"The good news is that all these divorce papers and legal mumbo jumbo will be done. Should be behind us by the end of the week." Fred told his children on the porch. He was going to Chicago for the weekend.
"Are you only going to see Mom now because of you and Hermione Lodge?" Archie asked.
"No. No, son, I ended that. Being together, working together, not a good idea." Fred shook his head. Abby narrowed her eyes at him. She knew that couldn't be the reason, if it was then he would have never started anything with her.
"In that case, then, why finalize things in such a final way now?" He pushed on.
"What are you talking about Archie? It's been two years and it's not like they made any progress in their relationship. It's about time." Abby rolls her eyes.
"Sometimes, son, you just gotta rip the Band-Aid off." He stood up and grabbed his bag to make his way to his truck.
"Or you can try and fix things." Archie stood up to meet him by the stairs.
"We're past that point, Archie." He sighs as he turns his head to look at his son.
"I spoke to Mom last week, she didn't mention any of this, Dad." Archie talks to her every week. She always talks about how much she missed him, Archie thought she meant more than just him.
"Your mom moved out two years ago. She didn't tell you because she wanted me to be the bearer of bad news." Fred walks down the steps.
"What if I came with you?" He thought there had to be something he could do to save his parent's marriage.
"This is between me and your mom. I'll check-in." Fred got in his truck and drove away.
Archie turns around to see his sister shaking her head at him. "Why don't you want mom and dad to be together?" He glares.
"Archie, they want different things. Dad likes this life and mom wanted more. She tried to settle here and she ended up resenting him for it. It would be the same for dad if we moved to Chicago. There nothing either of us can do about it." She walks back into the house. She wasn't about to let him make her the bad guy in this.
Abby, Tomoko, and Trev were sitting with Ethel during lunch. Abby knew she was going through a lot, with her dad attempting suicide but she couldn't help but feel like she was loving the attention she was getting. Especially if it was from a male. The way she beams every time Trev spoke comforting to her was odd.
She didn't know how to feel about it because she wanted to like Ethel. She was the one other plus size girl in the school. She was fun to talk to when she wasn't droning on about depressing things.
Chuck was back from his suspension. He walks into the cafe to sit down at their table. When he saw the looks they were giving him, he quickly got to the point. "I want to apologize to all of you."
"You want to apologize?" Ethel asked.
Betty came over to glare at the ex-football player. "Get away from her, Chuck."
"Easy. Look, I only came over here to apologize. You don't have to go Dark Betty on me again." Chuck glanced at her before looking at Ethel.
"I'm not going!" She slams her hands on the table making everyone jump. She looks around at the stares she was getting. "I'm not going Dark anything. Ethel, is Chuck bothering you?" She asks.
"You can relax, Betty, it's fine." Ethel gave Chuck a small smile.
"Yeah, Betty, we're fine. The real question is, are you?" The way Chuck smirks up at her made the three underclassmen at the table wonder if he was being sincere in his apologies. Or if he was doing it to gain points in everyone's eyes. Betty looks around before walking back to her table.
Chuck cleared his throat. "Like I was saying, I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Ethel. I was only thinking about my ego and not your feelings. I hope you can accept my apologies. I understand if you don't, I ruined your reputation and my friends were assholes for what they did to your locker."
"I forgive you, Chuck. It's not all your fault. Society sets it up for men to think of women as objects. As long as moving forward you plan to be different then I can move past it." She looks at him through her lashes.
"I will." He nods before looking over at the rest of them. "I wanted to apologize to you guys as well. I'm sorry, Abby, Tomoko I spoke vulgar to you two and made you feel uncomfortable. I'm sorry, Trev. I was an asshole for tiring to compromise your morals. You're a good dude, I hope to be more like you."
"If I've forgiven Reggie, I don't see why I can't forgive you." Abby shrugs.
"The best apology is changed behavior, if you plan to do that then I'm fine." Tomoko nods.
"Ditto." Trev nods. He didn't want to make waves, but he had a hard time believing Chuck had such a big change of heart.
"Thanks, you guys don't know how much time means to me." He beams. The girls at the table hope he is being honest because it would be such a waste for someone so good looking to be so gross.
Abby pulls out the homemade pizza that Jughead requested for his birthday out of the oven. "Thanks, Abs." Jughead took a slice as soon as she cut it. "So... A John Landis double feature at the Bijou. American Werewolf in London and Animal House." He told them of their plans for tonight. It was a tradition that on Jughead's birthday that they went to watch the horror double feature at the Bijou. The first few years they were forced to take Abby along, now it was an unwritten rule that she was coming.
"Oh, they're mixing it up this year with Animal House." Abby points out, but she wasn't upset about it. A good laugh would be reliving after a horror movie.
"That's awesome. Except… You're going with Betty instead." Archie put another slice on Jughead's plate as an apology.
"You told her about my birthday? Dude, come on. That's a primal betrayal." Jughead sighs.
"It's not your place to be telling Jughead's business, even if it is his girlfriend. And, I look forward to this every year." She glares at her brother. It felt special to be one of the two people, Jughead was willing to spend his birthday with. She turned down Sweet Pea, when he asked her to go to the double feature, she explained Jughead's birthday and he understood.
He ignored her to ask his best friend, "Why do you hate your birthday so much, Jug?" Archie didn't get his friend some time. Did he have to be so emo about everything?
"PTSD from when I was a kid. I don't know. Things were always messed up at home. Usually because of my dad. And then there was this arbitrary day, that we would get together and pretend things were great, we were normal. And it just made me feel really lonely." Jughead hated pretending more than anything. It made him want to crawl into himself.
"I'm sure, it'll be fine. You're still doing what you want to do, but with someone new. Just tell Betty that you want it to be like any other night." Abby tried to fix the situation that Archie wrecked. "Or if you want Archie and I can still go with you so it feels less like an event."
"It probably is better for the relationship if it's just Betty and me. That way you can go with your knight in leather." He gave her a knowing look. Abby rolls his eyes.
After they finished the pizza, Abby got up to pat Jughead's shoulder. "Come on. We got to get the snacks to put into my purse to sneak into the theatre."
"Alright, if I don't come, you'll end up getting red vines instead of Twizzlers again." Jughead walks out of the house with her. Archie laughs as his best friend and sister debating about which candy was better.
Sweet Pea had his arms around Abby as they walked out of the theater. "How do they do this every year? There was no one in there." The theater was more than half empty.
"I don't know, but that's why Jughead likes it." She looks over at the couple that is walking behind them. They got into Hog Eye's truck that Sweet Pea burrowed. He drove them to Andrew's house.
They got off the truck when he parked in front of the house. "You should come inside, I think there's some leftover pizza." Jughead invited Sweet Pea in.
"We got ice cream too." Abby looks up at him.
"How can I turn down that?" He walks up to the house with them.
"It's dark, Archie must have gone somewhere." Abby opens the door with her key.
They walk into the dark house. "Surprise!" The lights turned on and everyone jumped out. Jughead looks less than impressed.
"Happy birthday, bro." Archie hugs Jughead.
"You really shouldn't have. Ugh, you reek. Are you drunk?" Jughead whispers.
"No." He shook his head.
Abby walks over to the liquid cabinet while everyone greets and congratulates Jughead. She opened it to see that one of the bottles was half empty. Before she could confront him Betty came in singing Happy Birthday in a whispering way.
"That was haunting, Betty." Jughead found it a little creep like everyone else. The difference was he didn't care to be polite.
"Blow out the candles and make a wish." She nods to the cake. He whispers something to her before blowing out the candles.
"One blow!" Kevin was impressed.
"Hey, Joaquin." Sweet Pea went over to his friend.
"Are you here because of your person too?" He nods to Abby who was leaning against the liquor cabinet, glares at her brother's back as he left the room.
They put the cake down and cut it. "Where's the ice cream I was promised?" Sweet Pea looks over at Abby.
"I'll get it." Jughead was quick to leave the room. Betty followed him.
"Is anyone else coming?" Abby asked.
"No, just the inner circle." Ethel nods.
"Who's inner circle? Because this certainly isn't Jughead's." She looks around at the people in the room. "Have any of you ever had one on one conversation with him?"
"Calm down." Sweet Pea went over to whisper to her. "When you get our cake and ice cream we can hide in your room or maybe the soundproof garage."
The doorbell rang, making Abby go to answer the door. It was Cheryl with most of Riverdale High behind her. "Did you really think you could have a party without inviting moi?" She pointed to herself.
"Or me?" Chuck came up behind her.
"It's not a party, Cheryl. It is dinner at best." Abby rolled her eyes, not moving from the doorway to let any of them in.
"Archie, where do you want the kegs?" Moose yells.
Abby looks behind her to see Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica. "Screw it! One in the kitchen, one in the backyard." He yelled.
"What the fuck!" Abby screams at her brother as teens flooded their house. "You're cleaning up this mess by yourself tomorrow." She went into the garage, so it would drown out some of the noise.
Sweet Pea follows her. "Hey, is this Vegas? I didn't see him at the diner." He sat next to the labrador on the couch. "I got to say I'm happy, you're real. I thought my girlfriend had an imaginary dog." He pets the dog, who was loving the attention.
"He was in here. My dad doesn't like it when he begs a guest for food." She explains.
"Why are you so upset about Jughead's birthday plan being ruined?" He asked. She has been in a mood all night.
"I've always loved traditions. When my mom left they all fell apart. No one wanted to make sugar cookies on Valentine's day or go camping during the summer. But then Jughead's birthday came around and it was still the same. We went to the double feature, had dinner at Pops, and came home to make sundaes because a birthday cake would be too much for Jughead. With all the changes that happen in life, it is comforting for something to be the same." She sat down on the other side of the couch. "It's selfish, I should be madder about Jughead being miserable on his birthday, but I'm making it about myself."
"I only have seen the guy a number of times, but he always seems miserable." Sweet Pea reaches across to rub her shoulder.
"That's just his resting bitch face." She said making Sweet Pea laugh. "What are you laughing at, you got one too?"
"Why you little..." He pulls her on his lap to tickle her.
Jughead came into the garage and sat down on the recliner making the couple look over at him. "Your brother is a jerk." He grumbles. Abby nods. Vegas jumps off the couch to sit at the foot of the recline. Jughead pets him.
They hang out there, talking about old films when Archie came in. "Dude, Valerie just got here. You think she wants me back?"
"No." Abby shook her head.
"Archie, as my blood-brother, it was your sole responsibility to ensure that something like this never happened on my birthday. And now we're here. In the middle of a Seth Rogen movie." He was thinking about the movie, Neighbors.
"This was Betty's idea, okay? I just went along with it." He sat on the top of the couch.
"It's so not me." Jughead sighs.
"It doesn't matter, Jughead, you're her boyfriend now." Archie let out a drunk giggle. The thought of Jughead and Betty was still odd to him.
"What does that mean?" He scoffs.
"It means you're getting your birthday party whether you want one or not."Archie points to the door where the party was going on.
"That's bullsh…." Sweet Pea was cut off by a knock on the door.
It opened to reveal FP holding a big gift-wrapped box. "Dad, hey." Jughead stood up.
"Happy birthday, Jughead." He walks into the room.
"How are you, Mr. Jones?" Archie stood up and tried to act like he wasn't drunk.
"Happy to be here, celebrating with my son. Didn't realize you had so many friends." He looks back at the door. He was shocked at all the teens celebrating his birthday.
"I don't. And fair warning. You're the only adult here." Jughead told him.
"So I gather. Where can I put this?" He held up the gift.
"There's a table in the den," Archie told him.
"Dad. Did Betty call you?" He wondered how much of his boundaries she crossed.
"Yeah, she came by too. She knows what she wants, that one. I'll be back." He nods his head before leaving the room.
"Come on, Sweets. There is a party going on. We might as well try and enjoy it." She pulls Sweet Pea up. They walk into the house.
"I don't want to party with these people." Sweet look around the room at all the preppy kids dancing with drinks in their hands.
"Alright, come on." She pulls him up the stairs when Cheryl grabs her arm.
"You can't go up to your room, we're going to play a game." She pulls her down the stairs.
"I'm not interested in your party games, Cheryl." She sighs.
"But, it's fun." She drags her towards the center of the room where people were sitting in a circle. "You don't have to follow." She glares at Sweet Pea.
"You wish." He stood behind the chair that Cheryl pushed Abby in.
"Oh, I have to get the guest of honor." Cheryl rushed over to Jughead with Chuck. They stopped him from leaving the house and made him sit in the circle. "Let's play, Secrets and Sins." She announces to the group.
"What the hell is Secrets and Sins?" Jug asked.
"It's a variation on Truth or Dare. In which we own our truths. By telling it like it is. I'll start the game with Veronica Lodge." She turns to her current arch enemy.
"Naturally." She sighs, knowing this party was just a way for Cheryl to get back at her for taking her spot as the head vixen.
"Let's begin with the day you and your mob wife of a mother came to town for a so-called fresh start. Tell us, Veronica, what's so fresh about defiling Archie Andrews in a closet?" Cheryl asked. Abby gags at the wording.
"That was your doing." Veronica pointed out.
"Moving on to dear Daddy Lodge... Isn't it true that your father, from prison, illegally purchased the drive-in land? Which makes me wonder, what else is he doing from behind bars?" She stood over Veronica.
"I thought this game was about our secrets and sins. Not our family's." Abby was getting annoyed with this sad interrogation.
"It's fine Abby, I can't speak for my father, but I can think of someone with a very dirty secret. Specifically, Cheryl killing her very own brother." She matches Cheryl's stone face.
"Everyone knows how much I loved my brother." Cheryl's face cracked.
"Exactly. But did you love him maybe in ways that a sister shouldn't love a brother? And as you got older, Jason started to think it was strange, unnatural. So, he chose Polly over you. So, you shot him between the eyes with one of your father's many hunting rifles." Veronica spins the story that many were gossiping about.
"This game is sick. I wanna go next." Dilton smiled.
"Alright, I'm not going to be a part of anything that creepy Dilton is." Abby stood up.
"Even if it's about your brother." He smirks.
"I would remember who house you are in." She glares. Ever since they had to do an IQ test for the tutoring program and her scores came out higher than his, he has been a bitter bitch to her.
"I saw Ms. Grundy's car by the Sweetwater River, the day Jason went missing. I told Betty and Jughead, and then, Ms. Grundy quit her job and left Riverdale, like, two days later. And let's not forget that Archie was also at the Sweetwater that morning." He shared.
"Are you that bitter that you don't have an affair of your own to share because no male or female will touch you?" She growls.
"You are such a cu.." He was saying as he moved closer to her. He didn't get to finish his sentence because Sweet Pea who moves quietly for a big guy shoves him against the wall.
He stood between the smaller male and his girlfriend. "Watch your mouth and step, Northside scrum." He hissed in his face. Dilton looks ready to shit himself.
"Come on, Sweets." She pulls him towards the stairs.
"Oh, my God, color me shocked, Archie Andrews. Is that why you became a mediocre musician overnight? Because of you and Miss. Four Eyes were pulling a Mary Kay Letourneau?" Cheryl's voice made Abby look back at the circle.
"Don't say anything, Archie. Don't get in the gutter with them." Veronica warns.
"Wait, what? Andrews was banging a teacher? Well, damn, I wish I would have known. I would've added you and Ms. Grundy to the board of conquests." Chuck smiled, excited by the news.
"Classy, Chuck, as always." Veronica rolled her eyes.
"Wait a second, that also explains why Archie can't seem to keep a girlfriend to save his life. He's got serious Mommy issues. Anything to say for yourself, Arch? Were you a victim or perpetrator?" Cheryl laughs.
Abby let go of Sweet's arm to get in the other redhead's face. "Dilton Doiley plays with guns," Betty yelled before anything could escalate.
"Go get her," FP orders her boyfriend. Sweet Pea came over to pull her back to the stairs.
"Big whoop, Betty. So Doiley's a psychopath, everyone knows that." She scoffs, trying to not be shaken by the dagger's Abby was shooting at her.
"Well, I guess it's my turn now. Boy, do I have a twisted secret to reveal. Starring Betty Cooper." Chuck walks to the middle of the circle.
"Leave her the hell alone, Chuck." Archie snaps.
"Shut up, Andrews. Look, you may get a free peepshow every night, but you do not know her. Hell, Betty doesn't even know herself. Everybody knows why I got suspended. But what you don't know... She dressed up like a hooker, in a God-awful black wig, drugged me, handcuffed me in the Jacuzzi, and I almost drowned until she got me to say what she wanted to hear. And then she really lost it. She actually thought she was Polly. But, hey, you knew all about this, right, Jughead?" He turns to the blonde's boyfriend. Jughead swings a wild left hook to the jock's face. Chuck throws a punch back making him fly into the table, breaking it.
"Enough! That's enough!" FP grabbed Chuck before he could jump on his son.
"Get your hands off me, snake." Chuck tried to fight back but he was no match for the full-grown man.
"Get out! Go on!" He threw Chuck out of the house. "What are you looking at? The party's done. It's over! Go home!" FP made the teens leave.
Abby pulls Sweet Pea up to her room. "Sorry about tonight. I should have let you go home after the movies."
"I'm happy I didn't go home with the way those assholes were acting tonight. Who knows if they would have stopped that creep from doing something to you?" He would've put Dilton in the hospital if he touched her.
"Still, it was supposed to be a normal night of movies, pizza, and ice cream. It turned into a shitfest." She sat down on the bed.
"We can still end the night normally." He nods to the TV.
"You want to meet my first love." She turns on the TV and puts on Netflix.
"Stranger things? You watch this?" He looks at the show that was loading.
"Have you ever watched it?" She asks.
"No, I just doubt things that people obsess over." He shrugs.
"Well, I hate to tell you, but people are right for obsessing. You'll understand when you see Steve Harrington." She teased.
"Oh, I can feel myself drooling already." He rolls his eyes.
"You can hold baby Demogorgon." She hands him the stuffed toy that when you squeeze it, dart opens his flower mouth.
"Is this Steve?" He squeezed its stomach and saw the mouth that had rows of teeth.
"No, that's a dart. Now, be quiet, it's starting." She put a finger up to his lips when the opening scene of the first season with the boys playing Dungeons and Dragons played.
"Archie. Abby. We're home." Fred yelled from the front door after Archie finished cleaning up the house.
"We?" Abby walks out of the kitchen, hoping it wasn't what she thought.
"Mom?" Archie smiled.
"Mom?" Abby sighs.
"Hi, honey." She smiles at them.