Hello, everyone. It was great to see such a positive response on my first three chapters I hope you continue to like it. Your comments, favourites, and follows are appreciated and loved, and I take the time to read all comments as they mean the world to me. It's great to see people enjoying my work. I hope everyone is liking where this story is going as I feel like the first chapter was my best one because it was originally supposed to be a one (or two) shot. Let me know what you guys think. I also wanted to let you guys know school started back up for me this week so I won't be posting as frequently but I will do my best to post as quick as I can.
Veronica stood outside Principal Weatherbee's office, glossy iPhone in the clutches of her manicured fingers. She and best friend Kevin Keller were in charge of showing the new student around. They weren't provided with much information, just a name: Betty Cooper and a schedule. There was a small photo, Veronica guessed from her old school by the modest uniform she wore in it, clipped to the edge of the paper. However, in a town such as Riverdale, this was unnecessary, a new face wouldn't go unnoticed, especially by Veronica.
The girl in the photo, Betty, was pretty, but in a very different way than Veronica. Veronica was all rounded curves and buttery skin. She was known for her smouldering chocolate eyes and dark tresses, that not a boy, or girl for that matter, in Riverdale, could resist. Betty, however, was a softer, gentle type of beauty. Her eyes, big and lined with thick lashes, had a doe like quality to them that was the epitome of innocence. She was all pastel pink lips and porcelain skin and if Veronica believed in stereotyping she would classify Betty as a total girl next door. If the two girls were to stand side by side they would seem like polar opposites, where Veronica's hair was flowy and dark Betty's was fair and pulled back tightly. Where Veronica's makeup was bold, with dark hues and arched brows, Betty's was more natural with light lavender and muted yellows. The list of differences in the two girls could go on forever, yet, much like Jughead and Betty, the two had more in common than first believed.
At this specific moment, Veronica was preoccupied with mass texting Kevin. They were supposed to meet at the office five minutes ago and there was still no sign or word from her sassy friend. When she finally spotted his head of brown hair, hurrying through a group of freshmen, and his classic messenger bag slung over his shoulder, her foot, which was clad in her classic black Louis Vuitton heels, was tapping impatiently against the tile.
"Veronica!" Kevin gasped, skidding to a halt in front of the raven-haired beauty.
"Kevin," she replied, a slight edge in her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"No, V, you won't believe what happened," Kevin exclaimed, almost vibrating out of his skin with excitement.
This caught the other teens attention, causing her to refrain from launching into a speech about timeliness and raise a perfectly plucked brown in question and silent permission for him to go on.
Kevin took a deep breath to calm himself before divulging, in great and dramatic detail:
"So, I was walking into the school, on time for the record, and a motorcycle pulls up right beside me and you'll never guess who was on it!"
Veronica tilted her head slightly and quirked her brow, silently asking "who?".
"Jughead Jones!" Kevin all but yelled in the busy hallway.
Veronica's eyes widen in surprise at this, something she didn't do often. There wasn't much that could surprise a Lodge.
"Okay, I admit that's juicy," the dark-eyed girl confessed, uncrossing her arms in surrender "But," she continued with a pointed look towards her sweater wearing BFF "he is in the Southside Serpent's and he does live here so it's not that outrageous."
Kevin grinned at this like he knew that would be her response and excitement filled his eyes as he shifted back and forth between his feet like all the excitement had rushed to his limbs and he couldn't stay still.
"That's not the most scandalous part," he paused, just long enough for dramatic effect "the new girl was on the back of his bike, and she kissed him!"
At this, Veronica Lodge's mouth fell open, something that in all their years of friendship Kevin had never seen her do. However, she was a Lodge, so after the briefest of moments she had composed herself, back to the normal, but fabulous Veronica.
"She just got here and she's hooking up with a snake?" Veronica pondered out loud.
"Oh, I think it's more than hooking up. They looked..." Kevin sighed, a twinge of sadness in the otherwise happy gesture "infatuated. And besides, he called after her, in front of everyone, and said he would pick her up when school was over. Seemed like he was claiming her in front of all the jocks to me, which is totally hot." He finished, dramatically pulling on the edge of his collar to let some of the heat out.
Before Veronica could comment or Kevin could ramble about how devastatingly handsome Jughead is in the "Holden Caulfield meets Jax Teller" kind of way Betty herself had entered their hallway, making her way towards the office with her head held high and a giddy smile plastered on her pink lips.
"Betty Cooper!" Veronica called, merlot lips stretching into an enticing smile.
"That's me," Betty said cheerily, smoothing her ponytail down.
"We're you're welcoming committee, here to show you the ins and outs of Riverdale," Veronica explained.
"Oh! Veronica and-"
"Kevin," the taller boy interjected, "and let me just say I want to hear everything about Jughead Jones."
Veronica nudged her friend at this giving him a sideways look before turning back to Betty, she too wanted answers.
"You guys know Juggie?" Betty asked smiling wider, any friends of Jug were friends of hers.
"Oh no!" Veronica said, far too quickly.
"She just means we know him but we aren't friends with him. How do you know, Juggie?" Kevin asked, a slight twinge of humour in his voice as he covered for his sometimes big mouthed bestie.
"We met at this little retro diner."
"Pop's," the two Riverdale natives said in unison.
"That's it!" the blonde cheered.
"And?" Kevin asked, leaning forward slightly, as to not miss a word.
"And we're friends," Betty finished, trying to keep the blood from rushing to her face.
"Just friends?" Veronica asked, noticing the gleam in the blonde's eyes and the scarlet trailing up her neck.
At this Betty only shrugged shyly, smoothing her ponytail once again and moving her eyes to the paper in Veronica's hand to avoid their stares.
"Is that my schedule?" Betty asked, desperate to change the subject.
"It sure is," Veronica said, handing it to her as she spoke "you have at least one us in all of your classes, so you don't have to worry about being alone. And we can sit together at lunch."
"That would be really nice, I've never been to a new school before" Betty confessed, twirling a loose thread of her sweater around her index finger.
"You have nothing to worry about, B" Veronica reassured, linking her arm in Betty's.
When lunchtime rolled around, the three had become fast friends. Betty was now familiar with the basics of Riverdale High and where her classes were, but she was still nervous for lunch. Dread, anxiety, and nervousness were whirling in her stomach making the petite blonde feel sick. Between the thought of eating and meeting even more people, Betty was overwhelmed. On the way to the cafeteria, flanked by Kevin, she sunk her nails into the skin of her palm for a moment, searching for relief. As the sharp edges of her nails threatened to break through the skin she pictured Jughead, floppy hair falling in his eyes and a laugh lightening up his handsome features. Suddenly, the pressure of her palms lessened, as she let her fingers uncurl; she promised herself nothing would ruin her day today and she meant it.
Kevin, unbeknownst to Betty, was not oblivious to the change in the peppy blonde. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the way her fingers curled in on themselves, turning into fists. And although he didn't know everything, he knew something was wrong.
"Excited to see your boy after school?" Kevin asked as they walked into the busy cafeteria, hoping to distract her.
"He's not my boy," Betty chided, ignoring the way her heart sped up at the thought of Jughead being hers.
"Honey," Kevin started, pausing his movements to instill the seriousness in his words "he's more yours than anyone else's"
This time Betty couldn't control the soring of her heart or the butterflies released in her stomach, and she's not quite sure she would want to anyway.
The pair walked towards a lunch table in the center of the cafeteria and when Veronica spotted the blonde and her quirky best friend she quickly stood and raced over to them, once again linking arms with the fair-haired girl.
"Everyone this is Betty Cooper, a damn angel and the newest addition to our group," Veronica introduced, pulling the blonde down to sit beside her.
A red-headed boy with broad shoulders and puppy dog brown eyes smiled at her, "I'm Archie, Veronica's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you."
"I've heard a lot about you," Betty confessed, tilting her head towards Veronica "she never stops talking about you."
Archie grinned "Is that so, Ronnie?"
"Shut up," Veronica sassed, playfully rolling her eyes.
"How long have you guys been together?" Betty asked, admiring the smitten couple.
"13 months," the two replied in unison before flickering their eyes to one another in loving appreciation.
Betty wanted that, the kind of synchronization and pure love that came from a true and genuine connection. Betty imagines it would feel like an invisible thread tied between the pair and stringing them together in an unbreakable bond. And for a moment she pictured Jughead as her person, the one who truly understands her even when she doesn't understand herself. She knows it's silly, they just met, but there's a nagging in her gut and a tug on the invisible string wrapped around her heart every time she sees him that makes her think they're meant to be together. It's unclear whether this is fate or chance, but Betty knows it's something because she's never felt like this before and she suspects, hopes, Jughead hasn't either.
"Hello? Earth to Betty," Kevin laughs, waving his hand in front of the dazed blonde.
"What? Sorry I spaced out," she admits, blood rising to her cheeks as she does so.
"Thinking about your boy?" Kevin asks, smirking confidently like he could read her mind.
Betty doesn't reply, waving off the two and hoping the conversation will continue. She isn't so lucky.
"Well," Veronica inquires, plum polished nails coming to rest on her chin in question "are you?"
Archie, slightly bored of the conversation once it had turned to boys, was leaning to the next table over talking to Reggie Mantle, a fellow football player, and friend. The name "Jughead" uttered in a soft feminine voice from his table, however, drew him from his conversation about the next game to the new blonde addition to the table.
"Did you just say Jughead? As in Jughead Jones?" Archie demanded, hoping he had heard wrong.
"Yes…" Betty said, brows pinching together in confusion.
"Don't associate yourself with him, Betty, he's dangerous. A nice girl like you doesn't belong in the den of the Serpent's." Archie whispered, keeping his voice low but serious, his gaze refusing to waver.
"The Serpent's?" Betty asked, tilting her head to the side making her resemble a puppy. This only further propelled Archie's instinct to protect the innocent girl.
"The Southside Serpent's," Archie clarified, leaning forward on the elbows of his letterman jacket "they're a gang from the southside of town that deals in drugs, theft, and murder."
"And Jughead?" Betty gulped, afraid of the ginger boys reply.
"He's their leader."
Betty wanted to laugh at the thought, yes Jughead was aloof, broody, and maybe even a little bit of a bad boy, but murder? The Jughead she knows would never hurt someone, not someone who didn't deserve it anyway. The way Archie portrayed her raven-haired friend made him seem sinister and when she looked into the deep blue of Jughead's eyes she saw nothing of the sort.
There was a softness to Jughead Jones, a quiet type of artistry that loved writing and classic films that she's now beginning to think no one else sees.
"He wouldn't" Betty argued, a fiery protectiveness alighting in her gut to defend Jughead.
"You don't really know him, Betty, you just got here," Archie explains, voice gentle like he was telling a kid Santa Clause wasn't real.
"I do know him," Betty says, eyes set in hard determination. "maybe you're the one who doesn't know him." she finished, rather rudely for the likes of a Cooper, and stands.
"Betty, wait," Veronica says, reaching out to her.
But Betty was already standing and out of arms reach, "I think I'm going to walk around the school some more, get familiar with my new surroundings. Thanks for showing me around and letting me sit with you guys." And with that, the miffed blonde spun on her heel and made her way out of the cafeteria.
Back at the table, where the three teens remained, Veronica was glaring at Archie a scowl on her matte lips offsetting her otherwise flawless features.
"What?" Archie asked, shrugging his shoulders innocently and putting his hands up in a sign of surrender to the Lodge girl.
"You're an idiot," She exclaims, shaking her head at her clueless boyfriend.
"I was just telling her the truth," He reasons to his agitated girlfriend.
"Have you ever met Jughead?" Kevin asks, already knowing what the jock's answer will be.
"Well, no," he confesses, hand coming up to sheepishly rub the back of his neck "but, I mean, people talk."
"Everyone talks in this town, it doesn't mean shit," Kevin bites back, standing from their lunch table and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'm going to find Betty, see you guys in chem."
And with that, Kevin leaves out the same set of double doors Betty had a few moments ago in search of her iconic blonde ponytail.
Betty, unsurprisingly, was already lost. Somehow, she had taken a wrong turn and ended up in an unfamiliar hallway of the school, this did not deter her façade of knowing exactly where she was. Besides, the blonde reasoned to herself arms coming to wrap around her own thin frame, eventually, she would find her way back to a familiar corridor.
A figure, dark and tall stood out of Betty's vision, hidden by the shadows as he watched her walk. He admired her exposed flesh, eyes zeroing in on her long legs and lean figure as she passed him. At this moment, he decided he would have her, one way or another. And he didn't give a damn what her Serpent boyfriend thought.
Emerging from the shadows slowly he came up behind her, his body easily double her size and a good foot taller loomed over her, waiting for the right moment. He put on a friendly face as he called across the seemingly deserted hallway, "You lost?"
Betty jumped at the sound, spinning on the spot to come face to face with a built boy in a letterman jacket.
"Oh my god," she expressed, hand coming up to lay on the left side of her chest "you scared me!"
"I'm sorry," the brown-haired boy apologized, false sincerity expressed on his chiseled features "I just saw a new face who seemed a little confused and figured you might be lost."
"Well, you're right. I have no idea where I am," she professed a friendly smile on her face.
"Luckily, I can help you with that,"
"Thank you, I'm Betty, by the way, Betty Cooper." She said, extending her hand towards the football player.
"It's a pleasure," he leered, taking her hand in his and bringing it up to his lips "I'm Chuck, Chuck Clayton."
