A/N: This story takes place after Jughead breaks up with Betty. They do not reconcile, and there is no shutdown of Southside High. This story takes place in Betty's freshman year of college.
I hope you all enjoy this story! I absolutely love Bughead, so I'm excited to write about them!
"How many times Jug?" Betty cried, "How many times are we gonna push each other away?"
"Until it sticks!" Jughead spat back, his face contorted with anger and pain. That was my dad's one chance of going straight and I wrecked it! I'm not going to destroy you too."
He turned away, and Betty took a step forward, grasping at his Serpent jacket. Tears streamed down her face as she began to speak, "Tell me what happened Jug. Jug!" Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Don't leave, please."
Jughead turned to face her, his face void of expression. "Go home Betty."
Three Years Later
Betty Cooper, of Riverdale, had spent her entire life preparing for college; writing for the paper, being a cheerleader, and volunteering in her spare time were just a small portion of what she hoped would land her a scholarship, and get her away from the town she grew up in. And it had worked, kind of, except the scholarship she had landed was to Riverdales own university, RU.
While still just north of the town that had caused so much heartbreak and chaos in her life, it was far enough away to escape from the clutches of her parents, but close enough to where she could still enjoy a milkshake from Pop's every now and then.
Just one month into the first semester of her freshman year, Betty Cooper was beginning to find some semblance of normal as a journalism major. After a week of introductions, and tours of the campus, each day was beginning to get more and more familiar. And thankfully, she wasn't alone in her new adventure. While Kevin had gone to school out of state, both Veronica and Archie had stayed beyond, both to be closer to their parents and their businesses.
As was now the norm, Betty took her seat in the cafeteria at noon, her tray of food sitting before her. Moments later, Veronica sat across from her, dressed to the nines as usual. The raven haired beauty raised a finely done eyebrow in Betty's direction.
"You okay B?" She asked, "You're doing that thing where there's something on your mind and you zone out."
Betty shook her head and gave a shrug, "No, i'm fine. Just..." She let out a sigh, "still getting used to this."
Veronica let out a huff, beginning to eat the fries in front of her. "Tell me about it. I mean, I absolutely love sharing a room with you my dear friend, but I can't say I don't miss the Pembroke."
Betty let out a laugh, still confused at time's how they had become best friends. Veronica was Breakfast at Tiffany's, coming from New York City, and always wearing the nicest of brands and had the best of everything. Her parents, Hermione and Hiram Lodge were the richest people in Riverdale, but unbeknownst to most, it was because they were also involved in questionable activity. Veronica, taking after both of her parents, was pursuing a degree in business with the hopes of her family that she'd one day be able to take over the family business.
Betty on the other hand, was the polar opposite. Raised in a house where she her and her sister were constantly pressured to be perfect, she was Riverdale's own 'girl next door', dressing in her pastel colored clothing, her blonde hair always pulled tight in her ponytail.
"Did you hear me B?" Veronica asked, and Betty quickly snapped from her daze once again. "I was saying that one of the fraternities is having a party tonight. Archie and I were thinking of going - I think it'd be good to get out and do something."
"I don't have -"
"Anything to wear?" The raven haired vixen smirked at her, and Betty knew there would be no argument. She smiled in return.
"Okay, you know... that does sound fun. I don't know V, my mind has just been on... a lot lately. Last weekend when I went home, I was going through my old room and found my diary." She cleared her throat, "I.. went through a few of the pages and there was just a lot about -"
"Jughead?" Veronica's smirk disappeared. "Betty.. I know that had to be an awful memory to bring up, but it's been three years."
She shrugged her sweater covered shoulders. "No, I know... I just... wonder what he's up to I guess."
"Being a Serpent, running drugs, hiding dead bodies... the possibilities are endless."
The motor rumbled beneath him, the wind whipping past his face as his Harley Davidson Sportster made it's way down the road. Jughead glanced in his mirror, the headlights of a Ghoulies Ford truck becoming almost dangerously close. He shifted gears, his bike speeding up, the tires leaving a scuff in the road.
Only another mile or so, he thought leaning forward, as if that would help the bike speed up.
This wasn't how he was expecting his day to end up, but when FP had informed the Serpents that a Ghoulie had stolen a delivery, Jughead knew it was his responsibility to get it back. He was the stealthiest, and had the best luck with the rivalry gang in the past. And so, he had gotten on his motorcycle and sped into their territory, sneaking into their warehouse, and stealing back what was originally theirs. As usual, the life of a Serpent was an exciting one.
He could barely hear the yelping of the thugs chasing him down, hoping to catch them a Serpent that had made it's way onto their territory but he could see them in his mirrors, their heads hanging out of the windows.
So close..
A wave or relief hit him as he passed the appropriate point, and five more motorcycles joined him from the left and right. Knowing the Ghoulies wouldn't take part in a fair fight, he wasn't surprised to see the truck behind him turn around. They rode for another mile or so until finally slowing down at the Whyte Wrym, the local hangout of the Southside Serpents.
After dismounting his bike, leaving it parked next to twenty others, he removed his helmet, fixing the crowned shaped beanie over his raven hair. His hair hung slightly on his forehead, sticking to the sweat that had formed during the chase.
"You good Jug?" FP, his father asked, stepping out of the bar and walking towards him.
FP had never been the ideal father figure, always putting the Serpents and his own addictions before his own family. He had remembered a brief time as a child where he had a semblance of a family, but then his mother had left his father, begging Jughead to go with her and his sister Jellybean. He had denied, knowing his father would need someone to stay back with him, and it was a good thing he did, as he had helped FP through his prison stint.
With a deep breath, Jughead nodded. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."
He felt his heartbeat slowly return to normal and found that he would never quite get used to being thrust into this dangerous lifestyle.
"Did you get it?" FP inquired, holding his hand out expectantly. Failure wasn't an option.
Business as usual, he thought, mentally rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, dad... I got it."
From his inside jacket pocket, he pulled out a wadded up brick of marijuana, the very same that the Ghoulies had stolen from them only a day ago.
His dad clapped him on the back, his pride evident as he let out a celebratory woop. "Hell yeah. That's my son. Good job boy."
With a shake of the head, Jughead wandered into the bar, taking his usual seat at the bar top. It was evident it was his, since he had carved his signature crown into the wooden top.
"Hey," a smooth voice began and he lifted his head to see Toni, one of his closest friends. "What's wrong Jug?"
Jughead's friendship with Toni had began when he was transferred to Southside High and she was assigned his student mentor. She had been the one who explained what being a Serpent would mean, and had helped him through each one of the levels of initiation. And while he had shared a tryst with her one evening when Betty and him had broken up, she had since then only remained a close friend.
"Nothing. I'm just.." He let out a scoff, holding his hands out expectantly. "Don't you ever feel like this gets old sometimes? Like maybe there's something other than running drugs and running away from what could be a turf war?"
She let out a laugh, shaking her head as she poured a beer for a gentleman down the bar. "I mean, sure. But this is what it is, what we have. This life isn't ... the greatest, but it's ours."
Jughead shook his head, his curl falling onto his forehead, before letting it fall into his hands.
"Listen.." Toni began again, moving closer to him and speaking quietly. "I'm going to a party tonight if you want to go. Up on the Northside, at the University. Some frat party. Want to go?"
He slowly lifted his head, his signature smirk falling on his lips. "Toni.. are you asking me on a date?"
She swatted his arm before brushing her pink and brown hair over her shoulder, "No.. you keep forgetting... as cute as you are Jug, I'm more into the female type."
"Yeah, yeah. So why are you going to this party?"
"Always a good way to sell some dime bags, make a few bucks, and have a few drinks. Might be fun."
Jughead sighed, thinking for a moment about the last time he had been on the Northside. It had been just over a year ago, when he had wandered there to discuss an issue on the Southside with the mayor. It had gone well, for once, and when he had left, he'd seen... her.
Betty Cooper, with her books clutched to her chest, walking home with Archie. As usual, she was dresses in a pastel tone, a sweater covering her shoulders and a pair of jeans covering her legs. Her blonde locks had been tied back into its signature ponytail, and on her face was a wide smile. He had momentarily taken a step towards her, before remembering the reasoning why he had broken up things in the first place. He had wanted to protect her, but he knew it was a mistake and he regretted it each day.
Jughead let out a lengthy and dramatic sigh, much to Toni's amusement. "Yeah, I'll go." He finally answered, bracing himself for what was sure to be an interesting night.
A/N: Each chapter will be longer than this, but I just wanted this first to give a good introduction to how this was going to lay out.
Thanks for reading!