Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose, I'm winning

Amethyst walked with a skip in her step besides Cheryl and Archie, because they were finally going back to Archie's house and away from all the red heads.

"I don't buy this dog and pony show for a second," a man scoffed from in front of the group. "Cliff can't control his family, let alone the company."

"Agreed," the woman beside him said. "And if he tries to put Cheryl forward as a successor? Do you remember what she did at the funeral?" The woman scoffed. "Crocodile tears"

"Excuse you," Amethyst butted in, loud enough to make the other two turn around to face her.

Cheryl placed a hand on Amethyst's shoulder to stop her from doing anything rash. "You don't have to," she said quickly.

"Jason was Cheryl's Brother," Amethyst said, stating the obvious as she narrowed her eyes at the two. "Did you expect her to not cry at her brother's funeral?"

"And yeah, Jason was on the football team, but Cheryl was at every single game too doing as much to help the Bulldogs win as he did," Archie added.

"Also, 4.0," Cheryl piped up.

"And she has a 4.0 grade point average," Amethyst said, before turning to Cheryl. "Which is actually pretty good. Good job, Cher." Cheryl smiled.

"If there's one thing I've learned being in Cheryl's class, it's don't underestimate her and don't bet against her," Archie said, glaring at the two before they walked past them and towards the cars.

"Thank you, guys," Cheryl smiled lightly at her two classmates.

"Archibald, Amethyst," Clifford called out, making the two teenagers look at him. "Come walk with me for a moment."

Amethyst raised an eyebrow up at Archie before the two walked towards the elder Blossom. They walked in silence for a moment, and Amethyst could already feel the life draining out of her.

"Archibald, you know, when Cheryl told me that she wanted you to come with us I was taken aback," Clifford said, stopping his walk so that he could face the two teenagers. "Your father and I haven't been seeing eye-to-eye lately."

"I came for Cheryl, Mr Blossom," Archie replied. "And I'm grateful for what Mrs Blossom is doing for me."

"The music academy, you mean?" Clifford asked. "Yeah. That'd be quite a feather in your cap now, wouldn't it? You know, we can be extremely generous to the right people." He then looked at Amethyst. "What about you?"

"I came because I had nothing to do and Cheryl's a friend of mine," Amethyst replied.

Clifford nodded. "Now, later this week, we're hosting a banquet for the board at the Belmont Lodge. It's a simple thing. A little dinner, chitchat, dancing. We would love you to attend as Cheryl's escort, Archibald, and a guest of ours, Amethyst."

Archie's face dropped. "Oh, I'm honoured, Mr Blossom, really, but--"

"But nothing," Cheryl interjected, walking up to the trio. "You two have to come. I'm wearing Viridian." Amethyst didn't even want to question what that was. "He'll need a proper suit and Amie will need a dress, don't you think, Daddy?"

"I'll have my tailor fit you and I'm sure Cheryl's dresser will happily make you a dress, if that's not a problem," Clifford smiled.

Amethyst bit her lip as she looked between the two Blossom's. They were really starting to creep her out.

"No. No, no, it's just...." Archie sighed. "I'm an Andrews, Mr Blossom, like you said. My dad works construction. A fancy banquet's not really our thing."

"And I literally live in a caravan park," Amethyst said. "I've never been brought up with all these fancy things."

"That's precisely why you two should come," Clifford said. "People like you two are the bedrock of our town. You're hard workers."

"Plus, I need a dance partner," Cheryl said. "We won't take no for an answer."

Cheryl grinned at the two of them before Archie gave in. "Yeah, I'll go," he said.

"Wonderful!" Clifford smiled, before looking at Amethyst. "Amethyst?"

She looked between the three people, not failing to notice the desperate look on Archie's face. Amethyst said. "Yeah, sure. Why not?" Cheryl grinned. "But can I invite someone so I'm not dancing by myself?"

"You can invite your brother, that is all," Clifford said.

Amethyst smiled lightly and nodded, before her and Archie made a break for Cheryl's car.

•

As soon as Cheryl dropped Amethyst and Archie off at Archie's house, Amethyst was quick to wipe off the makeup on her face and change into her pyjamas. She ran downstairs and then jumped onto the couch, kicking her legs up and closing her eyes.

Five minutes had passed as Amethyst laid on the couch. She was on the verge of falling into a slumber when the front door opened up and an immense weight crushed the girl. Amethyst gripped onto the edges of the couch to keep herself steady before noticing the head of hair in her face, oddly tickling her nose.

"What the hell?" Amethyst groaned as she tried to shove Jughead off of her.

Amethyst groaned at her failed attempts of pushing Jughead off, before giving up and laying her hands down at her sides.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I missed you," Jughead mumbled. Amethyst huffed as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I was only gone for a few hours," she told him.

"And that's a long time," he countered, before raising his head up and resting his chin on Amethyst's chest. "How was your day anyway."

Amethyst smiled lightly. "It's better now," she said, careful not to stutter at how close their faces were. She then chuckled lightly as she rolled her eyes. "You know, you can sit on the other couch if you want."

"And get off of my comfy pillow?" He asked, "I'm good."

Amethyst rolled her eyes before she dug her hands into his sides, causing Jughead to leap off of her. Amethyst chuckled as she sat up and rested her back against the arm rest of the couch, watching her best friend on the opposite side.

"That was mean," Jughead huffed.

Amethyst playfully rolled her eyes. "How else was I going to get you off?"

The doorbell suddenly went off, and Archie came bounding down the stairs to answer it. Valerie stood on the other side with a grin on her face.

"Hey Val," Archie grinned.

"Arch," she smiled back.

Archie grabbed onto Valerie's hand and pulled her into the house and towards the stairs. As they ran up, Valerie looked over her shoulder and down at Amethyst and Jughead.

"Hey, guys!" She chirped.

Amethyst waved at her before the two disappeared at the top of the stairs.

"Have you ever liked someone that way?" Amethyst suddenly asked Jughead.

Jughead rose an eyebrow as he cautiously looked at her. "Maybe.....why?"

"I was just wondering," she shrugged. "Because I don't recall there ever being a time when you've asked me about a girl. You sort of always avoided the subject."

Jughead licked his lips as he pondered over what he was going to say. "Look I'm not....I'm not good at this whole feelings thing," he said. "There was this girl I met at the beginning of eighth grade and she was the first girl I ever really had those types of emotions for but it wasn't....it wasn't what I'm supposed to feel. Or rather what I want to feel."

"Do you know what you want to feel?" Amethyst asked, tilting her head to the side.

Jughead looked almost angelic in the pale light streaming through the semi-closed blinds. "Yes."

"Do you know anyone that makes you feel like that?" She asked.

"Yes." The answer came quick, almost too quick.

"Who?"

There was another pause.

"I can't say."

Amethyst's stomach dropped slightly, but enough for her to feel it nonetheless. "Oh."

"It's not that I don't want to," he rushed, running one of his hands through his hair. "It's just that I don't really know how to."

"You're a writer, Juggy," Amethyst said. "I know you'll figure out how to tell her. You're good with words."

"Not when it comes to these kinds of words," Jughead laughed lightly. "I don't want to mess up."

"Don't psych yourself out," Amethyst encourage, a small smile on her lips regardless of the weight on her heart. "You were perfect in your poem you wrote in class the other day, so just do that. Or maybe you don't need your words this time, maybe actions is the way to go. I believe in you, I know you'll figure it out."

Jughead finally looked at Amethyst, his dark hair falling in front of his face as it was free of the infamous crown beanie which was currently lying on the floor.

"Actions?" He repeated.

"Yeah, you know what they say," Amethyst smiled. "Actions speak louder than words."

Jughead blinked a few times. It was almost like Amethyst could see the thought processing through.

"You're right," Jughead said, shuffling over on the couch so that he was closer to Amethyst. "Maybe I should just go for it."

Amethyst smiled lightly. "I believe in you."

Jughead was about to say something when the front door opened up. He pulled away from Amethyst when Fred Andrews walked through the front door with a box in his hand.

"I got pizza!" He announced brightly, smiling at the two teens. He then frowned at their non-existent smiles on their faces, knowing that they usually burst with happiness at the chance to eat pizza. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Jughead replied quickly, snatching his beanie up off the ground and then leaping to his feet. "Pepperoni?"

Fred nodded with a grin. "It's the only way."

Amethyst sighed deeply before getting off of the couch and following the two into the kitchen. Fred rested the pizza box on the counter and opened up, not waiting to grab a slice for himself.

Archie came bounding down the stairs with Valerie in tow.

"Val, I didn't know you were here," Fred said as he noticed her. "You can stay for pizza if you want."

"That's okay, Mr Andrews," she smiled. "Mum just called me up and said I had to come home anyway."

Amethyst shrugged. "Your loss," she smiled lightly.

Valerie returned the smile before beginning to walk out. "See you guys."

The three guys and one girl waved at Valerie before she exited the house. It wasn't long after Amethyst had her first slice when the doorbell rang again.

Fred placed down his slice of pizza before making his way to the front door. Amethyst frowned when he opened it with Cheryl standing on the other side.

"Mr Andrews. Nice haircut," Cheryl smiled. "Looking extremely DILF-y today. Is Archie and Amie here?"

"Cheryl," Fred sighed. "Yeah, come on in."

Cheryl walked into the house with another lady following her lead.

"The Icewoman Cometh," Jughead mumbled.

"Hey, Cheryl," Amethyst smiled.

"Amie, my stylist is here to fit you for the dress she's making you," Cheryl said. "Did Demarcus say he could come?"

"Well, yeah," Amethyst said, getting up from her seat. "He was a bit iffy about it but I managed to persuade him."

"Perfect," she grinned.

The stylist pulled Amethyst to the side and began to measure every inch of her body.

Cheryl placed a heavy-looking case on the table and began to open it. "Archie, as a maj. thank you for coming to the Maple Banquet with me tomorrow, I wanted to give you this." She opened it up, showing a red electric guitar. Amethyst rose her eyebrows at the sight of it with her arms out to the side. "An '84 Les Paul in our signature colour. You're welcome." Jughead and Amethyst shared looks just as the stylist measured the last bit of Amethyst. "Are you finished, Margaret? My claustrophobia is acting up from this small house."

"Just a moment," Margaret replied, before standing up to face Amethyst. "Now, what's your bra size, dear?"

Jughead coughed on the drink he was drinking and Archie and Fred awkwardly scratched the back of their necks.

Amethyst went slightly pink in the face. "32C," she replied.

"That is a great effort, Ams," Cheryl smiled. "I could only wish to have that size."

Amethyst licked her lips. "Thanks."

"Well, see you tomorrow." Cheryl placed a kiss on Archie's cheek before her and her stylist walked out of the house.

Amethyst frowned at Archie. "Well, you've caught yourself in Cheryl's web," she said.

"I'd give that back if I were you," Fred told his son as Archie picked up the guitar.

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

"Since when did the Blossoms ever give a damn about you, Archie?" Fred asked.

"Well, they think I have potential, dad," Archie said.

"He's also pimping himself out to Cheryl," Jughead commented.

"I'm just doing it for free," Amethyst said.

"The Blossoms tried to run our business into the ground," Fred told his son.

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

"I tried talking to him, Archie. He laughed in my face," Fred frowned at how his son was defending them. "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, and I'm over it."

•

- american bra sizes are weird compared to australians. 32C in america is 10C in australia in case my australian readers were wondering -