Author's Note : Aaaaaaannnnnddddd Chapter 2! I am enjoying this story. And I already have thoughts for another that I am convincing myself not to start. Anyways! Here's Betty! Be sure to let me know what you think!

Chapter Two Song Choice : "Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons

Chapter Two :

"So, do you know what that idiot boyfriend of yours was up to last night when he left you all by your lonesome on a Friday?"

"Cheryl," Betty Cooper said into her cell-phone, rolling her eyes a little at the same old conversation she and Cheryl Blossom always seemed to circle around to.

"Is it my fault that I don't think that ginger jockstrap is nearly good enough for my sweet cousin?" Cheryl went one, ignoring the censure in Betty's tone.

Betty smiled. Cheryl had her faults, but when it came down to it, she'd walk through fire for Betty. That didn't mean she would dignify the 'not good enough' remark with a response.

Instead she said, "You don't think anyone is good enough for me."

"True." Cheryl replied, "So where was he?"

"He was having a boys' night with some guys from the team."

"In other words," Cheryl translated, "they dragged their sorry selves over to the South Side with the sole purpose of getting shitfaced."

"Cheryl…"

"You know he does it! Not everyone is as innocent as you, sweet Betty."

"And not everyone is the devil like you think they are."

"Not everyone," Cheryl conceded, "but most!"

At the bold and generalized comment, Betty couldn't help but laugh. She took true delight in her cousin. Cheryl was not the type to see the good in everyone. Cheryl was the type to shoot first and answer questions only if tortured. She was very protective of the people that she cared about and to hell with everyone who fell outside of that category. Archie fell decidedly outside of that category. Betty had a theory on that. She thought on it in that moment as she looked out her bedroom window, across the yard and into Archie's darkened, empty room.

Archie had moved next door to her when they had been only five years old. The two had become fast friends. Slightly older, exceedingly protective five and half year old Cheryl had not taken kindly to having her beloved cousin's attention divided and disliked Archie immediately. The dislike only seemed to grow when they had all turned eleven and Archie had bestowed Betty with her first kiss. It was chaste, quick, and sweet; little more than a touching of puckered lips. But it had really been that moment that Cheryl had decided Archie was public enemy number one, as she had seen Archie kiss Josie McCoy the previous week at the swing set in the park.

"You're ridiculous." Betty told Cheryl in the present.

"And you love me for it!" Cheryl chimed, "Are you almost ready? I'm pulling onto your street now."

Betty straightened the gold bow in her hair and ran a hand down the pleated skirt of her uniform, "Yep. I'll meet you at the street."

With that, she disconnected the call and swiped some 'Pink Perfection' gloss over her lips. 'Perfection.' It was the ultimate goal, the ultimate expectation. It was how it was meant to be in her world. She stared at herself for a long beat in the mirror before letting out a heavy, almost exhausted sigh and grabbing her bag to scurry down the stairs.

"Mom, Dad," she called, "I'm going!"

"Have fun at the pep rally, honey!" Alice Cooper called from the kitchen.

Hal peered around his paper from the sofa at her, "Will you be late, sweetie?"

"I don't know. Cheryl is driving which is always an adventure," She grinned and watched her father roll his eyes.

"That girl is gonna drive Clifford into an early grave."

"I don't think she does it on purpose." Betty said.

Her father raised an eyebrow making Betty laugh.

"Okay, maybe a little she does, but that's just Cheryl. We'll probably go grab milkshakes at Pop's afterwards. You know they love to mooch off my employee discount. I gotta go! We still have to pick up V! Love you!"

"Have a good time, honey, we know you'll be perfect," Hal turned his attention back to his paper, missing the subtle twitch in his daughter's expression, "Call if you're gonna be out too late."

"Will do!"

Betty appreciated the trust her parents had in her. She was the youngest of three and the only child still living at home. Her older brother Chic had just graduated college and was working as an engineer in New York and Polly, her older sister was away at Berkley on the other side of the country. That left only Betty to take on all of her parents' attention. However, she had always been the good kid. Chic had been the stereotypical jock, partying with teammates and sleeping around…which to Betty's disgust was met with the whole 'boys will be boys' mentality. But she loved her brother and to be fair, he had never gotten into serious trouble. Polly too had been a party girl. She and her mother had clashed ideologies on several occasions and Betty had always played peacekeeper.

Betty had also always done her homework; she was a straight A student on the honor roll, editor of the school paper, cheerleader, debate team member, student body president and had a perfect attendance record at school. Her parents had bought her a car for her sixteenth birthday, so on the weekends she waited tables at Pop's to pay for gas and the insurance. She prided herself on being responsible; and along with that inherent responsibility came her parents' unfaltering trust. With that trust came an underlying expectation of perfection that Betty was determined to uphold. She didn't want to ever let her parents down.

As Betty rushed down the stone steps in front of her house, she couldn't stop the hysterical laughter that bubbled from her throat at the sight of Cheryl pulling up to the curb in her twin bother's cherry red convertible…with the top down.

"You're insane!" Betty bellowed, climbing into the front seat, "It's like twenty degrees out. It's going to rain at any second. Why do you have the top down?"

"Have to take advantage when I can!" Cheryl chimed, pushing the gas and taking off down the road, "JJ doesn't let me drive this baby very often!"

"It's freezing, Cheryl!"

"Oh, poo!" Cheryl spat.

If Betty were inherently responsible, Cheryl prided herself on recklessness. Betty was the voice of reason to Cheryl's constant need for a little chaos. The two balanced each other out well.

They pulled up outside the Pembrooke where the Lodges' penthouse apartment was housed in time to see Veronica Lodge come bopping through the door. She grinded to a halt at the sight of the car.

"We're going to freeze to death," was all she said.

Betty turned to stare at Cheryl, who then rolled her eyes and hit the button on the automatic top.

"Fine!" she snarled as Betty sat forward to let Veronica into the backseat, "You're both babies."

"Betty's lips are blue." Veronica said.

Cheryl glared, "Why do you think I'm actually putting the top up?"

"Ah, Cher," Betty smiled, "you really do care."

"Shut your face, blondie."

"I love you, too."

Veronica chuckled from the backseat, "I don't know how I ever lived without you two."

Veronica had moved to Riverdale two years previous in their sophomore year, the piece to Betty and Cheryl's puzzle that they hadn't even realized they were missing. A perfect blend of personality, Veronica was able to see the good in people like Betty but also shared a little more of the daring nature that Cheryl possessed. She had met Betty first when Betty had been assigned to give her a school tour. Their connection had been instant and from that point on, Veronica hadn't been willing to leave Betty's side.

Cheryl, on the other hand, had not taken to Veronica quite as willingly. As had been established since they were children, she had never like sharing her cousin's attention. The tension between them had started to strain Betty however, and Veronica had simply offered to take Cheryl to lunch one day. At that fateful lunch, the two had discussed their similar family lives, their love for adventure, shopping and all things new. And of course, their love for Betty. It was that day that they truly became the triad of power that everyone knew them to be : B, V and Cher.

Betty held her fingers in front of the heater, tying to get some feeling back in them as Cheryl guided the car into a parking spot in the school lot. 5:45 pm and the sky had already darkened to a hazy blue. The three girls clambered out of the warm vehicle and made a mad dash for the double-door entrance of the gymnasium. It was the first pep rally for the start of the basketball season. The entire student body of Riverdale High crowded onto the bleachers of the gym to stomp and clap and cheer as Cheryl led the River Vixens in chanting and dancing.

Betty scanned the sea of familiar faces lining the bleachers, but failed to find the one she was looking for. She leaned toward Veronica.

"Where's Kevin?" she whispered.

Veronica's perfect brow scrunched as her own eyes darted through the crowd, "Dunno. He should be here."

The girls ceased their search as Principal Weatherbee began introducing the young men who had made the cut for the Riverdale Bulldogs' basketball team. Betty beamed from ear to ear when Archie managed to catch her eye and give her a little wave from his place in line.

"And your captain," Principal Weatherbee bellowed, "Archie Andrews!"

The applause was shattering. Archie ran up onto the stage, that boyish smile on his face as he gave the crowd a larger wave than the one he had given just for Betty and then joined his teammates in the line behind the principal and Coach Clayton. He looked over and winked at Betty, making her cheeks flush red and Cheryl roll her eyes.

"Subtle, Cher-bear. Real subtle." Veronica whispered, nudging Cheryl with an elbow.

"He's a dumbass, Ronnie," Cheryl hissed back, "You know it. I know it. Hell, half the town knows it but he can dribble a ball and make a touchdown, so they all pretend he's God's gift."

"Betts loves him, Cher."

"Betts is too damn kind for her own good."

"Cheryl…"

"He doesn't treat her right," Cherly said and fixed Veronica with a look that declared the conversation over as the team stripped from their warm up gear to run a few plays and tricks for the cheering attendees.

When the pep rally/exhibition had concluded, Chuck Clayton emerged from a steaming shower in the locker room, "So, Andrews, you tapped that golden pussy yet?"

Archie tried to look irate, but ended up smiling, "I'm not sure how I feel about you referring to my girlfriend as the 'golden pussy.'"

"You love it," Reggie Mantle chimed, then turned to Chuck, "and that's a no, by the way."

"Boy," Chuck said, rolling on deodorant in front of his open locker, "I don't know how you hold back. I'd kill to go Neil Armstrong and be the first to plant my flag in that bitch."

Across the room, Jason Blossom cleared his throat, "Um, can we not call my cousin a bitch?"

Archie grabbed his bag and slapped Chuck on the shoulder as he walked by, "Sorry, dude. The territory has been claimed."

Archie, Reggie and Jason left the locker room together where Archie immediately spotted Betty standing near the double doors of the gym. She was laughing and talking with Cheryl and Veronica. Seeing her in moments like that always caught him a little off guard. She was so pretty, so pure, so perfect. And by God, she was his. He had always known she would be. Since they were just little and he saw the way people gravitated toward her pretty smile and shiny hair, he had decided that she was someone he would always want around. He picked up his pace to a jog to reach her. He caught her around the waist from behind and spun her around as she squealed.

"Hey, Babe," he grinned when he set her back down, but didn't release his hold on her, scanning her from head to toe with his eyes, "Guys, look how perfect my girl is. Where are you girls headed?"

Cheryl barely tried to hide her look of disgust. Another mark against Archie Andrews in her book, he was too handsy. He always had to be touching B, as though marking his property. Betty was not fucking property.

"Um," Betty cast a look at her friends, "Pop's, I think."

"Mind company?"

"Yes." Cheryl said at the same time Betty and Veronica replied, "Of course, not."

"Did you take care of Mystique?" Jason asked Cheryl.

"Mystique?" Veronica said, to which Cheryl gave a ridiculous grin and nodded in delight. Veronica turned her eyes back to Cheryl's twin, "This is me silently judging you…quite viciously right now."

"You can judge me any day, Lodge!"

"In your misogynistic dreams, Mantle!"

"God, you're hot."

"God, you're dumb."

"And on that note," Betty jumped in to stop the bloodshed, "let's go to Pop's!"

Archie slid two fingers under the edge of her uniform to touch the smooth skin at her side, "You wanna ride with me in Reggie's car?"

When he did things like that, especially in public, it always made Betty just a little uncomfortable and she had to fight to urge to twist away from his touch. She didn't know why it made her feel like that. She had seen other couples behaving in a much more risqué manner but something about it always felt wrong to Betty.

"Sorry, Archibald," Cheryl intervened before Betty could answer, "Cousin Betty has been entrusted into my capable hands tonight."

She slid in between the two, dislodging Archie's arm from around Betty's waist at the same time she looped her own arm through Betty's, smiling the world's brightest smile at Archie, "We'll see you at Pop's."

Without waiting for a response, she dragged Betty away from the group. Veronica quirked an eyebrow at the boys and then followed.

If Cheryl was loud, opinionated and outgoing, Jason was nearly the complete opposite. He was reserved and somewhat shy, only really coming out of his shell when it came to athletics. However, he had a quiet kind of authority about him. So it really came as no surprise when he gently but firmly relieved Cheryl of the keys to his car and drove the girls to Pop's himself. With him behind the wheel of the powerful car, they left Reggie's suped up phallic symbol in the dust and beat the boys there by a good twenty minutes.

As soon as the foursome entered the restaurant, Betty spotted Kevin sitting in the far corner booth with a long-haired, leather jacket clad cutie with piercing eyes. She glanced at Cheryl and Veronica to see if they had seen him as well. The grin and arched brown on Veronica's face and Cheryl's cat that ate the cream smile told her that they had indeed.

"Well," Cheryl said as Jason drifted to the counter to shout to Pop's that they were going to grab one of the larger booths, "do we all attack at once or do we send Betty as emissary? "

"Cher," Betty said, "he's obviously on a date."

"Exactly." Cheryl said, crossing her arms over her chest, "Did you hear anything about this date?"

"Well, no, but…"

"V?"

"Nope." Veronica answered.

"So, he's hiding this boy from us and I, for one, object to the blatant and intentional omission."

Betty couldn't suppress her smile, "You will never cease to fascinate me."

"I know, cousin." Cheryl said, "And because you have the heart of gold amongst the three of us, we'll allow you to go and ease the waters before we all pounce on Kevin and his, if I do say so myself, yummy snack."

More for the preservation of Kevin's hide, and perhaps a healthy dose of friendly nosiness, Betty broke away from her girlfriends to "fire the warning shot."

"Hey, Kev!" Betty said, her ponytail bouncing as she reached the table. She stumbled over her next words as Kevin's date leaned forward, revealing the bright green snake embroidered on the back of his jacket. Her eyes widened, "Wha…whatcha doing?"

Kevin was on a date with a Southside Serpent! Cheryl and V would love this!

"Hey, Betty," Kevin said, not a touch thrown off. Cheryl was wrong. The omission hadn't been intentional. Betty didn't know why he hadn't mentioned the date, but he wasn't hiding anything. "This is Joaquin. Joaquin, this is Betty."

Joaquin gave her nod of his chin as he leaned back on his seat, dropped an around along the back of the booth, and as such, around Kevin's shoulders.

"How was the pep rally?" Kevin asked.

"Same as it always is," Betty grinned, "Peppy. You know I came to warn you, right?"

"How long do I have before she descends?"

"Time's up!" Cheryl announced, appearing as if by witchery at Betty's side causing her cousin to jump slightly.

"How do you even do that?" Betty asked, turning to her.

Instead of answering, Cheryl slid into the booth across from Kevin and his date. "Cheryl Blossom: resident Riverdale 'it' girl. And you are?"

Kevin let out a long-suffering sigh, "Cheryl, this is Joaquin."

Cheryl did not get to really lay into her interrogation though as Veronica's call came just a split second later from the other side of the diner, "Cher! B! The guys are here! Come order! Hi, Kevin! He's cute!"

"My, God," Kevin groaned, letting his face fall into his hands.

Joaquin grinned, "What? I am cute."

Kevin grinned, "You are."

Cheryl fixed Kevin with a steely glare, "This is not over, Keller."

"Riveted with anticipation," Kevin retorted, unblinking.

Betty just smiled and gave a little wave as Cheryl led her away to where they were met at the halfway point by Archie.

"Holy shit," Joaquin breathed.

Confused, Kevin turned to this beautiful man he had met two days previous at the Twilight Drive-In concession stand, "What? What is it?"

"Nothing," Joaquin replied quickly, but even as he spoke, he was punching out a lightening fast text message to someone on his phone.

Author's Note : And that's it for now. Bit of a slow burn, I know, but once it starts burning, I promise it will be an inferno! What do you think of Cheryl and Betty? I always love the little moments in the show that reveal Cheryl for the softy I know she is inside. I decided to take that idea and run with it. I know there is a lot of exposition in this chapter, but I have to set things up! Please let me know what you think! I thrive on any feedback you are willing to give me. It help motivate me for the next installment. Until next time!