Betty Cooper sat in between her parents, Hal and Alice Cooper, in a back room of the Riverdale Public Library. The room was small and the table and four chairs which populated the room just fit. The single bulb that lit the space cast ugly shadows hollowing her parents eyes and the walls were a dark creme colour even though it was clear they were originally white. A sad looking bulletin board that was covered in flyers from events that had long passed clung to the wall.

Betty pulled nervously at the sleeve her pink cardigan as she watched the library manager, Mr. Williams, speak to Jughead Jones, a classmate of hers, who was currently cleaning up the mess Betty and her friends had made.

Jughead looked towards the back room as he nodded at whatever Mr. Williams was telling him. He didn't look angry, he looked disappointed and for Betty that was somehow worse and she wasn't sure why. Betty and Jughead didn't like each other, they had rarely spoken and he had no place in her life other to tease and demean; he was a nobody. She shouldn't care what he thought but she did.

Mr. Williams began walking towards them, tucking in his short sleeved dress shirt and tightening the knot on his horrid puke green tie. Mr. Williams had been working at the library as long as Betty could remember and a new wave of guilty washed over her. She created trouble for this sweet old man and for what? So that Archie would give her a few more moments of attention, attention she desperately wanted.

Mr. Williams took a seat and laced his fingers together. "Mr. and Mrs. Cooper we have no interest in pressing charges. Most of the books were not damaged, the shelves can be easily wiped down and amazingly enough very little shaving cream got on the carpet; it's just one hell of a clean up." The old man adjusted his glasses. "This just seems like a bad idea that went too far. I don't want to destroy Ms. Cooper's promising future over a silly prank."

Betty looked up at Jughead who was throwing clumped paper tower and shaving cream into the large garbage can which was beside him. He had shaving cream all over his black jeans, black t-shirt and black hoodie. The only thing that wasn't spotted with shaving cream was the beanie he wore which was made to look like a crown. She watched as his jaw clenched defining the shape of his face, a face she had barely noticed or looked at till now.

"Isn't that right Betty?" Her mother asked her, shaking her out of her daze and bringing her focus back into the room.

"What?" Betty looked at Alice who was fuming but her mothers anger barely phased her anymore, her mother was always angry. Her beauty blonde drill sergeant of a mother, one day Betty would look just like her but hoped to be nothing like her.

"I was telling Mr. Williams how much regret you feel over what you did." The tone in her voice seemed kind but the venom underneath it was intense.

"Yes, I can't tell you how sorry I am." Betty clutched her chest to drive the point home. "It was so, so stupid and not in my character and I feel terrible."

Mr. Williams sighed. "Betty there is no way you could have done all this by yourself, is there anything you want to tell us about who may have helped you?"

Betty looked down at the sleeve of her sweater which had started to fray from her pulling and she thought about the night in question. It was after the winter formal and Archie, Cheryl, Reggie and a few other members of their "squad" decided to pull a senior prank. Breaking into the library and covering everything in shaving cream and toilet paper would be legendary; unfortunately no one knew the building was equipped with a silent alarm and the police were there before any real damage could be done. Betty was the only one who was caught.

"No, it was just me." Betty nearly whispered. She wasn't about to snitch on her friends because she was too stupid to get away with it.

Everyone in the room sighed in disappointed at the telling of her lie. "Betty, while I'm not going to press charges I think some sort of punishment is in order. So if it's okay with your parents we would like you to work three shifts a week, here at the library, starting in January until the end of the school year, a community service of sorts. You'll help Forsythe with some of the more time consuming tasks that he might not be able to get around to ask much as he would like." Mr. Williams smiled. "Does this sound fair?" The question was aimed at her parents.

"More than fair," Alice gave a tight lipped smile as she wrapped her hand around Betty's arm. "She's more than happy to do it." Alice's hand squeezed firmly to the point where Betty was in pain.

"You're very kind not to press charges, she really is a good kid but you know how kids are, especially in the last year of high school." Hal reasoned as he stood. He wanted to get out of there to get back to the town newspaper he ran or maybe to the bar, Betty wasn't sure.

Mr. Williams chuckled. "Believe me this is not the first time this library was the target of a senior prank." He stood and shook Hal's hand.

"You young lady, can start your community service right now and help that poor boy clean up the mess you made." Alice scolded.

"That's a good idea, Forsthye has a few things to do before we close up and your help would be appreciated."

"Of course," Betty said and walked towards Jughead. She was willing to do anything to get out of that situation.

"Hey." Betty breathed when she reached him realizing that she had no idea how to talk to him.

Jughead looked up at her, his jaw still squared. "Hey."

"I'm here to help clean up, Mr. Williams said you had things to do up front." She tried to smile but she realized that no amount of her charm was going to make this situation better.

Jughead nodded slowly and handed her the paper towels he was using. "The best thing to do it to take each book off the shelf, wipe it down and place it on the table over there, open, so it can air out. Then wipe down the shelf." He took his hoodie off and used it to wipe down anywhere there was shaving cream on himself. "Do you need any further instruction or have any questions?" His words were clipped and his speech pattern tight.

"Is your name really Forsythe?" she asked. It was the only thing she could think of to say.

Jughead rolled his eyes, not bothering to acknowledge her question with an answer and headed back to the front counter.

Betty's parents passed her on their way out. "Your father will be here at 9:15 to pick you up; in the meantime work hard, work well and work fast." Alice relayed a mantra of sorts before she pinched her daughters arm and rushed out of the library.

Betty rubbed her arm as she watched them go and then put earbuds in and got to work.