Breathing in deep ragged breathes the blonde leaned into the door bell. She didn't have the strength to pull away. Her body felt like lead. She had ran all the way here from her home. Six miles in under twenty minutes. All she knew was that she could remain in her home any longer. That she couldn't bare to be in her own home. With her family. She had to get out. She had to get away. Fast. So she ran like her life depended on it.
It did. All she knew was that she would't be alive again until she was truly home.
The door opened and a very concerned Hermione Lodge stared at the heartbroken and very fragile Betty Cooper. "Come in dear." She gently guided the teenage blonde into her home. The door bell finally falling silent. She closed the door behind them as she gently led the way towards the nearest couch.
"Veronica isn't home yet." Hermione spoke in a soft and gentle voice. She felt the blonde tense up even more. "She's on her way through. She should be here within ten minutes darling." She gently stroked back some of stray hair from Betty's sweaty face.
"Have some water Miss. Betty." Smithers spoke softy as he handed over a glass of water. He watched as Betty gripped the glass and rose it to her lips. He was relieved that she managed to drink some of the water through her ragged breathe. He saw that his mistress had the blonde teen well in hand. He walked from the room. He would wait with the door open for when Miss. Veronica would arrive. He knew that she wouldn't want a door in her way.
Betty couldn't keep the shakes from her body. She just wanted the shaking to stop. But without her home. She didn't believe the shakes would ever be able to leave her body. She believed that she would die due to the shaking.
Arms quickly wrapped around her and pulled her into ... her home. She was finally home again. Her head rested as she listened to the calming heartbeat of her soul. Her lifeline. Her home. Her eyes closed as she just allowed herself to finally relax in her home.
"Hey." Softly entered her ear. She hummed as she snuggled even closer against her home.
She felt soft moisture on the skin of her forehead. Her eyes blinked open. She lifted them to met the soft compassionate chocolate brown ones. "Hi." She husked out.
(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)
"I would absolutely love to be the one to teach that vile woman the proper way of committing suicide." Hermoine hissed through her pursed lips as Smithers filled the kettle with water. "But then that would mean that I would have to be in the same room as she is."
"I don't think that is wise in the moment Mrs. Lodge." Smithers said in a tight voice as he placed the kettle on top the stove. "I don't think that is the right course for Miss. Betty." He sighed deeply. He turned to face his employer. "But if I thought it would be helpful I would love to be in on that lesson."
(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)
Flashback:
"Elizabeth Cooper!" Alice barged into her youngest daughter's bedroom. The door banged into the wall. Fire was leaping from her eyes and her breathing was ragged.
Betty had jumped up from her desk chair in fright. "M-mom..." she shuttered.
"Don't fucking shutter!" Alice snarled.
Betty moved an inch backwards.
"I had a very interesting phone call today." Alice folded her arms across her chest tightly.
Betty tried desperately tried to think of any wrong that she had committed so far that day. She couldn't come up with anything. She tried to recall the previous day and the day before that. But nothing came to light. At least noting new. Everything that her mom had got after all her ready was done. Unless Alice was still angry over some past deed ... and perhaps whomever called her that day brought up one of the past deeds.
"I'm talking to you!" Alice's voice broke through Betty's wild thoughts.
Betty blinked. "Sorry mom." She breathed out. "So you said you had a very interesting phone call today?" Her chest tightened.
"Mr. Russo so kindly informed me young lady that ..." Betty's soul dropped at what she knew was going to come flying out of her mother's mouth. "you and Veronica Lodge are partnered for the next four months."
"Mr. Russo told us that we can't trade partners mom." Betty's back straightened. "This is half my grade here. What do you want me to do not work with Veronica ... do the project alone?" She shook her head. "Mr. Russo says this protect is a partners protect. That we have to work together for the final grade. If we try to work alone then we will get an automatic failing grade."
Alice marched over to her youngest daughter and placed her arms on her daughter's upper arms. "I'm sure that as soon as you learned of this project you went and begged Russo to pair you with Veronica." Her gripe tightened on her daughter's arm.
Betty shook her head. "No mom. I had no idea this project was coming up." She flinched at the tightness of her mother's fingers on her arms. "You are hurting me." She looked into her mother's heated eyes.
"Don't lie to me Elizabeth Cooper!" Alice seethed.
"I'm not lying." Betty swallowed around the lump in her throat.
"I will teach you not to lie to me." Alice pushed and moved her youngest daughter back against the wall. "I will teach you that I mean business when I tell you NOT to have that vile Veronica Lodge in your life."
Betty was frightened. For the very first time sense she learned that she could fight against her mother ... this was the first time she was actually frightened. Usually she and her mother vocally battered one another ... never has her mother gotten physical with her.
"I'll convince Mr. Russell to switch Veronica with someone else." Betty breathed out.
A thin smile lit Alice's mouth. "You really think it's going to be that easy don't you darling?" One of her hands rose to lightly trace her daughter's cheekbone. Once it reached her jaw her hand held firmly. "I have told you from the very start that bitch was out to destroy you Elizabeth. But you didn't listen. Now it is too late. Much much too late." Fire entered her eyes as she met her frighten daughter's blue green eyes. "You must have the perfect grade point avenge Elizabeth. You know this. In order to get into the very best Ivy League school you must have the perfect grade point avenge."
"You are hurting me mom." Betty whimpered due to the pain of her mother's tight hold on her jaw.
Alice leaned forward; "If you keep up with your friendship with that vile Veronica Lodge; Elizabeth dear; then you'll know what true hurt is." She pulled away from her youngest and calmly walked towards the hallway. "Dinner will be at the usual time Elizabeth. Make sure you are perfectly dressed." With one final look at her youngest daughter she left the room.
Betty wide eyed stared at her open bedroom door and the empty hallway. Did her mother honesty just threaten her? Like honesty truly threaten her? Her body began to shake without her being aware of it. Her heart felt like it wanted to burst out of her chest. Her eyes drifted towards her open window over to the empty window of Archie. The Andrew's home was dark.
Betty knew that she wouldn't find safety there anyway. It was much much too close to her mother. No! The Andrews home wasn't her safe place any longer. Or was it ever was? She was very doubtful now to know if she ever truly felt safe within the Andrew's home after it got too much here in her own home.
Betty looked fearful back at her open door and knew that she had to escape. She couldn't stay in this room any longer. She couldn't stay in the house any longer. She needed to go where it was safe. She felt her body move forward being careful to be quiet so her mother wasn't aware of her trying to escape. She was soon at her front door never knowing how she made it down the stairs. She opened the door and carefully and quietly shut the door behind her. She carefully made her way quietly down her front porch; and as soon as her feet hit the pavement she was off.
She didn't fully know where she was going. All she knew was she had to get far away from the house. From her mother. From the danger.
End Flashback
Betty buried her head into Veronica's chest. Resting her head above the slightly younger girl's heart. She just needed to listen to this calming heart beat. This heartbeat that said home, safe, loved, treasured.
- Author's Note -
I took the prompt:
JOB: Teacher
I began the prompt on a note that I was going to be cute but sexy with my favorite girls. But it didn't feel right. So I deleted it. When I began again this came to mind.
Now I know I used the word 'teach' a whole bunch of time and the prompt stated Job: Teacher ... but in my defense I did honesty add a teacher's name. So that counts still right? Right?