Chapter 1

Betty smashed the door closed behind her and ran up the stairs. She had just told Archie, the boy she had loved for as long as she could remember, how she felt, but gotten rejected. She felt crushed. What angered her the most was what he had said to her, that she was perfect, too good for him. She hated that word. Perfect.

Her pink dress was damp and stained from mascara because of her tears, but she didn't care. Her mom came in her room looking Betty up and down with disgust.

"Betty, you look awful, go get changed," Alice said with a false and very extra smile on her face.

"Yes mom," Betty said with a shaky voice reaching for the perfectly folded light pink nightgown.

"Oh no Elizabeth, we haven't had supper yet, put on that blouse you got for Christmas last year"

Betty just nodded, she didn't want to argue right now, and especially not with her mother.

Alice had always tried to portray Betty as the perfect girl next door, with amazing grades and a never ending smile, but really she wasn't even close to that.

Bettys phone buzzed and she saw a text from Archie.

"Hey, I'm sorry for earlier but I still hope we can be friends"

Betty responded immediately.

"Arch, of course we're still going to be friends, but right now I need space"

Looking through her window, she saw Archie reading her text, he noticed her looking and he just nodded and turned his light off.

She felt the sob coming up her throat when her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Jughead.

"Hey, I'm at the blue and gold, can you come help me with editing some articles?"

"Why are you there this late?"

"Just come here"

She knew her mom wouldn't let her out this late, but if she mentioned the blue and gold, she might just change her mind.

"What are you working on?" She asked. "Is it your big story?"

"No mom, I'm just editing an article" Betty replied, rolling her eyes at her mothers reaction.

"Just be safe okay?"

"Yes, mom"

She was feeling odd on her way to Riverdale High, like she was being watched, but in the middle of worrying, she got a text from Jughead.

"Are you on your way?"

"Yes, meet me at the entrance"

"Finally, I've been waiting forever" Jughead said when she arrived.

Betty chuckled, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Jug"

They got in together, closing the big doors behind them.

"So why exactly are we here? I know you don't need help with editing because we always do that during first period" Betty said smiling.

"Guess I lied to get you alone" he said looking away for a moment. Then he looked at Betty who looked right back at him with her big green eyes and a wide smile on her face and blushing cheeks.

"Jughead, thanks for getting me out of the house, I guess, who knows what I would've done if I was alone right now" Betty said and chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"I told Archie how i felt, but he...rejected me" she said, her eyes tearing. "But I'm fine, really"

Jughead looked at her, confused. How could someone reject her? Beautiful, smart and loving Betty? He tried to understand why his best friend would do that. He knew Betty had loved Archie since kindergarten, but he thought that Archie had a thing for Betty too.

Betty saw his confused face and said:

"He told me I was perfect, too good for him, and he knows I hate being called perfect. She looked at him, trying to see if he understood, but she just saw a dropping jaw.

"But it's fine," she quickly added. "I don't think I loved him anyways, I just loved the idea of him, you know, childhood friendship developing into a relationship, cheerleader and football player..."

Jughead stared at her, he was almost happy because of the rejection. That meant Archie was out of the way, maybe Betty would realize that the one who truly loved her was standing right beside her. He had loved her since kindergarten, just like Betty did Archie, but he always stepped back for Archie's sake. But now when he wasn't a part of this, he would show her that he loved her.

"I'm so sorry, Betty, you have loved him since forever, it's so sad that he rejected you, also, he did it in the worst way possible, by saying you're too good!? He should know you hate being 'too good' I cant believe him-"

"Juggie, calm down, I'm fine. I really am"

"No you're not, you have spent your entire life pining after him and he rejected you!"

"I cant make him love me, Jug"

"You're right, I'm sorry" he said looking down at his feet, ashamed of his reaction.

"But thanks for caring about me, for being here, instead of laughing at me like I was a failure and calling me names" she said and looked at him with a slight smile. He stopped.

"Of course betty, I would never do that, I love you" he said not realizing the mistake that just came out of his mouth. "I mean as a friend, of course" he said blushing.

She looked and at him with a spark in her eyes that made his heart ache. He couldn't keep his feelings hidden much longer. She smiled and sat down at a desk, never letting him out of sight and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"It's too early for you to be in a relationship, I mean after this heartbreak and all I bet you and Veronica have hours of girl talk already planned" Jughead said looking away, he couldn't stand looking into her eyes.

"Juggie, what are you suggesting? Me and you, dating? I mean what would Archie say, if i suddenly started dating his best friend right after he rejected me?" she said. "Not that we would" she added.

He had to restrain himself to not kiss her when he heard her soft voice talking about them dating.

"Betty I'm sorry if this sounds weird, but i know you're not the perfect girl next door that you portray yourself as, you go deeper than that, much deeper, and i know that because i look past your smile everyday. You're not perfect, but to me, you shouldn't be."

Jughead words made something inside Betty drop, she thought everyone saw her as perfect, which she didn't want to be. But Jughead saw her as the girl she actually was, a girl with problems that no one except he could solve, and with a darkness inside of her, that made her do crazy things, and she saw that now. He had been the one all along, not that red headed boy she had longed for for so long. Betty stood up and cupped his face in her hands.

"Jughead, why did you never tell me?"

"Because i knew you loved Archie, and I didn't want to ruin anything" he said quietly.

"As i said, i loved the idea of Archie"

"But i didn't know that then"

Jughead looked into her big, beautiful eyes, and almost got lost in them, but then she let go of him, laughed at something and walked towards the door. He didn't try to stop her, even though he desperately wanted to because he'd support whatever decision she'd make, and if it was to leave him, he would let her.

"Sorry, Jug, but you're right, its too early. It's been barely an hour since my childhood dreams got crushed" she said and opened the door halfway. He nodded slowly, holding back tears.

"Just know that I'm always here if you need me"

Betty looked at him with a forced smile and chuckled.

"Walk me home?"