hungry | bughead

Rotten Raspberries

     A tall lanky boy was at his locker the morning his enemy had arrived. This tall boy was indeed not Jughead Jones, but another teen with light brown hair and a slightly softer appearance. His name is Adam Chisholm. Unaware that his love interest Betty Cooper had her sights set on someone else, he had prepared to talk to her after school, and planned to take her out the following weekend. He became distracted from placing the contents of his backpack into his locker when a redheaded boy began walking into view. His kind appearance turned stiff as he stared eye to eye with the shorter freckled male.

     "Sorry Arch, I haven't seen Betty today. Try someone else," Adam tried his best not to fight with Archie again. Nearly everyday since his crush on Betty developed, they were constantly at each other's necks and a new rivalry was born. 

      "Actually, I do know who Betty is with. Do you know who's she's with Adam?" 

    Adam was in quite the predicament with Archie's words. What did he mean 'who Betty is with'? Was it in the physical who she was currently hanging out with at school? Or did he mean it in a romantic way? After all, Archie despised his advances towards Betty, and if Betty had actually chosen Archie over him, he would have no choice but to let go of Betty. 

    Simultaneously, Veronica was about to have the same conversation with a certain Ethel Muggs, who sat at her usual bench just outside the lunchroom under the same old tree that had been there for generations. The rich teen made her way closer without making her movements too rushed, she didn't want to seem as though she was purposely here to tell Ethel of Betty and Jughead and possibly turn her into an emotional wreck. Instead she smiled the whole time and sat down next to the taller brunette, who was listening to music while eating  raspberries from a baggie on her lap. Ethel returned the smile and pulled out her headphones in order to converse with Veronica. 

    "Hi Ronnie! I love your outfit today!"

     Veronica smiled and eyed Ethel's outfit so she could counter with a compliment of her own. She wore her choppy black hair in a small ponytail adorned with a white bow, she wore a powder pink blouse and a flared white skirt with long white socks and black shoes.

    "Why Ethel I just adore your ensemble too! Very cute and chic!"

     The taller brunette blushed adoringly and thanked her friend before continuing to eat her raspberries. 

    "Anyways, is there something you wanted to talk to me about Ron? Don't you usually hang out with Betty at this time? Are you looking for her?

    Veronica was shocked as to how easy it was to bring up Betty into the conversation, all she had to do was reel Ethel in with more mentions of Betty before throwing the final blow.

     "What do you mean by do I know who she's with?"  

    Archie turned his head away in an attempt to be dramatic, "Let's just say I'm not with Betty anymore."

    Adam seemed to understand what he was trying to tell him, and frankly he was ecstatic; he could finally make solid attempts towards Betty without being rejected due to Archie. He no longer had a rival, aside from Reggie and Jason, of whom were never quite in a serious relationship with the blonde in question. But for some reason he felt as though something major had to have happened for Betty to leave Archie. In the eyes of her classmates she was seemingly head over heels in love, obsessed even, Adam himself suspected she had no interest in permanently leaving Archie for anyone. Who on Earth would she date besides Archie other than the other boys who made advances towards her, Adam included. 

    The freckled redhead decided it was best to leave the brunette to stew in his own thoughts and began making his way back down the hallway which he came from, but Adam was not in the mood to have his questions unanswered. 

    "Archie . . . before you leave I need you to tell me a few things. . . "

    He turned back to face the brunette with a smug smile on his face, "What questions would you like answered sweet Adam?"

    His sarcasm was bitter to the ears, and somewhat awkward for someone who wasn't too fluent in using this tone, but Adam was too curious to stay on the topic.

    ''If Betty isn't with you, then who else is she with?" The expected answer was Reggie or Jason; Reggie was quite slick with his words, Jason was wealthy and charismatic, and both were undeniably attractive and popular. Both easy options for the blonde teen to set her sights on post break-up with Archie.

    "If I told you, it would just upset you, you like Betty after all, i wouldn't want you to feel rejected."

    Veronica sighed loudly before looking up at Ethel with a pitiful look. 

    "Oh, Betty hasn't had much time for me lately, what with her breaking up with Archiekins and leaving both of us without her."

    Ethel placed her hand on Veronica's in an attempt to comfort her, "Well Ron, as much as I think it's great that Betty moved on, its terrible to imagine her ignoring you and Archie and not even trying to stay friends."

    "She has decided to stay friends but now she seems to be spending an awful lot of time with . . . someone else."

    Ethel looked surprised that Betty had somehow decidedly moved on from Archie so quickly, "Is it Reggie? Or is it Adam maybe? I can't really think of anyone else she would date."

    The rich brunette brought her face up once again looking distressed and somewhat sad, "Oh Ethel, I couldn't possibly tell you."

    "Of course you can! I can keep it a secret if you like! Is that the problem?!

    "The problem is, the answer will leave you heartbroken . . ."

    Ethel looked distressed this time, and urged Veronica to tell her once again.

   "Well, I guess it can't be helped," Veronica combed her free hand through her hair, "You'll have to find out that Betty is dating Jughead eventually."

    Ethel felt her heart drop. She felt the worst sinking feeling in her stomach, and her eyes began welling as she processed that her Jughead was never really hers. She stared at Veronica before throwing her raspberries to the floor and stepping on them, in an attempt to calm her anger and sadness. The tall lanky brunette ran off into the building, and Veronica smirked cruelly and stared at the now disgusting fruit mixing into the grass below her feet. 

   "Dammit Archie I'm being serious just tell me who she's dating now."

    The change in atmosphere was apparent. Adam appeared to have grown tired of Archie avoiding the topic and was just about ready to burst out in anger, and the redhead could feel it.

   "Alright, alright. Here's a hint and here's all I'm gonna tell you; he is somewhat of a king . . ."

   And with that Archie took his leave, and Adam was left to his own thoughts once again.

 King? A king? Reggie? He thinks highly of himself like a king, but Jason is rich and of higher status somewhat to royalty and-

 Suddenly someone came to mind he hadn't considered before. Jughead Jones. The crown-wearing sarcastic glutton of Riverdale. He wore a crown. A crown like some kind of introverted dark king. Why? Was it a joke? Adam simply could not find any reasoning for this kind of relationship to occur, and convinced it was a joke, he ventured on to find Betty.