the heart works in mystery
Is this the end of all the endings?
My broken bones are mending
With all these nights we're spending
Up on the roof with a schoolgirl crush
Drinking beer out of plastic cups
Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff
Baby, all at once, this is enough
-Reputation, Taylor Swift
"Cooper, I need your help with something?"
Betty was surprised to find Reggie Mantel sitting at the table where her friends sat during lunch. What surprised her, even more, was the fact that he was searching for her. Jughead kissed her on the cheek but sent a scowl at Reggie who ignored it.
She never turned down anyone to tutor even if it was Reggie. The same boy who pulled at her pigtail when they were in third grade and who were always competitive to the point that their teachers would make them sit in the corner until either one of them apologized. It was always snark and an easy banter that they gotten used too, even though sometimes their classmates would just send them looks their way.
To Betty and Reggie, it was normal since the third grade.
"Sure, with what?" She opened her sandwich wrapper and took a bite as Reggie explained his dilemma.
Apparently, to join the wrestling team, his grades needed to be top notch and right now they weren't. Jughead snorted but Betty elbowed him to be quiet. She didn't want either of them to start a fight, Archie already setting a hand on Reggie's shoulder to make sure it wouldn't end up in a brawl as well. She sent her friend a smile of gratitude.
"Math would be my biggest weakness, I need to pass the test and Ms. Simpkins told me that if I pass these tests she would talk to Coach Kleats to make sure my spot is mine." His dark eyes were pleading. Betty swallowed her food and nodded. "Alright. I've got homeroom in the library, we can meet there and then after school at my house." Reggie exhaled in relief before giving Betty the biggest grin.
"Thanks, doll."
"Don't call me Doll, Mantle The Magnificent."
Reggie put his hands up in a mocking surrender. "Alright, alright Bets! Jeez, just don't slug me as you did-"
"Back in fifth grade and for the record Reggie, you know damn well that bake sale was mine for the win."
"Guess we shall never know that my cupcakes beat your pathetic brownies. Oh wait, they did." Reggie got up quickly before Betty could make a grab at him and make him take those words back.
Betty was so sure that Reggie was only brought on this earth to annoy the hell out of her.
Tutoring became some sort of distraction for Betty and Reggie. From the black hood dilemma and the integration of the Southside students to Riverdale High.
"Give them a chance Reg. You'll see, maybe they aren't that bad."
"You don't know that Bets. They could hurt Riverdale High's reputation" Reggie countered.
Betty rolled her eyes and tapped the geometry book trying to get the boy's attention back to the subject. Reggie huffed but relented and went back to the world of misery that was Geometry.
A week later, the Southsiders came to Riverdale High.
They saw them walk in with leather on their back and in the blink of an eye a fight almost broke out. Betty, out of reflex grabbed Reggie's left wrist. He turned to look at her, and she silently pleaded with him to stop, take a deep breath Reg. She pulled him away, ignoring Jughead's eyes on her, instead focusing on the boy with the letterman jacket that almost slugged a new student.
He didn't want the Southsiders to be here but Betty knew it was a good chance to reconcile things with Jughead. But at the sight of him with the Serpent's jacket, she could see that he wasn't hers. He changed.
So, Betty kept distracting herself with helping Reggie with his work. She distracted him but Reggie could tell something was off when she didn't roll her eyes at a cheesy joke he made.
It was a rather chilly February, two days before Valentine's Day that Reggie realized why Betty was sad. It was Jughead Jones' fault.
Ever since Reggie could tell, Betty and Jughead were an inseparable couple before he moved to the Southside high school. Now, they talked but there were some longing glances from Betty and Jughead just looked the other way while going with his reptilian friends. It made Reggie's blood boil that Jughead would do that to her. So, Reggie decided that he would try to cheer her up.
On Valentine's Day when Veronica was squealing over what Archie got her, Betty was surprised to find a pretty bouquet of flowers, not roses but daisies, presented by none other than Reggie Mantle. His cheeks were aflame when she kissed him on the cheek, thanking him. He asked her for a date to Pop's and she said yes.
Betty didn't notice Jughead looking at them, a scowl on his face.
"He's using you, Betty. Reggie Mantle's just a neanderthal who thinks with his-!"
"No, he isn't Jug!"
Betty was getting a headache having this argument over and over with Jughead. She knew Reggie. She knew in her heart that he wasn't using her. They were friends, or maybe more with the way he looks at her and whenever he sits by her, her heart skips a beat. It was the same way with Archie, with Jughead and now with Reggie fucking Mantle.
Funny how the heart works. It goes for the most surprising people to fall in love with, the ones that not everyone would think would fall in love.
She's starting to fall for Reggie. The boy who would pull at her pigtails when they were in third grade, the boy who would call her 'Coops' or 'Doll'. The one that gave her cheesy pickup lines and made her laugh. The same boy that would challenge her to anything, always keep her up on her toes.
She's falling in love for Reggie Mantle hard.
The Black Hood was caught, much to the relief of the whole town. A noose hanging over Riverdale that got tighter and tighter as days went by not knowing who was the murderer.
It was Hal Cooper and everyone goes berserk. Alice Cooper is in shock and so is Betty.
She doesn't go to school, ignores everyone's worried calls or messages. Reggie goes over one day and decides not to go through the front door but through her window. If Billy Loomis did it in Scream, so can Reggie... right?
It goes as well as it was thought out, poorly but in the end, Reggie manages to avoid Alice and tap gently on Betty's window. After a few seconds, Betty opens the window her eyes wide with surprise. She is dressed in black leggings and a big blue jumper, the word Riverdale on the front in gold. Her hair is down gold curls in a messy way. But it was her eyes that broke Reggie's heart.
After, he went to Pop's and brought her food only to find Jughead's dad there with a bag from Pop's. Both of them finished the extra fast food with Alice telling them that, "Your arteries are crying right now."
"Yeah? Because my arteries are currently cheering over this food."
Alice just rolled her eyes but the smile that was on her face said otherwise. Reggie raised an eyebrow at Betty but she just gave him a look that read, say nothing. Reggie did just that.
Maybe he misunderstood the Serpents, being with FP Jones, laughing with the older man made Reggie realize that. Betty did tell him to give the Serpents a chance, he should have listened to her more. Will he though? Probably not but he will try. He really did.
But for now, Betty and Reggie bickered about how their high school newspaper needed more funding rather than the football team. They were oblivious to the way FP smirked, giving looks at Alice who just paled.
"They're just like us. Admit it, Ali!"
"Shut it, Forsythe!"
"Forsythe?" Reggie cried out. "Your first name is Forsythe? Man and I thought my parents gave me an old man name."
FP raised an eyebrow as if asking the kid what name did they give you?
"Reginald." The teenager muttered. FP snorted. "At least we got pretty good nicknames."
So that's how Betty found herself listening to FP and Reggie challenge each other to figure out who's name sounded like a dead old man.
(Betty and Alice made it a tie just for them to shut up.)
Reggie Mantle and Betty Cooper were a surprise to all. But to them, they weren't. Maybe at the beginning but in the end, they weren't surprised.
It was the way Reggie looked at Betty as if she was the whole universe.
It was the way Betty giggled at whatever corny joke Reggie told.
It was the way they would try to beat each other only to laugh about the endgame.
It was the way Reggie held her close as the whispers at school became too much.
Different things pulled them together. They weren't surprised at all in the end.
NOTES: My first Beggie (Betty Cooper/Reggie Mantle) fanfic. Hope you guys like it, I may be writing more. Anyway, enjoy the story, let me know what you thought of it!
I don't own Taylor Swift's song 'King Of My Heart'. Part of my inspiration for this story.