"Yeah, thank you, mean it." His expression softened. "So at pops I was about to ask Archie, tell him that I like him but Veronica walked in with her on fleek outfit and Archie just zoned out, don't think he heard a word I said"

"Classic Archie" He took a sip of his drink.

"So the next day, I was part of the welcoming committee for Veronica, me and Kevin. Kevin sort of told her that I liked Archie. She wanted to be friends with us. She seemed nice, too enthusiastic, I guess. Then she insisted we go for the cheerleading try-outs, which I finally made even though Cheryl was going to kick me out, again.

"Then we went out to the field, and she told me I should ask Archie to the Back to School dance. I sort of messed up. So she convinced him to take both of us to the dance.

"Wow, nice moves Veronica Lodge" He said in a funny voice.

"Hehe, I tried to talk to Archie again about being together, but he was distracted again, and he didn't really react. At Cheryl's party, Archie and Veronica had to go into a closet, weird party game, and stay there for a few minutes, I didn't get the concept. But while they were inside, Cheryl narrated what must be happening. All the other guys were laughing at this point, so I just left, I mean what did it mean, Cheryl was obviously messing with me.

"I was just sitting at my porch when Archie found me, I guess something did happen between him and Veronica, I tried to shrug it off, but I started full on crying, and in my defence both of them knew how I felt, still they chose to ignore it." Betty sighed "…and then like a total idiot loser, I asked him if he loved me…" she covered her eyes with her palms, silent tears coming again. Jughead took her hands in his and held them lightly. They were warm from the heat of his coffee. Betty wiped off her tears "He said he did. Just not like I did"

"Until then I could have lived with it. He wanted to be friends, then I would try to be okay with it. He didn't even need to give me a reason. But he told me why. What he said was just …I don't know, unacceptable"

"What did he say, why couldn't you be together?"

"He said that I was the perfect girl next door and that I was so 'pure' and that he would never be good enough for me. And it just made me feel like some pathetic Barbie doll on display, perpetually smiling, who had no say in what she could do and have. I'm sick, Jughead," She looked at him as if she was done "…you don't know but I'm sick of being perceived at just a 'girl next door' like that describes everything I am. Everything I am capable of. It is just like you said. I'm invisible. And when people do see me, it is because they know I will be nice and because I will not say no. But that's over now."

Jughead couldn't believe this. He had seen the way people treated her. He couldn't bear it sometimes how they tried to exploit the goodness in a person. But he knew everyone had a limit. Betty deserved more. And he thought he would never be able to tell her this. But here she was, eyes flickering with a flame he hadn't seen in her before.

"What the hell does it even mean, seriously what do people mean when they call me that?" She paused.

"Oh, you're asking me... There is no rational explanation to this. I guess they mean that you're one of the good girls, one who does her homework, studies. For them the girl next symbolizes the human embodiment of kindness, sweetness, a sense of justice, and cooperation. They see the girl next door as a potential candidate for all things fuelled by goodness of heart." His sarcasm was never out of place.

"Which is ironic because they don't treat you in the way they expect you to treat them. Their expectations are sky high for you, until you start having your own opinions, which they call 'rebellion'. That's when you get all those pity faces saying how disappointed they are in you, how you could do so much better." Added Betty with a glimmer of humour.

"Exactly. Cut to perfect girl: But Papa, I love him; And every father: No you cannot be with that boy, I have the perfect husband for you. You must be the nicest person, forget your dreams, and go smile for someone." Jughead started enacting a scene from every period drama ever.

Betty was laughing now, not caring whatever they saw her as, he didn't seem to care that she was the human embodiment of etc. etc. He was listening to what she was saying, not just what he wanted to hear.