Hopelessly Devoted ➳ a.a ♡ b.c.

twenty

"i'm really happy for you, V. reggie's a good guy." betty smiled at her raven-haired best friends.

"thanks, B." veronica laid her head on betty's shoulder as reggie came strolling into the student lounge.

"stealing my girlfriend, really coop? that's low." he sat in a chair across from the two girls.

"i wouldn't dream of breaking you two up." betty giggled.

just as they were getting into a steady flow of conversation, archie and josie walked in hand in hand. reggie glanced at betty who visibly tensed up. when betty glanced his way, he gave her the 'don't do anything you'll regret look'.
she reassured him with a weak smile. however, it all went downhill when archie kissed josie, right there in front of betty.

betty felt her face heat up, and her stomach flip. she was fuming, and she shouldn't be, which made her 100 times more mad. that should be her, it was supposed to be her. not josie.

betty picked up her phone, and dialed lucas' number.

"hey, lucas. i just wanted to let you know that i'm 100% available to go out on a date with you this friday. i'm really excited. call me back when you get this." betty said obnoxiously loud, as she stared at archie who looked back with a hurt expression.

"i'll see you at lunch, V, i can't be in here right now. suddenly i'm sick to my stomach." betty said as she ended the call, and stormed off. reggie trailed behind her.

"betty, why would you do that?" he said as he followed her into the empty women's bathroom.

"because i wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off his stupid face." she yelled while holding in a whimper.

"using some guy you just met isn't a way to get over archie. don't just jump into this relationship to spite him." her whimpers became heavier with reggie's words, because she knew he was right.

"i don't know what to do anymore," she admitted, "without him i feel like a piece of me is missing, i feel like i'm suffocating, like i'm drowning. he was my lungs, my heart, and now i can't breath, i feel like i'm dying. watching him with josie makes me so mad, but at the same time it just makes me feel empty, and i don't want to feel like that because of him. i don't want to be the girl that breaks down over a boy, i'm not that girl. i should be fine on my own. everyone talks about how you shouldn't need a guy to feel good about yourself, but i want him. he makes me feel loved when no one else can, he makes me feel beautiful when i think i'm hideous, he makes me feel like myself, and i'm not trying to be dramatic. i'm not, but i can't deal with watching him with her, when i'm all by myself, crying in the fucking school bathroom."

reggie pulled her into a hug as she continued to sob into his shoulder. she clung onto his torso for dear life.

"it's okay." he coaxed, as he stroked her hair soothingly.

"i just, i don't know what to do." she croaked.

"don't worry about archie, or josie right now, just clear your mind. think about pop's, think about how you're going on a date with lucas, think about veronica, think about me." reggie's words calmed her sobs, and now there was just heavy breathing.

"thanks, reg. i just feel stupid now." betty mumbled into his shoulder.

"you're not stupid, archie's the stupid one to pass you up," reggie said defensively, "just go on your date with lucas. forget about all this archie shit, and if lucas tries anything, call me." reggie said as he flexed his muscles, causing betty to giggle.

"i think you've got the defending me aspect of our friendship down." betty said as she wiped under her eyes with a rough paper towel.

"c'mon coop, let's go to class." reggie said as the bell rang through the speakers overhead.

betty smiled. who knew that reggie mantle, the oblivious, cold, jock, had a soft side, and who knew he would be such a good friend to pastel pink betty cooper.

a/n - sorry for the short chapter i just want the lucas stuff to all be in one chapter, and i didn't want to make this one too long.