Chapter 6 – Small town troubles
Living in a small town has its advantages, or so my mother always tells me, I personally am yet to experience any of these so-called advantages she speaks of. I can however think of the main disadvantage to living in a small town, everyone knows you. This disadvantage is all I can think about as Archie and I drive to Riverdale's only pharmacy and therefore the only place in this little town to buy a pregnancy test. The five-minute drive from Archie's house felt like an eternity as we both sat in the car silent and terrified. Both unsure of what our future would hold but finally feeling the full weight of the choices we have made. "Do you want me to come in with you?" Archie asks breaking the silence as we pull up to the pharmacy. "No, I don't want to risk anyone seeing us" Archie looks over to me clearly upset that he can't be there for me but understanding of my point "then I'll go in and get it" he says. I look at him almost jealous because of the thoughts that pop into my head "Then everyone will think it's for Veronica" I say, "Well people can think what they want but if anyone sees you with it they will knows it's for you" his point makes sense and I'm far too tired to argue, so I agree "ok" and with that Archie gets out of the car and enters the pharmacy. Within five minutes Archie emerges with a small paper bag. He places it in the car and begins to drive home. I didn't think it was possible but this drive is even more silent than the previous one, there is an absence of noise in every way. Almost as if we are both holding our breath. We arrive at Archie's house and make our way to his bedroom, Archie sits down on his bed as make my way to the bathroom, reappearing moments later with the test. "What does it say" Archie asks me his concern evident in his voice. "We have to wait 3 minutes" I reply as I join him on the bed, tear's beginning to fill my eyes again. "Betty?" Archie asks as he looks over at me "Yeah Arch" I say in a croaky voice trying to hold back tears. "If it's positive, what do you want to do?" Before this moment, I never thought that just one question could bring me to tears but it has. The tears begin to stream down my face as I try to answer Archie through my sobbing "I don't know" I barely get these three words out through the sobbing. Archie looks at me with guilt in his eyes and with that my uncontrollable fear and sadness turns to anger. "Don't look at me like that" I bark at him "Like what" he answers innocently which only makes me angrier "Like your guilty, like I'm somehow a victim of your actions. You didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do Archie and neither of us are the victims here Veronica and Jughead are not us!" Archie looks shocked by my words but they have clearly not had their intended effect as he looks guiltier than ever "I never wanted to hurt you Betty, I thought I was going away and I just couldn't let that happen without you knowing how I felt." Tears begin to fill his eyes as he speaks "I just didn't want to lose you" before I have a chance to respond the timer on my phone begins to go off "time to face the music" I say nervously. I pick the test up from next to me and turn it over revealing the word I had been dreading "Pregnant"