This is co-written with Goodform2011. We own nothing.
Betty played with the charm hanging from the necklace around her neck as she walked home from the Back to School dance by herself. She tried not to think about the new couple probably growing roots back in the gymnasium.
She'd been so ready to pour out her heart to her best friend, Archie Andrews, before school started, and in walked the mysterious Veronica Lodge. Betty wanted to dislike her so much for barging in on her territory, but she couldn't. Veronica was a nice person in a tough situation. As the daughter of perfectionists Hal and Alice Cooper, she knew firsthand about tough situations.
Just as she passed a dress shop, she paused, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She crouched out of sight and cautiously peeked in the window, seeing a flash of light towards the back of the store.
She'd been in this store dozens of times. She knew the woman who ran it always closed up at five because she had kids at home and believed in hot family meals together.
Betty fumbled for her phone and dialed the sheriff's station to report a possible burglary. Her hands shook violently in her panic.
Just as she hung up and looked inside again, a silhouette of a large man hit the floor and someone else shouted.
There was a lot of rustling and tumbling. Two men were shouting expletives. Suddenly everything inside went quiet, and the sirens came screaming towards her.
She heard the sound of gravel crunching in the narrow alley behind her and turned to look. She saw a leather clad figure gracefully ascending the fire escape of the building next to them, dark hair with glinting silver tips hanging down her clearly feminine back.
Betty watched her and then looked around, pausing when she saw something shiny by the door. Realizing no one had seen her yet, she picked it up quickly, pocketing it, before turning to greet Sheriff Keller.
"Betty, you called this in?" Tom approached her.
"Yeah, I saw something in the store. I knew it wasn't Mrs. Calvin since she's usually home with her kids already," Betty stated. "After I called, I heard all this commotion, and then it got eerily quiet."
"Keller, we've got two perps," one of his deputies called out, "They're laid out on their stomach with their arms zip tied behind their backs."
"They're what?" Tom looked flabbergasted.
"I didn't do it," Betty held her hand up as if to take an oath.
"I believe you," Tom nodded, "But this kind of thing has been happening a lot recently. Did you see anyone leave?"
"Leave? No, why?"
"There appears to be some sort of vigilante causing havoc in Riverdale. They're always a fractional bit quicker to the scene than we are. By the time we get to the scene, the perps are tied up," Tom explained, "Are you sure you didn't see anything?"
"No," Betty shook her head vigorously.
"Alright," Tom nodded, "Stick around and give your folks a call. I'm gonna need a statement, and you're still a minor."
"I'll call my mom," Betty nodded.
"Let me know when she gets here," Tom replied, "I'm going to work with my deputies to process the crime scene."
"Has anyone called Mrs. Calvin?" Betty asked.
"She's on the way," Tom replied.
Betty nodded and dug her phone out, dialing her mom.
"Betty? Where are you? Is everything ok?" Alice answered immediately. It wasn't like her daughter to be late for curfew, and with Polly having run away, she'd kept a closer tab on her youngest.
"Take a breath, Mom," Betty advised. "Can you come down to Mrs. Calvin's dress shop? I need an adult so Mr. Keller can take my statement."
"Take your statement," Alice gasped, "Betty Cooper, what have you done?"
"Nothing," Betty assured her, "I caught a crime in progress and called it in. Sheriff Keller needs to take my statement but can't until I have parental consent."
"Oh," Alice deflated, "Mrs. Calvin's? That's up the block from Pop's right?"
"Yeah, it's got the purple awning," Betty looked up to make sure.
"I'll be there in a few minutes," Alice replied, "Maybe I can get the exclusive scoop from the sheriff."
"I think there are laws against printing witness statements," Betty teased lightly.
"Oh, Betty," Alice sighed, "I'm on my way. Sit tight."
"Will do," Betty promised, "Thanks, Mom."
They disconnected, and Betty leaned against the squad car to wait.
Alice rolled up soon enough with her notepad at the ready.
"Are you really going to report on this?" Betty sighed as she approached her mother.
"Don't worry, Elizabeth, I won't report your name as a witness," Alice assured her.
"Thank you," Betty nodded, "Sheriff Keller? One parent, as promised."
"Hi, Alice," Tom greeted the other adult.
"So what's going on?" Alice asked.
"Are you a reporter or a parent right now?" Tom asked.
"Can I be both?" Alice asked.
Tom gave it some thought and nodded, "Just this once."
"What's happening, Tom?" Alice asked, "Did the vigilante strike again?"
"Alice, you know we've been keeping that under wraps," Tom scowled at her.
"You said if it happened again that I could start reporting on it," Alice reminded him, "So what's happening?"
"Betty, why don't you give your account, and then I'll talk to your mom?" Tom said.
"I was walking home and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dim light in the back of the shop. I know Mrs. Calvin goes home by five because she's still got kids at home, so I made sure I couldn't be seen, and then peeked in again. I saw another flash of light, so I called the station to report a possible burglary. After I hung up, I stayed out of sight, but I looked in again. I saw a silhouette of a man hitting the floor and then started to hear a lot of shouting."
"You didn't see any other movement aside from those two men?" Sheriff Keller asked.
"No, nothing," Betty shook her head, "They were clearly freaked out by what they were saying, or perhaps not seeing. It was a lot of swearing."
"What happened then?"
"It got really quiet until I heard the sirens," Betty said, "I admit, I got a little nosy and went into the alley to see if I could see anything."
"Nothing?" Tom asked.
"Not a soul," Betty shook her head.
"Okay," Tom bobbed his head, "Anything else you can think of that might be important?"
"Nothing about whoever tied them up, but Mom, didn't you say once all the basements on this street are connected somehow? Maybe that's how they got in without tripping an alarm," Betty pointed out.
Alice bobbed her head and wrote in her notebook, "Tom, anyone check those basements out?"
"Not yet," Tom said, "But thanks for the tip. Alice, can you drive Betty down to the station? I'll have a deputy follow you to take a statement."
"Didn't you just do that?" Betty asked the sheriff.
"Have to have you write it all down, and then you both have to sign a typed up copy," Tom explained.
"As if this night couldn't get any worse," Betty muttered.
"No good deed goes unpunished," Tom smirked, "Wilson, follow the Cooper ladies to the station, and after Betty writes everything out, type it up, and have them sign it. Then they are free to go. Anything comes to mind, Betty, call me."
"I will," Betty promised, "And if you have any other questions, you know where I live."
"I do indeed," Tom smiled.
Alice kept prodding Betty for more details as the younger Cooper discreetly pulled the item she'd picked up and examined it. She gasped softly as she recognized the ruby and platinum earring.
"Betty, what is it?" Alice asked.
"Nothing," Betty shook her head, "I thought I left my purse on the hood of Mr. Keller's squad car, but I'm holding it." She held it up to prove her point.
"You might be in a bit of shock," Alice responded, "It's common when experiencing such an overwhelming situation."
"Weird night," Betty nodded, "I bet Kevin calls me first thing in the morning."
"Kevin," Alice sighed, "I guess it's better than Archie."
Betty sighed to herself, "I have a feeling Mr. Andrews will ask me about this before Archie."
"Fred is a good man," Alice replied, "It's his offspring that's trouble."
Betty didn't respond. She kept her gaze looking out the window as they drove.
-d-d-d-
Betty whimpered when her cell phone rang, her hand reluctantly reaching out to grab it. She checked the caller ID and sighed.
"Nailed that one," she murmured, "Hey, Kev."
"Are you alright?" Kevin asked immediately, "Dad said you caught a robbery in progress."
"I'm fine," Betty assured him, "They didn't see me. I wasn't in any danger."
"Thank, God," Kevin said, "I'm about ten seconds from your front door, and I see no sign of anything deemed parental."
"Mom and Dad are probably at the paper," Betty said, "You know where the spare key is. Let yourself in, and you'd better have breakfast with you."
"Do I ever disappoint you?" Kevin asked.
"No, you never do," Betty sat up, "If I'm not in my room when you get up here, I'm using the facilities. Make yourself comfy."
"Always," Kevin let himself in before they disconnected.
"Breakfast bagel with bacon, eggs, and cheese," Betty sniffed out immediately as she came out of her bathroom.
"And," Kevin prompted her.
"Hash Browns," Betty sighed happily, climbing back into her bed, "Kev, it's too bad you bat for the other team because I think I love you right now."
"You just love me because I feed you," he handed her coffee.
"And you always get my coffee right," Betty smiled at him, "So, where'd you disappear to last night, and is he cute?"
"Oh yeah," Kevin confirmed, "Moose and I went to the drive-in."
"It was closed last night," Betty reminded him.
"I didn't say we went to watch a movie," Kevin chuckled.
"Don't need the details," Betty shook her head in amusement.
"Good," Kevin smirked.
"So, Moose, huh? Does Midge know he swings both ways?" Betty asked about the pixie-like girl that had been dating Moose for a while.
"He told her last night," Kevin admitted, "Not that he swings in both directions, but that he wants to break up."
"Wow," Betty breathed, "That's gonna hit hard on Monday."
"I think your brush with the criminal element is gonna hit harder," Kevin said, "So, what happened? Dad said you were alone. Where was Andrews?"
"Probably with Lodge," Betty said.
"Ugh," Kevin groaned, "I want to be angry because I'm Team Barchie all the way, but she's just too darn nice."
"I know," Betty sighed, "I feel the same...Kev, I have a secret."
"Don't tell me if I have to lie to my dad or anyone else. You know I suck at keeping things quiet," Kevin replied.
"Okay," Betty frowned before deciding to change subjects, "Is this thing with Moose going to be serious?"
"I don't know yet," Kevin admitted, "I don't know if I can be with someone in the closet."
"I hope it works out for you, Kev," Betty said, "But if it doesn't, I know a guy who might work for you. He's a friend of a friend."
"I thought I knew all your friends."
"Remember last year when we did the whole tutoring thing with Southside High? I stayed in touch with a couple of the guys."
"Betty Cooper, are you slumming it on the south side?" Kevin grinned.
"Ech, you sound like my mother," Betty frowned.
"Didn't your mom grow up on the south side?" Kevin asked.
"Yes, but you'll only get her to admit it under fear of death," Betty giggled.
Ring!
"Hang on," Betty picked up her phone, "Speaking of the south side...Hi, Jug."
"Betts, are you okay?" Jughead asked. "I heard you saw a robbery last night."
"Good news travels fast," Betty muttered, "Was it your guys that got arrested?"
"No, no Serpents were involved in the robbing of the dress shop," Jughead said, "But you're okay?"
"I'm fine," Betty assured him, "Hey, are you still working at the drive-in?"
"Until it shuts down, I am," Jughead responded.
"What's playing tonight?"
"Anything you want," Jughead promised, "Bring Keller and food. I'll start Dirty Dancing at sundown."
"You're the best, Jug," Betty replied.
"Heard from Andrews yet?" Jughead asked.
"Not a peep," Betty admitted, "Kev's here with breakfast and coffee, so he's my number one, right now."
"Tool," Jughead muttered, "Burgers, okay?"
"You got it," Betty smiled, "See you later, Jug."
"Bye," Jughead said.
They disconnected and Betty looked at Kevin who was looking out the window, "Hoping for another peek?"
"Just seeing if the jerk is even home," Kevin replied, "He should be here right now eating breakfast with us."
"I think if he wasn't home, we'd have heard from Mr. Andrews by now," Betty said, "You okay with watching Dirty Dancing?"
"As long as you don't try making me do the lift with you this time."
"One time," Betty frowned. "Let it go."
"And you nearly broke my back," Kevin scowled at her.
Betty giggled and fell back on her bed. After a moment, she spoke, "Hey Kev? Thanks for being here. I kinda love you, you know?"
"Always," Kevin assured her, "It's you and me against the world, Betts."
-d-d-d-d-
Kevin parked the truck so the bed was facing the screen and looked over at Betty, "You okay?"
"Just thinking," Betty nodded, getting out with the food and yelling, "Yo, Jones! Food!"
"Be there in a few," Jughead hollered back, "Got to get the flick started first."
Betty let Kevin spread the blanket out and then gave him the food before he hauled her up into the back to sit with him.
"Betty?"
She looked over the side of the truck and smiled at Josie, "Hey, Josie. I didn't expect to see you tonight."
"Who can resist Patrick Swayze wet and shirtless?" the other girl smiled.
"So true," Betty laughed, "How's it going?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing," Josie replied, "Mom told me about last night. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," Betty nodded, "Thanks for asking. Are you here with anyone? You wanna hang with us?"
"I'm here with my girls," Josie waved over to her friends and bandmates, the Pussycats, "I just wanted to check on you."
"Thanks," Betty smiled, "See you in History on Monday."
"I'll be the one trying to stay awake," Jose smirked.
"You and me both," Betty laughed.
Josie sent a wave to Kevin before she went back to where Val's ride was parked.
"I have a feeling that's going to happen a lot tonight," Kevin said, giving Betty her shake.
"Half the class called today," Betty frowned.
"Except for one glaring exception," Kevin said.
"I don't want to talk about it," Betty shook her head, "Besides, I have a feeling he's grounded. Did you hear Mr. Andrews yelling as we were leaving?"
"Wonder what he did to incur Mr. Andrews's wrath," Kevin mused.
"He stayed out until two with Veronica," Jughead pulled himself up into the bed of the truck and parked himself on the other side of Betty, "How do you know Sweet Pea and Fangs?"
"Random subject change," Kevin chuckled, "Hello to you too."
"I tutored Sweet Pea last year," Betty stated, "Fangs came with a few times. They seem like cool guys. They don't seem like true Serpents."
"They're not the hardened criminal Serpents," Jughead agreed, "But they heard what happened, and they said to tell you they're glad you're okay."
"Tell them thanks," Betty said, "Two in the morning?"
"Mrs. Lodge woke up and Veronica wasn't home. She called Archie's house, and he wasn't home either. Turns out they fell asleep down by the river."
"Man, he's an idiot," Kevin shook his head, "I hope he had pants on."
Betty started to giggle and her head fell on Jughead's shoulder as he snorted in laughter, too.