𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎
THE WAY THINGS SHOULD'VE ALWAYS BEEN
; ♡⋆.ೃ࿔*

Chris had lost the track of time of how long he'd been in the hospital. The pain in his side had eased a bit since the doctor had started giving him pain meds for whenever it was unbearable to deal with. But his friends had gone back to school to continue whatever was going on at school. Most likely not being able to mind their own business and continue trying to figure out Jason's killer. Something he didn't condone and had tried expressing that to Jughead who didn't listen to him.

They couldn't leave well enough alone it would just bring more drama to their lives. As if him being in a car crash and losing his friend wasn't dramatic enough. If any more of his friends got themselves in trouble, the town wouldn't be as nice as Chris had always seen it. But that was just a lie to himself since everyone in this town was just assholes and corrupted.

He was cleared to go back but he was trying to buy as much time as he could. Jughead's birthday was today and he was going to leave in an hour or two. Free beer was something he couldn't miss out on and his little brother's birthday as well. Which reminded him, maybe he should send Betty some money so she could grab a gift for Jughead. Just something as thanks for taking care of Jughead while he's been gone.

But despite all of that, Chris felt like absolute shit. Emotionally since he now had to try and grasp what had happened with Archie and now Veronica who hadn't gotten in contact with him yet. There was just so much going on between those two people that he felt like his head was going to explode.

However, Jughead had been filling him in on a few things that had been going on with either Archie or Veronica. He was told that Veronica either grew annoyed or frustrated by the mention of his name in any conversation the group had. And Archie... Jesus, Archie was a complicated puzzle Chris was having trouble trying to figure out. One second he's angry, the next he's sad, then caring, and finally affectionate; leading to the kiss between the two boys. Which Chris was still stuck up on as the feeling of Archie's lips against his couldn't be washed away

The entire situation was a whole puzzle for Chris to figure out in the small time he had here. Because when he left to go back home and to school, he would have to see the pair. Leading to either a horrible situation or patching up a few wounds. Chris didn't know which one to expect. Causing his anxiety to be at an all-time high the entire time he thought about it.

What Chris hoped for was nothing to be changed about his life and for it to go back to normal. Life had been so simple before Jason died and when Veronica wasn't in town. Chris went about his life with ease and didn't have a Veronica Lodge always in the back of his mind. He didn't have Archie Andrews kissing him and confessing his feeling in a matter of seconds before disappearing. Everything was so simple when Chris just had Jason. No one else, just Jason. How much he would give to have his best friend back. There was just resentment and regret in Chris' veins at the thought of his late friend.

Settling down in the wheelchair, Chris groaned in pain. "You good?" FP asked behind him as he gave a nod. "Yeah, just give me a second." Chris breathed as he closed his eyes. Taking a few deep breaths before nodding with permission for his father to push him.

So, when his dad was pushing in a wheelchair out of the hospital, a few glances were cast their way. It may have been the fact that his dad was wearing his serpent jacket or the fact that he was in a wheelchair. He wouldn't even be an ounce of a surprise if he found out that everyone knew what had happened to him. It was a small town after all, which would result in rumours. Then those could be spun to fit whatever the person wanted and to ruin Chris' name.

It was ruined enough as people knew about what happened to Tommy at the start of the year. Seeing him get arrested and coming back a day later as if nothing had happened. Now, he had been in a car crash and everyone would be speculating on what happened to him. And if he was asked to answer that question, he couldn't give an answer. He couldn't satisfy them with the truth as that would bring its own set of problems.

He didn't know what happened to him and he didn't know or recognize who he was before this year. He lost himself the moment he and Veronica broke up. And even after they had sex after the whole chaos that was the baby shower, he didn't even feel like the same person. No matter if he got Veronica back or not, he wouldn't be the same. His entire life had been a pain in the ass to deal with, and now he had more problems on his shoulders that he could barely deal with.

Coming to a stop outside FP's truck, Chris sighed as he blinked tiredly. "Alright, give me your hand," Fp muttered, moving around to the front of Chris and holding his hand out. His son took it and grunted in pain as he walked to the passenger side. Opening the door and hoisting himself inside carefully.

The ride back to Chris's place was a quick and quiet one. There was nothing that needed to be said between the father and son. FP now knew of Chris's addiction and Chris was... well, alone. Veronica up and left him and Archie was a whole bag of puzzles and confusion that the oldest Jones boy was still trying to figure out.

Parking, FP sighed as he glanced at his son who was patting his pockets. "Cigarette?" Chris glanced at his dad before nodding. Taking the cigarette and letting his shaking hand place it between his lips. leaning towards his dad who sparked the lighter and cupped the flame.

Chris leaned back and inhaled the cigarette. The shaking in his hands slowly fading as he exhaled through his nose. He had missed the taste of cigarettes through the weekend of being in the hospital. Sure, it didn't beat the high he always got from coke, but it was better than nothing.

Pulling out his phone and went to his photos. Swiping through various pictures of Veronica and videos they had filmed together while having sex. A smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he shook his head and swiping to the photos of him and Jason. Both their arms slung over each other's shoulders with the red solo cups in their hands. There was a slight twitch of Chris' nose as he shook his head. Bitterly closing his phone and shoving it back into his pocket.

"You gotta stop this, son," FP muttered, blowing out smoke from his cigarette that he lit. "I've dealt with this and it isn't going to lead you anywhere besides a path that pushes everyone away." He explained, flicking the ash off the cigarette in the cupholder.

A scoff escaped Chris's lips as he shook his head with a tiny chuckle. "Oh, I know." He muttered, leaning against the door as his fingers tapped on the leather. "Lost my sister, my mother, my father. All because of you not finding a job and getting right." He spat, taking a puff off the cigarette.

"Chris, if I could go back and do better, I would. But I have accepted what I did and I know I was wrong, alright?" FP told the boy, turning his head in his son's direction but not making eye contact. "Ain't nowhere else I'm going besides hell and I can sit with that quite comfortably." He muttered.

Chris cracked his neck, exhaling through his nose as he stared out the window. The grey clouds covering the sky with rain slowly pelting against the window. Mind slowly flickering to how much he related with his father's last statement. They both had made mistakes and sins, more than they should be comfortable with.

A sniffle came from the boy as he licked his lips. "Me and you both."

A/N: Short chapter and a terrible one as well. I'm sorry for not updating this story as much as I should. I've been working on another Riverdale story that is taking a whole lot more work then I was expecting. I'm going to try and do what I've been doing with Promise and try and get a chapter out once a week.