HER- Veronica Lodge

From Football Tryouts to Invitations

After lunch, it was time for football tryouts. Charles honestly wanted to go home by now. He was one of the best on the team so he felt as he shouldn't have to tryout again but he'd do anything to stay on the team. Like cheerleading was Cheryl's thing, football was Charles' thing. Jason may have been better at water polo but Charles was much better than him at football. It was a way for Charles to get his emotions out without actually doing so. Other than performing music or skateboarding, football was his escape, to say the least. Coach inhaled sharply, "Go, get around him. Get around him." He yelled and blew the whistle. "Let's move. Andrews!" He called out for Archie. "There we go. Looking good." He continued as Archie jogged over to him. "What's up, Coach?" Archie asked "Here." Coach spoke, handing him a jersey. "This is Jason's number." Archie said, looking down at the jersey in his hands, with the number "9" on it, 10 numbers less than Charles' jersey number. Because of what play the team was performing, Charles, who just happened to be close to the two, heard them speaking and hearing someone else, especially Archie, who got his brother's jersey automatically caught his attention. Charles stood there, shocked, but didn't move so he could continue listening to the conversation. "It's yours now. Usually, they only play JV. This year, we've got an open spot in varsity. From what you've been showing us, well, I want you to fill it." "Varsity's got longer practices. More away games." Archie spoke, trying to wrap his head around what this means for him. "Yeah, bigger commitment, yeah." Coach continued. "Well, I need to think about it, Coach." Archie declined. "I-Oh, what, you got something better to do?" Coach asked, egging Archie on to explain why he needed time to think of an answer for a yes or no on the jersey. "My dad's company. It's our family business, and he's sort of counting on me to help out - after school, on weekends-"Archie was cut off by Coach. "Hold up, Jackson, hold the ball. And Blossom, what're you doing just standing there, get out there." He yelled at the two players, Charles rushing over to the team's huddle. "You know what, why don't you sleep on it." Coach said to Archie. "Let's go. Bring it in, guys. Come on." He yelled at the team. Meanwhile, Betty and Veronica were walking down the track, watching football players practicing when Betty called out to Veronica. "Veronica."Betty called out to the raven haired girl. "Why did you defend me? I know the crowd you ran with in New York. Why are you being so nice?" The blonde asked. Veronica stopped watching a certain football player wearing the number 19 jersey. She sighed and began to speak. "When my father got arrested, it was the worst thing ever. All these trolls started writing horrible things about us. We'd get letters and e-mails saying that my dad was a thief, my mom was a clueless socialite, and that I was the spoiled rich-bitch ice princess.
And what hurt the most about it was the things the trolls were writing were true. I was like Cheryl. I was worse than Cheryl. So, when my mom said we were moving to Riverdale, I made a pact with myself to use this as an opportunity to become maybe, hopefully, a better version of myself." Veronica finished, looking out on the field again before making eye contact with Betty. "That's a lot of pressure." Betty spoke before sighing, similar to what Veronica just did and began talking about her life as well. "When Polly and Jason got together, it meant everything to her and nothing to him, and," Betty sighed and continued speaking "And things got super intense and weird and toxic and my mom turned on Polly. Said Polly wasn't her daughter anymore, said all these awful things to her. Charles, the one who sat at our table at lunch?" Veronica nodded, telling Betty she knew who she was talking about. "The cute brown hair, all red clothes, crazy sister, dead brother, football player guy?" She questioned. Betty shook her head yes before continuing "He tried to reason with my mom since he is the only Blossom my mom likes. He was telling her 'how much Jason cared for her and he wouldn't intentionally try to hurt her. That she shouldn't just push away her daughter because of one decision.' My mom just told him that everything he said was complete bull, that his family wasn't nice and caring like Charles was and he couldn't tell her how to treat her child, which got Charles to give up. Jason hurt Polly, but it's my mom who broke her." Betty finished, looking at Charles doing laps with Archie, Veronica looking as well. "Archie." "Charlie." Both girls yelled at the same time. Veronica was calling Archie so Betty could ask him to the dance and Betty called Charles so she could just talk to him but not anymore. "You're so doing this." "What?" "Slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one." Veronica said to Betty with a slight smirk. "Hi, Teen Outlander, Lover Boy." She said to Archie and Charles, who were now standing in front of the girls, sweaty and handsome. "Hey. Nice outfits." Both boys said at the same time. They looked at each other and chuckled as Archie nudged Charles a little making the  girls shake their heads and laugh before getting back on track. "Betty here has something she wants to ask you, Archie, about the Back-to-School dance. Go on, Betty, ask." Veronica encouraged. Charles crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows at Betty. "I was wondering if you wanted to come with both of us." Betty asked, Charles smiled because Betty actually asked Archie to the dance, finally but frowned when he actually processed what she said. "Huh?" "What?" "Excuse me?" The three besides Betty exclaimed. "It's your first dance at Riverdale. You should have someone to go with, even if it's just a friend." Betty said to Veronica. So Charles interjected quickly, "Actually, I was gonna ask Veronica if she wanted to go, with me?" Charles loved the thought of Betty and Archie ever since they were little, maybe he loved her with Jughead a little more but still, he had to have Kevin and his ship float. He kinda had to considering him and Kevin made a bet and he didn't want to lose. He also, maybe, somewhat likes Veronica and it was the best excuse to use to ask her to the dance. " I mean, I'd love to." Veronica answered Charles, leaving Archie's answer for Betty."I'm not really in the headspace for a dance." Archie finally answered. "Oh." Betty replied with a frown upon her face, "That's okay."  "Totally unacceptable, Archiekins." "No way, A." Veronica and Charles both replied unimpressed with Archie's answer. "[Betty] needs an escort. Take a break from being a tortured musical genius and come spend a blissful evening with not one, but two newly-minted River Vixens..." "And your favorite Blossom." Charles cut Veronica off, making the three look at him amused. Veronica continued, "We'll text you time and place." Archie chuckled, "Okay." "Yeah, okay." "Bye." Archie spoke, backing up to get back to football practice. "Bye." The girls said, looking at Charles now. "I'll meet you there V, my sister and I are basically the hosts so we have to be there earlier." Charles explained, making Betty and Veronica nod. He continued, "Oh, and I'll be sure to make Archie get prepared. He has to look right if he's going on a date with a queen." Charles spoke, smiling at Betty, getting her and Veronica to smile at how charming the boy was. "If he doesn't come, he'll meet Lightning ," he said as he held up his right fist "and Thunder," he said as he held up his left fist. "Bye, Charles." The girls said laughing. Charles chuckled and jogged backwards back to his football practice, "Bye cuties." Veronica shook her head with an amused smile on her face, "That boy is something else." "That's Charles." Betty replied smiling before the two girls carried on with their day.