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After school, I went to the White Wyrm, and once I walked in it was completely empty.
I frowned. I didn't remember it closing any time soon, I always came here after school.
"Hello?" I called out "is anyone here?"
I felt someone push me into the pool table, and I looked up to see Sweetpea, Fangs, Toni, and other teenage Serpents.
"What the hell?" I snapped "I already have a black eye."
"We know the truth, Jughead," Sweetpea said, "you're banging a Northsider."
My face darkened. Of course, they would've found out. Betty's locker was the hottest news right now.
"So you're going to kill me?" I asked.
Fangs laughed "hell no, we just need to warn you."
I stood up "warn me? What do you mean?"
Toni stepped up "your Dad had been telling everyone how you're going to be Serpent King soon, and some older Serpents aren't so fond of you. They would do anything to test you or make you not be their leader. You care about Betty, right? Well if they find out they could hurt her to make you vulnerable."
"Well, why don't we bring them down?" I suggested.
"It's not that easy," Sweetpea said, "which is why I came up with a plan."
"Care to share it?" I asked.
"You break up with her," he told me "make everyone think that you were playing her, or that she meant nothing to you. I don't care how you do it, but they'll leave her alone, and we'll come up with a new plan from there."
"What? No! I can't break up with her!" I said, "we've been dating in secret, can't we keep doing that?"
"And look what happened!" Sweetpea snapped "if you truly love this girl, you'll break up with her. Or you'll be at her funeral."
I bit my tongue. I didn't want to break up with Betty. She meant everything to me, and I didn't want to live a life without her.
But I did love her.
And I didn't want her to die.
I had to let her go.
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The next day, Betty and I were going to meet in the Blue and Gold room.
I wasn't ready, but I knew I had to do it. For her safety.
I walked inside, and I saw Betty already standing there.
My heart already broke.
"Hey," she said "so, it turns out I'm grounded now that my parents found out about the whole thing. Plus they're pissed, but I couldn't give a shit."
Betty walked toward me, placing her arms around my neck "how did your Dad handle it? Or did he even find out?"
I took her hands off of me, and she frowned.
"Betty, we need to talk," I said.
She crossed her arms, still frowning. She knew something was wrong when I didn't call her Juliet.
"My Dad convinced me to be Serpent King" I lied "and he says I need to let you go in order to get it."
Betty looked at me, confused "but I thought you didn't want to be Serpent King?"
"I was being foolish before. This my destiny, I've been a Serpent my whole life and now I finally have the chance to be the leader, I would be stupid not to take it" I said.
"I don't think you were foolish," Betty told me "I mean going to college is better than leading some gang."
"This is my decision Betty" I snapped "not yours. I want to do this."
I could see tears forming in her eyes "so that's it? You choose the Serpents. I thought we meant something to each other! We made love! We told each other our secrets! So what? Was it all for nothing?!"
I looked at her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her that I loved her. I loved her more than anything.
But the thought of a gunshot hitting Betty entered my mind and I remembered what I needed to do.
"I only needed you for lust," I told her, quietly "you're an idiot if you didn't see that then and now."
"Well, I guess I'm an idiot then!" Betty said, then turning away from me.
It was working.
I was hurting her.
I decided that I couldn't do this anymore, so I started to walk away.
"I love you!" She exclaimed, making me stop "isn't that enough?"
I turned toward her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks now.
I bit my lip to stop myself from crying too, and I stared into her tear filled eyes.
"Goodbye Betty," I told her.
I closed the door, and once I did I heard sobs coming from the room.
