The feeling of falling
Is still so familiar
The pain in my stomach
Is better but baby
Bright colors have faded
too early this year
And strangers look stranger
Around here
- Oren Lavie

Hal Cooper smoked. A lot. It was something that Betty thought was liberating for him: she remembered as a child before her parents divorced, her mother would constantly throw disdainful glances whenever he came home smelling of tobacco. It was his hidden shame for many years until it became his favorite form of freedom. The single man. The full time journalist. The man who drove his daughters around in a smooth, purring car that stank of smoke.

Whenever they drove down the highways, Betty relished his cigarettes. He would bring down all the windows, setting the interior of the car aflame with the sound of torrential wind, blonde locks from both Betty and Polly flying like desperate ribbons. It was the wind, the sound and the feel, that Betty enjoyed. She enjoyed the long rides where they would all take turns playing music, whether that be California Dreamin' or Hotel California, the sound of the droning guitars and melodic humming would entrance her as the red sands of the desert, the blue sky or the green, ancient trees claimed the scenery.

She could think. She could feel. She didn't have to speak. Her sister and her would contemplate ridiculous things, whether it be dance routines, crushes, homework or fantasy, they both would sit and stare out as Hal allowed gusts of smoke to drown in the over powering sensation of whipping wind. It felt like a hand, to Betty, as she pressed her face against the open window, eyes shut, feeling the element of warmth or cold stroking her face and playing with her hair.

It felt like freedom. She could act as if she were her own human, dressed in leather and denim and wild colors, riding to a place where bonfires crackled or city buildings loomed, where she could defy the Cooper culture of lace and straight A's.

She would relish those car rides. Those moments of quiet thought. When she was sixteen Hal would receive a furious call from Alice: and for some reason, those constant rides would disappear for Betty. That new slot of time would be given to study, study, study.

And now, in Riverdale, placed in the same home as Alice, she could never disappear from those duties. Yet she would cling to those moments, always. No matter what, they kept her smiling wistfully. That night she'd dreamt of the wind stroking her face, dragging her lips into a smile. Only she hadn't been in the car, she was on a bike- pressing her cheek against a leather jacket, her thighs squeezing onto Jughead as he sped through the land. Yet as she awoke to her second day of school, Betty felt as if those dreams and moments were long gone.

Even the idea of seeing that rebel on the bike again… It seemed as if it would never fabricate into anything else then just that: watching from afar. She would be trapped in that lace and pinky cotton. She would never have the guts to come up to him and bear her hidden wishes. He'd laugh at her. Think of her as a wannabe, perhaps. No, most definitely. She could just imagine it, as if it were a scene from some awkward 60s film, where the bad boy smirks, his cigarette flicking with the shape of his lips, the words 'I don't date little girls' striking her like a humiliating dagger.

And humiliation was something Betty would never want to go through.

With that final thought, she had to force herself to climb out of bed. No point in moping. This was, unfortunately, her lot in life. Just as she straightened and made her bed, Alice yelled, 'Betty, wake up! Breakfast!'

The young blonde could smell pancakes. Most likely flourless banana, healthy ones that Alice obsessed over (Betty knew this obsession well, Alice would always share healthy flourless pancake recipes on her facebook wall whenever she had the chance). But Betty couldn't care less, she was kinda hungry. Her closet, packed from that previous night, was a flurry of cardigans, sweaters, blouses, pleated skirts and sundresses. All sweet colors. Twisting her lips with displeasure but also thought, she was consigned to the fact that, yes, she disliked it all, but that is what she had. All she had. Pulling on a skirt and blouse, she made her way downstairs to see Alice serving up three banana-smelling pancakes on two plates.

"Hurry up, Betty." While she sounded tough, she smiled at her daughter. It was because she wanted her to succeed and wanted her to be perfect. That was every parent, Betty supposed. But it was annoying.

Sitting herself down, Betty tucked in, pouring maple syrup on them until Alice choked on her own, "Slow it down, sweetie, syrup is..." high in calories, unhealthy, will take away your figure, it'll... Betty ignored the comment and pulled away, acting as if she hadn't heard a thing. "Are you okay?"

No.

"Yeah."

She wasn't. She felt stifled. But how was it different to anything else? Whether it was Hal or Polly or Alice, all three of them had their expectations on one another. It didn't matter where Betty went. Perhaps even in University it would be the same. She would never be free. Pursing her lips in a pout, Alice edged closer to her, putting a hand over her shoulder and squeezing. "I know it's hard. Being here. It always is hard being new- but..."

"I'm a Cooper." Betty finished the sentence, holding in an eye-roll. To even admit she was a Cooper hurt. She felt as if the name was sour on her, as if everyone who curled their lips over each letter was somehow washing over who Betty really was. She knew she was born a Cooper- but lately, it felt as if it were no longer something to hold onto desperately, but something that clung to her possessively.

"And..."

"Cooper's never give up."

"Exactly." Alice smiled smugly, "And you have more of me than Hal, you can definitely do it."

Betty half-smiled. Sure, she hated being new. She hated it so much. Whenever they moved, it was weird attempting to implement yourself in a new school. She felt it was like a long running TV show, where all the characters fit together, the audience loves them, then comes the new character- where they tentatively test the waters, they try to fit in and it can be a hit and miss- the audience can hate them, the characters can seem perverted by the new order. But Betty felt as if Veronica, Kevin and Archie were nice enough. They liked her. And that was because she, her façade, her perfect ponytail and shiny shoes fit their cookie-cutter life. Of course she was meant for this role, for Riverdale, for the Cooper's. But if the real her- the Betty bubbling away inside, aching and desiring and thinking and feeling- ran free, what would it mean? She would be rejected.

"Thanks, mom."

They finished their meal, discussing what both of them would do, before Alice told Betty to start walking to school. "Do you know the way?" Alice hummed.

"I'll use googlemaps." Betty called, carrying her backpack as she exited the building.

There was no use for her phone. Archie had seen her exit and offered her a ride immediately. "It's not a problem." He smiled, dimple on his right cheek, varsity football jersey slung over his firm shoulders. He stood by his door, bag slumped by his feet as he locked his door. "Let's head off and meet Ronnie at school."

The drive was filled with brief chatter over different teachers, Archie warning Betty who was and who was not a good teacher, who was and who was not patient, who was and who was not to be trifled with. Betty appreciated it all, it was normal conversation. She smiled and laughed, warmly butting in with a joke or two that had Archie grinning and laughing and chuckling- it was hard to deny that he was definitely a nice guy.

"I'll be careful to avoid Mr Sweeny." Betty chuckled, "He sounds like a nightmare."

"Don't think you can, Bett's." Archie laughed, "If you're in my English class, you're stuffed."

"Well isn't' that swell." Betty snorted humorously as they pulled in to the parking lot. "What, is he a bit of an authoritarian dictator?"

"Of the worst kind." Archie moaned, pulling his car into park before shutting it off. He cracked his knuckles, taking in a deep breath, "the absolute worst." And for the second time in the second day, Betty saw a deep bitterness in Archie's face. His mouth was grim and firm, eyes glaring at the wheel of the car.

"Sorry...?" Betty breathed, a bit nervous. Did she bring something negative up?

"Oh?" Archie looked back at her, undoing his seatbelt, "It's not you. It's the fact that Mr Sweeny just..." He trailed off, adams apple jumping up and down as he struggled to find the words. With Betty's gaze plastered on his, he scoffed to himself before settling with a sigh, "let's just say, he obviously has a favourite. A very undeserving one, I should say."

Just a bit of jealousy? She thought to herself, nodding to him, "Well, we can suffer together, I guess." She could obviously see Archie had his flaws. For all the perfection, rosie cheeks and muscles, he simmered beneath the surface with an unbearable amount of pressure. He wanted to be the top, he wanted to be the best. And he was. Betty could understand Archie was more than just another rosy figure in this town, he was the star figure. Archie turned to give her a smile, "Well," Betty continued, looking out the car window, "There's Kevin-"

"And Veronica."

Veronica was waiting with Kevin by the school gates, dressed in her pearls and navy blue pumps. She waved at the car, as did Kevin, walking over, white smile widening at the sight of Betty, "Betty!" Veronica rejoiced that the blonde woman was to be seen with them again. She placed a warm, kind hand over Betty's arm as she exited the car, "What do you have first period?"

"Uh-" Betty pursed her lips, "Double Maths?"

"Oh, same!"

Before the bell rang, they all hung on the lawns under an oak, the pale sun shining into the rich, green leaves. The grass beneath their legs was soft, lush- and the sky... Betty knew it would never compare to the sky on an open road (nothing ever would), but it was undeniably beautiful. How could Betty deny that? But what she wouldn't do to just lie there, listening to some wailing music, inhaling tobacco and ignoring the luscious whispers of the world. She wanted to feel as if the grass were soft clouds lifting her into the endless sky, where she could whisper her desires, her secrets, her little jokes and theories and conspiracies. Unconsciously, she tangled her right fingers in the tendrils of emerald grass, using her left finger to rearrange a stray curl of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Betty?" Kevin woke her up from her thoughts.

Zooming back to reality, she smiled at the three, "Hm?"

"What do you think?" Veronica grinned.

"About what? Sorry, I zoned out."

Sharing an affectionate look, Veronica and Kevin thoughtfully proposed, "Well, Archie is practicing his guitar this Saturday, I'm free, Veronica is free-" Pausing for a second and gazing at Betty with pursed lips, the young man continued without skipping a beat, "You have to be free-"

"Okay," Betty managed weakly, shrinking as the three roped her further into their lives.

"We're going to go shopping for our prom dresses!" Kevin gushed, "Well- I'm getting a suit, but we should all drive down to New York, it'd be nice to escape this town for a bit."

The idea of pulling on dresses all day wasn't an awful plan. She kind of was excited, but, somehow, at the same time, a bit... Terrified. A bit... Apprehensive. And she wouldn't hate a trip to the city. It was only an hour or two away, ignoring traffic of course. It would be nice to hide away under the gritty, brilliant towers of concrete and glass. It would be nice to see a cacophony of people merging and disappearing. The very idea had a smile itching to her lips.

"Yeah- Sure, I can definitely go." Alice wouldn't mind (hopefully). The ensuing bell allowed her voice to drown under the shrill, hiding the clashing of emotions bubbling in her chest.

Maths was easy. The constant notes taken, the constant studying (even though it was the second week of school, and officially still Betty's first week) from the previous night meant Betty was set. Veronica struggled, and while her eyes seized the formula's on the page, it meant the entire class was spell-bound... Silence, in the room, allowed the blonde to stare at the black board.

This was to be her life for a year. She could do it. It's not as if this were new. Hal may not have been so strict, but he had his standards, he had his expectations- as did Poly. The excuses of 'we just want you to achieve' 'Betty you can do better' was a mantra that dug into her ears like invading screaming cicadas for years. And it wasn't as if it were all bad. She had a good childhood, parents who loved her, a sister who guided her, always a beautiful house and great education. Yet the ropes that guided her gently once upon a time had become vices.

"...hey..." Came a whisper.

Betty turned to see Veronica bent over her work, eyes set on the numbers that swirled over lines and dots and crosses. Confused, she turned to the other side, seeing a young woman staring at her expectedly. "Me?" Betty breathed, embarrassed.

"Yeah." She gave her a small smile, murmuring, "Can you lend me an eraser?"

"W-What?" Betty gaped like a fish, embarrassed when the woman gave her a curious, if not irritated, look. "Oh, yeah- sorry." Handing her one of her many rubbers (labelled B), the woman gave her a small thanks.

Maths continued on until the bell rang, signalling their thirty minute break. As Betty packed up, Veronica groaned about the terrible realities of algebra. "It's terrible. I'll need another tutor." the ebony haired woman sighed, dramatically throwing her hands in the air. Betty laughed, "Hey, I'm going to run over to the bathroom. I'll meet you in the gardens?'

"Yeah."

As Betty slowly packed up, planning to ask the teacher a small question about assignments and exams, a tap on her shoulder woke her from her plan. "Ah-" The young woman was there, playing with the eraser between her thumb and index finger. "Hey, thanks for lending that to me. I usually never use a pencil or eraser, so I'm always forgetting." She held it towards Betty, but the blonde shook her head.

"No problem. You can have it. I have far too many of everything."

Usually that would be that. People would turn away, thanking her, smiling, and they would be that person you would wave at in the hall, smile at in the cafeteria, maybe see once in a while in town and you awkwardly choose between a wave and a grin. While Betty turned back to her bag, she would have thought this girl would've left. But she instead stayed, "My name's JB."

"Betty." Betty replied. JB leant against her desk, watching as Betty tugged on her backpack, "Betty Cooper."

"Nice to meet you. You're the new girl?"

"Yeah."

"From..."

"Arizona." JB nodded, and it fell a bit silent. "A-And you? You're from Riverdale?"

"Yeah. Unfortunately. It's a boring place, isn't it?"

"So far." Betty laughed a bit awkwardly, warmth flooding in. A small laugh to break the ice, that' all. Maybe a bit more. But Veronica would be waiting- waiting with Kevin and Archie... But... There's no issue with more friends, right? "Well..."

JB continued to talk, obviously not interested in pleasantries. "Well, Betty, I ask everyone this because no one is interested- but at some point, someone must want to, and you seem like that someone, to be honest-" Oh, god, what would she ask? Her stomach clenched, excited and nervous all at the same time, "I run the Blue and Gold school newspaper. I'm literally one of the only people that do." Said with a groan.

"There's a school paper?"

"Yeah. It's usually published online, you can find copies at the office, in the cafeteria, we even get copies sold at the local paper store, it's not as hard-"

Betty felt something bubbling within her chest. Writing? She did enjoy that. "Oh- Yeah- I mean..."

"Would you like to join?"

"Y-"

"You don't have to say yes immediately!"

"I mean- I want to."

"Oh- what? Oh, really?"

"Yeah." Betty smiled, "It'll be fun. Writing about cafeteria mess ups."

"Oh, I assure you, once in awhile we get to write about mascots getting athletes foot."

Betty feigned excitement, "Scandalous." JB simply flashed a gentle nude smile, flashing her pearly whites. "I'd be glad to join… When do I come? Where do I go?"

"Well," JB pulled out a red planner, leaflets messily sticking out, "It's every Tuesday and Wednesday evening after school at 3:30 to 5 o'clock. Here's a lil map I crafted." Her slim fingers pulled out a folded leaflet, pushing it into betty's hands excitedly. "Not many people want to help out here."

"What fools." She wondered why. Writing for the school paper seemed so… Typical of Riverdale goody boys and girls. It should be bustling with students wishing to push the latest pumps and pearly looks, the best hair curlers and local milkshake shops that served the best ice cream. But perhaps it didn't suit athletes and future beauty queens. Betty smiled, "I'll definitely be there."

"Great." JB grinned. She played with her dramatically curled hair, looking excited. "Well… I'll see you around." That was the queue to walk away… A pause on an introduced friendship. But Betty was already bursting with happiness. Writing was her passion. It was something she could easily get excited about. Not dancing, not fashion- not cooking. It was writing. If Betty couldn't live out her desire to travel roads and explore skies, her pen could.

JB walked away, halting at the door, turning back and waving awkwardly, "Thanks- see ya."

"See ya."

"The Blue and Gold?" Kevin asked, eyebrows arching in confusion, "The school paper?"

"Yeah." Oh boy. Was it a social faux pas? While Betty would obviously pursue it… She wasn't in the mood for controversial actions. "Is it bad?"

Veronica immediately jumped in, back stiff, "Oh, of course not- I mean, it looks good on your record to write if that's what you want to do!" Obviously something was wrong. That big ball of anxiety was back in her gut. "It's just… JB… Runs it."

"Is something wrong with her?" Betty gave an uneasy laugh.

"No. Of course not. She's just…" Veronica swung a look at Archie.

"Difficult." Archie concluded, "She's kind of like really demanding. Always wanting the best 'for Riverdale'."

Kevin scoffed, "That's putting it nicely. She's the queen bee: always getting the best marks, always sitting in the best spot of the cafeteria… She's someone you don't mess with." He looked dead serious. Betty felt her stomach churn. The queen of the pastels? Oh dear.

Writing was exactly what Betty needed, though. She could vent, be a part of Riverdale but at the same time just the right amount of detached to survive. "Oh." Now it looked as if she'd be ruled over by someone so demanding, so insistent about the rosy haze invading that town and it's people, which could spoil all of that. The troubled feeling must have shown in her blue eyes, and she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Veronica looked at her with a sweet smile, "Hey, I'm sure it will be fun!" Not very convincing. "Anyway, you don't seem like a rebel in leather, you don't seem like the kind to write articles on things like…" She trailed off, failing to think of anything.

"Politics." Archie piped in, a helpful tone.

"Yeah, or drugs." Kevin added.

Betty hid her disappointment. Of course the blonde in the cardigan wasn't able to write seriously or about anything … Edgy (for lack of a better word). Don't get her wrong, she wouldn't exactly just write a Time's worthy article on the rise of fascism for the Blue and Gold, but she was intelligent. She could write, for pity's sake, about something deeper and bigger than bake sales and clichés. She smiled, "If I don't like it, I can always leave."

Again, while the three attempted to disguise it with smiles and grins, Betty could see doubt underneath those layers of letterman jackets and pearls. "Yeah. JB wouldn't mind."

Betty still had no answer as to why Archie hated the English teacher. But it became quite clear when she sat down between two empty seats, one that Archie filled on her right, and one that remained empty. No one would touch it. Betty saw plenty of girls and boys filing in – almost a full class- but no one sat next to her.

Heat flooded her cheeks as the obvious form of anxiety struck her. Did she smell? Was she weird? Did no one want to sit beside her because she was weird? Ugly? Stupid? A sharp pain shocked her out of her spiraling thoughts as her fingers unclenched from their tight, balled up fists. "Alright class." The teacher called out.

He was a wiry man, very tan and very thin. The hair he had left crowning his head was dappled with salt and pepper. He looked quite kind, "If all of you could quieten down, just a bit…" Any fear or caution Archie instilled in her all but disappeared when she saw his gentle eyes match his gentle hum. He seemed like that kind grandfather who never really wasted any breath but to speak some form of quaint wisdom. The classroom died down immediately.

Betty still felt embarrassed. That embarrassment intensified when Mr Sweeny's eyes darted on to her awkward form, "We have a new student. Her name is Betty…" He squinted, looking at a scribble on a torn bit of paper, "Coober?"

"Cooper." Betty instinctively called out.

Now all eyes were definitely on her. Not for the right reasons, either. She was the new kid, the annoying new character that messed everything up, the weird blonde girl who fit in but looked as if she really just wanted to be out of place- Betty gripped her thighs under the table.

"Ah, sorry." Mr Sweeny smiled, "Now, I've heard you came all the way from Arizona? Lovely. It's not as warm here in Riverdale, but on behalf of our town, we hope you enjoy."

What to say now? Thank you but I hate this place? Thank you but no. Thank you but I kind of want to die when I think of staying here another day?

Betty simply smiled, "Than-"

The classroom door opened.

The blonde was forced to shut up and stare. It was Jughead. That guy on the bike, the one with that leather jacket and those piercing eyes. He looked as if he didn't give a single fuck about being late, about interrupting or even seeming that little bit rude. His eyes stared straight at Betty (did he recognize her? That pastel girl who stared? She wouldn't blame him if he didn't), then to the seat beside her.

"Mr Jughead." Mr Sweeny didn't sound pleased, however, not furious. Was this the correct teacher Archie spoke about? The dictator? 'Of the worst kind'? "Late?"

"Yeah." That was that.

Mr Sweeny passed Betty a welcoming gaze, "Well, Betty, I understand it's a hard year to just begin with, so we'll all try our best to help." He seemed to embody Riverdale, Betty realized. However… She found it quite nice. Not overbearing, not fake, very real, very sweet. A cookie cutter man living in a cookie cutter, sweet, sweet life. She smiled, tight lipped.

Class started immediately, with the teacher introducing the subject of this semester's work: controversy. Some of the boys chortled, some girls giggled. Perhaps their mind jumped to something heated like sex or … Betty failed to see why anything would be funny, but she found it ironic.

However she couldn't roll her eyes or even write anything down. She felt … Frozen still. Ice blue eyes were gazing at her, burning a hole into the side of her head. Why was he staring?

"Controversy." Mr Sweeny began, "It's quite an intense subject, I suppose. Some would say too obscure- Vague, almost. But I think it's perfect for this class. Our society, and the many society's before ours, have values and standards for what it is to be an upstanding civilian. Here, it is to reach for the American dream, if we were in Rome a thousand years ago, the perfect civilian would own slaves and live a life of gluttony… Etcetera. To break that mold in any way possible… Now, that is controversy. An affair? Controversial! Drugs? Controversial!" He listed off a few more.

Betty wanted to listen, she really did. Out of all the classes, English had to be her favorite, and this subject … It was everything she felt about Riverdale, about how stuck she felt in her life. But those icy blue eyes were bearing deep into her and she couldn't stop herself from dreaming about what he wanted. Did he want to whisk her away on an adventure? Fuck her hard?

Her hands were clasped tightly under the table. What if he was thinking about how she was just like the rest of the Riverdale lot? Not an exciting person to look at, obviously very boring… What if he were thinking that? And what if she were imagining the staring?

As subtly as she could, Betty snuck a look at him- only to snap back to looking at the teacher immediately. He was looking.

"This semester, I want you to find a book – a poem, a report, a manifesto, whatever you think matches your definition of 'controversial', whether you support it or not, and analyze it. Really analyze it." Mr Sweeny's voice was a soft, passionate hum lulling Betty into comfort, but her heart was galloping a million miles a second. "I will give further instructions in a week, next Friday. You need to have something by then, it is part of your future assignment."

"Now, if all of you could open your workbooks," Mr Sweeny swung a crudely put together 'book' (Really it was just a pile of paper stapled together, obviously made by the teacher himself) in the air swiftly, "to page 78. We'll be looking at a brief excerpt of the Heart of Darkness, where I want all of you to answer the questions I've written on the board."

Betty didn't have a book. Her panic at that (please don't let the teacher call her out!) had her swing her head left, looking at Jughead who was now opening his own book (covered in drawings, mind you) and then right, to Archie who looked at her, "Do you want to read from mine?"

She nodded thankfully.

The entire lesson was silent and hushed, as Betty scooched her chair closer to Archie. "Are you ok?" Archie whispered, very quietly, "Is that serpent trash scaring you? I should have said, he always sits there."

Betty tried to remain calm, whispering back, "No. Of course not." Not scaring, just thrilling her. She felt as if she could implode from the excitement this dark soul gave her. Even looking at Archie, she was tempted to dart her eyes back to Jughead, to feel the zap of excitement spark inside of her at the sight of those electric blue eyes. "Not at all." She whispered lightly, as if she couldn't imagine why.

This intimidating man beside her, the typical jock on the other side- she was trapped between what she wanted and the lifestyle that was forced on her. Bubbling below her flesh, she felt a sudden whip of anger and irritation. She could survive without everyone looking over her as if she were a delicate china doll.

She looked away from Archie firmly, looking at the first question in the book (thankfully she'd already read A Heart of Darkness in her previous school) and quickly turning to her workbook to address it. She scribbled whatever she could (words- honestly, just any words that made sense). Normally, when a conversation had ended, someone would simply turn away and end it.

Archie leant a bit closer to her, tsking, "If he says anything, upsets you- Just tell me."

Betty turned to him. Would this mysterious guy hurt her? Would he even talk to her? A tingle ran down her spine. She surely wished he'd shake her life up- but doubted it immensely. Her cheeks burnt a cherry red as she realized the class was beginning to listen in. Archie wasn't subtle.

"Is there something you want to share with the class, Mr Andrews?" Mr Sweeny asked gently. His thick, bushy brows were flat, almost shrouding his gentle, dark eyes. Rage filled Betty's veins: the tug of war between the symbolic, mundane, Riverdale life versus something exciting had resulted in her being embarrassed and caught up in trouble. But not the trouble that elicited any feelings of fireworks or happiness. She wasn't sure how much more blood could rush to her head, her face was bright pink, matching some form of article of clothing on her body.

She looked to her table, flustered as Archie stumbled for something to say. "Ah- Well…" Just say you were offering me help, please, just- Betty prayed he'd be smart. Surely he would. That's what every student did: they lied. Betty should have known better with Riverdale, "Actually, yeah, I do." Archie scoffed, standing to his feet.

I'm horrified. My pastel life has essentially transformed into a monster- It is now thrashing me around so I can suffer.

"Go ahead, everyone is watching." It seemed as if Mr Sweeny knew what he would say.

"I'm warning Betty, the new girl," nonononNONONONONO "To stay away from Serpent Trash like him."

She wouldn't look- she couldn't look- she couldn't bear to rip her eyes from her piece of paper. And she just wanted to cry. Mortifying! How was Jughead reacting? If he hadn't already, he was surely going to steer clear of her for the rest of her life. If she were him, she'd drop out of school from embarrassment. If Betty had the power, she certainly would. Curiosity got the best of her, and shaking, Betty quickly stole a look from Jughead, only to see him staring right at her, eyes unreadable. She wanted to say something. Her mouth opened just a bit, like a gaping fish, before closing again. Sniggers ran through the class, a few jocks stood up and stood by Archie in solidarity.

Jughead looked away, to his book.

To Betty, it felt as if a door had closed permanently.

Betty didn't have to confront Archie. She wouldn't. She would never speak to him again.

Ever.

That was a short lived, two day friendship, the shortest she's perhaps ever had. Her pastel monstrous life was going to rip her to shreds before she'd even graduated. The class had stared, laughed- were obviously on Archie's side- before Mr Sweeny had damned Archie to the principal's office. Betty simply felt humiliated and stuck. At this point, she was already classed physically, emotionally and mentally as a Riverdale clone by everyone in the class, school and town. Including Jughead.

And she cared very much.

Any dreams (however distant they were) of him speaking to her, letting her share a cigarette, taking her for rides, fucking her- those were gone. They wouldn't happen. But it was nice to at least look at him without feeling total shame. Now? God, she couldn't even bear to think of him! Angrily, she picked up her pace, exiting her final class- Studies of Society (another one she so happened to share with Jughead).

Word had spread about what happened, and during the break from English to S.O.S, Veronica had quickly hugged her, apologized on behalf of her 'redheaded brute' and asked if she wanted to ditch (She should have just gone and fucking ditched). But Betty was furious. Furious with Veronica who was definitely pleased with life in that town, who was dating that 'redheaded brute' and who definitely did not look to Jughead as a friend. She was furious because she just wanted to cry to someone about everything in her mind, but she just couldn't.

Throughout the class, a few of the jocks had simply passed her notes, most of them simply images of a bulldog ravaging a serpent with a crudely drawn stick figure (with boobs added on even more crudely) standing in the background, a B pointing at the woman. Messages of support. She wanted to cry.

Obviously they all meant it positively: jesting, supporting her, showing her that she was an honorary member of the 'stay swell' group in their own perverted way. But she didn't want that.

She wanted to leave. She tried to remain composed, walking through the hallways, eyes straight ahead, before finally exiting the building. She'd have thought the air outside would make her feel less stuffy. She was wrong. She felt just as suffocated. Her cheeks burnt red when she saw Veronica and Archie waiting by his car. The red headed waved at Betty, eyes fixed on her. She was certainly not taking a ride with them. Whether or not that meant she was now not friends with Veronica and Kevin, she needed at least a night and guilt food to figure that out.

She couldn't begin to talk- she knew she'd just begin to cry like an idiot over far fetched dreams dashed away by an idiot who decided to ruin it all! Her plan was to keep walking when she was passing their car- but Veronica quickly chased her into a smooth hug, "B, I'm sorry you're embarrassed! I really am-"

"Gosh," Betty's eyes were burning with tears- Don't cry, don't cry- and she refused to open them lest the flood gates burst. However, when she heard Archie utter such an awkward word, she opened them, looking straight at him whilst Veronica's long arms squeezed her tight, "I didn't mean to embarrass you. I really didn't."

"Well you did," Veronica snapped, releasing Betty abruptly, but somehow graciously. "You really owe Betty something better than a 'gosh'"

No amount of 'gosh' could fix anything.

Nothing could-

VRRRRRMM.

A loud roar of life struck, the same monstrosity Betty had heard the day before, and simply in shock, she twisted around to see the same figure sitting on that bike, revving the engine with a smirk at all the young high school girls screaming in wicked delight. Jughead.

There was no helmet on his head, just the beanie from yesterday, and Betty felt a pang of heartsickness for the rebel (and everything he represented) she would never have. Archie, her mom and simply her luck had ensured that.

She squeezed her fists clenched to stop the bitter anger seep into tears. All she could do was stare wistfully, ignoring Veronica's small gasp of shock as he revved it once more.

"Pig." The blonde heard a certain red head mutter.

Almost as if Jughead had heard it, the ebony man scanned the crowd before his eyes landed directly on the red head… "Fuck off." Archie muttered again.

No.

It wasn't on him.

It wasn't on Veronica.

Betty could swear those electric eyes were on her. Her fingers slacked by her side, the pain throbbing like a pulsating heat. He was staring at her, briefly, like yesterday, like in class, as if he were trying to figure her out- trying to speak. But say what?

Stupidly, the blonde looked at Veronica, back at Jug with a look that obviously screamed, 'You mean me, right?'

Jughead's flip of the lip grew into a smirk full of tantalizing mirth before he shoved on his helmet and sped out of the parking lot, eliciting excitement from the crowd.

Maybe… It wasn't over yet? Betty couldn't help a hopeful half smile reach her face.