Archie was stood on a small step, the tailor working the tape around his body, getting measurements for a suit. He felt the weight of a jacket fall over his shoulders, looking in the mirror he saw it was a deep red. He saw Mr Blossom behind him, he looked happy with the way the suit was coming together.

"Black piping with the velvet, of course." Mr Blossom made the remark to the tailor who nodded back to him.

"I just need the measurements for the pants." The tailor spoke to Archie directly in a quiet voice.

"Can we hold on a moment, would I be able to talk to you Mrs Blossom?" He saw Mr Blossom nod to the tailor who quickly left the room to give them some privacy.

"What is it Archie?" He noticed the slight confusion on his face as he searched his own.

"I know you and my dad have been at odds lately, but things aren't going well with his company. I was wondering, if maybe instead of helping me out with the music, you'd maybe consider helping my dad." He watched as a mix of expressions crossed Mr Blossoms face, he had been thinking about bringing this up with him since the conversation with his dad about the banquet.

"You're negotiating on behalf of your father?" He could hear the confusion in the question and it made him question even bringing it up. "No, I'm impressed really." He quickly back-tracked obviously seeing the expression. "I'm trying to imagine Jason doing the same for me and I can't see him giving something up like that for me. It speaks to your character, son." Archie couldn't help but smile at that, he knew he had learnt traits like this from his dad, he tried to act like he would.

"Thank you." He was quiet as he said that.

"I'll tell you what, I'd like very much to sit and talk to you at the banquet about options for helping your dad. But we have already contacted the music academy and they are very excited to meet you so I wouldn't want to take that opportunity away from you." Archie smiled at how the conversation had gone, happy he had put the case across for his dad. He watched as Mr Blossom waved the tailor back in to continue his work.


Archie had only been home ten minutes before there was a knock at the door, he heard his dad call him from downstairs. He was surprised to see Valerie on the other side of the door, she was supposed to be playing with the Pussycats tonight.

"Valerie, hi. What's going on?" He nodded her upstairs to his room and sat beside her on the bed before she answered the question.

"I thought you should know, Cheryl came to talk to me about how close you two were getting. It seems she thinks she's going to steal you from me."

"Val..." He shifted slightly to face her and took her hand in his. "She just needs a friend right now, it's not like that. For either of us."

"You don't see it. The guitar, the suit, they are buying you Archie."

"It's one night Valerie, and they are helping with my music and my dad with his company."

"You're good enough to earn your place at that music academy, wouldn't you rather that?"

"All they are doing is opening a door for me, you'd do the same in my position." Suddenly Valerie was pushing away from him and standing up.

"If you think I would do this, be bought like this. You don't know me at all!" She raised her voice as she went towards the door and Archie stood up to follow her.

"Valerie, don't leave. Just talk to me. You said going to the tree tapping was ok for me to go to."

"Yeah I did, it was a few hours for what could have been a huge opportunity for your music. I could understand that, but now you're going to a family function, getting paid with expensive guitars and I'm getting not so subtle hints that Cheryl wants to make her move." With that Valerie left his room and a few moments later he heard the front door open and close, he had his head in his hands when he heard someone else enter his room. He looked up to see Jughead giving him a sympathetic look before he sat down on his air bed.

"That didn't sound good." He just shook his head at Jughead's observation. "Anything I can help with?"

"No, I'll figure it out." He looked up to see Jughead nodding at him, he felt the pressure of his hand on his shoulder, lending him some comfort.

"Come on, your dad got Pop's for dinner." He followed him quietly to join his dad in the kitchen with a smile stuck in place.


Polly was sat at the table ata the banquet, the Blossoms hadn't let her out of their sights since she turned up at Thornhill. She was surprised when Archie turned up again on the arm of Cheryl, she hadn't expected him to get this involved with the Blossoms, he promised herself she would find a moment to talk to him and reveal her plan if she could. She kept her smile fixed to her face as she made eye contact briefly with people around the room before settling longer on Archie, he smiled back at her before taking his seat next to her. Mr Blossom got up to welcome the guests and give a small speech about the hope he has the company. She saw Cheryl turn to talk earnestly to Archie, she didn't catch what she said but she thought she had an idea what it was, Archie stood up after a moment and followed Mr Blossom a little way away from the table, out of earshot.

"I wanted you to know, I've decided to help your father." Archie had followed Mr Blossom away from the main group.

"You will?" He was happy that even with all the trouble this had been for him, it still had its good sides, he was still able to help his dad.

"You've been a great help to this family, especially Cheryl. You fit in very well here Archibald."

"Thank you, Mr Blossom."

"Clifford, please." He smiled up at him as another thought passed his mind.

"Just so you know, you don't have to keep doing me favours. I like Cheryl and want to be there for her. As a friend." He felt the need to add the end statement after the conversation he had with Valerie.

"Ok, I'm going to be honest with you here Archibald. Cheryl is bright, very bright, but the board are very skeptical about her ability to have any sort of role within this company. You seem to have a stabilising effect on her." He chuckled softly. "Someone of your stock and character, along with that, it creates a very good image. It's all about that picture, that story. And you with her makes a very appealing one, one that the board could get behind. You'll help us with this won't you?"

Polly decided now was her chance, Archie was looking more and more uncomfortable with whatever conversation he was having with Mr Blossom. She stood up and made her way swiftly to his side.

"Would you mind if I cut in, take this first dance with Archie?" Mr Blossom smiled down at her and she amde herself keep her smile in place.

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Mr Blossom left them then and she guided Archies hand so it rested on her waist while she took the other in hers tightly as they danced slowly.

"Polly what's going on here?" She looked around the room quickly, happy that no one could see how unhappy he seemed she turned her attention back to him.

"Just dance and keep smiling." She looked up at him to see him smiling back at her, it looked slightly forced but it would serve the purpose. "Betty keeps asking Cheryl about me, she has to stop."

"She won't stop, not as long as she worries about you."

"She will, if you tell her my real reason for being here at Thornhill." He looked down at her questioningly then. "The Blossoms had something to do with Jasons death, I'm sure of it. I know they threatened him and I'm going to prove it."

"Polly, this could be dangerous, you shouldn't be in here."

"I have to Archie, I have to prove this."

"Why are you blowing off Betty though, she could help you."

"It has to be believable, they have to think I've put my whole family aside to be with them. They have to think I want to be here." She sighed lightly then and breathed deeply and slowly before making eye contact again. "I don't want her rescuing me, I'm exactly where I need to be. Please tell her that."

"Of course Polly, I'll tell her but you will have to talk to her soon." She just nodded to him.

Archies attention was taken then by the sudden loud voice of Cheryl, he could see she wasn't happy with something her dad was saying to her. He watched as she shouted again and stormed through a door to the outside area. He excused himself from Polly and hurried to follow Cheryl from the room. She was stood by the pool when he found her, as he got closer he saw the goosebumps running across her arms and took his jacket off to sling over her shoulders. She smiled up at his at the gesture, he could see tears threaten to spill from her eyes.

"What did my dad say to you? That everyone thinks I'm a trainwreck?" Her voice shook slightly as she asked the question.

"Cheryl..."

"It's ok, I know." She looked down again then. "Jason was the golden boy, everyone loved him. People hate me though Archie. At school, it's fine, I can live with it. But this is my family."

"Cheryl." He bent his ehad to make eye contact. "Forget them, what they think. It doesn't matter, you're awesome and we both know that." He earned a small laugh from her then.

"I think you may be the decent person in Riverdale left, the only one who isn't after something from me. Or doesn't want me to apologise for who I am." He smiled at her, glad he was making her feel better. "Or what I want." She pushed herself closer to him then and before he had chance to register what she was doing she had pressed her lips against his, he quickly pulled away from her.

"What are you doing?" He couldn't help the question from escaping his lips, in a harsher tone then he meant it to. Cheryl just looked back at him with a sweet smile on her lips, the tears gone from her eyes now.

He couldn't stand there any longer, her back up and hurried away from the area. Leaving Cheryl stood there still in his jacket and smiling at his back. He stopped when was far away, he stopped to rest with his back to a bush. He suddenly heard voices coming from the other side of it, he strained to hear the low voices.

"Keeps asking about the Drive-in land. I am so close to getting it back but Hermione Lodge is turning out to be much more resourceful than I thought." He looked through the bush to see Mr and Mrs Blossom talking together. "Maybe you should have sent her to jail instead of Hiram."

He felt himself go suddenly cold at the new information. He found himself hurrying away again, running from everything this family had brought into his life the last few days, he knew now that he shouldn't have gotten involved with them. Cheryl caught up with him when he was reaching the front of the house, he was reaching for his phone to message his dad to pick him up.

"Cheryl, I can't do this. I'm leaving."

"Oh Archie, you can't leave. If you leave, the bright sun that is the Blossom family, stops shining on you." Her voice turned to acid then. "The music academy, the help for your dad and his company. Do you really want to lose that?"

"I did this for you, and your mum." He felt the need to defned his decisions." But he heard her scoff at him.

"Don't start lying now Archiekins." Her face twisted to one of annoyance as she looked at him. "You may not want anything from me, but you definetly do from my parents. Which means your just like everyone else, as much as I wanted to believe otherwise." She took his jacket from her shoulders and threw it at him, he managed to catch it before it fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry Cheryl. I can't do this." He turned away from her then and started continuing his way to the front of the house while continuing his message to his dad, he just had to get out of there, he was feeling suffocated by his bad decisions.