#bughead fix it

This Shouldn't Be A Lonely Time - Chapter 8

‘I’m going to prove it to you, you know.’ Jughead said, after some minutes of silence, as they walked slowly towards the edge of forest.

‘Prove what?’ Betty tried not to frown in confusion.

‘Prove that voicemail wrong. Prove to you how I really feel.’ Jughead said, trying to keep his tone light. ‘I hate that those are the words that I put out there. I know what words can do to someone. I’m going to prove to you how I really feel about you. Every day. If you let me.’

‘Jug,’ Betty started, a little uneasily. ‘Can we just – I think it’s better if – I – I just want to try and forget about that message and move on. Turn a new page, start a new chapter. I don’t want you to start this because of some misplaced sense of guilt.’

Jughead shook his head. ‘No – that’s not what I meant.’ He sighed. ‘Look, Betty, I want to make up for lost time. I want to be the person you deserve. And I’d want to prove that to you regardless. I never want to take you for granted again.’

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Polly was in trouble, which admittedly was nothing new in the Cooper/Smith household, however, something felt this time. Perhaps it was one too many documentaries on the Green River killer or her time spent down in her own murder hole but Betty more unsettled than she had in the past. This wasn’t being knocked up in a nunnery, or even being in an organ stealing cult, this was clearly getting lost in the seedy underbelly of Riverdale. Betty couldn’t listen to her mother try to console the twins assuring them their mother had gone away on business while sipping on white wine to try to convince herself that her eldest daughter would soon return home.

Betty pulled the curtain back of her bedroom and glanced out towards Archie’s lights were on. This time was usually the shift Jughead worked, she had memorized it in her attempts to help him avoid her as he was clearly doing. Perfect, just what she needed, a mindless distraction. Archie was always good for that. It felt good to have something not so serious going on in her life; light and breezy.

She shuffled across the yard and knocked on the front door; she bounced in anticipation waiting for the front door to open. When it did she was not expecting to greeted by Jughead Jones himself; he was in his Pop’s uniform, the first couple buttons undone with a beer in hand and his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

“Betty?” It came out more like a question than a greeting. “You’re looking for Archie, aren’t you?” He sighed.

Originally she thought she had been, but a sigh of relief escaped her lips almost subconsciously. “I’m looking to get out of my house.” She finally admitted with a sigh. “It’s been a hard couple of days.”

Jughead nodded in agreement. “Yeah I heard about Polly, I meant to reach out I’ve just been” –

“Busy avoiding me?” Betty smirked, knowingly. “Look, I know things can never be the same between us again, but I was hoping we could at least be friends, you were one of my best friends practically my whole life.”

Jughead took a swig of his beer, clearly ruminating. “ Do you want to come in and have a beer?” He offered finally. “I mean I know why you’re here to see Archie, and I can’t give you that but I can offer you an ear.”