The Serpent and His Girl

Best Friends

      "Hi! My name is Betty Cooper, this is my big sister Polly. We live next to you. This is Elm Street. My mommy said I should say hi, so that's what I'm doing. What's your name? Do you want to play with me?" A five-year-old Betty fires these questions rapidly at little Archie Andrews, barely pausing in between to take a breath. The little red head looks up from his picture book, shy. 

"I'm Ar-Archie Andrews. Hi. What- play, uh play what?" He stutters, not used to girls bombarding him just yet. Little Betty just takes his hand and drags him into her backyard, Polly not far behind. In the Cooper's backyard, a little play castle is set up, child-size swords and tiaras littering the grass around it. Betty pulls Archie past it, instead dragging him through the back door of  her house.

"Mommy! Mommy! Look, Archie! Mommy!" The little blonde girl calls out, her pigtails bouncing as she continues to drag little Archie around the house. They halt to a stop in the living room, where Alice sits on a recliner with a magazine and glass of  white wine. She peeks up from her magazine, giving the children a cursory smile.

Alice turns her eyes to her daughter, her smile now more brittle.

"Elizabeth, what did I tell you about yelling in the house? It's not polite." She turns back towards Archie, her smile once again serene. "Hi. I'm Mrs.Cooper. You must be Archie Andrews. I knew your daddy in high school." She winks at the little boy, like they're both in on a secret. Archie giggles, and once again, Alice's attention is back on her youngest.

"Betty, we'll continue our talk later, understood?" Alice's tone is motherly, but with a sharp edge that Archie doesn't catch. But Betty does, and she shivers uncontrollably. Nodding to her mother, she takes little Archie's hand and leads him to the castle.

"Wait here," she commands, stepping inside. When she comes back out, she's changed into a pink Aurora dress, little heels and all. Archie blushes, thinking she looks like a real princess. Betty grins, then hands him a wooden sword.

"Here. You be the prince, I'll be the princess. I'll be like Sleeping Beauty and be stuck in the tower. Polly!" Betty calls out to her sister, beckoning her over. "You're the evil witch!" Polly nods, smiling.

     Polly Cooper, being the amazing big sister she is, enjoys play time with her little sister, especially when they can play outside. Betty's play times are becoming shorter these days, Alice makes sure of it. It seems that every time their parents fight,-which was often, almost every night now-Alice would always take her anger out on Betty afterwards, lecturing the little girl and punishing her to stay in the confinement of her pastel pink room. So every moment they can play together is a good one, Polly had decided.

They play for hours on end that day, and when Fred came over to pick up his son, he found him curled up next to the little blonde girl, asleep. Fred picks up his son, carrying him out of the room. As Alice opens the front door for the father-son duo, Betty stirs,waking up completely. She scrambles down the stairs, giving a sleeping Archie a little wave.

"Bye Archie, see you tomorrow!" She exclaims, smiling a sleepy smile. After they leave, Alice picks Betty up, carrying her to her room. Tucking her in, she sits at the end of the bed. She reads Betty a story, then kisses her hair as the little girl dreams.

Alice and Hal would fight that night, yes, but what happened after changed Betty's life forever. That was the night that Alice and Hal decided to get a divorce, and the night Alice started to do much worse than send Betty to her room. 

Betty cries, her knees up to her chest. All she can do is think of Archie being in the same situation as her right now. She cries harder, thinking now she'll never get out, not if she has to leave him behind. The dark room is silent, and a little amount of light from under the door illuminates a small patch of the floor. Suddenly, shadows cover all the light, making the room once again pitch black.

The door swings open, and Sweet Pea, Fangs and an older Serpent Betty has never seen before start dragging something, no, someone in. Whoever it is is fighting against their hold. Betty mentally cheers them on, telling them to keep fighting. But, inevitably they get thrown next to Betty, and the room is bathed in the blackness once more.

Groaning, the person sits up. Then, they turn to the door.

"Let me go! I swear to God, let me out right now or I swear I'll-" They're cut off as Betty gasps. She knows that voice, but...it can't be.

"Ar-Arch?" She whispers, reaching out into the darkness beside her and grabbing their arm.

"Betty?" He whispers, shaking his head. He must be dreaming. Archie grabs her hand that's resting on his arm, then pulls her to him. The two embrace, crying. As Betty sobs into his chest, Archie rubs her back, sobbing into her hair. They hug for what feels like hours but is only a few minutes. But to them, time didn't matter. For he was not her Romeo, nor she his Juliet. No, they were not tragic lovers, but best friends. Best friends who'd been separated for far too long, too long for them at least. 

"Arch...I th-thought I was never going to see you a-again." She whimpers, holding him closer. Archie just lets out a shuddering breath.

"Betty, I thought you were dead...after you didn't show up, I went home and my dad told me you were missing. I c-couldn't believe it. I searched for you with Cheryl every night, you know that? I never stopped looking." He explains, still crying. Betty cries as well, muttering something quietly. 

"What?" Archie asks. Betty just smiles against his chest.

"I knew you would." She tells him. " I missed you. I missed your stupid jokes, I missed helping you with biology homework." She chuckles a little, sniffling. Archie just stays silent for a few moments more, before replying. 

"I missed you too. I love you too much to not," He says softly, inhaling.

"I love you too Arch. Now say something to make me laugh, dufus."

A/N
So a few notes:
Yes, Polly is sane in this story. The Farm will not be showing up cause I don't feel like writing Polly into an insane cultist. I liked Betty and Polly's season one relationship and hate how they've changed her on the show. I will have a backstory to why Polly hasn't shown up until this chapter.

I also wrote the beginning as sort of an origin story for not only the beginning of Betty's abuse, which is never okay at all, but the origin of Archie and Betty's friendship. I promise, THERES NO BARCHIE. In this story they are like brother and sister. This story is strictly Bughead.

Anyways, as always, please tell me what you think! Have a wonderful day/night/afternoon!
Love,
Your Trusty Author