Darius entered his youngest sister's room to find her in a River Vixen uniform with a snake dancing around her arm. When their father told them that they wouldn't have to dance anymore, Darius wasn't surprised to see his sister quit. She loved science more than anything. She liked computers and animals more than tap shoes and glitter, but their mother wanted all of her children to be dancers like she was. Cassandra Miller was determined to have three children with the dance career that she had given up to birth them. Only Millie ever seemed to enjoy it. It was why it was so surprising to see Isadora wearing a Vixen's uniform.

"You know there's dancing in cheerleading right? The only snake is Cheryl Blossom."

"You're so funny, Darry," Isadora answered. She looked pleased with herself. Izzy had always had trouble making friends. She was smarter than her classmates and their mother had barely let them do anything after school because of their dance lessons. "Cheryl actually told me I should try out. Didn't you hear? She and Millie made up. Besides, I was hoping I would get to cheer you on?"

"I made the team," Darius answered and Izzy ran to hug her brother. When she pulled away, she looked upset.

"Is it wrong to be so happy? I mean, Mom wouldn't like it." Darry signed. He had to admit that he had been thinking the same thing. Their parents' divorce had gotten ugly. While Millie had sided with her mother immediately, Darry had never felt that was fair. Yes, their father had cheated and Darry was angry for it, but Millie didn't know what Darry knew.

It hadn't been as though they had been a big happy family. Their parents pretended they weren't fighting behind closed doors. Lionel Miller had thought their mother was spending too much time forcing the children to dance and Darry agreed. He didn't even like dancing. When he wanted to play baseball, his mom said no. When Izzy wanted to enter the science fair, his mom said no. When their father asked her to relax, Cassandra screamed no. She had come from money. After taking all the money (Lionel had foolishly signed a prenup without a lawyer before their wedding), she moved the children to New York and invested everything in her dance studio. Not just her money, but her children and time. She didn't notice that Millie was heartbroken and depressed. She missed when Izzy was picked on for being the youngest in her class. Cassandra didn't even notice that Darry had broken his right toe on purpose to keep from having to sign up for a ballroom dancing competition. Darry wasn't glad that she was dead because he did love his mother, but he was glad to be in the care of his father. Lionel had signed the permission slip to try out for football and wished his son luck. He told Darry that he was proud of him for trying something new.

He had expected to be teased when he returned to Riverdale and he almost was. He had to tell Reggie that he left behind a smoking hot girlfriend in New York and luckily Millie had backed him up. He showed Reggie pictures of his old dance partner, Chelsea and swore they had been together. A lot. Reggie had even told him that he was a genius for playing the long con. Now he was on the football team.

"Don't feel bad," Darry told his sister, who smiled gratefully at him.

"I'm still focusing on science, but why not try something different this time? What's the harm in pep rallies and football games? It's high school, after all." Darry knew how lonely his sister had been. Izzy could never even fit in with the other girls in her dance class, no matter how hard she tried. She hadn't had enough passion and kept talking about snakes and computers. Darry just wanted Izzy to have the high school experience she always wanted. If that meant being a River Vixen, then he was going to cheer for the cheerleaders.

Millicent went to the dance wearing a little black dress from Cheryl's closet. She had been against wearing black at first because she didn't want to look like she was in mourning, but when she put it on it became clear that it was the best choice. Cheryl had impeccable taste. It hugged her body nicely and the bust line wasn't too revealing, but revealing enough. The skirt hugged her hips in a way that made her lean dancer body look like an hourglass figure. Cheryl even curled her hair to perfection.

"I know we both have red hair, but I always envied yours," Millie had confessed, glad to be Cheryl's best friend again. "The Blossom hair is so vibrant. Mine is just…not on your level."

"A few carefully placed highlights and we'll have your hair gleaming like the Blossom you would have been if JayJay was still here." Cheryl had always been so sure that Jason and Millie were going to get married. Cheryl had sent her a pro and con list that she made about Polly the second she started dating Jason. The cons were seventeen pages and there wasn't a single pro. Millie never replied, but she often thought about it. Even when she didn't write back, Cheryl sent her Riverdale life updates. Sure, there were passive-aggressive (and sometimes just plain aggressive) remarks about her lack of response, but their bond was still there. Millie's best friend would always be Cheryl Blossom. "I'm throwing a little after party after the dance. You have to be there."

The dance itself had been boring. Reggie had danced with her after several boys had asked her to dance only to be denied. Reggie took his "bro code" very seriously. Millie wondered if it also extended to Polly Cooper, but didn't ask. She couldn't bear the answer.

The real drama started at Cheryl's after party, when spin-the-bottle ended up with Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge in the closet for Seven Minutes in Heaven. Everyone besides Archie knew that Betty Cooper was in love with him, but it seemed as though even Archie was catching on. Millie knew that Cheryl was doing this because Polly had dated Jason and it hadn't ended well (though no one seemed to know the details) and she felt partially responsible. When Betty ran from the party after minute one, Millie followed her. Betty was in tears by the time Millie caught up.

"Is this some kind of punishment," Betty had yelled at her. It was the first time Millie had seen Betty yell. Betty had always been the perfect girl next door. She was a good girl with good grades, a positive attitude, and a bright future. Betty was the girl you could count on to be nice, even when no one else would. "Because Polly dated Jason? I know you two dated for forever, but you weren't even here and I'm not Polly – "

"I didn't have anything to do with that," Millie had told her. She meant it. She had no idea that Cheryl was going to do such a thing and she wished she hadn't. It only drew more attention to the situation. If Veronica hadn't gone in the closet, then Cheryl said that she would, which left Veronica little choice. Millie knew that Cheryl had planned for this to happen. The two girls had practiced spinning bottle in middle school. Cheryl could always make it land wherever she wanted. If only Archie had left. "I'm sorry about Cheryl. And Polly. I don't blame you for that. I can't blame Polly for that. Cheryl did a crappy thing."

When Betty's eyes met her, Millie could see the tears falling at full force. That was how she ended up hugging Betty Cooper on the side of the road on a Saturday night and rekindling a friendship that had faded when she entered sixth grade. Before she fell in love with Jason, Millie had been friends with Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews, and Jughead Jones. Their friendship had faded when her mother started signing her up for dance competitions and what little free time she had was spent orbiting the Blossoms. She hadn't even realized that she missed Betty until that very moment.

Isadora never dreamed she would be invited to a party at Thornhill Manor by Cheryl Blossom. She had tried to reject the invitation purely out of fear, but she was a River Vixen and Cheryl informed her that her attendance was mandatory. The dance had been pretty boring, but Cheryl's party was something out of a teen movie.

Cheryl had gotten the new girl into a closet with Archie Andrews. Veronica Lodge was from New York as well, but Isadora never met her. They never went to the same school or even met any of the same people, but Isadora knew the name "Lodge" from reading the newspaper. Veronica's father was in jail for embezzlement and fraud.

About a minute after Archie and Veronica went into the closet, Betty Cooper fled the party and Isadora was shocked that her sister followed her. Millie and Betty had played dolls together when they were younger, but Izzy knew that Polly Cooper had dated Jason while they were in New York. Izzy had always liked Betty. Unlike Cheryl, Betty would let Izzy play with them. For a while, Izzy considered her a friend to herself, not just her sister. She didn't like that Cheryl was torturing Betty, but she didn't speak up. Cheryl had just given her a chance in Riverdale and Izzy wasn't ready to throw it away.

When Archie and Veronica emerged from the closet, they both chased after Betty, but not before Veronica called Cheryl a shady bitch. Izzy expected an epic smackdown, but Cheryl didn't even bat an eye. Izzy wished that she had the self-confidence that Cheryl did. Then Reggie Mantle spun the bottle and it landed on her.

"Okay, other new girl, let's do this," Reggie said, standing up from the couch and offering Izzy his hand. Izzy stared at it.

"I'm Isadora," she answered, hoping to spark his memory. It had been a year, but Riverdale had always been a small town. She knew who Reggie was. Everyone did.

"She's Millie's little sister, you insufferable meathead," Cheryl snapped.

"But she's in my biology class," Reggie answered, without fully closing his mouth. Cheryl rolled her eyes.

"She's smart, Mantle. Just get in the closet. Both of you. Go on, Dora."

Izzy stood up without taking Reggie's hand and stepped into the closet. Reggie followed her. Her last view of the outside world was Cheryl's red smirk as she shut the door. The first ninety-seven seconds were spent in silence. She counted. Izzy wasn't going to admit to Reggie that she had never kissed a boy before or that she had never been on the date. The last time she held a boy's hand, she was crossing the road with her father.

"You don't have red hair," Reggie said, catching Izzy by surprise. "Your sister does. Yours is brown."

"I know. Millie got the good looks," Izzy admitted. It wasn't that Izzy was particularly ugly. She was just boring, especially in comparison to her older prettier sister. She had tried to wear a little bit of makeup, but she wasn't very good her it. Maybe she should have asked her dad for highlights.

"Brown is better," Reggie answered quickly. Izzy looked up at him. He was so tall that she wished she had worn heels. Reggie gently tucked a lock of Izzy's hair behind her ear and kissed her. It was Izzy's first kiss and it was with a boy who she never thought would have looked at little Izzy Miller. She liked it a lot.

1 Year Before Jason Went Missing:

Millicent Miller didn't think she could cry anymore. Her face was so puffy, she barely let Jason see her, but she couldn't stand to spend any of their final seconds away from each other. Jason had come over to help her pack, but he wasn't really helping and she wasn't really packing. They were just lying next to each other in her bed, staring into each other's eyes.

"Can't you stay with your father?"

"He didn't even fight my mom," Millie answered, inching closer to Jason. "Besides, I don't think I could stand living with him. After what he did to my mother. To us."

Jason laced his fingers through hers and she felt herself tear up again. What was she going to do without him? They had already agreed that long distance wouldn't work. Millie wasn't set to visit her father until December. "We could run away together."

"How would we do that?" Millie was tempted, but she knew it could never happen. They couldn't leave Cheryl and they wouldn't have any money without their parents. For that moment, she wanted to pretend it was true.

"I've thought about it. I know exactly what to do." Millie smiled and buried herself in Jason's chest. "There's this farm we could go to."

"You would really run away?" There was no way it would work. He was just being romantic...wasn't he?

"I would," Jason said softly. Millie believed him. She knew when Jason was lying. For some reason, it scared her.

"Would you leave without saying goodbye?" Jason kissed the top of her head.

"I'd come back to get my girl."

After dropping Betty off at her house, Millie headed straight for Pop's. She had texted her father that she was going to Cheryl's after the dance, which meant he wasn't expecting her home until tomorrow. Before moving to New York, Millie spent every moment she wasn't dancing at Thornhill. She found texting her parents "going to Cheryl's" meant that no one would expect her home until her next dance lesson. Besides, her father was so terrified of her grief that he'd give her anything she wanted to keep from talking about it.

Millie wasn't surprised to find Jughead Jones in a booth, typing away on his laptop. In fact, she had been counting on it. She had been too nervous to eat before the dance and the party at Cheryl's left her exhausted. Millie slid into the seat across from Jughead and reached for his coffee, taking a long sip.

"You're a little overdressed for Pop's," Jughead said, pulling the coffee cup out of her hand.

"Well, you didn't ask me to the dance. I had to get your attention somehow." The look of pure panic on Jughead's face made her cackle. It was the deep kind of laugh that left Millie gasping for breath. This laugh was truly ugly sound and she would have never allowed it in front of Jason, but this was Jughead. She wasn't worried. Jughead's face turned redder than Jason Blossom's hair. Millie pulled the coffee cup back into her hands and finished it off.

"Um. So Archie was just in here. He was looking for Betty. Something happen at Casa Blossom?" Truthfully, Millie didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to have to defend Cheryl to Jughead. She was having enough trouble doing that to herself.

"Seven minutes in Heaven. Archie and Veronica. In front of Betty." Jughead nodded. He wasn't obviously like Reggie Mantle or Archie Andrews. He didn't need it spelled out for him.

"Who'd you end up with? I noticed Reggie's been following you a lot lately. Keeping an eye on you. Aren't you the brawns over brains type?" Maybe she should have told him that Jason was both, but she couldn't handle another fight.

Millie shook her head. "I didn't play. I don't need to another boy in my life. I barely survived the last one."

She was embarrassed when tears sprung in her eyes. Jason Blossom was gone and she was going to have to find a way to live without him. Millie shivered, suddenly too cold for the dress that Cheryl had lent her. She wouldn't be surprised if Cheryl had bought the dress specifically for her to wear. Jughead got up from the booth and handed her a sweatshirt before walking over to the counter. He didn't return for several minutes, but when he did, he was holding two milkshakes. He kept the vanilla for himself and thrust a double chocolate in front of her.

"I don't know if it's still your favorite, but we can switch if you want." Jughead was nervous. Millie found it incredibly adorable. She didn't usually like nervousness in boys. Jason was never nervous. Millie took a long sip of her milkshake. "I find that there isn't much a milkshake from Pop's can't fix."

At the moment, Jughead was right. He wouldn't be the next morning.