Flashback,
"This needs to stop," Veronica suddenly said one morning bed. "Whatever this is. School almost start and I don't think we should do this anymore," She frowns.
"What are you talking about Ronnie?" Archie asked as he got up and sit up straight. "What do you mean by we should stop? You mean stop being together?" he said confusedly and hurt.
Veronica nods "But why?" he asked.
"This doesn't feel right," she said. "What would our friends say?" she asked. "most importantly, what would Betty say?"
"What about Betty? We're only friends and we never even dated."
"Well, yeah but she had a huge crush on you for the longest time. Although she has mentioned before that she's moved on but I know she's not fully moved on because it's not easy to lose feelings for someone you loved for the longest time," she explained.
"And?" Archie asked, still not getting the point.
"And I really don't want to be that friend. I really don't want to hurt her, I love her. She's a friend that I've always wanted and I'm not screwing it up," she said.
Archie understands how badly she wanted to change and Riverdale is the place where she starts her new chapter in life being the new her. Archie really doesn't want to get in the way of her changing for the better.
Archie lifts his head and groans, "fine, whatever makes you happy," he finally said.
Veronica pulled his face gently facing hers, "hey maybe in the future, you know when she really moves on and got herself a really nice guy. Maybe, just maybe she'll be okay with us being together." She smirks.
Archie frowns, "and how long do you think that would be?" he asked.
She shrugs, "I don't know, but till then you can see other girls if you like," she said.
"You don't mind? Not going to get jealous?" he gives her an evil grin.
"Nope, if it's meant to be, its meant to be," she grins and Archie leans in for a kiss.
He pulled away after one deep kiss, "I'm going to miss this," he said tracing his thumb from her lips to cheeks and then tugged her hair behind her ears.
"Me too, Archiekins."
End flashback.
Veronica looks at herself in the mirror; examined herself from top to bottom. She wearing her normal dark clothing with pearls around her neck; her signature accessory. It was the first day of her senior year, and she's nervous meeting her friends back.
It's been a week since the last time she saw Archie, after the agreement they had. They think that it's best for them to move on before school starts; which they are not sure if it's possible to get all the feelings out before school starts.
But Veronica said to herself so many times how she needs to move on and would never do it again. She values her friendship with Betty more. Betty loved Archie and Veronica just couldn't break her heart by betraying her. She spent her hot summer with Archie acting like lovers.
Veronica went to her dresser and touched up her makeup one last time and put on her heels before she went to the kitchen to make herself breakfast.
"Archie is just a friend, only a friend, you don't like him like that," She repeated to herself as she was making breakfast. "Just act like nothing happens, that simple."
But she wished he was hers. She can tell she was falling for him as she can't get him out of her head and the feelings that she has for him is exploding in her. She was drowning in emotions.
Veronica quickly eats her breakfast drink a glass of milk before she grabbed her bag and walked out of the door. "Goodbye summer," she said sadly as she walked to the elevator. She pressed the lobby button and tapped her foot impatiently. The elevator dinged and she walked out.
"Ugh," She complained and held her hand to her mouth. She suddenly felt nauseous, then she thought probably it's either because of the milk or the fact that she was nervous to see her friends after a long summer. When the feeling of nauseousness went away, Veronica continued walking and headed to school.
When Veronica arrived at school she went through the halls with confidence when she spotted a blonde in her ponytail too busy arranging books in her locker to notice her walking in the halls.
Veronica stands next to Betty's locker, when Betty closed her locker, the sight of her best friend made her squeal. "Hey, V!" she pulls her into a hug. "I miss you much, and Archie too and Kevin and Jughead. So many catching up to do." She said in excitement. "How's your first summer in Riverdale? Meet any hot guys?" Betty asked and Veronica's stomach clench.
"Hot guys? In Riverdale? What hot guys? If you mean by no one, then yes." She laughs. "How about you? Any Summer flings? Archie told me you went to a writing program."
"Oh yeah, sorry that I forgot to mention to you about the program. And no I don't have any summer fling because I was not looking for one. I was too busy reinventing myself."
The bell rings, "What class do you have first?" Veronica asks.
"Umm, I think I have Biology."
"Oh," she replies sadly, "I have Literature." Veronica didn't know how to feel knowing that she had sex during the summer with Archie and can't talk to her best friend about it.
"You have same class with Archie and Kevin,"
"Kevin!" veronica exclaimed to his name. "The only time I bump into him during summer is when I was on the way to pop's and the rest of the summer, I don't know what he's been up too."
She was so busy talking about Kevin when she saw Archie at the back walking towards her and Betty with Jughead. Veronica's heart dropped to her stomach and she felt the nauseous she felt this morning. She feels like barfing right there in the halls. She wished she never sees Archie again. But that was just a wish. She knew that she would have to see or hear about him every single day.
"Hey B, it was nice catching up but I need to get to my locker, there is stuff that I need before class," she said. "see you later, lunch." She adds quickly run off a different direction
After getting all her stuff at the locker, Veronica walked towards class, avoiding any eye contact with anyone. She really was freaking out. She couldn't see Archie, what if the awkwardness between them is noticeable? What if Betty finds out? But most of all, what will Betty reacts when she finds out?
Veronica continued to walk to class with her head up, trying so hard to hide the frown on her face. Because she wasn't paying attention where she's going, her shoulder hit someone. "Ouch," she said rubbing her shoulder.
"Veronica?"
She looked up to see Archie and sudden urge to throw up rise in her throat.
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fi—," that's when she ran to the bathroom
"Ronnie!" she heard him calling her by her nickname but she quickly ran to the bathroom. She locked herself in one of the stalls and throw up everything she had in earlier and just sit there, to calm herself down and try to keep herself from crying of how horrible she felt right now.
She doesn't know why her first day of school was horrible, but she could have sworn that that day was one of the worst days in her life.
When she's done pulling herself back together, Veronica got up, wiped her face and unlocked the stall. As she looked in the mirror, she looks like a mess. She touched up her face with makeup to make herself look good again. She can't spend the first period on the first day of school in the bathroom, she thought to herself.
Veronica put on a fake smile and walked in her class.
"Miss Lodge is good to see that you're late for your first class on the first day of school," Mr. Chadwick said it sarcastically.
Veronica just gave him a warm smile, "It's better late than never," she said and made her way silently to an empty desk apparently behind Kevin.
"What happen to you?" he whispered, trying not to get caught. "I thought you went early to school this morning," he adds.
"I had a terrible tummy ache. I think I accidently drank a spoilt milk or something," she complains.
"Oh well, it's good to see you. Just for the record, even though you're sick you look great."
"Thanks," she said and she saw Archie turn slightly around looking at her with a concerned face.
As Veronica was walking to their usual spot for lunch holding her tray, a hand looped through her arm that made her jump. "Calm down," Betty said with a smile. "It's just me."
"Sorry," Veronica replies with a laugh.
"Are you okay?" Betty asks in concern.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she fakes a laugh.
"You seem a bit off since this morning, did something happen during the summer that's bothering you?"
"I'm perfectly fine," she said confidently. "I got a tummy ache earlier but it's all fine now," she shrugs it off.
As they are walking towards their usual spot, Betty eyes spotted Archie immediately, "Archie!"
Archie turns around and waves at them both with his stupid charming smile, sitting next to him is Jughead, looking all serious. Probably talking to Archie about his summer and on the things, he's working on. Veronica took a deep breath and begin to walk with Betty towards them. Her stomach begins to clench and turn again. Ugh was it acting up like this? She feels like throwing up again.
"Hey," Veronica said as putting her tray on the table and take a seat. "What are you guys talking about that got Jughead looking so serious?" she asks.
"About this old man that he encountered during his road trip," Archie replied to her question trying to act all normal. "By the way how are you feeling I heard you were sick this morning," he asked Veronica.
"I'm fine, I just ate something bad probably. It's nothing."
"Juggie, you owe me a story later on what you're working on," Betty said.
"Sure do Betts." He winked at her. "enough about me," Juggie said. "Archie I wonder what you've been up to this summer."
Suddenly they are interrupted by another voice, "hook-up with any hot cougars?" they turned around and it was Kevin with his tray. "What?" He asked when everybody is giving him a look. "I know that is what you guys are dying to ask him right?" he smirks and takes a seat next to Betty.
"I'll try not to be offended by the question but no, I did not hook-up with any cougar," he answered.
"So, if not a cougar? Did you hook-up with younger girls then?" Kevin asked again. "A freshman?"
Archie shakes his head, "I hook up with no one this summer," he laughs a little.
"Oh okay then, Archie had a boring summer. How about you V, anything interesting you wanna share?" Kevin asked.
Veronica who is busy playing with her food, looked up, "Umm, nope. Boring summer, just spent reading and binge watching on Netflix and that's just about it." She said and try not to look at Archie.
"Spending summer in Riverdale is just boring, nothing happens here," Jughead said.
After school, Betty and Veronica walked to the Pop's to hang out, they were having fun talking about the movies and TV shows they binge watch during the summer when betty said something the surprises Veronica.
"You know how I said I'm over Archie?" she said. "I think I still have feelings for him."
"You do?" Veronica trying to remain cool.
"Yeah, I know that Archie doesn't see me more than friends—yet. But I just can't help thinking that we might end up together in the future." She said. "we're best friends for so long and I can't imagine myself being with anybody but him."
"Oh," Veronica responds.
"You're not going to say anything about it? Any comments?" Betty asked.
"Audrey Hepburn said," she is playing with her straw. "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible," she gives Betty a warm smile.
"Thanks," Betty said.
Veronica tried to suck it all up at that moment when Betty told her she still loves Archie because all she wants to do is cry. She has never been an emotional person, but lately, all she ever wants to do is stay in bed and cry. Why would she feel hurt? She asked herself. She's the one who betrayed her friend, not Betty but she feels so hurt. Is it because she actually likes Archie more than she intended to. She doesn't know, what she knows is that everything just hurts.
