3Jughead Jones hadn't known much happiness in his life, if any. There was a time, maybe when he was a small boy, that he could remember fleeting moments of sunshine in an otherwise never-ending cycle of rain. The sunshine came in the form of a golden-haired girl named Betty Cooper. She had been his best friend; the number one defender against his bullies. They had met one day at pre-school as he was being shoved into the sandbox by an unrelenting Chuck Clayton. This little girl had stood up, shouting, "hey!" before marching over to them and shoving Chuck so hard he fell into the sandbox himself.
"Pick on someone your own size, you knucklehead!" The little girl said before bending down and helping Jughead up. He looked at her as if she had said the most elegant of words and, to him, she had.
"Hi, I'm Betty and I like your hat!" Betty grinned, Jughead matching it a little.
"Jughead," he said, shyly. They were best friends almost immediately after that and didn't do anything without the other. That was, until Jughead's life got turned upside down the night his mom left after his dad went to prison for stabbing a guy. Jughead knew he couldn't protect Betty from his family; from him. So, he did the only thing he ever knew he could that would get her to understand that he was protecting her. He pulled away. Slowly at first, then as fast as the wind whipping around them in the night of a storm. He couldn't bare to see the look of pain in her eyes as he shut himself off completely. That was six years ago. Time moved on and Jughead was now at Southside High.
A bang on his door startled him out of his thoughts.
"What?" Jughead called.
Sweet Pea entered his trailer, shoving his backpack to the ground unceremoniously as he went to go pour himself a cup of coffee. Jughead was used to the routine by now; had been brothers with Sweet Pea since Freshman year and the taller Serpent had gotten into a scuffle with some idiots at their school.
"Southside shut down. Some idiot started a fire," he said, and Jughead groaned. He knew it was bound to happen eventually. Where there was Serpents, there was also Ghoulies. And that never mixed well. He nodded.
"I'm assuming we'll be joining the good ol' northsiders at Riverdale?" Jughead asked sardonically and Sweet Pea barked out a laugh.
"Fuck, you got it in one," he said. Jughead rolled his eyes. Shit. Not how he wanted his morning to start.
"When do we start?" Jughead sighed.
"This morning. Let's roll, Jones," Sweet Pea said, Jughead draining his coffee before following his friend out of his trailer and to their bikes.
XXX
Once at Riverdale High, Jughead took in the scene. Typical jocks were chasing skirts left and right, claiming their place on the food chain. Jughead rolled his eyes. Fucking idiots. He parked his bike, eyes still scanning the lot.
"Looking for the blonde?" Sweet Pea asked, and Jughead startled. He had, in a night of loneliness, told his brother about his childhood best friend. What she meant to him; how he had done what he did to protect her. Sweet Pea hadn't said anything, just clapped a hand on his shoulder as the two friends fell silent. Jughead huffed out a sigh.
"Wouldn't matter if I was," he muttered. "She needs to stay away from me."
Sweet Pea just nodded.
XXX
Jughead and the other Serpents were waiting outside of Weatherbee's office, expecting their tour soon.
"Sweet. Place looks like it's got a good cafeteria," Fangs said gleefully. Jughead just laughed, waiting to see who the tour guide was. Wasn't long before he heard a voice and felt his stomach bottom out.
"Hello, I'm Betty Cooper," the angelic voice said. But it wasn't right. Jughead, despite the years gone between them, had never forgot her voice. Had never forgot how she could only act happy around the right people, but he always saw through her. He lifted his head to take in her appearance and fucking shit. Were people supposed to be that thin? He shook his head as her eyes flickered to him, then away as if she had been reading his thoughts. "I'd like to officially welcome you to Riverdale High. Like I said, I'm Betty and any questions or concerns you have don't hesitate to come to me. I'll start the tour."
She led them down the hallways, pointing at random places and stating the history about them as Jughead's mind wander. It was a hand to his shoulder that brought him back.
"That your girl?" Sweet Pea whispered, and Jughead nodded once. "She always been that…"
"Thin?" Jughead supplied, shaking his head once.
"Looks bad," Sweet Pea muttered but before Jughead could say anything else on the matter, a face he had wanted to see just for the option to punch it came up to them.
"Well," Chuck Clayton drawled, wrapping his arm around Betty's waist and causing Jughead to stiffen. "What do we have here, baby?"
Baby.
Baby. Baby. Baby. Chuck fucking Clayton calling Betty Cooper baby. What. The. Fuck.
Betty's laugh brought Jughead back. "I told you I'd be showing the new students around, babe."
Chuck nodded, eyes searching through them before looking at Betty. "Don't take too long, babe. I need to see my favorite girl cheering me on at practice."
He kissed her and Jughead pushed back the snarl as he looked away. Betty watched him walk away for a moment before shaking her head slightly.
"Sorry, my boyfriend, Chuck," she said as an explanation. After that, the tour was over and Betty said her goodbyes, heading to her locker. Hesitating for only a moment, Jughead followed her, leaning against the locker next to hers'.
"Chuck Clayton, huh?" Jughead asked, picking at his nails.
"Don't see why it's a problem," Betty said calmly, eyes still looking inside of her locker.
"Maybe because I remember a little girl defending me against a bully. A bully named Chuck Clayton. Now, that little girl is dating him," Jughead said casually.
Betty straightened her spine, looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "That little girl is gone, Jughead. Died the night her best friend left her alone. Sorry to disappoint you, but you should be familiar with how that goes."
With that, she pivoted on her heel and walked away without another word, leaving Jughead to wonder how to even begin to right his wrongs.
Author's note: Yes. New one. Enjoy.
