Heart of the Wolf

     Betty had been gone for three weeks and Archie was still carrying on like a maniac to anyone who could stand listening to him whine and cry. It was driving him

crazy because he didn’t know where she went. She’s always forgiven me. I know she’s threatened to leave a few times, but never really went anywhere before. I

know if I could talk to her, she’ll come back. I know she still loves me! He didn’t want to lose her. Now that she was gone, she had become the one person in the

world he needed in order to live.

     “Betty left me! How can she just leave me like that? I love her! I have to get her to come home!” Archie simply refused to accept the fact his wife didn’t want to

be with him. He called Betty’s parents for the second time that day. He’d been calling them at least three times a day to see if she had called and if she said when

she was coming home.

     “Archie we do hear from Betty, and no, she’s not coming back to you. If Betty wants to talk to you, she’ll call you. She left you, and leave her alone, boy!” Hal

Cooper was extremely tired of Archie. “What an asshole that boy is!” he remarked to his wife, who was laughing in the background. Even Archie’s parents stopped

answering his calls after the second call that day. They would listen to his voice mail messages, feeling sad and embarrassed that their only son was so stupid. He

lost the best woman a man could have.

     The Andrews were distraught that Archie had driven Betty away and they didn’t blame her one bit for leaving him. They both agreed that she should have left

him a long time ago because she deserved to have some happiness in her life. Fred and Mary Andrews loved Betty as if she was their own daughter. She had

done a lot of things for them, just as a devoted daughter would have done. She was the ideal daughter-in-law, and they loved her unconditionally.

      “Serves that boy right. How many times did I warn him, dear?” asked Fred. Mary warned her son also, but he just laughed at her. “Archie, mark my words: one

day Betty’s going to see you for what you are and leave you. When she does, she’ll never come back. You’ve made her old before her time.” Mary had tried to talk

to Archie about how unhappy Betty looked.

     “That’s not true. Mom, please stay out of my business.” Archie laughed, finding his mother’s words very amusing.

Now as he was pleading with Mr. Cooper to reveal where Betty was, he remembered his mother warning him about his behavior. He dropped the phone, struck

with a longing for Betty that was excruciating. Hal heard when Archie dropped the phone, and heard Archie’s agonized crying in the back ground. It seemed Archie

had forgotten to hang the phone up.

“I really don’t want to hear this” Hal promptly hung up their phone, almost feeling sorry for Archie….almost. He hated to see anyone in pain, but Archie deserved what he was feeling after the torture he put his daughter through. Hal would never forget how old his beautiful girl became because of Archie’s neglect.

     After Archie’s crying jag was over, for the moment, he called Jughead, who answered him this time, listening to Archie’s moaning with loathing. Ha! Archie’s just getting a dose of what he gave Betty. Jughead had no real sympathy for Archie, but he finally lent Archie a sympathetic ear, as a friend should.

     Serves the jackass right for the horrible way he treated Betty. Now he knows what he lost and it’s driving him crazy.

     “Do you think I have a chance to win her heart again?”  Archie felt he had to try. “Jughead, do you think Reggie has a chance to get with Betty?” This thought would really send Archie off into a raging fit. Archie did not want Reggie to have Betty.

     “I don’t know Archie. I can’t speak for Betty or Reggie. But I do think you need to move on. You know Betty. If she left you, she’s finished.” Jughead answered him. “Give her time to calm down: give her some space.” Jughead kept trying to reason with him, to no avail. Ethel shared her plan with him and she needed his help in carrying it out.

     But I hope Reggie and Betty do get together. Archie doesn’t deserve her. Therefore, due to Ethel’s request to join her, Jughead made arrangements to go to

New York City as soon as possible. He had to make sure his restaurant management staff knew of his extended absence. He knew he could depend on them to

keep things running smoothly. He had some loving due him from his sweetheart and couldn’t wait to see her.

      After the emotional reunion between Ethel and Betty, Ethel had set to work immediately in getting Betty back to good health and good looks. They cooked

delicious, healthy meals together, though Betty never could eat as much as Ethel. Ethel was a size four. Ethel was the only super model on the planet that was not

on a starvation diet. All of the fashion models in the business hated Ethel for this. Ethel loved it. Ethel always made sure she ate the most fattening meals around

her rivals as much as she could. Ethel ate whatever she wanted and never gained an ounce.

     Archie called Ethel constantly, leaving frantic messages on her answering machine. Sometimes she would call him back, sounding worried.

     “Gee Archie; Betty hasn’t called me for a while. Have you heard from her?” Ethel found it hard to refrain from laughing as she put her right hand behind her back, crossing her fingers as she spoke. Betty would be standing in the background, both hands over her mouth, to where Ethel would have to shoo her out of the room, not wanting to tip Archie off she was with Ethel.

     “Archie, I’ll call you if I hear anything. She’s probably in some little backwater town with her family. You know how she hates big cities.”

    “You’re right Ethel. I have to find her. I love her and I need her so much. I feel like I’ll die if she doesn’t come back to me soon,” he sniffed, as angry tears fell from his eyes.

     “I know you love her Archie. She’ll turn up when she’s ready. Give her time, okay?” Ethel fought to keep the amusement she felt out of her voice. She found this funny as hell.

“I have to see her, Ethel. I don’t want her to stop loving me!”

Too late baby, now it’s too late, were the words that went through Ethel’s mind at his question.

  “You can’t force someone to love you, you know. When you have someone’s love, it’s a gift. Then you have to work hard to keep them in love with you.” The silence from Archie was thick in the air when he heard her words. It was as if Ethel’s words struck him in his heart. Archie knew he had repeatedly taken Betty’s love for granted since they were kids. Deep down he knew he went too far, and it was killing him. He now realized he did truly love her, and she may never come home.

     “Bye Archie, take care. My agent is calling me on my other phone, and I really have to take this call. I’ll call you if I hear anything. Ciao.” Ethel had more than enough of Archie. She called Jughead after they hung up.

“Jughead, Archie just keeps calling here. Can’t you distract him with a girl or something?”

     “I tried Ethel. He refuses to go out and drives us all crazy. Now I’m encouraging him to write music. Anything so we can all keep our sanity. Even his own parents are avoiding him. I can’t wait until I can join you two ladies in the Big Apple.”

 They shared an impish laugh. Neither of them felt guilty for lying to Archie about Betty’s whereabouts because Betty had begun to heal and blossom under Ethel’s tender loving care. Betty gained weight and was now a perfect size eight. Ethel sent Betty to her doctor for vitamins and to her psychiatrist for counseling. Betty

needed help in mind, body and spirit. Ethel made sure she got everything she needed to get healthy.

     During this recuperation period, Betty and Ethel went over Betty’s designs, revising them, making adjustments here, and color changes there. Whenever Betty was being creative, she was so cute. She would stare off into space and not hear anything until her designs were the way she wanted them.

     “Damn, Betty, you look like you’re in the twilight zone.” They both laughed at this. Wherever Betty went when she was designing, she always ended up with a masterpiece, so Ethel did not care where she went, as long as she came back. Ethel suggested that Betty design a sexy tee shirt that was all their own.

     “Come up with something unique, but sexy, Betty. New Yorkers like a fancy, sexy tee shirt. The fancier it is the better. People here like swag.”

     So Betty ‘blinged- up’ the shirts- she added sequins, gold, silver sparkly material, chains, or rhinestones to shine and look rich or gaudy. They would be

whatever the customer wanted. Betty immediately set to work designing the tee shirts. Betty was so busy sketching and sewing that she had little time to think of

Archie. Occasionally, at night, a vague longing would set in, but she squashed it. Then all Betty had to do was think of Archie’s neglect and infidelities. Especially

the day that changed her life. That was the day she saw Archie with Cheryl. That would just cause her anger and hurt feelings to rise to the surface. Finally the day

came when she refused to cry over Archie any longer. She had enough of Archie and all the pain he caused her. It was over between them.

     On top of her designing, Betty had started volunteering her time at the local High School and Design Institute, teaching kids and adults about sewing and

designing clothing. Betty was back to being the beautiful generous Betty Cooper. Everyone just loved Betty. She would help anyone that she was able to help. Now

it was about time she helped herself. Plus, she had lots of cash, thanks to her investments.

     One day, as Betty and Ethel were going over designs for their men’s clothing line, Ethel said, “Betty, Jughead is going to join us soon cause he wants to help us

get started. We’ll have to meet people and get them to invest in our designs. In the business world, you never use your own money. We’ll use our money as a last

resort. I so love your designs. They’re better than ever.”

     “That’s great, E, you’re the expert in this business. You’re helping me to realize my lifelong dream. I’ll do anything you say. Just tell me and I’ll do it. You saved

my life. I wouldn’t have made it without you.” Betty looked at her friend mischievously. “Plus I’m sure you’ll be happy to see Jughead for his other business,” she

added.

     Ethel laughed. “I admit, the man can lay it down. Seriously though, I love you, Betty. You’ve always been there for me. You are the very best friend any dorky,

ugly girl could ever have.” Betty shook her fist at Ethel, playfully pretending to hit Ethel, while Ethel shifted left and right to avoid her as she continued. “You gave

me the confidence I needed to even go outside, much less be a model. I owe everything I am and have to you.”

     “Come on E, stop getting all mushy on me, huh? I’m glad I have your friendship, too. Best friends for life, I love you girl!” They both started laughing at

themselves because they were both crying from their emotions. “God, we’re such girls! E!” Betty and Ethel laughed as they wiped the tears off of each other’s

face."Let's get to work on out new busines," Betty laughed as she began to draw and drift off into her designing 'zone'. She had millions of ideas and needed to get

them down on paper. She reveled in her freedom, happy at last, away from Archie. She couldn't wait to divorce him.