As Archie Andrews enters through the double doors of Riverdale High, providing fist bumps and the usual smiling nods at fellow classmates, he notices that something is off. He sees Veronica at her locker applying lip gloss and adjusting the pearls that occupy her neck. She looks into a small oval shaped mirror sporting her signature smug smile.
"Hey, V" Archie mutters attempting to move through the crowded hallway.
Veronica smiles at the sight of him.
"Have you seen Betty?" Archie asks.
Veronica smile quickly shifts to a glare.
"Oh, Archikins. I think she has made it very apparent that I am not her favorite person right now." Veronica says as she runs her hand down the left sleeve of Archie's varsity jacket.
"Veronica, this is serious. You don't know the whole story," Archie whispers, looking into Veronicas eyes.
Veronicas face changes to one of concern, "Enlighten me then" she says removing her hand from Archie's sleeve and crossing her arms.
Archie grabs her upper arm, leaning in, "I will, but I need to know, have you seen Betty?" Archie says with worry in his voice.
"No," Veronica pauses, "Arch, what is going on?" Veronica leans in.
"Later Ronnie, okay?" Archie mutters leaning in and placing a small peck to the side of Veronica's mouth; and then walks away.
Archie hadn't talked to Betty since she asked him to break-up with Jughead for her, and oh man was that painful. He didn't want to do it, but how could he say no? The pain in Betty's eye was so apparent it ripped Archie apart. Betty was his friend, hell his best friend, since grade school the two of them had been best buds. They did everything together, they had sleepovers and long overnight phone calls. He loved her, she was being tortured from the inside out. On Friday, when she asked him to do what he did, it tore him apart. But, it tore her apart more, and he knew that. He had to do what he had to do for her; everything was for her. If the rest of the weekend had been how it was on Friday for her, hell he thought there had to be permanent bags under that girl's eyes.
Frantically, Archie pulls his phone out of his right pocket, dialing Betty's number. Although, he knew she wouldn't answer, she hadn't all weekend. Archie hated not being able to be there for her, but he couldn't miss his football tournament or that would've been even more suspicious. Breaking up his two best friends had to be an all-time low for Archie, the pain in their eyes was haunting him, keeping him up at night, he had to fix this. Just as he suspected, there was no answer from Betty. He quickly did a check of Betty's first period and the room for the Blue & Gold, with no luck, he decided to make a house call.
As he knocked on the door of the Cooper's house, he knew there would be no answer. He opened the door to silence. Was she here? He thought. He headed up the stair case. As he neared her room, the door was shut. Archie peeked in, immediately hearing muffled sniffles and gasps. Awe hell, she was bawling. Archie rushed to the bedside, noticing Betty curled up with a blanket in the fetal position bawling. Her hair was a mess, she was shaking, her clothing consisted of a plain white t-shirt and oversized gray sweatpants. She looked like she hadn't showered in days.
"Betty?" Archie said placing a hand at the small of her back.
But, that only made Betty cry harder.
He couldn't see her face, but he knew it was bad.
Archie attempted to get her to sit up, but it was no use, he could tell she hadn't moved in days. He pulled Betty into his arms, attempting to soothe any sense of loneliness she might have. He felt like such an ass. He did this, he caused this, he is the reason she is spiraling. Betty continued to sob, slowly dampening the white t-shirt that accompanied Archie's chest. He held her as she shook, running his hand up and down her back just to try and calm her down.
"Betty, I don't want to ask what's wrong because I know, but what can I do?" He mumbles against her head.
With a sniffle Betty finally looks up, "He won't stop calling," she quivers.
Archie shutters, instantly understanding that she's talking about the Black Hood. But, all he can see are Betty's empty, yet piercing, green eyes accompanied by large swollen blue and purple patches under them. Archie's grabs Betty's head, pushing it back into him chest, just holding her.
"Betty, I am so sorry." He whispers.
"No, Arch you don't understand." Betty mutters.
"What do you mean?" Archie questions.
"After you left for the tournament, he called again. He led me to an abandoned house, the one on the edge of fox forest at the end of the service road, you know it?" Betty says through sniffles.
Archie nods with concern.
"I thought he was going to show me who he was, but he fooled me, again." Betty says starting to sob again.
"Betty you went alone!?" Archie exclaims.
Betty stops him, "I had to, he would've killed someone if I didn't." Betty explains.
"What happened?" Archie asks.
"He made me put on a mask," Betty shutters. "Like him," she continues. "He said he was trying to show me how similar we are."
"Betty, you are nothing like that monster." Archie says trying to console her.
Betty start sobbing again, "I had to give him a name or he said he'd kill you," Betty mutters not looking Archie in the eyes.
"Betty," Archie stutters.
"I did." She continues.
"Who?" Archie demands. "Betty who!" Archie exclaims louder, backing away from Betty.
"Nick St. Claire" Betty whimpers.
"Oh, Betty" Archie pulls Betty to him again.
"Archie, I'm just like him." Betty sobs. "I'm a killer"
"Betty, Nick's not dead." Archie mutters.
Betty sniffles, looking up "He's not?"
"No, Betty he's not." Archie says trying to soothe her.
"I haven't left my room all weekend, I couldn't bare to know. I haven't checked my phone or the news, I didn't want to know." Betty says. "My mom thinks I've been in bed with the flu all weekend." She continues.
Archie doesn't speak.
"Arch?"
"Yeah?" he snaps.
"Why hasn't Jughead come by?" Betty questions him. "I know I haven't check my phone, but I thought he would've at least come by," she continues.
Still Archie says nothing.
"Archie, what did you say to him?" Betty says moving out of the comfort of Archie's lap.
Archie still says nothing, closing his eyes and placing his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose.
"Archie!" Betty demands.
"I might've went too far." Archie mumbles.
"What?" Betty exclaims.
"Jughead's a Serpent!" Archie tells her.
Betty eyes fill with despair and a somber look of confusion takes residence on her face.
"When I went over to Jug's place all of the Serpent's were there. They asked him if he was ready for the last step of some initiation," Archie says confused. "I got carried away, I was so angry and I just kept talking and I might've went too far." Archie continues.
Betty stands from the bed, "You're lying" she says.
"Betty, c'mon have I ever lied to you?" Archie asks, standing.
"Jug would never become a Serpent. That's his dad's life not his, we've talked about this." Betty exclaims placing her right hand on her hip, pacing.
"Betty, Jughead is a Serpent." Archie tells her.
"What did you say?" Betty stops pacing.
"What?" Archie asks.
"You said you got carried away, what did you say?" Betty says, her voice getting a little louder.
Archie walks over to Betty's window sill and sits down, dropping his head between his knees.
"Archie!" Betty yells.
"I told him-" Archie pauses. "I told him you had been agonizing over breaking up with him," Betty eyes fill with rage. "For weeks"
"Archie!" Betty says furious.
"I know Betty, I know. I'm so sorry." Archie pleads.
"I can't believe you." Betty says defeated.
Betty starts to grab her things. Her coat, her phone, and her wallet. Muttering under her breath, before finally reaching for her keys.
"Where are you going?" Archie questions standing to meet her at the vanity.
"I need to see him. I need to fix this." Betty tells him.
"No," Archie says.
Betty looks up at him, "What?" she asks.
"Let me fix this." Archie tells her. Betty shakes her head, pushing her tongue to her cheek. "Let me make this right, I did this, I need to fix it." he pauses. "And no offense, but you look like hell." Archie says, Betty chuckles softly. "I will find out what's going on with the Serpents, okay? I will tell him everything, I promise. I'll fix this." Archie says leaning in grabbing Betty's hand.
Betty nods, and Archie removes the wallet, phone, coat, and keys from Betty's hands placing them back on the vanity. Betty sinks back into the bed, just as Archie opens the door to her closet.
"What are you doing?" Betty questions.
Archie removes an oversized gray t-shirt from one of the hangers and a pair of pink plaid pajama pants from one of the bins. Not saying anything, he walks into the bathroom and turns the nobs on the tub before placing the plug after getting the temperature right. Archie walks back into Betty's bedroom, only to see her curled up back in the blanket with her knees drawn to her chest.
"Oh, no. If you think I'm gonna leave you curled up in the bed your crazy." He says.
"Arch," Betty whines, sitting up.
"Let's go." Archie says reaching out for her hand.
"Okay, but not that shirt." Betty says nodding to the windowsill where Archie had laid out the clothes he removed from the closet.
"And why not?" Archie questions.
Betty's eyes fill with tears again, "Because it's Jug's" she mutters.
Archie pulls Betty into a hug, "Then it's perfect," he tells her.
Betty sniffles again.
"Okay, enough crying. I'm honestly not sure how you have any tears left." Archie says, pulling away from her. Betty sniffs letting out a small chuckle.
"Take a bath, relax. I'm going to fix this." Archie says.
Betty nods, placing her hands in the back pockets of the sweat pants that might as well be glued to her body.
Archie smiles at her, grabbing a towel and wash cloth from the hall closet and placing them in the bath room, before descending back down the stairs.
He has to fix this.
Just as Archie approach's Jughead's trailer, hands in coat pockets, he hears a sudden commotion. Serpents emerge from the far end of the trailer, laughing and nudging. Leading them, is Jughead- now sporting a Southside Serpents leather jacket. Archie sighs, looking at his feet in disbelief.
"Well, would you look at what we have here." Sweet Pea mutters.
Jughead turns around, to see Archie looking defeated- he's instantly concerned.
"Can we help you with something pretty boy?" Another one of the Serpent's says.
"Guys, I got this." Jughead steps forward placing his hand down palm out, warning the rest of the Serpent gang to back off.
Archie finally looks up, seeing the cuts and bruises that took residence all over Jughead's face. Archie looks stunned and confused.
"What do you want, man?" Jughead questions. "Here to tell me how much of a disappointment I am, again?" Jug continues.
"Jug," Archie mutters.
"Archie, I have nothing to say to you," Jughead says with warning.
"Look man, I just want to talk." Archie explains.
"No," Jughead mutters. "You know what, no-"
"It's Betty," Archie cuts him off.
Pain fills Jughead's eyes, Archie knew that would get his attention. The Serpents see that as a cue to leave, nudging and grabbing Jughead's shoulder, saying they would see him later.
After all of the other Serpent's leave, Jughead paces further into the road, one hand on hip one hand on chin.
"What's Betty?" Jug asks.
"Jug, she's in bad shape." Archie says.
"Why are you here Archie, ripping my heart out the first time wasn't good enough for you?" Jughead says with anger. As the word 'you' exits Jughead's mouth, he walks up to Archie and shoves him, hard.
"Jug, chill out- you don't know the whole story." Archie exclaims through shoves.
"What?" Jughead stops.
"The Black Hood has been calling Betty," Archie starts. "He told her there were certain people she had to cut out of her life or he would, his way." Archie continues.
Jughead stares at the ground, confused.
"The Black Hood told her that if she didn't break up with you, he would kill you." Archie tells him.
Jughead still doesn't say anything, stunned.
"Jug, she couldn't bring herself to do it, so she asked me to."
"So, she didn't want to break up?" Jughead asks.
"No, man. It was just another one of the Black Hood's twisted games." Archie explains. "She didn't want the Black Hood to hurt you, but it was too painful for her to put not only you but herself through that. She knew you would know something was up and you would get her to tell you what was going on." Archie continues.
"But, you said she had been agonizing over it," Jughead defends. "You said she had been planning it for weeks." Jughead continues.
"I know man, I had to make you believe it. But, I was way too cruel. I saw that you were joining the Serpents and that sent me over the edge. I was angry, with you, with her, with the Black Hood. I went too far, and I'm so sorry." Archie pleads.
Jughead can't say anything, he's stunned.
"Betty is in hell, man. She's been crying for days, the Black Hood won't stop calling her, using her. She lost V, she lost you, she's a mess man." Archie continues to plead.
Suddenly Jughead has a moment of realization. He begins to walk towards his motorcycle on the opposite side of the trailer.
"Where are you going?" Archie questions as he follows.
But, Jughead doesn't answer.
Archie grabs Jughead's shoulder to get him to stop. Jughead turns around, "Jug, you're in serious danger. If the Black Hood finds out that you know about this, and that you trying to fix this. You could get yourself killed." Archie tells him.
"Since when did you become so scared of the Black Hood?" Jughead questions. "What happened to the Archie that formed the Red Circle, the Archie that wanted to take the Black Hood down. Now, he's targeting the people that you love the most and you just want to back down?" Jughead questions.
"Well, I won't. The fact that Betty's been living this, alone. Just about guts me, and she's not going through this alone anymore." Jughead says, begin to walk towards the motorcycle again.
"I knew something was up, I knew Betty would never do something like this, or especially send you to do it, no offense." Jughead says almost talking to himself. "God, I feel so stupid." Jughead says straddling the bike.
"I'm gonna go get my girl," Jughead says before placing the helmet on his head and driving off.