Chapter 8- A Long Walk.
Jughead had sampled all three of the different baked goods in the kitchen while he waited for Robyn to come back downstairs. He heard the shower start running and stop a few minutes afterwards, shortly after he heard the footsteps on the stairs and swallowed the end of a cookie that was in his mouth as he saw her enter the kitchen. She had changed out of her running gear, was now in loose fitted trousers and a baggy jumper with sleeves that hung passed her hands, she held them bunched in her fisted so they weren't hanging loose as she walked, her hair tied back into a ponytail but small wisps of hair already coming loose at the front around her face. She was smiling at him as she walked into the room.
"I see you're enjoying them?" She nodded to the food set out on the kitchen island in front of him and he smiled in response.
"Yeah, you are a seriously good cook." That made her laugh as she moved around the kitchen to the fridge to his side.
"I was thinking of making up some food to take with us?" He nodded lightly to her in agreement. "Can you go into the living room and look in the corner beside the chair on the far side, there should be a picnic basket, it's the perfect size." He smiled as he got up.
"Yeah, I'll see if I can find it." He could hear her rustling in the kitchen as he made his way to the chair she had mentioned and looked to find the basket. It took him a couple of minutes but he was soon pulling out a basket with a handle and small flaps that opened on either side, he laughed lightly at the classic looking picnic basket and took it back into the kitchen. Robyn noticed his expression and understood the reason for it immediately.
"My sister picked it, she wanted one that looked like the ones you see on tv or movies." She shook her head lightly but he still saw the small smile that came to her lips whenever she spoke of her sister.
Looking around the room he saw that she had already boxed up plenty of the brownies, flapjacks and cookies into small tupperware tubs and was currently making sandwiches on the counter side.
"Any preference for sandwich fillings?" He was shaking his head until he realised she wasn't looking at him.
"No, I'll eat anything." He heard her small laugh as she went back to making them.
It wasn't long before a few were made and put into their own tupperware for putting into the basket, he watched her turn back to fridge to put things back inside, she seemed to look in thoughtfully after she had done.
"How do you feel about pork pies?" She looked round to his reaction and he nodded softly. "And sausage rolls?" He nodded again and she smiled brightly as she took them out of the fridge.
She slid the basket closer to herself and he watched as she packed everything inside with practiced moves, as if she did this often. She seemed to sense his gaze on her as he looked up to meet the question in his eyes, she smiled as she understood once again.
"My sister loves picnics, we go on them during the summer whenever we can." He smiled at her.
"You two are really close?" She nodded lightly.
"She's my best friend, always has been." He smiled back at her. "Are you close with your sister?"
"Yeah, we're close. We talk over the phone every week." He saw a sad smile on her lips as he looked back up at her.
"You miss her?" He nodded to the question. "Have you thought of visiting them?" He honestly hadn't thought about it until she said the words, when they left his mum didn't seem like she wanted visitors.
"I'm not sure they would want me to." His voice was quiet and he was surprised to hear a snort-like noise come from her, she was smiling at him again.
"I find that hard to believe." He smiled slightly back at her but didn't say any more on the subject.
Robyn lifted the basket from the kitchen island, it wasn't too heavy as she walked around to where Jughead stood.
"Are ready to go?" He nodded to her and fell into step beside her as they walked out of the house.
"Do you mind if we take a small detour, I want to pick something up?"
"Don't mind at all, we've got plenty of time."
They walked quietly through the town, she realised she had no idea where they were going to get whatever Jughead wanted to pick up. She didn't question the route that he picked out until they were leaving the residental area and going towards the drive-in theatre close to the south-side of town. He stopped outside and turned to look at her briefly before leading them inside the small hut from where the movie reel was controlled, she followed him inside to see the equipment to one side and a large couch taking up much of the rest of the room. She noticed some odd pieces of clothing across one side of it and a sleeping bag on the other. Jughead went to the equipment and picked up a small bag and slung it over his shoulder before turning to look her again, taking in her expression.
"Jughead, is this where you're sleeping?" She couldn't help the incredulous tone that was in her voice though she attempted to. He sighed heavily at the question.
"I work here." He lead her back out of the building and continued to walk back through the town.
"That isn't an answer." She lead him around a corner, towards the ridge that was their destination. He sighed again.
"Yes, I'm staying there." She shook her head lightly but didn't say anymore on it yet.
She lead the way as they walked as he didn't know the way, they were quiet as they walked now. It wasn't a long walk but harder as the slope got steeper leading up to the ridge.
"It's a little tougher here but it doesn't last for long and then it flattens out." He smiled back at her when she looked over at him.
They were walking through trees and they had to step over multiple roots. Unfortunately Robyn's clumsy nature caused her foot to get caught under one and very nearly send her flying and leave her sprawled across the floor, she felt grateful that Jughead was with her as his reflexes were quick enough that he managed to take hold of her arm fast enough to stop that from happening and get her back upright.
"You ok?" She nodded as she took stock of how she felt after the close call.
"Thank you, for catching me." He chuckled lightly at her statement.
"That's quiet alright, lucky I saw you falling before you were down." She laughed lightly back.
They continued walking until she slowed her pace slightly, the ground beginning to level out.
"Here we are, just up ahead." He nodded to her as the trees thinned around them.
She smiled as she heard a small gasp come from Jughead beside her as the trees opened completely to show a large meadow high about the town, wildflowers still scattering the floor with bright colours and from where they stood they could only see a blue sky above where the ground falls away into the ridge she had discribed. He looked over to her and she was glad to see the bright smile on his lips, she nodded towards the ridge and walked forwards as he followed her. As they neared the edge, the town of Riverdale came into view.
"Looks exactly as you drew it." His voice was quiet as he looked down on the town. "It's amazing here." He turned away from the town to look at the meadow. She nodded as she turned as well.
She walked towards the centre and sat down, the basket set down next her. He smiled and came to join her, he lay down flat beside her and she looked down to see a peaceful smile on his lips as he closed his eyes against the sun.
"So, what did you bring?" He looked up at her with a surprised gaze, as if jogged out of some thought.
"Hmm?" She smiled down at him and then nodded to the small bag that was still settled against his hip. "Oh, that." She nodded and watched as he sat up and took the bag from his shoulder, opened it and took out a large camera.
"You take pictures?" He shrugged lightly and looked over at her with an odd expression on his face. "Can I see?" She reached with her hand to gesture to the camera and smiled when he put it in her hands, looking at it she realised she had no idea how to use it or see what photographs were already on it. She looked up to see Jughead smiling at her in humour.
"Come here?" She passed the camera back and he pushed a few buttons and passed it back to her with it's screen showing a picture now. "Just push this button to go through them." She nodded as she looked at the camera. She looked throught the pictures slowly, taking in the images.
"These are amazing." She looked up to see him looking anxiously down at her. "I had no idea." He chuckled at that, his expressioning shifting from anxious to smiling.
"There you were thinking you knew everything about me?" She smiled then.
"Not everything." She passed the camera back to him and he reached out to take hold of it. "When did you learn to do it?" He shrugged lightly.
"I started doing it a few years ago."
"Not many people have seen though?" She guessed seeing the nervousness of showing her.
"Nobody actually, you're the first person I've shown any photos I've taken." She was surprised by that and it clearly showed on her face as he laughed lightly at her.
"Thank you for showing me." She meant it, she knew how difficult it was to show people her art for the first time. He just nodded to her with a small smile still on his lips.