"Wait what?! Are you sure that the four of you are not having some kind of delusion or hallucination?" Alice Cooper replied after hearing the revelation the four seniors told her.
They all nodded in perfect synchrony, leaving Alice stuck in the moment.
Her mind drifted off somewhere, still confused with what possible emotion she should let out. Veronica spoke out before anyone else did, "But we have a much greater news though...and before you could tell us otherwise, this is official."
"What is it?"
"Betty is really alive. Jason Smith, your nephew, admitted to Jughead everything. The reason why and how it was possible. And we proved that it was true when our private investigator said that there were no records of a Lorelai Carmen Smith that fit into 'Carmen's' description. Then, the other night, Carmen mentioned something that only Betty and Jughead knew about." Archie blurted all of these information all at once, leaving no one a moment to but in. " Hal bribed the doctors while you were away. He was so angry at you for kicking him out like that so took the chance to take Betty away. She was recovering at a New York hospital and he scared your sister and your nephew to go in this mess. But your sister had enough of what Hal was doing so she decided to send your nephew, Jason, with Betty here. And the reason why she thinks she's someone else is because, she has dissociative amnesia. She has zero memory about who she is and Hal created Carmen as her alter ego. Our only hope to find the truth is if she begins to remember."
The silence was something all of them expected. They sat while they waited to see any reaction from Alice, who at this moment is almost going to faint. The news was too much to handle. First, her ex-husband also killed himself and her deceased daughter wasn't really deceased.
She wanted to faint at that very moment, she wanted to be somewhere far from this chaotic place. So many uncanny things happening and she couldn't handle it anymore.
"Okay... Can I have some time to process all of this? It's just too much," Alice asked politely, Veronica tried to speak again but she cut her, "Just please leave. I really need time to think things through... I know you're all concerned about everything but I'm gonna need time okay?"
Archie made Veronica go along with the three of them. Everything was really crazy enough that it can cause someone's parent or any loved one to go crazy.
{ time jump }
PROM NIGHT
MAY 19, 2020
RIVERDALE HIGH
The night they've been waiting for finally arrived. Polished students came from left and right, with their arm candies and their corsages. Every student was preparing for this very day and today's the day they all get to live in it.
Jughead was waiting for Carmen to walk down the stairs, like those cliché movie scenes. As much as he hated it, it was all worth it to see Carmen walk down from those stairs.
Her flowy baby blue dress perfectly accentuated her beautiful strawberry blonde hair and her own pair of baby blues. She had her hair in a half up and half down with waves and she looked beyond words.
Jughead, speechless, couldn't create words for what he had just saw, " Wow!" He muttered. The two share a laugh and after a while a few minutes, Alice went in to take their photos.
When they arrived, Veronica, who wore a wine-colored mermaid gown that complimented her figure and a hair that was just in waves, and Archie, who wore a dark gray suit that complimented Veronica's wine colored gown, were waiting for them. The four went in the auditorium together.
When they entered, it was simply breathtaking especially the amazing fairy lights and the balloons. But a huge banner for Betty and Jason was in the auditorium too. It was awkward when they all got to see it.
They went ahead and danced to various genres of music, from classic slow jams and to remixes of modern pop songs.
Jughead felt like everything was normal again. He was with the person that makes his heart flutter and he got to share that magical day with her. He got to watch her smile while they danced or hear her laugh over the embarrassing dance moves they shared. Then he realized, he was happy.
He finally felt happiness after grieving over Betty and forcing that Carmen was Betty. That night at the Coopers' officially ended his motivation to force Carmen to be someone she wasnt. Carmen wasn't Betty and just because they looked alike, that they were the same. He just went in and started to see Carmen for who she is.
When 'The Night We Met' blasted through the speakers, Carmen places her head on Jughead's shoulders as they swayed to the hauntingly beautiful instrumentals of it.
She never wanted to let go, but she had to tell him the truth. She had an internal debate whether she'll tell the truth and ruin the magic of the night or just let a few days pass and treasure the night they last saw each other. Either way, she still has to tell the truth.
When she leaned her head on his shoulders, she felt like breaking down but she couldn't let him see in a place like that. They held onto each other tighter as the song nears its end. And when the song ended, Carmen held tighter onto him as they continued to sway even if the song was finished.
She finally decides what to do so she pulls him to the very first place they laid eyes on each other as Carmen.
" Jughead, I know that this wasn't the first place you saw me." Her voice cracked as she stood in front of him.
" What? Yeah, cause we met at Pop's. Are you okay, Carm?" He replies, his smile fading away as tears begin to fall from Carmen's eyes.
She stays silent and pulls him to Betty's old locker, the place where she and Jughead would steal glances. " I know that you saw me for the first time at this exact place. Not by Carmen's locker. "
Taken aback, Jughead replies, " No, Carmen, I saw you at Pop's remember? And why are you speaking in third person like that? Is something wrong?"
She puts her hands over her eyes as she sobbed, she couldn't do this anymore. She's going to break his heart and if she did, she'll break hers and everyone else's.
" Juggie, you know that Carmen doesn't exist right?" She was choked up, she couldn't say the next few words. " I'm here, Romeo, it's your Juliet. I'm Betty. Elizabeth Cooper isn't dead."
Jughead had his head lowered down at the floor while Betty's mascara began to ran. She begged him to react even just a mumble but he wont. " I started to remember last November...and I'm sorry I never told you. "
" I was too scared, Jughead. I lost you too many times already so I just decided to cherish those few moments with you."
Jughead knew the truth but why did he feel shocked? Maybe it's because he tried dismissing the truth for a while and it was starting to make him look delusional. But now since the truth is out there, why would he let history happen all over again?
" Betty Cooper, boy, you don't know much I missed knowing that you're really you. " He jokes, making Betty form a smile. Jughead leans in and gives Betty a kiss. A kiss that both of them would never want to end.
The person she loved the most finally knew the truth and she no longer had to hide the truth.
Their moment together was ruined when the rest of their group of friends arrived and joined them.
" Boy, do I have something that our mini conspiracy crew would love." Jughead laughed and so did Betty.
He decides to whisper the news to Veronica to see her reaction first. Her expression went from shocked to ecstatic and emotional in a matter of seconds. The two best friends shared a tight hug and a moment together just appreciating their time together, while the rest were confused.
Then, Betty just went in and told them the truth. Everyone's jaws dropped in an instant and making everyone crowd around Betty and Veronica. They all cheered and reacted way too loudly that a chaperone went in and tried to make them return to the auditorium.
That night was even more magical than any of them could think of.
GRADUATION
JUNE 3, 2020
RIVERDALE HIGH
Graduation was officially the end for the roller coaster of a high school. It marked the end for another milestone for any of them. And it was probably time to move on.
They all sat at the bleachers where they always stayed when it was lunch or basically when they hung out. Absorbing the beauty that is Riverdale High, they shared the stories that made them what they were. From the day Betty, Archie and Jughead met Kevin to the day Veronica arrived to the crazy town.
" So, I finally decided. I'm heading to Columbia! Have about you guys?" Betty looked the happiest while everyone cheered for her
Jughead was leaving to California because he got accepted at Stanford, Veronica was about to take an internship for Nylon, Kevin and Cheryl were going to take a year off to travel, and Archie was heading to Los Angeles to blossom his music career.
The night fell and they all said their goodbyes and their plans for meeting again. But, except for the two, who stayed a little while longer.
" So this it, huh? College. " Jughead whispered as they stared at the empty football field, hands intertwined with each other. " Uh huh..." Betty mumbled.
"I'm gonna miss having my ex holding my hand on the way to my house. I'm gonna miss my ex who's a badass. I'm gonna miss my ex who wears a stupid crown beanie... I'll miss you Juggie. " Betty tells him, while she twirled her fingers on his hair.
Jughead's face falls, "You're making this hard, you know? But I'll miss you too."
They stayed, for a while. Then, it was Betty's time to leave. It was about herself now. It was her time to save herself first before she could save anyone else. But he'll be there, by the sidelines.
END.
okAyYyY... so yeah... this book is done :(( im so sad bc i enjoy writing this so much and now its over :(( anyways, i just wanna say thank you all for being so active and supporting my book! and ill probably make some more of those letter/email type of things or create a sequel! i dont know as of rn bc my classes are about to start, but i have a new book entitled Magnum Opus and it's about Bughead too & I wish yall could spread love on it too? So yeah, bye guys!!!