She made sure she was the last to exit the locker room, with the exception of Toni, who had managed to survive her first Vixen's practice with an unnatural ease.
She was not scared of Cheryl Blossom, much to Betty's amazement.
Betty took her time changing her clothes, retying her pony tail several times before she ultimately allowed her hair to fall across her shoulders in soft curls, listening to Cheryl drone on and on about if she should change the routine to more accommodate their latest addition.
Veronica tried to convince her to join the others at Pop's, but Betty refused, unwilling to spend another two hours watching as her best friend and Reggie stared at one another across the table, almost reaching out to clasp each other's hands in desperation.
The break up hadn't been easy on either one of them.
Veronica had turned to Archie for comfort, much to Reggie and Betty's shared annoyance, while Reggie had begun to lash out more on innocent bystanders, tormenting them without apology whenever he was able. His favorite targets were the youngest Serpent members, kids who weren't as well trained in the art of self-defense.
And besides, she already had plans.
"Maybe we should add some more flips." Cheryl said, grabbing her gym bag from off the floor. "Thoughts, B?"
"Um..." Betty began.
"No, you're right." She replied, completely ignoring her blonde haired friend. "Cartwheels are definitely the way to go."
Betty forced a smile. "Glad I could help, Cher."
Cheryl cast a glance at Toni, who was pretending to lace her boot for the second time.
"Not bad today, Cha Cha." She appraised. "But please, don't let me regret making you one of my Vixen's."
"Cheryl." Betty scolded.
"Kidding!" Cheryl sang, squeezing her arm as she passed. "Love you, bitch, ciao!"
Veronica held the door open for her. "You sure you don't want to come?"
She shook her head. "Sorry, V, I've just got so much to do at the Blue and Gold."
The raven haired girl offered her a sad smile. "We'll miss you, B."
Cheryl poked her head back in. "And could you please try to get some more sleep tonight, B? Your moodiness is totally bumming the rest of us out."
Betty couldn't help but grin as the Vixen captain let out a yelp, no doubt after receiving a jab to her ribs courtesy of Veronica.
"So." Toni mused, slipping on her Serpent's jacket. "Those are your friends."
"Those are my friends." She confirmed, her lips forming a thin line.
"Cheryl seems kind of..."
"Self-absorbed?" Betty finished. "Bitchy? Controlling?"
"Well, all those too." She admitted, a funny look crossing her face. "I'm surprised you're not jumping to her defense."
Betty shrugged, shouldering the door open for the both of them. "Why should I? It's no secret that she's the biggest bitch Riverdale has seen since, well, ever. Even Cheryl knows what a bitch she can be, she thrives off of it."
"But you still hang out with her." Toni pointed out.
She let her shoulders drop again. "We've been through a lot."
The two girls stepped out into the nearly empty hallway.
"Why do you put up with it?" Toni demanded, after a moment. "I mean, if someone said something like that to me, I would..."
She trailed off, both of them knowing there was no need for her to finish the sentence. The threat was already there.
"Being a bitch is Cheryl's way to cope." Betty explained. "She's having a hard time with... I'm sure you've heard."
The girl's expression softened slightly. "Were you friends with Jason Blossom?"
The mention of his name allowed the familiar numbness to seep through her body once again. She was beginning to wonder if it would ever go away.
"Yeah." She muttered, avoiding Toni's gaze. "Yeah, I was."
"I'm sorry." Toni said.
Betty raised an eye brow. "Why?"
"I don't know." She admitted. "I just am."
The two girls shared a look, a mixture of apology, condolence, and perhaps, Betty thought, maybe even a flicker of respect from the female Serpent.
"Betty!" A familiar voice called.
Tearing her gaze away from Toni, Betty whirled around to face her best friend, her gaze unreadable. She and Archie had barely spoken; any time she looked at him, her anger and her fear of losing him in her plan to get rid of Grundy once and for all would mix together, becoming the most confusing combination.
"Hey." Archie greeted awkwardly, his eyes wary as he gazed at Toni. "Ronnie said you aren't coming to Pop's with us."
"Nope." Betty replied, her tone even.
He rubbed at the back of his neck with his hand, a clear sign he was growing nervous. "Oh, um, well... I was hoping we could talk."
"I really don't have anything to say, Arch." She told him.
"Betty..."
"I'll see you later."
She walked away from without a second glance, Toni following her.
"So that's the boy you're trying to protect?"
"Grundy has Archie under some kind of sexual spell, and he won't listen to reason." Betty grumbled.
Jughead was waiting for them, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo currently holding his attention, both hands gripping the book.
"You have read it." Betty teased, unlocking the office door.
He smirked in response. "Don't sound so surprised, Lisbeth. I'm a man who likes many different genres."
Her lips twitched as a grin threatened to escape at the use of the word man.
"Betts..." Jughead warned.
"What?" She asked, feigning innocence.
His eyes narrowed.
Her heart fluttered.
It was amazing how easily they could fall back into old patterns, like they had never stopped being apart of one another's lives.
Toni stepped into the office, looking amused by their antics.
"Ms. Grundy showed up in Riverdale a year ago, out of thin air." Betty announced, throwing her bags down. She perched on top of her usual desk. "There's no record of her before that. Her Facebook, her Linkedln account, they were all created a year ago. Before that, she's a ghost. She doesn't exist. The only Geraldine Grundy I could find was a woman who died seven years ago."
She cast a glance at the other two occupants.
They were both staring at her now, their expressions a little too similar for her liking.
"What?" She demanded, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
Jughead surveyed her for a moment, his eyes wary.
"Did you sleep at all?"
"Yes."
"Betty." He challenged.
"Okay, no."
His disapproving gaze met her own timid one, and instinctively, he held a hand out, waiting expectantly.
Betty sighed, pulling the container from her bag and pressing it into his palm. She had meant to give them to him earlier, he was still the only one she trusted.
Jughead shook it, testing its weight.
"I didn't take any."
"I know." He promised, shoving the pills into his pocket. "But at least this way, you won't be tempted. You really need to sleep, Betts."
"Toni." Betty addressed, ignoring his legitimate concerns. "Do you have the pictures?"
Toni's eyes lit up. "You guys are not going to believe some of the shots I got!"
She pulled a flash drive from her bag, plugging it into Betty's laptop. Moments later, they were flipping through photo after photo of Ms. Grundy, with none other than Chuck Clayton.
"Oh my god." Betty whispered.
Jughead shot her a worried look, and she tried to force a believable smile in response. Toni stopped at one photograph in particular that made her gasp, slowly backing away from the terrifying image, one she knew all too well.
Chuck's hand gripped Ms. Grundy's throat, pleasure in her eyes instead of fear.
Pain.
You're looking mighty fine tonight, B.
It was only when she stumbled, sending a coffee cup full of pencils, the erasers almost completely chewed by writers before her crashing to the ground, shattering into a million pieces, did Jughead tear his gaze away from the screen again, concern etching across his handsome features.
"Betty?" He asked, but she could barely hear him. "Betts? What's wrong?"
You're looking mighty fine tonight, B.
Two Years Ago
"Hm." Cheryl drew out with a grin, surveying her friends. "Never have I ever... Gone skinny dipping!"
Betty and Veronica shared a nervous, almost giddy look as they clanked their glasses together, throwing back yet another shot.
Reggie pulled his girlfriend onto his lap, nuzzling her neck in a drunken haze. With Moose's parents gone for the weekend, he had opted to throw a party, and naturally, their circle of friends were front and center, playing every drinking game they could think of.
"B?" Cheryl questioned, her voice easily overheard even with the music blaring. "Seriously?"
Veronica squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Why is that so hard to believe?"
The red headed girl let her shoulders drop in a shrug, leaning into her twin brother, who was still staring at Betty in surprise.
"I always thought our little B was a prude." Cheryl admitted. "I mean, look at the way she dresses... No offense, babe, I mean, you look fucking hot tonight, thanks to me."
Moose studied her for a moment. "I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down, B."
"Oh!" Kevin called, letting out a giggle. He had never drank so much in one sitting. "I have, I have! She didn't start wearing the pony tail until second grade!"
"You should wear it down more often." Jason muttered.
A blush rose to her cheeks.
"Agreed." Chuck's arm fell around her shoulder, pulling her close. He ran his fingers through her curls, his touch sending an unwanted shiver down her spine. "So, B, when did this little... Adventure take place?"
"Ew." Archie grumbled, from the space across from her. "I really don't need to know this."
Betty tried to giggle, swatting his leg as she rose to her feet, gripping Reggie's shoulder for support.
Slowly but surely, she began to wobble towards the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" Veronica demanded.
She threw her glass upward, sending what little content was left sloshing from the side, staining the white carpet.
She heard Moose groan, and she began to mumble an apology, still moving forward to refill her drink. She thought Cheryl had called it a Riverdale Bulldog, her own twist on a Colorado Bulldog.
She wanted another one.
For whatever reason, she suspected it was due to the fact that they would all be crashing in Moose's basement when the party eventually did die down, Archie hadn't limited her to two drinks and one shot. Since their first party freshman year, he often had to carry her into Veronica's room, the safest place to sleep off a hangover, tucking her into bed, holding her hair back as she threw up. She was lucky they were so comfortable around one another, their relationship mirroring that of a brother and sister rather than the epic love story she had always imagined.
Just as she began to pour the blue liquid into her crystal glass, an arm snaked around her waist, fingers grazing her hips.
"Alone at last." A familiar voice whispered in her ear. Betty cringed.
"C-Chuck." She slurred, whirling around to face him. She pressed her hands against his firm chest, pushing him away. "What are you doing?"
He looped his arms around her again. "I just wanna have some fun, baby."
She winced at the word.
"I should... I should... Archie..."
"Andrews is a nice guy." Chuck agreed, a smug grin on his face. "But you gotta know by now, B, he's never gonna want you the way I do."
Betty shook her head, almost frantically. "N... No, C-Chuck... We can't… I don't want to."
He pressed a chaste kiss to her neck in response.
"Chuck!" Betty snapped, finally regaining some composure. "S-Stop it! Get... Get away from me!"
She pushed him away again, a chill running down her spine as her back hit the cool metal door of the refrigerator.
Something flashed in his eyes, a look she had never seen before. Pure and absolute hatred.
Suddenly, he was beside her, his hand wrapping around her throat, not hard enough to choke her, but firm enough to startle her.
"You're looking mighty fine tonight, B." He growled.
"No!" Betty cried, pushing herself even further away from them. Broken glass crunched underneath the sole of her ankle boots. "No! No!"
She slumped to the ground, pressing her hands to her face, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears began to flow.
She could still feel his grip on her neck, squeezing her throat. She had tried to push him away, she had tried to hit him, clawing at him. She had scraped his cheek with her nail, that she knew.
You know you want it, B, you're always wanted it.
Fucking tease.
"No!"
"Betty!"
"No!" She hissed, swinging her elbow into his ribcage. She couldn't let it happen. Not again. She wouldn't. "Stop! Get away from me!"
He grunted, but her act of self defense did little to deter him from clasping her arms, fingers locking around her wrists, trying to keep her from lashing out for a second time.
"Stop! Please!"
"Betty!" He snapped, his tone laced with irritation, though the concern almost completely masked it. "Shit, Betty, snap out of it! It's me."
It's just me, B.
"Please." Betty whimpered.
"Betty." He repeated, a little more firmly this time. "It's okay, everything's okay, just snap out of it. Come back to me."
It's just me.
"What's wrong with her?" A girl's voice demanded.
Toni. Betty thought.
"I don't know." He replied cautiously. "Betts, it's me, Jughead."
Juggie?
Betts?
I need you.
"Juggie." Betty whispered, gripping his leather jacket, the material cool against her clammy palms.
"Right." Jughead muttered, trying to free himself from her grasp. "I'm right here, Betts, come on, open your eyes, snap out of it."
Come back to me.
Timidly, she cracked one lid, and then the other, trying to take in her surroundings.
Jughead was crouched down beside her, fingers locked around her wrist, while Toni gathered the broken pieces of glass from the floor, depositing them into the nearest trashcan.
The photo of Chuck and Ms. Grundy was still visible on the screen of her laptop.
"No!" Betty cried.
Jughead caught her before she could retreat into her protective shell again. Her head fell against his shoulder, her entire body shaking. His hand made comforting circles across her back, his touch almost instantly calming her.
"Shh." He muttered. "It's okay, Betts, it's all right."
When her sobs began to subside, she pulled away slightly, brushing the tears away with the back of her hand.
"Are you okay?"
Betty nodded slowly, not trusting herself to speak.
Jughead rose, taking hold of both her arms to haul her up too. She stumbled, and he caught her, easily supporting her weight as he began to tow her towards the door.
"I'm taking her home." He said to Toni, who nodded.
"Juggie." Betty protested weakly.
He ignored her, grabbing her bag, and then his own, from the floor, slinging both across his shoulder.
They walked out of the school in silence, Jughead releasing his grasp, only to take her by the hand, tugging her in the familiar direction of her neighborhood.
"What did you see, Betts?" He demanded, after a moment. "Where did you go?"
"I..." She blinked, trying to recall any memory of the earlier event, but they slipped away, evaporating into nothingness. "I don't know."
Jughead's jaw tightened.
"What are we gonna do?" Betty whispered. Her legs still felt wobbly.
He regarded her coldly.
"We." He echoed. "We aren't going to do anything, Cooper."
"Jughead-"
"I'll take care of it." He said simply.
His lips formed a thin line, a clear indicator that he was finished with the conversation, and maybe that worked on his fellow Serpents, but she didn't answer to him. She never had.
"We're a team here, Jug."
"No, Betts, we're not." Jughead hissed through clenched teeth. "Not this time."
"Juggie-"
"No, Betty."
Her eyes narrowed. "Give me one good reason."
"Betty."
"Jug."
"Because I don't want you anywhere near this!" He snapped, yanking his free hand through his hair.
Betty stared at him in response. "Juggie..."
His gaze didn't soften at her terrified tone.
"I'll take care of it." He said again.
They were nearing her house, and he let go of her completely, passing her the knapsack before shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans.
"I'll take care of it." Jughead promised. "Look at it this way, Cooper, when this is over, the only person Archie can hate is me."
Betty shook her head. "You're not doing this for Archie."
"You're right." He agreed. "I'm not."
"You're doing it for me." Betty realized. "Why?"
He didn't answer.
"Jug."
"Good night, Betts." Jughead said, not looking at her as he began to walk away.
"Juggie." He ignored her.
"Does this have something to do with Chuck?" She cried, trembling when she spoke his name.
His hands balled up into fists, but he didn't stop walking.
"Juggie!" Betty begged. "Please, talk to me! Why does it feel like I'm the only one not in on the secret?"
Because you are. A familiar voice, deep within her subconscious, whispered. Why can't you remember, Betty Cooper? Why?
