A/N: I have another fic just about Jughead and Betty's fight, and because I'm a lazy bitch I copy and pasted it here. I added the rest of the episode as I always do, but just wanted to let y'all know bc it is written a little differently than the rest of my chapters and I didn't want anyone to think I stole it. There's also more very minor hints of suicidal ideations. ENJOY!
Jughead, as much as he hated his birthday, thought it was sweet that Fred remembered. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but he knew that Archie had the date ingrained in his head as well as his own birthday. He hoped, however, Archie would be too distracted with his parents' divorce to even try on his birthday. With everything that had been going on Jughead felt that a birthday wasn't right.
He hated his birthday. He really did. He wasn't sure if he just didn't understand the purpose of such an arbitrary celebration or if he was just uncomfortable with the idea of his life being celebrated. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to be alive at all, but he knew damn well he didn't want it to be celebrated. Being treated with kindness in any form made Jughead short circuit. His parents were only particularly kind to him in the wake of something horrible or something horrible to come. He was almost traumatized by kindness.
Lucky for him, the exact movies he would've chosen for himself were airing on his birthday. It was fate! He let Archie know what movies they'd be seeing, but was in turn shocked to find out that Archie wouldn't be accompanying him. He was irritated for a brief moment that Archie would expose his secret to Betty. He felt betrayed even though he knew it wasn't rational. He forced himself to warm up to the idea of seeing it with Betty. She was now officially his girlfriend after all and ti would be their first real date. Even though the idea made him cringe, he was well aware that spending the day with Betty was vastly more pleasurable than spending it with anyone else.
Betty was stuck in his mind even more than usual when Kevin let out that Betty and Chuck Clayton got into a loud, heated argument in the cafeteria. Jughead was working on his writing that day so he wasn't around, but he honestly couldn't picture Betty getting into a screaming match with anyone. He figured Kevin might have been exaggerating a little bit, but it didn't stop him from being genuinely worried. He loved Betty, probably more than he should. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. He never liked Chuck, or the rest of the team for that matter, but he couldn't picture Betty being the one to start something with him again. He was never one to care about the school gossip but the was one of the only cases that he was left still curious. She seemed snappy when he asked about the incident, but he was smart enough to drop it.
Halfway through Animal House Jughead felt Betty shaking under his arm. He asked her if she was alright and she whispered that she was just really scared. Thinking that she was trying to be cute, he gave her a chaste kiss and pulled her closer to him.
"Jughead, I'm sorry, but can we go?" Betty whispered. Jughead nodded and took her hand, leading her out of theatre. When they got in the car, Jughead asked "Do you want to go to Pop's?" Betty smiled, "No, why don't we go back to Archie's for a while? I'll make this up to you." Stunned. Jughead was hoping that she meant what he thought she did.
He was wrong. He opened the door of the Andrews' home and chuckled, "Can't believe you were scared, that's funny to me." He looked up and met Kevin's eyes, causing him to step back. Before he could register what was going on the lights were on and he heard what seemed like dozens of voices shouting "Surprise!"
His heart sank. "So this was why we left the double feature," was all he could manage. He got a whiff of the alcohol on Archie's breath as he was pulled into a birthday bear hug. The scent made Jughead tense, a familiar scent of birthdays, or rather any days, of his past. He did a quick scan of the room and saw that Betty had invited several people he had hoped to not be in the same room with until he absolutely had to be on Monday. He tried to skip the pleasantries and find Betty, who of course had abandoned him. His plan as to thank her for trying but insist the two of them just had upstairs and hang out.
His attention was caught by a familiar angelic voice. He looked up to see Betty, beautiful as ever, as she glowed in the light of sixteen birthday candles. He couldn't help but let slip how haunting, and almost creepy, the sight of her was. She pecked him on the cheek, and he hissed that he would much rather of been alone with her. That was truly all he wanted for this birthday. He tried to calm himself, but he was raging inside. He couldn't believe Betty and Archie would do this to him.
Seeing the intense look on Jughead's face, Betty suggested they run to the kitchen and grab some ice cream. He planned to confront her, yell at her even, until he saw the nauseating sight of Veronica being held by Archie. Jughead tensed up even more at this, angry at Archie for touching his enemy and at Betty for her inevitable jealousy at the sight of the pair. When asked if he was really mad, Jughead's face softened. He couldn't stay mad at Betty, especially when she was trying to help. He had to admit that it was a kind gesture although it was a terribly out of place one. He didn't want to be angry, but her heated reaction towards him and the sound of the doorbell set him off.
Jughead would never be seen anywhere near a party of that magnitude in any other circumstance. Jughead would've run or the hills if he had anywhere else to go. He could only handle so much of Cheryl grinding on Moose, Archie's drunken stumbling, and Chuck's mischievous glares. With a sign and an eyeroll Jughead stormed off into the garage.
He sat, pet the Andrews' dog, and brooded. He couldn't imagine a birthday worse than this. His father's drunkenness was replaced by that of the entire student body. He was positive that a good 2/3 of the people in attendance didn't even know his name. As much as he didn't want to be, he was just so mad.
He tried to scold Archie, but to no avail. He was much too drunk to take notice of anything he said. His anger was pushed back by his surprise for just a moment upon seeing FP step in the door, gift in hand. His anger returned quickly when he realized that Betty had invited his alcoholic father, whom he barely has a relationship with anymore, to a kegger. He couldn't believe Betty would be so invasive. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to chew her out and kick her to the curb. Luckily for her, she was no where to be found. He didn't dare enter the house to find her.
She came into the garage a few minutes later. He was furious and he let her have it. He let every insecurity, every fear he had about her, out of his lips with a sting. He knew he was being cruel, especially when he raised his voice, but he couldn't stop. It was word vomit.
"Until you're sick of slumming it with me? Or until Archie changes his mind and says he wants to be with you?" Jughead spat. The moment the words left his mouth he knew he had messed up. He looked into her teary eyes and waited for her to say something back, to tell him that he was a good-for-nothing weirdo, but she never did. She shook her head and turned on her heels, trying to stifle the sounds of her sobs. Jughead clenched his fists and closed his eyes in frustration. He blew it.
"Betts, wait!" He called out after her. She kept walking. He called out again, but Betty took off running. He stood in place, cursing himself for ruining this. He loved Betty; he knew that. She was the only girl he had ever had even remote feelings for. She was the only girl who made him feel like he wasn't so alone, the only girl in town who ever seemed to care about him. But that was over now. He ruined it.
He knew he had gone way too far. He knew Archie was bothered by his relationship with Betty, but he also knew Archie would never say anything about it. What would he say? "Just because I don't want to be with Betty doesn't mean you can be. She's still mine," was all Jughead could imagine, but again, he knew Archie would never come out and say it because he knew it was ridiculous. In his head, Jughead rationalized that he was better for Betty than Archie. He was always open with her, he always told her how he felt, he would never play these mind games with her, and he would never hurt her. The latter was a promise to her just as much as it was a promise to himself, but he had broken it, smashed it into a million pieces. Sorry couldn't even begin to describe how he felt.
He hated himself for what he had said to her. They both knew they were different, but Jughead knew that wasn't an issue for Betty. He knew he didn't have to go there. Jughead knew that she hated being "the girl next door" and he had used it against her anyway. He expected her to snap back at the things he said, but she didn't. He had defeated her, hurt her to the point where she had no words. She had called him her boyfriend, too. Veronica had said it, but Betty never had. It made his heart flutter when she did, as it finally solidified in Jughead's mind that Betty was his.
He said they were on borrowed time. He felt nauseous just thinking about that. If she would've said that to him he would've been devastated and he worried Betty might be. He kicked himself for that. He didn't understand why he did this, why he always did this. He was unbelievably self destructive. When something even remotely positive came into his life he made sure he destroyed it completely. He hated himself for hurting Betty. He absolutely loathed himself. Borrowed time? What did he even mean by that?! He had let out his own deep hidden insecurities about his relationship with Betty, but instead of being a rational human being and just talking them out with her he decided to throw them at her, use them as a weapon to make her back away.
Jughead thought he was going to be sick. He held back tears as he realized with the utmost certainty that she would never truly talk to him again. He was going to go back to being alone, living in a world that didn't belong to him. He wasn't even sure if Archie would take his side on this, but why would he? Jughead was in the wrong and he knew that. He just couldn't believe he had done this.
He knew he had to face the music. He had to let Betty go. He knew she'd realized by now she could do better. He knew the moment he spoke to her she would tell him to get lost, but he had to face that. He needed her to know he was sorry even though he knew it wouldn't change anything. The hurt on her face as he lashed out at her made him realize instantly how much she cared about him, further instilling in him how badly he screwed up. He had the slightest of hopes that maybe he could fix her. He really didn't know if he could lose her.
He bounded in to the house, searching frantically for her. He was stopped by Ethel, which led him to see his father. This whole night was in shambles. He decided that he didn't want to get dumped on his birthday, and that maybe it was best for him to just let Betty have fun for the rest of the night without him. He headed to the door, stopped by Chuck and Sheryl.
He sat on the counter, waiting for his chance to talk to Betty. The whole scene reminded him how much he despised high school and the cruelty of the people in it.
Jughead was tense the moment Chuck opened his mouth. He resisted the urge to spit at Chuck's remark about Betty giving Archie a peepshow. It was lie Chuck knew exactly what to say to set him off. When Chuck had attacked Betty, Jughead was fuming. He didn't even care that Chuck had involved him, but Jughead wanted to kill Chuck for what he did to Betty. He was in awe at what Chuck had said, and in even more shock that Betty didn't deny a thing. He wasn't scared, he was worried. This deepened his self-loathing for what he had said to her.
Chuck had deserved that punch. Hell, he deserved the full Jason Blossom treatment. It was worth a bloody cheek and a black eye. Betty must have been horrified of what Jughead had done. He had further proven that she was too good for him; he was trash and she was treasure. He knew he was done for, but his father made a good point. Maybe Betty needed him as much as he needed her.
He ran up the stairs and back into the house. He called out her name in the kitchen, in the living room, and in Archie's room.
"Betts, please" Jughead practically begged. As an answer to his prayers, he heard the sound of her sniffling. He followed the sound, stopping in his tracks when he heard her sobs. What Chuck had done must have really set her off.
"Betty?" he whispered. He knocked on the bathroom door, "It's me. It's Jughead."
Jughead held his breath waiting for her to open the door. That's when he saw her. Her minimal makeup was still smeared across her cheeks. She made eye contact with him and sobbed into her hands. He rushed to her side, throwing his arm around her and whispering "It's okay, Betts. I'm so sorry, it's okay." She didn't respond.
"Chuck is a douche, Betty. No one will listen to him. It's okay, Betts."
Betty lifted her face from her hands, "I'm sorry, Juggy. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be sorry, Betts. I'm not judging you. We can talk about it."
Betty sobbed, "I don't want to be with Archie. I really don't. I just-" she sniffled, "I just wanted you to have a special birthday. I wanted it to be the best day ever."
Jughead's heart broke again. She wasn't even crying about Chuck, she was crying over him. He hurt her so much that she had been brought to tears. He couldn't believe he had done this. He made the love of his life a heap of tears just because she threw him a birthday party. He pushed her far, far way because of a birthday party.
"Come on, Betts, let me get you a milkshake. I promise it will help."
His heart hurt at the thought of the things he had said to her. Betty was so hurt, and a big part of that was because of him. It destroyed him. He couldn't believe he was such an idiot. He never wanted to let his damage affect his relationships, especially not his relationship with Betty. He knew she was the girl for him. She stayed, she cared, and he really thought he might love him back. It killed him inside to see her hurt and to see how much she had hurt herself.
He was eternally grateful that he hadn't had to lose her. He work up the next morning in the brightest mood he had been since he first kissed Betty. He even got up, got himself a cup of coffee, and was about to start cleaning up when he saw Veronica saunter down the stairs. This was a sight that would usually anger him, but he was just so chipper that he didn't even care. He was almost happy for Archie. He was truthful in his problem to both Veronica and Archie that he wouldn't say a thing.