CHAPTER NINETEEN
BETTER
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Sitting in the theatre at school, Chris's hand was interlocked with Veronica's as they waited for Archie to perform. When Veronica had asked him to come, Chris was quick to shoot her down, but things change in an hour when the pair went through an extensive physical activity. After that, Chris caved in and told her he would come.

Kaitlyn, Riley, and Olivia with them as they patiently waited. Chris letting out a huff as he let his head fall back in boredom. "How long is this going to take?" He huffed as the four looked at him. "Just be patient, man." Riley chuckled as Kaitlyn smirked as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Olivia looked at the Jones, a disapproving look on her face which he saw. "What you looking at, Blossom?" He barked and Olivia raised a brow. "Do you have to be an asshole?" She questioned and Chris smirked. "Only to you and Archie." He quipped and Olivia scoffed. "Just cause he likes me doesn't mean you can be an ass." She blurted out, getting the attention of the four.

A blush appearing on her cheeks as Chris chuckled. "I think you mean, "You think he likes you." He corrected and Olivia glared at him as he simply looked away with shut eyes and a satisfied smile on his lips. Loving how easily he could get under the girl's skin just by the tiniest comment.

Lifting his head when Kevin spoke. "Archie Andrews?" Kevin spoke, alerting the boy and making him ready the mic. Chris's hand fumbling inside his pocket to make sure he had the small rectangular device he decided to bring. Just a little thing he would decide upon if he got the chance. He didn't have anything ready besides what was on this little device so he would be going off the top of his head.

"And what will you be auditioning with?" Kevin asked, speaking through the mic on the table in front of him. Archie glancing at Olivia who gave him a smile which eased his nerves to speak. "Uh, an original song that I wrote called "I'll Try." He told them as Reggie hollered from behind Chris and the others a couple of seats behind.

"Try harder! Maybe you won't be sucking so much." The boy hollered as the other boys laughed and Chris grit his teeth as both he and Riley turned to the boy. "Hey, Reg. Maybe use that mouth it's good for. Keep it shut, asshat." Chris hollered, not even caring to look back at the boy when he said it. "Or something bad might happen to you." Riley threatened as Reggie clenched his jaw, but none the less shut his mouth.

"Take your time, Archie. Though, we do have people waiting." Kevin reassured the trembling ginger. Chris felt like he should say something, encourage him and tell him to just breathe. Usually, he never thought about comforting anyone else except Veronica. Maybe she just rubbed off on him with caring about other people and he felt like he should try and do better.

So, he did just exactly that. "Arch." He called out as the boy looked at him, his handshaking. "Just breath, man. I know you can sing and play. Just be confident." He told Archie, not noticing the surprised glances by the others at his kind words.

Although, it seemed as his words weren't as comforting as they seemed since Archie continued to stand silently. "Oh, my god, what's happening?" Veronica muttered as she tightened her grip on Chris's hand. "He's choking," Josie muttered with a sly smirk on her lips which angered both Olivia and Chris as they glared at the girl.

"Hey, Josie. You would know something about that, right?" Olivia asked with a brow raised as Josie glared at the Blossom. "Yeah, O. I think she would. We should maybe ask...Mantle, right? Saw you two cuddling up close at the drive-in." Chris suggested as Olivia smirked at his witty add on. Even if they despised each other often, they always made a good team.

"Archie? Clocks ticking." A slightly impatient tone was evident in Kevin's tone as Archie snapped his eyes up to Kevin. "Excuse me. I'm sorry. I gotta go." Archie spluttered out as he ran out of the theatre.

Other kids clapping and complimenting him sarcastically. "Olivia, go check on him." Chris told the girl and she nodded and rushed out of the room. Chris gripping the small device tightly before standing up and earning curious looks from the remaining three of the group.

Veronica frowning at her boyfriends sudden movements. "Chris, what are you doing?" She asked as the boy smiled as he turned to her. "Just wait." He winked as he walked up onto the stage.

"Uh, CJ. You're holding up the line." Kevin told and Chris raised his hand. "I know, I know, but, I wanna perform," Chris explained and Kevin raised a brow, clearly not believing the boy. "You? Sing? Perform?" Kevin asked with a chuckle and Chris nodded, with a look that showed how obvious it was. "Wow, no confidence in me, Kev? I'm truly, truly hurt, man."

The oldest Keller sighed as he shrugged and wrote Chris's name down. "What will you be performing?" He asked and Chris pulled out that small rectangular device that was a speed drive. "Be a good boy and put that into your computer for me, Kev," Chris told him, tossing the speed drive to Kevin who caught it and did as told.

Opening the folder and finding the audio and doubling clicking it. Making sure everything was hooked up as Chris stood waiting patiently.

The soft strings of the guitar coming through the speakers and getting the entire theatre's attention. Looking at Chris who smiled as he pointed to Josie. "This one is for Josie McCoy."  He told before pointing at Reggie. "You too, Mantle. Can't leave your small head out of this." Laughs erupted in the room as Reggie gritted his teeth.

"Just kidding, this is for a special girl." Chris hinted at, glancing at Veronica who was starstruck as she smiled widely waiting for the boy to sing.

"Hope I only leave good vibes on your living room floor, It hurts so bad that I didn't when you asked for more," He sang softly, the small clap in the background of the guitar in the instrumental. "Your dad probably loves me more than he ever did now, 'Cause I finally got out, Yeah, we finally knocked down,"

A smirk tugging on his lips seeing the jealous look on Josie's face as she glared at him. Only his eyes finding Veronica whose mouth was slightly ajar. Kaitlyn and Riley on the other hand had their mouths wide open in shock.

"'Cause sometimes it's better that way, Gotta let it go so your heart don't break, 'Cause I love you, Yeah, baby, I love you," Chris sang, taking the mic and adjusting the chord as he began walking down the stage. "Just this one time, hear what I'm tryna say, Know you might not feel quite the same way, But I love you, I tell you, I love you,"

Chris grabbed Veronica's hand and pulled her out of her seat. A blush painting her cheeks as she stared at him in shock of what was happening in front of her. Never had she seen Chris with so much confidence, but that was all by the help of Jason.

He wouldn't have achieved it without Jason and it changed him completely. With the confidence he had gotten, he wasn't afraid of putting someone on the spot or telling things how they were.

"Why? Why wait to fight?, Give it a try, Or I'll say goodbye while it's right, Can we save tears in your eyes?, I'm making you cry, Why wait to hate, can we save love?" He finished as Veronica began dancing with him which made him smile wider. The beat echoing through the speakers that made their body vibrate in a drastic way.

Wrapping an arm around the girl's waist as she leaned back. Both forgetting that there was a full room of other students watching in shock of the Jones ability. "I fell in, I'm falling, I'm for you, I can't let you fall through the floor too, It's a gamble to take any more of you," He hinted at which only had Veronica giggle as he kissed her shoulder. "Still in my mind sometimes, I must admit it, Like it's a crime on trial, I got acquitted, Me and you wasn't meant, we wasn't fitted, Like it's a glove, I hated to admit it,"

Some of the people, including the football player began nodding their heads to the beat. Getting pulled into the performance was taking them all by surprise. All of their eyes focused on two of the most infamous pair, besides Cheryl.

Chris and Veronica was a force to be reckoned with, and anyone with a brain should know that. Veronica was the rich girl with power, and Chris was the Southside outcast willing to protect anyone close to him. Even if that meant breaking a few bones to get the point across or even killing someone.

"'Cause obviously, we go back, So why would we ruin that?, In too deep, we're rearranged, Now you wanna ask for names," All the lyrics were coming from the top of his head, and telling by Veronica's smile, she could tell. That was what worried him, just singing something wrong and her getting the wrong idea. So far, it was going rather well and he was happy about it.

"We can't let this fruit go bad, Sayin' things we can't take back, In too deep, we're rearranged, Say you feel the same," Chris smiled as Veronica began adjusting the mic between them as she stared into Chris's eyes. Their unwavering eye contact is just as intimate as the late-night activities they often have besides cuddling.

Surprising Chirs, Veronica sang the chorus with him which made him smile like a little kid at a candy store. "Why? Why wait to fight?, Give it a try, Or I'll say goodbye while it's right, Can we save tears in your eyes?, I'm watching you cry, Why wait to hate, can we save love?"

The instrumental slowly came to a stop and silence. Only the slight pants from Chris as he swallowed thickly, his eyes glancing down at Veronica's which were rather taunting to him at this point.

A smirk tugging on her lips that told him she wasn't going to give it up that easily. So, with a similar smirk, Chris turned to the crowd. Putting up a peace sign as he spoke. "See ya." He told them before stopping himself and pointing at Josie with a warning. "I'm coming for your spot, Josie." He warned, a mocking smile on his lips before dropping the mic and taking Veronica's interlocked hand and leaving the speechless kids.

Kevin smiling widely as he looked down at Chris's name on his clipboard. Making a star beside Chris's name and clearing his throat. "Um, next person?"