Hopelessly Devoted ➳ a.a ♡ b.c.

twenty five

"so who's going first?"cheryl asked a smirk spread across her crimson lips.

"i vote 'A', for archie." a familiar voice came from the crowd.

betty's head whipped around, and she was greeted by the owner of the voice. lucas.

she'd heard someone say that before, but who? she could hear the voice in the back of her brain, but she couldn't recognize it. who was it? betty felt an uneasiness rise in her stomach.

"okay, sure. i'll go." archie said, "truth."

"are you in love with betty. and be careful with your answer, red, that's my cousin." cheryl glared at archie playfully.

"yes," he smiled at betty who returned it enthusiastically, "i'm so in love with her it's crazy."

various 'awes' came from the crowd, more specifically from veronica.

"okay my turn," archie said as he looked through the crowd, "lucas."

"truth. give it your best, andrews." he said like a challenge. there was a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"why'd you move to riverdale?" archie asked curiously.

"i wanted a fresh start. shit gets real, sometimes you want to leave it behind you."

"i meant specifics." archie added.

"there isn't really any specifics," the two glared at each other, "i just felt kind of drawn to riverdale."

"by what?" archie pressed the tension was almost unbearable.

"by who." lucas corrected as he gave archie a devilish smile.

"okay, who's next?" cheryl asked stopping the awkward silence that had commenced between the boys.
     ***
"that was fun." betty was fighting to keep her eyes open as her, and archie reached the front porch.

"yeah, it was. but you acted a bit weird when we were playing truth or dare. is everything okay?" archie rubbed the back of betty's hand with his thumb.

"yeah, it was just something lucas said. i swear i've heard someone say it before, and not a good someone. i just don't know who it was." she admitted.

"well, whatever it is just call me if you need help." archie kissed her forehead.

"thanks, arch. it was probably just a coincidence anyways."

"well i'll see you in the morning. i'm going to crash. i love you." she smiled at the words that fell so easily from his lips.

"i love you too." she said before entering the house.
     ***
betty sighed as she crawled into bed. for the first time in a long time she was comforted as she looked at her room. from the pastel pink walls to the pastel pink bedspread, she felt safe. the color came back to her. it didn't feel like she was being shunned and degraded, she felt accepted. she knew it was dumb, after all it was just a color, but it made her happy. maybe, just maybe things would finally get better.

then it hit her. the phone call between her and black hood. the phone call that gave it all away. the phone call where he said, "i vote 'A' for archie."
    
she shot up, out of her warm bed, and began feeling around her night stand for her phone.

"archie," she said as the phone call connected, "i know who the black hood is."

"wait what? how?" he muttered sleepily.

"it was something he said. i know who it is." betty replied enthusiastically.

"he started calling you again, and you didn't tell me." betty could hear the frown in his voice.

"that's not important, i know who it is." she repeated for what felt like the 20th time.

"well who is it?"

"it's lucas, but i don't think that's his real name."
     ***
"okay, so we can't accuse him of anything until we have good, solid proof. we just need to find out who he really is, and what he's doing here." betty slammed her notepad down on the dusty library table.

"why did we have to do this now, it's 7am. it's not like lucas is going anywhere." archie groaned as he rubbed his head.

"why are you so grumpy?" betty teased.

"what are you not? you drank the same amount as me." he whispered.

"i'm a morning person." betty smiled.

"i'm not." he mumbled.

"well we've got to find something, so we can get that ass locked up."

betty's fingers flew across the keys of the old computer, creating a quiet clacking noise that disrupted the serenity of the atmosphere.

"why are we even at the library? why not just use your laptop, in your room, which is much closer to my house than the library." archie closed his eyes, and rested his head on his hand.

"because this is my thinking space." betty said as she scrolled through pictures of lucas evans, all over the world.

"why can't your room be your thinking space?" he grumbled.

"are you going to sit there, and whine. or are you going to help me find out who lucas really is?" archie groaned once more before sitting up straight.

"hey guys," can a voice from behind them, "what're you doing?"