The sound of Veronica's feet tapping the floor in a frenetic way finally makes Betty loses her patience. Holding a sigh, the blonde puts a hand on the brunette's thigh, delicately making her stop with the noise and Betty appreciates the silence that comes with it.
"Would you please stop? This is making me nervous and I'm not the one trying to adopt a child in here" Betty hisses, speaking softly so she doesn't make Veronica even more stressed.
The two are seated, side by side in a small room, with a table in front of them and a lot of kid's photos and drawings hanging around the four walls that surrounds them. It's early in the morning, it's was even earlier when Veronica stormed in to Betty's bedroom telling her to hurry up or else they were going to be late to the meeting she set with the adoption agency. Betty doesn't know if Veronica's state had something to do with the five cups of coffee she saw her drinking since the moment she entered Cheryl's apartment to the adoption agency or her lack of her sleep. Either way, Betty never saw her best friend more stressed than she is now.
"Sorry, I know this is annoying. I want to slap Jughead every time he does that" Veronica sighs, sitting straight on the plastic chair. "I'm just nervous, I really want them to like me. And I never had to deal with a situation where I wanted people to like me. These kind of things usually comes easy for me"
"Relax, V" Betty soothes her, squeezing her hand. "I thought this was not your first meeting. You said you had almost everything ready with your lawyer"
"I do. I am legally prepared and yes, I had a few interviews before to make sure I'm not crazy or a pedophile but this is totally different. I thought I would be ready for this kind of conversation and here I am, shaking like I'm about to lose my virginity to the hottest guy in school" Veronica whines and brings her hand to her face, rubbing it, forgetting about the make up she spent half an hour doing earlier.
"Maybe just don't bring that 'virginity' talk in to the conversation and you will be fine" Betty jokes and they laugh, dissipating the tension in the room.
In the middle of the week, the social worker responsible for Veronica's potential family, called her to ask if she could come to the agency not only to finalize the rest of the paperwork that needed to be signed but also, she had a kid she wanted Veronica to meet, saying the child was a perfect fit for her. Veronica said yes without a thought, thinking that maybe this was destiny, after all she read about families that took years until they adopted someone, and here she was, on her first year and already with a kid that was just waiting for her. She couldn't be luckier.
Then she freaked out for the rest of the week, realizing what this meant for her. She thought she had time, maybe years until she was ready for her to become a mom, to be responsible for another human being. After a few pep talks with Jughead, Betty, her therapist and even Toni, Veronica felt somewhat close be to be ready to meet the kid that could be her family.
A couple seconds later, Betty notices that the smile on Veronica's face was gone again and tries a different approach.
"Hey, you could always say no. You know that a lot of adoptions doesn't happen in the first try" she tries tranquilize her.
"I know that, but I'm still nervous" Veronica says looking around the room, then to her dress. "Do I look nice? Do you think this dress is too much? I feel like I'm overdressed for this, they will totally think I'm a snob and unfit to care for a child"
"You're perfect Veronica. You look amazing, almost like the Veronica Lodge I know if you weren't sporting this insecure behavior I'm seeing now" Betty teases and Veronica huffs.
"You're not the only one surprised by this, trust me. And I appreciate the effort you did with your outfit too, I loved your new ponytail. This new hairstyle, with the shorter hair looks wonderful on you"
"I did my best. I thought a look approved by Alice Cooper would do the trick" she brings her hand to her now shorter ponytail, way shorter than the one she used on high school.
After leaving Riverdale, Betty made sure to change her hairstyle, leaving them near her shoulders and a darker kind of blonde. When she was little, Polly and her thought it would be fun to play with the hair dye they found in their grandma's bathroom. Betty was the first, and Polly was in the middle of her hair when Alice found them, yelling and pushing Betty to the shower as fast as she could but it was too late. Half of her blonde hair was black and her mother had to cut the damage because her hairstylist told her that didn't exist any way to save the rest of her hair. It took moths for her hair to grow back and Betty still could hear Alice complaining about the way she looked, about how it wasn't lady like to look like that or that no boy would ever look her way if her hair didn't grow faster.
Needless to say that cutting her hair was one the first things she did after moving to college. And even seven years later, Betty still maintains her shorter hair as an act of rebellion.
Their conversation is interrupted by a middle age woman, knocking the door and entering the place in a black outfit. Norah – not Dora like Veronica previously suggested to Jughead – sits in front of them, putting a few folders on the table with a light smile.
"Hello there, good morning. I'm sorry I'm late, things are always a little bit chaotic in here" Norah greets them, rearranging things around her.
"It's alright, we got here earlier anyway" Veronica shrugs. "So, what have you got for me?"
"The paperwork is almost done. Your psychological results are back and with that, we can end the most boring part of the process –" Veronica interrupts her.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Norah, it's just that when we talked on the phone, you said something to me that is making me lose my sleep at night" Veronica chuckles a laugh without humor, and Norah follows. "Maybe we can skip this part for a while, and go to what you have to show me" Betty squeezes her hand one more time and Veronica squeezes back, relieved she brought Betty with her.
"Yes, of course. I understand that saying things like that can make someone anxious, so let's go to it" Norah sighs, picking one of the folders she brought with her. "In our first meetings, we talked about the profile you were looking for a child. And you said –"
"I remember being very specific, I know. I said I thought I would be better with a girl, preferably a baby girl so I can have time to adjust to the motherhood life. And to be honest, I thought it was going to take a couple years until you would call me, saying you had a kid for me"
"Well, I do have a kid for You, Veronica, but I need you take a look at this before anything else" Norah says insecure, pushing the folder to Veronica, who takes it slowly, waiting for something to explode in the process.
She lets go of Betty's hand to open the file, her gaze directed to the photo of a five year little boy attached to it. His black hair is just like hers, a little bit curly in the end and she notices he doesn't wear a smile, like she used to when she was his age. Veronica holds her gaze to him, noticing his sad eyes, his pale expression and she gets the feeling inside her that no kid should look unhappy like that.
"I don't understand" she says looking up confused and she can see Norah is nervous.
"This is Pedro. He has been in the system for almost three years now. His parents were Mexican, they entered the country illegally but he was born here, so he's considered an American citizen. The government discovered about them after a parking ticket and they got deported but Pedro got to stay as an American, separated from his parents"
"Where are his parents now?" Betty asks after looking at the picture too.
"They died, two years ago. They tried to enter the country legally but they were denied so they tried in the old way, but they got shot by the guy they paid to help with the crossing. We think they didn't have the money to pay him in the end. They were desperate, separated from their only child. I think they knew the risks but still wanted to try, hoping that at least one of them, would come out alive to stay with Pedro"
"Oh my God" Betty exhales on her side but Veronica doesn't say anything, looking back to the picture, and imagining the little boy waiting for his parents to come back.
"Veronica, I know what we discussed and you can say no, no one is obligating you to adopt a child just because you can. But I think you would be the perfect family for him" Norah starts carefully and Veronica looks up.
"Why?" she asks not recognizing her own voice. "I mean, why would I be good to him? What do I have to offer to a kid that has been hurt the way he has?"
"V" Betty tries to speak but Veronica stops her.
"No Betty. I don't have anything against adopting older kids, in fact, we discussed that in our prior meetings but I said I wanted to try that later, after realizing what being a mother is. Adopting an older kid means dealing with whatever the world threw at them in their short lives in this earth and we all know how bad that can be"
"Veronica, as a mother of three, let me tell you something. There isn't a book with instructions telling you how to be a mom, you just do the best you can in the situations you have to go through. And you love and care and protect them with all your heart, hoping you are doing the right thing, most of the time. And when we talked, love and care were the most said words by you. Especially when you talked about your mom and your friend, the one you described as your brother" Norah pauses, analyzing Veronica's face. "We are not looking for perfect people. We are very realistic here, which is why we keep fighting, child after child, trying to find them homes"
Veronica doesn't say anything, staring the now closed folder like it would move at any time.
"You said that, growing up, Spanish was commonly used by you when with your grandparents and in your file, it says you can still speak and understand the language in a fluent way"
"Yes, it's like riding a bike for me" Veronica speaks quietly, moving her head to watch the woman in front of her.
"So that classifies you as bilingual potential parent, which made me think of you for Pedro. He's with foster parents right now, they took him in because he didn't adapt like the other kids but he can't be in there for much longer. The thing is, he doesn't speak English. We think his biological parents only speaked Spanish with him at home which encourages him to do the same, but he understands English just fine. Our psychologist said his language is like a safe blanket for him, which is why he's still refusing to speak to his foster parents or any of us, in English. And this is starting to become a problem in the home he's in right now. But let me assure you, Pedro is not a difficult child. His grades are great, he's healthy and sweet but he has difficulties in making friends or communicating at all. He's a very closed child, very introverted but we believe the right environment can change that. And I believe you can give him that"
When Veronica doesn't say anything, Betty speaks.
"He doesn't has any family left?"
"We tried to look for grandparents or uncles but both of his parents were only childs. Their parents died long ago. He's alone in this world"
"Just like me" Veronica mumbles, looking down and Norah sighs.
"Veronica, you don't have to decide anything now. And maybe I made a mistake by telling you about him, so soon. I just had a feeling and Pedro is a very dear child for me, not only for me but everyone that knows him and his story. And I felt it was right for you" she shrugs and decides to change subjects for now. "How about we do this? You sign these and when you're ready to talk about him, you give me call. I can take a no or a yes, and I can go back looking for the profile of kids we've discussed earlier. Anyway, I'm here to help you create a family for yourself, okay?" she suggests with a smile and Veronica nods, trying to do the same.
She signs where Norah tells her to do, not even bothering to read what's she's agreeing with. She and Betty leave the office without a word, and when they enter Veronica's car, the blonde starts getting worried about her silence. When driver starts the car, she turns to her.
"V? You're too quiet for someone who couldn't sleep at night thinking about today" Betty asks almost in a whisper, afraid of scaring her.
"I spent months preparing myself for this, Betty. Months" Veronica starts contemplative, looking through the window. "I contacted a lawyer. I used Google so much, someone would think it was my boyfriend. I read stories about adoption, the ones that worked and the ones that didn't. I was ready, I don't know why I'm reacting like this"
"Maybe you weren't that prepared"
"But that's the thing Betty, I was" she protests frustrated. "I knew if I went for older kids I would be dealing with much complicated things than just adoption papers. They have a whole story behind them, a package I'm sure I can't handle right now. Or ever. You know me, you know my story. I have a criminal father, for God's sake! That's why I specifically asked for babies, toddlers. And I know it makes me a terrible person but I also know myself, I know my limits. And I was ready for that. Really, you can ask me about sleeping patterns to baby proofing everything or what each dirty diaper means. I can answer this in a blink. But this... I know I should say no but I don't know why exactly I didn't"
Betty watches her carefully before speaking. "V, I think you're wrong" Veronica furrows her brows, turning her body to her.
"I'm not saying you are unfit to care for a child or something like it, but this whole package you say you can't take, it comes with being human" she shrugs "I know that we are talking about kids that dealt with rejection, anxiety, loss, things much worse than anything we ever been through. I get that. But even with a baby you can't guarantee that the kid won't face this kinds of things too. I mean, I grew up in a family that a lot of people would find it normal, good even – and let's forget about my psychopath father for a second here. And I still had to deal with anxiety, depression and problems with my image caused by my own mother. I used to cut skin with my fingernails so I could feel I was on control of my life, and I considered it a normal thing" she says exasperated "You and I faced dysfunctional families, we know what is like. What I'm trying to say is, this kind of monster you created in your head, it only exists there. And if you're not ready to face it, then you're not ready to be a mother. No, let me go further, you're not ready to live, survive in this crazy world, to interact and bond with other human beings"
Betty takes her hand, squeezing a little.
"I know Veronica Lodge. I know my friend, and I know that you can love and care about someone like no one else, so I know this isn't you. I've never seen you scared before, especially about life, and I can't help but feel a bit unsettling"
"I know, you're not the only one feeling that way. And I can't understand why" Veronica whines, her eyes watering.
"Did you hear what I said about hurting myself so I would feel in control? I'm not a shrink but I think this need, to have everything under your hand, happening like you planned, is holding you back. I don't know if it has something to do with this fight you had for years with Hiram or anything else, but my guess is... you were not expecting a little guy, grown up, that looks almost like you, waiting for you to take him in" she ends with a sweet smile
"Oh my God, I thought he looked like me too" Veronica chuckles, drying discreetly a tear that escaped her eyes.
"See? I would say this is a sign" Betty jokes nudging her. "V, no one is forcing you to do anything here but you can't tell me you didn't feel anything looking at that little boy's face, because I was there and I know it did some thing to you"
"He's really cute" Veronica pouts. "He is, the cutest" Betty nods smiling. "And he's alone. He doesn't have anyone else"
Veronica bites her lips, not wanting to say anything and Betty decides to let go when she sees they are almost at their building.
"You take your time, sleep on it. Promise me you're only going to give Norah an answer when you're sure, a 100% sure about your decision"
"I do" she promises "Now, you go. I have to pay a visit to some of my establishments today and I won't keep you from getting ready for your date with Jughead" she teases and Betty rolls her eyes.
"It's not a date" she protests opening the door.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you says to help you sleep at night" Veronica dismisses with her hand "Text me what you are going to wear tonight and wear a damn condom. I'm not ready to become an aunt and a mother at the same time"
"Bye, Veronica" she closes the door, ignoring the laugh coming from inside the car.
Betty tries to get dressed like she does everyday for work but she can't help but think if she's overdressing for their dinner. She picks a jeans that Cheryl says it makes her see look good and borrows one of Toni purple blouses, letting a few buttons unopened. She sends Veronica a picture of her look, and receives a bunch of fire emojis in return. She takes the subway an hour earlier than she intended and grateful that she didn't put her lipstick on. Betty can't stop biting her lower lip, trying to hide her nervousness.
She takes a five minute walk to the address Jughead sent her in the middle of the week and can't stop her smile when she sees him leaning on the wall of a restaurant, his hands in his pockets looking around the street.
"And here I was thinking how pathetic I would look if I got here an hour earlier than we agreed" she sings getting closer to him and Jughead looks down embarrassed.
"In my defense, I know how punctual you are so I didn't want to make you wait. Besides, I didn't know if you were going to find the place. Didn't want you to get lost" he shrugs and this time she bites her lip so her smile wouldn't get even bigger.
"That was very nice of you. So, shall we?" she asks tilting her head to the door and he rushes to open it for her.
Inside, she feels like she got transported to a smaller version of Pop's, with the colorful scenario and the smell of grease in the air. Jughead leads them to a booth and after the waiter leaves them to get their drinks, he turns to her.
"So, what do you think?"
"I think that Pop should report this place to the authorities. Really, I'm impressed. Even the menu is the same. I didn't know that places like this existed in New York" Betty says looking around.
"I know, the resemblance is uncanny. But that was not what I meant. I huh... was talking about the article. I actually couldn't sleep last night wondering what your thoughts would be" he speaks scratching the back of his neck.
"Right" she nods, picking the printed article in her bag. She puts it on the table and Jughead whistles when he sees the amount of notes she made on it.
"Jesus, Betty. You didn't have to print it. And there's so much red ink in this that I'm actually scared" he says eyeing the paper.
"How did you expect me to edit anything without being able to write on it?"
"I don't know, I guess I was expecting you with a tablet" he shrugs.
"I like things in the old way, okay? Let me be. Now, are you ready?"
"Hit me" he says leaning on the booth, crossing his arms and waiting for the bombing that used the happen when Betty edited his texts.
"I have to say, I was expecting much more negativity when you told me what this was about. I mean, you changed your perspective, a little bit, during these years but I can still see the Jughead I used to know in here. And I loved the way you described today's relationships, the metaphor you used turning people in to dolls that we pick under our beds only when we are interested. It almost made me think you were watching Toy Story before writing this"
"Ouch" he interrupts cringing but she continues like it didn't happen.
"Or when you talked about how much more information we get from people around us in seconds but we still have this shallow connections with them. I can totally relate to that" she sighs, moving the pages with her hand. "And this was the Jughead I was used to know. But then, you talk about your father. About how you never really understood him, even after living your whole life with him and how today's relationship are still the same from the past because even though, we say we are going to be different, to act different, we're just like them. And then, you talk about forgiveness and enjoy the time we still have or just sit in your couch and let your life be lived by someone else... I have to say, I'm surprised"
"Thank you, I guess" he speaks confused.
"No, it's a good thing. I mean, I felt like calling my mom right after but it's really good. I was just not expecting. I know this was years ago, but when we lived in Riverdale, I remember you having a nice relationship with FP but I used to think you still resented him, for a lot of things... how did you move past that? I mean, when?" she asks trying to know the guy she used to date.
He takes a deep breath, while the waiter puts both of their milkshakes on the table, along with the fries.
"When I left to go to college, I still felt like that. And that didn't change until a few years" he takes another pause. "I told you I don't drink anymore. And I didn't make that decision until my second year. I was stressed, missing home, my family, and so overwhelmed about the amount of things I had to do or study and my writing wasn't enough to calm me down anymore, and my roommate convinced me to go to a party. I got drunk, ridiculously drunk, and I finally understood why some people, like my dad, use alcohol as a way of escaping your own problems. So I started to say yes whenever someone would invite me to a party as an excuse so I could get wasted without feeling any weight, any guilt about it. Things started to get ugly, out of my control and I remember one weekend my dad and Jellybean came to visit. He took us to a nice restaurant and the guy on the table besides us was drinking a beer and I noticed FP staring. When JB went to the bathroom I asked him if he didn't miss it, the taste, the feeling. You know what he said? He said that he did, but feeling numb wasn't enough for him for anymore, that me and JB, Alice, his kids, his life, these things were too precious for him to waste just because he wanted to avoid the pain life could inflict on him. That was my breaking my point, when I saw I was messing with my life without even realizing. I mean, alcoholism is a disease and I was playing with fire, considering my family's history"
"I remember him saying almost those words to me when he relapsed a few years ago" Betty speaks softly, reminiscing.
"I get why he never told me about it, he was really proud of his sobriety and I don't know how, but I guess he knew how deep I was and that I relayed on his example to stay sober too" he plays with the fries, too concentrated in his memories to eat. "But I didn't exactly stop at that day. I kept buying beer and keeping it under my bed, so if I needed it, I could have a drink just to calm my nerves. I used to buy them on Monday, and throw everything out on Saturday, just to repeat the process two days later. After realizing what I was doing and how much money I was spending, I started therapy and she helped me, to work with my exhaustion, my fears, my feelings. She made me see the anger I felt towards him was valid but that all that drinking wasn't something he had any control over with. It was a disease, something I got really close to and was able to stop before I found myself too deep"
She analyzes his face and can see how uncomfortable he looks talking about it.
"I know it doesn't make a difference now but I'm really glad you made it, that you searched for help. Many people don't do that and change your perspective, to see your past with different eyes... that is amazing" Betty tells him squeezing one of his hands and he squeezes back, intertwining their fingers.
"Thanks. I don't talk about that a lot. Veronica says it's something I should feel proud of but I guess I'm just ashamed" he shrugs
"Ashamed of what?"
"I don't know. I just always considered myself so smart, thinking that becoming or not an alcoholic was something I could control and that I was too good to fall for that but look what almost happened"
"I don't want to boost your ego or something because we both know you don't do well with that" he rolls his eyes while she chuckles "But you were smart, you jumped out of the train before it was too late. And turning in to an alcoholic was just a possibility for you, it didn't mean you would turn in to one. But you chose what felt right to you, and look where you are now? Healthy, enjoying the success of your first novel and not living in fear of becoming the old version of your father, because we have to agree the new one was pretty great. I'm really happy for you. Serious, I wouldn't be able to picture anything else for you"
She ends squeezing their intertwined hands one more time, and Jughead holds her gaze, absorbing all the emotions she can't hide through her eyes. Proud, happy, calm And the peace only her green eyes could give to him. They stay like this until the waiter clears his throat and they let go, allowing him to put their burgers on the table.
Jughead puts a, now cold, fry in his mouth, trying to put himself together, watching Betty do the same.
"Other than that, you don't have any more observations to make?"
"Oh no, I have plenty. I just wanted to prepare you for the blow because I have a lot to say about the structure of this thing. Me and my red pen, I mean" she says taking a bite of her burger and he laughs out loud, doing the same.
They eat and she goes through every paragraph of his text like she used to do in Blue and Gold. And just like before, they argue and he defends his words until the end of the world but end up agreeing with her anyway.
When they end talking about his work, he asks about her job and she asks about the places he visited in his book tour. After they are done eating, the waiter comes to pick their plates.
"Dessert?" Jughead asks wriggling his brows and Betty chuckles. "Actually, I don't think I can eat anything else. Raincheck?" "Deal" he nods and asks the waiter for the check. "Oh, wait" Betty says opening her bag, searching for her wallet. "No, no, no. This is on me"
"Jug, no. It's not fair"
"Of course it is. You helped me, it's only fair I pay for our dinner" he tells her giving the waiter a couple of bills and she has to calm her heart down, repeating the mantra she said to Veronica earlier 'it's not a date'.
They walk out of the restaurant and Betty can't help but look at the sky, noticing how beautiful the moon is that night. Jughead goes for the subway, calling her name but she shakes her head.
"I think I'm walking home tonight. The weather is so good today, I want to enjoy that a little bit. It's like a twenty minute walk, right?"
"I think it's more a thirty minute walk, are you sure?" he asks tilting his head, watching her stare at the moon while people pass through her without her even noticing.
"Yeah. I kind of miss doing that in Riverdale, don't you? Just walking around, breathing some fresh air"
"I do, but in here you're only breathing in pollution but I get you" he nods, taking a step closer to her. "Let's go, I'll walk with you. It's been a while since New York had a warm night like this"
"Are you sure?" she asks repeating his words from seconds before. He nods, brushing his shoulder on hers, starting the walk. This time, Betty can't hide her smile, imagining if he wanted to be closer to her for a few more minutes just like she wanted to do with him.
They start in silence, with the sound of cars and people talking around them in the background. Him with his hands on his pockets, and her with her arms crossed, trying to avoid contact with him, knowing she would blush like a teenager if she did.
She sees an woman with a kid and remembers her morning.
"Did you talk to Veronica?"
"Yes, I did. I actually spent my entire afternoon with her on the phone. She had a lot to say"
"So? What did you think of this whole adoption thing?"
"She's going to do it"
"Really? She seemed pretty scared to me"
"I know, but I also know Veronica. And let me tell you, a person who drinks poison to save her best friend, is not someone who is afraid of that" he says tilting his head to talk to her.
"Can we please leave that night alone? I still have nightmares" she huffs, shaking her head like she could forget about the past doing it. "She looked pretty enamored about the kid. He's really cute to be honest"
"He's me" Jughead states and Betty slows her steps to watch him carefully, furrowing her brows. He sighs before continuing.
"He's alone, doesn't fit in and has no one else to look after him. Just like me" he shrugs. "My parents were alive but my dad was always busy with his drinks, getting fired, job after job. Gladys working as waitress, taking many shifts as she could so we wouldn't starve at home and still, I would miss some meals so JB could eat. And in their free time, they would be busy yelling at each other. And I never really fit in, the kids would always mock me, calling me names or stealing my things just because they could. It was like I spoke a different language than them. But at least he had a few good years with his parents loving and taking care of him"
Betty takes her time, digesting what he said to her, embarrassed for never noticing how difficult it was for him as a kid.
"I'm sorry, I guess I never paid attention to that growing up"
"Nevermind, we were kids and it wouldn't have made a difference" he shrugs dismissing the subject. "My point is, she's going to adopt him. She's just feeling insecure about taking a decision as big as this one, but this period will be over fast. And I've already looked for Spanish classes online, that's how certain I am about her" he says smug and they laugh.
"Wow, I still can't believe you know her better me" Betty speaks contemplative, watching the traffic and the people walking in front of them.
She knows how wrong it feels for her, to have him, someone who practically never interacted with Veronica in the past, knowing her best friend like that. It's unsettling, even after watching the duo together and hearing about their stories. It should've been her, she's aware of that. It should've been her traveling around the world with Veronica, sharing memories and stories with her. But Betty also knows she gave that up, years ago, and that, she can't take back anymore, only plan and pray for the future be better than their past.
"I get it, sometimes I can't believe I'm her friend too. Specially when she texts me photos of shoes that look exactly the same, asking me which one she should buy. At 3am" he stresses making her laugh. "Apparently, every hour of the day is the right hour to buy the perfect shoe for I don't know what. But I love her and, deep down, she's a good person. Which is why I agree with that social worker, I do think she's going to be a great mom for the kid"
"Look at us, talking about kids" she sings. "I feel old right now, talking about responsibilities. Do you feel old? Because I totally do"
"I'm old soul Betty. I acted like an eighty year old when I was seven. You're asking the wrong guy" he states and she chuckles.
He stops walking and she notices they are in front of her building already and her laugh dies, knowing she will have to say goodbye to him.
"And that's me" she says, seeing the doorman watching them, waiting for her to move to open the door.
"That's you" Jughead repeats slowly, not wanting to say goodbye too.
He opens his mouth twice and she gets anxious about what he's trying to say. And third time he opens his mouth, he seems to have set his mind.
"Do you still have that car FP gave to you?" he asks and she frowns not expecting that.
"Yes. I mean, it's in Riverdale, I couldn't bring it with me. Which my mom hated but that's not the point. Why do you wanna know?"
"I found a drive in, in New York. Well, it's not exactly in New York, it's in New Jersey and guess what? Next Saturday is Rebel Without a Cause. You never got to see it, the last night of the drive in" he ends shy, looking down then looking up, like he's gathering enough courage. It makes her have a flashback of the first time he kissed her, in her pink bedroom, making her smile, seeing the young Jughead in front of her again. "I was thinking if maybe... you would like to go with me. And I would have to borrow Veronica's car for one night since you don't have yours here, and you would have to drive because–"
"I would love to, Jug" she interrupts him, feeling her cheeks hurt, smiling like she probably never did before.
"Great" he claps, then stares at his hands wondering why he did that. "I'll text you the details later, what do you think?"
"Sounds wonderful" she nods agreeing.
He turns to walk to his place, or to take a cab, and she gets the flashback of Jen, doing the same, leaving her apartment with a broken look. And Betty knows she can't let him leave.
Betty wishes, she and Jughead could have a fresh start, that they could start new, with no past, no memories haunting them. But she can't, and she has to be realistic about what she can have or do. And if she can't have that, at least she could be honest with him, even if it costs what they have now.
She takes a deep breath thinking "God, please don't let him hate me. Please".
"Jug, wait" she calls him and he turns back to her. "I have to tell you something"
When she doesn't continue, he starts getting worried.
"Okay... does it have to be now?" he asks watching her fidget nervously with her hands.
"Yes" she nods, trying to breath slowly. "The reason Jen broke things up with you... She did it because of me. I mean, not me specifically. I didn't ask her to do it or something like it, in fact I asked her not to do it. But she went to my apartment, and we talked and she told me she was going to do it. I tried to convince her not to but –"
"Betty" he interrupts her, raising his hand to stop her. He takes a deep breath before continuing. "I know what happened"
"What? You do?" she asks shocked. "I'm not following"
He sighs. "When she did it, Jen decided to tell me she paid you a visit. I know what you two talked and she was very specific about the details. And it was not your fault, I understood her reasons and I know you didn't have any influence over her to, force her or something. You can relax now" he ends sending her a smile but it doesn't sooth her.
"I don't get it, you should be mad. Mad at me" she stresses.
"No, I shouldn't" he takes a step closer to her. "At first, I was angry, I admit. But not at you. Jen ended things because she saw that you and me still had something, we still felt something... And I would be a fool if I didn't recognize it, and I don't like acting like one" he gets even closer now and Betty can smells his perfume and wonder when did he start using perfume. "I know you told me how you felt about me before, last year and I know how bad it went, mostly because of me. And I know how I feel about you and I can't say I'm where you want me to be right now, or I don't know, where you wanted me to be. But if you still feel that way, and if you're willing to be patient with me, I would really like to see if we can make this work and take you to see a nice movie this Saturday. That is, if you want the same as me" he ends hopeful and Betty's heart beats even more faster now.
She closes her eyes for a second, thanking mentally the universe for the opportunity she never thought she would have again, and opens it smiling widely, nodding.
"Yes. Yes to everything. And I would love to go with you. And you know, you can't say no to James Dean" she teases him and he rolls his eyes.
"Very funny. Does that mean I can ask Veronica her car?" "Yes. Just text me the details later"
"I will" he takes a step back now, putting his hands in his pockets, not knowing what to do with them. "Have a good night, Betts"
"You too, Jug" she replies watching him leave.
She turns to her own building, smiling to the doorman and holding herself to not hug him, containing her happiness. Inside the elevator, she starts humming. After opening the door, she checks to see if anyone is home and she notices Cheryl and Toni left, she screams forgetting about the neighbors and how late it is for her to be doing that. And that night, Betty can't sleep imagining if Jughead is awake too.
And to be fair, he is.
Jughead decides to text Veronica, telling her the news he knows she was hoping to hear and after sending him a bunch of texts saying it was about damn time, she sends him another one. "I just texted Norah, I'm going to do it. And she's coming by Monday morning to discuss the details with me" .
The three of them, Veronica, Betty and Jughead, spends their nights awake thinking about what the decisions they took that day meant to them. The girls decide to skip their Sunday brunch, Veronica to clear and prepare everything for Norah and Betty to try to get the rest she should've had the other night.
At Monday morning, Veronica wakes early to finish the stress cleaning she started yesterday and tells her doorman she was waiting for a social worker, and he could let her in as soon as she arrived there.
When she was done lighting the lavender candles she bought it earlier, she hears the bell ringing. She straightens her purple dress, putting a smile before going to the door.
Veronica opens It, expecting Norah but her smile fades when she sees who is on the other side.
"Archie?" she asks staring at the red head in front of her, the guy she never thought she would never have to see again.
A/N: I don't usually leave notes here but I just wanted to answer the last two reviews I got here (I don't get many so...)
wattpadwormss1: here's your update and thank you so much about your words! ❤
Guest: dear Guest, if you're still reading this, thanks for your review too!