"Pick up, pick up" Betty jiggles her leg as she puts the phone to her ear
It rings once
Twice
Three times
"This is the voicemail of-" she hangs up, placing her phone on the table.
The familiar sting of her fingernails bite into the palms of her hands as she looks at her laptop, reading the words of Polly's email over and over again.
"It's dark. I have to go. I'm bringing mom and dad with me"
Betty had called her sister many, many times and she hadn't picked up. She emailed her back, but still, no response; and now her parents weren't answering.
Her fingers are picked to the nub, and her heart pounds in her ears.
Thump
Thump
Thump
She picks up her phone and dials a number.
"Hello?" The voice of Kevin Keller sounds through the speaker.
"She hasn't replied"
"Oh Betty."
"I don't know what to do, my parents aren't answering their phones either"
"I'm sure your parents are just sleeping. You know your dad can't hear for shit"
She takes a deep breath, trying to quell the tears that threatened to fall, "true...I'm just worried" she sniffles.
"I wish I could be there, but I'm out of town right now. Have you asked Archie?"
"I don't wanna bother him right now"
"That's what he's there for. You've been dating for almost four years. You've helped him a lot with his issues but he hasn't been able to help you with yours. This is his time to step up."
"I guess you're right"
"I'm sure everything is fine. Sorry you're going through this"
"It's-it's ok" she wipes her eyes and rubs her forehead with her fingers. "I-I think I'm gonna call him"
"I wish you the best. See you soon!"
"See you soon" she hangs up and takes a few deep breaths before scrolling through her contacts, her thumb hovering over the call button.
-
Four men are huddled around a single table in the corner of a near empty bar. An operatic song drawls on as they laugh and eat from the mountain of food piled in the middle of the table.
"Ayo! Donnie! What's up with this song???" Reggie asks.
"I like it" Chic smiles and hums along with music.
"It's art. Deal with it, Mantle" The man flips him off.
"How is your research going for your thesis, Jughead?" Chic asks the man next to him, who has his head buried in a book.
"Wha? Oh, it's going. Thanks for inviting us to go with you to your festival this summer"
"It'd be my pleasure. We always welcome outsiders to participate"
"Dude, just imagine the chicks we're gonna bang once we get to Sweden" Reggie laughs, punching Archie's shoulder.
Jughead rolls his eyes and asks Chic a question. The man answers, whispering and pointing to the notebook.
"Oh ok, so that's inverted here" Jughead fixes a letter and erases another.
"Shouldn't you be more excited?" Reggie asks, turning to his red haired friend. Archie keeps looking down at his phone.
"Hello? McFly? Anyone there?"
"Sorry, it's just Betty"
"Betty?"
"Yes, her."
"You STILL haven't dumped her?"
"She's going through a hard time right now-"
"Yeah, and she's dragging you through the mud with her. You're miserable man. It's like she's sucking the life out of you through your dick"
Archie rolls his eyes and takes a bite of his pizza.
"Fine. More Swedish chicks for me" Reggie shrugs, reaching over to grab some fries from the plate in front of Jughead.
"We won't have time to screw any Swedish chicks" Jughead slaps his hand away, before taking a huge handful and shoving it into his mouth.
"C'mon man, that's a large. It won't hurt to share" he makes another attempt to reach for the fries, getting a kick in the skin in return.
"The fuck dude???"
"A large for me. I ordered it. You get your own."
"Can you believe him??? This abuse!"
"Reg, we've been out enough times to see him eat his weight in food" Chic sighs, while Jughead attempts to fit the rest of the basket into his mouth.
"Calm down, brainworm, they're safe-"
Archie's phone buzzes.
"No" Reggie tries to snatch his phone from him, "Archie"
"Reginald" he responds before answering the phone, trying to shove Reggie's hands away.
-
Betty is on her bed, shaking, knees pulled up to her chest as she holds the phone to her ear, sniffling and wiping her reddened nose on her sleeve.
"H-Hey babe"
"Hey"
"W-were you still thinking of coming over later tonight?"
"I mean, ah, had we solidified that?"
"No, I just-We had talked about it and I-ah I know you're ah-"
"Yeah, me and the boys had just hit a few blunts, we're getting pizza"
"Oh"
"But I can stop by later"
"No, if you're busy I-it's just...it's Polly and she-"
"Polly again? Betty, babe, she's crazy, crazy people write weird stuff all the time, I'm sure she-" a sob escapes the woman.
"Just-Just try and relax. I'll be over later...that ok?"
"Yeah"
"Yeah"
She sniffles, "ok"
"Ok, yeah, it'll be alright, ok?"
"Ok"
"Ok, bye"
"Bye"
"I love you"
"Me too" he hangs up and she curls in tighter to herself, pressing the call number for her parents again.
—
"How is she?" Chic asks as Archie gets back.
"Her sister sent her some whack email, worried about her parents"
"Doesn't her sister have a mad freakout every other week?"
"Exactly. I'm sure she's just worried over nothing"