more than friends ✩ beronica

chapter six: unbuttoned dresses

betty

i was about to stand up and say something stupid, but i forced myself down quickly before i could say something like "hey! you can't go in that closet with her, i like her!" but realized quickly veronica and i were not together and our relationship was most likely a one-sided fantasy. scratch that, it was a fantasy.

veronica looked over at me, her eyebrows furrowed and waiting for me to say something. i forced out a smile and brushed my hair to the side. "come on, go." she looked worried but followed my directions, going into the closet with archie. archie and veronica had always flirted with each other. winks and compliments, and now i'm terrified that they'll both act on what they've been feeling.

tapping my foot nervously, i was waiting for them both. i wonder if they're just talking, laughing. maybe they didn't even like each other in that kind of way. yeah, i trusted veronica and she even told me that she thought she liked me.
everyone was taking amongst themselves, and i spotted cheryl.

cheryl looked equally nervous, her leg jumping up and down while she talked to a boy with blonde hair. it's not like her feelings for him were that serious but i get why she would be jealous.
these seven minutes felt more like seven hours. when the alarm finally went off and veronica and archie went out of the tight closet, i felt like leaving the party all together.

archie's hair was a disheveled mess, his tie undone and his lips were stained dark red from veronica's lipstick. that wasn't even the worst part, they were both smiling. veronica's dress was halfway unbuttoned at the back and his friends were patting him on the back and pushing him around. i spotted her nail polish that i painted on her a couple of hours ago.

i opened my mouth, about to say something to veronica, questioning what she did in the closet but no words would come out. veronica looked over to me and her smile had immediately faded. she rushed up to me but i started walking out of the house, pushing the crowds out of the way and running out of the stuffy room. maybe it was because i was upset about archie, or maybe i was just upset with veronica.

veronica called after me. funny, i remember something like this happening a couple of months ago but it was because i was upset about archie.
"betty, would you just wait?!" she said impatiently, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face her.

"what, veronica? what do you want from me?" i said. i was tired of running and i was genuinely interested in what else she wanted to do to me. "i get it, you chose archie over me." my eyes welled up with tears but i wiped them away. veronica looked hurt at my words. it was dumb, it was so dumb.

"b, that's not what i did. you said i could go with him in that closet, what else did you expect from it?" ronnie said sadly, trying to convince me otherwise.

"i didn't expect you to make out with him! i thought maybe we had something, but i guess it was just me. i'm sorry veronica, but i just don't know what to do anymore. nobody ever chose me, and when you did i was so happy. i don't know my sexuality or why i let you make me feel this way but i do know that i like you." i do my small speech to her, explaining everything and she doesn't reply. we just stand there, and wait for the other to say something.