stay away

Part 22

Betty pov

I was really worried about Jughead, maybe I was a bit scared too and would have given anything to be with him to support him. It was hard to imagine how he must have felt when he saw his mother again after all these years. What painful memories he had to relive and the question why she was back. I didn't know much about his mother and the life they had led before she left, but Jellybean had told me a little bit the other day, just what she knew from Jug, of course, as she was too young to remember it then. But after all I had heard and could think for myself, she had probably not been a particularly loving mother. Her appearance this morning confirmed my theory and I didn't know why but I immediately disliked her.

"Betty hello? Anybody home?" As I was lost in thought, I didn't notice how Kevin sat down at my table in the cafeteria and apparently talked to me.

"Sorry Kevin, what did you say?" I asked with an apologetic look and tried to get Jug and his problems out of my head.

"Not important but I'd like to know what's keeping you so busy darling? Is it your hot boyfriend the Serpent King?" he grinned at me, raised one eyebrow and started laughing even though I didn't know why it was so funny.

"No, of course not. Well maybe yes. It's about his family." I answered him a bit embarrassed and didn't really know if I should trust him with this information. After all, Jughead is rather reserved when it comes to his family.

"You mean his sister? What about her?"

"No, not JB. His mother." I told him whereupon his eyes widened and he looked at me in amazement.

"His mother? But I thought she ran away when he was a kid?" I was amazed that he already knew about her, but I was sure that it wasn't Jughead who told him but Fangs. I was probably the only one who didn't really know anything about his past.

"I don't care right now, that it felt like everybody knows about his past, only I don't but yes his mother is back in town and she welcomed us this morning in his apartment. I think she hates me already." I told him and asked myself if it was a good idea to get involved with Jughead so fast. Basically I hardly knew him or what he did.

"Betty I don't know you that long but long enough to know that this expression on your face and the brooding is not good. You're worried about whether you even know what kind of person your Jughead is but let me tell you something, he actually has a very soft heart. He just tries not to show it to anybody to keep his reputation as a ruthless gang leader. Fangs also said he has changed since he met you and that this change is very positive. You show him that there is a world where love still exists and he will not be left. He needs you." His little speech made me wanna cry and that's why I hugged him, partly because I wanted to show him how much I appreciated that he built me up like that and partly because a little tear really escaped me. I didn't realize how long we stood there but someone behind us cleared his throat to get our attention.

"Can we help you?" I asked the young man standing in front of us with a big package that he couldn't even hold properly.

"Are you Betty Cooper? I'm supposed to make a delivery."

"Yes I am. Thanks." I said, took the package from him and looked at the address of the sender. Lodge/Blossom Boutique.

"What do V&C send you?" Kevin asked baffled and started to open it because I could already guess what the content was.

"Holy shit! So if that doesn't mean sex for you tonight, then Jughead would be pretty stupid. Sooooo hot." Kevin yelled in the cafeteria as he held up a dress that the devil himself would wear. It was plain black, short with long sleeves and a neckline that would certainly go all the way to the navel. Matching high heels were included, of course, because what is the most beautiful dress without the matching shoes?

"It is beautiful but I can't wear it in the Whyte Wyrm? I'm making a fool of myself." I complained and put the lid back on to make it disappear from my view.

"You put on this beautiful dress even if I have to force you to. I have to go but later I will help you to get ready and we will go to the party together. I want to see the looks on people's faces when they meet bad ass Betty." he said while he got up laughing, said goodbye to me and got to work. Oh dear this is going to be a night.

When I got off work and was ready for the party with Kevin's help, we went to the bar together. I had a queasy feeling in my stomach about the night and the fact that Jughead hadn't contacted me all day was also killing me. Of course I knew that he wouldn't pour his heart out to me but at least I had expected a short message if everything was good or if the worst had happened. Now I drove in his car to the bar, completely unaware and not knowing what was waiting for me. Everyone who knew me even a little knew that I hated being left in the dark.

We drove to the parking lot and were amazed when we saw an excessive number of cars in front of the bar, so we had to park a little further back.

"Wow how many people are here? What kind of party is this again?" Kevin asked rhetorically amused as we walked towards the entrance. I didn't miss the numerous looks and whistles, but I tried to ignore them as best as I could. Kevin next to me enjoyed bathing in people's attention but all I really wanted was to rest and lie on my bed with a cup of ice and watch Netflix.

"Betty look there at the entrance is your extremely hot boyfriend. I don't think he sees you at all, we have to change that. JUGHEAD!" he shouted out at Jug and drew the rest of the missing attention to us. Great!

"Kevin, could you be any louder? Not everyone has heard it yet." I said sarcastically annoyed, lowered my head and tried to wish for invisibility, unfortunately it didn't work.

"Hi Kevin, Fangs is already waiting for you inside." Jughead greeted him in an untypically cheerful tone and gently pushed Kevin into the bar. When Jug looked at me I knew immediately that something was wrong and two seconds later I could smell it, he was drunk.

"Baby you look so fucking hot. Maybe we just leave the party and go upstairs to have some fun." he slurred and already had trouble to stand up straight. Usually drunk people don't bother me at all, unless they become violent or harassing. But that night it bothered me that Jughead seemed to want to drown the problems he had with his mother in alcohol instead of talking to me about them.

"Jughead you are drunk. You'd better switch to water or you'll regret it tomorrow." I tried to make him understand but it seemed he didn't care and kept sipping his whiskey. I wasn't comfortable and to be honest I didn't like it so I decided to go looking for Veronica and Cheryl.

"Jug I go to look for my girls. See you." Just before I could turn around, Jughead took my arm and pulled me back.

"Betts stay here."

"Jughead you're hurting me, let go." I ordered him and hoped he would let go quickly before it became a real scene. Judging by the look on his face, he was shocked at how he treated me and hurriedly pulled his hand away. Without another word I went inside and looked for my best friends, who were busy sticking their tongues down their loved ones' throats. So I decided to have a secluded table at the end of the bar to be a little bit more private.

"Hello beauty, all alone here?" said a young guy to me whose face looked somehow familiar. "It's me Tom. We have met the last time here in the Wyrm but were disturbed by Jughead. Can I buy you a drink?" I nodded politely because a drink was just what I needed and I didn't care who served it, as long as it was strong.

Should I be more patient with Jughead and hope that one day he will trust me? Before I could answer any of my own questions, Tom came back to my table and gave me something that looked like a cocktail. Not exactly what I wanted but better than nothing.

"So Betty, rumor has it that you and Jughead are now a couple, is that true?"

"Yes, you could call it that." I smiled at him weakly and tried to hide my bad mood a little. But acting was never my strength.

We talked a bit and I had to admit that it was a really nice conversation until I saw my boyfriend's angry face watching us from the other corner of the bar.

How much more drama could I take?