"Oh my gosh is so good to see a friendly face" Veronica groans when Jughead's face appears on FaceTime and he can't help but roll his eyes.
She has been in New York for a week now, and though he misses having her around, Jughead also had missed the liberty of not living with Veronica. He loves her, she's his best friend but they weren't designed to live under the same roof. There was a reason he insisted so much to not move in with her when he moved to NYC. His apartment was a shitty one but it was still his, and he appreciates being alone with himself.
"You've been out for a week now, Ronnie"
"I know but it feels like a month" she groans again "I'm so busy all the time. And have I ever told you how much I hate dealing with men? They all think they can take advantage of me only because I have one more X chromosome than them. I have a degree and I'm a human being, I deserve more respect for God's sakes" she rants.
"Agreed. Do you need my help? I know I'm not dealing with this kind of stuff as long as you but I know one thing or two now" he offers.
"Haven't you listened to anything I just said? I don't need a man to fight my battles for me, thank you so much Jughead" she rolls her eyes at him "Anyway, I already put them in their places. They need to know how to respect me"
"Good for them. So you're coming back soon, right? Since you're finished with them" he asks leaning on the headboard, still in his pajamas.
"No" she sighs "I've finished some tests my doctor asked me, and she got the results and asked me to do some more. That can't be a good thing, right? I mean, if I'm fine, then I would have had good news by now" she asks worried and he can see her picking her nails, like she does when stressed .
"Not necessarily. Maybe she just wants to be sure before telling you anything" he reassures her but she's still looking concerned and not at the camera "Veronica?" he calls her attention and this time she looks at him "Relax, everything is fine"
"I don't know, I don't have a good feeling about this. This waiting is making me crazy, with all the thoughts in my head. Do I have the gene? Do I have the gene and waited for too long to know and now I have cancer? I'm too young to die! My mom was too young to die and I don't want to end like her" her voice breaks in the end and Jughead see she's about to start crying.
"Hey, don't go there. Now is not the time to freak out, Ronnie. You don't even have the results. And even if you have that damn gene or even cancer, is going to be alright, do you hear me? I will be with you the whole time. I even bet JB will leave college to be near you too. You don't need to panic" he tries to calm her.
"I know you're right, the rational part of my brain knows that. But you know the chances, Jug. They are really high to me having the chance to develop this disease and the mortality rates –" she rants.
"I don't care about that Veronica, you know I never cared about numbers"
"Yes but I do" she shouts "The only thing in my life that hasn't disappointed me until now are numbers. I trust and need them in my life"
"Really? Only the numbers? Because I know I'm not a perfect friend but I guessed you thought more of me" he jokes trying to distract her.
"You are a really good friend but you're terrible with gifts. After our first Christmas together I stopped expecting anything good from you, especially after our third year" she mocks him and they all laugh, like the weight of the previous topic had been lifted from them. She dries with her hands the tears that escaped her eyes but looks better than before.
"You're such a dork. But telling you this was not the reason I called you this early. I will have to stay in town for a few more tests and I won't be able to be in Riverdale for your birthday. So I was thinking, maybe you could come to New York for the week? Then we would spend the day together and you would be with Jen too. What do you think?" she asks hopeful.
"I don't know, Ron. I've scheduled with two drink suppliers, the days before and after my birthday. So if I do go back to N.Y. would be only for a day. I don't know if that's worth the effort" he scratches his neck thinking about what to do.
"Of course it is, Jug. It's your birthday and the date deserves all this effort. I don't want you spending the day all by yourself in this damn city. This is wrong is so many ways" she says exasperated.
"No it's not. I already had worst birthdays than this one, being alone is just a bonus, trust me"
"I will choose to ignore the fact that my presence means nothing to you, and I'm not going to even mention your girlfriend and your lack of love for her" she flips her hair with her hand and sighs "This sounds so depressing, having no one on a date like this. I still have Reggie's number, do you want me call him?"
"Please don't" he rushes sitting up on the bed. He has no problems with Reggie but also, doesn't want to spend the day or even a hour with the guy willingly.
"Don't need to get your panties in a twist, Forsythe" she jokes with him, giving him a wink "I will find a way to be with you on your special day, even if not in person" she states firmly.
"Relax and do everything you have to do there. I will be fine, I'm a grown man, remember? But I do think a present wouldn't hurt me" he suggests.
"You say things like that and don't expect me to treat you like a child?" she cocks an eyebrow at him "Rest assured that your present will be with you on your birthday, even if I'm not. And I'm pretty sure you will love it, because unlike you, I'm good at this stuff" he rolls his eyes at her.
"See? Child" she mocks again and he sticks his tong to her "Careful or you won't get any presents, Forsythe"
"Presents? As in a plural?"
"Goodbye, Jughead" she gets up from her bed and he can see her expensive sheets "I'm going for a run now and you should be doing the same. You have to at least try be healthy in this place, with all the Pop's food I know you've been eating. All that grease will go straight to your ass if your not careful enough"
"Okay, now I'm going. Goodbye, Veronica" he rolls his eyes at her again.
She laughs and they hung up, but he sends her a text right after, asking her to call him if needed and she sends a wink emoticon.
Though the weather in Riverdale is not good to go walking, he decides to do what Veronica suggested. He changes clothes, putting his running outfit, as Ronnie would like to say and leaves the apartment.
He decides through the scenic route, choosing the Sweetwater River, enjoying the not yet freezing water. The forest sound around him calm his nerves, his last conversation with Veronica in his mind.
He knew the chances she was talking about earlier, he heard every number with Ronnie when her mother was going through chemo. And even though Hermione had the best team of doctors treating her, she couldn't resist. Her kind of cancer was very aggressive, her doctors said. He watched as Veronica crumbled hearing those words, right after her mother's heart stopped in the other room.
They were finally in a good place. Hermione had left Hiram, and Veronica did the same and this time, for good. She was done with his schemes and being used by him, so she cut ties when her mother asked for a divorce. Hermione moved back to New York, which Veronica loved, because she would be closer to her, and started to plan parties for living. Hermione's business was doing just fine, with the New York's elite anxious to see the former Lodge lady in action with her good taste. Everything was more than fine before her diagnosis and Jughead can't help but see the similarities between mother and daughter.
He stops running when his brain starts to work too much, thinking about the possibilities. He remembers what his therapist had said to him, about breathe, watch and count everything around him and close his eyes for a little bit. He never had panic attacks, not even in college, but the were times he was certainly he was going to have one, so these tricks usually helped. Jughead wouldn't want to admit out loud, but not hearing back from Veronica's doctor was unsettling for him too.
He did what his therapist recommended and finally, closed his eyes, listening the wind passing through the trees and the water flowing in the river. But his peace was interrupted by noises coming closer to him, and he opens his eyes in a heartbeat, not knowing who to expect. His hands closes in a fist and he stands alert, waiting for any sign. But still, he jumps when he sees blonde hair in a ponytail leaving the forest and waking in to his direction.
"God" he groans when he sees a figure coming out of the woods.
"Jug" Betty speaks a little breathless, and he tries to not pay attention to how sweaty and red her face is right now. "Sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean it, I swear" she apologizes, her hand in her chest, trying to calm her breath.
"It's okay" he replies, still in a defensive posture.
"Were you going to fight me?" she asks eyeing his fists, a laugh escaping from her mouth.
"I live in New York now, okay? It's a dangerous place, that puts people on edge" he justifies opening his hands and messing with his hair. "You run now?"
"I do but I could be asking you the same question mister 'I don't like any kind of sports unless there's food involved'?" she mocks him trying to mimic his voice.
"First, I know my voice is not that great but it's not that bad either. And second, did you forget how my dad died? I'm just trying to not follow his steps. And third, you shouldn't be running in this place alone" he points out.
"Well, after the gangs and serial killers left the town, Riverdale has become a safe place again where nothing bad ever happens" she sings the last part and he chuckles "Besides, I usually run through the forest, being near the river doesn't bring me good memories. I heard someone and when I saw it was you I decided to come closer. Hope I'm not intruding" she ends sheepishly and he can't tell if her blush is for the exercise or because of him.
"No, I was just thinking but I guess I'm done for today. It's freezing out here" he puts his hands in his pockets to keep a little warm.
"Well, I had just finished mine when I saw you too. Think we can walk back together?" she proposes timidly and he decides to let her.
"Yeah, sure" he shrugs.
They start walking in silence but Jughead can almost hear her mind working, trying to find a safe subject to talk about, make conversation. He can see her face changing when she finally comes up with a topic.
"I know you don't like to talk about it, but your birthday is coming up" she starts "Any plans?" Betty looks up to watch him.
"Veronica wanted me back to New York, so we could do something. She had to go back for a few days" he explains scratching his neck.
"And are you going?"
"No, I have other things to do here. It would be to much work for just one day" he shrugs.
"Right". They walk for another minute before she speaks again. "How did you spend your birthdays in these last years? I know there isn't a Bijou in Iowa neither in New York"
"Usually my dad and Jellybean would come to visit, and the three of us and Veronica would go to a movie and dinner after. To be honest, it was Veronica who would plan everything, even the hotel reservations to FP and Jelly. I would just show up at the time" he takes a deep breath "But now with my father gone… guess I'm not in the mood this year"
They take more steps before she talks again "I know Riverdale still isn't as glamorous as New York is and the only place you can get a decent meal is Pop's but… there's a double feature happening at Bijou on your birthday, Vertigo and Psycho. I know these are not very happy movies to watch on a birthday but I thought you would like that" she ends shy.
"Sounds like a good plan for me" he speaks thinking about it, knowing he will spend his day alone.
"Really?" she asks excitedly, her green eyes shining at him "You really would be fine going with me?"
"Going with –" he realizes what she meant and notices his mistakes "Sorry, I thought you –"
"That's okay. It was my bad, I didn't expressed myself in the right way" she interrupts him looking down again and this time he knows the blush in her face is not from the running "But, this time, doing it properly, do you think we could go together?" she proposes hopeful and he doesn't have any excuse he can use without sounding like a jerk. Still, having to spend his birthday in Riverdale doing what he used to do with her on the specific date brings him too many memories.
"Betty, I don't think this is a good idea" he speaks embarrassed of having to turn her down.
"As friends, Jughead?" she pleads "You said you could try, remember? And no one deserves to be alone on their birthday, especially this year with FP's passing. It could be fun" her voice is higher in the end.
A part of him wants to say yes, the part that remembers the last birthdays he had with her, even his first being her boyfriend – it had good moments. Theses parts knows how happy he was and want the same thing again. But the other reminds him of Veronica, his girlfriend and the reason why he and Betty broke up. And he can't ignore the last one, even though he did say he could try to be friends again. He was trying to be better, to let his past go and not be bitter about it. It takes too much energy and he still remembers what his dad said on his letter, about being free and forgiving. But it couldn't be this easy, especially for him.
"Veronica said the same thing earlier" he complies putting his hands on his back pockets.
"See? Even V –" she stops to correct herself "Even Veronica thinks the same thing" she sees he still doesn't give her the answer she wants and tries a different approach "How about this? You think about it and you give me an answer after?" she proposes again.
With that he can work with so he nods. "That seems good to me"
"Alright" she agrees "So, can I ask you you something else? It's still early and I bet you haven't eaten yet, so would accept breakfast at Pop's with me? I'll buy it" she asks excitedly again knowing that food is always a good way to catch his attention.
"I think I will accept your offer" he answers slowly, still evaluating if his choice is a good one.
"Great. So let's go" she claps her hands with a grin and start walking faster, this time with Jughead having a hard time trying to follow her.
On their way, they keep quiet, sometimes mentioning something about the town they grew up that has or hasn't changed through the years. But on the diner, things get awkward really fast. The other times they were together they talked about the White Wyrm, the Blue and Gold and other things related to it. He never asked anything else from her, about her life without him and though Betty wanted to do it, she didn't, thinking about what kind of retort he would give to her if she ever found the courage to do it.
So when they seated and ordered, the only sound around them was the normal diner noise. Betty starts to pick at her nails and Jughead's hands starts tapping at the wood. After searching in her mind for what could be half an hour, Betty chooses to talk about movies that were released in the last years and Jughead decides to go along with it, being an easy topic for him. From films, they go to books and TV shows and though they both talk animatedly about those subjects, the conversation never turns to anything more personal.
On his way home, Jughead repeats the moments back in his head. When they were together, he felt like he could talk with her about anything. And even when he didn't use words, she would still know his thoughts, his feelings and even his fears. He never had a connection like this with anyone, even with Jen. And now, there was nothing. What a strange thing to not know what to say to someone you could say anything.
Right after the break up and his first therapy session, their sync was all he could think about. He was afraid he would never have something like this with anyone else again and maybe, that was the reason why he couldn't take Betty away from his mind or heart, even knowing what she did. He thought of himself as masochist, someone whose self esteem was so low that he would still go back to what it hurt him just because it made him feel good. Those many hours he had with his therapist didn't help him the way he wanted it. She said that he was right in his assumptions on why it was hard to let her go, at least in some part, but that was it. You can't train your heart or mind to connect with someone, Jughead. But he certainly wished he could.
On a blink of an eye, his birthday arrived. He slept until late, thinking he deserved more hours of sleep than usual considering the special date.
Though he hated his birthday when he was younger, now he learned to enjoy it. As a kid, he detested the day. Not because he hated his mere existence but because of the good parents character's his family would interpret, the happy family with a loving mom and a non-alcoholic father. Jughead hated his reality but he loathed even more all the farce.
Now, or at least in the years before, he did have a non-alcoholic father and a loving family, with Veronica and Jellybean. It was all he needed.
His day started with a late breakfast and the doorbell ringing, with a guy behind the door with multiple boxes wrapped in paper gift. Right after he finished opening them, he receives a call from Veronica, knowing she probably timed everything so she would still catch him in his high from receiving what she bought for him.
"So? Have you opened the gifts?" she asks excitedly, clapping her hands a looking like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Yes, I did. And as usual, it was too much, Veronica" he sighs looking at his new MacBook and at the earphones he was saving to buy "But you got it right, again. I loved everything. Thank you"
"Nah, it was nothing. I figured you deserved to be a little bit spoiled this year, considering everything. And, you can finally get rid of that an obsolete thing you call computer and write your next book" she says with glee.
"What is your problem with my things? That machine is a relic now and we have something special, like a relationship. This is personal" he whines.
"I'm sorry, mister, but that thing will leave you high and dry sooner than you expect. There's nothing wrong with replacing old things with new ones"
"You are so wrong. I mean, first there's the environment –"
"Oh my gosh Jughead, would you just stop and accept the nice gift I bought you? That won't make you a snob, doesn't matter what JB says" she interrupts him and he knows she's been talking to his sister behind his back.
"I will now. Again, thank you, Ronnie. I really loved everything" he says embarrassed about being scolded "You seem to be in a good mood on this day. This means you finally have some good news to give me?" he asks hopeful.
"Not yet, but let's not waste our time talking about this. So what are you doing today without my fine presence?" she changes subject.
"Nothing special. Just the Blue and Gold and maybe a movie at Bijou later, I don't know" he shrugs
"I almost pity you for that but I also asked you to come to New York for your birthday and you said no, so you chose this" she says presumptuous.
"I'm not complaining, Veronica. This might be actually nice, a little different from the past years but good nonetheless"
"I wish I could be so self sufficient like you are. Anyway, I have to get going or I'm going to be late for today. I just wanted to wish you the best of birthdays and an amazing day. And I know I don't say this enough but you truly are an great friend, I'm really grateful to have someone like you in my life" she speaks getting emotional and he gets embarrassed at the compliments.
"Thanks and thanks for the gifts. You are pretty special to me too" he replies sheepishly.
"Ugh, for a writer you have a terrible way with words. Now, I will get going. Text me if you need anything" she blows him a kiss and finish the call without giving him time to answer.
He starts using Veronica's presents until JB sends him a text calling him a weirdo and saying 'happy birthday'. Right before he leaves for Pop's to his birthday lunch, Jen calls and he declines, preferring to use the FaceTime.
"Hello birthday, boy" she greets him excitedly when his face appears on the screen and her excitement is so contagious that makes him happy too.
"Wow, I'm the one celebrating the day I was born and you're the one happy about it?" he jests with a smirk.
"Well, yeah. I'm celebrating the day the guy I love was born. And you're too grumpy to do it anyway. So what are you doing today? Veronica told me you didn't want to come back to New York. Should I be worried about losing my boyfriend to his home town he used to hate?" she asks ironic raising her brows.
"Nah, there is something I'm pretty sure you never have to worry about. And since I don't have Veronica here to plan what I should do for my own birthday, I haven't planned anything. I was just going to Pop's for my lunch and then Blue and Gold. It's not like Riverdale have much of entertainment to offer" he shrugs.
"So you're going to your old school, to your old school news paper and see your ex girlfriend on your birthday while I have to see you through a cell phone screen" Jen speaks slowly, analyzing each thing as the words come out of her mouth and Jughead feels guilty, remembering what Veronica told him about his girlfriend feeling insecure. Jen cringes when she finishes her sentence, noticing what she was implying "I'm sorry, that was not I meant. You never gave me any reason to not trust in you. I don't know where that came from. I guess I'm just sad I can't see you in person, touch you or finally take you to that Chinese place I told you about right before you left for Riverdale" she ends with a smile, lifting the mood up again.
"Really, Jen? That was a low blow" he laughs and she goes along "And, again, you don't need to worry about me. Me and Betty barely talk when we are in the same room. There's nothing between us. You should worry about the people you have to defend in court but definitely not me. You know if there was some thing wrong I would tell you" he assures her.
Jen nods, knowing he would do it. He was very specific about communication when they first started dating, about how important it was for him. She agreed right away, since her last boyfriend had also cheated on her. They tried to be honest all the time, specially in bed which she found out wasn't the hardest thing to do with Jughead. They were true to each other. But she also knows that, though Jughead considers himself very good in solving mysteries, he's really bad in reading the signs. Specially if these signs are related to him.
She saw the way he looked at Betty when she met the girl that haunted her dreams. When Jughead brought the Betty Cooper subject on, she was scared. She had loved people in her life, and most of them had disappointed her, and she had moved on. But Jughead clearly hasn't. She tried to justify the fact in her mind, Betty was his first love and many of his firsts. They were friends, childhood friends before getting in to a relationship. It was normal that Betty still held a place in his mind and possibly in his heart, but it was all platonic. That's what she believed.
And that was the mantra she kept repeating in her brain whenever the spectacular blonde crossed her thoughts. She imagined her as sex symbol like a Victoria's Secret model, then as Grace Kelly every time Jughead suggested some movie with the actress on it. And then her nightmares came to reality when she met Betty. Now, all she has to do is see a blonde on the street or the subway to imagine Jughead and Betty together.
Jen always wanted to be a lawyer, so since very early she dedicated herself to it, so she could be good at her job. She knew the laws, how to win a good argument but also how to read her public, their expressions. She taught herself to know what people feel or think. And it took Jen seconds to look at Betty's face to know she still loved Jughead. And the worst of it, was seeing that her boyfriend still felt something towards the blonde.
That night, when Jughead left the room they were sleeping in, she thought about breaking up with him. She was a lawyer and knew her chances even before going in to court. But she didn't want to miss the man she loved without a fight, so she reasoned with herself. He just lost his father, so he's sensible and she can't do this to him. And just because she thinks he still feels some thing about his ex doesn't mean he still loves her. It's all platonic.
So she left town with a decision on her mind. She believes in destiny and if two people are meant to be together, they will find each other. It was very cliché but it was the only way for her. Jughead would work with his ex and see her many times a week, living in the same city. If nothing changes for him, then she could finally relax, not caring about how many blondes she sees in one day. And if that doesn't happen, she's not going to stand in his way. She loves him but she also loves herself, and Jen knows nothing good comes from a relationship without enough love from both parts.
She takes a deep breath before opening her mouth.
"I know about all of that. I'm sorry, I'm just tired and I miss you, a lot. Anyway I just wanted to see my boyfriend and wish him a very good birthday and I wanted to ask you something too. About thanksgiving, I know you and Veronica always have an expensive meal made by her personal chef every year but, maybe this year, you could change it a little bit?" she proposes sheepishly.
"Why? What do you have in mind?"
"Well, I thought you could finally meet my parents. They invited you, wanting to know the guy I spend all my time talking about and my sister wants it too. And of course you would bring Veronica too. I know what you two have is special and I don't want to break it, but maybe just adapt a little? Just for this year?" she pleads hoping for a good answer and knowing, from the look on his face, she had surprised him.
Jughead had only met one set of girlfriend's parents in his whole life, and they were Alice and Hall Cooper. And that couldn't even be described as it because he knew them since he was a child, playing with their daughter. He knows he's not exactly a good boyfriend material and is also sure, not one of those people easily likeable, so he expects thanksgiving to be a disaster with this meeting happening. But he also doesn't want to hurt Jen more by saying no so he says the closest thing to the true.
"I have to check with Veronica but I promise to talk right back to you, okay?"
It's not the answer she wants to hear but it's better than the alternative so she nods again and they continue to talk until her lunch break ends and she has to go.
He goes to Pop's and the man wishes him a happy birthday with a hug and a table full of food, knowing he would stop by for lunch. After eating his weight in food, he wastes his time talking with Pop Tate and gets late to go to Riverdale High. So when he gets in the Blue and Gold classroom, it's already full of students. But that doesn't stop Betty passing him a paper bag full of cookies and saying a whispering Happy Birthday, Jug while doing it and he eats it all in few minutes. He notices her right leg shaking like when she does when anxious and remembers the answer he promised to give her about going out.
She waits until the last student leaves the room, turning to him right after, with her ponytail bouncing.
"I know you said you would think about the Bijou and you haven't given me an answer yet. And I don't want to pressure you or anything, but what do you say, Jug?" she asks excitedly and he knows he will say yes. It's just movies, they don't even have to talk to each other.
"You know what, let's go. I want a good seat to spend the rest of my day. Let me just call an Uber" he replies taking his cell out of his back pocket when Betty's hands stop him, her fingers on his wrist and he wonders if she can feel how fast his heartbeat is.
"I came with my car today, so I can drive us both. If that's alright with you, of course" she speaks fast, her hand taking longer than it should to get away from his arm.
"Yeah, sure. Lead the way" he features with his hand and they leave the room in silence, following Betty's footsteps to the parking lot where he sees an old car, with its paint peeled and traces of rusty.
He raises his brows at her and she sighs.
"Don't judge, okay. She and I are pretty sensible and I haven't had the time to do all I want to do with her. It's a big job for just one person" she says opening her door.
"I'm not saying anything" he defends himself getting in, noticing the lavender smell inside of it. He looks around, thinking about how the perfect Betty Cooper ended up with a car like this when some thing tickles in his mind "This is the car FP left to you on his will, right?"
"Yeah" she answers starting the engine that responds pretty well to a car that old "He brought this car home right after I moved back. Said it was on Sweet Pea's workshop for too long and no one wanted. He thought I could help him restoring it, give it a new start. My mom argued with him for hours until she finally gave up, but she's still not too happy about this 'piece of trash' parked in front of her house. We were able to build the engine up again but we never had the time to deal with the outside" she says looking around the car and Jughead starts getting fond of the vehicle, knowing his dad felt something towards it.
She starts driving and leaves the radio on, humming a song he remembered hearing Veronica sing in the kitchen the other day. She parks near the Bijou and they get in line for popcorn, after buying the tickets. Jughead eyes the amount of people in front of them and Betty meets his look, understanding his thoughts.
"It's a small town. When people aren't at Pop's, they are the Bijou. At least the line is something I guess you're still familiar with, living in a big city" they both let a small laugh slip and get silent again.
The absence of talking starts to get weird so he thinks about safe topics for them, just like Betty did on their breakfast.
"So, I haven't asked. You said you wanted to find a job near Riverdale so you could be closer to Alice and Polly but I never asked about your sister. I saw her at the funeral. Is she living in Riverdale again?" he asks starting conversation between them.
"She is, in fact. She has a small bakery in Greendale, the town is bigger and she doesn't have to compete with Pop's"
"I didn't know she cooked. I always thought this was more your thing"
"It's not exactly my thing, I just cook when I'm stressed and considering I grew up with Alice Cooper as my mom, I was in that state of mind most of the time" she says rolling her eyes "Polly basically copied me. She was feeling a lot of pressure when she left the psychiatric hospital after being brainwashed by Edgar for so long. She needed money for the kids and had no idea on how to be a mom. So she started cooking, first for Dag and Juniper and got curious about other things. Got a loan and opened her business" she shrugs "But she lives here with the twins, they go to Riverdale High and are embarrassed that Aunt Betty works there too" she laughs and they take a step forward when the line moves "They are adorable, really smart and can be pretty awful when they want to. You have no idea what those two did to convince Polly to let them have a dog, even I was sorry for her"
"I guess it runs in the family. Sounds like something Cheryl would do" he says remembering the red head.
"Sometimes things get scary really fast when they start talking like Cheryl. It's the worst but they're good kids and really like the dog, so Polly's angry screams were worth it. You saw it when you arrived in Riverdale, I guess" she ends in a low voice, careful about having brought those days up.
He remembered. He also remembered all the anger he felt for her, the grieve and the pain he was feeling. And now he's talking with her, waiting to buy their popcorn so they could watch a movie together.
"I did. But I thought it was yours"
"Oh no, my life is a mess right now. I'm living with my mom and without a job. I feel like I can't take care of me right now, a dog would only make things worse. And I mean that for the dog, because I think I can't get any lower" she speaks mocking her situation like it is a joke to her but he can see through her act and knows she's not happy about it.
"You should never say these words, things can always get worse" he looks at her and she laughs at his condescending tone "And this is just a phase. You're Betty Cooper, things will be fine again. If anyone can do it, that one is certainly you" she gives him a smile and when she opens her mouth to speak, is interrupted by the attending woman asking what they want to buy.
Jughead takes the bigger size of popcorn they have and some candy and she asks for a diet coke and a smaller popcorn, implying she won't share Jughead's. She pays for everything, saying it's her gift for him and they go to their seats.
They watch the double feature quiet but Betty still gives Jughead a side eye on his favorites parts, seeing his reaction being the same from years back. At the end of Psycho she can hear his thoughts and his voice in her mind, saying the same things he used to when he finished a movie he liked. The double feature ends and they wait for the crowd to leave so they can go too.
"So, did you enjoy your birthday this year?" Betty asks excitedly, looking at his face really close, since they were seated side by side, and liking it.
"I did, thank you. If it wasn't for you I would be at the Pembroke at the moment, eating all the food I could find in the kitchen". That would not be completely true, considering now he has an amazing computer to watch movies on but she doesn't need to know.
"You're welcome. These double features are one of the few things I missed when I left town"
"Agreed. This and Pop's" his phone vibrates in his pocket and he opens the screen to see a picture of Jen smiling next to Chinese food and from the packages behind her, he knows it's from the place she wanted to take him. Right after she sends a text saying "Celebrating you even though you're not here. P.S. Sorry I couldn't wait for you, but I was really craving this".
He laughs and Betty, being so close to him, stretches her neck carefully to see the picture and the text in his phone, his reaction making it worse for her and her excitement going out. She clears her throat, trying to recompose again so he wouldn't notice.
"That's Jen?" asking like she hadn't seen his phone.
"Yeah, she's just messing with me, with the thing I love most, which is food" he rolls his eyes, typing an answer to his girlfriend and looking up to see the room almost empty "It seems we can leave now too" he says getting up and she follows him, doing the same. He turns left at the same time she turns right, and they bump at each other, her diet Coke now on his white shirt.
"Oh my God, I'm sorry" she apologizes looking at the mess that his shirt now was "I thought we were going at that way" she says pointing to the left on his right.
"And I thought we were going to that way" he says point to the other exit "It's okay, it was not your fault. I will just grab some napkins so I won't be wet in this weather" he calms her and leaves the room and all Betty can think of is "Stupid, idiot".
He tries to clean the most of what he can but it's stained and he knows this one needs to go to the washing machine.
"Well, the mess is done. This why I don't like wearing white, all of my clothes would be like this everytime I eat" he jokes seeing Betty's guilty face "Betty, relax. It's just a shirt and it's not ruined. It just needs to pay a visit to the washing machine and it will be fine"
"Again, I'm sorry" she apologizes one more time looking at the stain.
"It's okay, you didn't mean it, I know this" he tranquilizes her one more time.
She throws the rest of her popcorn in the garbage him next to her and her cup, that now has no diet Coke on it and turns to him.
"So, it's still early. Can I buy you a burger from Pop's? So I can apologize properly after ruining your clothes" she offers pointing to his chest, where is now brown from the liquid.
"Yeah, I think that is a good idea. Can we just stop at the Pembroke really quick so I could change? This makes me feel like a child, walking around like this" he says throwing his napkins away too.
"Sure"
They leave the Bijou and Betty parks in front of the Pembroke ten minutes later. Jughead takes his seatbelt off and looks at her.
"I will just change really quick. Do you want to come up? It's really cold in here" he offers since the car's temperature is really low.
"I don't know if that is a good idea. Veronica might not like this" Betty replies unsure.
"She's not here and I promise I won't tell her" and he definitely won't, not knowing what Veronica would do if she knew this "Common Betty, it's freezing in here"
She thinks for a while before answering him.
"Yeah, I think it's a good idea"
She turns the engine off and they leave the car, entering the building and going to the elevator. He opens the door, letting Betty in first and goes right after her, noticing the lights on and thinking that he forget to turn it off when he left earlier. He goes to the living room where he sees a bored Veronica, sitting on the couch and looking at her phone and a box full of cupcakes from Magnolia in the coffee table. When she hears his footsteps, she looks up, her expression turning in to a smile.
"Finally, I thought you would never come home again" she says with a smile that falters when she sees Betty walking in, with careful steps behind Jughead like she wanted to hide herself or maybe run away.
"Oh, I didn't know you had company" she says eyeing the blonde like her look could kill.
"Actually, I'm just here to change, a little accident happened" he replies trying to divert "I didn't know you would be here, I thought you were at New York"
"I wanted to make a surprise, I didn't want you alone today. I even brought some cupcakes with me, your favorites of course. I thought you would like that. But I can see you managed just fine without me" she answers finally looking at him and then at Betty again "Hello Betty" she greets like a perfect host would do but he can see the mix of ice and fire in her eyes.
"Hi Veronica" Betty answers in a shy voice and Jughead wants to slap himself for creating this situation.
"Umm, we were going to Pop's for dinner, I just came by to change my shirt. Do you want come with us?" he offers knowing what a disaster it would be if Veronica says yes. But at the same time, he doesn't want to leave her alone after what she did to be here with him so he leaves the choice at her hands.
"No, thank you. I think it would be a little too crowded for me. But you two go ahead, have fun" she ends with a smile and he knows Veronica also wants to slap him in the face for this.
"Okay, I will just change really quick and I will be back" he says turning to Betty and making sure she will be to be without him. She nods and he walks to his room as fast as he can.
Veronica waits until his door closes so she takes two steps closer to Betty.
"I know what you're doing. Don't think you're fooling anyone here because you're not" Veronica warns her in a low voice and in a away that makes Betty shiver "And rest assured I won't let this continue. Jughead can be really dense about situations when it related to you but I'm not. I can see where this is going and I'm sure it will end in disaster, with him hurting and worse than before. So this, whatever is you're planning, stops now. Do you understand me? I thought I had made myself clear the other day but I don't mind saying it again" she asks with ice in her voice.
Betty also knows what Veronica is doing, but this time she won't take a step back. If Veronica ever taught her something, was to never walk away from a fight, to don't be a coward and stand against who wanted to put her down. Veronica taught her that since day one, and since Betty was always a good student, she learned that fast.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a plan. Jughead and I are just friends, at least we are trying to be again" Betty looks at Jughead's closed door asking herself what's taking him so long and looks back at Veronica. "And I think Jughead is a grown man and can take decisions without you. You're not his mother" Betty talks back in the same tone as Veronica.
"No but I'm his best friend and except from you, I have his best interests at heart. And I will be damned if I stay quiet and let him come back to person who didn't love him enough to not cheat on him with his best friend. And I'm sure of that because if you even respected him, you wouldn't even try to talk to him again. I don't think you have any idea of what you done" she finishes in a heated whispering voice so Jughead doesn't hear her.
She can see Betty takes a step back with that, her proud face gone and down now, and Veronica knows she won this one.
"You won't hurt him again, I won't let you do it. And if love him enough, you will do right by him this time, getting away from him. You and I both know you don't want his friendship nor will you get it" she ends walking away from Betty.
"You're wrong" Betty replies with a choked voice and Veronica turns to her, looking at her, now, red eyes.
"No, I'm not. I already told you, he's finally happy without you and with someone that loves and cares about him. Do you and him a favor, and let him go, before both of you end up hurt" Veronica pleads and Jughead's door opens.
He leaves the room buttoning his new black shirt and notices the air in the room has changed. He looks at Veronica but sees her taking a bite from a cupcake with blue frosting, then at Betty that chooses to look anywhere but at his face.
"I'm done" he says looking at the blonde but she still doesn't lift her face "Sure you don't want to come with us, Roonie?" he asks again but Betty speaks before she can answer.
"Actually, I'm feeling a little tired and Veronica did all this effort to be here with you. I think we should stay here with her" Betty speaks in a bright tone and he knows something is wrong.
"Are you sure?" he asks looking at her and then at Veronica again, the brunette looking at her cupcake like is the most interesting thing in the world.
"Yes, we can talk later. Have a nice night you two" she says turning to the door and leaving.
Jughead keeps his eyes on Veronica and when she notices his face, she raises her brows.
"What?" she asks licking her finger.
"What happened here? She was fine when I left and now she's gone" he gestures to the closed door.
"I don't know what you want me to say Jughead. I was nothing but cordial to her even though I have no reason to be. And you shouldn't have brought her here, this is my territory and it was really disrespectful of you" she puts the cupcake down looking at him.
"I know, I'm sorry. You were not supposed to be here and it would be really quick" he apologizes scratching his neck not noticing how Veronica turned the tables.
"I will forgive you this time because it's still your birthday but we will talk about that later. Here, have one before I eat this whole box all by myself" she offers the Magnolia's box to him and he takes a cupcake, this one with pink frosting.
"Humm, this is good" he moans, speaking with a full mouth.
"I know, right? I thought you would like one, since it's been too long you ate one of these. And, since you no longer have a company to dinner, would you accept mine? I ordered some pizza thinking I would find you here when I arrived. They're still warm, I think" she offers going to the kitchen.
"It would be my pleasure Veronica" she laughs and he can hear her moving around, picking plates and napkins.
The looks on Betty's face when she left wasn't missed by him. He knows something happened but he can see Veronica is too happy to ruin this night for her. She had an stressful week and she deserves some rest, just like he does. So he lets it go, just for tonight. And when the clocks turns to midnight, he realizes he had gone through his first birthday without his father. Before going to sleep, he reads his dad's letter one more time, imagining FP is there, hugging him, saying "I love you, kiddo".
His last thought before closing his eyes is I love you too, dad.
But this time, when he thought about his old man, the pain was not so big and he slept happily, remembering the good moments he had with him, knowing he was celebrating not his birthday, but every second they had together.