Ch 2) Temperatures Rising
After The Core Four spent some more time in the hot tub, they paired off once again. And went to their respective rooms. The atmosphere between the couples was tense, but each for different reasons.
Jughead and Betty's room
Jughead was laying on the bed in a bathrobe, reading a book. Betty was in the bathroom. Doing what? He was not sure. He knew that she was still annoyed with the stunt that he pulled in the backyard. But considering he did not actually do anything wrong, he did not much care for her attitude. "Did you enjoy that little stunt, Juggie?" Yes, she was definitely mad. That much he could tell from her voice.
"It felt good watching the look on Archie's face." He was clearly amused.
"You know? It really looked like you wanted to kiss Veronica for a moment there." She continued from the behind the bathroom door.
"Did it now?" Jughead was not sure what Betty was trying to pull, but he wasn't about to give her statement any merit. The only reason the teen even went through with his little scheme was because he thought Betty would know him well enough to realize he would never try to hurt her.
"yeah it did." She pulled the bathroom door open slowly. She was standing in what appeared to be a fake black wig, dark red lipstick, and lingerie.
Now Jughead was beyond confused. "What are you doing Betty?" He turned back to continue reading his book.
She was not fazed by the question. "I was thinking. If the thought of actually kissing her crossed your mind, then you should be punished." She began to strut closer to him, moving her hips in a sensual manner.
Jughead wasn't one to not satisfy his curiosity, and he had to admit. The situation was beginning to intrigue him. "And how are you planning to do that?" He took a second to glance up and down her body, as she continued to move closer to the bed.
"Oh, don't worry. You'll find out soon enough." She finally reached the bed and shoved him down on his back, climbing over him until she was straddling his lap. The blonde leaned down until her lips were right next to his ear. "Are you ready for your punishment, Juggiekins?"
That was enough to snap Jughead out of it. This was getting to be too much for him. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew that for whatever reason, Betty was not being herself. He put his hands on the girls forearms and gently pushed her off of him. "What's going on Betty?" He climbed off the bed. Turning around to face her, the boy waited for her response.
The blonde was completely thrown off. She did not expect Jughead to reject her advances. "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" He asked, incredulous. "You're not acting like yourself is what I mean."
"How am I not acting like myself?"
"huh, let's see,' he replied sarcastically. "One example is the way you're dressed," he continued counting off on his fingers. "Two, the dark lipstick, three, the over sexuality, and let's not forget. You called me Juggiekins." He was appalled with the girl's behavior, clearly. But he was also worried about her. Why would she act this way? "What was all this about?" He tried to keep his eye contact, but the girl kept glancing away from him, seemingly deep in thought.
"I don't know?" Betty didn't really have an answer that would satisfy the teen. "I just thought you would like it if I spiced up our love life a little." She kept looking anywhere but at him.
"Why would you think that I would like, let alone want that at all?" A thought crossed his mind. "Are you not satisfied with our relationship?" He really did not want to know the answer, but he knew he could not avoid the situation.
Betty kept her head down, and didn't say anything. That was an answer in and of itself. "Oh, I see." Jughead didn't wait any longer. The Jones walked over to the door, opening it before turning back to the blonde. "I'm going to go ask Veronica if there are any spare bedrooms that I can stay in for the weekend. If not, I'll just sleep in the living room."
Jughead's resignation flipped a switch in her mind. "Wait Jug-" She didn't get a chance to finish her statement. The door slammed shut, cutting her off. She was about to get up and go after him, when she decided that it would probably be better for her to give him some space for the moment.
Archie and Veronica's room
A Similar conversation was going on in the next room. Archie was still pissed off with Veronica. "What the hell was that about, Ronnie?!"
"What are you talking about Archiekins?" The Raven feigned ignorance.
The Teen was not up for playing games. "I am talking about you wanting to kiss Jughead in the hot-tub. I thought you said that you had forgiven me for kissing Betty. You told me it didn't bother you."
Veronica turned to face Archie, with a look of shock on her face. "Of course it bothered me, Archie. You kissed my best friend, the girl you used to like, and who used to be in love with you not 6 months ago." She was flabbergasted. "I know I have no right to be upset, because we were broken up, but it still hurts."
Archie did not know how to reply to that. "Look, Ronnie. I am sorry. I can't say it enough. But nothing either of us say or do is going to change the fact that it happened, and we can't change it."
Tears were starting to well up in Veronica's eyes. "Would you have ever told me?"
"What do you mean?"
She wiped some of the tears from her eyes. " If Cheryl had never blackmailed you, would you have ever told me?" Now she was the one who was upset. The question has haunted her mind, ever since he had first told her.
The boy was silent. It's not because he never would have told her. Archie did not really know what he would have done if Cheryl had not manipulated him. Truthfully, he never thought of it before.
The boys lack of answer was enough for her however. The fact that he has to think about it says a lot. Veronica tried to wipe the remaining tears from her face, but they just kept falling. "I need some space." She got up and went to the door. As soon as she opened it, Jughead's first appeared in front of her. He was clearly about to knock on the door. "What do you need Jughead?" Veronica asked, trying to hide her sadness from the boy.
The current state of the girl in front of him gave him pause. "I,I was just about to ask-" He changed his mind, and decided to voice his other question. "Are you okay, Veronica?" He tried to show her that he was actually concerned. Whatever bad blood existed between them, he still cared about the girl. And not just because she was his girlfriend's? Ex-girlfriend's? Best friend. He was not sure at the moment.
"I am fine, Jughead." She turned to hide her face from him.
He was not convinced. "Do you wanna go somewhere and talk?"
She was about to say no. She didn't want anyone seeing her in this vulnerable state. She hated when people pitied her. But when she looked up at his face, all she could see was concern. Without another thought, she agreed. And they both left the room. The door closed behind her, as they walked in silence towards the living room.
Even after they sat down on the couch, the silence continued. Jughead didn't want to pester the girl with questions. If she was anything like him, he knew she would start talking when she was ready.
"What did you need earlier?" Veronica was thankful that he was patient with her, but she still was not ready to start bearing her heart and soul to the boy.
The question disappointed him. But he understood why she wanted to change topics, and shift over to him. It seems what she said about them having ' a lot in common,' was true. "I wanted to know if you had any spare bedrooms I could crash in?"
She paused for a moment, wondering if something happened with him and Betty. Was it her fault? Did his teasing cause it? "There are two more on the opposite side of The Lodge." She turned and pointed to the staircases behind them. "You just go up those stairs, and there is the second room on the left. And the first one on the right."
"Thank you."
"No problem. I don't mean to intrude, but did something happen between you and Betty? Was it because of what happened in the Hot Tub?"
"Yes and no." He really did not feel like getting into it. He tried to show her that it was not a big deal, but she would not let it go. She could tell he really needed someone to talk to. So he relented. "Betty thought it would be a good idea to put on a black wig, and act like a seductress." The girl's eyes widened, in response to what he told her, but he didn't seem to notice. "Yeah, I know. It sounds insane. But it's true." He let out a pitiful laugh. "She said she was gonna punish me, because of the idea that I might have actually wanted to kiss you." He started laughing a little harder.
Veronica knew he wasn't trying to hurt her feelings, by laughing at the possibility that he might have actually wanted to kiss her. But for reasons the raven could not explain, she couldn't stop herself from feeling hurt.
Jughead saw the hurt expression,and tried to remedy the situation. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed." He placed his hands on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "I hope you know, I wasn't trying to be mean. I was just trying to point out that I was not the kind of person."
She looked at the hand that was on her shoulder. It was surprisingly warm. Then she looked up at him. "It's fine, Jughead. I know you didn't mean any harm." She looked back down, until she remembered what the boy had said about his Girlfriend. "So Betty brought back Mistress Hyde I see." She grinned at the memory of what Chuck referred to as 'Dark Betty.'
Jughead's eyebrows moved closer together. A sure sign of his confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Veronica hesitated. Betty never told him about that night with Chuck? Wait, he was in the room when Chucked mentioned it at his birthday party. Maybe with all the stuff going on, he just forgot. "You don't remember?"
The Jones shook his head.
"Chuck told everyone about how Betty dressed up in a black wig and some lingerie. It was at your party."
He laughed again. "I think I was focusing more on how I wanted to punch him in the face. To be honest, I don't really remember what he said."
A look of understanding crossed her face. "Fair enough." She waited in silence for a minute. "So did anything else happen? I can't imagine that would be enough to make you not want to be around her?"
"Yeah, she called me Juggiekins." He frowned at the memory. "It was all really weird."
Betty called him Juggiekins? Adding the ins at the end of names is her thing. Is Dark Betty supposed to be an imitation of her or something? Veronica quickly let that train of thought get derailed. It was too creepy to think about. There was a snapping sound coming from in front of her. She followed the fingers up to Jughead's face. He looked concerned. "Sorry, I must have spaced out for a second there. Continue."
There was a small moment of hesitation, while he stared at her for a little while longer, as if he was trying to read her mind. Surprisingly, the look didn't bother Veronica. What did bother her, was her own lack of discomfort. What was going on? True, they never hated or even outwardly disliked each other, but they weren't exactly close either. There was a time when she thought they might become close friends. It was when she told him that they had a lot in common. But after that, nothing really happened between them. Except when he gave her advice on whether to try and reconnect with her Father. They both got pulled into their own drama, and never really had any time to hang out or get to know each other. Yet in moments like these, it felt like they've known each other forever.
"So anyway," he spoke up, pulling her away from her thoughts. "Betty wasn't acting like herself. So I asked her what was wrong. She couldn't answer me. So I asked her if-." He tried to explain, but he seemed to have a hard time getting it out. Veronica didn't rush him, and he appreciated her for it. "I asked her if she was not happy with our relationship."
"Oh. What did she say?"
A despondent look crossed his face,before he tried to hide it with a look of indifference. "She didn't respond to that question either. Which is an answer in and of itself."
Veronica noticed the shift in Jughead's expression, but she decided not to comment on it. "I'm sorry that happened to you Jughead" She was curious though. What about their relationship was Betty unhappy with? It never seemed like it was a problem. Betty never mentioned it in any of their many conversations they have had about their significant others. She made a mental note to ask Betty about it later. When they were alone of course. No need to stir the pot even more.
"yeah. So now, I don't know where we stand. Are we still together? Do we break up? Do we stick together and try to work it out?" Jughead kept glancing back and forth between Veronica and the stairs that led to Betty's room. "I wish I knew what the problem was. It'd make the answer a whole lot more simple." He had a feeling he already knew the reason. It's been at the back of his mind the entire time. He just did not want to accept it. Was she still in love with Archie? Is he really just some placeholder until The Jock decides he wants her? Or is it something else entirely? "Anyway," he starts again, wanting to change the subject. "Why were you crying earlier? Did Archie say something to you?"
"He was mad at me for trying to kiss you."
"Oh."
"He was upset because I had told him that his kiss with Betty didn't bother me, even though it did." She scoffed at the fact that Archie had even for a second thought that it wouldn't bother her. "I mean how could I not be upset by it? Betty was in love with him until about three months ago." She gave Jughead an apologetic glance. He put his hand up, dismissing it. He was not bothered by the statement. He told Betty the exact same thing earlier. "Not to mention the fact that it happened not too long after we split up." She elaborated on her concerns, as fresh tears started to gather in her eyes. "She's my best friend for crying out loud." Her countenance switched to anger as she made her last statement. To put an end to this Shakespearean nightmare, when I asked him if he would have told me, had it not been for Cheryl. You know what he said to me?" The look in Veronica's eyes was less than forgiving.
"What did he say?"
"Nothing, zilch, nada. He couldn't even answer the damn question. Which shows me that he most likely never would have told me. And that is not okay." She gave him a hard stare. "I am telling you, Jones. For possible future reference. Never. Cross. A. Lodge." She warns, putting emphasis on each word. while moving her pointer finger back and forth in front of his face. Her eyes started filling with tears again, but she tried to remain strong. "Because if you do. You will regret it." After that her sobs got the best of her,and she couldn't hold her gaze anymore. She broke down, putting her face in her hands as she leaned slightly off the couch.
He didn't know what came over him, but he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her, and started rubbing her back, making small circles with his hand. She continued to cry for a while. Jughead actually ended up losing track of time.
After they separated, they looked at each other for a second, before deciding that they should call it a night. Jughead moved up the stairs and went to the first spare bedroom, the one on the right. And Veronica, not wanting to be around Archie right now, went to the second spare bedroom, the one on the left. Jughead laid his head down and instantly fell asleep. Veronica, on the other hand, had too much to think about. And it was keeping her awake. Was Betty still in love with Archie? Would they be competing for him once again? Did She still want to be with him after learning that he probably never would have told her about him and Betty. Why was she so comfortable around Jughead? And why was it so easy for her to talk to him? All these thoughts made her feel like she was drowning in her own self doubts. She shut them out. And when she finally fell asleep, it was around 1 A.M.
Alright guys, and gals. That was the next chapter. I am sorry it took so long. I actually started this chapter a month or so ago, but was unable to find inspiration for the rest. I really wanted to nail the dynamic between Jughead and Veronica. Let me know how I did. As usual, constructive feedback is much appreciated. If anyone had any concerns with the Shakespeare line from Veronica. The reason I had her say that was because in my opinion her character tends to exaggerate things. For instance in season one. When she tells Betty that getting Penelope and Alice in the same room without attacking each other was easy. And that what was actually difficult, was her having to chose which party to go to. Elton John's or some other famous person. It also relates to her and Jughead's tendency to add pop culture references into their speech.
On a side note. One of the things that bothers me about Riverdale is the dialogue of Veronica. At times it can be really cringy, and unrealistic. And besides the first chapter, I am going to stray away from doing that with my version of Veronica. I will admit, I don't really like what I have seen of Veronica in the later seasons, and much prefer what she is like in the several fan-fictions that I have read. Please don't feel like I am attacking her character. She has a great amount of potential. This is just my opinion on the character as of now.
Pertaining to Updates. Once I finish editing all my current chapters of My Naruto Story: Underestimated Genius, I will try to write at least 1,000 words a day for each story I have. Hopefully, that will mean that you guys won't have to wait so long for updates anymore.
I have to say I am pretty proud of this chapter. Considering I wrote it at 2 A.M. Well Anyway. Have a good night, day, or morning, depending on when you are reading this. And I will See you all next time.