"You see us as you want to see us—in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal. Does that answer your question?" - Brian
"Alright, that's it for today. Now get out!" Barked Weatherbee, not looking up at them as he approached the nearest table and promptly deposited the cell phones down in front of him in a short stack.
One by one the students gathered up their phones, placing them in their pockets and purses and shuffling slowly towards the door. None of them seemed in a hurry to leave the school or the new relationships they had forged over the course the previous eight hours. Archie and Veronica walked ahead first, side by side with their shoulder nearly brushing every few steps, but staying silent. Kevin walked a bit behind them, smiling to himself at the unexpectedly positive outcome of the day, and Betty and Jughead walked last.
Archie and Veronica walked down the stairs of Riverdale High in silence, before coming to a stop at the bottom and facing each other, almost as if magnets were drawing them closer. Archie's eyes met Veronica's and he could feel himself getting lost a bit in her dark irises as they stood there and let time pass by. Archie watched and was mesmerized, as her lips tilted up in a small smile. With a short burst of courage, Archie leaned down and captured her lips, quick and soft, but feeling her return the sentiment wholeheartedly before he pulled back. Their noses nearly touched as Veronica's smile grew, which made Archie send her a genuine smile right back, their eyes filled with mutual happiness and understanding.
Archie took a small step back, his eyes still locked on Veronica's, as she clutched her handbag tighter with both hands. Her smile faltered momentarily when she saw his eyes glance down at the ground and shrug his shoulders a bit. It took another moment for her to realize that he was shrugged off his blue and gold letterman jacket. Archie took a breath and looked back into her eyes with conviction. He gathered the jacket in his hands loosely and shot Veronica a knowing smile as he held it out to her, the silent question hanging in the air between them.
Veronica's breathe caught at the gesture, so unexpected, but yet so fitting. The city girl in her saw the small-town gesture and a small part of her brain started an eye-roll, but another part of her brain felt real happiness at his clearly sincere gesture. Veronica's lips turned into a genuine smile as she reached out with both hands to accept the jacket, sensing that this was a thought Archie had no doubts about. He knew he wanted her to back his jacket. And she wanted his jacket.
She clutched the jacket to her chest, not giving a second thought to how it clashed with her dark manicure. For the first time, she saw Archie without the jacket and it was like a shield of protection had been lifted. She saw an invisible weight lifted from his shoulders and from his soul. His smile grew as he glanced down at his letterman jacket clutched so tightly in her arms, and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head of new song lyrics.
Veronica Lodge was not a girl who fantasized about wearing a guy's letterman jacket or belonging to a boy. Life was not an 80s movie. There was no cheesy romantic declaration and no random musical number for no apparent reason. But as Veronica's fingers clutched the leather beneath her fingers, she could imagine the smoothness of the jacket across her own shoulders, and the pride she would feel to wear this jacket down the hallways at school. His jacket.
Taking another step back and putting a bit of distance between them didn't really break the bond between Archie and Veronica. The could feel the sense of happiness Veronica felt holding his jacket radiating from her and he smiled so wide he felt he might break his face. The mysterious raven-haired girl who had walked into detention this morning was still a mystery in some ways, but she was also the person who finally understood him. Plus, she's going to look stunning in my jacket, he mused.
Letting out another breath, Archie shot Veronica a quick wink and was rewarded when she reacted a bit surprised and then tried to hide her shy smile in the collar of his jacket. He broke their gaze and turned to walk towards his dad's truck, parked in the school lot at the other end of the school entrance. It was time they had a talk. Everyone had given him a pretty supportive reaction to his music, so it was the time he included his dad. If I can impress Veronica Lodge, I can do this, he thought, trying to amp himself up as he walked. Even Jug didn't seem to mind and of course, Betty wouldn't stop with the questions. As Archie approached the awaiting truck, his dad shot him a comforting smile and unlocked the door. Archie sat back in the truck and sent his dad the same smile. I can do this, he thought, and once again was completely confident in his ability to follow through.
Veronica turned to watch Archie walk away, before glancing over to Kevin, who had come to stop a bit behind them, clearly not accidentally eavesdropping or anything, instead spending too much time examining the architecture of the school building. She sent him a knowing look with a dramatic head tilt and was rewarded with a sheepish smile and a head shake. She held out her hand and beckoned him over and the two walked silently over to the only car left in the parking lot at the school.
Veronica and Kevin got into the black town car as Andre held the door open. "Take us to Pop's, please," Veronica said politely to Andre as they settled into the car, and she placed the letterman jacket on the seat between them. "But don't start explaining the dungeons with the dragons until after I've gotten my chocolate shake," she stated carefully to Kevin with a soft but pointed look. "That's when you will have my undivided attention," she finished with a nice smile, clasping her hands together.
"Oh boy," Kevin said lightly as he let out a deep breath. "This is clearly going to take more than one milkshake," he continued, sending a teasing smirk and a head nod towards Veronica. She took that moment to reach one hand over and link their arms together in the backs seat. "Well, it's a good thing we have all evening, then," Veronica said confidently. "The foods on me and since I'm famished, please feel free to enlighten me while we work our way through the entire menu," she finished with a giggle which Kevin joined her in.
Kevin turned his head and looked into Veronica's eyes, pausing to make sure he had her attention. "Thank you, Veronica, really," Kevin said softly, his eyes glinting with the sincerity that was radiating through his whole body as her generosity and kindness, which he would never have pegged her for eight hours prior.
Veronica simply gave him another winning smile and a few soft pats on their links arms and said, "Anytime, Kev. And anything for my new GBF." They both looked up briefly as the car started moving and on the journey to the diner Kevin pointed out some fun facts and places in the town of which he also included funny stories from his life.
When they arrived at the diner, Veronica and Kevin walked arm and arm through the door, ordered way too much food for two people (and finished off almost all of it to Pop Tate's amazement), Veronica learned all about Dungeons & Dragons (including never to call it the dungeons with the dragons again), Kevin got some truly life-changing hairstyling tips, and Kevin Keller was out so late on a Saturday night for the first time that his father sent out a patrol car looking for him. They laughed, they cried, they laughed until they cried and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Betty and Jughead were the last two students to leave the library, walking nearly side by side down the hallways at an insanely leisurely pace. Jughead watched Betty pull her phone from her pocket and begin texting someone. "Want to give me a ride home?" she asked with an impressive eyebrow quirk, in that innocent voice he was growing to adore, with a glint of mischief in her eyes. They both already knew the answer.
Jughead kept his face neutral. Yes, but you're not getting your way that easily. He slowly leaned in and lifted Betty's chin slightly up with his index finger. She lowered her eyes to lock onto his lips, partly hers slightly, her pink tongue darting out to wet them. Jughead leaned in slightly, before using his finger to turn her head towards his bike a few feet away in the parking lot.
As her head turned, Jughead caught a whiff of her intoxicating scent of strawberry and can practically sense how soft her skin was. His gaze was slightly predatory as he took in her beauty, not backing away even a millimeter when Betty turned back to look at him, slightly impressed.
"Your chariot awaits, princess," he quipped lightly, removing his hand from her chin to gesture to the bike, in a sort of half bow. Betty immediately turned and walked confidently over to the bike, nearly whipping him in the face with her blonde tresses in the process. My serpent prince charming, she mused.
Jughead jogged a bit to catch up to her. Betty accepted the helmet he offered, with a mutual understanding following between them. They both got on the bike in silent, Betty wrapping her arms around him without hesitation which earned her a heavy smirk she couldn't see or scold.
Revving the engine, the pair quickly left the parking lot. Betty didn't give him directions and Jughead already proved he remembered where she lived earlier in the library when he taunted her about sneaking through her window. The ride was quick since Riverdale was small, but Betty enjoyed the way to wind felt against her face, and the warmth of the man she was squeezing tight between her arms. A new sense of freedom washed over her, the overwhelming happiness it showered her with nearly bringing tears to her eyes.
Jughead didn't speed to Betty's house because he was used to riding alone, and it was nice having someone else there. Having her there. He could feel the bright smile on her face through the leather of his jacket, her arms clasped against his abs doing this to his heart to dared not think possible when it came to her. What a Saturday, he thought, turning onto her street and rolling to a stop in front of her idyllically perfect Northside house.
Betty got off the bike, adjusting her backpack, removing the helmet, and running her hands through her blonde hair to tame it. Jughead got off the bike as well, taking the helmet and placing it behind him on the seat.
Without a word, Betty reached up and ran her fingers through the hair outside Jughead's beanie, which she felt him lean into slightly. It was such a subtle movement, at first Betty thought she'd imagined it. Then he locked eyes with him, and the desire she expected was there. The comfort and appreciation she saw was not expected but widened her smile all the same.
Jughead ducked his head and tilted his face to kiss her. Betty leaned in a bit, her hands coming up to clutch the lapels of his jacket, matching the underlying eagerness of his lips, finally meeting after teasing all day. The kiss was light and soft, something she would not have associated with him before today. Betty found a sense of comfort in it, like an unspoken promise of understanding and want all wrapped up in a single blissful moment in time. A shared control.
Jughead wished the moment his lips met Betty's could last forever. It was better than he dreamed or hoped and he felt a deep sense of worth in her touch that was completely new territory for him. He managed to keep his hands to himself, even when she leaned in a bit and grabbed his jacket, but this moment was more than enough to overwhelm him for days. He wouldn't ruin it with a loss of control. That time will come later.
Soon, they both pulled away, and Betty slowly backed away from Jughead, keeping their eyes locked. Her green orbs extending their moment, until she slyly bit her lip and turned to walk up her stairs to the door.
Jughead watched her go with a satisfied glint in his eye. His gaze never left her, even when she glanced back at him after opening her door. Or peering through the curtains down at him after she made it to her room. Or when she unlocked the window. With a promising wink that earned him a blush and another addictive lip bite, Jughead turned and put on his helmet, mounted his bike and rode off, a beautiful sunset at his back and a gorgeous girl watching him go. He wouldn't find the strawberry lip gloss she managed to sneak into his pocket until he got home.
One thing was for sure: Betty, Jughead, Archie, Veronica, and Kevin had never looked forward to a Monday more.
