Reverie

"Archie…"

Archie narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend, why was she in the library after school hours with this Serpent? He grabbed her arm and pulled her near to his body, scanning her up and down. "Why are you in here? Where were you?"

Betty's mouth almost dropped open in shock, how dare he ask her where she had been. Where had he been?! She pulled her arm away, very conscious about her appearance. She could only imagine the way she looked, all disheveled because of the encounter she had with Jughead only seconds ago. She could kick herself for letting herself go, for letting it get as far as it did.

She'd have to tell Archie, even though right now she wanted nothing more than to slap him for being hours late. "Where have I been?! Where have you been?! You said you were at practice, there was no practice, Archie!" Archie fixed Betty with a look she recognized, the look that told her she was far out of line and needed to reel herself in before she started a problem she couldn't finish.

"Betty…" he said her name lowly.

She looked down and away from him, her fists curling at her sides. She nodded her head ashamed, "You're right, I'm sorry."

Jughead looked on confused, what was wrong with this guy? Why was Betty obeying him like she didn't have a voice? Where was the Betty he had pinned up against the rows of books just a few minutes ago? Jughead cleared his throat, having had enough of this soap opera in front of him, "Do you need something, Andrews? My friend Betty and I were having a great time before you interrupted."

The ginger snarled, "You," he said with disgust, "I just don't understand why you don't get you don't belong here. A week already, and you haven't left. You really need help getting the message, Snake?" Jughead folded his arms across his chest and widened his stance. He had a strong feeling about where this was going and he wasn't going to let his guard down. Not for a second.

"Why don't you help me, dear ole' Archie boy."

Archie smirked, as if it was the invitation he had been waiting for, "Gladly," he stepped away from the cowering blonde and turned towards the library entrance, pushing open the door Reggie and Chuck walked in. All dressed in gym clothing, as if they had planned it all. Archie's smirk only widened when he took in Jughead's demeanor, he didn't let anything show but he knew Jughead was scared.

He pulled the doors closed and used a chair to block the handle, "Just so you don't pussy out and run away." Betty watched in horror as Archie, Reggie, and Chuck circled Jughead. "Archie! What are you doing?!"

Archie scowled, "Jesus, Betty! Stay out of grown man business, just sit there and watch your man kick some Serpent ass." Betty frowned as she let her hands cover her mouth, "Archie stop! Please, this isn't worth it. You can get caught and get expelled, this isn't worth everything you've worked for!" Archie only rolled his eyes, this was so like Betty. To try to keep the peace and never support him. Veronica was all for this and even helped plan. He only wondered how much longer he could keep the charade up with Betty.

"You ready to die, Snake?"

Jughead had been silent this entire time. He was analyzing the guys in front of him, finding out which hand the favoured, which side they favoured. Trying to pinpoint their weaknesses. Jughead wasn't stupid. He expected this to happen, he knew Archie was too much of a coward to take him on himself, kids, privileged kids, never knew how to fight one on one. They always just tried to jump their enemy and take them down the cowardly way.

Well, not this time. Not in front of Betty.

"Archie!" Betty screamed. Archie was going completely insane and Betty didn't know what to do. "Shut up, Betty!"

Jughead felt his jaw tick, "Don't talk to her like that," he grunted lowly. Archie grinned, "You coaching me on how to talk to the girl I'm banging?" Jughead clenched his fists at his bold statement but knew he was just trying to get under his skin, he refused to let Archie have the upper hand, "For a guy who has such a beautiful girlfriend you do spend a lot of time with these asses over here," he gestured towards Chuck and Reggie, "Too busy playing with each other's dicks to remember your girlfriend's waiting on you at school?"

Archie bared his teeth and let out a feral noise as he lunged towards Jughead. Jughead easily dodged his attack and grabbed the back of his collar, kneeing him in his chest, he heard the wind get knocked out of him with a grunt. Reggie immediately took that as his turn and went in for a punch, swinging and missing as Jughead blocked his fist with an encyclopedia Betty was looking through earlier, a painful crunch sounding throughout the quiet room. Jughead used the book and swung it in the back of Reggie's head. Before he could do much else, he felt himself getting punched in his side. He gasped at the contact and dropped the book.

"Juggie!"

Jughead looked at Betty who stood up in worry, and then looked towards the guy who had winded him. Chuck stood there with a victorious smile on his face. Jughead looked at Reggie who was down for good, and then at Archie who was gaining his second wind. Jughead stood and squared up with Chuck, who lunged and went for another punch this time in his face. Jughead caught Chuck's wrist and twisted, bringing Chuck's arm behind his back painfully. "Shit, man let go!" He cried out. Jughead grunted in response and grabbed the back of Chuck's head before smashing it against the table beside Betty's books. Chuck went down with a thud.

It would be the easiest thing to kill these clowns, but Jughead knew better. He was in school, not that he liked it, but he didn't want to get expelled he didn't want to have to leave Betty. Not now. He could only give them paining migraines and bruises, nothing more and certainly nothing less.

Archie stood to his feet wobbly, "You think you're some big and bad guy who can just wear leather jackets and have everyone fall to their knees?" He questioned as he gained on Jughead. Jughead saw Archie panting, he was tired and he barely did anything. Jughead shrugged his leather jacket off and watched as Betty approached and took it without a word. "Thank you," he grunted. She only nodded her head quickly.

Archie watched in disgust, "You like this fool? You're friends with this idiot, Betty?!" He shouted. His face flashing with anger, "After everything we been through you're going to side with him?!"

Betty snapped towards Archie, "I'm not siding with anything, Archie! You're just acting like an idiot right now, I can't even look at you! Jughead done nothing wrong, you started this war between the two of you the first day he arrived! It's you. Not him!" She defended.

Archie scowled, "You're just a Serpent slut aren't you. You probably want to fuck him, don't you?" He said, blinded by anger. Betty gasped, tears in her eyes at the words her boyfriend was saying, "Archie…"

He shook his head, disgust and anger plaguing his face, "Don't even try it, Betty. No need to explain, don't worry though…we'll break up so you can go and make Snake hybrid babies together." Betty felt the tears falling from her eyes. "That's not true, Archie!"

He shrugged, "First your mother, now you, I guess it's true. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Before Archie could finish his thoughts, he felt himself getting thrown backwards. Jughead stood in place shaking off his fist. The ginger stood angrily, "You just made a life long enemy, Snake. Let's go!" He stood to his feet, blood dripping from his nose as he took a fighting stance.

"It won't be a fair fight, Andrews."

Archie grinned, "Isn't that just too bad for you," he taunted. Jughead chuckled, "I meant for you." Archie furrowed his eyebrows at the proclamation and stood to his full height, "Alright, well let's make this more of a fair fight then, shall we?" He questioned as he pulled something out of his pocket. Flicking it open the silver blade shined in the horribly lit room.

"Archie, are you crazy?!"

Archie placed his hands to his temple and shook his head madly, "Elizabeth, shut up. Please, shut up! Just stop! Me and you, this…I can't." He stated as his eyes struggled to focus. "I been falling out of love with you for awhile now. It's just, it's not the same." He said.

Betty fell to her knees, the words sinking into her. Archie didn't love her, she had no one.

"Archie…" she cried.

He only rolled his eyes at her and continued his advance on the angry Serpent. Jughead was fuming, he didn't understand how someone could speak to Betty that way and the more he witnessed it the more he wanted nothing more than to clean the carpet with Archie's face. It was kids like him that gave Riverdale such a snooty reputation.

He watched as Archie lurched forward, stabbing the air with the knife. Jughead side stepped him and grabbed his wrist, his knee coming into contact with the back of Archie's own knee. Archie fell to his knees as Jughead grabbed a fistful of his hair and turned the blade on him. Archie held the blade to his own neck, now extremely nervous. "Look…man…look…" he struggled to find reason.

Jughead only chuckled as he held Archie's hand in place, "Now you want to find reason, now that the knife is against your own neck?" He questioned rhetorically, "Now you want to sound like a decent human being?" Jughead shook his head and bent down to whisper in Archie's ear, "Don't you ever come around me again," he looked up at Betty's crying figure, "As a matter of fact, don't you ever come around us again. If I see you looking at Betty, or even thinking about Betty. I will end you." He promised. Jughead used Archie's hand and flicked the knife away, it skidded across the room and under the bookshelf.

He let Archie's hair go with a shove and Archie fell forward. He looked up at the guy in front of him and scowled, "You couldn't even kill me." He got up, "You and I, we are far from finished." Jughead only shook his head at the males hard of hearing. He knew if there was a next time he wouldn't be able to hold back. He was tired of this ginger haired boy.

He watched as Archie walked out of the building with a dizzy Reggie and Chuck, passing by Betty as if she wasn't even there.

Once the doors closed, Jughead immediately rushed over to the blonde who was still seated on the floor. "Betty…" he said softly. Sitting beside her and lifting her into his lap, "Oh Betts…" he said slowly as he stroked her back and played with her hair.

"You'll be fine," he promised, "So much better off."

She just cried and sniffled into his shirt, letting him rock her back and forth.


Wow, you guys did it in less than four hours! So, as promised, here's the next chapter. I'm going to say 10 reviews until the next one! More of a challenge.

I'm so glad you guys are loving the story. I'm excited to continue it!