Anyone have any thoughts?
d=d=d=d=
"Hey, Cooper, I heard you had some excitement after the dance," Reggie stopped by Betty's locker on Monday morning at school, "You okay?"
"I'm fine, Reggie," Betty snapped at him. She was getting tired of all the queries since the instant she arrived at school.
"You could have asked me to walk you home," he tossed an arm around her shoulder, "I would have protected you from those goons."
"But who would've protected me from you?" Betty smiled sweetly as she lightly elbowed him in the ribs, "Bye, now."
Betty laughed as she walked away from Reggie, shaking her head. She paused when she saw Archie at his locker. He hadn't seen her yet so to avoid any conversation where he stumbled over some lame explanation she ducked into a classroom.
"May I help you, Ms. Cooper?" the instructor gave her a curious look, "I don't believe this is your homeroom."
"Sorry," Betty stuttered, "I just needed a few moments of quiet. It's been a rough morning."
"Yes, I heard," the older woman nodded, "Do you need to sit?"
"No, I should go," Betty said, "Thank you and sorry."
"If you ever need to chat, I'm here," the woman gave her a maternal smile.
Betty nodded as she left quickly. Fortunately the coast was clear. She'd managed to duck Archie for at least the moment.
As she turned to walk to her homeroom she slammed into someone.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking," Betty bent down to pick up some pens she'd dropped without looking up to see who she'd run into.
"No kidding," a familiar voice said, making Betty pause.
"Cheryl, hi," Betty greeted.
Cheryl caught the weird look on Betty's face, "What's up, Cooper?"
"Nothing," Betty shook her head, "I didn't see you around a lot this weekend."
"Like I'd go to some lame dance," Cheryl scoffed.
"It was held to honor your brother," Betty reminded her.
"I've got better uses for my time than getting some pseudo-sympathetic looks from people who have never given a crap about me or my brother," Cheryl told her pointedly, before she stepped around Betty and strutted away.
"I'll bet," Betty murmured before she finally made her way to homeroom.
-d-d-d-d-
Betty sat at a table in the library with Kevin across from her. There were books stacked up which blocked her hands from Kevin's view as she pretended to study when in reality she was looking at the earring she'd found on Friday.
"Room for one more?" Jughead joined them, pulling out a chair next to Kevin.
"Sure, you can join me in the toolbag rant party I'm having about a certain red-headed boy that lives next to Cooper," Kevin replied before motioning towards Betty, "This one is being obnoxiously silent on the matter."
Betty didn't respond.
"Mission control to Cooper," Jughead said, dislodging one of Betty's books and breaking her out of her trance.
"What?" Betty looked up, "Hey, Jug. Where'd you come from?"
"Are we talking about the birds and the bees?" Jughead asked, "Didn't Mrs. Cooper have that talk with you yet?"
"Funny," Betty snorted.
"What's got you so distracted?" Jughead asked.
"That idiot who lives next door," Kevin chimed in.
"No," Betty shook her head, "Avoiding him is taking some concentration since we have classes together, but so far I've been able to get in and out of the rooms unscathed."
"Good for you," Kevin replied, "I myself have been employing the ghosting method. Whenever I see him, I just walk right past like he's invisible."
"That's a little juvenile, isn't it?" Jughead snorted.
"Considering what he did to Princess Cooper, I don't see that we have any other choice," Kevin countered.
"Is this permanent?" Jughead asked.
"No," Betty said at the same time Kevin responded with 'Maybe'.
"It's hard to imagine a world where Betty Cooper and Archie Andrews aren't besties," Jughead stated, "Remember that Kevin and I always had to follow in your wake."
Betty smiled at him, "You're still his best friend, Jug. I won't make you choose. If you want us both as friends, it's cool."
"I'm not really worried about me," Jughead stated, "Yeah, he made a whopper of a mistake..."
"Mistake, he dropped our fair Betty like a sack of potatoes for some raven-haired outsider in a cape," Kevin stated.
"Fine, what he did was awful, but he's Betty's peanut butter to her grape jelly," Jughead stated, "The sandwich just doesn't taste as good without both."
"Leave it to you to liken my relationship with Arch to food," Betty giggled.
"I think he's just hungry," Kevin teased.
"When is he not?" Betty laughed harder.
"Fine, but you know I'm right," Jughead conceded, "You won't be happy until you mend fences with Archie."
"No offense, Jug, but you sound like you're hanging an extra X chromosome," Kevin snickered.
"I think I should be insulted by that," Betty frowned.
"I know I should be," Jughead rolled his eyes.
"Hey, guys," Veronica bounced into the library, "Any room for a fourth?"
"Actually, you can take my place," Betty gathered her things together, "I need to do some work on the paper."
"You want company?" Jughead asked.
"I'm good," Betty nodded, "Bye."
Veronica sighed as Betty left, "She's mad at me for the dance, isn't she?"
"If it helps, she'll probably be mad at Archie longer," Kevin said.
"I feel really bad," Veronica stated, "I wouldn't have even gone to the river with Archie if I'd known he was supposed to walk Betty home."
"It's not your fault," Jughead shook his head, "That lays squarely with Archie."
"And at least you called to see if she was okay on Saturday," Kevin added.
"I had to beg my mom to let me do that," Veronica shook her head.
"Archie, on the other hand, couldn't even be bothered," Kevin scoffed.
"He didn't call?" Veronica looked shocked, "He lives next door to her. He could've tried walking her to school today."
"He could have tried a lot of things he didn't," Jughead stated, "It's like something has scrambled his brain."
"Yeah, I think he's got a thing for her," Veronica admitted.
"I've been trying to make something happen between them for years," Kevin said, "Nothing."
"Want my two cents?" Veronica asked.
"Sure, why not," Kevin replied.
"I think me coming to Riverdale sort of woke him up," Veronica stated.
"It woke up something," Jughead quipped.
"No, seriously, all we talked about at the river was Betty," Veronica explained.
"Well, at least he can admit to someone he likes her," Jughead said, "I've asked him and gotten the standard 'she's my best friend' answer since we grew hormones."
"He's probably just scared to admit it," Veronica stated.
"Well, if he doesn't grow a pair, someone else is going to realize she's a catch and slip in front of him," Jughead said, "Of course, if it's Mantle, we'll be helping hide a body."
"Why don't you force the issue," Veronica suggested.
"What do you mean?" Jughead asked.
"I think what our raven-haired cape aficionado is suggesting you hit on Betty," Kevin grinned.
"She'd never buy it, and if he hears about it, I'd be looking for my teeth," Jughead shook his head, "No thanks."
"You boys have no imagination," Veronica sighed.
"They'll figure it out," Jughead said, "I'm sure Archie's not going to stand for Betty's avoidance for much longer."
"I just hope she doesn't kick him in the shin," Kevin replied, "Mantle just stopped limping a few months ago."
-d-d-d-d-
"Betty, I've been looking for you all morning," Archie finally tracked Betty down at lunch, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Betty said, "But I have to go...study. Bye, Archie."
"Wait, Betty," Archie reached for her hand, "I'm sorry about what happened. I should have walked you home before Veronica and I went to the river. I owed you that much."
"You don't owe me anything," Betty snapped at him, "I'm not your girlfriend, and you certainly aren't my boyfriend. Go hang with the girl that is your girlfriend. I'm fine. I've got other friends to keep me company."
"Betty, I'm trying," Archie started.
"To ease your conscience," Betty nodded, "No need. Veronica's in the library if you're looking for her."
"Betty," Archie went after her, "I wanted to be at your place first thing the morning after the dance, but I was grounded. I'm surprised you didn't hear me arguing with my dad about it."
"Oh, I did. Two in the morning? Not your brightest move," Betty kept walking, "I'm surprised Veronica's mother is still willing to let you near her."
"It was a stupid move," Archie replied, "We were just talking and lost track of time. Nothing is going on with me and Veronica other than friendship."
"Yeah right," Betty fought to keep her tears at bay, "I'm not blind, Archie."
"What are you talking about?"
"The puddle of drool you left on our table at Pop's the first time she swept into town," Betty said, "Does that ring a bell?"
"It was a momentary thing," Archie replied, "Yeah, she's a friend, but she's not my girlfriend."
"I think she might have other plans for you and her," Betty said, "Like I said, I have to study. Oh, in case you were wondering, I'm fine after having witnessed a robbery on Friday night."
Betty shut the door to the Blue & Gold in Archie's face.
"Damn it," Archie punched his fist into a locker as he passed it, leaving a huge dent.
-d-d-d-d-
Betty walked up to the imposing front door at Thornhill after school and knocked.
"Can I help you?" the woman dressed as a maid greeted Betty at the door.
"Yes, I need to see Cheryl. I'm a classmate," Betty rocked on her heels.
"Is she expecting you?" the woman asked dryly.
"No, this was a last minute thing," Betty said, "It's for a class we have together."
The maid waved her into the foyer, "I'll see if she's available."
"Thank you," Betty nodded.
Betty looked around her. It'd been a while since she'd been inside Thornhill. It still gave her the creeps.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Cooper, Ms. Blossom is unavailable," the maid returned a few minutes later.
"Can you give this to Cheryl with a message?" Betty pulled the earring from her pocket and handed it to the maid.
"And the message?" the woman asked.
"I want in," Betty stated.