Since the day that Betty told Veronica about her feelings on Archie, the guilt has been piling up. The greater the guilt felt the further the distance Veronica is keeping herself from Archie. She avoids any contact with Archie when they are not talking in groups. She avoided his calls, and never replied to his text no matter how she's dying to reply. Sometimes she cries in her bed at night because she hates the feeling of missing him. All she wanted to be with him in a non-complicated situation where it doesn't involve hurting anybody.
Veronica was feeling sick all morning. Usually, she would just feel nauseous but that day she's been throwing up all morning.
"Honey, are you okay?" her mom asked.
"I'm fine mom. I think I ate something bad or something," she said while drinking a cup of warm water.
"You should just skip school and just stay in bed," her mom concerned. "You want me to book you an appointment to the clinic?" she asked.
"It's okay, this will probably go away, maybe all I need is rest," she said.
"Okay, then," she said. "I'm heading off to work, if anything happens and if you need me just call me okay?" she said as she kissed her daughter's forehead and Veronica nods.
Veronica then texted Betty and Kevin that she won't be coming for school today, calling in sick. She let them know so that they won't be looking for her.
Veronica is in her bed, trying to make the best of the day off by sleeping and resting. Her phone is on silent but it just won't stop vibrating and it's from someone she doesn't feel like talking to. After a while, she gave up and stares at the phone and at the Id.
"That's it," she said and she answered it.
"Finall—,"
"What do you want Andrews," she said flatly.
"I heard you're sick? Are you okay?" he asked in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me," she tries to convince him.
"But I do," he sighs.
"Do you need anything else?" she asked.
"Can you please talk to me? I need my best friend back,"
"I'm not your best friend, Betty is,'
"You know what," Archie says from the other line. "I'm coming over after school,"
"Archie! No!" Veronica yells through the phone.
"See you later," he said and hangs up.
"Shit!" she groans.
Veronica went to the bathroom and washes her face. She puts her hair in a ponytail, "it's okay it's just Archie your friend. It's just Archie." She tells herself in the mirror as she straightened herself.
"Just tell him to go home, and everything will be just fine." She said.
She wished that she did not put herself in such position in the first place. And deep down Veronica wished that Betty is not into Archie because she really likes him. Then she heard someone knocking at the door and she took a deep breath. She walked slowly to the door and gripped the doorknob.
She slowly opened the door to see Archie looking worried with his red messy hair.
"I missed you," he said and gave her a relief smile when he sees her.
Veronica doesn't know why but she slams the door in his face.
"Ronnie! Open the door!" Archie bangs on the door.
She doesn't know whether she should just ignore him until the security comes or let him in so they can have a talk. Veronica walks slowly towards the door and took a deep breath as she twisted the handle and flung the door open.
"Finally," Archie exhaled.
"Why are you here?" she stared at him with her big brown eyes.
"I'm here to check up on you. Can I come in?" he asks.
Every nerve in her body wanted to say no, but she's trying not to be irrational and just let him in.
"Yes," she replies quietly as she moves slowly out of the way.
Archie strolls into the apartment as if he lived there. "If you want to check up on me, I'm fine," veronica pointed out.
"I'm not just here to check up on you, I wanted to talk to my best friend," he said.
Veronica was shocked by her own emotions for a second. She changed from nervous to rage in literally a second.
"I'm not your best friend! How many times I have to tell you, Betty is!"
"Why are you so mad?" he asks confused. "Wait," he holds up a finger up. "Why must you mention Betty? Yes, Betty is my best friend but you are too. Am I not allowed to have multiple best friends now?" he argues.
Ronnie groaned, "You don't need me as your best friend." She said as she turns around and sits on the couch. "We had an agreement that we won't let 'us' ruin what we already have with Betty. Besides, she still has feelings for you," she said it calmly now.
"Ronnie look I told you so many times that Betty and I would never happen. I see her just like a sister," he said as he walks to her.
Ronnie looks up at Archie who is standing in front her, "But-" She wanted to interrupt him but he won't let her.
"I know what you're going to say that you want to take care of her feeling what about ours? What about me? Because I don't like her like that. I'm not attracted to her, I'm attracted to you."
Veronica was listening now, and her anger level is going down. "Don't," she shake her head as she breathed it as a silent whisper.
Archie is now sitting next to her as he grabbed her hand and she didn't have time to pull them away, a part of her want him to hold her like that.
"I want to be with you Ronnie, I truly do," he begged.
Veronica looks at him back, "Well, I want you too," she said and Archie smiles and tries to lean in for a kiss before Ronnie stopped it and pulled her hands away. "This will never work out, it would cause too much pain to -"
He interrupted her this time, "Betty? Ugh!" Archie finally starts to lose his temper. "When will you think for yourself, Ronnie? If this is what you want, take it."
"I do want this," she said. "But Betty has never done anything wrong to me. I can't break her innocent heart."
Archie shook his head, "Who's happiness is more important; yours or Betty's?
She thought about it for a split second before she answers it. "Betty's"
"If Betty is a true friend, she'll get over it. She loves you and she surely wants you to be happy."
Veronica sighs, "Archie..."
"C'mon Ronnie," he begged as she tries to reach out for her hand again.
"No Archie," she pulls away. "I put my friends first."
Archie groans in frustration, "Okay fine Ronnie!" he said. "I respect your decision," he got up and walks to the door.
"Archie," she called him and he turned around with disappointment still on his face, "I still want us to be friends, act like normal before everything happens between us," she said.
"Whatever Ronnie." She said. "Just because you can suppress and hide your feelings; doesn't mean everyone can," he said as he walked out the door.
Veronica is having lunch with Betty when suddenly Kevin rushed to them and panting like he got something to spill.
"Oh My God! You guys won't believe me what I saw just now," he said.
"Calm your tits Kev and take a sit first," Veronica chuckled as she was about to eat her lunch. "What's the gossip?"
"Guess who I saw getting all cozy with Valerie just now?" Kevin said.
Veronica eyebrows furrowed, "the pussycat, Valerie?"
Kevin nods, "the one and only Valerie."
"Who?" Betty laughed. "Give us a hint."
"The guy who's passion for his music," he stated.
Betty faced was surprised, "Archie?" she guessed and Kevin nods. "Archie is with Valerie?" she asked again.
Kevin nods. "Wait," he said. "I'm not sure about that but I saw Archie in the music room with her; laughing working on a music."
"And Josie is okay with it?" Betty asked. "I thought Josie is strict about her pussycats to be working music with other people."
"Maybe they are working in secret," he guessed.
Betty sighs, "I guess I missed my chance again with him," she said.
"B, you guys are endgame. No worries," Kevin said. Then he turned to Veronica who just remained silent. "Hey V, are you okay?"
"Yeah, fine," she nods. "I just don't feel so well, I think I'm si—," she got up and run to the restroom.
"What just happen?" Kevin asked.
"I don't know, let me check on her see if she needs me," Betty said worriedly.
When Veronica reached the restroom, she went to the nearest stall. She held back her hair, as she leaned over the toilet, heaving all the food she had for breakfast, up. She heard someone came in, and she tried to stop herself from throwing up. The last thing she wants is someone hears her throw up and assume she's pregnant. Then Veronica had a realization of the possibility of it.
"V!" Betty exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
Veronica sunk to her knees and rested her head on the side of the stall, "I'm okay." She replied.
"I'm coming in!" Betty said as she pushed the door open, before taking a seat next to her. "What happen?" she asked softly while rubbing her back.
"I felt a bit sick, probably something that I ate," she explained.
"I know how you get a bit nauseous when you're on your period but never actually throwing up," Betty pointed out.
"Yeah, probably because I'm having my period plus I probably ate something bad; that explains why." Veronica lied. She did not get her period yet, but she is not going to let Betty assume stuff that she herself is still not sure about.
