Jughead pounded on the Andrews' front door, fist shaking. He had seen the decapitated doll; had read the letter from none other than Archie. He knew Fred Andrews was at the construction site so that gave him ample opportunity to get his message across. Sweet Pea was right behind him, and Joaquin behind him.
The door opened, and Jughead didn't even hesitate before throwing a punch in the redhead dick's smarmy face. He bent down, grabbing him by the lapels of his letterman jacket. "Stay. The fuck. A way from her. I won't tell you again."
Archie laughed, lip busted, and Jughead felt a vindictive pleasure at the fact that he left the same cut on Archie's lip that Archie had left on Betty's. "She didn't like the doll?"
Sweet Pea rushed to where Archie was sitting on the ground and shook him around like a rag doll. "I will not say it again, Andrews. Stay the hell away from my sister. This sick infatuation and obsession you have with her ends. Now."
Archie stared at him, his eyes holding a crazed look, before he turned to Jughead. "Does she taste as good as she smells?"
Sweet Pea punched him, losing his composure, but Jughead didn't try to stop his best friend. He knew the taller was feeling animalistically protective over his little sister. Jughead didn't blame him. He too was experiencing the same type of feelings. "Keep your fantasizes of my sister out of your mouth, you sick fuck."
Archie laughed, shoving off Sweet Pea and standing to his feet. "Message received. I'll be going inside now."
Archie turned on his heel and walked back into his house, shutting the door loudly behind himself, and leaving the three guys outside to look at one another. It was Joaquin who broke the silence first. "We need to make sure Betty has someone with her at all times."
"She's going to hate that, but I agree," Jughead sighed.
"I don't give a fuck if she hates it," Sweet Pea snapped. "Archie is dangerous. And he should be in jail ten times over, but let's see if the message has finally sunk in."
Jughead hummed his affirmative, spinning on his heel the next moment. "Come on, the girls should be finished with cheer practice."
XXX
They pulled up to the gym twenty-five minutes later and Jughead spotted Betty and Veronica walking out of the gym, arms linked, and Betty carrying her can of a mace. He smiled softly and got off his bike. "Betts." The beautiful blonde looked up at him, smiling softly the next moment when she saw Sweet Pea and Joaquin too.
"Hey," she greeted them, going to kiss Jughead, who pulled her back into a second kiss after the first one was over. "What are you guys doing here? I was going to catch a ride with Ronnie."
"We decided to just meet you guys here," Sweet Pea said. "Pops?"
Jughead knew Sweet Pea had a crush on Ronnie and had for a couple of years now. He just didn't know if the petite raven returned the feelings. Ronnie looked at Betty, who grinned, and the dark-haired Latina turned back to Sweet Pea. "We'd love to."
Sweet Pea grinned at her and offered her his helmet, which Veronica took with an unusually shy smile, and Jughead placed his own helmet onto his girlfriend's head. He looked at Sweet Pea. "We'll meet you there."
Jughead climbed onto his bike, with Betty following suit. She interlocked her fingers around his stomach, lacing them together, and he revved his engine. They were off the next moment, with Betty laughing delightedly.
XXX
At Pops, they all piled into a booth, with Joaquin sitting on the end. Kevin had been called and was due to meet them at any moment, Just then, there was a tinkling of the bell, and Jughead saw Kevin walking in. Joaquin went to go greet him, and Jughead placed an order for burgers and fries at the table. Joaquin sat back down, with Kevin kissing Betty's cheek, and hugging Ronnie. "How was cheer rehearsal?"
"Good," Betty said. "I think we're in really good shape for the game on Friday night."
"And we look even better for Homecoming," Veronica grinned. Betty laughed, the sound warming Jughead's heart.
Sweet Pea looked at Ronnie. "Anyone ask you to Homecoming yet?"
"Is that your way of asking me?" Veronica looked at him, slight smirk pulling at her lips.
Sweet Pea ducked his head, grinning in embarrassment. "Ah, shit. I was going to have flowers."
"Get me them for the dance and I'm yours for the night," she smirked at him.
"Sold," Sweet Pea grinned, and the two put their hands on the table to hold. Jughead and Betty exchanged a secret smile. It was sweet the way Sweet Pea could be soft for people. Someone who was so hardened and only getting more hardened needed his moments of softness. Ronnie and Betty pulled it out of him, and Jughead thought that if they dated, Ronnie and Sweet Pea would make a good couple.
Betty cleared her throat, and they looked at her. "You two ever going to tell me what happened to your knuckles?"
Jughead glanced down at his knuckles, frowning when he saw that they were cut up. "Ah shit."
Betty pressed a napkin with ice to his knuckles, while Veronica did the same thing with Sweet Pea, and the two women looked at them patiently. Sweet Pea sighed. "We were speaking to Andrews."
"And you let your fists do the talking?" Betty quirked an eyebrow. Sweet Pea huffed out a laugh.
"Yes, you little shit," he grinned at her.
Jughead laughed. "You had to know we had to get our point across after the locker incident."
"What locker incident?" Kevin demanded, staring at Betty in concern.
She sighed. "Andrews stuck a decapitated baby doll in my locker. I don't know what else."
Jughead would tell her about the note, of course he would, but when she had time to process everything. Kevin sighed. "He's such a creep."
"Well, I think we delivered the message," Sweet Pea said. "Just don't go anywhere on your own."
"I promise," Betty assured him gently.
Too bad that wasn't a promise she'd be able to keep.