full dark, no stars

(I'm just going to skip a couple minutes so that everybody's at Pop's~)

Clara looked around as they entered Pop's, her eyes scanning for the guys, though it didn't take her long to spot them. Peering to Thea, she motioned towards them before heading over to slide into the booth. "Couldn't last without us, huh?" she asked in a hum, amusement in her voice as she peered between them, though she definitely wasn't complaining. Of course, she'd been enjoying hanging out with just Thea, but she was perfectly okay with hanging out with these two as well. Besides, it'd give her a chance to get to know Jughead better. While she wasn't sure she could really tell her problems to him, she wanted to be able to trust him either way.

"Oh, definitely not," Archie joked with a smile, "We were miserable without you two." Shrugging gently, he looked towards Thea for a moment, taking her in. He hoped she'd been having fun, but he also hoped that he and Jughead hadn't interrupted any fun she might have been having. While he wanted to spend time with her and hang out with her, he didn't want to get in the way of her making a new friend, especially when he knew she didn't have many girl friends - and Thea deserved to have somebody that she could talk to about girl things, about things she couldn't talk to them about, even if he personally felt like they could all talk to each other about basically anything.

"I knew it," Clara chimed as she leaned forward against the table, glancing around a bit as she took in the diner. She'd been there a few times, but never for long, and definitely not recently. It made her wonder just how much normal stuff she missed out on while being with Mark. She didn't get to enjoy things like this; she didn't get to just enjoy being a normal, teenage girl, and now that she was getting the chance to, she wanted to enjoy it while she could.

Archie watched them for a moment, his gaze focusing back on Thea. "So, did you find a dress you liked?" he asked with curiosity, mostly hoping that she had so that they could still go to the dance together. After all, he worried that, if she hadn't found a dress she'd liked, she wouldn't go with him - and even if she didn't go with him, he wanted her to go and enjoy herself, because he knew that neither Jughead nor Thea really got to enjoy themselves all that often.

Jughead grinned as he pretended to take up all of his side of the booth, “I mean if you don’t want to join us. Then you can find somewhere else to sit,” He joked as he looked at Clara, he wouldn’t actually let them sit at another booth as it had been his idea to invite the girls. Moving over he gave Clara room to sit down, “You two hungry?” He asked as he already knew what he was going to order for himself, he tended to get the same burger with fries and milkshake every time he did order food at Pop’s. Which was normally when Thea was working a shift, as Pop tended to either give him a discount or just give him the food for free. He loved that about Pop’s, he seemed to know what was going on, yet he never said anything about it.

Thea was glad that Clara felt like she could joke around with them, hopefully that meant she was comfortable with them and would want to spend more time with the trio. Sitting down in the booth beside Archie, she gave the spot beside her brother to Clara. “I did, actually. So, I guess you’re stuck with taking me to dance now.” She looked at Archie and hoped that he wasn’t just taking her to the dance, because he knew she wouldn’t have gone otherwise. She also hoped that he didn’t regret asking her to the dance, if he actually wanted to go with someone else. Thea knew Archie, she knew he wouldn’t back out and tell her that he wanted to take another girl. Not that she had seen him with anyone else, he hadn’t seemed interested in anyone and he would have told her if he was.

“I’m hungry, are we all getting burgers and milkshakes?” Thea asked as she looked at her friends, she knew what Archie and Jughead would want to eat. But, she wasn’t sure if Clara wanted anything. Once she got nods from the group, she stood up from the booth and walked over to the front counter as it was easier for her to order there. She smiled at Pop Tate could took her order and commented on how nice it was to see Clara back without her boyfriend, Thea agreed before she pulled out her purse and started to count out the money that the order came to. She wasn’t sure if she’d have enough, as she had just paid off a few bills that had come in and her dad didn’t seem to care about.

Jughead looked at Clara, “Pop’s have the best milkshakes.” He told her as he was at the diner a lot, either working on his manuscript or hanging out until Thea finished her shift. He had only seen Clara there for short periods of time, when she had still been dating Mark. On those occasions he never saw her order anything, for some reason they never stayed long, nor did they come into the diner that often. So, he wasn’t sure if Clara had ever eaten there or had one of Pop’s amazing milkshakes. If she hadn’t, then she had totally missed out.

Clara hummed with amusement as she slid into the booth, sitting next to Jughead while she listened to the others. “I guess a meal does sound like a good idea,” she decided easily, figuring that it might be best to get something on her stomach, since she hadn’t eaten lunch. It’d be better to do that in an attempt to avoid the others asking questions about her lack of appetite. Leaning over the table, she rested her elbows down and let her head rest in the palms of her hands as she scanned the group for a moment. It still surprised her that they were letting her be around them, that they were accepting her. Of course, they didn’t really know much about her and she worried about how they would react if they ever found out everything, but, for now, she could just enjoy this.

“Well, being stuck implies that I don’t want to go to the dance with you,” Archie mentioned with faint amusement as he watched her, “And that’s definitely not true. I absolutely want to go with you to the dance.” He nodded once, firmly, because it was the truth. He couldn’t think of anybody else he would have wanted to go to the dance with and, really, he was glad that she had agreed. His eyes went to Jughead for a moment as he hoped that his friend really was okay with Archie having feelings for Thea, but his gaze quickly went back to Thea and he offered a small grin. “I’m glad you found a dress you liked. I’m sure you’ll look perfect.” And, really, he completely believed that. There was no way she couldn’t look perfect, after all; it was Thea. “We’ll have a blast.”

Clara listened, watching Archie for a moment before she peered over at Thea, shamelessly wiggling her brows, because she could definitely tell that Archie had a thing for Thea - and she knew Thea had a thing for Archie as well. It was cute, really, and she hoped that the two would find some way to admit it to each other. After deciding what she wanted, she watched the pair for a moment. When Thea went to pay, though, Archie stood up to follow her, and Clara looked back at Jughead. “I’m not the only one who notices what’s going on there, am I?” she asked jokingly, tilting her head a bit, though she blinked. “I haven’t really had a milkshake in a… Really long time.” She made a joking face and shrugged slightly.

Archie moved over to Thea, watching her at the counter before he smiled and stepped up, pulling out some of his own money. “Here, you don’t have to pay for it all,” he assured her easily as he pulled out enough to pay for a good portion of everybody’s meal. “I mean, you’re not the only one eating, after all.” He nudged her teasingly, setting the money on the counter next to her money before he pushed it all to Pop and settled his gaze back on Thea. “Are you looking forward to the dance now that you have a dress you like?” he asked with curiosity. Mostly, he didn’t really care what she wore; he knew he’d enjoy the dance so long as he got to be with her there, but he wanted her to enjoy everything she could about it.

Jughead shook his head, although he wasn’t completely comfortable knowing his sister and best friend had a thing for each other. He also wouldn’t trust anyone else to be with his sister and not break her heart, “Everyone sees it. The only ones who don’t, are those two and it’s beginning to drive me insane.” He sighed as he wished Archie would just make a move already, it was painful now for him to watch them tiptoe around each other. It wasn’t a conversation that he wanted to have with Thea, but maybe Clara could for him.

“Maybe you could mention something to Thea?” He asked as he glanced over to her, he knew his sister wouldn’t listen or believe it but anything was worth a try at this point. “You’re in for a good milkshake then, Pop’s are the best.” He grinned at her as he was enjoying having her around, he didn’t feel like he had to act like someone else with her there. He was being himself and that felt nice, he hoped Clara felt like she could be herself also around them. Even if it could be daunting, considering how close the three of them were. But Clara seemed to fit in perfectly with them. “Thanks for giving Thea a dress, money is tight right now and I know she wouldn’t have brought herself a dress.” It meant a lot to Jug that Clara was so willing to help Thea out, it proved to him that he could allow himself to get close to Clara.

---

Thea looked over at Archie when he added in his own money and pushed it all over to Pop, “Thanks.” She smiled at him as she turned her body slightly so she was facing him more, “I am actually. Even though I’m not much of a dancer,” Which she was pretty sure Archie already knew that about her, but that wouldn’t stop her from still enjoying the night. Especially now that she’d be spending the night with Archie, hopefully her brother would also make an effort in attending the dance if he took Clara.

“Will we go to Cheryl’s party afterwards?” She asked as she didn’t really mind, she did however know what Cheryl could be like. How over the top the red head could be, it at least seemed like she’d still be holding a party at her family’s mansion, even with Jason’s death. “It might be somewhat fun,” Thea looked at Archie, all she really wanted was to spend time with him. Whether that be at Cheryl’s party or just the two of them, as long as Archie was there, Thea felt safe.

Clara couldn’t help the grin that formed on her features when she heard Jughead’s words. “Insanity isn’t the worst thing that could happen,” she joked lightly, leaning to rest her arms on the table, lifting her hands to hold her head up as she watched him. “In fact, I think this town could use some insanity. Not… Death insanity or anything, but just… Good, old-fashioned looney insanity.” She shrugged gently, though she was sure that the town would crucify anybody who actually went insane. Riverdale was full of people who were too full of themselves and it generally annoyed the hell out of Clara. Hearing his request, though, she blinked with mild surprise with the fact that he’d trust her to bring it up, but nodded. “Of course. I don’t mind mentioning it. Maybe it’d help them a bit.”

Hearing the subject return to milkshakes, though, she hummed, the small grin returning as she tilted her head. “That so? I hope you’re not overselling it, Jughead. I’d hate to be disappointed.” She was joking, of course. Even if it wasn’t the best milkshake ever, she was sure she’d enjoy it as much as everybody else seemed to - she wasn’t blind to how popular the little diner was, after all, and there was no way that it was popular for no reason. No, something about it had to be great for it to always be busy - the workers, the food, or even just the atmosphere, or all of them. Hearing his gratitude, though, caught her off guard, and she stared at him. “You don’t have to thank me,” she assured him quietly, “Really. I wanted to help out. Plus, it was fun.”

---

After Thea thanked him, Archie smiled slightly and shook his head. “It’s the least I could do,” he assured her easily, “I mean, it’s not like it’s only you eating, anyways. Besides, you know I’d never let the full payment fall on just you.” In fact, he probably would have paid the whole thing himself if she hadn’t beaten him to the counter to pay, and he was pretty sure she knew that, because even before the summer, that was how he’d always been, because of how much he’d cared about her. Or maybe he was just naturally nice, he wasn’t sure. He liked to think it was because Thea mattered more to him than anybody, though. A grin formed on his features and he nodded. “We’ll have fun,” he promised her, wanting to be able to give her that, wanting to be able to ensure that she actually enjoyed herself. His tone turned teasing with his next words, though. “Whether you can dance or not.”

The mention of going to Cheryl’s partially surprised him, but he thought about it for a few moments regardless and eventually shrugged. “We can go if you want to,” he offered up, his grin softening to a smile as he watched her, taking her in. All he wanted was to make sure she had the best night. Or, really, he always wanted her to enjoy herself, no matter whether they were going to a dance or just hanging out. Seeing her smile brightened his days, always, and he wanted to be able to give that to her, a part of him wanting to be the person who put those beautiful smiles on her face. “Yeah, if you think it will be fun, even remotely or somewhat, we can definitely go,” he assured her, smiling, “Whatever you want to do.”

Jughead grinned as a soft chuckle left his lips and he shook his head lightly, “I don’t think the people of Riverdale are ready for some looney insanity. I’d probably get locked up, or is that your secret plan?” He joked as he looked at Clara, it felt… good to be able to talk like this with someone that wasn’t Thea or Archie. It felt nice that he could still be himself around Clara, be his usual weird and slightly awkward self. The people of Riverdale needed many things, but him going insane wasn’t one of those things, as not many people in the town even liked him because of the side of town that he had been born and raised on. It had always been that way, and it will continue to stay that way as parents have passed those thoughts and feelings onto their children.

Glancing at Clara, hearing her words he decided to be bold for once. “If you are disappointed, then maybe I could make it up to you and take you out. Even if you do like the milkshake, I could still take you out sometime.” He offered as he tried not to regret the words he spoke, the second they left his mouth. He watched Clara to see the signs that she was going to reject him, he hoped she didn’t because he couldn’t take it back now. He had asked her out and that was it, “It can be a friendly date, as friends… two friends going out,” He wanted to clear that up as well, as he knew it hadn’t been all that long since the breakup with her boyfriend.

---

Thea knew that Archie would have paid the full bill if he had gotten the chance, but she didn’t want him to think that he always had to pay the bill. “Yeah, I know.” Which is why she had gotten to the counter as quickly as she had, so he wouldn’t be attempted to pay the bill on his own. Smiling she looked at him, “I might step on your feet if we do dance. I wouldn’t want that to ruin your chances of being on the football team,” She smiled as she could somewhat dance, enough to not step on his feet. “It should be a good night, although Cheryl is in charge of organising it and we know how over the top she tends to go.” As long as Thea had Archie at the dance, then she knew she would have a good time because he made everything better.

Nodding her head lightly, she sat down on one of the bar stools as she noticed her brother seemed to be getting along really well with Clara. She wanted to give them sometime to talk, without having her and Archie there listening in on what they were talking about. “We should go, besides it’s not like we have to stay for the whole party. I know Cheryl would love to see you there,” Thea looked at the red-haired boy that she cared so deeply for, she did feel threatened by Cheryl as she had everything, while Thea didn’t. Cheryl had the good family, money, a promising bright future. Thea had a good family from the wrong side of town, struggled for money, and she had no idea what her future would be.

A small grin formed on Clara’s features as she watched Jughead before she shrugged slightly. “It could be my plan. I guess you’ll never know, though,” she hummed out with amusement. Really, she felt pretty at ease here, hanging out with Jughead, Thea, and Archie. It should have felt awkward, considering she’d never really spoken to any of them outside of that day - not that she hadn’t wanted to, she just hadn’t really been able to, with Mark. And, before Mark, the trio had seemed so close, as if they were this impenetrable group, because everybody knew how close the trio were. But, maybe she’d been wrong about that - they’d been completely welcoming to her, and Jughead had been the one to talk to her first, oddly enough. A part of her almost felt lucky that such a close group had even spoken to her at all, when she couldn’t recall a time she’d ever had actual friends.

When Jughead spoke again, though, she blinked, mildly surprised, but she grinned, leaning forward as she watched him. “That’s an interesting idea, Jughead,” she hummed out, watching him for a moment or so while she debated the idea. While she had no intention of saying no - something about Jughead definitely had her attention, way before they even spoke, - she was mildly curious as to what brought Jughead to suggest it in the first place. Regardless, she tilted her head before leaning back in her seat, her grin broadening. “I think I’d like that, so I’m in.”

---

Archie laughed gently in response and shook his head slightly. “I think you should have a little more faith in yourself. I trust you not to step on my toes,” he told her with a small grin as he watched her, examining her for a few moments. He wanted to make sure that she would enjoy herself that night, but, more than anything, he wanted to focus on spending time with her. All he really wanted was to ensure that she had the opportunity to have a nice night, considering he felt that she completely deserved it. He nodded, though, when she mentioned Cheryl. “Yeah… She’ll probably take this as an opportunity to distract herself as much as possible,” he said honestly. He wouldn’t blame her, really. While he’d never had a sibling, he’d always had Jughead and Thea, and he worried that, if he lost them, he might as well lose himself, because he couldn’t imagine life without them. If he felt that way about just his best friends, how must Cheryl feel about her twin brother?

He nodded, though, to Thea’s words, and offered a small smile as he watched her. “Well, if you want to go that badly, then we’ll go,” he assured. “And… Well, to be honest, I’m not all that interested in really thinking about what Cheryl wants. I just want to do whatever you want. I want you to be able to enjoy yourself and have fun.” He knew that was selfish, of course - he should care about what Cheryl wanted, considering what Cheryl was going through, but she definitely wasn’t his priority. He watched her for a few more moments before he looked over when Pop brought their food and milkshakes. Moving, he picked up as much as he could.

Jughead chuckled softly as he looked at Clara, “Won’t I? I’m pretty good at figuring things out, I might surprise you.” He grinned as he had always been a very observant person and seemed to pick up on things that most people didn’t, he had noticed how unhappy Clara had been towards the end of her relationship with Mark. Although, he never said a word about it to anyone. He hadn’t thought it was his place, beside what could he have done? He didn’t want to say anything and then it cause trouble for Clara, she didn’t deserve that, so Jug had kept his mouth shut. Since he first spoke to Clara, he had seen her smile more then what she had while dating her ex-boyfriend. Which Jughead found to be sad, because Clara had the most stunning smile ever and it brightened her face. Her smile was all he ever wanted to see, he also wanted to be the reason why she smiled.

He couldn’t help but grin as Clara thought about his offer, part of him was nervous that she would say no but he just had a feeling that she wouldn’t. “I’m glad that you’re in, because I was thinking I may even brave this stupid dance. If you wanted to go with me?” He asked as he normally wouldn’t have gone to a school dance, it wasn’t something he normally enjoyed. Not that he had actually ever been to one before, he went to school through the day because he had to, he didn’t really want to spend his free time at the school when he didn’t need to.

---

Thea swallowed as she could feel a lump forming in her throat as she listened to Archie, he had always done whatever he could to make sure she was happy and was enjoying herself at whatever they were doing. It was something that Thea loved about Archie, he always seemed to put her before himself… actually he put her before everyone else, and Thea admired that in him. “I will enjoy myself, because you’ll be there with me.” She smiled at him, she could be doing anything, and she would enjoy herself each time as long as Archie was there beside her. “Thanks Pops,” She smiled at the older man as she picked up the plates and milkshakes that Archie couldn’t, she didn’t want to interrupt her brother and Clara, but she was also hungry, and she wanted Clara to enjoy herself.

She followed Archie back over the booth and set a burger and milkshake in front of Clara, “Here we go.” She smiled as she sat back down beside Archie on their side of the booth, “So, were we talking about anything interesting?” She asked looking between the two, she wasn’t usually a nosy person. But she could be when it came to her brother, especially when he seemed to be taking such a big interest in Clara, which is something he never did. Thea wanted to make sure that he wasn’t being too awkward, as she wanted Clara to stick around and become a part of their little group.

(gonna combine them~)

Admittedly, Archie felt mildly surprised when he heard Thea’s words, but a broad grin formed on his features, and he could feel relief fill him. While it wasn’t a confirmation of how either of them felt for each other, he felt like it was a start and maybe it meant things were looking up for them, that they were heading in the right direction with what was going on between them. “Great, great,” he said happily, nodding slightly as he watched her, “I’ll enjoy myself, too, since you’ll be there.” She was the whole reason he was even going to go to the dance - he wanted to spend time with her in a setting that wasn’t just them hanging out. He wanted to see where this could go for them. He wanted to see her happy. Seeing that she was heading back to the table, he followed her, smiling to himself, happy with the entire situation.

Amusement flashed across Clara’s features as she watched him. “Well, if you just announce that you might find out, it just makes me want to try harder to keep it a secret,” she joked lightly. It was nice to be able to joke around like this, really. It was nice to just talk to somebody who wasn’t Mark, though she might be partial in that thought, because something about Jughead definitely struck a chord with her. It wasn’t usually easy for her to just talk to people, not after everything she went through with Mark, but she felt at complete ease talking with Jughead. When she heard Jughead’s question, she was about to answer before her attention got caught by Thea. “Oh, well, Jughead just asked me to the dance and I was about to say yes,” she hummed out easily, her gaze going back towards Jughead.

This caught Archie a little off guard and he arched a brow, looking to Jughead for a moment. “Really? Since when would you ever go to a dance?” he teased his friend lightly, but he smiled, glad to know that his friend was stepping out of his comfort zone a bit. He thought for a moment before he looked to Thea, then to the others. “You know what, how about we make it a double date, then?” he suggested, being extra careful with the word ‘date,’ in case Thea or the others weren’t really interested in thinking of the dance as a date. It was mostly his way of trying to casually suggest it being a date, though, in hopes that Thea wouldn’t have a bad reaction to it. At least, this way, he’d know how she felt about the idea of a date overall and, if things went well, maybe he’d get to ask Thea on a real date afterwards, just the two of them.

Clara blinked with the suggestion and she watched Archie for a moment before she looked to the others, curious to their own responses, though she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I’m in, if everybody else is,” she decided easily, watching them to see how they would react to the idea. Really, she’d definitely rather spend time with the trio, and she knew they’d break off from each other at the dance to spend time with their respective… Dates, if that was what everybody decided to call this entire situation.

Jughead knew his sister could have bad timing, but right now just confirmed that all the more. He hadn’t been able to get Clara’s answer about going to the dance with him, before Thea and Archie came back to the booth with the plates of food. Looking at Clara, he was surprised that she had actually agreed to go to the dance with him. He honestly hadn’t expected her to say yes, he was expecting her to pause and then try to get out of it as politely as she could. “Yes? Awesome…” He grinned as he picked up some fries from his plate and ate them, his eyes moved over to Archie who was already teasing him about the dance. “Since I now have someone to go to the dance with,” Jughead didn’t want to refer to Clara as being his date to the dance, as he thought that might be too much and too soon for her.

Thea looked between her brother and Clara as she listened, “What? You’ve never gone to a school dance, and I ask you every time one is being held if you want to go. You’ve never gone,” She looked at Jughead, she wasn’t sure how she felt about this. She was glad that he was taking Clara to the dance, that was great. It was just she could never convince him to go to a school function with her, and now suddenly he was asking Clara without her knowing. She hoped having Clara around would continue to make Jughead go out of his comfort zone, because she clearly wasn’t going a great job of it. As long as Clara didn’t get scared away with all the baggage that came with the Jones’ family, because it would be a lot for anyone to take in once she found out.

“It’s a bit different now, Thea. Before I never had anyone to go with, and I probably still won’t like the dance. But I’m willing to try it once,” Jughead shrugged his shoulders before he looked to Clara, “Just another warning. I’ll probably complain about how lame the dance is, and how we could all be doing better things with our time.” He grinned at her as he did think the dance was a waste of time, but maybe he could still have some sort of fun during the night. It would also give him a chance to spend the night with Clara and get to know her better, he didn’t know much about her as they never really spoke to each other before now. He was looking forward to that part of the night, so if he had to brave being at the dance and surrounded by people he didn’t care for, then he would because Clara would have to suffer through it all with him.

Thea looked to Archie as she hadn’t been expecting him to suggest they all go to the dance on a double date, Clara was the first to agree to the double date. But she found herself glancing to her brother, they had always been pretty relaxed with who the other dated as long as they approved of the person. She knew Jug would approve of Archie, but they still shared a look of reassurance. “A double date it is,” She looked at Archie hoping this wasn’t just his way of including everyone, which he tended to do whenever he could. She was certain that once at the dance, Jughead and Clara would go off which would still give Thea the time alone that she wanted to have with Archie. It would also give her a chance to get ready with Clara, to make sure she looked the best she could for the redhead. “Do you think your dad would let us borrow his truck?” She looked to Archie as she didn’t have access to a car and Jughead only had his motorbike, which wouldn’t work at all.

A small grin formed on Clara’s features when she heard Jughead’s words and she ducked her head slightly to hide it, mostly relieved that he hadn’t backed out of the invitation. A part of her wondered if this really was a good idea, if she was risking too much by going to the dance with Jughead. Mostly, she hoped that Mark wouldn’t show up, though she doubted that he would. Dances weren’t generally Mark’s thing; he didn’t like going out and having fun in general, after all, and he especially didn’t like it when it meant his date could get attention. Her gaze lifted back to watch Jughead for a moment, admittedly happy with the situation. He was a good guy, she could tell. While she was sure he had secrets, she knew that she had her own, so that didn’t bother her too much.

“At least he’s actually going this time,” Archie offered up to Thea, offering a small smile to her as he shrugged. He wasn’t sure how Thea felt about it, but he wanted to assure her that it was okay. At least they’d all get to hang out together - and that was something that just the trio didn’t get to do at dances, since Jughead never went to them. It’d be the first time they’d get to really hang out with Clara, too, and hopefully the four of them could just all enjoy themselves together. “It could be worse. He could end up bailing on all of us at the last minute.” He was joking, of course, because he doubted Jughead would just bail on them, especially after he’d been so mad at Archie for bailing. But, he was sure Jughead probably wouldn’t stay at the dance for too long either way, honestly.

Clara couldn’t help but to laugh quietly upon hearing Jughead’s words and she shook her head slightly, amused. “Complain as much as you want,” she assured him, lifting her shoulders in a small shrug as she moved to sip at her milkshake for a moment, enjoying the taste of it. “It won’t bother me, really. Who knows, I may even end up agreeing with you.” She couldn’t absolutely promise that, though, because she’d never been to a dance before. In all honesty, she hadn’t even really been certain that she’d even go to this one, until Jughead had asked her. A part of her was sure that, even if she didn’t like the dance or ended up hating it, she’d still have fun just hanging out with Jughead either way.

Admittedly, Archie perked up a bit when he heard Thea agree to the idea of the entire thing being a double date. A broad grin stretched across his features and he couldn’t force it away, even if he wanted to, which he didn’t. “Great, yeah, then it will be a double date,” he decided with a nod, figuring that maybe he could go the extra mile to make sure Thea enjoyed it. Maybe he could get her flowers before the dance, a nice bouquet. He’d do whatever it took to make sure it was perfect for her, because she deserved it. “I’m sure my dad won’t mind, if I explain it all - tell him I’m taking you and that even Jughead’s joining in and bringing a date.” He knew how much his dad loved Thea and Jughead, after all, and his dad honestly made it pretty clear that he thought Archie and Thea belonged together - his dad would probably let him borrow the truck without Archie even having to actually ask once Archie told him that Thea was his date.

Jughead chewed the mouthful of the burger that he had just taken as he nodded his head in agreement to what Archie was saying, sure everyone expected him to skip the school dance and honestly, he would have if he hadn’t asked and wanted to go with Clara. She was really the only person that he wanted to take to a school function, and if she was willing to go with him then he would give the dance a chance. “Let’s be grateful that I’m even going,” Jug looked to his sister once he had swallowed the food in his mouth, he wasn’t sure how long he would even last at the dance, but he was still making the effort. That had to count for something, he could even last longer than he thought he would because he would have Clara there with him. He wanted to spend as much time as he possibly could with her, he wanted to know more about her as a person. This dance could even be slightly enjoyable for him, he would only know when the night came.

Thea was glad her brother was going to the dance and was taking Clara as his date, she always knew that it would take Jughead being interested in a girl, for him to even consider attending a school event such as this dance. It was just Thea was protective over her family, she always has been, so it did feel a bit strange to her seeing how Clara was affecting Jug. She was affecting him in a positive way, which made Thea feel better about the entire situation. That didn’t stop her from hoping that Clara didn’t bring any trouble into the trio’s lives, she didn’t have anything to do with Clara’s ex-boyfriend, but Thea had seen how controlling that boy was. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but Mark did worry her, especially now that her brother was making his move on Clara. Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she smiled as she looked at Archie while Jughead scoffed at his comment.

“I wouldn’t be saying that, you haven’t heard me complain about anything yet.” Jughead grinned as his eyes found Clara, he could complain about most things and when he did, he tended to over a bit over board. Some things he couldn’t let go of, he could complain just as well as he could hold a grudge against people. “Take it from me, I just ignore him or listen to music when he starts complaining.” Thea smiled at Clara as she gave the girl a tip on how to deal with her brother, which only caused Jughead to roll his eyes. “Doesn’t stop me though,” He chuckled softly as he took another large bite of his burger and fries, he was glad that Clara had agreed to come to the diner as he was enjoying spending time with her, even if Thea and Archie were there. He quickly glanced over at Thea, before looking back at Clara as a smug grin formed on his lips. “Unless you wanted to go to the dance on my bike? I have a spare helmet at home, it had been for Thea until she refused to get on the bike.” He honestly wouldn’t care either way, as long as he was able to take Clara to the dance.

Thea smiled at Archie when she saw the grin on his face, “Great.” How was it possible for someone to be as perfect as Archie was? He was such a handsome, talented and nice person. He was the kind of person that was lacking in Riverdale, the town needed more people like Archie, maybe if there were then what happened to Jason Blossom wouldn’t have. “If your Dad needs any convincing, then I can talk to him. But I’m sure once he knows that Jug is going, he’ll be more willing to let us borrow his truck.” Thea loved Fred, he had always been there for her. In fact both Fred and Mary had always been there for her and Jughead, she hated to admit it but they had been more like parents to her then her actual parents.

Archie chuckled gently in response to Jughead’s words and nodded slightly. “Well, I promise, we’re all very grateful that you’re actually going,” he teased his friend lightly, grinning as he watched his best friend, unable to really help it; he hadn’t really expected for there to ever be somebody who would convince Jughead to attend a school event. And, it was even more surprising, because it hadn’t seemed like Clara had even convinced Jughead, really; it seemed like Jughead had taken the initiative himself to ask Clara to the dance, and that was something that Archie was sure nobody would have expected in general. But, if his best friend was going to attend, then at least that was a good sign for the year, he hoped. Looking to Thea, he smiled to himself as he watched her, taking her in, wondering how she felt about all of this, but he didn’t want to outright ask her. He’d ask her when they got a chance to just hang out alone, he decided.

Clara smiled as he listened to the twins for a moment and shrugged. “I think I can handle you complaining,” she promised. It definitely couldn’t be worse than Mark’s behavior. If she could handle Mark hitting her, breaking her, destroying her, she could handle Jughead complaining. But, she didn’t want to explain that. Instead, she grinned as she listened to Thea. “Does ignoring him or listening to music actually work, though?” she joked lightly before she shrugged and leaned back in her seat as she popped a fry into her mouth, chewing it while she let herself enjoy all of this. She was surprised that she could enjoy herself so easily with the trio overall; she’d expected to feel tense or worried the whole time, but she felt… Almost natural, hanging out with them, like she’d been hanging out with them for years. They didn’t treat her like an outsider. She blinked, though, with Jughead’s words. “Wait, what? You’ve got a bike?”

A small grin formed on Archie’s lips when he heard Thea’s words and he looked to her, taking her in, just enjoying the sight of her before he shrugged. “Maybe I’d have a higher chance of an immediate yes if you just come to help talk him into it the first time,” he mentioned, though a part of him was sure that it would at least just give them time to hang out, just the two of them, even if only for a bit. Of course, he loved hanging out with Jughead and everything and he was so glad that their friendship seemed to be on the mend, but he couldn’t deny that he definitely wanted to just hang out with just Thea sometimes. A huge part of him hoped that she felt the same in that aspect, but he was also aware that it was understandable if she didn’t, especially after he’d bailed on them. “We can ask after we all eat, maybe?”

Arching a brow, Clara peered over at Archie, watching him before her gaze went to Thea and she watched her, too. The two so clearly adored each other, and she wondered if they’d ever see that for themselves. It was cute and nice to see, and she smiled to herself, mentally rooting for them. Her gaze went back to Jughead and she arched a brow, as if curious to see if he saw what she saw, and she grinned before she leaned forward to drink some of her milkshake. “The bike idea does sound pretty cool,” she admitted as she watched him, tilting her head, “I’m sure that, if we did that, the whole school would think you’re basically the coolest guy ever.”

(Sorry if this post is a little boring.)

Thea shook her head slightly, “Don’t really. He will just keep going on and on until someone does finally listen to him, usually nodding along with what he’s saying is enough.” She grinned as she looked at Clara, maybe she wouldn’t mind Jughead’s complaining. She was the reason as to why he was going to the school dance, she might not be giving the girl enough credit for what she can put up with. She was glad that there may be another person that her brother turns to, so really Thea had nothing to worry about if Clara decided to stay in Jug’s life. She couldn’t remember a time when Jug had seemed to be this interested in someone, it was nice to see her brother in this mood after everything that happened over the summer. Not just with Archie bailing on them, but what happened with their family and how their dad currently was. Thea wanted her brother to be happy, and it seemed like Clara could be that ray of sunshine that Jug needed.

Jug looked at Clara as he wasn’t expecting her to agree with going to the dance on his bike, he assumed they could tag along in Fred’s truck. “Yeah, I have a bike. Have you been on one before?” He asked hoping she would be interested in bikes, if she was then he could take her for a ride on his. Maybe they could go for a ride together before and after the dance, hopefully it wouldn’t be a one-off thing. If she wasn’t all that fond of his bike, he’d work something else out. He’d want her to be comfortable, so if she didn’t want to go on his bike then it wouldn’t overly bother him as he knew it wasn’t something that everyone would enjoy. “My dad brought it for me years ago,” He remembered that day fondly, it had been way before his family broke apart. Everyone had still been happy back then, those memories for Jug were bittersweet as he was living through the ending of those memories now.

Thea smiled as she looked at Archie, he was right about his dad. It might go over smoothly if she was there with Archie, they were after all going to the dance together, so they should ask Fred if they could borrow his truck for the night, together. “Yeah, I can come over. He’ll probably trust me more with his truck,” She teased light heartedly, it would also serve as a reason to see Fred again and to spend some time with Archie alone. As much as she was enjoying the time with her brother and with Clara, having some time alone with Archie sounded even better. Although she didn’t want to say anything or hurry off, she thought that would come across as rude and she didn’t want Clara to feel like she wasn’t wanted there when she was. She hadn’t seen Archie all that much over the summer, now that things between Archie and Jug seemed to have settled. She could start spending more time with the redhead, if she got what she was hoping for.

Jughead took a drink of his milkshake as his eyes focused on Clara, “I’ll never been seen as a cool guy at school, and I honestly never want to be considered one.” He knew nothing he did would ever change how kids saw him, he would always be the weird loner among his peers at school and that was totally fine. Jug was happy the way he was, he wasn’t going to change himself for anyone. If kids didn’t like him, that wasn’t his problem nor was it his concern. He’d leave that all up for Archie to be, he was on the football team and all the girls seemed to like him. Jughead liked being who he was, even if he was a weird loner. “If you did come to the dance with me, on my bike or not, everyone would think you’re completely out of my league.” He stated honestly because it was true, Clara was gorgeous and kind and smart. He wasn’t enough for her, he never would be. But if she was willing to give him a chance, he’d take that chance for as long as he could.

(I went ahead to relink Clara’s dress in this post, so that we don’t have to go back to the second page to find it)

The night of the dance had finally arrived. Clara had spent the day getting ready for it, letting herself go all out, since she didn’t normally get to do that, because of Mark. Plus, a huge part of her wanted to impress Jughead. While the week had been full of ups and downs, especially with her pill problem, but she’d gotten through it, and she felt like a huge part of that was because of Jughead. It made her want to be better, to do better, and to get clean, but it was hard. She wanted to be somebody who deserved Jughead’s attention, somebody who was worthy of it, but she wasn’t sure that she could manage that, no matter how hard she tried. During the week, she’d still let everybody believe that she was normal, that she was just the Clara everybody saw on the outside - the kind, normal Clara, who held it all together, the mask that hid the Clara who’d been abused by her ex, the Clara that was struggling to get through most days.

But, she was determined to get through this. She was determined to get through the dance and to enjoy her time with her new friends, with Jughead. Swallowing, she was finishing getting ready while she smoothed her dress out. As Thea had suggested, she’d curled her hair and had it pinned half up to avoid it getting in her face. Her fingers toyed with the pockets of the dress, almost nervously, not quite used to not having anything in her pockets, but also not used to wearing dresses anymore, and not used to actually wanting to impress anybody. She hadn’t bothered accessorizing - the dress was pretty enough on its own, she didn’t want to take any attention away from it. For the most part, she was just ready to get the night started and to enjoy herself, but she was also ready to just spend time with Jughead, get to know him more. She’d been learning about him throughout the week, but it never felt like enough - she kept wanting to learn as much as she could, as much as he would tell her. Shaking her head, she headed downstairs to wait.

---

Fred had agreed to let Archie use the truck to pick up Thea for the dance and Archie was excited about it. He wanted to make the night perfect for Thea, he wanted to give her everything she deserved. He wanted to make sure she had fun and that she enjoyed herself, so he planned to go to every single length that he could to provide that for her. At the moment, he was in his room, fixing his suit, adjusting his tie so that it looked right, though he was a little worried about it. For Thea, he wanted to make sure that he looked perfect, that everybody about this night was completely perfect for her. Once he figured he looked as good as he could manage, his hair combed and fixed, his suit nice and straight, comfortable, and his shoes clean. He’d gone to every length he could go to in order to make sure he looked as nice as he possibly could. He’d even gotten some flowers for her, her favorite kind, figuring it was something she deserved - he wasn’t sure she’d ever been given flowers before.

When it neared time to go get her for the dance, he made his way downstairs and got the keys from his dad, who wished him luck. Fred could see how much this night meant to Archie, how much Thea meant to Archie, and he wanted to support that, and Archie couldn’t have possibly been more grateful for that. Thanking his dad for the keys, Archie made his way out of the house and climbed into the truck, starting it. He’d never driven alone before, without his dad, but he’d been taught by his dad how to handle it well enough, so he wasn’t too nervous. As he began the drive, he focused on the drive, his gaze on the road. The closer he got to Thea’s house, though, the more nervous he could feel himself getting. But, it didn’t stop him, didn’t distract him from his goal. The sooner he got to Thea’s, the more time he could spend with her, and the sooner he’d get to see her in general. He couldn’t wait to see her, eager to see what she’d wear, but certain that she would look completely beautiful in every sense of the word. When he got to her home, he parked the truck and climbed out, flowers in hand, and went to the door, knocking.

Jughead had found the nicest and cleanest clothes he had for the night of the dance, he wanted to do nothing but impress Clara, he knew he had to look the part to do that. Yet, he didn’t have much money, so he couldn’t go out and buy new clothes. When he had found black trousers and a button-down shirt, he felt like he had won the lottery. Of course, his beanie and sneakers would stay the same as that was part of who he was, and he’d never change that part about himself. He got himself ready at the drive-in as he still wasn’t living at home with his dad and sister, it was a toxic environment that he hated himself for leaving Thea in, but she thought she could help their dad get clean and sober. Once he was dressed and his hair was brushed, through his beanie did cover his hair. He inhaled a deep breath before he climbed onto his bike, the engine roaring to life as he started the drive towards Clara’s house, in the nice part of Riverdale in which Jug hadn’t been to much. He felt like his bike made too much noise for the quiet streets, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as his eyes searched for the right house.

Pulling off to the side of the street, he killed the engine as he sat outside of Clara’s house. Slight panic formed as he realised he had forgotten to get her flowers, was she the type of girl who wanted or expected flowers? He wasn’t sure yet but hoped that it wouldn’t disappoint her too much, shaking those thoughts away again, he smoothed out his trousers and walked up towards the front door. Pressing the doorbell, he waited there for what felt like forever as he prayed Clara answered the door and not her parents. Hearing the door open, his eyes landed on Clara and his breathe was taken away immediately. “Wow…” He couldn’t help but to stare at her, “You look… beautiful,” Even the word beautiful wasn’t a match to how Clara looked, perfect was a much better word for him to use when trying to describe her. “I forgot the flowers,” Jug wasn’t sure what to say, all he wanted to do was tell her again how stunning she was, to let her know she’d outshine all the other girls, which she always did in his eyes, but he hadn’t told her that yet.

---

Thea stood alone in the Jones’ trailer, which she was partly glad about as she didn’t want Archie to see the state of what her dad was most likely in at the Whiteworm. Her lightly curled hair had been tied up into a loose ponytail, as to show off the detail of the dress she was wearing. The dress was matched with black sneakers as she wanted to be comfortable that night, plus she didn’t own any heels nor had she ever walked in a pair, she didn’t want to embarrass herself on the night of the dance. She now had to wait for Archie to pick her up, she had tried to convince him not to come all the way to the Southside, just for him to drive back into Riverdale, but he had insisted on picking her up from home. She hoped that she was dressed up enough for him, she knew he wouldn’t care what she wore, she wanted to look like she belonged standing there with him at the dance. She shouldn’t care what people thought of her, to most she will still be that girl from the Southside.

Hearing Fred’s truck pull up outside, she stopped herself from rushing to answer the door when Archie knocked. Instead she took her time before she opened the door, “Hey,” She smiled when her eyes landed on him, in a suit and holding a bunch of frangipanis. He always did look amazing in a suit, and tonight was no different. “You look really good, really handsome.” She stepped aside so he could move inside, before she went into the tiny kitchen in search for something she could put the flowers in. Finding a jug she decided that would do until she could find something nicer, she filled the jug with water as she looked at him. “Thank you for the flowers, you didn’t have to get me anything though.” She told him as she hadn’t received flowers before, the bunch of flowers were striking and it felt nice to receive them, just having Archie remember what her favourite flower was, would have been enough for her.

Clara looked up when she heard the knock and, while she tried not to seem too eager, she’d quickly stood up and headed to the door. Her hand rested on the door handle, though, and she hesitated, worried about how quickly she was opening the door. Would that seem weird? Since when did she even care? Making a slight face, she thought about it for a moment before shaking the concern away and opened the door. When she spotted Jughead there, looking dressed up and nice, with his signature beanie, she couldn’t help but to grin, taking him in, happier with the fact that he was wearing his beanie still than she was with the fact that he was dressed up. He wouldn’t be Jughead without the beanie, after all, and she loved the fact that he was staying true to himself, rather than changing completely to suit those around him. She couldn’t imagine Jughead without his beanie, and she couldn’t imagine Jughead being any different from who he was; she wanted him to stay true to himself, more than anything.

When he spoke, though, she felt her heart swell with pride, so relieved that he wasn’t completely thrown off by her dressing up, but more so relieved that he didn’t react poorly like Mark would have. “Thanks,” she murmured, a small grin forming on her features. “You look pretty amazing yourself. I’m super glad you didn’t give up the beanie.” Because, as amazing as he looked, without his beanie, she was sure he wouldn’t look half as amazing. But, when he mentioned flowers, she blinked but offered an amused look. “That’s fine, I didn’t know flowers were a necessity. Besides, I’d much rather you be here without the flowers than you not show up because you got too busy looking for flowers.” Grinning, she tilted her head to the side as she examined him for a moment, just really taking him in. “Are you ready to go?”

---

When the door opened, Archie could feel his heart stop when his gaze fell on Thea and, for a long moment, he was speechless, so captivated by her that he couldn’t form words. Thea had always been the most beautiful person Archie knew, but he couldn’t remember a time he’d ever seen her in a dress. “Me?” he asked, offering a small grin when he heard her words before he shook his head. “No, no, you look perfect. I think you’ll outdo every girl there.” And, he felt so, so lucky that he was the one she’d agreed to go to the dance with. For a moment, he wondered if he was the only person who’d asked her to the dance - he hoped so, because he didn’t want anybody trying to steal her away from him. She was the living, breathing definition of perfection and she was just absolutely gorgeous; for a long time, he just found himself standing there, just staring at her before he realized how rude that might seem. But, at the same time, he couldn’t help it; she was just wholly and completely captivating and he didn’t want to to tear his gaze away, anyways.

Hearing her gratitude for the flowers, he snapped back into reality but shook his head with a smile, watching her. “You don’t have to thank me,” he assured her, “I’m just glad I was able to find them. I remembered they were your favorite, so, when I saw them, I just had to get them for you. I mean, a gorgeous girl deserves gorgeous flowers, right?” He tried to be as casual as he could when he’d said the words, hopeful that it wouldn’t make things awkward but also wanting her to know just how wonderful he thought she was, inside and out. Smiling to himself, he watched her for a moment, just mostly taking her in and thanking his lucky stars that he’d get her all to himself tonight. Shaking the thought aside, he offered his arm to her. “If you’re ready, we can go ahead and go. Maybe we’ll beat a bunch of the rest of the school there.”

Shaking his head, Jughead couldn’t stop looking at Clara, not that he even wanted to tear his gaze away from her. Afraid that if he did, she would disappear, and all of this would have been a dream. He honestly didn’t think he looked all that good, but it was the best that he could do, so if Clara thought he looked good then he would believe her. “This beanie never leaves me,” He chuckled softly as he grinned, rather glad that she didn’t want him to take his beanie off. His beanie was part of who he was. “I wouldn’t know either, this is the first dance I’ve ever been to. I have no clue if I should have brought you something,” Jug admitted hoping he was still impressing her, he desperately wanted to impress Clara and have her be happy that she agreed to go to the dance with him. He didn’t want her to regret her decision or for her to be embarrassed that he was taking her to the school dance. She deserved a guy who could give her the world, Jug knew he would never be able to do that, but he liked her. So far, she didn’t seem to care that he was from the Southside or that he was a Jones’. Though, Jug knew better than most how people can change their opinion of a person. “I’m ready whenever you are,” He grinned as he stepped back from the door, to give her space to step out and close the door behind her. He watched her closely before he extended his arm for her to take, how he had gotten this lucky was beyond him.

Not only had Clara started to spend time with him, but he was taking her to the dance when she could have gone with any guy that she wanted. He knew he wouldn’t have been the only guy who would have asked her to the dance, yet she said yes to him. To him of all people. Jug was tempted to pinch himself, just to make sure this was in fact happening. He was prepared to do whatever it took, to make sure Clara’s attention was focused on him tonight. Walking her over to his bike, he stopped and offered his spare helmet to her. “Safety first,” He wouldn’t allow Clara on his bike if she didn’t wear a helmet, there was no way in hell that he was going to risk her safety. Reaching up, Jughead helped Clara with the helmet before he adjusted the chin strap so that was secure but not overly tight for her. He then, helped her onto his bike so she would be comfortable for the ride. “Now if you want to hold onto me, don’t feel shy to do so.” Secretly he was hoping she would hold onto him, though he wasn’t going to tell her that. Climbing on himself, he started the engine and lifted the kickstand up with his foot. Checking the street was clear, he pulled away from the curb and headed towards the high school.

---

Thea wanted to brush off Archie’s compliments, like she normally always does. But why should she? He wouldn’t lie to her or compliment her when he didn’t mean it, and she might not agree with what he was saying to her, but all she wanted was for him to believe what he was saying to her. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks when he called her gorgeous, “Is that the line you give to all the girls when you give them flowers?” She teased as she smiled at him, “And I wanted to thank you for them. I’ve never gotten flowers before,” She could feel her heart race inside her chest, from the excitement of going to the dance with Archie, but also from nerves, because she was going to the dance with Archie. Linking arms with his she nodded slightly, “I’m ready to go.” She agreed as she stepped out, closing the trailer door behind her before she walked over to Fred’s truck. Climbing inside, her hands smoothed out her dress before she placed the seatbelt across her body. Her eyes followed Archie as he too climbed into his dad’s truck, starting the drive back into Riverdale.

Arriving back at the high school, Thea waited until Archie found a parking space for the truck. When he did, she inhaled a deep breath as she prayed the night would be one she would enjoy. Climbing out of the truck when Archie opened the door for her, she smiled as she took his arm once again. Music could already be heard from inside the building as more students continued to arrive, walking with Archie up the front steps and into the school, she could feel eyes on her already and she wanted to back out. Looking up at the handsome redhead, she knew she couldn’t bail on him. Once she found Jughead and Clara, she would feel better and less of an outsider. Stepping into the gym where the dance was being held, there was clearly an over the top theme, Jason Blossom. “Cheryl sure does know how to decorate,” She glanced at Archie as the music engulfed them and filled the room, her nerves were surprisingly beginning to settle down because she was there with him. He hadn’t decided to take someone else, he wanted to be there with her when he didn’t have to be. She had no reason to feel nervous, if the students wanted to stare then they would, Thea couldn’t do anything about that. She might as well enjoy herself, ignore everyone else around them and just focus on Archie, like she wanted to all this time. She had him all to herself that night, she held his attention and his gaze. She deserved to be happy for a night.

Clara grinned slightly. “I wouldn’t want the beanie to ever leave you. It compliments you well,” she hummed happily, admittedly enjoying just how Jughead he was with his beanie and she doubted he’d be anything like that without it. “Well, then, we are dance newbies together, that’s fine.” She didn’t mind it one bit, at least she was going to the dance with somebody that she genuinely liked, somebody who seemed to want to get to know her and spend time with her. Nodding, she made her way out, closing the door, though she blinked at his offered arm, a broad grin forming on her features as she slipped her arm through his happily. When they got to the bike, she blinked as he helped her with the helmet, her heart swelling slightly with the fact that Jughead cared about her safety at all. “Thank you, Jughead,” she told him quietly once the helmet was secure, and she smiled happily, watching him but accepted his help onto the bike. “Now, how could I say no to that?” Without really any hesitation, she leaned forward, sliding his arms around him, hanging onto him while he drove the bike.

---

Archie grinned broadly to her teasing and shook his head. “Not at all, you’re the only girl I’ve ever gotten flowers for,” he told her happily, glad that she took his flirting well and that she wasn’t freaking out on him. Considering how close they’d always been, the last thing he wanted to do was to come off too strong and push her away. “Any time you want flowers, I’ll get them for you.” He winked teasingly but he smiled as he led the way to the car, opening the door for her. Once she was safely in, he closed the door and went to the other side, climbing in and starting the truck, heading to the school. It didn’t take them too long to get there and he opened the door for her, smiling once they were reconnected, resting his hand over hers on his arm as he led the way inside, peering around. “Yeah, she really does tend to go all-out, it seems,” he agreed with a nod, taking in the sight of the decorations before he smiled over at Thea. “I think you outshine all of this, though, honestly.” He had no real reason to hold back now, he decided. He just wanted to make sure she enjoyed herself. “Do you want to dance?” He arched a brow, curious, and left the decision up to her, only wanting to ensure that she had fun at the dance, wanting to see the smile on her face more than anything.

Jughead wasn’t at all surprised at how nice it felt to have Clara’s arms wrapped around him, he knew it would have felt great to be that close to her. He never thought it would actually ever happen, not until she agreed to go to the school dance with him and then up until that moment, he had hoped he would get the chance to be that close to her. He didn’t bother trying to talk to her as he would have needed to yell, just so she would hear him over the roar of the motorbike. So, he drove them to the school and once he found a park, he climbed off first before extending his hand, so he could help her. He smiled as he watched her, how anyone could be as beautiful as Clara still managed to stun him. She was beautiful on the outside, but she was just as beautiful on the inside. Which wasn’t something that Riverdale was used to. Helping Clara remove the helmet, he left it on his bike for when he took her back home. “That’s it, I thought you were perfect, and I was right. You don’t even have helmet hair,” He grinned as there didn’t seem to be a single hair out of place, Clara was astonishing, and he knew that she didn’t even know it. “Shall we? At least I know tonight I’m not going to be the one everyone is staring at,” Everyone would be staring at Clara and admiring her, Jug hoped they would admire her from afar though, he wanted to spend the entire night with just her.

---

Thea could feel her cheeks becoming warm from Archie’s comment, “I’m glad you think so.” She didn’t know what else to say, she still wasn’t entirely certain if he was being nice to her or if this could be what she hoped it was. That he did actually feel more towards her then just being her best friend. “Yeah, let’s dance.” She smiled at him as she hadn’t seen her brother or Clara yet, his bike hadn’t been parked out the front, so they mustn’t have arrived yet. Allowing Archie to guide her over to where most of the students were already dancing, she could feel her heart beating like crazy in her chest. At that very moment, Thea didn’t care if anyone was staring at her or talking about why Archie would bring her to the dance. At that moment, she didn’t care. All she cared about was enjoying her night and spending time with Archie, and that is what she planned to do. Resting her hands on his arms, she looked at him as their bodies started swaying to the music that was filling the room. “Thank you again for this,” She couldn’t thank him enough, yet she wanted to try her hardest to, because it meant so much to her that he took her to the dance when he could have taken anyone he wanted.