The cold seemed to mimic the emotion of the one quiet small town.
Though it had been some months since the rather "tragic incident", of what people like to call it now, things around town had changed.
The cold had brought in gloomy skies and as Jughead Jones tried ever so hard to focus on the conversation going on in the common room, he just couldn't take his mind off the shivering blonde next to him.
"What do you think it'll be like?"
Her skin seemed paler in the winter as she crawled into herself. She looked dramatically opposite to her otherwise hyperactive self. And he wondered if it was just the weather. And with that his mind wandered into the realm of Elizabeth Cooper. Things had changed.
"Hey Jones…" Reggie's voice brought him back to reality.
"Huh, yeah. What now?"
Laughter erupted amongst their little group. "What do YOU think, all this" Reggie waved animatedly around the room "…will be like once you complete that novel of yours? Riverdale would maybe finally be known for more than just a murder."
Jughead smiled, dare he say warmly, at the attempt of a compliment Reggie made. Things really had changed. "WELL Mantel, you should start getting ready for the attention you're gonna be receiving as the star athlete of our hallowed grounds"
"Yeah man, THAT'S what I'm talking about!" piped up the football star.
Before the conversation could go any further, the bell rung reminding them of the torture they had to get back to.
As they prepared to scurry out, he took a look at the retreating blonde figure. He had to say something. He should, shouldn't he? Before he could even weigh the pros and cons of being involved he heard himself call out to her "Hey Betts".
In a matter of a second her sunshine of a smile appeared in eyesight and he felt a little braver.
"You look cold." It was a harmless observation.
"Well done Sherlock. You noticed" she smirked at him, trying to be as sassy as she could.
It only made him laugh more. "Why don't you carry a jacket?"
"Well…" okay so she wasn't completely ready for a comeback "uh…I just forgot okay. I didn't realise how cold it'd be."
He couldn't help it. She looked at him with those eyes. Those big blue sparkling eyes. "Here, take this" he was now taking off his jacket for her. This has come down to some new level of manipulation, he was sure of it. Women were not to get emotional over.
In a heartbeat she was wearing it, she didn't even hesitate. It was almost like she expected it. As she rubbed the sleeves onto her skin, her soft voice spoke out "Thanks Juggie. This feels better."
They stood there in silence, in the emptying hallway, just looking at each other. Each waiting for the other one to say something. Should he say something? She was after all, still waiting there with him. He let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck "Yeah, that's-that's okay." She smiled in response, still looking into his eyes ever so bravely and he wondered where she hid away all this spunk of hers.
She was about to say something when a voice echoced down the hallway "Hey Betty" Veronica Lodge…ofcourse.
"Hey common Betty we're gonna be late and I don't wanna sit next to just anyone. We won't find ourselves a pair of free seats if we don't hurry" Jughead smiled looking between Betty and Veronica as they talked. No matter how vain and conceited he may think the brunette was, Betty and Veronica, they seemed to be better halves of each other.
"Hey so Juggie…" that name made his heart skip a beat, was it sappy? He was sure of it but he'd always deny it. "…so I'll catch you after class, yeah?" Betty chirped
"Sure thing Betts" he smiled. And as he watched her retreating figure head off to class the only thing he could think of was how darn good she looked in his leather jacket.
The hours ticked by as Jughead Jones imagined a hyperactive Betty prancing around in his big leather jacket. And even in the cold, the thought of that warmed him. He wondered whether that was okay, or even allowed for not too many months ago, he thought she was Archie's. Very evidently by how things were now, that didn't seem to be the case. Things had changed. Didn't they?
As he stood near his locker wasting away time, contemplating on whether the blonde really meant it when she said that she would meet him after class Veronica darted him back to reality "Good God, was that a sight to see in class."
He gave her a courteous smile. "Well don't you wanna know what happened?" Kevin had appeared out of nowhere. Apparently there was gossip. And wherever there was gossip, there were these two. "She's gonna tell me any which way" Jughead said with assurity as he shoved some books into his locker. "Archie was inquiring about the jacket Betty was wearing today. He was totally off his rockers. Pining over her. Asking me whether she was seeing someone. Urgh I tell you-" Veronica went on to babble "-he was being sooo interested suddenly. I told him, it's not really any of his business if she was. Seeing someone that is. If she wanted to tell him she would. And as her friend he should know that." All this seemed to get Jughead's attention away from his locker: Archie being interested in Betty interested him.
"Oh so umm…" Jughead managed to fumble out some coherent thoughts "…He's um-interested in her."
"Oh Ronnie is just being overly dramatic…" and with that he noticed Betty leaning against the locker previously hid by an excitable Veronica "He merely asked who's jacket I was wearing and I told him"
Veronica was quick in her response "Oh please hush now Betty. Jughead I'm telling you that's what happened". And as Kevin and Veronica went ahead to describe in detail yet again the events of this illustrious incident Jughead could only look at the blonde who was smiling at him leaned against a locket a couple of feet away.
As it was time to go Jughead and Betty stayed back to talk and laugh out at how hilarious their two friends were being. "So um…" he needed to say something to her "well, now." He needed to think of something quickly "…You feeling okay now? I mean, like-um…not cold or anything. You can keep the jacket, it's fine. Yeah so." Maybe it were best if he just shut up.
"Are you stumbling on your words Mr. Jones?" Betty was laughing at him.
"Well Blue Eyes, what can I say, you look so delightful in that jacket of mine" He smirked leaning in closer. He recovered ever so smoothly. She blushed looking down to her feet.
"Hey Juggie" he heard her say.
"Hmm" he was still leaning into her, now being engulfed by the scent that was so quintessentially Betty Cooper.
"Walk me home" he didn't say no. Should he have? He didn't care anymore.
As they walked talking about everything under the sun, that one particular incident in class still swam around Jughead's mind. "So Archie huh?" he had to ask it was killing him. Betty laughed, not the response he thought he'd get. "Archie is just being Archie. He likes it when he's the center of the universe. Don't get me wrong, I love the boy, he's my best friend and always will be. But he's…he likes the attention."
Jughead nodded agreeably, not wanting to disrupt the comfort of the close proximity between him and Betty. Not like anything else could matter momentarily.
Betty continued "So when he offered his jacket I-"
"Wait he offered you his jacket. His letterman jacket" well, nothing other than Archie wanting Betty, could matter momentarily. "You turned down HIS jacket, that's what all the drama was about."
Her laughter filled his ear yet again "I already had a jacket, I didn't need his."
Jughead looked down. Dare he even ask "And if you didn't have mine…" He dared.
"I never wanted his."
He didn't know exactly what she meant, but it would do for now.
As they approached her house, he knew it was time. This was all he would get of Betty Cooper for today. Well, that's what he told himself, until he reached home plopped on his bed and started having a round of nonsensical messaging with her till the odd hours of night. It was all very disgustingly sappy. And he liked it.
"Remember to get you jacket tomorrow Blue Eyes, you don't want me freezing now do you?" he teased. She just laughed and shook her head as she took off his jacket. And before giving it back to him she walked up close, leaned up and kissed him on his cheek "Thanks Juggie" she whispered still lingering near his cheek "So tomorrow morning?" she said reminding him of their now morning ritual to walk to school together. Jughead could only nod. She smiled and planted another soft goodbye kiss before skipping away to her front door.
And Jughead walked home, with the thought of how much his jacket smelt like her.
The next morning he didn't know what to expect, would he be lucky get a kiss today too? Would she pretend like it never happened? Would she wear Archie's jacket? And as he saw her walk towards him rubbing her bare arms with her hands with a cheeky smile on her face, he had smile creep up on his too.
Walking to school side by side Betty bumped him and said "Juggie, its kinda cold." There was that spunk of hers again. He offered her his jacket without a second thought. And as they walked to school with Betty hanging off his arm talking animatedly about a book she read, he knew that everything had changed. And he might kind of actually like it.