The rest of the day, nothing disturbed Jughead's unusual state of contentment. He was unbothered by the fact that he spilled his lunch. He wasn't upset when he got paired up to work with some neanderthal named Sweet Pea for his art project. (The Serpent was surprisingly good at choosing color schemes.) Jughead also notably wasn't annoyed about his friends' constant teasing following the kiss.

The rest of the day he kept his eye out for the girl, he wasn't really sure what he'd do when he saw her but he felt that he needed to see her.

He sighed as the bell rang and began the last period of the day. It was his free period and he always spent it in the Blue and Gold office to work on the school newspaper. People joked that he was following in his mother Gladys' footsteps as she was editor in chief of the Register, a popular newspaper in town, but he didn't mind. Anyone who read anything he wrote knew he wasn't like her. He wasn't close minded or a fear mongerer. His passion for observing and writing about the world around him kept him going despite what people said about it.

He was immersed in his newest story about the school merger when there was a sharp rap on the open door. He glanced up, barely registering there was a person standing in the doorway. He did a double take and suddenly all the rapid thoughts he was pouring into his article came to a crashing halt.

"Uhem." The blonde ponytailed Serpent cleared her throat when he didn't say anything. "Is this the office for the Blue and Gold?"

"This sign above the door didn't tip you off?" He asked, his sarcasm getting the best of him as he stretched back in the old computer chair.

"Oh uh, yeah it did but I wasn't sure. I assumed this school would have a whole team of students working on the paper."

"That's where you're wrong. I am the eyes, ears, and brains to this well oiled jurassic machine." He patted the dusty box of the tan computer in front of him affectionately.

"Yeah, that was me over at the Red and Black. I only had my best friend Toni to help take pictures. Believe it or not, our computer was even older than that one." She nodded to the PC his hand still rested on. Realizing this, he pulled his hand back into his lap. "Imagine triassic." She gave a small smile walking over to the seat sitting on the opposite side of his desk. Seeing her closer, he noticed her large green eyes and full pink lips.

He nodded looking back to his computer screen so he didn't openly stare. He stopped himself from making a comment about how most of the Southside kids likely needed lots of pictures because they probably couldn't read. His eyes flickered back to her, sweeping over her face, stopping at her lips. Unanticipatedly, he couldn't stop thinking about kissing her again.

"Anyways, I was hoping that you'd let me join the paper. I have a few samples of stuff I've wrote but most of them burned up in the fire. I could always write a few trial stories too if you're not sure but-"

He waved his hand cutting her off. "That won't be necessary." He watched her face fall and quickly back peddled. "As long as you're halfway literate I could really use the help." He couldn't help but grin at the smile that erupted over her face.

"Thank you!" Her perfect white teeth shone brightly. "I didn't catch your name. I'm Betty." She stuck out a small well manicured hand.

"Jughead." He grunted, shaking her hand. Her palm was so soft, he couldn't help but wonder what the rest of her skin felt similar.

"Jughead?" She snorted, then went wide-eyed at the sound she'd made. "There's no way that's your real name."

"Maybe, but I don't use my real name for much and very few people know it."

She put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Well investigative journalism is my calling. I think I'm going to have to find out."

"Good luck." He chuckled.

Later that day walking home from school with Archie, he told his best friend about Betty joining the Blue and Gold. "Betty?" He asks. "Wouldn't expect that for a name of a Serpent. Did you guys talk about the kiss at all?"

"What? No! Are you crazy? She just joined the paper. I don't want to make it awkward. Besides, I don't think working on the paper together is all that romantic."

"Oh that's where I think you're mistaken. Just think, you guys could start off investigating a case, then end up investigating each other." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Calm down Casanova. She probably doesn't even like me like that. Right before the kiss, she did say it was a dare and she's only joining the paper because she ran the Red and Black at Southside high."

"You never know." Archie shrugged.

They approached their houses and said their respective goodbyes. Entering the living room of his house, he decided to avoid going through the kitchen at the unmistakable sounds of his parents fighting. Upstairs, passing his sister's room he heard her playing Pink Floyd loudly. No doubt on her record player he'd given her last Christmas. He couldn't help but smile to himself at that. In his room he tried to work on some homework but despite his sister's music, the sounds of yelling carried up the stairs.

He packed his stuff back into his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He approached the door next to his room and went inside. Jellybean was laying on her stomach facing the foot of the bed sat up at his entrance, eager for a distraction from her homework. He turned down the record record player near the door.

"You up for Pop's?" He asks, already knowing her response.

"I'm always hungry." She smiled a toothy grin, leaving the piles of papers she'd been engrossed in moments before forgotten on the bed behind her.

"Bring your homework." He raised his eyebrows at her and she frowned at his request but nevertheless, packed her things into her backpack.

They quietly made their way through the livingroom and out the front door, unnoticed by their screeching parents.

Half an hour later they were in a booth at Pop's, with several burgers and milkshakes before them. Jellybean was working on her math homework, muttering curses under her breath when the equations wouldn't comply with the numbers in her head. Across from her, trying not to snicker at the rantings of his sibling, Jughead had moved on to his Blue and Gold article surrounding the mysterious fire that had consumed Southside High, causing populations of the schools from either side of town to combine.

His phone chimed with a text from an unknown number.

Hello Forsythe