The Serpent and His Girl

I Know

        As the sun rose above Riverdale, an exhausted Betty Cooper is waking up and getting ready for school. With a groan, she pulls a sweater over her head, shuddering at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She gingerly touches the bruise on her cheek, and winces as pain blooms from the spot. After covering it up with makeup, and putting her hair up for the day, she heads down to the lobby for breakfast.

When the elevator doors open, Betty steps out and heads towards the breakfast buffet, where she's surprised to find the Cheryl Blossom sitting beside a pink-haired girl, resting her head on her shoulder and sipping coffee. Even more surprising though, Cheryl smiles at her and waves. Betty cautiously walks over there, arriving with hesitation.

"Oh Betty, what a wonderful albeit very big surprise to see you here! I have wonderful news, well, two pieces of news actually!"

"Yes, it's complicated...and what is it Cheryl, not to be rude, but I'm in a hurry" Cheryl's eyebrow quirks up at the word complicated, but goes down a notch when she hears the rest, her facial expression a warm one.

"Well, I'll tell it to you fast then. First, this is Toni Topaz, my...girlfriend. And second, dear Betty, is a bit more...shocking. You and I are cousins, through Blossom blood." Cheryl says the last part so kindly that Betty knows that she isn't lying. Cheryl's mock kindness was more see-through, and she hadn't been using it much lately around school. Aside from the Ginger thing, she had been calm lately.

" Oh Cheryl, I'm so happy for you about Toni, and I think that it's great that we're family." Betty's voice comes out sweet and innocent, but inside she is shocked. I'm a Blossom?!?! She thinks to herself, but. But. How?

"Dear cousin, I know this must shock you terribly, but it's okay. Your dad took a DNA test to work at Blossom Maple farm as a side job, and he was found to be a Blossom. You are too, and with this I'd like to apologize for how awful I treated you. My sweet TT has made me see the error of my ways." At this, Cheryl embraces Betty, while Toni sits and smiles at the two. 

   After exchanging goodbyes, Betty goes straight to the breakfast buffet. Piling food on her plate, she thinks of what might happen when she comes into school and then doesn't come home.  But, her mom wouldn't know she left until then. She woke up at ten to go to the Register, and by then Betty's already been at school for a few hours.

When she finishes her meal, she heads back upstairs to her room. She brushes her teeth and grabs her phone, hotel key, and heads out the door. She's just walked out of the doors to the lobby when a black motorcycle whizzes past, almost running her over. After seeing a streak of pink and red, she knows who it is and isn't frightened.

"Sorry Betty!" Cheryl screams into the wind. Betty just laughs, showing Cheryl it's okay. When she looks again, she sees Archie tearing through the parking lot, and screeching to a stop right in front of her. Laughing, she gets in the passenger seat.

"Arch what the hell was that? Huh? I thought you passed the drivers test with flying colors. Not failed it four times!" He laughs along with her, and grabs her backpack filled with her school work  from the back, handing it to her.

"M'lady" he says with a posh British accent.

"Why thank you" She mocks his accent while taking the bag. They're both still laughing when they pull up to the school, but stop when they see Veronica, her arms crossed and eyes shooting daggers directly at Betty. Archie gets out of the car first, Betty right behind him.

"B." Veronica's voice is sharp, and her posture is the same way. "Why didn't you call or text me back last night? I have news that I need you to hear. Now."

Archie and Betty exchange a look, dread passing through Betty's system. She can't tell Veronica what happened, not yet at least. So, she dodges the question and just says, "What's up V?"

"What's up is that your mom called me last night, and said that you didn't come home last night, and considering the fact that you just arrived with Archie, I have a feeling as to where you were." The Latina says those last words with a haughty sniff, her face hardening.

"Ronnie, it's nothing like that, okay? Betty did go home last night. Alice was probably making up crap to get you to stop hanging out with Betty. She was late this morning so I gave her a ride, alright?" Archie steps in calmly, lying so smoothly that the raven-haired girl looks apologetically at the blonde girl.

"My bad B, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it and I should've thought of that. I'm so sorry girl." Betty just hugs the fiery Latina, glad the exchange is over, and she can breathe again. She shoots an appreciative glance to Archie, who just smiles in return.

Archie slings his arms around the two girl's shoulders and jokingly says, "Ah, what a time to be alive, when mothers lie to their daughters' best friends to get them to hate one another. Really warms your heart doesn't it?" At this both girls giggle, and the three of them walk into school, laughing and joking.

"So Archiekins, are you gonna take the captains position?" Veronica asks inquisitively.

"Ronnie, I can't be thinking of that. Not right now okay? I'm dealing with something and I just...I can't right now alright?" Archie sighs, his brows furrowing. He looks like he's about to cry, which is far from the Archie they saw five minutes ago. Betty notices this.

"Hey, Arch, can I talk to you for a sec in the music room?" Betty looks at Archie, her eyes not pleading, but asking him to come with her.

"Sure, just give me a sec," he replies, seeming a bit distracted. Once Betty walks around the corner, he turns to the raven haired girl with purpose. He knows exactly what the gossip part of her is thinking, and intends to shut it down.

"Ronnie, I don't care what you think, I don't care what you say, but do not ask Betty why she asked me into the music room or why I drove her again. So. Just. Drop. It. Capiche?" Archie leaves Veronica sputtering in the hall about how she won't and all that. Entering the music room, he sees Betty on the windowsill, humming to herself.

"Hey" She shyly greeted him. " I uh, I just wanted to say thanks for covering for me with V. Honestly she's terrifying when she's mad. So, um, yeah. Thanks Archie." Her face breaks out into a small smile.

"It's not a problem Betty. Really. And besides, if you told her, no matter how many times you told her to keep this secret you know Veronica would've told somebody anyways and that would not be good at all. Oh and I spoke to her before I came in here and made sure that she didn't spread her suspicions around the school." Betty wraps her arms around the redheaded boy, grateful for his protection and support. He wraps one arm around her and rubs her back with the other. "It's no problem Betty. Really, I'd do anything for you, you know that right? You're my best friend."

"I know Arch, I know." She replies quietly.