"I can't believe you guys are dating," Betty said with a sigh, watching Archie walk toward the group of Bulldogs by the bus after practically groping Veronica on the way there. All he really did was tickle her, his fingers slipping between her cheerleader outfit's skirt and top to touch her skin, but Betty was just going to say groped. "I can't believe I have to keep it a secret, again, could you start one relationship where I am not the only one who knows so I can talk about it to someone who isn't you? Just one, I can't even talk to Polly, the drunker she gets the more she talks and this is hot gossip right here."
"If I tell Kevin and Reggie today, will you stop complaining?" Veronica laughed, it was the day they left for Sunnydale, as an apology Betty was there to say goodbye to Kevin, Veronica and Reggie and wish them luck, Reggie had already hugged Betty, kissed her cheek and then disappeared into the crowd off Bulldogs being briefed on the match to come by Coach Clayton. "I'm the one who has to find moments where I can be with him without anyone seeing."
"I know this has to be a secret until you find the courage to tell Jughead," Betty said with a deep frown. "But I thought this would be the relationship Jughead would definitely approve off, his best friend that he knows would never hurt you and if he did, Jughead has full control over beating him senseless."
"That's an uncomfortable thought," Veronica said making a face at the thought of Jughead and Archie physically fighting, they had had their little arguments before but it never got physical. Betty just shrugged helplessly, Evelyn Evernever made a comment when she passed Betty about how she was so glad they were away and leaving all the boring people in Riverdale and Betty's mood was soured for the rest of the morning. "Right now Jughead just thinks love and relationships are a waste of time, we watched 'The Notebook' yesterday and he made me question their love story."
"Oh that is bad," Betty said trying to figure out what Jughead could possibly have said to make Veronica question her all time favourite couple. "Maybe you and Archie can restore some of that faith in love?"
"I don't want to risk it, especially not when everything is still so new and Jughead's big brother-ness can be avoided," Veronica told her and then waved excitedly when she spotted Kevin searching the crowd for them. "You're late."
"We had to stop at the station," Kevin said looking fairly annoyed that he could have missed the bus all because his father was the police chief. "So V, are you ready to see St Clair?"
"I'm never going to be ready to see him," Veronica said frowning at the mention of him so far she had managed to keep Nick St Clair far away from her thoughts. "But it's fine because even if you and Reg are busy, I'll have my brother and my boy- Archie, I probably won't even see him anyway, it's a big school, lots of places to hide I'm sure," she finished lamely, hoping Kevin didn't catch her blunder before she told him what was going on.
"Your boy Archie?" Kevin smirked and Betty snorted, hiding her face as she laughed.
"Shut up," Veronica said with a roll of her eyes.
"Be careful about hiding in Sunnydale, people go missing there like it's normal," Betty said with an involuntary shiver and Veronica and Kevin shared a look.
"Don't tell me, the Vampire's got them," Kevin teased and Betty frowned, Polly once convinced Betty that there were vampires in Sunnydale and they were going to come for Betty if she didn't do exactly as Polly said.
"Oh look Cheryl's calling," Betty said dryly and Kevin squeaked, grabbing Veronica's hand and pulling her toward the bus, afraid to be late.
"Bye B," Veronica yelled.
On the bus ride to Sunnydale Veronica finally told Kevin and Reggie what was happening and swore them to secrecy, Kevin celebrated like it was the best day of his life and Veronica had to tell him to be quiet more than once as everyone turned to look at them.
Archie's dating record made Reggie hesitate at first, he knew that Archie was a decent guy and Reggie couldn't actually fault him for being unlucky with relationships. Archie never hurt any of the girls that he dated but he lost interest easily, he was always distracted, he never made the effort to keep the girl he was dating with him, there were always other things to do and that's why his friends with benefit relationships lasted so much longer, because neither of them really needed that extra attention. Reggie didn't want Veronica to get her hopes up too high for this relationship but from the way she was talking about Archie he knew that he was too late and any warning he gave would fly over her head.
Reggie looked over at Archie, studying the redhead for a few moments before turning to Veronica and nodding, letting her know that he too approved of this, but teased her for just breaking his heart without even giving him a proper chance.
"So this explains why Ginger has been sulking alone since your birthday," Kevin said and Reggie frowned slightly, he hadn't noticed any of that, but to be fair if something was happening that didn't directly involve Kevin, Veronica or Betty, he didn't really care. "Archie dropped her for you."
"Yep, he's all mine now," Veronica said dreamily glancing up at Archie who felt her stare and turned to wink at her before focusing back on the conversation happening in front of him and Veronica sighed deeply.
"V, even with Harper around, Jughead is practically stuck to Archie's side, he's going to figure this out really quickly," Kevin said amused at the lovesick girl he was looking at, it was rare that Archie and Jughead were not together.
"That's where I need your help," Veronica said with a sheepish smile and Kevin and Reggie shared a wary look. "Nothing crazy, I just need a distraction once in a while so I can have a moment with Archie, Jughead will work out his Toni problems eventually and then this won't be a secret anymore, everyone's happy."
"Sure, sure," Kevin said chewing the inside of his lip pensively.
"Archie is leaving for college in a few months V, I'm pretty sure I heard coach mention that both of them are going to be across the country, how's that going to work?" Reggie asked with a raised eyebrow, concern creeping into his voice, he never had a long distance relationship but he doesn't know one that has ever survived, even Jughead and Toni, who were relationship goals by anyone's standards, failed the moment she left.
"They haven't made up their minds about that yet, maybe Archie will be closer, he is serious about this, about me," Veronica assured them, blushing furiously at her own words, especially when she thinks about how much she trusts Archie and about how serious he is about them even though their romantic relationship is so new. "He won't let distance be the thing that messes us up, I promise."
"I don't even know why the other teams bother," Kevin said as they cheered the Bulldogs win. "That was the easiest win we've ever had, V your boyfriend was out to impress tonight."
"And impress he did," Veronica said, Archie was on top form tonight, she doesn't think he made a wrong move once. "I can't wait to have him all to myself tonight."
"Alright, keep it in your pants," Kevin laughed and Veronica grinned and blushed, still in awe that she could say things like that about Archie Andrews. "We still have the ride back to Riverdale, how are you going to get him to yourself? The bus is pretty open and I think Jughead and Andre are going to notice him sneaking into your room when you're back at the Pembrooke."
"He's going to sneak into the house through the servants entrance once Jug's asleep," Veronica said with a sly smile and Kevin burst out laughing. "Jughead won't even know that he's there."
"Scandalous," Kevin said, watching Veronica and Archie make eyes at each other across the field. "And very sneaky, V, I want to find a love that makes my eyes sparkle like yours do when you're thinking about him."
"You will," Veronica assured Kevin, hooking an arm through his, Archie was pulled into a conversation with one of their other team members so she was forced to look away. "Maybe if you look away from Moose you might find a guy who could be perfect for you," she said as gently as she could.
"Yeah? Well if you find a guy who's out and doesn't look at me like I'm a secret he's ashamed off, then point him my way," Kevin said with a resigned sigh and Veronica frowned deeply, she hated seeing her friend like this.
"We only have 2 years in Riverdale, there's a whole other world of hot guys out there just waiting for you, Kevin Keller, to take them by storm," Veronica said with a smile to try to make him smile. "You're going to have the greatest love story of us all, just you wait."
"Thank's V," Kevin said with a sigh, he knew she was trying to make him feel better about his dismal love life but he really didn't feel like he would. "You know I almost felt sorry for Ginger, she looked like lost little puppy before the game started."
"And look at her now," Veronica giggled, looking over at the blonde girl who was standing with another Vixen and the Sunnydale players who weren't fast enough to get away, touching their arms, laughing loudly and twirling her hair flirtatiously. "Now that she's not trying to get her claws into Archie, I think I could like her."
"Who are you kidding," Kevin snorted, Veronica was not a fan of Ginger, or even Harper, long before Jughead and Archie became involved with them. "Come on let's head to the bus, Evelyn is giving us the evil eye for dawdling."
"She's so high strung for a cheerleader," Veronica said with a frown and looked around to see most of the Bulldogs and the Vixens still on the field, the coaches were talking to each other and the players and spectators were mingling, winding down from all the excitement of the game. "No-one else is in any hurry, I need to go to the bathroom, wait at the bus for me okay?"
"Going to freshen up before loverboy see's you," Kevin asked letting go of her hand and then gasping and turning to face her. "Or is this a another secret meet-up like that kiss behind the bus before the game, oh are you meeting under the bleachers this time?"
Veronica who was already walking backwards just shrugged, adjusted her sports bag and pointed to her ears to say she didn't hear any of what he was saying.
"How dare you walk away from me!" he yelled laughing to himself, watching as she turned and jogged to the ladies rooms.
Veronica smiled to herself as she looked in the mirror, she looked happy, like a girl who had everything she wanted and nothing to worry about. Veronica dug out her hairbrush and sorted out the birds nest on her head before reapplying her makeup, trying to look put together without looking like she'd spent any time on herself.
"Hey V, make sure all the Vixens are out before you leave," Polly said as she left the bathroom where she and some of the other girls were prettying themselves up for the ride back home as well. Veronica spritzed a little bit of perfume onto her wrists and behind her ears, fluffing her hair and checking to see that all the Vixens were out before leaving herself.
She just turned the corner that lead back to the field when she came face to face with the one person she never wanted to see again, the one person she forgot about because Archie was all she could concentrate on. He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pocket, one knee bent, his head tilted toward her with a smirk on his face, if this was a year ago, she would have felt butterflies and excitement at seeing him waiting for her but now all she felt was dread.
"I thought I saw you walk this way," he said when he saw that she had spotted him.
"Nicholas," she said, once her brain started to function again, adjusting her bag on her shoulder and looking back, hoping that one of the girls forgot something in the change rooms and would come save her. "What do you want?"
"Now, now, is that any way to talk to the love of your life," he asked pushing himself off the wall and walking toward her, that smug smirk still on his face and Veronica's frown got deeper as she stepped back, she felt so stupid for ever calling him that. "Cheerleading suits you, you look hot."
"Why are you talking to me Nick?" Veronica asked, her patience running thin. "Isn't there a whole school of girls that you can annoy, or are Sunnydale girls not into your brand of asshole?"
"Ouch," he said placing his hands over his chest. "I'm just here to have a conversation with the girl that broke my heart."
"Oh, I broke your heart, I thought I was just an easy lay and we never had a relationship," Veronica said with narrow eyes, repeating one of the many rumours she had heard. "It also didn't help that I caught you with your ex-fling in your bed the next day, clearly I broke your heart."
"Don't be like that V," he said frowning at the sarcasm in her voice. "She seduced me, I never would have went to her, I was falling in love with you."
"Bullshit," Veronica spat, she hated how he spun his lies, she hated that she fell for it before, but no more. "You felt nothing for me."
"You know how the gossip mill is in Riverdale, they just twist everything around," Nick told her waving off the comment and getting closer still, Veronica looked around looking for the easiest route she could take to get away from him and toward the bus.
"And yet I never saw you correct any of them," Veronica said, feeling frustrated at the fact that if Archie was not her boyfriend then she might be considering what he was saying. The unresolved feelings that she had ignored when he left were starting to bubble to the surface and she was either going to burst into tears or slap him.
"You didn't give me a chance before you sent Andrews after me, he was like a bloodhound," Nick said making a face at the memory and Veronica rolled her eyes and frowned at how close he was but she refused to step back, she was going to stand her ground. "I wasn't done with you yet, V, we still had so much fun that we were going to have."
"I do not have such low self worth that I would have stuck around after you treated me that badly," Veronica gritted out, her lips curling disgustedly as he got so close to her that she could feel the heat of his body without him actually touching her.
"Come on V, don't be like that, it will be better now, you know you still want me," he said walking around her, his breath hitting her neck and she shook her head flicking her hair at him and making him move away. She used to love it when they stood like this before, so close they were practically breathing the same air but now she just wanted him to get out of her space. "We were good together."
Nick smirked when she didn't say anything, just dipped his head down to kiss her. Veronica held her breath and felt her instincts kick in as her knee came up between his legs and Nick yelped and staggered back ward, protecting his groin. When he looked up at her again, his face was set in fury and for the first time ever she was afraid of how Nick St Clair might react.
"You just never know when to stay away, do you?" Archie snapped, stepping in front of Veronica who hadn't noticed him until he spoke. "I would kick your ass but it seems V has beat me to it."
Archie didn't say anything else, just reached out to take Veronica's hand and led her away from Nick St Clair. "How did you know where I was?" Veronica asked when they were far enough away and she felt like she could think clearly again.
"Kevin saw me looking for you," Archie said his face was still grim and he was not looking at her, just making sure he put as much space as possible between her and Nick. Veronica nodded and then when they were far enough away she stopped him from walking so she could wrap her arms around his waist and press her face into his chest, smiling when he automatically hugged her back, exhaling deeply. "I'm sweaty babe."
"I don't care," she said, shaking her head. "Where's Jug?"
"Probably wondering what the hell is happening," Archie laughed, adjusting her bag on his shoulder as he removed his jacket and she realized that he grabbed her bag from her sometime during the commotion. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said biting her lip to hide her smile as he wrapped his jacket around her and shrugging her shoulders up to breath in his scent. She looked up at him to find him already grinning at her as they started walking again, this time just walking side by side, brushing against each other every so often, aware of the bus in front of them, where her brother was with a full view of them, together. "I'm with you."
"I just need to check with Cheryl that everyone's in the bus, I'll be right behind you," Archie told her, letting his fingers squeeze hers once before stopping to talk to Cheryl and Evelyn.
Veronica sighed as she ascended the stairs and came face to face with her brother, who did not look impressed at all. The rest of the students were rowdy after their win, but Jughead just stared at her with a straight face, Harper babbling away next to him but he didn't pay her any attention until he asked her to leave, Harper pursed her lips unhappily and narrowed her eyes over at Veronica for spoiling her moment before getting up and walking over to Ginger and her other friends. Veronica bit down on the inside of her lip as she waited for him to speak but she assumed that he was waiting for Archie before he said anything, the look of disappointment he was giving her made her want to turn back and stay at Sunnydale with Nick. She pulled Archie's jacket tighter around herself as if protecting herself from an attack but she refused to break the staring contest she had going on with her brother, if he was going to treat her like a child then she would act like one.
"Jug did you know that St Clair goes here?" Archie asked startling the siblings when he came up behind Veronica, hand on the small of her back sending shivers up her spine and urging her forward toward Jughead. Whatever emotion Jughead was displaying drained from his face, replaced with shock and then anger but before he could get up the bus doors closed and they started to move.
"What the hell Archie," Jughead growled, knowing that Archie got everyone inside so they could leave before he told Jughead this particular bit of news, knowing that Jughead would kill the boy for even looking at Veronica after the rumours he spread and the heartbreak he caused her. "Where is he?"
"Probably trying to crawl his way home," Archie said grinning and Jughead furrowed his eyebrows at his best friend completely confused. "The kid knee'd him in the nuts."
Jughead took a second to process the words, barely registering Veronica protest being called 'the kid' and then he burst out laughing. "That's my girl," Jughead said wiping his eyes once he had calmed down enough. "You good?"
"I am," she said with a shrug, the thought of Nick St Clair bringing her amusement now instead of anxiety, she leaned into Archie's side when he threw an arm around her as if he were just being her brothers annoying best friend like he used to be and she smiled into the half hug. "Never better."
A/N: Happy new year! I cannot believe we're in 2020, my goal for this year is to update in proper intervals, I know how much I suck, its honestly been so long since I have written but I have finally settled into some sort of routine where I have the time to write, that might change because I've moving again next month but hopefully I write enough in the next week that my life events wont stop me from being able to update
With all that said I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I hope you remembered what happened in the previous chapters lol
When I started this chapter I wanted Archie to be the hero and save Veronica and when I wrote it I couldn't do that, Veronica is badass, she saves herself, Archie is just there for backup and that is true in this story as well
Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed, please let me know what you think,thank you so much for the reviews, especially the ones I got in the last week that reminded me that there were people waiting for this chapter
I have chapter 9 written but its the chapter I struggled with the most so far, so I dont see it coming out very soon because I am picky and I will re-write it a fourth time, but I will try to keep myself from over-editing
Anywho, Until Next Time (^^,)