As she pushed the door open, the bell ringing was a welcome reprieve from the rant her mother had been on since she had picked her up at the airport nearly an hour earlier.

Really, Elizabeth, what were you thinking? Do you realize how unprofessional it is to leave a month early?

Sorry my friend is dead. Betty had replied, and that was what finally shut Alice up. She had even offered her a ride home from Pop's, but Betty had ignored her, turning to stare out the window.

Jason...

Jason Blossom, the red headed football player, the quiet twin brother of the River Vixen's team captain, her friend Jason, was dead, gone forever.

"Arch." She called, when she spotted him waiting for her, sitting in the same booth they had occupied not even a month before.

He rose slowly, and within seconds, she was in his arms, and she allowed herself to enjoy the comfort of an old friend, nothing more, nothing less.

"Oh my god, Arch." Betty mumbled, when they pulled away. She slid into the booth across from him.

Archie nodded, saying nothing.

Betty understood immediately. His emotions were mirroring her own.

Since he had called her, she had not been able to shed a tear over Jason Blossom, she only felt numb. For the last twenty-four hours, she had been trying to remind herself of every good memory she had of him, like that night in October during their freshman year, when their group had snuck into Riverdale cemetery to test the legend of Bloody Mary at Cheryl's insistence, or the play they had done in the tenth grade, where Betty was a lead, and Jason a background character. He had tripped over his untied shoelace, Reggie's boredom getting the better of him, he had been untying everyone's shoes the entire duration of rehearsals, and fell into the orchestra pit, somehow landing on his feet without a sprain or a break. He had gotten a standing ovation in the middle of the second act.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I don't know." Archie admitted, shaking his head. "He said he was going to go camping at Sweet Water River."

Betty blinked. Something didn't feel right.

His intentions weren't strange, Jason had gone camping every summer, often bringing the rest of their friends along with him. The previous year, Betty had rolled down a hill into the water, injuring her wrist in the process, Cheryl had nearly caught her hair on fire while trying to make a s'more, and Veronica had lost her favorite diamond studs.

What she didn't understand was why he would have gone in July, when they usually camped out over Labor Day weekend, pretending that the summer wasn't actually over.

But she didn't dare mention any of this to Archie.

He had been closer to Jason, the two playing side by side on the field since the seventh grade. He didn't seem upset though, just deeply, deeply tired, and she wondered if the news had really hit any of them yet.

Kevin, Chuck, Reggie and Veronica were on their way home.

They had all traded a few texts back and forth, checking in, agreeing to go see Cheryl, who had more or less become a recluse within Thornhill, as a group. No one had dared to ask if the other was okay, because they already knew the answer. For now, it was just her and Archie, along with a few other late night visitors at Pop's. and despite the devastating nature behind their meeting up, for a moment, it felt like old times.

Of course, there was still one obvious person missing, someone to throw around clever quips, and steal French fries off her plate when he thought she wasn't looking.

Really, Betty? She scolded herself. You're thinking about him now?

The real question was, when was she not thinking of him in some way, some capacity.

The bell jingled again, alerting the rest of Pop's current inhabitants that some other late night dweller had arrived. Betty paid it little mind, but as Archie glanced up, his jaw tightened, and he rose suddenly, catching hold of her arm.

"Archie." She began, slowly turning her head.

It was not one person entering, but several, the door being held open by a green eyed boy, his raven locks hidden halfway beneath an all too familiar crown-like beanie.

Forsythe Pendleton Jones III, known to those who loved him the most as simply Jughead.

It felt like forever since she had seen him entering Pop's.

She wondered if he still frequented the diner, it had been their favorite place to go since they were old enough to cross the street without a parent by their side, and though she was there almost every day rain or shine, their paths had yet to cross.

Betty allowed herself to stare at him without shame for a moment. He had grown taller, if that was even possible, both he and Archie had towered over her by the time they entered junior high, and though his form was still somewhat lanky, he had filled out, his arms becoming more defined.

This was a far cry from the boy that had given her classic books for every Christmas and birthday, from the boy who hid her Adderall for her and proofread all of her papers before she turned them in, just to ensure that they were perfect, and the biggest change in him was the leather jacket he was wearing, a snake stitched into the back.

"Let's go." Archie said quietly, as if trying not to draw attention to himself.

"Arch..." Betty replied.

The last of his friends entered, and Jughead let the door fall shut, clapping one of them on the back as he passed. He grinned at the guy, saying something she didn't catch.

Archie tugged on her arm.

"Betty!" He snapped.

The sound of her name had him whipping his head in their direction.

Betty allowed herself to meet his gaze.

Jughead looked at her for a moment, his smile evolving into a smirk she had once known all too well.

One of his fellow Serpents, a girl with long curls partially dyed pink, called out to him. "Jug?"

For a moment, her blood boiled.

That was her nickname for him, well, hers and Archie. What right did that girl have to use it?

"Yeah." He answered, still not breaking his eye contact with her. She couldn't tell if his voice had gotten deeper or not.

"Coming."

"Betty." Archie managed to pull her from the booth, his grip slipping down to her wrist, until finally, his hand enclosed over her own. "Come on, let's go."

"Archie." Betty argued lamely. "We don't have to-"

"Well we're sure as hell not staying here." He told her, still tugging her towards the door. "We can go somewhere else."

"Arch."

"Betty, I'm not leaving you alone with Serpents." Archie hissed through clenched teeth. "You're coming with me."

Jughead had moved to join his posse, a gang really. What really went on in the Southside, she had no idea, she didn't want to know. The rumors surrounding the Serpents were bad enough, and she still couldn't believe the boy who had brought her a flower picked from the neighbor's yard every day for a month after her grandmother died was now one of them.

You're not fourteen anymore. She told herself. Jughead isn't your friend, he's one of them now.

"Okay." She agreed, dropping her gaze. She allowed Archie to lead her outside. "Let's go."