Love Hurts

Not Your Girl Next Door

It felt as it time stopped for a few moments as I strode into Cheryl's new home. Everybody turned their gaze to me as I walked in, putting one red heel over the other and smiled in each direction and jaws dropped and eyes widened. This smile however, wasn't a normal nice-Betty-Cooper-friendly-girl-next-door smile, it was a devious smile. A smile that turned guys on and made girls want to be like you. I walked though the crowd which parted the further forward I moved. Then I walked slowly up to Reggie, getting very close. A lot closer than I should. Our eyes locked and he smiled his player smile. I didn't return one. I laced my fingers over the red cup the had clutched in his hand and took it from him. His smile faded so I plastered one on my lips. I brought my head to the side of Reggie's and kissed him on the cheek.

I took a step back from him, noticing all eyes were still on us. Then he smiled at me in appreciation of my payment for the drink. I replicated his grin onto my face and walked away.

Time felt as if it was going around at a normal pace now, the music was blaring to a volume so loud there was no point in trying to talk to your friends. Instead, you just danced and forget about your problems as much as possible. I took a sip from Reggie's drink. Beer. I smiled and chugged down the remainder of what was in there. Then I walked over to the bar and got another of my own. I picked up my drink of the bar and smiled at the bartender. Yes, the blossoms were rich enough to have a bartender. When I turned around to walk away, Veronica was standing right infront of me.
"Betty what the hell?" She motioned her hands to my outfit, hair and makeup.

I was very minimalistic with covering my body tonight. I had a tight, black satin top that cut off at my belly button with thin straps crossing in every direction across my boobs. An insanely skinny pair of leather leggings covered my legs. My hair was out, which I almost never did in public. And my makeup was of a small amount, but with a light application of a smokey- grey eyeshadow and Polly's signature lipstick to make the outfit pop. All of this was Polly's. It wasn't me, so what I looked like so I was getting stares and questions all over the place.

If it was "me" I wouldn't have borrowed everything off of Polly.

"I'm just having some fun V, I'm loosening up. You always want me to."
I put my hands on my hips as her eyes widened.
"This isn't what I meant B. This isn't you." I rolled my eyes at her.
"For gods' sake Ronnie don't sound like my mum! I don't want to be me. I always am and it's too much pressure. Just for one night, I want to be somebody different. Feel like a different person. Not have to feel so much pressure and be constantly worried!"
"This isn't the way you do that Betty." She looked sad, maybe even disappointed.
"Well I wouldn't know another way ok? Because all I know is the perfect girl-next-door that gets good grades and is cute but not cute enough for a boyfriend. So excuse me, but if you're unwilling to support this change of me being different person for one night-" I ended my rant there and pushed past Veronica. She didn't attempt to stop me or anything, she Just watched me go.

"Jughead's here" she called after me.
My swift movements to get far away from Ronnie came to a halt as I turned back to face her. After her statement, nothing was said. Our eyes locked for what felt like forever but was only a few seconds, then I turned on my heel and kept moving.

I drank more from the cup clutched in my hand as I walked but soon felt a muscular body in my way.
"Betty?" I pulled the cup away from my lips and glared at what was blocking me.
"Oh. Arch. Sorry." I didn't want to talk if I didn't have to to Archie. He wasn't exactly my favourite person to talk to at the moment.
"It's ok... Betty what are you wearing? And how much have you had to drink?" He was looking me up and down, slightly concerned with what I looked like. Physically and emotionally.
" 'bout one beer maybe. And are you gonna be the second person to fuck with me about what I'm wearing?" His eyes widened.
"So you swear now too? This isn't the person I know I grew up with" it sounded as if he was disgusted with my life decisions.
"Archie, honey. If you really want to have everything go back to normal again; for everything to be fine like it was before you peeped at a free pornography through your window, I suggest you stop telling me who I am and what to do. Because maybe you don't really know me" I pushed past him and like Ronnie, Archie belted over the music to try and reason with me:

"Betty wait!" He called after me and pushed through the people I had distanced my self from him with and grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away, but no such luck. I guess I should expect that from an elite football player. I rolled my eyes.
"What now? Trying to ruin my night some more?" He looked hurt and I felt his grip loosen a bit. I tried to yank my arm free again but his grip tightened more than before and I let out a small groan.
"Maybe I don't really know you Betty. Ok? I know it was wrong to have seen you and Jughead before and I'm sorry that happened. I want us to be friends again nonetheless. Whether your this Betty or the Betty you were before. Please." He reasoned and let my arm fall to my side. For a split second I let my guard down and it showed through my eyes. He thought he was getting through to me. I did too. Then I hardened my expression, the walls around my heart solidified again and I made my way through the sweaty bodies around us to get as far away from the people trying to save me as possible.

I found my way to the dance floor and chose this as the best place to be. I pushed my way into the centre of the crowd and started dancing.

Everyone was using different moves, facing different directions, but somehow we were all synchronised and we all fit perfectly together like a puzzle.

I felt other people's and my own sweat on myself. I felt everyone's heat inside me, warming me from my skin to my core. I chose to cease dancing for a while and to go back to the bar. So yet again I pushed my way through people and found myself face to face with the Blossom's personal bartender.
"Same as before" I called to him and ran my hands through my hair. I sunk my face into my hands.
"I don't match faces to orders at a rendezvous this big." He rested his hands on the bar for a moment and leaned into me.
"Just a beer" I sighed.
"Coming right up" he smiled and got a cup out.
"Actually." I paused.
Really? I thought to myself. Sure. I replied back to myself. A sign that I'm certainly going crazy. "Can I get one of those cups but can you fill it with vodka? Sorry I just need to really need it tonight. You know?" He sighed and went on to fulfill my request.

"While you're at it can we each get a beer please? It's all good we can take it straight front the bottle." A man beside me called out. But not just ant man. I know that sexy voice from anywhere.

"Jughead Jones. What a surprise" he turned to me as I said his name and his eyes went directly to my exposed chest. I looked over his body aswell, examining his outfit. Same old really. A plaid shirt around his waist, suspenders hanging around his leather legs. A Serpents jacket. However, the jacket had fully replaced his sheepskin lined one. Denim jeans and sneakers were part of his ensemble. And a signature crown beanie to complete the look.

My eyes delicately scanned his body as his did the same to mine. But as my eyes went crossed over him, they noticed more Serpents surrounding Jughead in their peripheral vision.

And a girl wrapped under his arm.