Before I start off, I would like to thank you guys out there for taking the time to read "Disappear", and I am pleased to say that I really appreciated all the comments that you've posted in response.

This set of stories, like "Disappear", is a part of the "A Storm Down Under" storyline. Think of it as a bridge; "Disappear" is meant to explain how certain things will come about in the main storyline, while these mini-stories will serve as a proper prologue, with each mini-story focusing on each of the major Archie characters involved in the story.

The Archie characters involved:
- Archie
- Betty
- Jughead
- Reggie
- Veronica
- Wendy Weatherbee
- Cheryl Blossom

These stories will come out one at a time, and will all be posted in this thread. On the day I release the last story, I will also put up the first part to "A Storm Down Under". Enjoy!

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The Gathering: Betty Cooper

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20-04-2008
Riverdale

It had been over two months since the disastrious Valentine's Day. As Betty Cooper jogged through the local park while enjoying the crisp Spring air, the one thing that was constantly cycling over and over again in her mind was what had happened on that day.

Darn that Archie! I still don't understand why he had to do that to me, the 17-year-old blonde thought to herself. After all I've done for him over the years, he finally decides that Veronica's the one for him! Pausing for a few minutes to catch her breathe, Betty took the time to soak in the pristine natural beauty that the park had to offer. Sure, even if I turned out not to be the one for him, Archie could have chosen a better way of letting me know.

Taking a look at her watch, the blonde suddenly gasped loudly, startling some old ladies sitting nearby. "OHMIGOSH! I'm going to be late for dinner! I'd better pick up the pace!"

As Betty neared the park entrance that was closest to where she lived, an unusual thought came to her mind. Gosh, while I usually try to get home in time for dinner, this must be the first time I'm thinking about food like Juggie. At this point, the blonde nearly tripped as she skidded to a halt. Juggie? When have I started thinking of him with that name? It's as though I have feelings for Riverdale's resident anti-casa-nova!

Picking up the pace again, Betty continued to wrestle with the thought in her mind. Well, Jughead was the only one who tried to comfort me back on Valentine's Day. Maybe it is the thought he cares that could be making me think of him like that. Jogging past the music instrument shop, she could not help but think about what happened after Jughead found her letting out plenty of anger on one of the music room's guitars. Juggie can be very entertaining to watch, whether he's acting or being himself the blonde thought. Sure, it took him quite some time to get used to playing the guitar, especially with the alternate picking, but he actually got it to sound quite good after I convinced him to treat the rhythm guitar track as a drum rhythm.

Nearing her house, Betty could not help but sigh upon reliving that day. Sure, what Archie did was cruel, but at least Juggie helped me to salvage Valentine's Day. I really did enjoy spending the time with him...

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"Betty! You've got mail!"

"Huh?" As the teen stepped through the front door, her mother handed her an envelope. Opening it, Betty read through it several times before slumping against the wall, disappointment evident on her face. "I can't believe I've been chosen to spend my summer vacation on an exchange program to Australia, especially when it will be winter over there!"

"Don't worry, honey," Mrs Cooper tried to comfort her daughter. "Why don't you take a look at the letter again? Maybe there is something you could probably enjoy."

With those words in mind, Betty took another look at the letter. As her eyes scanned through the list of people involved in the program, she felt a weight lift from her heart as she saw a certain "Forsythe P. Jones" on the list. "You're right, Mum, I just found the one thing I could definitely enjoy on this exchange trip..."

To be continued in "A Storm Down Under"

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Love it? Hate it? Let me know and why.

I was planning on showing the contents of the letter in the final mini-story, but now that you mentioned it, I guess I was rushing things a bit too much.

TM, thanks for the criticism; I guess I needed a wake-up call as a result of getting too complacent. It also shows I kinda broke my promise of putting out a solid full-length fanfic by trying to rushing things too much.

As for now, I'll be leaving this post open so that anyone who feels that I've dropped the ball on this one can leave their comments on how to improve it. I'm heading back to the drawing boards to fully flesh out a proper plot for the prologue along with the main story. Of course, this will set back the fanfic's release but, as TM just ruthlessly pointed out, rushing things will only result in a half-a**ed work.

Oh, and TM, regarding the whole 'mum/mom' thing, you've got a point there. I'm still stuck on the Aussie/British spelling for the word.