The Exception to the Rule

Part 4

Betty followed Veronica to the centre of the dance floor, quickly finding Josie and Val.

"Oh my god, Betty!? Are you here with Jughead? Someone told me you guys came here together?! You MUST tell us everything!" Val shouted at Betty over the heavy bass dance track

"Yea, we did. What do you want to know?" Betty smiled thinking back to her handsome recluse

"Everything!" All three girls screamed in unison. Betty giggled and shrugged her smile still plastered to her face

"I don't know what to tell you, other than you girls don't know what's your missing. He's amazing"

"Oh my god Betty!" Val yelled shaking Betty by the shoulders.

"Swoon, right?" Veronica said, knowing how happy Betty had been as of late, even with everything that was going on in town. She could only attribute the change in Betty's mood to Jughead. And anything that made her best friend happy, Ronnie could get behind.

"How did this happen? And might I add, who knew all that handsome was hinding under all those layers and that stupid hat!" Josie replied sipping her bright pink drink

"I like his hat, and I mean, I like everything about him" Betty continued "as for how it happened, we'd been spending a lot of time together, and he's been really supportive with me and everything going on. One day he climbed though my bedroom window, talked me out of a panicked anxiety attack and then kissed me" Betty finished, the other girls waiting for the stories' end on bated breath, Val clasped her hands to her chest

"Betty, that is just the sweetest. Who knew Jughead Jones was such a romantic?!"

"I know, it's.....he's pretty incredible"

"Well you deserve it B! Now, let's dance" Veronica said as she thew her hands up with a twirl

~~~

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jughead was getting the third degree from Kevin, Archie and now Reggie (who quite frankly, he hated)

"So, you and goody two shoes Cooper?" Reggie drunkenly snarled "I didn't think you had the balls, Donnie Darko"

"Don't call her that, Mantel. You're just salty because I got her, and you never even stood a chance" Jughead snapped back with ease. He could see Kevin smirking out of the corner of his eye pouring another drink for both himself and Archie, he gave them a quick nod.

"What about bro code, dick? Betty is Archie's girl, everyone in Riverdale knows that. Oh, but that's right, you wouldn't know anything about bro code since you've never had a girl before, isn't that right, kitten?"

 Reggie's self initialed pompous nature had always rubbed Jughead the wrong way, but it had gotten worse as they got older. It was harder and harder for Jughead to ignore him and they'd gotten into it on many occasions, mostly surrounding Jughead's lack of interest in sports, girls and anything else Reggie deemed "manly". Jughead was never one to back down and he always stood up for himself, fuelling their life long feud.

Archie could see the temper boiling up in his childhood friend's eyes and stepped in between the two bickering young men, while Kevin eagerly waited on the impending drama.  

"Let's not do this again guys, I'm fine with Betty and Jug. I had my chance with Betty, and as long as my best friends are happy, I'm happy" he finishes turning to Jughead

"That means a lot, Arch. Come on, let's go find those girls" Jughead said while flipping Reggie off in his stupid too small Batman costume, before disappearing into the crowded dance floor.