"So, back to basics, I guess."
"You're anything but basic."
"Smooth, Archie."
Pops Tate approached the two of them. If looks could kill, his would have been the plague.
"Mr. Andrews, Ms. Cooper, the usual for you two?"
Archie and Betty nodded in unison. "Yeah, the usual. Chocolate shake with a medium sized burger and fries."
"Do you want one shake with two straws together." Betty and Archie stared back plainly. "Just asking," he said flippantly. Archie could hear him mutter under his breath about how they could not take a joke.
The next couple of seconds were filled with empty silence. Archie nervously jittered his fingers on the counter before Betty finally spoke.
"So I guess we've already reached our mid-life crisis together... am I right?" Betty said jokingly. Archie felt slightly relieved she did not ask something more probing.
"Did you ever think it would be like this. Back in elementary school I mean. I thought it just would be really boring to be honest. Just us eating lunch together, while I played football and you cheered."
"It could have been that boring, Archibald. I suggested that last year but you balked at that idea." Betty perked up.
Archie sighed. "Tell me Betty, when you were with Jughead, were you imagining the idealistic small house, white picket fence type family when you were with him?"
"Apparently not as big of a house you were imagining when you were with Veronica," Betty answered smugly.
"I walked right into that one." Archie looked around the Pop's and saw only a few other people around the restaurant, giving the conversation an ever more intimate feel. That, and there was full moon on a foggy night.
"I'd like not to talk about our now exes. I'd rather just talk about you and me and what our plan is going forward," Betty told him.
"Ok well what do you think we should- I mean what do want to- I mean..."
"Archie, it's okay. I'm not putting you on the spot like I've done in the past. Just try to act naturally, like we always have before." Betty had a wide smile on her face that began to relieve Archie a bit.
"Well I kinda put you on the spot, when I asked you to marry me when we were in the first grade."
Betty laughed. "Oh yeah, I can't believe you still remember that? I think I remember postponing the offer till a later date. Circa 2019."
"Yeah, don't worry about it. Just one of those little ironic things that-"
"So the offer is off then?" She interrupted. It felt like her eyes were invading his soul. Archie sat there in silence.
"I'm just kidding, Archie- well, sort of." They sat there quiet for a few minutes before Pop's brought them there food. Archie made a conscious effort to always chew with his mouth closed and to act in an overall manner of a gentlemen.
"Tell me, when you eventually start your music career and go to say...New York City, are you going to scope out a usual spot to eat or are you going to hop from one restaurant to the next?" Betty asked.
"I don't know. It's hard to imagine that far ahead. It's funny when you think in relative terms. When I was a little kid, I thought I would be a kid forever. I never thought of being a teenager, let alone being an adult."
"Oh, I did all the time. I always had different jobs that I acted out. Doctor, Chef, News-reporter. Do you remember when we used to do current events for class in fourth grade and we would practice at my house with the video camera? Polly would be the weather girl and you were the sports anchor sometimes. My mom said we were the "pinnacle" of local journalism. Kinda ironic considering what she thinks of my reporting now." Betty took a sip out of her shake and continued to lock eyes with Archie.
Archie laughed."Those were the days, eh. Do you see yourself as a newswoman? Or at least some kind of journalist?"
"I see myself being a mother first. Being able to settle down and watch my kids grow up. That's what I want to see happen."
"That's not the answer I was expecting from you. Not that there was anything wrong with you, said."
"No, there isn't." Betty's smile was emanating even brighter than before. That went away when Kevin approached the table.
"Archie, I don't know how to tell you this, but you need to come with me. My dad texted me and told me you need to come to the station for your own protection. Your dad... He's been abducted, and the Serpents are making demands."
Archie's world seemed to come inside out and fold back over. He wanted to compose himself but his body was physically shaking. Betty put her arm around him to control his nerves. "What do they want?" Archie asked.
Kevin gulped. "They want Jughead's dad to be released in exchange for the safety of your dad."
"Jughead," Archie bellowed and somehow resisted the extreme urge to slam his fist into the table- probably because he thought he might need it later.
"Archie, you don't know if he's involved. There is no proof of that," Betty said very worriedly.
"Then we're going to find out, one way or another. I'm heading to his foster's parents house and he's going to tell me where they are." Archie dropped a 20 dollar bill on the table and stormed out of the restaurant.