The word that popped into Betty Coopers head did not fit the PG world she lived in.

Fuck.

This was all her fault. That's all she could think about. Her mother was freaking out and Archie would probably never forgive her. And for what, a book, one she didn't even bother to lock? She should have known. She knew her family was crazy. She knew she couldn't trust her mother. So why did she not hide it better? Why did she put the gun in her underwear drawer when her mom still did her laundry?

She snuck out of lockdown at the Cooper house to mope at Pop's after texting an apology to Archie from across the window way. She ordered a milkshake, as usual, but it remained untouched. Not too long after, someone slid into the other side of the booth.

"I know what happened Betty. You did the right thing." He offered her a fry.

"How do you already know?" she eyed suspiciously.

"Small towns, Bets." He ate the fry he previously offered to her. "But seriously. As bad as this is now, it could have gone much worse down the road. Even best case scenario, they'd end up long term and everyone would find out anyways. Really gotta give props where it's due for the detective work, though. Makes me look like an amateur. No-Holds-Barred-Betty." He smirked and continued to eat fries, but pushed the basket close to the middle in case her appetite returned. She slowly reached over and grabbed one, eating it agonizingly slow, mostly to politely accept the offer. That nervous feeling in her stomach intensified as they talked about her mistake. Her crime.

"Come on, Hardy Boy, Nancy Drew wouldn't make the kind of slip up I did. My mom found my diary. I left a diary with secrets that could get people in a lot of trouble just there in my bedroom!"

"You still have a diary? What is this, middle school?" Jughead joked. Betty's smile faltered. "It's okay, Betty. We all have our ways to deal with our feelings. Some of us just cope with them differently. Now let me walk you home. If your mom found out you left after a bomb like that, we all know it wouldn't go well. I know they're busy smearing Jason as an actual full time job but I don't want them to go all Flowers in the Attic on you, too." He offers up his jacket and held open the door for her, after dropping some of the last bit of money he has from his now over job on the table. She sighed and followed after him. He was right. And who knows, maybe some fresh air was exactly what she needed to alleviate the intense guilt that mostly just threatened to push her to break down and cry.

The walk was mostly silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Betty used the time to collect her thoughts and her friend periodically glanced over to check on her. His own thoughts festering.

"You're a writer, Juggy. Do you have a diary? Something to collect your thoughts on paper with?" she asked suddenly, only a block and a half away from her house.

"I'm more of a typer than a write things down in a book kind of guy. But these thoughts?" He pointed up to his forehead, "these thoughts would be dangerous on paper. I don't even think I'd trust a locked computer with that. No, I write theories, and I write novels, but my personal thoughts and feelings are for me, and maybe anyone I may choose to share them with." She smiled at him.

"Well, looks like we've arrived at Cooper Manner."

He helped her sneak in through the back and disappeared into the darkness of the night, happy that this whole mess was over, though sad that someone he cared so much for was so upset and with not much else he could do to help.

Betty sighed and looked over, noticing Archie's light was out for the night. She shot Jug a quick "thanks" text. After just sitting there for a while she took out her diary again. She hesitated and then wrote a sentence and closed her book and flung it across the room and into the closet.

I think I have a crush on Jughead.