Title: A Series of Fortunate Valentines

Disclaimer: I do not own Archie. I make no profit from this story.

Chapter 3

February 8

Rrrrring!

"…Hello?"

"Reg? Are you sleeping?"

"Yes, Bets, I am sleeping! What the hell were you thinking, calling so late and waking me up?"

"It's only eleven now! Never thought I'll see you turning in so early. Don't you have a party to go to?"

"I have had practice every friggin' day this week, I had to hand in Mr. Balthazar's assignment this morning, and I really wish you'd stop yapping and let me go back to sleep now!"

"Whoa, okay, chill, Mantle, I get that you had a busy week…"

"Busy? Huh! Betty, I have to work my ass off to stay in the team. We have the Ohio game coming up; Coach Hoke won't keep anyone who's not at the top of his game. And I have to find time to do all my work, and do it well, 'cause that's what I am here for, to get an education!"

"Oh! I am sorry, Reg…You feeling too rushed, huh?"

"I just…I've been having some trouble with time management, juggling everything - classes, practice, homework, dates…."

"You know I am always here to help you with work, don't you?"

"Yeah, you've been a great pal, Bets. Thanks."

"Oh, you help me with work too; you get a lot of good ideas…"

"Yeah… Well, anyway, why did you call, Bets?"

"Oh, right! I got a call from Archie, and guess what, he and Juggie are coming to visit, this weekend!"

"Wow, old Carrot-top and Spindle-snoot coming here! What joy!"

"Oh shut up, Mantle, you know you'll be happy to see them!"

February 10

"Juggie!" Betty screamed and threw herself in the arms of tall, lanky Jughead Jones, who had just scrambled out of Archie's old battered Jalopy.

"Hey, Bets." Jughead said, patting her on the back awkwardly. "Don't crush my ribs, now."

Archie got out of the driving seat, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Hi, Betty! How's my favorite girl?"

Betty released Jughead and hugged Archie, gripping the back of his blue sweatshirt.

"Arch! Good to see you!"

After they came down from the excitement of seeing their lifelong friends again, they walked to an ice-cream place and sat down under a giant red and white umbrella and ordered three hot fudge sundaes.

"Well, what's new with you guys?" Betty asked, "Still keeping up the women-hating thing, Jug?"

Jughead made a non-committal sound and started on his fudge. Archie gave a huge cackle and leaned towards Betty.

"Old buttoned-up Jughead Jones have been hooking up with random chicks this whole year, Bets!" he said conspiratorially. "Just the wham, bam, thank you, ma'am routine! No involvements."

Jughead gave Archie a reproachful look and turned to Betty, who was looking equally awed and horrified.

"I have been with only a few girls, and I make it perfectly clear that I am not looking for anything serious. I am not cheating or leading anyone on." This last sentence was said with a sideways glance at Archie, who apparently did not notice it.

"I have been dating this freshman called Mercia and man, oh man, is she hot!" Archie told Betty. "I have been seeing her for only a few weeks though. Before that I went out with Jamie Black."

"That's great, Archie. Sounds like you are enjoying college." Betty calmly said, feeling a distant pang at Archie's insensitivity.

"Tell us about you, Betty Cooper," Jughead interrupted, "What have you been doing?"

"Oh, you know, classes, the baseball team, parties…."

"I bet you have a great number of guys after you." Jughead said heartily. Archie looked up from his sundae and stared at Betty.

"Well, at the moment I am seeing a junior called Dexter Maynard," Betty casually told them, imitating Archie's bragging a moment ago. "Before that I dated Jasper, Heinrich …."

Archie gave an almost inaudible snort and turned the subject.

"How is Mantle the Mouth doing?" he asked. "Does he know we are here?"

"Oh yeah, he's supposed to meet us here, as soon as his practice ends."

"How has he been playing this year?" Archie asked, "Doing okay?"

"I have been playing awesomely, Andrews, as is expected of me." drawled the voice of Reggie Mantle. They all looked up to see the football player, wearing a Wolverine jersey, smirking down at them.

"Well, isn't it Mantle the Magnificent!" Jughead said, looking at him through half-closed eyes.

"The Great Mouth himself!" said Archie.

"Nice to see you too, Carrot-top." Reggie mocked. "How's it going, Jughead?"

The three boys shook hands.

"Did you guys drive here?" Reggie asked as he sat down. "Not in that old heap of junk of yours?"

"Yeah, in my old trusted Betsy." Archie replied proudly.

"Well, I am surprised you are still not stuck somewhere in New Jersey, pushing the car!"

"Oh, we did have to push it twice and stop for a new plug once." Jughead said, oblivious to Archie's glare.

"It's about time you ditched that antiquated thing, Arch." Reggie said, as he called a waitress with gesture of his hand.

"I like Betsy the way she is," Archie bristled. "I could have found something else if I wanted, but I am not gonna ditch her after all the service she had given me!"

Betty decided to intervene before a quarrel began.

"Alright, guys, what are we gonna do today? I say we go rowing!"

February 12

"We had a great time, Ron!" Betty told her friend on the phone, "It was great fun hanging out with Arch and Jug again. But we missed you a lot."

"You better have!" Veronica said, "I am so mad you guys had fun without me. Now I wish I was in America. Well, not really! 'cause it's amazing here…." She went on about her glamorous life in Paris for a few minutes.

"Well, anyway, when did Archie and Juggie leave?" she asked.

"Yesterday afternoon. I don't know if Archie's car is up to such a long drive again!"

"He so needs to get a new one! It used to be so embarrassing going out with him in that old thing." Veronica said with disgust in her voice. "Anyway, I had to break up with Sven because I want to go out this older guy I met at Mia's party…."

"Sven? Wait, I thought you were dating Carmelo?"

"Camille? Huh, that's history now, Bettykins. I ditched him ages ago. Can you believe, he took me to the Mayor's banquet in a secondhand Rolls Royce?"

Betty had to stifle her laughter at Veronica's aggrieved tone.

February 13

Betty threw her bag down on Reggie's bed and plopped down beside it.

"Hey Reg," said she. "Sorry I am late; I was talking to Dex about our plans tomorrow…."

"What, that serial killer boyfriend of yours?" Reggie asked from the big chair in front of his desk, papers strewn all around him.

"For the last time, his name is Dexter Maynard, not Dexter Morgan!"

"Still, the look in his eyes is rather sinister…." Reggie teased.

"Keep it up, that will make me want to help you with your work, wise guy!"

"Uh, okay, dear old Dex is the nicest guy the world, Bets! He makes Mahatma Gandhi look violent."

"That's better," Betty said, flicking him on the nose. "Now, how far are you on the introduction?"

They worked on both their assignments for hours. It was after midnight when Betty threw down her pen and stretched.

"Well, I'm bushed."

"Let's call it a night, Bets. We've done a lot already." Reggie said with a yawn.

Betty picked up her bag and opened it.

"It's a quarter past twelve, so it's now Valentine's Day. I might as well give you your present now."

"Oh you've got me something?" Reggie perked up, "Glad you remembered this year. Something good, I hope…"

"I think you'll like it…" Betty pulled out a wrapped box from her bag and dropped it on his lap. "Here, Happy Valentine's Day, Reggie."

Reggie quickly ripped the paper, opened the box and looked at the object inside. It was a silver hourglass, about twelve inches long. He took it out and put it on the palm of his hand; now he realized that the sand inside was actually hundreds of tiny red hearts; the hearts began to fall, as the hourglass stood on his hand.

"Wow, that's a nice piece, Bets! mushy, but beautiful." Reggie said as he fingered the intricate ornamentation on the silver part.

"Shut up, it's not mushy! It's for marking the passage of time when you are waiting for a loved one."

"Like I said, mushy… But it's really beautiful, Bets, thanks. Is it antique?"

"Yeah, made around nineteen sixty, the salesman said." Betty said. "Now, where's my gift, Mantle?"

"You'll get it tomorrow, Shylock."

February 14

Betty rushed out of the ladies' washroom and went smack into someone.

"Wha… Oh, Reggie! What are doing, standing right outside the door?"

"Waiting for you, Beautiful." Reggie grinned, presenting her with a single daisy. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Thanks, I love daisies, they always make me smile." Betty said, taking the flower. "But don't tell me that's all you've gotten me ?" she added with a mock glare.

"No, no, here," Reggie pulled out a bracelet out of his pocket and taking her hand, put it on her wrist.

"Thanks, that's pretty…" It was a thin gold bracelet, with a winged falcon on the chain.

"I am afraid it's rather generic," Reggie said, scratching his neck, "Sorry, I was so busy I forgot to get anything earlier…"

"It's really nice, Reg," Betty insisted. "Thank you."

Reggie grinned and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Let's go to class."

"Why were you waiting here to give me the valentine?" Betty asked as they walked.

"Uh, I didn't want anyone to see me doing anything Valentine related…."

"Ha, coward!" Betty said, much amused.

"Hey, I got a reputation to uphold…."

_X_