The Red Ink

Just keep walking, just keep walking, she doesn't know you watched her walking out of her house...Jughead repeated those phrases over and over in his mind. Betty Cooper, the girl next door, the third piece to the Jughead, Archie, and Betty trio. Betty Cooper, the one girl who can make Jughead Jones the Third melt on the inside with just a smile. Betty Cooper, who was currently ambling up to Jughead at an increasingly fast rate, trying desperately to catch up to him on their walk to school.

"Hey, Juggie, wait up!" Betty called from behind him, huffing and puffing with the weight of her backpack pulling her down. Instead of slowing down, Jughead steadily moved at a faster pace. Betty's eyebrows crunched in confusion as she fell behind, both hurt and annoyed at the same time.

"FORSYTHE PENDLETON JONES III," Betty yelled, successfully shocking Jughead into stopping by four-naming him. His ears immediately turned red and so did his cheeks, an instinct that happened every time someone called him by his real name. His fingers turned prickly, sensing trouble up ahead, and he desperately tried to make up a lie to excuse himself. Betty clambered up the sidewalk and fell into step with him.

"What the hell was that, Juggie?" Betty asked, her mouth turning down at the edges. Jughead hated how all he wanted to do was make her smile again and he hated how he was the one causing her beautiful smile to go away. "Hey, are you okay?" Betty asked when Jughead stayed silent. The truth was, he didn't want to open his mouth in front of her for fear the butterflies in his stomach would fly away. He scowled.

"Juggie." Betty pushed, pulling Jughead to a stop and turning him to face her. The look of complete earnestness and concern in her eyes made Jughead soften, just a touch.

"I'm fine, okay?" Jughead spat out, still a little more toxic than he meant to.

"Okay," Betty said softly. He mentally kicked himself when Betty turned and continued walking, pulling her arms to twine with each other: a telltale sign he'd picked up for when she was upset. Betty couldn't understand why Juggie was being so testy lately. It hurt, because all she wanted was for him to wrap his arms around her as she walked away, pull her back to him and kiss her. Betty knew it was a childish fantasy, but one she just couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried. And he clearly did not reciprocate. Again.

Jughead quickly caught up with her, eyes downcast and silently guilty. "Betty." He said clearly, gently grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop. "Betts, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way, I was just-" Jughead was interrupted by her.

"Juggie, it's okay. No need to apologize. I get it." Betty offered Jughead a sly smile, trying to get that horrible sad look off his face. "So, what have you been up to this weekend?" She asked casually, as if nothing had happened. Betty was good at that, priding herself on putting others before her own needs and feelings. Jughead looked down at her intensely for a few seconds, then smirked.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Back to hanging out with Archie, mooching off of Pop, battling dragons for my booth..." Jughead drew out the name 'Archie' purposely, watching for any flicker of the smitten girl he usually knew pretty well, but not getting anything this time. As a fact, he hadn't been getting any reaction for a while now, testing her every now and then. Betty suddenly smiled.

"Battling dragons, huh? Are you sure it's not just your breath after eating one of Pop's burgers?" Betty teased, and laughed as Jughead's cheeks turned a slight pink.

"Touché," said Jughead, putting his hand on Betty's shoulder in what he tried to convince himself was a friendly way, not a I-just-need-any-excuse-to-touch-you-because-I-think-you're-amazing kind of way. Betty's ears turned pink at the small form of contact and she was suddenly grateful she hadn't put her hair back this morning. Suddenly the butterflies roared to life in her stomach and she felt light as air, but was viciously brought back down to earth when Jughead tore his hand away from her like it was on fire.