The Yearly 365 Challenge

Prompt #59 (Scenario) – You're my theatre department rival for the this lead but we got cast as love interests instead

CHAPTER ONE

PRELUDE: THE CASTING

"No I'm not doing it." Veronica's heart dropped at the roughness in the blonde's voice. Her mask firmly locked in place on her face as she rolled her eyes.

"Ms. Cooper it's quite simple really." The director sighed impatiently.

"I did not sign on for this." The blonde folded her arms tightly across her chest.

"If you want a role in the play then yes you did sign on for this." The director stated in a firm voice. "Betty, I have given you the lead."

Veronica watched as Betty swallowed around a lump in her throat. She honesty felt bad for the blonde. She had a feeling that this wasn't due to the fact that Betty would have to act against her … that they were the main love interest instead of one of them and Archie. It was the fact that she would have to be intimate with a female on stage … in front of a huge audience. (Well an audience whom decided to pay for tickets to a college play). Her eyes softened as Betty's eyes dart towards hers then quickly back at the director.

"If Betty truly isn't comfortable then let Archie still be the lead and you need to decide whom acts against him." Veronica sighed as she shrugged her shoulders.

"No." The director spoke in a firm tone. "I have made up my mind girls. I want you two as my leads …. you are the romantic couple … the play surroundes your love." He looked into Betty's shell shock freaked out eyes. "It's going to be okay Betty. Relax. I'm not going to push any enevelopes here. It's going to be fine." He sighed as he stood to his feet. "This is why I asked to see you two girls without everyone else. But I have another meeting that I must attended too. Betty if you change your mind and don't want the lead … then I'll find someone else for Veronica … but it's no longer a male/female love story". He smiled. "You two girls have shown me what the true love story is for this story." He turned and walked up the isle towrds the doors.

"Great, great..." Betty's harsh whisper made Veronica's eyes turn back towards her.

"If you don't want to do it B then you don't have too. No sweat off my back." Veronica stood to her feet.

"Don't call me that." Betty growled not looking up from her lap.

Veroncia blinked. She's more upset then I thought. She never minded before. "Sorry." She spoke in a low tone. She breathed. "So are your folks the homophobics?" She decided to take the bull by the horns … after all that was what she did. She leaned back against the back of the chair in front of their row.

Betty's hands balled up in her lap. "It's not that. My parents don't care one way or the other." Her eyes finally lifted to meet Veronica's. "It's much more unbelievable and unreasonable than that." She sighed.

"So your mother hates my mother." Veronica shrugged her shoulders. "We found that little tid bit out once you learned that my last name was Lodge; and my mother's name is Hermione." She tilted her head. "I talked to my mom and she doesn't hate your mother; . She understands why your mother hates her .. but she doesn't return the feelings."

"My mother …." Wearings overclouded the sea of blue green iris; "You know I'm so sick and tired of my mothers unreasonable hatred of your family; of your mother; of you." Betty's eyes widen at that.

"So that's it." Veronica gently nodded. That was why Betty refused to get to know her after they met up during first day of their freshemen year the previous year. That was why when Betty learned that Veronica was her roommate; that Betty switched rooms. "Good to know it wasn't truly personal." Was all she could think to say.

Betty's eyes softened. "I'm sorry for being such a royal bitch."

"You weren't." Veronica replied. "Like I said Betty I'll back out of the play if that makes you more comfortable. You are an increadible Isbella, and it would be a same not see you up on that stage."

Betty shook her head. "No. You are a more wonderful Isbella than I. You'll take the role. I'll work behind the scenes."

Neither girl knew it but the director had slipped back inside and was sitting a few rows up in the darkness. He fully knew that if he just left the two young women to talk this out themselves then they would agree to take to the two leads. He was surprised at the personal history that he learned … but he could see that Betty truly didn't want to walk away from the play …. or Veronica. He smiled softly. Perhaps in his little way he could help bring these two soulmates together.

Veronica shook her head. "You belong center stage Betty Cooper; not behind the scenes." She took a breath. "If you agree then I'll make sure that the play will be decent. That no one would honesty believe that we care about one another out of the play."

Betty jumped to her feet. "No. I care about you Veronica." She pressed against Veronica into the back of the chair. Her hands came up to steady themselves on two of the chairs.

Veronica's eyes widen. Her cheeks grew heated. "I care about you to B...etty." She stumbled over her nickname for the blonde.

Betty's fingers tightened against the cheap fabric of the chair. "I-I want to do the play with y-y-you. The play is beautiful; and I don't want it ruined."

"Are you sure?" Veronica whispered searching the sea of blue green that was just inches from hers. It took all her will power not to put her arms around the blonde; and pulling her against her. To mash their lips together. Her beat rapidly at being so close to her crush (no Veronia knew Betty Cooper was no mere crush … she knew it the first moment she locked eyes on the blonde on the first day of classes. She knew that fate had a hand in their meeting. That fate destined them to be in each other's lives. At the time with Betty being so very distance with her … and learning that she was in fact assigned to room with Betty … but that Betty requested a rooming switch … she thought fate just desitned them to be fellow college alum together .. and perhaps business associotes. But that thought very quickly left her soul when she felt the pull that fate had for her towards the blonde. She thought that perhaps once she broke down some of the blonde's walls then perhaps fate destined them to be close friends … perhaps best friends … but she still felt like she had the fate pull wrong still … it wasn't till Christmas the previous year that she finally admitted to herself that fate had fated her and Betty to be soul mates. She swore to herself that she would be faithful and wait for Betty to realize this … even if if it took several decades for the blonde … Veroncia could wait a lifetime for her soulmate).

"Yes I'm sure." Betty breathed out. Her face turned red as she realized that she was pressing Veronica literally into the back of the chair. She backed away quickly as she moved out of the isle. "Oh God; I'm so sorry Veronica; I didn't realize."

Veroncia was impressed that Betty managed to get out of the small space so graceful without tripping. But she knew Betty Cooper was very athetic. So it shouldn't have been surprising … but she had to give the girl her prompts. "It's quite all right B." She smirked. "I didn't mind."

Softness returned to Betty's eyes. "I'm glad that I didn't scare you from calling me that."

"Why would you?" Veronica stepped out of the row herself. She put a little respectful space between her and Betty. After all it wouldn't due to press into Betty when there wasn't a very good reason too. No need to frighten Betty off. Not when they finally made some progress with their closeness.

Betty shook her head. She breathed. "I have a confession to make. I switched rooms when I found out that you were my roommate. I knew once my mother found out then she would be ordering me to do so. She would have made the last few weeks of my homelife a living nightmare … my dad would still have to be dealing with it."

"I get it B." Veronica softly spoke. "When I learned the situation a few weeks after classes started .. . and I thought of all the time my mom spoke of her childhood in Riverdale … mom even knew that your dad and mom got married." She shrugged. "I respect you Betty Cooper."

Betty's head tilted to the left. "I don't know why? I have treated you so horrible even without knowing you personally." She frowned darkely. "I was so afraid of my mother's unnatural and unfair anger against your mother … that I allowed that to cloud my own ability to make my own decisions to like you or not." Her shoulders stiffened as her hands curled into her palms.

"Hey now." Veronica reached out to touch Betty's shoulder. "Stop beating yourself up for it. I mean I fully admit that I truly don't like anyone whom my mom truly doesn't like. I stick by mother … and you do also. There is nothing wrong with sticking by your parents. Even when you grow old enough to realize that sometimes their anger is unjustified in your eyes. You still stick by them … then when you are old enough to begin to show them that there are other ways of handling things you do so."

"But I haven't." Betty frowned darkely. "Don't you see Veronica; I haven't."

"Yes you have." Veronica replied. "I mean you were never mean to me whenever we are in the same place as one another. You don't completely shut me out whenever we had to interact with one another. You just kept a wall that I couldn't breatch was all."

"There was still a wall." Betty sighed.

"But there isn't one now." Veronica replied stepping a little closer to the blonde.

Betty eyes searched Veronica's. "Yeah there isn't one now." She husked out.

Veronica feel even more deeply in love.

"So there is this play … I was wondering how would you like to be my leading lady?" Betty's right eyebrow rose.

Veronica hand lowered from Betty's shoulder. She lifted her hand to rest underneath her chin. "Why Miss. Betty Cooper are you implying that you would like me to be your 'Bella'?" She flattered her eyebrows.

The director carefully stood to his feet and slipped out of the theater. He had made the wise and right choice in his casting. He smiled as he thought of the play the he really had planned; but couldn't let anyone know that they were really auditioning for. He loved the theater. He loved being able to help a love story come together off stage by having it come together on stage. He just loved love.

Betty rolled her eyes with a bemused smile. "Stop being such a huge dork."

"You are the huge dork." Veronica grinned back. "Well seeing how we are leading ladies … how about we get some bonding so it will be very believable up on that stage?" She held her breath hoping against hope that Betty won't reject her. But she was ready for Betty to say that she just wanted to interact with her for the play … and just for the play.

"I would like that." Betty replied with an easy smile.

Veronica relaxed. "Okay then." She linked arms with Betty and led the way up the isle. "Betty Cooper you have no idea what you got yourself into."

Betty looked sideways at the slightly shorter brunette. "Oh I'm pretty such I do." She felt warmth coarse through her nerves system.

END OF PRELUDE