Things had been different ever since their trip to Nebraska. No. She was wrong. Things had been different ever since she had accepted Juggie's proposal of marriage. It felt like it was a wedge in her friendship with Veronica. A wedge that try as she might to destroy ... a wedge that wanted to be permanent.
She fully knew that Veronica never did take a complete liking too Juggie. Not when they first met on the the first day of school; when Veronica had stood in front of the schoolroom as the teacher told the class of their new student. A beautiful and full of life six year old student. The most beautiful little girl that Betty had ever seen in her life. She was proud when the teacher told Veronica to sit next to her. She usually sat next to her sister Polly; but Polly recently decided that she didn't want to sit with her. When Veronica took Polly's seat it felt like Veronica truly belonged there.
Betty had met her sister's eyes from across the isle and Polly had silently nodded her deepest approval. As of Polly just knew that the person whom was meant to sit next to Betty was soon to come.
When the children had gone out for morning break Betty and Veronica were quickly surrounded by the girls their age. Cheryl of course quickly informed Veronica that Betty wasn't someone she wanted to associate with. That Betty wasn't of their kind. Betty was breathless at how quickly Veronica pulled Betty behind her; and keeping a hand protectively around her; she told Cheryl that Betty was just right for her; and her family. That she was taught whom were the right kind of people to associate with ... Elizabeth Cooper was the top notch. Veronica even told Cheryl that she (Cheryl) was on the bottom of the dung heap.
After Cheryl had turned and stormed away; Polly nodded her head in approval of Veronica and turned back to her friends.
The boys quickly came up and told Betty that they would be happy to meet her female protector. Veronica responded very well with Archie and Kevin. But Betty could tell that Veronica was hiding her true feelings about Forsythe inside. Although Forsythe; himself welcomed Veronica into their group without question.
Veronica had told Betty that fate drew them together. That it was fate that they were destined to meet. That it was fate that they were destined to be best friends for life. Betty believed her without a doubt.
Veronica's parents loved her. Betty loved them equally as much. It was so much easier being around Veronica's parents then her own. Her parents were stiff and formal. They never showed that they loved her or Polly. Betty was amazed that both Cooper sisters knew how to feel love. How to express love. With parents like Hal and Alice Cooper ... it was no easy feat. But; most parents were how her parents were. Times were tough. The town needed to be built. No one could build the town but the people whom lived in the town.
Mr. and Mrs. Lodge were a breath of air. They held the Southern life style. Even through they had lost most of their riches due to the South losing the Civil War. They never held any grudges. They told Betty that they appalled slavery. That yes granted they did own slaves on their plantation ... they always treated them as one of the family. They freed each and every slave. They paid them for their work. They gave them cabins to live in. They taught them how to read, write and mathematics. They encouraged them to learn a life trade. They were one of the stops on the underground railroad.
Betty knew never to tell anyone this. Not even Polly. After all the Civil War wasn't even that long ago. The South lost. She fully knew that there was still a lot of bitterness between the North and South. She wondered if there would ever be peace in the United States again? She wondered if President Lincoln hadn't been assassinated if he could have helped the country become strong again? If even he could be hard press to get the North and South to mend their hatred; mistrust of one another?
Betty always felt at home at the Lodge's mansion. Yes they had enough money to build a mansion on the hundred aces of land. They knew that the South would lose the war. They always knew that if the South did indeed secedes from the United State; that they had claimed to do if Abraham Lincoln became President. That the South would become deeply deeply poor before the civil war ended. Luckily Mr. Lodge's parents for saw this early on in their marriage. They made the changes that they knew they needed to do in order for the Lodge family to survive.
Betty spent more time at the Lodges then her own home. Although her parents tried to tie her down with farm work. But she quickly got her duties done. Plus whatever else extra that she could help her family. That they didn't have that reasoning to keep her home. Well her father honesty was happy that she had a close female friend ... he had worried that she would only have the boys to play with ... he knew that it would be fine when she was a little girl. But she would grow as the years passed. Her mother disliked the Lodges from the first moment she set eyes on them. They respected everything that she had always wished her own life was. Rich. It didn't matter that the Cooper family was very well off in life. They wanted nothing in life. That wasn't enough for Alice Cooper. She wanted a mansion. She wanted servants (not slaves. She was a northern girl after all).
Her parents had fights over Betty's friendship with Veronica. Hal refused to back down. Alice refused to allow her daughter to have anything to do with that Lodge girl. That the Lodge girl was going to just destroy Betty. Betty had cried herself to sleep many nights. Her father always coming in to tell her that no matter what she was to remain friends with Veronica. That her mother was going to calm down. It was going to take a little while. Alice never really calmed down all these years later ... but instead of always fighting her father ... she just simply glares at Betty every time Betty says she's off to Veronica's.
Veronica was always was calm and collected whenever she visited the Cooper home. She made sure to visit every other day. Veronica wasn't going to stay away from Betty's family all because Betty's mother didn't care for her. (okay hate was more in line). Nothing was going to stop Veronica Lodge from being with Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper.
It was when the girls were eight when Betty finally spoke about her mother. About how she felt that her mother never loved her. That her mother didn't love her father or sister. But she knew that her father still found love in his heart for his loveless wife. Betty said that she found the courage to honesty hold onto the slim line of love for her mother through her father's example.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Veronica bonded the quickest with Kevin; and came very close with Archie. She claimed Archie as the brother that she always wanted. Veronica kept Forsythe firmly at a distance. Forsythe honesty understood ... although Betty never did. Nothing was said out loud ... it was a private understanding between Veronica and Forsythe. But it didn't prevent Forsythe from trying to truly bond with her.
Betty cried herself to sleep for months as she realized that Veronica would never accept Forsythe. Veronica finally began to grow close to Forsythe. Up to the point where she trusted him. As the years grew it felt to Betty that perhaps Veronica put Forsythe as a distant cousin feeling.
It was easy to full into a romantic relationship with Forsythe. Betty had known him since she was two. She always felt like he meant more to her than the other two boys. She always put Archie and Kevin as brothers. But not Forsythe. She didn't attempt to try to put a label on him. When she realized that she had those special feelings for him when she was ten ... she felt like it was right. It was what Veronica had told her four years previous ... destiny. Destiny had marked Forsythe Jones the Second as her mate in life. When two years later Forsythe had shyly confessed his growing feelings for her ... Betty just smiled and told him that she felt the same.
She felt a distance between herself and Veronica. But it wasn't anything Veronica said or did. It was just in that place that was just Veronica's in her soul ... it felt like there was a small distance. As she and Forsythe grew more in their romantic feelings for each other ... the distance kept growing.
When Forsythe proposed and she said yes; she felt like a void came between her and Veronica. Betty didn't understand it ... she and Veronica were as close as they ever were. Betty firmly believed that Veronica had been correct ... they were destined to be best friends for the rest of time. They were fated for one another.
Betty wanted to voice her concerns ... but every time she opened her mouth ... she was too afraid that Veronica would say she felt it too. That perhaps fate was wrong. Perhaps they weren't destined to be together. Perhaps fate only allowed them their childhood closeness ... but not adulthood. Betty couldn't bare that. She couldn't bare to lose Veronica.
Kneeling suddenly Betty wrapped her arms tightly around her waist; as she felt overwhelming fear hit her full on. Her head bowed as she cried silent heartbreaking tears. Strong arms wrapped around her; and she twisted and leaned into the body that was offering its strength as her own was leaving her. She felt the essence crawl inside her soul. The essence that she had always known. Veronica was back. She was scared that she lost Betty. Betty's soul desperately trying to cling to every aspect of Veronica's soul trying to draw all of it completely inside her.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Veronica wept into Betty's neck.
end