Chapter 11 –

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Archie opened his eyes in confusion at the yelling filtering in from his open window.

"Get the hell out, Hal!"

Archie went to sit up, groaning a little as the room spun just a touch. The doctors had warned him about the side effects of the medication he'd been slipped.

He steadied himself and made his way over to his window where he looked at the Cooper house to see Alice throwing Hal's tools out the door where they landed with a clatter on the front walk. After he realized most of Hal Cooper's clothes were on the front lawn, his gaze changed to Betty's window, hoping to see the blonde sitting by her window.

"Dad?" he called, slipping into a shirt and pair of sweatpants after he realized Betty's room was empty.

"You're awake earlier than I thought," Fred appeared in the doorway, sipping at his coffee cup.

"Didn't want to miss the show," Archie jerked his thumb towards the house next door. "How long has that been going on?"

"Alice started throwing things out the front door about an hour ago," Fred admitted, "Right before Betty left out the back door."

"She shouldn't be alone right now," Archie found his sneakers, shoving his feet into them, and grabbed a hoodie.

"Are you feeling up to leaving the house?"

"I'll be fine, Dad," Archie assured him.

"All the same, I'm coming with you," Fred told him.

"Alright," Archie nodded as they went downstairs and got into the truck.

"Where are we starting?" Fred asked.

"I don't…" Archie shook his head before something occurred to him, "Sweetwater River."

"Okay," Fred pointed the truck in that direction.

-d-d-d-d-d-

Betty smiled a little when Jason disappeared. He'd done what he'd set out to do. Grundy was going away, Polly was safe, and, though it pained Betty in so many ways, he'd gotten a promise from her that she'd be kind to Cheryl.

He'd also told her to talk to Jughead's dad. Apparently the elder man had evidence that would lead to Jason's killer.

All of that could wait until tomorrow. Right now she wanted to sit here and think about anything but the Blossom family.

"Betty?"

She looked up to see Archie standing a few feet away from the blanket she'd spread on the ground.

"Hi. It's safe," she told him, "Jason's gone. You can sit, if you want."

Archie sat down and ran his hand over the familiar blanket, "I always wondered what happened to this."

"I found it in the bottom of Polly's closet the day before I left for Colorado," Betty smiled, "She must have put it in there when she found it in the backyard over the clothes line the last time we used it."

"Two ten year olds making a 'tent' in the backyard," Archie recalled.

Betty nodded, "Yeah. How are you? I'm surprised your dad let you out alone."

"He didn't," Archie pointed behind them.

Betty turned and spotted the Andrews's family truck parked at the curb. She waved at Fred and turned back to Archie, "You have the best dad in the world."

"I know," Archie nodded, "Are you okay? I have this hazy memory of Grundy going after you."

"Just a bruise," Betty tilted her head to show him the black and blue mark on her jaw, "I've been slammed into harder playing field hockey."

Archie reached out and gently ran his fingers along it.

Betty let him and studied his face, "You look a lot less pale than you did in the ambulance last night."

Archie smiled, "The drugs are flushed out of my system. I'm feeling much better thanks to you and your snooping skills."

She smiled at him before she asked quietly, "How loud did my mother get in the hour since I vacated the house?"

"Pretty loud. Alice Cooper's voice does carry," Archie admitted.

"My father is sleeping with Cheryl's mother," Betty confessed.

Archie couldn't come up with a response, but his facial expression said what he couldn't put into words.

"He also locked Polly away in Sisters of Quiet Mercy because she's pregnant with Jason Blossom's baby," Betty said.

Archie shook his head, "How are you dealing? It's been a crazy few weeks and a lot of it's fallen on you."

"I'm thinking I'll go stay with my aunt in Greendale," Betty said.

"No, not gonna happen," Archie said adamantly, "I'm not letting you go, especially there."

Betty looked at him in surprise and then realized why he was acting so protective, "I'm going to kill Kevin."

"Do whatever you want, but you have to stay here so we can fix things, so we can fix us, and figure out what kind of us there can be," Archie said.

"How much of the story did he give you? I need to how much damage I need to inflict on him."

"You're missing the point. Stay, please," Archie said earnestly.

"My mom's already got one daughter living with her sister. She's not going to let us both go, and that's without knowing what happened to me."

"He told me that part, too," Archie admitted. "Betts, who are you leaning on? You have to lean on someone."

"Kev's gotten a lot of 3 am phone calls in the last three years. He's gotten pretty good at talking me down."

"What about me? Can I be someone who talks you down, cheers you up, and picks you up when you fall?"

"Are you sure? The last time we had a real conversation about this you weren't really receptive."

"I'm not the same guy I was back then. I made the biggest mistake of my life, and I've regretted it for longer than you'll ever know. I'm more than sure."

Betty nodded, "Do you remember the night before I told you about Grundy? I was about to turn my light off, and I saw you through the window."

"Yeah," Archie nodded.

"I realized that night I still cared about you. I'd been pushing it down for so long. I wouldn't let myself realize it, not even when your mom left."

"Why the sudden charge of heart?"

"Because I miss you, too," Betty said.

"So what happens now?"

"Well, since Jason's gone, being around you no longer gives me splitting headaches, so we try the friend thing again."

"What if that's not enough?" Archie asked.

"Can we jump off that bridge when we get there?"

"I guess for now being friends can be enough, but when we jump off that bridge, just know that all your secrets are safe with me," Archie told her.

Betty smiles at him and puts her head on his shoulder, "Thanks, Arch."

"Any time, Betts," Archie said as her hand found his and laid her palm against his, their fingers interlacing.

-d-d-d-d-d-

My name is Archie Andrews.

I'm fifteen,

A sophomore,

And I live in a small town.

Five years ago I made a stupid mistake that cost me my best friend. Today I got her back.
Tomorrow there's hope for more.

-d-d-d-d-

Thanks for reading.