Line break means change in POV
The rain didn't relent for almost four days, oscillating between heavy and not-so-heavy until finally giving way to a light drizzle right around five in the afternoon. This, Jughead learnt, meant that the flats above and below his emptied into his flat. He realised that irrespective of who called a meeting, the meeting was held in their flat.
Today, Veronica had called the meeting and, judging by Kevin's excitement, it was going to be one he probably wouldn't enjoy. Although he would never say it, Jughead considered it odd to have Betty (or him, for that matter) as a part of this group. Especially considering that the other three – the arguably louder three – were extroverts in every way. It also hadn't taken long to realise that Betty seemed to just go with the flow and rarely objected to anything.
"So, I have to ask – I understand your friendship with Veronica, but Betty… um, no offence, Archie, but how did that happen?" Jughead asked and Archie laughed.
"Betty and I have been friends since we were kids. We were always in the same school and in the same class. In the second grade, when I had trouble with reading, Betty took it upon herself to tutor me every single day so that we'd graduate together instead of me being held back a class," he said and Jughead laughed – it was so bizarre and yet he could picture a seven year old Betty, with a tight ponytail, approaching Archie with a determined glint in her eye.
"And when I passed," Archie continued, "I was so happy, I kissed her and asked her to marry me."
"Wow, you move fast, don't you?" Jughead said with a laugh and Archie chuckled.
"And she said, 'Oh little Archie, we're too young. But ask me again when we're eighteen and I'll say yes.' And then eighteen rolled around and I was dating someone but Betty had remained my best friend through all this. Veronica and I met in sophomore year, and the moment she saw Betty, Veronica decided that they were going to be best friends."
"Wait, if they're best friends, why is Veronica living with Kevin?"
"Betty and Ronnie used to live together. I think they lived together for a year and Kevin lived downstairs with his boyfriend. Then there was a terrible breakup and Ronnie decided to stay with Kevin for a while – just to make sure that someone was there for him. She realised that she was much more compatible as a roommate with Kevin and Betty realised that she prefered living alone. I mean I agreed with their decision – I had to go upstairs to calm Betty and Veronica down sometimes, when the arguments got too heated."
"So guys, Kevin and I were talking last night, and we realised that we haven't thrown a party in a while!" Veronica exclaimed and Jughead had to bite back the instinctive groan. It wasn't that Jughead didn't like parties… well, that was a lie – he loathed parties. He briefly liked them when T had insisted on taking him to them, but otherwise he couldn't even stand his own birthday.
"You really think anyone's going to turn up? According the report, there's going to be a storm again soon," Betty said. Jughead knew it was a lie, he had been listening to the same report, and the reporter had seemed rather optimistic. But he was thankful that someone whose opinion had weight spoke up against the idea.
Apparently Betty's opinion had no weight, because Veronica promptly waved her hand, brushing away any negativity her plan was met with.
"I don't care if the UN said it was going to rain, we're having a party. I mean we also need to introduce people to Jughead, don't we?"
"You really don't have to-"
"Nonsense! We must! I'll send out a mass invite, okay? Don't worry, Kevin and I will throw it so it'll be our flat that gets trashed," she said and Jughead frowned.
"Gets trashed? What? Why? This isn't a high school party, why would a place get trashed?" He asked, confused and beside him Betty let out a breath of laughter, only worrying him more.
"Oh Jughead Jones, with me, everything is a high school party," Veronica said, with a particularly evil glint in her eye.
Betty glanced at Kevin in the mirror as she turned around, unsure of how she felt in the dress she was wearing.
"Well?" She finally asked after adjusting her dress for what seemed like the millionth time. The problem with belt dresses was that Betty never knew how tight was too tight. Which was why she often required Kevin's expertise on the matter. Fortunately for her, Kevin seemed enthralled no matter what she seemed to do.
"You look great, Betty. Veronica will be proud," he said, giving her a broad grin and an approving nod.
"Yes, well, Veronica isn't whose eye I'm trying to catch. Are you sure red is the way to go?" She asked, looking back into the mirror at the red lipstick. Red lipstick was as daring as Betty Cooper got when she wasn't donning that black wig (which was now safely tucked away with her sister who was god knows where).
"It's called Seduce Scarlet for a reason, Betty. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll notice," Kevin said, rolling his eyes.
"Ugh! Look at me. You know, I can't remember the last time I was so worked up over a boy. I can actually feel how pathetic I probably seem," she groaned, quickly putting away her makeup lest she change her mind yet again.
"You're doing fine. Better than fine actually. So how are you feeling? Excited, nervous?" Kevin asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Betty knew that Kevin thrived on drama, it's what made him such a perfect roommate for Veronica, but this spark was more intense than one she'd seen in awhile. Unable to hold back a smile, she turned away from the mirror to face him.
"Both?" He laughed at her response.
"Well, if you need any help down there, just come get me and I'll talk you through whatever freak out you're having," she rolled her eyes at his reassurance, failing to hold back a laugh nonetheless.
"Thanks, Kev." She walked to the door. Initially she had considered using the fire escape, but she figured that by the time she got there, the party would be in full swing and Veronica may not take too kindly to Betty climbing in through the window. Besides, Kevin had a key, which meant she could enter without any awkward at-the-door conversations with people who weren't Veronica. She opened her door to find Jughead on the other side, a closed fist suspended in mid-air. He didn't say anything for a few seconds and Betty could see him look her up and down multiple times.
Clearly the dress was having the desired effect.
"Jughead?" She asked and he cleared his throat, momentary fear clouding his eyes. Betty bit back a laugh as he stuttered for a moment before managing to say, "Veronica sent me to get you."
"Great. Shall we go down, then?" She asked and he nodded, his cheeks tinging with embarrassment. Betty smiled, walking past him. He didn't look too bad himself, if she could say so. She supposed he would look conventionally better if the beanie was off, but for Betty, pairing a beanie with a shirt and formal pants somehow made the outfit better. Ironically. Kevin unlocked the door and Betty walked in, Jughead walking in behind her.
"The horror," she heard him mutter under his breath, and turned around, giving him a smile of agreement. He was lucky Veronica was elsewhere, or he would have received an earful about that particular comment.
But Betty agreed – the flat was full of people. There was music playing, and people were everywhere. And, apparently, Betty had a magnet which attracted the worst people. Cheryl Blossom appeared, wearing an outfit infinitely more daring than Betty's. But Betty didn't care about that. What she did care about was the fact that, linked with Cheryl, was Archie, who already seemed drunk.
"Betty! You finally made it! And you brought a date! Cheryl Blossom," Cheryl extended a hand towards Jughead.
"Oh he's not-"
"Jughead Jones. I'm not her date," Jughead interrupted her, shaking Cheryl's hand. Betty could see Cheryl eyeing the beanie distastefully.
"A pleasure. So, Betty, how is Polly?" she said, turning back to Betty.
"Fine," Betty said, her voice carefully even – the way it was whenever someone mentioned Polly.
"Great. I'm glad one of them are. Come on, Archie, let's go… be elsewhere," she said, smiling at Archie, who still seemed completely confused.
"Wait I need to – I need to talk to Betty," he said, and Betty's heart soared. Even drunk, Archie knew better than to be led around by a Blossom. Cheryl, clearly believing that she was already better than Archie deserved, looked Betty up and down once before saying, "Fine. But when you decide to keep better company, I'll be getting myself a drink," she said and turned on her heel to leave.
"Wow," she heard Jughead say behind her.
"Cheryl Blossom is… something else," Betty agreed. "Archie, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Um… let's go to the fire escape. I don't want to talk about it here," he said and Betty nodded, her stomach tying itself into knots and simultaneously, spontaneously filling with butterflies. How the butterflies survived the knots Betty couldn't fathom. Jughead excused himself awkwardly and Betty helped Archie climb out onto the fire escape.
"So what's up?" Betty asked, once they were out in the cool night air, leaning against the railing and stretching out her legs a bit. Kevin told her that that made them more noticeable. It was only now that she was actually trying did Betty realise how uncomfortable trying to be noticeable made her feel.
"Okay, um, I need your advice. You know I cherish your opinion above everyone else's, so that's why I thought I should ask you before telling anyone else," Betty waited for him to continue with bated breath.
"I'm thinking of calling Val."
"Yes!" She exclaimed before he finished his sentence, and then, realising what he said, the smile vanished from her face and she frowned. Archie's eyes, on the other hand, lit up, and he grinned.
"I knew it! Okay, I'm going to do it right now. But wait, what should I-"
"No! Archie, wait," Betty said, pulling him back as he attempted to climb back into Veronica's flat. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean you guys literally combusted. And you haven't even spoken to her since you got back from France. Does she even know you're back?"
"See, that's why I want to call her. I know she said not to call but I don't think she meant it. I mean, she was just really angry, and people say all kinds of things when they're angry!"
"I don't know, Arch, she seemed pretty damn serious to me. I mean, when you told me what happened, she sounded pretty serious. I – I don't think you should call her," in my completely unbiased opinion, Betty thought. The initial high she had felt when Archie had wanted to speak to her was wearing off, and now she could feel the nip of the air against her bare legs. It didn't help that more of them were exposed than usual.
"But what if she was the one?" He asked quietly, and any trace of hope Betty had remaining was trampled on.
"I think that if you thought she was the one, you would have never allowed yourself to be bought by Cheryl!" she climbed upstairs, towards her flat. She heard him call her name as she walked away, but she didn't bother turning around as she blinked away tears, furious at herself for letting it go this far or sink this deep.
It wasn't that Betty Cooper wasn't attractive. It was just that Jughead rarely noticed these things. Even when he was in France, he was always bad at giving compliments owing to the fact that he rarely noticed things. In fact, it had been pointed out more than once that, considering his profession, he was terribly unobservant.
And yet, this was one of the times that he definitely noticed.
Maybe if Betty Cooper had been in a pink dress which fell below her knees and didn't have red lipstick on, Jughead would be at a loss for compliments. But never in a million years had he expected to be at a loss for words around her. But, in the short purple dress that dipped low in the front (and, as he would later find out, in the back), and the red lipstick to go with it, she was a vision.
And yet it wasn't the outfit itself that caught him. It was the fact that those overbearing red lips curved into the same innocent smile she always wore. It was the beauty in the irony between the outfit and who she was that truly caught his eye.
Irony – now that was something he knew how to appreciate.
This left him at a loss for words for a few moments as he stared at her, somewhat creepily in hindsight, taking in everything.
"Jughead?" She asked, pulling him out of his admiration. Feeling his face flush with embarrassment he managed to stutter out an explanation and saw her eyes shine with amusement as she and Kevin led the way back downstairs.
Seeing Cheryl was a completely different experience than seeing Betty. For one, there was no irony to her outfit. The second Jughead saw Cheryl, he knew he was looking at someone who knew how attractive they were and knew how to make the most of it. It would have been a gross overstatement to say that he was surprised to see Cheryl using Archie as her arm candy. What did surprise him, however, was how quickly his roommate seemed to get drunk. Meeting Cheryl was a blur. However, he did realise, nonetheless, that Cheryl disapproved of his general presence due to his beanie.
Now, standing with a drink, he had a clear view of the couple on the fire escape. He wondered just how drunk Archie was because even from across the room, Jughead could tell that Betty was attempting to put her legs on display. Archie, however, seemed completely uninterested, which made Jughead snort. For the millionth time, he wondered if Archie knew how lucky he was that someone like Betty was giving him so much attention. Sure, Jughead had only known Betty for a month, but already he felt like he could speak to her with more ease than anyone else in the group. At this moment, he saw Betty climb up the stairs, arms crossed.
Goddammit Archibald.
Something in him wanted to go after her. To go up and speak to her – to find out what dumb thing his roommate had said this time. After all, in spite of it being only a month, Jughead had already heard Archie say enough stupid things to fill an encyclopaedia.
And then his eyes fell on the white clutch she had brought in with her. Perfect.
Archie entered just as Jughead got out onto the fire escape. Archie didn't seem to notice that Jughead was on his way out, which was a relief. Once safely out, Jughead climbed up to Betty's window. Due to each flat being below the other, all the windows were the same – in the living room. And, from the window, Jughead could see Betty sitting on the couch, already in a t-shirt and sweats, flipping through TV channels. He tried opening the window only to find it was locked. He knocked and she looked up, her expression morphing from hurt into confusion when she saw him at the window. He held up her bag in indication and could swear she had a small smile when she came to the window and opened it.
"Hey there, Juliet."
She stepped aside, allowing him to climb in, and he handed her the clutch. She shut the window behind him and took it from him, placing it on the small round dining table she had. It hit Jughead that this was the first time he had ever been in Betty's house. It somehow seemed bigger than his flat – although that may be due to the fact that there was only one person living here.
"Thanks… for the bag," Betty said before going into the open kitchen. "Do you want something? Tea?"
"No – no, I'm good, thanks," he said and leaned against the nearest counter as she brewed some tea. "You okay?" He asked cautiously.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm just not good with large parties. They're a little," she cleared her throat and sniffed again, "overwhelming."
"Yeah, I find talking to Archie overwhelming too," he said and she gave a laugh before turning around to face him.
"Did you like it? I mean, it was for you."
"Parties aren't really my thing. I would much rather just go to Pop's than have this kind of 'celebration'."
"Don't tell Veronica that," he chuckled at her response. There were a few moments of silence that followed where they simply stared at the floor, occasionally glancing at each other.
"He's an idiot, you know," Jughead finally said, the words tumbling out before he could stop himself. Betty glanced up at him, her eyes glazing over with tears and confusion.
"What?"
"Archie. He's an idiot. He doesn't have any idea how lucky he is to have someone like you care about him to this extent," he said and saw a tear escape Betty's eye as she stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't tell if he had overstepped or not.
"You don't even know me," her voice was so soft he barely heard it. In response he shrugged.
"I've heard his stories to know enough. And I know that you are too good for him. Just like you were in the second grade. Just like you have been every single time he's had a romantic partner and turned to you for help with her. I'm just saying, Betty, if you choose to come back down to the party, do it for yourself, not for him," he said. He now realised what word vomit truly meant.
And yet Betty hugged him.
He saw her half an hour later at the party, wearing a white top and pink skirt and pink lipstick – looking much more comfortable with herself. She laughed easily when Veronica commented on her taking fashionably late to a whole new level and, although she didn't speak to him, every time she caught Jughead's eye, she would smile and give him a small nod. He returned the gesture and eventually climbed out onto the fire escape again – this time to go back to his flat.
"I'm assuming you'll be back in half an hour?" He heard Betty say and turned to see her sticking her head out of the fire escape, looking up at him. He laughed.
"No, I think I'm going to call it a night."
"And you were going to leave without saying goodnight? It's your party," she said, climbing out onto the fire escape too.
"It's really not, Betts, we don't have to pretend otherwise."
Luckily she didn't seem to mind Betts. In fact, it seemed to make her smile. And it was a genuine smile. He nodded and turned to leave again.
"Hey," she called and he turned around, "so now you know my sob story. I hope someday I'll know yours."
"What makes you think I have one?"
"You're not the only one Archie talks to," she said with the hint of a smirk. He chuckled and nodded.
"Someday, then," and turned around, going up a few more steps before turning back around on an impulse. "Goodnight, Betty Cooper."
"Goodnight, Jughead Jones," she replied with a smile, before disappearing into the flat downstairs. And for the first time in three years, Jughead felt himself comparing a completely new smile to a ray of sunshine.
