I really am grateful to all the reviewers. Thank you so much.
I'm leaving home in a few days to join college. I won't be able to update as often (not that I did anyway ;).) But I promise I'll try. I am going to finish this story.
So here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Archie comics belong to me. Ha! That's a joke. I'm no millionaire. So…it belongs to someone else.
Her heart always led her head. No matter how much her head screamed at her to leave, her heart whispered she stay. Maybe Archie was about to apologize. She was shocked to realize, for the first time, there was disbelief at that thought. Her mind was fighting for supremacy. A hopeless cause, where Archie was concerned.
"Betty, wait up!"
She watched as Archie came closer. She needed to hear him out. Even, if all she was doing was, setting herself up for heartbreak. She was used to it.
"Hey, Bets." He smiled at her.
"Archie." She inwardly cringed. She'd breathed his name out. It sounded…inviting. Heart, get ready to fall.
"Your mom told me you were here." He pointed at Jughead. " He never told me you were coming over."
Her eyes widened when she realized that Jughead had approached them. And from the look on his face, he wasn't too happy to see Archie.
Archie, however, was oblivious to it. "I called you so many times, Betty. Why didn't you return any of my calls?"
She shook her head. "No one told me. Why'd you call, anyway?" That was a first. She'd never questioned his calling her. It had always been a source of joy.
Jughead piped up. "Arch, she might have been busy. I told you that already. Stop making such a big deal out of it." He didn't want her to hear Archie's reason. He knew she should feel hurt by it, but he wasn't sure she would. Betty was so caught up in Archie that just the thought of a call would bring a smile.
Archie threw him an affronted expression before turning back to Betty. "I wanted to hang out with you, yesterday. And you weren't there."
Jughead frowned. He could see Betty melting. It was amazing how Archie could do that to her. One pout and Betty was lost.
Betty bit her lip. "Archie, I'm sorry. I didn't know…I …"
"She was out with Reggie." Jughead blurted. He hadn't expected to say that. It had just irked him to see Betty's resolve crumble, so easily. He needed Archie to realize that she wasn't always going to be at the redheaded teen's beck and call.
The small smile on Archie's face was instantly wiped out. A grimace formed on his face. Betty gave Jughead a glare.
She knew Archie hated it when she went out with someone else. She wanted to assure him that the date had meant nothing. Yet, she couldn't…the date had been special. She couldn't belittle it. She waited for Archie to speak.
The silence between the teenagers grew. It was obvious Archie was trying to work something out. Jughead was almost curious but decided against asking. He glanced down at the baby monitor in his hand. He didn't even realize he had grabbed it. Seems he was a conscientious brother, after all.
The night was so still – not the slightest trace of a breeze. The silence was starting to become oppressive when Betty noticed a car driving up. It had to be Jughead's parents. The headlights illuminated the trio. Betty squinted in the bright light. The car turned into the driveway. She watched as the couple stepped out.
Jughead flashed Betty a concerned look. Almost imperceptibly, she nodded in the car's direction. He sighed. He had to meet his parents – if only to answer his mom's questions about Jellybean. He jogged up to the front door.
"How did Jughead know?"
Betty raised an eyebrow. Archie's question had surprised her. "He overheard Reggie asking me out." She saw the relief wash over Archie's feature. It annoyed her. Very deliberately, she added, "I would have told him, anyway."
Archie grinned. It sounded like it was a confession she'd wanted to Jughead to know – not like it was anything significant. She had probably regretted it the minute she'd said yes.
Archie always looked adorable when he grinned. He appeared so boyish. Why could she never stay mad at him? Oh yeah - it was because she loved him. She was such a fool but she couldn't help herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jughead slowly making his way towards them.
Archie took one step closer to the blonde girl. He held her hand and gave it a squeeze. She closed her eyes. This was what made all the pain worthwhile – moments like these when all that existed were the two of them.
"Betty," Archie whispered. "It's alright. I forgive you."
She snatched her hand away. Damn him. "I don't need your forgiveness! Save it for someone who cares." she snarled. She whirled around and strode off.
Archie stood in shock, as she walked away from him. Betty had never done that. He turned to see Jughead. He was trying to hide a smile.
"Jug, I'm sure this is your fault. So stop sneering." Archie marched to his car and drove off.
Jughead allowed the smile to form on his lips.
"Betty, sweetie, that t-shirt looks terrible on you."
Betty rolled her eyes. "I know." It was always easier to agree with Veronica.
Veronica smiled happily and prattled on about an expensive dress she'd bought. Betty tuned out. She concentrated on the students ambling into the school.
She climbed up the stairs. She had to swerve to avoid the couple on the steps. Her heart clenched when the boy leaned in to kiss the girl. A few days ago, she would have wished it were Archie and she on those steps. And now? He had hurt her yesterday night. Somehow, the fact that he was bestowing forgiveness hurt more than him breaking their date.
She made her way to her locker. Why was Veronica's locker next to hers? The brunette's incessant blather was giving her a headache. She still had to face Archie. And Polly was being insufferably happy. This was going to be a terrible day.
She was almost desperate to confide in someone. She dismissed the thought of Veronica as soon as the name popped up in her mind. She could only think of Jughead; he was so easy to talk to. Her thoughts flew to the past night. Barring Archie, she'd had a great time. When he'd complimented her, it had been slightly awkward. Now that she contemplated the incident, it was sweet.
She pulled the locker door, cursing the damn thing for not opening. To her left, Veronica's locker opened with ease. Why was she not surprised?
"Hey, beautiful."
They whirled around. Reggie wandered towards them.
Veronica poked her head from behind her locker door and giggled. "It's always a joy to have a day start with the truth, Reggie."
Reggie turned surprised eyes to her. "I didn't notice you there, Ronnie."
Betty would have laughed out loud if she hadn't noticed the angry spark in Ronnie's eyes. Laughter would have been devastating.
"I'll meet you in class, Betty." She turned on her heel and promenaded away.
"She sure knows how to make a graceful exit," Reggie said as he leaned against Veronica's closed locker.
Betty laughed. "Yeah, something I could never master."
He grinned. That was true, enough. Betty would never be as sophisticated as Veronica. "Do you need help with that thing?" he asked, indicating the locker.
She shook her head. She was determined to get the stupid thing open. She was acutely conscious of Reggie's presence. She gave him a sidelong glance. His eyes held evident amusement.
She, finally, gave up. "Alright, let's see you open it."
He smirked and banged the door. He, then, yanked it open. He pointed to it with a dramatic wave of his hand. "Piece of cake."
She wrinkled her nose at him. "Any idiot could do that."
He snorted. "You couldn't.
Her face lit up. "I'm not an idiot."
He groaned. He'd walked right into that. Ordinarily, he would have come up with a snappy retort. Today, he didn't want to. He didn't mind Betty having this little victory.
She grabbed a few books and shut the door. It was odd how her mood had considerably lightened. She had been courting misery today. And within a few minutes, Reggie had dispelled the gloom threatening to overwhelm her. She had to stay chary. She couldn't let it become a habit.
He fell in step beside her as they made their way to their respective classes. Mr. Weatherbee brushed past them, in a hurry. He was probably going to ferret out whoever was responsible for painting a caricature of him, on the hood of his car. She wondered, idly, if Reggie was responsible.
"I'm not, y'know."
At Betty blank stare, he elaborated, "I'm not responsible for the prank." She was about to deny assuming he was, when he laughed, "I know you thought I was. I wouldn't do something so juvenile. Mine are classy."
Betty chuckled. "Well, there's nothing wrong with a prank. I'll admit I've enjoyed a few of yours."
He nodded. At some level, he'd known that. Betty had a great sense of humour. Unfortunately, her image of a good girl toned it down. He had noticed how she seemed almost guilty when laughing at some of his pranks. And he didn't like that. He would have preferred to see her laugh with carefree abandon.
She stopped in front of a class. Pointing in, she stated, "Math."
He made a face. Even Betty wasn't too fond of math. Her forlorn gaze was enough to confirm that. He ran an eye over her outfit. A plain blue t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was captured in its usual ponytail, with a few wisps framing her face. She was the same as always. So why did she look different?
She gave him a regretful wave and put her hand on the doorknob. "I guess it's time to enrich my mind."
He paid scant attention to her words, instead concentrating on the few wisps of her blonde hair. As she moved her head, they did a little dance on her cheeks. "Betty, you do look beautiful, today." He sauntered off, missing her bewildered face.
The teacher droned on about the significance of the Depression. Jughead leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. A dark brown stained a small part of it. Strangely, there was a footprint on the ceiling. How did that get there?
He caught some whispers about the picture of 'The Bee' on his car. He'd gotten a glimpse of it and hadn't been impressed. It was poorly drawn and most likely, spur of the moment.
He sighed. He was so bored that he was analyzing a stupid prank. Archie had roped him into playing a practical joke, once. He'd obtained two vampire masks and had cajoled Jug into wearing one. They'd stood outside the principal's office and had yelled loudly when he came out. And things had gone wrong immediately. Mr. Weatherbee had dropped his extremely hot cup of coffee and the string on the masks broke. There wasn't any use running because 'The Bee' had seen their faces. Detention had been served to them for a week.
He smiled inwardly. Betty had been torn between laughing and chiding them for their irresponsibility. In the end, she'd settled for a good scold – the effect of which was ruined by it being punctuated by her giggles.
He glanced at Archie. The boy was fine, today. His spurt of anger, yesterday, was obviously forgotten. He would probably confide in Jughead that he was shocked at Betty's behavior and was confident that she would apologize soon. Unfortunately, Jughead had a feeling that Betty would succumb. She could never stay mad at Archie.
He'd been so proud of her, last night. Her outburst was wholly unexpected, but thoroughly enjoyed. He'd never seen Archie so shocked. Betty was finally showing some sign of a spine – something she lost every time Archie was around. And Jughead was damned if he was going to let her regress to her old self.
Thoughts of Betty made him realize he still had to talk to Reggie. The sneak was up to something. He had the whole day to find out.
The slamming of a book brought him back to reality. Ms. Grundy was banging on the table with the teacher's copy of the history book, demanding that the students listen. He made a show of listening for two minutes before tuning out.
He stared out the window. It wasn't fair to be stuck in school on such a beautiful day. Not that he would have enjoyed it, otherwise. He would have had a sojourn at the Chocklit shop. He hadn't been there since the day he'd met Betty, moping.
The door opened and Betty stuck her head in. "Excuse me, could I see Jughead please?"
Think of the devil…He shook his head. He could never think of Betty as the devil. He stood up and went out. At least, he would get some reprieve from the class.
"What's up?"
"I've done you a favor." She grinned. "You're a volunteer."
Jughead's face fell. He hated working, even if it meant escaping classes for a few hours. Why was she being so sarcastic? Which one of the many events had she signed him for? Damn the school for wanting to raise money. "Um, thanks?"
Betty laughed. "You idiot. You're a volunteer at the food fest."
His face shone. He almost hugged her. Being a volunteer at that event meant he would be able to get out of class and eat. It was a dream come true. Wait…his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How come the faculty agreed to this?"
"Well, I still have to get Ms. Grundy's permission. I thought I'd ask you first…y'know, just in case you didn't want to do it." Her eyes twinkled. She had known he would never refuse. She'd wanted to do something nice for him after his help cheering her up.
"Betty, seriously, I find it hard to believe that they agreed to this." He was praying she wasn't joking.
She winked. "I'm your supervisor. I guess they trust me to be able to control you." She strolled into the class and spoke to the teacher.
He rubbed his hands in anticipation. The faculty had arranged five fundraisers and his incredible luck made him a volunteer at the best one. He shuddered to think what would have happened if he was forced to work on the arts and crafts sale.
Now, he had one remarkable supervisor and three other volunteers to work with for two days. He scratched his head. Didn't the food fest have two supervisors? Who was the other one?
"Hey, Needlenose."
Jughead gritted his teeth. He fervently hoped Reggie wasn't the supervisor. He greeted Reggie with a nod.
"This must be your idea of heaven. Two days in close contact with all kinds of goodies." Reggie jabbed a finger to Jughead's chest. "Too bad you won't be able to touch it."
"Why the hell not?"
"The supervisors won't like it. I'm not sure who they are, but rules state volunteers refrain from sampling."
Jughead exhaled in relief. Thank god Mantle wasn't in charge. A minute later, Pop's new assistant walked up. Brian smilingly informed them of his being appointed a supervisor.
Betty waved at Brian. Jughead noted, with some irritation, that she was delighted to learn that Reggie was a volunteer. They picked up the third volunteer, a kid named Angela, and headed off to the cafeteria. The fourth, Sean, met them there.
Jughead found himself paired with Reggie. Betty's helpless shrug convinced him that it was Brian's doing. She hadn't wanted to undermine his authority.
They heaved tables through the cafeteria's doors and into the grounds located at the back of the school. The students were supposed to have their lunch there, until the food fest was over.
After depositing the last table, Angela and Sean hurried off to get a drink. Betty and Brian had to meet someone about getting banners printed. Jughead lay down on a table. He hadn't wanted to be cooped up in the classroom, but lugging tables around wasn't his idea of a better time. Hopefully the food would start arriving soon. Through slit eyes, he watched Reggie staring at Betty.
"Who picked you for this job, Reg?" he asked.
"No one. I wanted out of class and signed up. Flutesnoot drew my name, for this, out of a bunch. Glad I'm here though."
"What is wrong with you?" Jughead muttered.
Reggie cast him a baffled frown. He leaned against the table opposite Jughead's.
Jughead sat upright. "What are you up to? With Betty?"
"I'm not up to anything. I took her out. That's all."
Jughead sneered. "That's all? I know you, Reg. You have an ulterior motive. I don't know what it is but I don't appreciate you messing with Betty."
"Who do you think you are?" Reggie snapped. "Betty's self-appointed guardian angel?"
Jughead always prided his ability to keep his cool. Reggie was causing him to lose his temper. "You don't mess with my friends."
Reggie gave a sharp bark of laughter. "I always mess with Archie. I've never seen you so confrontational about that. Why is Betty different?"
Jughead jumped off the table and approached Reggie, his eyes glittering with antagonism. "Betty's a sweet person who's got enough crap going on in her life without you adding to it. If you want to annoy Archie, find some other way. Leave her out of it."
Reggie raised his eyebrows. Jughead's intent was unambiguous enough. Stay away from Betty. Well, that wasn't going to happen any time soon.
Well, that's the end of the fourth. Hope you liked it. Please R & R! It'll make me smile while far, far away from home!
