Alone Together | Bughead Oneshots

Scandal

"But I did. I am," Betty muttered under her breath.

---

None of Betty's friends had given up trying to prove her innocence. Veronica and Kevin had been going around seeing if anyone knew who sent out the picture while Archie was trying to look for mistakes in the photoshopping and Jughead tried tracing the IP address.

"Anything so far?" Betty asked with her friends in a booth at Pop's, which was a step up from staying locked in her room all day with the windows shut, too terrified for anyone to see her. "We've kinda been making headway with the sender," Veronica replied. "Really, do you have any suspects?" Betty asked hopefully. "Um, not...not exactly," Kevin chimed in.

"What about you guys?" she asked, turning to Archie and Jughead. "Well, I found that the IP was blocked, which means whoever sent it or made it didn't want it to trace back. If it really was you, the IP could've been accessed fairly easily and it would trace to you," Jughead explained. "Well that's good news," she replied, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I've been looking for any blemishes around the edits, but I can't find any," Archie said as Betty stretched her arms up, causing her sweater to hike up, which hit Veronica with realization. "Wait, B, lift your sweater up again." "Um, what?" Jughead asked with a raised eyebrow. "Kevin, pull the picture up on your phone. B, I'm serious, lift your shirt," Veronica instructed. "Okay, okay, calm down," Betty replied, as she lifted her sweater above her belly button. 

"Ha! I knew it," V said. "Betty has a freckle right there by her belly button." "We know, I've had it since I was eight," Betty replied with a scoff. "Where's the relevance?" "I'll show you," Veronica said as she zoomed in on the stomach in the picture. "Look. No freckle," she noted, showing the picture around.

"That's it," Jughead said. "That's how we prove this isn't you." "Yeah, but what about the mirror and my room?" Betty mention. "Wait, what other blonde girl do we know who has access to Betty's room?" Archie said as the whole booth's eyes widened and they all said, "Polly!"

---

"What the hell did you do?" Betty yelled as she and the others came into her house. "Betty, what are you on about?" Polly replied nonchalantly as she took a sip from her tea. "Cut the bullshit, Polly. I know it was you in that picture!"

"Why?" Betty started to cry. "Why would you do that to me?" "It was Evelyn!" Polly replied. "She told me that if I didn't help her and the other girl then she wouldn't let me see Jason anymore." Through gritted teeth, Betty stepped closer and angrily asked, "What 'other girl'?"

"I don't know her name, but she goes to school with you guys. She's a friend of Evelyn's," she answered. "Well, looks like we have to go have a nice little chat with Evelyn," Veronica sighed as the five of them walked out.

---

Walking through the hallways of Riverdale High, Betty had her fists clenched and anger in her eyes. "Are you sure this is a good idea, B? I mean, you're not supposed to even be here," Veronica said nervously. "It's fine," Betty replied as she saw Evelyn down the hallway.

She grabbed her arms and slammed her into the lockers behind Evelyn. "Betty! I thought you were suspended--" "And I thought you were a decent human being, but clearly I was wrong," Betty interrupted her. "Blackmailing my sister into faking nudes? Even having the idea to fake nudes? And of me? Seriously, how sick are you?"

"Oh, it wasn't my idea," Evelyn replied. "The three of us all had our job. Polly modeled, I edited, but I didn't send it or come up with it." "Well, then who did?" Archie asked, stepping up. "I'm not sure if I should say. I don't want her to be mad at me--" Who fucking cares if she gets mad at you? Spill it, Evelyn!" Betty demanded, pushing her harder into the lockers. 

"It was me," said a voice from behind them. "Ethel?" Kevin asked as they all turned around. Betty took her hands off of Evelyn, pushing her away. "You gonna throw me into a locker, too, Betty?" she taunted.

"I'm gonna do worse," Betty replied, stepping forward, but being brought to a halt by Jughead. "Why would you even do something like this? What has Betty ever done to you despite being kind and friendly?" Veronica asked with her hands crossed over her chest.

"She stole Jughead from me!" Ethel replied as the group grew looks of confused cringe and ushered out one big, "What?!" "I've loved Jughead ever since I first met him and then this stupid blonde comes in and takes him because she's the skinny, popular one!" Ethel yelled with tears in her eyes.

"Look, Ethel, I'm sorry that I never noticed your feelings for me, but I love Betty and she doesn't deserve any of what you did to her," Jughead said, his arms protectively wrapped around Betty to prevent her from assaulting someone.

"Take it down and confess to everyone what you, Evelyn, and Polly did. You dragged Betty's name through the mud and now you're going to clear it," Jughead said.

---

In time everything had worked out. The three girls had been charged with slander and defamation of character and since Polly was 18, the case of child pornography had been dropped. 

It took a while for people to stop looking at Betty sideways, but the catcalls and rumors stopped almost instantly, and the bored students of Riverdale High went back to their lives before the scandal. The beloved blonde was once again known as Betty the Perfect Girl Next Door, which she may have hated before, but she'd rather be that than Betty the Slut.