Pigtails, chapter five

Mommy Likey

Summary: New school, new faces, and new problems. Growing older doesn't always mean that you're grown up.

Author's Note: Thanks, Tenkage. Yes, Cheryl will make brief appearances in this story, I like how snotty she is in the Betty and Veronica digests too much not to use her once in a while. And thanks, Belleza, for dropping in, you're always welcome! *waves*

One year later:

Betty never expected to actually feel hungry when she had fourth period lunch, since it seemed so soon after she had breakfast, but her stomach growled all the way to the cafeteria.

Her new navy blue Janson backpack felt heavy already, loaded with her new texts and mountains of paperwork. Her mother would spend most of the night perusing the permission slip/parent contact number forms stuffed into the large, yellow manila envelope. It felt so weird to Betty not to be at the beach at this hour of the day with her friends, doing her nails and listening to her old Journey discs.

She made it to her locker, which was situated in the middle of a bank of them in the rear section of the cafeteria. Her homeroom was also in cafeteria section B, which made her life easier when she arrived in the morning. Veronica was the one who had to walk clear across the building to find her when her dad's chauffeur dropped her off.

Her schedule was a bear. Geometry first period, because her guidance counselor was under the misconception that she could actually think clearly at that hour of the day. Girl's field hockey second period, because she needed to badly to go to all of her other classes for the day a sweaty wreck with bad hair. Third period French, which she could live with…kind of. Ronnie was in her fine arts electives this year, which was a plus.

Bio lab right after lunch kind of sucked. Smelling Bunsen burner butane and formaldehyde right after she ate wasn't exactly appetizing. Study hall at the end of the day was fine with Betty, though, since that gave her the chance to catch up on some of her schoolwork before she had to take all of it home.

She was still fine with her outfit that she picked for the first day, so far not seeing anyone else wearing the exact same thing. Veronica obviously never had that problem.

For Betty, big shopping trips meant layaway. Weekend babysitting over the summer hadn't made her wallet fat, but it guaranteed that she could buy some of the things she really wanted herself. Alice was gradually nudged from her daughter's wardrobe decisions as a result. If Betty wanted to buy jeans with holes in the knees with her own money, then Betty could have holey jeans. It wasn't up to her anymore, but she secretly craved the chance to hide each piece of questionable clothing in a sealed steel drum and dump it off a cruise liner.

Her Baby Phat jeans cost a king's ransom and were worth every penny. Ditto for the white Southpole jersey with rhinestones that she'd picked up from Against All Odds from the rack of changing room returns by the register.

Summer left her incrementally taller; she figured she'd finished her spurt at an even five feet, six inches, and that was fine with her. More freckles greeted her as she put on her makeup that morning, so she went slightly overboard with the pressed powder. She still fit into a size five easily, and fall and winter sports would keep that effort unhindered.

Riverdale High felt huge compared to middle school; the student body also included transfer students from Central City and Pembroke, so there were dozens of new faces. She wondered if they were watching her with equal scrutiny, and Betty spent most of the day feeling self-conscious. Being an incoming freshman felt…weird. Off-balance.

Betty stood in the lunch line, looking disdainfully at the offerings. The food sure hadn't gotten any better. She selected a carton of skim milk and a granola bar and contemplated the hot meal or the pasta salad. Neither one appealed to her.

"Hurry up!" hissed a boy behind her when she lingered too long. She turned and glared at him imperiously.

"Don't get your panties in a knot. Here. Go ahead and cut if you're so desperate. It all sucks, anyway." She made a "Just go, already" gesture with her hand, shooing him in front of her. His auburn brows rose in surprise.

"Oooookaaaay…I tell a girl she's taking too long, and she tells me not to get my panties in a knot." He elbowed the boy behind him, who was smirking. "What IS it with chicks here, Ced man?"

"Nice," his friend gloated. "Panties." Clearly he approved, and he looked Betty up and down with male appreciation.

"You're too nice, Blondie. You wouldn't have lasted five minutes at Pembroke."

"Good," she sniffed. "Why would I want to? Everyone's stuck up there from what I've heard."

"Pfft. Nice," he muttered, grinning and shaking his head. "Well, your ittle-biddy fwiends told you wong!" he mocked. He cut in front of her, and his friend followed without her permission. Betty shrugged.

"You're not changing my mind."

"Poor me. I can't make the little townie change her mind."

"Damn, Jase. You got burned, man." Clearly the taller one with the auburn hair, darker than Archie's carroty red, was the ringleader and decision-maker between them. He reached easily for one of the mini-pizzas and grabbed a sports drink and bag of chips. Betty was jealous; boys always got to eat whatever they wanted. There was no justice.

"So why did you come to Riverdale, if Pembroke's so great?" she challenged, school pride rearing its head.

"Because my dad got a transfer here for his job, so my sister and I had no choice. Why do inquiring minds wanna know?"

When is he being transferred back? "I dunno," she shrugged, feigning disinterest. He shook his head.

"Sure you don't." They moved up toward the cashier. "C'mon. Ask me." He dug out his wallet.

"Ask you what?"

"Anything you wanna know." He pulled out a twenty and let his green eyes roam over her, making her feel strangely…naked. Her mouth went completely dry when he nodded to her tray. "I'm getting hers, too."

"What? No, you're not-"

"Too late." He grinned at the cashier, who shook her head as she counted back his change.

"You're holding up the line, let the people in back of you get their food."

"But-"

"You can buy this young man lunch next time," she suggested helpfully, leaving Betty dumbstruck.

"Thanks," she hissed under her breath as she left the counter. She looked back over her shoulder at the two boys. "Thanks." She turned away and headed for the back of the cafeteria, where she said she'd meet Nancy and Maria. She set her tray down on an empty rectangular table and laid her backpack on the floor under her chair.

"Think I missed the part where it says that I buy a girl lunch and she walks away from me without telling me her name." He was back, without his friend. Cedric, she guessed, must have caught up to whoever their friends were. She wondered if they all were as stuck-up.

"Betty. Cooper."

"Why do people always pause when they give you their last name? It's like 'Bond. James Bond.'" She snorted. "It's like it doesn't sound as important if you say all of it at the same time." He mimicked her. "Betty. Cooper." His voice rose to a tenor that undid her. She tried not to smile, but giggles escaped her.

"So what's your name?"

"Blossom. Jason Blossom." He set down his tray and took the seat beside hers, craning his body around to face her. "The first name's a big deal to me, the way I say it. It rolls off the tongue."

"Oh, it does, does it?"

"JAY-son. C'mon, say it, go ahead…" He held up a hand to his ear, innocently waiting.

"Jaaaay-sonnnn," she hummed. "Ahhh. It does roll. Nice."

"Glad you agree." His eyes were full of trouble, and her stomach fluttered. Dimly she wondered where her friends were. "Why're you sitting all the way over here, by yourself?" he accused.

"Waiting for my friends."

"All the hot girls are over there," he said, glancing around and pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

"And this is important…why?"

"You belong with the other hot girls. Duh." Cedric caught his eye briefly, and Jason diverted his attention from her to nod a quick Gimme a minute, waving at him dismissively.

"The other hot girls, huh?"

"Sure. Are your friends hot?"

"I'm not a good judge of that."

"Hey, that's okay. If they aren't, you get to be the leader of the pack."

If he only knew how ludicrous that sounded.

Veronica was the "hot girl" in their group. Grade A, one of a kind alpha female, that was Betty's best friend since kindergarten. Her face must have given her away.

"What? You're hot," he explained as though she was deficient.

"Please…you've got to be kidding."

"Hey. The wallet doesn't lie. I only buy lunch for cute girls," he said, holding his hands up helplessly. She noticed that seemed to be a big deal to him.

His clothes screamed money. Real money, they kind that meant you didn't have to wait for things to go on sale or worry about shipping and handling. Betty wondered if his parents were as well off as Veronica's.

She also wondered if Ronnie had scoped Jason out yet. He seemed like he was in her league. His boldness and sharp humor made her feel awkward and put on the spot. But that didn't stop her from leaning in toward him whenever he spoke, plunging her straw into her milk carton absently. So far, she hadn't eaten a bite.

"Heyyyy, chica, que paso!" Maria called out as she hurried over to the table with her bagged lunch and large tote. "Daaaang, Betty, what did I miss?" She nodded at Jason in approval. "S'up."

"Hola, mami," he offered smugly.

"Oh no, he didn't! You speak Spanish? Ayyy!" she crowed. Betty chuckled and blushed, and Jason was clearly entertained.

"Y tu te llamas?"

"Maria," she told him, rolling the R. She struck a hair-flipping pose and hung on Betty, using her as a leaning post. "So what're you doing, hiding over here with my homegirl?"

"Trying to get her phone number," he said simply.

"Ayyy, no te llores, papi! Quieres mio, eh?"

He merely smiled. Maria amused him. She was built just as well as Betty, making him think she really was holding out on how good-looking her friends were, but the girls were a study in contrasts. Maria Rodriguez was olive-skinned and had long, glossy brown hair with crimson highlights and a lick of blond in her bangs. A natural beauty mark over her lip drew his attention to her mouth, glossed in deep raisin. She wore a short argyle skirt and knee socks, Mary Janes and a snug black sweater. Black rubber bracelets laddered up her wrists, and a silver loop adored the crest of her left ear. She cracked her gum at him.

"Nancy said she was coming in a minute."

"What's keeping her?" Betty asked, trying not to be rude to Jason, but Maria was enjoying the attention too much to leave.

"Chuck. What else?"

"Ah. Chuck."

"Chuck?" Jason asked cluelessly.

"One half of Chuck and Nancy. Just call him Mr. Nancy, and you'll have it right."

"Not to be confused with Sid and Nancy?"

"Um…no."

"Good thing, then you'd really have something to be worried about with her showing up late." Behind him, Cedric stared in Jason's direction, wondering what was keeping him. He opened his bottle of sports drink and drank half of it in three deep swallows. Betty watched his Adam's apple with the gesture. He had a nice neck, corded with muscle. Not staring was impossible.

As if on cue, Betty turned when she heard Nancy's barrel-chested "Hey, giiiirrrl, gimme some love." She bent down and gave Betty a one-armed hug. Betty smirked.

"This is one half of Chuck and Nancy."

"Nancy, I presume," Jason offered.

"One half of…aw, hell naw, she didn't just call me one half of Chuck Clayton."

"Clayton? Coach's son?"

"Don't think it hasn't gone to his head," Nancy sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Not for long. I played center last year and tore it up."

"Tell that to Moose, then. He's always played center," Nancy tossed back. She sat down on Betty's other side, making Maria choose the seat across from them.

"Has anyone seen what's good for lunch?" Betty looked up and met Sabrina's flushed face. She looked out of breath. "The line's too long!"

"You're not missing anything," Betty told her. The platinum blonde threw up her hands.

"Great. I should have just packed something."

"Here, chica." Maria handed her a plastic bag of Oreos; Sabrina thankfully dug into it.

Jason wondered if he landed on a gold mine. No wonder she didn't want to elaborate on her friends. But Sabrina was more intimidating. Her look was edgier than Maria's, less street, more Goth. Her eyes were such a pale, clear blue that her irises appeared to only be ringed in that color, emphasizing a soft shade of gray. She used black eyeliner with a heavy hand and smelled like essential oil. Her pert nose was sprayed with a few freckles, and she held her shoulder-length pageboy back from her face with a slim black headband, the kind he'd seen his mother wear in an old photograph. If her outfit amused him, he stayed uncharacteristically mum. He hadn't tested the waters yet on how much he could dog them yet, since Betty was still unexplored territory.

He so wanted to explore her territory…

Jason was used to seeing Raggedy Ann striped tights on some of the hippie chicks at Pembroke's Saturday farmer's market where his mother bought her organic fruits. It was weird seeing a pair of them up close, stretched over a lithe pair of legs and topped off with black Converse sandals.

Nancy was talking to him…at him, leaning her hip against the edge of the table and folding her arms over her chest. "So what's up? What's your story? Where are you from?" she demanded. Her dark eyes held a no-nonsense glint that worried him.

"Ah…Pembroke."

"Dang…must be nice to have it like that," she marveled with a whistle. She gestured to him and announced "Pizza on Jason after school!" Betty flushed.

"Nance," she murmured. Her blue eyes pleaded with her: Tone it down. Sheesh. Nancy smirked, swatting her.

The noise in the cafeteria swelled in volume, and Jason stood up, taking his sports drink bottle with him. He watched Betty expectantly.

"What do you have next period, Betty Cooper?"

"Bio. With Flutesnoot."

"Too bad. I've got Spanish." He winked at Maria, making a clicking sound with his back teeth.

"Papi chulo," she purred with another crack of her gum. She gave him a wink for added effect.

"What're you doing after school?" His eyes were fixed on Betty, watching her mouth. She licked her lips reflexively and cleared her throat.

"Nothing yet." But before she could continue that thought, Veronica's shrill greeting assailed them all.

"BETTY! You didn't tell me you were gonna be all the way over here! I was waiting in the quad!"

"I texted you after homeroom," Betty reminded her. Veronica walked around Jason, ignoring him and blocking Betty's view of him as she set her books down on the table.

"Archie asked me where we were sitting, and I felt like an idiot when you weren't there! Thanks a lot, BFF!" And there went the pout.

Jason looked confused for a moment as he stared at the new arrival, wondering why the brunette looked and sounded familiar. "Ah…hi." Ronnie turned and appraised him coolly, wondering how he rated the privilege of interrupting her.

"Do I know you?"

"You might. Ever go to Pembroke?"

"With those posers? Please," she tsked, wrinkling her nose. He rocked back on his heels, scowling.

"With who? I know you didn't just call us posers, little townie girl."

"Daddy wanted to send me there. He said all of his associates sent their kids there because your little school supposedly had higher standards," she gloated. "I'm so glad I didn't end up in that dump."

Betty, Nancy and Maria watched the conversation like a tennis match. Sabrina occasionally peeked over the edge of her copy of < i>Julius Caesar</i>, intrigued.

"You're calling Pembroke a dump? Who's your dad?" he demanded, as if that made a difference.

"It doesn't matter who my daddy is. I'm Veronica Lodge." He took a different tack.

"Veronica Lodge. I'm impressed." He nodded at her outfit. "Nice necklace."

"Glad you approve."

"It looks better on my sister." She drew back in disgust.

"No, it doesn't. She's probably wearing a knockoff."

"Go ahead and ask her." He turned away and cupped his hands around his mouth. "HEY, CHER! C'MERE!"

A statuesque redhead in a mint green sweater and very short, white skirt turned at the sound of his voice, ignoring Jason's friend Cedric. She slung her purse over her shoulder and made her way to their table, and Betty immediately felt…dowdy.

It just wasn't fair. She was frickin' perfect. She had her brother's green eyes and titian hair down to her shoulder blades; her skin was the perfect porcelain white that only accompanied a natural redhead, not a freckle in sight. While Betty was content with her own figure, just athletic enough, just curvy enough, Cheryl Blossom's was, for lack of a better term, genetically gifted. Betty crossed her arms over her ribcage and tried not to stare at Jason's sister's thirty-four D's, but her snug sweater made it impossible.

Damn it.

"What do you want now, darling brother?" She stared at the occupants of the table, not bothering to make any introductions.

"Veronica was just asking if you have a knockoff of her necklace." He nodded to Ron, and his sister's eyes narrowed.

"Please," she snapped. "Knockoff, my ass. If you got that stateside, then yours is the knockoff, sister."

"Who got anything 'stateside'? My parents took me to Milan last summer, genius. This is Donatella Versace."

"I know that. I have the earrings that go with it. But I bought mine last season."

Aaannnd the gloves were off…

"That's why I'm not wearing it now," she finished. Veronica looked ready to leap across the table and throttle her; Betty recognized the look in her eyes that indicated Cheryl had gone too far. She turned to Jason. "Why are you all the way over here with the riff-raff? I've been waiting for you this whole time with Ceddy. I thought I'd lost you, but you were just hiding out in the boonies."

"Don't mind her," Jason explained to Betty, "Cheryl can't even find her shoes in the morning without GPS." Cheryl squinted at him and stuck out her tongue.

"Dumb ass."

"You should get a shoe tree," Veronica suggested nastily. "Keeps them from getting all jacked up from wearing the same pair all the time."

"I have five of them," Cheryl sniffed.

"Five pairs of shoes?"

"Five trees. I needed the extra shelves in my walk-in closet for my purses," Cheryl informed her. She sighed, already bored, and ignored Ronnie as she reached into her purse for some gum. She handed Jason a piece of Trident, which he popped into his mouth. He glanced down at Betty, glad to get her attention again.

"About those digits…"

Cheryl cut him off again with, "Who is THAT?" Her hand rose to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear and she smoothed it over her skirt, too. All of the girls at the table followed her finger as it pointed to the register.

Archie was paying for a mini-pizza and bottle of Power-Ade, unaware that he was being watched.

"Who do you mean?" Veronica asked through gritted teeth.

"The one wearing the hell outta those 501s," Cheryl clarified. "Not fancy, but not bad." Her lips curled, making her look like a hungry cat. "Mommy likey." Jason stared over at him and made a noise in his throat.

"Andrews! Please!"

"No…Andrews, please! I want me some of that."

"No accounting for taste."

"You'll have to keep on wanting, then," Veronica piped up. "He has a girlfriend." Cheryl frowned, disbelieving.

"Bullshit. A guy like that has to be single; he's too hot for just one girl. Except me," she bragged.

"Dream on," Veronica hissed. She rose from the table and marched toward the register. Archie looked up from the condiment counter, where he was grabbing a few packets of ketchup.

"Hey, Ronnie, I…mmmmmph…" Veronica fisted her hand in the collar of his rugby shirt and leaned up, dominating his mouth in a kiss that made Betty burn with jealousy. Cheryl wasn't impressed.

"Cute. That's cute. She calls that a kiss?"

"She could do better," Jason shrugged, "even for a townie like her." Then Jason peered down at Betty again and scowled.

She looked like someone ran over her dog. She was staring at Andrews, a complete wingnut, like his dick spouted maple syrup. Archie, in the meantime, looked dazed when Veronica let him up for air.

"Hey, Ronnie."

"Hi, Archiekins."

"Are you gonna let me breathe now?"

"Okay. We're sitting over there."

"I'm meeting Jug."

"Then lead on." She twined her hand through the crook of his arm and followed him to a table by the corridor.

"Maybe you could do better than a townie like me, then," Betty told Jason, finally standing, losing interest in her lunch. She tucked the granola bar into her purse and skirted around him. "Thanks for buying."

"Betty-"

"Bye." She was off like a shot.

"Day-um. DIS-missed," Nancy grunted. She reached over and fed Chuck one of her fries.

"That's cold, bro."