remove his shirt, but Rafe was quicker and brought his hands to the edge of your shirt, causing you to stop your movements to raise your arms, so he could remove your shirt with ease. And so he did.

He parted his lips from your neck and stared at you, the hunger in his eyes made you feel a fire in the pit of your stomach that only he could put out.

Desperately, your lips connected again as he settled between your legs. One of his hands traveled to your neck, and he wrapped his fingers around it, pressing lightly to the sides. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head; though he couldn't see it.

With just enough strength, Rafe used the grip he had on your neck to push you down onto the table, so that you were lying on top of it.

As soon as he leaned over the table, you could feel his breath over abdomen, so you bit your lip in anticipation for what was to come.

He began to leave slow, wet kisses on your abdomen, making a slow trail to the edge of your shorts. Your automatic reaction was to close your eyes and put a hand in his hair, stroking it gently.

What you didn’t know is that the fact that you closed your eyes had given Rafe an opportunity he couldn't miss. Without you noticing, he slid a hand to the side of the table, where the small bag of white powder was.

To conceal his actions, he unbuttoned your shorts, and returned his lips to the beginning of your abdomen for more time.

The little bite he left to distract your attention caused a gasp to escape your lips; and that sound almost caused him to change plans completely.

He did want to fuck you, don’t get him wrong. He even had a mental debate about whether to continue what he was doing or simply sink his head between your thighs and provoke more sounds like that.

But he wanted to try something first. He had always wanted to try it, but had never asked you, because he knew that you would most likely say no.

With ease, he slid your shorts down your legs; so that they stayed at your ankles or fell to the floor; he didn't care. One of his hands slid into your underwear with ease, his fingers going straight to where he knew you needed him the most.

Trusting that you would not open your eyes, carefully, he put the white substance on your body, so delicately you didn’t notice. He began to prepare to inhale, while biting his lip in reaction to the sinful sounds that left your lips.

And obviously, without warning, Rafe inhaled a line from your thigh.

And all your sounds stopped, your eyes opened and your expression was filled with surprise, the bad kind.

You couldn't believe what Rafe had just done, you felt like an idiot for falling into the trap.

You also had to bite your lip to keep from letting out a moan in reaction to what his fingers were doing in between your legs, but your pride forbade it.

But more than anything else, you were outraged.

“Rafe, you did not just—“

“It felt nice, yeah?” Rafe’s voice was hoarse, you could feel his breath over your skin, as he left little kisses around. “After all, I did feel you clench around my fingers.”

His dirty words, hoarse voice, and close proximity to your body, not to mention his fingers deep inside you, caused you to let out a soft moan, causing Rafe to smirk in what he thought was victory.

But you wouldn't let him win this little game.

Although you really didn't want to, you grabbed his hand by the wrist and pulled him away, your legs trembling slightly at the sudden lack of anything between them.

Rafe's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as soon as you pushed him away from you and got off the table, lifting your shorts off the floor and putting them back on without a word.

"What are you doing?"

You didn't answer, as you searched for  your shirt, feeling his heavy gaze on your body.

"Y/N, where do you think you're going?"

“I’m leaving you alone as you asked me to, remember?” you said in irony. “Before you sniffed a line off me after I begged you to quit that shit?”

“Oh, so now you’re playing the victim?” his voice rose. “Don't- Don’t act as if you wouldn’t have let me fuck you less than a minute ago!”

"Yes I would have let you, to distract you from that shit!" you admitted to him, failing to control your anger. "I said I wanted to help you, to distract you, to give you something different to do. Not that I'd give you another place to snort lines from!"

Rafe knew you were right, of course he did.

You had spent months after months trying to get him to quit, you had offered him countless hours of your days to give him something new to do, distractions, attention and love. And this is how he had decided to pay you back?

But Rafe was angry too, very. You had interrupted him, you were yelling at him; and you had left him so hard, that it would start to hurt unless he did something about it.

“Fine, then get the fuck out of here.” Rafe spat, his anger clearly getting the best of him.

Your eyes widened at that, you hadn't expected him to react like that.

Your best case scenario would be that your attitude would piss him off, yes, but that he would retaliate by getting you back to the table and showing you everything you were missing.

Instead, he simply took your word for it and told you to get out of the room.

“What?”

“You heard me, get out.”

“Rafe—“

“You uh, you have three options, yeah? You let me fuck you over that table and do whatever I want, you get out of here, or I’ll get you out of here.”

The first offer was tempting, it really was, but you wouldn’t allow him to talk to you like that. Before anything, came respect and dignity, and no matter how much you wanted him to fuck you silly, you were too angry and disappointed at him to let it slip.

Blinking repeatedly to chase away the tears from your eyes, you grabbed your phone from the other end of the table, your jacket from Rafe's bed, and walked out of there without another word as you heard him calling your name.

And maybe in some masochistic way

I kinda find it all exciting

Like, which lover will I get today?

Will you walk me to the door or send me home cryin'?

Your relationship with Rafe was unique.

Not because of the circumstances in which it was created. A one-night-stand that turned into something casual, that was formalized after a dinner.

If not for Rafe.

You loved him, no doubt about it. You would give anything to see him happy and at peace, at peace with himself and succeeding in his life.

Rafe would do anything for you, really, anything. No matter how risky, demanding or dangerous, he would do anything for you.

He would die and kill for you.

But that surely didn’t mean it was an easy relationship, hell no. In fact, the willingness both of you had to do anything for each other sometimes made things too complicated; for at times it seemed that not a single rational thought crossed your minds.

And yes, Rafe’s addiction was a big issue. Whenever he was too high, or going through withdrawals, he wasn’t the Rafe you knew or had grown to love, it was another side of him you wanted to help get rid off. And the process wasn’t easy.

While trying to get clean; there was no way to know how he’d behave. He could either get clingy and want you around at all times to calm himself down, or he’d be in a very bad mood all the time, constantly snapping at you and raising his voice.

So there were days where he’d walk you to the door of your house and leave you there with a tender kiss and a smile.

Or days when you’d get out of his truck without a word, with tears streaming down your cheeks while he kept yelling for probably the stupidest thing.

No, it's back and forth, did I say something wrong?

It's back and forth, goin' over everything I said

It's back and forth, did I do something wrong?

'It's back and forth, maybe this is all your fault

Rafe knew he wasn’t okay. After all, he had begged his father for help, begged for anything that would get those thoughts to stop, but his father hadn’t listened, had only told him to ‘man up.’

You knew he wasn’t okay. Which is why you wanted to help him, to offer the support no one else had bothered to give him before he met you.

Whether he wanted it or not, those thoughts were still there. Being with you made them easier to ignore, but it’s not like they vanished entirely. He still had some ideas that made his own skin crawl.

And sometimes, you’d say or do the wrong thing and trigger those thoughts. And things got bad again for him.

Rafe knew you wanted nothing but to help him get better and be the best version of himself, and he really wanted to give you that. To change and make an effort. Not only for himself but for you. He wanted to be a man worthy of your love.

But it was hard to be anywhere near decent when you two went out and a guy stared at you for longer than Rafe’s limits allowed, or when guys tried to hit on you, when his friends got a little bit too close for his comfort.

Whenever he got jealous, he turned into a walking, talking ticking bomb. Anything could, and would set him off.

It wasn’t your fault, not really, but most of the time you felt it was. You knew Rafe dealt with a lot of insecurities already, of not being a nice person, not being good enough and so many other things. And you hated being one of the factors that caused his insecurities to arise.

And I'd leave you, but the roller coaster is all I've ever had

It was a complicated relationship, and it would probably never stop being complicated because both of you are complex people, plus there are other factors that affect the relationship.

But that didn't mean either of you would stop fighting to keep it alive. Neither would let the other go.

Rafe utterly refused to ever let you go. He loved you as he had never loved anyone, as he never thought himself capable of loving with that twisted heart of his.

You are, without exception, the best thing in his life, the best thing that ever happened to him. And you being in his heart was slowly turning him into who he had wanted to be during all those years of loneliness.

And you would never let him go, because you loved him with all your heart, soul and nerve of your body. And because you know that no one will ever love you like him. With so much passion, intensity, honesty and purity.

Because every feeling Rafe expressed with you was true; he was himself with you. And you didn't want to let him go.

Even if the two of you went one step forward, and three steps back, that single step would be longer than any step life makes you take backwards.

[rainious]

Beronica + serious fights or disagreements

Betty is her everything, until one day she's not. 

The finality comes when Veronica asked her over to talk about something important; her dad is coming home, and Veronica is terrified. But instead of Smithers letting her know that Betty's here, she gets a phone call, "Jughead needs me," Betty explains.

"I understand," Veronica says, even though she doesn't. I need you, hangs on the tip of her tongue but she doesn’t have enough gall to say it as they say their goodbyes.

It happens like that a few more times before Veronica stops asking altogether.

-

Her whole life people have made assumptions on what kind of a life she led. They’d assumed that she is Daddy’s perfect little girl who could get anything if she bats her lashes, and playing along with that misconception was always easier than revealing the truth.

Her father has been home for a few days now, and Veronica hasn’t been able to breathe properly since he stepped foot in Riverdale.

Where her father might have joined them in a home that isn’t his, her mother has all but left. Her face isn’t genuine as she moves around the apartment every day, watering the plants and fixing their meals.

Veronica’s been doing everything to snap her mom out of the haze she’s been in ever since they’d received the news that the court ruled in favor of the Lodges. She’s run up her credit card twice, stayed out until two am more times than she can count, spoken ill about her father when he wasn’t around, but none if it has done anything to take away the glaze that keeps her mom’s eyes from focusing.

“Mom,” Veronica whispers across the dinner table when her father steps out to take a call. “Mom, Mami.”

Her eyes lift to Veronica’s as a sharp warning before they fall back down to the meal on her plate that she’s hardly touched.

Suddenly, Veronica feels like the food in her stomach is enough to make her sick. “I’m going to my room,” she whispers, rising from her seat, and brushing past her father as he comes back to join them.

Tears are pooling in her eyes and she struggles to figure out why. She grabs her phone and her fingers dance over Betty’s contact before she realizes what she’s doing. She wants Betty, she needs Betty, she fucking misses Betty.

In the end, she decides against calling her estranged best friend. What would she even say? 

Hi, Betty! I know we haven’t spoken in a couple days but my mom looked at me funny, and now I’m on the verge of a breakdown. Or maybe, Hi, Betty! My life’s falling apart and you’re the only person who I thought to call. Or, Hi, Betty! You’re the first real friend I’ve ever had and now we don’t talk and I’m terrified I’ve fucked everything up.

Veronica falls asleep with her phone still opened on Betty’s contact.

-

Veronica doesn’t know how they ended up like this; making small talk. They sit in their third-period class together, waiting for the bell to ring. Veronica’s throat feels uncomfortably tight as Betty rambles on about the happenings of her life that Veronica is no longer a part of.

The pain of making small talk with Betty when they once would spill their lives out to each other is once she can’t bare. She puts on a smile that rivals the fabricated ones her mom has been wearing lately, and she decides she doesn’t want to have Betty anymore. Not like this.

Ironically, the smile Betty flashes her right when the bell rings looks a lot like her own.

-

Betty and Jughead break up, and Veronica finds out from Alice Cooper of all people. She calls her on a Thursday morning when school is canceled for the snow.

“She’s inconsolable,” Alice tells her over the phone. She sounds tired, yet concerned. It makes her ache for the mother her mom used to be. “Maybe you could try calling her?”

Veronica does try calling but her phone rings once before she’s sent to voicemail. Suddenly, Veronica’s inconsolable too.

-

“Veronica,” Betty says one day at lunch. The boys are still in line, getting their lunches, and the two of them are left with a rare moment alone. Their eyes meet, and a suffocating atmosphere soon settles in. “Are ... you okay?”

Instinctually, Veronica’s hand raises to touch underneath her eye. It's been hard to keep putting on makeup when the underneath her eyes are desperately darkening for help.

No, she nearly says. I'm not. I'm drowning, Betty, and you haven’t been around to help me breathe. 

"Of course," is just as good. “Are you?”

"Fine," is Betty's delayed response. It makes Veronica nauseous; Betty used to know when she was lying.

-

Things are the worst they've ever been with her father when Betty shows up on her doorstep, no warning from Smithers.

To be fair, he's never laid a hand on them, but he yells, and he’s stripped away their independence, and his presence is suffocating. She never realized how good it felt to breathe until she realized her father wasn't letting her.

Her mom is barely a person anymore. She cooks, cleans, and water the plants around the apartment. She’d come out of her shell so much when they’d first moved back to Riverdale, but that women is a stranger to them all now.

When he left, Veronica realized how much she’d become like him. That’s the reason that she’d sworn off how she’d climbed the social scene at Spencer; she won’t let her dad control her like that anymore.

Honestly, it felt so good when he was gone, and she felt so guilty for that. What kind of a daughter wishes for her father to stay in jail?

"Smithers," she'd asked a long while ago when she was still coming to terms with everything, "is my father a good person?"

His answer, or lack thereof, was telling enough. "Veronica." Betty's voice and glossy eyes draw her away from her thoughts. "I'm so sorry." But Veronica can't breathe because her father is around the corner listening. If nothing else, Betty's stayed safe from their separation. Even if it's cost Veronica heartache. So she bites back a sob that threatens to spill over and does what she has to. "It's too late, Betty." Betty's eyes, wet and wide, search Veronica's desperately for that truth. "You don't mean that. You can't." "I do and I can," Veronica says around a cracking voice. "Leave, Betty. We can't do this anymore." Veronica closes the door before Betty can properly respond. For someone who's hardly been her friend, the ache in her chest feels suspiciously like a breakup. "What was that?" her father asks when she tries to retreat back to her room. "Betty," Veronica sighs, pushing past him before her tears start to fall. -

Veronica’s best childhood memories were the ones where her father had to leave for business trips. Those were the times where she really got to know who her mom was outside of her dad. So when she hears that her dad is going back to New York for the week to take care of business, she’s ecstatic… until she realizes that her mom is going with him. The trust isn’t there yet, and Veronica’s sure he would take her too if she didn’t have school. But she does and he doesn’t, and she’s left alone in an apartment that doesn’t feel like home anymore.

There’s a knock.

She's expecting Archie when she pulls back the door, Betty's there and stepping into her apartment without an invitation inside.

It’s never been like Betty to give up.

Veronica shuts the door and turns to her warily. Where she expects a yelling match to ensue, Betty's arms are suddenly wrapping around her body wordlessly; drawing her against Betty's chest, her ear pressing against her thrumming heart. Harbored emotions suddenly erupt in Veronica, in Betty's arms. She can't help gasping against her rapidly tightening throat as weeks of repressed feelings surface.

Veronica returns the embrace, wrapping her arms around Betty and burying her face into her soft blue sweater, her lip wobbling. Betty’s hair is free from its usual ponytail and brushes against her forehead, calming her and overwhelming her all at once.

“Betty,” she says thickly. It's getting harder to swallow the sounds she struggles to keep quiet, harder to ward off the tears. "Veronica, breathe," Betty says, rubbing along her back. Veronica wonders if she's breathing at all when she sucks in a deep breath of air that sounds like a sob. The tears come before she can do anything to stop them. Betty hugs her tighter, making soft shushing sounds. It's the first time she's been held since the last time Veronica dissolved. Oddly enough, that'd been done in Betty’s arms too and was also caused by her father. Veronica composes herself enough to pull back from Betty's chest and asks a question. "What about Jughead?"Betty bites her lip. "He doesn’t matter anymore. You do." "Why?" Veronica whispers. Betty's hand traces her cheek and pushes dark hair behind Veronica's ear. "We can talk about that later. I’ve got you right now, okay? I’m sorry for everything.”

Veronica settles back against Betty’s chest and listens to her heartbeat thrum. “I’m sorry too.”

It’s the first time in a long time where Betty is the girl she first met in Riverdale all those months ago. Though this feels like the beginning of something new, and a start to dealing with the demons she faces in the form of her father, something she knows she can’t do alone.

-

When Veronica wakes up the next morning, Betty has a protective arm slung around her waist. Veronica breathes out easily, presses closer into Betty’s side, and lets herself fall back asleep.

It feels foreign, being able to breath easier again, but she’s hopeful that it’ll become familiar (along with waking up in Betty’s arms) again soon.

[ghozt1ng-blog]

Mysteries of the Q Files

Chapter 9: On The Case!

It was the strangest text party Trick had ever been a part of. He texted Rachel with select information, asked more about the suspects he had in mind as his mother texted questions to a cop in the nurse’s office, she then read out the names of students and teachers while another officer texted back to Agent Brown extra information and body language. Trick’s mom wanted each person observed from multiple angles, convinced that if the students thought there was only one or two interrogations going on, they would never notice the most important one: Susan Brown’s.

“This boy honestly knows nothing, no matter how much he vomits out,” she tisked.

“That’s because you are not questioning the people you need to,” Trick reminded her.

He was aggravated with her. They could have nicely wrapped up this whole interrogation had they gone straight for the people he knew they needed to. Susan had gone for Ashley and Alex first. Trick gave them his most apologetic look possible. During the interviews the girls had gave Susan the same reports they had given the police. They did not divulge any new information, and she knew they were holding back. Only grudgingly did she then listen to her son and ask about Carly and her rivalry with Samantha. They confirmed what they had told Trick earlier, that they were both going for Billy.

Billy was the next person to be interrogated. He was a terrible subject under the light. He could not keep his stories straight about what he and Samantha had talked about. Then he said that there wasn’t anything said between them. At one point he even denied being at the party, before reverting back to saying that he had been there all night. The only thing that saved him from the cuffs and a cell was the number of witnesses who could place him at the party when Samantha was kidnapped and when Carly was taken. Susan had been annoyed to learn that her son had the correct name of the girl who had been taken. She almost lunged at Billy through the glass to strangle him.

Her annoyance led her to stop listening to her son, who protested that Rachel had it on good authority that Billy was more closely involved with Samantha than he was letting on. It didn’t make any sense to him why Billy would deny it. He even denied any connection with Carly. Trick also wanted to slug the smug, but sweating jock. He also wore a letterman jacket, the very notion of the clothing drove Trick further up the wall.

Are people here even real!? Who actually looks and acts this way!?

Trick had lapsed into texting and it wasn’t long before he got all the information he could ever hope for from Rachel. The important things to know were these: The party that Samantha had been taken from was one of the few pre-Halloween parties leading up to the grand finale of parties. Hosting the actual Halloween party for the school was one of the biggest honors of the year and signalled a student’s standing in popularity. Larissa Manchester had risen through the ranks of popularity, and seemingly had a great night by all accounts. But there was another pre-Halloween party coming and, despite the two horrible kidnappings, everyone was still planning on going. But Trick knew that that did not mean everyone. The more popular the host, the more selective the crowd. This meant that there would be other parties and get-togethers with the less socially inclined, who Trick desperately needed to meet with. They could potentially supply him with extra clues and pieces of the puzzle he needed to figure this mystery out. He already got the party times, places, and most importantly, names from Rachel, and now all he had to do was meet with them. Once Trick interviewed Shannon Ramirez and Lotty Lampoon, the case would start becoming a little more clear.

Their current victim however, was one Jed Ward, a towering willow tree of a kid who looked doomed to remain forever youthful and unproductive. He knew a lot about the social makeup of the school, and he had even been invited to the parties, but his studious ways prevented from attending and made him inept to survive long in a room with cops. He was a sweaty, contradictory mess.

“Arg! These kids! I don’t understand why they think all of this dating, popularity mumbo-jumbo has any relevance to this case,” Trick’s mom finally spat.

She was sending a text message to the cops that the latest interview was over when Trick retorted, “Actually, it’s very important mother, and I don’t see what you hoped to have gained from him anyway.”

“He was close to the bathroom incident and the principal said he was a model and reliable student,” his mother answered, trying very hard to patient with her son.

“And that is why he is a terrible candidate for this interrogation,” Trick waved his hand. “Look, I can help you out here, Naomi just texted me that they have been making some good leads where they’re at.”

“Of course they are! They’re looking at physical evidence. But people, oh Patrick, people and especially teenagers are tricky. They never line up with what you expect. You have to watch each person individually and take stock. You have to get inside them and break them down.”

“I understand all of that mom. And yes, it might be difficult for some, but I have done it so often by now, that is a simple matter.”

Susan Brown threw up her hands and said, “Fine, Patrick! Fine! Obviously it isn’t enough that I haven’t sent you straight home, let alone do so in one piece, but I have allowed you to stay here and watch these interviews. I’ve even let you stay on your phone and text your silly new friends. But oh no! That’s not enough is it? You want to tell me how to do my job, too? There is something actually terrifying and maybe even supernatural going on here, and you just sit there all smug as though you know all the answers! So, tell me then, Trick, what am I supposed to do differently to find the truth and find this kidnapper?”

Trick smiled when his mother used his nickname. She was clearly in a very dangerous mood, but if she was truly beyond reach she would have used his full name. It let him know that he had an opening. That was all he ever needed with anyone. Usually, even when she was angry, she was careful to never let him have an inch. She had slipped, and now he could dig himself finally out of the hole he had fallen into ever since Carly was abducted.

“Mom, you are right about how people act, and teenagers are especially difficult. But everything is a game to them, even if they don’t realize they are playing it. Kind of like Game of Thrones in way. That youthful child in there was blabbing about the social structure of this school because that is what matters to everyone! Samantha was at the party because she wanted to get closer to Billy Holmes. Now this party wasn’t just any normal party. This was a pre-Halloween party that reminded everyone of who is on top in the school’s hierarchy. This already throws us into Samantha’s world, which can give us clues as to her kidnapper.”

“First of all, Billy Holmes is a very, very popular guy here. Dating him puts you up at the top. It gives that lucky girl a chance at basically anything, besides having a sexy hunk for your bed and everything else.” His mother flushed slightly at that comment, her brows drawing together as she pursed her lips. “Now this means that she will have contenders and enemies. There will be girls that want what Billy brings to the table. There will be girls and guys who don’t want just any girl to have Billy. So Samantha would have social enemies from the upper strata of the social ladder. Carly as well, because she was also after Billy.”

“But the upper crusts of popularity are not the only ones who would have it out for Samantha and Carly. There are your normal rank and file students. They have their own ways of getting back at people they don’t like, such as voting against them at prom, homecoming, and so on. Also, spreading rumors or fights in the hallway. But they won’t go for anything too big, because their position is precarious but comfortable; don’t rock the boat and just enjoy life. The popular kids don’t have that luxury and will resort to any means if they have to keep their status. But now enter in the unpopular kids.”

“These unpopular kids are looked down on and excluded, which in a small town is worse than exile. Exile means escape. But here they are ostracized and made to be alone in the crowd. Any chance to rise or to lash out at the kids above them they will gladly take, if they know they can get away with it. Many opportunities present themselves every day, but they don’t take them, because failure means a sudden surge of unwanted attention. From my research through the local gossip, I’ve noticed that the unpopular kids are never mentioned. Usually, there’s at least a slip of someone’s name, or a funny anecdote. But here there is nothing. That means that someone was just put into their place recently, and it was bad. If Billy, or these girls were connected to that, it would make them the primary targets of retaliation.”

Trick’s mother held up a hand, her expression laxed into something not too far from exhasperation, “Patrick, that might be insightful and maybe one day you could put your energies to better use and write this down for other students, but this seriously doesn’t help this case at all! What about the possible monster? How does this narrow the list of suspects? If anything, it makes the list almost unmanageable.”

“At first glance it does,” Trick agreed. “But it gives us a very important trail of breadcrumbs. And after Carly’s attack, I have another important piece of the puzzle, which helps narrow the list. The person who did these attacks knows the social dealings of this school. They most likely know them as intimately as the students, because they are a student! They knew Samantha would be at the party, which is not even the most important party yet in the lineup of Halloween parties, but they knew Billy was going to be there. It made her easy prey. Then there is Carly. She went to the one bathroom with the best wifi connection, even though it was further away than the practical one. The kidnapping also happened when she was alone, which come to think of it, don’t girls normally travel in packs to the bathroom? In any case that might mean something later…”

“Anyway, only someone who goes to this school and knows Carly could determine that she would be there. It only makes sense!”

“Or it could all be random,” his mother fired back.

Trick shook his head. “Highly unlikely. Not when you see that Billy connects both of the girls, and especially when they were both interested in him. No, it makes sense! Now then, this means that it is highly likely that one of the two remaining girls who are after him is your assailant. But then there are also the outcasts to consider. For that, I’ll need to talk to them.”

“So you actually figure yourself a detective,” Trick’s mother sighed.

“Yes,” Trick answered simply.

Trick spoke with finality, and for the first time in a long time he felt he could breathe easily, he was determined now. The admission felt good! Whatever guilt he might have felt about skipping town and his dad to come here were finally swept away.

“The students for the most part have been sent home early today. Agents Conturbatio and Miles are still busy with Naomi and the crime scenes. If you really want… If you really want, you can tell me if any of the other kids on my list are any good to interview. And if they aren’t… Well, I can take you to find and talk to one student. And then we’ll see about where you stand on this case.”

Trick smiles broadly. It had worked! He glanced at the list and dismissed them all immediately. His next step was to text Rachel. He needed to know about some of the outcasts and where he could find Shannon. Soon, they were underway to find a kid named Eustace.

No wonder he’s unpopular. That is a terrible name! Who honestly names their kid that?

Once they got to Eustace’s house, Trick begged for his mother to stay behind.

“But I want to see your fine interrogating skills in action,” she said in a slightly mocking tone.

“Then you can listen in on my phone,” Trick promised. “But this has to be just me and him, got it?”

“Fine,” she sighed.

The phone on and well hidden, Trick approached the door. The unfortunately named boy was the one to answer the door. Trick gave one his signature winning grins.

“Hello there, my name is Trick, are you by chance Eustace?”

“Is this a trick? Some kind of joke?” Eustace looked nervously around the corners.

“I wish it were pal, but it’s not. You know about the kidnappings that have been going on right?” Eustace paled, but nodded his head. “Here’s the deal. I’m trying to solve this case, but I need some help. Now don’t worry, I won’t get you involved; I just need answers to three questions, and then I will answer any one question you want to ask me. Is that cool?”

“Y-Yes,” Eustace stammered.

“Great! Then let’s get to it! First of all, was there some kind of prank against the lesser popular kids here?”

Eustace went even paler. “Are you not from around here?”

“It’s not time to ask your question yet. Please answer mine,” trick said firmly.

“Yes, there was a big one… It was pretty bad,” Eustace looked miserable, but Trick could tell that he was not the target whatever it had been. There was something like thankfulness in his forlorn eyes.

“I’m sorry to hear it,” Trick said genuinely. “Second question now, where can I meet with the people not going to the party this weekend?”

“What? Oh, a group of them are meeting at Camille’s Cafe and Diner. Best place to hang out and get away from those other guys. It’s right next to Gamer’s Corner, too.” Eustace really brightened up at the thought suddenly. Trick had the impression he would see him there shortly.

“Final question: do you think Samantha got what she deserved, getting kidnapped?”

Eustace paled again. This kid must have the thinnest blood ever, or something like that!

“No. No, she didn’t. I don’t think I believe the wild stories Ashley and Alex told. But I know she was taken and very few people deserve that,” he finally answered. “Even the girl today.”

“Carly,” Trick prompted.

“Yeah, even her,” Eustace nodded.

“Okay. You have been a great help,” Trick assured him. “Now for your question.”

“Are you not from around here?”

“Nope. Not at all! Just here to solve the case! Good day Eustace!”

With that Trick left the kid looking completely confused and walked back to the car. His mother gave him an odd look.

“Was that really it?”

“Yup. I doubted he was the one who did anything. Especially at the end.”

“He did pause,” Susan Brown reminded him.

“Sure. But body language. He was a wreck of nerves and kept going pale. Nah, it wasn’t him. Now I know where Naomi and I need to go for our next interviews. We’ll have the truth for you soon.” Trick gave his mom a wide smile and she rolled her eyes.

“Keep dreaming kido,” she said. “There’s no way we are keeping you on the case.”