Double line break means change in POV
Fuck. I'm late.
Betty Cooper thought as she jogged up the stairs to the third floor – where Archie lived. She glanced at the text she had got:
Meeting. 7:00 – A.
And she was nearly half an hour late.
It was her fault, though. Work had been a bitch and it didn't help that her boss seemed to insist on making her life a living hell. And she couldn't even complain to Veronica because her boss happened to be Reggie Mantle – aka the guy Veronica was currently passing her time. To his credit, Reggie seemed to really like Veronica. The same couldn't be said for her raven haired best friend, though. Every time Betty asked how things were going with them, Veronica would just tell her that the sex was great. Betty didn't know how to tell her that wasn't what she was asking about.
Glancing down at her watch, she whispered a final 'fuck' to herself before rapping on Archie's door. She didn't even need to knock twice – the door swung open, revealing Archie.
"Betty – finally!" He exclaimed and Betty instantly flushed with embarrassment.
"Yeah I know, I'm sorry. I just had some-" her eyes fell on Veronica sitting on the breakfast bar.
"-work stuff," she finished, thinking of how she had spent the last hour going over various tablecloths with Reggie, deciding which one Veronica would like the most. Although Betty would never have pegged him for it, Reggie Mantle was a romantic at heart. Betty admired that he cared so much but also wished it didn't mean she had to stay for an hour when she could have been back home taking a shower.
"It's fine, come in. Coffee?" Archie held out a cup of coffee. Betty was stunned. Usually, the latecomers didn't get coffee. Well, unless the latecomer was Veronica. It warmed Betty's heart to hold the coffee. Even if the coffee itself was somewhat cold at this point.
"Thanks," she muttered, leaning against the breakfast beside Veronica. Kevin walked out of the bathroom and his eyes lit up at seeing Betty. She smiled and raised her coffee at him in greeting.
"Okay, Archie, we're all here. What news did you have?" Veronica asked, kicking Betty's side lightly in greeting.
"Well, you guys know my friend, Jughead Jones?"
"You mean the one you've mentioned at least once every day since coming back from France?" Kevin asked, making Betty chuckle. Archie rolled his eyes but seemed to forget this annoyance almost immediately because a wide smile replaced the annoyance.
"Well, he said he's moving to Riverdale. Says he's hit a block in his writing and wants to see if Riverdale can help him. He's going to live with me which means he's going to be a part of our little community here!" He finished with an odd flourish and Betty couldn't help smiling at his excitement about all of them meeting this Jughead Jones. Betty hoped Jughead was just a nickname.
"Archie, um, are you sure about this? I mean, the last roommate you had..." Veronica trailed off and Betty was thrown back to the night before Archie left for France.
"Archie, you realise that this is the most I've seen of you, right? I swear, ever since Cheryl joined as a partner-" Valerie's voice soared out of the open window beside which Betty stood, listening on the fire escape.
"What exactly are you implying?" Archie interrupted.
"Exactly what you think I am."
"Valerie, there's nothing happening between me and Cheryl."
"Then why am I getting emails from her saying otherwise. She seems to believe she's going to steal you away. And, frankly, I don't blame her. I mean, she got you that big promotion and now the trip to France. Don't you see it, Archie? She's buying you so you'll stay with the company. Until a month ago you hated your job. Now suddenly 'it's not that bad'?"
"Val, the only reason I'm going to France is because I think it'll be good for me – for us. I mean, if you were in my position, with everything Cheryl's doing for me, what would you do?" Archie asked and a disbeliving silence followed.
"If you have to ask, Archie, you don't know me at all," she said and another long silence followed.
"Whatever. Do whatever you want, Archie. Just know that I don't want any part of this. So, if you want to go to France, go. But I won't be here when you return. And don't – don't call me," she said and, a few seconds later, Betty heard Archie's lock click into place.
"It'll be fine, Ronnie. For one, I'm not dating Jughead so what I do shouldn't – and won't – concern him," Archie said, pulling Betty out of memories.
"Well, if you're sure," Veronica said, shrugging. Betty could hear the uncertainty in her tone and noticed Archie's crestfallen expression at her lack of support. So she did what she did best – she put on a big smile and, moving to stand beside Archie, said, "I, for one, can't wait to meet Jughead."
The smile she got from Archie made this false support completely worth it.
"See? That's the kind of spirit I'm looking for! I really think you guys will love him – he's great," Archie said, putting an arm around her and pulling her close.
"Well, I'm always ready to meet new guys. How sure are we that he's straight?" Kevin said and Veronica laughed, the tension immediately dissipating. Archie laughed and shook his head.
"Sorry, buddy – you'll just have to figure that out for yourself."
"Aren't you dating someone, Kevin?" Veronica asked, tilting her head to one side. And just like the atmosphere reverted to the fun one it always was.
Jughead stared at his laptop. The blank page before him mocked him. The bestsellers stacked beside his laptop mocked him. The entire atmosphere he had created for his writing was now mocking him. After all he could think about was how his life had been until just two days ago.
The vase still lay a broken mess beside his dresser. He didn't want to mend it – it would make everything real. The broken vase somehow made it bearable. To know that there had been some collateral damage. Even if it was simply because someone bumped against the dresser by mistake.
"I'm leaving," she said, making his flying fingers stop immediately. He turned around, staring at her in disbelief.
"For vacation?"
"For... ever."
"T... I don't understand..." he stumbled forward, toward her, and the vase crashed and shattered. They both jumped when it happened.
"I'm sorry, Jughead," she said, and left.
No answers. No closure.
He cursed the day he had met Archie Andrews. That idiot was the reason the last four months had been bliss followed by complete garbage. So why was he sitting here, staring at his inbox, waiting for Archie to reply to his email about staying with him at Riverdale? And why did he feel like a weight was lifted when Archie seemed more than happy to let him stay with him. He also got a list of people he was warned would be constatly flitting in and out of the flat.
Kevin Keller and his flatmate Veronica Lodge. And the upstairs neighbour Elizabeth (Betty as we call her) Cooper.
When Jughead looked them up, Elizabeth (Betty as her friends called her) Cooper was by far the most interesting. She had worked as a primary reporter for the local newspaper and then, somehow, she had given that up and now worked as an assistant to a Mr. Reginald Mantle. This seemed like a demotion to Jughead but he figured there was a story here he didn't know.
Over the next three days, he packed as much as he could and, finally, with three bags outside, he glanced at his little apartment one last time. His manager had offered him a bigger place (he could afford it) but he believed in the smaller the better. Big places made him feel alone and now, he was thankful for the tiny flat. France was the longest he had stayed in any place.
Well, Riverdale, here I come.