The Festival - A Bughead Story

Part Six - The Card Table

"King!" Dilton shouted, throwing his fist into the air.

Two hours and five drunk adolescents later, they were nearing the end of the deck of cards. Through the numerous dares, Veronica finally got drunk, and Archie seemed to like it very much – after all, she was a cuddly drunk. He was pretty intoxicated, while Reggie, Moose and Dilton kept breaking into awkward songs that made Betty, sober, chuckle.

And Jughead? Well, Jughead was making Betty's head ache. He was nearing the bottom of his second rum and coke and didn't seem even a little tipsy. She had sniffed his drink when he wasn't looking – it reeked of alcohol! That was about 20% coke, 80% alcohol. It was nuts! Why wasn't he wasted? He just kept looking at the game with mere interest, and he especially avoided the others' surprised looks. The only one he accepted to look into the eyes was Betty, but even she couldn't help her opened mouth as he gulped down the alcohol like it was water.

"Kings!" Veronica shouted back, throwing her glorious black hair behind her shoulder in a somewhat ungracious motion. "Kings! What's your rule?" She bit her lip and threw a look over to Archie, who was stupidly smiling.

"My rule?" Dilton cleaned his glasses.

"Yes, your rule!"

"My rule is... everyone drinks now!"

The whole gang laughed, except for Betty and Jughead, and they drank from their cups. She was starting to find her drunk friends more stupid than funny.

Jughead drew a nine (nine is rhyme) and made them rhyme with 'show'. After mow, low and row, Archie seemed to forget how to speak and drank instead. He was still stupidly smiling, which seemed to be an effect of alcohol on him.

It was Betty's turn. She smiled and drew a card. "King." she said. King of spades.

Immediately, Veronica turned to her, a light in her eyes Betty decided she didn't like. "A king?"

"Yes. Am I making a rule?"

"No, actually."

"What?"

"This is the fourth king." Veronica smiled, Archie furiously nodding behind her. "The last one."

"And?"

"It means you have to drink the cup."

"Which cup? Do you mean..."

"Yes."

She meant the cup. The cup of disgusting liquors all mixed together in the weird brownish drink, which had been sitting at room temperature for hours.

"No. No, no, no, I sure as hell ain't drinking this!"

Veronica pouted. "Why not?"

Betty wouldn't drink for any reason, and especially not this awful thing! "Because I'm not!"

"Betty, this is ridiculous!" Veronica was throwing a tantrum. She drunkenly slapped a hand on the table. "You can't be the only one not to drink, it just isn't fair! We're all there looking stupid and you're still all fresh and peppy! This isn't fair!" She threw her nose in the air.

Even though this was extremely funny, Betty had a feeling laughing would be the last thing to do when Veronica was in such a mood.

"Drink it, damn it, Betty! It's just alcohol! Look, Dilton's drinking! And he knows how bad it is! Even angsty Jughead is drinking! You're alone!"

There was some truth in what she was saying – she was alone. The only one not drinking.

"Why won't you drink it?"