The River’s Edge

Betty had shoulder length perfect bright blonde (almost looked bleached) hair. Her eyes were bluer than the sky on a summer day in Riverdale. She had a porcelain hourglass figure and on her figure she only wore light pastel colors. Because of how small Riverdale people fit the role they were given and didn’t stray from it. Betty had the role of perfect good girl, which may seem easy but it was not. At all times she had pressure being thrown at her. Between having good grades, being the daughter every mom wish they  had, and organizing everything at school. Betty struggled but was unable to tell anyone. She had her own demons to fight but was stuck helping everybody with theirs. She however kept her facade up but didn’t know how much longer she could, she was breaking the farther she goes into life.
At night i was getting ready to see my best friend who i haven’t seen all summer. His name was Archie Andrews and we have lived right next to each other for as long as I can remember. He had the brightest orange hair i had ever seen it was so silky and soft it felt like running your fingers through a cloud. He had deep brown eyes that were always filled with wonder and concern. His face was structured as if the gods had shaped it themselves. He had spent the entire summer working for his father at Andrews Construction. It was much of a surprise to me when I saw Arch jogging around the neighborhood with no shirt on to discover that he had grown abs to be specific six of them. I had always had a crush on Archie but I always knew that it was forbidden.  We had been best friends since our early age of adolescence I couldn’t ruin that, i refused to. We were planning on heading to Pop’s and getting a quick bite to eat as we conversed and caught each other up on our eventful summers. Archie told me about is newfound love of music but not just listening to music he began to compose his own music. He told me that he had spent his entire free time working on them. I was still worried about what the other people would think about Arch though, because it was such a small town and that was not what the town believed Arch’s niche was. But i still put on my biggest smile and encouraged Arch because that’s what friends do.
“That’s great Arch, you need to play me one of yo…” Archie’s attention was no longer on me it was on Riverdale’s newest mystery. A raven-haired girl was walking into Pop’s with an aura that screamed power at you.
“Arch are you okay?” I questioned his sudden loss of attention.
“Yeah Betty, I’m good what were you saying again?” Archie commented still seemingly to be in his trance. I was about to open my mouth one more time when the new girl walked passed our table.
“Hi, how are the onion rings here?” she asked in a flirtatious manner.
Archie of course being the one to answer while I just sat there hoping he would understand the looks I was giving him that I had wanted to continue our previous conversation. Archie however, was no longer looking at me instead he seemed entranced by the raven-haired girl in front of us.
“Do you guys go to Riverdale high?” she asked.
“Yes we are sophomores” Archie responded pointing his head at me to signal my presence.
“Veronica Lodge” she started sticking her hand out for Archie to shake.
As soon as those words left her mouth I soon became filled with dread hopin as when Archie introduced me it wouldn’t ring a bell. But as soon as she turned to me with a face of realization I knew that all hope is now lost.
“Supposed to give you your tour tomorrow, yes.” I cut her off before she could ask the full question.
It’s not that I didn’t like her I just wanted to catch up with Arch. As she left to go meet up with her mom, Archie finally turned back around and noticed me.
“Hey what were you saying?” he asked me for the second time, by this point i was just done with him so i simply answered
“Nothing Arch”.
Longing to go back to my house and not watch the man of my dreams stare longingly at someone else.
The next morning I woke up sooo excited to give Veronica Lodge a tour of the high school. I would have ditched it but I knew that the peer mentor program looked good on my college application. As I was packing my bag my mother came into my room looking sly as a fox with a wicked smirk on her face. She began giving me a rundown of what i needed to maintain in order that colleges look at me and what they expect in me. She kept telling me that i needed to maintain “good character” and after she said that I instantly knew that she was referring to Polly. Polly is my older sister who just so happened to have been dating Jason Blossom. The problem with that was for some odd reason the Coopers and the Blossoms have a lasting feud going on. My mother refuses to tell me the whole story behind it so no one really knows the truth. I believe that it is due to our families all have a strive to be the kings and queens of Riverdale.
“Betty...Betty...BETTY,” she yells the last time snapping in front of my face.
“Yeah, sorry mom i hear you. I gotta go I’m going to be late i have to walk with Archie.” I told her as I was coming out of my dazed state.
I quickly picked up my backpack and rushed out of the room before my mom could start to interrogate me. So I walked out of my house and met up with Arch as we took our short walk to school for the first day of sophomore year.
When i walked into the school I saw Veronica sitting on the bench waiting for me, I waved and walked over to her. This is going to be a blast I said to myself on the walk over.  She came and walked up to me smiling, I smiled back.
“Hey, Betty.” She said full of glee.
“Hi Veronica.” I said hoping that she couldn’t hear the fakeness in my voice.
“You know what’ she said “I’m going to call you B,”
And at that moment i could tell that Riverdale was never going to be the same it was going to be forever changed. But maybe that’s what Riverdale needed a new start at the beginning of Sophomore year and as jealous as I was i could tell that this was a good change, that Riverdale needed a change.