Sweethearts // Archie Fanfiction

3

In the gym, we're doing the cheer auditions as Cherly observes us and honestly, I'd rather be eating burgers with Jug or writing songs with Archie. "We're Blue & Gold, We're Dynamite. We'll take you down and fight the fight!" Betty, Veronica and I say at the same time. Then Veronica and I scream "Woo go Bulldogs!". We wait a moment as Cheryl's facial expression doesn't change from when we first started. "Hmm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?". "Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet " Veronica says then turns to whisper to Betty and I. "Don't freak out... Trust me". She then pulls us into a three-way kiss for a few seconds then we turn back to Cheryl who tries to contain her yawn. "Check your sell-by date, ladies. Faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994. So, let's see if you do better with the interview portion of our audition. Betty, how's your sister doing?". "Um, Polly's -- fine, thanks for asking." Betty says looking nervous."Veronica, has Betty told you about her sister yet?" Cheryl says clearly up to something and Veronica shakes her head no. "Go ahead, Betty. Tell Veronica about your sister and my dear brother." Betty turns to Veronica knowing that this wasn't going to end well. "Polly and Jason dated --" Cheryl interrupts Betty. "-- I wouldn't say "dated.". "It didn't end well." I say looking at Veronica. "In fact, Jason's probably why your sister had a nervous breakdown and now lives in a group home, isn't it?" Cheryl says. "That's -- what my parents think." Betty hardly managing to get the words out. "What do you have to say about that, Betty? Go ahead, the floor is yours. Whatever you've been dying to spew about Jason and how he treated Polly, unleash it. Destroy me. Tear me a new one -- rip me to shreds -- annihilate me --". "-- I just... I just want to say...I'm sorry about what happened to Jason. I can't even imagine what you and your family must be going through." Betty says looking at Cheryl with sadness in her eyes. Honestly, Cheryl doesn't know when to stop and maybe someone finally should. "...right. Veronica and Lila, welcome to the River Vixens. Betty, better luck next time.". That was the final nail in the coffin. "Wait, what? Why? Because you couldn't bully Betty into being a bitch? I don't even want to listen to your excuses Cheryl." I said stepping forward in front of Betty. "know what you need, Cheryl, because I know who you are. You would rather people fear than like you. So, you traffic in terror and intimidation. You're rich, so you've never been held accountable--" Veronica says but I interrupt her. "I get it Cheryl you have a problem with the whole world but don't take it out on Betty who did nothing to you. You think you can just bully people so you can feel better about yourself. Well newsflash, scaring people into liking you makes them hate you even more. There will come a time where you become so alone that you have no one to blame but yourself. V and I won't join unless Betty becomes a Vixen herself but she's hasn't done anything to you so get over yourself because we're not scared of the so-called Cheryl Bombshell.". Everyone just looks at Cheryl's face as we can all tell she's boiling up inside. I am going to sleep with one eye open tonight.

Next thing you know we're all in our cheerleading outfits, zipping each other up and admire ourselves in the mirror. "Thank you Lila for defending me, I always know you've got my back but why did you defend me Veronica? I know the crowd you ran with in New York. Why are you being so nice?" Betty asked and we both looked at Veronica. "When my dad got arrested -- it was the worst thing ever. All these...trolls started writing horrible things about us. We'd get letters and e-mails, saying dad was a thief, my mom was a clueless socialite, and that I was this spoiled rich-bitch ice-princess, and...what hurts most about it was... The things the trolls were writing...were true. I was like Cheryl -- I was worse than Cheryl. So, when my mom said we were moving to Riverdale, I made a pact with myself: To use this as an opportunity to become -- maybe, hopefully -- a better version of myself...". "To be honest, I understand what that's like. My older sister Anna went through that before she... before she killed herself. She was so kind, then the next day, she was this horrible person that no one recognized because like Cheryl, she just hated the world. She felt alone and just couldn't take the feeling anymore so she just decided to end it all. People just kept saying I was going to follow in her footsteps and snap like she did but I just wanted to show everyone that I'm not like her and she really wasn't a horrible person on purpose. But Veronica, just because you was like that in New York, doesn't mean that makes you who you are but at least you're trying to make a difference. That makes you really brave." I said as we all walk together. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, I didn't know but it's nice to think that someone out there thinks I'm brave.". "When Polly and Jason got together, it meant everything to her and nothing to him, and, and things got super-intense, and weird and toxic. And my Mom turned on Polly. Said Polly wasn't her daughter anymore, said all these awful things to her...Jason hurt Polly, but it's my mom who broke her..." Betty says and we see Archie going for a lap around the field and he looks really good. "ARCHIE! You're so doing this. Slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one." Veronica says grabbing her as Archie jogs up to us. "Hi, Teen Outlander." She says. I just waved at him and blush a little. "Nice outfits!" He says looking at me. "Betty here has something she wants to ask you. About the Back-to-School dance. Go on, Betty, ask." Veronica and I push her in front of him. "I was wondering if you wanted to come with both of us. It's your first dance at Riverdale, you should have someone to go with, even if it's just a friend.". "I'm not really in... in the head-space for a dance." Archie says as Betty nods. " Red come on, we need a night of just normal fun and besides, Betty and I need someone to dance with. You know you can't say no to me" I say as he just looks into my puppy eyes. " Okay. Yeah, okay. Bye." He jogs off and all I could think was that I am an idiot.