DURING THE DAYS FOLLOWING THEIR MAKING OUT IN THE CAR, Marla and Betty have been sneaking around like the teenagers they were supposed to be, stealthily touching each other behind the other's back and playing footsie underneath the table in Newspaper.

Along with that, Betty and Marla have been doing more research on Gryphons and Gargoyles and have also been trying to find ways to get Betty's mother out of the loony bin that was The Farm.

"What'd you get for number six?" asked Marla. The two of them were in Betty's room, finishing up some math homework while multitasking with G&G stuff. Marla leaned over Betty's shoulder to get a better look at her answers and Betty turned her head around just as Marla did so. "Mars!" Betty laughed, "check your own work!"

"I'm just trying to make sure that I have the correct answer. I triple-checked and everything and I'm still not sure the answer's right." Marla pouted. "Please?"

Betty rolled her eyes and relented. "Fine. But don't cheat."

"I'm too smart for that." Marla gave Betty a quick peck on the mouth before checking Betty's answer to question number six. "I was right! I really should go with my gut more often."

"You compare yourself to Veronica Mars. How do you not follow your gut often?"

Marla pondered that for a moment. "You got me there, Nancy. Anyway, I have a shift later today at La Bonne Nuit tonight so I should probably get going."

"You could just get ready here," said Betty, shrugging. "I don't mind."

"My uniform's at my house and it's just easier to get ready there, anyway."

     "Want me to drop you off?"

     Marla clasped her hands together in gratefulness. "You are an absolute angel, Betty Cooper."

     "I aim to please, Marla McQueen."

During Marla's shift, she saw Jughead walk into La Bonne Nuit while she was cleaning out a few glasses to fill them back up again.

    "Hey there, Juggernaut," she greeted him as he walked up to the bar, "what can I do for you?"

     "Hey, Mars," he returned the greeting, "just a ginger ale. Light on the ice, please."

     "Ginger ale coming right up." Marla went straight to work and as she did, Jughead asked, "Why are you behind the bar? I thought that was Reggie's job."

     "You didn't hear this from me, but I think Reggie quit," Marla whispered as she set the soda down in front of Jughead. "Why?" Jughead took a sip.

     Marla shrugged. "I dunno. I think there was some kind of relationship issue going on between Ronnie and Reg. Which is probably why they tell you not to date the people you work with, let alone your own boss. Unless you're Pam and Jim. Then by all means, go crazy."

     "What about you, Marla?" Jughead asked. "What about me?" she asked in return.

     "A certain fish caught your eye, yet?"

     "I don't think so. Been too busy to actually take a look around." Marla wiped out the glasses the server had just set down.

     "Voluntarily."

     "What?" She took a look at Jughead. "You've been too busy voluntarily," he explained before taking another sip, "meaning that you don't want to actually take a look around because you're a self-diagnosed workaholic. Or borderline."

     "Maybe I'm just not in the mood for a relationship right now. Tale a look around. They're all practically crumbling by the second."

     "I never said it had to be serious. It could be something fun. Something to take the tension off."

     "Are you suggesting that we do something fun?" Marla motioned between the two of them. Jughead coughed up some of his drink. "Oh, God no."

     Marla wasn't sure if she wanted to be offended or not so she pouted. "Why not?"

     "I have a girlfriend. Speaking of aforementioned girlfriend, have you seen Betty?"

     "I've been seeing her, lately." Literally. "We've been hanging out recently."

     "What have you two been up to?" Jughead inquired. Marla shrugged as she poured drinks. "I dunno. Homework. Blue and Gold stuff. She dropped me off earlier today, like the good friend she is, so she should be home by now. Maybe you'll catch her there." She topped the drinks off with a slice of lime and sent them out.

     "Thanks." Jughead slapped down a ten-dollar bill before getting up. "Keep the change."

     Marla didn't get the chance to say anything because he was already on his way up the stairs.

After closing, Marla was sitting in a Pop's booth waiting for someone to pick her up. Her mother had to work so she was out of the question, Veronica had already gone home because she was stressed, so that left her all alone.

     She wasn't expecting Betty to come pick her up (because she didn't ask). So she was surprised to see the familiar-looking car when she looked out the window. Grabbing her coat, she left the diner and made her way out to the car.

     "I didn't think you were coming to pick me up," she said to Betty. "Well, you didn't have anyone else to come get you, so. . ." Betty sighed. Marla crinkled her eyebrows out of confusion. "What's wrong?"

     "You tell me, Marla." Betty gave her a look. "Jughead comes by my house and starts asking me where I've been as if he all of a sudden doesn't trust me anymore. Said that you told him he'd find me at home."

     Marla was confused. "Because you would be after you dropped me off."

     "What'd you tell him?"

     "I-I told him that we've been hanging out and working on homework and Blue and Gold stuff. If that was code for something cryptic then my bad."

     Betty sighed again and started the car before heading for home. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

    "Wha-? Of course not. If anything, you should be the one telling him, if you even plan on doing that."

     "I'm not gonna tell him. Not now, at least. I just. . .wanna ride the high while I still can."

"Yeah, ride the high because we won't let ourselves get involved in other things. But you're right. Not bringing ourselves to bang each other actually makes a lot of sense."

"Marla," Betty said, a little shocked (and a little turned on but so what?) because that must've been the most vulgar thing to come out of her mouth, despite all of the things she's said.

     "Come on, Betty!" Marla guffawed, "flirting, kissing, and making out is definitely cheating but sex? That's something you can't take back even if you could."

"I didn't know you had a moral compass inside all of that emotional deprivation."

Marla let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, yeah. I may not have a heart but at least I have the tiny bit of what's left of my soul."