It was a normal school day. Just like any other. Except, it was a bit too happy. There was too much. Laughing with Veronica and Kevin about the night before. Sitting with the gang at lunch for the first time in weeks. Not cringing when I looked at Archie—I was too happy, too free to let it matter. It felt like a good day. Then, after school, I stood in front of my open locker. My eye were downcast, staring at my phone in my hands. I'd been texting Sweet Pea on and off all day.

SP: We should go out tonight.

ME: Is that the best you can do?

SP: Babe it's not prom.

(Then, five minutes later, after I'd let him sweat it out…)

SP: Will you go to Pop's with me tonight, princess?

ME: Yes, I would LOVE to.

SP: I'll pick you up at six.

My teeth pulled my lower lip into my mouth to hide a squeal as my free hand gripped the open locker door. That was it. The highlight of my day. The little things were what made me smile the most. But then it was washed away. The happiness left as I heard my name. It was Jughead. I knew it before i'd turned around. When I did turn around, I saw Jughead walking a stride behind Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee.

Eyes widening, chest filling with worry, I said, "Wha- Jug, what's going on?"

"Call my dad, Diana," Jughead said, urgently, as he only followed them farther down the hall, farther away from me. There was a certain fear in his eyes that I will never forget. "Call my dad!"

I knew it was serious if he wanted me to track down FP. Immediately, I shut my locker with a hard shove, and started dialing FP's trailer. It rang in my ear as I sped past a stunned Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper toward the exit. And the phone kept ringing, and kept ringing. It rang until it went to voice mail. Standing on the front steps of the school, I dialed again. The Sheriff's cruiser pulled out of the parking lot. Jughead's silhouette in the backseat.

This was wrong. It was all wrong. Why would Keller suspect Jughead? Jughead wasn't anywhere near Jason on July fourth. I guess that was too hard to grasp. A hand suddenly touched my arm, and I turned left to see a worried looking Archie. "What was that about?" he asked, a bit panicked sounding.

I shook my head, "I don't know. But we need to get to the station. Now."

"I'll call my dad. He can give us a ride," he offered.

I agreed, only because I didn't have a better option. Walking would take just as long as waiting for Mr. Andrews to pull up with his truck. So I waited. I waited impatiently until that familiar pickup pulled in, came to a stop beside us, and Archie told me to get in. We crammed into the small truck. At the last minute, Betty decided she was coming, too.

We were packed in like sardines. But we managed. Mr. Andrews drove us to the Sheriff's Station. We hadn't arrived too much longer after Jughead left the school, but I still felt like we'd been taking too long. I rushed to get from the truck. To get inside the building. To give Keller a piece of my mind. But Mr. Andrews insisted he go talk to the Sheriff alone and that us kids wait in the lobby area by the front doors. I wouldn't have that.

I protested, demanding I be there, too. He agreed to that but then Archie wanted to come, too. So the three of us spoke to Sheriff Keller in a side hallway outside of the interrogation rooms. "Jughead's not helping himself in there," Keller said. "I asked him for an alibi and he's just giving me lip."

"Why would Jughead kill Jason Blossom?" I questioned, my arms tightly crossed.

"Well, it's not uncommon for victims of bullying to get revenge on their bullies," Keller shrugged a little.

My eyebrows popped. "Oh, so this is about bullying? Okay, then why don't you drag every teenager Jason ever teased in here and not just Jughead?"

I'd taken a step forward mid sentence, and Mr. Andrews gently grabbed my upper arm, giving me a warning expression. "Diana, calm down, okay?" he said, calmly. "We're gonna get this sorted out." Then Mr. Andrews turned to the Sheriff and he told him that Jughead had been working at Andrews Construction on July eleventh—Jason's actual date of death.

Fred said he could offer evidence to support his claims, and Keller agreed to release Jughead. When Jughead came down the hallway, I felt my heart go straight to my throat. I marched straight for him, walking fast—with a purpose. My arms went around his neck about the same time his arms went around my middle, and he buried his face in my shoulder. I could tell, on the way toward me, that he was about to cry. Or had been crying.

The pink around the edges of his eyes and slight glisten to his left cheek confirmed it. And it only made me feel worse. I rubbed my hand comfortingly along his shoulder blade, my chin on the shoulder of his fleece jacket. "It's okay, it's over now," I tried to assured, also trying to calm myself. "There's nothing Pop's milkshakes can't fix, right?"

When he finally pulled away, he sniffled hard. "I guess my dad didn't show, huh?"

It wasn't really a question. It was completely rhetorical. With a certain defeated, disappointed tone. I shook my head slowly. "I tried to call him...but he didn't answer," I replied, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Jug." He'd tried to act like it didn't matter. But I knew for a fact that it did. It was all that mattered.

We walked out the side door of the building. Along the concrete walkway and down the stairs. Then, out of nowhere, FP came walking down the small alley toward us. "Jughead!" he called, to get our attentions. Then, as he arrived in front of us, he said, "Sorry, I, uh, I came as soon as I got your messages. My phone, the stupid battery. I forgot to plug it in last night. So...what happened?"

"Nothing. It's fine now," Jughead said, somewhat bitterly. "Mr. Andrews took care of it."

All I could do was glare at FP. He came here so late, looking like he just pulled himself from the bottom of a dumpster, and then blamed a dead phone battery? If it was dead, why did it ring so many times before it went to voicemail? Of course, I didn't say that out loud. But I wished I would have. "What jacked up stuff did they accuse you of in there, huh? Those idiots trying to throw you in jail like they did your old man?" FP questioned, his voice steadily rising. "Well, forget them! I will rip Keller a new one for trying to pull that-"

FP was marching forward, getting angry. Mr. Andrews immediately stepped in front of him and held him back, trying to talk him down. "Hey- settle down-" Emphasis on tried.

"He is my son!" FP shouted, pushing Mr. Andrews square in the chest. "He is my son, Fred! You would do the same for your boy."

Like an angry bear, FP kept walking toward the building. But Jughead grabbed him by the jacket, stopping him cold in his tracks. "Dad...don't make things worse. Please," Jughead said, in a pleading whisper. FP seemed to come to it, to realize his odd behavior, with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. He began to turn, to start walking out of the alley. "Yeah...yeah, okay," he said, as he walked slowly. "You, uh, coming home with me?"

"He can stay with me," I piped up.

At the sound of my voice, FP turned around, stopping. The look on his face said a thousand things. But he looked like he might have actually been on the verge of tears. His eyes slightly glistening, looking right at me. He nodded a little, "You two have always looked out for each other. Maybe that's for the best. Both of you—come here for a second, alright?"

He gestured with a hand for us to come closer. Jughead and I shared a glance. It was hesitant. But Jughead and I walked over to FP. It seemed like Betty, Archie, and Mr. Andrews caught the drift. They all stepped back a bit in a not-so-subtle way, giving us space. I didn't know what FP would have to say that I had to hear. Even so—despite everything that's happened between us—I listened. FP bent just a little, looking between Jughead and I.

"Look...I'm gonna get my act together. Okay? I'm gonna bring your mom and Jellybean home so we're all under the same roof," he said, surely. "I'm gonna be a better father. But I'm gonna need a little time. Not a lot, not long—a month, two at the most. But you guy's gotta believe in me. I can't do this without you two."

My arms remained crossed, but I allowed my expression to loosen. He was extending an olive branch. Even I could see that. "You've always got me, dad," I decided. I'd said that title because I wasn't being serious in using it. It was just sarcastic. I'd used it before, and it'd been fine. But something about FP's expression changed. It worsened, saddening even further. Something unreadable flashed across it. "Come here," he said, taking a sidestep toward me.

Before I'd realized it, he'd put his arms around me in a hug, holding onto me tightly. It felt like I had no choice but to hug him back. But I wanted to. A large part of me missed him. I swallowed hard, keeping the lump in my throat at bay. Pulling away from him, I sniffled, and plastered on a small smile. "We believe in you, dad," Jughead said, as FP hugged him next.

I couldn't believe it. The way FP seemed to truly mean what he said. It was heart-warming. But it was also troubling. There was no way he could get his act 'together' and still be a Serpent. So what exactly he meant by that word was eluding me. FP Jones would never leave the Serpents. Not even for his own son. With a chuckle, FP pulled away from Jughead, and started walking the other way. Playing it off like he really didn't care. Even though all he did was care.

My lungs were on fire, hands caressing the warm skin of Sweet Pea's neck, locked in a heated battle for dominance over the situation. He had a hand at my lower back, another gripping tightly to the denim covering my right hip. Yes, we were making out just a few blocks from the Wyrm. He was supposed to be dropping me off with Joaquin and promptly leaving. But he had been insistent on a goodbye kiss and, well, there we were.

I didn't want it to end. The taste of his lips was too addicting. It took every ounce of will power in me to finally pull away. He snuck another quick peck before I leaned too far back for him to reach, taking in a deep breath as I smiled. "Easy, tiger," I exhaled, chuckling. "What's gotten into you this evening?"

"Just making up for lost time," he smirked, looking just as breathless.

"Uh-huh. Well, I have to go. So we'll have to finish this later, yeah?"

He nodded, his eyes flickering down to my lips. I could tell he was going in for one last kiss as he leaned in. But I leaned out of the way at the last second, dipping my head down and pressing my lips to his neck tattoo instead. I could tell it surprised him by the way his muscles tensed. As I pulled back, his smirk was only wider. "I would kiss yours, but..." he trailed, insinuatively.

He was referring to the placement of my tattoo. It was covered by the waist band of my jeans, a t-shirt, a hoodie, and a denim vest. There wasn't a lot of access to my right abdominal area. I grinned, giving his shoulder a shove. "Like I said," I took a step back, letting him go. "Later." I winked my left eye, sliding my hands into my pockets.

His whole body reverberated with a chuckle. Joaquin looked bored out of his mind and borderline disgusted when I turned around, walking toward him where he was parked across the lot. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Joaquin," I pointed out, smiling as I approached him.

"I just sat through you and Sweet Pea making out for ten minutes," he pointed out, giving me a pointed look.

I nodded a little. "Yeah...that wasn't really apart of plan. Sorry."

He sighed and swung his leg over the bike behind him. "Hop on," he said. "You sure you want to do this? I thought you were trying to distance yourself from the Serpents."

I climbed on behind him as he started up the bike. What he was saying was true. Distancing myself seemed like the only way to keep my sister in the beginning. But now getting close to them was the only way to help my friends. "This is worth it," I answered, more for myself than for Joaquin.

The Wyrm was just a few blocks away. But it was better if I went in on a bike with Joaquin than with Sweet Pea. Archie, Kevin, and Moose didn't need to meet him yet. Kevin already told them about Joaquin, though. There was no secret being exposed there. As we pulled into the parking lot, the boys looked surprised to see me. Kevin didn't seem as surprised. More like he'd had a hunch and it was just confirmed. Like he was applauding himself for knowing all along.

Even though this didn't mean what he thought it meant. Joaquin shut off the bike and I climbed off, staying close as he got off after me. "Diana?" Archie asked, in disbelief. "You know Joaquin?" Kevin was giving me an odd, unexplainable stare. But I ignored it, and Joaquin and I walked over to the group. Sliding my hands in my pockets again, I shrugged. "Yeah, he's an old friend. He told me you want to poke around the Wyrm?" I said, trying to elude to it being a bad idea.

"We need to know if it was the Serpents that attacked Moose," Archie explained.

Glancing up at Moose, I could see the damage whoever attacked him did. My eyes turned sympathetic. "Ouch. You in a lot of pain?"

"No," he shook his head. "It's mostly just a big bruise."

Sighing, I looked to Joaquin. "If this gets out of hand-"

"Don't worry, D. I got it covered," he assured, before looking to the boys. "Just keep your heads down—like we talked about. Keep eye contact to a minimum."

They all nodded in agreement. But I could see it getting out of hand so quickly. Archie didn't have as short a fuse as Sweet Pea, but he did have a habit of rushing in too soon. I knew the people in that bar better than I cared to admit. One wrong move, and someone goes out on a stretcher. Archie said that if Moose saw the guy that beat him, we would immediately leave and call the Sheriff.

That idea wasn't the best either, but I liked it better than the idea of dealing with it ourselves. We went inside. Joaquin lead the way, me close behind, and the boys a stride or two behind me. Act natural was the key. Everyone already knew Joaquin and I. So we were the front men. Acting normal on behalf of the anxiety-fueled teens with us. A few steps in, I felt a close presence at my back. Then Archie's voice came into my ear in a whisper. "You look like you've been in here before," he noticed.

"That's because I have, Archie," I said, almost like it should be obvious. "I grew up down South, remember?"

I tapped Joaquin's shoulder as I split left, to which he nodded, remaining with the others. My path lead me to a pool table. Securing one wasn't as easy as it looked. But I sweet-talked Tall Boy into giving up his game—I had to pay the bet money, but I could live with that. Joaquin brought the boys over after it'd cleared out. "Play, losers," I said, tossing a cue stick to Kevin. He just barely caught it. "Unfurl the wad in your panties a bit."

It wasn't hard to miss the look Archie gave me. Like he didn't recognize me. And maybe I liked that. That he truly didn't know me. Because I hadn't given away my best self only to lose it to a moronic jock like Archie Andrews. I ignored it, smiling loosely as I rounded up the balls with Kevin and Joaquin. Thinking back on it, it would've been kind of nice to know Sweet Pea was here to back me up if things went south. Then I reminded myself Archie didn't need to know.

Not yet. Probably not ever. We played pool. Acting like we belonged there. I may not have been wearing my jacket, but I didn't need it to be known as a regular in here. Moose kept an eye on almost everyone in the room, casually glancing across the bar. Archie stood by him. Offering invisible support. "See anyone?" he asked.

"I don't know," Moose said, indecisively. "That guy kind of looks familiar."

"You sure?" Archie asked for conformation.

That's when I glanced up, found who they were looking at. Moose was looking right at Mustang. My eyes widened, but Archie had started moving before I could speak. "Archie-!" I skidded around the side of the pool table, walking fast after him. Archie grabbed Mustang's shoulder, causing Mustang to turn around. "Hey. You like beating up kids?" Archie rose his voice at him a bit.

I grabbed Archie's shoulder tightly to pull him back. But Mustang was already offended. "This isn't the first time one of you Bulldogs have come in here, looking to cause trouble," Mustang said. He shoved Archie hard, pushing me back a step, my lower back hitting the pool table. A sharp pain shot up my spine and I made an inaudible cry, doubling over a bit. A Serpent grabbed Kevin, another grabbed Moose. Mustang hoisted Archie up and slammed him onto the opposite pool table.

That's when an all too familiar voice came from above, like it was coming from heaven itself. "Hey! That's enough Mustang. Let him go," it was FP. I looked up as he was coming through the crowd toward us. Mustang dropped Archie and walked away almost immediately—not daring to test FP. "I'll take care of this."

My eyes shot to Joaquin angrily. I'd just assumed that Joaquin made sure FP wasn't there tonight before bringing these North siders here. But I guessed I had set the bar a little too high. It wasn't his secret to keep. It was mine. FP turned toward me as Archie pulled himself off the other pool table. "Hey, you okay?" FP asked, genuinely concerned.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

"Alright. All of you out, go home," FP said, making a shooing motion with his hands at the group.

Archie reluctantly turned on his heel and followed Kevin and Moose out. FP pointed a finger at me and slid his eyes toward the door in a gesture. As a way of saying 'you, too'. I sighed heavily, and followed after the boys. Kevin and Moose were practically running. It was quite humorous to watch but I was a little too busy to enjoy it. I pushed through the door just after Archie, FP right behind me. "Not you, red," FP called after Archie.

Archie sighed as he stopped, not far from FP and I. "I'm okay," Archie waved away Kevin and Moose, whom both looked ready to bolt for the hills. "You guys go ahead."

With those words, Kevin and Moose sprinted up third like their back ends were literally on fire. Just after they crossed the street, a familiar Serpent pulled up along the street beside the parking lot on his motorcycle, and I sighed heavily, turning to see FP. "You called my boyfriend to come get me?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow imitatively.

"That's your boyfriend?" Archie asked, as he turned to me, features sunk deep in surprise.

"Go home, Diana," FP told me. "Ben's gotta be wondering where you are."

With a groan, I complied like a good girl. Ignoring Archie altogether. I walked right past him, breaking into a jog across the short parking lot. Sweet Pea looked at me funny, eyes narrowed as I approached. "What were you thinking—bringing North siders to the Wyrm?" he asked, rhetorically.

I climbed on the back of the bike, "I'll explain later. Just take me home."