Veronica muses about Betty and Jughead's relationship. Set 1x13.
Veronica Lodge would never have bragged about being a particularly observant person, allocating that responsibility to Jughead. But in that moment, the warm familiarity of Pop's washing over the four teens, with the weight of Archie's chest behind her, her eyesight softened over the couple sat opposite her. The B to her V, and Riverdale's very own rendition of Truman Capote.
When their relationship had first been brought to her attention, just as hesitant and shy as the two involved with the prospect of romance, she'd been apprehensive. To begin with, that was. She was aware of the classic trope that "opposites attract", but she had been concerned with Betty's sunshine filled presence and optimism being paired with Jughead's bitter mind, even more bitter words and his general pessimistic dark aura.
But the longer they were together, the more and more Veronica saw how she had been seeing their relationship at the barest face value. Foolishly, so. She had fallen into that classic trap of defining them with the stereotypes that Riverdale had thrust upon them, as it did with everyone. You were hardly an individual in Riverdale; you would find yourself reduced to a time old label that its residents never seemed to bother to drop. The two of them had been trying so hard to escape from those designated enforced labels. Especially Betty. Lord, did she know how much Betty felt trapped and constrained by her given title that would be time and time again used against her.
And how Jughead, though less expressed to Veronica herself directly, quietly, angrily rejected others due to them assuming he was only his given "freak" identity. How he'd allowed Betty and Archie to know him for more than his given persona. And how Veronica had only seen those said two, contrasting personas to let her doubt manifest.
Soon, though, she started to see more and more how the two not only opposed those archetypes, but how them being together made far more sense than half of the antics of Riverdale. The damned town that only chose to recognise what it wanted to see.
She saw how sharp the two of them were; working together in the Blue & Gold, solving a murder mystery for God's sake, she saw how effortlessly they worked of each other. How they prioritised a lead for a potential clue over any detailing of a budding romance. How they were both prepared to put their own parents on a suspect list (even without the necessarily-as-criminal background that Hiram Lodge had) and how they had even been prepared to freaking directly question them about it. How, even despite any troubles or other musings each would've had about their own personal future, how in a situation that called for their professional attention, they made sure that that was exactly what they gave. In her own nerdish mind, a metaphor for Harry Potter called. It was as though the whole town perceived those two as Hufflepuff and Slytherin, as oppositely perceived as could be, when in reality, the two of them were both undoubtably Ravenclaw. A shared hunger for information and the truth, both utilising their skills with words to try to fight back against the challenges that the town was faced with, their need to prioritise anything that might help bring the truth around.
And it was in those moments that Veronica actually saw them. Betty wasn't the Good Girl influence on the snarky Jughead to help him be happier. Jughead wasn't the brooding misunderstood loner who helped Betty embrace her dark side, to reject the status quo. To see them as that was to not see, or even respect, what the two of them had made with each other. They were the sharp minded duo, each as brilliant a the other, who worked trough any troubles laid against them with a clear mind and methodological thinking, with a relationship built upon unconditional respect for the other. She felt that was a key term. Respect. They both respected each others work and thoughts and contributions equally, in a way so uncommonly found in relationships for people their age. Maybe that's what made Veronica feel that they were soulmates. If anyone could have that much mutual care, compassion and unbridled respect for their partner, there was no doubt that they would be right for each other.
Jughead let out a giggle at something Betty just said, eyes flirty as she sipped on her milkshake, but glowing at the received tender kiss on her temple. Veronica smiled, and leant against Archie.
Yes, the two were far more alike than everyone chose to see.
Any comments, thoughts and concerns are welcome x
– best wishes, Alex