"I would like to request an imagine where the Jughead and Betty are like making out and reader walks in on it but Betty's known the reader's been in love with jughead since they were 7 or 8 and the reader's so hurt and to see how the gang reacts to that You pick whose side they take in all of it. Also I love you writing you are amazing and always leave me wanting more :)" –Anonymous
You were bringing back snacks when your trust was broken.
You and your friends, Jughead and Betty, had been studying for the big history test in your bedroom. You'd offered to go get some chips for everyone. Walking back, bowl in hand, you saw Betty lean into Jughead, running her hands through his hair and planting her lips on his. Your breath caught in your throat.
Betty knew you'd been in love with Jughead ever since you were all seven years-old. Since then she's been a supportive friend, keeping your secret well and even dropping Jughead some hints to take things further. Seeing the one friend you trusted kiss the one boy you loved... it was a nightmare.
You held your breath, retreating into the hallway. You then walked back through the hallway, making sure to make a lot of extra noise such that they knew of your presence. As expected, when you entered the room, Jughead and Betty were studying as normally as they could.
"Hey, guys..." you stammered. "Um, I'm not feeling really well. Is it okay if we end our study sesh early?"
"Yeah, sure," Jughead said, packing up his stuff and smiling sympathetically.
"Get well soon, okay?" Betty had the audacity to say, even putting her hand on your shoulder.
You slammed the door behind them, collapsing into tears.
"Hey guys, (Y/N) hasn't been to school in a while," Veronica said at the lunch table. "Is everything okay with her?" You and Veronica got along well and were close friends, but her recent move to Riverdale meant that you didn't have the history you and Betty did. She had no idea of your unrequited love for Jughead, either.
"Yeah," Archie agreed. "I'm starting to get worried about her."
"Me too," Jughead chimed in solemnly. Betty took Jughead's hand sympathetically, and he blushed.
Archie's eyes narrowed in anger. "You didn't, Betty." Archie has been your "big brother" ever since you were kids. It was no secret to him that you loved Jughead, and he knew it was no secret to Betty, either.
Veronica glanced between her two friends, confused. "Didn't what?"
Archie stood stiffly, slinging his guitar case over his shoulder. "Doesn't matter any more, I guess." He left the table.
"What was that about?" Veronica asked to Betty.
Betty averted her eyes, guiltily. She pulled her hands from Jughead's.
"Betty," Jughead said softly. "What is it? You can tell us."
Betty sighed, throwing up her hands in defeat. "I kissed Jughead!"
Veronica's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Okay? Why does Archie and (Y/N) care about... oh." She crossed her arms in understanding.
"I still don't get it," Jughead admitted.
"Go on girl," Veronica said. "You need to own up to it."
"Jughead..." Betty said nervously. "(Y/N) really liked you. I knew about it and I kissed you anyways."
Jughead's eyes widened. "What? Betty, why?" Jughead has always thought of Betty as the moral compass of the group. For her to do this was... shocking.
"I like you too, Jughead!" Betty cried out. "I was tired of (Y/N) waiting for you to notice her. I deserved my chance, too."
Jughead's eyes narrowed at Betty. "I can't believe you would do this to her." He grabbed his stuff, leaving the room.
"Oh, God," Betty said after a moment. "I really messed up, didn't I?" Her lip began to quiver. She's always liked Jughead, but never as much as (Y/N). Certainly not enough to warrant tearing her friends apart.
Veronica wrapped her arms around Betty consolingly. "It's okay, Betty. We love the both of you. Families fight, but we always make up. I know I've done some crazy stuff for a boy, before. We've all been there."
Betty smiled sadly, leaning into her friend for comfort.
"(Y/N)! (Y/N)!" Jughead yelled, jogging through the quickly darkening forest. Upon his arrival to your house, your parents had confusedly told him that you told them you were spending the week at Betty's while her parents were out of town to keep her company. Jughead then pretended that he'd forgotten about that, and went in search of you elsewhere.
Finally, he'd found it. When you were kids, you would run through the forest as if it were your personal wonderland. The first tree you'd claimed as you fortress stood taller and wider than the rest. To commemorate it, the young Jughead had proudly carved your initials into it. Whenever one or the other of you were upset, that's where you'd go.
"(Y/N)–" Jughead yelled again, stopping when his foot hit something. Looking down he saw you curled up against the tree, hugging a bottle of scotch you'd stolen from your parent's liquor cabinet.
You looked up at him, your smirk lazy in your inebriation. "Oh, wooooow," you drawled out. "Isn't it Jughead Jones himself?" You were shivering, lips blue from the nighttime chill.
Jughead tried to grab the bottle from you, but you held it out of his reach. "(Y/N). You need to go home. You're drunk."
You sat up, glaring at him. "You need to go home and suck Betty Cooper's face off!"
Jughead's face reddened, though you couldn't see it in the darkness. "(Y/N), I can explain, I–"
You held up a hand. "I don't wanna hear it, pal o' mine. I'm done." You shakily stood, stumbling through the forest.
Jughead followed after you. "(Y/N), (Y/N) please!" He grabbed your shoulders, turning you to face him.
Upon your facing him, he realized you were crying. Your mouth was stretched into a mournful grimace, tears dripping down your face.
"I don't want to hear it, Jughead, please," you sobbed. "Just leave me alone."
Jughead felt like his heart had just broken into a million pieces. "No."
You downed the rest of the scotch, swinging it angrily against your tree. It shattered.
"Fuck," you breathed. Shards of glass were embedded into your hand from the impact.
You tearfully looked into Jughead's eyes. You were so, so tired. "I just can't do anything right, now can I?" You said with a sad smile.
This whole time, Jughead couldn't figure out what to say. What to say to make you stop, to make you believe him. Well, he figured, actions speak louder than words. So he pulled you into his arms, hugging you tighter than you've ever been hugged before. Hugging you so tight, he hoped, the pain would go away.
"...why?" you whispered.
"It's always been you," he breathed into your hair. "I'm sorry, (Y/N). I'm so sorry."
He gave you his sweatshirt and took you to his room in the Drive-In, going to work removing the glass from your hand. This whole time your face was blank, unsure of how to interpret the situation.
"How do I know you're not just saying all of this?" You whispered.
Jughead then stopped his work, looking straight into your eyes. "You can't know, I guess," he said with a small smile. "You just have to trust. And over time, my actions will show you what's true."
You looked away. "You should know I'm having trouble trusting people nowadays."
"I know," he said. "I'll wait for you to be ready."
He then continued to fix your wounds, patiently waiting for you to be ready to trust again.