Betty arrived at the studio at 7am sharp once again, Jughead still not impressed. Betty glanced around the room noticing Ronnie wasn't there. A sudden sense of uneasiness and nerves settled over her.
Jughead heard the door open but didn't turn around. "You gonna say hi to me baby?"
"Of course, didn't want to scare you." Betty lied not wanting to look stupid. "Where's Ronnie?" She asked to calm her worrying mind.
"She wasn't feeling good. You know with the baby and all." Jughead explained his voice dropping low. Betty nodded in response and let her bags down on the floor.
Jughead turned on the stereo, music pumping through the eerily quiet room. Betty stood facing Jughead suddenly unable to move.
Jughead turned to face her a smile spreading on his face. He took a few steps towards her. "Are you scared of me baby?" He taunted as he stepped close to her.
''No!'' She said, almost too quickly before trying to play it off cool by shaking her head. ''Of course not.''
''Mhm.'' That playful smirk playing on his lips making her knees weak. ''Show me your dancing position.'' He ordered and Betty quickly obeyed. ''Not bad.'' He said to himself as he saw her stand in almost perfect starting position.
The duo started moving along the dance floor, it felt almost effortlessly to Betty as she let Jughead lead her around. He mimicked the rhythm by his fingers tapping on her back, where he held on to her. Betty took in the deep feeling of his fingers on her back. "Is that suppose to help?" Betty teased starting to feel more comfortable with the mysterious man.
Jughead shook his head slightly and took her right hand placing it on his chest. "Feel that? Keep beat with it."
Betty suddenly feel so aware and alive, as if feeling someone else's heartbeat made her conscious of her own. She closed her eyes briefly focusing on the thumps coming from Jughead's chest. She swallowed softly and let her free hand hold his neck, letting her dancing position relax.
Jughead let his gaze fic on Betty, even though her eyes were closed the picture of her blue eyes was etched into his mind. He was leading her around the dance floor when her eyes finally opened to meet his stare. He stopped moving abruptly causing her body to meet his. He couldn't tear his eyes away, her smile spreading across her face. "What is it Juggie?" She asked letting the new nickname roll off her tongue. Her words seemed to knock him into reality. He took a deep breath closing his eyes and breaking their stance together. "No." He mumbled.
Betty knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, baby. Just..." He sighed shaking his head and marching out the door, leaving Betty alone and disoriented.
Jughead made his way to the lake which was a short distance from the studio. He kicked the rocks underneath his feet all the way there. He couldn't believe he let himself get so close to kissing her. Her soft pink lips were enticing and he couldn't help but want to capture them with his own. Jughead looked into her blue eyes and the world was gone. Just the two of them danced in that room even if Ronnie was sitting nearby. In the dining hall, when everyone chattered around them, their eyes locked, and suddenly it was just them in the room. But they couldn't be anything more than dance partners. Hell, they shouldn't even be that but Ronnie was in no condition to dance and he certainly wasn't gonna dance with Ethel.
Jughead cursed out loud, his voice echoing across the lake. He picked up a rock and through it at the lake. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He wanted to storm into the dance studio, take Betty into his arms and kissed her like she'd never been kissed before. Instead, he was at this lake, his body burning, wishing she was anybody but a guest.
A few minutes passed since Jughead left, Betty found herself on the chair, bent over with her elbows on her knees. A dark piece of clothing caught her eye, it was laying in a bunch near the stereo. She stood her body walking towards it without a thought.
Betty reached down to the fabric and pulled it to her chest. Jughead's leather jacket. She flipped it over so that the back was facing her. A green double headed snake in the shape of an S was sewn into the back. Arched words circled around the snake. Southside Serpents. Betty mind filled with thought of what the southside serpents could be. Her fingers grazed the green thread which colored the snake. Many ideas crowded her head but she realized there was only one type of group that wore jackets like these, motorcycle gangs. Was Jughead in one?
The slam of the door interrupted Betty's investigation. Her eyes wide as she looked at Jughead, suddenly regretted her decision to look at the jacket. "Sorry it was just laying here.." She tried to explain unsuccessfully.
"It's my father's." He explained simply letting his mind wander to his childhood. He lived in upper state New York, not far from where 'The Keller Family Resort' stood. It was a small town called Riverdale, more specifically, the south side. He grew up with an alcoholic dad and a neglectful mother. By the time he was 17, his mother had left, his sister was in foster care, and his dad was in jail. The day his father landed in jail he had given Jughead his jacket which represented his membership in the Southside Serpents, a motorcycle gang notorious for their petty crimes. Jughead didn't want anything to do with the gang but it was the only thing he had left of his father while he sat to rot in jail. Jughead knew that if he stayed in the town with the jacket, the gang would adopt him. He would become at outcast in riverdale but family in the southside. Jughead couldn't decide which life to leave behind so he left both.
It took him about a month until he landed at the resort. He slept in his dad's beat up truck and hoped for a better tomorrow. Finally, he saw an ad in the newspaper while drinking a cup of coffee at a small diner called "Pop Tate's Chock O' Lit Shoppe". A local resort was looking for dancers to keep the summers lively. Jughead didn't know the first thing about dancing but he learned quickly from Ronnie. Now he was thankful for what he found, a best friend and a temporary home.
''Where is he now?'' Betty asked, curious about the boy in front of her. He was so hard to read, so unreachable. There was a past hidden behind his empty facade. Maybe his father was the key to understanding him.
''It's a long boring story, baby. Believe me, you don't wanna hear it.'' He sighed, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that thinking about his father brought him. The fact that he was in jail for murdering a boy so close to his son's age made Jughead both terrified and disgusted by his dad. Part of him thought maybe his dad was innocent but the judgement was made and his dad didn't make any moves to save himself.
''Maybe another day.'' Betty offered, trying her best not to prey but not being able to help but feel curious about the mysterious life of her dance teacher.
''Maybe.'' He nodded before looking down at his phone. ''Ronnie just texted me. She'll take over the lesion, show you some moves, show you how to dance feminine since I lack in that area. She'll be here in 5.'' He told her and before she could reply he was out of the studio. Damn, does he know how to do anything else but run off? Betty thinks to herself. Seemed like Jughead ran away from a lot of things. From his father. From his past. From her.
''Hey baby.'' A raven haired girl smiles walking into the dance studio only to find Betty sitting in a corner, reading a book. Ronnie chuckled shaking her head, Betty's face looked heavy with thoughts. Ronnie pushed it away figuring if Betty needed to talk she would.
''Ronnie! Hey…" Betty jumped at the sound of her voice since she was lost in her mind. The book sat in her lap but she just read the same three words over and over again not able to retain anything. "How are you?'' Betty asked putting her book away, walking over to her friend, not sure, how to approach the whole pregnancy situation. She had never known anyone pregnant except her aunts.
''Meh.'' The girl shrugged, ''Looking forward to being done with this all."
''Oh,'' Betty was at lost for words, she never even thought about aborting a baby before now. Babies were special lives to be thankful for. She always thought babies were a gift from God and that every woman that has the privilege of carry a child should love and cherish their kids.
''Anyway..'' Ronnie shook her head not wanting to get into the pregnancy discussion with Betty knowing their opinions probably differed. ''Let's get down to business, shall we?''
''Y-eah.'' The blonde nodded eager to change the subject.
''Good.'' Veronica smiled at her. "Today we're gonna use the most powerful thing in dance." Betty eyes widened slightly, not ready to learn something new again. Ronnie smirked at her a gleam in her eye. "Sex Appeal."
Betty groaned at the thought already dreading the class. This was nothing near Betty comfort zone. She took a deep breath placing her hands on her hips.
"Lets loosen up a bit first." Ronnie said turning on the radio, Elvis Presley's 'Hound Dog' blaring through the speakers. Ronnie began to move her arms letting her energy out through her fingertips. Her hips rocked to the steady beat of the song. Betty laughed and let her body dance to the music.
Ronnie laughed as the song ended, her and Betty breathing heavy with smiles glued to their faces. "Okay let's get sexy." She said throwing off her t-shirt to reveal the black tank top she wore underneath. ''Just think back to the last time someone kissed you.'' Ronnie told Betty, trying to make her understand just how you can embody sexy.
''Um.. I…'' Betty couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, ''I have never kissed anyone.'' She admitted looking down in shame. She was seventeen and had never been kissed. Her sister Polly had done almost everything imaginable, but her… She has never even been kissed. She wished she was more experienced, more adventurous but she wasn't, she was just boring Betty.
''Oh..'' Veronica didn't hide the surprise, her mouth slightly ajar, but still offered a kind smile anyway. ''That's okay, Don't be embarrassed baby. It's okay.'' The girl reached and cupped her cheek, making her look up. ''There's no rush. It will happen for you one day. Boys won't be able to resist you for too long." Ronnie assured with a giggle. Betty nodded with a sigh. "What do I need to do?"
"Surely, you thought of kissing someone before. Do that now, close your eyes and think about the person you want to kiss." Ronnie said soothingly as Betty's eyes closed.
Betty mind drifted to rough hands holding her neck, slightly chapped lips attacking hers, hot breath cascading down her neck. Her body moved with the music as dark hair touched her face lightly. Green eyes staring into her soul making her want to live again, begging her to live again.
She gasped, her eyes flying open. Ronnie stood across from her staring wide eyes. Betty looked down to find her hands splayed across her own body. "Oh God." She spat throwing her hands to her mouth. Ronnie giggled at the display, "There you go, Baby! There's your sexy!" Ronnie yelled with joy as the studio filled with Betty's laughter.