What We Once Were

Chapter 5.

The next morning Betty changed into a soft grey sweater, a white shirt and dark blue jeans on her first day of work. She figured she could dress down since the small town norm wasn't pencil skirts and business attire. 

On her way out she kissed Juliet goodbye on the cheek and left the house. On the way to work she listened to the mindless morning talk show hosts babble on about the latest celebrity and how ridiculous they thought her outfit was last night. Betty didn't care at all, eventually she shut off the radio in annoyance with their mindless chatter and drove in silence the whole way to work. 

When she entered the newsroom, she wasn't surprised to see that it looked almost exactly the same as it did the last time she was here. The same old computers and files lined the old oak shelves. 

She knocked on the door with a strip of glass lined with squares. The man behind the desk let her in and Betty sat awkwardly in the old green chair by his desk. 

The man, Glen Geller was balding with big round black glasses. He had to be around 50 years old and was twice the size, (both width and height wise) than Betty was. But to the people she'd met in New York, he looked like a chubby bunny in comparison. 

"Mr. Geller, it's a pleasure to meet you." She greeted. 

"Elizabeth Cooper, I'm so glad you are able to work with us. I was hoping our town wouldn't make national news again, but here we are." His voice was deep and raspy, Betty could swear she's seen him before, she just couldn't remember where.

"Stuff always seems to happen here doesn't it?" Betty's thoughts trailed off to Jason Blossom's death, the Blackhood and Gryphons and Gargoyles. 

"Anyways, I read from your publisher that you're the best investigative journalist they have, he says you're not afraid to stick your nose into other people's business." Geller said with a smile, "I guess not too much has changed about you Elizabeth." 

Betty had to laugh at that, "It's about getting the clues and doing my job better than everyone else. If you want something done right, do it yourself. It seems to be working out well for me." 

"I love it." Geller glanced up from his resume, "Alright. Well, I think your partner is here. I just heard the door close. You Elizabeth will be working with Riverdale's best investigative journalist-" The door opened and Betty felt like irony and cruel fate had bitch slapped her right across the face. 

"--Jughead Jones." Geller finished as Jughead leaned casually against the door, giving Betty a sideways smirk. 

"I'm told by Jones that you two have a history of working together on tasks like this." 

"Yeah." Betty muttered, "quite a history." 

"Wonderful, given your experience together, I shouldn't have to worry about training you two. Or worrying that you won't communicate enough. I do suggest, that you both get coffee to get reacquainted. I'll see you both at noon to discuss the assignment." Geller finished, Betty was ready to full on sprint out of the office and quite possibly kick down a door in frustration. 

 Instead she remained poised, "thank you Mr. Geller, see you in a few hours." Betty calmy stood up and walked out of the office with Jughead following behind her. 

When they got outside, Betty turned to him and said, "You knew the whole time didn't you?" 

Jughead snickered, "I'm surprised you didn't know." 

"I've been a little preoccupied at home and with the temporary move." Betty sighed, unable to believe how stupid she'd been to not assume Jughead would have chosen the same career as she had, that was what they both did best back in the day.