She stood by the door, her pastel-colored sweater clashing with the dark and gothic-like coloring of the Whyte Wyrm. Debating whether she should enter, Betty Cooper leaned against the worn wall, massaging her temples in frustration. Her face stung with bruises and slap-marks. Her entire body ached after being thrown against the wall. Of course, it wasn't a good idea to run all the way from her and picket-fence house on the Northside to the Southside of Riverdale, especially in pouring rain. But what would a better place to go? She had no money, nothing to offer. It was either this or run back to home, and it was freezing and late, and her thin cashmere sweater was drenched in a combination or rain and sweat. She shivered both because of cold and fear. The Whyte Wyrm was infamous for housing the Southside Serpents, a dangerous gang. With one bold move, she pushed the door open, and walked into the dimly lit bar. Everyone noticed when she entered-she was hard to miss, her pink sweater stood out amongst the swarm of leather and denim. A middle-aged man approached her, his breath smelling strongly of cheap beer. "You lost, Hun?" He asked, his tone a sickly sweet. She nodded timidly, afraid of what the drunk man may do to her, what the entire bar may do her. They didn't give off exactly a kind and friendly vibe, as they all donned worn leather jackets and wore frowns and scowls on their faces. "Leave her alone, Tall Boy." A female voice commanded, originating from behind the bar counter. The man, Tall Boy, backed off and spat: "Fucking Northsider."
The girl, who was a bartender at the Wyrm, beckoned Betty over with a hand gesture. She was quite beautiful, with faded pink locks falling on her shoulders gracefully and a perfect figure. "Thanks," Betty muttered, sitting on the creaky leather bar stool, too exhausted to car that she was sopping wet and dripping raindrops. "Don't mention it." The girl responded in an apathetic voice, pouring yet another glass of knockoff liquor. "I'm Toni." Toni said, her voice a little more kind than Betty expected it to be. "Betty." She responded, wringing out her golden locks. She was quite aware that everyone's eyes were on her. "You look like you need a drink-and a towel." Betty nodded, although she had never tasted alcohol nor been under its affect, she felt like sipping her sorrows away. "I don't have any money." She mumbled. Hopefully she wouldn't be kicked out for loitering. Toni shook her head. "On the house." "Thanks." The pink haired girl slid a glass over to Betty, and she guzzled it, paying no mind to the fact that she had zero tolerance for alcohol. "I'll go get you a towel." Toni stayed, calling another serpent over to the counter. He was a young man, most likely Betty's age, with black, slicked back hair and a strong jawline. "Betty, this is Joaquin." Toni introduced the serpent. "Joaquin, Betty." "Nice to meet you." He said gruffly, not caring enough to make eye contact with the blonde-haired beauty. "Nice to meet you too!" Betty said enthusiastically and kindly. He nodded and turned to Toni. "Whadya want?" His words were slurred under the effect of alcohol. "Get me a towel." She said. "And a change of clothes." "Where-" "Use Jughead's shirt. I probably have a pair of sweats around here somewhere." He nodded, and ran off into the halls behind the front room. "Thank you." Betty said, twirling her drink with her finger. "No problem." Toni paused. "Don't mind me asking but...why are you here, soaking wet?"
"It's a long story." Betty replied bashfully. "I've got time. And I gave you a towel, clothes, a drink for free. I think I deserve to know why." Toni looked over Betty, noticing the forming black eye on her right eye, and the red marks and cuts that were scattered over her face. Betty was about to begin the story of her journey before she was interrupted by Joaquin's familiar voice. "I've got it." He said, shoving the goods onto her lap. He gave her an evil eye. "Spoiled brat." He muttered under his breath. "Where should I change?" Betty ignored him and asked while examining the clothes-she had been given a T-shirt, which would obviously be too big, with a faded S on the front, a worn towel scattered with wholes, and a pair of sweatpants that looked just about her size. Toni pointed to the hall in the back. "Thanks." Betty said shakily, as she strode through the sea of unfriendly faces and furrowed brows.
She reentered the bar, wearing the clothes that Joaquin had given her. The T-shirt slid off her shoulder just slightly, hinting at her lace bralette. She had wrapped the towel tightly around her hair, drying it. Her bare arms nearly froze when the cold air hit her, blowing in from the open door. In the frame stood another serpent, fists clenched in anger and annoyance. He had dark curls that flipped awkwardly to one side, and bright, piercing blue eyes that were glaring directly at her. "What the fuck is a fucking northsider doing in my bar wearing my clothes?!"
"Calm down!" Toni shouted back at the serpent. The way he glared at her, sizing her up, sent shivers down Betty's spine. "Sorry." Betty mumbled. She should've known that the kindness that Toni showed her wouldn't be shown by the other serpents. "Somebody give me an explanation!" The fuming serpent demanded. "I'm sorry." Betty muttered again, shying away from the sea of frowns and judging eyes. "Don't apologize, Betty." Toni replied, walking over to the blonde to support her. She was too fragile to face the wrath of Jughead Jones alone. "Jughead needs to learn some manners." She paused, before addressing Jughead. "Betty, here, needed somebody to help. I don't know the full story but you should remember...the serpents took you in after your abusive and drunk dad beat you up and kicked you out. Now, I don't know what happened to Betty but I think she deserves the same treatment." Jughead and the serpents obviously respected Toni Topaz, so he nodded solemnly. "Fine." He forced out through gritted teeth. "She's gone by tomorrow, okay?" Toni nodded, and Betty felt a sharp pang in her abdomen. She should've known better than to expect that the serpents would happily give her a permanent home.
"Sorry bout Jughead." Toni told Betty, once they were back at the counter, Betty perched on the leather stool and Toni pouring drinks for the already-drunk serpents. "It's fine. I'm used to it." Betty responded. "I really should be thanking you guys." Toni paused, noticing Betty's eyes, which were glossed over with tears. "Betty..." "Yeah?" She responded over enthusiastically, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. "You were going to tell me..." "Oh, yeah." Betty pursed her lips. She just met Toni, and although she desperately needed someone to spill all of her troubles to, a shoulder to cry onto, could she truly trust Toni? Although she had been shown nothing but kindness by the pink haired serpent, she felt a lurch in her stomach. "It's a long story..." Betty repeated, as she had said before. And on cue, Toni responded: "And like I said, I got time." Betty nodded. She had given Betty clothes and drinks and a warm towel. She at least deserved to know her story. "It's my family." "It usually is." Toni replied. "But not only that. It's my friends, my fucking boyfriend. I..." she paused, wondering if Toni was truly trustworthy. "It's okay." Toni said, reading the Northsider's mind. "You can trust me." "At first, it was my dad. He would hit me. Call me a slut. And it got worse. He..." Betty choked on a sob, and Toni raced to her side, rubbing her back in support. Although the serpent had just met the blonde, she had taken a liking for the kind and innocent girl. "He locked me in a closet. And my mom just stood there, mostly. But she got sucked in too." Betty sobbed, her tears dripping onto the wood floor. She was too distraught and distracted to notice, but the entire bar was staring at the sobbing girl. Some felt sympathy, but other stared at her in annoyance, angry that a northside stranger was sobbing out her problems in their bar.
"Stop!" Betty screamed as Hal Cooper brought his hand against her cheek, leaving a red hand mark on her pale face. "Don't use that tone, young lady." Alice said, her voice cold as ice. "I didn't do anything!" Betty cried, her cheek stinging crazily. "Yes, you did!" Hal shouted, bringing his fist against her eye, knocking her back a few steps. "You're a fucking slut. Slumming it with any boy you can get your chubby hands on!" Betty shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Now, don't you dare cry! You deserve this. This is teaching you a lesson!" Alice screamed. Betty collapsed out of pain, sobbing on the floor. "Get up!" Alice demanded. "I don't even want to see you! Go to your room!" Betty nodded, biting her lips to keep from sobbing loudly in front of them. She scrambled up the stairs desperate to escape another beating.
"And my parents...it only got worse. They would hit me and punch me...they would call me fat and refuse to let me eat. They'd never let me out of the house. School was my only escape." Betty paused to gulp down her glass, hoping the whiskey could numb her pain. "And then it became hell too. My friends, at least who I thought were my friends, they turned on me. My boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend. I was an outcast. I was bullied. I had no escape. So..." Toni looked at the crying girl with pity. She had been to hell and back again. "I cut myself." She showed Toni her pale arms, which were covered in pale pink scars. "Oh my god, Betty, I'm so sorry. I don't even..." "It's okay, Toni. You've been the nicest person to me in a long time. I'm grateful." Toni's heat broke after hearing Betty's kind words. A girl who was as kind and good as Betty didn't deserve a life like hers. "I'm so sorry about Jughead. And anyone who gave you a hard time." Toni embraced her newfound friend in a long hug, a sight that surprised the serpents watching. They all felt pity towards Betty. Except for few, most had forgotten about the hated they felt towards Northsiders. Even their worst enemy didn't deserve a life like hers. "It's okay, Toni. Thank you so much. I... just needed to escape."
The entire bar was silent, except for the sad, lilting voice of Betty Cooper and the unusually sympathetic and comforting voice of Toni Topaz, so their conversation was easily overheard by one across the bar, by the name of Jughead Jones. His heart lurched when he heard her sobs, trying to stay strong, despite the hell that she had lived-was still living through . Perhaps it was the fact that there was a mutual understanding from one abused kid to another. Or maybe that he knew personally how it felt to be thrown against a wall by your parent and told you are worthless, but he felt enormous pity for her. Although Jughead was not the social butterfly, he had friends. Friends were what made life bearable while he was being beaten up by the alcoholic he called dad. Friends were a distraction. Betty didn't have that-her friends, as Jughead put it were: cold-hearted bitches. Betty's friends were the reason why the serpents despised the northside so. Perhaps this was why he approached her after Toni finally relinquished her hold on the Hitchcock blonde, whom they both had taking a liking towards. "Hi." Jughead said, offering a wave. She exchanged a wave, and smiled earnestly. "Hi." She replied, and Jughead was immediately convinced that Betty didn't have a mean bone in her body. If he were standing in her shoes, he would despise himself. And he expected her to, after all she had good reason, but instead she waved shyly and smiled as her tears dried on her cheeks, leaving tear-mascara-diluted streaks. "I'm sorry." He blurted out, his cheeks suddenly red. Even when she was hysterical and crying, she was still a beauty. It wasn't the edgy and sexy kind of beauty that Toni possessed, but more an angelic beauty, as if you almost expected a halo to be hovering around her temples. "It's okay." She replies kindly. "You probably had a tough day or something." Jughead scratched the back of his neck, flushed with embarrassment. Betty Cooper was the literal embodiment of the word good, whilst Jughead was the complete opposite. Yet, he felt strangely attracted to her kind persona. "No, it's not." He paused staring down at the floor, too scared to face her kind expression. "I was a jerk. I usually am, honestly." The entire bar was quiet, most of the serpents amused by watching their hardcore Serpent King get choked up over the angel sitting at the bar counter. Betty smiled again. When she did so, it seemed to light up the room, not just for Jughead or Toni but the entire gang. She was an ounce of kindness and good that they needed to see for once. Someone who didn't care about class or worth. Someone who was just plain good. "And like I said, I forgive you. I get why you hate me. My friends are jerks to you guys." She began to slur her words with the alcohol, and was already swaying lightly in her seat. Toni and Jughead exchanged glances. It was obvious that this was the first time she had tasted or drank whiskey before, and she should get some rest. "You should get some rest." Toni cooed in a concerned voice. Although they had just met Betty, she was impossible to dislike, or to be mean towards without feeling immense guilt. And it felt as if they were meant to be friends-although it was obvious to everyone except a drunk Betty that Jughead wanted more than that. Betty nodded, hopping off her barstool and falling into an unexpecting Jughead's arms. A few chuckles were released from Jughead's friends, laughing at his surprised and happy face. He returned the laughs with a glare. "I can sleep on the floor." Betty slurred. Toni shook her head. "Jughead has a couch that you can crash on." Toni's comment elicited some whistles and cheers from the occupants, but the blonde was too drunk or tired to pay them any mind. "Yeah. It's not much..." Jughead trailed off. Betty nodded surely. "Thanks. For everything." Toni nodded, her antisocial way of saying "you're welcome." Jughead didn't whisper a word, afraid that his voice would give away how flustered and warm he by holding her in his arms. His lips curled into a smile though, content with feeling her light weight in his arms as he led her upstairs, to his apartment above the bar.
Betty woke to a nauseating headache. The late-morning sunlight filtered through the cheap shades, blinding a blurry eyed Betty. She groaned. Her forehead burned with an aching headache, and the bright sunlight made her yearn for a pair of sunglasses. She groaned. "Morning, sunshine." A familiar female voice said cheerfully. "How's that hangover?" "Ugh..." Betty replied, ignoring Toni's snarky remark. "I got you coffee. And painkillers." Betty muttered a half assed thank you, and headed towards the kitchen and dining nook in the corner of Jughead's small apartment. "Where's Jughead?" Betty inquired. After pounding a few cups of coffee and swallowing a few more painkillers, her intense headache had lightened, and she felt better. Toni shook her head. "I dunno. He took off a few hours ago." She knew she was being naive and too trusting, but a part of her was expecting him to wait for her to awake, but she had been betrayed too many times to know better than see the good in people. "Oh." Toni pursed her lips, sensing her hurt voice. "You okay?" She asked, and Betty nodded.
"I should get my stuff-or at least my clothes." She was still wearing borrowed items. "I need to get home." "You're going?" Toni asked, surprised. Betty nodded solemnly, amazingly put together for a hungover person. "Only for a night, right? I'm supposed to be gone by now." Betty's tone was sharp and cunning, leaving Toni wondering what she had done wrong. "You can stay a little longer." "No one else wants me here. I don't need to be surrounded by people who hate me. Again." Betty bit her lip, trying to keep the tears from falling. Her nails curled into her palms, attempting to hide her hurt. "Betty, I'm sorry. No one hates you here." Toni comforted. "Why are you being so nice?" Betty asked. Toni was shocked-this wasn't the same girl who she hugged and held last night, but she knew that even if Toni already considered Betty a good friend, and would never betray her, it would take time and effort to convince Betty of that. "Because you're nice. Because no one else has been. Because you actually deserve some kindness in your life." Toni stated. "Fine, if you want to walk out of that door because you can't trust me, fine. But know that I didn't kick you out-the doors still open." Betty shook her head. "Cut the crap," She snarled. "I did. I just told you. I care because you deserve someone to care. Because no one else does. Because you let everyone push you around and you're still nice and someone should be nice back." Toni was so caught up in her own manifesto that she didn't realize that Betty was near collapsing. She let out a stifled sob, before falling into Toni's arms once more, smearing snot and tears on the serpent's shoulder. "No one's ever cared." She whispered, wrenching Toni's heart out of her chest. This poor girl.
"Look." The pearl-wearing Lodge said with a mischievous smirk. "It's her." She meant Betty Cooper, her former best friend. Betty gave Veronica a pained smile, but heartfelt. "Hey, Vee." Betty whisperer, and Cheryl stood enraged. "Don't talk to her!" She demanded. "Not after what you did." "I didn't do anything..." Betty stuttered, clenching her fists in container rage. "Don't pretend like you don't know what you did." Veronica snarled. The entire lunchroom was staring at them, and the occupants of Veronica's table (the three pussycats, Archie, Reggie, Cheryl, and a few jocks and vixens, who were too busy locking lips to pay much attention.) looked amused. "Slut." Archie muttered, but loud enough for the entire room to hear. "I didn't do anything!" Betty cried. Veronica rolled her eyes, smirking. Josie stood beside the two girls, smiling all the same. "God, Betty, leave my girls alone. Creep." "For fuck's sake!" Betty shouted. They had drove her down this road for months-ever since she and Veronica parted ways over a boy, ever since Veronica rose in popularity and Betty's stayed stagnant, the comments and small arguments had pushed her too far. This was the last straw. "I didn't do a fucking thing to any of you! You're the ones who've been torturing me! Veronica, you stole my fucking boyfriend! I can't believe I ever considered you bitches my friends!" "Neither can we." Josie retorted. "I can't believe I was friends with a slut and fat whale like you." Betty felt her nails dig into the ever-growing scars on her palms. Her eyes stung with tears. "Hey," Reggie called out. "Anyone else think that perfect little cooper has gone a little crazy?" A few chuckles came from the crowd. "Maybe she should go to that asylum with her sister, Polly."
Betty sat next to Toni in the leather booth, nestling a cup of soothing tea that she desperately needed. Her blonde locks were tangled in heavy-duty knots, and her eyes were accompanied by dark circles underneath. Her cheeks were pink and blotchy from crying and sobbing all hours of the day, gently rocked in Toni's arms. She hadn't even bothered to wipe off yesterday's mascara, which was now streaked down her cheeks in tear-trails. She still wore the clothes that the serpents had kindly lent her, which were wet with old tears. She looked a mess, to put it bluntly. She was barely recognizable as the picture-perfect, girl-next-door that she was known as. "I really am sorry, Betty." "For what?" Betty asked, exhausted from the apologies. "For everything." Toni replied coolly, twirling a pink strand of hair in her lean finger. Toni smiled sympathetically. Her pity for Elizabeth Cooper was ever-growing as she learned a new hardship that Betty had to endure. Everyone's did. The entire gang of serpents stared at her sympathetically. None thought she was the privileged, spoiled, Northsider. Toni embraced her once again, trying to express how much Betty meant to her, although they had just met less than twenty-four hours ago. "Thank you." Betty whispered. "For everything."
Jughead stood across the bar, cradling a bottle of beer in his hands. He watched the blonde-haired beauty from across the room, amazed by her grace and beauty. "Hey, Jug!" Sweet Pea shouted, waking him from his Betty-caused-trance. "What?" Jughead asked, exasperated. "You're drooling." Sweet Pea smirked, and a few others chuckled. "Shut up!" Jughead replied curtly, hoping that Betty nor Toni heard what Sweet Pea remarked. His cheeks reddened though, and his neck flushed with heat. "I'm not!" Little did he know, that Betty had also noticed the ebony-haired, beanie-wearing boy across the bar. Perhaps in the same way he noticed her.