𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 ¹

|𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮 | 𝓘'𝓵𝓵 𝓑𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓨𝓸𝓾, 𝓐𝓷𝔂𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓝𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓜𝓮 𝓣𝓸|

Chapter Three - I'll Be There With You, Anytime That You Need Me To

I'll be there for you,

 no matter what you're going through

I'll be there with you

Any time that you need me too

When there's no one else around

 on your last breath, calling out

Trust me my love won't let you down

-Little Mix, "My Love Won't Let You Down"

***

The next two weeks went by at a snail's pace, Veronica spent them getting ready for the start of junior year, she really had no energy for anything as all she could think about was her fight with Archie, if you could even call it a fight, 

While being around him watching him flirt with literally every girl that crossed his line of view, bragging about how high his body count was and how he could get any girl he wanted to fall at his feet all while his arms were wrapped around her tightly, holding her hand and giving her quite passionate kisses on the mouth doing pretty much all those things attentive boyfriends do, was quite miserable for her, as every girl he'd hook up with would come up to her and make sure to let her know how good he was at all those things she'd never experience with him, they thought it'd make her jealous as they were all aware of the relationship they had, they acted like a couple without being one, which admittedly hearing all the raw details of every single one of Archie's rendezvous did make her jealous, it was just so exhausting to be around all of that, 

Their arrangement was quite peculiar but it stemmed from a place of love, very deep and genuine love actually, Archie hating how obsessive Veronica was when it came to love, she felt like she couldn't be alone, she needed a boyfriend at all times, when one guy would break her heart she'd go find another one, giving the 'relationship' her all while receiving nothing in return,

She can still remember the day it all started like it was yesterday,

"What's got you all smiley, Bambi?" Cheryl asks as Veronica takes a seat at their eighth-grade lunch table with her usual love drunk smile gracing her baby pink lips which were glossed beyond belief, 

"Chuck Clayton," she sighed, causing all the guys to roll their eyes, 

"What about, Chuck?" Cheryl asked being the only one interested in the conversation,

"He asked me out for Pop's tonight," she smiled,

"Wow, that's like the third time, in the last two weeks," Cheryl pointed out,

"I know, do you think he's going to ask me to be his girlfriend?" Veronica asks hopefully, 

"He'd be an idiot not to," Cheryl said, 

"Right?" she asks looking around the table and the guys mumble in agreement though it's clear they don't really care,

The rest of the day was all sunshine and rainbows as she fantasized about what her 'date' would be like, and the reaction she'd give when he asked her to be his girlfriend, though all that came crashing down the next day, 

"Oh no," Cheryl gasped as she stared down at her phone screen with wide eyes,

"What?" Archie asks leaning over to look at her screen, his eyes widening and his hands clenched into fists, as he saw the picture of his best friend and the most incredible person he knew defaced with a long golden streak running across her face which happened to be graced by a bright smile as she laid her head on the shoulder of the guy she was 'in love' with,