I hope this begins to explain how Betty and Chuck happened (trust me, trust in the notes - we are heading to Bughead land)
On to the next chapter, and another reunion!
Disclaimer: I own not a damn thing from the Riverdale universe. Disclaim, disclaim!
Song: Crawling Through the Window - Arkells
Two: Crawling Through the Window
"You were the singer, I was the drummer
Marching downtown, falling down in the summer
Call me on your way home
You swear she was a knock out
Crawling through the window
Every time we're locked out..."
Crawling Through the Window - Arkells
He'd passed out within minutes of his head hitting the lumpy, flat pillow. He should have expected as much, having been awake for thirty-one hours. FP, in his new effort to be Father of the Year, had led him to his old room and assured him the trailer would be quiet for the afternoon.
"I've got a meeting, next town over, "FP had explained. "You know, for being sober. We usually do dinner after Saturday meetings." His father was clearly embarrassed by needing the help, or perhaps by the addiction itself.
Jughead had smiled encouragingly. "That's good, Dad. I'm glad you have support."
With a shrug and a shake of his head, FP had deemed the discussion over, pushing open the bedroom door. "Get some rest. You look like you need it."
Understatement of the year. Jughead hadn't slept more than four hours at night for a solid three months. Too many loud arguments. Too many nights spent soothing Jellybean with music on his second-hand turntable. The blanket still itched on his neck and the mattress still dipped in the middle, but it was his bed. It would more than suffice. Body stretched out, he'd closed his eyes and slipped into darkness.
Until…
Tap-tap-tap!
"Huh?"
Tap-tap!
Jughead stirred, wiping a faint line of drool from the corner of his mouth. Rolling onto his back, his heart leapt into his throat. A shadowy figure loomed outside his bedroom window, illuminated by the light of the moon. His hand pawed the nightstand for a weapon, finding none. Goddamn it, there was a killer out there! Why didn't he have a knife, a bat, anything?
Tap-tap! "Jughead? You there?"
His eyes widened. "Archie?"
His hand reached for a cord, his blinds flying upwards with a tug. Outside his window stood a familiar face: Archie Andrews, his best friend since birth, thanks to their fathers. The very friend he'd been planning to call on tonight.
The muscular redhead ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Hey, Jug! I'm sorry, did I wake you? FP told my dad you were getting home today."
"Yeah, I mean, you woke me, but it's fine. I didn't mean to sleep until—" Jughead glanced at a nearby clock and winced. "Shit, it's really seven-thirty?"
"I can come back tomorrow, Jug. I know it's a long trip from Ohio."
"No, no," Jughead insisted. "Come around the front and I'll let you in."
With a thumbs up, Archie had rounded the trailer and disappeared towards the front door. Yawning loudly, Jughead stumbled down the narrow hallway to the front room. His wits weren't about him, which was hardly ideal for the conversation he needed to have with his friend. Archie wasn't a genius, but he wasn't a fool. He avoided speaking ill of anyone, even if they deserved it.
If Jughead wanted candor, he'd need to wake up. Fast.
Opening the door, he stepped aside, inviting Archie in. It occurred to him that he hadn't had anyone over in years. Jughead had always gone to the Andrews house, eating dinner and sleeping over as often as he could.
"It's good to see you, Jughead."
"You too, Arch."
An awkward moment of hesitation passed, then Archie embraced him tightly. Jughead returned the hug with equal fervor, exhaling a breath he'd been holding for over a year. He'd never found a friend in Toledo that he could trust. And without trust, he didn't dare exhibit need. Need could be manipulated, used as a weapon. His father had taught him that.
"Hey Archie, would you mind if I grab a quick shower? I kinda fell into bed after a day on a Greyhound."
"Sure! I'm sorry, I should have called first." Archie leaned against the door, hands thrust inside the pockets of his jacket. "I'm just really glad you're home."
"It's fine. I'm glad to see you, too. Five minutes."
He made it four. And in that four minutes under the surprisingly hot water pelting his weary body, Jughead had formulated a plan for extracting critical information from Archie. Like what the hell Betty Cooper was doing dating Chuck Clayton, asshole extraordinaire.
Tugging on jeans and a t-shirt, he towel-dried his messy hair in haste before slapping his trademark beanie on his head. He smiled to himself as he brushed his teeth, thinking of the time four years ago, when Betty had tried to ban the beanie from her home.
"Come on, Jughead! Take it off!"
"No way, Betts." I dodge her hand as it swipes at my head, narrowly evading its capture. "I've worn this thing for two years. It's as constant as the sun."
"Yes, it is!" Betty rolls her eyes. "I'm starting to forget what your hair looks like, under there."
"Messy," I deadpan.
"Juggie!" She pouts her pale pink lips and stomps her left foot. "I mean, it's summer! We're inside. Take it off."
She chases me around the coffee table, increasingly annoyed as I dart one way, then another. I'm actually starting to worry that she'll catch me. Determined Betty is a force to be reckoned with. I dodge left, then right again, but this time, she doesn't fall for it. I back away quickly, chuckling softly.
"Betty Cooper, you have a strange need to undress me. Freud would have a field day with your need to see my…" I swallow hard as she presses me against the living room wall. "Head."
Her cheeks flush crimson, but she's not backing down. "Jughead Jones!"
I press up onto my toes, but I'm scarcely taller than her. If she stretches up, she could seize victory in the form of a worn, grey knit cap with a crown embellishment.
"Gotcha," she whispers, poking me in the chest. "Now, hand it over."
"Betty, please."
She raises her eyebrow and smirks. "Gimme."
Fuck, it's happening. The panic is rising in my chest. My heart pounds, beating its frantic rhythm inside my skull. I feel myself gasp for air and the world begins to spin. It's stupid, but the thought of taking it off is turning my stomach. I close my eyes, willing the ground to stop spinning beneath me.
"Jug?" Her hands grip my shoulders, steadying me. "Juggie, hey, what's wrong?"
I shake my head helplessly, eyes closed tightly.
"I'm sorry, I was joking. You can wear it forever." Her hand cups my left cheek. "Open your eyes. Please?"
I force myself to comply, drawing a ragged breath. I focus on her face, feeling guilty for the worry she radiates. My hand covers hers and I feel the ground steadying beneath me.
"Breathe. Just breathe. It's okay. I won't leave you alone."
I could weep at her words, at how much a promise like that means to me. Instead, I draw a deep breath and exhale slowly. The fear falls away, until there is just the two of us: me and one of my best friends.
"Sorry," I mumble.
She frowns, shaking her head. "Don't be sorry. I shouldn't have pushed it. Clearly, it means a lot to you."
I nod slowly. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Then we won't." It's a firm promise, one I can trust. "Can I hug you?"
"I'd really like that right now."
Her arms are safe and soft, wrapping around me gently. I cling to her, but only for a moment. Our friendship means the world to me. Whatever this new… white noise in my head is, it has to go. I can't let a crush ruin this. Besides, she's only got eyes for Archie. It's hopeless.
"You hungry? I could order a pizza."
"Do you seriously need me to answer that, Cooper?"
She laughs, pulling away from me. "No, I don't. I just wanted to see you smile."
Spitting out frothy toothpaste, Jughead rolled his shoulders. Betty hadn't smiled once while waiting for her order that morning. That wasn't the Betty he'd known for twelve years. His father had told him things had changed in Riverdale, but what could have plucked the light from such an honest, loving person?
Archie glanced up as he stepped into the crowded living room of the trailer. "Feeling better?"
"Much. Wanna take a walk?"
"Sure. Weather's perfect for it."
They'd taken this walk many times as kids: Fred would urge them to stay within the trailer park proper, while FP would urge him to "let them be kids." Just beyond the battered sign of Sunnyside Trailer Park was a winding path through the woods. Veer left, and there was a clearing dotted with large boulders in a circle. No one knew why it was there, or how it had come to be, but everyone on the Southside had made at least one trek to the hangout. Archie and Jughead frequented it often, shooting the shit for hours.
It was a good sign that Archie was enthusiastically following him. It meant he was in the mood to talk.
"You scared the shit out of me, dude."
Archie laughed. "What, I can't crawl through your window like you crawl through mine?"
Jughead rolled his eyes. "Well no, Archie. Those football muscles are hardly a fit for the glorified doggie door called a window on that trailer."
Archie nudged his shoulder playfully. "Is that why you maintain that emo figure?"
"Well, how else am I supposed to steal dinner from your kitchen?"
The moon was full, dusting the forest with light. No flashlights necessary tonight. Jughead mulled his approach, debating how best to bring up Betty, never mind the unsolved murder of Jason Blossom. Heavy material. Jughead had never excelled at social situations, but even he knew that a reunion called for a pleasant chatter.
"How does it feel, being back in Riverdale?"
A flicker of memory from the morning meal he'd shared with FP guided Jughead. "It's good. Weird, though, but good. I mean, beyond the whole 'I'm sober, come back' deal with FP, it's a bit disorienting. A lot's changed in fifteen months."
Tell me about those changes, Archie. Spill, like you always do.
Archie sighed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's weird for me too, and I never left. Or something would happen and I'd think about how you would react. You heard about the Twilight?"
Jughead winced, shaking his head. "An institution, gone for what? Another mini-mall?"
"It'll have a theatre, at least. But yeah. Hiram Lodge had to recoup those legal fees, I guess."
Ah, yes. The embezzlement and fraud charges of New York property mogul Hiram Lodge had been major news, even in Toledo. Last he'd heard, Hiram had been released for good behaviour (ha!) and had returned to his Riverdale roots.
"Your dad tell you what he did when they tore it down?"
Oh, crap. "He didn't do something embarrassing or illegal, did he?"
Archie paused, leaning against an enormous maple tree. "Not at all. The Serpents hung out there constantly the summer you left. Maybe he missed you? Anyway, if he hasn't told you yet, I don't want to ruin it. But he did something really… dad-like."
"Archie, come on—"
"Jughead, it'll mean a lot to him to tell you. He was talking about it at dinner this week. Trust me, it's a good thing."
Jughead relented, leading the way down the winding path to the clearing. "And you? I knew you were playing football, but do I spy a varsity patch on that jacket?"
The redhead tugged absently at his sleeve, shrugging. "Yeah, Coach Clayton bumped me up when Jason… It's weird, walking in his shoes."
"Cleats," Jughead teased gently. "But yeah, I can see why."
And here's the opening to the murder…
"I still can't believe he's dead," Archie continued, sadly. "We weren't friends, but we had class together. We both played football. We'd sometimes say hi, on our way to Miss Grundy's room…"
Archie's voice trailed off, his head hung low. Shame. Something was there, something Archie was withholding.
"Miss Grundy? The music teacher? I didn't know you took music."
"Like I said, a lot's changed. Like football. I know I'm good at it, and Dad tells me all the time that it's my ticket to college. I get that. I know we aren't exactly rich. But I really like playing guitar. Miss Grundy offered to tutor me. She used to teach Jason, I think. She encouraged me to pursue music, to write more songs. And with you gone, and Betty on the internship in L.A., I figured I had the time…"
Oh, no. The shift in Archie's tone… The way he unconsciously licked his lips…
"Archie, please tell me you're not sleeping with a teacher?" The pained expression on his friend's face confirmed it. "Shit, how long has this been going on?"
"It's not! I mean… Not anymore. It was." Archie shrugged sadly. "I was lonely. I kinda get that now, that it was a stupid thing to do. But I really, really cared for her, Jug."
He wasn't lying. Archie's face was that of a heartbroken man. He knew that face well. He'd been staring him down ever since he'd slid into his mother's car and left town.
"I'm sorry, Arch. We all kinda abandoned you, didn't we?"
He ran a hand along his crimson wave, his hand shaking. "No! I mean, that internship was a dream for Betty. And it's not like you chose FP being a raging drunk that your mom needed to get away from. I made a choice. And yeah, it was stupid, looking back on it. But it was also real. And it got me working on music."
"How come you haven't told me about your music 'til now?"
"No one's heard it yet. No one else knows about Grundy, either. You can't tell anyone, Jughead. Especially not Betty."
"Of course not." Like he wanted to deal with Betty's reaction to her beloved Archie choosing an older woman over her.
"I mean it, Jug. Things with her are bad enough right now."
They'd reached the clearing, and mercifully, it was deserted. No partiers, no drunk teens. Just two old friends caught up in a dark conversation that had plunged further into blackness. Settling onto a stone seat, Jughead leaned forward.
"I saw Betty earlier, at Pop's. She was with Chuck." At this, Archie scowled. "She didn't seem like herself."
Archie grunted. "Yeah, that's a way of putting it."
"Really, dude? She's dating Chuck?"
"You're as surprised as the rest of us." Archie kicked the dirt absently, tugging off his jacket. "Well, except for Veronica and Cheryl. They don't seem to find anything unusual."
"Veronica?"
"Yeah, Veronica Lodge. Hiram's daughter? They moved here last fall, after her dad took the plea deal."
Jughead's mind drifted to the stranger seated with Kevin Keller at the diner. "Dark hair, overdresses for breakfast? Hangs with Kevin?"
"That's her. She's also Betty's new BFF. Latched onto her on her first day. By the end of the week, Betty was trying out for the River Vixens with her bestie."
The venom in his voice made it clear that Archie was not a fan of the friendship. Jealousy, perhaps? Fear of being replaced?
"So Veronica is the reason Betty hasn't written me in months?"
Archie shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I mean, Veronica has thrown a few parties since she moved here and she always invites me in person. She seems sincere. And she did tell Cheryl where to go when she tried to veto Betty joining the Vixens." His hands fidgeted in his lap, his gaze averted. "I actually think it's my fault."
Jughead tilted his head askance. "How is that possible? Betty loves you."
Archie's head snapped up. "You knew about that? And you didn't tell me?"
Jughead recoiled, as if he'd been slapped. Oh my God, did she finally admit it? She didn't write so much as a sentence about it in her letters.
"I meant as a friend! Betty told you she loves you?"
Archie grimaced. "Not in so many words. But she wanted to date. Like, be a couple."
"AND?"
"…I was with Grundy, back then."
Jughead massaged his temples. "You have got to be kidding me. Betty is your best friend. She's intelligent, caring, funny at the most unexpected times. And you chose a fling with a teacher?"
"That's exactly why I can't date her! She's one of my best friends! She's so perfect, and I'm just an idiot who plays football and thinks he can write a folk song that isn't complete garbage. And yes, I got involved with a teacher, and in the end, she left town and left me behind."
Jughead's money was on Betty joining the Vixens in a last-ditch effort to get Archie to see her as girlfriend material. After all, was there any greater stereotype than the football star dating a cheerleader?
"When did she tell you?"
"About a year ago. It wasn't too long after school started. Betty's been distant ever since." Archie pulled a pack of gum from his pocket and offered it to Jughead, who accepted. "She hasn't been writing to you?"
"Stopped in February." Jughead popped a stick of gum in his mouth and passed it back to Archie. "I've written three times since, but nothing."
Archie huffed. "That would be Chuck's doing, I bet."
Anger reared its ugly head inside him. "Is that when they started dating?"
"Valentine's dance kicked it off."
Jughead rose slowly, pacing around the perimeter of the sitting stones. "He's not the kind of guy I'd picture her going for."
"Me neither. I'd ask her about it, but I haven't been alone with her in months. She stopped coming to dinner around May. Your dad comes, though." Archie frowned. "I don't know, Jug. I can't explain it, but something is… Ugh!"
"Not right? Yeah, I felt that at Pop's." Jughead mulled their shared concerns for a moment. "Have you asked Veronica what she thinks of them? Or Kevin?"
"Kevin doesn't like it, either. Says she barely answers his texts. I haven't approached Veronica. I figure that she'll be all 'girl code' and shut me out." Archie stared at him intently. "I'm really glad you're back, Jug. I feel like if anyone can get her to talk, it's you."
"Me? Why?"
"She misses you a lot. She was so upset when you left. We both were down, but she went… dark. Carried that monster book you gave her everywhere. Took it to L.A."
Jughead waved away Archie's words. "She stopped writing me for a reason. If she can't be bothered to write a few paragraphs every month, I doubt she's going to make like a tea pot and spill."
"You're the only one who hasn't tried, man." His voice was scarcely a whisper now. "I'm worried, Jughead."
"Me, too," Jughead admitted. "I'll try, Arch. I just need to find the best approach."
"Oh!" Archie leapt to his feet. "The Blue and Gold!"
"Colours of our school?"
"The old school paper! Betty's been trying to resurrect it. Last time she came to dinner, she mentioned that she'd petitioned to re-open it for this school year. You're a writer."
Jughead nodded slowly. "I am. Whether I'm any good remains to be seen."
Archie grinned. "I bet helping her launch it would put you back in her good books."
"It's worth a shot." His breath was visible now in the brisk night air. "Should we head back?"
"Yeah, let's go." Archie clapped him on the back. "Welcome home, Jughead."
They walked in silence, each holding secrets close to his chest. Jughead knew there was something more to the relationship with Grundy, something Archie was desperate to avoid revealing. He'd seen the panic in Archie's eyes when he'd had pressed him on it. For Jughead, it was the web of lies he'd told himself and his friends, avoiding his feelings for Betty.
So, she'd finally clued Archie in. He suspected Veronica Lodge had hurried that along, to disastrous results. Maybe that was why she'd been extending olive branches to the object of Betty's affections. But Chuck… That remained a mystery. Had it begun as a way to make Archie jealous? If so, it clearly wasn't working, so why keep it up?
"Hey, Archie? Think Fred would be okay if I slept over tomorrow night? We could walk to school together like old times."
And I could try and find a moment with Betty, so she doesn't get caught off guard at school on Monday.
"Sure. Dad would love to see you. Bring FP, maybe. For dinner, not to stay over," Archie quickly added.
"Pretty sure my dad doesn't like braiding hair and tickle fights, so you won't have to worry about that."
Their laughter echoed in the quiet of the night, each teasing the other as they looped the park roads. At least this hadn't changed. He could still count on Archie Andrews. Maybe Riverdale wasn't too far gone from the way he remembered it.
Until next week's installment, wherein Betty Cooper finds out her favourite beanie-clad boy is back in town...
