What We Once Were: A Bughead Fanfic

Chapter 15.

Thomas waltzed into the office a little more upbeat than Betty thought he'd be. "Thomas Thacker?" Betty wasn't sure why she felt the need to clarify his name.

"Yes, what did you want to talk to me about? I hardly even knew the girls anyways. They were just students of mine." Thomas dropped down on the seat on the other side of Betty's desk.

Jughead narrowed his eyes at Thomas, "see I'm not sure I believe that."

Thomas returned a threatening look at Jughead. "What are you insinuating?"

"He means that we've heard rumors and that they've been confirmed that you and Colleen were very close." Betty defended him, before shooting him a brief warning glare.

"Colleen was one of my better students. Of course like any teacher I would get close to her."

"You mean you'd pull her aside after cheer practice and 'talk' to her alone in your dark and empty classroom?" Betty's tone was sharp and Jughead now realized how much he loved this aggressive side of her that had been locked away for so long.

"Where on earth did you hear such a thing?"

"I've got proof from two students that you slept with Colleen on a regular basis." Betty got straight to the punch.

Thomas flinched a little, "Colleen was worrying about her grade, she and I had study sessions after practice. She improved a lot and her ethic in class got better too."

"Thomas, this is strictly confidential, nothing will be leaked in the paper or to the public about your secret affair with Colleen and Alison." Betty clarified with an edge to her voice.

"I never said anything about Alison." Thomas growled.

"Ah, so there was something going on between you and Alison." Jughead chimed in.

"Again, she was struggling in my class and I helped her through it after school." Thomas said defensively.

"Thomas," Betty pinched the bridge of her nose in exhaustion, "I know you had an affair with Colleen, there's a camera in the hallway outside your classroom, we've seen the footage so you might as well just admit it that you had affairs with Colleen, Becky and Alison." When had Betty become such a good liar and why did that make Jughead's pulse jump?

Thomas Thacker turned white as a sheet, "there's cameras?" He gulped.

"Yeah, I know you made out with Colleen then pushed her into your classroom, you kept the lights off, so you can't even disguise what you and her did on a regular basis, I may add." Betty rode the lie with ease.

"Ok, ok fine. So Colleen and I had a few flings. But that doesn't mean I killed her."

"Then what about Alison, I've got word from an inside source that you were her favorite teacher. That she went into your classroom after hours, did you have a fling with her too?" Betty accused.

"Once or twice, but she rejected me after the second session." Thomas growled.

"You still seem pretty bitter about that, care to explain why?" Betty began to take control of the interview, Jughead wanted to ask questions but Betty had easily established dominance in the room and suddenly he was questioning whether or not he should try to cut in, or just watch with fascination as this newfound dominance and self assurance washed over her. He could now see exactly what living in a city as big and as cutthroat as New York did to her.

"Colleen was good, but very clingy. Alison resisted and was the one all along that I wanted. After the second session she said that this was wrong and that she was cheating on her boyfriend. She hardly even looked at me after that and then I started seeing Colleen more, hoping that might get her attention."