The first time Betty saw Jughead at Riverdale High, she had to admit he intimidated the shit out of her. Although she'd known him as a scrawny kid, she wasn't prepared for the tall, confident teenger that strolled into the Blue & Gold office. He was five minutes late to the newspaper staff's first meeting of the year, and had interrupted her welcome back speech. Dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt and his leather Serpents jackets, he just commanded a presence. Not to mention he was objectively gorgeous, with thick dark hair falling under a gray beanie and midnight blue eyes. It left her speechless for a few seconds before his penetrating stare reminded her she was supposed to be leading the meeting.
The newspaper's faculty advisor had informed her that two students from the former Southside High had expressed interest in joining the staff, but she definitely wasn't prepared for Jughead when he walked in. Firstly, she hadn't envisioned him as being into writing or journalism, although she silently chastised herself for giving in to stereotypical thinking. Beyond that, there was something about him that threw her off balance, but not necessarily in a bad way, she felt. It was more like she had to be on her toes because here was someone who wouldn't take shit or suffer poor quality.
As she began discussing assignments for the first issue, she turned toward Jughead and Toni Topaz, another Southside Serpent also new to the school, her pink hair and "don't fuck with me" glare almost as unnerving as Jughead.
"I thought one of you could do something about Southside High closing. Maybe the structural and financial reasons that led to its closure?" Betty suggested.
"I think we missed the boat on that one," Jughead responded, folding his arms nonchalantly and holding her gaze. "The school's already closed. It might be more relevant to focus on the integration of former Southside students to Riverdale High."
An awkward silence filled the room. In her two years on the newspaper staff, Betty couldn't remember anyone ever questioning one of her editorial decisions. She realized it could have been embarrassing for her, but the truth was he hadn't said it in a condescending way. She could tell that he just wanted to get the best story and wasn't looking to denounce her editing or managerial style. It kind of exhilarated her, in fact, that someone cared enough to challenge her.
"Actually, you're right," she said. "Go with that angle."
The meeting continued easily from there, with her friend Kevin taking his usual advice column and Dilton Doiley and Ethel Muggs pulling double duty on the first student council meeting of the new year. Toni reluctantly agreed to photograph the Bulldog's first game and get some quotes. They wrapped up and Betty began organizing her notes. The rest of the staff trickled out, but she could see Jughead lingering.
"Betty Cooper," he said, a glint in his eye, as he approached her desk. "Editor of the school paper. And to think we were supposed to be rivals this year with me editing the Red & Black."
"Well, what brings you to our humble abode here then?" she teased.
"I came for the water," he quipped.
Betty smiled. She recognized the quote from Casablanca. "But we're in the middle of the desert," she replied, quoting the next line.
An impressed look crossed Jughead's face. "You like classic movies?"
"There's a lot you don't know about me," Betty joked.
"I'd like to get to know those things," he said, his voice teasing but also serious. Betty blushed. Was he flirting with her? She couldn't remember the last time a guy had risked Jason's wrath to even joke with her, let alone flirt. Before she could think of something to respond, the devil himself barrelled through the door.
"Babe, what's taking so long?" he said loudly, the aggression evident in his voice. "Everyone's waiting on you." He then spotted Jughead and looked even angrier. "What's this jackass doing here?"
Betty tried not to grimace, but shoot him a calming smile, so he wouldn't overreact further. From the corner of her eye, she could see a look of irritation, but also something close to concern, crossing Jughead's face. "Just clarifying an assignment," she said, trying to keep her voice light.
"Whatever," Jason replied, starting to pull her away from her desk. "Let's go. I'm starving."
Betty shot Jughead an apologetic look as Jason basically dragged her out of the room. She was super embarrassed Jason had talked to her like that in front of him, even unintentionally. She was used to being Jason's verbal punching bag when they were alone, but it was another thing to harangue her in front of someone else. She was agitated throughout dinner, despite it being a celebratory meal for the first day of school with all her friends, and barely touched her food at Pop's. Something about Jughead's face when Jason entered the room was eating at her. As if he intuited the fractures in their relationship that she couldn't speak openly. She felt the need to apologize or explain. When Jason was out of earshot for a moment, she asked Archie for Jughead's number, casually throwing in that it was connected to newspaper business. No one batted an eye, for which she let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't in the headspace to try to make up a story or lie. Later that evening, after finishing the few homework assignments she'd received, and in the comfort of her own room, she worked up the courage to text him. Unsure of exactly what to say, she just went with apologizing.
Betty: I'm sorry about earlier…
His response was almost immediate.
Jughead: You never have to apologize for the shitty behavior of others.
Betty read it several times, unsure of how or if there even was anything to respond. It left her feeling a little apprehensive to be honest. Was he patronizing her in some way? Or just trying to reassure her? Then she saw he was typing again.
Jughead: The Twilight's doing a screening of The Barefoot Contessa on Friday night. You should come, if you like Humphrey Bogart :)
Betty: I wish! There's a football game on Friday. I have to cheer :(
Jughead: Of course you're a cheerleader :)
Betty: What gave it away? The blonde hair or the can-do attitude?
Jughead: Definitely the enthusiasm ?
Jughead: So you cheer every Friday night? I guess that means I'll have to tell management to start moving the classic screenings to Thursday then.
Betty: Haha, do you have that power?
Jughead: No ;)
After that, they began to text frequently, talking about old movies and books they both liked. They seemed to have so much in common, despite their seemingly different backgrounds. They both loved true-crime documentaries and classic American fiction. The conversation between them just flowed. Despite his hard exterior, too, she found Jughead to be really funny and intuitive, not to mention a sensitive and engaging writer. She started to look forward to Blue & Gold meetings and their heated, but good-natured newspaper battles over his articles (including his ridiculous overuse of semicolons). Not to mention their almost nightly conversations via text. She didn't think there was anything romantic about it at first. He was just a friend, she told herself. But, gradually, each time they spoke, she felt this fizz of excitement twinge in her stomach that she didn't know how to explain away.
For some reason, because she was editor of the school paper, she had access to certain student information, and the second week of October, she realized his birthday was coming up that Friday, coincidentally the same day as the school's homecoming game and dance. Despite being super busy with the newspaper's special edition, and being a senior member of the planning committee for the dance, she felt she ought to do something to celebrate. She knew Jughead had a bottomless appetite. (He was always snacking at newspaper meetings and also talked about food constantly in their text exchanges.) So she thought it might be nice to bake him something for his birthday. It was something she often did for other friends, like Archie and Veronica, so she rationalized it wouldn't be weird to do it for him too. That Thursday, she rushed home after school and managed to bake a tray of blueberry muffins before her mother got home from work and could ask what she was doing.
The next day at school, she used her lunch period to put finishing touches on the issue before it went print. He stopped by, not even, she noticed, because she'd asked, to offer his help. They'd finished up and a few minutes before the bell was supposed to ring, as he was collecting notes into his bag, she brought out the container for him.
"Hey Jug, I made you these for your birthday."
Jughead looked back and forth from her to the muffins, blinking for several moments, not saying anything.
"You didn't have to do that, Betty," he finally said. She went cold. His voice was chilly, distant. She'd never heard that tone from him and she felt maybe she'd done something wrong.
"I wanted to," she replied, nearly whispering, feeling for some reason like she was about to cry.
"Shit," he said, pulling his beanie off and running his fingers through his hair in what looked like frustration. He seemed mad, but she couldn't tell if it was at her or himself. "I'm sorry," he said with a sigh. "I just really don't like my birthday."
"Oh. Then I guess you're not doing something special for it tonight?" she asked, knowing better than to ask if he was coming to the dance. She knew he wouldn't be caught dead there. Her attempt to bring the conversation back to neutral failed, however, as she could feel her voice still trembling a little.
"Working at the Twilight as usual," came the gruff reply.
"Well, at least you'll have the muffins if you get hungry," she said, trying to sound bright, but to her ears it came out twisted and all wrong.
She turned away embarrassed, but then she felt his hand in hers. She looked back at him. He was staring at her intently, his forefinger impulsively stroking the back of her hand. "Betty," he said, his voice more serious than she'd ever heard, "Thank you. This is one of the nicest birthday gifts I've ever received." There was something so honest, so vulnerable about him at that moment. It was, if possible, even more mesmerizing to her than the bad boy confidence he usually wore. She couldn't look away from him.
She didn't know if he leaned forward first or she did. She felt their fingers interlocking and she didn't back away. Then, suddenly, they were kissing, his soft lips pressing gently against hers. Her body reacted instinctively, sinking into his kiss. It felt like fireworks exploding. She'd never had a kiss that felt that good, that full of passion and emotion. She just wanted it to go on and on. But the moment he started to move his free hand to trace the curve of her body, the warning bell rang and they sprang apart.
For several moments, they just stared at each other awkwardly like two deer in headlights. Finally, Jughead broke the silence.
"I shouldn't have let that happen, Betty, I'm sorry. It's my fault."
He sounded distraught and she didn't know how to process what was happening. Too many emotions were running through her mind. She was terrified at how wonderful kissing Jughead had felt, how part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and be kissed by him again and again, but the other part inside her knew, no matter how unhappy she was with Jason, it was still a betrayal. A major one. She felt both sick with guilt and dizzy with desire for Jughead. She felt the room spinning, her heart pounding, and her body, already flushed from the kiss, overheating. The only thing she could think to do was to run away.
"I….I have to go," she managed to get out before fleeing from the room, too scared to even look back.
The rest of the day was a blur and while inside she felt like she was running on empty, she knew she had to put a smile on and keep going. She forced her brain to shut down all thoughts of Jughead. She took diligent notes in her afternoon classes and carefully put the finishing touches on decorations for the dance. Although bone-tired, both physically from being on her feet and mentally from suppressing any feeling related to Jughead and the kiss, she still had to get ready to cheer at the all-important homecoming game. Cheryl had crafted a really difficult routine with new choreography, and Betty knew she couldn't disappoint. Somehow, she managed to get through that, too, despite her body feeling heavy and weighed down, as if she were slowly drowning. After the Bulldogs won the game, and the required celebration on field, there was no time to rest. She and Veronica rushed back to her house to shower, change clothes, and get ready for the dance. Blaring hyper pop and doing her make-up with her best friend finally made her feel a little better, especially as Veronica seemed filled with energy. It cheered Betty up a little and she started to get excited. She'd worked hard for the dance and she should be able to enjoy it with her friends. The thing with Jughead had been a mistake, she decided. Even he had said so, she rationalized. Stuff like that happened and it didn't mean anything. She would just pull back and focus on improving her relationship with Jason and everything would be fine. They were all pretty little lies, obviously, but she tried to believe herself.
She glanced at herself in the mirror and actually felt pretty. Her blonde hair was down in waves and Veronica had made her up with black eyeliner and a dark pink lipstick. The glittering pink gown with its floral appliques had a v-neck cut, showing off her cleavage. She felt like a sexy Glinda the Good Witch, but Veronica assured her it worked. After putting on the last few finishing touches, Veronica made her exit to pick up Archie from next door. Jason was on his way to get her and then the two couples would share a chauffeured car to the dance. Betty sat at her vanity and smiled at her reflection. She would make sure it was a good night. Nothing could go wrong, she promised herself.
The doorbell rang and she stood up, making her way out of the room when her mother called. She started to descend the stairs, making sure to walk slowly so she wouldn't trip on the floor-length dress and heels. She had to admit Jason's white suit looked really great against his red hair and she smiled semi-genuinely. He seemed pleased when he saw her as well, offering her his arm to take when she reached the last step. Even her father offered a ghost of a smile from the living room. But then she saw her mother's critical look and braced herself for the attack.
"Elizabeth," she said with a sigh. "It's a shame dark colors don't work with your complexion. You'd be able to hide all that extra weight."
The smile she'd had before froze on her face turning into a strange grimace. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "It'll be okay, it'll be okay," she repeated in her head, but then Jason pushed the dagger in deeper.
"No worries, Alice, she has plenty of time to lose a few pounds before prom in May."
Betty felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She couldn't breathe. Everything she'd said to build up her confidence in the last hour was now crashing down on itself. She could feel tears forming in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She couldn't break down, not in front of her parents, not in front of Jason, and not with the dance she had planned nearly single-handedly about to begin.
"We should go," she said, faking a smile to her parents. "The car is waiting."
Ignoring his attempts to grab her hand, Betty turned and walked outside, Jason on her heels. She got into the car and thanked god Archie and Veronica were already in there, even if they were canoodling.
"Ahem," Jason said, entering behind her.
"Oh hey guys," Archie said, looking embarrassed before his usually goofy grin appeared on his face. "Betty, you look great."
"Thanks, Arch," she murmured, afraid if she spoke in her normal voice, she'd be wracked with sobs. It hit her in that moment that in addition to basically implying she was fat, Jason had said absolutely nothing complimentary about how she looked.
She closed her eyes momentarily and tried to focus on the cheerful banter between Veronica, Archie and Jason as the car ride back to the high school continued. Maybe this night was still salvageable? She would try to put a happy face on, because that's what she always did, but there was definitely a pit in her stomach.
Upon arriving, they entered the gym, decorated in shimmering blue and yellow streamers in honor of the school's colors. The pendant lights the committee had picked out twinkled and Betty momentarily felt good for the work she'd put in and how it turned out. That moment went away as soon as Jason grabbed her hand, obviously to show the two of them off. Acting like the homecoming king he would obviously be voted soon, with his beautiful and enviable consort by his side, he pulled her along, deeper into the gym, stopping to accept back-slaps and smiles from fellow students. Betty tried to smile, hoping it was reaching her eyes. She felt so tired all of a sudden, so over this shit. Why was she even pretending to be the perfect, dutiful girlfriend to a guy who couldn't even tell her she looked pretty when she'd gotten all dressed up? Who didn't defend her and instead just poured salt in the wound?
"The gym looks so basic, babe," Jason said, his voice reproachful, as they drew near to the table where she could see Cheryl, Josie, and Reggie were already sitting. "I feel like you guys could have done more. It's homecoming after all."
That was the last straw. Any amount of pretty or positive feelings she had felt at the start of the night was now completely washed away by her mother's and Jason's comments. They had made her feel like nothing, less than nothing, and she wanted out of there. She couldn't fake it anymore. Everything in her body was screaming she needed to leave. Thinking quickly, she put her hand on her stomach and made a pained face.
"I don't feel well, J. I'll be back."
She ran toward the bathroom and once inside slammed the stall door shut. She breathed heavily and succumbed to the panic attack she'd been trying to prevent since walking down the stairs of her house. She screamed silently and let herself sob quietly. Crying wasn't enough, so she pierced her nails into her hands deeper than she ever had until blood dripped out of the crescent-shaped gashes. Only that managed to calm her a little. Her breathing quieted. She grabbed her phone out of her bag, not caring she had smeared it with wet blood, and texted Veronica.
Betty: V, I think I'm sick. I just threw up. I should probably go home.
It took a few minutes, but eventually the brunette responded.
Veronica: Oh my God, B, I'm so sorry. Do you need my help?
Betty: No, no, everything's fine. I'll just take the car and send it back for you guys. Enjoy the dance. Please tell Jason for me.
Veronica: Love you. Feel better!
Betty: ❤️
Once she was sure no one else was in the bathroom, she exited the stall and washed her hands. The cold water stung against her cuts and she winced but ignored the pain until the bleeding stopped. She splashed a small coat of water on her face, trying to rub out the tears but not ruin her makeup totally. Finishing up, she exited the bathroom. She half-ran to one of the school's back entrances, so no one would see her, and high-tailed it out of the building. As she caught her breath in the chilly fall air, all the thoughts she'd pushed away about Jughead from that afternoon came rushing to the surface. He never put her down or made her feel less than the way other people in her life did. And she never had to fake it with him. She could show annoyance or be demanding about what she wanted and he accepted it and wanted to talk to her after. And that kiss. God, that kiss. She wanted to hit herself in the face. Of course, it hadn't been a mistake. She had feelings for him. It was so obvious now.
Feeling steadier now, she walked to the car. and told the driver, "Take me to the Twilight drive-in."
