A/N: Chapter three up. Still own nothing but the plot. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter Three: Social Code Breaking
My own battle of the invitations and getting permission to attend was not much of a battle, but Betty Cooper would unintentionally set something in motion that would place us on a bumpy and precarious path before the first school bell even rang.
Betty Cooper was the typical girl next door, not much of a rule breaker or a social code breaker. Often she left her older sister alone, as that was an unspoken rule. But with the official start of middle school around the corner, and an established middle schooler in her midst, she saw an opportunity, and with her first middle school party, she wanted to consult an expert in the field.
She knocked on her sister's door, and was surprised when the music that was blaring lowered significantly and the door opened. "What?" Polly demanded.
"I need your help," Betty said entering Polly's room without an invitation except the one she held in her hand, another breach in the unspoken rules. "I have a party on Saturday, what's the dress code?"
"Did you tell Mom and Dad about the party?" Polly turned to her sister, hands on her hips.
"Yes, and Dad said it was okay because Ronnie's parents are gonna be there."
"I still cannot believe that you're not going to the Blossoms' party." Polly said. "You know you're going to start off on the completely wrong foot."
"I don't mind," Betty replied. "Archie, Jug and I are going to kill it anyway."
Polly scoffed. "Little sis, you've got a lot to learn. Fourth grade friendships never last into fifth."
"Says who?"
"Everyone," Polly said. She sighed. She had to give her sister an out, and she knew just how to do it. But right now, she had to play it cool. "Well come on, I'll help you choose an outfit."
The Cooper sisters went through their closets and chit chatted about nothing in particular as Polly Cooper taught her little sister the art of lip gloss and makeup that didn't make tweenage girls look like sad clowns. In the middle of the rendezvous, a text was sent out that was an atomic bomb waiting to blow.
Jughead was seated on the stoop of the trailer when he saw Archie walk up.
"Hey Jug," Archie greeted.
Jughead gave the briefest ghost of a smile at the sight of his best friend and the puppy scrambling eagerly to greet beside his master. "Hey Archie,"
Archie frowned. "Everything okay?"
"Guess so," Jughead reached out to scratch Vegas as Archie sat on the stoop beside him. His stomach lurched and growled as he thought of the empty fridge. Dad had just gotten back after a few days away. Of course no one could know that, but almost everyone assumed they knew. Jughead didn't really know what his dad did in those days away...or rather he chose to ignore it. Everyone in Riverdale knew what those colors on his dad's jacket meant, and loved reminding him just how much he didn't belong. Southside Pride. Yeah right.
"I know what you mean," Archie said. His afternoon had been strange too. "So did you ask about the party?"
"No answer is a good answer," Jug replied. It meant he could make his own answer. "Already sent it in."
"Dude…" Archie raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?"
"Dude," Jughead rolled his eyes. "He was drunk."
Jughead said this so matter of fact like he said everything, and it sent a chill up Archie's spine. He wasn't stupid. He knew there was a reason Jug was always at his place, knew FP Jones was in some tough stuff. Late nights talking revealed a lot that Betty didn't even know. But it still caught him off guard, how Jug just accepted it like he accepted Jason Blossom and Reggie Mantle being dicks. Just accepted that his dad wouldn't be able to answer or provide the answer Jughead needed to hear.
"My dad can give you a lift," Was all Archie said in response deciding not to engage his other particular train of thought. He had to ask his father first. "Wanna head back to my place?" He asked.
"Sure," Jughead got to his feet, went up the step and opened the screen door to the trailer. "Dad! I'm going to Archie's!"
"Hey Archie!" His father's muffled slur could be heard mingled with exhaustion.
"Hi Mr. Jones!" Archie shouted. "We'll be back before it gets dark."
A sound that sounded enough like assent for the two young boys eager to get going grew fainter as the screen door slammed.
"Let's get out of here." Jughead said.
Jason read the text then read it again. [Did you get invite to Veronica Lodge's party?] He then looked at the ink black envelope on his dresser, one that had a matching set in his sister's room. This new girl in town had no idea what she had just done. He would almost feel bad for her...almost but not quite. Things in Riverdale were well established and it would fall back into place soon enough. He removed the card from the envelope and marked the box. New girl wanted a party she wouldn't forget. That's exactly what she would get.
He heard the knock on his door. "Jay Jay," Cheryl sniffed.
"Don't worry," Jason said. "We'll still have a party."
That afternoon the first set of battle lines were drawn, at least for the Blossom twins. For the Lodge family, the lines had been drawn in the sand since before we came along, and what none of us knew, what I didn't know until much later was that by making the decision I did, I ensured that both warpaths were about to collide that Saturday hard...and fast.
A/N: So Polly took it into her own hands to protect her sister as Jughead made a risky move with his RSVP. And Jason and Cheryl are itching to teach Ronnie a lesson, uh-oh. Next chapter, the kids hang out two days before party time as they give Veronica a kid's tour of Riverdale, and Veronica offers Betty some advice as secrets are shared. And Archie talks to his dad after the events of this chapter have raised some concerns.