"You guys go, I'm sure Archie will be here soon?" Betty said waving Veronica and Reggie out of her house. She had already missed the photos, thanks to her absent date, and now she was missing the limo.
Of course there would be an excuse, helping his dad with something, got caught up lost track of time, whatever it was Betty was so sick of it. And she questioned whether she loved him, or the idea of him. A jock and a cheerleader, socially it's right, in Betty's heart, gut and head it was completely wrong. She couldn't believe he could do this to her, 9.30pm, and hour late for senior prom, like he was two hours late picking her up from her apprenticeship interview in New York last week. She was worried sick about him, she knew how NYC traffic could be, and a small town boy like him would for sure get lost, but by the time he found her, it was evident he was drunk and Betty had to drive herself home, put her useless boyfriend to bed, and explain to his dad that he's "just not feeling very well." But her mother had told her, since she was very young, Archie is her soul mate, at 21 they would marry and keep the Cooper name respectable. Everyone around them knew it was complete bull shit. But of course, anything for the reputation and her mothers sake.
She sat at the table as her mother cleared away dinner, and eyed the full plate that had been meant for Archie, if he cared enough to show up.
"I'm sure he's on his way" her mom said as she walked past her, giving her a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sure he is" Betty said fiddling with her dress.
She glanced at the clock. 9:45.
"Probably stuck in traffic" her mothers excuse was as she sat down beside her.
"In Riverdale?" Betty mumbled under her breath.
She twiddled her thumbs staring blankly at the clock, not really paying attention to the time, just wondering why the hell she didn't hitch a ride with Veronica and Reggie, she would of had more fun with Ron, and Reg. She would of danced the night away with her, forcing her to dance like nobody was watching, and she would laugh at silly arguments her and her newest beau would get into, and shortly after make up. Reggie's jokes were on a comedic level, and he would assure her how much of a dick his best friend is. He tells it how it is, because unlike Archie, he's learned from his mistakes and he loves Veronica, enough to make it work.
Maybe that's what was missing from Betty's and Archie's relationship, she thought, they had been together for so long, forced together, that they didn't really love each other. Not any more, at first it was great, the dates, the sex, the getting to know eachother, and she wished it still was. It was for her, but wasn't enough for him. That's why he was screwing at least 8/10 vixens, because he wasn't screwing her and Cheryl is a lesbian.
Lost in thought a tear rolled down her cheek, and she caught it just in time, concealed with a cough.
"I'm so sorry Elizabeth" her mother smiled sadly, knowingly, knowing the hurt her daughter was going through.
"It's okay, I don't really know what I thought was going to happen, he always does this" Betty said looking away, not wanting her mother to see her tears.
"You shouldn't have to feel that way" Alice cooper said grabbing her hand.
"What about the respectable Cooper name" Betty rolled her eyes.
"Listen, Elizabeth, you are a clever girl. In fact, you are the cleverest girl I know, you've got a smart, beautiful and independent head sitting on those shoulders, who ever you end up with I know, will respect you, and love you. Stop letting Archie hurt you for the sake of me" she said.
"But..."
"No buts, anyway, I'm Alice Smith now, so respect the "Smith" name properly. Start doing whatever you like.... with in reason" she giggled nudging her daughters shoulder, so she let out the tiniest laugh, but the sentiment was there.
"Thanks mom" she said, but was saddened again when she glanced at the clock and it read 10:30pm.
"I'm going to get out of this freaking dress, maybe we can go to the movies?" Betty suggested standing up and tucking her chair back under the table. Her feet were already aching from her heels, and her make up wasn't perfect anymore and she wasn't really in the dancing mood to be honest.
"Maybe just wait 10 more minutes" Alice suggested, whilst Betty shook her head no.
"The next time I see him, I'm breaking up with him mom, and I think I've already cried enough tonight" Betty rolled her eyes.
"That's fair enough" Alice nodded.
"But what if, he really just was late.." Betty pondered.
"Betty, stop doubting yourself, just look at what he done to Veronica" Alice rolled her eyes.
And she stood and remembered what he did to Veronica. For a start, he had told her him and Betty had broke up, and she, with all her extravagant gifts, whisked them off to Paris for a weekend break, and she emptied his coat pocket one night, whilst he was out "touring" and found a lipstick printed napkin, with an address on. Veronica found it shockingly fast and well, you can already guess what she found. She flew him home, but stayed in Paris, figured out that Betty and Archie hadn't really broken up, and a long, tear filled, heart felt face time call was all it took to fix it. They vowed never to let Archie do that to either of them again, but Veronica understood when they continued dating. She forgave Veronica because she was honest about it.
Something else that was missing from their relationship, honesty, and trust goes hand in hand with that you, and of course Betty had secrets that she kept from Archie. Like the fact that every Friday night, she visits her old friend Jughead to study, catch up, have a drink, watch TV, whatever. Archie would never understand that it's simply platonic, so she feels she has to hide it. That, and well, a lot has changed since they were all kids, playing hide and seek in the woods and eating orange freezes at pops, and torturing the neighbours cats. Jughead is now the leader of a gang, and he and Archie are arch rivals as it is, since they had a mysterious disagreement three years ago. But he's just the same old Jug, who still loves true crime and writing everything that happens to him in a novel, and takes photos of everything from sunsets to shadows.
Betty went to take the last step on the stairs, and she heard a knock on the door. She thought she had imagined it so turned to look to the bottom of the stairs, and there it was again.
She watched as her mother opened the door, heard the warm welcome and the happy greeting. So slowly, she lifted her dress up and walked down the stairs, at first she saw the black pants, and white shirt. Instead of the flame of orange, she saw charcoal black and her face split into a huge grin.
Stood there with wilting flowers in one hand, and his beanie in the other, dressed in smart clothes, and tie but still with his serpent jacket on, she couldn't help but burst with happiness.
"How did you know?" She smiled shyly walking towards him.
"I called him" her mother came in grinning, and Betty looked over her shoulder and smiled thankfully, and Alice just winked.
"I'll take a rain check on that movie" she muttered waving them off, as she walked up the stairs, wine in one hand and a face mask in the other.
"So he didn't show up huh?" Jughead asked, and Betty put her head down.
"Just caught up I guess" she almost whispered.
"Well hey, it's not everyday we get to be seen in the same room together" he chuckled.
"And if we see him?" Betty said anxiously.
"The way I see it Betts, you won't let me kick the crap out of him, so we will dance, only the slow stuff because well my moves are a little rusty since elementary school" he laughed as he put his arm out for her, and she tucked her arm under his.
"And?" She smiled up at him, her heels clicking down the stone wall way.
"And we will absolutely kill him, nothing hurts him more than seeing you enjoying yourself with someone else" he smiled mischievously.
"Especially you Jug" She hummed.
"Of course, but I don't really know why" he said graciously opening the truck door for her.
"Those abs went to his head, and I'm sorry that I didn't see you more when it all went down that night, and I'm sorry i chose him when you were the only one ever there for me" Betty said apologetically.
"I'm not letting you apologise for the fact that we all grew up Betts" he shook his head pulling out onto the road.
"It wasn't just you and him, it was me too Jug" she said quietly.
"Hey, we can talk about that night another time, but for right now, let's just go to school on a Friday night, and act like normal teenagers for once okay?" He smiled over the steering wheel at her.
"Okay" she smiled back at him.
"Don't touch my radio" he said with out even watching her as she went to change the song.
"This is going to be fun, my ex-girlfriend turned lesbian and your asshole boyfriend giving us daggers whilst me innocently try to dance to the Jonas brothers" Jughead rolled his eyes as they pulled up to the school.
"Come on Jug, you used to be fun" she said grabbing his hand and pulling him into the school.
"I'm still fun" he argued.
"Perfect, cake by the ocean" she said dragging him onto the dance floor. He looked utterly disturbed, and suppressed a smile as she found Veronica in the crowd and they started to dance like there was no one else in the room.
"Where's Archie?" Veronica shouted into Betty's ear, but she just shook her head and gripped Jugheads hand tighter.
"What did I tell you, what did we tell you, you should of chose Jughead a long time ago" Veronica jumped up and down in glee.
"No it's not like that, my mom called him, Archie never showed" Betty said her cheeks heating up.
"Archie never showed?" Reggie frowned.
"I guess that's why?" Jughead tugged on Betty's arm and they all turned to the stage were he was, locking lips with Josie McCoy.
Betty frowned, but could honestly say she wasn't surprised.
"You okay?" Jughead whispered in her ear after a while, when a slow song came on and they danced together. Her head was laying on his shoulder and he held her hand close to his chest. She leaned back to look at him and nodded.
"Jughead?" She said as she lay her head back on his chest.
"Yeah" He said his face in her hair.
"I don't want to go home tonight, he will turn up, and apologise, and I'm not ready to see him" she said quietly.
"Do you want to stay at my place?" He offered.
"I'm going to ask V, but if I have no where else to go, do you mind, something tells me her and Reggie are going to be pretty busy" she sighed looking at Veronica and Reggie who were vigorously eating each other's face.
"Just stay with me, I'll get the sofa bed out, we can watch that new Ted Bundy documentary, and just chill out" he offered.
"I'd like that" she laughed, once again catching glimpse of Archie, who hadn't even noticed that she was here, let alone here with Jughead.
"Let's go" he whispered, as he saw her stare at them.
Her mom was surely asleep, the house was quiet when she returned to get her over night bag. Then again, her house was always quiet, Polly had been gone for so long know, neither Betty, nor Alice remembered what it was like having her around. And it didn't make a difference now her father way gone because he was always an absent figure, she barely had any memories of him, just shadows of him here and there, a birthday party or Christmas. So it was just her and her mom, and it was peaceful, from time to time, times like this, when she heard not a sound in the house aside from creaking floor boards, or the pipes in the walls, and the gentle breeze of an open window.
"Why didn't you move? After everything?" Jughead asked sitting on the end of her bed looking around at her room, that hadn't changed since he was last here, when they were 13.
"It was never my fathers house, he just lived in it. Mom payed the bills, put food on the table and raised me here, it wasn't fair to make us leave after what he did" she said stuffing a hair brush into her bag.
"That's fair enough Cooper" he whispered, watching her.
"Besides, where would we go? You know Riverdales full up as it is" she laughed.
"Always vacant trailers at the trailer park" he suggested.
"My mother has done everything to escape the southside, I think she would rather die than go back" Betty laughed, but was suddenly choking on her words when she realised that was Jugheads home. Were he grew up, where he roamed the streets, where he lives.
"It's okay Betty, everyone wants out of here, north side, south side, it's all still Riverdale, and we're all stuck here just the same. Except you might get to college, and I'll be keeping the boys out of knife fights for the rest of my life" he chuckled, but his dry sense of humour didn't amuse Betty one bit. He was always putting himself down, but hiding how he truly felt under a mask of sarcasm and self destructive humour.
"That's not funny Jug" she rolled her eyes.
The giggled and joked about things betty did find funny on the way down through the dark house, and giggled some more when she tripped and fell down the last two steps. He put his arm around her and steadied her as she walked to his truck.
Somewhere in the shadows, a drunk Archie was lurking. Not sure whether he was hallucinating, but rage filled him when he seen Betty Cooper, actually smiling, wrapped in Jughead Jones.