*set after episode 10, season 1

AU: I've watched until episode 6 season 3 and lemme just say that season 1 Bughead is DEFINITELY the best; no doubt

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Betty POV

I walked into the garage to find Jughead. I mean, he was missing his birthday party. I know he would hate what it turned into, but we could grab Archie and Veronica and sit in the corner and talk.

"Jughead," I started.

"My father has a drinking problem, you do know that right?" he burst

I was shocked, "of course I do, I didn't plan on Cheryl and Chuck and the rest of the school crashing. This was supposed to be just your friends."

"You and Archie are my friends…"

He said more, but I barely heard, why was he so worked up. I made the mistake of asking why.

" I'm weird. I'm a weirdo. I don't fit in and I don't wanna fit in. Have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on? That's weird."

Was he seriously that mad that I threw him a party to celebrate his birthday?!

Me: Why are you getting so upset?

Jug: It's the fact that you don't know or care that this is the last thing I would want. You did this for you. To prove something.

I could barely move. "What?" I stuttered. I wanted to know I could still control something, but it was more. I wanted to let him know something. I wanted him to know that I cared about him. That was it.

Before I could tell him, he cut me off.

"I don't know, to prove you're a great girlfriend or something?"

Before I knew it, he was prodding something much much deeper.

Jughead: You're the perfect girl-next-door.

I hate those words and he knows. How could he throw them in my face?

Jughead: I'm the damaged, loner outsider from the wrong side of the tracks. Betty, who are we kidding? We're on borrowed time.

I feel like someone's holding me underwater. I can't breathe or move, but I want to. My mind is moving and my heart is racing, but my lungs are gasping for air. Does he believe that? Does he believe we aren't right for each other?

Jughead: I am not one of your projects Betty.

Project?

"You're not a project, you're my boyfriend."

My eyes are filling with tears. No, I will NOT cry. I don't cry in front of people I don't trust and I don't know what to think anymore.

" Until you're sick of slumming it with me? Until Archie changes his mind and says he wants you?" he yells in my face.

The water drowns me, the person holding me down wins. I clench my fists tighter than ever before. I want to yell at him. I'm about to. No. I can't. My years of putting on a mask can't be lost now. No one has ever heard me yell before and it won't start now. Blood drips through my fingers. I will do whatever it takes to not yell. I bite my lips to stop sound from leaving them. I blink away my tears. Composture. I nod and leave as fast as I can without running. I will not run.

JUGHEAD POV

I can't believe I said that. I can't.

I said we're on borrowed time.

I said a lot, but the worst was that I told her she would go crawling back to Archie when she was done with me. When she was sick of me. I expressed my deepest emotion and fears and threw everything she hated in her face. To be honest, I wanted a rise from her. I wanted her to fight back. I've never heard her yell, not once. Not at Cheryl or Veronica or Archie or Kevin or her mother or even me. God knows I deserved it.

That was the unsolved mystery. She was about to yell, I know it. The sound was pleading to leave her. Her eyes were filled with angry sadness. How did she not yell. How?

I need to fix this. How?