Betty had knocked on Archie's door. And Archie opened the door, a bit shocked regarding how she was ignoring all night at his attempts to text her.
"Walk me to school?" She asks with a soft smile.
They were both in the process of walking to school together. They walked on the sidewalk of a not so busy road.
"I needed time to process," Betty starts, "To separate what my mom wants from what I want- I think I want."
Archie looks at her, "Which is?"
Betty frowns, "My mom says I should never speak to you again. But I- even though you don't like me like that, I still want us to be friends, best friends." Betty said.
Archie seemed a bit relieved, "You do?"
Betty nods, "Yeah." She says.
"I mean, that's great, Betty. Me too." Archie says.
Betty looks forward, "I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt." She says.
Archie looks at her seriously, "And I am so sorry for hurting you, Betty."
Betty looks at him, "I know you are." She says.
There was silence as they walked. Betty noticed a little ahead there was Peter. He was filthy rich -- and yet he never get driven to school because he never wanted that. He always wanted to be seen as an equal to the other students.
"Archie," Betty motions to Peter, "We should say something."
Archie glanced over at Peter. He was listening to music -- and chances are Archie knew what Peter was listening to. Some out dated music genre or some band that had one good album. That was what he and Jughead had in common, being interested in things that most people found odd.
"Yeah." Archie said.
The two caught up to Peter, and Archie tapped Peter's shoulder. Making the teenager jump slightly and pull out the earbud. Slightly confused to see Betty and Archie walking next to him now.
"Uh- hi," Peter says as his gaze moved elsewhere.
"Hey, Pete." Archie said rubbing the back of his neck, "Still listening to outdated music?"
Peter looks from Archie to his phone, he paused his music and just had his earbuds cord hang around his neck.
"Yeah." He says looking away.
Betty looks at Peter, "We owe you some kind of explanation- and apology." She says.
Peter looks at Betty but says nothing.
Archie nods, "Look man, I know we just dropped the ball on you. Just stopped hanging out with no explanation and I'm sorry for that." He says.
Peter, Archie, and Betty continued to walk in the direction of school -- part of Betty made her think of the old days, just missing Jughead and the old group would've been complete.
Peter frowns as he sighs, "You decided one day that I wasn't worth being your friend- how do you think I felt?" He asks.
Archie frowns and nods, "I can't imagine."
Peter looks at Archie, "Why? Did I- do something wrong?" He asks.
Archie looks at Betty -- realizing that all these years Peter thought he did something wrong, when it was the complete opposite. Betty and Archie weren't there for him.
"To be honest, it was never you man." Archie said, "Look after I started football and you started band- I got it in my head that we wouldn't be friends much longer afterwards. So I decided to just- stop trying."
Peter glanced at Archie and then looks forward, "And yet somehow years later, that same band geek is friends is Cheryl Blossom, two cheerleaders, a football player, and another band geek."
Archie frowns, "I was dumb, Pete."
"We both were dumb then, Peter." Betty said.
Peter's eyes drift to Betty -- she was always his weak spot. No matter what. During the summer when they were kids, Peter got the last chocolate ice cream -- but Betty also wanted chocolate. And despite her saying she was fine getting strawberry, Peter just gave her the ice cream because he couldn't help himself.
Betty looks at Peter, "Think there is a way- you can forgive us?" She asks.
Peter adjusts his backpack strap, "Uh- um sure." He says.
At this point they reached the high school. The three of them were walking up to the building -- they were still talking. Peter's gaze moved from Betty and Archie to find Cheryl standing by other cheerleaders and motioning for Peter.
"I uh- gotta go." He says to Archie and Betty.
Archie nods and waves. Betty smiles softly and waves goodbye. The two teens watch as Peter walked over to Cheryl. The red bombshell spots Betty, so in-spite, Cheryl grabs Peter's arm and began to drag him into the school.
"He's too nice to say anything to Cheryl," Archie said.
Betty nods, "She has him on a leash." She says.
~RIVERDALE~
When Betty and Archie entered the building -- they parted in different directions. Archie was walking and stopped by Jason's locker. It was littered with flowers and cards. A few students had placed down some flowers before walking off to class.
"Hi," Jughead came from behind.
Archie turns to see Jughead leaning against the row of lockers while Archie stood in front of it. He looked at Jughead a bit shocked.
"Do you think I could use Jason Blossom as an excuse get out of P.E.?" Jughead asks, "Sorry coach, I'm just too depressed and too freaked out to do any pull ups."
Archie didn't seem to like Jughead's remark.
"Not cool, Jug." He said, "You shouldn't be joking about stuff like that."
Jughead shrugs his shoulders, "What? Sardonic humor is how I deal with the world." He says.
That is when Jughead spotted Reggie, Moose, and Chuck as they were coming around the corner. Jughead took this upon himself to leave. Archie watched as when Jughead passed the football players, he was shoved by Reggie.
"Watch it Wednesday Adams," Reggie said.
But that didn't stop Jughead -- the loner just carried on walking down the hallway. Archie lifts his head as he looks to see Cheryl, Liz, Michelle, Flash, Ned, and Peter walking down the hallway.
Something felt odd with that -- Archie always wondered how Jason and Cheryl befriended Peter. Sure, Peter comes from wealth but he isn't considered the coolest kid in school. It made sense for Liz and Michelle to be hanging out with Cheryl since they were River Vixens -- and Flash was a football player, but Peter and Ned were just two band geeks.
Archie shakes his head and then walks off down the hallway.
~RIVERDALE~
Betty and Kevin were walking down the hallway, in the direction of the office because Betty was asked to come down to get something.
"Now that romance is off the table, I'll say it. Are we a hundred percent sure Archie is straight? Because no straight man has that body." Kevin says.
This caused Betty to smirk. But then she got a bit serious when mentioning -- bodies.
"Speaking of bodies," Betty starts, "Have you recovered from finding Jason's?"
Kevin nods, "It was more traumatizing explaining to my dad what I was doing there with Devin- and poor kid, his parents literally ripped him from the school district to someplace they view as safer."
Betty frowns, "I'm sorry, Kev."
He shrugs, "It sucks. I mean we were just getting to know each other and he seemed pretty cool." He says.
Just then they walked into the office to find a bouquet of flowers just sitting there. Kevin looks at the flowers and smiles.
"Oh these are pretty," Kevin says and looks at the secretary, "Are those for Betty, Mrs Phillips?"
Mrs Phillips looks up from her paperwork, "That's why I called for her."
Betty grabs the bouquet, and both Kevin and Betty left the office. They had returned to the hallway. Kevin noticed a card -- grabbing it before Betty saw it.
"Dear Betty, please forgive me. XOXO, V." Kevin read aloud and looks at Betty, "Who the hell is V?"
Betty looks at the flowers to Kevin, "Veronica."
Just then Veronica had walked over, noticing that Betty and Kevin had collected the flowers. She walked over to them -- now gaining their attention.
"The yellow is for friendship." Veronica said, "I also had magnolia cupcakes, flown in from New York, because as my mom likes to say, "there's no wrong the right cupcake can't fix."." Veronica said.
She looks at Betty, completely feeling like crap.
"Also- I- I've booked us for hers and hers mani-pedis at Chez salon. Blowouts too- I am so so sorry, Betty. I don't know what happened to me that night. It was such a basic bitch move, it was like I was possessed by-."
Kevin cuts her off, "Madame Satan?" He butts in.
Betty rolls her eyes at Kevin, but Veronica only shakes her head.
"The old Veronica." She starts, "And I will never ever do anything like that to you again. I swear on my mother's pearls. Just can you please me one more chance?"
Betty nods, "Okay."
Both Kevin and Veronica were shocked, "What?"
Betty nods again.
"Really? Awesome, I'll take it and you won't regret it." Veronica smiles at Betty.
Betty nods while adding, "I don't want to hold grunges on people- life is just too short for that."
Kevin nods as does Veronica. The bell rings and the teens began to head to class. Betty, Kevin, and Veronica pass Peter with Cheryl, Flash, Ned, Liz, and Michelle.
Peter looks at Betty -- the two make eye contact. What shocked Betty was, the actual smile on Peter's face and he waves at Betty. She smiles back and waves back at him.
This seemed to gain reaction from both Betty's friends and Peter's friends -- mostly from Cheryl. Ned seemed to nudge Peter, he looks at Peter and muttered something to him as they walked down the hallway.
Veronica leans to Betty, "So when did this happen?"
"This morning," Betty said, "Archie and I talked to Peter."
"Are you guys gonna be friends again?" Kevin asks.
Betty turns back and watches Cheryl holding onto him in a clingy way, "I hope so." She says.
~RIVERDALE~
During class -- well study hall, Betty found herself sitting with Veronica. Across the room was Michelle and Liz, the two girls noticed Betty and Veronica. Then the two grabbed their things and moved over to the table they were at.
"Can we join you?" Michelle asks.
"Aren't you Cheryl's friends?" Veronica asks, "It'll make her angry."
Liz sits down, "We're Cheryl's friends, but it doesn't mean we agree with everything she does." Liz said.
Michelle sits as well, "Yeah, we are apologizing for the events of her party." She said.
Betty shakes her head, "You don't have to apologize for that."
Liz shrugs, "We could've done something- but we don't like pissing off Cheryl." She said.
Veronica eyes the two, "You two seem like complete opposites of Cheryl," She starts, "Why are you two friends?"
Michelle shrugs her shoulders, "Well, Liz and I were friends since grade school," She starts, "And became friends with Flash, Ned, and Peter a bit later in middle school. As we were in middle school, Liz wanted to try out for the cheerleading team."
Liz nods, "And Cheryl was the captain." She says, "But she was different then. Sure, she was still a bitch from time to time- but not like this."
Michelle nods and adds, "She was also friends with Peter," She shrugs her shoulders, "And I really don't know how they became friends really."
Veronica looks puzzled, "You never asked?"
Liz shrugs, "I mean- I had asked Jason before you know," She frowns, "He said apparently Peter saved Cheryl's life back in middle school."
Betty frowns, "How?"
Liz shakes her head, "I don't know." Liz said and sighs, "Peter is just too nice. He sees the good in everyone, including Cheryl which is good but at the same time- she needs to grieve her brother's death not be an ice queen."
Betty bit her lip briefly and looks at Liz and Michelle, "Does he have a crush on Cheryl?"
Michelle shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know,"
"I don't think he does really," Liz said, "I overheard him mention to Ned that he was trying to get over a crush of someone from forever ago."
Veronica grins, "Oh a secret crush," She starts, "I want to know everything!"
She nearly exclaim her excitement -- but the three managed to keep her voice down so the librarian didn't come over and yelled at them.
Liz rubs the back of her neck, "Eh- I think we said too much." She starts, "I don't want to betray Peter's trust."
Then the bell dismissing them to their next class. Veronica and Betty were gathering their things -- but Liz and Michelle were already out the door.
"Think we should've told her, Liz?" Michelle asks.
Liz shakes her head, "No. Because Peter would one be mad at us, and two it would make things even more awkward."