Work Text:
Little Archie watches from his new post on Elm Street, focusing on any incoming traffic. It’s the first day of summer break and he’s taking his work seriously.
He rubs his full belly, recently finishing the fluffernutter sandwich his mom packed him before patrol.
“Let me out of here, my mom’s gonna kill me!” Reggie yells.
“Any of that sandwich left, Little Archie?” Jughead groans from his place next to Reggie.
While on the job and keeping his eyes peeled for lawbreakers, Little Archie has already arrested Reggie for running over a trail of ants and bugs (claiming a hit-and-run), and Jughead for flying without a license on his bike (he made up this law because it was so reckless, anyone wearing the badge would have done the same).
He makes sure the chicken-wired cell Sheriff Keller and his dad made was secure and rides his red wagon to switch out the traffic sign. Jughead has fifteen minutes left in the slammer while he plans to keep Reggie there all day.
There’s a recognizable pairing of yellow and black as Betty and Veronica stand farther up the street. He scratches his head as the girls follow Mr. Cooper rolling out a new toy from the driveway.
Veronica gets in the driver’s seat while Betty sits down next to her. He anticipates their speed down the humongous hill and proceeds to change the green card to red, hoping they know to slow down.
Mr. Cooper gives the girls a push in the wooden green car and they sail under the trees blanketing Elm Street. He holds out a hand, signaling to the sign but Veronica just winks at him as they fly past.
Reggie and Jughead are cheering them on from jail and Archie can’t believe this is how his first day is going, he can’t understand why he’s friends with all these trouble makers.
He can hear Veronica’s giggles echoing down the street while Betty waves to the boys.
Archie scrambles to blow his new whistle, hopping in the wagon and chasing after them.
They reach the bottom of the hill and the girls pull over on the sidewalk. Archie walks around the car and Betty looks worried. “What’s wrong, officer?”
Veronica fluffs her curls and bats her lashes at him. “Come here and tell me all about it, brown eyes.”
His ears grow hot, something that always happens when Veronica acts like this and smiles like that. “Cut it, Ronnie. I’m in uniform.”
Comic from The Adventures of Little Archie #22, 1962. ♥️