Chapter Text
Tornado
1 - Let go
It seemed to turn out to be a perfectly normal night in Riverdale. When, shortly after the daylight faded, as people sat in their homes, watching television, as friends met for a milkshake at Pops and a concert from an old friend in La Bonne Nuit, or as Sheriff Jones and his Serpent deputies patrolled the streets, no one was aware yet that the night ahead was going to change Riverdale and their citizens forever.
What was thought solid, was going to crumble. What was thought important, was going to become meaningless. Whereas many were going to learn what really was important and who one really loved.
It all started when a young adult, after getting a text from his father, rushed down the stairs to the infamous club of one Veronica Lodge, the dire warning he brought with him breaking up the joyous reunion with an old friend visiting home after almost a year living and struggling in New York City, kicking lose a series of events Riverdale and the friends gathered there were never going to forget.
A night during which kids grew into adults and the boy next door became a man.
"Guys! There's a tornado warning!"
They all turned to Kevin. Veronica voiced what they all thought. "Haha, very funny.”
But face blanch, with the whites of his eyes showing, Kevin nodded. "Dad just texted me and I’ve checked the news myself. A tornado. Heading straight towards Riverdale. A big one."
"But we never had a tornado in Riverdale! We're not even in the belt!", Reggie argued.
"Yeah, well, such things don't matter when the climate is changing", Toni pointed out dryly.
Cheryl though, grabbing the hand of her girlfriend, focused on what was important. "Veronica, are we save down here?"
"I don't know! Wait, let me go ask Pop", the young club owner replied, vanishing upstairs.
Archie, so far having only listened, grabbed Kevin's arm, one thought only screaming through his mind. "Have you seen Betty? Or heard from her?"
Kevin frowned, looking rather surprised Archie asked him. "No. I thought she was here for Josie's show, like everyone else."
Yeah, that had been the plan. Josie had come back from NY for their parents anniversary and Veronica had organized an impromptu concert from her at the club. But so far both Jughead and Betty had been a no-show. Which didn't surprise him with Jughead, he was still more interested in catching the tape stalker than anything else, including being there for his girlfriend, leaving her alone at more and more of their social gatherings. But Betty had promised to come and she wasn't one to not show up, not without telling anyone. She may not contact him, ever since their last heart-to-heart in the bunker she'd avoided him like he was poison, but she'd have at least texted Veronica or Kevin. Or …
He looked at Cheryl. "What about you? Has she said anything to you about not coming?"
Cheryl gave him one of her looks that were supposed to make the fools stupid enough to address her uninvited sputter and slink away. He just narrowed his eyes. After another couple seconds of silent battle of their wills and determination, she gave in. "No, she just texted a while back she may be running late. She was at Polly's, babysitting the twins this afternoon while she had a job interview."
Which meant she may have still been on the road when the warning came in, maybe not even having heard it yet. Or, he thought panicked, maybe she had already crossed the tornado's path, after all, he had no idea yet from where it was supposed to come.
"Thanks", he muttered, whipping out his phone. Cringing when he realized Betty may ignore anything coming from him, he turned back to Cheryl. "Will you text or call to warn her, just in case?"
She observed him for a moment, searchingly, before she nodded. "I will."
He nodded, then bounded up the stairs, his own phone already at his ear, calling her. It went straight to voice mail. Damn it. He changed to their abandoned chat conversation, texting her instead.
‘Tornado heading towards Riverdale. Get shelter, now!'
He took three rapid breaths, his breathing having changed to short gasps of air. Jason's murder investigation, Northsiders going after Betty for her association with the Southside and the Serpents, the Black Hood singling her out, the farm and Gargoyles coming after her, Donna and her pets framing her for murder, drugging her, stalking her, yet, he'd never been so scared for Betty like in that moment.
'Please, Betty, just let me know you're safe.', he added.
But he saw she hadn't even read his first message yet. He tried calling her again, but it was only straight to voice mail once again. This time he left a message, just in case, before letting his hand sink down.
Shit, shit, shit.
Why didn't she answer? Why didn't she check her messages? Had it come so far for her to having blocked him? Even in her fucking contacts? Or was it because she was still driving and responsible as she was, ignored her phone ringing and buzzing?
Or … or couldn't she answer?
Veronica popped up beside him, grabbing his arm. "Archie! Pop says the speak easy was originally also a shelter, so we should be safe downstairs. Come on!" She pulled at him, but he didn't move. "Archie?"
Everything in him was so tight, he felt like he couldn't breathe. All his muscles were flexed, ready to spring, almost painfully waiting for him to put them into action. And his mind … it spun and spun, slamming him over and over with only one single conscious thought: Betty. Betty, Betty, Betty.
"I need to go."
"What? No, you can't! Where would you even want to go? Everyone is heading for shelter. The sirens can go off any moments now, signaling it's coming."
He shook his head, backing away, but she still held on to him. "I need to find Betty."
"Betty?" She frowned. "I'm sure she's fine."
He wasn't. Actually, he was almost certain she wasn't. Something was wrong, he just felt it in his bones, with everything he was. He couldn't explain it, he didn't understand it, he just knew he had to go looking for her. "I need to find her, make sure", he just replied, moving towards the door.
But she still held him back, her nails digging into his arm. "Archie, no! You can't! It's too dangerous."
"Damn it, Ronnie, let go!" Ripping his arm free, he whirled towards her. "Just - let go." He wasn't just talking about her grip on his arm and seeing something in her eyes change, he knew she understood perfectly. Everything in him urged him to go, but he stood still, knowing the least he owed Veronica was to finish this properly. Once and for all. "I'm sorry, Ronnie."
Pain filled her eyes, etched over her face. "But you love Betty. Not me."
He shook his head. This was so damn complicated. "I've always loved Betty. But I was in love with you. I still love you." He did, he really did. "Please, don't doubt that."
"But now it's the other way around", she said, bitterly. "What? When did it change? Was it the fake dating?"
"No", he said, running his hand through his hair. "No, that didn't change anything. And to be honest, I'm still not sure what's going on between Betty and me. Or even if there ever will be something else between us than us being friends. All I know is that I can't deny anymore that she … I don't know how to explain, Ronnie. She's everywhere inside me. She's everything to me. And that's why I know I need to go find her now. I honestly believe she's in trouble, somewhere, and I can't breathe until I make sure she's safe."
He could practically see in her eyes how her heart broke, resignation consuming her anger. The part of him that had been her boyfriend on and off for the past almost three years wanted to take her in his arms so badly, to reassure her that all was going to be all right. But he knew it would be a lie, that he couldn't give her that comfort anymore.
She slung her arms tightly around herself and looked down. "Then go."
He took a step away from her, hesitated. "Ronnie …"
She shook her head. "Just go, Archie. Go find Betty. Make sure she's safe. That you both are safe."
He breathed out. "You are incredible, Veronica Lodge." She was. And he had been damn lucky to have her as his first real girlfriend. He most certainly was a fool to let her go for something he wasn't sure was ever going to be. Nevertheless, he couldn't help it. He had to try, had to see if maybe, he and Betty were destined for another journey than the one they had forced their friendship on these past years. And he knew as certainly that as long as another girl could fill him with so much confusion and longing, then he had no place to string Veronica along until he figured out what his heart really wanted.
"Thank you", he said, from the deepest depth of his heart. "And believe me, Ronnie - I'm so, so very sorry."
This time he didn't linger but turned and rushed out, the bells over the door jingling. As he ran to his truck, the irony wasn't beyond him. Three years ago, the same bells had jingled as Veronica came into his life as he was sitting with Betty in their booth, briefly forgetting that she was even there. Now they jingled again as he walked out on Veronica for good, going to search for his heart, the girl he then had so foolishly took for granted.
Betty.
*****