Chapter 9- A Deeper Conversation.
Jughead looked across to Robyn, laying on the grass next to him now, eyes closed against the bright sun shining down at them and a small smile on her lips. He was surprised as she rolled her body to face him and opened her eyes to meet his, her smile brightened.
"Feeling better?" He didn't think before he asked the question and instantly regretted bringing her thoughts back to earlier that day, he was glad that her smile didn't falter and she just nodded slightly.
"I'm always calmer being here." Her eyes were bright as they looked into his own. "I wasn't very close to Jason, it was more of a shock than anything else."
"You don't have to explain your reaction, someone died, it's ok to be upset by that." She nodded lightly, it was obvious to him that she didn't show her emotions easily. "I didn't know you knew the Blossoms at all, you didn't exactly run in the same circles at school." He was surprised to hear her laugh lightly at his observation.
"They both have their friends at school and don't venture past those circles, in public at least, they knew me through our parents businesses and long friendship. Even when I was with Chuck, they'd act like they had no contact with me outside of school hours." She saw the confused look on Jughead's face as she looked over at him. "Like you said, we don't run in the same circles, Cheryl in particular liked to make sure that was clear to everyone."
"Even when you did?" He watched as she made a shrugging gesture at his question.
"I never really fit in with that group, most of them couldn't pick me out of a line-up now and I was with Chuck for over two months." He was a little surprised by her statement but decided not to question it further.
"You were with him for a while." He couldn't think of anything else to say to fill the silence but he realised quickly how it had sounded as Robyn laughed brightly next to him.
"By Chuck's standard it was practically a life time." He joined in with the laughter.
"He's not exactly known for his long interest in anyone." She shook her head lightly at him then. "He must have been very intersted by you?" The phrase came out a question.
"I guess he found me intruging." He was glad that she added a laugh to the end of her statement to stop him thinking the phrases still caused tension between them.
"Why did it end?" He sensed the sudden change in her as she sat upright and her shoulders hunched as if to physically block the question. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." He sat up next to her, she seemed to shake herself slightly and turned back to face him with a forced smile.
"No it's fine, it was just a... complicated end." Making eye contact with her he saw an odd expression that she was still trying to hide with her overly bright smile.
"You don't have to do that, you know?" Her expression turned to confusion. "You don't have to hide your emotions from me." A sad smile came to her lips.
"Old habits." The words were quiet but he heard them easily enough and understood how difficult it was for her to show her emotions to anyone, to trust anyone.
There was a small silence as Jughead watched Robyn pull the picnic basket towards her and began taking tupperware out, first came the sandwiches and she passed one to him. He smiled his thanks as he took hold of it and watched as she pulled at a corner of her own.
"Was everything ok last night, with Betty?" He could tell she was trying to bring the conversation away from herself and he let his mind wander back to the previous evening.
"Not exactly but I think she will be ok." She nodded lightly to him.
"What did Archie do this time?" He looked at her with a look so full of surprise that it made her laugh. "It's not exactly easy to miss, anyone can see how she sees him and how he doesn't see her the same way. I've seen him date other girls and her reaction to it, I'm guessing he did something last night that got her upset?"
"You don't miss much do you?" She shrugged lightly to him. "Yeah, he did something stupid at the worst timing he could have. Typical Archie." She kept a questioning gaze on him until he expanded. "The new girl Veronica?" She nodded as she turned away.
"Oh." She shook her head lightly. "Here I was thinking those two would be friends."
"Those two both thought so too." She looked at him then.
"You think they'll reconcile?" He nodded, not surprised that she had read his expression.
"Betty is very forgiving, she will somehow manage to put this behind her." She nodded to his explaination.
"And you?" The questioning look he gave her prompted her to continue her question. "Are you forgiving?" He shrugged lightly. "You'll reconnect with Archie?" He breathed out a soft laugh as he once again realised how observant she was.
"I imagine we will, we've been friends for years." She smiled and nodded to him. He could see she was burning to ask him what happened but she was restraining herself and he didn't want to delve into that right now.
He stood up and noticed her start slightly at his sudden movement, he looked back to apologise but she had already turned away. He moved closer to the ridge and saw the perfect opportunity, he reached into the small bag at his hip and took out the large camera again, this time turning it towards the view. He was on a knee looking at the view when he felt her gaze on him, he stopped himself losing his focus as he took the snaps he wanted before turning back to her. He was mildly surprised that she had got a pad and pencil out and her hand was now speeding across the page. He didn't want to interrupt her so he went to the other side of the basket and began taking out some of the tupperware holding the desserts, he laughed quietly as Robyn held out her hand for one without looking over at him, he handed over a brownie and lay back as he watched her work. He found himself watching the concentration on her face as her pencil ran across the page.
"I can feel you staring." He was jogged from his thoughts and he shook his head lightly.
"I'm sorry." She looked at him then with a small smile.
"It's alright." She closed the pad on her lap and turned more fully to him. "I was rude." He was already shaking his head lightly.
"No, I don't mind. I started it." She laughed lightly at that. "Is anyone else in your family artistic?"
"My dad is an interior designer, my sister dabbles in everything but never shows me anything she does." He smiled as he saw the usual smile come to her face whenever she mentioned her sister.
"She's not happy with anything she does?" She laughed lightly at that.
"Is any artist?" He nodded as he knew the truth in that. "She just isn't ready to show me yet, I think when she finds something she loves doing she will show me."
"She shares everything with you." It wasn't a question but she nodded anyway.
"I don't pry, I understand the need for privacy but she tells me everything eventually and I tell her everything too."
"It's a good relationship you have with her." She nodded lightly. He remembered other point she made. "I didn't know your dad was a designer."
"Yeah, Baker's Interior Design, he brought a branch here when we moved." He nodded as he recognised the name he had seen on a building in the town. "What about your family, any other artists?"
"JB likes to draw, she always has." She nodded lightly to him.
"Your sister." She hadn't phrased it as a question but he nodded to her anyway.
"Jellybean." He laughed lightly at the expression that passed her face. "It's a nickname, her real name is Forsythia." That made her laugh.
"I don't blame her for the change." He shook his head as he chuckled along with her. "Where did Jellybean come from?"
"That was me, they were my favourite thing to eat when I was little." She smiled at him reliving the memory of the nickname. "Better than the origins of my nickname. My ears were particularly big for my head when I was a kid." She laughed again at that.
"Well, you grew into them well enough." He joined in with her light laughter.
"Thanks." He heard her snort at his response.
He watched as she dug back into the basket to get more food out for the two of them. Both of them reclined slightly and sampled all the snacks they brought with them. The quiet was comfortable and Jughead found he didn't need to fill it with conversation and so it stretched on for a while before he got his camera back out to flip through the pictures he had taken of the scenery. He turned to see Robyn now laying back with her eyes closed once again, head turned slightly towards him and a small smile on her lips, as if she sensed his gaze on her she widened her smile but didn't open her eyes. He turned the camera towards her and snapped a picture of her lounging there, the sound made her open her eyes and her eyebrows draw together as if she knew what picture he had taken.
"What did you just do?" He just smiled and shrugged as he turned his attention to his camera and the picture. He didn't notice as she moved closer to look over his shoulder. "Urgh, I'm not photogenic at all. I could have warned you of that before you tried." It made him laugh as she spoke.
"You seem photogenic enough to me." She raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything else. He surprised her by turning the camera back to her and snapping another photo as she moving back away from him.
"Cut it out." She swung out to tap him lightly on his shoulder but was laughing as she did so.
"If you can draw me, I can photograph you." That just brought a small shocked look to her face before both of them chuckled lightly and she sat back looking defeated in her argument. He didn't take any more photos, instead just looked through the previous ones. "Do you ever wear your hair loose?" He seemed to jog her out of what ever thoughts she was having as she looked back over to him and took a moment to answer.
"No, I don't really. Not for years." His confused look must have prompted an explaination as she continued. "My mum used to insist I wear it down all the time, would never let me put it up. Once when I was 5 she found out I put it up while I was with friends and she cut it short, and uneven so I couldn't put it up. I guess it's a way to rebel against it now. I've worn it loose a couple of times, for special occassions but very rarely."
"That's horrible." She was still smiling lightly.
"All a long time ago now." He couldn't tell if she was truly unfazed with saying the words or if she was just hiding her emotions from him again, before he could figure it out a noise came from somewhere. Robyn put her hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone which was emitting the noise. "I didn't realise the time, I've got to get back to meet Emma." He nodded as she began moving to stand up and gather the items from around them. He stood up next to her and fell into step with her as they left the meadow.
They walked in silence for a short distance but he noticed she was tense as if she had something on her mind, he didn't press but didn't have to wait long either. He noticed they were going back the route they went in the morning, past the drive-in theatre and this was when she sighed deeply.
"Why are you staying there?" She stopped in the street and nodded towards the drive-in as if he wouldn't know what she referring to.
"It's comfortable enough." His voice was quiet and she shook her head to his statement.
"Look, we've got a spare room." He was already shaking his head at the imposition he would be making but she spoke over it. "It wouldn't be for long, just until we can find something else. My dad won't allow me to take you in for much longer than a couple of weeks but I let you stay here either."
"I can't." He shook his head again and heard her sigh heavily.
"Fine but promise me something?" He nodded with a questioning look. "See if you can find somewhere better, if you're still stuck here in a week a so, then you'll reconsider and stay in my spare room?"
"Ok." He nodded at the reasonable sounding terms.
"And come to dinner with me and Emma, I'm sure she's dying to meet you properly since this morning." His questioning look came back.
"Are you sure?" She nodded lightly to him.
"Of course, I always cook tons anyway." She didn't wait for an answer as she began walking towards her house and after a moment he fell into step beside her.