The Restaurant - A Bughead Story

Part Two - The Newsroom

He regretted it because of one small factor: the alcohol.

He had known Betty was intoxicated for the first time in her life when he had kissed her, and still, he hadn't stopped himself from taking advantage of her.

Who did she think he was, now? A macho, waiting for any opportunity to kiss a female, but needing her to be drunk to do so? A damn basket case too hungry for affection he'd take advantage of the only girl that wasn't repulsed by him? A rapist?

Jughead pulled a little of his wet hair as he was combing through it. He wanted to scream, he wanted to slap himself. The small pain coming from scalp wasn't enough. He needed to be punished.

How could he have let it happen? She was the sweet girl next door, and he was the damn rejected basket case. It just didn't happen.

It couldn't happen.

He should not have kissed her, because they would never be more than friends. From now on, she'd think of him as the guy who drunkenly attacked her intoxicated self.

Not once did it cross his mind that maybe, Betty liked him as much as he liked her, and maybe, she thought of that kiss as the epitome of romanticism.

Even though she did.

---

The next day, Jughead walked in school three minutes after its doors got unlocked, at six forty-eight. It was blooming spring outside, but he felt like a dark and rainy fall night.

He would see Betty today, and he would see her disappointed face.

It was almost too much to bare.

He screwed his beanie to his head, damping it with his wet hair. But he couldn't care. He didn't feel anything. He felt numb.

He walked into the newsroom.

She got in a little after eight. He had been furiously typing his new article on his computer when she walked in. He threw her a side glance. She had been hungover, that much he could tell. Her eyes were blood injected and a slight rictus was curving the ends of her rosy lips. But as soon as she saw him, he saw something in her eyes he would have never expected towards himself.

There was the light. The light that was once directed towards Archie Andrews, his best friend, but was now cast upon him, Jughead Jones.

'What...?'

"Juggie" she breathed, the rictus completely disappearing from her face, replaced by a sweet and lovely smile.

Needless to say, Jughead was stunned.

"I've been meaning to talk to you." Betty sat in front of him. Now, there was only a desk between them. Juggie felt her presence like a bright aura smelling of flowers and breaking down every of his barriers.

All the thoughts he had about the kiss, all the remorse he felt, all the times he had pulled on his hair to hurt himself, all those things suddenly erased themselves from his brain as Betty sat smiling in front of his desk.

"About what happened..." she started.

"I'm so sorry!" Jughead suddenly shouted. "I shouldn't have kissed you, I'm sorry!"

He immediately felt bad about his outburst: Betty's face fell and her bottom lip started quivering.

"You mean... you didn't mean for us to kiss?" she asked in a broken voice.

'What the...?' How could it have gone so bad in so little time? Jughead felt overwhelmed. She seemed sad that he was excusing his stupid behavior. Why was she sad? She should be telling him how much she hated him! She should be angry!

"It's... It's..." Jughead babbled. What in the name of all things holy was happening? She wasn't reacting the way she was supposed to! "I didn't mean..."

"Then what did you mean?" Her voice was soft, controlled, but he could see the small things that proved to him how close she was to tears: that little vein on her neck, that blush on her ears, that teeth tearing her bottom lip. He had observed that reaction a million times during the past school year.

"I just..." He was stupid, so stupid! He was making her cry! Why was he making her cry? How was he making her cry? "I just... I thought you thought I took advantage of you!" he blurted out, his gaze falling back to his desk.

"You what?" Jughead risked a glance towards Betty. She only looked confused. "You, taking advantage of me? How could that be possible?"

"Well, you were drunk, and I was just so hungry for affection..."

She was back to holding back tears. He was doing everything wrong! What was happening?

"Was it just that? You, looking for affection?" She seemed fragile, and so small.

"NO!" It came louder than he expected it, but he didn't care. He needed her to know. "No, of course it wasn't that!"

"Then, what was it?" Her voice sounded louder, stronger.

"I... Well..." He didn't know how to say it. He still thought she'd laugh at his face if he ever told her what he really wanted when he kissed her. For them to be a couple.

"Juggie." He glanced at her. She suddenly looked strong, if a little curious. "Tell me."

"I... I thought we could... maybe... start... have..." He shouted. "I THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE A RELATIONSHIP." It was impromptus and scared Betty a little, but he couldn't think of any other way to tell her.

And he waited for her to laugh.

Tell him it was stupid.

And for her to walk away from him.

But she just smiled.

A real, heart-warming smile, which made her eyes glow and her face look pretty as ever.

"Juggie." She put her hands on the desk, her fingers twitching, like the thing she wanted most was to put her hands over his. "Oh Jughead Jones, are you that oblivious?"

He was lost.

"And I thought Archie was bad." She laughed. A real laugh, not a sarcastic laugh. Why was she laughing? "Juggie, do you know why I'm laughing?"

No. "No!"

"It's because I like you, idiot. I like you and I want us to be in a relationship, too."

"W... What?" He felt like fireworks exploded in his heart. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel sceptic. "You mean... a... a real relationship?"

"Yes, dummy, a real relationship. Is it that hard to believe?"

"A little..." The girl next door, the rejected basket case. "I thought it couldn't happen."

And suddenly, her hands were on his, holding out to him, keeping him close. "But it can."

Jughead looked at their intertwined hands. "So, what do we do, now?"

"I believe the next step is a date. Don't you think?"

"This is slightly unorthodox."

"It is."

"But a date would be nice." She was smiling again, and the light, the light, was back in her eyes. It warmed Jughead from head to toe. 'That light is for me.' "But we should do it formally."

"Agreed."

"How about a diner at Marvello's?"

Jughead felt himself smile. Talk about food and he was there. "Sounds good."

The bell rang, and Betty got up, taking back her hands. Jughead immediately felt a little lost.

'Don't tell me I'm going to be one of them.' 'Them', those guys that seemed to breathe only for their girlfriend. That turned to mush when they talked to them.

Like Moose and his Midge.

"Tomorrow, seven o'clock. Pick me up."

And Betty was gone.