They were on the floor, trying out the latest nail polish from Paris on their toes. They had done this so many times, it was their stuff, not even the other girls would be part of it, just between them. "What do you think ?" she asked her.
The blonde smiled "Looks like a rainbow !" and it was, every toe was a different colour, not just shades. She, on the other hand had put on different tones, each one progressing from the one before. "Now this is a statement !" she said, spreading her toes apart. "Yeah right !" the brunette remarked.
They lay on the bed, looking through the latest mags. "I will Google for you every week." she smiled "It will be really great seeing you on Vogue.", the brunette rolled her eyes and reached for her friend's hand. "I will miss you." she said, her voice almost a whisper. The blonde smiled slightly and hugged her "I will miss you too, Ron.", Ron pulled away and held her friend's hands "All these years..." she said her voice trembling "I thought Daddy could get me anything and everything. I was so foolish, I wish I had worked harder. I didn't listen to anyone, not even you." she whimpered, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Don't say that, Ron !" her friend said, cupping her face "You are such a good girl. You will make us so proud, you are already so famous and when people see you in the mags and movies, well.." she smiled sheepishly "they won't believe me when I say that we are friends since kindergarten !"
"Don't you make fun of me !" Ron raised her voice, forming fists "Dad, Mom, the teachers in school everyone talks like that ! Pities me !" she looked at her, hurt and sadness all over her face "Even Archie is going to Florida ! What did I achieve for myself ? Nothing ! I will lose all my friends, the man whom I love, all my years in Riverdale High will count for nothing in Paris, but most of all..." she brought the blonde's hands up to her face "I will lose you !"
They sat in silence for some time, "Ron," the blonde said "I will be in Columbia, it's not far from Riverdale. Whenever you fly back home, I will be there. And there are so many ways now, GTalk, Facebook and we can Skype everyday ! We won't miss each other, ever !" Ron kissed her and hugged her "I was so mean, I hurt you so much. No one understands me like you do. Not even my parents, not even Archie. We shared so much growing up. I..." she looked at her, her eyes full with tears "But you are so much stronger, you don't need me, you won't miss me."
"Don't say that, Ron." the blonde pulled her close "You were my first friend, even before Juggie. I always thought of Archie as my love, not a friend. I owe so much to you. If it wasn't for you, I would never have known what it means to be a girl, to be a woman." she smiled "I was always the boy, you know, Dad didn't want me to turn into another Polly. He would coach me and Chick together in ball. Fishing, camping, handywork. My Mom was worried that I will never know what it means to be a girl ! And that's why Mom always asks about you !" she smiled "You are the only girl who treats this tomboy as a girl !"
"Yeah !" Ron smirked "Betty, the tomboy who can cook much better than me and is so much prettier !"
They laughed. -
"Down, Boy ! Down ! Down !" Jug hollered as Archie laughed his guts out. The big sheepdog kept jumping on Archie's bed and was barking at the top of his voice evading Jug's attempts to shoo him off. "I should never have got him here !" Jug swore "I told you he would figure out we are gonna pig it out here and he wouldn't leave the room, now look !" Archie shook his head, he was laughing so hard that tears came out. "Here boy !" he held out a nacho and waved, Hotdog gave a woof and jumped down the bed, wagging his tail. Archie gave him some of their snacks in a bowl and set it down on the floor, Hotdog was happy as pie and gladly left them in peace.
There was a time when they goofed off in each other's houses. Working on all sorts of weird ideas, later the TV and then games took over. Archie could never figure out how Jug mastered every game so quickly, he even aced the Kinect games in Veronica's house in one or two tries and Archie could never get the hang of it. They wrestled in Call of Duty for some time, first working as a team and then against each other. The snacks kept the mood going and soon they fell to talking.
"I still can't believe it ! You actually turned out nerdier than Dilton !" Archie said, Jug smiled "I know Arch, but Dilt is to blame for that. He shouldn't have got me hooked in the first place !" Jug said. "Yeah right !" Archie rolled his eyes "All those schemes and plans which we did, all those adventures, it seems so funny now. I mean..." Archie paused "You know Jug, I was mad at you for almost 3 months but I realised how much I needed your company. I mean, you are the only guy who bears me and my ways. Chuck, Kevin... they couldn't come close and Adam was pretty much pissed at me for screwing up on Betty."
"Hey Man !" Jug took Archie's hand in a shake "You know I will be there for you, always !" As if on cue, Hotdog woofed his approval. "How is he gonna take it when you leave ?" Archie asked Jug, looking at the white pooch. "Pretty hard, I guess." Jug said "You know how they are Arch, you had Spotty. They know, somehow. Jelly is there but even she is going to cry a lot. I will have one hell of a time making her understand." Archie smiled "At least you have people to fall back on, Pal ! Mom and Dad will be left all alone. Dad is talking of moving to some place quieter, cheaper. Probably take a mortgage on the house."
"Arch !" Jug gasped "Don't tell me you are moving out again !" Archie nodded "This time I think it's for keeps Jug. I mean, nobody will be left around. Moose, Midge yeah but they don't really need me and Jelly is way too small." "But Arch !" Jug protested "We will come back !" Archie looked at him in the eye and shook his head "I don't think so, Jug. Ron would never leave the fashion world for plain ol' Riverdale. Betty has to be in the big cities like NY or LA if she wants to make it big as a reporter. Even you ..." Archie paused "Do you think you are gonna come back to Riverdale after Stanford ? What are you gonna do ? Teach Maths in high school ?"
Jug lowered his eyes, it was true. Although they never admitted it, they were really breaking apart, for good. "I...I don't know if I will see you again, buddy !" Jug said. "Don't worry, Jug ! We had loads of fun, so many adventures, so many memories. Hell !" Archie shook his head smiling "Some times I think I have known you for a lifetime, you know, some thing like 70 or 80 years ! I don't believe it's been just 18 years !"
Too bad they couldn't see Hotdog smile.
Ms. Grundy was doing some paperwork when Betty walked in. "Good Afternoon, Ms. Grundy !" she greeted her with a smile "I have got the draft for the yearbook with me !" she held out a blue dossier. "Oh ! Sit down, Dear ! I have some stuff to go over !" she went over the papers and put them away and then went through the dossier's contents "Perfect as always Ms. Cooper !" the teacher nodded in approval. "I will miss reading your writing, I don't know what it is with today's kids ! They are so busy posting and tweeting and chatting that they are too lazy to even pick up a pen !" Ms. Grundy shook her head. Betty giggled "It's not really so Ms. Grundy ! I write a blog myself !" Ms. Grundy smiled "I know, I have read it." Betty's eyes grew wide "Ha ! Child ! Even oldies like me use the internet sometimes. I stumbled upon your blog by accident and I knew who it was even before I read your ... what do you call it ? Oh yes ! Profile name ! There is only one person after all who can write so well !"
Betty blushed "Thanks for everything, Ma'am." Ms. Grundy placed her hand on Betty's shoulder "You don't owe me anything, Dear ! Guiding you was the best experience in my life as a teacher. Dilton works hard, he is brilliant. I don't know how Jug does it but you my Dear ! You have that rare mix of intellect and inspiration and hard work. You will do well in life, I am sure you will !"
Betty grinned, she would miss Ms. Grundy too. Although she never told her, Ms. Grundy with her white hair and old dresses reminded her a lot of her two GrandMas. That was one of the reasons she was always eager to please her as a child. Ms. Grundy, unmarried and childless, loved the blonde as her own child. A bond that was cemented beyond doubt when Betty took her in after her apartment burned down.
"Do well in College !" Ms. Grundy said "I know I don't have to tell you this but I know of sadly too many people who showed so much promise in school but messed their lives terribly after leaving." she paused, focussing on her desk "Drugs, alcohol, pregnancies. Sometimes I shiver thinking of all the brilliant lives which were wasted." She fell silent for some time.
She looked at her and smiled "And for heaven's sake, Dear ! Please don't let Archie whisk you away ! I thought you two would be going to the same colleges and I had to pinch myself when I heard that he is going to Florida and you to Columbia !" Betty smiled slightly "Ma'am...I ... " she looked down "Archie and I broke up last year." "Impossible !" Ms. Grundy gasped "Then that means ? But no, it can't be ! I thought you two were just very good friends ! You mean..."
Betty nodded, Ms. Grundy covered her mouth in shock. "But...he hates girls. How could he...?" "Ms. Grundy, I can't even begin to tell you how good he is to me. I ran after Archie for so long. Juggie was a good friend, a very good friend but..." she smiled "I didn't know he felt so much for me. He never let it out because he loved me and Archie too much to come between us. We are so happy together."
Ms. Grundy looked into her eyes and laid her hand back on Betty's shoulder "I never thought it would happen. I suspected it was so, seeing you two together at school and elesewhere in the city but I always dismissed it as impossible, but now..." she smiled slightly "I must ask your forgiveness before I say this child ! I mean, I am from another era ! Now, society is so much free and liberal. It's good. I heard about Kevin and it's good how you all have accepted him as your friend. But..." she paused "But when I was a child, when I was growing up, people had all sorts of strange notions... you know..."
Betty smiled "I understand, Ms. Grundy. To tell you the truth, many among us also thought the same thing about Jug too. Reggie in fact once called him gay before all of us, but..." she shook her head "Juggie being what he is, he just shrugged it off. I don't know if he can ever be made to lose his temper !"
Ms. Grundy looked at Betty with concern "But still, he is going to Stanford ?" Betty's eyes clouded and she looked down "Yes." she whispered "It was the only place which gave him a scholarship. He was admitted almost everywhere but he could find no way to fund himself. He..." she paused "Mr. Jones, his dad, he was fired three months ago. He has been in two jobs since. Jug is really worried about his sister and he will give away the prize money to his parents to take care of her."
They sat in silence for some time and then Ms. Grundy did something which surprised Betty.
She got up and hugged her, she felt warm in her embrace, just like her GrandMa used to make her feel. "Don't cry, Dear." Ms. Grundy said softly "You are fortunate that you have such friends who care so much about you and the people who are important in their lives. Even after teaching him all these years, I didn't know that he has a heart of gold."
Ms. Grundy pulled away after some time and rubbed Betty's back. "No matter what happens between you two after you leave school, remember him for the person he is. We all, the teachers, were afraid that he will end up as a failure, but..." she shook her head "Maybe he is meant for greater things."
Dilton and Moose were walking back from the park. Merlin and the Giant were friends since second grade. The Giant depended on him for homework, Merlin could count on the Giant to shield him from bullies. Over time, it grew into a friendship as deep as between Archie and Jughead. Now, soon they would be moving worlds apart. Moose gave up on Arizona for Midge, but Dilton was determined to graduate with top grades from Harvard. "D-uh !" Moose began "I will miss you, buddy !"
Dilton rarely admitted even to himself to be attached to someone but he knew that if there was one true friend he could count on it was Moose Mason "Me too, big fella !" he said. "I will miss you helping me in the lab !" he smiled. Moose scratched his head "But, I thought they had robots in Harvard to do all that stuff !" Dilton laughed "Oh No ! We are still a long way from the Terminators !"
"Are you sure ?" Moose asked "Arnold said that it would be pretty soon, 2030 or something like that !" Dilton shook his head "Believe me Pal ! If only the movies were true !"
They walked in silence for some time "So, what are you gonna do after college ?" Dilton asked "Oh !" Moose scratched his chin "I will probably sign up with the Giants. Their scouts already sounded me out. I am ok with that !"
Dilton smiled "Great News Pal ! I don't watch sports, but I will watch every game when you are playing, no matter which team !"
"Thanks, Little Buddy !" Moose said, slapping him hard on the back "I will miss you !"
"Yeah...Yeah...Sure Moose ! Me too..." Dilton said, stumbling forward.
-Cheryl rarely encouraged Reggie but she was left with little choice after everyone almost settled down. They were at La Cliche, spiffing the latest French wines and nibbling on Australian lamb. "For the self declared narcissist of Riverdale" Cheryl said "You are quite the character, Reggie !"
Reggie smiled suavely "You are so unfair, mon cherie !" he said "What do you think is so narcisstic about us both here ?"
Cheryl smiled and shook her head "I thought Jones was mysterious. Even I am still in the dark what you are upto."
"Even...You ?" Reggie smiled, he knew the redhead would one day bend to his will. Cheryl flushed "Don't play your mind games on me, Reginald ! I am not a Cooper or Lodge that you can use as your toy !"
"I never wanted to use them, Dear !" he rolled the wine on his tongue "They let me !"
Cheryl rolled her eyes "You say this as you got it all planned ! And I thought Mason was the biggest fool of all !"
Reggie smiled "You and Dilton are going to Harvard ?" Cheryl raised her eyebrow "Yeah, so ?"
"So, if you two love each other that much ?" Reggie paused, smiling "What are you doing here with me ?"
Cheryl's cheeks coloured, Reggie laughed "Believe me, Blossom !" he said taking after her "I got it all planned !"
"I am leaving for Cambridge, I will be back in two weeks."
"Hurry along, goodbyes are pointless and a waste of time." the old man said.