The Perfect Girl Next Door

The Question

    I am so sorry that I posted the last chapter late, I cracked my phone's screen and I had to run around over the weekend to get it fixed.

    Archie sat down in the chair next to her, and tried to hold her hand. She moved her hand away, and waited for the door to open. Within 30 seconds, the nurse came back in. "Alright Elizabeth! Why don't you come with us to take your weight?" Betty stood up and walked outside without changing any expression on her face. She stared blankly as she walked out. Just as she was leaving, Archie noticed her fists curled into a tight ball. He knew that when she did this, she would create scars on her palms of her hand from her fingernails. She walked outside, Archie knowing he shouldn't have done that. He pulled out his phone to pass the time, texting Ronnie. He would never tell her about his cheating, considering this isn't the first time he has done it with anyone.

    Betty walked outside and followed the woman, barely thinking. She led her to a room, which had a scale inside. Betty walked onto it, still not thinking. The white noise was blocking every sound out until the nurse muttered a number, "143 lbs..." Betty's eyes went from a daydream, unaware state, into a observing, hyper one. The nurse led her back to the room, and Betty looked for someone she knew. She didn't recognize anyone, until she saw someone.

    Fangs was walking in with his arm in a cast, staring at her as they passed. Just before they passed, Fangs looked down towards her arms. "Wait, Betty—" He tried to turn around but she walked into her room to the right side quickly.

    Archie looked up from his phone when they walked in, and tried to smile at Betty. She had a scared but glaring kind of look on her face. Immediately after her eyes passed Archie and she climbed onto the bed, they soften. Her eyes were darting back and forth across the room, trying to figure something out. "Mr. Andrews. You have to be out of the room for the question portion." Archie stood up, and walked out of the room, and sat in a chair right besides her room's window. He could hear most of the words, which he secretly wanted, to make sure she was okay.

    The nurse sat down in a chair across from her, "So, Elizabeth. Or Betty? As what that, classmate?," she took a guess, "said back there. I have some questions to ask you... first of all, has anything happened since the incident in 7th grade?" Betty shook her head, lying.

    "No, it hasn't." She pushed thoughts out of her head, and looked towards the woman.

    "Okay, next question..." Archie pulled his head farther away from the glass after hearing "...the incident in 7th grade..." What could she possibly mean? What incident? She... broke her arm that year? But... she wouldn't call it an incident if she was referring to a broken arm... Archie thought to himself. He rested his hand back on the glass, listening in.

    "Okay, Betty. That's very good!" Archie obviously missed a few questions when thinking, "Now, this is a personal question, but it needs to be answered truthfully. When was the last time you were... sexually active?"

    Betty looked away from her, and said in an honest voice, "two weeks, and four days ago." She looked back at her, and didn't say anything, embarrassed. Archie didn't notice anything, for a while. But within the next few minutes, the words sank into his mind. Wait, Jughead left three weeks ago... Oh my god, Betty? She cheated!? Archie's mind raced at this fact, and decided he shouldn't be listening in any more. Soon the woman exited the room, and allowed Archie back inside. Betty was standing up, dressed, and facing the other way. He walked over softly, and placed his hand on her back. She jumped away quickly, and pushed it aside when she grabbed her jacket laying near his arm. She shoved past him, and walked out the door.

    In the car ride home, Betty sat up from looking out the truck's window, and turned her view to Archie. "Why? Why did you do that? Why didn't you just tie the strings with your fingers and not...," she grew quieter, to almost a whisper, "touch me."

    Archie kept his eyes on the road, "well, you never said no—"

    Betty cut him off, "I didn't say yes either!"

    Archie sighed deeply, "Look, I'm sorry Betty! I didn't... I— I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry."

    Betty shook her head and didn't say anything. After a few minutes, they arrived at her house. She walked inside, and was soon lying down on the couch. She opened her laptop, and tried to Skype Jughead. "Come on..." she muttered.

    "Hey Betty, I'm going next door to take a shower and walk Vegas.. I'll be back in a few hours." Archie said, opening the door. Betty nodded unaware.

    After a few minutes of waiting for the Skype call to be answered she heard her doorbell ring.  She set her laptop down, and walked over. She answered the door and didn't look up, "Archie the door was—"

Betty was cut off by the familiar hug and kiss of her boyfriend, Jughead. After the two love stricken teens pulled apart she smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to surprise you! And because you were sick, I wanted to come and care for you so Archie didn't have to." He smiled and hugged her tightly, Betty smiled even brighter, and then remembered why Archie had to care for her 24/7. She nodded her head, and let him in. She closed the door behind him, as they went up to her bedroom. "Oh can I use your bathroom? I haven't gone since Toledo."

"Okay, you don't have to ask." Betty said, happy her boyfriend was back. He walked into the restroom and shut the door behind him.

After Jughead had finished, he washed his hands. He smiled at his slightly sparkly lips from Betty's lip gloss. While drying his hands, he looked at the counter. He noticed a schedule next to a bag filled with bottles containing pills, and was instantly curious. He looked back at the locked door, and picked up the paper. Adderal every morning... Anti-depressant every night. He read the sheet, reading all of her medications listed. Then he came upon an appointment listed as, Arm Bandages Removed 3:00 PM. He hadn't even noticed that her blue sweater was covering something white under. He unlocked the door, and walked out with it in his hand. "Betty? What is this?" His voice was stern, demanding answers. Betty stood up and before she could speak Jughead grabbed her arm softly.

Betty tried to pull away, "Jughead... JUGHEAD STOP! NO—" His grip slightly tightened as his other hand pulled her sleeve up revealing a bandage on her right arm. "JUGHEAD. STOP." She was trying to pull her arm away, but Jughead had already ripped the soft bandage away. She gave up trying to escape, and just stood there not making eye contact.

His face was of absolute bafflement, "Betty why... why do you have... recent... red... cuts. And why do you have a schedule from the hospital?" Jughead's eyes teared up, staring at her cuts. "Did you..." He let go of her arm, and she pulled her sleeve down to cover it.

She met his eyes, "Yes." A year rolled down her cheek, and Jughead pulled her into tight hug. They both cried, and Betty collapsed in his arms. "I'm sorry... Jughead. You don't... understand."

"I may not understand what you are going through, but I sure as hell want to go through it with you." He said in a soft voice, and kissed her forehead.

Archie looked out from his window and saw his best friends hugging, and knew she had told him. He grabbed his dog's leash, and walked downstairs. Betty sat down on her bed, and Jughead at her feet. He took off his shoes, and sat cross-legged. "It was about a week ago... Archie saw me...," she left out the word 'dying', "and he brought me to a hospital. My mom was stuck from a storm so right now the Andrews are my legal guardians. Only you guys, and Kevin know."

    Jughead moved beside her, and kissed her deeply. He brought her hands up to his mouth, and kissed them. "Elizabeth Cooper, I love you. And I apologize for not being there for you."

    "Forsythe Pendleton Jones The Third," Jughead winced at his real name, "I love you." Betty kissed him, and lied her head onto his chest. Jughead's hands played with her hair slightly as she began to fall asleep.

    Any and all comments with influence chapters, and in this chapter I decided Jughead would come back. Other wise he would have come back in maybe 3-5 chapters. I think I like it this way, and I definitely do appreciate your comments.