By now everyone knew the basics of what happened on July 4th, well, except who did it. But despite the events that would undoubtably change Riverdale forever, there were also events that didn't happen. Events like Jason Blossom's failed attempt at running away from home. Or the Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones road trip that Archie bailed on at the last minute. At this time, Archie had already become fairly distant to Jughead, not noticing the small cracks in his façade over his poor, and then missing, home life. Jughead only really had two friends; Archie Andrews, and Betty Cooper. Betty, however, was in Los Angeles for a summer internship. For that he would not fault her as he would have easily encouraged her to pursue her passion, especially in writing.

But it was lonely. So when he and Arch planned this trip, it was a pretty big deal. Highlight of the summer, really. With this in mind, it's understandable why Jughead Jones the third had become a bit jaded. He didn't even get a reason for the cancel- just "I can't make it, Jug, I'm sorry."

They were going to stop in a bigger city to watch the Independence Day fireworks that night and see what other adventures they could get themselves in to before arriving in LA and praying to god they could find where Betty was working or staying. It had already been half of summer without the third person of their childhood trio, and Jughead would be lying if that wasn't also a part of why he was so mad at the red head.

Which is what made coming back to school after all this so much harder. Without being on speaking terms with Archie, he had decided to distance himself from Betty as well. She, after all, was in love with the boy next door and at the end of the day Jug figured Archie would stop being so oblivious and just make her happy. With them divided, time away with him was time away from Archie and he never wanted that for her.

It came with great pride and sadness to find out Betty had come out and admitted her feelings head on. He didn't really understand these things but he acknowledged that it was a really hard thing to do, and it frustrated him to no end when Archie shot her down. His sacrifice of their friendship had been in vain. Or so he thought, but that friendship was far from severed. Like he slowly started becoming friends with Andrews, Cooper started seeking him out as well; surprisingly by herself. She pulled him back into their weird little Archie and Friends group they had going on, even if he didn't consider the other two, occasionally three, his actual friends.

"I missed you this summer, you know. You always encouraged me to write when all little Archie wanted to do was play," she had absently noted while editing the paper in their own Blue and Gold office.

"Me too, Bets. I'm sorry we never ended up coming to visit you."

She smiled softly. "I never really expected you to. It's a long ways away and isn't a cheap place to go. Only reason we could even send me there was because I had an aunt who lived there." You could tell her mind was racing with memories. He looked her right in the eyes.

"Betty, we were going to visit you. I thought you knew. Archie said he got the addresses for where we needed to go... We were actually planning on leaving the day Jason went missing. July 4th."

Betty gasped. "But that's understandable. With all the investigation going on, it makes sense not to leave town." She was a little disappointed at hearing all this but tried to play it off. She had an amazing time, even if she didn't get to see her friends.

He moved to stand right in front of her, looking her right in the eye, and said "No, Betty. Archie cancelled on me the night before. It had nothing to do with the mystery. I just wanted you to know that I tried to come see you, I really did."

She wasn't sure if she should take a step back and be upset, or step forward into a hug with a friend who cared so much. It hurt to know her friend could just blow them off like that, but she needed Jughead's honesty and sincerity. The latter won one, but she did stifle a cry into his jacket.

"Thank you, Juggy. He didn't even send me an email since the beginning of summer. Is that why you had been avoiding me?"

He blushed and looked ashamed. "Look, Betty, I know you, and I thought I knew him, and I genuinely thought you'd get together eventually, when Archie stopped being a moron. With the two of us not getting along... It just felt easier to not force you to choose sides. I wanted you to unremorsfully be on the side of the guy I genuinely thought would marry you some day. I'm really sorry, Betty, about how wrong I seemed to have been about that, but also for not being there for you as a friend despite all that." She gripped his jacket a little tighter.

"At least we're making up for lost time now," she smiled up at him, "we're here now and I don't need a road trip to see one the most amazing people I have ever met." She gently pressed her index finger on his nose a giggled.

Later that night, the two friends dreamt of a road trip that never was and all of what it could have been. It was potential, like a spark, and without actually happening it left their imagination open to do with it as it pleased. And surprisingly, they both imagined Archie wasn't even there after all, just Juggy and Bets. And some underdeveloped feelings.