Venom | A Bughead Fanfiction

Chapter Two

   Suddenly disinterested in the alcoholic beverage before her, Betty gently pushed it away from her, noticing that the bartender was different today. Betty subtly examined his features as he was mixing and serving drinks.

   His skin was tan, and his chiseled jaw became distinguished in the light. Black curls sat atop his head and his eyes were round and thickly lashed, every time he blinked, they fluttered against his arched eyebrows. Betty noticed how his muscles protruded through his tight shirt, allowing her to see his visible collarbone. His brown eyes were deep and sunken in, and his expression was solemn and pained, something Betty had seen before. 

   A light tap on her shoulder broke her gaze away from the thought-provoking man. Betty turned around and smiled, both corners of her mouth rising in happiness.

   Nia had placed herself on the bar stool adjacent to Betty. Nia's loose, brown curls hung freely over her shoulders. reminding Betty of her own hair that was tucked away in a black wig. Her olive complexion scattered over her thin face and her big eyes were filled with contentment. Betty noticed how classy she looked. Around her neck was a shimmering, gold-colored necklace that sparkled in the light. Nia wore a dark red top that exposed her smooth shoulders and midriff and wore a matching tight skirt. She crossed her legs, her black heels becoming visible.

"You like?" Nia asked proudly.

Betty marveled at her outfit. "No fucking way, this is what you've been working on?"

Nia pulled out her sketchbook from her purse and flipped a massive amount of pages ahead. "I pulled a few strings here and there, but the finished product looks close enough to what I sketched."

"I guess the restless sleep from your sewing machine buzzing through the night really did pay off," Betty joked.

  Nia looked extravagant, whereas Betty had found the closest thing to a classy dress back in the motel room. All it was was a simple, sleek black dress with a slit reaching up to her thigh. The dress was slightly too big for Betty's small stature, so the straps hung loosely off her shoulders. 

    Nia smoothed out her skirt and rested her arms against the surface of the bar. She was blatantly staring at the bartender Betty was staring at just a few moments ago. But instead of looking at him in a thought-provoking way, she was doing it in a seductive manner. Betty rolled her eyes and laughed. "Order a drink," she whispered to Nia under her breath, and Nia nodded in confirmation, smiling. 

   Betty left Nia and the bartender alone as she slid out of her seat. Chills ran along her bare arms as she neared the dance floor. Music was emitting from speakers all around the place. The floor lit up with every step that was taken on it. Betty strolled closer, beads of nervous sweat allowing the black hair from her wig to stick to her forehead. No one seemed to notice her nervousness. They were all just engaged in the music. 

   Still shaky, Betty finally made her way onto the dance floor. She only swayed to the beat, while everyone else was dancing like it was the last night of their lives. The warmth of their bodies pressed against her was enough for Betty to get into the movement. The blaring bass shook as she rocked her hips back and forth. Betty moved to the rhythm of the music, her hands caressing her herself as she danced. She spun around, her arms jetting out beside her. Betty kept spinning and spinning until she had finally stopped. 

   It felt as if Betty was the only one conscious, while everyone else was lost in the trance of the dance floor. The voices, the music, the movement slowly drowned out as Betty was facing the entryway of The Venom. There was a man standing there, a cigarette dangling from his mouth and both hands in his pocket. His brown tufts of hair were in a tousled mess and his thick eyebrows were arched. Betty stared into his green eyes, while he stared into her blue eyes.

   "Jughead," she whispered to herself.

   Betty escaped the dance floor without looking back. She slowly walked towards Jughead, her eyes wide and her lips trembling. The two were finally facing each other, something they hadn't done in three years. Betty could feel the smoke coming out of Jughead's cigarette wafting into her nostrils as she looked up at him. 

   "Betty," Jughead began.

   Before he could even finish, Betty was aggressively shoving Jughead through the doors of The Venom and into an alley. She plummeted her fists onto his chest and screamed at him. Jughead didn't try to stop her, and Betty didn't want him to. Her lips quivered as she shook her head back and forth, tears scattering across her face. 

   "You piece of shit!"  She choked through tears in the midst of the moonlight. "You abandoned me! I needed you! I--"

   Suddenly, a great warmth engulfed her body. Jughead's firm arms were wrapped tightly around her, his head buried in Betty's hair. Betty relaxed. She stopped fighting and unclenched her fists. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe, comfortable. Betty then buried her face into Jughead's chest, crying into his flannel shirt. As much as she tried to, she couldn't stop crying.

  "Betty," Jughead started again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."