Hey! I don't own Riverdale. And to my fellow fan girls and boys: this fic is going in a much different direction than you would think. It's based of off the dream I had last night, actually, so ish gets weird. Keep in mind that this is self-edited and it has been a long time since I've written anything. Hope you enjoy!
Jughead Jones watched as his best friend Archie Andrews, once again, left Betty Cooper in the dust. The raven haired boy sat in a separate booth at Pop's while observing Betty nervously playing with the bracelet on her wrist 2 hours into her "date" with Archie. He could tell she was getting increasingly anxious for the ginger to ask her to their first Riverdale High Homecoming, as it was the only thing she could talk about for weeks.
For example, yesterday: Jughead was comfortably sitting on her pink, floral sheets when a sweet voice rang into his ears after a long period of silence. "Juggie, do you really think he'll ask me?" said Betty.
"Yeah, Betts. He'd be a true idiot if he didn't." Jughead smiled up at her, wanting to see her smile. Like any teenage girl, Betty Cooper was not invulnerable to the peer pressure of getting invited to Homecoming. Even worse, she has had a mad crush on the red haired adolescent since she could say the word "Archie," and she felt that this was her chance to jump start their romantic relationship. Despite all these pressures looming over her, Betty grinned at Jughead's remark. He always knew what to say.
But now, after the blonde dragged Jughead into Pop's 30 minutes prior to her meeting with Archie as her "backup" and "emotional support," that smile was long gone. Instead, she kept fidgeting with her bracelet as the ginger went on and on about his recent football game. From afar, Jughead could see that she was losing hope and that the boy was still blissfully oblivious to the entire ordeal.
Betty Cooper then mustered up all the courage she could and stood up abruptly. She couldn't take it anymore: the anticipation, the worry, making Archie Andrews the only thing she would think about everyday. She wasn't blind; she knew that his sights were elsewhere, but she always held hope that he would someday realize that what he wants is right in front of him.
"Archie!" she squeaked, as if she herself was surprised at her boldness.
"Betty, what are you doing? We're in public, everyone's watching." Archie answered, frantically looking around the slightly crowded diner.
"I don't care anymore, Arch. I'm tired of waiting. All night, I've been waiting for you to ask me to this stupid dance. Hell, I even dropped hints, talking about the upcoming Homecoming Game against Southside High. But apparently you have the emotional range of a teaspoon and can't recognize when a girl is desperately trying to get your attention. So will you?"
"Will I what?" sputtered an utterly confused Archie.
"Will you go to Homecoming with me?"
At these words, Jughead could almost see Betty's optimism and hope that Archie would finally see the light. C'mon, man. Don't let her down this time.
Archie took Betty's wrist, leading her in sitting down. "Betty, I'm so sorry, but Veronica asked me to go with her yesterday and I said yes."
Betty suddenly couldn't move. She hadn't heard him right, yes, that's what happened. He was simply talking about football again. Betty inwardly laughed at her futile attempts to comfort herself. No, Betty, he rejected you… again. Once she accepted this truth, a wave of emotions flew over her. First, she felt disappointment. Of course she'd be disappointed: her longtime crush rejected her. Next, sadness. Her hope that Archie would see her as "Betty Cooper: Future Girlfriend" was squashed once again. Was it worth hoping for? Does it matter? Is it her looks? Her personality? Suddenly, everything was wrong with her. Her self-esteem began deflating. Slowly but surely, she was spiraling into a pit of darkness. But what she felt last was the worst: heartbreak. It was as if her heart was physically breaking into 2 pieces by the hammer that was Archie's rejection. Crack! That was from his refusal to go to the middle school dance with her. Crack! Choosing Veronica to go to the movies with him instead of her. Crack, crack crack, goes Betty Cooper's fragile heart, shattering from the constant disappointment and anguish. Betty felt her eyes moisten. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry: she was determined. So the young blonde looked him dead in the eye and pulled her arm away from him in a brusque fashion (obviously fed up with his inability to recognize her feelings).
In the most angry and malicious tone she could muster, Betty said, "I never thought I'd say this, but... fuck you, Archie Andrews."
And with that, Betty Cooper left Pop's with her heart in her stomach, crying and weeping and sobbing.
She reached her room, running past her mother (who obviously wanted to meddle) and ignoring her sister's attempts at comfort. She quickly changed into her pajamas and launched herself into her bed, face first.
"You'll stain your pillowcase," Jughead said quietly, cutting the silence with his voice.
Betty looked to the window knowingly. Of course he would be there for her… he always was.
She opened her window as the beanie-clad boy climbed into her room. Betty giggled at the odd sight of his dark clothing in contrast to her very pink room. She would never get used to it. "I can always wash the pillowcases you know," Betty said with a sniff.
"Hey," Jughead said, moving closer to the beautiful lady, "you're going to be okay. You're Betty Cooper, remember?"
She huffed, obviously annoyed, "and what's that supposed to mean? Perfect? The blonde, 4.0 cheerleader? Or the girl who keeps chasing after someone who's disgusted by the prospect of going to a silly school dance with her? You choose." A single tear travelled down her face as she said this angrily. Betty was tired of her life, this image.
"What I was going to say was that the Betty Cooper I know will never let that son of a bitch hear the end of it. You'll go with someone else, you'll make him jealous, and you will never let him see you blink an eye. Make him pay for your heartache." Jughead was surprised at everything he had just said; he would never tell anyone to seek blatant revenge, but Betty Cooper always swayed his emotions in a way no one else could.
"Thanks Juggie, but I highly doubt anyone would want to go with me after seeing that whole fiasco at Pop's."
Jughead swallowed loudly, suddenly aware of the opportunity presented in front of him. He wants her to be happy. He'd always loved Betty Cooper from afar, but this was a chance to be close to her, to just be with her. And that in itself was worth the embarrassment of asking her.
"I would." He said with finality. Betty sharply turned her head to look at him. Did she hear him correctly?
She melted a bit inside at the sweetness of this boy. Under that rugged interior was the most generous person she's ever met.
"What?" she said quietly.
"Will you go to Homecoming with me? I mean, you don't have to, it would be weird to go with me 'cause we're just friends right? I totally understa-"
She cut him off with a squeal of excitement and a big hug. "Yes, Juggie, I'll go with you."
He smiled the biggest smile that night, and he didn't even try to stop it.
3 years later, the happiness of this night became but a mere memory. It was gone, perhaps forever. But a hardened, more guarded Jughead Jones was searching for this feeling once more, and Betty Cooper held the key.