Lost (in Your Emerald Eyes)

S E V E N

He shrugged. "I like the smell of it."

Tilting her head a bit, the blonde observed the boy sitting in front of him, not making it a secret she was watching and—possibly—judging. Everyone on the Northside always talked of the Serpents and Ghoulies as these horrible people who'd spit in their faces if they had the chance, but it didn't look like it. Betty had always tried to fight her parents and hold them back from publishing these horrible articles about them, but nobody ever listened to her.

And she had definitely never thought someone like Jughead Jones would like the smell of fresh rain as she did.

"So," the boy brought her out of the thoughts, drumming his fingers against the wooden counter. "You like photography?"

Biting her lower lip gently, Betty nodded. "Yeah."

"And you just do the pictures while running?"

Chuckling a bit, the girl shook her head. "It's just that I don't have much time for myself right now, and well, in the morning I can spare some of it if I'm outside anyway."

"You go on a morning run every day?" Something in his face told her he didn't support that idea.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Why?" The question was so genuine and the guy looked like he was questioning her life choices, making Betty laugh quietly as she shrugged.

"Not everyone can eat as much as you do and remain the same weight," she said. Jughead frowned a bit gazing at her small waist and thin arms.

"So," Betty smiled, "your order?"

"Usual," he said and managed a smile.

Scribbling down his family name, Betty nodded. "Coffee?"

"Nah, just keep the milkshakes coming, it's getting warmer outside."

The blonde smiled in a way that made his stomach flip and excused herself to go and check on other customers and get orders from the new ones.

"Sorry it took so long," Betty frowned when she finally passed the milkshake to Jughead.

He shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it." Then, looking around for the effect of it, murmured, "Where is Jessy?"

"In a hospital," the girl replied with a sad voice while making not one, but three cups of different coffee at once. "I'm not sure what happened, but she won't be around for a while."

Looking at the boy's surprised face, she focused her eyes back on her duties, internally growing at the five different milkshakes she was yet to make. "And what about someone else?"

"I'm not sure," Betty murmured. "Pop said he'll call your friend later, maybe he can come in."

"I'm sure he could come right now so that you could stop running around, tiring yourself out."

There was this look of worry to him that made Betty smile softly. "Thank you, Jughead, but I'm okay."

As she carried the cups to different tables, a perky smile planted on her face again, Jughead muttered, "Aren't you always?" and sipped his milkshake.

A few hours later, when it had gotten quiet in the diner, Betty was finally able to have a conversation with the guy who didn't seem to want to leave. She was flattered, of course, that he'd give her some company and exchange a few words, but the boy had perked some interest in her. And Betty Cooper needed to find out what kind of person he exactly was.