Home. It was where Jughead had told her to go. But, there she was still standing underneath the faint glowing lights outside of the Whyte Wyrm, tears streaming down her now puffy cheeks.
Home? She was home. Jughead was her home- but, there she had just watched him walk away. From her- and it hurt like hell.
Betty's thoughts were interrupted by the almost violent vibration that came from the iPhone secured to her hip by the waistband of her peach colored skirt.
"I'm waiting in the car, hurry" the text message states.
Betty wipes her cheeks a final time before turning for the parking lot that takes residence on the side of the large building.
"Are you okay?" Alice immediately pushes. "Have you been crying?" Alice continues.
"Mom, stop." Betty mutters.
"Elizabeth, I-" Alice starts.
"Mom, enough!" Betty raises her voice, sniffling.
Alice raises her eyes in concern, but lays off throwing her hands up in defeat, before shifting the gear into reverse.
Betty entered her room with a breathless sigh- she still couldn't believe what had just happened.
Her sobs had subsided and the swelling in her cheeks had vanished, she leans to into the standing mirror that accompanies the left corner of her room, she almost looked as if nothing had happened. Suddenly her eye takes focus on the small picture pinched between the mirror and its ivory white border. The picture which included her and Jughead- at homecoming. Well, before homecoming. Her in that stunning silver off the shoulder dress with her hair swept to one side; and Jughead in the same suit he wore to Jason Blossom's funeral with that unmistakable gray crown beanie atop his head.
Betty carefully lifts her right hand and plucks the photo from its tight position in the mirror. Gazing down at it in her hand, tears begin to fill her eyes again.
She begins to remember his words, "Until it sticks." The words stung just as much now as they did when he had said them.
Suddenly, while rethinking the whole night, Betty became extremely angry. Before she even knew it, a drip of blood hit the top of the nude pink heel she wore on her right foot.
She took both of her hands and tore the small picture directly down the middle. Separating the two bodies, thinking to herself "This is how it's supposed to be," Tears filled her eyes once again, as she sank to the floor. Her hands met her face, pushing back her hair and smearing blood onto the lower right side of her face. Betty drew her knees to her chest and she began to sob, shaking as she rocked back and forth.
Betty didn't even know how much time had passed, but as Archie's bedroom light snapped on through Betty's window she snapped out of whatever trance she was in. She didn't want to risk Archie seeing her sobbing on her bedroom floor. So, she quickly stood and rushed off to the bathroom.
She threw the now blood-stained heels into the back of her closet, she couldn't risk Mama Coop finding them, but she would take care of them in the morning. She throws on a pair of navy blue pajama shorts and a white tank top, before throwing her hair into a mid-set ponytail.
Standing from her small set vanity, she turns to see Archie- shirtless of course. She gives him a light smile and continues the stride to her bed.
But, something was different- something felt different.
Slowly, Betty backed up towards the video again. The way Archie was watching her made her anxious.
It almost felt as if it was the first time the two had ever seen each other.
Archie is the first to break the eye contact. He reaches up and pulls a string, suddenly releasing the tight tension holding the blinds to the top of the window sill. The blinds descend breaking the contact between the two of them.
Betty realizes she's been holding her breath- a long sigh escapes from her lungs as she tries to catch her breath.
She reaches for the lamp next to her bed, and pulls on the small beaded string underneath the light pink lamp shade. The room goes black as Betty just stands there, breathing.
She finally turns to pull her curtains shut before climbing into her empty bed.
Betty curls up into the thick blankets and attempts to shut her eyes, but she knows she won't be getting any sleep tonight.
Betty wakes groggily, exhaustedly, she glances to the alarm clock that takes residence on the small ivory wooden bed side table. 6:42 am, last time she had looked it been right around four thirty, two hours was decent enough for her. She sat up and swung her legs to the edge of the bed. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, yawning.
Pushing herself off of the bed with both hands, she walks over to her vanity to grab her phone. Picking it up, she pushes the home button, but nothing happens.
"Dead. Perfect," Betty says to herself in defeat.
After connecting her phone to the charger, Betty decides to continue her morning routine.
But, she suddenly feels a cool sensation on the pad of her right foot. She looks down to find one half of the picture that she oh, so utterly disrespected last night. Picking up the one half she examined Jughead. So happy and handsome- would she ever get to see him like that again?
Betty leans down to pick up the other half of the picture, she carefully pieces the two halves back together, layering the tears to make it look like her little rage outburst never happened. She gave a quick smile, before placing both halves into the top drawer of her vanity.
Reaching to the back of her bedroom door, she wraps herself in a pale pink bath robe, and ties the knot tight around her waist.
Betty hurries into the bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth before she decides to head to the kitchen to see if anyone else is awake yet.
Sure enough, Alice awaits in one of her very own blue bath robes- drinking a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper as she sits on one of the many bar stools that sounds the small counter.
"Well, Good morning." Alice says, not looking up from the large selection of Sunday comics.
"Morning," Betty mutters, walking over to the coffee pot.
Betty reaches for a mug from the cupboard above the crisp counter top.
"Since when do you drink coffee?" Alice questions.
"Since now." Betty says.
Alice shrugs, "Sleep well?" she continues finally looking up from her paper, sipping from her mug.
"Yeah," Betty sighs, knowing she's lying.
"Would you like to talk about last night?" Alice pushes.
"Really mom?" Betty retorts. "No, I really don't" she snaps.
"Okay," Alice raises her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, just after everything that happened last night at the Whyte Wyrm and then I didn't see you after we got home and you stormed off to your room," Alice gestures to the stairs.
"I just-" Alice stops. "I want to make sure you're okay." Alice sighs.
"Really mom? Since when have you ever cared if I was okay?" Betty raises her voice.
"Now Elizabeth, I-" Alice starts.
"No mom, you always write me off as crazy- like Polly. Or you tell yourself I'm just another raging teenager." Betty utters. "You have never, not once, asked me if I was okay." Betty continues.
"After that little stunt you pulled last night?" Alice starts. "Betty, thinking about those men- those grown men watching my little girl strip on a stage like some hooker. I was sick to my stomach." Alice stops to take a breath. "Betty, what in the hell were you thinking? You're fifteen! What in the world gave you that idea, where was that going to get you?"
"I wanted to be a Serpent!" Betty exclaims.
Alice goes silent.
Betty sighs.
"Wanted?" Alice finally questions.
"What?" Betty asks, confused.
"You said you "wanted" to be a Serpent?" Alice continues.
"Yeah, I-" Betty starts.
"Oh, honey- no!" Alice stands from the bar stool.
"Betty, you don't know my past. You don't understand what I went through to get us here," Alice gestures to the house as she walks towards Betty.
Betty quickly pulls the sleeves of the robe over her hands, in order to hide the four-small crescent shaped imprints, still red and open, from her mother.
Alice grabs both of Betty's hands in hers, "Over my dead body will you ever become a Serpent." Alice pleads.
Gently, Alice lets go of Betty hands, before placing them to the hem of her shirt.
"Mom, what-" Betty starts.
Alice lifts the bottom of her shirt to reveal a tattoo. A two-headed snake in the shape of an 'S' takes residence on Alice's right hip bone.
"Hurt like a bitch," Alice starts.
"The halo is a nice touch," Betty snickers, glances at the top head of the prominent 'S'.
Alice let's out a small giggle.
"I never thought I would agree with Jughead," Alice starts.
Betty's eyes dart up to meet Alice's, confused to how she would know.
"Betty, c'mon I'm not an idiot. How long do you think that Serpent dance has been part of female initiation?" Alice suggests.
"You did that?" Betty asks, shocked.
"I did I did," Alice nods. "However, I wore red and was 18!" She exclaims.
"I'm sorry Mom." Betty finally says.
"I understand why you did it Betty," Alice starts.
Betty gives her an intrigued glance.
"I did it for the same reason," Alice starts. "Perhaps even for the same family." Alice concludes.
"FP?" Betty exclaims.
Alice turns not saying anything.
"Mom?" Betty pushes.
Alice doesn't budge, returning to her paper and now cold coffee.
Betty stands, sipping her coffee- silent, just eyeing her mother.
Finally, Betty turns to set her mug in the sink.
She begins to walk towards the stairs.
"Mom?" Betty stops.
"MmHmm?" Alice mutters.
"Thank you." Betty smiles.
"For what, hun?" Alice asks.
"Letting me in." Betty continues, starting up the stairs.
Alice glances up as the word "in" escapes Bettys lips, before she smiles.