Betty didn't know what Alice wanted from her. Not really. She knew that her – God, she hated even thinking this word – mother wanted her to be the picture-perfect Stepford daughter. The laughable thing was, that was so far removed from who Betty was as a person, it was a joke. Betty didn't think Alice wanted anything but perfection from her daughter and that was just something Betty could not give. Not willingly, at least. And that meant she had to stay on the Southside.

After the group had eaten at Pops and had gotten ice for her cheek, courteous of Sweet Pea, they had all trooped back to the Southside. She had been spending her nights there, with her friends and who she considered family. She didn't consider Alice or Polly family.

Polly had gone to dance with the hippies on the farm and Alice had given her to Sister Woodhouse. Those women were dead to her as far as she was concerned. And Betty knew she wouldn't change her mind on any of that. So, she just opted to stay close to Jughead. He knew her best and always kept a level head during stressful situations. Which pretty much made-up Betty's life these days.

She stared at her reflection in the trailer mirror. Her hair was dull and her appearance gaunt-like and skeletal. Sisters had taken a lot from her, including her once-healthy-looking appearance. She didn't know if it would ever come back or if she was doomed to look this emaciated forever. God, she hoped not.

There was a soft knock on the door behind her and she looked up into the mirror to spot Jughead looking at her in concern. She knew what he was worried about and sighed. "I'll have plenty of time to eat burgers and drink milkshakes from Pops."

"I know," he sighed, going to wrap his arms around her waist loosely. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he dropped a kiss to the crown of her head. She knew that he was worried about her; all their friends were, too. The thing was, she couldn't make that worry disappear. Alice had put her through hell and then even more so with the crazed nuns at the institution. And that's exactly what it was. It wasn't a group home for critically unwell girls. It was an institution that liked to suck the life out of you and deprive you of things. She looked up at Jughead, staring at him as he traced his thumb along the bruise on her cheek from Alice's palm. "We've got a Serpent meeting tonight. You are coming?"

"I'm allowed to?" Betty asked in surprise. It wasn't that FP had explicitly said she wasn't allowed at the meetings, but it was a common understanding amongst all of them.

"Yes," he said. "Dad wants you there and so do I."

She looked at him, nodding her head a moment later. "Let's go."

She slid into her sweater and, on the spur of the moment's decision, decided to pull her hair out of its normally pristine ponytail. FP was waiting for them at the front of the trailer and Betty smiled at him. "Hey, darling."

"Hi, FP," she said quietly, walking with Jughead to his motorcycle. Betty sat on the back of it, wrapping her arms around Jughead's waist, and then FP was getting on his bike and driving off. They drove the streets leading to the Wyrm, and once there, Betty noticed how many bikes were in the lot. "More people here than usual?"

"We're doing something special tonight," Jughead informed her mysteriously, and she cocked her head at him. Like what?

They walked into the bar and Betty was automatically hailed by Toni and Cheryl, who were drinking at the bar. She knew FP wasn't going to tell them not to drink, but if Jughead and Betty so much as looked at a glass of liquor, it was game over. She walked towards the girls, kissing Jughead on the cheek before she left him. They scooted around, making room for her at the bar, and she sat down on a stool next to them. Looking at Dave, the bartender, she smiled. "Sprite, please."

"You got it, Betty," he grinned at her, pouring her sprite into a glass and adding a lime. "Can't tempt you with some vodka poured into this?"

"No, afraid not," Betty laughed, accepting the glass as he slid it to her. FP whistled just then into the microphone held in his hand. Everyone stopped what they were doing at once and looked at him.

"Tonight is a very special night," he began, looking at Betty. She felt herself grow warm as the attention turned to her. What the hell. What the hell. What the fuckity fucking hell. "Betty, can you come up here a moment?"

Ah, damn, FP, don't call me up on stage! She stood up, looking at Cheryl and Toni, both of whom were smirking at her knowingly, and she went to the stage. Jughead met her, grabbed her hand, and brought her up to his dad. "Jughead!"

"Shh," he murmured.

"What is happening?" Betty hissed, and then turned to face FP, who was beaming down at her in something akin to pride.

"Betty Cooper," he said. "You are family. More importantly, you are one of us. Please, please accept this jacket as a token of our love and appreciation for you."

She was shell-shocked as Sweet Pea came out, bearing a jacket. He slid it onto her shoulders, and she stared at Jughead in surprise. He grinned at her, stamping a kiss to her mouth, and then turned to the sea of people. "From here on out, she is our Queen, and we will either protect her or we will die trying."

Unanimous roars filled the dingy bar and Betty laughed, tears in her eyes. "Welcome, sister." Sweet Pea kissed her cheek, and then Jughead picked her up and spun her around. She was so happy in that moment, so utterly and blissfully happy, that she received a shock when she realized she was itching for an Adderall. What a time to be alive, huh, Bettykins?