Best Part: Reggie Mantle FF

eighteen

The students of Riverdale High were mindblown by Reggie Mantle, all-time co-captain of the Bulldogs & Popular Jock holding hands with the Academic Nerd, Amayla Harris.

As people in the hallway stare at them with confusion and shock, Amayla holds Reggie's hand a little tighter, nervous about all the eyes on them. Reggie accepts the hand pressure and continues to walk with her down the hallway.

Betty and Kevin follow behind them, while Betty puts her hand on Amayla's shoulder for support. Veronica and Archie were nowhere in sight, but the squad needed to discuss what was going on.

●●●●

"I haven't seen Veronica anywhere," Amayla sits down next to Reggie in the empty gymnasium. "I don't even want to call her..."

"Understandable," Betty sits down across from Amayla & Reggie while watching Kevin dribble a basketball. "She always goes a-wall when something happens sometimes."

"But can't we just all talk about how Veronica planned this out??," Kevin said while dropping the ball and sitting with the rest of the squad. "You think she and Archie could've... Oh, I don't know... Planned it???"

"They couldn't," said Reggie. "I haven't even seen them speak to each other ever since last year."

Kevin sucks his teeth. "Well, after the Heathers' Play Party -"

"Heathers? You did a musical on Heathers?" Amayla asks.

"Yep, and it was directed by Moi, yours truly," said Kevin. "Your boy Mantle here played one of the main jocks."

Amayla looks at Reggie while he rubs the back of his neck. Betty clears her throat and continues the story after Kevin.

"Reggie is right, though," Betty continues. "Archie and Veronica haven't spoken since everything last year."

"UNTIL THE PARTY." Kevin spouted out loud.

"Well, what happened at the party, Kevin?" Amayla asks.

Kevin clears his throat. "I was getting a cup of booze for me and this guy until I saw them together," Kevin continues. "All I heard them ask was how they were doing, and they just stood there... staring at each other."

"Do you think Veronica was hooking up with Archie at the same time she was hooking up with Reggie?" Betty asks.

"Nah, Archie was way into Josie to do her like that," Kevin states. "Andrews is not a 'cheating' type of guy."

Amayla looks at Reggie as he sits in silence. She knew something was dagging at him. Reggie didn't like talking about last year. Especially about his relationship with Veronica. The party was fun. They danced in their costumes as they drank the night away.

Reggie had a full cup of booze that night. He was dancing with everyone until Veronica came towards him all seductively and whatnot. They were both having the same desire last night. To get laid. Veronica pulled Reggie by his jersey and whispered in his ear that she wanted to leave and go back to Pembroke with him.

Reggie enjoyed the thought of that. He looked back at Archie, who was dancing with Josie, who was his ex during his sophomore year, kissing her on the cheek as they continued dancing. Reggie wasn't jealous of that. He was mad at Archie for always getting the girl that he had before or was interested in.

Reggie looked back at Veronica and bit his lip. "Let's get outta here." Veronica kisses him and pulls him with her out of the party; nobody heard from them until the next rehearsal.

Reggie knew Amayla knew that he and Veronica slept together. He wanted to know how to read her emotion toward that. But he couldn't. Amayla didn't mind the fact that they slept together. Heck, she didn't even know he existed back in Colorado, so how could she get mad?

Maybe she could get mad at the fact that Veronica had been secretly backstabbing her in the back since she and Reggie were showing interest in each other. But Amayla couldn't and didn't know how to unleash her anger. She was used to being alone, isolated, and focused on school. But now everything has changed. She had friends. She had a boyfriend. She was more active in clubs than she was before. And that's what she cared about.

Amayla looks up and sees Reggie staring at her with his deep brown eyes. They both have the same intense eye contact from when they were in the gymnasium not so long ago. Reggie was about to lean toward Amayla until the bell rang.

Betty and Kevin both get up and watch as the kids from Gym class start walking into the gymnasium, heading to the locker room. Reggie gets up and gives Amayla a hand while she grabs her backpack.

"Okay, Amayla, we're going to class! See you!" Betty says while she walks with Kevin.

"Okay, bye!" Amayla replied, and she swung to Reggie. "I have Economics, so I'll see you after school?"

"Yeah, I'll see you after school," Reggie replies. "Amayla... I'm sorry -"

"Don't be sorry," Amayla holds his hands. "Your accusations were right, Veronica is bad. Archie is bad -"

"Archie isn't bad for you," He replied. "You just forgave him, and you don't know if he and Veronica planned anything together."

"Do you?" Amayla asked. "Without a doubt." He replied. Amayla was about to worry more until Reggie kissed her nose. She blinks in surprise while he backs away, cupping her face with his two hands.

"Amayla, we're gonna be fine, and now we know who is with us and who is against us."

Amayla lays her hands on top of Reggie's and closes her eyes and stands on her tippy toes to kiss him, but she kisses his chin instead. He smiles as Amayla pouts at her loss to kiss her boyfriend.

"You're too tall..." She protests. Reggie squats down to her level, smiling at her as she cups his face.

"Better?" He asks. Amayla nods and kisses him while smiling through the kiss. They both press their foreheads together as more kids start walking inside the gymnasium.

"You and me." Reggie whispers. Amayla smiles and whispers back, "You and me."