Beloved in the river

Something 'spooky' for October ;)

Silence. Absolute earth shattering silence.
That was all Jughead Jones could hear. His toes buried deep in the damp sand and his head tilted back as the clear blue water misted through his ink black curls.
One year, it had been one year since the whole of Riverdale had been shaken too its core, a change that would forever alter the way the tiny town would be seen. No one thought of Maple Syrup or Sweet water River when the name , Riverdale, was brought into conversation. There wasn't the typical mutual nod of agreement at the far too small town. No, it was much darker now, much more quiet.
Riverdale was now and forever known as the town where the beautiful blonde cheerleader had driven herself to the County Garage, lowered the gate and locked her car doors all the while leaving her car running, when the shop had opened early the next morning they had found her dead in the front seat, her diary open to a simple white piece of paper with the words
"I'm sorry."
Written in pink cursive.
Betty Cooper had killed herself. Betty Cooper had taken her life. Betty Cooper was gone.
Jughead bit back tears. He should have been there for her, should have seen the way she was slowly but surely fading away, her bloody palms and swollen eyes. But he was selfish, he was so caught up in his own world, his mother leaving, his fathers drinking, he hadn't been there, he hadn't saved her and that was something he could never forgive himself for.
"I'm so sorry Betty, I'm so damn sorry." Jughead whispered, tears streaming steadily down his cheeks.
"What on earth are you sorry for?"
Whipping around to see the added voice Jughead nearly threw up at what he saw.
It was her, it was Betty, standing in front of him, her long blonde hair left down and curly and wearing the same pair of overalls she had been in the night she had died.
"I'm crazy. I'm absolutely insane, god help me I've officially lost it." The dark haired boy scrambled to his feet as he squeezed his eyes shut desperately trying to get her face out of his head.
When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see his vision still standing before him staring expectantly, hands on her hips and an amused smile on her lips.
"well this isn't the welcome wagon I was expecting. I'm sure the ghost of Christmas past got treated much better than this." Betty teased, dropping down in the sand and patting the space beside her.
"This isn't real. You're not real." Jughead mumbled, hesitantly taking the open spot
"Maybe I'm not. Maybe I am. I'm not really sure how this whole ghost thing works. Obviously I'm new to it. This could all be a dream so why don't you just sit back and enjoy it. I've been told I'm great company." The familiar giggle rippled through the air, it was different though almost... hollow.
"why are you here? Why are you haunting me? What have I done?" Jughead questioned, head aching and spinning.
Betty reached for him then, fingers cold and hard.
"You haven't done anything, I'm not here to "haunt" you. I'm here because you need me. You asked for me remember? You wanted to see me again and here I am." Her voice was calm and quiet as she soothed Jugheads troubled mind.
"You... you're dead Betty. You killed yourself. I just.. why would you do something like that?"
It came out before he had a chance to filter himself and suddenly he realized how long he had been waiting to ask that question, how desperate he was to know the answer.
Betty sighed softly, leaning back and digging her fingers into the sand
"I know that it's hard to understand, I know that it was selfish but I felt like I had no choice. I never really had a choice, my whole life was planned out for me and it just.. it became too much. I've always had this... this nagging feeling and I thought about, I really really thought about it for a long time and.. I just had to Juggie. I'm sorry."
Jughead nodded absently, he was sitting on the beach talking to a ghost, and the next thing out of his mouth was
"You look good."
He cringed, yeah smooth.
Betty smiled brighter than he had seen in years.
"Well thanks, i feel great. Remember how your dad used to call me angel when we were babies? Well it's official I certainly am one now. By the way how is is FP?"
Jugheads smile dropped
"He's taking all of it... hard. It's a lot at once."
Betty nodded,
"I'm sure, ya know I get to come down and see my mom whenever I want. Polly had the babies, she named one after me.. I wasn't sure if you knew or if you've been able to get out.."
Jughead shook his head
"She brought them by, got some bright hair those kids. I like Elizabeth the best."
Betty giggled
"I'd have been a good aunt ya know. I'd have spoiled them rotten. But they have Cheryl for that. Can you believe she brings me flowers twice a week. I thought maybe she would stop after a month but it's been a year and she still does it. Dang that girl can talk too, I think she thinks my gravestone is her diary."
Jughead smiled, slowly lowering himself onto the sand completely
"Veronica and Archie miss you, they're a mess."
The beautiful blonde angel smiled softly
"They'll be okay. Sometimes it's tough to see them so upset. I saved Fred Andrews ya know? He was so close to reaching the light before I got there and told him to get his butt back down there and take care of his son, lord knows Archie needs the guidance."
Turning his head to face Betty, Jughead reached out and laced his fingers with hers.
"Does it get easier? The whole dying thing?"
Betty scootched herself into the tired boys side
"It's hard at first, you think about everything you'll miss, you see the way it affects the people around you but eventually it becomes better. If I could take it back I would. I wouldn't have killed myself. I'll never get to be married, have kids, but a house, get a dog. But I was living in a shell. You learn to live a new life, sometimes it feels empty and lonely but..," Betty trailed off
"But it will get better" Jughead finished.
Betty looked at him sadly and nodded
"I think so. I think it will be better."
Jughead dropped his lips to her forehead, squeezing his eyes shut.
"I have to go now Juggie." Betty whispered
Jughead nodded, his vision blurring and his arms feeling lighter, just before he felt it slip away to black He heard her soft voice one more time.
"I'll see you soon Juggie."
Waking up two hours later in the hospital bed, the tubes that had now become a permanent part of his body felt heavier and his mind was at ease. The cancer had taken his hair, half of his body weight and most of his sanity, in his final days the eighteen year old boy would say goodbye to his family, to his friends, even to Hotdog. But he wasn't afraid anymore, no, not when he knew just what was waiting for him.
And when the one year anniversary of his death came around he wasn't alone, hand tucked into a tiny one littered with moon shaped scars they sat together on the beach, watching Veronica and Archie walk the shore, remembering the two people who had shaped their lives.