Betty Cooper pressed her forehead against the smooth glass window of her mother's Bentley and closed her eyes, taking a few steady breaths. Music thrummed in her ears, and it worked as a kind of coping mechanism. For now. But she knew as soon as her mother pulled up outside Riverdale High, where she was sure her entire Sophomore class would be standing, queuing up next to a coach. Her stomach would once again start dancing with nerves. It was the day of Riverdale High's annual trip to some cabin in the woods. And to say she wasn't excited would be an understatement. It was, however, exciting for her classmates. The kids who actually had friends, who had their cliques. She wasn't one of them. Instead of friends, Betty preferred her own company, especially the Blue and Gold office, where she worked for the school newspaper.
Even with the knowledge that her high school experience was mediocre, and she would never describe a day more than a bitter 'Urgh' caught between her tongue and teeth. She still forced her way through each day, and it was like swimming through molasses. Graduation seemed a lifetime away. Sometimes it was lonely, yes. Sometimes she wished for friends. But she never had the confidence to strike up a conversation in those first few weeks of Sophomore year. And once again, just like her first year, she had found herself sitting alone at lunch, buried in a book as she drowned out the sounds of her classmates loud chatter with some edgy band she didn't even know the name of.
Now, thanks to her mother's eagle eyed vision, finding the salmon coloured permission slip that she had purposely ripped up and stuffed under her mattress, she was going on this stupid trip. She was going to have to bear a whole week with no friends, so WIFI, no Blue and Gold. Betty's chest tightened and she pressed her threaded backpack to her chest, where her carefully chosen few books hid between pastel sweaters and jeans her mother had packed for her. At least she had the first three Harry potter books. If she was purposely slow reading them, they might just get her through what she was pretty sure was going to be hell.
'Elizabeth?' she could vaguely hear her mother speaking over the music, and she had half a mind to crank it up. Betty let the music fill her, let it ignite her veins and chase away the nerves twisting her stomach into uncomfortable knots. She wasn't even sure what song it was. The artist was a mystery. All she knew was that it was melancholic. It was sweet, bleeding into her ears as the singer's soft voice gently rocked her into a sort-of calm, as the jolting movements of her mother's car manoeuvring through traffic was doing exactly the opposite.
'Mmm?' she mumbled, blindly plucking an earphone from where it had nestled comfortably in her right ear. She let the wire dangle down her chest, brushing her silver necklace. The singer's voice continued to pierce the uneasy silence. Betty continued to lean her head against the window, her thoughts peaceful for a change, as she simply stared at her closed eyelids. When she was a child she would sit for hours rubbing her fists into her closed eyes, causing visual explosions of different colours spiralling across her peripheral. If she did that now, however, her mom would thinks she was crazy. Or sulking.
Eventually, she opened her eyes, blinking them open slowly, as if awakening from a mini slumber. Betty found herself staring at her reflection as it blinked back at her through the turbulent rain sliding down the windows. At least something was vaguely amusing to her. When she had left the house the sun had been shining, sitting in the middle of a boiling hot June morning. Though on the way to school, grey tumultuous clouds had darkened the sky, blocking the sun before the heavens opened and drowned Riverdale in Betty's sorrows. Well, that's what she liked to think. That her shitty mood had caused the weather to change drastically.
She hadn't bothered with makeup, so her face was a sickly white, thanks to the nerves eating her up inside. Betty leaned closer into the window with a sigh, lifting a finger and tenderly wiping at a particular itchy eyelash. She knew she looked like crap. Three meagre hours of sleep weren't doing her any favours. Betty glared back at her reflection. At that damn ponytail she couldn't wait to rip out once she got out of the car. Everything slashed by in a blur of different colours, mainly green, as her mother stamped on the gas. The car veered forwards, and Betty was slammed into the smooth upholstery seats, saved by her seatbelt.
'Mom.' She couldn't help it. 'Can't we just go home?' she whispered. Her face was still pressed against the glass of the window, and had to admit, yes, it was pathetic. But she was so damn tired, and frustrated, and her stomach was rolling with nausea. If she bothered sitting up straight and bothered to turn her head to actually look her mother in the eye, Betty was afraid she would actually vomit.
'Certainly not!' Alice Cooper's tone was final, and at that very second, Betty hated her mother. She felt weights crush into her chest when she started to recognize familiar territory as the Bentley swept down streets at a rapid pace. Betty sat up, swiping angrily at her eyes and clutching at her backpack. 'Are you really going to make me do this?' her voice was a hiss as she fought to keep control of herself. She clenched her fists, feeling her fingernails dig half-moons into the palm of her hand. It stung. Alice Cooper shook her head softly, momentarily taking her eyes off of the road to glance at her daughter.
'Elizabeth,' she sighed, turning on Market Street. Betty's gut clenched. The school was just down the road. 'Don't treat me like I'm the bad guy, okay?' her mother cleared her throat. 'This is just what you need. A nice week of fresh air with your friends.' Betty rolled her eyes.
'I'm not joking when I say I don't talk to anyone!' she hissed. She spied a familiar redhead walking in the rain, underneath a light blue umbrella. The girl was laughing, clattering down the sidewalk in three-inch heels. She was arm in arm with another familiar face. A mouth twisted into a grin, pretty Asian features carved into golden skin. He was trying to drag her through puddles of dirty rainwater and she was straining against him, scarlet lips stretched into a grin. Betty could just about hear their laughter through the car window. Cheryl Blossom and Reggie Mantle. Betty swallowed a groan, smacking the back of her head into her seat, averting her eyes. It wasn't like she hated them. They were actually pretty cool, she guessed. It was just, she was ignored. Betty was pretty sure Reggie Mantle and Cheryl Blossom had no idea who she was.
'Who was that?' Alice Cooper pulled into the school parking lot, and just like Betty predicted, a coach was parked up where a mass of sophomores stood there in groups, hoarding suitcases and bags. Betty squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel the inevitable panic attack creeping up on her.
'Just some kids from my class.' She answered, shakily. The car manoeuvred into a parking space before coming to a stop. The engine cut off, along with Betty's breathing. Alice didn't waste any time. She was out of the car in seconds, the car door flinging open and a wash of bitter wind blowing Betty's ponytail back. She shivered, unable to stop herself from staring at the kids starting to board the coach. They were all laughing, their expressions twisted with excitement. Betty spied Mr Weatherbee, the school principal standing in front of the bus, collecting permission slips. She sat, frozen in her seat, listening to her mother dragging her suitcase from the boot.
'Elizabeth! Come out and give me a hand, please!' she yelled, and it was almost loud enough to start attracting looks. Betty swallowed a babyish sob and shouldered her backpack, shoving her phone into her pocket. Her headphones still dangled down her chest and she ached to listen to that nameless artist. Betty took a few deep breaths and pulled the door open, letting the blustery winds attack her face, blowing her hair everywhere. Good. She thought. The stupid weather would naturally yank out her ponytail. Betty wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her denim jacket tight around her chest. The air was damp and soggy, she felt it press against her clammy skin, which was almost a relief.
'Coming, mom.' She grumbled, wandering over to the back of the car where her mother was struggling with her bags. Betty folded her arms in what she hoped was a defiant gesture. 'Why so many bags?' she snapped. 'I'm not going away for a year.' Alice rolled her eyes, tightening her grip on Betty's bright purple suitcase before handing it over. Betty took it reluctantly and felt babyish tears tickle her lashes. 'Mom, please don't make me do this.' She said softly, and her mother, for a second, looked sympathetic. Betty's heart fluttered with hope, but Alice Cooper just leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter.
'You're going to have a wonderful time.' Betty breathed in the sweet aroma of her mother's perfume, and the tears started to slide down her cheeks. 'You don't understand, mom.' She whispered, pressing her face into the wool of her mother's sweater.
'I don't have any friends!' she started to sob, her chest suddenly constricting. Before her eyes fluttered open for a second as she lay her head on her mother's shoulder, she let her gaze slide over the parking lot, before she found herself making direct eye contact with a girl she recognized from some of her classes. The girl was in mid-strut, dragging her own suitcase over to the coach. Betty wasn't completely sure of the girl's name, since she was new, but Betty knew she was damn beautiful. Sleek black hair cascaded down her shoulders, hugging a heart shaped face as the girl splashed through puddles in heels. The girl was wearing a tight black dress and tights, a jacket pulled around her which was unbuttoned. Unlike Betty, the girl had easily made friends with pretty much the entire Sophomore class.
'Dad, Jesus Christ, stop worrying!' a male voice snapped her out of it, and Betty's gaze slid from the dark-haired girl dragging her suitcase onto the coach, to a boy stood by her, stuck in an embrace with his own father. Betty couldn't help smiling slightly. He was in pretty much the same situation as her, his face pressed against his father's shoulder. His head of rich red hair was some sort of familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on a name. The boy wore the Bulldog letterman jacket though, so he was clearly a jock.
'Sorry, son.' The man hugging him, mumbled. 'Let your old man get a little emotional, alright?' he chuckled.
'Dad.' The boy said, but he sounded like he was smiling. 'Can you let go of me now?' he lifted his head, finally showing his face, but Betty still had no idea who he was. The redheaded jock looked like he himself might cry, his eyes swollen red. His cheeks were dotted with freckles, the boy's lips twisted into a tight smile as he faced his father. But just for a second, his gaze found hers. Betty stared back, and the boy's eyes widened as he stepped back, humiliated. Betty herself jolted away from her own mother, swiping at her own eyes, her converse sliding on the wet concrete. The boy cleared his throat loudly, and Betty felt the ghost of a smile on her lips. She had totally caught the redhead being a daddy's-boy and he was trying his utmost to hide it. 'Dad, it's just a week trip. You can ring me any time.' The boy smiled stiffly at his father, his gaze danced between Betty and the man, who looked around her mother's age, a head of dark hair, wearing a plaid shirt.
Betty could practically feel the embarrassment filling the boy, darkening his cheeks a rose scarlet. But she couldn't look away. Maybe it was because the redhead had been the first person in a long time to actually look at her. Betty eventually dragged her eyes from the redhead, who turned back to his father. 'I gotta go.' The boy gave his father a last hug, before tripping over his suitcase, managing to right himself and grabbed it, running for the coach with his suitcase trailing behind him.
'I put your prescription in your bag, Elizabeth.' Her mother was giving her one last hug, her voice creaking. Oh god. Betty swallowed harshly.
'I should go.' She said, or rather whispered. But her feet were glued to the ground.
'You're going to be fine.' Her mother said, and Betty forced a strained smile, before turning away from her mother, from her comfort zone, and forcing her legs over to where kids were boarding the coach, yanking her suitcases behind her. The rollers clattering against the concrete made her cringe. She pulled her phone from her denim jacket pocket, untangling her headphones and corking them in, fiddling with the volume button. Turned to max. She took a shuddery breath. Perfect. Mr Weatherbee blocked her away to the stairs and held his hand out. She tugged an earphone out, unable to hide her annoyance.
'Permission slip, Miss Cooper.' Betty hesitated, and her lips suddenly started to move on their own. I'm sorry. She wanted to say, after dramatizing checking her pockets, her bag, her suitcase. I seemed to have misplaced it, Sir. But Betty was pulling out the slip of paper reluctantly, slapping it into the teacher's outstretched hand. Mr Weatherbee scanned the slip, before nodding. 'Less of the attitude, Cooper.' He grumbled. Betty only kept her head down, dragging her suitcase up the coach steps and finding herself surrounded by her entire class, as they sat in four's, laughing and chatting loudly.
'Ah, Betty!' Mrs Grundy, her music teacher, was suddenly in her face, holding a clipboard. 'Lovely to see you! okay, so you're sat at the back with Andrews, Lodge and Jones.' Betty stared at the teacher.
'There's a seating plan?' she whispered. Suddenly the walls of the coach seemed too close, too tight. The laughter of her classmates seemed too loud, piercing her ear drum. Mrs Grundy nodded, her eyebrows furrowing around the frames of her glasses.
'Yes, these are the students you'll be spending the entire week with. You're going to be sharing a cabin, together.' Betty felt sick.
'Is there a problem, Betty?' Yes. Betty thought. The urge to hurl was suddenly overpowering her. She felt bile at the back of her throat. Yes, I don't know them! She wanted to cry back at the teacher. But instead, she shook her head and pasted a smile on her lips.
'No, no problem!' she said a little louder than necessary. Shit. Betty wandered down the aisle of kids, pulling her suitcase along with her. Her stomach was clenching, her mouth dry. Betty stared at the ground, before her gaze flickered up as she hopefully scanned for an empty seat where she could hide, and try and not get caught out of the seating plan. But to her dismay, the only empty seat was already allocated hers, and was at the back of the coach, swamped right with three other kids.
Though as she neared, Betty recognised one of them. He was slumped in his seat, bent over his phone. It was the redhead from the parking lot. The boy she had unintentionally turned into a blushing mess. He wasn't looking at her, his gaze on his phone's screen. He had earphones in and was nodding along to presumably his music. Next to him, to Betty's surprise, was the dark-haired new-girl, also from earlier. She had a grin pasted on her lips, and looked ready to talk Betty's ear off.
'Hello?' the girl was waving a hand in front of the redhead's face, who didn't even blink. 'Is he even alive?' she twisted her head, speaking to someone out of Betty's line of vision. Betty's legs were shaking, but she managed to make her way over to her seat, where she noticed another boy, who must have been the new girl's subject of conversation. But Betty was pretty sure the boy wasn't listening to her. He had the window seat, and was leaning his head against the glass of the window. He had chocolate brown hair poking from a knitted grey beanie and his eyes were closed. His laptop was balanced on his knees, the screen timed out. Betty lugged her suitcase into the compartment above the seats, before sitting in the seat next to the dark-haired girl and Beanie Boy. 'Hey there!' the girl greeted her almost as soon as she sat down, and finally the redhead was looking up from his phone, his eyes widening slightly when he recognized her. Betty attempted a smile, and to her surprise, the boy's lips curved into a boyish grin she really wasn't expecting. He shoved his phone in his pocket and turned to Betty and the dark-haired girl, his smile friendly. 'Introductions!' the dark haired girl said excitedly. The knot in Betty's stomach loosened slightly. 'I'm Veronica Lodge.' She said proudly.
'Archie Andrews.' The redhead smiled at the two of them, and then his gaze was sweeping to the sleeping boy in the window seat. 'And he's-'
'Jughead Jones.' A sleepy voice interrupted him, and it took Betty a few seconds to realize Beanie Boy was sitting up, regarding the three of them with a lazy smile. Betty's heart skipped a little. His hair was mussed up, strands of it splayed across his forehead. 'Look, I'm not into all this bullshit, okay?' he rolled his eyes, and Betty felt herself tense up once again. The coaches doors slammed shut and the engines rumbled to life. 'I've seen The Breakfast Club,' the boy, Jughead, was continuing to say. 'We've got the Jock and Princess,' he gestured to Archie and Veronica and then his pointer finger hesitated on Betty. 'Imma presume you're the brain?' he mumbled, before his gaze slid from her, back to regarding the three of them. 'And I'm the loner.' He said, pointing to himself. Before any of them could cut in, he shook his head, slipping his beanie over his eyes and leaning back against the window. 'We're not friends.' Jughead grumbled, his tone icy. 'This isn't a fucking John Hughes movie, alright? We're not going to discuss our differences, tear from our social stereotypes and have a fucking sing-along to that god awful Simple Minds song.'
Betty inwardly flinched. That song was on her phone. She had repeatedly listened to it in the car. She thought Archie and Veronica were going to protest, and talk about how much they needed to get to know each other. At least that's what she hoped. There had been a glimmer of hope, just seeing the friendly smiles on their faces. But Jughead Jones had shot it down. Archie scoffed, rolling his eyes.
'Dick.' He grumbled, corking his earphones back in and leaning back against his seat, closing his eyes. 'Alright, I won't talk to any of you. Whatever.' Veronica nodded to herself, her bright smile making way for a grimace.
'Jughead Jones, you are a self entitled, pretentious asshole.' She spat, before bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her head in her lap.
'What can I say?' Jughead murmured, not turning around. Archie glanced up with a scowl, and Veronica lifted her head to glare at him. 'I'm just playing my role as the damaged loner boy.' Jughead giggled a little. Then he sighed, turning back to them, mid eye-roll. 'Ah, sorry, Brains. I forgot to ask your name, so I can forget it the second you say it.' Brains. Betty's stomach leapt. That was her. Betty wanted to sink into her seat. The coach suddenly grumbled to life and started to cruise forwards, the rest of the class letting out a loud cacophony of cheers while the four of them sat in an awkward silence, waiting for Betty to introduce herself.
'I'm Betty.' She eventually managed to choke out, and hated the way her voice came out in a squeak. 'Betty Cooper.' But nobody was listening. Betty turned to find Archie nestling down in his seat to listen to his music once again, lifting his feet up comfortably on the seat. Veronica turned her attention to a dog-eared paperback in her lap. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear tentatively, letting her head rest on Archie's shoulder. Though he was too invested in his music to realise. Jughead had turned back to his window with a scoff, his head tipped back. Eyes shut.
Betty, in that moment, had no idea what to do. She didn't want to cause anymore unnecessary tension between the four of them. Even if that meant ignoring the books in her bag and the phone in the pocket. Instead of trying to claw for some kind of entertainment, Betty rested her head against the posh leather seats and attempted to drown out the yells and loud chatter of her classmates. A thought struck her as she began to slowly sink into slumber. She didn't realize how damn tired she was. Why us four? Why are we sitting here in silence while the rest of them actually communicate with each other? She felt anger bubble in her chest. Because of Jughead Jones. Betty knew at some point in the coming week, she was going to end up punching him in the face.
Eventually, all the sounds and vibrations from around her seemed to drown out, replaced by the sound of her own shallow breaths as she let her head suddenly loll, stray strands from her ponytail tickling her face. She felt her face bang into something soft- suddenly. And her stomach clenched, a spike of consciousness hitting her when she realized it was a shoulder. And worse? She felt something damp- something wet trickling down her chin.
Betty felt herself jolt, and lifted her head, her heart pounding. She sat up straight, lifting her hand to swipe away the trail of drool pooling from her lips, mortified. And there was Jughead Jones staring at her, an amused smirk stuck to his lips.
'Betty Cooper.' He mumbled, his stormy eyes narrowed. 'Can you try to not drool on my shoulder?' Betty could only nod. Too horrified to say anything else. A quick glance to her right allowed her to see Archie and Veronica, still consumed in their own thing. When she turned back, Jughead was once again pressed against his window, like he hadn't even noticed her. She was about to consider actually letting her head droop against her chest, even if it would cause her severe neck pain, but the boy let out a sigh, as if he heard her thoughts. 'If you want to sleep on me so bad, go ahead.' He said it loudly, attracting the attention of Veronica, who idly lifted her gaze from her book, her lips curving into a grimace.
'Stop bullying the quiet girl.' She rolled her eyes, but Jughead seemed to be seeking out some kind of confrontation.
'Quiet girl, huh?' he turned, lazy eyes, smirking at her. He cocked an eyebrow. 'At least I know her name.' He seemed pretty damn proud of that fact. Veronica blushed.
'I know her name.' She grumbled, and Jughead chuckled. Betty squeezed her eyes shut, her heart starting to slam into her chest.
'Really, Princess?' Jughead said. 'What is it, then?' Betty opened her eyes, her stomach fluttering.
'It really doesn't mat-' she started to say, but Jughead rudely cut in.
'No, actually this is pretty fun. You guys intrigue me.' He sat up straight in his seat, twisting to face the others. 'Hey, Andrews.' Jughead reached over and tugged the headphone from the redhead's ear. Archie's head shot up, his eyes widening. He plucked his other earphone out before raising his eyebrows at Veronica and Jughead. Betty had ducked her head, her cheeks burning.
'Oh, so now you want to talk?' Archie rolled his eyes. Jughead nodded, grinning.
'Affirmative.' His gaze slid to Veronica, and his lips formed a teasing smile. 'Okay, so let's play a game.' He said, and Archie frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. 'A game?' Jughead nodded.
'Yep! Whoever knows Blondie's name get's to control what goes on around here.' Archie paled slightly.
'How is that fair?' he hissed. 'Jughead, you're such an ass!' he growled, then shook his head of bright ginger hair. 'Besides, she didn't even introduce herself.' He grumbled, leaning back into his seat with his arms folded. 'I'm pretty sure she's a designated mute, anyway.' I want to move seats. Betty started to get up, and didn't realize humiliating tears were streaking down her cheeks. But before she could move, a hand shot out and grabbed hers, yanking her back down. She was surprised to see it was Jughead, the boy she was trying to get away from.
'Are you okay, there?' he frowned at her, his eyes scrutinizing. Archie shook his head in disbelief.
'Of course she isn't, you idiot! You made her cry!' Jughead scoffed.
'You're the one who called her a- what was it?' he used his fingers to make air quotes. 'Designated mute.' Betty felt like she was drowning.
'No- no, I'm- I'm fine.' She whispered, but damn, her voice really wasn't helping. 'I-' she cleared her throat, starting to get up once again. 'I think I'm going to find another seat.' This time it was a combination of all three of them grasping her gently, and pulling her back into her seat. Finally, Veronica joined in.
'Okay look, we've all been asses.' She took a deep breath and smiled. 'Right, let's start over.' She said, and when Jughead stated to twist back around, she grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him back. 'Let's all start over.' She gritted her teeth. Betty could feel their stares pinpointed on her. They were waiting for her to introduce herself- again.
'Betty Cooper.' She said, with a sigh. Veronica grinned. Her smile was friendly- sweet.
'Nice to meet you, Betty Cooper! I'm Veronica Lodge, and these asses are Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones.'
'Wait, I thought we were all-' Jughead started to say, but Veronica shot him a glare. He quickly shut up. Archie cleared his throat.
'I'm sorry for calling you a Mute.' He said softly. His lips did curve into a smirk though. 'But you did make me turn fifty shades of red in the parking lot when I was saying goodbye to my dad.' Betty couldn't help smile back.
'Sorry about that.' That left the four of them in a sort of comfortable silence. Eventually, Veronica spoke up, attempting to break the ice.
'So...' she stretched out like a cat in her seat, yawning. 'Anyone got a fave TV series?' Jughead rolled his eyes.
'You abbreviate your words,' he muttered. 'I already dislike you, Princess.' Veronica only smiled sweetly.
'The feeling's mutual, Loner.' She replied. Then she sighed. 'Can we stop with the dumb Breakfast Club lingo? We have names.' Jughead didn't reply for a second, before quietly muttering;
'The Walking Dead is pretty cool, I guess.'
'Are you kidding?' Archie jumped in, sounding like an excited puppy. 'I love The Walking dead! What season are you on?'
'Finished it.' Jughead said, Earning a smirk from Veronica.
'They'll be best friends in an hour, just you watch.' She nudged Betty, and Betty actually laughed. She laughed out loud. And it felt good.
'Are you kidding? I'm on season two.' Archie said, with a boyish grin. And Jughead groaned. 'That's the worst season, man!' Betty noticed Jughead had a gleam in his eye that hadn't been present before. Though he seemed to quickly realize it too. He bowed his head, his beanie slipping over his eyes and went silent. The coach suddenly lurched to a halt, bringing the chat amongst the class to an abrupt stop. Betty flew forwards in her seat, and Jughead's arm flung out to hold her back. The coach slowly cruised to a standstill.
'What...?' Veronica hissed through a breath.
'Was that?' Archie was already lunging for a look out the window. 'Jesus, we're in the middle of nowhere.' The boy muttered. He had leaned over Jughead, pressing his face against the frosted glass.
'This is a violation of personal space.' Jughead grumbled. But he didn't push the boy's weight off of him. Betty craned her neck, curiously, to the front of the coach.
'What's going on?' Veronica whispered, as the main chaperone, Mr Weatherbee, stood up, facing the aisle of apprehensive kids.
'Sir, what's happening?' Reggie Mantle yelled from the front. The teacher just shook his head. He looked like he'd been rudely awakened.
'No reason to be alarmed,' the man rolled his eyes. 'We appear to have not one, but several flat tires.' He grumbled. The annoyance in his tone was evident. That set off loud chatter once more.
'Guys!' Mrs Grundy jumped up. 'Can you all please stay in your seats? We're just going to ring a tow, okay?' then she was grabbing her bag, moving down the aisle to join Mr Weatherbee and the bus driver. Betty found herself leaning over to get a better look out of the window, pushing against Archie. The sky was a eerie grey. The sun nowhere to be found. Archie was right, they were in the middle of nowhere. Currently awkwardly parked at the side of a long stretch of road which seemed to go on forever. A tunnel of trees surrounded the road, blocking out whatever daylight there was.
'Look at the sky.' Veronica pressed herself against Betty, her dark hair tickling Betty's face. 'It's all...' the girl hesitated with a frown, daintily panting a fingernail in the condensation on the glass. 'Dark and creepy.' Jughead groaned, underneath the weight of all three of them.
'Can you not treat me like a cushion? I'm a human being.' Eventually, he made a shooing motion, the three of them jolting away from him and the window. Betty shivered a little, when the coach doors swung open with a loud pshh as Mr Weatherbee stepped off to start yelling down his phone. Archie leaned back in his seat. 'How long do you think it'll take the tow truck to get here?' he glanced out of the window, at the rapidly darkening sky. 'It's only like, two in the afternoon.' He muttered, glancing at his phone. 'Is there a storm scheduled or something?' The weather has been acting weird. Betty thought. Jughead peeked over his seat, his gaze pinpointed at the front of the bus. 'Well, Weatherbee and Grundy have gone MIA.' He muttered, before jumping up and grabbing his bag. 'Alright, fellow classmates. This was fun, but I'm gonna go get some fresh air.' he was making his way down the aisle before any of them could protest
'But...' Veronica seemed unsettled as she watched Jughead reach the front of the bus. He stopped for a second, hesitating as he turned his head to look back at them. Almost like he was waiting for them to follow. But that thought diminished from Betty's mind when the boy shouldered his bag, ignoring Cheryl Blossom's yells as she stuck her head out of the window.
'Hey, Jones!' the girl shouted. 'What are you doing?' He only jumped off the bus and started to walk into the clearing at the side of the road. Archie looked restless.
'I think I need fresh air too.' He muttered, before jumping up and jogging down the passage, crowded with kids. 'Stay here!' he shouted, over his shoulder. Though Veronica was grabbing her bag, pushing her hair from her face.
'Save my seat.' Veronica muttered, her gaze on the redhead.
'Hey, Andrews!' she was jumping up and following him, before Betty could utter a word. Archie turned, but didn't protest, however. He simply let her grab his arm and yank him off of the bus, following in Jughead's wake. Betty stayed stubbornly in her seat. The thought of venturing off the bus into the middle of nowhere with kids she barely knew really wasn't that tempting. But she felt something warm flooding her, almost a caress. She had talked to kids in her class, laughed with them. It didn't exactly start well, but she could really feel herself connecting with Archie, Veronica and Jughead. But the more she stayed in her seat, the more bored, the more damn curious she became. Finally, after ten minutes of sitting in silence with her face squished against Jughead's window, trying to spot the three of them in the gloom, she came to a decision.
'I'm going to regret this.' She grumbled to herself, before standing up on shaky legs, and starting to make her way to the front. She passed kids who finally seemed to look at her. Maybe it was because she was following the so-called Princess, Jock and Loner.
'Hey!' a kid from her psych class seemed to bounce out of his seat. He was a tall with close cropped dark hair and a bright smile. He was the only one in Betty's year who was proud to be out of the closet. Kevin Keller. 'Betty Cooper, right?' he grinned at her. 'Where are you going? Weatherbee said we have to stay on the bus.' Following the cool kids. Betty thought. But she smiled at the boy, shrugging.
'My phone's acting up,' she lied, digging it out of her pocket. 'I'm just going to try get signal.' Kevin nodded.
'Ahh.' His gaze slid to the darkening sky. 'Actually, that might be a good idea.' He smiled broadly at her, before winking. I'll cover for you!' Before someone dragged him back into his seat. Betty thanked the boy, before stepping off of the coach, wrapping her arms around herself. The icy breeze hit her suddenly, dragging the breath from her chest. She took a few steps forward, her stomach rolling uncomfortably. The air felt thick against her skin, the sky a miserable grey, which seemed to be taking forever to turn black. Betty wrapped her fingers around her phone for comfort before dragging it out of her pocket and flicking on the flashlight before she stepped into the clearing.
'Jughead?' She hissed, taking another awkward step forwards. She nearly tripped over a rock sticking jauntily, out of the side of the road. When Betty turned back, the bus was lit up, still parked nearby. She could totally run into the clearing, grab the others and drag them back to the bus. Her classmates were at shouting distance if anything was to- no Betty. She mentally hissed at herself. Nothing is going to jump out at you. Betty started to walk more steadily. The sound of her converse crunching over dead leaves and bracken was weirdly comforting. She held her phone as a flash-light. The beam bounced across branches and trees as she ventured further into the clearing. 'Guys?! She hissed. 'Hey, you shouldn't be out here!' she clenched her jaw.
Why am I even here? She wanted to yell at herself. Betty ducked under a branch, watching her feet as she treaded carefully, before something grabbed her from behind- two hands gripping her shoulders. Before she knew what she was doing, she was letting out a shriek, and batting her fists at her assailant. She stumbled back, her heart racing as she pointed the flashlight in every direction, until it finally illuminated a face. Sleek dark hair framing soft olive skin, glowing in the torchlight. Veronica. Betty laughed. She couldn't help it. Veronica stood, lit up in the clearing, standing under brush. She was grinning, her eyes playful.
'Jesus, Betty!' The girl giggled. She shaded her eyes from the light, blinking rapidly. 'Can you maybe turn that off? You're blinding me.'
'So, the quiet girl finally comes out of her comfort zone.' A voice murmured, and Betty turned to find Jughead and Archie standing there. They both seemed to have materialised out of the dark. Jughead had a cigarette dangling from lips curved into a smirk. The orange glow lit up the three faces standing in front of her.
Betty ignored the branding comment, finding it an uncomfortable name to be associated with. Perhaps if anyone ever bothered to acknowledge her, she wouldn't be so quiet; not that it was any of Jughead Jones' business who she spoke to.
'Fresh air,' she said, repeating the boy's words from a few minutes earlier. Jughead smirked at her, managing to keep the cigarette in his mouth. Veronica hummed in agreement.
'Want to try?' Jughead asked, waggling his eyebrows. Betty blushed, somewhat glad that the sky had darkened so her cheeks were less obvious to her peers. She shook her head in refusal, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of joining in but also at the fact that she was refusing. 'Are you sure?' He asked, taking a step towards her.
'She said no, Jughead,' Veronica said, her voice sharp. Jughead rolled his eyes.
'She can speak for herself,' Jughead replied. Betty was about to refuse aloud but Jughead grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him as he backtracked to the bus rear. Veronica and Archie were moving too, and it wasn't until she was being dragged off to the side of the road into some trees that Betty realised they were about to be discovered by Mrs. Grundy.
'Let go of me,' Betty hissed, yanking her arm out of Jughead's grip as they continued further into the seclusion of the forest. She was glad she'd brought a flashlight with her now as they'd no doubt need it when returning to the bus.
'You're welcome,' Jughead said, sounding amused. Betty rolled her eyes.
'What if they leave without us?' Betty asked.
'We're not running away, Betty,' Veronica said matter-of-factly. 'Plus, they wouldn't leave without us.'
'Yeah,' Archie agreed. 'Our vacant seats are pretty noticeable.' Betty pursed her lips, unconvinced. They were definitely going to get in trouble.
'The bus has broken down too,' Jughead added, moving to the front of the group and leading them. 'Better to explore here and have some fun than sit on the bus and pretend we're conformists.' Betty didn't know what he meant by that so she didn't respond, neither did the others. The group remained silent until they came to a clearing not far from the bus, with a pebbled slope that led down to a river.
'This is nice,' Veronica said, glad to be able to see a little better. She linked Betty's arm, ignoring Betty's look of discomfort.
'Now that we came all this way,' Jughead said, flicking his cigarette to the ground. He went into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag, no doubt usually used for sandwiches. Instead, it was filled with hand-rolled cigarettes but Betty had a feeling that they weren't filled with everyday tobacco.
'You do know that's illegal,' Veronica told him, Jughead chuckled to himself.
'What about it, Andrews?' Jughead asked, taking one out and putting it between his lips. 'I know you're curious, all of you - all it takes is a bit of courage.' Betty knew he was taunting them but at the same time, he was speaking the truth. She was curious but she was far more afraid. Then again, she supposed her Mother had wanted her to have fun - and if Alice Cooper ever found out, Betty knew she'd never be sent away on a school trip ever again.
'Okay,' she said, earning surprised looks from all three of her classmates. 'I'll have one,' she said, holding her hand out. Jughead's eyebrows disappeared up into his hairline as his eyes widened. He then slowly retrieved one from the bag and handed it over as if waiting for Betty to laugh and say she was only joking.
'Yeah, alright,' Archie said when Betty put the white rollie between her lips. It felt odd but at the same time, she was very intrigued to see what the fuss was about. Jughead scoffed, handing him one too. Archie looked far more comfortable than Betty, as if he was more than eager to light up. Jughead offered one to Veronica but she still looked unconvinced.
'I'll share Betty's,' she said, taking a step towards Betty. Jughead shook his head humorously, putting the bag back into his pocket. He then took a lighter from his jean pocket and moved to stand in front of Betty, his eyes daring.
'Ladies first,' he said, pressing the button down; igniting the flame. Betty hesitated, not wanting to make a fool of herself; she thought back to when she'd seen others smoke and followed suite. She let the tip of her rollie sit in the flame, waiting for it to light. When the end glowed, releasing smoke; Jughead stepped back and headed over to Archie. Betty sucked the end of the rollie, letting the smoke out of her mouth immediately - her face screwed up at the taste. Archie took a proper drag, coughing as soon as the smoke hit the back of his throat. Jughead cackled, amused at Archie's reaction but the red-head laughed off his embarrassment.
'You're not doing it right,' Veronica told Betty, earning curious looks. She huffed, folding her arms. 'I've seen enough people smoking, I know how it's done,' she explained, a bit too defensively. Betty held the rollie out to Veronica, glad to hand it over.
'See.' Veronica stuck the blunt between her lips, smudging the paper with her lipstick. Archie watched, completely transfixed. She took a drag before blowing out a plume of smoke, closing her eyes and smiling softly. 'Wow.' Jughead mouthed to Archie, who nodded, running a hand through his hair. Betty knew a crush when she saw one. And Archie Andrews seemed to be deeply infatuated with Veronica Lodge.
'We should go back.' Betty said, after a second. Jughead rolled his eyes. He took another drag of his blunt.
'Aw, come on! I thought you were fun!'
'I am fun.' Betty muttered. She squeezed her arms around herself, shivering. 'It's freezing.'
'Well,' Veronica smiled up at the three of them, her eyes shining. 'I think we actually bonded, guys.' Archie nodded with a smile. His gaze stuck to Jughead.
'What do you say, Jones?' his lip curved into a smirk. 'We friends?' Jughead chuckled, casting his gaze to the ground.
'I'd still write you down as acquaintances.' He said, and his smile grew when Archie scowled.
'Acquaintances?' Veronica hissed. She dropped her cigarette butt and crushed it under her heel. 'Are you kidding? We had a total Breakfast Club moment!' Jughead laughed.
'What? You come and smoke weed with me and suddenly we're besties?' Archie scoffed.
'Why are you such an ass?' He sighed, stamping his foot a little, like a toddler. 'Man, I wish I was sat next to the boys.' He grumbled. To which Jughead rolled his eyes.
'What, am I not bro enough?' he teased. Once again, Betty found herself in the middle of the three's childish squabbling.
'Guys.' She said, loudly enough to grab their attention. Jughead's eyebrows shot up in a
'What?' and she gestured back to the bus.
'Can we fight on the bus?' she mumbled. 'We should really get back.' The three of them looked ready to argue, for some reason. Betty wondered if they wanted to get left behind.
'Betty Cooper.' Jughead breathed, taking a small step towards her, his eyes twinkling. 'Are you scared of the dark?'
'What?' Betty started to deny it, but her gaze flickered from the three faces, to the sudden rapid drop in temperature. She shivered, letting out a shaky breath, which swirled in the air in front of her. Jughead seemed to notice too. He bit his lip and wrapped his arms around his chest, hugging his jacket closer.
'Betty's right.' He murmured, after a second. 'We should get back.' The four of them turned to walk back into the clearing, but stopped abruptly, when they came face-to-face with a blanket of fog which had swept In from nowhere. It hung dully in the air, a green tinge to it that turned Betty's stomach. It wasn't like anything she'd seen before. It seemed to curl in the air, prance and twirl, as if a living thing. Betty felt gooseflesh prickled down her arms as the mist seemed to push an arctic breeze as it seemed to swallow everything in its path. Veronica choked out a cough.
'Oh god, it stinks!' Betty's heart leapt into her chest. Chemical leak? Her mind wondered. Why was there no alarm?
'Okay...' Jughead muttered. 'Now that looks like something out of Children Of The Corn.' They all took a simultaneous step backward, towards the river. The fog seemed to be moving at a rapid pace, swallowing everything in a thick impenetrable blanket. Archie twisted around, eyes wild.
'Holy shit, what the hell?'
'Go...' Veronica said shakily. When none of them moved, she let out a hiss. 'Run!' She grabbed Betty's hand, dragging her back into the forest, pushing Jughead and Archie to run with them.
'What is that?' Betty's heart was in her stomach as she ran, tripping over sharp rocks sticking out of the ground. But Veronica's grip was firm, clinging onto her, driving her further forwards. Though the fog was closing in on them. Veronica skidded to a halt, Betty nearly falling forwards from the still in momentum. Archie and Jughead stood stiffly. Jughead had hold of the redhead's arm. A reassuring grip.
'What do we do?'
'The river.' Betty was speaking out loud, before she knew what she was saying. She watched the mist, almost transfixed by how it moved, almost dancing through the air, ready to drown her. Before she knew what she was doing, Betty was stumbling over rocks, before falling to her hands and knees by the side of the river. She started to pull her denim jacket off, followed by her t-shirt. The temperature bit at her skin and her teeth were chattering but she started to unbutton her jeans. Jughead was still standing with the others, seemingly hypnotised by the phenomenon hanging in the air. He twisted around to face her.
'Are you kidding me?' His tone was choked, almost hysterical. Betty stood in her underwear, gritting her teeth. She knew she should be feeling anxious, scared of him seeing her half naked. But adrenaline forced her mind into overdrive, ignoring all her usual worries.
'It's the only way to escape it!' She yelled. The truth was, she had no idea. It was the first thing that came to her mind. The facts were obvious. If they breathed it in, who knows what would happen. The river was a stupid idea, but it might just save them. Jughead stared at her for a second, as if he was having a mental argument with himself over logic. Before he groaned, and started to pull his own jacket off.
'The river!' He yelled, to the others. 'Get in the river!' Betty didn't wait for the others, still being propelled forward by fight or flight. She waded into the shallows, trying to judge how deep the water was. If it was even deep enough to dive under. She could smash her head on a rock, she could have a heart attack from the temperature. Those thoughts failed to change her mind, however. She tried to block it out- the icy water lapping just above her ankles, her shuddery breaths as she tried to keep calm. A loud splash indicated Jughead had already dived in, followed by twin splashes. Archie and Veronica. Betty didn't turn to see how far the fog was. But she felt it tailing her, an icy ghost ripping shivers up and down her spine. Do it. The voice of her mother rang in her head as she stared into the dark water rippling between her toes. The others were nowhere to be seen, having successfully made it downstream.
Or drowned. Her mind hissed at her. Betty shook her head, knowing she had seconds before the fog enveloped her. She felt it for a second, igniting her senses. She tasted it snaking through her lips, seeping through her nostrils. It was acid burning her tongue, slicing into her eyes, burning her skin. It was enough to set her off. Betty took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pretended she was at that stupid cabin, diving into a heated swimming pool. She felt the fog just about wash against her skin, an icy blanket sizzling her flesh, before she careered forward, gulping in a sharp breath of air, and then hit the water.
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