Last chance chapter 3 – The party
I stand at the front steps of my best friend's house, the steps I have stood on hundreds of times before. But this time is different, never have I felt this amount of pain and fear when knocking of this all familiar door. After the fight, me and Archie just had I doubt he even wants me here, but I have no choice, if I didn't come and celebrate Archie being a free man Jughead and Veronica would know something was wrong and I can't risk them finding out what happened. I already feel like I've lost Archie I can't risk losing Veronica and Jughead too. I knock on the door and brace myself not entirely sure Archie will even let me in. The door opens and I'm greeted by Archie with a massive smile on his face "Betty! Great you're here dinners almost ready do you know how far of Jug is" I look at him confused. Why is he being so nice after what happened less than an hour ago. I stand there for a second trying to read his face until I hear it. "B omg I'm so glad you're here, Archiekin's said he didn't know if you were going to make it? Something about you not feeling well?" Veronica asks this like a question but then continues speaking before I have a chance to respond "anyway I told him he was crazy there is no way his best friend would miss his victory party, but that doesn't matter because you look fine now" I stand there processing the words, hurting as I realise that Archie's happy greeting had nothing to do with wanting to make up and not lose our friendship, but everything to do with the fact that he didn't want Veronica to find out what had happened. I pull myself together and respond, "no V I'm fine, I thought I was feeling something but I guess it was all just in my head" I see the hurt in Archie's eyes as I speak. "well I'm glad it turned out to be nothing" Archie says. "yeah, I wouldn't have wanted something silly to ruin everything." I say. "WOW the two of you are sooooo over dramatic, none of us thought Betty was going to die. Let's take it down a notch. And why are we still in the doorway. This really isn't feeling like much of a victory party" Veronica chimes. With that I walk through Archie's front door the way I have hundreds of times before but I don't think being here will ever feel like it did then. "anyway, you to sit and I'll go help Fred in the kitchen" Veronica says in her even cheerier than normal voice. "you really don't have to do that Ronnie" Archie begins but is interrupted "No I insist" and with that the chipper brunette vanishes into the kitchen leaving me and Archie alone. We sit in silence for a few minutes, both of us clearly still heated from the fight earlier "is that the doorbell I hear" Archie says confusing me as there is absolutely no noise other than that of Veronica talking Fred's ear off in the kitchen. "No" I say half has a statement, half as a question unsure as to whether Archie is hearing things. "sorry silly me, you see I invited over all the other girls I've been sleeping with and I'm just sooooo excited for them to get here" As I hear the words come out of Archie's mouth I instantly know he is referring to our earlier fight. "I never said that your putting words in my mouth" I say angrily "yeah well at least I'm not accusing you of using me, do you know how much that hurts Betty" Before he has a chance to continue I interrupt "yeah well do you know how bad it hurts to come here tonight and see the two of you playing happy little couple" I say "OK because when Jug rocks up here you're not going to be doing the exact same thing? What do you want me to do betty tell her? Archie asks angrily "no you know that's the last thing I want, ok look I shouldn't even be here, I'm going to go" I say as tears begin to form in my eyes. I run from the room and make it out the front door onto Archie's steps before I hear him behind me "betty wait" he yells after me "what do you want from me Archie?" I ask as the tears begin to fall from my eyes "I want you" he replies looking just as hurt as I am in the very moment "No you don't, you had me Archie, you had me on my front door step last year begging you to love me back, you had me at sweet water river last night and here you are with Veronica. It's not about me it's about you and its always been about you. You want that chase and that's it, I can't do it anymore Archie. It hurts to much" I look at Archie tears falling from his eyes are they are mine and turn around walking into my house, trying to figure out how I'm going to mend my heart after Archie Andrew's has broken it yet again.