CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: 

↳ THREE'S A CROWD

     GINNY DIDNT KNOW WHERE Archie was taking her, but she had an idea. He hadn't spoken a word since he yanked her from his dad's car. 

"Archie, we can't be here." Virginia protested, trying to tug her wrist from his grasp as they made their way through the fancy hotel.

"Ginny, shut up." Archie spat and Ginny felt anger at his snippy tone and his tight grip on her wrist. Archie navigated the two of them through the hotel until he found Veronica's place, pushing the door open. Inside were lots of women and Archie quickly noticed Jughead with Betty in the center of the room.

"You were protecting him. That's why you didn't tell me." Archie accused his dark haired friend, finally letting go of Ginny's wrist.

"Relax," Jughead told his friend, glancing around at the guests who took an interest in the newcomers. His eyes then landed on the girl behind the redheaded boy. 

"What happened?" Betty asked and Ginny huffed, annoyed at how Betty always had to know what was going on.

"Did you know that Jughead's father is a Serpent?" Archie spat out, turning to Betty with his hands on his hips.

"No." Betty stuttered out, glancing towards Jughead as if she felt betrayed.

"That's why he tried to stop me from going to the bar, so I wouldn't find out. He also knew Ginny would be there! After everything my dad has done for you two–"

"Archie, I can explain, okay?" Jughead told his friend desperately, looking towards his best friend. She didn't get his text. 

"But not right now. This is Polly's day, so you two need to check yourselves. I mean it." Veronica interrupted, looking at the commotion that was causing a scene.

"Archie—" Jughead attempted to grab ahold of his best friend, his brow furrowed.

"No, save it." Archie shoved past his best friend, hurt that Jughead hadn't confided in him. He managed to grab ahold of Ginny again, attempting to take her with him. 

"Archie, you're a self-righteous, entitled prick." Virginia spat, wrenching her hand out of his tight grip. "I thought you were a good friend but all you do is make things about yourself." She shook her head as she stared up at her redheaded friend. "If you were our friend you would accept things like this– that not everything is perfect like you and your fucking life."

"Gin–"

"Save it, Archie." Ginny repeated his words. "You can talk to me when you finally realise what a self-centred asshole you've become." 

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     GINNY AND JUGHEAD SAT AWKWARDLY on the couch in Hermione Lodge's home. Both were silent as they waited for Betty to return. 

"Polly's finally asleep. What a mess." Betty sighed, entering the room where the two sat.

"I should've told you about my dad when I had the chance." Jughead told the blonde, wringing his hands together nervously. 

"So, why didn't you?" Betty asked him with a frown, tugging on his hands. Ginny's eyes followed her movement and how Jughead didn't grasp hers.  

"I was ashamed." 

"Jughead, if we're gonna be friends, I still want to know who you are. All of it. Even if we're dating, or not." Ginny's heart sped up at the words friends but dropped at the sound of dating. 

"Okay." Jughead replied compliantly. 

"Okay, but Juggy, we should talk to your dad. He might know something about Jason."

Ginny cleared her throat, standing up. "I'm going to go." She stated plainly.

"W-What? Why?" Jughead asked with a frown, standing up as she stood. She grabbed the jacket Jughead let her wear often before before smiling bitterly at the two of them.

"I think three's a crowd."

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     ARCHIE SIGHED IN FRUSTRATION, as he played his guitar. Jughead and Ginny entered the bedroom, both needing to talk to Archie about the previous altercation.Ginny had gone to work for a few hours after Archie's outburst and Betty dragged Jughead to see FP.

Archie heard them come into the room and sit down on the bed, pausing his playing before placing it down beside him. Archie spun around in his chair to look at his friends. 

"We should've trusted you. There's no excuse. I was afraid that the Serpents and my dad were the ones doing those messed up things. I didn't wanna believe that was true. I mean–" Jughead sighed, "He's my dad, Archie."

"I get that. I do. But, Jughead, you can talk to me about anything. You're like–" Archie's voice dropped as he stared at Jughead abashedly. "You're like my brother."

"Nice bro-whisper, Archie." Jughead replied with a smile. "You are my brother. And I'm here for you and your dad."

"And I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," Ginny apologised. She technically was apologising for yelling not for what she said. Because sometimes it was true.

"So what can we do?" Jughead spoke up, bringing Virginia out of her trance and back to the conversation at hand.

"Pray for a miracle." Archie told them in full honesty. 

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      THERE WAS A KNOCK ON THE FRONT DOOR of the Andrew's residence. It had been a day or so since Polly's baby shower and the trio were back to being friends like nothing happened. The three teenagers were lounging in the kitchen when Mr. Andrews answered the door and Ginny felt like laughing at the high pitched voice of the one the only–

Cheryl Blossom.

"Mr. Andrews! Nice haircut. You're looking extremely DILF-y today. Is Archie home?" 

"Cheryl, yes. Um, come on in." Her heels suddenly clicked on the hard tile flooring and Ginny looked with wide eyes at the doorway. 

"The Ice Woman cometh." Jughead whispered and Ginny shoved him off of his stool, causing him to flail and fall to the ground as the redheaded girl entered the room. 

"Hey, Cheryl." Archie greeted her awkwardly. 

"As a maj thank-you for coming to the maple banquet with me tomorrow, I wanted to give you this. An '84 Les Paul. In our signature color. You're welcome. Okay. That's all. I'm going now. My claustrophobia acts up in small houses. See you tomorrow."

"I'd give that back if I were you." Fred told his son and Ginny gaped at the sight of the newly polished guitar. 

"Dad, come on. The Blossoms, they're helping me get into that summer music program. Like, the best in the country."

"It's only the best because it's so expensive," Ginny pointed out but hushed up when Fred frowned. 

"And since when did the Blossoms ever give a damn about you, Archie?"

"Well, they think I have potential, Dad." Archie told his father. 

"He's also pimping himself out to Cheryl." Jughead added with a smirk and Ginny rolled her eyes at his choice of words. It was true, though. 

"The Blossoms tried to run our business into the ground." Fred tried to reason with his son. 

"Maybe if you tried talking to Mr. Blossom."

"I tried talking to him, Archie, he laughed in my face. Don't think for a second that the Blossoms are looking out for you. They're using you, Archie. They look at us like we're dirt under their shoe." Ginny bit her lip as the conversation turned serious. 

She knew that Fred Andrews was right, the Blossoms were only paying him for his loyalty. They were evil incarnate who looked down on anyone who wasn't rich like them. 

Jughead tugged her away from the arguing family and back upstairs to Archie's room. 

"So," Jughead started plopping down onto the bed. His tan body sprawled across the bed, pulling on Ginny's hand until she fell on top of him. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Ginny sighed as she propped her chin on his chest. "Mom's missing again so I gotta go find her." 

"Do you need help?" 

"No," Ginny smiled softly. "Evie is going to help me. She got herself a boyfriend who goes to Southside High." 

Jughead rolled his eyes at the mention of the other school in Riverdale. "Aren't you glad we aren't stuck there?" 

"Shut up, Jug." Ginny laughed. "It probably isn't that bad." 

"Gin, trust me. It's not good." 

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who's ready for the finale???