"Thank you for that moment of silence. Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and every one of you meant the world to Jason."
As much as Cheryl annoyed Ben to no end, no one should have to go through what her family was going through.
It seemed the whole school shared the same sentiment as they gathered for an assembly dedicated to the memory of said missing Blossom twin. His sister stood front of them all, dressed in what could only be described as 'sexy grieving widow' despite the missing being her brother. Ben sat near the back, a little bit away from his friends. He sat next to his brother, who was as stiff as a board next to him, emotion rattling him every few moments. Ben didn't bother him, only putting his hand on his arm to let him know he was there for him.
Cheryl continued, holding everyone's gaze with a sadness that had most people enamoured with the red head. "I loved my brother. He was and always will be my soulmate. So I speak with the confidence only a twin could have..."
"Hey," Andy whispered to him, "did Cheryl talk to you this morning?" Ben nodded, although a little unsure as to why this topic of conversation was being raised in an assembly to mourn the loss of a student. "And what did you say?"
"I told her no thanks."
"I asked her to do that, you know." Ben couldn't help but smirk, he knew she wouldn't do something like that on her own accord. "I put my own reputation on the line, and you said no?"
"Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives."
To try and not make too much noise, he leaned a little closer. "I have all the friends I need at the moment."
"You have a chance to be popular again."
"I have a chance to be wallpaper again." Andy didn't respond. "Face it, Andy, I was only popular because I was your brother. I'd rather have friends I know will still know my name next year."
Andy sighed. "You're making a big mistake."
"Which is why I've asked the School Board not to cancel the Back-to-School semiformal!"
Ben began to clap with the rest of the crowd, smiling as his gaze dropped down to the group, where Veronica, Kevin and Betty sat side by side. Betty glanced back up at him, smiling excitedly. His grin matched hers. "Nah, I don't think I am." His look lingered a few more seconds on Betty who had turned back around.
When he began to go back to the assembly, his eyes caught someone else. It was Ms. Grundy, seemingly anxious and jittery, her attention clearly not on the ceremony going on in front of her. No, it looked like she was locking eyes with someone she knew she shouldn't. Ben followed her gaze, leading back to his friends group once more. He frowned, going through the line of people in the bleacher. No one was looking at her except for one person, one very familiar person. Archie Andrews and Ms. Grundy were sharing an intense stare-off. As the assembly continued, Ben spent the rest of it watching the two continually glance at each other furtively. Something was going on there, and Ben couldn't help the curiosity peak within him.
"But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. Thank you."
Assembly was called to an end shortly afterwards. Students filed out of the gym in floods, making it hard to keep an eye on the two that had grabbed his attention. He pushed past his brother, missing the daggers he shot him as he raced down the steps. He barely registered the fact that Veronica caught his hand, bringing him back. "Hey, Ben, you coming?"
Ben's eyes flitted to Archie who ducked out of the way to race into the hall. He needed to know what was going on there. So, to get out of her hold, he just nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah, just give me a second." Veronica let go and the young sophomore descended down the stairs, following Archie.
"Ms. Grundy!" He heard him call, "Ms. Grundy." Trying to keep his distance, Ben stayed a ways back, pushing through the hoards of people going to lunch. He stopped abruptly, hiding behind a corner as Archie headed down the stairs. "Geraldine!" he called out urgently, making both Grundy and Ben's eyes widen. How did Archie know Ms. Grundy's first name. Ben barely knew teachers last names.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Andrews?" she spoke, trying to sound evasive and small but even Ben wasn't buying it, and he didn't even know what was going on.
"Can we talk, Ms. Grundy, please?"
"It depends. About what?"
There was a pause, when Ben poked his head around the corner the Andrews boy was facing away from him, but he could see Ms. Grundy's face clear as day. It was like she was trying to escape the situation as quickly as possible, eyes darting around them to make sure no one was taking too much notice. Ben scooted a little closer to them.
"Music." he seemed to answer a little too quickly. The atmosphere between them was almost too awkward, like walking into an ex.
Wait...
"Of course. Make an appointment." Ms. Grundy made another attempt to escape, but she stopped herself. "During my office hours."
Ben's eyes widened suddenly. No way.
"My official office hours."
The Johnson boy leaned against the wall, eyes wide and aghast. As the bell rang for lunch he stood there for a few minutes, lost in the thought that was practically screaming at him at this point. They weren't very subtle about it, well, Ms. Grundy wasn't. He couldn't stop the disgust crawl up the back of his neck as he realised what was going on between the teacher and the student.
Archie was with Ms. Grundy over the summer, or at least hooked up with her, and that was probably the most gross thing he had ever come across.
Grundy walked up the steps and suddenly Ben noticed how suspicious he looked. So, he snapped out of it, walking out into the hallway, about to go down the stairs. He did end up colliding into the music teacher but he just laughed. "Oh, sorry Ms. Grundy."
The smaller woman just smiled curtly. "It's alright, Mr. Johnson." he couldn't help but feel like her eyes lingered on him a little longer under those chunky glasses that didn't fit her face right. In fact, he had to be the one to walk away and over to Archie who was walking him intently.
"Ready for lunch?" he asked the taller redhead. Archie's eyes tore themselves away from the music teacher to give his attention to Ben.
"Hey, man." he replied, a little breathlessly. Archie was grinning a little too wide, like he was trying to cover something up. "Yeah, ready, lets go."
-
Ben let Archie go first, smirking behind his back as the teen practically leaped down the stairs. Archie was digging himself into a hole, hooking up with Grundy was a bad idea, that was pretty self explanatory. Dating a teacher, an adult, when you're a minor is something that doesn't work in anyway possible. He let out a little sigh, pressing his lips in a thin line.
He may think Archie was dumb, but this might be the stupidest thing he's ever done.
They arrived at the cafeteria, getting their food and sitting down at their regular table. Betty and Kevin were waiting for them, smiling and jovial like they always were. Kevin held his hand out, Ben slapping it before they clicked their fingers in unison, a handshake that made Betty giggle. Archie smiled too as he sat beside the blonde girl, thankful that Ben's attention was not on him anymore. He pulled out his laptop, making Betty turn to him. "What's this?" she asked, gesturing at the speakers.
"You remember I told you about my music, right?" Betty nodded, completely enwrapped with Archie once again. Kevin glanced at Ben, who stabbed his fork into his jello. "Well, I wrote a few songs, and recorded them. Do you guys want to hear them?"
Oh, how Ben wanted to reply with something only the lines of, 'I would rather be shot in the neck, from close range.' but felt that might've been a bit strong. So while Betty practically jumped at the chance, both Kevin and Ben just nodded, reserved and really not interested.
Archie grinned, pressing play. Ben stuffed some jello in his mouth dejectedly as Archie's smooth voice began to croon over the speakers from the laptop. He watched Betty as she smiled in adoration for the ginger boy, as if she was a proud mother. He grimaced, that was not the type of analogy he should've used there. He sighed, loud enough that it made Archie look up at him, frowning at little, obviously worried that he didn't like the song. Ben just smiled, mouth full of jello before dropping it the moment Archie went back to look at Betty. Beside him, Kevin bobbed his head a bit, although not as enthusiastic as Betty was. This was torture. If only someone could take him out of this hell.
"Can I join?" Ben's eyes lit up at the sound of a velvet voice. Veronica Lodge, his fairy godmother, had come to safe him.
Betty looked up, and seemed to shrivel in her place. "Yeah." she said quietly, a sure sign that she was uncomfortable with this, but she was Betty Cooper, she had to be nice.
Veronica smiled, sliding onto the bench beside Ben, giving him a wink. This girl was scheming again. Ben had to hide his smirk. "What are we doing?"
"Listening to one of Archie's songs." Betty said, batting her eyelashes.
"I thought we were going to have to pretend to like it, but it's actually really good." Kevin supplied, and Ben knew he meant it.
All eyes landed on him to deliver the last piece of good words for Archie. "Yeah, it's good. Better than I thought."
Veronica went back to Archie. "Wait, that was you singing? Something you wrote?"
Archie nodded, albeit a little bashfully. "It's rough."
Ben caught on to what she was doing the minute she leaned forward and spoke again. "No, it's great. It's incredible, actually, the little snippet I heard. Is that your thing?" Ben's eyes darted to Betty who sighed to herself, picking at her lunch. "Music? Are you doing something with that?"
"Yeah, that's the plan."
Ben decided to pay her back a bit, turning to her. "And what about you, Ms. New York royalty. First day going well?"
"Well, court jester," Kevin hit his shin with his foot lightly, looking at him as if to say 'how are you this friendly with her?', Ben just shook his head in amusement. "Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought people would be more..."
Kevin butted in this time. "Obsessed with you. Any other year, you'd be trending number one, for sure. This year, though, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow."
Ben's eyes caught the sight of the infamous redhead strutting towards them, Andy in tow. Suddenly, he didn't want his strawberry jello anymore. "Speak of the she-devil. The queen and her knight are heading this way."
Archie's eyes widened a little bit at the mention of Andrew. Archie and Andy didn't get along, not in the slightest. Archie was competition for Andy, what with football tryouts coming up. Andy was hellbent on taking him down this year. "Hey, I should go. I got that meeting with Grundy and then football tryouts, so."
"You play football, too? What don't you do?"
The Andrews boy just shrugged, getting ready to leave. As he walked away, he turned back to glance at Ben who just rolled his eyes. For a boy who had secrets, he was horrible at making it look like he had none. Kevin leaned over to whisper to Betty as he left. "Before you ask, Blue Jasmine, no, she has not invited him to the dance yet—"
That brought Ben back into the conversation. His attention now on his two best friends. "Cheryl's asked Archie to the dance?"
Betty shook her head, swatting at them. "Not yet, and don't talk about Archie."
"Veronica Lodge!" in barged Cheryl, smile sickly sweet as she looped her arm around Andy. Since when were they a thing again? Ben put his attention to his lunch, the ground, anything that wasn't the two looming over them. "I'd heard whisperings. I'm Cheryl Blossom, this is Andy Johnson." Veronica turned to Ben who was suddenly noticing the amount of dirt on his converse. "Ben's brother."
"Hey, little bro."
Ben wanted to punch him. He hated the act his brother put on when he was around Cheryl. Big, tough, not a guy who would cry watching Frozen. "May we sit?" Cheryl asked, although all knew it was completely rhetorical. She shoved herself next to Betty, Andy following until Betty was on the edge of the bench. "So, what are you three hens gossiping about? Archie's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?"
Veronica, noting the chill that had entered everyone's attitude when these two walked by, just shrugged. "Extra-curricular's. Weatherbee wants me to sign up for a few."
Cheryl turned to Andy with a bright eyes expression, as if she had had a eureka moment. "Cheerleading. You must, right Andy?"
"Hell yeah, we love to see some new faces cheering on the football team."
"That's if you get in." Ben grumbled, making everyone turn their attention to him. When he looked up, Andy was glaring poisonous daggers at him.
His girlfriend just smiled wider. "I'm senior captain of the River Vixens."
Kevin, who had been staring at the two of them like they were something out of a comic come to life, frowned. "Is cheerleading still a thing?"
The smile that had been growing on Cheryl's cherry painted lips cracked, falling away to a scowl. "Is being the Gay Best Friend still a thing?"
Ben scowled. "Are you done, Cheryl?"
She ignored him, as she waited for Veronica's answer. "Some people say it's retro, I say it's eternal and iconic."
"At Spence, I sat at the top of the Elites' pyramid. I'm in." Ben pressed his lips into a line as Andy smirked at him. What was he up to? "Betty, you're trying out, too."
Ben nearly got whiplash at the speed he went to balk at the raven haired girl. Betty rolled her eyes discreetly, but smiled anyway. "Of course, anyone's welcome to try out," Cheryl cooed, turning to Betty from Andy's hold, scanning the lunch plate she had in front of her. "But Betty's already got so much on her plate right now and being a Vixen is kind of a full-time thing. But open to all!"
Ben's fist clenched around his plastic fork in irritation. Cheryl was the queen of hidden in plain sight attacks on someone's physical appearance, she did them all the time when she first starting dating Andy. It's what made him change from his best friend to a complete stranger. As she tapped on Andy's shoulder to let him know that they were leaving, she spun back to loom over them once again. "Follow me on Twitter and I'll do the same. My handle is @cherylbombshell. Come on, Andy, let's go."
Andy smirked at them. "I'd think about it girls."
The four watched as they left arm in arm. Ben raised his arm, fork still clutched in a vice grip. "Why is it that after they leave, I feel like I need to take a ten hour nap?"
As Kevin knocked against him with a chuckle, Veronica folded her arms on the table. "Okay. Go ahead and hate on cheerleading, but if Hipster Prince Harry—"
Betty glanced up at her modestly, blushing slightly. "I'd love to be a cheerleader." the three blinked at her. "It would look great on my college applications. But last year, when I tried out, Cheryl said I was too fat."
Rage bubbled in the pit of Ben's stomach, pinching his arm to stop himself from saying anything. He couldn't believe it when Betty had told him about what Cheryl had said to her, even going so far as to complaining about it to his brother in the hopes that he would talk to her about it. He never did.
""Too season 5 Betty Draper." It was a great line," Ben glared at him for a moment, Kevin realising his mistake, "but not at all true."
Something flashed behind Veronica's eyes before she smirked. "Well, you're a total smokeshow now. Isn't she, Ben?"
All the wind was knocked out of his lungs in that instance. He could hear Kevin's semi audible gasp as he just started stammering like the biggest idiot there was. "Uh, I mean, yeah, sure, she's a...smoke-smoke show. Very smokey." watching Betty grow uncomfortable, he shook his head. "No, wait, I didn't mean—"
"What he means is," continued Veronica, saving his ass yet again. "As hot and as smart as you are, you should be the Queen Bey of this drab hive." Betty perked up a bit, the reaction Veronica probably expected Ben to get, but that was very much not the case. "Look, if you want to be a River Vixen, I'll help you prep. I have moves."
Betty studied her a moment, picking up her apple. "Okay. You know what? Show me your moves."
Veronica laughed, getting up with her tray. "If you'll excuse us boys, we are about to crush this tryout."
"Bye Kevin, bye Benji."
Ben barely mustered enough inside him to wave at her before crumbling. He groaned, hitting his forehead against the concrete slab of a table. "Ow."
Kevin sighed, laughing. "Very smokey, Ben, very smokey."
"I hate my life."
"Just think, Betty Cooper could be a cheerleader. In a few weeks you could be dating a River Vixen."
There was a pause. "Okay, I hate my life slightly less."
Count on Kevin to make the best out of the worst situations possible.
-
A/N: it's been 84 years, but i finally updated this smol bean's story. I've been getting back into Riverdale and I still think I have a solid idea for this plot I'm working with. I've also found that since what, April(*tugs at collar* it's been awhile), my writing had improved greatly so get ready for longer chapters, and more detail! Whoop!
Dedicated to Liv, who now claims Ben is her son, and while I'm not going to disagree with you. You're going to have to fight Sav and a whole lot of other people to get to him
Comment, vote & follow! - Emma