#arcey

It’s a warning, Arch. She swallows down the nickname. (The first time she called him Arch they were painting signs for a soccer fundraiser. She joked that everyone should call him the Arch, even though it made him sound like a cheesy, super-villain. He said he’d make it a silent calling card and drew these little blue arches in the corner of all thirty of the signs. No one else got it, but they laughed through the bake sale.) Lacey tugs at the hem of her jacket.

“Weren’t you just saying we don’t talk anymore?” she says. Her voice sounds too reverent, too lost-in-thought, and she tries to ground it. “I’ve been distant. I’m not who you thought I was.”

“I know who you are. I’m just wondering if you know.” His voice lowers slightly. “If other people are making you forget.”

She can’t fight the urge to groan. He stiffens when she does it. She shakes her head. “Don’t make this about them. Why does everyone think this is about Danny and Jo?”

Archie scoffs. “Because it is. They come back into your life, and suddenly you’re different.”

“Regina—“

“Regina dying sucks. It does, but that doesn’t explain you pushing us all away. We love you, Lace.”

They loved her first. She glances back towards the diner. Every once in a while, the door opens, and little pieces of all of the conversations slip outside. Scott’s telling a story, and Phoebe’s laughing, and what if Lacey loses them all for this? Scott’s kind of a douche, but he’s funny, and he has this habit of telling her exactly what’s bothering Archie so that Lacey can make it better. Phoebe’s too nice sometimes, which normally makes Lacey feel guilty for letting Regina kick Phoebe from their group. Sarita never minded, but Sarita mostly cares about Lacey. That whole group cares about Lacey, honestly and seriously, and they would never kill their aunts or make her feel selfish for wanting to talk about herself every once in a while.

Archie clears his throat to get Lacey’s attention again. He tells her, “Look, if you want to go back to your old friends or whatever, own up to it.”

She locks her jaw, takes a deep breath, and wills herself not to blurt out everything. She can’t do that. He would never look at her again if he knew about her kissing Danny, and Danny would have the entire soccer team after him for wanting her. Some cowardly part of Lacey wants to ask for a break, but she would still feel like she was cheating if she said that. She takes another deep breath.

“Can we break up?”

Archie laughs. First, it’s low and sounds almost involuntary. Then, the laugh gets hollow while his eyes narrow at her. “Wow.” He pulls his hands from his pocket to scratch at the side of his face. “So it’s just me you’re leaving? I mean, Sarita’s awful to everyone, but you’re keeping her around and ditching me.”

“Arch—“

He scoffs. His hand shakes when he lowers it, and Lacey can’t tell if it’s from anger or something else. He won’t look at her for a second. “‘Then don’t walk away from me.’” Archie says, voice tighter, more forced and wavering, and anger’s not the main emotion he’s feeling. He steps towards her. “You said that to me yesterday. What the hell happened since then, Lacey?” I kissed him again. “Can you explain that to me?”

“No.” He starts to turn away from her. Naturally, she grabs his arm to stop him from getting away. “I can’t do this anymore. Not right now.”

“What is it? Was I not supportive enough? Do you need someone to talk to? Do you need not to talk? I can be nicer to Danny if that’s the problem.”

She can imagine that — Archie apologizing and cozying up to the guy who made out with his girlfriend. “Please don’t.” She lets go of him, stepping back as she does it.

“Where are you going? All of your real friends are here.”

“I’m going home.” It’s not exactly a lie. She is going home. She’s just making a stop first. Archie doesn’t seem convinced. He looks like he doesn’t believe any of this actually happened. It’ll probably take a while for either of them to feel the difference. Until then, all Lacey has left to say is “I’m sorry.” She turns away, but she still hears Archie when he says,