Work Text:
"Wait"
A verb. By dictionary it means : stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or event.
However, for Betty it's something much more. It is something she was craving to hear from her love's mouth. Something relieving, something that would take this suffocating burden off of her chest, something that would let the air rush to her deprived lungs.
She knew, she has to forget him now that she's leaving, feeling that he'd do the same. That she should leave their love where it belongs, in the past.
Seated silently, in her car besides Alice, her mom, as they drove towards New Haven, towards Yale. Every bone in her body telling her to go back, and not leave her relationship in the past. It was telling her to go and fight for Jughead, to not let him go.
But she's sat in the car doing the exact opposite.
She passes Pop's, they're already at the edge of town.
"Elizabeth, are you sure you aren't forgetting something?" her mom asks her.
"Not that I can remember. Why? Have I forgotten something?" She asks Alice, who drove rather slowly for her normal speed.
"Oh I don't know, maybe yourself," She spits out.
Betty sighs heavily, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I didn't fight for FP when I had the chance, and I spent my life with a Serial Killer, living a lie. Yes, I was blessed with you and Polly but I don't want you to make the same mistake I did at your age."
"It doesn't matter mom. Jughead and I... we're over. Neither of us said it, but we both know it is."
"Both of you found true love at such a young age, you've forgot to value it, to fight for it. Life isn't smooth sailing, neither is the relationship! People spend their entire lives chasing a moment of that euphoric feeling, and you're here letting me drive you away from it," Alice scolds the blonde.
"What if he doesn't want me?" Betty argues.
"Well then you fight for him, you don't give up when things hard. I never taught you that, because that's what I did, and I'm still paying the price for something I did as a teenager," Alice finishes.
They were already in Greendale. They'd need a while until they'd reach back to Riverdale. Betty sits quietly, this time assessing the situation.
"Can you take a U-turn, mom?" Betty questions.
Alice simply laughs at that, following through on her daughter's plea, before replying, "Why else do you think I've been screaming my tragic love life at you?"
The middle-aged blonde, drove fast this time, rushing back to their home town. She was right, they'd lasted the test of time, they'd lasted through southside, through the Blackhood, through the lethal game of Gryphons & Gargoyles, through Stonewall. She'd already, almost, lost Jughead multiple times, she wasn't going to let her fucking mistakes be the one to separate her from the love of her life.
She was already covered with dark gray clouds of missing him. Remembering him came in sad, beautiful, tragic flashbacks. And about forgetting him ?
It felt as if she's trying to know someone she'd never met. Because love... the feeling of love, being in love with him, was a perfervid red.
Before Betty could even realize, they'd already pulled up in front of her house; Alice quickly passes her the keys and she hops out of the car.
Betty is quick to unlock her house, and call out his name "Jug?"
The house was pin-drop silent. It was deafeningly silent.
"Juggie?" she calls out again.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
She sprints up the staircase of her childhood home, and into their bedroom, not finding a single soul there. She feels her heart drop to her stomach. Had he already left? Where would he even have gone to, considering that he's supposed to be going to Iowa at the end of holidays.
She decides to call him, as she stood in the center of her room. His phone rang noisily in her bedroom, realizing that he hasn't left yet.
Betty figures out that there's only one place he could have gone to : Pop's.
It takes her a minute till' she's able to get down the stairs and out the house and into her car besides her mum.
"What happened Betty ?" Alice asks her breathless daughter.
"He's not home," she pauses breifly catching her breath before replying "Can we go to Pop's and search there ?"
Alice plainly agrees, and is determined on helping the two get back together.
"There, if you find him, let me know how it goes,"
Betty nods in response before rushing towards the bright diner.
She barges in to the building, quickly scanning across the diner for a raven-haired seated alone. He's there. She found him. She's not sure what to say to him, she can't even think straight due to the million thoughts racing in her head, but somehow still blank as she walks towards to him.
"Juggie" she whispers softly once she's stood behind him.
He turns towards her frantically
"What are you doing here-" He asks her confused, lightly stuttering, "Did you forget something?"
"Yeah. You," she says before stepping forward and pulling his lips on to hers; he complies with the blonde, gently wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer to him.
"Are you okay, Betty?" Jughead asks pulling away from her, thinking of this as their goodbye.
"I'm sorry Jug, for what I did." she says.
He stares at her blankly, unsure of what to say.
"I really am. I never meant to hurt. I don't even know why I kissed Archie. I was just so... I don't know. I know there isn't ever a good excuse for what I did. We were rehearsing this song from Hedwig, and- and I just got so caught up, with the song."
He backs away a little from the stuttering girl.
"It's getting late Betty, you should get going," he suggests looking down at his feet, ignoring her apology.
"Please Jughead, we have gone through so much. Please don't my mistake break us apart," she begs him.
"I'll always love you, Betts. I-I forgive you," he says quietly. "Even if we wanted to make this work, it won't work. College is gonna take us over our heads."
"We can do long distance!"
"It won't work!" He argues back at her.
"We will make it work, we always do."
"That was before you kissed my best friend!"
Betty looks away in embarrassment of her own actions.
"Just go, before it becomes worse between us." Jughead states strongly " Leave, I don't want to see you ever again."
Genuine, uncontrollable tears roll down the blonde's tainted cheeks, sparking more anger in Jughead. "Oh, please. That's what you always do, don't you? Just cry, make yourself the victim like always," he scoffs at her.
"That's not what I do !" Betty argues back.
"Oh right. You go and cheat on your boyfriend instead," he bites.
Betty then, finally realizes the damage is done; it can't be fixed anymore. Her relationship really is the past now. Now Betty and Jughead aren't how they used to be. They aren't the duo they used to be. The inseparable duo are two separate people, two different lives, two strangers. Two strangers with the most beautiful story, which had the most tragic and rushed ending.
She sighs heavily, before finally saying "Good bye, Jug" she mumbles.
Leaving her entire life behind her, as she exits the diner for the last time for a really long time, maybe even forever. Tears spilling freely down her cheeks now that she was out of his sight. She doesn't utter a word to her mom after getting inside her car, and simply asks her to continue their journey.