affluenza // riverdale

episode 1

Affluenza, Episode One
BABY, LIFE IS A BREEZE

Elizabeth Cooper hates family dinners. Technically, the Coopers are currently having breakfast, but she hates anything that involves having to sit with her family—with her mother, specifically. It was another one of those "Polly, you're being very immature and reckless!" mornings, and Betty has had enough of her mother's bickering.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Alice yelled at her eldest daughter, her face masked with utter disappointment. Nothing new, Betty thought to herself as she poked her pancakes with her fork, her appetite long gone. The look on Alice's face was a common feature on her, almost like it was her signature look. Betty's seen it nearly everyday, but she's never actually stared right into her mother's eyes and had that glint of dismay directed at her.

It was always for Polly.

Sometimes, Betty wishes that she has her sister's courage. To do what she wants to do—whenever and wherever she pleases—and be carefree, not to worry about any of the consequences. It would be a nice change from her life, a break from that feeling of suffocation not only from her mother but also everyone else. A break from her obligation into maintaining the perfect image of a girl that her parents fabricated and expected her to portray.

Polly made it very clear that she would never let her parents force her into their box of sublimity, so Betty has no choice but to compensate for it.

The remainder of breakfast was spent with Alice and Polly in a loud and heated argument, the other Coopers unable to do anything about it. Hal caught Betty's gaze and just gave her a soft smile before he looked down at his plate. Unlike Alice, Hal was softer on the children. Except after he found out about Polly's accidental pregnancy, but any negative emotion displayed by her father never lasted long. Sometimes, Betty thinks that he's just as suffocated as she is, also under Alice's control.

"I'm gonna go to school now," Betty said as she stood up from her seat, dressed in her uniform. Like every kid in Riverdale, she went to Riverdale Prep, the premier private school of town. Like many generations before them, they were given the best education ensured by the directors of the school.

"Okay, honey. Have a good day today, and don't forget to take your Adderall," Alice said to her, putting up a small smile on her lips.

(Betty can't wait to wipe that smile off her face.)

"I won't, mom." She got up and walked away as quickly as she could, grabbing her bag along the way. She passed by Adam, her personal driver, on her way out and followed him as he escorted her to the car. Just as she was stepping into the backseat, her phone rang with Veronica Lodge's name on the caller ID. She sighed softly and answered the call, lifting it up to her ear. "Hey V."

"Betty, can you pick me up? I'm at Archie's." Veronica's worried voice spoke through the phone. Of course those two had to hook up again, and she could already tell that her friend would be asking her to cover her for the millionth time.

"Now I'm convinced that you only stay friends with me so I can help you sneak around." She replied with a small laugh, unable to resist the urge to tease her. She could hear shuffling and moving around on the other end of the call. She must be getting dressed. "You know I love you B, but I'm fucked if they find out where I was last night!"

Betty laughed softly at her best friend's words. Leave it to Veronica Lodge to harbor a semi-forbidden romance. "Well, you're fucked either way—the only difference is that one is the amazing, orgasm-inducing fuck and the other is just...plain fucked."

"You don't understand the weight of this situation!" Veronica whined, like the spoiled princess that she is (Even Betty would admit that Veronica is more spoiled than anyone else in Riverdale and it's kind of getting out of hand). "Daddy said 'no more Archie' or he'll take my phone away for a week! How the hell am I going to take mirror selfies of my cute outfits and let my instagram followers know that I'm alive?"