Betty, Interrupted - Bughead

0.6

It was Sunday night and Betty Cooper found herself in front of the fridge where she had been taking up space for the last half hour. Reorganizing the fridge was helping her cope with the spiraling anxiety swelling in her chest. First it made sense to move things in order of colour, but the brightness seemed to hurt her eyes. Alphabetically was next but the sizes were all too wrong. It didn't take her long to notice that the milk was out of date, that her fathers favourite snack sat untouched with a thin layer of mold on one shelf.

It seemed easier to throw everything, to start again for the third time that evening. A part of her realized this was crazy. That she should be doing something, rather than wonder if placing everything in order of food groups made more sense. Regardless she stood there illuminated by the fridge light, all too aware that her phone was silent.

The 10 texts she sent to her mother had gone unanswered. No matter how many times she called, she never heard her moms voice. Finally she closed the fridge door, convincing herself to head to her bedroom in the empty house, sick with worry. She relaxed at the end of her bed, comforted by the two boys walking back and forth in the small bedroom across from hers. The light shining from her room giving her some comfort in another dark night.

She had finally dozed off when it seemed her phone was ringing. It was her mom, finally calling to tell Betty she was just being stubborn and that everything was alright. "Mom, where are you?"

"Hello, Betty? This is the Riverdale Police Department, we have some news regarding your-" Betty hung up the phone before they could say anything else. Panic grew quickly, and she stood up, eager to get out of the bedroom that suddenly seemed to confine her. She needed to do the only thing she knew how to do in that moment. Betty got dressed and grabbed her backpack.

--

Jughead couldn't find her at all. Couldn't see her in the window while he pulled on an old t-shirt. There was no answer at her front door. He tried to contain his worry when he entered Riverdale High and she wasn't at her locker, but after searching for her in the Blue & Gold office he finally gave up. He asked Veronica and Kevin if they had heard from her, ignoring their pointed glances.

"Did you do something wrong Jughead?" Veronica asked.

"What, no. I didn't. I just don't know where she's gone." He argued. They were no help and he tried to search out Archie, wondering if he had seen his blue eyed girl.

"I found her Jug. " Without asking any questions he followed his red headed friend as fast as his legs could carry him. He was terrified if he waited a moment too long, she would be gone again.

"I don't know how long she's been out here. She wouldn't even speak to me.. Something is really wrong." Archie shared a worried look with his best friend and Jughead found himself running as fast he could, ignoring the ache in his chest. He reached the football field and there she was.

Shivering in a light pink sweater, her face dotted with tears and the light rain that seemed to not even bother her. Her hands were clasped so tightly that even from a distance he could see the white knuckles. The dark circles around her eyes – a mixture of lack of sleep and mascara. Bitten red lips and a worried expression. All he could focus on was getting to her, and he crossed the distance between them and climbed the bleachers quicker than he thought possible.

He tore off his jacket, desperate to warm her up. "Betty." The relief in his voice was noticable even to him. "What is going on?"

She choked out a sob and finally seemed aware of his presence. "I don't know what's happening Jughead. My mom never came home, she wouldn't talk to me. The police called me this morning. I'm so scared." She reached from him and he pulled her in tightly. Her skin was cold to the touch and he dreaded thinking about how long she had been on these bleachers, immobile and alone.

It was all he could do to hold her in the chill of the starting rain. She was sobbing into his shoulder but choked out "I can't move Jug. The second I do, all of this changes and it will never be the same." The ache in his chest grew, there seemed to be no way to ease her pain.

He tried to gather the little courage he had left "I love you Betty. Everything is going to be okay. I promise, just come with me." She was shocked but allowed him to bring her down off the bleachers. In no state to respond to his confession. He promised her everything would be okay, and that was the only thing that made her feel safe.

But as they reached the bottom of the bleachers, Archie stepped forward with an apologetic look on his face. "My dad just called. The cops are at Betty's house."

With that Betty collapsed to the ground, all sound fading out until all she could hear was her own struggle to breathe.