Jughead Jones and
the Curse of the Bauble
This story was inspired by Veronica 173, a modified cover created by EvaGrubbFan.
The characters are properties of Archie comics. I am just playing with them in this fan fiction. No infringement intended.
As always, a big tip of the hat to Editor Steve Zink. Nobody does it better!
Jughead Jones had finished his volunteer work at the children's hospital. He usually dressed up in a silly costume and went around telling kids stories or playing silly magic tricks that usually didn't work and made kids laugh. Whenever volunteers were needed for anything worthwhile, such as taking food to shut ins or giving blood and organizing blood drives at his school, Jughead was there. Then there was the time he got his picture in the paper and a medal from the mayor for the daring rescues he had made that horrible time a retirement home was burning. By chance, he was there front and center. That time, even though badly burned, he still managed to help save six people. If a poll were to be taken of the citizens of Riverdale who the person mostly likely to go to heaven or become a saint would be, Jughead's name would be first on almost everyone's list.
Not Reggie Mantle's or Veronica Lodge's list, of course!
Jughead came across the Bauble. How it came to the innocent city of Riverdale is a mystery. But there it was, gleaming with the innocent and seductive beauty of Lucifer, son of the morning, in the sunset. It was the distillation of evil; some called it the tear of Lucifer. No one could guess at the entirety of the misery and death it caused.
Jughead saw the bauble... or did the bauble sense him? He reached and picked it up. It was beautiful. Beautiful! He had never seen anything so beautiful.
It cheered him as Jughead Jones was tired and moody walking home. He hated the walk home. Every step he took reminded him of the grinding poverty in his family. It wasn't that he lived on the wrong side of the tracks. He lived on the wrong, wrong side of the wrong side of the tracks! Riverdale was a prosperous, middle size city with only a few blighted parts, and he was 'lucky' enough to live in one. He was hungry, but then he was always hungry. It was a background feeling he was all too used to.
He put the tear shaped crystal pendant in his pocket. As always, Jughead was worried about anyone finding out his shameful secret and smiled bitterly wondering how long could he keep his secret. So far no one suspected but the slightest slip would give him away!
"Hey, Jones! Forsythe Pendleton Jones!" said a rough and amused voice.
God, how he hated the name! Why did his parents have to give him such a ridiculous name? He looked up. It was three punks, Jack, Herb and Harry. They liked beating him... hell, they liked beating anyone up.
"What's that you got there, Jones?"
He tried to hurry away. "Nothing!" He was damned if he would give them the beautiful crystal!
The burly Jack and the only slightly smaller Herb grabbed him, and Harry hit him. He hated them. God, how he hated them!
"Drop dead, all of you!" he gasped. The bauble grew warm in his pocket. The punks made croaking sounds as they gasped vainly for air. They fell to the ground in their death throws. Jughead could hardly believe it. He had wished it and they were dead! He looked at the bauble. "You must be magic!" he said. "This is my lucky day! Hell, everyone's lucky day. God must have sent you! The world will be a better, safer place."
He went through their pockets. Only six bucks, hardly recompense for years of torment and robbery.
The bauble was satisfied with Jughead. He would work out. It was so satisfying to corrupt such a good person. As for the deaths of the punks it fed on them, but their lives were hardly the kind a connoisseur like the bauble liked best - those who were kind or virtuous or important - but then, no death was utterly perfect.
Jughead thought for a moment of showing Archie the crystal and headed back into the good part of town. At Pop Tate's the gang would be gathering. The gang had money but he didn't, so he did not stop earlier as his pockets were empty! As he approached he decided to see what else the gleaming crystal could do and he wished for free hamburgers. It was a simple wish and he was hungry as usual and knew his Mom would not have anything good on the table at home.
His eyes were dazzled as he walked in. His picture was taken. He heard Pop Tate groan.
"Why did it have to be Jughead?"
"Congratulations, Jughead!" said Archie. "You're Pop Tate's ten thousandth customer. You win all you can eat today!"
"Why did it have to be Jughead!" groaned Pop Tate as he began frying up hamburgers.
'Wow, the crystal is great.' He fondled it in his pocket. Soon he was shoving the first of fifteen burgers into his mouth.
"You would expect a person who eats as much as him to be fat," said the beautiful, rich Veronica Lodge with her usual disdain. "He is the stomach that walks like a man. Archie, how can you associate with such a low life like him with his shabby clothes and that dreadful beanie crown he wears every day!" She shuddered as she turned to her boyfriend.
Archie's face turned almost as red as his hair. Watching, Betty thought he was so cute! It was a shame he preferred Ronnie over her!
"Gee, Ronnie, why do you have to pick on poor Jug all the time?" Archie asked plaintively.
"Archie, don't get me started! Seeing him with grease all over his face is the end!" She got up, her hands on shapely hips, her violet eyes demanding. Veronica was so sexy and beautiful she took the breath away!
"My patience is exhausted, Archiekins. You have to make a decision, either him or ME? What's it going to be?" And like a heroine in Shakespeare, she stalked out grandly.
"Ronnie, wait!" Archie hurried after her.
"Sorry, Jughead," said Betty sympathetically. "Ronnie will get over it."
"I doubt it, Betty. And in a way, she's right. I can't compete with Veronica Lodge! I'm poor, white trash and she's the sexy, rich daughter of the Lodges who own the town. Hell, look at you, Betty. You're a beautiful girl, much nicer than her, and can even you compete?"
Betty shook her lovely blonde hair.
Big Ethel came in and saw Jughead. Her eyes lit up and the ugly girl dived for him. He dodged with practiced ease and ran for it, the last bit of his fifteenth burger clutched in his fingers.
Jughead went home bitterly. There his young sister annoyed him, which was unusual. "Jellybean, go and torment someone else!"
Hurt, she left, leaving Jughead to brood. There was no question in his mind that Archie would do as the Veronica bitch wanted. He always did. His best friend would be gone. It broke his heart. "Not much good even you'd do me with that bitch!" he said bitterly to the beautiful bauble.
That night he had strange dreams, but when he awoke he couldn't quite remember them. But somehow he was more hopeful.
He went to school wearing the usual Goodwill clothes. He noticed Archie under Ronnie's watchful eye not even returning his greeting, and he seethed. Smirking, Reggie Mantle came up to torment Jughead, and after having had enough, he said to Reggie, "Why don't you just go and hang yourself, Mantle?"
Reggie got a strange look in his eye and walked away.
An hour later a screaming gym teacher ran through the halls. Curious, Jughead retraced her path. Reggie Mantle was hanging in the Gym, the climbing rope around his throat. A chair was nearby which he had used to stand on! The bauble glowed. Another day, another death. They all added up!
Jughead felt bad. He hadn't really wanted Reggie, jerk though he was, to hang himself - did he? Did he? But then, it wasn't really his fault. Besides, the world was certainly a better place now that Reggie Mantle wasn't in it! So in away he had done good, he told himself. He touched the bauble, which somehow he felt he needed to put around his throat that morning. He began to explore the possibilities. He remembered a line in the Prince and the Pauper. "Doff thy rags and don these splendors."
He laughed. It was impossible, wasn't it? Wasn't it?
The school officially mourned but only a few really felt sorry, as Reggie was the most disliked guy in school. Some of his ex-girlfriends he had done wrong, and of course Big Moose who hated Reggie's attempts to seduce Moose's girlfriend Midge, were frankly celebrating.
Later, Betty told him bitterly that Ronnie was going to the country club with Archie like nothing had happened. Moments later, Ronnie went racing furiously though the hallway. Someone had broken into her locker and stole her spare set of clothes. She insisted on all the girls' lockers being opened - even the gangling, flat chested Big Ethel's. They found nothing.
This put her in a pissy mood, and everyone avoided her. After school she drove to the expensive dress shop to pick up her formal for dinner at the club.
Inside a vacant house, Jughead took the bauble in his hand.
"I wish I was Veronica Lodge!" he said, feeling ridiculous. Suddenly he doubled over with pain. The agony was incredible. Then it passed. He felt weird. He looked at a dusty mirror on a door. Veronica Lodge, looking ridiculous wearing Jughead Jones's clothes, stared back at him. He moved a hand to his head and felt lush, long hair, and in the mirror, Ronnie did the same. The bauble felt warm around his throat. He felt soft breasts upon his chest and the rough fabric of his T-shirt rubbed against sensitive nipples.
He hurriedly stripped out of his clothes and dressed in the clothes he stole from Veronica's locker. It was strange to put on silk panties and to draw pantyhose over smooth, sexy legs. The bra wasn't as much trouble as he thought. Soon he looked again in the mirror, and a delighted 'Ronnie' stared back out. "Good-bye Jughead Jones, hello Miss Veronica Lodge!" he said in Ronnie's sexy voice with her up class accent.
He put his old pathetic clothes in a shopping bag and hurried out.
At first the pumps felt odd to walk in, but he soon grew accustomed. He approached the door of the Lodge Mansion and rang the bell. He thought they would be suspicious he had no key, but he need not have worried. The butler was very used to her ringing the bell.
"Just came in to drop these things off," he said nervously. "Then I'll be leaving again."
"Yes, Miss Veronica," Smithers said.
Mr. Lodge came in and his new heart thundered in his breast. "Good to see you, Veronica dear," he said.
Jughead was pleased. He went over gracefully and kissed the man on the cheek. "It's wonderful to see you, daddykins," he said, gushing. Great! His 'dad' was unsuspicious!
He hurried upstairs to Veronica's room and dropped his old clothes in the corner. He crept back downstairs and waited until no one was looking, then opened the door saying, "I'll be back in a bit," and then slammed it shut and rushed upstairs to wait. He looked at the cosmetics and somehow knew how to use them. Jughead explored all the clothes in the huge closet and knew how to wear them and with what. He began to remember some personal memories that belonged to Veronica Lodge. He giggled. "Poor Archiekins will never know!"
The real Ronnie got home and went upstairs to her room. She was a little puzzled when the butler made some casual comment about her changing her clothes. Her new formal was under her arm.
She stepped inside her room and gasped. There, standing there with a knife in her hands was herself! VERONICA LODGE.
"Who are you?" she said, feeling faint.
Her identical image smiled cruelly and said, "Why, I am Veronica Lodge, of course."
She fainted.
Jughead laughed Veronica's triumphant laugh. He took a deep breath. Would it work? It couldn't hurt, he decided.
"I wish Veronica Lodge was Jughead Jones."
Fascinated, he watched the beautiful young woman start morphing and heard her moan with agony. The sweet young flesh twisted and reshaped itself. Soon the new Ronnie was looking at 'Jughead'.
'She' shuddered. "My God, was I ever ugly!"
She stripped the new Jughead of 'his' lovely clothes. Slowly the new man opened his eyes.
The same nightmare was continuing. There was herself.
"I have a good mind to call the police, 'Jughead'! How dare you expose yourself naked to me - MISS VERONICA LODGE!"
"What are-" Her voice was not her own, no longer silky smooth, it was a rough, lower class man's voice. She looked down at herself in horror, she was a skinny man. Horrified, he stared into the mirror. The nasty Jughead Jones stared back.
"Now I'm you and you're me! Now Archie and your beauty and wonderful life are mine. But I know you'll be very happy being me!" She laughed, and her laughter was quite evil.
"You'll never get away with it - you don't have a clue how to be me!"
"Of course I do," the new Ronnie said smoothly. She then talked about her clothes and family with great ease and familiarity.
At the same time the ex-Ronnie felt some of these memories fading and hard to grasp, and began remembering the horrible life 'he' led in a terrible home that leaked when it rained and the winter cold could not be kept out and the summer heat was horrible without air conditioning! He started crying.
"Look at me!" commanded the new Miss Lodge to the manor born. She dangled a shining crystal in her exquisitely manicured hand.
The new Jughead could not look away somehow. The bauble seemed to seethe within his soul.
"You will not be able to tell anyone of our little trade! You will not cause me any difficulties and oh yes, you will become Big Ethel's boyfriend and after high school you will marry her!"
A very cruel, almost diabolical laugh came from beautiful lips.
"Dress in your clothes!"
Distastefully, the new Jughead Jones put on the horrible clothes, including the crown like beanie!
"Now, get out before I have Smithers throw you out. I have to get ready for my date with MY boyfriend Archie. At last he is now MY boyfriend! He will be so happy that 'Veronica' will treat him better and even put out. I can't wait to have him inside me!"
Sobbing, the new Jughead Jones left the mansion. He couldn't help himself. He had to wait and see what happened even though 'he' knew it would be torture.
Upstairs, the new Veronica Lodge held up her new formal admiringly. "I will be so sexy in it. Archie won't be able to resist me! It is so wonderful to be so beautiful and sexy." She kissed the bauble. "And I have you to thank for it." She dressed and made up her beautiful face with care and smiled at the result. "I am so beautiful! It is so wonderful to be me - Veronica Lodge! I hope the new Jughead is as happy!" And again she laughed cruelly. "Archie will be mine! And if anyone like Betty gets between us - friend or not - will they ever be sorry!"
Proudly, she went downstairs when she heard the bell. Archie's eyes lit up when he saw her.
"Gosh, Ronnie, you're so beautiful!"
"Thanks, Archiekins!" she murmured in her sexy voice, and kissed him. She noticed he had a hard on already. It was going to be a great evening, 'Ronnie' thought!
Outside, after an hour's wait, 'Jughead' saw Archie pull up and go inside. Then it was hell to see her lost body come out holding Archie's arm and then kiss him lovingly. They got in Miss Lodge's Corvette and drove away. The new Jughead had never seen any woman look as happy as the new Ronnie. Sobbing, 'he' went home to the horrible house on the wrong side of the wrong side of town. He had to call his girlfriend Ethel whom he hated and ask her for a date! He shuddered. And was he ever hungry! With his usual table manners he ate the ham and beans his 'Mom' prepared for him - three huge bowls - and disgusted himself and his family by his disgusting farts.
"Same old Jughead," said his sister, and 'Jughead's' face grew red with embarrassment! But damn it, he was still hungry!
The bauble eagerly and happily drank in the former Veronica's misery. Every moment of his new life as Jughead Jones was like nectar to it, such despair, envy and hatred was like ambrosia!
The bauble was warm between the new Veronica's beautiful breasts. But it wasn't as warm as Veronica when later she and Archie made love! Archie was amazed; Veronica had finally given him sex. He wondered what had caused this change, but he wasn't complaining.
EpilogUE
The death rate in Riverdale shot up, but everyone said the town's good fortune had been too good to last. Mr. Weatherbee had a heart attack soon after daring to give Veronica detention and Mr. Lodge himself had a stroke soon after forbidding his beautiful daughter to marry Archie. Also, sometimes drivers who dared to cut Veronica off had fatal accidents. Everyone was disappointed when Jughead Jones stopped coming to the children's hospital and stopped his efforts to help others. Something had changed him. It was like he was another person, everyone said. There was no longer a talk of a scholarship for him or trying to recruit him to the priesthood.
The bauble was well satisfied.
With all the misfortunate around her, the beautiful Betty Cooper considered herself fortunate to only develop a horrible case of acne during her senior year. Oddly, it only cleared up after Archie proposed to Veronica.
To everyone's surprise, Jughead started dating Big Ethel. But he didn't seem happy about it. Later on they got married and he had a miserable life being a school janitor and a father with seven kids, but what can one expect from such a low life, everyone said. He understandably hated Veronica, as she had forbidden Archie to have anything to do with him. Never had anyone looked with more rancor on anyone than he had on the beautiful, privileged Miss Lodge!
Veronica made a beautiful bride and was so happy! At long last Archie loved her and she had him for her husband!
Miss Lodge took over the running of her poor father's firm and it seemed to have the devil's own luck! Nobody was surprised at how ruthlessly Veronica Lodge ran it.
The End