Chapter Four: Betty Cooper and Lamicci
For a female American high schooler, being a cheerleader was touted as one of the best ways to climb the social ladder. But what if love and relationship got in the way? What if one's neighbor-next-door decided to be more than just friends?
"Go on, tell him how you really feel!"
"It's too early, I think. I'm not sure if he loves me or not. Maybe we are simply meant to be friends."
"What if Archie sees someone else?"
"Well, good for him, I guess? I do have 'special' feelings for him, but…"
Betty Cooper had known her neighbor Archie for a long time now, starting from their elementary school days. Back then, they were really close friends, always hanging out together, with or without their parents' permission. Now, they were teenagers, and Archie began looking at other girls to hang out with.
One such girl was Veronica 'Ronnie' Lodge, some rich outsider who moved into Riverdale with her mom. Betty and Veronica were… sisters-at-arms in the River Vixen cheerleader club, to be frank. There were moment where those two would be arguing about trivial matters, but in the end, they stayed loyal to one another. But did they?
"It's not right to hold back your feelings," Lamicci, her Daemon, scolded.
"Listen, I want my relationship with Archie to start slow, okay?"
"And why is that?" Her Daemon asked.
"The last time I wanted him to be my boyfriend, I said something so embarrassing that he ran away in fright."
"Ah, yes."
As Lamicci climbed down from her back and turned into a mouse, Betty reflected how her friendships tend to be fair-weathered at best. Whether it was with Josie, Kevin, or Ethel, there was something that kept her from being romantically close with anyone. No, perhaps it was always Betty who chose to friendzone everyone.
Maybe Betty is secretly asexual or lesbian? Or perhaps she simply wasn't ready for actual commitments? Her Daemon had been telling her to make a move, especially towards Archie, and yet the young cheerleader lady stopped herself out of fear of rejection. If only teenage love was as simple as in romance films…
"It'll be fine. I mean, it's already years ago; why would Archie remember that?"
"You don't get it, Lam."
"What don't I get?" The Daemon asked again.
"I do love Archie, but I don't think I'll make a good girlfriend for him."
"Because he likes music, while you like arts and cheerleading?"
That and more, Betty wanted to say but couldn't. With a disapproving look, Lamicci turned into a green parakeet and perched on a nearby tree branch. Hmm, Betty's eyes might be fooling her, but her Daemon seemed… more solid, to say the least?
"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. You've made it into River Vixen. You've made more friends than you did a few years ago. There's no excuse for you to avoid Archie like a plague."
"Alright, fine, I will tell him how I feel."
"Very good!"
"However, if Archie says no, then the fault's on you, Lam."
"Fair enough, though I'll hope for the best, regardless!"
Confident that his human would be brave enough to declare her feelings for the handsome red-haired boy, Lamicci flew onto Betty's shoulders. That was when the teenage lady noticed; the Daemon had finally Settled as a parakeet. His green feathers felt more solid, more real than his previous features.
How interesting, Betty thought. She didn't really see herself as a bird person, nor did she consider herself a bold and outgoing woman. She used to imagine Lamicci Settling as a cat or a gecko, but now he's a bird, and the girl would have to deal with it.