Archive of Our Own

Sometimes Riverdale feels like a snow globe. Like everyone is trapped into this little scene, doomed to repeat their actions again and again for eternity. And it’s so comfortable and safe to be here, to know that tomorrow morning everything will be exactly where it is today. It’s easy. And it’s boring. So damn boring.

Archie releases a heavy sigh as he lazily strums his guitar, playing whatever comes to mind during this Saturday afternoon. He’s sprawled on his bed, and has been in this position for so long, his body no longer feels his.

The sun filters into his room, and Vegas is curled up under the big spot of light, slumbering. The yellow lab seems like he’s pretty okay with having nothing to do, but Archie just wishes he could do something more than playing video games. It also sucks he’s not in the mood to work on his music, and his biology homework is done but more likely than not is trash, and Betty needs to check before he embarrasses himself.

His phone beeps on the night table, and Archie glances at it. Does he pick it up or now? Sitting up feels like an effort, when it truly isn’t. He’s not this lazy guy, so he reaches for it, leaving the guitar next to him on the bed.

He scoffs when he sees it’s an Instagram DM from Reggie, sharing a picture.

Why couldn’t I get this ride for my birthday? Reggie writes, attached to a pic of a blonde girl grinning at the camera with keys in her hand, a few friends smiling next to her, and a cherry red Jaguar E-Type from the seventies that Archie can only recognize because Reggie hasn’t stopped talking about it since his father disappointed him with his choice of car for his sixteenth birthday. But honestly, Archie thinks it’s stupid to complain. At least Reggie has his own car – a black ’73 Alfa Romeo Spider of all cars.

Archie still needs to ask his dad for the truck if he wants to go out, and has to grab a ride to school with Betty every day in her mint-colored Ford Fiesta.

About to type a reply – a heartfelt, simple and to the point: dumbass – Archie instead decides to ignore Reggie and goes down the rabbit hole. He checks the girl’s page, and her pictures – she’s pretty, after all. No one would blame him for appreciating beauty, and she also seems fun. There are pictures of her and her friends at parties – all pretty and rich, like her – and playing sports, like tennis and golf, of all things. Then he surfs through some of her friends’ pictures, and sooner rather than later, he ends up in their school’s profile. It’s just a bunch of picture about social and charity events.

He’s ready to lock his phone when he sees her. A gorgeous girl with the darkest and most luscious hair he’s ever seen, falling past her shoulders in soft waves. Olive skin, incredible dark brown eyes, and a mysterious smile painted on her red lips add to the image and it’s mesmerizing. She’s tagged in the picture of some party, and so he decides to explore a little more about her. It turns out @veronicalo is called Veronica Lodge, and seemingly the princess of New York City. He’s not disappointed at all when he confirms with every single photo that she is absolutely beautiful – she also has a great laughter and voice according to her videos.

So, before his father can call him about having to do laundry, Archie follows her – after all he’s just one more among more than hundred-thousand followers.

“I’m going!” Archie shouts, jumping to his feet, and startling Vegas in the process. The dog gets up and waggles his tail before he hurries down the stairs with Archie.

It’s Monday again, and he’s got homeroom. Betty is supposed to help him with his biology homework – mostly just tell him everything that he needs to fix and how – but she hasn’t arrived yet, so he’s going through his Instagram feed to pass the time. Problem is Veronica Lodge has also posted a new picture – she’s in some navy-blue uniform with plaid skirt, and drinking some sort of fancy coffee, exaggerated pout on those dark plum lips. She has added a short caption: Look at this Monday face. Isn’t it dreadful?

Archie smiles because she looks cute and hot. Tapping on the screen twice, he feels a little nervous, which is stupid because the photo has already two-hundred-and-forty-three likes and he’s no one special.

“Hey,” Betty greets as she plops down next to him on the couch, already grabbing her backpack to rummage for her pink highlighter. “Sorry, I’m late. I was at the Blue and Gold. Juggie and I had an editorial crisis. Did you know the school is in talks to sell prepackaged food so the cafeteria doesn’t have to prepare meals anymore? They would not only fire the cooks, but also rise the average price for lunch.”

Frowning, Archie just looks at her for a second –  Betty is always spitting information for him at light speed. “Huh? No. I didn’t know that.” He recovers quickly. Also, he’d hate it if Miss Dorothy left the cafeteria because he’s known her since forever and she always puts a little extra on his plate, which Jughead is absolutely jealous of. “Are you organizing some kind of protest?” he smirks.

“No!” Betty rolls her eyes, little smile on her face. “But I’m taking this to Principal Weatherbee, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll speak with the PTA, and my mother so she publishes my article about it on The Register.”

Of course, because Betty and Jughead are the school activists, while he’s just the new quarterback and amateur musician.

“Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help.” Yet, he still likes to be involved with the community, and help his friends in their crusades.

Betty smiles. “Thank you, Archie. I’ll let you know. Now, what if we get started with your homework?” She gets her pensive look while reading his paper, and he’d like to pay attention to her while she has fun highlighting his mistakes, but instead he’s checking the stories in Instagram, and yes, maybe Veronica’s because he also likes her sultry voice. And her laughter, he discovers as he watches a video.

He smiles.

“What are you watching?” Betty wonders, peeking over his shoulder, and Archie feels his cheeks burning red.

“Nothing!” He squeaks, but before he can lock his phone, Betty takes it from his hands.

“Who is she? Do you know her?”

Know her, he wishes. But he shakes his head, just before Betty gets a hopeful smile on her face. Ever since she and Jughead started dating a year ago, she’s been dedicated to find him a someone suiting. She was the happiest when he dated Val, a talented and smart young woman, with a love for music like him. But it all ended six months later, because Val realized she was interested in her career and college, and he was still thinking about football and worrying about parties. Archie was once again the awkward third-wheel. Of course, he has flirted with some of the vixens – that’s some sort of tradition for the bulldogs – but Archie has discovered he likes to be in a relationship and not just have random kisses and hookups from time to time.

“Oh,” Betty mutters, frowning. “You’re not stalking her, are you?”

He rolls his eyes, but his cheeks feel extremely hot. “No. I’ve liked a few of her pictures. I, um, think she’s attractive – Betty, could we not talk about this?” This doesn’t make him uncomfortable because it’s Betty asking questions, but because he dislikes to confess he might be having all these dreams about someone he might never know.

Betty giggles, returning the phone. “Sorry for being nosey. I worry, but it’s okay for you to be a typical teenage boy as long as you aren’t creepy.” She takes his paper and her pen. “But you could leave a comment and not only likes, you know?” She smiles. “And about your homework, I think it’s pretty good. You just need to fix these…”

It’s late that night, he has finally finished fixing his homework, and after returning from walking Vegas after dinner, Archie finally gets into bed. Looking at the ceiling, his movie posters blur together as he tries to find in him enough tiredness to fall asleep. The angry face of Kurt Russell in the Escape from New York poster Jughead gave him for his last birthday seems to mock him, scold him for not having the courage to just send the message he wants to send. Because, what’s the worst that could happen? He’ll be ignored. And that isn’t different from his current situation.

So, Archie reaches for his phone, Vegas lifts his head to watch him. And it’s funny, because they exchange a look, but the dog just turns around and lies back down.

Worrying his lip, Archie open the Instagram app, and searches for Veronica’s profile. He’s about to write a comment under her last photo, but instead chooses to send her a DM. His fingers type and delete many letters, before he settles for a:

Hi. Hope your week improves. Know you helped improve my Monday.

He cringes, but he just doesn’t have it in him to be like Reggie and text her babe, you’re hot. Or Chuck and tell her she should check his Insta, because she’s missing out. Or even Jughead, probably sending a quote from a poem or something.

Grumbling under his breath, he just leaves his phone on the night table, and turns around. Archie just wants to forget how completely bland his message was, and why he’s never been good at flirting – at least not intentionally.

“Andrews!” a deep voice booms down the hall, just as Archie shuts his locker. He turns around to see Chuck Clayton walking his way to him, with Reggie and Moose following as if they were his personal bodyguards. Chuck is not only the captain of the football team, but also in his senior year, and everyone is sucking up to him so he chooses them as his replacement – of course, he won’t choose, but Coach Clayton will, and he’ll take his son’s advice to heart.

“Hi, Chuck. Guys.” Archie greets, slipping his phone in the left pocket of his letterman jacket. “What’s up?”

Chuck smirks. “Ready for the game next Friday? Greendale should expect to be crushed.”

Archie lets out a little chuckle. He’s nervous about the game. This is his first season as QB and the pressure is big. He also knows Chuck thinks he could be captain material if he only forgot about the music thing – everyone believes it to be a distraction, except it’s the other way around.

“As ready as I can be. I’ll do my best.” In return, Chuck pats his shoulder forcefully, almost knocking him against the lockers. Luckily, Archie had planted his feet firmly on the ground.

“Good to hear. Also, I’ve heard Tina Patel has been asking about you.” Moose chuckles and Reggie arches an eyebrow, when Chucks tells him that. “You could have fun in the party after the game.”

The guys tease him as they walk past him, but the truth is he’s not interested in Tina. But he smiles because he’s learned it’s better to keep quiet, not to embarrass himself or hurt Tina in case she happens to hear rumors. She’s a pretty girl, a bit mean, and one of Cheryl Blossom’s minions in the cheerleading squad, but usually nice to him.

His sneakers squeak against the linoleum floor when he turns around one corner in his way to Biology. And his phone vibrates in his pocket. He takes it right before going into the classroom, and sees a notification of a new message in Instagram.

Hey. Thank you. Glad to help.

Archie almost drops his things when his eyes take in the emoji blowing a kiss at the end of the brief message.

“Mr. Andrews?” the teacher asks when he’s about to close the door, and Archie hurries up. Almost jogging his way to sit next to Betty, and he only sits down to realize he forgot to hand his homework over. And everyone laughs when he trips on his way to the front to leave his paper on the teacher’s desk.

But the thing is he couldn’t care less, because Veronica Lodge just happened to reply his message. And then he gets three notifications on his phone. And could it be? Could she really be checking his pictures? His hands itch to reach for his phone to see if it’s her. If he happened to get her attention, but Betty scowls and the teacher keeps an eye on him.

Bouncing his knee, the hour seems to last an eternity, until the period finally ends. Archie is sure he didn’t hear or understand anything, but he takes his things and rushes out of the classroom. When he unlocks the screen, he feels his lips curling up into a grin – she did like his pictures, one of him in his football uniform before a game, one of him and Vegas, and a short video of him singing a cover of Dave Matthews Band’s Crash Into Me, where he messes up the last note, chuckling and apologizing before ending the scene.

I like your voice, says a new message, and his fingers tremble a bit as he adds a flushing face and thanks her. His heart is beating wildly against his ribs.

You have a great smile, he confesses before he can think it thoroughly. But then the messaging stops and he wonders if he said something wrong, but next he has French and he’s not really acing it either, so he needs to hurry.

The problem is that he’s not really paying attention to anything, and he barely eats or hears his friends during lunchtime. He just keeps looking at his phone, wondering how he messed it up so quickly.

“Are you okay, Arch?” Jughead wonders, and it’s the first time Archie lifts his head. His wide eyes soon give space to an easy smile.

“Yes. Sure. I’m fine. Um, what’s going on?”

Kevin scoffs. “Just that you’re the only one invited to another one of Chuck Clayton’s epic parties, but what’s new about that?”

“Guys,” Archie tries to assuage, because he might be part of the popular crowd now, but he’s never really left his childhood friends behind. “I’m sure you can come too. Chuck–“ He gets interrupted when his phone beeps and his eyes fall on it, hands following just as quickly, but Jughead reaches for it before he can take it.

“Jug,” Archie tries.

“Who’s veronicalo? And why does she want to know if you really play football?”

Kevin’s eyes widen. “Veronicalo? The Veronica Lodge? New York socialite?”

“Um, yes, I guess,” Archie babbles as he stretches over the table to take his phone back. He types back as Kevin keeps gushing about how Veronica is a teen icon for New York and fashion, a true star with an amazing sense of style but also with famous friends and a bit of a wild child.

“How on Earth are you talking to her?”

Shrugging one shoulder, Archie hits send. “I just DM’d her.”

“Did you send her a dick pic?” Kevin asks with eyes narrowed, provoking Jughead to choke on his food and Betty to shriek. They clearly didn’t want or need to know that, or even have those ideas in their brains.

“No!” Archie replies in a squeaky voice, because he would never harass anyone like that. Unwanted dick pics? So not his style. Unwanted flowers, chocolates and Valentines cards? Yes, totally, and it still hurts when he thinks that Cheryl Blossom told him at eight she didn’t eat cheap chocolate like Reese’s Pieces, and crushed his heart by throwing them in the trash.

“At least a half-naked pic? You should. You’re hot. I mean, not as hot as some of the models she has been linked to, but you’re cute in that All-American style.” Kevin takes another bite of his salad, and Archie frowns. He doesn’t like the idea of Veronica having other suitors – not that he really is one. And maybe he should feel a bit offended, because he’s sure that there was backhanded remark somewhere in Kevin’s comment.

“I guess she’s just being nice,” Archie says in a dejected tone.

If he thinks hard about it, what else could be? He’s no one, and she’s apparently famous in at least some circles. And how could she not? She’s gorgeous. There’s a video of her singing karaoke with some friends, and she has a great voice. She has pictures at MoMA and the MET, calling them her favorite places. And now he knows why she has photoshoots, sponsors, and also a pic with Elton John, and another with Lady Gaga.

I have class. TTYL handsome.

But he cannot shake off the feeling that she’s flirting with him, no matter how much he doesn’t want to get his hopes up.

It’s surprisingly easy to talk to Veronica. She’s nice and witty, and it helps for them to fall into this strange rhythm. He finds out she wants to start her own designing label, that it’s her goal to wear one of her own designs to the MET gala when she turns eighteen. But Veronica not only loves fashion, she also likes to read, and is very smart. She’s involved in an organization that ensures migrant children have access to quality education and to learn English as a second language.

She’s sixteen and has a whole world built, a vision of her future and huge goals. Meanwhile, Archie feels silly with his modest dreams. He wants to dedicate his life to music, but he hasn’t really thought about the idea of sold-out arenas or becoming a millionaire. He knows he doesn’t want to be stuck in Riverdale. He doesn’t want to be trapped into a routine just to get-by.

Do you have original songs? Veronica asks, and he tells her the truth. He does, but he has never played them for anyone, and the lyrics seem stupid. But she insists she wants to hear him. Let me be the judge of that, Archiekins.

And she also gave him that nickname. It’s childish, but it makes him smile every time. His heart flutters, and his hands get sweaty because he’s about to record himself singing his words and playing his music to send it to a girl, hundreds of miles away. A girl who is standing on top of the world, in her magnificent castle watching the world from up there.

It’s only a minute, but it feels like he just opened the most private places of his inner self to a stranger… but there’s a catch. In just four days of constant messaging, Veronica doesn’t feel like a stranger at all.

Last time I saw you said "What's up?"
And pushed right through
Then I tried to catch you
But we're always on the move
And now it's over, we're sober

He’s sitting in front of his desk, under the golden glow of a lamp in the corner, and he feels vulnerable and exposed in his cotton white shirt and gray sweatpants, holding his phone between his hands as if it held the answers of life. Waiting.

You’re good. Really good.

A heavy sigh leaves his body, and relief washes over him.

So, who is the girl you wanted back?

He chuckles, because he did write that just after Val broke up with him. After he stupidly tried to prove her wrong by getting plastered out of beer and Jack Daniel’s – Reggie’s terrible advice – and reaching out to her. The night ended up with him throwing up on Val’s shoes. And he tells that to Veronica, who sends a string of emojis, and he can almost imagine her laughing. Oh, Archiekins.

“Andrews, wake the fuck up!” Moose shouts, and Archie is smacked on the face with a towel. The guys around them laugh, and Archie blushes even as he smiles meekly, chuckling because what else is he supposed to do?

They’ve just won the game against Greendale – not by much, but it’s a win anyway, and that’s what matters. Now, Archie would like to just go to Pop’s and have fries and a burger because he’s famished, but all the locker room can talk about is Chuck’s epic party. And he’s the QB, it’s basically his duty to be there.

Waiting until almost everyone has finally left, Archie sends a new message to Veronica to tell her about his evening, about the party and the win. But right after he has sent it, Reggie returns.

“Bro,” he stands behind Archie, looking over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” Reggie smirks. “Have a girl waiting for tonight? Is Tina sending you a little treat?” He waggles his brow suggestively.

Archie fumbles with the phone until he pockets it, and then runs a hand through his damp hair as he stands up from the bench he was sitting on. “No. I– I just–“ Archie looks at Reggie, and he decides to confess. After all, Reggie is one of his closest friends, even if in competition for the title of captain. And he could use some advice. “I’m talking to a girl. I’ve been talking to her for days now, actually.” He feels this silly smile taking over his face, like he cannot help it. “She’s great.“

“Is she hot?” Reggie asks, and of course he would.

Archie’s eyebrows arch up, because she’s not only hot, “She’s stunning.”

“Let me see,” Reggie says, and Archie doubts for a second but then decides to just show him Veronica’s Instagram. After all, Reggie of all people should get what it’s like to want something out of reach, to be so close yet far, and even more, he could help him flirt.

But as Archie explains him about their talks, about how everything has come to be – about how easy it is to talk to her about his music, and she shares with him her issues with the pressure she feels about being in the public eye – Reggie scowls, and then snorts a laugh.

“Dude, she’s playing you.”

“What? No.” Archie takes his phone away, offended. He frowns.

“Dude,” Reggie gets solemn all of the sudden, and places a hand on Archie’s shoulder. “She’s like famous. She probably has an assistant that manages her account – probably an ugly chick that only wishes she could be famous. I mean, why hasn’t she sent you a picture? Or called you? Huh?” He clucks his tongue. “I’m telling you, Andrews. You’re being catfished.”

This is probably what hurts him the most in a very long time, because it could be true. Why hadn’t he thought about it? This could be someone else pretending to be Veronica, mocking him for being an idiot. But the idea crushes him.

“Come on, bro. Forget about it. Let’s go to Chuck’s and have fun. I’m sure Tina is still interested.”

Archie nods dejectedly. Shouldering his bag, he follows Reggie to the parking lot. He’s not in the mood to party now that he has basically been told he is being scammed, that he is – was? – developing a crush on someone who maybe doesn’t exist – not in that combination of beauty and personality, at least. But he needs to get over it, so he does what any teenage boy would do and grabs a beer as soon as he can.

The music is loud, the people crowding the house is louder, and the beer and other alcohol flows freely. There are some guys smoking pot in the backyard, and Archie just ambles around feeling out of place.

His phone vibrates in the back pocket of his jeans.

Congratulations, Archiekins! Have fun at the party.

He scowls at the screen, at the kissy emoji she uses to punctuate the message. She’s a liar.

Who are you?

She quickly asks him what he means by that, and his diatribe is incoherent at best while he accuses her of not really being Veronica, and tricking him into sharing details about his life. He asks all those stupid questions Reggie told him about: pictures, calls, videos or whatever to prove herself real. He has no idea how many messages he sends before his heart beats wildly as if he had been screaming at someone.

There’s a long pause after he has sent the last message, and the smell of pot feels really heavy around him.

Suddenly the screen of his phone lights up with a new message. There’s a sweet girl with glasses and no makeup, in royal blue top, holding an iPad with the New York Times website open and she’s pointing at the date.

I’m about to go to bed because I have an early photoshoot tomorrow. FYI, I didn’t have a newspaper and this is the best I could do. I’m real, Archie. And I hope you are too.

It’s surprising he doesn’t become a puddle of goo at the moment, because even if she’s not dolled up, looking perfect as if she’s ready to walk a red carpet or something, she’s breathtaking.

He snorts a laugh when she quickly threatens him not to show her picture to anyone. He sits down on a lounger in the backyard, and his fingers hover over the screen until he decides to just speak his mind.

Could we video call tomorrow?

The wind starts to pick up since it’s late. That chilly breeze that bites at his nose and ears. His fingers feel slightly numb at the tips and he wishes he could be at home, alone and free to just make an attempt to speak to her now.

Yes. Good night, silly.

And that’s good enough for him. Good enough so he doesn’t care about what Reggie thinks, or Kevin, or anyone else. He is sure whatever this is with Veronica is as real as it gets.

It’s Saturday afternoon, and he’s just finished cleaning the kitchen and his room. His music journal is open, and he’s scribbling away, because since he woke up, there’s this tune in his head he cannot shake off. And the words aren’t far either.

I'll search the world until there's no place left to go
And if she leaves it, I will follow
Yes, I will follow
She lit a fire, but now she's in my every thought

He’s trying to tweak and play the chorus again, Vegas whines as if the dog is tired of hearing the same notes again and again, which makes Archie chuckle. He reaches out to scratch Vegas behind the ears by the time his phone starts to vibrate on his desk. Turning his head in that direction, he’s first dumfounded, but as soon as his brain registers what’s going on, he fumbles for it to pick up the video call.

“Hi. Hey. Hello?” He babbles as the screen starts to get a blurry image at first. He curses himself, because if he wanted to pretend to be in control and not just overly excited, well that chance is long gone.

“Archie!” A clear, sweet and velvety voice chirps. And he feels his stomach flip-flopping when he sees Veronica smiling at him. Like in many of her pictures, her hair falls in waves over her shoulders, like the ocean at midnight. “Hi,” she breathes out, letting out an adorable laughter.

“Veronica,” he whispers. And he truly cannot believe this.

Mercifully, since he’s seemingly lost for words, she’s the one who starts talking. Her dark eyes shiny and expressive as she speaks.

“I must admit I was frightened I wouldn’t find you. After you posed the concern about being misled, I thought the same. Could this high school football star, slash sensitive musician, be tricking me?” Veronica speaks while moving, a lavender background behind her.

“Never,” Archie says, making her smile. Her eyes narrow slightly, her lashes looking thick and long.

She sighs, but that smile is still in place. “I like your hair. I think I hadn’t told you that, yet. And it might be one of the first things why you caught my attention. Your hair. And your smile.”

He can feel his cheeks starting to burn, even as he chuckles. How he wishes he could come up with great lines! She deserves to be showered with compliments, and look who is getting them instead.

“I think I was the one who wrote first.” He tries.

Veronica mocks a pensive face. “I believe you did.” She giggles. “Thank you, about that.”

It’s the beginning of a long conversation. She shares more about her photoshoot – a pain in the ass, with a terrible photographer but an amazing stylist, which made things easier to some extent. She also speaks about her upcoming confirmation, and how important family is for her. This leads Archie to share more about his dad, his mom, and the divorce and how hard it was for him to choose.

At some point Vegas barks, and Veronica asks about him. Archie complies. Veronica coos over how cute the dog is, and how much she wishes she could meet him.

They also talk over mundane things like movies, and TV shows. She shares her thoughts about books, and Archie confesses he’s not a fan of reading. And she tells him she’s not a fan of sports. They laugh, and it’s apparently loud enough to call for his dad’s attention, because Fred pokes his head in to find Archie sprawled on his bed with his cellphone aiming at the ceiling but his son is grinning at the screen.

“Son? Are you talking to yourself?”

“Oh, um.” Archie quickly sits up, cheeks flushed. “No. I’m on the phone.”

Fred frowns. Kids these days spend an awful amount of time on the phone doing who knows what. He cannot complain about Archie, though, because he’s a good boy and as responsible as any sixteen-year-old can be.

“Is that your dad?” Fred hears a feminine voice, and it makes him widen his eyes.

“Um, yes,” Archie mumbles.

“May I meet him? Hello, Mr. Andrews!” Fred gets a bit more curious this time, and takes a few tentative steps closer to Archie. Now his son turns his phone to him and there is a pretty girl smiling at him. She looks to be Archie’s age, with dark hair and olive skin, and if the expression on his son’s face offers any indication, she’s the object of his affection.

“Hello.”

“I’m Veronica Lodge, Archie’s friend. It’s so nice to meet you, he speaks so highly of you. Now I see where he got his good looks from.”

If he were sixteen again, he’d blush. And he understands why Archie might like this vivacious girl. He chuckles and nods.

“Nice to meet you, too, Veronica. I’m sorry if I interrupted your conversation.”

“Oh, don’t worry, you’re actually right on time. I have dinner with my parents and I should get ready. I was just about to say my goodbyes to Archiekins.” This is the cue for Archie to turn the phone back around and face it again, and for Fred’s eyebrows to rise in surprise at the nickname. “Let’s do this again soon, okay? I’m sure we can find time.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I cannot wait to hear more of your music. Bye, Archiekins.” Veronica winks at him, making him smile brightly.

“Goodbye, Ronnie.”

She licks her lips before the screen goes back to the Instagram DMs. Archie sighs noisily. He really wished they could talk for a moment longer, even if they were talking for more than two hours, and he completely forgot his algebra homework.

“Archiekins? Ronnie?” Fred playfully asks. His son turns bright red.

“She’s someone I met online. Veronica lives in New York, but we’ve been talking a lot. She’s – she’s incredible,” Archie says, completely in awe.

“You’re pretty incredible too, kid.”

“Dad,” Archie mutters, rolling his eyes. He knows it’s a very embarrassing thing to be said, but parents always do that. And Archie does have amazing qualities. He’s selfless, kind, protective of his loved ones, and caring. His talents in sports and music are also good, but Fred is prouder of having raised a good man.

“Fine. I get it.” Fred chuckles. “But come on, Arch. I’m going to order pizza, what do you feel like for tonight?”

It’s Monday again, but this time instead of Betty sitting with him to go over his homework and help him study during homeroom, Reggie is the one who sits down next to Archie. He looks serious and regretful.

“Look, Andrews, you’re my friend. I respect you, because as bulldogs, we’re like brothers,” Reggie starts, and this whole cryptic conversation makes Archie frown. “I want to tell you before the rumors get to you.”

Archie arches an eyebrow, “Tell me what?”

“After you left the party on Friday, I hooked up with Tina.” He looks around the room, as if this were a big secret, but Archie feels like laughing. He couldn’t care less. “I know you were interested, and that you needed to get some to get over that catfishing thing, but I had needs.”

This time Archie does snort a laugh.

“It’s okay, Reg. I’m fine.”

Reggie scowls. “You are?” He then tilts his head to the side. “Wait, did you hook up with someone else?”

“No,” Archie mutters, a bit tired of Reggie’s constant need to make sure his friends are sexually satisfied.

Reggie groans. “Please, don’t tell me you’re still talking to that fat chick online.”

“Reggie,” Archie scolds.

“Fine, ugly, whatever. I’m not being an asshole! I just think we should make sure we hang out with people on our level,” Reggie explains, but this is enough to get Archie irritated. Sometimes Reggie is more of a dick than usual, and this happens to be the case today.

Archie takes his backpack, and rolls his eyes, while walking away. “She’s real, and I don’t owe you explanations about anything.” He leaves, walking down the hall as he hears Reggie shouting behind him.

“We’re hot, bro! You’re wasting yourself.”

A few students shoot him a look, and Archie thinks that’s enough punishment for his idiocy today. If he happens to hear rumors about Reggie professing his love for him, Archie ignores them.

“Really?” Veronica laughs as Archie tells her the story about how Reggie is now believed to have an unrequited crush on him. “Bet that bruised his ego. I’d be crushed if you ignored me, too.”

Archie smiles, a soft blush bathing his cheeks when she bats her eyelashes through the screen. Lately, they’ve been flirting a bit more – she’s a natural with those looks, and small smiles, while he tries his best not to just be a fool, opening his mouth to confess he’s completely and utterly head over heels with her.

“I could never ignore you,” he whispers in a soft voice. It’s late, and they have class tomorrow, but he just couldn’t spend the day without hearing her voice.

He sees and hears when she turns on her side on the bed. Her cheek is pressed to the pillow. He mirrors her, and it’s almost as if he could be there with her, in the same bed facing each other, except they aren’t and he cannot feel her warmth or her breath against his skin.

“Archie,” she calls in a hushed voice. “I have to get my beauty sleep,” she quips, making him smile, “but I don’t want to let you go.”

“I don’t want you to go either,” Archie mutters, looking at her sweet smile. “But I don’t want you to be exhausted tomorrow. Have sweet dreams, Ronnie.”

“The sweetest, Archiekins,” she coos. “Good night.” Veronica blows him a kiss for the first time – not just an emoji, but her lips are puckered up and he only wishes he could kiss her, touch her lips with his.

They remain silent, just looking at each other for a few seconds until he lets out a long sigh. “I want to meet you,” he utters.

Her eyes flutter as if they were both in dreamland, and maybe they are because this seems so perfect but unreal. “Come to me, lover boy. Come to New York.”

It’s this night that gets that little thought nagging him in the back of his head. After all, Riverdale is not that far from New York City – just four hours away, but four hours when you have no car or money seems like too far away. Yet he might be willing to just walk the distance, because each time Veronica laughs, talks to him, or wishes him good night, he wants to be near her, learn all those things he can’t get to know through a phone – the smell of her hair, the softness of her skin, the sweetness of her mouth.

It’s Wednesday when he gets in Betty’s Ford Fiesta, and she’s already bubbly and excited about her plans at school while Archie yawns in the passenger seat. She laughs, and talks about how successful her article in The Register was, and the outrage that caused among the parents once they realized the repercussions of poorly fed students.

“Sounds great, Betty,” Archie congratulates her, lazy smile on his face as the windscreen wipers move from side to side to clear the view this rainy morning.

“I know, and this investigative report is also an extra for my college applications, so my mother is the happiest,” she shares with a new gleam in her eyes. Everyone knows how much Alice Cooper, Betty’s mom, aims to raise a perfect daughter – after the whole debacle she suffered when Polly, Betty’s older sister, decided to drop out of college to go live in a sustainable farm, growing vegetables in a small community. “That’s why she’s allowing me to go New York next weekend. She wishes for me to go to an Ivy League college, but not too far. You know her–“

“New York?” he interrupts, his voice gets slightly high and his eyes widen. Suddenly, he feels very much awake.

Betty frowns at his excitement, but as a responsible driver, she keeps her eyes on the road and her hands glued to the steering wheel. “Yes, she wants me to choose Columbia as my first option. It’s just controlled freedom, as she likes to call it.” As she keeps sharing more details about this opportunity, Betty seems to get more thrilled. “And she agreed to let me go with Jughead, since I explained it was safer for us to take turns driving.”

It’s not difficult for Archie to figure out this might be his chance as well. That said, he is truly happy about Betty and how she has been slowly earning more trust from her mother – he’s seen how hard the journey has been.

“Do you mind if I go with you? Would you take me?” Archie asks just as Betty parks the car in the usual spot, next to Cheryl Blossom’s red convertible – which the redhead hates because the green clashes against the color of her car.

“Oh, well, Juggy and I were planning some sort of romantic getaway, but–“

“No, I get it,” Archie says before she can keep explaining why she was going to say no. “I just want to visit Veronica.”

It’s Betty’s turn to widen her eyes. Her mouth forms an O in surprise. “Are you still talking to her? Is that going well?”

Archie blushes, chuckling a bit. “Betts, I– I think I could fall for her. And I need this, please. You’re the only one who hasn’t treated me like I’m a lunatic for this. You’re my best friend, so I ask for your help. Just take me to New York.”

A slow smile creeps up her lips. “Of course, Archie.”

When he tells Veronica he’s going to New York next Saturday, she immediately starts to list all the plans she has in her head about the places she wants to show him. Her favorite café, restaurant, the little place in the Upper West Side where she gets pastries, Central Park, the MET, Fifth Avenue, and about a hundred other places. He laughs as she talks nonstop, before he has to tell her he’ll only have a few hours since they have to return to Riverdale the same day.

“I can’t wait to meet you,” Veronica says. In the background, there’s a big window with the skyline of New York – she’s a princess in her castle, and he wonders if he’s the knight trying to slay the dragon to finally get to her.

“Really?”

“Archie, do you have to ask that?” She tilts her head to the side. She looks adorable in her school uniform, in her classic pearl earrings and berry lipstick. “Do you believe me?”

“It seems like a dream that a girl like you could even talk to a boy like me.”

“Nonsense,” she says in a hard voice, upset that he could think little of himself, that he cannot see what she has learned during these weeks. “How could I not want to meet you? You are kind and sweet, and you listen to my rants whenever I need you,” Veronica giggles when he smiles. “You’re there for me whenever I need you. And that’s more than a lot of people has ever done for me. We might have been attracted by our awful good looks at first, but I’m so glad there was more in us.”

He sighs softly, his eyes fluttering shut as the words leave him slowly, “I want to kiss you, Ronnie.” When his eyes open again, Veronica is smiling at him, biting her bottom lip before she chuckles.

“I’d like that,” she says just as softly.

And that’s all he can think about for the rest of the week. Her lips are all he can dream about it, and he feels stupid about it. Is it possible for anyone to fall in love with someone they have never met in person?

It’s a busy week after that, he has the final game of the football season next week, and Veronica is in talks to start her accessory line with a department store – which she says it might be the first step into something better. Her first collection aims to give part of the profits to the organization for migrants she’s been working with. And it’s sad but also reassuring when he sees her likes on his photos, and sending his to hers.

By Saturday, he’s so excited, he thinks he barely slept.

His dad chuckles while he watches Archie wolf down his breakfast, fixing his hair for the umpteenth time and wondering if he should wear his letterman jacket or maybe the green one – he picks the letterman jacket just because it might be easier for Veronica to spot him.

“Dad? Do you think this is… rushed?” Archie asks as he shoulders his backpack. “What if this doesn’t work out like I hope? What if…”

“Isn’t the unknown worst?” Fred smiles, pats his son’s shoulder. “Anything can happen, Archie, but have a little faith. I’m sure you chose this path for a reason.”

“Thank you, dad,” Archie grins, before wrapping his dad in a tight hug before he hurries out of the house, to Betty’s small car waiting in the driveway.

The backseat of Betty’s car is not very roomy, but it’s better than nothing. He just had forgotten about it because he usually goes in the passenger seat, but that one is currently occupied by Jughead.

The Smiths are playing on the playlist Jughead chose for the trip. The lyrics of Ask bounce all around him, while Archie’s fingers try not to check Instagram, his messages or anything again, just to stop the energy he feels buzzing through his veins, fighting the imperious need to ask like a child how much will be until they get to New York.

They are supposed to meet at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, so that was all Archie asked for. Just be dropped near Central Park.

“Are you serious?” Betty asks, her eyes going wide as she glances at him through the rearview mirror. “Do you have any idea how big Central Park is? And you want me to drop you off near there?”

Jughead chuckles, turning on his seat so he can look at his friend. “Arch, this is crazy. I’m sure you can let her know to meet somewhere else.”

“I’ll be fine,” Archie stresses. He just cannot deal with people talking about how dangerous this is, about how he is crazy for doing this, and they still believe this is nothing but a mean prank from a rich girl.

“Bored rich girl,” says Jughead. “Raven-haired princess who is looking for a new toy.”

“You’re wrong,” Archie mumbles, scowling. “And please, just stop with the comments, because you don’t know her.”

“You don’t know her either,” Jughead finishes, turning around to look forward.

Archie sees Betty making brief eye contact through the rearview mirror, looking apologetic. These days, besides his dad, she’s the only one who hasn’t told her to forget about Veronica and move on. She believes him to some extent – she’s the only one who realized Veronica was following him back. So, he nods as a way to tell her he gets it, and then leans back, hoping to get some sleep while in the car.

“We’ll be going to some independent bookstores, so we can meet in Times Square later, and do some touristy activities,” Betty offers with a smile, but Jughead rolls his eyes, even if he smiles as well.

Archie knows Jughead would only comply with Betty’s wishes. He’d never be caught at some tourist attraction or trapped in a crowd.

“C’mon,” Betty complains. “Next time we are in New York, we might live here, and then you’ll tell me we’re not tourists anymore.”

Archie chuckles. “She’s got you.” He sighs, looking to one side of the street, and then the other while Jughead and Betty still bicker about which place they’ll visit first. “I’ll text you, so we can meet later.”

“Archie,” Betty stops him before he can move. “Let us know… how it goes, okay?”

She means good, he knows. So, he just gives her a lopsided smile and a nod, and walks away. He has to be in Central Park in just an hour, and according to his phone he only has about forty minutes to make it from where they parked the car without any detours, and he knows he might get a little lost so he hurries to make it on time.

The sounds and the smell of the city are overwhelming. This is nothing like Riverdale. This is a place where two days are never the same, where his instincts need to be awake to take everything in and react appropriately. He could never go through a day like in Riverdale, half-awake and half-dreaming about the future. And the truth is he cannot say he loves it at first sight, he doesn’t know that, but it’s different and he could use that to feel more alive.

Central Park is beautiful, and the sun gives it a nice glow in these fall days. Even if he has fifteen minutes to spare, Archie keeps walking until his face to face with Bethesda Fountain. He looks up and around him, and never before had he felt so little in his life. Not one person here could recognize him, no one would greet him and congratulate him about a good game, no one could ask him about his dad or his mom, because in this big world, he’s just a small piece.

Still, he smiles. No matter how small he might be in the bigger plan, he will meet the girl of his dreams today, and that’s enough to make him happy.

Archie sits on the edge of the fountain, as a little girl in a purple jacket giggles and dashes past him to hug her dad’s legs. He takes his phone to check if there are new messages waiting for him, but there’s nothing new since his dad acknowledged his arrival to the city.

People watching is entertaining… for the first hour, but then it’s just looking at the screen of his phone to see if Veronica texts him. If something had happened, she would’ve told him. She couldn’t be lying to him. No, that’s impossible.

He looks up, but in the sea of people, there’s no one who looks like her.

There’s a prickling feeling behind his eyes, and his stomach drops. How? Or even better, why? Why would she do this to him?

He fumbles for his phone, typing and deleting messages many times, because he doesn’t have any idea about how to ask her. Or, is this what she wants? Tell her she broke his heart like a proof that she can do what she wants.

Another half hour goes by, and his hands feel cold. He refuses to admit defeat, to tell his friends they were right, because there’s a part of him that still knows they are wrong. He hopes, but maybe he shouldn’t. And these two sides of him have been battling for a while until he finally pockets his phone and shoulders his backpack. Archie stands up, feeling more broken than ever as a little boy in a navy jacket zooms past him, with a little firetruck in his hands, almost knocking into him. He helps him not to fall forward, and his mother thanks Archie before kneeling and making sure the boy listens to her this time.

Archie feels ready to cry, ready to go hide somewhere and just be miserable, but where is he supposed to go? Where do you hide in a place that’s full of people?

He’s under the shadows of the Bethesda Terrace, when among the many clickety-clack sounds of people’s footsteps some seem to follow him.

“Archie,” a soft voice calls, but then it gathers more strength. “Archie!”

She’s in a purple coat. Her inky black hair shines bright under the sunlight, falling in perfect waves past her shoulders. And she’s so much beautiful than he could have ever imagined. Pearl earrings. Berry lipstick. Olive skin and shiny dark brown eyes. It’s all of her, all he wanted.

Veronica takes the last steps to him very slowly, looking remorseful, and slightly afraid. But she reaches out to touch the sleeve of his letterman jacket, and a small chuckle leaves her mouth. She sounds surprised, as if she were touching something out of a dream.

“I’m sorry, I’m late,” she mutters, closing her eyes tightly so her long lashes tangle together in a dark line. When she opens them, they look for his face. “I was scared. I had all those fears your friends always talked about… and I doubted.” Her hand slides down his sleeve, until he can feel her fingers touching his hand – and her hand is soft, and small, and it fits perfectly against his.

He sighs before threading his fingers with hers.

“You came.” Archie takes a step forward. “You came, Ronnie,” he whispers and now there’s a tiny smile on her face, before he uses his free hand to angle her face up, to press his forehead against hers.

She smells sweet, and warm, like the feeling you get while sitting in front of the fire on a winter night.

“You’re here, for me,” Archie whispers, and when she sighs, her minty breath tickles his jaw. These are all the things he missed, all the things he wants to unravel and memorize about her.

The tips of her left hand’s fingers touch his jawline, and a smile grows on her face. “Archiekins.”

The silly nickname makes laughter bubble up inside of him, and he tugs her closer. Her hand moves around his head, and he feels her reaching for his hair, carding her fingers through the short strands in the nape of his head.

“Will you kiss me now? Like you said you wanted?” Veronica murmurs and he lets out a long breath.

“Yes, please.”

Archie let goes of her hand, to wrap his arm around her waist, and the other holds the side of her face, grazing one of her pearl earrings as he pushes her hair back. Her eyes flutter shut before he can close his and as soon as his lips meet hers, he feels his body warm up, his heart beating hard but also strong. One hand grips his bicep, the other tugs his hair, and all he wants it’s to stay like that forever. To feel her pliant lips, to taste her mouth. This might be the best feeling he’s had in such a long time – it feels like he belongs, like the first time he picked up a guitar.

“Veronica,” he whispers, out of breath when they break apart. But he doesn’t have much time, before she cradles his face in her hands and she presses a new kiss to his mouth, making him smile first, and then chuckle when she does it a second time.

“God, you kiss as good as you look,” she teases, laughing when his cheeks get flushed, while toying with his ears. “You truly are the American dream, aren’t you? At least mine. All I can dream about.”

He grins. He can’t help it really, when she’s cheeky like that, and smiles brightly at him. There’s not much willpower in him that could make him say no to her.

“Come on. I have plans for us. I want to show you the park, but also my favorite places. Or as many of them as I can.” She rises on tiptoes and pecks his lips again. “And more kissing, of course.” She links her hand with his and turns around to move, but he doesn’t budge. Veronica’s head swivels around to watch him. “What’s wrong, lover boy?”

He smirks at her enthusiasm. Right before he flushes from head to toe. “Where’s Magnolia Bakery?”

“What?” Her face gets a curious expression.

“You said you loved Magnolia cupcakes, so I thought…” He swallows hard because this idea sounded much better in his head. “I want to know which ones are your favorites. And invite you.”

“Archie,” she coos sweetly, tilting her head to the side. “Follow me.”

Caramel is the flavor she chooses, while he picks a confetti-flavored one with chocolate buttercream. They sit at a tiny table, and somehow, he could imagine them having morning like this, sharing coffee and pastries. He takes a bite of the cupcake and she takes a picture, and that’s how their date starts.

They talk for a bit and as they leave the shop, she kisses him casually, and takes his hands before going back to Central Park. They stop by the Alice in Wonderland statue, and she explains it was her favorite when she was little. Then they go to the MET. She gives him a tour, almost as if she were an expert from the museum.

“I stop by often.” She walks by his side as they strode across the American Wing. “I live only a few blocks away in Park Avenue.” She pauses as they enter the Egyptian art hall, and then faces him with a look of worry on her face. “I haven’t told my parents about you. I haven’t told to anyone, but I want to. I’m unsure if you know what that means, though.”

“I’m ready to shout it from the rooftops,” he babbles, making her snort a laugh, and earning themselves a few glares.

“It’s a lot of exposure, Archiekins. It’s a cruel world and is part of who I am, so I guess I’m asking if you’re sure, if you’re willing to do that for me and be part of my crazy life.”

He doesn’t answer, and instead leans closer to her to press a kiss to her temple. “I’m with you,” he whispers, and then takes her hand in his to lead her out of the museum.

It turns out she has a car and driver at her beck and call, and Veronica decides to take him to Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick Cathedral’s and Radio City Music Hall. They walk and talk quite a lot, but in every secluded corner they can find, they kiss and learn each other’s little quirks, like how much she loves to take his top lip between hers and tease him. She plays with his hair while kissing him, but with his ears when she tries to be extra adorable with him.

He’s supposed to be in Times Square at six, so they can make it back to Riverdale before Betty’s curfew. They are close enough to walk the distance, but Veronica has other plans in mind, so she leads him back in the car and orders Andre to drive them around for the next half hour. It’s so little time compared to how much they’ve waited to meet each other.

Veronica scoots closer to him, and angles his face down so she can kiss him.

“Wait, Veronica,” Archie hisses, sending a pointed look in Andre’s direction in the driver’s seat.

She laughs. “What? He’s driving. Eyes on the road, and all that.” She takes his hand and place it firmly on her thigh, over the black pleated skirt, right before hers reaches for his face again. “This is as close to privacy as we can get,” she mutters against his lips.

And he caves in. How could he not when he has Veronica Lodge in front of him?

Archie thinks he must be doing things right, because she kisses his neck and then playfully nibbles his earlobe when her hand, the one against the back of the seat and hidden from prying eyes, sneaks under his shirt to touch his body. He feels on fire, which is embarrassing and frustrating at the same time.

Reaching behind her, his hand travel to her lower back, and the tip of his fingers glide along the sliver of skin exposed now that her sweater has ridden up. She’s soft, and she shivers when he touches her.

“We need to stop,” he manages to say just as they slow down near Times Square.

Veronica nods, and they laugh together because they are sure this little tryst is not nearly enough to quench their thirst for each other – and had they been alone, this would’ve been a very different outcome.

“I have to go–“

“Wait!” Veronica takes her coat to follow him. “I want to meet our friends.” She leaves the car with him, again hand in hand until they spot a blonde ponytail and an old gray crown-shaped beanie.

Calling their names, Archie makes Betty and Jughead turn around, and they both look surprised to see the stylish New York City girl clinging to his arm. Fortunately, Betty gets a big smile on her face and greets them quickly.

“You must be Veronica. I’m Betty. I’ve heard so much about you, every morning when I’m driving Archie to school.”

“Betts,” Archie mumbles, flushed cheeks and ears.

“Betty, his neighbor and best friend. Pleased to meet you.” Veronica smiles politely. “I think we could be great friends, as well.”

“This is Jughead, my boyfriend, and one of Archie’s chilhood friends too,” Betty offers in a friendly tone as they exchange pleasantries, and Jughead finally reacts after realizing that the whole story about online romance was real. Riverdale’s knight in shining armor, Archie Andrews, has in fact found his own princess, Veronica Lodge.

The four of them walk around Times Square as Veronica shares some fun stories about the city, and famous people. She also asks them to take a few pictures of her and Archie together, with her phone and with Archie’s.

Betty grins as she tells them they look cute and happy. And they do, even if Archie doesn’t want to let go when Veronica tells him she needs to be home for dinner – she’s planning on sharing his existence with her mom tonight, so then they can break the news to her dad together.

“Excuse us. It was a pleasure to meet you, Betty and Jughead!” Veronica says as she drags Archie away for one last kiss before they return to their respective worlds.

Holding her hands in his, he feels his heart sinking at the prospect of leaving and not seeing her in who knew how long. “When will I see you again?”

“I don’t know. Soon. It has to be soon,” she replies, shiny dark eyes on him, studying his features. There’s a little smile on her kissable lips. “Now that I know Archie Andrews in the flesh, I need more. All of you.”

“What if I don’t let go?” he asks more boldly. He wraps her in a loose hug, and her arms fall over his. “What if I don’t want to, Ronnie?”

“You think I want to leave you?” she leans in, against his chest, and he tightens his embrace. His chin rests on top of her head. “I want to be with you. Kiss you more. Laugh with you more. I want more. I do.” Veronica pulls back slightly, to look at his face, and before he can say anything, she kisses him.

“Is your home big enough to hide me?” Archie quips, making her laugh.

“My dad would find you before your first breath, but I like the idea of having you close.”

Archie bites his lip, feeling shy about asking the things he wants, but also feeling confident Veronica would never mock him for his feelings. “You can always come visit me.”

“I could. I’ll try.” She pecks his cheek, and he returns the gesture by dropping a lingering kiss on her forehead. “Let me know when you get home, okay? Have a safe trip, Archiekins.”

Sunday comes and all he can do is talk and think about Veronica. His dad laughs when he tells all about their day during breakfast, and shares how amazing she is. He shows him a few pictures of New York, and a few of the ones Jughead shot that captured him and Veronica. Archie also receives a good morning message with a kissy emoji and a picture of Veronica and her mom having breakfast, looking as regal as he can imagine them in silk robes.

Mom says you’re dashing. She approves.

He flops down on the bed and starts watching the pictures again. These last couple of months might be the time in which he has felt more creative and inspired since he decided to give music a chance. And it’s like he can see it clear in his head, see himself writing and playing his guitar for the world, to tell everyone he has fallen in love for one incredible woman.

Crowded town or silent bed
Pick a place to rest your head
Give me a minute to hold my girl

“Hey, Casanova,” Fred calls, poking his head into his son’s bedroom while Archie strums his guitar, jotting down words on his music journal. He smiles at Archie’s happy expression. “Time to go to bed, there’s school tomorrow.”

“One last–“

“One last time, fine. But then sleep, kid.”

But there’s a problem with that, because he still feels energized about the encounter with Veronica. He can still think about her kisses, about her smile, and the way her hair bounces when she walks, the rhythm of her hips, and the giggles in his ears, the warmth of her breath. How could he sleep knowing she’s in the world and he hasn’t kissed her today?

Still, sleep finally traps him and drags him into dreamland.

When Monday arrives, he goes through his routine as always. Getting a ride with Betty, they share a few jokes about their trip and how she was actually followed by Veronica on Instagram, and of course she followed back. Once again, Betty promises to help him with his homework during homeroom, and Archie keeps going about his day. That’s until third period when Kevin almost tackles him by his locker.

“Whoa,” Archie manages to catch Kevin before he knocks him onto the wall.

“Explain!” Kevin says instead of apologizing, shoving his phone in Archie’s face.

Archie scowls before he can make out what’s being shown to him. And then his eyes turn wide as saucers before he can smile as big as it’s physically possible.

Veronica just posted a series of pictures of their date, including a few Jughead took. A selfie of them at Magnolia Bakery, the one he took at the Alice in Wonderland Statue, another selfie in Rockefeller Center with her planting a big smooch on his cheek and him laughing, and a last one of them hugging in Times Square. There’s a caption she wrote: missing this sweetheart today, the one that makes my days brighter. I need you back, @archandrews. I loved our date, and can’t wait for the next one.

“That’s Ronnie,” Archie replies candidly. “My girlfriend.”

“Your what?” Kevin squeaks just as Reggie walks by, the words catching him off guard, so he also turns around to take Kevin’s phone and check the pictures.

“Girlfriend?” Reggie mutters, going over the pictures, brow furrowed.

“You still think she doesn’t exist? That she’s ugly and a loser, and what else?” Archie stands in front of his friends. “Right, she was trying to trick me. I was only a joke. Well, joke is on you, guys. Veronica Lodge likes me, and I like her too.”

Shouldering his backpack, Archie walks away, waiting until he turns around the corner to get his phone and post something that matches Veronica’s last pictures. He has one of her smiling and being cute while eating her cupcake. Look at this beauty that makes my heart beat faster @veronicalo soon is not soon enough.

He notices there are dozens of new followers in his account, hundreds of likes, and yes, he’s overwhelmed by this sudden piece of fame, but she warned him. He’ll find a way to deal with everything.

He’s chugging down water because he might be a little hungover after the party last night, to celebrate the win of the last game of the season. And it’s not only that, but Chuck basically passed to torch to him as captain, after an inspired Archie scored the winning touchdown. And yes, once he was unsure about playing football now that’s not his main concern, but Veronica kept asking him if it made him happy, and it does. He likes the sense of camaraderie, and be part of something bigger than himself. He also loves music, and so far, he can do both – maybe one day he won’t and he’ll need to choose, but it’s not now.

“Son?” Fred asks as the bacon sizzles on the skillet, and Archie hums. “There’s Advil in the first drawer at your right.”

Archie opens his mouth, but then shakes his head. “I’m fine. Just thirsty.”

Fred smirks. “If you say so. You could also wear some clothes to have breakfast.”

Snorting a laugh, Archie shrugs one shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, and we don’t have guests, so why bother.” He stands there, in just boxer briefs, drinking the last half of his glass of water as he leans against the kitchen counter.

He takes his phone and texts Veronica to let her know he’s awake, and back to the land of the living. The last message she sent him was to congratulate him about winning, and his new position as captain – she also told him to get her some football paraphernalia to support him next season. She wished him goodnight early with a string of hearts and kiss emojis. He just sent a blue heart.

The reply doesn’t come immediately, but he’s okay with that. She told him she had things to do early this Saturday. But when she does reply, her words puzzle him a bit.

Are you presentable?

He’s not, but he’s not going to tell her that, so instead he stealthily moves away from his father still cooking breakfast, and goes to the living room to take a selfie, and sends it to her.

You tell me.

She doesn’t, and instead he sees through the front window of his house a black car parking in front of it. A car he has seen before, in New York, because no one in Riverdale could own a luxury car like that – except the Blossoms. As the driver of the car opens the door to walk around the car, Archie’s eyes widen even more. He knows exactly who is in the back of that car, and that puts him into motion.

Archie hurries to the front door, his bare feet thumping against the wooden floor.

Fred lifts his gaze from the skillet to see his almost naked teenager son throwing the door open. “Archie!” he shouts to stop him but the boy rushes out of the house, forcing him to follow and see what kind of urgency has made him forget all about social norms. He starts laughing as soon as he sees Archie in front of a petite brunette in a black pea coat in front of a glossy town car.

“You came,” Archie whispers, his hands falling to Veronica’s waist over her coat.

She giggles. “I did.” And she’s not at all surprised when she feels his lips against her own, kissing her as if his life depended on it, fingers tangling in her hair while she reaches for those cute ears and soft ruffled hair. “Um, I could get used to being welcomed by you,” she replies as she tries to wipe her lipstick off his lips. “But as much as I love seeing you like this, aren’t you freezing, Archiekins?”

“A little, but who cares? You’re here.” He grins wide before wrapping her in a hug, tight until he makes her squeal and laugh. “Are you staying? How long? Where? You can stay here, with us. My dad won’t mind. We have a guest room. It’s small but–“ Veronica presses a finger to his lips, to stop his nervous rant.

“My parents prefer that I stay at a hotel. It was one of their conditions to let me come here and stay the night.”

“Oh.”

“But I’ll spend all day with you. And tomorrow, too.” She bites her lip, and looks at him through her eyelashes. “And they didn’t say anything about not going to your bedroom during the day.”

He snorts a laugh.

“Kids,” Fred calls from the porch. “I have breakfast ready, and I’d not only like for Archie to stop being half-naked in our front yard, but I’d love to meet you, Veronica.”

“Hello, Mr. Andrews!” Veronica greets, before telling Andre to leave her at the Andrews and go to the hotel until she needs him again. “I’d love to share time with you, and hopefully you’ll show me some of Archie’s baby pictures.”

“Ronnie!”

Fred snorts a laugh. “Well, much like now, he loved being naked and running around the house.” Veronica chuckles as she is led by Fred into the house, helping her with her coat while Archie runs upstairs to get some clothes.

“Dad!” complains Archie once more.

While he picks a shirt and a pair of pants, Archie hears Veronica and his dad talking in the kitchen.

“Have you thought about having an Instagram account for your business? Archie says you do remodeling, and people love the before and after of flipped houses. You could be a success.”

“That sounds like a nice idea, Veronica.”

“You never know what you can find online, maybe a new business or a new love– Archie!” Veronica squeals when he returns and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest and kissing her soundly on her cheek.