Inspired by "It all started with a dare" by Pllrivervixon on Wattpad.
It was the first rager of the year and practically every one form town was there. Everyone hated Cheryl and was terrified of Thornhill but where there is free booze there was bound to be people. Jughead was dragged by his obnoxious best friend Archie Andrews. He kept telling him if he didn't go he was going to die alone. Jughead had no idea how that related but he went anyway if only to appease the incessant babbling.
Jughead didn't mind being there as much as he thought he would. He had gone to get Archie another drink and pretend to get himself another when the new girl came walking into the same room. They never spoke but it didn't change the fact that he was captivated by her beauty. Betty came prancing in shortly after her smiling wider than he thought possible.
"Hey V! You get the drinks alright?" The drink was handed to Betty, right in line with her words.
"Yes, now we have a party to be a part of and music to dance to." Veronica walked away passed Jughead and into the next room. Betty looked up as she passed him and then stopped quick.
"Hey Jug! What are you doing here? You aren't really the party type." Betty's smile never faltered.
"Archie." The answer, though short, explained it all and Betty ran off to catch up to Veronica waving goodbye.
By the time Jughead made it back to Archie a game of truth or dare was started. Archie was engrossed in some kid Jughead had never seen's answer to "What's the weirdest place you've gotten it on?"
"Cemetery man. Shit got freaky next to a headstone for some dude named Arnold." Laughs filled the room as Jughead tapped on Archies shoulder.
Jughead gave Archie the cup and got a quiet 'thanks man' in return. Just as Jughead was about to walk away having no interest in the game someone called his name.
"Jughead! Truth or dare?" He would know that voice anywhere. Everyone at Riverdale high would know that voice. Cheryl Blossom.
"I'm good!" He yelled over the music. He tried to duck out of the room but Archie had grabbed his arm.
"Come on man one round. It could be fun." Jughead could never say no to Archie so he sadly agreed.
"Great! Truth or dare Jughead?" Cheryl had that 'i've got something planned' smirk and it made Jughead uneasy. He figured no one needed to know anything about him so he chose dare. What's the worst that could happen?
"You have to ask out the new girl, Veronica Lodge." Cheryl looked like she had more to say but he cut her off.
"What? Why?" She didn't answer his questions just kept on going with what she was saying before he spoke.
"Or else I burn your beanie. I know how much you love it. You haven't taken it off since like the third grade. It's like your only friend. Well except Archie of course but he doesn't count." Archie let out a hurt 'Hey' but no one paid him any attention.
"No way I'm not-" Jughead tried to protest.
"Fine give me your beanie," Cheryl said threateningly.
"Come on Jug it's not that bad. She kinda hot to so if she says yes…" Archie raised his eyebrows at the end. Jughead really wanted to save his beanie so he agreed.
"Fine. Whatever." He sighed but just as he was about to find the newest obsession of Riverdale high Cheryl spoke up once more.
"Oh and one more thing Forsyth." She held out his name trying to get a rise out of him. "You have to date her for a month or bye bye beanie." She waved her fingers and sent him off with a smirk.
Jughead took his time finding the new girl. He really didn't want to have to date this girl because of a dare. He really didn't want to date anyone at all. It wouldn't be his first girlfriend and he took comfort in that but it didn't make the whole situation any better. He had dated a few south side girls. Mostly Serpents. But he never had to wow them into dating him. He was also Southsider Serpent so it made sense.
He had spotted Betty before he spotted Veronica. As he walked up to them he cursed out Cheryl for making him do this and Archie for dragging him to the party in the first place. He had no game and didn't even have the slightest clue on how to get an outsider, a now Northsider, and former New York socialite to go out with him of all people. He put his hand on Betty's shoulder when he finally reached them.
"Hey, Betts what's up?" He decided to talk to Betty first to calm himself down and get a handle on Veronica's energy before diving right in. Betty was familiar territory what with them being childhood friends and all. His Serpent stats only recently started affecting their friendship.
"Just hanging with Veronica here. Have you two met? Also, where's Archie?" Betty was talking a mile a minute, probably from the alcohol.
"He's uh- He's in the other room play truth or are with a couple other people. I had to get out of there." He turned his head to Veronica when Betty began to look around for Archie and the truth or dare game supposably happening somewhere nearby. "No, I don't think we've met." He put out his hand to Veronica awkwardly. "I'm Jughead Jones."
Veronica smiled at him taking his hand in hers. "I'm Veronica Lodge. Nice to meet you." When she pulled her hand away she used it to flip her hair behind her. He took that as a sign of interest and thanked the heavens that he wouldn't be making a complete fool of himself for just talking to her.
"I'm gonna go find Archie! You guys ok by yourselves?" Betty asked nervously.
"Of course B! Go find your man!" Veronica shouted over the music which somehow had gotten even louder as they spoke.
"Veronica!" Betty scolded looking at Jughead. Jughead laughed at the absurdity of it all.
"Betty I hate to tell you this but I've known about your crush on Archie since the first grade. You're lucky he's got a thick head… Or not so depending on how you look at it." Veronica laughed alongside him. Betty gave a huff of annoyance and walked off to find the redhead who wasn't out to ruin everyone's lives. Then Jughead realized they were alone, no more familiar to fall back on in a crisis.
"Well, Jones? What do we do now?" Veronica said raising her eyebrows in interest.
"Dance?" He didn't know why he had said it. It was a stupid thing to say. He had no rhythm and couldn't even walk right half the time let alone dance. Veronica seemed to enjoy the answer and pulled him into the crowd of people to his left. Off in the distance, he could see a few of the people playing truth or dare watching him. Betty was off in her own little world to his thankfulness, if Betty found out about the dare then he was out a friend and a beanie.
They danced for a while not saying a word to one another. He got a hang of the movements needed relatively quickly keeping in tempo with Veronica. She was smiling most of the time they dance and he was ever so grateful but if he didn't speed things up a bit he was sure Cheryl would have his head. Just as he was about to speak saying god knows what Veronica spoke instead.
"So what's with the jacket?" She said running her hand along the leather sleeve. "No one in here is wearing half as much clothing as you are and certainly no one is wearing a leather jacket with a huge snake on the back."
"I'm in a gang." He decided to be blunt. They had stopped dancing by the time he said it but he was sure she would have stopped dead if she hadn't previously. Veronica stared at him silently for a moment and Jughead hoped he didn't just ruin everything.
"You aren't messing with me right Jones?" She looked serious.
"Never, Princess." He gave her a smirk which he'd seen Archie do a million times to win over a girl. It worked.
Veronica lifted the few inches difference between them and connected her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck keeping herself connected to him. He put his hands on her hips and followed her lead. After a while Veronica pulled back, lipstick smudged and breath heavy.
If he didn't ask her out now he never would. "Damn Lodge. Wanna go out sometime." He chuckled. She grabbed his arm pulling him out of the crowd.
"How 'bout now?" She asked as she continued to pull him through the house. He could see Cheryl looking pissed from one of the rooms they passed and Archie looked impressed. At least someone was proud of him. He felt like he'd done the impossible and others should be in awe.
They got outside before either of them spoke again. "You got a ride, Jones?" She asked looking around. He just smiled at her and walked away. She stood confused for a moment before following him around the bushes. He stood leaning on his bike waiting for her to finally round the corner. To his surprise, she smiled and sped up her walk to get to him faster. He held out a helmet to her and lifted his leg over the side while she fastened it.
"Hang on tight, Princess. Don't want your pretty little face getting roughed up." She did as she was told and held his waist the entire ride to Pop's.
"This is where I met Betty and Archie a few days ago," Veronica said absentmindedly.
"Well, now it's gonna be where we had our first date. At 3 in the morning. On a Wednesday." He smiled as he put his arm around her shoulder. She laughed at his statement and spun out of his hold to grab his hand and drag him in faster.
They sat at a booth by the windows. Pop came by pretty much as soon as they sat down.
"Your usual, Jughead?" Jughead just nodded before turning his attention to Veronica.
"What would you like, Princess?" She told Pop her order and he walked away to go make it up, It wouldn't take to long since they were the only ones in the whole restaurant.
"So…" Veronica started. "What's up with your gang? No one else in town seems to be a part of it." Jughead had to keep reminding himself that she was new and had no idea about any of the Northside vs Southside drama.
"Plenty of people from town are a part of it. Just not this part of town." Jughead looked to Veronica but she didn't seem put off but even more interested.
"The gang is a part of the Southside hence the name Southside Serpents. Most Northsiders, like Archie and Betty, hate the Southside and the Serpents." Jughead never lowered his gaze from Veronicas.
"So am I a Northsider then?" She seemed to have no objection about the serpents and tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
"We'll have to see it's too early to tell. Would you rather spend your Saturday in an old dingy bar with our best friends or at some high school football game." He asked.
"Oh! Friends, hands down. There is no competition." She smiled knowing it was the answer he was looking for.
"There may be hope for you yet Lodge." Just as he finished his sentence Pop came by with their order. They continued to talk while they ate and they spent a lot of the time laughing at one another.
Veronica took a sip of her milkshake scrunching up her nose at how hard it was to get through the straw. Jughead picked up his phone and took a picture of her struggle laughing at her face. Although she was having a hard time she still managed to look beautiful and happy. He quickly sent the picture to Archie with a message telling him to show Cheryl that she wouldn't be burning his beanie just yet.
Jughead walked into school the next day smug. He had Veronica Lodge on his arm. Cheryl gave him a dirty look as he passed by with his arm around Veronica's shoulder. Jughead kept feeling smug the rest of the week. At the end of the month, He went to Cheryl himself to gloat about keeping his beanie and more importantly Veronica Lodge. He never let it go, holding it over Cheryl for a long time. He even wrote in their vows about how he had started dating Veronica on a dare no one thought he would win and that he did better than everyone. Cheryl was no longer mad about it, she was just happy for her friends (yes friends).