Recovery

Chapter 10

"You deserve a night out, V," Betty encourages her, praising her little black dress and her makeup.

"I don't know, Betty," Veronica sighs. "I don't think I'm ready to leave her."

"V, she's 6 months old and you haven't been out since she was born," Betty counters. "And she's a good baby."

"She is," Veronica frowns. "It's just that I've put her to bed every single night since she was born."

"She won't even remember," Betty promises, and after all, Veronica promised she would go. "C'mon, we told Kevin we would support his new boyfriends band, and it'll be fun!"

And it is fun, at first, getting introduced to Fangs and hanging out with Kevin and Betty and singing along to the songs the bands are playing. Just as she's starting to loosen up, dancing with Betty close to the stage, she spots a flash of red hair that makes her stomach turn. He's standing at the bar, chatting and smiling next to some tall leggy blonde, and as soon as Betty realizes what she's seeing.

"V," her best friend trails, trying to distract her from what she's seeing, but Veronica is insistent on going over there.

"What if he's drinking again Betty?" Veronica asks, her breathing becoming erratic. Betty calms her down with a soothing back rub, but Veronica eventually gathers the courage to go over there. Archie sees her and takes a long breath, and the blonde seems to get the message, sauntering away.

"What are you doing here?" Veronica questions, her arms crossed. "Please don't tell me you're drinking."

"Ginger ale, I swear that's it," Archie holds up his glass in surrender. "Taste it if you don't believe me."

"It still doesn't explain what you're doing at this bar..." Veronica is fuming, clenching her teeth.

"Reggie invited me-"

"And I thought he knew better than to invite you out for drinks," Veronica says spitefully.

"He does, I'm not drinking, Veronica," Archie confirms. "I wouldn't do that, I swear."

"Fine," she gives up, starting to walk away. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

After her encounter with Archie, Veronica pulls Betty into the bathroom and lets out all the tears she's been holding in, sobbing into her best friend's shoulder.

"Why doesn't he want me, B?" she cries, shaking her head. Betty has no idea how to handle Veronica in a state like this,

"Oh, you know it's not like that," Betty consoles her. "Why don't you talk to him?"

"I think he made it pretty clear he doesn't wanna see me," Veronica chokes back some more tears. "Can we just go home?"

"Not until you talk to Archie, c'mon," Betty all but shoved her out of the bathroom, into his reach. He spots her teary eyes before she opens her mouth.

"Woah, what's going on?" he questions, taking in her appearance.

"I'm having a hard time," Veronica's bottom lip quivers.

"I see that," Archie chuckles, but apparently Veronica doesn't find it funny at all. "What's wrong?"

"I miss Claire," she admits. "It's been hard to be without her."

"I miss her too," Archie agrees.

"Really?" Veronica scowls. "Because it seemed like you were fine earlier when you were drowning your sorrows in the blonde with fake boobs."

"Veronica," he bites his tongue. "I was just making conversation."

"So when I'm hanging out with another guy, I'm in the wrong, but you're just making small talk?" Veronica counters.