"We need more popcorn." Veronica declared.

Reggie nodded, detangling himself from her. "I'll go-"

"No!" Betty interjected, wincing at how desperate she sounded. If she didn't calm down, they would definitely be able to tell that she wanted to get away, even if it was just for a few minutes, from their attempt to reestablish the friendship that had never really been. "Please, let me."

Reggie frowned. "Aww, B, you don't have to-"

"I want to." She lied, already jumping down from the bed of his truck. "My legs are starting to fall asleep."

Veronica didn't seem fazed.

"Hurry back, B." She warned. "You're going to miss the best part."

Betty nodded in response. "I'll be right back."

It had been two weeks since they had all returned early from their summer plans, two weeks since their lives had changed forever, and they were trying to get back to their new version of normal, a life without Jason Blossom.

Everyone was at the Drive In, with the exception of Cheryl, who, rightfully so, had left Riverdale for an undetermined amount of time to try and get away from the town that held so many memories of her brother. Chuck had brought along a date, some sophomore whose name she couldn't remember, and Moose and Kevin were parked a few cars away, more interested in their conversation than the movie currently playing overhead. Archie was supposedly on his way, he had started taking music lessons from their teacher Miss. Grundy, but the movie was already halfway through.

She prayed that he would at least arrive to give her a ride home.

She wasn't sure she could take another fifteen minutes of sitting in between the two raven haired teens, trying not to cringe as the two threw comments back and forth to one another that were meant to sound friendly. When they weren't fighting, they acted like a couple yet again, even though Veronica had been adamant in her promise that the relationship was over for good.

Betty had no idea what the two saw in each other.

They were both amazing in their own right, though if she were taking sides, she would have chosen Veronica, they were best friends, but they made a miserable couple, constantly unhappy, always threatening to break up, only to be back together by the next day. After almost two years of roller coaster emotions, Veronica had finally gotten fed up, and left him two weeks before the school year ended.

After four beers, Reggie had openly admitted to hoping for a reconciliation, while Veronica had made a very different kind of confession, drunk admissions were not uncommon in their circle of friends, only nights before, though neither seemed to remember the words that had left the other's mouth.

Reggie wanted Veronica, but Veronica didn't want Reggie. She wanted... Archie.

She had spent the entire evening gushing to Betty about their shared friend after a commemorated toast in honor of Jason, talking about how he had bulked up over the summer, Betty didn't see any difference, and how hot he looked when he played his guitar, Betty had never really noticed.

What she had realized within the last year was that the one-sided crush she had been harboring on the boy next door since the fifth grade had begun to fade, her feelings slowly melting away until they were merely platonic.

It shouldn't have bothered her to hear Veronica, who she wanted to be happy, more than anything, talking about wanting to move on, admitting that she was interested in Archie, who she would have looked absolutely adorable with, but it did, it really did, and what really made her blood boil was the knowledge that Archie might have been interested in Veronica too.

It seemed that tragedy had brought them closer together.

During the funeral, Archie had sat in between them, his arm tight across Veronica's shoulders as she sniffled, and suddenly, there were a dozen inside jokes between the two, Veronica got to hear the songs he had written seconds after they were perfected when Betty had always been the first one he played them for.

She was second best in Archie's life once again, and she wasn't sure if she could handle feeling like that a second time. Archie would never look at her the way he looked at Veronica.

It was so easy to be jealous of Veronica Lodge, even with all her familial drama, even though she was the best friend Betty had ever had.

Betty dug her nails into the palm of her hand.

God, she just wanted to run away sometimes. She stared at the entrance for a moment.

What was stopping her?

"Wow, Cooper, you're going to leave before Jim, Judy and Plato can act like the perfect family? That doesn't sound like you."

He had just gone on break.

The movie playing was Rebel Without A Cause, not his first choice, but the people seemed to be enjoying it. Everyone, that was, other that the familiar looking blonde, her hair loose around her shoulders for once, standing only yards away from the friends who hadn't noticed that she seemed lost, deep in thought.

His statement made her nearly jump out of her skin, but instead of shooting her an apologetic look, or saying the words aloud, he smirked, his signature response.

Betty stared at him for several seconds, and he wondered if she was going to say anything at all.

"I... Um..." She drew out.

Now, Jughead was wondering if she was scared of him.

"I was getting popcorn." Betty declared finally.

"Concession stand's that way." He snickered, jerking his thumb in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, well..." She wound her arms around her midsection, a clear indicator that she was either upset, or uncomfortable, maybe both. "I know."

"And you haven't gotten any popcorn because?"

Her eyes narrowed, an expression she had inherited during her years of popularity, no doubt.

"Why do you care?" Betty demanded.

Jughead's heart sank.

Their first real conversation in almost three years, and somehow, someway, he had no idea, he had insulted her.

"Sorry." He mumbled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

He started to walk away.

"Wait." Betty called, her tone still so hesitant.

Jughead didn't stop.

She let out a sigh, full of frustration.

"Jug."

Hearing his nickname, a stupid little variation of the name he had chosen for himself because he refused to use his true name, a name she and Archie had come up with in the first place, shouldn't have affected him so much, but it had him spinning back around to face her, taking a few steps closer, his gaze locking into her own.

"Is it true?" She questioned.

He didn't even have to ask.

"Yeah." Jughead replied. "Looks like we're going to be classmates again, Betts."

The term of endearment was a slip, and they both knew it. He hadn't meant to call her Betts anymore than she had meant to call him Jug. They weren't allowed to use each other's nicknames anymore.

"Oh." She said.

His eyebrow arched upward.

"Oh?" He challenged, smirking again.

Betty's arms tightened across her chest. "Yeah. Oh."

"Oh." Jughead mimicked, suddenly growing irritated, if not angry. "Just say it, Cooper."

"Say what?"

"You know what, Betty." He snapped. "It's written all over your face."

"Jughead." She pronounced carefully. "I don't know what you're-"

"You don't want the Serpents at Riverdale High!"

Betty stared at him, her expression unreadable. "I never said that."

"You didn't have to." He grumbled. "It's written all over your face."

She shook her head. "You don't know me, Jug."

Oh but he did, he probably knew her better than she would ever realize.

"Believe what you want, Betts." Jughead shot back.

She opened her mouth to reply.

"B!"

Chuck Clayton began to near them, clutching the hand of some younger, dark haired girl, pulling her along behind him.

Jughead's jaw tightened.

"V is asking for you." He announced, glancing back and forth between Betty and Jughead several times. "Is there a problem here?"

"No!" Betty insisted, a little too loudly. "No, of course not. I'm going to... We need popcorn."

"Bailey will go with you." Chuck offered.

She nodded quickly, not sparing Jughead a second glance as she spun on her heel, heading off towards the concession stand.

"Jones." Chuck greeted.

Jughead sneered. "Chuck."

"Hm." He mused, watching the girls walk away. "Betty Cooper is looking fine this evening. Don't you think, Jughead?"

Something in Jughead snapped. He caught the football player off guard, grabbing him by the shoulders and pinning him to the side of the empty ticket booth.

Despite the hand nearly around his throat, Chuck didn't seem fazed by his anger.

"Temper temper." He teased, a smug grin spreading across his face.

"Did you not learn your lesson the first time?" Jughead hissed.

His smile disappeared as the same memory played in both their minds, Chuck beaten nearly into unconsciousness, Jughead walking away victorious, his knuckles bruised and bloodied.

"When are you going to learn yours?" He retorted.

Jughead kneed him in the groin just for the hell of it. "And what lesson would that be?"

"The most obvious lesson there is." Chuck replied, grinning again. "Cheerleaders don't do Serpents, Jarhead. Betty Cooper will never give you the time of day out of anything other than pity. She'll be much happier with someone like me."

His blood boiled.

He threw his arm back, ready to swing, but then thought better of it. The last thing he needed was to explain to Betty why he had punched her supposed friend.

"I think I deserve another shot with her." He added.

Jughead shoved him away. "If you go anywhere near her, I'll..."

An awkward silence fell between them.

"You'll..." Chuck mocked, chuckling. "Finish a sentence?"

His hands curled into fists.

He would be damned if he let Chuck Clayton get within an inch of her a second time.

Jughead shoved him, a cold smirk gracing his lips when the mighty football player landed with a grunt against the ticket booth yet again.

"Don't forget, Clayton." He said, his tone laced with nonchalance. "The Serpents are coming to Riverdale. Don't think I won't be watching."

Chuck managed a scoff. "Whatever, Jarhead."

Jughead walked away to finish his shift, completely aware of the vow he had just made. He knew what his friends would say, demanding to know how he could possibly protect someone he didn't know anymore, someone who had enough protection already, but he couldn't back down.

He wouldn't. Not when Betty was involved. As impossible as his promise seemed, he intended to keep it.