Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter, Archie is not as easy to write for as I thought he would be.
Disclaimer: I don't own Riverdale, The Archie comics, or anything but the story.
Chapter 3: Howling at the Moon
Archie Andrews stepped out of his truck with Jughead as the sunlight began to dim over his father's construction site. This morning his dad had asked him to run by the hardware store after football practice and bring a couple of supplies down in his truck. Jughead had agreed to accompany him and had a little fun verbally assassinating the Home Depot work when he tried to overprice Archie on a couple of sledgehammers. Archie was used to being seen as the dumb jock by a lot of people and it felt great to know that Jughead had his back, and he hoped that Jughead felt the same. Archie still felt like he needed to prove himself as a good friend after the whole ditching him and basically threatening him during the whole "Grundy" incident. He quickly tried to shake those depressing thoughts as he moved toward his dad's office.
"Hey, I'll catch up with you in a sec." Jughead told him, handing Archie the other hammer before taking off toward the area where the temporary workers were set up on their break.
Archie nodded, assuming Jug was going to check in with F.P. and continued alone into the office. He stepped inside hearing his dad talking on the phone. Archie politely waited until his father was done talking number before greeting him.
"Thanks a bunch kiddo." Mr. Andrews greeted as he took the extra sledgehammers. "Being two short really slowed us down today."
"Glad I could help." Archie shrugged.
Archie noticed a slight strain in his dad's voice, which was unfortunately common these days, but Archie couldn't help but press.
"Everything okay dad?"
"Sure, no everything's good actually." Fred replied running a hand through his short hair. "The numbers are finally evening out thanks to the serpents and Mrs. Lodge."
Archie knew that despite how optimistic that sounded, his dad probably felt like a shepherd using wolves to keep away the mountain lions, just waiting for one to turn and bite him.
"Hey, how about we go for a run tonight?"
Archie was surprised and looked at his dad excitedly, "You mean it?"
Being Skinwalkers meant that Archie and his dad could (in theory) control their transformation into their canine forms. But to maintain a spiritual balance and keep the animal in check they had to take certain dietary precautions, ingesting a few animal hearts now and then, as well as letting the animal spirit out to play. When he was younger and fist learning to control the spirit, his dad would take him for runs in the woods by the lake. They would spend hours just running, letting the cool night wind hit their morphed faces.
"Why so surprised?" Fred asked with a little laugh.
"We just haven't gone on a run in over a year."
His dad let out an audible sigh, "Yeah, I've been letting that slide a little lately."
"It's not your fault." Archie quickly reminded his father. "Things haven't been easy on anyone lately." Not since before the summer anyway. Not since Jason, the Blossoms, the drive in and…her.
"So," his dad continued, "I figured with things being a little calmer as of late, now would be as good as time as any to…get some fresh air, as it were."
"Yeah," Archie replied enthusiastically, "that sounds awesome."
Fred smiled and Archie felt like he was finally getting a break "with his dad. The past few weeks had been stressful on their relationship and Archie couldn't help but hope that this a was a sign of things getting back to normal. A small knock sounded as Jughead walked in,
"I hope I'm not interrupting." He said quietly.
"No, not at all Jughead," Fred said with a warm smile, "Archie and I were just talking about taking a run later tonight. Will you be all right by yourself at the house tonight?"
"Sure." Jug replied with a small smile of his own, "I've got some articles to write for the Blue and Gold. You guys go, howl at the moon or whatever it is you guys do."
The two Andrews men chuckled at the joke, Archie playfully punching Jughead in the arm.
"How about an early dinner then?" Fred asked, "Pizza sound good to anybody else?"
"Sounds great." Archie replied and Jughead nodded in agreement.
"I've gotta file a couple of documents," Fred said standing up, "but I'll meet you guys at the house here in about twenty minutes. Okay?"
The boys nodded and headed out the door. Archie couldn't help but smile widely as he and Jughead got in his truck.
"So, you and your dad going on a run huh?" Jughead asked him as he turned the key in the ignition, "been a while right?"
"Not since I turned fourteen." Archie nodded.
"I think it'll be good for the two of you." His friend agreed. "You could use some time on the wild side."
Archie couldn't help but agree with that, hoping that tonight would be just the fix he needed.
AN: Hope you liked it! Coming next is a Veronica chapter and I am excited to write for her as I love her character on the show. Please Review and tell me what you think!
