I'm so fixated on the girl with the soft sound
And hair all over the place
- The 1975, Settle Down
Betty steps out of the shower and grabs her robe hanging from the back of the bathroom door. She wraps it around herself and peeks out into the hall, making sure Jughead's not home yet. Realizing she's alone, she walks down to the end of the hall, passing Jughead's room on the way to her own. Stopping, she slips into his room to look for his photography portfolio. His walls are littered with hundreds of little Polaroid snapshots. If you can name it, he most likely has a photo of it somewhere on his walls. According to Jughead everything was an inspiration, from empty pizza boxes to the white noise on broken TV screens. Beneath each photo was a caption, scratched out in his messy scrawl. His room is dark and brooding, definitely clashing with the rest of the apartment.
She misses the days when she and Ronnie used to be roommates. There were never dirty socks left lingering around the apartment or fast food wrappers tucked inside the couch cushions when she'd lived with Ronnie. Thankfully, her best friend was right across the hall, so she was never far away when there was a crisis.
Betty hears the lock unclick in the front door. Grabbing Jughead's portfolio from his desk she sneaks off into her room to get dressed. Flipping through a few pages, Betty admires his work until he yells down the hall, signaling his arrival. She settles into a pair of yoga pants and an old T-shirt. Quickly, she runs a brush through her damp hair and tosses it up into a messy bun, eager to get to her Chinese food.
The scent of soy sauce assaults her senses as she walks towards the kitchen. Betty inhales it welcomingly. "Something smells amazing." She says, grabbing two forks from the drawer next to the fridge and handing one to Jughead.
He accepts the utensil and stabs a piece of his General Tso chicken, popping it in his mouth and moaning deeply. Betty finds it almost orgasmic. "Courtesy of Ying and Yang Takee Outee. Whoever invented American-Chinese food is a God." Jughead replies with a full mouth.
Betty nods in agreement as she takes a bite, feeling as though she just swallowed a little bit of heaven. "I know. My life wouldn't be the same without it. Where are those fortune cookies I asked you about?"
Jughead smiles and empties his jacket pockets. At least ten or so fortune cookies roll out onto the table. "I may have taken a few extra. They really shouldn't leave a bowl of them sitting there on the counter next to the register. I practically emptied them out."
Betty scans the table in front of her, carefully choosing two cookies and hoarding them near her plate. Jughead arches an eyebrow in amusement and Betty swoons at the sight. She blushes. "What? My future depends on these cookies. They've never steered me wrong before."
Jughead laughs and looks up at Betty. "I also picked up some of your favorite wine. Archie and Ronnie are coming over tonight for games. I figured after the stressful day I've caused you, you could use a little pick me up."
Smiling at his gesture, Betty takes another bite and glances down at her food. She knows the wine is a bribe but she willingly accepts it. After all Cherry Wine is one of her weaknesses. "Thank you Jughead, that's really sweet of you. But you're not getting me to agree to your little project that easily." She unwraps a fortune cookie from its plastic coating and breaks the shell apart. 'Be prepared to accept an exciting opportunity in the future', she read to herself, unable to handle the irony of it.
The boy in the crown shaped beanie groans. "But I bought you Chinese food. I committed a felony for you." He points to the scattered fortune cookies and laughs. "They may never let me step foot in there again."
"I hardly doubt pilfering fortune cookies from a Chinese Restaurant constitutes itself as a felony. You must live in your own fantasy world Jughead."
Jughead grins. "I do. It's a great place, you should come visit sometime."
They both laugh and continue eating their dinner before it gets too cold. Jughead doesn't mention the photoshoot again and Betty is thankful for that.
Around 8 o'clock Ronnie and Archie barge into their apartment with an assortment of snacks, beer, and games. "Betty!" Ronnie runs to Betty and envelopes her in a hug, as if they hadn't last seen each other just the day before. Ronnie gives her a look, silently asking if she's agreed to Jughead's proposal. Betty shakes her head and walks around her friend. She reaches into the cabinets and grabs them each a wine glass, happy to share with her friend.
"But look what he bought me to try and sway my decision."
Ronnie's eyes go wide. "That's a $60 bottle of wine Betty." Ronnie nudges Betty's shoulder. "I'm telling you, he REALLY wants to see you naked. And not just because of his assignment."
Betty rolls her eyes and takes the bottle of wine and the two glasses into the living room, where the boys are sitting around the coffee table, setting up a game Betty's never played before.
"What's this?" She asks, setting the glasses and wine down on the table. She pulls the ottoman over from beneath the window so she has something to sit on besides the floor. Betty pats the spot next to her, inviting Ronnie to sit beside her.
"This, my dear Betty, is a very dirty game. You're going to need this," Archie hands her a three ring binder, labeled The Dick-sho-nary.
"Clever." Betty giggles, opening it up and reading through the words and phrases, most she'd never heard of before. "Where did you get these from, Urban Dictionary?"
Archie shakes his head, setting up the board game and grabbing out a dry eraser board and multiple colored markers. "It's called Draw What? It's like a twisted turn on Pictionary, and a lot more fun. The dictionary comes with the game. Ronnie organized the binder though."
Ronnie nods and pours her and Betty a glass of wine each. "This baby isn't going to last us long." She says, tapping a perfectly manicured nail against the glass bottle.
Jughead pops the top on his beer and takes a refreshing sip of the amber liquid. "Don't worry, I bought two." He smiles smugly at the girls and takes another sip.
Ronnie turns to Betty and leans over to whisper in her ear. "Yup, he definitely wants to see you naked."
Betty feels all the heat in her body rush to her cheeks, turning them a nice rosy red. She takes a long sip of her wine, finishing half the glass before setting it back down on the table, ignoring Ronnie's comment. "So if this is like Pictionary, shouldn't we have teams?"
Archie nods. "Yeah. Boys vs. girls work for you ladies?"
"Sounds perfect, Betty and I always win anyway." Ronnie wraps her arm around Betty and leans her head on her shoulder.
Betty becomes captivated by the game. The little pawns are different colored butt plugs that they use to move around the board, and every so often a team lands on an 'Act It Out' square. Archie was unfortunate enough to have to act out 'Suck a bag of dicks'. Betty almost pees her pants at Jughead's reaction when he read the card, unable to correctly guess the answer.
"How is that even a thing?" Betty asks, still laughing as she reads the card, taking another sip of her wine, already on her third glass.
The game ends and Ronnie and Betty come out victorious, all to Jughead's lack of guessing skills. They raise a toast and shout, "To sucking a bag of dicks!" Betty erupts into a fit of giggles, tears appearing at the corner of her eyes.
For the next round the teams switch, now Ronnie and Archie versus Betty and Jughead. Once Jughead is beside her, Betty leans over and places her hand over his. "Don't worry Juggie, I had no idea what he was acting out either."
Before the second game starts up, Betty excuses herself to use to the restroom. Stumbling into the bathroom she looks in the mirror. Her cheeks are flushed and little pieces of loose blonde curls frame the sides of her face. Quickly she pees, knowing she'll regret it in 20 minutes when she'll need to go again.
She flushes and washes her hands, ready to return to her friends when Ronnie walks in. Betty gasps. "I could have been indisposed!"
"Shut up Betty, I've seen you pee before, it wouldn't have been anything new to me." Ronnie checks her lipstick in the mirror and runs her fingers through her hair. "I really needed to tell you something though."
Betty looks at her, waiting. "Tell me what?"
Ronnie smiles slyly. "Oh just that Jughead's barely taken his eyes off of you all night. Have you noticed?"
The blonde shakes her head, her bun loosening on her head.
"Well he has. I really think you should pose for him. It might lead to a beautiful budding relationship. Not as beautiful and as budding as mine and Archie's, but it could be close."
Betty lowers her gaze and chews on her bottom lip, lost in thought. He'd been so nice to her that evening, and had even spent over $120.00 on wine for her. He stole fortune cookies and bought her dinner. And he really did help her out back when she'd been stressing over her thesis paper two years ago. All she had to do was take her clothes off for him and smile.
"I think I'm going to do it," she whispers, feeling an unfamiliar warmth inside her belly.
"No way Betts, are you serious? Just ask him to do a practice shoot first and wear all your clothes or maybe just your underwear. Find out what makes you comfortable."
Betty nods. "I wish I had your confidence V. Hey, maybe we could both do the shoot together."
Ronnie's eyes are wide as saucers. "As much as I'm sure Jughead and Archie would love those pictures, I'm going to have to take a hard pass on that one. But if you'd like me to star in the trial run, I wouldn't argue." Ronnie unbuttons the top three buttons on her blouse.
Betty shrugs and forces Ronnie out of the bathroom. "Sure, why not?"
꙰
While waiting for Betty, Jughead turns on the stereo, playing music through his phone. He can't stand sitting still so he brings the empty beer bottles into the kitchen and grabs a few fresh ones for Archie and himself. "What do you think they're talking about in there?" Jughead asks, removing the beanie from his bed and setting it on the kitchen table.
"Who knows? Archie stretches and accepts the beer Jughead hands to him. "All I know is that buying that wine was an A+ idea Jug. Ronnie's going to be fun tonight." He winks.
Jughead groans and sits down on the ottoman. He wants what Archie and Ronnie have. And worst of all he wants it with Betty.
He'd been smitten with her since a party they once went to together in high school. An old friend of theirs, Cheryl Blossom, had thrown a party after prom. As shitty as it was she made everyone participate in that stupid Seven Minutes in Heaven game. Despite always considering himself a rather unlucky person, Jughead had struck gold that night when the bottle spun and landed on Betty. He figured since they were friends they could just stand in the closet and talk for seven minutes without being peer pressured into doing something they'd regret.
To his surprise, just before the seven minutes had ended, Betty kissed him, thanking him for not trying to pull anything on her while trapped in the tiny closet together. She had been his first kiss. It was gentle, her lips as soft as flower petals against his mouth.
In the past 6 years since the incident he'd kissed other girls, even had a few girlfriends here and there, but no one else's lips ignited a fire inside him the way Betty's had. Cliché as it may sound, he'd felt something that night, a feeling he'd craved ever since.
Jughead takes another sip from his beer, lamenting on the old memories as the girls emerge from the bathroom together. Betty's cheeks are a deep magenta and her eyes are unfocused. "Are you okay?" Jughead asks her softly, wondering if he should cut her off.
"I'm fine Juggie," she smiles at him and puts her hand on his shoulder. "But thank you for worrying about me."
Betty pours herself another glass of wine and takes a few sips while Jughead prepares for the next game. Before they get a chance to play, the song changes and Betty jumps up to her feet in excitement. "Don't you dare skip this track Jughead Jones."
Betty pulls Ronnie off of Archie's lap and the girls dance together in the middle of the living room. Jughead checks his phone, recognizing the song by The 1975. Going along the song, Betty removes the ponytail from her hair and shakes her head out, letting the blonde waves fall effortlessly around her heart shaped face.
She and Ronnie sing along, dancing and twirling each other around the room. Jughead laughs and grabs his Polaroid camera from the table beside the couch. He snaps a photo and sets it on the coffee table to develop. Once it's ready, Jughead's heart stops. Ronnie's standing on her tiptoes, holding Betty's hand as she twirls beneath her fingers. In the picture Betty's hair is a blur, but her smile is clear and pure and infectious. He is definitely going to add this to his collection. He grabs a pen from his pocket and labels it fittingly, 'Dancing Queens'.
The song ends and Jughead shows them the picture. Both girls are dizzy and out of breath, drunk on life and Cherry Wine. "We are so fire in this," Ronnie breathes, demanding he make a copy for her.
Betty studies the picture a little closer, with her lip between her teeth. "I love it. Can I keep it?" Her eyes are full of hope and Jughead can't help but say yes, with conditions applying.
"Only if you let me photograph you. Please Betty. I swear no one will see the photos except for me and Ms. Grundy."
Without hesitation she nods and Jughead's blinks quickly, afraid he imagined the tilt of her head. "I'll do it." His palms collect sweat that wasn't there moments before. He rubs them on his jeans, afraid she'll notice how anxious he is at the news. "But can we do trial shoot, tonight?" Betty grabs Ronnie's arm and smiles. "Of the both of us?"
Jughead swallows the lump in his throat and agrees. "Of course. Let me just go get my camera and a backdrop." He walks down the hall and into his room. He finds his camera on his desk and grabs a grey sheet from his closet. His hands are shaking with anticipation.
Back out in the living room he stands on the ottoman to hang the sheet over the curtains. Archie helps him prepare, obviously excited to watch his girlfriend participate in a photoshoot. "You'll give me copies of these, right?" Archie asks with wide, questioning eyes. Jughead nods and thanks him for his assistance.
Jughead turns on the standing lamp beside to the TV and angles it to face the temporary backdrop. It's not perfect, but it will do. "Now when we shoot the real photos, we'll be in the studio provided by the school. I've already scheduled a private shoot, so you won't have to worry about being walked in on or anything like that. Do you want me to play that song again?" Jughead asks Betty, wanting her to feel as comfortable and confident as possible.
"It okay, just put on anything. We'll make it work." She takes a rather large gulp of her wine and moves to stand in front of the sheet with Ronnie, listening as she tries to give her suggestions on different poses to use. Another favorite song of Betty's plays from the stereo and her face is nothing but smiles. Jughead captures the moment, zooming in on the angel before him.
"Now when it's just me and you, the photos won't be exactly like this," Jughead explains, clicking away. "I'd rather you be more candid, not so much posing as just being yourself. The dancing is great though. We'll definitely have to incorporate that into the private shoot."
Betty blushes and reaches for Ronnie, undoing the next button down on her blouse. Archie lets out a soft whistle from his place on the couch, definitely not expecting the girls to dance together, undressing each other. "What is going on?" He asks, surprised but not upset in the slightest.
Ronnie chuckles softly and looks at him. "We're trying to help Betty prepare babe. It's just a little skin."
Both girls are in their bras, hugging each other and smiling at the camera. Jughead feels sweat pool along the edge of his forehead. He ignores how hot the room suddenly becomes. He warns himself to keep his cool and continues snapping picture after picture
In the last photo, Betty's hand is on Ronnie's waist and Ronnie's lips are pressed against Betty's rosy cheeks. "I think that's enough." Jughead says, carefully adjusting the lens and handing the camera to Betty to study the photographs
"These are amazing Jug," Betty replies, setting the camera down next to the TV, afraid to set it on the coffee table near the full glasses of wine. "You're going to make me look beautiful, aren't you?"
Jughead exhales deeply, knowing fully well that Betty doesn't need his help in order to be beautiful. She is beautiful all on her own, with jaded eyes and porcelain skin. He looks at her with soft eyes, noticing the reluctance in her gaze. "Yes, Betty. I promise to make you beautiful."