"What's going on between you and Archie?" Veronica probed, linking their arms as they moved down the hallway.

Betty had been avoiding her circle of her friends all morning.

Reggie had yet to confront her about their altercation, she was still waiting for that, his eye had only begun to heel, as had the bruises decorating her knuckles. She and Archie still weren't speaking, not that she was surprised. She hoped that the only thing he really needed was space.

And she was trying to give him just that.

She let her shoulders drop in a shrug.

"B." Veronica scolded. "Talk to me."

What was she supposed to say?

I got rid of Archie's cougar girlfriend and how he hates me for it?

She couldn't tell anyone the truth, she wouldn't. She could never do that to Archie, no matter what happened between the two.

"B?"

"He's mad at me." She replied.

"I can see that." Veronica teased, mockingly shaking her head from side to side. "What happened, B? You two never fight."

That was true; before the previous events, she and Archie had never had so much as a mock argument. It was Archie and Jughead who were prone to verbal spats, words they would laugh about seconds later.

"Betty?"

"V, it's really-"

"Betty."

"Arch doesn't like that I've been spending time with Jughead again." Betty disclosed, knowing Archie well enough to know that her renewed, whatever she and their once shared best friend were doing, she had no idea what to call it, even after she had admitted to missing him, contact with Jughead had gotten on his nerves, though his anger towards the Grundy situation masked it greatly.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Can I..." Veronica drew out. "Can I ask why you are? Hanging out with him, I mean."

She sighed.

None of her so called 'friends', including Veronica, including Archie, would ever be able to understand what Jughead meant to her.

She wasn't sure if she understood it herself, but he was part of her life, the childhood best friend that would always have a piece of her heart, engraved within it, and she was slowly coming to the realization that Jughead was the only person she could trust completely.

It made no sense.

He lied to her, hid things from her, ordered her around on occasion, and while that should have made her angry, while that should have pushed her even further away from him, it hadn't. Instead, it only peaked her curiosity.

His want, his need to protect her, to shield her, only made her trust him more, and it made absolutely no sense, but that was Jughead. He didn't have to make sense, not for her.

"B?"

"I care about him, V." She admitted, after a moment. "And if you're really my friend, then you would understand that."

Betty pulled free from her grasp, adjusting the weight of her back pack against her shoulder.

"B!" Veronica called after her.

She paused.

"I'm on your side." She muttered.

Betty shot her a small smile.

They were best friends, no matter what.

"Thanks V."

Betty continued down the hallway on her own, smiling at those who greeted her. She was one of the most popular girls in Riverdale High's senior class, everyone knew her name, even when she wished they didn't. Popularity, everyone thinking they knew everything about you, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Fingers suddenly locked around her wrist as she turned the corner, pulling her back against the plastered wall. For a moment, she feared it was Reggie, or Chuck, but the hand was too soft, too small to be either one of theirs.

She turned to meet Toni's gaze.

"Hey." She greeted hesitantly, surprised to find that the female Serpent was not alone, Fangs and Sweet Pea flanking her, towering over her. "Um... What's up?"

"Blondie, this is Fangs." Toni announced, ignoring her question. "And this is Sweet Pea."

Betty smiled shyly in response, unsure of what, exactly, either one of the boys knew about her. She still didn't know what Jughead had told Toni, let alone the rest of his friends.

Fangs tilted his chin upwards in a nod, while Sweet Pea smirked, eerily mimicking Jughead as his smug eyes appraised her.

"Hey Blondie." He said, using Toni's newfound nickname for her. "Good to see you conscious."

His gaze landed on the scar against her temple.

Betty frowned. "Sorry about your lucky bandana."

His eyes narrowed as Fangs and Toni burst out laughing.

"You owe me a new one, Princess."

"Sure, sure." She agreed, returning her attention to Toni. "What's with the kidnapping?"

Sweet Pea's conceited expression was back in place. "We heard that you are the only one around here who knows what Jones's real name is."

A blush rose to her cheeks.

She had almost forgotten her promise to Toni to finally reveal the dreaded, in Jughead's case anyway, F word. He was nowhere to be found, and this time, there was nothing he could do to stop her.

"Blondie?"

A grin graced her glossy pink lips. "Jughead's real name is-"

A familiar hand smacked over her mouth, cutting her off completely. Her back made contact with a muscular chest, his free arm slipping around her waist, further anchoring her to him.

"Nice try." Jughead teased, shooting his three friends a dark look. "I'll deal with you later. C'mon, Cooper, you're coming with me."

Without another word, he caught hold of her wrist, yanking her along behind him.

"I'll tell them eventually." She threatened.

Jughead turned to face her, a playful, and yet also somehow dangerous glint in his eye.

Suddenly, he was backing her into the wall, caging his arms on either side of her. He pressed his forehead against her own, his smirk appearing in an instant.

"Don't you dare."

Feeling brave, she smiled back at him cheekily. "What are you gonna do to me, Juggie?"

"Just wait till I get you alone, Betts."