The Perfect Girl Next Door

"I remember..."

Archie's postured changed instantly, and relaxed to hopefully relax Betty. Betty just stared into Sheriff Keller's eyes, a bit embarrassed. She gulped, and her voice quivered when she asked, "Archie?"

Her face turned a little towards him, and looked down just a tiny bit. "Yeah." Archie responder, getting up and going into the kitchen. Archie didn't intentionally mean to eavesdrop at first, but ended up wanting to.

Betty looked down, and fiddled with her hands while she answered. "Well... I remember... The first time the best; I guess..."

Betty's eyes started to water, as she continued. "It was during the school year. Before Christmas. Um... it was my serpent initiation... and for girls, that means they have to do the dance."

Sheriff Keller took notes, "The dance?" He asked curiously.

"It's this outdated, sexiest, tradition. You have to, well, pole dance." Betty said, while Sheriff Keller winced. Betty continued. "They give you an outfit you have to wear, it's always lingerie. Um... after it, Jughead said to wait at his trailer because he had to do a few things. I took his bike, he said he could get a ride."

"Um... I-I was waiting in his trailer watching tv... When, Sweet Pea came in. I wasn't drinking at the White Wyrm so I... I know it was him." Betty said, Sheriff Keller nodded. "He... pushed me down, onto the couch. He grabbed my wrists that were trying to fight him off, and forced them above my head."

Archie listened in, leaning against the wall separating them, "I remember feeling his weight crush me as he took off my clothes. I remember him, forc—"

"That's all we need for that moment, why don't we skip a head to a little later that night?" Sheriff Keller asked, not making eye contact.

By this time, Betty was crying. She wiped her tears and gathered her blonde locks into a tight bun, keeping it there with a brown band on her wrist. "He got off of me, and went outside. I just laid there, but when I finally got up I grabbed one of Jug's shirts, and put it on. Then one of his jackets. I saw Jughead and Fangs pull up to Fangs' trailer through the window, so I ran out the door and I just walked home in the dark after that. When Southside High was shut down, I tried to avoid Sweet Pea. But, sometimes he would corner me in the hallways, or in the cafeteria."

Betty continued, after clearing her throat, "One day Jughead said I should come to his trailer, but just before I reached the door... Sweet Pea grabbed me. He put his hand over my mouth, and pulled me to his trailer. Where it... happened... again. He said he was going to go to the White Wyrm, so I just stayed in his bed for a little. Eventually I texted Jughead saying that my mom kept me up, and that I couldn't come... or something like that. I refused to go to Jughead's trailer when I wasn't with him after that."

Archie closed his eyes, now realizing why Betty didn't want to go to Jughead's for her birthday party. A surprise party for her at his trailer, because Fred had workers staying over. The weekend before her birthday, Archie had gotten Betty into his dad's truck. When he started to go near the trailer park, Betty had started to have a panic attack. When Archie slowed the truck down, worried, she climbed out. She just started running back to the northside of town, and Archie tried to follow her but she ended up going into the forest to lose him. Archie went to Jughead's trailer, and when explained what happened, Jughead's face had dropped. Veronica volunteered to go find her, and when Veronica and Betty showed up an hour later, Archie knew she had an entirely fake smile on. When questioned why she ran, Veronica jumped in, saying she didn't feel good.

Archie understood now, that day, Veronica found out. Realizing he had just missed out on part of the conversation by remising, Archie listened in.

Betty had stopped crying now, "When Jughead left town for the summer, Sweet Pea came to my house. He did it often, even when I didn't open the door, he would find a way inside. He broke a window one time."

Sheriff Keller asked another question, "When was the last time?"

Betty answered, "I'm not sure but... After the hospital everyone was around me so Sweet Pea stopped. I think... it was Cheryl's pool party. Jughead had said he would get me a drink, and left me in the hot tub. Most people were gone by that time, so it was inner circle only. Everyone else was by the food table and pool, so when Sweet Pea grabbed me no one saw."

Betty continued, "He pulled me all the way to the other side of the property, to the graveyard. I could hear Jug yelling my name... Sweet Pea heard Cheryl yell the command to order a search party or some shit, so Sweet Pea stopped immediately... once he finished. He kicked me, making me get presentable faster. When he heard someone getting closer, he ran. He ended up acting like he was looking for me. I got up and walked into the mansion. When Cheryl found me I just said that I needed to use the restroom."

Sheriff Keller nodded, "Betty, was there any time it was not Sweet Pea? With other victims of repeated assault we've found that sometimes the offender will have his friends or associates join in."

Betty closed her eyes tightly, "There was... one time. Two other men. Sweet Pea had grabbed me on the northside and taken me to the White Wyrm's basement. I saw two other guys, and they kicked me. They kicked me until I couldn't move anymore. The two men only"

A tear rolled down Archie's cheek, but soon turned into anger. Anger of not knowing, and unable to change it.

"Is that all?" Betty asked, holding in tears.

"Yeah. Bye, Betty." Sheriff Keller said, getting up and letting himself out. After the door closed, Archie walked into the living room, his pace increased when he saw Betty, though. She was crying slowly, but it increased rapidly. Archie sat down next to Betty, and instantly wrap his arms around her. She curled up, and leaned into the hug. Sobbing.

    "Ar—Archie..." She managed to say, still weeping.

    "I... I know." Archie said, holding her close.

    After a few minutes Betty had stopped crying, and she got up. She wiped her tears and walked upstairs, leaving Archie on the couch with a wet t-shirt from the tears.

    "Hey Betty I'm going to the store and some other places, will you be okay?" Archie asked loudly, getting up.

    "Yeah." A voice said from upstairs.

    While Archie left her in the house, Betty grabbed a book. Beloved. Betty walked downstairs and onto the back porch. She sat down on it, and opened the cover. A note from Jughead came out, A signed first edition for my beloved. Thanks for introducing me to your favorite writer. Love Jug. Betty folded it back up, and put it inside the cover. She turned to the next page and started reading, listening to the rain pour down beside her.
-7:00 PM-
    Archie walked in the front door holding many bags, "That sure is a storm right!? It's raining really hard. Windy too. Hey I got us Pop's, and some other food from the store. Sorry that took so long." Archie walked into the kitchen and put large bags down. He then walked back to close the door.

"Um... Betty? You okay?" Archie asked loudly, before walking through the downstairs part of the house. When he looked outside through the kitchen window he first only saw the illuminated dark blue sky, raging clouds, howling winds, and pouring rain. As his eyes slightly went downward he could see the edge of something though. Archie opened the back door and walked outside, forgetting to close it.

There laid Betty's sleeping body, rain pouring all over her, with a soaking book next to her. "Betty!" Archie yelled running over to her. Using his body to shield the rain he examined her. Betty was freezing cold. Probably had been in the rain for hours.