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EIGHT; YOU LOVE ME BACK

     "HEY, REG, it's nice to see you without Kalani."

     Reggie stuffed his duffle bag in his locker, rolling his eyes at Moose's comment. "If you're implying that I've picked Kalani over everyone in here, you are ultimately correct."

     Reggie yawned in exhaustion, staying up the previous night comforting Kalani. The girl felt extremely bad for brushing off Jughead's problems and even though Jughead insisted he didn't care, Kalani apologized profusely.

     Also, Cheryl was back at school and sought to claim her captain status with the River Vixens. Kalani came very close to punching her in the face when she showed up to practice, directing the girls like she still ran the show. Kalani was quick to inform the redhead that Weatherbee crowned her as the new captain, and Cheryl's title at the school was no longer safe.

     Reggie hoisted his backpack over his shoulder when he heard the melodious voice of his girlfriend. "Reggie? Reggie Mantle! I'm not going in there!"

     He chuckled and said goodbye to his teammates, who were grumbling their responses. He exited the locker room and smiled brightly when he saw Kalani, flower in her hair and mouth pulled into a thin line.

     "Hi, beautiful rose," he greeted, leaning down to kiss her.

     "Hi," she smiled. "Do you mind hanging out with me and the group today?"

     He knew Kalani faced certain insecurities when it came to her friends, and it had recently come to light that most of them believed she spent too much time with Reggie. After Jughead's arrest, she wanted to spend as much time with them as she did before her and Reggie became an item.

     "I never mind, beautiful rose. Will they be okay with me being there?"

     Her head tilted in thought. "Jughead and Archie may not be, but they'll have to get used to it."

     She pulled him down the hallway until they entered the lounge. All of Kalani's friends — Archie, Valerie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Kevin, and Lucas — looked up, wearing the same expression of surprise.

     "Hi," Kalani said confidently. Reggie pulled out a seat for her. "I'm sitting down with you guys today and so is Reggie. If anyone has any qualms, please address them now."

     Jughead raised his hand. "Actually, I-"

     "Great!" Kalani clapped her hands together. "So, what are we talking about?"

     The room grew silent until Betty cleared her throat, continuing on with what she was saying whether Reggie was there or not. "Polly's convinced herself that no one wants her baby."

     "Besides, of course, the child-snatching Blossom monsters," Kevin joked. Both Cheryl and Lucas threw a side glance. "No offense, Cheryl."

     "None taken," Cheryl responded with sarcasm.

     "So your mom and dad want Polly but not the baby, and the Blossoms want the baby and not Polly," Jughead concluded. Betty nodded in agreement. "That's a true Gordian knot."

     Reggie raised an eyebrow. What had really been going on without him knowing?

     "It's an impossible situation," Betty added.

     "Betty, come on. An impossible situation is being invited to the Vanity Flair Oscar party and Elton John's Oscar party on the same night," Veronica said. Kevin put a hand on her shoulder and Veronica answered his question before he got the chance to ask it. "Which happened to me one year, I know. This is merely an annoying situation. But luckily, I've been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in its conception. What if my mom and I were to host a baby shower?"

     "Count me in," Cheryl grinned.

     "You want Polly to feel loved and supported, right?" Veronica asked.

     "Yeah, but ideally by her own parents," Betty answered obviously.

     "Okay, so, baby steps, girl. Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can't fight, and, voila, let the healing begin."

     "Am I expected to come to this thing?" Jughead questioned.

     "Of course!" Veronica exclaimed. "You're Betty's boyfriend."

     Glances were thrown around. Reggie's eyes widened. When did Betty and Jughead become a thing? He was really learning a lot from this group.

     "Oh, my God, you guys, relax. It's just a word that starts with the letter 'B.'" Betty exchanged a smile with Jughead while Veronica spoke. "Betty, what do you say?"

     Betty smiled as a sign of approval, but her elation was short-lived. Alice Cooper came storming in, eyes flaring with rage.

     "Elizabeth Cooper!"

     "Mom?"

     "I need you and you." She pointed at Betty and Veronica. "Right now."

     As soon as the two girls left, Cheryl swiveled her head around to glare at Kalani. "So, Kalani, what's it like coaching the River Vixens? I bet you're just drowning in all the glory."

     Kalani smirked, ignoring Lucas' warning stare. "Threatened, Cheryl? It really must be a shame to come back to school with nothing."

     Reggie began to laugh, but covered it up with a cough.

     Cheryl stood up, eyes narrowed. "I don't know who you think you are, Kalani. You may be related to my boyfriend, but you don't deserve to be associated with him."

     "Oh, really?" Kalani stood up, arms crossing over her chest. The rest of the group leaned back in their seats, preparing themselves to witness what was about to go down. Reggie, however, was on the edge of his seat, ready to jump up and defend Kalani if needed. "Cheryl, just face the truth. I'm the new captain of the River Vixens because I'm better. I organize better routines and I actually listen to the girls on the squad instead of only hearing my voice above everyone else's."

     "Kal, quit it," Lucas said, standing in front of his girlfriend. "You know Cheryl was a great captain. Apologize."

     "For what?" Kalani scoffed. Reggie was standing now, hands resting on her shoulders. "Saying the truth?"

     "Alright, we're leaving," Lucas announced, grabbing Cheryl's hand and exiting the room.

     Valerie smirked from her spot next to Archie. "Damn, you've gotten some fire in you, Kal."

     Kalani ignored Valerie and pointed at Jughead. "You."

     "Me?"

     "Yes, you. And you." She pointed at Archie this time, who was equally confused.

     "Me?"

     "Yes, the both of you. We need to sort out the problems you have with me and Reggie right here and right now." Kalani's hand snaked down to interlace with Reggie's, and the boy proudly smirked.

     Jughead rolled his eyes. "Kalani, I don't really think-"

     "No," she spoke confidently, eyes narrowed. "Say anything you want to. I can take it."

     Jughead raised one eyebrow at the challenge presented before him. Archie could sense where the situation was heading, and he opened his mouth to stop the fight before it even began. Jughead raised one hand to stop him, and Valerie gripped Archie's bicep.

     "Fine, Kalani. You really want to know? I think that you've stabbed me in the back by dating the guy who used to push me into lockers everyday. I think that you've gone Judas on this whole group, but especially on Archie. Whether this guy is with Valerie or not, he used to have major feelings for you and it's not easy for him to see you with this ignorant human being everyday. Overall, it just makes me sick, Kalani."

     Jughead was standing now, and Kalani stepped forward. Her lips were pursed, but Jughead saw the slight quiver of her bottom lip.

     "Can I tell you something, Jughead? I sincerely do apologize for falling in love with the football star who used to bully you. I honestly didn't mean for it to happen, but you can't blame me for it. What about you and Betty, huh? You don't think that also rubs Archie the wrong way? I'm not the only person in this group who has chosen love over anything and everything else." She took another step forward, which only left mere inches between her and Jughead. "If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you would pick this group over Betty any day, I'll gladly break up with Reggie right now."

     The room fell silent. Jughead was staring at Kalani with a heated gaze, fists clenched by his side.

     "What happened to the girl who was begging for my forgiveness last night?"

     Before she could respond, she suddenly felt two hands at her waist and someone pulled her back. Reggie locked his lips with hers — the kiss filled with nothing but passion. When he pulled away, the biggest grin was on his face.

     "You love me, beautiful rose."

     Kalani's eyes widened. She didn't even realize she had let the confession spill.

     "Congratulations," said Jughead sarcastically. He grabbed his bag and left the room.

     Valerie, Archie, and Kevin followed in pursuit, leaving Reggie and Kalani to soak up their moment.

    Reggie's lips ghosted over hers. "I love you."

    "I love you too."

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     "Can I ask you for a favor?"

     Kalani paused at her locker, eyes locking with Archie's. "Depends on the favor."

     He sighed, feeling Kalani's hostility. "I'm sorry for not defending you yesterday with Jughead. Nobody thinks you're Judas, Kalani, it was just in the heat of the moment-"

     She exhaled, showing her clear disinterest. She closed her locker and gave him a bored look. "Just tell me the favor, Archie. Reggie will be here in any minute since everyone seems to think I spend all my time with him, I'm just proving them to be true."

     "Actually, the favor kind of involves him."

     She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

     "Look, my dad lost his crew after Cheryl's dad bought them out. I need some helping hands, and I thought Reggie would like to step up for the job."

     Kalani crossed her arms, leaning up against her locker. "Just Reggie? You aren't going to ask me?"

     He chuckled nervously. "I'm not saying that you can't do it, Kal, I just-"

     "But that's exactly what you're saying, right?" She interrupted. "Look, I know you probably already asked Jughead or Kevin and I know for a fact that I can lift more than both of them combined. Reggie and I will be at the construction site, guaranteed."

     Archie wasn't surprised to see the pair later on in the day. Reggie was tugging at Kalani's sides, and she was laughing before she leaned up to kiss him. Jughead rolled his eyes at the sight, glaring at Archie for inviting them in the first place. Kalani saw the heated gaze, and she gladly returned it.

     They all took some tools from the back of a truck, along with some hard hats. Fred Andrews stepped out of his trailer, a look of shock and happiness covering his face. Hermione Lodge was right next to him, also grinning.

     "What is this?" Fred asked, laughing a little.

     "Your new crew reporting for duty," Archie responded.

     "I appreciate it, I do, but isn't there something more important you need to be doing?" Fred said. "Like going to school, playing football?"

     Kalani cleared her throat. "Or cheer practice." Fred acknowledged her with a nod of his head.

     "We can work after practice and on weekends until you find a new crew help keep things on schedule," Archie offered. Fred shot him a hesitant expression. "Come on, dad. I worked for you the whole summer. And these guys-"

     "And girl," Kalani mumbled, rolling her eyes. Reggie chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss against her cheek.

     "We're bruiser studs, Mr. Andrews," Moose said. "At least some of us are." He threw a look at Jughead, who raised an eyebrow at his assumption.

     "Come on. Desperate times, Fred, huh?" Hermione pleaded, turning to face him.

     Fred sighed. "Alright. Here we go."

     They all gave silent cheers and followed Fred out to the construction site. Kalani and Reggie began to move rocks away from the main area while Kevin talked to them.

     "It was actually really cool what you did yesterday, Kal," Kevin complimented. "Standing up to Jughead for love."

     She laughed. "Thanks, Kev."

     "Hey, Keller!" One of the football players who came to help yelled. "Looking good, looking buff. We should get you on the team."

     "I prefer my contact sports one-on-one, you know, like," Kevin paused, trying to come up with something that sounded manly. "Boxing."

     There was a pause before the whole group released chuckles at his statement.

     Kalani dumped some rocks into the wheelbarrow Archie was pulling. She locked eyes with Jughead, who immediately averted his gaze away from her. She sighed, and Reggie whisked her away so that they could walk with Kevin.

     "How do you think that baby shower for Polly will work out?" Kevin questioned her.

     "Oh, that'll be a train wreck," she scoffed. "The Blossom family and the Cooper family trying to live normally under one roof? Veronica's house will be torn into shreds."

     After a long day, the whole crew retreated back to the trailer. Fred greeted them as they walked in. "Hey, guys, you were a real life-saver today. I appreciate it. Hard hats go in the bin, and there's sodas in the fridge."

     "Crap. Hey, guys, I forgot my phone," Moose informed before he went back to the site.

     "So, you two have said your 'I love you's,'" Jughead mentioned, cracking open a can of soda while he spoke. Kalani narrowed her eyes, and Reggie tightened his grip around her waist. "How does that feel?"

     She threw Jughead his beanie, which was laying on the table beside her. "Feels like heaven. How about you? Have you and Betty uttered the three life-changing words?"

     Their little spat was interrupted by a commotion outside. All of the lights suddenly flickered off, and everyone immediately exited the trailer. They began running until they saw a figure hunched on the ground with two people hovering over him. The two criminals jumped into their car and drove away once they saw the group heading towards them.

     "Moose!" Reggie yelled, realizing who the victim was.

     Their speed increased as they rushed over to him. "Moose, are you okay?" Archie asked frantically.

     "Stay down. We'll get you some help," Fred said.

     "Who did this to you, Moose?" Jughead asked, looking off into the distance.

     "No clue," Moose said, face bloody and beaten. "But they said as long as we keep working, they're gonna keep coming back."

     Kalani looked up at Reggie worriedly, and he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head to soothe her nerves.

     Fred ran back to the trailer to call the police, and Kevin's dad made his appearance in no time.

     When Sheriff Keller saw the mess, his eyebrows furrowed. "What the hell happened?"

     "Moose, over there, he caught a couple of guys working over my equipment with a crowbar and then they got the drop on him," Fred explained.

     "Who were they? Vandals?"

     "Cliff Blossom has made it abundantly clear he would love nothing more than to see this whole project go belly-up," Fred implied.

     "I doubt that Blossom's gonna hire some thugs to bust up your site and beat up some teenagers," Sheriff Keller said, not believing that Cheryl's dad would pull something like this.

     Archie stepped up to speak. "Maybe it wasn't him. I mean, this is Serpent territory, right? Maybe it was them. Pissed that they had to leave 'cause of this project."

     Kevin stepped next to his dad, a look of disbelief on his face. "Serpents?"

     "Yeah."

     "When I worked at the drive-in, the Serpents never bugged me," Jughead defended.

     "It's not impossible. The Serpents are always looking for revenge for something, aren't they?" Kalani voiced her opinion.

     "Did you see any snake tattoos, anything on their jackets?" Keller asked Moose, who was holding an ice pack to his forehead.

     "It happened pretty fast."

     "Alright, I'll talk to Blossom, but I mean I don't think we'll get anywhere unless we can ID these guys."

     "That is such bull!" Archie protested. "If this was Clifford Blossom asking for help, you would say yes."

     "Archie," Fred warned at his raise in tone.

     "What, dad? It's true!"

     "It's also not helping," Fred scolded.

     They left the Serpent debate at that, and Reggie stood up. "Alright, we should probably go home now."

     "He's right," Fred nodded in agreement.

     Reggie tugged Kalani away from the scene and when she looked back, she could see the sheer anger in Archie's eyes.

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     "Okay, you two. Kiss and make up now."

     "I'm not kissing him."

     "I'm not kissing her."

     Betty rolled her eyes. "It's a figure of speech, guys."

     Betty had called Kalani to meet her and Veronica at Pop's for a quick bite. Kalani didn't know that Jughead would also be present, but it was evident that that was a part of Betty's plan.

     "Okay," Kalani agreed, chewing on the straw of her milkshake. "I'll apologize if he does it first."

     "What are you, five?" Jughead scoffed. Betty elbowed his side and he groaned.

     "I'm waiting, idiot."

     "Fine," he grumbled under his breath. "Kalani, I'm sorry."

     "For?"

     He glared at her. "Don't push your luck."

     She grinned. "I accept your apology. I'm sorry too, Jughead."

     "Cute," Veronica clapped her hands.

     Just then, Archie rushed into the diner, frantic. "Dude, what the hell? I've been texting you." He slid in next to Kalani, and she shifted uncomfortably.

     "Archie, Jughead just told us what happened yesterday," Betty said.

     "Though I checked out at the words 'construction' and 'site,'" Veronica said from her spot next to Kalani.

     "Moose and I are going to the Southside to find those Serpents. You in?" Archie offered.

     Kalani was baffled, and Jughead looked shocked. "Are you crazy?" She whispered harshly. "Those Serpents will kill you."

     "Whoa! Hey, you didn't say it was the Serpents who beat Moose up," Betty pointed out to Jughead.

     "'Cause we don't know that for a fact," Jughead said pointedly to Archie.

     "Well, it's still worth a shot if it might help my dad. Kevin's boyfriend can get us in."

     "Get you in where?" Veronica asked, chewing on some fries.

     "To some bar where the Serpents hang out."

     "Archie." Kalani rolled her eyes. "You're only digging a whole for yourself. Fighting one of the most dangerous gangs is clearly not the answer."

     He ignored her disapproval. "If Moose spots them, we call Sheriff Keller and get these goons arrested."

     "Archie," Betty spoke in a more sweet voice. "The Serpents are dangerous. They're drug-dealers."

     "What?" Jughead said. "Says who?"

     "Polly. Remember? Trev told us that Jason was dealing drugs. It was for the Serpents," Betty explained back to Jughead.

     "You heard my dad, Jughead. Clifford Blossom is trying to torpedo him. Sheriff Keller basically blew him off, right in front of us. Somebody needs to do something," Archie spoke with confidence. He stood up, pulling on his letterman jacket.

     "Archie, going into that bar is a bad idea," Jughead suggested, trying to prevent his friend from making a huge mistake.

     "Jughead, are you coming with me or not?"

     There was a long silence. Archie felt betrayed.

     "Thanks for having my back."

     They all watched as Archie left the diner in a hurry. Kalani exhaled, taking another sip from her milkshake. "So, what should I wear to the baby shower?"

     Veronica immediately launched into full-length detail about attire while Betty shrugged. None of the girls noticed Jughead's worried state over Archie's interaction with the Serpents, which would lead him to find out about their leader — Jughead's dad.

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     "Damn, this place is nice."

     "Reg, maybe you should stop devouring all of the food," Kalani recommended, pulling at her boyfriend's arm.

     "Why, beautiful rose? Are you ashamed of my appetite?" Reggie asked, frowning. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

     Kalani was surprised to see Alice Cooper standing underneath the doorway. It seemed she wasn't the only one.

     "Mom!" Betty exclaimed.

     Alice began making her way over to her eldest daughter, and Betty smiled enthusiastically. "Polly, look, mom's here!"

     The mother and daughter stood face-to-face. "I'm so glad you're here, and you're safe," Alice said sincerity laced in her voice. "You and the baby."

     Alice and Polly exchanged a heartwarming hug, but all was ruined when the door burst open. Cheryl walked in, pushing a baby stroller. "We're here!" She yelled obnoxiously. Kalani pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.

     Lucas followed on his girlfriend's heels, eyes locking with Kalani's. The cousins seemed to be on a loop of fighting and forgiving, and they both wanted desperately to stop it. However, the fact that Cheryl and Kalani have now taken a disliking for one another is putting a ram into their relationship.

     The baby shower finally got into full swing when Penelope Blossom came up to apologize to Polly, making amends for ignoring her and only wanting the good for the baby.

     When they got around to opening gifts, Polly had just unwrapped Alice's before Archie stormed into the room. All eyes were on him as he drifted towards Jughead.

     "You were protecting him. That's why you didn't tell me," Archie whispered, furious.

     "Relax," Jughead said. "What happened?"

     Kalani got up from her spot on the couch, heading over to the two. Betty and Veronica were right behind her.

     Archie heard the three approach. "Did you know that Jughead's father is a Serpent?"

     "No," Betty said, feeling a little hurt.

     "That's why he tried to stop me from going to the bar, so I wouldn't find out. After everything my dad has done for you-"

     "Archie," Jughead spoke softly. "I can explain, okay?"

     "But not right now. This is Polly's day, so you two need to check yourselves, I mean it," Veronica hissed.

     Archie left Veronica's apartment, and she followed after him. Betty returned back to the circle. Kalani looked at Jughead, who was overwhelmed with emotions.

     "Why didn't you just say something?"

     He shook his head. "You don't understand, Kal."

     She put a hand on his shoulder. "Then help me."

     Their conversation was interrupted by the rising voices of Alice and Penelope. "Do you think you can just waltz in here with a bedbug-infested Trojan Horse, wave a blank check around and steal my daughter?" Alice spat.

     "I didn't think you wanted her, else why would she have been exiled like some pariah?" Penelope shot back.

     Alice rose from her seat. "To keep her away from your family."

     Penelope also stood. "And not because you're ashamed? Why is your own daughter not living with you?"

     "She's not going to set foot in that twisted, poisonous house of yours."

     Cheryl stepped up to defend her mom. "She should be so lucky."

     Betty took the same incentive, rising from her place. "Cheryl, that's not helping."

     "She'd do a lot better there than with you," Penelope said, keeping her firm gaze on Alice.

     Alice took a step forward, inches away from Penelope's face. "How dare you?"

     Polly stood up, frustrated. "Enough! Both of you!"

     "If you believe one lie-"

     "This is why Jason is dead!" Polly exclaimed. "Because of this hate. This pointless, stupid fighting."

     "Honey-" Alice tried to reach for Polly's arm.

     "No, don't touch me! We were supposed to be together. And you didn't let us have that, neither of you," Polly spat. "And you know, it cost Jason his life." She walked away from the scene.

     Kalani and Jughead watched as Polly passed by them, retreating to her room. Once there was complete and utter silence, Kalani gripped Jughead's forearm.

     "Promise me you'll explain what happened to Betty."

     He rolled his eyes. "Kal-"

     "Promise me. You know Betty deserves that much."

     He looked into her begging gaze. "Fine."

     She felt a tug on her arm, and looked up to see Reggie smiling at her. "We should head out, beautiful rose. I think that's enough drama for one day."

     He kissed the top of her head and she smiled lovingly. "I love you," she muttered.

     "I love you more."

she said i love you back!! i adore them both so so much