Just a little character study on Jughead and his thoughts on dating Betty. :)
When Jughead had been thirteen and gangly he had known he wasn't like everyone else. Not just in superficial ways either. He already knew he dressed different, talked different, heck, even acted differently than everyone else his age. He was different in other ways.
At thirteen, people seemed to be discovering their attraction for the opposite sex. Archie went girl crazy over every girl, well, except Betty. All the other boys ogled the girls. The girls fluttered their eyelashes at the boys. Betty baked a lot of cookies for Archie.
And Jughead… Jughead didn't stare at the girls. Or the boys (like Kevin). Jughead just didn't get it. He knew he was different though, how could he not notice while being Archie Andrews friend? The difference between them was obvious.
He never really wondered about it, beyond a few observations. In all honesty, he was glad he didn't have to worry about suddenly losing his mind staring at girls (or guys). He didn't get it, and he didn't really want to.
The one time Archie had asked him about it they'd been fourteen and in middle of freshman year. Jughead had made a joke about how glad he was he didn't need to worry about ever having to go to things like dances.
And Archie, being Archie, had furrowed his brow and asked: 'What about when you get a girlfriend?'
'Not gonna happen,' Jughead had replied, all confidence and surety.
'Then, a… boyfriend?' Archie had said, sounding unsure and confused.
'Nope, that isn't gonna happen,' Jughead had said.
'What do you mean?' Archie had asked, and yeah, Jughead knew it wasn't a thing guys did, talked about feelings and all that stuff. But when had Jughead ever been like other guys?
Jughead remembered shrugging. 'I just don't like people I guess.'
'Well, that's a lie. You like me.'
'I like Betty too. I mean I just don't care about dating or all that other stuff.'
'Oh.' And Archie had still looked confused, but he'd dropped it there.
Jughead was being honest then too. He didn't want to date anyone. The idea of kissing anyone gave him the chills and made him shudder. Doing anything else was almost gag-inducing.
But, well, then Betty.
It had happened slowly, he supposed. Betty was really his only close friend other than Archie. Sure, without Archie they never would have known each other, so they never really hung out together without Archie.
Until high school, that was. Archie was the cliche girl-crazy boy you saw in movies, and Betty, who'd been trying to get his attention for years, was left in the dust. Jughead was too, but only because he didn't particularly care about dating and girls in general.
Betty had come into Pop's while he was writing on his old laptop. A short story that didn't go anywhere really and was only to get the idea out of his head and on paper. Jughead had looked up when the bell rang. Once he saw it was just Betty, he looked back to his screen.
A moment later he'd heard someone slide into his booth. Raising an eyebrow, he'd looked up. Betty had been sitting across from him, blushing faintly, though Jughead suspected that had more to with the cold weather than the company.
'Hi, Jughead,' she'd said, sounding equal parts disappointed and happy.
'Cooper,' he remembered saying lazily. 'Looking for Archie?'
Wordlessly, she'd shaken her head.
'Well, I doubt you came here to see me,' he'd said honestly.
'Well, we're friends, aren't we, Jughead?'
'Yes?' Jughead remembered saying, confused.
'Don't be stupid, of course we are,' Betty had huffed. 'I came looking for you for some company.'
In retrospect, that was probably what had started it, know she'd come looking for him of all people. And at first, it really only had been a deeper friendship. Jughead had come over to her house when her parents weren't home because he was fairly sure Alice Cooper was the devil and he didn't want to brave her just to see Betty, no matter how good a friend she was.
It was only about halfway through spring when he'd been invited over to Betty's house after school to work on homework together and they were debating Heathcliff's character flaws that he was struck with a sudden and unfamiliar sensation.
It was kind of like a squeeze in his stomach. Followed by feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. And then an unfamiliar thought.
Betty looks really pretty.
As they say, that had been the beginning of the end.
It had been confusing, to say the least, because Jughead had never thought of someone that way. Sure, he'd objectively thought Betty was pretty before. But in the same context as he'd thought Archie was handsome. It was just a fact.
This thought was different because with it came the feeling that Jughead would really like to kiss her. Just lean over while they were both laying on the floor, homework in front of them, and press his lips to hers. Embrace her and do… well, more.
After that, he continued spending time with Betty, going over to her house when invited, drinking milkshakes with her at Pop's, and debating books. The only difference was now everything felt different.
With the amount of time they spent together and without Archie, it was inevitable that some people would take notice. Actually, Archie was the first to notice.
He'd sat down across from Jughead at Pop's and given him a blank stare until Jughead had looked up from his laptop, rolling his eyes.
With that, Archie had asked Jughead why he was spending so much time with Betty and since they were friends Jughead could tell Archie if he and Betty were dating.
Jughead had laughed in Archie's face and waved him away with a simple: 'Come on, Arch, you know me.'
And that was that.
But it had gotten Jughead thinking again, and that was when he knew that no matter his feelings, he couldn't get in the way of Betty and Archie. The endgame.
After summer started, Betty had given Archie and Jughead a hug before getting on her flight the LA for an internship at a publishing house. Jughead had gotten a job at the Twilight Drive-In. Archie worked for his dad.
Everything seemed to be going the way fate had written it. Jughead knew that when Betty got back, Archie would somehow know what he was missing. Archie would choose Betty and they'd be happy together and the only girl Jughead had ever liked would be gone just like that.
Then the summer actually got in full swing. Archie bailed on their road trip. Betty stopped texting him and sending him pictures. Jughead stopped trying with both of them. And then the script that life had planned out for them ground to a halt and took a completely different direction with Jason Blossom's death.
In the end, though, Jughead got the girl.
I'd love to hear what anyone thinks! Thanks for reading!