Chapter Text
(bothromeoandjuliet MADE this, isn't it amazing???) (my links don't work so here is their page! https://archiveofourown.org/users/bothromeoandjuliet/pseuds/bothromeoandjuliet)
Betty and Archie are soulmates. Ask anybody who’s ever seen them skate.
They’ve been skating together since they were 6, and they keep getting better with every competition. They’re 22 now and their future looks bright. Everybody- their coaches, the judges, her impossible to please mother- says so.
This latest practice only furthers Betty’s hopes. It was long and grueling, but they nailed most of their lifts. There’s only one lift they just can’t seem to get just right, but they’ve got the time to fix it.
When she skates off the center to the wall, leaving Archie behind talking to Geraldine about his timing, Jughead’s just getting here for his own rink time.
She makes small talk with him while he laces up his beat up black skates.
“You know, my mom says we’ll probably make the Olympic ice dancing team next year,” Betty gushes to Jughead without even thinking twice. At this point, it just seems kind of like a given.
She chugs from her water bottle and fans herself.
“Oh really?” Jughead says in his sardonic way, “Well, if Alice says so…”
Betty shoots him a look.
He shrugs, “I’m just sayin’, those twizzles don’t exactly look Olympic quality,” he jokes before stepping past her onto the rink.
She rolls her eyes at his retreating back.
Archie finally starts skating her way, pausing momentarily to clap hands with Jughead.
He smiles brightly at her as he slides to a stop next to her. He pulls his sweat soaked shirt off by the collar and pops the cap off his own water to pour it over his head.
Betty’s mouth goes dry. She blushes violently and hurriedly looks away from him to where Jughead’s spinning in lazy twirls. Betty takes a deep breath and another daintier sip of water to cool her cheeks.
This reaction around Archie is nothing new, but she’s not a teenager anymore and she can control herself.
“Sorry about those twizzles out there, Betts,” he apologizes.
Betty waves him off, “Oh please, we’ll get it.”
“Yeah, but you already have it, I’m the one screwing up.”
“We’re a team, it’s not a you screw up/ I screw up thing, Archie.”
“Thank you, but still. I promise I’ll work on it and get it right next time.” He upends the bottle into his mouth.
Betty takes advantage of his inattention and eyes his bare chest hungrily. She can’t help herself.
So much for not being a teenager anymore.
----
There’s a flurry of activity at the rink the next morning. Betty assumes it must be somehow related to the exhibition the rink is doing in a few months, until she sees the dark haired girl at the center of it all.
Veronica Lodge. New York socialite, fantastic singles skater, recently dethroned by daddy’s sudden trip to jail. Betty wonders what she’s doing here at their comparatively small town rink.
Coach Wetherbee waves Betty over and officially introduces her. “This is Elizabeth Cooper, who you may recognize as one half of the most promising ice dancing teams in the U.S.”
Betty flushes and hurriedly corrects him, “Just call me Betty,” she tell Veronica with a firm handshake.
Veronica smiles back, all perfect straight teeth and dark eyes. Surprisingly, Betty likes her immediately.
“I think we’re going to get along just fine,” Veronica winks.
And what do you know? Betty actually agrees.
----
It falls on Betty to introduce Veronica to everyone, and show her around the rink. Unfortunately, Betty realizes that none of this probably impresses a girl from New York.
She’s just shown her the girls’ locker room when Kevin comes up to them in the hallway.
He doesn’t waste any time, “Kevin Keller, singles skater,” he introduces himself, shaking her hand. “Both on the rink and off,” he says as an aside with a wink to Betty.
Veronica laughs brightly. “That makes two of us.”
“Three of us,” Betty shrugs sheepishly.
“Oh please,” Kevin rolls his eyes, “Everyone knows you and Archie are endgame.”
“Kevin!” Betty hisses. He’s unfazed.
Veronica raises her eyebrows, “Seriously? He’s a mega hottie. You go, girl.”
Betty blushes, “We’re not a thing,” she says firmly, shooting Kevin a quelling look. She doesn’t want any (more) rumors flying around.
Veronica ignores her rebuttal. “You know, it’s actually not all that surprising, I think the whole skating world ships you guys,” she shrugs as if it’s common knowledge.
“Ha! See, I told you!” Kevin says emphatically. “I’ve seen the tweets.”
Betty feigns offence, but truthfully, she loves that their fans want them to be together. She just wishes it were true.
“Anyway, enough about our resident Romeo and Juliet,” Kevin continues (Betty huffs in exasperation), “you’re much more interesting. What’s a girl like you doing in Riverdale?”
“Well, I’m sure my father’s recent trip to jail is no secret to anyone,” Veronica doesn’t beat around the bush, “my mother actually skated here years ago, and she decided we needed a change of scenery. I can’t say I disagree with her if I’m being honest.”
“Riverdale is going to be quite a change from the bustle of New York,” Betty says goodnaturedly.
“Ugh tell me about it,” Veronica groans.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take your mind off of it,” Kevin wraps an arm around either girl, “say, have you been to Pop’s yet?”
“Pop’s?” Veronica says skeptically.
“Oh you have so much to learn about this town,” Kevin shakes his head in mock disappointment as he herds them toward the rink exit.
----
Pop’s Chok'lit Shop is a real novelty to Veronica. But she figures, when in Riverdale…
So over shakes and fries, Betty and Kevin tell Veronica everything she needs to know about Riverdale.
Kevin starts out with, what else, the boys at the rink. He starts ticking them off on his fingers. “Now, he is definitely nice to look at and he skates well, but Reggie Mantle is the epitome of a fuckboy.”
Betty nods emphatically while taking a long sip of her strawberry milkshake. “And don’t forget Moose; he’s just as bad as Reggie.”
Kevin swallows. “Oh, right, uh, Marmaduke Mason, otherwise known as Moose,” he rattles off quickly.
“And Dilton Doiley is just...weird,” Betty interjects.
“Then that leaves Jughead,” Kevin continues, lowering his last finger.
Veronica snorts. “Jughead? What kind of a name is that?”
Betty pops a fry into her mouth and shrugs.
“Oh, you just wait till you meet him,” Kevin laughs.
“I can’t wait,” Veronica says sarcastically.
“I promise he’s not bad,” Betty reassures her, “he’s actually one of my best friends.” She shoots Kevin a quelling glare.
Kevin moves on, “Alright that takes care of all the male singles skaters. Now, the girls. There’s Ethel, the Pussycats-”
Veronica interrupts. “Wait, wait, wait. That’s all the male skaters at the rink? You didn’t even mention your partner,” she points out to Betty.
“Well, of course there’s Archie,” Betty blushes.
“No other pair skaters here?”
“There is Jason Blossom,” Kevin admits. “He skates with his sister- believe me, you do not want to touch that situation. They may be Olympic champions, but watching them skate just makes me uncomfortable.” He mock shivers.
“So, we’re talking a flowers in the attic situation?” Veronica doesn’t even skip a beat, popping another fry in her mouth.
“They’re very...close...for siblings,” Betty says, making a face.
“Plus, Cheryl’s a real bitch. She basically runs this rink purely through fear,” Kevin says frankly.
That startles a laugh out of Veronica.
“Alright, so Riverdale’s full of fuckboys and one head bitch in charge,” she jokes. “Sounds just like New York.” Except back in New York, she was that bitch.
Small town life was certainly going to be humbling.