She had him pinned. Her face-her lips-were just inches from his. And it really didn't help that she was breathing that hard.

Jughead tried to calm himself. This was Betty here. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Betty was grinning at him."That's what you deserve!" she said, dismounting. Archie was howling with laughter.

Jughead tried to keep his composure. He laughed. "Okay, Betty. I lost." She grinned at him, brushing powdered snow from his hat.

Jug turned to Archie and pointed. "This is a girl NOBODY should throw snowballs at." Archie and Betty both laughed.

"Say, Bets," Archie called, suddenly serious. Jughead looked up. "What are you doing tonight?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Up for a movie?" he asked. To Jug's surprise,

Betty didn't react the way she normally would have."Depends," she began, putting an a mittened hand on her hip. "Are you asking me because you want to go with me, or because Veronica is out with Reggie?"

Jughead grinned. Smart girl. Archie, on the other hand, looked less than amused.

"C'mon, Betty!" he half-mocked. "This is me here! Archie Andrews! You remember. The man you pine for?" Betty scoffed.

"Don't give me that. After what you did yesterday, I shouldn't even be speaking to you. And you're a boy, Andrews. Not a man."

Jughead laughed out loud, and when Archie shot him a glare, he felt almost guilty.

But it was true. Betty was right.

"Betty, come on!" Archie said, exasperated.

"No, Archie. YOU come on! You asked me out on a date. Nothing unusual: I pay for your gas and we drive to Pop's. We order a cheap snack. I pick up the tab, of course. Then Veronica comes walking in, and you leave. And what's more-she told me you offered to take HER to an expensive French restaurant!"

Archie didn't even have the sense to look embarrassed. Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Help me out, here, Jug!" he called.

"From her story, she's right! You're an oblivious jerk!" Jughead yelled, regretting it as soon as it came out of his mouth. Archie and Betty both stared at him.

After an agonizing moment of no one speaking, Betty grinned. Archie picked up his jacket, glaring at Jughead all the while, and tossed a snowball hard at his face before turningand stalking off.

Once he was a safe distance away, Betty turned to Jughead."You're the best, Juggie," she said, smiling. He scratched at his left arm nervously.

"Thanks, Bets. You're pretty great, too. I just can't believe Archie can't see that."

"How about some hot chocolate?" Betty asked. Her cheeks were tinted a slight pink, and Jughead didn't know if it was from his comment or from the cold.

The two teenagers were fighting a losing battle. The snow beat at their faces and they could hardly walk. It was up to their knees. Suddenly, Betty started laughing. Jugheadlooked up, alarmed.

"What's so funny?" he asked."It's freezing!" Betty giggled. "And you're not wearing gloves, a scarf, or anything!"

"I'm wearing a jacket," Jughead replied, raising his eyebrows and smiling. Betty unwound her scarf.

"Here. You need it more than me," she said as she wrapped it around his neck. Jug grinned.

"Thanks, Bets." They continued on until they reached fourth avenue.

"I don't think we're gonna make it!" Betty laughed. "We'd better stop here until this calms down."
She turned right and Jughead wondered briefly where she was going before recognizing Veronica's house.

Betty rapped smartly on the door, but with her mittens on, the sound was muffled quite a bit. She didn't seem to realize this and after a few moments she made to knock again.

Jughead caught her hand before she touched the door and she looked up. He grinned and knocked on the door.

"We're here to see Veronica," Betty said with a grin.

"Masters Jones and Cooper," Smithers announced grandly.

"It's us!" Jughead called, holding his arm out so that Betty could walk inside before him. He unwound the scarf and handed it to her, but she refused it.

"Keep it." He grinned and put it back on.

"Miss Lodge is in the third living room," Smithers said. Betty and Jughead looked at each other.

"Is that the one next to the elevator?" Betty asked with a grin.

"Living Room number three is the den between kitchen number six and Miss Lodge's bedroom."

"Oh. Third floor, then," Betty told Jughead, tossing him a smile.

He exaggerated a loud groan and started up the spiraled staircase.

They walked into the room just in time to find Veronica and Archie in the same chair, doing a perfect impression of...some very romantic wrestlers.

"Oh," Betty said quietly. Jughead grabbed her hand.

"Let's go," he said, pointing her in the direction of Ronnie's room.

"That was vaguely disturbing," Jughead said, breaking the silence. Betty smiled and touched her lips. Jughead knew that she was wishing it had been her.

"Betty, please stop thinking about him," he pleaded, grabbing both of her hands and giving them a shake.

"I-I'm sorry, Juggie. I really am."It was a while before he realized he was still holding her hands. He hastily let go.

"The snow is letting up," he said quietly. "Want to brave it?"

"Are you crazy?" Betty laughed, getting off the grand four poster bed and walking to the door.

"I'm in my best friend's house and I haven't said a word to her!" Jughead startedto stop her, but then decided against it. He pretended he didn't see her wipe hastily at her eyes.

Archie was kissing her neck."Hello!" Betty called brightly. Veronica stumbled off of him and Archie almost pissed himself in terror.

"God!" she breathed, her hand touching her chest. "I thought you were Daddy!"

Jughead laughed at Betty's bluntness.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't realize..." she began, grinning at him. Veronica took hold of Betty's hands.

"Betty dear! When did you get here? Archie and I have been in here for ages." It was an attempt to make her jealous. Archie watched closely.

"Juggie and I were here about a half hour ago," she said with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

"We knew you were here, but we just didn't want to interrupt you, you looked so comfy." Here she waggled her eyebrows and Jughead burst into laughter.

"Juggie and you?" Veronica asked, acknowledging his presence for the first time that day. Jughead knew she didn't like him.

"Yep," he said, forcing a smile. Veronica ignored him.

"Whatever brought you in, my dear?" she asked.

"It was cold. Snowstorm, y'know. We wouldn't have survived if not for your big fancy estate."

"Well," Veronica replied. "It's not snowing anymore." This, Jughead knew, was a subtle but strong suggestion that Betty leave.

"Well, thanks for sharing your house," Betty said, a fake smile on her lips. "'Kay, then. If you want us to go." Veronica smirked.

Only ten minutes outside and it was really coming down again. Betty swore loudly."It's so COLD!" she screamed. "I need more body heat!"

Jughead's heart beat a little faster at the implications of what she had just said."We can stop. Y'know...warm up?" he suggested, choosing to react to her sentence. She turned to him."It's too cold to warm up."

"Not if we...y'know. Try to warm up?" Betty giggled. She thought he was trying to be funny. His heart sank a little but she stopped anyways.

"Let's warm up," she suggested, moving over to the field of snow that used to be the grassy park.Betty led Jughead to the swings and sat down. He followed suit and soon they were laughing and swinging. Betty had reached an impressive height.

"Feel all warm inside?" Jughead asked her playfully. Betty laughed.

"I'm with YOU, aren't I?"

Jughead stopped swinging his feet suddenly and Betty looked at him.

"Yeah..." he said quietly, grinning to himself. Jughead didn't see her blush.