Chapter 10

Emma smiled at Jughead as they sat out on the steps in front of her house. She watched as the glimmer of hope lit up his eyes as he spoke about his dad. "I just can't believe I walked in and it was clean. He was clean. It's like he was a whole new person. When he came to the party he looked really good and he's been doing good."

She held his hand as she saw his face falter, "But?" She asked.

"What if it doesn't last, Thea? What if he slips back into his old way again." She knew that FP had let his son down over the years. Their relationship was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. A never ending one at that. She wanted it to last, she wanted Jughead to reconnect with his dad.

"Only time will tell. The most that I can say is to make the best of it while you can. Remind him why he needs to stay clean. I'll help you in anyway I can."

She knew he had been clean for a while, working for her dad but to here Jughead finally talk about it meant he was coming around to the idea of maybe. Hope was good for him, something in which he had lived without for a long time.

He squeezed her hand and looked at her endearingly, "I'm glad to have you back, Theodora."

"Always a pleasure, Forsythe."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have an announcement to make." Cheryl. Rolling her eyes, she turned around from her seat at the group's usual outdoor lunch table to see the redhead. "One that tangentially involves you, Betty. I'm bringing Polly to the dance as my date, and we're campaigning as co-queens of Homecoming Court."

Betty had seemed confused by Cheryl's statement, as was the rest. "Because why?"

"Because, Nightmare Smurfette, by all rights, it should've been Polly and Jason on that stage being crowned. This is the next best thing." Cheryl smiled causing Emma to internally gag. "So! Don't forget to vote, and I'll see everyone at my coronation." She cheerily walked away. Veronica huffed make a face that displayed her annoyance.

Emma nodded as she stabbed her food, "So she ruined everyone's Saturday night with her satanic game and now she wants us to vote for her. I rather stab my own eyes with two rusted needles and get a tetanus shot before I prop psycho Barbie on a pedestal."

"Geez, Em. Little dark much?" Jughead said to the girl seated beside him.

Archie eyed his sister, who sat in front of him, before turning to Betty. "Betty about the Homecoming Dance, can I play a couple of songs? I kind of told my mom that... Whoa, you don't want me to?"

"No, no it's not that, Archie, it's just, um… this dance needs to be fun. And your songs, as amazing as they are-"

"Make you wanna slit your wrists." Jughead interjected.

Emma scoffed, "And I'm dark?"

"In a good way." Jughead attempted to redeem himself.

Veronica attempted to assure Archie, "In an amazing way." As she shot Jughead a look. "But no need to fret, Betty. 'Cause Archie asked me to sing with him, and we're thinking of doing some upbeat covers." She nodded as she told her white lie.

Archie looked at her confused, "We are?"

"Aren't we?"

Emma stood up looking around Archie's room. "So, you're still going to Betty's house for dinner with your dad?" She probed causing Jughead to look up from his laptop and smile. "Do I detect jealousy?"

"Um, actually no. My mom is ordering food, so it's a head count." He looked at her, knowing she wasn't lying. He closed his laptop and placed it beside him. He stood up walking close towards her, "Jug, I'm seriously not jealous. We aren't together, Betty and you aren't together. Just FP going over there with Alice Cooper, sort of strange, with all the weird blood? Can you even call it bad?" She questioned.

He laughed and shook his head, "Well, what if we were to make it official?" He fished.

She stayed quiet and smiled. "Ah yes, take a leap after just realizing you liked me." He gave her his standard 'Are you serious face.' Slowly backing away, she made her way towards the door. "Don't hate me cause I'm right."

She turned around to walk downstairs to hear her mother recite the usual family orders. "...scallion pancakes, vegetable dumplings, family-style."

"No way am I eating Chinese food. It's not good and I break out." Emma chimed as she went to pick a grape out of the bowl on the kitchen counter. "Yeah? Are you boycotting it like you did when you went 'vegan' and then I found you hounding ice cream down your throat at 3am?'" Her mother retorted, in her lawyer like fashion.

"Touché."

Fred looked at his son, "What's wrong, son?"

"Huh? Nothing. I'm just... not used to coming home and seeing you guys together. Plus with Emma too, it's even more strange. Nice but..." Archie trailed off. Emma watched as her parents faces turned solemn. Emma awkwardly stood, knowing Archie of course, killed the mood.

"Hello?" Jughead announced his presence as he neared the kitchen.

Archie quickly stood, "Jughead, hey."

He slowly walked unsure of the family's vibe. "Am I interrupting a family meeting? Cause I can come back."

"Absolutely not." Her mom stated in her fake voice, that she used when she attempted to descale a situation. "So, who's going to the dance? Besides your dad and me... oh and Hermione, whom I invited."

"You did?" Fred asked.

"We'll talk about it."

Emma gave Jughead a weird look at her mom's announcement, unsure if she knew about their recent relationship. Archie looked at his mom with confusion, "Wait, you guys are going to the dance? Together?"

The redhead answered, smiling. "We both want to hear you play, if that's still happening."

"If you're good with it." Fred added.

"Yeah, totally. I'm great with it."

Emma place her water down causing her face to lighten up, "Indian! That's what we should have." Fred and Archie groaned as her mother smiled.

Archie looked at his sister, "Really? Can't you ever be easy?"

Her dad nodded in agreement, "I swear, she was easier when she was a fake vegan."

"I was a real vegan. I just had a slip up! It was ice cream and it was spoonful."

"When were you a vegan, Thea?" Jughead asked, confused. As her mom got ready to tell the story in full detail.

Emma stood in the gym with Kevin as they eyed the crowd. Kevin had come over after dinner to watch her getting ready for the dance. The two gossiped as she fessed up about the several incidents with Jughead. "I am honestly having a stroke right now, Emmie." He said as he laid on her bed. She knew she had shocked Kevin but she was unsure of where it would go. Shrugging it off, all she wanted was an uneventful night with her best friend. She had rolled her eyes as Kevin pleaded her to wear a dress, enlisting her mother to back him up. After a half hour of negotiating, the Andrews family will have to have Indian at least three times a month and she wore the dress.

Kevin chuckled at how tense she looked as she fiddled with her small black gloves and kept patting her forest green long sleeve dress. "Em, you look fine will you relax?"

"No." She was cranky and he knew it but he enjoyed the victory lap. She was happy it was long and simple, not attracting any attention. "Oh look, there's Betty and Jughead! Betty!" He waved the over causing Emma to smack him.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"For being an annoyance. Why would you call them ov-"

"Hey guys." Betty smiled.

"Hey." The two chimed as Joaquin returned with drinks.

Jughead smiled at her, taking note of her outfit. "I'm surprised you finally are wearing a dress, Thea. You looking amazing."

She blushed and nodded, "Thanks, you clean up well yourself." Betty looked at the two before excusing herself to talk to Cheryl. The four stood there awkwardly, "So... you want to dance?" Kevin turned to Joaquin, Emma eyes flew up as she watched the brunette smile at her, escorting his boyfriend to the dance floor.

"You know, I have to say that I am surprised. May I have the first dance, my lady?" Jughead smirked.

Rolling her eyes, she took his hand. "If you can hold my attention long enough, you may." The two walked towards the dance floor. Dancing and laughing the two mocked each other's moves. "Where's your brother?"

She shrugged, "Not sure. He left with Veronica." They both gave each other an odd look and laughed once more. Betty joined them as did Kevin and Joaquin, "One sec, I'll be back."

Emma walked away from the group and towards Cheryl. The redhead stood by the drinks with what Emma called her minions. Cheryl noticed Emma coming towards her and set her cup down. "Emma." She said with disdain.

"Cheryl. Dumb and dumber." She signaled to the two in the back.

Looking behind her, Cheryl motioned for them to leave. She exhaled deeply and looked at the strawberry blonde. "So, what do you want?"

"A cease fire."

Cheryl looked at Emma with intrigue. She noticed Emma's usual group watching the two girls with intensity. "And why would I do that? After all, you did take Betty's side, when you knew JJ more."

Emma crossed her arms and smiled, "Because Cheryl, you and I both have been friends for a long time. We both have secrets the other one knows." Cheryl pursed her lips as Emma continued, "Yours more detrimental than mine."

Rolling her eyes, she looked at Emma intently. "Cheryl, I didn't come here to make enemies. I like you and I like Kevin and everyone else, and it's sad we had a falling out, but that doesn't mean we still can't be friends. But if you ever pull that crap you did at the party, I will come back. Hard. You had your one time pass. Making an enemy with me is far from what you want."

Cheryl looked at her defeated and nodded. "Fine. Welcome back to the best friends club." The redhead stood beside her and smiled, extending her arm, which Emma gladly took. "Glad to be back, Blossom."

"Good. My minions, weren't even half as entertaining as you."

Kevin stood with his mouth open watching with the rest of the group, minus Veronica and Archie, as the two glided away. "And there you have it, Thelma and Louise, red haired and all, back at it again."

Emma watched as Jughead left the gym confused, looking back at Josie she excused herself following the raven haired boy. She attempted to catch up to him but his long legs were no competition.

"What's going on?" She heard him say as Betty looked at him sadly, while Archie and Veronica had the faces of two children, caught. As he stopped she came up next to him and saw his confusion, "Why do I feel like I'm suddenly left out?" He looked at her who shrugged, unaware of the bomb Archie, Veronica and Betty would drop.

"Do you wanna tell him or should I?" Betty turned to them as silence casted over them.

"Well tell him what? What's going on? Archie?" She gave her brother a pointed look, who walked around Betty and up to Jughead. "We went to your dad's trailer to..."

"Search it, Jughead." Veronica finished what Archie was ashamed to say. Emma looked at her brother, confused. "What the hell, Arch. What is wrong with you?"

"Why would you guys do that?" Jughead was shocked at his friend's revelation.

Betty was mad, that was for sure. Emma watched as she glared at the two and looked remorsefully at Jughead, "My mom put them up to it. She was convinced he was hiding something about Jason."

"We were wrong. All of us. We didn't find anything." Veronica spoke rapidly.

Emma looked at Jughead as he attempted to process the news that his only friends broke into his father's trailer because they believed he was guilty of something. "Do you guys not hear yourselves? You broke into a man's home. Jughead's home. Archie, did you have anything to go off of other than Alice Cooper's big mouth and a conspiracy theory?"

"Emma, it wasn't like that and Jug, we were only doing it to prove that-"

"That my dad wasn't a murder?" He looked around, making eye contact with all three of them. Betrayal, the leading emotion in his eyes, "You went behind my back, Archie? How did you- when did you guys know to go to my dad's trailer?"

"We knew he'd be at dinner with..." Veronica trailed off, noticing Jughead's eyes fell on Betty, who looked down.

"No..." Betty walked up to him as Jughead receded. Emma stared at her brother, who avoided eye contact with her. "That's why your mom invited my dad and I to dinner? So these two could break into my- his trailer while she interrogated him?"

Betty shook her head fiercely, "No I don't know what they were doing, but yes. That's why she invited you guys."

Jughead shook his head, "You lied. You all lied to me."

Emma spun around upon hearing Kevin's voice. She watched as Hermione, Fred, Mary and Alice followed Kevin. "Betty, thank god." Alice stated upon seeing her daughter."

"No, mom."

"No, you have to listen. All of you."

Kevin started as he looked at Jughead, "My dad just told Mayor McCoy about your dad, Jughead."

"What about my dad?"

Fred spoke steadily, looking at Jughead. "He was just arrested. For the murder of Jason Blossom." Emma looked at her father and then Jughead, who stood in shock. Grabbing his hand, she placed her other on his arm. She watched as he froze, attempting to hold it all together. "I-I have to go." He looked at her and let go of her hand, running towards the doors and out onto the sidewalk. She watched as Archie, Betty and Veronica chased after him. Only to look at her parents again.

Turning off the water, Emma sighed. She had attempted to call Jughead several times, but he was no where to be found. She could hear voices downstairs as yelling ensued. She walked towards her room and closed the door promptly. She was still upset at Archie for the stunt he pulled and how he became strung along on Alice Cooper's crazy theory. Brushing her hair, her phone began to ring.

"Alice!" She heard everyone downstairs yell. She grabbed her phone seeing Jughead's face pop up, "Jug?"

"She didn't want me to come. My mom-" His voice was raw with emotion. Sorrow seeped from his words.

"Jughead..."

"Come to Pop's... please." He sounded desperate on the phone.

"I'll be there." And with that she threw on clothes and left her room in a hurry, hoping to get to him in time.