Baby, I'm dancing in the dark
With you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass
Listening to our favourite song
When you said you looked a mess
I whispered underneath my breath
But you heard it
Darling, you look perfect tonight

The party had well and truly kicked into gear a mere twenty minutes after everyone arrived. Amethyst searched the house for Jughead, seeing as he had disappeared from sight as soon as the party started.

Amethyst had ended up in Archie's room which, to her delight, no one was trying to make babies in, which she expected would happen later that night. Amethyst packed all of her belongings up in her suitcase and bag, before noticing a green jumper. Amethyst sighed as she held it up before taking off the jumper she was currently wearing and slipping that one on, knowing that green was Jughead's favourite colour and she knew that she would have to apologise to him. Amethyst shoved the blue jumper into the suitcase and then shoved the bag and suitcase under Archie's bed and away from prying eyes.

Amethyst then exited the room and headed downstairs, where she took a deep breath before joining the crowd of teenagers.

Amethyst was shoved a few times as she held the container of cookies close to her chest, everyone dancing in such close proximity to each other. Amethyst looked around the corners of each room, hoping to see Jughead just sitting there minding his own business.

Amethyst sighed as she tried to look over everyone to find her best friend when someone harshly bumped into her. Reggie smiled at Amethyst as he placed a hand on her arm.

"Sorry 'bout that," Reggie lazily grinned. "I guess I just didn't see you there."

Amethyst frowned, holding the container closer to her chest as she tried to step away from him. "You're drunk, Mantle. I suggest you sit down for a while."

Reggie pouted as he dropped his hand from her shoulder. "But that's no fun," he whined. "Not when there's a pretty girl standing in front of me."

Amethyst felt like gagging, but before she could say anything, Reggie started leaning in to, what Amethyst assumed was, to kiss her. Amethyst screwed her face up as she stepped out of his way and watched as Reggie began to lock lips with a guy.

Amethyst smirked before continuing her route around the house when she ended up in the living room where most of the partying seemed to be taking place. Amethyst manoeuvred around the dancing teenagers and couples making out and found herself standing beside Dilton Doiley who was surprisingly good at being a DJ.

"Hey Doiley, have you seen Jughead?!" Amethyst yelled out to him.

Doiley shook his head just as he changed to a more upbeat song.

"Do you mind if I borrow the mic for a sec?" Amethyst asked.

Dilton handed her the microphone. "Have at it," he said.

Amethyst licked her lips before bringing the microphone to her mouth. "When I say 'Penis' you say 'Parker!" She called out. "'Penis!'"

"Parker!" The teenagers yelled back.

"Penis!"

"Parker!"

Amethyst chuckled to herself as she gave Doiley the microphone back. "Have fun being a DJ," she told him before continuing on her adventure around the house.

Amethyst sighed as she ventured towards the kitchen, only to be stopped by Cheryl who draped her arm around the girl's shoulders.
"Dance with me, Amie."

Amethyst chuckled awkwardly. "Don't know how to, and I'm sort of busy."

Cheryl pouted. "I saw you and Jughead dancing at the start of year dance. I know you're lying to me."

Amethyst frowned. "But that's a different type of dancing."

"No, it's not!" Cheryl smiled. "Come on."

Cheryl didn't give Amethyst a chance to respond before taking the container of cookies out of Amethyst's hands and placing it on the table then dragging her away from the kitchen and where Jughead could possibly be. Cheryl draped both of her arms around Amethyst's shoulders and Amethyst didn't know what to do so she awkwardly placed her hands on Cheryl's sides.

"That's it!" Cheryl exclaimed as they began to dance to the fast pace beat.

"This feels weird," Amethyst told her.

"Here." Cheryl handed the girl her red cup. "It helps you to loosen up.

Amethyst frowned at Cheryl as she slowly took the cup, never having tasted alcohol before.

"Never had it?" Cheryl asked, noticing the girls confused face. "Just bring it to your lips and quickly skull it. The strong taste will only last a few seconds."

Amethyst frowned lightly before doing what Cheryl said, tipping her head back and letting the burning liquid slide down her throat. Amethyst felt an instant zap go through her and she screwed her face up from the strong taste.

"This stuff is quick," Amethyst said.

"I know," Cheryl smiled. "I prefer the heavy duty stuff."

Cheryl continued to dance with Amethyst as Amie did the same until the song changed and she decided that she should continue around the house.

"Do you know where Jughead is?" Amethyst asked her.

Cheryl shook her head. "Beats me."

Amethyst looked over towards the kitchen. "I should go find him. It's his birthday, after all."

Amethyst turned back around to Cheryl, only for Cheryl to quickly place her lips on Amethysts. Amethyst frowned at Cheryl as she kissed her before Cheryl pulled away.

Cheryl smiled. "I just wanted to say thank you for sticking by me these past few months," she chuckled lightly, before gesturing towards the kitchen. "Your man awaits."

Amethyst frowned as she nodded at Cheryl and walked towards the kitchen, not before picking up the container of cookies. The first person she saw when she entered the kitchen was FP, who was standing in the corner with no Jughead.

Amethyst decided to wander up to the older man and tapped his arm. "Have you seen Jughead?" She asked him.

FP looked down at her and shook his head. "I haven't, but I was kind of hoping he was with you," he replied.

Amethyst groaned as she looked around. "Looks as if I will be heading outside then."

"Amie, you have something on your lips," FP told her. Amethyst's face instantly turned pink as she tried to rub off the lipstick with her hand. "Here." FP gave her a hanky. "You wouldn't want Jughead to see that."

"Thanks," Amethyst mumbled before wiping off the red lipstick. When she pulled the hanky away, she looked up at FP. "Better?"

"Better," he replied.

Amethyst held two fingers to her forehead and saluted. "Cya."

FP laughed before saluting back, and Amethyst made her way outdoors. She wasn't sure if it was the sudden breeze outside or the fact that she wasn't pressed up against anyone anymore, but it suddenly hit her of where Jughead would be and where no one else would be: Archie's music room.

Amethyst hurried towards the small shed and opened up the door. She sighed in relief as she spotted Jughead on one of the seats, playing with Archie's dog, Vegas' ear.

Amethyst sighed in relief as she collapsed into the chair in front of Jughead's. "God, it's horrible in there," she said. "I've just been spending the whole time looking for you."

"And here I am," Jughead said, before taking in the different jumper Amethyst was wearing. "You changed."

Amethyst nodded as she looked down at the green jumper. "Yeah, I decided to wear your favourite colour to make it up to you."

Jughead frowned. "But you didn't plan the party."

"But I knew they were planning something," Amethyst admitted, sitting up properly and full on facing him. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, warn you--"

"Why didn't you?" Jughead asked, frowning.

"I don't know," Amethyst sighed. "I knew the party was wrong from the get go, and Betty had been through quite a bit lately that I just let it slide."

"But you know me, Buttercup," Jughead said, reaching forward and grabbing the brunette's hands with his own. "You know me better than anyone."

"Likewise," Amethyst smiled, squeezing his hands. "That's why I usually always put you before me in any situation because you're the better person."

"Don't," Jughead replied. "You need to think about your well-being before everyone else's, Buttercup because everyone thinks about their well-being before yours."

Amethyst nodded as she looked down at her hands. "Stupid empathetic me," she mumbled.

"Hey," Jughead placed his fingers under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "You're my best friend and I love you, you know that, right?"

Jughead had slipped out the three words without even thinking it. His breath caught in his throat as he waited for Amethyst's reaction, but she didn't give him one. She thought that he was being purely plutonic, especially in the sentence he said leading into it. 'You're my best friend and I love you.'

"I know, Juggy," Amethyst smiled lightly, placing her hand over his and bringing it up to her cheeks so that she was rubbing her fingers over his.

There was a knock on the door, and the two teenagers looked over to see FP walking into the room with a present.

Jughead instantly stood up. "Dad, hey," he said.

"Happy birthday, Jughead," FP said.

"How are ya, FP?" Amethyst asked.

"Happy to be here, celebrating with my son," FP replied to her, before looking back up at Jughead. "Didn't realise you had so many friends."

"I don't," Jughead instantly replied. "Fair warning, you're the only adult here."

"So I gather." FP held up the present. "Where can I put this?"

"Use the table in the den," Jughead said. FP nodded and began to walk out when Jughead stepped forward. "Did Betty call you?"

FP nodded. "Yeah, she came by too." Amethyst scratched her forehead as she felt the anger washing over Jughead. "She knows what she wants, that one. I'll be back." FP walked out of Archie's music room.

Betty then walked into the room and Jughead visibly stiffened. "Shit!" Amethyst cursed, leaping to her feet and hurrying to the door. "I left my cookies inside!"

Before waiting for a response from her two best friends, Amethyst had already left the music room and hurried towards the house. When she entered, she immediately looked on the counters for the container before noticing it by the sink where she cleaned off Cheryl's lipstick.

Amethyst smiled in content when she opened it up and saw all the cookies inside, when an arm reached over her shoulder and took one of the cookies. Amethyst let a scowl overtake her features as she turned around to yell at the person, only to see Chuck Clayton standing there, the one person she didn't want to talk to.

"Give that the fuck back," Amethyst snapped.

Chuck rose his eyebrows teasingly before slowly biting into the cookie, trying to look seductive. Keyword: trying.

Amethyst just scrunched her face up in return.
"What do you want?"

Chuck grinned down at her before looking around. "Where's your little boy toy?" Chuck eventually asked.

"None of your business," Amethyst replied.

Chuck chuckled, somewhat both pleasing and angering the smaller girl. It didn't help that Amethyst was attracted to the physical appearance of Chuck, just not his personality, which is what she tends to choose over.

"I knew you were feisty," he smirked, leaning forward to place his hands on the counter, trapping Amethyst. She leant away from him as far as possible.

"That's good," Amethyst said, screwing her face up at their close proximity.

Chuck chuckled and smirked. "A little birdy told me that you know how to have a good time." He lightly licked his lips as he looked Amethyst up and down.

"Yeah? And who's the birdy?" She asked.

He smirked. "Does that name James George ring any bells?"

Amethyst's face paled instantly. "N-no," she stuttered, which brought a larger smirk into Chuck's lips.

"Oh yeah," he leaned his face down towards Amethyst's and she leant hers back as far as she could, but that wasn't far enough. Chuck leant his lips down towards Amethyst's lips and she turned her head away so that his lips were on her ear. "He told me you would do anything to have a good time, and I have all the time in the world."

Amethyst suddenly had a rush of adrenaline as she shoved Chuck back as much as she could before pulling her elbow back and punching him right on his nose. Chuck stumbled back as he held his nose, little droplets of blood coming out of it. He looked up at Amethyst surprised as she rubbed her now bruised knuckles.

"Kinky, I'll admit," Chuck said.

Amethyst groaned as she picked up her container. "All I wanted was my fucking cookies you arsehole!" She snapped, before marching away from Chuck and in the direction of the front door, only to bump into Jughead.

Jughead frowned at the girls fuming face, glancing down at the container slightly before meeting her gaze. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Fucking Chuck," Amethyst replied, and before she could say anything, both Chuck and Cheryl stood in front of the two.

"Hey. Where you going, guest of honour?" Chuck asked, his nose still covered in blood from Amethyst's right hook. Jughead noticed his nose instantly and took a mental note to congratulate Amethyst afterwards.

"Get out of our way, Chuck," Jughead ordered.
"Oh, but you can't leave now," Cheryl pouted. "We haven't even played our game yet." She glanced at Betty and Veronica who both walked up to them. "Listen up, party people! Everyone has their secrets. And we've all done our fair share of sinning. That's one thing my dear brothers death has revealed. So let's play a little game to get those secrets out in the open."

Cheryl turned around and locked the front door.