What Fools These Mortals Be {Bughead Fanfiction}

Melted As The Snow

Betty felt nervous and not for the reasons that she thought that she would be, given the situation. She had pictured this moment in her mind so many times since high school. Dressed in her favourite dress, looking over at her date in his best suit. Smiling coyly over her drink as his hand reached out for hers. His fingertips tracing over the back of her hand. However now whenever she thought of it, it wasn’t a flash of red hair that she pictured in front of her now but instead dark locks and a woolen beanie was all that she could see.

She took a deep breath as she smoothed down her skirt again for the millionth time. A nervous habit that she couldn’t seem to shake. He was sat opposite her. The ‘ginger stallion’ as she had heard the girls in the dressing room whisper to each other each summer while she tried to ignore them or chastising them for speaking about him in that way. Now she found herself wondering how much of his reputation was true that whether she had just been blind this whole time. She wondered whether he saw her as one of his conquests- maybe just another potential notch on his bed post.

She realized then, that he was asking her a question, She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she couldn’t recall what they had been discussing and she racked her brain for some hint on what he might be asking her.

“I said have you ever been to New York?”

“Yeah, I studied there for a year after graduation,” she answered, grateful for him repeating the question.

“I’ve had a few gigs there. Have a few more lined up once the summer is over.” She nodded and offered him a smile which she hoped displayed her encouragement and nothing more. “Yeah. My agent says that things are about to take off you know. Can’t stay in Riverdale forever.” His eyes grew a little wider at that statement as he realized his mistake. “Not saying that you staying here is a bad thing but there isn’t really a music scene here.”

“It’s fine really.”

“I actually have been working on some new stuff, a couple of acoustic tracks. If your free maybe you would like to come over and listen.” Betty nodded politely and found herself glancing at the time on her phone. She was beginning to notice how much Archie enjoyed to talk about himself and his blossoming music career. He had asked her a few questions but only those that seemed to allow him to talk further about himself. She began to imagine what a future with Archie Andrews might look like. The partner of a successful New York musician. The travel, the groupies. The long talks into the night not about literature or her own interests but about his. About his success.

She wondered if this was how her mother had felt. Her father had been a successful journalist when he had met Alice Smith. She had just been starting out at The Register, but had shown some promise. Betty had discovered some of her articles when she had been packing up her things in the house before it was put up for sale following her return from the Treatment Facility. Her mom had talent, it was clear in her writing but she’d had very little published. Not compared to her father who had been featured so many times in The Register that his name had become well known within their small town. He had progressed to editor while Alice had remained among the office staff. She had remained by her husband’s side, supporting his work, raising his children, until he had left- for a better job, a better life. Leaving Alice in Riverdale alone with their old life.

Betty wasn’t sure that that life was what her mom would have wanted for her daughters. Not really. Maybe on the surface, a perfect life - a perfect visage. But in reality she liked to think that her mom would have wanted her to be happy.

She played with her food, shifting it around the plate with her fork while she continued to listen to Archie describe his plans for after summer. Before the topic of conversation shifted suddenly.