Chapter Eight
Betty was showered, dressed and walking out of the doors of the Five Seasons hotel by seven the next morning, her sunglasses shielding her eyes from the glare of the early morning sun. A slight shiver ran down her body as the cool morning air brushed against her bare legs, Betty pulling her light jacket tight around her boy. She reached up and fluffed her still damp hair, waving to the doorman as the valet service brought her SUV to the front of the hotel. After thanking him she placed a tip in his hand and slid behind the wheel, taking off towards her old neighborhood to meet Archie who offered to take her to go pick out new doors for the house. She turned the music up and drummed her fingers against the steering wheel as she hummed to the song playing. Riverdale, in the early hours of morning and the late hours of the evening, was still a quiet, sleepy little town and it felt refreshing to Betty who was used to the hustle and bustle and constant go of New York.
A girl could get used to this. The only thing missing was a drive through Starbucks but it was something that wouldn't phase her for long. If she had to give up convenient coffee for peace and happiness, well, she could live with that.
And her friends were here, new and old. They truly and genuinely loved her and wanted to spend time with her. Veronica had called her the night before asking if she wanted to go on a ladies night out the following night and Betty had quickly accepted. She had her outfit hanging in the back of her car zipped up in a garment bag, her high heels laying in the seat next to her, and her makeup bag tucked behind her seat.
Also, she could do her business from almost anywhere and still travel to New York for her high paying and upscale clients. Sure that would mean she would be in hotel rooms if she had to come to New York but she could handle that. Her business made enough money it didn't bother her.
Her phone ringing pulled her from her thoughts as she turned onto Elm Street, placing it to her ear when she recognized the number that popped up.
"Betty? I have good news!" the voice on the other end exclaimed happily.
"Hey, you're here early." Archie said said in surprise, pulling a t-shirt over his head as he led Betty into his kitchen, stretching and yawning loudly.
"You said seven-thirty, remember?" Betty sat her purse on the kitchen island and hopped up onto a bar stool.
"Oh yeah, I did, didn't I." Archie chuckled, taking an extra coffee mug out of the cabinet and holding it up in silent question. Betty smiled and nodded, thanking him as she pulled out her phone to check her emails.
"Oh, looks like Veronica officially booked me through my website for a photo shoot."
"I had a feeling that was coming." he said with a smile as he turned the coffee pot on, "She adores you, Betty. She's excited about your girl's night tonight."
"I am too. It's so nice to finally have friends, much less a female friend to go shopping and get pampered with."
"What about back in New York?"
"No, sadly, everyone there I know is associated with Michael and since I'm so busy upholding a perfect image I don't really get to go out and make friends." she answered with a heavy sigh before confirming Veronica's photo shoot date which was scheduled for just two days away, thankful that her time in Riverdale was mostly empty and available.
"Hey, don't look so sad." he said as he sat her coffee mug down in front of her along with the creamer, Betty thanking him, "Here, bring your coffee and follow me. I got something that will cheer you up."
"Morning kids." Fred greeted sleepily from the bottom of the stairs as they passed him, both of them saying hello in return as Archie led her up to his room.
"Pretty pathetic a twenty-six year old still living with his dad, huh?" He said as he opened the door for her and she laughed, walking in and sitting down on the edge of his bed, "But I have a really good savings built up so I can buy my first home. And hopefully that will be soon."
"I got one next door you can take." Archie laughed and shook his head as he walked to his bookshelf and pulled a stack of thin books off, walking over to sit next to her on the bed.
"I don't have that good of a savings." he answered as Betty set her coffee mug on the desk next to the bed, picking up one of the books and smiling at the cover.
"Oh my God, Arch, are these all yearbooks?" He nodded and smiled at her excitement, opening the first one and flipping to their kindergarten class picture where he, at some point in his childhood, had circled himself and Betty who were standing next to each other and wrote 'Best Fiends'.
"I struggled with spelling for a while." Archie laughed when she teased him about his spelling error, Betty letting out a little squeal as she pointed out a small Jughead off to the side of the picture, a too big baseball cap on his head and a big grin that sported a missing front tooth.
"What a little cutie." she cooed, Archie flipping the page until he came across their individual pictures.
"This was our last class picture together." Archie said a while later as he picked up another yearbook and flipped to their class, pointing to a picture that he had circled. A small picture in the bottom corner of one of the pages, Betty, Jughead, and Archie, laying on their bellies in a circle on the grass drawing in a notebook together. A loose Polaroid slipped out of the book when Archie handed it to Betty and he picked it up, smiling back at the three faces squished together to fit in the closeup shot.
"Oh Arch, can I make a copy of this?" Betty said as she leaned over to look at the picture, her eyes stinging slightly with happy tears as she read the handwritten caption on the bottom of the photo.
Betty's last day
June 15, 2002
Jughead, Betty, Archie at Pop's
"That was on that Polaroid camera that Jughead used to take with him everywhere, wasn't it?" Archie nodded and laughed as he handed her the photo, "We must have taken a dozen photos before Juggie got it right. And of course he has that iconic crown beanie on."
"Who would have though Jughead took selfies before they were cool." Archie said, both of them laughing as he pulled out his Sophomore yearbook, "This was Jughead's last year at Riverdale High before he transferred to Southside High and became a Serpent." He handed the book to Betty who flipped through the pictures, stopping on a picture of Jughead and two other students, Jughead sitting in a chair with his arm wrapped around an old typewriter that sat on a desk next to him. Another student, a young girl, was posed holding a camera and a young boy holding a stack of newspapers.
"The Blue and Gold. Juggie was on the school newspaper?" she asked with a smile, looking up at Archie and he nodded.
"He was really good too. You can probably find old articles online or at the library."
"That's really cool, I was on the school newspaper in high school and college, and I majored in journalism."
"You and Jug would have made an amazing reporter team in high school." Archie said just before his phone started ringing, "Hey man, what's up? Yeah she's here with me, we were looking at your old yearbook pictures."
"Archie what the fuck!" she heard Jug shout from the other end, Archie biting his knuckle to keep from laughing into the phone, Betty putting a pillow to her face as she snorted in laughter.
"No, we're gonna go pick the doors up now, we got carried away. Alright we'll see you guys in a bit."
"The doors look amazing!"
Jughead smiled at Betty's excitement as she checked both doors, opening and closing each one a few times to test them out. Archie and Sweet Pea were carrying in trays of food from Pop's, Betty's treat and a thank you for helping them out, and she was excusing herself to her old bedroom to get changed. Archie, Jughead, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni started digging through the bags of food, passing items out to everyone just as a knock sounded from the front door.
"I got it." Sweet Pea offered, jumping over the back of the couch and making his way to the front door, "Archie it's for you! Hey, Veronica."
"Hi, Sweets! May I come in?" she asked, Sweet Pea standing to the side and Archie smiling as his girlfriend walked into the room. Her little black dress was strapless, hugging her torso tight and threatening to spill her cleavage out of the keyhole opening in the top. Long lace sleeves covered her arms, the tulle and satin bottom of her dress ending dangerously just past her rear end.
"Ronnie, you look beautiful." Archie said as he stood, walking over to her and tucking a raven wave behind her ear before giving her a soft kiss.
"You're so sweet, Archiekins. Now, where's my girl? Betty!"
"Right here." Betty called from the top of the stairs, all eyes turning to watch her descent.
"Oh, Honey." Toni said around a mouthful of burger, the food nearly spilling out her mouth as she leaned over and smacked Jughead's arm.
"What?" Jughead hissed and reluctantly tore his eyes away from Betty.
"Either you claim her, or I will."
"Toni."
"Do I look okay?" Betty asked sheepishly from the bottom of the steps, her face turning every shade of pink and red there possibly was.
"Look out it's Betty Bombshell!" Veronica squealed in delight, her heels tapping loudly against the hard wood as she hurried over to her best friend and pulled her into a hug, "Now do a full circle and let me see you from all angles." Betty did as requested, showing off the dark magenta bodycon dress that Veronica had helped pick out for her during their shopping spree. The lower hem ended at her mid thighs, long legs jutting out from underneath that ended in a pair of strappy nude high heels.
"You look-."
"Fucking hot." Toni cut off Jughead, Betty smiling and locking eyes with him and seeing his nod of approval. She reached up, fidgeting with a lock of hair thanking Toni for her compliment before Veronica excused herself to the restroom.
"Betty, can I talk to you real quick?" Archie asked, taking her wrist and leading her to the kitchen where it was quiet.
"Everything okay?"
"I'm proposing to Ronnie."
"Oh my God, really?" she squeaked, Archie placing a finger to his lips as she covered her mouth with her hands. Her smile behind was ear to ear, Archie grinning and pulling the ring box out of his pocket to show her, "Oh that's beautiful, she's going to love it."
"I want you and Jughead there to witness it but also, he's going to film it and I was wondering, would you mind taking pictures of it?"
"Of course I don't mind, Arch. When?"
"Friday morning at Picken's Park. It's our ten year anniversary of dating and I'm finally going to ask her to marry me."
"Oh, Archie, I'm so happy for you." she whispered and pulled him into a hug.
"Ready, Betty?" they heard Veronica ask from the top of the stairs, Archie reassuring her that they would clean up and lock up before they all left.
"Coming!" Betty called, hurrying into the living room and stopping in front of the small group of Serpents, "You guys were life savers, and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done."
"Betty, your phone." Jughead said as he picked it up off of the couch, this device vibrating in his hand and the screen lighting up. He looked down out of habit and felt his jaw tense.
Michael:
I'm getting tired of this foolishness, Elizabeth
"Thanks, Juggie." she said quietly as she took the phone from him, sliding it into her little clutch purse and giving him a hug.
"You're welcome, Betts. Go have fun." he whispered in her ear, "And if you feel up to it, drop by the Whyte Wyrm and come say hi to everyone. They've been asking about you."
"I'm sure I can make it before closing." she answered with a grin and turned to leave with Veronica before a loud, hard knock startled them all.
"Were we expecting someone else?" Toni asked from the couch, Betty walking towards the front door and opening it slowly.
"Michael?" she asked in surprise as she felt an immediate knot tightening in her chest, the others in the room looking from one another. Jughead, Sweet Pea and Fangs stood and moved behind Betty protectively, the three of them crossing their arms with their switchblades hidden in their hands in case they were needed. The man at the door smiled slowly, his eyes narrowed as his gaze bore into Betty's. Jughead saw her body tense, her hand that held her purse shaking as she stood paralyzed in the doorway.
"Hello, Elizabeth."
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been reading, you all are amazing! Please review and let me know what you guys think! Thank you, thank you, thank you!