CHILDHOOD LOVERS: ARCHIE, BETTY, JUGHEAD

Chapter 25

A couple of weeks later, Betty was at her locker grabbing her bag ready to head to cheerleading practice when a pair of arms wrapped around her. "Hey baby" jug said and kissed her neck. "Hey" she smiled, spinning around and kissing him. "Are you ready for practice?" He asked and she nodded. "I am, are you staying to watch?" She asked but he shook his head. "I have to head to the wyrm, but arch said you can meet me there when you're both done" he explained and Betty nodded. "Okay" she smiled, hugging him. "I'll see you later" he grinned, kissing her one last time before he was gone. Betty grinned to herself and skipped to the girls changing rooms to get ready. Once they were all in their cheer outfits, they went into the gym to start their practice.

An hour later, Betty was sitting on the bleachers watching as Archie and the rest of the football team finished their own practice. She'd just finished cheer practice and was waiting for Archie so they could go and meet jughead. Betty pulled out a book and waited for Archie. Five minutes later, the book was gently pulled out of her hand and she looked up to see Archie grinning down at her. "Hey gorgeous" he beamed and she smiled, pecking his lips. "Are you done?" She asked and he nodded. "Yeah, I'm just going to grab my stuff, do you want to head to the truck?" He asked and she nodded, taking the keys he handed to her and walking to the parking Lott. When Archie got to the truck, Betty was reading again. "Do you ever put that down?" He teased, settling into the truck. "Nope" she grinned, not looking up at him.

Jughead was sat at the bar with his dad when he heard the familiar voice of his girlfriend. "Arch! Please give it back!" She whined, and he turned to watch his boyfriend holding a book over his girlfriends head. "No can do sunshine" Archie teased as they walked over to jughead. "What's going on?" Jug asked with an amused smiled, as Betty pouted. "He stole my book!" Betty scowled. "She hasn't looked at me all the way here!" Archie laughed. "I'm enjoying it!" She defended. "Arch, give her it back" jug chuckled at their antics. "Fine" arch sighed and handed Betty the book back, who instantly opened it and started to read it. "You're such a book worm" jug laughed at her. "How was practice?" Jug asked, looking at Archie. "It was good, we're ready for the game next week" he explained. "Good" jug smiled. "Hi FP" arch smiled, greeting the older man. "Hi" FP laughed. "Glad one of you noticed me" the man grinned and nodded at Betty who was still reading. "She's in her own world" jug smiled. "Have you kids got any weekend plans?" FP asked, as it was a Friday. "I don't think so?" Archie said looking at his boyfriend. "I don't think we do" jug agreed. "I have therapy" Betty said quietly and all three men looked over at her, she'd closed her book and was listening to them. "It's at 11" she whispered. They all knew that Betty was still apprehensive about therapy so they never pushed her to talk about it. "And how's that going darling?" FP asked gently. "It's okay" she shrugged. "Betts.." jug said slightly with stern and Betty sighed. Her therapist and told her that she had to be honest to those closest to her. "It's hard" she admitted. "But it's getting easier" she added and all three men smiled. "Well done baby" Archie smiled, slinging an arm around her and kissing her temple. "I'm glad it's working out for you" FP grinned down at the girl he considered a daughter. "Me too" Betty smiled.

"Can I have your shirt?" Betty asked jughead as they were getting ready for bed that night. "Sure" jug smiled and handed her his shirt. Betty pulled it over her and snuggled into bed with Archie while jughead switched off the light. "Goodnight" Betty whispered. "Goodnight" Archie said, kissing her. "Night" jug said, kissing bettys cheek as he linked his hand with Archie's. Five minutes later, when Betty was sure her boyfriends were asleep, Betty carefully got up and grabbed her book from the side, pulled a blanket over her head and using her phone light she started to read. She was lost in the book when she felt her blanket being ripped away and the faces of her boyfriends grinning at her. "Not cool!" She yelled as she jumped in fear. "Why don't you ever stop reading?" Archie laughed. "I like it, it's fun!" She smiled. "We have two very different ideas of fun babe" Archie laughed as he flopped back onto the bed. "Leave her alone, she enjoys reading" jug smiled. "Thank you!" Betty said dramatically, laying back down after putting her book back. "Can I tell you guys something?" Betty asked as they all settled down. "Of course" jug said. "My therapist recommended this book, that's why I keep reading it" she explained. The boys were silent as she spoke. "It's about growing up in emotional and physical abusive households, and she thought it would be gain a better understanding of what happened to me when I lived with my mom and dad" she sighed. "And is it helping?" Archie asked, leaning on his elbow to look at her. "I think so" she smiled. "Then that's great!" Archie said. "I feel better for going to therapy you know? I know I don't talk about it much but thank you for encouraging me to go" she smiled at both of them. "We'd go anything for you betts, we're always going to be in your corner" jug said softly, as Betty started to fall asleep.