betty
I woke up, Veronica snoring next to me. My basement was a mess. There were empty ice cream containers and chip bags scattered everywhere. I start to clean so I don't have to hear the wrath of my mother so early in the morning. When I'm done cleaning, Veronica is still asleep, so I check my phone. My heart skips a beat, a text from Jughead glows on my screen.
jug :) : i really need to talk to you, im so so sorry. please meet me at Pop's tonight at 7. i miss you.
betty <3 : ok.
Truth be told I missed him too, but I couldn't just let him off after one minute. I just needed some time. I know he didn't mean to say it. It was in the heat of the moment. Thinking back, I smile remembering how defensive of me he was. I heard rustling next to me. Veronica was awake.
"Morning sunshine." I chuckle, it was 10:30 already.
"Very funny, B." She says sarcastically.
"What time do you need to be back home?" I ask her.
"My parents are getting back at 5, and I still need to clean up the party, so around 3:30," She answers, "just enough time to go to the mall!"
"But the malls all the way in Greendale." I protest.
"Like I said, just enough time to go to the mall." She smiles.
"Fine," I state, "I'll be down in 5."
I walk up the two flights of stairs to my room. All my jeans are dirty so I put on leggings and a Harvard crew neck. My brother, Chic, went to school there before moving to Los Angeles. Now he's a lawyer. I grab my phone and walk back down the stairs and my mom is sitting on the couch, reading a magazine and drinking coffee.
"Can I borrow the car?" I ask.
"Sure, honey. The keys are on the counter." She replies, not even looking up from her magazine.
Normally she would interrogate me. Where are you going? With who? For how long? But not today. I think she secretly feels bad for me after my breakup with Archie. She's normally super strict. Veronica loads her bag in my car and we start the 30 minute drive to Greendale. I'm relieved to be leaving this town, even if just for a few hours. Ever since Clifford Blossom killed Jason, the town has never been the same.
We shop for a few hours. I buy a sweatshirt from Hollister and Veronica buys three pairs of jeans from American Eagle, a pair of Vans from Journey's, a few blouses from Macy's, and three Nike shirts from Foot Locker. At the beginning of Sophomore year, you would never catch Veronica in a pair of jeans, even pants for that matter. Now, she wears all sorts of jeans and sneakers and t-shirts. She still has all of her designer clothes, and wears them often, but she's loosened up after she started dating Nick. I like Nick, but I get a weird vibe from him. Nothing too bad, I just never could shake the feeling that something about him was a little odd.
We arrive back in Riverdale, and I drop Veronica off at the Pembrook, helping her tote all of her bags up to the penthouse, where she lives, of course. I offer to help her clean up, and she refuses to let me, so I drive back home. I park in front of my house, and set the keys on the kitchen counter, right where I found them. My mom asks how my day was and I give her the generic teenager answer. "Fine." After a couple minutes of useless conversation, I make my way upstairs, checking the time. 3:48. Just enough time for a nap. I set my alarm for 6:20, so I have enough time to fully wake up before meeting Jughead at Pop's, then get in my bed and fall asleep.
...
My alarm sounds, and I quickly shoot up from my bed. I brush my hair and teeth, then search my closet for an outfit. My mom did my laundry, so I put on a pair of jeans and my crown sweater with a white collared shirt underneath. By the time my hair's in a ponytail, and I'm ready to go, it's 6:35. It normally takes me around 15 minutes to get to Pop's, so I head out the door. I tell my mom I'm going to Pop's and she doesn't ask any questions.
I get there and see Jughead already sitting there, he ordered me a vanilla shake, my favorite. I sit down, taking a sip of my milkshake. We sit awkwardly in silence, I can tell he's trying to come up with the right words. Truthfully I'm a little flattered he cares so much about me to invite me here tonight. This alone is enough for me, but I want to see what he has to say.
"Betty," he starts, pausing for a few seconds before continuing, "I can't tell you how sorry I am. I'm such an asshole you deserve a better best friend than me. I truly never meant to hurt you. It's just as soon as Chuck said 'Betty Cooper,' I got so mad that he was targeting you, especially right after your breakup. And then Archie started talking and all I ever wanted to do was protect you from those assholes and now I've turned into one of them."
"Jug, don't ever compare yourself to them, you are so much better than those scumbags." I say, grabbing his hand.
He turns to look at me, "No I'm not, you told me why you and Archie broke up in private and then I went and told basically the entire grade."
"Jughead, it's okay, really. I know you didn't mean to, you had good intentions." I tell him, looking at him in the eye.
"You really mean that?" He asks.
"Yes." I smile.
I put my head on his shoulder and we sit like that, talking and laughing for hours, until my mom texts me it's time to come home. He walks me home, even though it's totally out of his way. I say goodbye to him, and walk into my house. To my surprise, my mother is still awake, and she's baking cookies. She's never awake past 10.
"Want some cookies?" She asks, smiling.
"You'll never hear me refuse that offer." I reply, laughing.
"So... you were at Pop's with Jughead?" She says.
"Yep." I answer, my mouth full.
"You sure have gotten close to him recently."
"I guess you could say that." I respond. I feel like this is leading up to something.
"Is there anything going on between you two?" She asks.
"What do you mean?"
"Romantically." She states.
"Oh," I blush, "No, nothing like that, we're just friends."
"Just wondering," she smirks. She definitely saw me blush.
"Well I'm going to go up to bed." I tell her.
"Okay sweetie, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Mom."
I rush up my stairs, eager to get in my pajamas and go to bed. When I finally sit in bed, I realize I'm really not that tired. I open a new book and begin to read. Before I know it, it's 3 am and I'm finished with my book. I turn off my lamp and get under my covers. I think about what my mom said. Romantically. My face heats up. I've never really thought of Jughead that way, but the thought alone makes me feel butterflies. Maybe dating Jughead wouldn't be so bad. Archie has just been clouding my vision with those perfect abs of his.
jughead
I lie awake for hours, thinking of Betty. Her perfect smile, and the way she glows when she talks about something she's passionate about, her signature dirty blonde ponytail. Everything about her is perfect. I imagine how amazing it would be to call her mine. To go to the drive-in and watch movies every week. To go Picken's Park and have picnics. To go to Pop's and sit talking for hours, just like tonight. If I could live one day over and over for the rest on my life it would be tonight.
the two fall asleep, thinking of none other than each other and what tomorrow could bring
ey bb's this chapter was pretty fun to write. betty and jughead are back and better than ever, but still just friends, foR nOw thAt iS ;) okok ill leave now im annoying