Hey everyone! I am back with another chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Thank you for reading!
"Hi Mom," Betty said slowly, watching as her mother stood in front of her, looking at her with shock in her eyes. She dropped her eyes from her mother not knowing what to say next, but it was her mother's turn to shock her when Alice took a few steps forward before wrapping her up in a tight embrace. Betty smiled, melting into her mother's hug as she wrapped her arms around her mother's back, fighting back tears. She admitted to herself that she had missed her mother and her warm embraces. Even though their relationship could be seen strained at times since they often went head to head with each other.
"Oh, Betty," Alice sniffled in her ear as she pulled back and moved to cup her face in her hands. "I am so glad that you're okay," Alice told her. The tears in her eyes made Betty regret the decision of cutting her mother off when she left Riverdale. A panicked look entered Alice's eyes.
"You are okay right?" Alice asked her worriedly, as she looked over her daughter. "It's not your seizures is it?" she asked.
"I am fine, Mom," Betty said, shaking her head. "And I haven't had a seizure since high school finals," she informed her slowly. She felt the air being replaced with tension as Alice's face began to harden, just as Betty had expected.
"Oh okay," Alice nodded as she crossed her arms. "Now that I know that you're alive and well, after disappearing without a word to me, or anyone else for that matter, what are you doing here?"
Betty swallowed, as she felt the temperature of the room drop a few degrees from the chilly tone of her mother. She tried to find the right words to say. "Well, I just wanted to say hi because-" Betty started, but Alice cut her off.
"So, you just wanted to say hi after disappearing for an entire year without any efforts of contacting me other than the letter you left me on your pillow for me to find the next morning? You think you could just walk in here to say hi?" Alice said thinly, though Betty could hear the wobbling in her voice. "Did you think it was going to be that easy?"
"No," Betty shook her head slowly, unable to keep the guilt out of her voice. "I don't think it's going to be that easy, Mom." She said regretfully, dropping her eyes to the floor.
"I've been really worried about you, Betty," Alice told her. "I had no idea where you were, or where you went. I didn't know if you were okay, or safe, or even if you were alive. After everything our family has been through, how could…" Alice swallowed thickly. "How could you leave me like that?" She asked tearfully. "Will you look up at me damn it?" Alice snapped, causing Betty to snap her eyes up from the ground. "Why would you run away from me like that?"
"It is a long story, Mom," Betty said, and she watched as streaks of hurt flashed through Alice's eyes, matching the pain-filled voice Betty had heard only seconds before.
"Well, I would love to hear it," Alice said, motioning her hands for Betty to explain. "Now would be a good time, Betty." She added, placing her hands on to her hips. It almost made Betty smile at the sight, so common was it throughout her childhood.
"I will explain, but I just can't do it right now," Betty said, treading slowly with her words.
"Because?" Alice snapped as she tilted her head, searching her daughter's green eyes. She looked for clues in their depths, noticing how tired they looked, picking up hints of shadows. Which meant that Betty was harboring a secret or two, noticing the dark circle underneath her eyes that was obviously covered up with concealer.
"Because I have class in a few minutes," Betty answered, causing Alice's eyes to snap up from examining her daughter's face.
"You go to school here?" Alice asked her, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.
"I do, which is why I am here. I am in one of your classes," Betty answered wringing her hands together as she felt the urge to curl her fingers into fists. "I figured it would be better if I talked to you personally then to pop up unexpectedly.."
"Well thank you for that consideration," Alice said, a hint of sarcasm lacing her voice. "What's your major?" She asked, even though she knew what the answer was. Even though she hadn't seen or heard from Betty in over a year, she still knew her daughter. No time apart would ever change that.
" Mass Communications," Betty answered, and Alice graced her with a smile.
"I should have known," Alice said knowingly. "You always had that thirst for answers and news as a young girl," Alice added as the two women shared a small snicker, lightening the tension in the room a bit. "What class of mine do you have?"
"Principles of Journalism," Betty replied, and Alice reached behind her. "It's okay if I take your class right? Like totally legal?"
"It is," Alice told her as she wrote down on a notepad. "Someone else has to grade your work so it won't seem like I am playing favorites. Just so you know, don't expect me to go easy on you in class because you are my daughter." She said, raising a smooth penciled eyebrow at her
"I wouldn't expect anything less, Mom," Betty smiled as Alice placed the pad back on to the desk.
"What else do you have?" Alice asked curiously.
"I have Laws for the Media with Callahan tomorrow and I have a Creative Writing class, which is in a few minutes, with Birmingham," Betty counted on her fingers.
"Eww, Birmingham," Alice cringed at the name. "The guy is a sleazeball and has no use in the creative world. Be careful with him."
"So, what should I call you?" Betty asked, and Alice looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked her.
"Do I call you Mom or Mrs. Cooper? Although, that would be a little weird," Betty sighed, biting her lip.
"You can call me Mom," Alice answered. "Unless you don't want people to know that you are my daughter…" Alice trailed off and Betty shook her head.
"No, it's not that. I just want people to think I got here because I deserve it, not because you're my mother," Betty explained.
"Betty, if you just be yourself, they will see that you got here because you deserve it. Not because of me," Alice said to her softly. "You are an extremely hard worker and you have shown it time and time again.. Apply that here and you'll blow them away," She added encouragingly. "I think you will do very well here, and I can't say that I am not proud that my daughter is following me in my footsteps. Now, I must go. I have a class in a few minutes, just as you do," Alice told her in that motherly tone of hers.
"I really missed you, Mom," Betty admitted, and she watched as Alice's eyes softened. She took a closed the distance between them and reached up to cup Betty's face with her hands.
"I missed you too Betty," Alice said as she pulled a hand away from one of her cheek and used her hand to brush back a loose strand of blonde hair behind Betty's ear. "But I am not okay with what you did Betty. You really hurt me by leaving the way you did." Alice told her seriously. "And I still want to know why."
"I am so sorry Mom," Betty said as she lifted her arms to wrap them around Alice's shoulders bringing her in for a hug in which Alice warmly returned.
"Come and see me later," Alice ordered as she took a step back, walking around her desk to gather up her things. "I want to know how your first day went," Alice said, and Betty cringed as she thought about the article she needed to write.
"I have to work later, but I can call you if you like," Betty offered, and Alice shook her head.
"No phone calls," She told her. "I want to be able to see you. So, while you are going to school here, you are going to make time to see me at least once a week, understood?" Alice asked her sternly, leaving no room for Betty to refuse.
"Understood," Betty agreed, nodding as her mother walked around her desk and headed towards the door in which Betty followed her out.
"Good girl," Alice praised her daughter as she began to turn away. "Since you can't see me because of your job, or whatever it is, you should stop by my office to see me tomorrow before your classes."
"I will try," Betty told her as she turned around to walk in the direction of her class, but turned around to look at her mother again when she heard her name called. "Yes?"
"I was just going to say...since you are going into the field of journalism," Alice said slowly. "You should join the school newspaper," Alice explained. Betty looked at her mother, something in her voice making her slightly suspicious.
"Why do you want to me to join the newspaper, Mom?" Betty asked her. Alice shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, there is an opening for a reporter and I think it will be good for you. Also, the newspaper could use someone with your experience," Alice explained lightly. Betty bit her lip as she stared at her mother, wondering what she was up to.
"I will have to think about it Mom," Betty replied back. "I don't want to take on too much too fast until I get an idea of what these classes are like."
"Smart thinking," Alice said, expressing her approval. " Let me know so I can get you set up if you do decide to. You can tell me your decision tomorrow when you stop by."
"I will need a little bit more time than that, Mom," Betty replied. She needed to figure out how she would fit everything together so her life would run smoothly.
"Think about it," Alice called to her daughter's retreating back.
"Bye Mom," Betty tossed over her shoulder as she rounded the corner, completely disappearing from her mother's eyesight.
She caught sight of students piling into a classroom before her, causing her to groan at the fact she had probably lost the best seat. Betty came to a stop while waiting for a break in line before walking into the classroom. Spotting an empty chair in the front, she walked over, taking a seat. She placed her backpack on the floor, pulling out her things.
The classroom was buzzing with chatter, but Betty didn't feel the draw to join in on the conversation, so she reached into her pocket to pull her phone out to see if she had any messages. There were no messages or missed calls. Betty took that as a sign that Ellie was doing well. She moved her thumb around the screen, scrolling for her email. She saw that she had an email from her boss, Trish. So, Betty opened it to see what she had to say.
Hey, Girlie!
I am just checking to see if you are doing okay. I haven't received your article yet, so I was getting a little worried because you usually have it way before the deadline. If you need an extension on it let me know because I know you were moving for school and may need some time to get settled with Ellie and everything. Just let me know! Love ya!
Trish
Betty was about to reply when her teacher decided to stroll on into the room, announcing the start of class with a very cheery and excited greeting.
"Good Morning everyone!" He said as he closed the door behind him. He made his way over to the desk hopping up to sit, as he turned to the class. When the class said nothing back, he looked around the room, staring at each student before his shoulders sagged dramatically. It immediately reminded her of Kevin. She found herself smiling at the thought of her friend. "Are you all really going to sit there and say nothing back?" He asked them and when nobody responded he got off the desk. "Have it your way," He tutted at them slowly, pacing in front of the desk.
"First things first, my name is Professor Jack Birmingham and since you can't seem to give a decent response, how about we get those brain waves of yours flowing, shall we? We are going to play a game. I am going to say a quote and I want you to tell me who said it, and even if you are not the one answering the question, I would suggest writing them down because there may or may not be a quiz on these quotes. Also, I want everyone to close your laptops because no one is allowed to look up the answers for these, not even on your phone, unless in need of clarification. Ready?" Birmingham asked the room and sighed when no one answered, yet again. "Also, if you want to pass my class, you are going to have to speak up and participate, or you will count as 5 percent of your grade. Now, are we ready to begin?" He asked again. This time was answered with a wave of yeses from various students around the room.
"Well, that is an improvement. Alright. First quote: "If there is a book that you want to read, but hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it. " Who said it?" Birmingham asked as he looked around the room. Betty followed his eyesight as he shook his head. No one came forth with the answer, so she raised her hand up and he immediately pointed to her. "What is your answer?"
"Toni Morrison," Betty answered quickly. Birmingham nodded.
"Correct," Birmingham praised her as he walked over to the spot in front of her seat. "And who is Toni Morrison?" He asked.
"Toni Morrison is an American novelist who has won the Pulitzer Prize and American Book award for her book Beloved in 1988. She was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993." Betty said automatically.
"And you are?" Birmingham asked, very impressed.
"My name is Elizabeth Cooper," Betty replied simply.
"Thank you and very nicely done, Ms. Cooper," Birmingham said. "Quote something from Beloved, will you?" He requested as he walked back to lean up against the desk.
"Something that is loved is never lost," Betty quoted easily. She knew the book by heart. Birmingham grinned.
"Great choice," Birmingham praised warmly, before moving on to another quote. The rest of the hour ran much more smoothly with more students joining in on the discussion. By the end of the class, Betty had written down fifteen quotes, with three that she had to look up since she didn't know who had said them. She also left with a two-page writing assignment about herself and two chapters to read. As she left the classroom, she noted that she had about an hour before she was due to pick Ellie up, so she went in the direction of the library she had spotted earlier. As she placed her hand on the doorknob to go inside, she heard her phone from inside her pocket. Betty reached inside pulling the phone out. When she saw it was Ronnie, she answered.
"Hey," She greeted, pulling away from the door before making her way outside.
"So, how did your first class go?" Ronnie asked, her warm voice floating through the phone.
"It was a lot of fun," Betty gushed, pulling her bag off as sat down on a free bench. "I was able to answer a few questions, which seemed to impress the teacher, so I think I'm off to a good start."
"That is amazing, B!" Ronnie said. Betty could feel her beaming smile. "You are going to do really well there."
"Don't get your hopes up yet. It is only my first day," Betty reminded her. "I still have two classes tomorrow. Ohhh… You will never guess who I ran into today." Betty sighed as she reached to scratch the back of her head.
"Well, don't hold out on me," Ronnie told her immediately. "Who?" She asked her voice itching with curiosity.
Betty waited a moment before replying. "Wesley." She sighed as she sank back into the bench, love the relaxing feeling of the wind on her cheeks.
"Wesley?" Ronnie recalled. "Wesley who?" She asked as Betty let out a light chuckle before she heard her gasp. "Wait… Wesley..." Ronnie trailed off slowly sounding as she was thinking. "The one the that almost had you crying in tears on the last date because you were so bored?" She asked.
"That would be the one," Betty sighed causing Ronnie to burst into snorts of laughter. "I figured you would think it was funny."
"I guess you must be really dumb to be let into that school," Ronnie breathed as her laughter died down.
"Do you think that about me?" Betty asked her, and Ronnie was quick to correct her.
"Of course not, B!" Ronnie told her. "You know that I think that you are completely brilliant as I have told you time and time again!. It's just, I didn't think he was smart enough for a school such as Vassar. Did he speak to you?"
"Unfortunately," Betty answered, but she didn't feel an ounce of dread. "But I don't think I have to worry about him approaching me for a date. He has a girlfriend." Betty explained.
"Good for you and poor girl," Ronnie said sympathetically.
"I don't know about poor girl. They seem like a perfect match for each other," Betty informed her.
"Wait you met her?"
"Oh, I did!" Betty replied excitedly, knowing that Ronnie was loving the juicy details. "They go here together," Betty added.
"What's she like?" Ronnie asked. "Just out of curiosity…"
"To be honest, her name is Jenna and she seemed bitchy and overly possessive," Betty answered as she thought about their interaction. "She already claimed her stake on him by telling me that he was hers."
"Yup...She's a bitch," Ronnie summarized. "I wish I could have heard your answer."
"It was along the lines of 'you can have him'," Betty said, and Ronnie cheered through the phone.
"That's my girl!" Ronnie said proudly. "What do you have next?"
"Nothing. This is my only class on Mondays and Wednesdays so I'm going to try to work on my article for Trish before I have to pick up Ellie in a bit." Betty looked to her left as she heard an eruption of loud laughter to see a group of guys exiting the building.
"Oh, my Ellie. I miss her so much!" Ronnie murmured. "How is she doing?"
"Ellie is fine, and she misses you too and so do I," Betty confessed. "Its so weird being without you guys. I am so not used to the quiet."
"Tell me about it. I missed our weekly Netflix movie marathon yesterday and I miss my baby kisses," Ronnie sighed. "Who knew one baby could be so addicting!"
"That would be my kiddo," Betty laughed as she thought back to her talk with her mother. "So, I talked to my mom this morning."
"You did?" Ronnie asked, sounding surprised. "Are you okay? How did it go?" She asked worriedly.
"A lot better than I expected it too," Betty admitted. "She hugged me, so I take that as a good sign. She didn't yell at me." She said in a low voice.
"What's the matter B?" Ronnie asked knowingly.
"I think I really hurt my Mom," Betty replied tearfully. "I mean she didn't say it, but I could see it."
"Well, that is because you did Betty. You hurt a lot of people by leaving the way you did. You and I both know where I stand on that and I forgave you, but there is nothing you can do that'll change the past. The only thing you can do is to move forward. Take this day as a small win because, in all honesty, it was," Ronnie said wisely. "Did you tell her about Ellie?"
"I didn't have the time," Betty admitted. "I saw her right before I had class, but I will. She said she wants to see me at least once a week and she asked me to join the school newspaper." Betty dropped her head into her hand. She didn't know how she felt about that yet.
"It is right up your alley," Ronnie encouraged.
"I know, but I don't know if it's a good idea," Betty confided. "I think I'll make my decision after my classes tomorrow because I have no idea what they are going to be like. Plus, one of them is with her. So, I don't know what I'm going to do." Betty sighed.
"Well, I have faith in you and I know you'll figure it out. Just remember to be careful, Betty," Ronnie reminded her. "You don't want to get yourself too stressed."
"I know. I know," Betty tutted and winced as she felt the familiar ache in her chest that meant she was going to have pump soon or risk a mess. "Look, I have to get going. We totally need to set up a time and meet up."
"I agree. I'll check my work schedule and I will get back to you on potential dates," Ronnie offered. "Talk to you soon. Love you and give Ellie a kiss from me."
"Love you too and I will." Betty sent a kiss sound through the phone and ended the call. She grinned as she looked at her phone screen, the photo she had of Kevin and Ronnie holding Ellie serving as her background. Betty gathered up her bag and headed in the direction of her apartment. She'd had enough time away from her baby girl for the day.
Betty walked inside the daycare center, wearing an excited grin on her face, ready to see Ellie. Leigh looked up from working on a laptop and got up to meet her with a warm smile.
"How did it go today?" Leigh asked, and Betty nodded.
"It went great today," Betty said as she looked around the room looking for Ellie. "Where is she?" She asked her not spotting the baby in question.
"Come with me," Leigh told her, placing an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to a door in which she opened. Ushering Betty through and over to a crib, she saw Ellie laying on the mattress, fast asleep. "I just put her down about ten minutes ago," Leigh told her as Betty grinned down at the precious sight before her.
"Aww, I hate that I have to disturb her," Betty sighed, and Leigh looked up at her.
"You can leave her here while she sleeps if you would like? and I can call you when she wakes up," Leigh offered. Betty looked at her.
"I do have something for work that I need to get done," Betty said to Leigh as she reached down to caress Ellie's cheek. "Do you think I could do it here? I have everything in my car and I promise I won't be a bother."
"You are not a bother," Leigh said to her sternly. "That will be fine and in the future, if you ever need anyone to watch Ellie, so you can study or run errands, I will be happy to help you. Whatever you need, I am here for you."
"Thank you, Leigh," Betty said softly, feeling completely touched by the lady before her. "That means a lot." Betty followed Leigh out as another daycare worker called for her help. Betty hurried to her car, so she could get her bag and settled down the table where Leigh was sitting moments before, pulling her computer out and opening the lid. While she was waiting for it to boot up, she reached into the cooler department to pull out a bag of celery sticks and a cup of peanut butter as her stomach was begging for something to eat. Leigh placed a cup of hot steaming coffee next to her that smelled heavenly.
"You don't have to-" Betty began but Leigh cut in with.
"Two sugars and two dashes of cream, right?" Leigh asked with a smile as she walked back to her place and sat down.
"Right," Betty said as she brought the cup up to her nose, allowing herself the small pleasure of smelling the delicious cup of coffee, which was met by the scent of vanilla and hazelnuts. It made her mouth water as she blew into the cup, counting down to the seconds before she took her first sip. She loved the way the bitterly sweet drink flowed on her tongue as the heat sank into her mouth and down to every inch and cell of her body, giving it the revival it needed.
"This has to be the best cup of coffee," Betty moaned as she took another sip from the cup. Not because she wanted to, but because she needed too, as she typed her password into the computer.
"Thank you, but I have to say it is nothing like Starbucks," Leigh said, waving her hand at her.
"This is way better than Starbucks if you ask me," Betty told her as she got to work. She began researching the topic that she needed for her article. By the time Ellie woke up from her nap, Betty was nearing the end of her article with only the conclusion left to write. Feeling satisfied with her work, she clicked on the save button as Leigh entered the room with Ellie in her arms.
"Look who's here, Ellie," Leigh cooed softly into the baby's ear as Betty looked up with a beaming smile. Quickly, she closed her laptop before getting out of her seat to go over to Leigh, who was rubbing Ellie's back and Betty couldn't stop her arms from reaching out for her baby girl. Ellie's face lit up at the sight of her. Betty had to swallow against tears as she would never get used to the overwhelming love that consumed her every time Ellie would smile her way as Leigh passed Ellie into her awaiting arms.
"Hi baby," Betty said softly into Ellie's dark, baby-fine hair. She held her daughter's body close to her heart. "I missed you today. Did you have fun?" Betty asked pulling back to look into Ellie's blue eyes.
"We had such a blast today," Leigh told her as she watched the loving scene before her. It warmed her heart. Leigh had seen many parents dote on their kids after being away from them for hours at a time, but the way Betty interacted with Ellie was something special. "We played, we ate, and we slept some," Leigh answered as Betty placed a kiss to Ellie's forehead.
"I talked to your Aunt Ronnie today," Betty said to Ellie in a silly voice. "She says that she misses you and I told her that we missed her, too." Ellie let out a cute giggle as Betty continued to talk to her before turning to Leigh. "Thank you for everything you have done for me today," She said to Leigh as she shifted Ellie to hip. "I finally feel like that we are in the place where we belong, and it finally feels right, or I least hope it is."
"If it feels that way then that means it is," Leigh stated. "You are going to do great things here, Betty. I mean this when I say it, Ellie is lucky to have you as a mother."
"You really think so?" Betty asked her in a soft voice. There were times that she had wondered if she was doing the best for Ellie because that is all Ellie deserved, the best.
"Yes, I really think so. I think it is clear to everyone how much you love Ellie and it is refreshing to see," Leigh added. Betty gave her a watery smile. "Here let me get Ellie in her seat for you while you gather your things."
"Thank you," Betty said handing Ellie to Leigh, who took the little girl, smiling brightly at her as she walked into the nook where they kept the car seats. Betty quickly placed her laptop into her bag along with its cord and threw away trash she made. Leigh carried the car seat, filled with a fussing Ellie, to the table causing Betty to laugh.
"It's only for a few minutes," Betty told her as she shook her head as Ellie kicked her tiny legs in protest.
"Do you need help?" Leigh asked, pointing to the door and Betty shook her head.
"I can handle it," Betty said, giving her a grateful smile. "I will see you tomorrow around the same time? Is that okay for me to drop her off then?"
"That's fine," Leigh answered with a nod. Betty looped her arm through the car seat handle and Leigh bent down to look at Ellie who was still kicking her legs. "I will see you tomorrow," She said in a silly voice, causing Ellie to break into a smile as Betty turned around to walk to the door, giving Leigh one last goodbye. The rest of the day went along smoothly without any hiccup and before Betty realized it, she was putting Ellie to bed and turning out her own lamp as her head hit her pillow.
Betty yawned as she walked into the English building the following morning after her alarm came way too fast for her taste. She had already dropped Ellie off at Leigh's which gave her a little time before her Law class, so she decided to get herself a cup of coffee before going to the library to finish her article and look over the chapter of her law textbook. She thanked the lucky stars that there was no one in line at the coffee cart as she came to a stop but groaned as she saw it was David from yesterday who was the waiting hand.
"I told you that you would be seeing me soon," He grinned at her causing her to roll her eyes.
"You are way too chipper this morning, but I guess it is a step up from your mood yesterday," Betty snarked. "Can I just get a medium coffee?" She asked her tone softening.
"Elizabeth are you sure that you are at the right coffee vendor?" David asked silkily. "I took you as a Starbucks girl."
"Don't get me wrong, I love Starbucks, but my pocket doesn't. I can't imagine spending five dollars a cup of coffee every day," Betty confessed. David pursed his lips as he nodded.
"What kind of coffee Elizabeth?" David asked her as he got a medium cup off the stack.
"The house blend," Betty requested. He nodded again as he began to pour the coffee into the cup. "And it's Betty." She told him as he placed a lid on to the cup then handed it toward her.
"What's Betty?" David asked her sounding confused as she took the cup from him.
"Betty's my name," Betty laughed as she pulled the lid off the cup taking two sugar packets and dumping them into the brown liquid before getting two caplets of creamer to pour in it as well.
"I thought your name was Elizabeth," He asked her.
"It is Elizabeth, but when I was younger my older sister had a hard time saying my full name so she ended up saying Betty and it just stuck. The only person that ever really calls me by my full name is my mother," Bett told him as she reached into her pocket. "How much do I owe you?" She asked looking up handing him a five-dollar bill.
"It's on the house today," David replied by pushing her hand away. "Take it as an apology for acting like an ass towards you yesterday." He told her.
"Are you sure?" Betty questioned. "Because I really don't mind paying." She offered kindly and David shook his head once again. "What about a tip?" Betty asked curiously looking at the cart smiling as she spotted the tip jar. "Ah! Never mind," Betty tossed at him before sticking the five into the jar before picking up coffee and felt her heart froze when she picked up the sound of her mother's voice flowing through the air behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Alice Cooper standing near the entrance of the door to the library and remembered that her mother wanted to see her before class started and cringed when she noticed her mother's eyes glance her way. Betty cursed to herself as she knew that she had been spotted remembering that her mother had wanted to see her before class started, but Betty really needed to finish her article, so she turned to look to David who was watching her curiously.
"Is there any other way into the library?" Betty asked him quietly and he nodded as he pointed to the door behind him. "And if that woman asks you where I went. Lie to her."
"You want me to lie to Alice Cooper?" David asked raising an eyebrow.
"Please and I will give you another five for your help," Betty pleaded with wide eyes and he nodded. "Thank you," She rushed as she picked up her coffee walking around the cart to the door hurrying inside to what appeared to be a very large library which seemed easy enough to get lost in. She felt her jaw drop as she walked further into the library as her eyes landed on the very large staircase that went up two floors and saw that there was another door on the second level, at the same location as the one she just entered which she could use to get to her law class later.
Betty walked past several rows of shelves before she found an area with tables. Most of them were filled to brim with students but there was hope as she spotted an empty table in the corner that seemed perfect for her and it was away from the others, so she would have fewer distractions. She took a sip of her coffee noting its deliciousness as she walked down the path towards the table she heard an annoying voice that could only belong to one person. Betty heard that voice say her name making her stop and look to her left to see she stopped right next to the table where Wesley was sitting with Jenna across from him with a few other people including the curly haired girl who was in her campus circle yesterday.
"Elizabeth what are you doing here?" He asked slowly looking around the table with a nervous look. Betty turned to him raising an eyebrow at him.
"Are you seriously asking me that question?" She asked him, pulling her eyes away from Wesley to look at the others at the table. "Hi everyone," She said politely ignoring the death stare Jenna was sending her way as she turned her eyes back to Wesley who only nodded.
Betty took a deep breath as she looked at Wesley as she thought of the perfect answer. Betty looked around the library before turning back to Wesley not knowing what to say because she was stupefied by his insane question. "Why does anyone come into a library, Wesley?" She finally asked him as she pushed out all the insults she wanted to throw his way.
"Are you sure this place is even for you?" The curly haired girl piped her way causing Betty to look at her. "Maybe there is a place that is much better suited for you or that is much more your style?"
Betty narrowed her eyes at the girl as she crossed her arms being careful not to drop her coffee feeling quite irritated at the girl's uncalled for tone. "What the fuck does that mean?" She asked her in an even voice. "A place much more suited for me?" She added to the question before shrugging her shoulder. "Since you apparently know me so well, tell me where this place is?" She urged the girl who just stared at her as she had lost her mind, so Betty decided to be the bigger person.
"You know what I am not going to do this, so you just keep your answer because I really don't want to hear it," Betty tossed to the girl in a much calmer voice. "Now, I am going to go because I didn't come here to bother you. I came here to study and that is what I am going to do." She added looking to each person at the table opening her mouth to say goodbye to them when she heard.
"Betty Cooper…"
Betty snapped her jaw shut as the new voice sliced through her being. She felt her eyes widen as the breath in her lungs ceased to exist as she knew that that voice could only belong to one person because she knew that voice all too well. The voice that she heard in her dreams and the voice that she had missed so much over the last year. The voice she yearned to hear just one last time. The voice who belonged to the person that meant everything to her still even after a year and the voice of her child's father. She almost didn't want to believe it and she almost did not until she slowly turned her head to see him standing only a few feet away from her. She closed her eyes and Betty felt her heart begin to pound as she slowly opened her eyes to make sure that she was not dreaming. And yes, he was still standing in front of her with that beloved crown beanie resting on a bed of soft dark curls. The feel of those dark soft curls came rushing back to her as their feel was forever ingrained into her memory. Betty felt her throat dry up as she raises her gaze to his widen dark blue eyes that were surely mirroring her own widen eyes. Those dark blue eyes also mirrored the same dark blue eyes that she had been putting to bed for the last three months. Betty placed her hand onto the table beside her to keep herself from falling to the floor. She struggled to find the words she wanted to say but she could only say one.
"Jughead."
