"Don't let go"

8-goodbyes and farewells

Betty's Point Of View-

Today I finished my second week of school. Sitting with Jughead, he's now joined most of my classes in school to be a tease and there's a rumour going around that I'm his girlfriend, it's shocking to everybody because Jughead Jones apparently never dates anyone.

Nothing has happened since last week end when FP caught us, I still haven't even kissed him, it's he same routine every day, motor bike to school, watch him smoke, meet up at lunch, sit with the serpents and then the bar before we go home.

But tomorrow is my moms funeral. I've been quiet and distant all day and when I walked home from school today, I knew Jughead thought that there was something wrong.

As soon as I got home I lay on my bed and cried, just cried. I thought I could be strong, and I though that it will stop hurting so bad, but it doesn't. It's always there, that she will never ever come back.

I heard him come through the door and shout my name but I ignored him and wiped my tears away, waited it out until he came to find me.

"Betty what's wrong" he said sitting down next to me seeing my tears and wiping them away.

"She's really gone jug, and she's not coming back" I sobbed and he cradled me in his arms as I just cried.

"I'm not going to say it's okay because it's not Betty, but please please please understand it is going to get better" he whispered into my hair, wiping my tears away.

"Everybody hates me at school, my friends from the north side never come and see me any more and I only have you left juggie" I cried looking up at him.

"Why does everybody hate you" He said softly searching my eyes as if they were going to give him the answer.

"It's mainly the girls" I said tilting my head and watched it sink in, that he was the reason the girls hated me.

"Fuck their opinions Betty, you shouldn't care about jealous bitches" he said softly hugging me tighter.

"Can we just stay here, forever, in this tiny tin can watching Netflix and eating pops" I cried and I heard his slight chuckle.

"I wish" he replied.

FP's Point Of View-

Alice Cooper. My oldest friend in the world, that girl got me in all sorts of trouble when we were teenagers. She's was the living breathing version of trouble, it was like her middle name. But being around her was the best fun I've ever had.

Saying goodbye to the woman you've always loved will be hard, and seeing my boy fall for her girl, is like watching history repeat itself.

Maybe this time something will go right and they make better decisions than we did.

Today is her funeral and Jughead has been trying to get Betty out of bed for the last hour. She's not budging, she doesn't want to face it, and I can't blame her, I'm an old man and I'm finding it hard to keep it all in.

Stood outside of the room, there was nothing but silence and then when the door opened and Betty came out fully dressed with sunglasses on and didn't speak a word, I looked over to jughead confused.

"She said she's going, but she's not giving a speech, she wants to pay her respects and get drunk" he sighed watching her shuffle around the kitchen starting her morning with a coffee like she does every morning.

"That is not the answer, but I'm going to let this one slide, look after her jug, she needs you" I told him and no matter how hard I tried to spark conversation with him he would always be watching her.

"Is it possible to have feelings for someone you haven't even kissed?" He said eyes still planted firmly on her.

"But I caught you guys?" I said confused.

"That's hard to explain, but we didn't actually kiss, your timing was impeccable" he said, his eyes moving to where she was sat on the couch watching the rain out of the window.

"Well I didn't think you had feelings at all" I teased.

"She's not really letting me in at all" he sighed frustrated.

"Yeah, how annoying is that?" I said, what's that phrase? About the pot and the kettle.

Jughead's Point Of View-

It was raining, the only people at the ceremony were Polly and her babies, Archie Andrews and his dad, me and my dad, that Ronnie girl, a ginger girl who I hadn't seen before with her parents and the priest.

A small send off, Betty sat at the front looking down at the ground. I watched her, every time a tear escaped her eye from under her sunglasses she would wipe it away.

Time seemed to drag and it genuinely hurt me for seeing her this upset, but when it was over she gave me a weak smile.

"I'm really glad that you're here with me juggie" she whispered and I could hear the crack in her voice.

"Betty I..." I began, ready to open up to her ,but was interrupted by the red head pulling Betty away into a big hug.

"Betty, baby, sleep over at my house tonight, you can't say no, moral support and all that, come by at 8, kisses to you darling girl, see you tonight" she said in a patronising tone, Betty just plastered a fake smile across her face and nodded along as the red head walked away.

"Looks like you can have the bed tonight, I'll be staying at thornehill how fun" Betty rolled her eyes.

"She lives in thornehill?" I said, thornehill was the creepiest old mansion in Riverdale, I was under the impression nobody lived there.

"It's like an episode of the Adams family every time I go in there" she laughed.

"What was it you were going to say" she added again slipping her fingers around mine walking home under the umbrella with me.

"I'm just glad I can be here for you" I said, putting an arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

It would be selfish to dump all my crazy feelings on her when she's already feeling so much emotion today.

There's always tomorrow.