{ " 'cause baby i just don't trust myself with you " -- hide the wine, carly pearce, 2017}

"Andrews?" Evie looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow. "What ... what are you doing here?" She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping the boy wouldn't notice she was "free-nipping it" under the t-shirt.

"Can we talk?" He asked, clearing his throat.

"Um, sure. About your studies? I have my history book over here ..." she crossed the room and entered another room, which Archie followed her into. Her bedroom.

"No, not about history." Archie said, standing their awkwardly as Evie rummaged around for both the history book and her jacket, which would cover up all evidence of her lack of bra.

As she raised her arms to slip on the jacket, Archie noticed a hint of a snake tattoo on her hip and abdomen. He had to admit, it looked sexy.

Not that it mattered to him. He had a girlfriend.

"If not history, that what about, Red? A different subject? Math, English, Science ... your psychotic girlfriend?" She said with a smirk as she sat down cross-legged on her bed.

"No, no, no, and kinda. About Ronnie, but not the psychotic part." He sighed and ran a hand through his red hair, and Evie could tell he was stressed.

"Well, come on, sit." She patted the bed next to her, and he gladly accepted the seat. "Why come to me, though, Archie? Why not Jughead, or Betty?"

"I already talked to both of them, and they said I should come to you." He said in a quiet voice.

"Why?"

Archie began by explaining the situation, the ultimatum Veronica had given him. He told her that he didn't want to apologize, and he didn't think he should have to.

Evie agreed. Nothing bad had happened between the two of them. They had acted no different than friends had, and she wasn't even sure if that's what they were or not.

"I don't know if I can trust Ronnie anymore ... she's so secretive; elusive ... she has all these secrets and surprises and is wrapped up in her family's business and drama. She's not the girl I first met. She's not sweet, she's not caring." Archie looked over at Evie with a sigh. "She acts so fake sometimes. Like when you all came over from Southside High -- that whole welcoming act was planned by Hermione. And I just ... you know, it feels like I don't even care that I can't trust her. It feels like we've grown apart, and that neither of us really cares."

Evie understood where the boy was coming from, but she was also confused as to why he was telling her this. "Why come to me, Andrews? All I'm going to do is escalate the problem with Veronica." She glanced over at him, a smirk on her face. "Just imagine what she would say if she knew you were here right now, sitting in my bed." She winked at him.

Archie laughed and leaned back, resting his head against her headboard. "Oh God, I really hope she doesn't find out."

"Whatever, Andrews, it's not like we've done anything to be ashamed of." She said, moving her pile of books to the floor so that they both had room to stretch out their legs.

"You know, you're right. She's been so angry over nothing, and even if nothing happened, she won't believe that and she still thinks something did." He said, turning to face the Serpent girl. It would be easy to believe if something had happened, though. The girl was mischievous, flirtatious, intelligent, witty, and drop dead gorgeous. If trouble was in a bottle, it would be labeled Genevieve Morgan.

Evie looked up at the boy, her brown eyes glancing up at him with a flirtatious look. "Maybe we should give her something to be worried about." She purred.

Archie turned to look at the girl, watching as she chewed on her bottom lip, a sign that she was nervous. He didn't know Honeybee that well, but he'd heard enough to know that she didn't lose her confidence often.

"Honeybee, do I make you nervous?" He asked, his voice low and curious.

Evie rolled her eyes and smirked, shaking her head. "No."

"You know, I don't like calling you Honeybee." Archie said in a soft whisper.

"Why not?" She asked, leaning back and resting her shoulder against his.

"Because Genevieve is a beautiful name, and it's more fitting for a beautiful girl than the name of an insect." He murmured.

Evie felt like she was treading in dangerous waters, but the anger it would cause Veronica Lodge made her devious side come out even more.

"Well, Red, you can't call me Genevieve." She muttered.

"I'm going to do it anyways." He said, a playful smirk plastered over his face.

"I suppose ... you could call me ..." She began, then leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "Evie." She quickly pulled away, resting a hand on his muscular chest. "In private, where other people won't hear."

"Okay, Genevieve." Archie's brown eyes darkened, and Evie felt her heart racing. She recognized the feeling from the previous summer, from her fling with Reggie Mantle.

She wanted to kiss the boy in front of her, she wanted to run her fingers through his red locks, she wanted his hands to wrap around her waist the way they had on the motorcycle.

She glanced at the boy, a mischievous look in her eyes. She set her hand on her hip, the one that featured the serpent ink.

"Hey Evie." Archie muttered, setting his hand on top of her hand, on top of her hip. "Can I see your tattoo?"

Before she could stop herself, Evie's lips were on Archie's, and he slid his hand onto her hip, feeling the Serpent symbol in its full glory, where it was carefully etched into Evie's flawless skin.

The two kissed each other as if their lives depended on it, with such great passion that it was like they had been old lovers in a previous life.

They fit together like puzzle pieces, as Archie held Evie close, his arms around her waist just like she had craved. She slipped out of his grasp just for a second to close the curtains and lock the door before slipping back into the darkness that was their own compromising position.

-- THE NEXT DAY:

Evie's eyes fluttered awake as she slowly awoke from what had been the best sleep in a long time. She stretched out her arms, bumping into something. As she turned to see what the obstruction in her morning stretches had been, she caught a glimpse of red hair and the events of the previous night came flooding back to her, vivid as day.

She instantly rolled away from him, looking around in a panic for her phone to check the time. She finally found it and realized it was 7, and they had a little bit of time to get to school. She looked over at the redheaded boy sleeping peacefully beside her, and a panicked feeling settled into her stomach. She'd never felt like this before. She had an internal panic going on that made her feel like she was going to puke. If Veronica found out about this, her family would ruin Evie. Archie had to break up with her before word of what had transpired the night before got out.

"Andrews." She hissed in a low voice, hoping that her brother wouldn't hear her speaking. His room was next to hers, and the walls were very thin. When Archie didn't wake up, she gave him a slight nudge. "Andrews!"

The boy's eyes flicked open, landing on Evie's face. She recognized the look of confusion, then surprise, and then guilt. "Honeybee."

"Shh." She hissed, reaching down to grab his clothes. She threw them at him and wrapped herself in a blanket. "You have to leave. If my brother finds you here, he will kill you."

Archie nodded, slipping into his clothes. "I can't believe we --"

"Don't talk about it." Evie said, shooting him a glare. "And you cannot tell Veronica."

"No kidding." Archie said, pulling his t-shirt over his head. "I think we're broken up now anyways, since I didn't come and talk to her." He glanced at Evie. He wanted to ask her what the previous night had meant, but he figured she wouldn't give him an answer, so he didn't ask.

The boy pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, seeing that he had 5 missed calls from his father, 2 from Veronica, and 3 from Betty. He had an assortment of texts, too. He quickly called his dad, worried that something was wrong.

Evie watched as Archie frantically began to call someone on the phone.

"Dad?" Archie spoke. "Is everything okay?"

Evie watched as Archie listened to the speaker on the other line, and watched as his face became very solemn. He then hung up the phone, and turned to look at Evie.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Everything okay, Red?"

"Ms. Grundy is dead."