Heart of the Wolf

 

     Everything was ready for Betty’s escape from Archie. She decided to go to Ethel’s penthouse in New York and live her dream to design clothes. Many years

ago, Ethel Muggs had settled in New York City, and she was living in a huge penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park. Complete with a doorman, and huge

balcony. She had six bedrooms, ‘for the children’ when she had them. Ethel planned to keep Jughead busy. She always wanted many children. They would be

traveling with the children and a nanny-an elderly nanny.

     Ethel could not wait to see Betty, so she arrived at Penn Station over an hour early, waiting eagerly for Betty. Ethel had her own limo and driver who was always

ready for her when needed. She had been waiting for Betty for so many years to come to New York to design clothing with her, and now it was finally happening.

Betty told her parents of her plans and only packed what she could carry. She would take her scrapbooks and design portfolios with her. Betty wanted to start fresh

and buy everything new. All of the Coopers were rejoicing. Betty told her older sister and brother she was leaving Archie and was going to join Ethel in New York.

She had plenty of money.

     “Betty is going to leave that jackass! It finally came to pass, what a fool! He will see, there is only one Betty”, sang Mrs. Cooper.

     Mr. Cooper was also singing with joy. “Yes she is gone, oh I’m so glad she‘s leaving that piece of shit, Oh…yeah!” They were very happy. Alice Cooper called

her good friend Vicky to tell her the great news.

     “Betty’s going to New York, Vicky. She’s going to join Ethel Muggs. Betty’s leaving Archie! Betty’s finally leaving Archie! I’m so happy!” Alice was still singing,

ecstatic her daughter was finally leaving the despised Archie.

     “That’s fantastic! Tell her to look up Reggie, Alice!” Vicky said. She was excited that her son may be happy at last!

     “No, Vicky if it is meant to be, they’ll find each other. Please don’t tell Reggie that Betty is there. Betty doesn’t want us to tell him about this. I’ll pray for them

both”, Alice added.

     Vicky promised Alice that she wouldn’t tell Reggie any of this. Vicky was singing too. She gleefully called her husband, Richard, with the news. Alice and Vicky

had always hoped their children would get together. The Mantles knew their son still loved Betty, though he would kill the person who said it, or mentioned Betty’s

name to him. New York City was not as vast as people thought it was. Certain circles were very small and exclusive. They would eventually run into each other.

The Mantles were delighted. Betty was ready to go to the Big Apple.

“New York here I come!” Betty sang, as gleeful as her parents were.

      Betty’s parents drove her to the train station. There were many tears shed between the three of them, as Betty had never been so far away from them before.

They did not know when she would return to Riverdale.

“I wish you would have flown sweetheart. Five hours on the train is a long ride.”

     “Mom, it gives me time to think. I get to see some of our beautiful country, too. Stop worrying, please. I’ll call you often, okay? I’m a big girl now.”

“Call us when you get there, sweetie.” Dr. and Mrs. Cooper hugged their little girl, tight.

Their farewells were tearful, but the elder Coopers were happy that Betty would begin to live again.

***

     When Betty finally arrived at Penn Station, Ethel was shocked at the sight of her friend. Ethel almost didn’t recognize her. Ethel had been talking to Betty on the

phone for the past year because she had been traveling the world on the high fashion circuit. Ethel had not known how drawn and old her friend looked.

“Oh God Betty, you look like warmed over shit! What has that fool done to you?” Ethel had no idea Betty looked so, well, so beaten and old. Ethel had invited Betty

to stay with her as long as she wanted. Betty had lost so much weight that she looked like a skeleton. Her hair was dull. Eyes empty. And she was dressed like

Miss Pringle, their spinster High School math teacher. Betty’s beautiful blonde hair was actually in a bun just like Miss Pringle’s too.

     And what’s up with the long dress? Shit! It was like Betty didn’t care how she looked. Betty looked forty-eight, not twenty-eight. Ethel was so amazed at how bad

her friend looked.

     That freaking Archie just sucked the life out of her! Ethel was taking in all of the changes she saw in Betty. God, Betty! Ethel felt like she should go to Riverdale

to kick Archie’s ass! Ethel could not believe her eyes. Jughead said nothing about this!

     “Thanks Ethel. I can always count on you to boost my confidence.” Then Betty began to cry. She knew how horrid she looked. She had gotten so that she tried

not to look in the mirror at the ugly, dead eyed stranger she had become. And no one back home would hurt her feelings by telling her that she looked like an old

crone. Only good, honest Ethel would do that. Betty had the look of a woman unloved and unfulfilled. Ethel hugged Betty hard and joined her in the tear fest. But, Ethel pulled away and wiped her eyes. She knew it was not good for either of them to wallow in self- pity.

     “Okay Betty my girl: no more tears. We have our work cut out for us. We’ll get your mug smiling again. But first we have to fatten you up. I’m the only skinny one

around here. We’ll make you whole again, sweetie.”

     Ethel still had a few tears to shed, but she would shed them later, where Betty could not see them. Who'd ever think that I, Ethel Muggs, would be helping to

make Betty beautiful? It was always the other way around. Oh Betty! She silently lamented.

***

While Betty was arriving in New York City, Archie was arriving home, late as usual. He just had another sizzling rendezvous with Cheryl Blossom and he was

feeling great: exhausted, but great. Cheryl wanted them to spend the night together, but even Archie knew that would be going too far.

     “No doll face, I can’t do that. But I’ll meet you again tomorrow night, though, same time, same place.” Archie said, kissing her again, reluctant to let her go.

     “Okay lover, it’s a date.” Cheryl said, enjoying the kiss. Archie dreaded going home. He hoped Betty did not want to make love because he was pooped. Cheryl

wore him out. He could not seem to get enough of her. Archie was also very angry and jealous: he saw pictures in the newspapers about Mantle and his clubs’

popular shows and huge attendance that morning. Mick Jagger and Madonna, and a lot of other celebrities had been there, hugging and or kissing Reggie at

different intervals. Reggie had been photographed with Mick and Madonna, and they all looked as if they were close friends. Archie truly hated Reggie in his envy

of him.

Archie could not get over the massive ego that Mantle had. He always was an egotistical bastard and a show off. Archie had hated Reggie because he felt Reggie

always had everything, while he, Archie, had nothing but the crumbs of life. Archie did not stop to think that he had the one thing in the world that meant more to

Reggie than all of his fame and fortune. The one thing Archie had that was more valuable to Reggie than gold. The one thing Reggie would have given all of his

money, power, and fame to have. Archie had Betty, but he wasn’t satisfied with that and continued to feel cheated with his lot in life. Her love was not enough to

satisfy him.

     Archie wanted what Reggie had: all of the power, women, money and fame. He was bored with Betty and she was no longer beautiful or sexy to him. Even so,

Archie could not and would not leave her. He could not fail in this marriage. Archie took Betty for granted because she could do everything. Except satisfy or excite

him. She did the repairs on the house and their cars. Betty cooked, cleaned, and had a good paying job as a college professor. She never asked Archie to pay any

bills or spend any money on her. All Archie had to do was come home, eat, sleep, crap, sleep with Betty once a month, and to remember to give her a hug and a

peck on the cheek every day. Betty seemed happy with so little.

     Archie had the best of both worlds. Sexy Cheryl Blossom was his mistress and dull, but capable Betty was his wife. Archie knew that Betty loved him and would

always take his mess. Archie could have his flings, and Betty would be home waiting for him. Betty was always there for him, no matter what he did. No one

cooked or kept a home better than Betty. So what if their private time was b-o-r-i-n-g? What Archie did not know was that Betty was just as b-o-r-e-d with him.

Archie felt that his coming home every night rated him a place in Heaven as a saint.

     “Hey Betty, I’m home!” he called. Archie was surprised there was no smell of cooking, no music playing, only silence. Betty had stopped singing around the

house several years back.

     Betty wasn’t home? Strange, she didn’t tell me she was going to be home late. I could’ve stayed with Cheryl a little longer. Archie was looking around the

kitchen until he found what he was looking for, “Ah! Here’s a note, now where is she?” He snatched up the note and started to read; annoyed that he had cut his

time short with Cheryl for nothing.

     Dear Archie:

     I'm sorry if you think I'm being a coward for ending our marriage this way, but I don’t care. I just think it’s better this way. You’ve been a bad habit that’s been hard for me to break, but I’ve over it, and over you. I’m leaving you. Please don’t try to find me. I don't have anything more to say to you. Talking won't help because you’re such a liar. You’re free to be with any one you like. I know now that you never really loved me. Only God knows why you married me. You bore me and I despise you as much as I used to love you.

     I’ll send divorce papers as soon as I get settled. I don’t want anything from you but my freedom. If you ever cared anything for me, just sign the papers when they arrive. You and I have not been good for each other for a long time. I saw you and Cheryl yesterday, remember? You two looked like you belonged together and you deserve each other. Have a nice life. I know I will.

Good bye,

Signed

Betty Ann Cooper

     “Betty wants a divorce? No! And what did she mean by signing her name as ‘Cooper’? She’s my wife!” He noticed with dread that Betty left her engagement

and wedding rings on the table near the note. She also left the house and car keys. Archie had snatched them up in horror when he saw them.

     “Betty! Where are you?” Archie called her name, not believing she didn't love him anymore.

     “Betty! Let’s talk!” Not believing she was bored with him. “Bets, I’m home!” And not believing she left him. “Oh my God! I’m sorry baby! Where are you?” Archie

ran through the house like a madman, slipping and sliding around the house in his haste to search for Betty. He looked in the dresser draws and found them

empty. Her closets had a few of her clothes in them. All of her suitcases were gone. She’s not here! Betty really left me!

     Archie called Betty’s parents and they confirmed she was gone. “Yeah Archie, we drove her to the airport too. And we’re not going to tell you where she went!

Leave her alone!” Hal Cooper slammed the phone down in disgust. Archie called his parents, but they knew nothing. Archie went to the bus station, the train

station, checked out car rentals, the airport, and even car dealerships. No luck. He called Veronica to see if she knew anything. No help there. He even called

Cheryl and Jason Blossom. None of them knew anything about where Betty could have gone.     “No, sorry Archie, I don’t know where she is”, or “Didn’t know she

left.”  Their friends would say, some of them openly gloating over the fact that Betty left finally him. Archie tried calling Ethel, but her answering machine kept

picking up, saying “I'm not here. I’m out modeling in Rome, Milan, or Tokyo. Leave a message. I'll call you back.” Jughead didn’t answer any more of Archie’s calls.

Serves the jerk right, Jughead thought. Betty deserves a good man to love her.

     “Betty wouldn’t be in New York, anyway. She hates big cities,” Archie reasoned to himself. This showed how much Archie really knew Betty. But just in case,

Archie called information and they gave him the number to Reggie’s club office. Archie left Reggie several frantic messages. “Hi Mantle, ha, ha. How are you?”

Archie didn’t say in the messages that Betty left him, though. Archie would just ask for Reggie help. “Can you have Betty call me if you

happen to see her? Betty doesn’t have her cell phone. Ha! She forgot it when she left. Please tell her it’s very important. She said she may or may not stop over in

New York on her sabbatical.”

      Since Betty changed the number on her cell phone, Archie was becoming more and more desperate because she never did anything like this before. Reggie

never answered any of Archie’s calls, though he wondered briefly what was going on between the two.

     Why’s Andrews calling me? Reggiewondered, not really caring. As soon as he heard Archie's voice, he erased the messages without listening to them. Why are

they getting me involved in their little spats? They had an argument and that fool’s calling me for hel? Fuck them both!. Reggie would rather burn in hell than to

give Andrews any further thought. He had important business waiting for him at ‘The Box’. Tonight's theme was ‘Bring your favorite toys’ and he had a limo full of

all kinds of goodies. He licked his lips in anticipation of the pleasures of the night. Reggie left to go to the Box, without thinking about the Andrews again. He had a

couple of lovelies eagerly waiting for him there and he would not disappoint them.