A chill blew across Betty's body sending a cascade of chills down her back, contrasting from the fire her skin felt. She couldn't shake the memories of Jughead's hands on her, his hips clashing with hers. She had left the party almost immediately after Jughead. She felt exposed after the display Jughead made. Betty wanted nothing more than for Jughead to keep moving with her, for his lips to touch hers. But instead Jughead left leaving her alone in the middle of the dance floor.
Her skin was crawling, her mind racing. She wished she knew where Jughead's cabin was. She would show up demanding an explanation. She would channel the energy Ronnie radiated. Maybe she would kiss him, demand him to finish what he started.
Even tho Betty wanted to demand attention, wanted to ask for an explanation, she knew she shouldn't do it. It's not what her parents thought should be done. A lady should never do such thing. A lady should await for love, she should await for attention, and she needed to be a lady. Seconds later shook her head, she was torn, between what she wanted and what her parents wanted. Finally she decided that it was a problem for tomorrow and walked home. Maybe it will all go away by tomorrow. Betty crawled into bed pulling the covers to her head. Her body stayed heated and exhausted, yearning for more from the raven haired boy.
Polly laid sound asleep in the bed across from Betty's. She slept with a smile on her face, making Betty wonder what her night entailed. Betty hoped it was a more satisfying night than Betty's.
The next morning Betty found herself up before the rest of the family and decided to go to the lake. She hugged herself, her knees close to her body. Somehow, even after a night of sleep, Betty still felt the ghost of Jughead's hands on her. Damn him. She hardly knew him and yet he haunted her. Betty picked up a rock near her and chucked it at the water letting out a grunt.
"Woah there Betty, tough night?" Kevin ask sitting next to her.
"Whose idea was it to go after Jughead?" She asked bitterly.
"Don't look at me, I just merely encouraged it." Kevin said with a smile. Betty did not return the smile, she just sat her head on her knees. "What happened?"
"I went and we danced. We danced like I've never ever danced before. Close and personal. Then out of nowhere he let go of me and just left." Betty found herself thinking back to the moment she had last night with Jughead. She wanted to feel it again, feel more of it. Betty groaned trying to shake off her thoughts of the boy from last night, "I want to give him a piece of my mind but that won't happen, I'm a wimp."
"Maybe he doesn't need a piece of your mind. Maybe he needs a cold shoulder, show him you don't care. He'll come running then."
Betty sighed not sure what her next move should be, or if she should do anything at all. Maybe Jughead wasn't worth her time. Betty couldn't get him out of her head, she knew there was so much more to him than greasy hair and a leather jacket. Betty leaned into Kevin's shoulder to which he wrapped an arm around her. Tears bubbled against her eyes, emotions filling her chest. Deep inside she knew she shouldn't have been crying over a boy she barely knew. A constant thought bugged her that she just lost her chance at leaving her parents and being loved by a man. A man that loved her truly and whose love was more than an afterthought from a good match.
Across the lake stood Jughead. He stared at the two figures sitting on the rocks, a feeling of frustration building up in him. After the night Jughead and Betty shared, here she was running back to Kevin Keller. Jughead gritted his teeth and headed back to his cabin willing the images of Betty wrapped in Kevin's arms to escape from his mind.
Betty and Jughead didn't cross paths again until that night at dinner. Betty sat in her seat quietly as her parents and Polly chatted about the resort and Polly's new beau Jason. Betty toyed with her fingers, her mind flooded with thoughts of leather against her arms and heated breaths on her neck.
The band started playing upbeat music signaling it was the part of the evening when dancing would take place. Betty focused her eyes on her plate knowing Jughead was on the dance floor.
Polly was swiftly taken to the dance floor by Jason. A giggle escaped her lips as he twirled her onto the dance floor. Betty let her gaze follow them, but her eyes quickly landed on Jughead. She cursed her eyes for finding him so fast. He stood in the corner, partnerless, Ronnie wasn't in the main hall. Jughead's stare burned through Betty's core. She couldn't break the eye contact they shared, ignoring the pit in her stomach.
A tap on her shoulder broke Betty's focus. She looked up to find Kevin smiling at her holding her hand out. Betty took a deep breath and took his hand, standing up with him. He led her to the dance floor and pulled her close enough to hold her waist. "Thought you could use a rescue." Kevin stated with a smile, Betty nodded a thank you.
They danced for a few songs, Jughead's eyes fixed on them. Betty tried to ignore it but just his stare made her tingle all over.
Kevin turned them around slowly allowing Betty to look Jughead's way. Jughead's stare had turned into rage, his hand curling into a fist. Betty tried searching his face for answers but Jughead looked away. He rose from his seat and exited out the back door.
Is he seriously leaving again? Betty thought pushing her nails into the palm of her hand. Within a few seconds blood was puddling in her hands. "Shit." She muttered. "I gotta use the bathroom." She said letting go of Kevin and walking out to the hallway. Kevin took a second to register he has been left on the dance floor. Mrs. Cooper stood up embarrassed by the scene and made her way across the dance floor.
Kevin grabs Mrs. Cooper shoulders gently. "It's okay she's just using the ladies' room." Mrs. Cooper visibly relaxed, looking around at the faces that gawked at her wondering what happened. She turned on her heels and sat back at her table.
When Betty returned from the bathroom, she noticed Polly was gone. She didn't really pay it any mind figuring she went off with Jason at her parents command. Betty returned to the table where her parents sat.
"Baby, we will be leaving soon for the cabin, would you mind fetching your sister? She went outside with Jason." Mrs. Cooper asked politely for once. Betty agreed and walked outside to find Polly.
Betty walked around the area of the main hall for ten minutes or so, Polly and Jason nowhere to be found. Instead, Betty stumbled upon a dark silhouette sitting on the ground, whimpers escaping the shaking body. She walked closer trying to see if she knew the person. As she walked closer, the black hair and shapely figure became familiar.
"Ronnie? What's wrong?" Betty ask dropping down to her side. Ronnie didn't answer but continued to sob. Betty pulled her into an embrace and rubbed her back softly. "Shhhh, you'll tell me when you're ready."
After a few minutes of silence, except for the cries coming from Ronnie, she spoke softly,sitting up and slightly moving out of Betty's arms.
"I've gone too far. My life is done for." Ronnie said taking a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Betty."
"That doesn't mean your life is over. You'll have family of your own, the father and your baby."
Ronnie snickered shaking her head. "No Baby, you don't understand. The father... he won't help, he'll deny it's his. He won't help me." Ronnie never called Betty "Baby" but in this moment "Baby" fit her. She didn't know the harsh world that Ronnie lived in, she only knew the cocoon her parents made for her.
"Oh." Betty trailed off.
"Ronnie, don't cry." A deep voice said from behind Betty. She turned her head to find Jughead. Suddenly, the pieces in her head were matching together.
"You!" Betty yelled standing up. "You are such a snake! How dare you leave Ronnie alone in this! You're supposed to be there for her, marry her! That's the proper thing to do!"
"Woah there Baby! You think I did this?" Jughead questioned motioning to Ronnie. Jughead shook his head, "The baby's not mine."
Betty looked to Ronnie in disbelief. Ronnie shook her head signaling Jughead was telling the truth. "Sorry." Betty muttered barely audible. Jughead let out a chuckle knowing it killed Betty to be wrong.
"So why are you crying Ronnie?" Jughead asked again.
"Keller is gonna fire me if he finds out about this, he won't want to "tarnish" his reputation. And what about the performance at the "Jack Shack"?" Ronnie asked sighing. "I found a doctor who will take care of it but I'll be laid up for awhile."
"Forget the show, we can always find another gig." Jughead countered.
"Not a chance, you need that money. And if we miss our first show there's no way they'll ask us back." Ronnie paused, her body language shifting to a happier tone. "That's it, Betty can do it!"
Betty and Jughead's eyes widened at her words. Betty didn't know what Ronnie was thinking, Betty couldn't dance a lick. "No! There's no way." Jughead asserted stomping his foot on the ground.
"Why not? You've danced together before! Come on you know you need this money, who else is gonna do it? Ethel?" Ronnie asked, mentioning a girl in their dance troupe who Jughead didn't like. She was a dancer who followed the rules. She would argue with whatever Jughead said especially if he wanted to do something risky.
"Fine. But I expect your full effort, be at the studio, 7 AM sharp." Jughead huffed at Betty before trudging away from them.
Betty woke up to the sound of birds chirping out her window, the sun was just starting to rise. Betty threw her hair up in her usual ponytail pairing it with shorts and a t-shirt with Rosie the Riveter sprayed across it. Betty ran to the studio afraid to be even a minute late. She arrived at 6:59am, Jughead tinkering with the stereo and Ronnie sitting nearby on a metal chair. Jughead's hair was an unkempt mess, no gel controlling it. His normal lone curl on his forehead was now joined by others. His outfit consisted of a tight white t-shirt and white washed jeans.
"Morning Betty," Ronnie greeted not so cheery as her normal self. Jughead looked up taking in Betty's appearance. "Nice shirt, it's very Suffragette." Ronnie added earning a smile from Betty's sleepy face.
"If my mom knew I owned this shirt she'd probably disown me." Betty said with a chuckle. Ronnie smiled at the whole exchange meanwhile while Jughead stood silent waiting for the chatter to finish.
''Wow, such a rebel.'' Jughead rolled his eyes. He let out a sigh before Betty could say anything. ''Okay let's do it. I don't have all day.''
Betty took a deep breath and walked over to him. ''Show me your dancing pose.''
She quickly did what she was told making him look at her with a raised eyebrow, as in to say 'are you serious?'.
About and hour later Betty has finally gotten down the pose and they moved on to the steps. ''Now this is when it get's a bit more complicated.'' Ronnie said, finally joining the two in the dance floor. She couldn't help but let a small chuckle leave her lips as she saw Betty stumbling back and forth, stepping on Jughead's toes every now and then.
''You have to believe it before you do it.'' She said pushing Jughead out of the way and stepping in front of the blonde girl. ''You're a wonderful woman full of amazing dance moves… well I'm sure you are somewhere deep down.''
''Yeah, somewhere really deep down.'' Jughead snored from behind them, causing Ronnie to send him a death glare.
"Follow me." Ronnie said as she moved as if her hips had a mind of her own. Betty took a deep breath, mimicking Ronnie's moves. Her moves were stiff and rough compared to Ronnie's. Ronnie threw her head to the side, her hair spraying in the air, and let out an "ow ow!" Betty widened her eyes knowing she was supposed to copy her. She yanked her head to the side her ponytail smack her in the face. "Ouch!" Betty said swatting her ponytail away with a huff. Ronnie laughed at her quietly trying to stifle it.
Jughead rolled his eyes, "Move, let's try to this." Jughead stepped said stepping in front of Ronnie. He got a hold of Betty's hips. "Keep your hold." He warned, "Now do the 1,2 step." He instructed as she began to move. While she stepped he pushed her hips so they moved with the steps her feet made. Betty held her breath the whole time, hyperaware of his hands. Jughead began to feel her hips move freely with the music, his guidance no longer needed. He let go of her hips causing Betty to stumble. She knew he would be upset if she stopped moving so she continued.
Jughead hollered with excitement, "That's it baby." He said pumping his arm in success. "Let's pick up from here tomorrow. Don't forget what you learned." He spat. Betty nodded and drop her hold, her arms aching from the hours of holding her position.
Betty walked back slowly to the cabin, her body quivering with every step. She crawled into bed even though it was only noon, her body was exhausted. She groaned staring up at the ceiling wondering how much worse it could get. Hopefully her body would get stronger and the pain would subside. Betty closed her eyes, feeling her heartbeat in every inch of her body.
Polly jumped on Betty's bed waking her up. She groaned, "Why? Polly, why?" Polly giggled and pulled Betty into a hug as she laid next to her. "I think I love Jason." Betty's eyes widened turning her body to face Polly. "No, you don't... I mean it's only been a week."
Polly shrugged off her comment, "Sometimes it works that way right? Love at first sight?" Betty sighed softly, "I'm really happy for you, Poll. It's just.. I don't want you to settle just because he's showing you attention and because mom and dad like him." Betty explained holding Polly's hand.
"What about Kevin?" Polly countered with a cock of her head.
Betty stifled a giggle, "That's different."
"How?" Betty went to open her mouth by was cut off by their mother entering their room. Betty grabbed the blanket covering her t-shirt. "It's almost dinner time. Get ready." Mrs. Cooper stated leaving the room.
"I'll tell you later." Betty whispered before standing to close the door and get ready for dinner.