Finally getting somewhere!

I have no rights to Riverdale or these characters.


Pulling out his phone, Jughead texted Betty Meet at Pop's?

Yes.

Shoving his helmet back on, Jughead left for the diner.

Betty stared at her phone. Jughead had texted her. Getting up she raced out of the house and towards the diner.

"Betty," Archie called from his front porch.

Stopping on a dime, "Archie," she whispered as he came closer.

"Glad to see that you the Serpent won't be seeing anymore of each other," he gloated, "now you won't be tainted."

Sucking in a breath, "Archibald Andrews, I can't believe you!"

Archie sputtered, Betty never called him Archibald, "what's the problem?" he asked, "I did you a favor."

"A favor?" Betty screamed, "you ruined everything."

Stepping into her personal space, "take it down a notch, Betty," he said, "you don't want the whole neighborhood to hear."

Laughing manically, "hear what?" she threatened, "that you threw a brick through the front window of the Southside Serpents king's home?"

"It was for your own good," Archie lamented, "you'll thank me for it when that Serpent is back where he belongs, Southside."

Betty stepped closer to Archie, "you listen to me, Archie," she sneered, "Jughead is staying at Riverdale High, I'll make sure of it."

With that she turned and ran to Pop's.

Jughead pulled into Pop's lot as Betty came running.

Climbing off his bike, he caught her as she stumbled, "are you okay?" he asked gripping her arms.

"I'm sorry," she wheezed, "I don't know why…"

"Betty, take some deep breathes."

Putting her hands on her knees, Betty took several deep breathes.

Jughead gently rubbed Betty's back as she took deep breathes. He didn't know what had caused her to run, but something had.

Archie stopped short when he saw Betty kneeled over next to Jughead, who again had his hands on Betty.

"Get your hands off her," Archie snarled, stalking over to them.

"And if I don't?" Jughead challenged.

Archie threw a punch that landed against Jughead's eye, "that's what'll happen, Serpent," Archie spat, "let's go Betty," he demanded, grabbing her arm.

Betty twisted away from him, "I'm not going anywhere with you," she snapped, "I'm staying here with Jughead."

Archie had, had enough. Turning he threw another punch that hit Jughead in the abdomen.

Jughead doubled over before standing up and landing his own right hook into Archie's jaw.

Betty jumped out of the way as the two boys continued to throw punches at each other.

Hearing tires squealing, Betty tore her eyes away and watched Fred Andrews and FP Jones break up their boy's fight.

"Get off me," Jughead demanded, shaking off his dad, "I'm fine."

"Boy," FP warned, "what are you doing?"

Betty walked over, "Archie started it," she admitted, "Jughead was just defending me."

Jughead stared at Betty. She wasn't defending red, not this time. Maybe he had overreacted.

Fred grabbed Archie, "what in the hell has gotten into you?" he snapped, steering his son towards his truck.

Archie tried to shake off his dad, but Fred wasn't letting go, "Betty is slumming it with the Serpent to make me jealous," he seethed, "well it's not working."

Snorting, "Arch, she isn't trying to make you jealous," Fred explained, "she's moving on after you broke her heart and basically showed her that she meant nothing to you."

Jughead listened and his gazed snapped to Betty, who was fighting back tears.

FP looked at Jughead. He could see that the lightbulb was finally on.

Walking into the diner, Pop handed Betty a bag of ice.

Jughead just nodded at the older man, he knew Pop Tate had called his dad.

Sliding into a booth, "I just don't understand," he spoke, "what is going on?"

Taking a deep breath, "Archie and I have grown up together. We've been neighbors almost our whole lives." She explained as she gently pressed the bag of ice against his eye.

Wincing, "Betty, that's stuff I know," Jughead said, "I've been hearing that since I came to Riverdale high."

A tear slid down her cheek. Reaching over Jughead thumbed it away.

Resting her cheek in his hand, Betty closed her eyes, "up until last year, I had this image in my head," she whispered, "one where Archie and I were this power couple at school. Him football captain and me the River Vixen."

Jughead gently pulled her legs over his lap and rubbed the underside of her knee, "so what happened?" he asked when she stopped.

Coughing through a laugh, "Veronica moved here from New York," she stated matter of factly, "she convinced me to ask him to homecoming."

"Did you?" he asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"I did, but I made it a group date," Betty explained, "I wasn't confident enough to ask him to go with me by ourselves."

Pulling her ponytail down, "well we went as a group. All night Archie made eyes at Veronica and forgot I was even there," she continued, "when the dance ended, I told Archie how I felt."

Jughead nodded and squeezed her thigh, "he didn't react well," Betty said, "he told me he wasn't good enough. I was too perfect. The girl next door."

Nodding, Jughead gently wiped the tears running down her cheeks, "I still…"

"He didn't even wait until Monday to start dating Veronica."

Leaning over Betty laid her head on Jughead's shoulder, "he broke my heart," she whispered, "and I lost my best friend."

"Betty," Jughead whispered lifting her head.

"Why did you?" she asked, confused, "I thought you were mad at me."

"I am/was," he admitted, "I still don't understand why you would defend him if he broke your heart."

Betty watched him.

Smoothing a strand of her hair behind her ear, "but I also won't let him take advantage of you," he stated, "you're so much better than he is. Better than the titles he gave you."

"Who knew you could be such a romantic, Jughead Jones," she teased.

"I've got layers," he retorted, smirking, "I'm sorry I overreacted."

"Jug."

He squeezed her hands, "I don't trust people easily," he explained, "I tend to short circuit when someone does something even slightly out of character."

Betty nodded, "it's like I'm afraid to be myself. That they won't accept who I am."

Cupping his cheek, "I understand," she whispered.

She watched him set down the bag of ice. Leaning in she pressed her lips against his.

Pushing his hand into her hair, Jughead pulled Betty into his lap.

FP sat the bar and watched his son talk to Betty, "they look another couple of teenagers, who used to frequent that same booth," Pop Tate said filling FP's coffee cup.

"That was a long time ago, Pop," FP grinned.

Pop Tate nodded and walked away.

"Betty," Jughead asked as they broke apart.

Settling down beside him, "hmm…" she cooed.

Jughead smiled, "what is this?" he asked.

Betty's eyes popped open, "Jughead Jones," she said putting her hands on his shoulders, "I like you," she said, "I want you."

Looking at her, Jughead could tell that she wasn't lying to him, "good," he said, "because I like you."

Giggling, she rested her head against his shoulder as he picked up the bag of ice again, "damn," he winced.

"That's what you get for being a knight in shining leather," Betty teased.

"A what?" Jughead said pulling away, confused.

Betty laughed, "it's what Cheryl called you after the whole Serpent Slut incident in the hallway."

"A knight in shining leather," he mused, "it could be worse."

Putting his arm around her shoulders, he smiled when Betty settled against his side.

When Betty got home, Alice was pacing in the living room, "where have you been?" she demanded.

"At Pop's," Betty retorted, she didn't want to deal with her mom.

"With who?"

"Jughead."

"Betty."

"No, Mom," Betty snapped, "you can't say a word."

Alice glared at her daughter, when did she get so pig headed, "Betty, I can explain."

"Explain that you're a Southside Serpent who turned her back on the people who did nothing to deserve it."

Looking at the ground, "there were circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Betty demanded to know.

"Circumstances, I had hoped you would never find out about."

"Mom!" Betty snapped, "why can't you just tell me?" she pleaded, "I'm your daughter. My whole life you have always preached that the Southside Serpents were bad. Well, I have now met two of them and they are the furthest things from bad."

Alice looked at her daughter. Turning she walked into the living room, "sit down," she said, "let me give you, my side."

Betty followed her mom, "okay," Alice started, "phones had cords, Winona had Johnny and everything smelled like Teen Spirit."

"Cut the crap mom," Betty stated, "I already knew you grew up in the 90s."

Rubbing her temples, "back then I was a very different person. I was Alice Smith, a bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks, with enviable hair and no real friends," she said, "and one big secret."

"What secret?" Betty asked.

"I was pregnant," Alice whispered.

"By?" Betty asked but stopped. FP had told her that he and her mom had a history.

"FP," Betty whispered.

Alice's head snapped up, "how did?"

"He told me you two had a history."

Laughing, "a history? We couldn't keep our hands off each other."

Betty made a face. She did not want to know her mom's sexual history. Especially not with the dad of the guy, she was falling hopelessly for.

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones Jr, the ladies man, Mr. BMOC, all-American athlete," Alice remembered, "a stud muffin as we used to call them."

"He was different back then. Trying to be something other than what he was. But still trouble," the small smile on her mom's face didn't get past Betty.

Her mom had been in love with FP Jones. And pregnant.

"Did you ever tell him?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Like I said, FP was a ladies man. We had our moments and then he moved on and wouldn't even give me the time of day."

Betty stared at her mom, "plus I wanted a better life for the baby, so…"

"So, you set your eyes on dad, a prominent northsider who came from money."

"Don't make it sound so calculated, Betty," Alice chastised.

"It was!"

"No, it was self-preservation."

"How?"

"Look it worked out in the end that's all that matters," Alice said standing up.

Betty scoffed, "it worked out?" she screamed, "dad killed Polly because she was pregnant. You got together with dad because you were pregnant."

Alice stared at her daughter. She didn't know what to say.

"That's it?" Betty asked, "that's all your going to tell me?"

"What more is there?"

"Do I have another sibling?" Betty whispered wiping away tears.

"No," Alice admitted turning away from Betty.

"Mom why did you stop being a Serpent?"

"Because your father would have never associated with Alice Smith the Southside Serpent."

"Mom?"

"I lost the baby, Betty!" Alice yelled.

Betty watched her mom rush upstairs and heard her bedroom door slam.

Jughead walked into the trailer with a smile that wouldn't go away. Betty was his and his only.

"How was Pop's?" FP asked, watching his son from the couch.

"You should know," Jughead replied, "you were there."

Laughing, "had to make sure you and Archie didn't get into another scuffle."

"He started it."

"Betty said that."

Jughead nodded, "did anything else happen?" FP asked when Jughead stayed silent.

"No, we just talked."

"Then why do you look uncomfortable?" FP asked, noticing that his son kept pacing.

"Cause I need a shower," Jughead said walking away, "a cold one," he whispered.

FP smirked. Things were going to get interesting especially if Jughead couldn't get his libido under control.

Walking up to school the next day, Jughead took his time. His eye was killing him, but that was a small price to pay for who was waiting for him at the door.

Betty smiled as Jughead approached her, "your eye," she gasped, reaching up.

Stepping back, "it looks worse than it is," he said, "but it does hurt."

Taking his hand and linking their fingers, "I'm sorry."

"Betty, you have nothing to be sorry for," he said as they walked down the hall.

The hallway full of students stopped. You could hear the collective gasp as Betty and Jughead made their way towards their lockers, not caring that everyone was staring.

Veronica watched her friend and smiled. Walking down the hall she watched Jughead pull Betty close and kiss her softly.

Quietly squealing, "did you just walk down the hall holding hands with Riverdale's own Holden Caulfield?" Veronica asked staring at Betty.

Betty blushed, "yes," she admitted, "the past few weeks have been tough, and Jughead, he's been there for me."

"Swoon!"

Betty rolled her eyes, "so are you taking him to homecoming?"

"I don't think homecoming is Jug's idea of a good time."

"OO a nickname!" Veronica clapped.

Shaking her head, Betty closed her locker and turned, running into Kevin, "I want to know everything," he stage whispered taking her arm.

"I'm not telling you anything," Betty admitted backing away, "it's my business," she snapped before hurrying down the hall.

"Betty," Veronica called.

Jughead watched the whole exchange. Looking at Kevin, he could see regret on his face.

Walking over, "what are you two so curious about?" he asked.

Veronica looked shocked he had come over, "when?" she asked.

"I don't have a date," Jughead admitted, "it just happened."

Kevin snorted and then covered his mouth, "oh my god," he sputtered, "you're a romantic," he gushed.

Jughead glared at him, "so what if I am?"

"No, that's amazing," Kevin agreed, "Betty needs someone like you."

Veronica nodded, "she does."

"Do you two know why?"

"Has she?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah, she told me about her dad," Jughead informed them.

Kevin nodded solemnly, "after it happened, everyone wanted to know the details, all of them," he said, "Betty was bombarded day in and day out here at school."

"So…"

"I shouldn't have asked," Kevin said, "I'll find Betty and apologize."

Jughead nodded, "Jughead," Veronica started.

"I'll think about homecoming," Jughead stated, "Betty wasn't wrong though, it's not really my scene."

Veronica nodded.


Will Jughead go to Homecoming? What will Archie do? Did you like it?