Riverdale Little Space Community

6: Shopping

Jughead notices that Betty doesn't like it when there are many people around. On the streets even if she's holding his hand she looks scared and walks so that her side is pressed against his arm. 

And she definetly doesn't like noise. She jumps almost every time that another little throws a tantrum or says something in a loud voice.

In the end Jughead just wraps his arm around her and keeps rubbing her arm when she seems to get too scared.

"Are you okay?" he asks, bending down a bit to see her eyes that are glued to the floor.

"Don't like it here," she tells him quietly. "Too loud, Juggie."

"I know, baby. The kids can be loud. But we're gonna get you lot of pretty things and toys, and I'm with you all the time, so it's okay, right?"

Betty nods and grabs his hand in both of her hands. 

"Okay," Jughead says and sighs. He then kisses her forehead and both of them go to the first shop. There after about three minutes, Betty is smiling.

She likes that she can pick her clothes as well, even though Jughead has the last say. She keeps pointing on things and Jughead just keeps grabbing them. It makes her feel loved.

................

About their eight shop when their trolley is full of paper bags and clothes, mostly jumpsuits, already, they get to a toy store.

Betty has been bubbly and happy the whole way, and Jughead has got to know her favorite colors blue and purple, and a lot of other little things about her. But now as they enter the toy store she hides behind his arm again.

Jughead just takes her around the store for a few minutes trying to get her used to idea of being little. She's definitely still in her little space but seems wary of looking at the toys.

When they have walked for a bit and are back to the front door, Jughead notices her looking at a little boy (who isn't that little) who has his hands full of trucks. He walks to a woman and drops them all into the cart which makes the woman tell him off.

"I told you one. We've got toys at home. One."

"But mommy..."

"Come on, go put the others back and just leave one."

Betty smiles against Jughead's arm when the woman rolls her eyes and kisses the boy's head. "We've got toys," Betty mumbles into his arm and looks up at him with wide eyes.

"Only a few. And they were there because of the kids I babysit or the other two that lived with me for a few weeks before they decided to go."

"Do I gotta go in a few weeks?" she asks.

"No, baby," Jughead chuckles. "You'll stay for as long as you want. That's exactly why I want you to get your own toys to play with."

"Mm," she says. "Okay."

Her hand slowly lets go of his one and she looks at him before slowly walking between the shelfs and looking at him once in a while to make sure he's still following her and not going anywhere.

Jughead smiles when she stops in front of a huge basket and steps on the lower part of it to reach inside. Betty grabs a pink ball that looks like a soccer ball but is light and made for kids. Then she looks at Jughead for confirmations. 

He nods smiling and she puts it in the trolley.

The she walks over to the next shelf and spends some time there before taking a few race cars and putting them in the cart, again with Jughead's agreement.