Crossroads
Disclaimer - The following story is a work of fiction. Archie Comic characters were created by John L. Goldwater and are copyright © by Archie Comic Publications, Inc. The characters' names are the exclusive trademarks of Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
Summary - How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man? Jughead x Betty
Chapter Four
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The next day, Betty comes in alone.
"Morning," I say.
"Where's Harry?" asks Anne.
"Morning," smiles Betty. "Harry's at work. As usual."
She sighs.
"Don't let that bother you," smiles Anne, whose liking of this girl before us has increased tenfold just because she decided to come here, of all possible places in this sprawling metropolitan mess of a city, of her own free will.
I can tell. It's a gift.
"What'll it be today?" she asks.
"Hmn…chai."
"I like chai too," I say, and then realize that I probably sound like an idiot.
"Oh?" says Betty, settling herself on one of the stools by the counter.
I measure out the spices from little glass bottles and begin to prepare them. Betty watches me, fascinated.
"You're very good with your hands," she observes.
I'm so surprised by this comment that I almost drop a bottle. "Er…thank you. What makes you say that?"
"Just the way you handle your equipment," she says.
Deep within the recesses of my brain, I feel that if we were living in a porno, all her statements would have very different meanings. I do my best to stifle a grin.
"You know, if this was a porno what I just said would have a completely different meaning," she says, somewhat abashedly, somewhat amused.
Wow, goes my brain.
"That's crazy," I laugh, "I was thinking the exact same thing!"
"No way!"
"But of course, we are virtuous people," I say, in mocking solemnity.
"Of course!"
"We'd never engage in such frivolity!"
"Only on Mondays and Fridays!"
We both laugh. She then spends the rest of the morning with me, and the afternoon, and some of the evening. Then we do it all over again the next day. And the next. And the next, and before you know it, it becomes routine.
Something akin to a need to exercise caution registers in my brain, but I don't understand why, so I ignore it. After all, we are only friends.
