Betty wrapped her arms around Archie's waist; as she pulled the ginger haired teen more into her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she buried her face into his neck. Silent sobs burst through her chest.
Archie stared numbly at the wooden wall of the tree house. He still couldn't handle the fact that his father was no longer alive. That his father would no longer be there for him on a daily bases. His dad was no longer going to be there for him. "How can he be gone?" He chocked out. "How can dad be gone. Just gone? Like this." Tears rolled down his cheeks. His arms rose to gripe on Betty's thin wrist at his chest. "He survived a freaking gun shot close to his heart not even over a year ago ... how can he not survive this?!"
Betty couldn't answer. She just held on harder.
"Thought I would find you here." Jughead's low voice spoke from where he was half way up through the trap door. He looked over to where his two best friends were sitting close to the window ... his girlfriend's arms around his brother's chest. He swallowed around the huge lump against his adam's apple.
Archie looked lost as he looked over at the voice.
Jughead slipped his butt onto the wooden floor. He scooted over to sit in front of his best friend; and girlfriend. He rested his hand against Archie's heart. He shook his head as he realized that he had nothing to say to Archie. What could you say to someone whom lost a parent? Especially in such a way.
Archie bowed his head, and a sob burst through his chest. "Daddy ..." He brokenly sobbed.
Betty held on tightly as she felt him break.
The sunset on the three childhood best friends in the wooden treehouse that Fred Andrews had built when they were small children. Grieving over the loss of a father ... and a second father figure to two of them.