Living the Dream

by Christa Roberts

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

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  The original ARCHIE characters were created by John Goldwater and drawn by

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  eISBN : 978-1-101-52865-5

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  Chapter 1

  “I’ve been dreaming about this for months,” Veronica Lodge said happily. She pushed her expensive wraparound sunglasses on top of her head and smiled over at Betty. “Haven’t you?”

  “You’ve been dreaming about walking around the mall?” her best friend, Betty Cooper, teased. The two girls were spending the first official day of summer vacation together at the outdoor Riverdale Mall.

  Veronica had already bought three new bathing suits and a new pair of sandals. Betty had picked up some peace sign earrings and a pretty purple tank top that would be great for the hot days ahead.

  Betty pointed to a vitamin store across the way. “Or were your dreams filled with triple protein shakes?”

  Veronica nudged her in the ribs with her elbow. “You’re so funny, Betty. What I meant was that I’ve been wishing for it to just be summer already for the past three months.” She sighed. “And now it is! I want this to be the best summer of our lives. Days at the beach with all our friends, summer concerts with The Archies, bike rides, tons of movies, shopping till we drop. I want to do all the things that we don’t have time for the rest of the year.”

  Betty nodded. She felt the same way Veronica did. No pressure, no rules, no homework . . . she thought wistfully as they walked by a large fountain where some little kids were splashing one another and giggling in the summer sun.

  To Betty’s surprise, Veronica slipped off her purple flip-flops and, holding them in her hand, hopped up on the low marble ledge that surrounded the fountain.

  “If we want to dip our toes in, who’s to stop us?” Veronica asked.

  “Um, that security guard?” Betty whispered as a frowning, mustached guy in a security uniform looked over at them.

  “Oh, sorry,” Veronica called over to the man, winking. “It’s not like I’m going to swim laps or anything.” She slipped her flip-flops back on. “Betty, I’m in serious need of a mani-pedi, and there’s a new salon that opened here last month. What’s the name of that place again?” She thought for a second, then snapped her fingers. “Beauty Town. What do you say . . . do you have time for some best friend bonding? We can both get manicures and pedicures. We could even get organic seaweed facials!”

  Betty hesitated. She looked down at her nails. The red polish she’d put on last week was chipped and flaking. A manicure would be a cool way to spend the afternoon. And Beauty Town was really nice . . . they even mixed custom nail polish colors for you. Not that Betty had been there yet—but she’d heard all about it at school.

  Then she took a look inside her wristlet. After buying the earrings and tank top, she and Veronica had stopped for soft pretzels and lemonade, which left her with exactly eight dollars and thirty cents.

  “Well . . . ,” Betty started. Getting her nails done would be nice . . . but all that niceness cost money. And an organic facial was out of the question.

  Veronica took Betty’s arm and steered her in the direction of Beauty Town. “I’m thinking metallic. Maybe something with a purple sheen to it . . .”

  Betty held back. “That sounds cool, Ronnie, and I love a good spa day just as much as the next girl in Riverdale, but Beauty Town is kind of expensive, and I’m trying to save my money this summer.”

  “Save?” Veronica repeated, looking confused. “For what?”

  Betty sighed. “Remember how my laptop died last month? Well, I need to get a new one, and my parents said they can’t afford to buy me one right now. Either I have to wait until later this fall—or I have to pay for it myself.”

  “That’s going to take an awful lot of babysitting, Betty,” Veronica said, wrinkling her nose. “Laptops aren’t exactly cheap.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard,” Betty said wryly. “That’s why I have to get a real job this summer. I can’t just sit home and hope people call me to babysit. I really can’t spend money I don’t have on a manicure—let alone a pedicure or a facial.”

  Betty knew that Veronica had never worried about money in her life. And why would she? After all, Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge, was an übersuccessful businessman. The Lodges were one of the richest families in the country. The idea of Veronica worrying about how to pay for a manicure—well, it just wouldn’t happen.

  Veronica shrugged as they slowly walked past Beauty Town. “I get where you’re coming from, but don’t forget, summer is just beginning.” She waved to one of the nail technicians inside the salon. “You have plenty of time to find a real job.”

  Betty wasn’t convinced. “You have no idea how hard it is to get a job, Ronnie. And I’m not talking about my dream job, either. I’m talking about any job. There’s so much competition!”

  Veronica dismissively waved her hand around as if the idea of competition was the silliest thing she’d ever heard of. “Betty, you’re the most amazing, dedicated, and hardworking person I know. If anyone can get a job, it’s you.”

  “Tell that to all the places where I filled out applications,” Betty told her friend. She had applied for at least a dozen jobs before school let out, but ot
her than one interview for a receptionist job at a car dealership—which she didn’t get—she hadn’t had one bite of interest.

  “What if no one hires me?” Betty said, feeling glum. She held up her hand and began to tick off her worries on her nonmanicured fingers. “Firstly, summer is not as long as you think. Secondly, all the good jobs go fast. Thirdly, everyone knows that work experience looks good on your college applications, which makes it twice as hard to find one. No, I take that back—ten times as hard,” she said, dejected. “Fourthly, I really, really need a new laptop!”

  But as Betty finished, she realized that Veronica wasn’t really paying attention. Instead, her blue eyes were trailing after a couple of trendy-looking girls carrying bright pink shopping bags.

  Belle Pink. Betty recognized the logo and signature color of Veronica’s favorite new store at the mall.

  Veronica squeezed Betty’s arm, making her wince.

  “You have totally just inspired me, Betty. You know how I’ve been thinking about a career in fashion, right?” Betty opened her mouth to reply, but Veronica kept going. “Well, a job at Belle Pink is the perfect place to start!”

  Betty was pretty sure that Veronica and job had never been used in the same sentence before now. In fact, it almost made her burst out laughing.

  But Veronica looked dead serious. Before Betty knew what was happening, Veronica marched them into the store. French music was blasting from speakers in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. Customers were browsing chrome clothing racks of superchic tops, pants, and dresses.

  Betty coughed. “What’s that smell?” It smelled like lilies—a field of them.

  “That’s Belle Pink’s signature scent, Femme Fatale. They spray all their clothes with it.”

  “What happens when you have to throw something in the wash?” Betty asked, only half joking.

  “They sell Femme Fatale laundry detergent, too,” Veronica explained as if that should have been obvious.

  They made their way past customers and racks of clothes to the back of the store. “Bonjour. May I help you?” the sales clerk asked.

  Veronica beamed. “Bonjour, mademoiselle. May I have a job application, please—I mean, s’il vous plaît?”

  Betty held back a laugh. Veronica had studied French for years, but her accent was terrible.

  “Merci beaucoup!” Veronica took a clipboard and began filling out a Belle Pink job application—which, naturally, was pink.

  Veronica reached into her oversize purse and pulled out a fistful of colored markers. “See, this is why it’s always a good idea to carry supplies with you,” she told Betty. Veronica began adding some impromptu fashion sketches and fancy flourishes to the form. “To make it stand out,” she whispered.

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” Betty asked as Veronica drew a swirl of lime green. “It doesn’t look, uh, professional.”

  Veronica pursed her lips. “But it looks fashionable. And that’s what’s important.”

  After filling everything in, she handed the clipboard back to the clerk. “Thank you so much. All my contact information is there. So when you try to reach me, you can call or text or e-mail. Or all three!”

  Betty found it doubtful that Veronica would get a job at Belle Pink. She has no clue how hard it is, she thought. I’ve applied for tons of jobs, and no one has called me. Veronica thinks she can stroll into her favorite store, snap her fingers, and—presto!—get a job? Get real.

  “Now I know what you’re thinking, Betty,” Veronica told her as they walked out of the store.

  “That we should have gone to the beach?” Betty replied, looking up. The sky was turning a murky shade of gray, and thunder rumbled in the distance. “It’s too late now.”

  Veronica shook her head. “We’ll go tomorrow. No biggie. But that’s not what I was going to say. I know you think it’s stupid for me to get a job.”

  Betty opened her mouth, but Veronica pressed on. “I’ve known you for too long, Betty. I know how you think. And you’re kind of right. I don’t exactly need a job. But if I’m going to become a world-famous fashion designer, I need to start somewhere, and it’s never too early to get the right kind of experience.”

  A fat raindrop landed on Betty’s head. “Hurry before we get soaked!” she shrieked, sprinting for Veronica’s car. “I hope you put the windows up!”

  “I’m coming. I’m just checking my messages,” Veronica said, tapping on her phone as she jogged to the car. The rain was starting to fall in thick, wet drops. “Belle Pink hasn’t called yet.”

  “Slackers,” Betty replied with a smile. The second Veronica unlocked the convertible, Betty dived inside, shivering from the rain.

  Veronica was her best friend, and if she had her heart set on working at Belle Pink, Betty hoped it would happen.

  Otherwise? It was going to be a very long summer.

  Chapter 2

  “Are you ready, boys?” Betty asked, holding a volleyball in her outstretched hand. She swung her bare arm back and easily sent the ball sailing over the net. She and her girlfriends, Midge Klump and Nancy Woods, stood on one side of the beach volleyball net, while Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones were on the other.

  Archie was Betty’s on-again, off-again boyfriend. His bright red hair and freckles gave him an all-American look that Betty found endearing, and she loved how polite and well-mannered he was. Being the lead singer and guitarist in his garage band, The Archies, made him even cooler. He was one of the most popular boys at Riverdale High.

  The fact that Archie also liked to date Veronica was the part of their relationship that wasn’t so cool. He just never seemed to be able to make up his mind which girl he liked better. He was always nice about it, though, and when Betty was with him, she always had fun. So Betty tried not to worry about the future. If she and Archie were meant to be together one day, it would happen.

  Betty stayed focused on the ball as Archie passed it to Reggie. Reggie winked over at the girls, then spiked the ball straight into the sand at Midge’s feet. “Child’s play, ladies.”

  “Do you guys remember who won the last set we played?” Nancy asked them, her eyes narrowing. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she wore a bright green tankini. She picked up the ball and threw it hard across the net. “ ’Cause I do. And it wasn’t you.”

  “Quit talking and start playing,” Jughead called to them, stretching his lanky arms over his head as Archie did an overhand serve. Jughead was thin, but deceptively strong when he wanted to be.

  As the ball came flying toward them, Betty thought Nancy was going to get it. And Nancy thought the same thing about Betty.

  “Girls,” Midge moaned as the ball plunked to the sand in the space between the two friends. She ran her fingers through her short dark hair, making it stand up. “Someone make a decision, okay?”

  Betty dug her toes into the sand. She hated to lose a game of beach volleyball to Archie and the other guys because the boys would never let them forget it. She reached up to adjust the elastic on her blond ponytail and straighten her bright pink sun visor.

  “You girls look like you could use a little assistance,” Reggie teased. “Veronica! Come help your pals out here.”

  Betty looked past the volleyball court to where a bikini-clad Veronica lay on her bright blue beach towel next to a sleeping Kevin Keller.

  “Yeah, Ronnie. Play with us!” Betty called out, not because she thought the girls needed help, but because playing a set was always more fun when Veronica was in the mix. But she could tell it was a hopeless cause. Veronica was much too busy to play beach volleyball. What was keeping her occupied was a short stack of fashion magazines and her cell phone.

  Veronica looked up from her magazine and gave a little wave. “Sorry. But I can’t hold my phone and play volleyball at the same time.”

  “Couldn’t you put your phone down for a little while?” Nancy asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Veronica shook her head emphaticall
y. “What if I get a phone call from Belle Pink?” She said Belle Pink in a hushed, almost reverent whisper. “I wouldn’t want to miss it . . . and I definitely don’t want to be all sweaty and dirty when they call.”

  “Um, they aren’t going to see what you look like if they call you,” Midge said. “It’s not like Skype.”

  Jughead pulled the brim of his baseball cap so it now faced backward. “Belle Pink? Is that a new girl at school?” he asked.

  Nancy and Midge laughed as Veronica let out a long, slow sigh. “No, Jughead. Belle Pink isn’t a person. Belle Pink is only the most exclusive, fashionable, and chic new store to open up at Riverdale Mall in, well, forever.”

  “She’s right, man,” Kevin said, nodding. “It’s hot.”

  Veronica sat up straighter, brushing some imaginary sand off her arms. “I have literally been on pins and needles waiting to see if Belle Pink calls me.”

  At the mention of Belle Pink, Betty gave the ball an especially hard smack across the net. Belle Pink, Belle Pink, Belle Pink. Was that all her best friend could talk about? She knew Veronica was excited about the chance to work at the chic boutique, but Betty was getting a little tired of Veronica going on and on about how incredible a job at Belle Pink would look on her fashion school application.

  Ever since Veronica decided she’d like to work at Belle Pink, it’s become the only thing she can talk about, Betty thought, exasperated. The girl has no clue how tough the job market is right now. And I should know! Betty frowned over at her best friend. If anyone needed a summer job, it wasn’t Veronica.

  Kevin stood up, took off his earbuds, and tossed his iPod on his towel. “Sorry,” he said to Archie as they high-fived each other on the court. “I just needed a little power nap. Now I’m ready to kill.”

  “This is totally unfair,” Midge complained, stomping her bare foot in the sand.