PRINCE CHARMING
" watch out for douchebags! "
CHAPTER FOUR

     "ATHENA! I SWEAR to god we're going to be late for the first day!" Axel screamed up the wooden steps of his house. His sister was still behind the closed door of her room getting ready, as the clock was slowly striking seven o'clock. Normally, he was already at school by this time, but now, since Athena was a freshman this year, he was forced to stay and take her as well.

     Bruce Richards let out a soft chuckle as he watched his defeated looking son slump into one of the kitchen chairs. "Patience is a virtue, my boy. It is something you must get used to in your adult life."

     "What, Athena making me late to literally everything in my life? Why couldn't she have taken the bus?" Axel tiredly shot back as he slid the last school supplies into his backpack.

     His father let out a sigh. "Don't be like that Axel. It's only the first day. They don't even give late passes today. Don't sweat the small stuff." Bruce patted his son on the head, before walking away towards his home office.

     At that moment, Athena came down the steps with a smile on her face. "Ready?"

✧∘ଂ ࿐ ཾ

     AXEL PRESSED HIS body against the lockers directly beside Archie Andrews. The two were engaging in a conversation about the upcoming football season, but the voice of Reggie Mantle cut their discussion short. "Bro, you are ready for football." The jock said as he approached the duo. He grabbed onto Archie's bicep, and squeezed it to symbolize his arm size increasing. "I'm not kidding you, dude. You got ripped!" Archie, clearly, was in no mood to discuss the size of his muscles, but Reggie was relentless. "Dude, you're a beast. Look at this arm, it's diesel! How much are you benching, like two-twenty, two-fifty? You have to give me some tips, man."

     "Roman deadlifts, right?" Taking some T?" Axel joined in just as Archie shut his locker and began to walk away.

     Reggie nodded in agreement with the raven-haired boy as they followed their red-headed friend. "Ginseng? Maca root?"

     "It's from working construction, guys." Archie smiled with a shake of his head.

     Reggie, from behind his other two classmates, said, "Oh, yeah, yeah, that's right. Yo, Moose! Look who grew up over the summer." The Mantle boy finished by nodding in Archie's direction. Moose now began to follow the trio.

     "So, Axel," Reggie continued as the four of them stalked down the hall. "You're looking pretty buff too. You two work on any homes together? Any private homes?"

     Axel let out a laugh. "I've always been this buff, Reg. And no, I didn't work on any homes but Archikins, here, did."

     "Did you tap some cougar ass this summer?" Reggie asked.

     Axel didn't know if he was purely being  obnoxious, or if he was actually curious. So he said, "You know what, I think that's more of a fantasy from your wank-bank, Reggie." Archie tuned and gave the raven-haired boy a fist bump and a smirk. "Look, I'll catch you guys soon." Archie said as he slowly began to turn, and leave his football buddies behind.

     "Peace out, brother." Reggie called out as the three of them watched the ginger get lost in the swarm of high school students.

✧∘ଂ ࿐ ཾ

     THE ENTIRE STUDENT body of Riverdale High were pressed together inside of the school's gymnasium. It was the moment everyone was waiting for — to finally find out if the back-to-school semiformal would be cancelled, or not. Cheryl Blossom stood on the small dais in the center of the wood floor. The entirety of the teaching faculty sat in a row of chairs in front of her. 

     Axel was squished in between Archie, and Reggie near the top of the bleachers. He sat with his elbow against his knee, and his hand resting against his chin. He genuinely wished the time would pass much faster, so he could be at lunch and talk with his friends.

     "Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally." Cheryl spoke into the microphone, while smiling up at the crowd. "Each and every one of you meant the world to Jason. I loved my brother. . . He was and always will be my soulmate."

    Axel let out a sigh as him and Reggie shared a look of absolute boredom.

     "So I speak with the confidence only a twin could have. . . Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year morning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives." Cheryl continued speaking into the small microphone. "Which is why I've asked the school board not to cancel the back-to-school semiformal."

     A smile danced on Cheryl's red lips. "But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. Thank you all!" The crowd erupted into cheers as the girl was finished talking.

     The back-to-school semiformal was officially still standing.

✧∘ଂ ࿐ ཾ

     AFTER AXEL HAD grabbed his food from the lunch line, he slowly ventured outside to towards the football field. To his left, he saw Reggie and Moose sitting at a table, but Axel didn't feel like sitting with them that particular day. Instead, he continued walking forward where he ended up in front of Archie and his friends' table. "May I join you guys?"

     "'course man!" Archie replied, as he scooted closer to Betty to make some more room for the other boy. "Everyone, this is Axel. He plays on the football team with me." Archie introduced him, while giving him a slap on the back. Axel gave a smile to those sitting around him.

     The ginger boy when began to point at the boy across from Axel. "That's Kevin Keller. One hell of a guy. I think you guys already know eachother?"

     "Yeah," Axel nodded as he chewed on a bite of his hamburger. "We met at the party few weeks ago." He smiled at the brunette, who gave a timid smile back.

     Next, Archie pointed at his splitting image, if he was a female. "Then, there's my twin, Astrid. She's annoying, but you already knew that."

     "Hey! I am not! Plus, Axel and I are already best friends, jerk." Astrid shot back, which Axel let out a small laugh about.

     Archie laughed, "Whatever." He then moved to the raven-haired girl sitting beside Astrid. "That's Veronica Lodge. She's probably the only one you don't know at this table. She just moved here from New York."

     "New York?" Axel asked, which the girl responded with a nod of her head. "No way! I'm from New York too!"

     Veronica looked at him with wide eyes. "No way! From which part?"

     "Queens. Lived there 'til I was seven."

     "Brooklyn. Moved here a few weeks ago. Hey, you work at Pop's, right?"

     Axel nodded. "For two years now. Pop makes the best burgers in town."

     "Cheers to that." Kevin muttered from across Axel. The raven-haired boy gave him a small smile as he bit into his burger once more.

     Archie continued with his introductions, "And this is Betty Cooper. Sweetest girl I know."

     Axel gave Betty a smile, but her reaction made him furrow his eyebrows. As soon as Archie had looked away from her, her once inviting expression turned sour. Betty seemed to be shooting daggers at Axel. He quickly turned his head towards his tray, for he had no idea what he had done to her.

     Nevertheless, the five of them engaged in small conversations for the remainder of the lunch period. Axel was extremely happy that he managed to get some friends that weren't douchebags like the football team. They seemed to be genuinely nice people, besides Betty, who Axel didn't know why she acted like that. He made a mental note to ask Archie later.

     The entire time, Axel never noticed that Kevin's eyes never left the raven-haired boy's face.

authors note.
edited.
damn betty what's good?