Steady Breaths

M e s s

Betty's POV
Don't get me wrong, Archie being protective is sweet...but he had this look of death in his eyes, he almost looked like the killer that he had been accused of being. Everyone is a couple of feet back, almost fearful of him hurting someone. What on earth did prison do to him...

Archie looked like he had the same darkness that I have, which is just crazy...right? Well his clenched, blood drenched, fists don't help me prove myself wrong.

Suddenly a slow sarcastic clap came from the back of the crowd. It got louder and louder until I realised that the person clapping was next to me.
"Hayley?" Veronica asks.
"Bravo Andrews you managed to beat up a kid, for poor little Betty! How sweet is that! I mean if only you had beat up the right person!" She giggles. Wait...it wasn't Reggie who told everyone in the first place.

"But he was telling everyone when I got here." Archie stammers, confused by the whole situation.
"Well sure maybe then, but sorry mama Cooper I told everyone."
Why would she do this...she couldn't possibly have any reason to! Why would she ruin my life!

Veronica is the first one to take a step forward towards Hayley.
"Why?" She whispers, almost as though she's the one whose hurt. "I thought you had changed..." she whispers to herself.
"V, you and I were best friends! The best! We would do everything together, and when you came here to start a new life, you promised that we would stay friends, that we would be the best of friends forever."
Where was she going with this, at this point everyone looks just as confused as Veronica, and I still don't have an explanation as to why she told everyone.
"But no, you didn't even try to reach out, you just disappeared. And now I find out that you haven't missed me, or nick, or any of us at all because you have replaced all of us. With Archie, Betty and all the rest! What happened to V and H, ready to conquer the world? Apparently you'd rather hang out with this pregnant bitch who stole my spot-"
"Take that back!" Veronica yells.

I feel water start to build in my eyes...this is all so confusing, revenge is a pathetic reason to tell everyone this.
"Oh Veronica. You came here and everyone loved you didn't they...Archie over here fell head over heels in love with you, Betty saw the good in you, and you regained your princess status. Well why don't we tell everyone how you lost it in the first place? Huh! Haven't you told them about the old Veronica?!" Hayley yelled in Veronica's face. By now there was a huge crowd, and Archie was on the verge of loosing it, but Veronica stayed quiet and looked down shamefully.

"Please don't." She whispered softly, looking up with tears in her eyes. I had always wondered about old Veronica. I mean I love V now, but she always shields her past from us.
"You know what everyone take a seat, allow me to tell the tale of Veronica Lodge the mafia princess"

Archie took a step forward to stop her but Hayley stuck her finger up at him.
"I'd sit down if I were you Red, or else I'll have my father let your dad see the consequences."
Archie looked torn. Considering Hayley had been here for literally just a week she already knew everything about everyone. Especially Archie, I mean his weakness is his dad.

"It's okay Archie." Veronica says quietly. Archie sits down on the bench, next to Reggie who's nose is still bleeding.
Everyone waits for a moment, now in a circle, with Hayley and Veronica standing in the middle.
"Well everyone where do I begin. Veronica Lodge and I were 14 when we made a pact. That pact being that we would rule New York. We'd be royalty, we'd use her fathers money and my fathers smarts to have the world in the plan of our hands. I was hesitant at first but Veronica over here was so excited by the idea that I was convinced. We wasted no time. By the age of 15 Veronica had hooked up with at least half of the boys in our year..."

I watch Archie stiffen in his seat, no doubt he's uncomfortable with the fact that Veronica had been touched where he had touched her. Veronica looks down in embarrassment.
"Now not only was Veronica a slut who sold her body every chance she got, but she would also get drunk every chance she got. Now underage drinking isn't the most illegal thing to do but Veronica sure never knew when to stop, honestly every night she would make a fool out of herself. Mix both of these attributes and we get the 20th of June. Summer break had just started and we were at a party, not only was Veronica drunk but she then happily stripped down to her lingerie infront of everyone. She then proceeded to go and have sex with about 10 boys in the spare bedroom. I mean I'm surprised she didn't get pregnant, but Betty obviously you don't know how that feels-"
"That's enough Hayley." Jughead steps forward.
"Color me shocked, Jughead you Don't happen to think Veronica is a good girl after all of this do you?" Hayley laughs.
"Veronica may have lived that life back in New York but as far as I'm aware that doesn't make me any less of a friend to her, and that doesn't mean she doesn't value Betty's friendship, or that she doesn't love Archie. Because Veronica did change, you think this is news to our ears well it's what we expected to hear. Because people make mistakes, they have regrets, but you see it's people like Veronica Lodge who change, not for anyone else but for themselves. And it's people like you who get so uptight about it all. I mean take now for example. You just told the whole school that my girlfriend was pregnant, which is pretty low, and that's all because you were replaced. You can't deal with the fact that you can't change, and that you can so easily be replaced, you're just jealous that Veronica Lodge is so irreplaceable and so incredible. You may be a queen in New York but here in Riverdale we rule together. Whether we are form the Northside or the Southside, bulldogs or serpents, it doesn't matter. And Veronica is apart of that. She's apart of Riverdale. So don't think you can come waltzing in here humiliating her, because we will fight you, and your father."

There was a sudden applause after Jughead finished his little speech. I can feel a smile forming on my face. I'm pretty sure he just solved this entire issue. Well In fact multiple issues, Hayley, the pregnancy, the Riverdale war between north and south siders.
Hayley is speechless she looks shocked. She turns around and pushes through the crowd, earning an even louder cheer.

Veronica's POV
I run into Jughead's open arms. I know he's not much of a hugger but it's necessary.
"Thank you." I simply say into his jacket.
"What are friends for." He says pulling back with a smile. Betty then walks over and gives me a hug.
"Thank you for standing up for me, you too Archie." She says, looking over my shoulder to Archie, who's bruises are beginning to show.
"Right idea, poor execution of the plan, thank you Jughead, for that speech, you should write a book." Archie chuckles as he joins the three of us who are huddled in the centre of the circle.
"I'm way ahead of you actually, I've written one about Jason, the black hood, now I'm working on something about us, our lives."

Jughead's POV
The perfect girl next door, the popular jock, the raven haired princess and me. All as one, just a few kids trying to figure out who to be, what to say, how to deal with our overly complicated lives. I think we will always have a problem in Riverdale, a new mystery to solve, but I don't think any of us would ever want to leave. Because right here right now, we are all smiling at one another, bugger grins then what I've ever seen before. Peace and quiet doesn't stay long in Riverdale, in fact I don't think it's even come at all, we are all a mess, but it's is beautiful.

A beautiful mess indeed.

A/N hey all! I know this sounds like the end of the book but is not, I just wanted to write something deep! The core 4 finally United! I really wanted to establish a relationship between all of the characters, Archie and Betty, Betty and Veronica, Jughead and Betty, Jughead and Veronica, Archie and Betty, y'know? Because I think we always forget that they are the core 4 and they should all be there for one another. So I hope that you liked it! Leave a comment done below! Love you all and as always thanks for reading (also omg you guys 5k reads this is absolutely incredible! I can't thank you all enough!) xx