With school starting up again, Jason Blossom catapulted back to the top of popular conversation topics. Even at the garage the guys were saying what a tragedy it was. Milly couldn't believe that Jason hadn't turned up, undrowned. Her hope wasn't from any kind of personal attachment or sympathy. She refused to believe someone as perfect as Jason Blossom could die in an accident. If any accident could end him, only a miracle could explain how Milly was still alive. That's an awful thought to have, especially when you don't believe in God or miracles. She bolted from the garage, after staying late to cover for Jake, to find Jughead and talk about anything other than "The July 4th Tragedy."
Pop's was crowded that night. It was always popular, but it felt like most of Riverdale had ended up there. Jughead occupied an entire booth by himself with his laptop while he drank coffee. He had been wondering when Milly would show up or if she would at all. When she dropped into the seat across from him, he shifted slightly and offered a small smile before returning to his writing.
"Talk to me about something other than Jason Blossom?" Milly asked.
"Okay." Jughead closed his laptop and looked at her. "Will I still see you after tomorrow?" He didn't know what made him ask it. In fact, he had already promised himself that he wouldn't, but it had been on his mind all day and it just slipped out.
"I'll drive you. Pick you up every day when I get off at three," Milly responded with a distinct edge in her voice.
"I didn't mean-" Jughead began to backpedal.
"I know," Milly sighed. "But it's a fair point. And I will."
Archie walked into the diner with Betty and looking around, his eyes fell on Jughead and Milly. He waved awkwardly and Jughead nodded at him. Milly turned to see who it was, but didn't recognize either of the teens. She saw them looking at her arm with the tattoos and was reminded of how desperately she wanted another. If she hadn't gotten the others, she probably could have afforded an apartment sooner and now that she was paying rent it was doubtful that she would be getting that fourth any time soon.
Betty took one look at the girl with tattoos and a ring in her nose like a bull and quickly turned back to Archie. "Who is that?" she hissed.
"Uh, Milly? I think that's her name," Archie answered. "They started hanging around together last year. I think she's a senior."
Betty looked doubtful, but didn't press it. It wasn't her place.
Jughead had quickly forgotten about Archie and Betty and logged back onto his laptop. "The Back to School Semi-formal will probably be Friday," he said.
"I hope you have fun with your friends. Are you talking to Archie again?" Milly teased.
Jughead glared at her. "I was inviting you."
"I know, but our deal was prom. I never agreed to homecoming," she said. "But I'll take you out to dinner again. 8?"
"It's a date," Jughead agreed.
When Friday rolled around, they repeated their rituals of trying to look slightly more decent than normal despite each having seen each other at their worst when they first woke up in the morning. But instead of Milly picking Jughead up from the drive-in, at 8 o'clock he appeared in front of her door, clutching a small bouquet flowers from the shop downstairs.
"Flowers?" Milly smiled when he handed them to her. He could be really sweet when he wasn't being a sardonic smart-ass.
"It's only our third official date," he shrugged. "I thought it'd be nice."
Milly laughed. "We hang out all the time!"
"But they're not really dates, are they?" he pointed out.
"I don't know. I haven't dated a lot of guys," she admitted.
"And you're my only girlfriend. Unless you count Joani in the third grade." He had said it. The "G" word. And it hung heavy in the air. Jughead pretended not to notice. "I've never really been into girls- or guys, but, uh, I like you."
Milly made a gut decision to go with the girlfriend thing. They already did all the things couples do- except sex, they hadn't gotten there yet- and it wasn't like she didn't want to commit. She was comfortable around him and that was what really mattered, right? So she grabbed his hand and above him to Pop's while actively ignoring her own thoughts; the ones about the small town kids and families. The Kids hate their folks and want to get away, but then they come back and marry their high school sweethearts, but it doesn't work out because they've outgrown each other and don't realize it until it's too late. So the make each other miserable and make their kids miserable until they die and their kids bury them and the cycle repeats. "God I'm starving," she declared and didn't let go of Jughead's hand until they were in the diner parking.
When their food came, Milly immediately reached to grab one of Jughead's fries, but he caught her hand before she could. With her free hand, she reached out to touch that one strand of hair. The one that peeked out from under his cap and cascaded down the side of his face. She always liked the slight wave it had, giving off a casual coolness that Jughead didn't actually possess.
Startled by the sudden, public intimacy, Jughead dropped her hand.
Milly grinned and grabbed the fry in victory. "Payback."
"This isn't over. That won't work again," he warned. "Now let me see your hand."
Without question, she moved her hand back to his side of the table and he held it, palm to palm with his thumb over her knuckles. He didn't say anything, but began eating his fries with his one hand, almost daring Milly to challenge him. Milly didn't pull her hand back right away; she didn't want to, but after a minute she broke the connection.
"I need my second hand to eat, Juggie," she said. "You can have it back later."
"Promise?" he asked.
"Promise. I won't even use it to steal more fries."
Midnight rolled around and they were still at the diner. The topic of conversation had turned toward immortality and if legacy counts in a philosophical way. Jughead was scribbling furiously on a napkin which quickly turned into napkins.
"You should have brought your laptop," Milly commented, holding up one of the napkins as she tried to examine it. "Can you even read this?"
Jughead ignored the dig at his handwriting. "I wasn't going to bring my laptop on our date," he rolled his eyes.
"But if you come home with me you might forget what you've written by the time you get back to type it up." This time she was genuinely concerned.
"Milly, they're just ideas," he told her. "They'll have to be revised anyway."
"Hey, guys?" A voice belonging to none other than Archie Andrews interrupted. He was still in his clothes from the dance, but his bowtie hung open around his neck. "Can I sit?"
Jughead frowned, not failing to notice that Milly immediately made room for him. Archie had no business there- he was the one who gave up on their friendship. "If you want," Jughead shrugged and only because Milly was willing to let Archie stick around.
"I don't think we've official met," Milly offered her hand: "Milly Reid."
"Archie Andrews." he shook her hand. "What are you working on?" he nodded to the several napkins covered in notes which were spread across the table.
"My novel," Jughead answered. "It's about this summer and Jason Blossom."
Great, another kid who had his shit figured out. It was no surprise that Jughead wanted to be a writer, but Archie was just starting to get into music. Archie frowned. "He's seventeen years old and how will he be remembered? As captain of the water polo team?" he said more to himself than the others in the booth.
"The Aquaholics?" Jug scoffed. "Considering how he died, probably not."
Archie backtracked: "No, what I mean is: was he doing everything he was supposed to do? Everything he wanted? Did he even know what that was?"
"Woah, calm down, kid," Milly said and put a hand on his forearm. "Most people never do, but even if he was, he was two years older than you, you've got time to catch up. And sure, I dropped out of school and got a job, but I'm actually a prodigy."
Jughead snorted into his coffee which earned him a kick under the table from Milly. "Coach Clayton was in here talking to Pop Tate," he changed the subject to take a dig at Archie. "Varsity. Does that make you mister popular football god now?"
The taunt flew right over Archie's head. "No," he said. "I'm kind of terrified. I actually think I might have lost my best friend tonight."
"If you mean Betty, whatever happened, just talk to her," Jughead told him, taking pity. "It'd go a long way; would've gone a long way with me."
"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Thanks, Jughead," Archie said and left the diner to find Betty.
Milly watched him go, grinning from ear to ear.
"What?" Jughead demanded.
"Just recognizing the beauty of best friends and reconciliation," she teased.
"That wasn't reconciliation," he grumbled.
"It was the beginning," she said and ordered more coffee and a plain donut which, yes, she did dunk into her warm coffee. "I think I missed my calling. I could have been a cop."
Jughead barked out a laugh, but quickly shushed her. "There are two cops sitting literally two booths behind you," he whispered.
Milly shrugged, not concerned in the slightest about offending them. "Whoops."
The call came in less than an hour later while the cops were still in the diner. Not everyone heard it, but it wasn't hard to infer what was happening. A body had been found and they thought it was Jason Blossom. Milly and Jughead's eyes connected, but they didn't speak. Jughead watched the cops stand, throw cash on the table for their meal, and rush out. Once the lights and sirens on the cruiser were on, Jughead and Milly asked for the check.
By the time they had found the site, it had already been set up as a crime scene and an ambulance was there to take the body. Whispers ran throughout the crowd that had gathered. "He's been shot." "Right between the eyes." "Murdered."
Milly thought she might vomit. Up until now she still held out hope that Jason was alive. But this was worse, so much worse than drowning. Milly tugged on the hem of Jughead's plaid shirt that was now tied around his waist. "Can we go?" she asked. It felt wrong to be watching.
"Of course," Jughead took her hand and walked with her back to the car.
Milly offered up her keys and Jughead accepted. She didn't feel like driving. She didn't feel like doing much of anything. She wanted to curl up and go to sleep and pretend it was all a nightmare. She of all people knew Riverdale wasn't perfect; she had experienced rape and murder before. But this seemed worse than her father's crime. This felt cruel and evil and wrong.
Jughead started the car, but didn't drive. Instead he took out his phone: "What's your boss's number?" he asked.
"Why?" Milly asked back
"Because you can't go to work today," Jughead said. "You're upset. You're not feeling well. We've been up all night. It's a bad idea."
Milly knew perfectly well that she had to be at work in about three hours and it had never occurred to her to call out. She had never called out of work before. She rattled off Gregg's number. She half listened to the conversation because the other half of her was beginning to doze off as she leaned her head against the window. It seemed like Gregg had heard about Jason and was okay if Milly didn't want to work. But honestly, she barely remembered getting to her apartment and Jughead helping her inside. She hadn't even realized he had tucked her in and stayed with her until she woke up in the middle of the afternoon with her face pressed against his shoulder.