Word count: 3128
A/N: Y/F/F stands for Your Favorite Flavor. Thank you all for the comments asking for more, it hope you enjoy this next part :)
Y/N's point of view
Y/N wakes up, but stays in bed, not because it's comfortable – it's just her limbs that can't seem to move. She gets up after several minutes of lying down motionless. She looks at her reflection in the mirror glued on the back of her door, eyes puffy and red. "Was I crying?" A little confirmation as she runs her fingers down her wet cheeks.
She's angry, not at him, at herself, for thinking things could be different or that they would change. Her mind wondering why she even likes him. Is it the suspenders? Maybe the 'S' T-shirts? Could be the mystery underneath the crown-shaped beanie? Probably his sardonic humor? Possibly his way with words? Maybe it was everything in one, the combination of it all.
Her thoughts are interrupted by the phone vibrating. Text message:
Mom - Where are you?
You - Wasn't feeling good so I stayed in. I'm heading to school now.
Mom - Glad you're ok, let us know if you need anything.
You - Principal Weatherbee called you?
Mom - With everything that happened this summer I'm surprised he isn't already searching for you at the river lol :)
Y/N laughs at her mom using slang, and knowing who she got her humor from.
Principal Weatherbee is waiting for her when she arrives. He tells her about his worries about the classes she missed - twice in a row - fearing the reason could be 'Mr. Jones'. "I'd hate if your focus on school were deviated." She has to use all her self control not to laugh when he says the boy is not a great influence. She's not sure if it's because he may be completely right or entirely wrong about Jughead. He asks her to wait for the next class at the library.
Jughead's point of view
Jughead can't close his eyes, the guilt is eating him alive. "How could I have forgotten her?" Since that night by the river she has been a constant in his mind. Earlier that day she skipped class to make him feel better and he left her waiting at Pop's only to sit with the friend who left him hanging all summer, a raven-haired girl he only knew by name, and the perfect girl next door. He won't let that be the end of them.
Today is his turn to spend the morning looking for Y/N. Unfortunately, she's quite good at hiding, just like him. But he eventually finds her in the library behind a pile of books, her face buried in an open book. Before even entering the library, he just stands there for a moment, enjoying the way she looks, so peaceful and beautiful. Once he speaks to her, all that can change. He's not used to being this nervous, but there's a lot in stake now.
He gathers his entire courage and don't-give-a-damn attitude to sit in the chair in front of her, the wall of books still separating those young detectives. He moves them away to have a clear view of her face, still deep within what she's reading. "Y/N", he says softly, since she hasn't noticed his presence, or is simply ignoring him. "Hey, Jughead." She's so hurt he can feel that in those few words. It breaks him. "I have to apologize." He gives her a hand-made ticket granting a milkshake, fries and a burger at Pop's. "You don't have to do this." Her words are contradictory to her actions as she holds that single piece of paper with more care than any of her books, so carefully as if it was the most precious thing in the whole universe. "I do, and I want to." His face is showing the desperation for forgiveness.
He's filled with relief when she forgives him, certain that she's not one to hold a grudge. Still, he doesn't plan on ever needing her exoneration ever again. He feels more like himself now, regaining his own confidence. "If you really wanna make it up to me there's something you can do.", she says playfully but seriously at the same time. "You name it." He has a smirk on his face, ready to take on the assignment. "Who's the one person we know was at Sweet Water River on July 4th besides the Blossoms?", she asks rhetorically. " Dilton Doiley and his scouts.", he shoots and she shivers. "Right, so you're gonna talk to him and find out what happened when he found Cheryl.", she whispers, for the librarian was looking kinda angrily at them. "Not to push my luck, but why me?, he asks, trying to understand the girls reaction when he said the scout's name. "The boy freaks me out." Jughead also feels that way, only to a lesser extent. "But don't worry, it's not gonna be all sunshine and rainbows for me. I'm gonna stick with she-Devil Blossom.", Y/N says with a little regret. He thinks it's probably because no one would like to stakeout that crazy cheerleader. "Last night, before you stood…", she stopped for a second. "…me up.", he thought sadly. "Cheryl ran off the stage and I heard her talking to Veronica. She said her brother was supposed to come back." It feels as if she understood him finishing her sentence, but they keep on talking about the investigation, probably because it's the best path. "I know it's too movie-plot like, but do you think they could've tried to fake his death so he could skip town?", he asks, already working on 20 different scenarios in his mind, some a little Hitchcockian, others more Lynne Ramsay-like. However, giving the way Jason turned out, it all sounded very plausible.
Y/N's point of view
He helps her put the books back on the shelves, picking up the didactic ones that were piled in front of her earlier. She closes the one she was reading, revealing a Lovecraft cover, earning a smile from Jughead. "Maybe it's that darn smile that blinds me.", she thinks and they make their way to their Biology class. She can't help wondering if he's doing that only to make up for his lapse or he'd do that regardless. Y/N stops her thoughts as she doesn't want to live her life second guessing everyone's actions.
They walk inside and notice some people are already working together, but the pairs are not the same. "We're still lab partners, right?" She gives away to some of her insecurities in that question. "Who else would accept to do all the practice?", he asks in his usual sardonic humor. They sit next to each other and take a look at the board. Their lesson is on the body systems - circulatory, nervous, endocrine, immune and reproductive. Almost everybody else is making jokes about the latter, their books full of bad drawings. Betty, Veronica, Kevin, and Archie exchange looks with them, forming a group not afraid of sex. Astonishingly, the only one not belonging to any party is Cheryl Blossom.
The "fun" is broken when Sheriff Keller shows up at the door to take that red-haired girl in for questioning. After she says "Because I'm guilty.", Jughead and Y/N's eyes follow her being escorted out of class wondering what she meant by her words.
Jughead's point of view
When Jug opens his locker, a note falls out. He hurriedly picks it up, thinking it's from Y/N. His happiness over it is short-lived, because it's from Betty. She asks him to meet her at the Blue and Gold's office.
He obliges and she greets him with a proposition: to write for the school's paper on Jason's murder. He almost refuses, for he's already writing his own novel on it and sleuthing with Y/N, but, after lots of convincing from Betty, he finally accepts. He laughs at his first mission: interrogating Dilton. "It's already in my to-do list.", he shares. Cooper just smiles back.
He's conflicted if he'll tell Y/N about Betty inviting him to write for the paper. Maybe she wouldn't consider it a great idea, and he doesn't want to lose her simply because they're on rocky grounds. Nevertheless, not telling her would certainly mean ending their relationship for good. He decides to only mention it if casual conversation brings it up.
Jug goes to their usual rendezvous, arriving before her. He tries to take the time to write the next paragraph of his novel, but a writer's block prevents him. His brain can't seem to focus on anything other than the Y/H/C girl who's about to meet him there. Also, he's eager to know what she got from detailing Cheryl. He looks away from his screen just as she walks in, noticing for the first time that her clothes hug her body perfectly. It's advisable, though, to think of something else as she approaches.
Y/N's point of view
She enters Pop's and Jughead is already waiting for her with a milkshake, Y/F/F. "So, did you find out?", he asks, closing the lid on his laptop before she even has time to sit down. "Gossip is like a virus and I'm not immune to it." They both laugh at her corny joke. "Turns out your far-fetched theory is right. Jason wanted to fake his death.", she takes a sip from the tall glass containing her favorite drink. "Someone said something about them hearing a gunshot.", Jug adds what he knew from Archie, but couldn't tell her before without outing his friend. "One more reason to talk to Dilton.", she pronounces his name with hesitation. "Ok, you HAVE to tell me your deal with Doiley." He can't help his curiosity any longer. "He's a Master Scout. For him, animal torture is considered a means to mature. I tried talking to him about it once and he ate a bug in front of me, claiming it was survival skills." She's hoping he won't think she's a freak but the look on his face reassures her he understands her point of view.
As they were leaving the diner, they see Veronica in a car with Versety Coach's son, Chuck Clayton. She isn't friends with the Lodge girl, but anyone going out with him is on her pity list. Y/N just wishes there's more to it than it looks like. It'd be perfect if she played the player. A whole plan to unmask him, outing the whole scheme, crosses her mind for a brief moment.
Jughead doesn't even have to insist on walking her home that night. The closer they get, stronger is her wish to live a little more down the road so she could walk with him a bit longer. They say their goodbyes and she goes up to her room in a completely different mood she did the previous night, now knowing Weatherbee was wrong about Jughead. She's scrolling through Instagram when a picture of the couple they spotted earlier shows up, with maple syrup edited over Veronica's face, another victim of the sticky maple. "Just to think it could have happened to me because I tutored Jason… Thank goodness I always chose a public place with tons of eyewitnesses. "
Jughead's point of view
He takes his free period to go to the Avengers Scouts headquarters to have a word with the boy he now isn't so fond of, after hearing about Y/N's reasons for not being a fan herself. The fact that he's writing an article for the Blue and Gold gives him freedom to ask questions without sounding snoopy, but Dilton doesn't take it well. Jughead is very direct and precise and would really like Dilton to cooperate, but he keeps budging. One of his scouts flinches at the sight of Jug asking his Master questions. That's definitely something he has to share with Y/N.
Text message to Y/N: Meet me at Pop's right after school. Jughead. He sends it, using the phone number she gave him for the first time, then rushes to the diner.
The booth he was used to being alone at now felt lonely and too silent. He is getting used to sharing it with the chocolate-ginger-smelling girl. The second she walks in he tells her about his plan to talk directly with the scout who flinched - he happens to be at Pop's as well. "Go intimidate the kid and get us some answers.", she instructs when the boy's father leaves the table, probably to use the bathroom. He uses a trick Y/N told him about, of being higher than your subject to show power. He crouches on the seat, taking the cherry from his sundae (he couldn't help himself).
When Jug sits down at his booth again, he has precious intel. "You won't believe it: Dilton fired the shot.", he tells her, trying to figure out a way to get Dilton to confess to it. "I kinda do." She makes a disgusted face.
Y/N invites him to watch a movie at her place to "celebrate" a job well done. He accepts with the condition of him picking the film, and they both laugh as she clearly pretends to take the offer back. Jug realizes he's been laughing a lot more after meeting her – and over not so funny things. They settle on American Psycho and Y/N makes a bowl of pop corn each, as if she knows he will eat one all by himself. He soon finds out she does too. They make themselves comfortable on the soft couch full of fluffy pillows, and Jughead makes sure to sit as close to her as he can without making it obvious, mainly because it's a large piece of furniture.
Jughead's not one to be distracted during movies, being able to marathon the extended trilogy of Lord of the Rings with only two bathroom brakes, but somehow his eyes divert from the TV to the girl sitting next to him. He notices what color her nails are painted, the cute design on her socks, the size of her lips as she mouths the words from the movie. She lays down her head on his shoulder as the movie gets close to ending and he is intoxicated by the smell of chocolate and ginger once again. If he could he would freeze that moment.
Y/N's point of view
Jughead tells her about the Blue and Gold. "That's awesome, Jug." Her face lights up. "You sure? We were doing this before.", he asks and she can feel he doesn't want that to come between them. "Unless this means you're ditching me, it's good. You can use the 'I'm writing a story for the school paper' to investigate without being suspicious.", she says. He looks extremely appeased.
They spend the next couple of days thinking up a plan to get Dilton to confess of firing the gun on July 4th, in addition to enjoying time together. She's thankful in a weird way about what happened, otherwise who knows how much time would pass without them knowing each other. They decide to apply some pressure on him at the Taste of Riverdale event by threatening him to tell Sheriff Keller. Jughead says he'll talk to him alone, so she wouldn't have to face him once more. Y/N likes the way it feels to be protected by the Jones boy.
She's dressed a little fancier than usual, not too much that she stands out, but not too little that it's eye-catching. Jughead clearly doesn't follow the same line of thought as he sports his regular clothes and the beanie that makes him always stand out. She unquestionably admires his confidence. They slouch at the balcony so they are barely visible, although having a full view of everything happening. They hear a whack and their eyes are directed towards Mrs. Blossom, who clearly has just slapped Mrs. Cooper, quickly walking away. "Ok, I'm gonna see what Alice got from her. You find Doiley.", she has to speak right by his year as the Pussycats start playing. Maybe she didn't HAVE to, but she clearly wanted to. "Alice?", he asks just as close to her ear as she did before, speculating how she got on a first name basis without being friends with Betty. "I had an internship with the Coopers at the Register.", she explains and walks out slowly, leaving Jug wondering what else he doesn't know about her. Bummer is that Alice got slapped over asking for a quote she didn't get. She hopes Juggie has more luck with Dilton.
She knocks at the Blue and Gold's door. The previous night she got a text from Jug telling her to be there for Dilton's confession. Y/N walks in shyly. "What's she doing here?", Betty asks confused as she was expecting Doiley. "Y/N and I have been investigating this before you asked me to write for the paper. She's a part of this. You want me, you take us both.", Jughead says defensively and Y/N blushes. Bets is reminded about the time Ronnie said that about her on the vixens team but before the blonde has a chance to reply, the culprit arrives and sits at the table in the center. They all gather around him. Now she's sure Betty doesn't mind her being with them, as there is strength in numbers.
The boy isn't there to give them his story for the paper, but to negotiate. Something no one else knows about that day in exchange for his being forgotten. In different circumstances this would've never been accepted, but they are all grasping for information, so they take him up on his offer. Dilton tells them that on July 4th he saw a car by the river's edge, Miss Grundy's car. Everyone knows Archie was at Sweet Water River when he confessed earlier of hearing the same gunshot. Y/N looks at Jug in awe. "He probably knew about this and didn't tell me." She doesn't even blame her new friend. After all, she didn't tell him everything about Jason until she had to. She understands that if he did withhold that from her, it was to protect Arch. Although, from now on, nothing he does will shield him because Betty also heard the words the eldritch scout spoke and she seemed truly hurt by them.