It took a whole summer, but somehow the New York loving, fast-talking, Blair Waldorf wannabe, Veronica Lodge managed to convince Jughead Jones to be her friend.
They were polar opposites, but their friendship somehow worked. From the surface Veronica appeared to be a shallow, ditzy, snob –but for the most part she was the opposite. She valued friendship over status because of her experience with fake friends in New York, and her wit was razor sharp. Though, occasionally her classicist tendencies made her beanie-clad friend cringe - like the time that she tried to get Jughead to put truffle oil on his popcorn.
Jughead, also had many layers. To the majority of Riverdale he was just the loner from the wrong side of the tracks with few friends – this was true, but there was so much more. He was an aspiring writer, and was actually one of the brightest of his class despite being a slacker. He also was a movie and literary aficionado, like Veronica.
Both of them shared a distinct hate for fakers and bullies – in fact this is what solidified their friendship. To be precise, it started with a glare at Pop's. Jughead was typing away on his laptop about the Jason Blossom story and Veronica was new to town.
The minute she entered Pop's, the resident mean girl, Cheryl Blossom tried to swoop in and be her "friend". Luckily Veronica saw right through her.
"Sorry, Cheryl. I'm here to see my friend." She said curtly, gesturing towards Jughead who was ignoring the scene in front of him.
The redhead scoffed. "Well, good luck. He's a loser who has exactly two friends: sickeningly nice Fat Betty, and the albeit lovely, Archie."
Veronica ignored her and walked away, leaving the bombshell even more furious as she slid in the booth next to Jughead.
The beanie clad boy looked up and glared at the confident girl in front of him.
"Who are you?"
The brunette cocked her eyebrow. "Veronica. Veronica Lodge."
And just like that they became unlikely friends. Betty was away at her internship all summer, and he and Archie were still on the outs. So the loner boy put up with her antics, while she made him step out of his comfort zone.
For the first day of school – Veronica continued her theme of pushing Jughead way out of his comfort zone. He had let the devious brunette be his "stylist" for the day because she was convinced that his beanie had a Clark Kent effect.
"Ronnie, I look atrocious." Jughead groaned, as he pulled at his suspenders.
The brunette rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her brooding friend's raven hair. She inspected it closely – something was off.
A second later her face perked up as the realization set in. Quickly, she turned behind her and grabbed some wax, making one perfect curl loop right in front of his eyes.
She smiled in satisfaction and clapped her hands.
"No, you look like a fucking young Leo DeCaprio."
The loner boy continued to groan as he fiddled with his beanie-less head.
"I can't believe I let you 'She's All That' me." Jughead said with a sigh as he tried to sneak behind Veronica to get his beanie that was sitting at the edge of her vintage vanity.
Veronica smacked him, and snatched the beanie before it could reach his hands.
"You will get this back after a week - I know you want to impress a certain someone."
Jughead rolled his eyes. "No, I don't."
He made the mistake of mentioning Betty over the summer, and since then Veronica was convinced that he secretly had a crush on Betty. What Veronica didn't know is that Betty just happened to be one of two people he could tolerate – now part of a set of three people he could tolerate. Their relationship was strictly platonic. Plus, he promised her he would help with Archie once she got back from L.A.
Veronica smirked. "I'm going to ignore that. Also, I didn't she's all that you. I literally took off your beanie and put you in hipster clothes. You're already a fucking hottie, Jug. Now own it."
The outcast shrugged and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder.
"Fine - let's get this over with, Ronnie. I'm sure to be the laughing stock, while the girl's fawn over Archie's puberty spike." He said bitterly as he fidgeted with the strap of his white tank.
Veronica smirked and put her arm around Riverdale's very own Holden Caufield.
"Haven't you heard, Jug? The Joseph Gordon-Levitt look is just as hot as the Chris Hemsworth look."
He shot her his infamous glare, and sighed.
"Whatever you say, Ronnie."
The two arrived at Riverdale High, and Jughead swore he could feel his stomach leap into his throat. They walked up the stairs to the main hallway, and everyone kept turning their heads. He could feel their eyes on them.
Jughead closed his eyes and swallowed out of nervousness.
They're just looking at Ronnie. He reassured himself over and over in his head.
With satisfaction, Veronica looped her arm into Jughead's and squeezed.
"See, handsome? How does it feel to be the hottest guy in school with the hottest girl?"
The loner lightly blushed.
"No one has even noticed me, Ronnie."
The words came out of his mouth easily - but he knew it was a lie. The voice in his head was fighting a losing battle.
Literally everyone's eyes were on them. Cheryl's posse was gaping, and even Reggie didn't have a mean word to say to him. In fact, people were saying hi to him – people who normally would avoid him like a plague.
"All of those girls are salivating over you." Veronica whispered in his ear.
It was overwhelming. Everyone was paying so much attention to him.
"Hey, Jughead looking good."
"Jug – you actually look semi-jacked. You gonna try out for the team?"
"Are you coming to my party on Friday?"
Jughead breathed and looked at the end of the hall towards his salvation.
Betty Cooper.
At the other side of the hall was Betty. She was in her usual gear, pink sweater and jeans – her hair in a perfect ponytail. She was animatedly talking to her friend, Kevin – but their conversation came to a halt.
Kevin wasn't listening.
"Kev – what's up? I was just getting to the part where Archie avoided me while walking to school."
Her flamboyant friend abruptly grabbed her head and pointed it at the direction of Jughead and Veronica.
"Plot twist number two – Jughead got hot. Like super hot."
The blonde swallowed, letting her eyes roam over one of her oldest friends. He had filled out nicely. She could see the outlines of lean muscle, under his white tank, and some definition in his arms. She also appreciated his free flowing raven hair that she could have sworn she had never seen before.
"You're salivating, Betty." Kevin whispered through his teeth, nudging her lightly in the stomach.
He looked gorgeous, and the brunette on his arm was the perfect match.
"Who is she?" Betty whispered back.
Kevin furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know but those two will make beautiful ass babies."
Betty felt a twinge in her stomach, and she winced - causing Kevin to notice.
"Don't tell me you're jealous."
"Shush. They're coming towards us."
Her blue eyes lifted to meet his green ones, and she smiled and waved as they approached her and Kevin.
"Have you become a hashtag LA woman?" Jug joked.
Betty's eyes lifted, but she was momentarily speechless.
Say something, Cooper.
Luckily Veronica interrupted, clearing her throat. Veronica released her arm from Jughead's and reached out to shake Betty and Kevin's hands.
"Hi, my name is Veronica Lodge. New York City import, keeper of Jughead Jones, and your newest friend."
Jug rolled his eyes. "By keeper she means saving me from the insanity that is high school."
Betty laughed, but felt weirdly uneasy.
Kevin could feel the tension so he quickly interrupted. "Let me guess - you are to thank for this transformation?"
The brunette smirked. "No need to thank me. I legit took off his beanie, and made him not pile on his sweaters that hide his little body."
"Can you both stop talking about me like I'm not there?"
Kevin, Veronica, and Jughead laughed - but the noise that escaped from Betty's mouth was fake.
She didn't know what was happening, but she felt utterly uncomfortable with Veronica. Worse, she felt utterly uncomfortable with one of her oldest friends.
The blonde sighed, thinking it couldn't get any worse, but a voice cut through her thoughts. Enter, Archie Andrews.
"Hey Betty, Kev..."The redhead's voice trailed as his eyes landed on Jughead and then Veronica.
Veronica's eyes met Archie's and the whole group could feel the unspoken tension. Their eyes wouldn't leave each other, and with each passing second Betty died on the inside.
"Jug...who's your new friend?"
The misfit looked at his friend and decided to let bygones be bygones. There must have been some good reason Archie was flaky this whole summer.
"This is the notorious, Veronica Lodge. She fancies herself an upgraded Blair Waldorf."
Veronica swatted her friend and flashed Archie her famous Lodge grin.
"Nice to meet you Archie."
Betty swallowed, watching the scene unfold in front of her. Everyone was talking animatedly, like they were fully in sync, with her the outsider simply observing.
It felt like she was on the outside looking in.
"You know Betts, if you like him go for it." Jughead teased as he sipped his milkshake.
Her blue eyes flitted down and she shook her head.
"He's entranced by your girlfriend."
Jughead scoffed, and the most delightful sound came out of his mouth. He was laughing. Something Betty had only heard a handful of times while growing up with him.
The blonde narrowed his eyes, and pushed his shoulder from across the table.
"What the hell is so funny, Jones?"
"You thinking that Ronnie is my girlfriend. Gross." He said with a shudder.
Betty couldn't believe her ears. There was no way Jug didn't at least like the beautiful, mysterious brunette.
"But she's gorgeous and she called herself your Keeper. If you don't like her, she definitely likes you."
As she said that, Jughead's melodic laughter turned into howling guffawing.
"Ronnie is disgusting."
As he continued to laugh, Betty got quiet.
"Betts. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just..."
The blonde paused and clenched her fists. She didn't know why but she felt overwhelmingly anxious and angry. First the Jughead transformation, then Veronica, then Veronica and Jughead, and Archie's obvious insta-crush on Veronica...it was so overwhelming.
She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, and next thing she knew she felt an arm go around her shoulder.
"I'm here, Betts."
His warmth was so comforting, and it felt so right.
She felt a slight fluttering in her stomach, and her eyes immediately opened, as she realized her thoughts.
This was Jughead - her oldest friend.
She brushed away that fleeting feeling and sipped her milkshake.
She swore she did not feel butterflies in her stomach fluttering.