Do you do Beronica? And if you do can you write 52 with them if ya have the time? Thanks
I’ve never written anything for Beronica before, but there’s a first time for everything, right? Hope you like it!
52. “I think I’m in love with you and thatscares me half to death.”
This was her happy place, Veronica decided, walking down the quiet hallwaywith Betty, back to their lockers after River Vixens practice. The school yearwas nearly over, so all of the afterschool clubs had had their final meetings;the end-of-the-year tournaments of Riverdale High’s sports teams were almostall played out. Even the Vixens were approaching the end of their run, not thatanyone would’ve guessed it by Cheryl’s regime of training them as hard as ever.
For certain, there wouldn’t be many more days like this. Veronica wasrunning out of chances. There was sweat on her palms when she gripped the strapof her duffle bag, dumping it on the floor in front of her locker, and itwasn’t from the extra lap of the gym Cheryl had made them do.
“You’re quiet today,” Betty remarked with a smile, clicking her lock openand reaching inside, beginning to fill her backpack. “Is it just frompractice?”
Veronica took a deep breath, not opening her own locker, but standing withher hands clasped nervously in front of her instead.
“Actually,” she divulged, keeping her eyes on the side of Betty’s face asher friend retrieved and packed her Chem textbook, “it’s not. B, can I talk toyou about something?”
Betty whipped around to face her.
“Are you ok? Is it your dad? Is it the History exam on Thursday? Do you neednotes? Did something happen with Archie? Do you need a tampon?” She lowered hervoice for the last inquiry and Veronica smiled, amused. Of course, this wasBetty. Betty, her best friend. Betty, who cared. She would listen and understand,like she always did. Maybe.
Veronica exhaled and shook her head.
“No, to all of the above.” She raised a finger, contemplatively. “Except thefirst question because, yes, I am ok.”
“Alright.” Betty still looked worried, tugging the elastic from her hair andfixing her ponytail. “Do you want to talk?”
“That would be… perfect,” Veronica decided. “Why don’t we sit in the loungefor a minute?”
“Whatever you want, V,” Betty readily agreed, pushing her things back intoher locker for the moment.
Veronica hurriedly stowed her own gym bag, making the lock rattle with hertrembling fingers. Wow, that was so not Lodgeof her.
“So… let’s go?” Betty suggested. Veronica could only nod, then they weremaking their way to the student lounge.
Without consulting one another out loud, both girls headed for the couch,central seating in their usual school day gatherings. Yes, this was good. Bettywould feel safe here. With Jughead, Kevin, and Archie there, it would’ve beenan ordinary day. Except that Veronica really didn’t want to think about Archieright now.
“Betty,” she said, sounding too serious.
“Veronica,” her friend replied, matching her tone. They both laughed.“Seriously, V, the suspense is killing me. What’s up? You can tell me.”
Innocently, Betty reached for Veronica’s hand. Well, Veronica thought, hermistake because she wasn’t getting it back now. Veronica held on securely,feeling the delicate ridges of the bones in the back of Betty’s hand.
“You know that I don’t like lying,” she began, catching Betty’s attentivegaze, “and secrets, between friends, are almost as bad as lies.”
Veronica paused. It felt like things were getting a little dizzy, a littlesurreal. Should she just close her mouth now and forget this attempt had everbeen made? No, that would never work on Betty, Queen of persistence andclosure. Veronica needed to catch not her breath, but her heart, surging underher ribs.
“Whatever it is,” B insisted, rephrasing her care, “I’m listening.”
“It’s so hard,” Veronica admitted at a whisper.
“Then tell me gently,” Betty suggested with a generous smile.
“I think…” Veronica breathed the words, letting them float and die in thestale air. She focused on Betty’s pale green eyes, saw that she was beingheard. “I think I’m in love with you, and that scares me half to death.”
Betty kept staring at her, head coming forward a little like she was peeringthrough a telescope. Veronica knew she was deciding a few things. Was Veronicatelling the truth? Had she heard the words correctly? Was she capable of aresponse that wouldn’t completely shatter Veronica’s heart? Veronica was hopingfor a universal yes to thosequestions.
This was a fair question too, Veronica thought, coming from a girl a littleuncertain of love since Jughead had dumped her and left her for the half-livingrealm of the heartbroken. Betty had come back to herself since then, bloomingagain and even accepting Jughead gradually back into her life―just not in thesame way.
“You know me,” she kidded. “Once I get an idea in my head, I’m pretty hardto dissuade.”
“It’s hard to change your mind.”
“This is even worse,” Veronica confessed, “because the idea’s not in mymind, it’s in my heart.”
They sat quietly for a minute, not looking at each other; Veronica didn’twant to make it weird by trying to catch Betty’s eye.
Poor Archie. Veronica did care about him, deeply, but once there was the idea of Betty… her mind was made up.
“I’ll break up with him tomorrow. He’s strong in more ways than one.”
“Wow,” Betty sighed. “V.” She turned her face and Veronica could look in hereyes again. “I never thought…”
“I know,” Veronica assured her, “but there’s no team like you and me.”
“Can I think about it?” Betty asked shyly. Veronica smiled.
“Please, yes. Please think aboutit. I could really use your brilliant brain on this one.”
“Ok,” Betty promised, sounding a little dazed. “I’m going to go back to mylocker now. You wanna come?”
Veronica nodded and they stood at the same time.
“I do have one more thing to say though,” Betty stated suddenly, stoppingVeronica from leaving. Veronica waited. “I don’t want you to be scared.”
Betty leaned in and kissed her cheek. Veronica wanted to hold her close,keep her longer.
Prompts come from the narrowed down list here!
