I'm sending another prompt cuz this ship deserves more LOVE : “You and I were a fascinating narrative, and I’ve always liked to tell stories.”
Thank you, I love you! And you’re quotes are amazing, keep em coming.
The day I met Betty, I knew she was something special. This little girl with blond pigtails and big green eyes, who’s smile lit up the room the second she walked in. I noticed her because she noticed me. She bounced over to where I was sitting and said,
“Hi, I’m Betty Cooper, what’s your name?” I was a shy, awkward child with only one friend. Archie Andrews, a nice boy whom I had known my entire life. But Archie wasn’t in my class that year, so I spent most of the time keeping to myself. I barely knew how to respond to someone talking to me, especially in such a happy way.
“I’m Jughead…Jones, the third.” I finally responded. Betty let out a cute giggle and sat down across from me.
“That’s a funny name. I’m new, my family just moved here. I don’t have any friends, and since you are sitting alone I thought maybe you could use a friend too. Want to be friends?”
Betty asked me that in the blunt way that only a child could. I told her yes, mainly because I was so shocked that I don’t think I could’ve said anything other than what she wanted to here. Betty immediately took me under her wing. She was the new girl, but she fit in better at school then I ever had. Betty forced me out of my comfort zone. She dragged me to school and town events that I normally would’ve avoided like the plague.
Even as a first grader, I was aware that Betty was different from the others. She was both kind and strong. She never let anyone say a bad word about me. She once punched a kid who had tripped me on purpose.
Imagine this. A tiny, pretty, first grade girl punching the biggest, meanest kid in our grade. I can still remember it as if it were yesterday.
Betty and I were walking home after school, minding our own business when a boy named Reggie stuck his foot out and tripped me. I went sprawling, the books in my arms flying everywhere. I heard Reggie and his pals laughing.
“Leave him alone!” A small voice rang out. I looked up to see Betty standing in front of Reggie, her little hands in fists by her side. She was at least a head shorter than Reggie, but she didn’t seem to notice or care.
“What are you going to do about it, new girl?” Reggie teased, sending another wave of laughter through his friends. Before anyone had time to react, Betty had swung her arm and punched Reggie right in the face. He stumbled backwards, holding his cheek and looking at her in shock. Betty simply tossed her ponytail, turned on her heel, and walked over to me. She stuck her hand out and helped me up.
“Let’s go Juggie” She said, taking my hand and pulling me away. I wish I could say that Reggie never bothered me again, but I can’t. What I can say was that he was always careful never to end up on the wrong side of Betty ever again.
“What are you writing Juggie?” Jughead looked up from his laptop in surprise to find none other than Betty sitting across from him.
“Betty? When did you get here?”
“A few minutes ago, you were really absorbed in your writing, it must be something good.”
“I think it will be.” Jughead leaned forward across the table to give her a kiss. “And hi.” He smiled sitting back down.
“Hi, so what are you writing?” She asked again
“About…?” She quirked her eyebrows, obviously wondering why he was being so evasive.
“I’ll let you know when its finished.” Jughead answered, knowing that didn’t really satisfy her question. But she simply shrugged and pulled out a book from her backpack.
“Then you better get writing.”
Chapter 2: Archie Andrews
Archie and Betty hit it off immediately when I introduced the two of them. I knew they would, they were both energetic, kind people who always saw the best in everything.
To tell the truth, I was a bit nervous that they would become amazing friends and forget all about me, but that did not happen. Betty and Archie never once made me feel like an outsider, or like I was different from the two of them. Which let’s be honest, I was the odd one out. But with the two of them I never felt like that.
The summer after first grade was one of the best of my life. Archie, Betty and I did everything together. We called ourselves the Three Musketeers. We spent the entire summer roaming through Riverdale, finding secret spots and playing great adventure games.
Betty was the one who started calling us the Three Musketeers. She started it after Archie proposed a pirate game where I was a pirate who had kidnapped Betty and he was the brave captain sent to rescue her. Betty had put her hands on her hips and fixed Archie with a terrifying stare.
“Archie Andrews, I am not a damsel in distress. If you want to play something, how about we play the Three Musketeers, cause I can fight just as well as both of you.”
And so we had played the Three Musketeers and neither of us had ever suggested that Betty play the part of damsel in distress ever again.
Oh, how I wish that summer could’ve lasted forever, but like all good things, it had to come to an end.
Second grade was when thing really began to change. Betty and Archie were in the same class, I unfortunately was left the odd person out.
For a little while, it was like nothing had changed from the summer, but I began to notice small shifts in our friendship. Betty and Archie developed a closer bond because they were spending so much time together. They still included me, but I began to feel more like a third wheel than one of the musketeers.
Then Betty started tutoring Archie.
Then Archie asked Betty to marry him.
Suddenly, everything had changed. I’m not even sure if they realized it, but suddenly it became Archie and Betty…oh and Jughead.
They were young, and experiencing their first major crush, and I don’t blame them for their actions, but it became all about how they felt about each other. This was something that unfortunately continued in the years to come. I watched Archie and Betty do an exasperating dance for years. They pushed down their feelings, too scared it would change their friendship.
I watched Betty fall hard for Archie, who seemed to remain oblivious. I listened to her complain about a new girl he was with. I comforted her when Archie did something to hurt her feelings.
All the while, I waited. I waited for Betty to wake up one day and realize that while she had been crushing on Archie all of these years, I had been crushing on her.
“Jughead” Betty’s voice once again brought him from his writing. He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows, wondering why she had interrupted him. Jughead found Betty looking at him intently. They stared at each other for a few moments before Jughead gave in with a sigh.
“You were frowning. Quite intensely might I add. Trouble with your writing?”
“More like troubling subject matter.” Jughead replied, avoiding Betty’s eyes.
“Juggie…” He could feel Betty’s gaze on him. He finally looked up.
“Betty, I promise I will tell you, I’ll even let you read it. But you just need to wait until its finished.”
“Not even a hint?” Betty teased.
“It’s a fascinating narrative, just like all of the stories I love to write.” Jughead winked at her
“Juggie! That tells me nothing.”
“I know, and you won’t find out anything unless you let me get back to my writing.”
“Fine” Betty stuck her tongue out at Jughead.
Chapter 3: Changing Times
This pattern continued until the summer before our sophomore year. Everything changed that summer. Betty went away for an internship, Archie didn’t go away physically, but he still became distant.
I found myself alone in Riverdale for the first time since I met Archie.
I poured myself into my novel about Jason Blossom’s disappearance, trying to pretend that I didn’t notice the absence of my friends.
School felt like a foreign country without my Archie and Betty to help me navigate. I was avoiding Archie at all costs, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to see Betty yet. I knew she must have a lot on her mind, with what had happened to her sister. Plus she was usually surrounded by Kevin and the new girl, Veronica Lodge.
I kept waiting to find Betty alone, but it never seemed to work out that way. So, I continued pouring myself into my novel and isolating myself into a booth at Pop’s. That is, until Archie came into Pop’s after a dance, looking for Betty.
That was the night when hope returned.
I found out that Betty had finally confessed her feelings and that Archie had told her that he didn’t feel the same. I hated that Betty was hurting, but another part of me, and not a small part, was glad that she could finally move on.
She had been pining after Archie Andrews for too long. Archie was a great guy and my best friend, but he didn’t love Betty in the way that she deserved.
I am not good at expressing my emotions, but the moment I found out what happened, I wanted to run over to Betty’s and pour out my heart. The only thing that stopped me was knowing that Betty was still grieving over the loss of the idea of her and Archie. I knew I needed to give her time. Time to heal and time to move on.
So I waited. It killed me, but I waited.
Archie and I slowly made up. I was glad to have my friend back, but he and Betty were still awkward around one another so it was not quite like old times. I wasn’t sure if we would ever be able to get back to being the Three Musketeers.
Then, one night, Archie and I were walking into Pop’s for some burgers. Archie stopped dead right inside the door. I turned to follow his gaze and locked eyes with none other than Betty Cooper. She looked so beautiful it was like a punch to the gut.
Both Archie and I waited to see what she was going to do. When she asked us to join her, it was like a weight had been lifted. I gladly agreed, hopping over the booth so I could sit across from Betty. She laughed and wagged her finger at me.
The four of us spent the night laughing and joking. It was almost like old times, just with a plus one. I knew that Archie and Betty were repairing their friendship and I had hope that things would soon be back to normal.
Well, normal between them at least. I wanted things between Betty and myself to be far from normal. I wanted something new. Of course, I was still waiting for a sign from her.
“Jughead!” Betty pratically yelled. Jughead jumped and looked up at her in annoyance.
“Why on earth are you yelling Betts?”
“Because you didn’t respond the first three times I said your name.”
“Oh…” Jughead looked sheepish
“What I wanted to say is that it’s late and my mom imposed a curfew with what has been going on. So, I’ll leave you to your writing and see you tomorrow.” Betty said standing up.
“Wait!” Jughead quickly saved his document and closed his computer, jumping up next to Betty. “Let me walk you home.”
“Don’t be silly Juggie, you’re really into your writing, I can tell. It’s no problem, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She leaned in and kissed him lightly in the mouth and turned away, but Jughead wasn’t about to let that happen. He grabbed her hand and started walking out with her.
“You don’t be silly. It’s not safe out there, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t make sure you got home safe and sound?”
“The tortured, moody, writer kind.” She said, nudging her shoulder against his, but she was smiling brightly and Jughead could tell that she was grateful for his company.
When Betty asked me to help out with reviving the school newspaper I pretended to consider it, even though I had known from the moment I stepped in the room what she wanted and that I would say yes.
I would do anything for Betty, especially when she flashed those puppy dog eyes at me.
But, I probably would’ve said yes even if I wasn’t crushing on her. Because Betty and I were both driven by the same thirst for the truth. I wanted truth for my novel, and she wanted it because she needed to figure out what happened to her sister, but our goals were still the same. Uncover the real story, find the liars, and get the truth out to everyone.
Betty and I spent a lot of long hours together in that dusty news room. Most of the time we were absorbed in our own stories, but occasionally we would bounce ideas off of one another. We had many long discussions about what could be happening and how to find the truth.
Betty told me everything she knew about Polly and Jason.
I told her everything I knew about Archie and Ms. Grundy.
As we uncovered more secrets, we grew closer and closer. We were each others confidants. We were the only ones that we were 100 percent sure that we could trust.
I wish it had been under better circumstances. I wish that a boy didn’t have to die, but I am thankful for what it led to.
One night, Betty and I heard pretty shocking information. When she turned to look at me, I saw a complex series of emotions flicker across her face. She asked me if I believed what we had heard. I told her that I did, scanning her face to see if she agreed. Her expressions were closed off, so I was forced to ask her if she believed.
What happened next was something that I had been waiting for. Betty reached up and put her hands on my neck. I could feel her thumb rubbing my cheek gently.
“I believe you Jughead.” Now her expression was open. Her eyes were so vulnerable, so full of trust. I could do nothing but stare at her for a few seconds, barely able to believe what was happening.
It was everything that I had imagined and hoped it would be.
I kept my eyes closed for a few moments after the kiss, half afraid that I would open them up and find that it had all been a dream. But when I finally opened my eyes, I found Betty smiling at me.
Beautiful, sweet, caring, fierce, kind, strong, incredible Betty.
We had kissed and she was smiling at me like I was the most incredible thing she had ever seen. I have to imagine that I was looking at her the same way.
“I’ve wanted to do that since you walked into first grade with those god forsaken pigtails.” I confessed. I wanted to tell her everything, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her. So I settled with telling her about my long standing crush. Betty had giggled and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I first walked in and saw you scowling in a corner with that hat of yours askew on your head.” Betty had whispered.
We continued walking after that, but everything was different. Now, our fingers were intertwined and we walked so close together we kept bumping into one another.
Jughead walked up to Betty and kissed her as soon as he entered school. Betty looked up into his smiling face and couldn’t help but smile back.
“What are you so happy about this morning?” She asked.
“I finished what I was writing, or I finished up to present day at least.” Jughead spoke quickly out of excitement.
“Yes, follow me.” Jughead pulled her into the newsroom where they could be alone. He pulled the printed copy of his story out of his bag. “Okay, I’ve been trying to think of a way to tell you all of this for a while now. I almost blabbed it the first time we kissed, and about a hundred times after that. But as you know, I am a lot better at words in the form of writing. So I wrote this, it’s our story Betty. At least what has happened so far. And I plan to fill a lot more pages with our adventures.” Having said his piece, Jughead handed Betty his story.
The Story of Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones
Dedicated to Betty Cooper“You and I were a fascinating narrative, and I’ve always liked to tell stories.”
“Oh Juggie!” Betty exclaimed, running over to hug him. “This is the sweetest, most romantic thing anyone was ever done for me. Thank you.”
“You’ve only read the first page!” Jughead protested with a laugh, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
“And I already love it, now let go of me so I can read the rest”
God I love writing about Bughead! I will write about these two crazy kids until my fingers bleed.
Send me a Bughead prompt and I’ll write a drabble!
