The next day, Arthur's mood had dramtically shifted from the one he had the previous morning. Now he wanted to just crawl into a hole and not be bothered by anyone. Had he messed up his friendship with Dana for good? And what the hell was he thinking, kissing a girl he'd only known for day?!
If only he had everything together like Archie did. The golden boy who could do no wrong. Who was he kidding, that was the pecking order of things in high school. Archie was the football star who was mobbed by everyone, and he was the theatre nerd outcast. It was the way things had always been.
His mind drifted to Veronica, the girl that had turned his life upside down, and not necissarily in a good way. How had he kissed her after only a day? Not a question he could easily answer. There was no question as to her looks, but he still knew next to nothing about her. For all he knew, she was putting up some sort of facade with her old NYC personality still there, bubbling away under the surface, trying to get out. Okay, now I really do sound insane, he thought.
He'd woken up an hour earlier this morning, probably a result of not being able to sleep. He booted up his laptop to watch old John Oliver segments on YouTube; hopefully it would take his mind off his current troubles. Predictably, it didn't, so he gave up after half an hour and showered.
"Morning son." Fred said as Arthur made his way downstairs.
"Morning dad." Arthur replied, sticking two slices of bread in the toaster.
"Something wrong?" His father asked. Arthur sighed.
"No dad, everything's fine." He replied. Of course, everything was definitely not fine, but his dad didn't need to know that. No way was he going to make him worry even more about his kids when Jason's death already scared him.
It was of course, not for another hour until Archie showed up, bolting down the stairs. "Morning dad."
"Morning bud. All set for today?" Fred asked.
"Yeah, mostly." Archie replied, quickly wolfing down a bagel. "Just trying to get things sorted for Mr Neil's history class."
"Why did you even sign up for history?" Arthur asked.
"I thought it would be interesting." Archie replied. More like Betty's taking it as well Arthur wanted to say, but he bit his tongue. Moments later the doorbell rang and Archie dashed to answer it, already knowing who it would be.
"Hey babe." Betty quickly kissed him. "Walk me to school?"
"Always." Archie smiled. "Coming, Art?"
"Yeah, hold on!" Arthur replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Bye dad, I love you!"
"Love you too, Arthur!" Fred called back.
"I'm sorry for making last night awkward, guys." Arthur said as they filed out onto the sidewalk.
"Not your fault, Art. You don't have feelings for Dana anymore." Betty replied. "Our damage control efforts could have been a bit better."
"It wasn't your fault either." Arthur replied. Of course it's my fault, who else's would it be? He thought "You look like you have something on your mind, Betty." He said, desperate to change the subject.
"My mom says I should never speak to you guys again." She said.
"What?" The twins replied simultaneously. Archie didn't want to believe his girlfriend wouldn't speak to him anymore, and Arthur didn't want to lose the girl he considered a sister.
"Calm down. I still wanna be with you, Archie. No guy on this planet could treat me better than you do. And Art, I still want us to be best friends." She smiled. "Archie and I wouldn't even be together if it wasn't for you."
"That much is true." Archie replied, though Arthur was certain they'd have gotten together anyway.
2 years ago . . .
"Are you blind or something Archie?" Arthur asked. "Betty's been in love with you for years."
"Arthur, we're just friends." The redhead replied. Arthur rolled his eyes.
"Archibald, you're my brother. I care about you, but you can be beyond oblivious said. "Betty loves you. Just ask her out." He added. he could see Archie contemplating it in his head, and silently wondered if this was the hardest his brother had ever thought about anything before.
"Alright, fine, I will. But I swear to god if this goes wrong-"
"Yes, yes, then my suffering will be beyond imagining." He rolled his eyes again. "Just go ask her out." He continued. This had all been planned of course. Kevin right now was over at Betty's convincing her to do the same thing about Archie, or at least he hoped so. If he knew Kevin, then the guy was doing what he could.
As it happened, the blonde girl and red-haired boy left their houses at the same time. 'Did it work?' He texted Kevin.
'Oh yeah it did.' The reply came seconds later as he watched Archie and Betty talking out the front of the Andrews house. Was it creepy? Eh, a little, he decided. But these two needed the push.
Suddenly, Betty threw her arms around Archies' neck and he around her waist, the two hugging tightly before they pressed their lips together.
'Done and done.' He messaged Kevin
Present day
After parting with the lovebirds, Arthur made his way to his locker, only to see that Jughead Jones seemed to have taken the locker next to him. "I thought your locker was down the hall?" Arthur said.
"Got moved here." Jughead replied curtly. The two had never really gotten along, which of course made Archie's friendship with Jughead awkward. "Didn't bother asking."
"I see." Arthur replied stiffly. Both of them thought they were completely accurate in their assessment of the other, having largely pre-judged each other before they even met years ago. Arthur had assumed Jughead was selfish, moody and self-absorbed, a trait he considered common among Southsiders, while Jughead had assumed that Arthur was smug, arrogant and acted superior, a trait he considered common among Northsiders, apart from Archie.
No two people could be so wrong about each other and yet be so right about each other at the same time.
"How was Atlanta?"
"Fine."
"Interning at Marvel?"
"Fine."
"You can't just give me one-word answers forever, Arthur."
"Why?"
"We've known each other for years. Can't we-"
"Known each other, yes. Liked each other, no." Arthur said, shutting his locker. "To be perfectly honest, I was doing just fine without having to put up with a guy who pretends no-one tries to understand him and that is stuck permanently in the emo phase." He said before walking away. Jughead sighed. He had been hoping to try and wipe the slate clean after the role he had played in the aftermath of the Lipstick Incident, but it seemed that Arthur still wasn't ready to forgive him.
Biology wasn't exactly Arthur's favourite class ever, but it was one he had to pass. Still, his grades there were only middling at best, even with Betty's help. That girl had an unnaturally strong stomach.
"Alright, seats everyone." The teacher said as they walked in. "Pair off, gloves on, scalpels up."
"I'll go with Cheryl." Arthur said.
"I'm with Jughead." Archie called.
"I wanna be with Betty." Veronica said happily.
"Um . . . I was thinking I could partner with Kevin?" Betty asked hopefully. She was slightly hurt that Archie had gone with Jughead, but knew he needed some friend time after the summer they'd spent together.
"Actually, uh . . . Keller's with me. We, like, talked." Moose said. Betty nodded and moved up a seat so Veronica could sit with her.
"Fate thows us together once more." Veronica laughed.
"So it seems." Betty replied. "Dana didn't exactly take what happened at Cheryl's party well."
"I know." The raven-haired girl sighed. "I honestly didn't mean anything by it. I know I messed up, but-"
"Veronica, between you and me, Dana never really moved on." Betty interrupted. "She still has feelings for Arthur, which makes things awkward because Arthur only sees her as a friend. Word of advice: that area is a complete minefield, so don't ever bring that up around Arthur. He might've given you a pass last night because you were new. I wouldn't expect him to do it again." She said. Veronica nodded in understanding.
"Cheryl, you know you can call on me anytime you need right?" Arthur said to the grief-stricken girl.
"That's sweet Arthur, but unless you know who killed Jason . . ."
"Alas, the power of teleportation is not one I possess." He said, prompting a slight chuckle from Cheryl. "Do the police have any leads?"
"No . . ." She sighed. "But it's only a matter of time. My twin-tuition is telling me that it's someone we all know."
"Twin-tuition?"
"Yeah, twin-tuition. Like, intuition but with twins. You don't have that with Archie?" She asked.
"We could not be more different if we tried." He said casting a look at his brother. "I'm not great at science, but i can take point on this if it's too weird for you." He offered, turning back to Cheryl and gesturing at the dead frog in front of them.
"Weird? Why? Oh, you mean because my brother is being dissected with a blade just like this one at this very moment?" She grabbed the scalpel. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. in fact . . ." She stabbedthe frog violently. "I'm amazing."
"What'd Moose want?" Veronica asked as they walked across the school field with their lunches along with Betty.
"Oh my God, I don't think even he knows." Kevin replied. "I mean, I know I am devastastaingly handsome. Like, in that classic preaccident Montgomery Cliff way, and sexuality is fluid but can someone named Moose actually be that fluid?" He mused.
"Well, I ship it." Veronica said as Arthur finally caught up with them.
"Of course you would, you're a big city girl with no morals." Kevin said. That made Arthur's hair stand on end.
"Hey, Kevin, not cool, alright? Apologise." He said.
"Arthur, it's alright-"
"No, he's right. I'm sorry, Veronica. I just meant that Moose already has an official girlfriend, Midge." Kevin said.
"Still doesn't stop him from flirting with every girl in the school." Arthur observed as they sat down at a table Archie had claimed.
"Any new material you want to try out on a very forgiving audience?" Veronica asked Archie. "Well, mostly very forgiving." She said, smirking at Arthur.
"Hey, I'm an actor, not a singer." Arthur replied.
"True. Art can't sing to have his life." Archie laughed. Okay, that comment stung. Abruptly, Arthur stuffed everything into his bag and walked off without so much as a word to anyone else.
"Arthur, wait!" He heard Veronica say. He didn't bother to turn around as she caught up with him. "What's wrong?"
"Just leave me alone, Veronica." He replied.
"Sorry, you're not getting rid of me that easily." She said. "What's wrong?"
"Some of the stuff Archie says . . . remember how I said his mouth is quicker than his brain? That comment right there is what I mean." He admitted. "It's not wrong, but . . . Christ, you need to be diplomatic when you talk to someone who is . . ."
"Sensitive?" Veronica offered. Arthur glared daggers at her. "That senstivity is great about you and all, but you do have to harden up."
"I'm not overly sensitive, Veronica." He spat.
"Then what is it?" Veronica asked exasperatedly. Arthur stayed silent and sat down, having reached the other end of the field. "Fine, then I'll just sit with you until you talk."
And done! Please do review!