Pure

New Escape

Veronica and Betty slammed through the exit door. "Shit, Betty. Do you think they're after you?" Betty took a deep breath in, "If not now, soon. We should get out of here." Veronica nodded, and they began to run out of the school grounds once more. They ran down the sidewalk, but just before they reached Betty's house, Betty made a sharp turn and headed for the woods. Veronica stopped running. "Betty!" She yelled after her. "Where are you going?" Betty skidded to a stop and turned around. "Would you just trust me?" Veronica looked down the sidewalk, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be following. Betty waited for Veronica, who wasn't used to running for so long and was currently convinced she was dying. Betty rolled her eyes and kept walking towards the forest. "Geez Betty it's not like you're on the run." "I kind of am." "I mean, it's not like the police are after you." "Yeah but Cheryl is the richest person in Riverdale. She has people to look for me. She won't stop at anything Veronica. Especially since she obviously has feelings for you and I kind of "stole" you." Veronica nodded, and followed Betty willingly. "Okay but seriously, B, where are we going?" Betty huffed, "Don't call me that. And you'll see." "Right." Veronica muttered. You can't even call her "B" anymore. You really screwed it all up. I guess that's just what Lodges do. She thought. Eventually, they reached a tree in the woods. "Here." Betty sniffed. Veronica looked up. Perched in the tree was a little house made out of wooden planks. "What is this?" Betty began to climb the ladder that was nailed into the trunk of the tree. "It's an old treehouse that Jughead, Archie, and I constructed when we were like 11. No one knows about except us, and well, you. I figure I can hideout here for a while." She reached the top and climbed into the structure, disappearing from view. Veronica groaned and started to climb up the ladder. "I'm wearing heels you know!" "Tough luck!" A shout sounded from above. When Veronica finally reached the top, she found Betty sitting in a corner reading old comics. Betty blew out a breath of air, it turned white in the cold. "Betty, how are you gonna stay warm up here? It's freezing. Or eat? This plan doesn't make sense." Betty shoved the comic back into the corner. "Veronica if I can't trust you the very least you can do is trust me." Veronica smiled weakly, "Okay." They sat in silence for a long time. As the sun went down, it got impossibly colder. Veronica began to shiver. She wasn't very well dressed for the chilly night. Betty sighed and shrugged off her coat. She held it out to Veronica. "Do you want this?" Veronica turned her head and looked at the jacket. "N-no it's o-okay." "Veronica you're shaking." "I'm okay, really." "Look I'm not gonna force you into it but you're GOING to take it. If you're cold we can be cold together."
Veronica giggled, "And what would that solve?" "Nothing," Betty grinned, "but it'll make me feel better." Veronica took the coat and put it on. "It's a little big." "That's okay. You still look good." Betty smiled at Veronica, and Veronica smiled back. A cold wind blew, and Veronica's smile faded. "I'm surprised you defended me back there." Betty shrugged and stared at the wooden floor. "Yeah well, I just really hate Cheryl." Veronica folded her arms, "Yeah." Betty moved over to sit next to Veronica. "And y'know, even though you broke my heart," she mumbled, "it doesn't mean I stopped loving you." Veronica looked up at her and smiled. "You didn't?" A bolt of lightning and a sudden downpour of rain made the two girls jump closer together. Betty put an arm around her. "Not for a second." Veronica rested her head against Betty's chest. "Live with me." "What?" She could feel Betty's heart speed up. "You can't live here, and you can't go home. Live with me." "Veronica.." "Please Betty." Veronica stood up. "I can't live with myself knowing that I got you here, in this tiny freezing shack 30 feet off the ground." "Veronica it's not your fault I'm the one that hit Cher—" "We both know it's my fault. So live with me. My mom will be fine with it, I promise." Betty closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Veronica knelt down in front of her and cupped her cheek. "Betty. Please." Betty furrowed her brow, "Are you sure that's a good idea? What if... what if we kissed or something and your mom found out and told my mom and everyone would know?" Veronica smiled, "Would that be so bad?" She brought her other hand up to caress Betty's other cheek. "I don't know. I don't know if we should get back together. I think maybe... I think we should just be friends." Veronica retracted her hands. "What?" Betty sighed, "Our relationship has brought nothing but trouble. Cheryl won't stop harassing us and my mom would never accept it." Veronica stood up again, "Who cares what your mom or Cheryl thinks?!" Betty stood up, too. "I do! This stupid town does!" Veronica felt her eyes sting with the unwanted arrival of tears. "Fine! Stay up in this god forsaken tree and hide! I'm going to go back down, and face it." "Face what?! You're in no trouble! No, you've got the richest girl in Riverdale fawning alllll over you." Tears were streaming down Veronica's face. "How many times have I said I'm sorry?!" "Not enough." A silence overcame the room, and they stood quietly in place. Veronica pulled off Betty's jacket. "Here." She threw the jacket on the floor and walked towards the door. Betty took a step towards Veronica. "It's pouring out there, V. You'll freeze to death." Veronica wiped away a tear. "Better then having my heart broken. And... don't call me that." She climbed down the ladder, reached the ground, and started to walk through the pouring rain. She kept crying as she forced herself through mud and the rain. I never stopped loving you. Not for a second. She dropped to her knees in the mud, she felt like she could feel her heart being torn apart. If you're cold, we can be cold together. She wanted to die, right there right then. What's the point in living if even your soulmate doesn't want you? I think we should just be friends. This was it. The lowest point in her life. Worse then when her own father was dragged away in handcuffs in front of her and her mother. She broke down into another sob. The cold was getting to her. She had never shook so hard in her life. Or maybe that wasn't just from the cold. "Veronica!" Betty? "Veronica?" She looked up, frantically wiping tears from her eyes. She could make out a dark shape in the distance. Betty. "Veronica! Where are you?" She smiled faintly. She came after me. "Betty..." she whispered. She felt like she was about to pass out. She was covered in mud and shaking so hard her vision was blurry. "B-Betty..." Something made Betty look her way. "Oh sh— Veronica!" She sprinted towards Veronica, nearly slipping and falling into the mud a couple times. She got down onto her knees in the mud and held Veronica close. "Veronica I'm so sorry. Oh my god you're shaking. I shouldn't have let you go out there. It's my fault, I shouldn't have yelled at you." Veronica's eyes were closed. "Veronica? Oh no no no..." Veronica chuckled dryly. "Shhh Betty." Betty began to cry. "It's okay Betty. It's time to go. You don't want to be with me anyway." "Veronica, no." "I love you, Betty." "STOP." Veronica's eyes snapped open. Betty was cradling her head in her lap and crying into Veronica's dress. "Stop talking like that." Veronica blinked, "Like what?" Betty lifted up her head, "Like you're going to die!" Veronica laughed, "You're wrong, Cooper. I'm already dead." Betty stroked her cheek. "I'm taking you home." Veronica lifted up her head. "And how will you get me home? We're still in the middle of the forest." Betty stood up. "Betty?" She felt two strong arms lift her up, bridal style. Betty. "I'll carry you home." Veronica put her arms around Betty's neck and nuzzled her face into her chest. "You're freezing, Veronica." "I should've taken the coat after all." She let out a raspy laugh. Betty started walking. "Wouldn't do you much good now, it's soaking wet." Veronica groaned, "I shouldn't have run out here. Then you wouldn't be soaking wet and you wouldn't have to be carrying me home." "Oh please, Veronica Lodge this is an honor. Besides it was my fault that you're out here. If I hadn't been such a jerk you'd be okay." "I'm okay anyway, B." "No you're not. You'll be lucky if you get a terrible cold." Veronica snorted, but it was more of a sob since she was starting to cry again. "Veronica please don't cry." "Did you mean it?" "Did I mean what?" "When you said we should just be friends." Betty didn't answer, instead she sighed. This was answer enough for Veronica. She sobbed into Betty's sweater, the cashmere one she had gotten her for Betty's 17th birthday. Betty stopped walking. "Veronica." No answer. "Veronica!" Veronica looked up at Betty. Betty leaned down in time to catch her lips in a kiss. It started slow, but built up over time. Veronica lifted her head up a bit to deepen the kiss, Betty tilted her head to the side. Veronica knew then, right there in the pouring rain, kissing Betty was the best experience she'd ever had. And she didn't want to lose it. Veronica pulled away. "Stay at my house tonight, Betty." Betty nodded and kissed her again. Veronica smiled into her mouth and caressed Betty's right cheek. Betty pulled away with a smile and kept walking.

They reached Veronica's house at midnight exactly. Veronica's mom was at a meeting about her father for a day, so she wouldn't be back until the next day. Betty walked up the stairs of the Pembrooke with Veronica in her arms. "Ronnie, can you stand?" Veronica nodded and Betty slowly and gently placed her on her feet. Veronica wobbled a little bit, but Betty steadied her. Betty grabbed the hidden key from under the mat and unlocked the door. Luckily, Hermione had given Smithers time off with his family so Betty and Veronica were alone and had no worries about being questioned. Veronica leaned on Betty's shoulder and stumbled into the living room, falling onto the couch. Betty shut the door and flopped down onto the couch next to her. Veronica snuggled into Betty's side. "Veronica you need to change. You're soaking wet and covered in mud." Veronica made puppy dog eyes, "I'm too sick to change and shower by myself. Will you help me?" Betty smiled, "Nice try. Now go!" Veronica, feeling better and less shaky, made her way to the bathroom.

Betty stood over the kitchen sink and squeezed water out of her ponytail. "Hey what about you?" Betty turned around. A newly changed and dry Veronica walked towards her. "You're soaking, too." Betty shook her head, "No I'm fine." Veronica sat down at the kitchen table. "Betty you're as mud covered and wet as I was." "I'm fine." "Betty go shower and put on some of my pajamas." Betty sighed, knowing that when Veronica made up her mind, there was no changing it. "Okay, V." "But go sit on the couch, and get a blanket." "Deal."