What Fools These Mortals Be {Bughead Fanfiction}

The Play's The Thing

"I cannot just stand by and watch you do this again," Kevin Keller huffed, watching his blonde best friend as she adjusted herself in the mirror. Betty Cooper had asked him to come by before the first meeting of their community theatre group, to give her a pep talk and to help her choose an outfit. He was not entirely holding up his side of the bargain though, instead he was trying to talk her out of whatever elaborate plan she had this time.

"You make it sound so dramatic, Kevin." She looked at him briefly before turning back to her reflection. Betty was trying to decide between two lip shades, 'perfect pink' or 'seductive red'. Her fingers itched to choose the scarlet shade, but as she applied the colour she immediately changed her mind and wiped it off, returning to her signature shade. She liked to play it safe, and tonight she needed the comfort of the usual.

"Every year you make moon eyes at him and every year he ends up bedding another member of the cast," Kevin said, not unkindly, more matter of fact. He didn't like to hurt her, but sometimes he had to tell it like it was.

"Well then it's about time that it's my turn," Betty answered in her typical, self-depreciating humour. She knew pining was a silly thing for a grown woman to do. Chasing the boy around like a puppy, begging at his heels for any bit of attention he would throw her way.

Kevin scowled, upset that she thought so little of herself.

"Oh don't look at me like that, it was a joke," she added rolling her eyes, a half-truth.

"Betty, you know I love you, but don't make a fool of yourself this year." His tone was serious. He swore everyone in the damn group knew the feelings that Betty had for Archie, except Archie – who was a great actor but extraordinarily oblivious on the best of days.

"God, Kevin! You make me sound like a silly school girl," she huffed, twirling her flaring skirt as she faced him, her make-up now flawless, looking every bit as perfect as everyone thought she was.

"Your words," he quipped with a smirk before she grabbed a cushion from the nearby couch and threw it at him. Chuckling, Kevin caught it before it could hit his face and threw it back at her gently.

She knew what her friend was saying was true, it wasn't like this was new thing. It happened every year without fail when the gang got back together to perform. Good old Betty Cooper was there being her perfect self, waiting for any tiny glimmer of an opportunity with Archie Andrews to roll around... but every year it was like she didn't even exist to him as more than just a friend. Another year and another production meant yet another chance for him to see what he had been missing, for him to see her.

"So, great director of ours, what play are you having us do this year?" She asked, finally taking a seat next to him on the couch. She was flattering him to change the subject, and not being so subtle about it.

Kevin knew what she was doing, but let it go for now. "I have something special planned, a classic, Shakespeare," he answered with an excited smile. He looked forward to these plays each year. The RCTC was a small community group with only enough funding to produce one show a year, but every year he made sure it was as grand as it could possibly be. Auditions were always open to the entire community but the usual suspects seemed to always turn out – of course, Betty being one of them. She had been performing with him in them since they were in high school, side by side until Kevin had been offered the position of director which he had been only too eager to accept.

Not that the job was easy by any stretch of the imagination. Keeping the private lives of his actors separate from the production was usually his main challenge. The 'Betty and Archie Saga' was a perpetual thorn in his side. He loved Betty, he did, but the poor girl just did not know when to quit. Most people would have been turned down once and accepted it, but good old Betty Cooper always came back for more.