The Exception to the Rule

Part 11

"Sure Betty, they're in the hall closet I think"

"Thanks Poll, I'll talk to you later" Betty said with a knowing wink on her way to the closet.

Grabbing the boots and her coat, Betty slipped them on as she headed for the front door, gathering the rest of her belongings before turning back to her family with a wave. Betty was fumbling with her effects as she stepped out onto the porch. Nearly dropping everything as Jughead walked up the front steps.

"Hey there, beautiful. Need a hand?" His voice caused her to drop her back pack and nearly lose the toast she had clenched precariously in her front teeth. Jughead picked her bag off the deck "a little jumpy this morning?" He asked sweetly as she turned to look at him. Betty smiled, his presence instantly calming her jittery nerves. She grabbed the toast out of her mouth with a bite

"I'm just trying to put as much distance as I can between my mom and I. She's like a blood hound." Betty said chewing down her breakfast, quickly handing the other piece to Jughead. He ate the toast in record time, as he watched Betty gather herself. Jughead extended his hand to her as he slung Betty's back pack over his shoulder.

"You don't have to carry that, Jug" She said grabbing his hand eagerly

"I know" He stated simply.

They walked hand in hand, talking lightly on route to Riverdale High. Their conversations had alway come naturally, and needless to say the events of their night together didn't change this fact. Thinking this, Jughead felt his stomach twist up, happy to be in love with his best friend.

They stopped at Betty's locker first and wondered arm in arm down the next hall to his. As Jughead took his jacket off and hung it into his locker, Betty noticed a red hicky below his ear, she grazed her finger tips over it lightly, feeling a slight tinge of pride

"Sorry about this Jug, I should have been more carful. I got carried away"

"Don't ever apologize for getting carried away like that. I like it, it's a physical reminder of our night together"

"You're not embarrassed that people will see it?" Jughead shut his locker door and looked at Betty, eye brow raised puzzled

"Why? People will think what they want to think. And who cares? All I know is I'm yours and I don't care who else knows it" Jughead said with conviction stepping in and kissing her firmly on the lips.

The move took Betty by surprise, after all they were in front of his locker and the whole school had flooded into the hall before first bell. She felt bashful and she tried to pull back, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. But Jughead wasn't having any of it. With his lips still on hers he stepped forward causing Betty to stumble back into his locker with a metallic thud. He leaned onto his arm that he'd rested near her shoulder as he pulled his lips away, keeping he gaze close

"What's wrong?" He asked noticing her uneasiness.

Taking in his features Betty shook her head, while giving herself a mini pep talk: 'Listen Bitch, don't let your stupid insecurities get in the way, like he said "who cares"

"Nothing's wrong" She said confidently, giving into the charge between them and wrapping her arms around his back, pressing her lips passionately to his. His tongue slid across her lip as his other hand slipped into her back denim pocket, squeezing lightly. Betty moaned quietly at the feeling of his grip, tangling her tongue with his.

For a moment it was just the two of them, their warm familiar bodies pressed together, the buzz of their peers fading into the background like tv static white noise. Jughead wanted to stay like this all day but their approaching friends snapped them both back into the real world.