The Serpent and His Girl

I'll Just Meet You There

     Hearing the bell ring, Betty and Archie separate as they both depart to get to their respective classes. Unfortunately, Betty's next class is with Veronica, where they sit together. Sighing, she sits down and pulls out her phone. Nothing from her mother, thank goodness. And yet. 

As Veronica sits, Betty sighs again, this time out of annoyance. The inquisitive Latina looks at her, and in a hushed voice asks, "So, did anything happen with Archiekins? You can tell me B. I won't tell anyone, promise."         

  The brunette's eyebrow raises, her face lighting up with a radiant smile. The complete opposite of her stance when Archie and Betty has gotten out of the car earlier. Betty gently explains that nothing happened, she just wants to interview him for the Blue and Gold. 

A lie, naturally. She thinks, knowing that few can tell when she's hiding the truth, a trait that's aided her throughout the years. After all, you have to know how to deceive people when you want them to think you're just fine. Or, as her mother would put it, she thinks with disgust at the brief thought of that woman, perfect.

So, after the bell rings, as Betty heads off to her next class, she lowers her head, trying to hide her disgust and guilt with herself. "I forgot how bad it feels to lie to someone new."As soon as Betty's thinking this, she smacks right into somebody, and falls.

"Oh great" she mutters as she's reaching for her phone in the ground. When she looks up, to her surprise and terror, she's met with the gaze of a certain redheaded girl.

"Ch-Cheryl, hey, um. I'm so sorry." Betty stammers, trying not to get on Cheryl's bad side, totally forgetting what happened this morning in her haste to grab her things. To this, Cheryl just offers her cousin a hand.

"Oh Betty, it's alright." Cheryl responds with a trill of light laughter, like the tinkling of bells. It comforts Betty far more than it should, and she takes Cheryl's hand, pulling herself up. "Remember? I'm not that awful person anymore. In fact, Betty, would you please please consider  sleeping overnight at Thornhill tonight? Unless you have any other plans to go to a party or something."

"I would love to Cheryl, why that'd be great." Betty answers quietly. Cheryl gives her a smile, squeezes her hand and leaves. Betty starts down the hallway, and knocks into somebody again. Also another redhead, Archie turns around to find Betty sprawled out on the ground.

"Holy crap Arch, what're you made of? Bricks? Jeez." Betty giggles as she stands back up. Archie notices how she didn't even wince after hitting the ground, another thing he should've noticed all these years. Covering his guilt with a smile, he chuckles along with her. And suddenly, an idea pops into his head.

"Hey, Betty, do you want to come to Pops with me after school? That way we can sort all this out." Archie suggests with gusto, his last words in a whisper, as not to attract attention from the other students."So, what do you say?" He waits with a small smile on his face, hoping she'll say yes.

"I'd love to Arch. I'm sleeping over someone's house tonight though, so I have to pack after school. I'll just meet you there, kay?" She returns his small smile, wrapping her arms around herself.

Many hours later, Betty walks down the winding streets of the Southside to cross the train tracks to Pop's. She can see the faint glow of the lights as she walks alongside the woods.

On such a beautiful night, she had decided to just grab her room key and phone, knowing it's warm. A light breeze lifts her hair, and she sighs. To think, just yesterday at this time she was stuck in that house of horrors. After letting her hair down from it's tight, restrictive ponytail, Betty thinks how it's almost like a metaphor for herself.

Like her, the hair was confined to the prison it had. But now, as she slides her hair tie onto her wrist, she can't help but think that they're both free.

She sets off again, marveling at the beauty of Riverdale at sunset. She closes her eyes, soaking up the last few rays of sunlight breaking through the trees. Breathing in deep, Betty can't help but sigh at the relaxing feeling this moment has brought.

She shoots a quick text to Archie saying she's almost there, and it's sending when she hears the snap of a twig from behind. She looks behind her, but there's no one there.

Odd, she thinks as she walks a little faster. Must have been a squirrel.

Another snap alerts her that something-or someone- is following her, and it doesn't seem friendly.

Another snap, and then two arms wrap around her, clamping their hands on her mouth before she has the chance to scream. And all she can see are the fading lights of Pop's.