This Spells Trouble - A Riverdale Fanfiction

The Jughead Trap

Betty's palms had little red crescent marks adorning them by the time lunch came around. She couldn't help the nervous tick. It was born from worry about Jughead, and she couldn't stop her thoughts from returning to him.

He had seemed different after he had spoken with Sabrina, and Betty couldn't help but think of the worst possibilities for why that was. Did he and Sabrina do drugs? Or maybe she had hit him really hard and he got post traumatic amnesia? Or maybe Jughead had a secret twin and they'd swapped places?!

Betty sighed. She was being absolutely ridiculous and she knew it. He probably was just having a good morning, as Sabrina had said. Still, the worry kept nagging at her, and so when the bell for lunch rang, she rushed to the group table, getting there first, and waited fervently for Jughead to arrive. Betty loved when he arrived first, because it meant they could spend some time alone. Today though, she just wanted to ask if he was okay, without the prying eyes of the others.

Archie turned up first, however. He plonked in the chair opposite to her, propping his guitar case against the leg of the table.
"Hey, Betty," he smiled. When she didn't reply, his smile fell. "What's wrong?"

Betty sighed, reluctant to talk about it, but really wanting to. She decided she would. Archie was Jughead's best friend. If anyone would agree with her, it would be him.
"I'm worried about Jughead."

"How so?"

Before Betty could explain, the subject of their conversation arrived, smiling brightly.
"Hello friends. How goes it?"

"Hey, Jughead, " Archie greeted.

Jughead planted himself beside Archie, placing his bag on the table and pulling out a lunch bag, on which his name was scrawled in Fred Andrew's handwriting. The paper crinkled as he opened it and as he dug his hand inside it. When it returned from the confines of the bag, a slice of pizza was gripped within it, obviously leftovers from a prior dinner. Jughead took it out of it's sandwich bag and began munching on it happily. After a few moments, he seemed to realise Betty and Archie's eyes on him, and he lowered the pizza, narrowing his eyes at them.
"Did something happen? 'Cause whatever it is, I swear, it wasn't me. Unless it was food-related. Then, yeah, maybe I had some part in it. Or a whole part. Sue me, food's good."

Archie shared a bemused look with Betty, before returning his eyes to Jughead.
"You feeling okay, buddy?" he asked politely.

Jughead quirked his head, confused.
"As okay as I normally am. Why?"

"It's, uh, it's nothing. Enjoy your pizza."

"Oh, I will," Jughead drawled, eyeing the pizza like it was the most beautiful thing to ever exist.

As Jughead ate his pizza extravagantly, Archie leaned in towards Betty, who did the same, the two looking highly conspicuous as they tried to talk secretly.

"He does seem different," Archie murmured. "I don't see why you're worrying, though. He seems happy. It's not a sin for him to be in a good mood."

Betty huffed quietly.
"I know that. But-"

"Betty," he interrupted, "let him be. You shouldn't be worried if he's happy. Besides, how things are going lately, we all need a little light in our lives.....even if it is, surprisingly, and shockingly, Jughead."

"...Fine," Betty muttered resignedly.

"Y'know, I can hear you talking about me. My hearing is impeccable, guys. Unless you said 'bug bed'. Which I doubt, but, I guess is possible, " Jughead interjected.

Betty and Archie chuckled nervously, and Jughead scowled.
"Your anxious laughter is so comforting."

"It was nothing bad, I swear. Only good things, Jug, only good things," Archie grinned.

"Alright, pal. I'll take your word for it," Jughead shrugged.

"Hey everyone!"

Betty turned around, seeing Sabrina running towards them. Betty subtly glared at the girl. She liked her, but she still wasn't overly sure of the girl. Not anymore. Sabrina seemed like she was hiding something, but Betty couldn't place what exactly. Sabrina stopped at the edge of table, folding over slightly, panting.

"What's the rush, Candy Crush?" Jughead asked.

When Sabrina got her breath back, she replied casually.
"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to get here quickly."

She sat down, setting her bag on the table. It squirmed, causing Betty and Archie to start, and the zipper seemed to open by itself, as if by magic. Only when a cat appeared was it explained. Archie and Jughead both reacted like children at the sight of it, fighting over who could pet it first, much to the visible displeasure of the cat itself. Betty watched with her arms crossed, trying to hide the compulsion to pet the cat as well. When Veronica and Kevin arrived, they too became invested in petting the cat. Betty took this as her chance to talk to Sabrina, leaning to whisper in her ear.

"Did something happen this morning between you and Jughead? He's been acting differently."

"In a good way, right?" Sabrina asked in a hushed voice, though Betty could hear some excitement within her voice. Again, Betty couldn't shake a feeling of suspicion. She sighed.

"I'm....I'm not sure. But did something happen? At all?"

Betty looked pleadingly to the other girl. Sabrina's eyes flickered away to Jughead, an unreadable expression of her face.
".....No. Nothing happened."