Hey again everyone! HUGE thanks to everyone who's read or reviewed my last story, Drowning. (/shameless plug) I'm back with another story, but I can't decide whether or not it should be left as is or turned into a two-shot or something even bigger. Suggestions, opinions, random comments and constructive criticisms are always welcomed. Hope you all like the story! Oh, but I should warn you that Archie and Atlanta (Atlanta especially) are pretty OC, for which I apologize. If I do write more for this, I promise to try and make them actually in character for once!
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It was the end of the school day, and Archie should have been happy. But instead, he merely clenched his jaw and tried not to scream as he shut his locker and turned to see Atlanta- his Atlanta- walking down the hallway in the arms of some other guy. Archie didn't know the new guy's name- it was something along the lines of Brad, or maybe Brian- but the warrior did know from experience that this meant trouble.
Archie had to admit that when it came to things like sports and movies, Atlanta had great taste. But when it came to guys she was, simply put, a magnet for jerks, creeps and players. She'd had a whole slew of boyfriends lately, beginning with a creepy half goat named Pan who had tried to destroy the world, and ending with this guy, who currently boasted the school record for largest number of simultaneous girlfriends. Atlanta, of course, remained oblivious to this fact, just as she remained oblivious to all of Archie's hints- both subtle and blatantly obvious- that maybe she should stop dating all of these idiots and settle for someone more dependable. Say…a close friend, for example. A best friend. Preferably one with purple hair and an oversized ego.
For her part, Atlanta looked perfectly happy standing next to the Brad/Brian guy, but Archie caught all of the suggestive glances- and even the occasional wink- that the huntress' boyfriend sent at just about every girl who passed them by. The warrior growled internally, feeling his blood boil with rage. This creep didn't even deserve to be in the same room with Atlanta, never mind being her boyfriend. Of course, he wouldn't be for long. None of Atlanta's relationships had lasted for more than two weeks tops, and they always ended the same way: with a kiss placed on another girl, a fight, and a beautiful redhead left to sob and wonder why she was never good enough to keep.
Archie was always the first to know when there had been a breakup. He would usually just be sitting on his bed reading poetry or doing homework when the door would suddenly burst open and Atlanta would shoot into the room with superhuman speed, flinging herself at Archie and nearly knocking him onto the floor with the impact. She would grab his sweater as though it was a lifeline, unable to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Those were the only times that she allowed herself to cry.
Archie would do his best to comfort her, awkwardly patting her back and holding her close and whispering praise and encouragement in her ear. His heart ached every time she let loose another sob, and he tried time and time again to say the words that he wanted- no, needed- her to hear. That she was amazing. That she was beautiful. That he loved her. But the words never came out in time, and before long Atlanta would be going out with another guy who treated her like crap and broke her heart. It was unbearable.
So Archie watched the pair walk down the hallway, feeling an unavoidable sense of doom as Brad/Brian turned and whistled softly at a passing eleventh grader. Atlanta gasped, her eyes shocked and hurt. She and her now ex-boyfriend began shouting at each other, tears in her eyes and anger in his. Archie stepped forwards to help, but Atlanta was already gone, tearing through the hallways as Brad/Brian watched with a look of boredom on his face, still staring at the eleventh grader out of the corner of his eye. Furious, Archie debated on whether to confront him or to chase after Atlanta. He decided on the latter, well aware that the jerk (whatever his name was), would still be at school the next day, and that the love of his life was probably halfway home already and would soon be preparing to fling herself onto an empty bed. Archie began to run after her, calling her name and hearing no answer, and by the time he reached the brownstone he was tired and out of breath but he couldn't care less. He ignored the strange looks that his teammates gave him as he dashed to his room, flinging the door open and almost beginning to cry himself as he saw Atlanta curled up on the bed as usual, shaking slightly from the force of the tears that streamed down her cheeks. He stared at her helplessly, wanting nothing more than to hug her and kiss her and love her openly and be loved in return. She looked up then and saw him, and in spite of herself a small smile crossed her beautiful features, out of place among the tears.
Archie's head swam with feelings of sadness and frustration and love. The words were pressing at his lips again, trying to break free and be heard. Don't cry. You're perfect. I love you. Archie opened his mouth but found that he could not speak, and so he merely held open his arms instead and Atlanta threw herself into them. He calmed her and he soothed her and eventually he even laughed with her, and before long the two of them were wrestling and joking and arguing like always. But when Atlanta left the room smiling and ready for a shopping expedition with Theresa, Archie felt only sadness. He watched from his window as she wandered outside with the older girl and the two of them climbed into a bright red sports car, driving off to the mall, a place with potential boyfriends and girls to steal those same potential boyfriends away. Archie prayed that if Atlanta absolutely had to meet a guy, he would be kind and caring and treat her like the goddess that she was. But Archie knew Atlanta as surely as he loved her, and so he knew that all he could do now was sit on his bed and open his arms and wait for the inevitable.