#bugheadappreciationweek

Betty recapped her lipstick and spun around in her chair to face him. Her ponytail bounced with the motion. “Jughead?”

Kevin frowned and shrugged his shoulders. “I know. It was a surprise to me too.”

“Jughead doesn’t like anyone, Kev.” Betty replied as she crossed one leg over the other.

Jughead disliking the female population was a fact of which Betty felt certain.

In eighth grade, Jughead had solemnly declared that no woman would ever compare to the pure decadence that Pop’s cheeseburgers provided, and until it became legal to enter into holy matrimony with food, he’d never do so.

Betty had rolled her eyes.

Kevin shook his head. “I’m positive, Betty. Jughead has a crush on you. Whether he realises it or not is another story.”

Betty reached up and tightened her ponytail, her mind wandering, and yet her conscious thoughts certain that Kevin was wrong. “There’s no way. What gives you that impression?”

Kevin lifted his legs up onto the bed and lounged sideways, his head propped up on his hand while his elbow indented into the light fabric. “I’ve kind of suspected it for a while. But the biggest clue was his reaction to your date tonight.”

Betty scoffed. “His reaction? Kev, come on. He barely even flinched.”

Kevin raised his eyebrows. “Are you honestly telling me you didn’t notice him glaring daggers at Trev’s retreating form?”

Betty thought back to Jughead’s facial expression in the Blue and Gold. He was broody, of course, but Jughead was always broody. “I think you’re reading too much into it.”

Kevin sighed dramatically. “Why are straight people always so oblivious to each other? When you told Trev that tonight was a date, Jughead was jealous.”

“What?!”

“He was.” Kevin said adamantly. “He literally seemed so frustrated the whole time Trev was in the room, and he breathed an actual sigh of relief when you said it was just a cover.”

Betty tried to keep the scepticism off of her face. “I really don’t think…” she began, but then, a steady flow of memories began nagging at her mind.

Jughead ranting about the closing of the drive-in at Pop’s, and pointing out that cinephiles (like him) and car enthusiasts (like her) were regular occupants of The Twilight Drive-In.

“Right, Betts?” His words sprang forth into her conscious mind.

And then… there was that smile he gave her when she suggested he played “Rebel without a cause” on closing night. His blue eyes had a certain sparkle to them. His expression joyfully excited - a rare emotion to see on the face of Jughead Jones.

And he had played that movie…

Betty shook her head. “I really don’t think he has a crush on me. You’re reading too much into this.”

Kevin shrugged, and said: “Okaaaay…” slowly, in a disbelieving tone.

Betty merely rolled her eyes, but over the next week she found herself taking more notice of Jughead, and she found several things that made her wonder if maybe… Kevin could be right.

He was really there for her after she found out about Polly’s apparent attempted suicide. He listened to her thoughts and fears, and didn’t try to tell her she was crazy. He accepted her theory that Jason was running from Clifford and Penelope Blossom, and that was why he was selling drugs. It was he who suggested they do some sleuthing into Jason’s bedroom for clues…

Then of course, there was that shy, awkward glance away from her as she eyed his suit the morning of Jason Blossom’s funeral. He’d been smiling as he said: “it’s the best I could do”, and Betty was almost certain she noticed a faint blush creeping onto his face as he shoved his hands deep in the pockets of his trousers.

Maybe it was just because any colour would have stood out in contrast to the black suit, but Betty noticed that Jughead’s eyes looked particularly… prominent that day. They were crystal clear, like the open sky.

No, she realised, his eyes are deep and mysterious… like the ocean.

She also remembered the feel of his hand on her shoulder as he cowered away from Nanna Rose. She recalled the feeling of his warm breath on her neck as he whispered: “the horror… the horror…”

Betty had been far too upset about Nanna Rose’s revelation to think about it at the time, but the next afternoon as she and Jughead added more clues to their Murder Board, she was replaying the memory in her mind. She invited him over for breakfast the following morning, and gave him the details of her plan, and she found she rather… liked his agreement - his instant and enthusiastic support of Betty’s attempts to find out more information.

“There’s no way my mom will let me show you where the bathroom is.” Betty explained.

Jughead tilted his head to the side and gave her a curious expression. “As certain as I am that you’re right, and at the risk of sounding like a toddler developing his understanding of the physical world… why?”

Betty sighed, and found that the sides of her neck were beginning to feel… warm. “Oh, she’s… protective. If I take you into a secluded room with a door that locks she’ll… worry.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Worry? About what, exactly?”

“Um…” Betty definitely felt her cheeks heating up. “Well, we could be… doing things.”

“Doing… things?” He repeated slowly, questioningly.

Betty let out a long gust of air. “We could be, you know, hooking up.”

Jughead’s eyes went wide. “Oh.” He said, and then let out a nervous laugh. “Wow. Just… right there in the bathroom, parents wandering around the house and everything. Not really my style.” He shook his head, then a slight look of panic came over his face. “Not that I wouldn’t hook up with you in a bathroom… wait, that came out wrong. What I meant is, I’m sure it’s worth the risk of being caught… but, why risk it, you know?” He was stumbling over his words in a rush, and cleared his throat. “Ah… sorry, Betts. I haven’t had my afternoon coffee yet.”

Betty’s eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at the desk beside him, on top of which rested a half empty and still steaming mug of dark liquid. Jughead followed her gaze, and took a shaky step towards the desk.

“Finished my afternoon coffee, I mean.” He explained, then lifted the mug into his hand. “Nothing like the rush of caffeine to… get the brain functioning again.” He quickly lifted the mug to his lips, and Betty noticed that his cheeks were slowly blushing a light shade of pink.

“Right.” Betty said slowly, and tried to avoid causing him any more distress. “Well, anyway, as I said… Mom won’t let me follow you off to a room in the house where she can’t properly supervise. So, while you’re gone maybe you can distract her so I can…”

She continued to explain the stealth-laden plan, and Jughead visibly relaxed as he listened to her speak. Betty couldn’t be certain, but she suspected Jughead decided to leave the office earlier than he intended. He walked closely by her in order to make it to the exit, and as he grinned and said: “We’ve got this, Betts,” she felt his warm breath again, fanning her face.

And it was hard to identify the sensations that suddenly prickled the skin of her arms as she watched him smile and walk out of the Blue and Gold office doors… taking that smile and that warm breath with him.

Later that night, when Betty sat on her bed and tried to get some homework done, she closed her laptop in a huff and called Kevin.

“I think you’re right.” She admitted, and Kevin let out a sigh. “Jughead… likes me.”

“I told you.” He said solemnly. “The self-imposed, loner outcast - who I’m still not convinced isn’t selling drugs in the locker room - has a thing for Riverdale’s golden child good-girl. It’s a star-crossed tragedy waiting to happen.”

“Jughead doesn’t sell drugs, Kev.” Betty said, rolling her eyes. “He once went on a forty-five minute long rant about the destructive qualities of all mind-altering substances. He’s a bit of a loner, sure, but he still has some friends. I think he struggles to relate to people most of the time. He’s just… different.”

“Different.” Kevin said incredulously. “Honey, I’m different. Jughead is… eccentric. Come on, he wears shirts with the letter “S” printed on the front at least six days a week. And I haven’t seen what’s underneath that beanie since Mr Grandle ripped it off his head during sixth grade gym class.” He took a moment to catch his breath. “Incidentally, that’s also the year he vowed to exact vengeance against the Cafeteria Lady because she wouldn’t let him have more than one potato.”

Betty snickered. “God, I forgot about the Great Potato Meltdown. Jughead’s always been funny like that.”

“Funny? Betty, I had nightmares about that potato. I brought it up during therapy.”

“You did not.”

“Okay true, but now that the memory has been refreshed, I will.”

Betty shook her head and leaned back against her pillows. “Kevin, if Jughead likes me… what do I do?” She groaned.

“Nothing! Why would you do anything? You like Archie.” Kevin said, and when Betty didn’t answer, he pressed on. “Right, Betty? You’ve had a crush on Archie since… forever.”

“Yeah…” she said quietly. “You know… since the start of the year Archie has been kind of distant… but, Jughead? He’s really been there for me, you know?”

“No.” Kevin said furiously. “Betty, don’t even go there. If you’re thinking of trying to make Archie jealous by going out with Jughead—”

“What?! No, Kevin.” Betty said quickly, feeling shocked. “I wouldn’t play with Jughead’s feelings like that.”

“Okay, I’m just making sure! Jughead and Archie are best friends. That’s a whole mess that you don’t even want to attempt to touch.” Kevin’s voice sounded nervous. “Just forget I said anything. I’m sure when Jughead realises you’re not interested in him, he’ll forget about this little crush and move on with his life.”

Betty swallowed. “Right.”

“And you can focus on school and cheerleading and figuring out what happened to Polly.” Kevin said firmly. “You’re not interested in Jughead, so it’s not fair to lead him on.”

Betty didn’t answer.

“You’re not interested in Jughead, Betty. Right?”

Betty sighed. “I don’t know.”

“What?! Excuse me?”

“I mean it Kev, Jughead’s been… really supportive of me.” She said, and felt the centre of her throat tightening. “He’s done more for me this year than anyone else in my life. He’s… kind. And patient. And he really listens to me, you know? I don’t feel like I have to fight to get his attention. Plus, I don’t know if you noticed, Kev, but I think he got taller over the Summer… I swear I was taller than him in June.”

“Oh my God.” Kevin gasped. “You like Jughead!”

“I don’t like like him.” She said quickly. “I just think he’s a really good friend.”

“You so like him. You’re into him!” Kevin said, sounding as though he was in awe. “Betty, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” Betty sighed. “My mom would freak out if I started dating Jughead. Ever since Polly and Jason… well, let’s just she won’t want me dating anyone.”

“And now we have the thrill of parental disapproval to compete with.” Kevin said solemnly. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet without all the Olde English poetry and ballet tights.”

Betty really thought Kevin was overreacting. He was being overly cautious about Jughead because the teen in question was different. But… different wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

And when Jughead climbed up to her window, and gave her the sweetest, most earnest look, Betty felt a little flutter in her chest as she grinned and slid the window open.

When he looked up at her with his piercing yet friendly blue eyes and softly asked: “Hey there, Juliet - nurse off duty?” Betty couldn’t decide whether to laugh or swoon at the carefully crafted line of whimsy.

But Betty could decide, after he walked her home a couple of days later, that she absolutely did want to date Jughead. She wanted to be more than friends with him, she wanted to hold his hand, kiss him, and share the deepest, darkest parts of herself with him.