A GOOD TIME [2]

"So you can't tonight?"

"No." Ellie gives him a sad smile. "I still have to try, and stop my sister from doing a terrible mistake."

"And what would that be?" Reggie walks by her side, trying not to walk too fast. "If I'm allowed to know."

She rolls her eyes, the disapprovement clear in her features. "Throwing Jughead a birthday party." 

"The weirdo doesn't like his birthday, what –."

"Hey," Eleanor snaps, and faces him with a warning. "Don't talk about him like that."

"It was just a joke." Reggie tries to apologize.

"Jughead may be weird but he's my weird best friend." She points a finger at him. "And that means you don't get to joke about him."

"Hey," He raises his arms in the air, confused at her lecture. "Why are you so moody today?"

Ellie closes her eyes for a second, and sighs. "I'm just... frustated."

"You can talk to me." Mantle looks into her green eyes, maybe he can get her to open about to him. "Is this about... Archie?"

"Why does everything has to be about Archie?"

"It doesn't." He shakes his head. "I was just asking."

"Well, don't ask."

Eleanor walks away from Reggie, realizing later that she has hurt the boy who is only trying to be there for her. How sorry is she for hurting other people while she's hurting, because Reggie has touched the wound, the right damn subject, always Archie. It isn't Reggie's fault though, that he's in the middle of a story that's far from being over.

Ellie looks for shelter in the same place as always, the Blue and Gold. But instead of being empty and ready to welcome her, Betty and their Mom are already there, talking.

"A list of supplies for Jughead's birthday party."

Ellie walks in, calling their attention. "You're determined."

"Seems that your sister is really falling for the Jones boy," Alice comments, and turns to face Betty. "aren't you?"

"That's so not the point, cause of course she is." She steps forward, and tries one more time. "But Betty you're doing the wrong choice here, Jughead hates surprises and he sure hates his birthday."

"I think his Dad is going too." Betty tells her sister with enthusiasm. "That'll make him more happy, and it's inner-circle only, remember? Everything is gonna be fine."

"That's what everyone says right before the storm."

"You're just being dramatic, E."

Ellie scoffs. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you when it all turns to flames." 

"Come on, Eleanor. Just let your sister do something good for her boyfriend." Alice gestures with a soft smile. "I'm sure he'll love it."

Only, Ellie knows he won't.

They should stick up to the tradition and nothing more, cause usually when good people try to do something good, something bad happens. It's called destiny. So Eleanor is determined to stay by her tradition, as much as possible.

However, these couple of days things are getting out of track. Normal things are changing, some for the better, other for the very worse. Riverdale is changing and they are cursed to change along with it.

Ellie leans in, and whispers into her sister's ear. "Is she really doing this?" 

"Oh yeah, she is."

Veronica's one of the people defying the normal courses of things, by challenging Cheryl Blossom – that so loves the river vixens – for a fight to see who is the cherry on top.

As they were both dancing, Eleanor finds herself reaching for her sister's hand, quickly noticing the small marks of her sister's nails. Betty looks at her, first with confusion but then with slightly widened eyes.

"Was it when you went to Chuck?" 

Betty pulls her hand away. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Ellie shakes her head, slowly. "And I know that you're doing this stupid party to prove that you are. But we both know that's not true."

"It will be. As soon as I see Jughead smiling, it will be."

They're interrupted by the music ending, there's no more time for words. Eleanor would like to believe her sister, but she can't. She knows her too well, and that includes her weaknesses and her strenghts.

Betty steps forward, and exclaims. "All those for Cheryl?"

Everyone looks at each other, and no one makes a sound. Ellie has a smile upon her face, when she steps next to her sister, and glances at the angry redhead before speaking up. "All those for Veronica?"

A sound of clapping echoes through the gym, and both Coopers join their dark-haired friend for a quick hug. Veronica's the kind of girl that believes that what comes around, goes around, and she proved it right here. "Never cross a Lodge." Then she faces the others. "C'mon girls."

"Karm is a bitch, they say." Ellie steps closer to the redhead, and warns. "But only if you are. So start treating others as you wish to be treated, Cheryl."

That's what Eleanor has spent her entire life doing, treating others the way she wants to be treated. Not everyone gives it back to her, some laugh in her face but she continues to practice kindness towards others, because it doesn't cost a damn thing to do so.

So next morning, Ellie is standing in front of the Andrews' Household with her hands full, and a smile almost bigger than her face. She waits, patiently, outside until Archie, finally, comes to the door, a knowing smile on his face, when his eyes fall on her full hands.

"You do it everytime."

"What can I say?" Ellie walks into the warm house. "I'm a girl of traditions."

"Since you were nine," He recalls. "when you learnt how to cook."

"Thank god." She chuckles. "Must have been the best thing my Mom ever taught me."

The red-haired boy lets out a laugh, and gestures. "He's upstairs."

Ellie climbs up the stairs, and walks through the hallway, until she stops in front of the very familiar room. It has been a while since she has been up here, since the summer. Ellie allows herself to be taken back for a little while, but quickly recovers when she notices Jughead standing in front of her.

"Happy Birthday!!"

"Oh god,"

"Look what I made you." Ellie smiles widely, and approaches him. "Pancakes!"

"I'm shocked, Ellie." Jughead takes the large plate from her hands, and places it on the bedside table. "Really."

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I do the same thing every year." 

"And I love it." He places his hands on her shoulders, and smiles down at her. This is the nicest thing every does for him. Every year. "You're the most annoying best friend I could ever ask for."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment...?" She arches her eyebrow, and accuses. "Cause it sucks."

"Well, I did my best." Jughead steps back, and sits down on  Archie's bed, pulling the plate towards his lap. 

"Anyways, shouldn't I be the one complimenting you?" Ellie shrugs. "It's you birthday."

"I'll pass." He replies, his mouth full. "But thank you."

"Thought so." Ellie chuckles, and decides to change the subject a little bit. "So I know you're doing something with my sister today."

"Yeah, because you told her it's my birthday." Jughead's voice sounds accusative. "Archie snitched."

"Well, it was the right thing to do." She explains. "It's your birthday and she's your girlfriend..."

"And I'd appreciate if it stayed the way it was." 

"Do you even know me," Ellie crosses her arms over her chest. "Jughead Jones?"

"I know you better than you know yourself." Jug points out the undeniable truth. "Which is why I know that something is bothering you."

"It's not."

"It is."

"No, it's not, Jug. I'm great actually." Ellie tries to brush it off. She tries to lie, and fool him. But deep down, she knows better than that. "Better than great."

"Ok." Jughead stands up with a sigh, placing the plate back on the bedside table. "Is it Archie?"

"Why does everyone thinks the only thing that bothers me is Archie?"

"You're mad." He notices, and presses the subject. "About what?"

It may be because of the secret birthday party they're throwing, but that's just the tip of the ice berg. Reggie's right, and so is Jughead, she's mad and frustated because, deep down, she wants to have said yes to Archie – when he told her he and Valerie broke up – but she didn't.

"Are you mad at Archie," Jughead asks, his voice lower than before. "again?"

"I'm not bothering you with my problems," Ellie shakes her head, refusing. "Specially not today."

"Because it's my birthday?" He rolls his eyes, and scoffs. "Please help me forget the terrible day that it's today. Put me out of my misery already."

"You're so dramatic, I –."

"Don't change the subject." Jughead gestures, interrupting her right away. "So are you mad at Archie?"

"I'm mad at myself, not Archie." Eleanor sighs in defeat. "I'm mad for always being nice, always apologizing for things I didn't do, for letting myself into that thing we had in the summer, for forgiving him, but most of all, for not hating Archie, which I know I should... But I just can't."

"Archie told me... about what you two talked, about what you said. All about how you think you two were never going to work out. He thinks you moved on with Reggie."

"I did, I –."

Jughead steps closer, and stops her. "No, that's a lie."

Eleanor looks down, she can try to trick herself into believing it, she can make Archie believe it, but not Jughead, never him. So she gives up. "I'm over it, I promise I'm over it." Ellie forces a laugh then, and sighs. "That's what I tell myself, but it's a lie."

"Why?"

"We're meant to collide, we're meant to be best friends." She tries to explain her solid theory. "We can't force something that only has bad timing."

"Bad timing?" Jughead frowns. "Do you have bad time now?"

"I... don't know. I'm..."

"That's not just it." He can feel that something else is keeping her back, so he takes a good guess. The right guess. "You're scared of what Betty will think."

"Jug..." Ellie pleads.

"That's why." Jughead steps back, and shakes his head. "You're wrong. Betty talked to me about it, she's fine with it. She really is."

"It's more complicated than that."

"What –."

"Guys," Archie bursts into his room. "Sorry, but huh Betty is waiting for you, Jug."

Jughead looks back to his best friend one more time, before passing right by the red-haired boy, and leaving the room. Eleanor stands there, thinking all the words through, thinking that if there are some things she regrets in her life, it's the boys her heart always chooses.

"So do you need help with the stuff for the party?"

"If you want to, sure." Archie nods.

They spend the entire morning together, walking back and fourth, while putting everyone on the right place. Not many words. Eleanor is just finished in the kitchen, when she walks over to the living room, her eyes falling on Archie Andrews going through his Dad's alchool stash. 

"Archie,"

"Yeah?" He turns around, hiding the bottle behind his back.

"I just finished." She gestures to the kitchen, and she doesn't bring up what she just witnessed. But it builts all kinds of sorrow inside her. "Do you need me to do anything else?"

"Ah, no thanks." Archie walks towards the staircase, and looks over his shoulder to her one last time. "You can go home, I'll go upstairs."

"Arch –."

But the red-haired boy is already gone, leaving her behind in his living room, feeling useless and weak for not being able to do anything to help Archie. Yet, instead of walking out the door, Eleanor sits down on the couch with a tired sigh, her eyes drifting to the staircase, with worry.

Archie only notices that Ellie stayed here, when he comes downstairs to answer the door, and she's already there, greeting everyone on their way in to the party she didn't want.

"If it's a double feature does that mean I have time to go to the bathroom?"

"Ah I'd hold it, Ethel." Kevin told her.

"Yeah, it's probably best." Ellie agrees.

"So," Joaquin breathes, and tries to make small conversation. "you're Ellie."

"Also known as the best friend in the world." Kevin smiles.

"Kevin," She turns to him with a surprised expression on her face. "that is the sweetest thing you ever said about me."

"Don't get used to it, cutie." He teases her.

Archie approaches the group, his two arms going over to Kevin's and Joaquin's shoulders. Ellie frowns at his attitude, but her attention quickly changes towards tthe door opening, everyone yelling surprise, only to be greeted by Veronica.

"Do I look like Jughead to you?"

Eleanor has a thing for noticing weird things, weird behavior, weird expression and just like she noticed it on Archie, she also notices it on Veronica. But her phone beeps, and she reachs for it in her pocket, letting her intuations go away for a second.

Betty: We're almost there, be ready xx

"It's Betty. They're almost here."

"So I don't know if you've met Joaquin." Kevin comments.

"I don't believe I have." Veronica shakes his hand, and pulls Kevin with her aside.

Eleanor's eyes go back to Archie and a drink is already in his hand. He's not a drinker, yes they drank a lot that summer but only for one reason, and this has to be the same one - to forget all the problems hunting them down. "Archie, are you ok?"

"I'm great!" He shakes his head in a sloopy movement. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Everybody hide!" Ethel shouts in warning.

Archie walks away from her before she can say anything else. So, Ellie makes her way to Veronica's side, hiding away from the door sight. She finds her dark-haired friend in the exact same spot as she found Archie earlier that day, near Fred's alchool. "What are you doing, V?"

"I'm so over all this."

"What is –."

The door opens and she turns around, Betty and Jughead walking into the dark house. The lights go on, and everyone shouts surprise, this time to the right Jughead Jones. He seems happy seeing everyone there, well at least he's smiling, but still Betty seems way more excited than the birthday boy.

"Happy Birthday, bro." Archie's the first to hug him.

The rest follow, but Eleanor can't take her eyes out of the red-haired boy. He's clearly drunk, probably because even if the alchool isn't the answer to his problems, it's still worth a shot. The problem with it, is that sometimes you screw things up even more by drinking. Well, in Archie's defense, he has done some pretty dumb things while sober as well.

"Happy Birthday, Jug."

"You didn't need to do all this," He rolls his eyes slightly. "really, you didn't."

"Well, you are smiling." Ellie points out. "I thought you'd hate it."

"Ehm." He shrugs, and changes the subject that also bothering since his red-haired bestfriend hugged him, and he could smell the alchool in his breath. "Archie is drunk, isn't he?"

"Yeah. He –."

They're interrupted by Betty walking all the way from the kitchen with the cake in her hands, the lights suddenly go off and she starts singing to her boyfriend, and Ellie can only think of how cute the whole thing is, and how lucky they are for having each other.

Veronica's the first to leave before Jughead even has the chance to blow up his candles, and Ellie is the first to follow her. "What happened? Was it your father again?"

"He says if I don't testify in his behalf, my Mom goes to jail too." Veronica has tears forming in her eyes. "It doesn't matter what I do, someone ends up hurt. If I do it I get hurt, but if I don't my Mom gets hurt."

"I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing you can say." She shrugs, and shakes her head then. "He's trying to buy me. Worse, he's threathning me! He's my Dad, Ellie, how can he do that?"

"Come here." Eleanor pulls the dark-haired girl in for a hug. "I'm sure it's gonna be ok, V."

Everything is silence for a whole, before a small whisper coming from Veronica and into her ear crumble her entire world. "Do you think my Dad killed Jason?" The name brings memories to her, memories she tries to forget every day and some that she would like to relive.

"I don't know," Ellie caresses her hair, and sighs. "I don't know."

. . .

Betty stops Archie on his way into the living room. She has to know, she has to fix whatever is bothering Ellie once and for all. "If you are thinking the courage to go up to Ellie and tell her you love her is in the end of a cup filled with alchool, you're wrong, Archie."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He shrugs."I'm just having fun."

"The party hadn't begin when you started, because you're already drunk." Betty accuses.

"So what?" Archie snaps, and lets it out of his chest. "Ellie thinks we're not worth the shot, she thinks we are bad timing because you liked me and she didn't wanna ruin it."

"There was a time that, yes, I'd still be here waiting for you even while you were happy with my sister, because I've always wanted you. But, now, I'm happy with Jughead, Archie, and she's the one who is hurting."

"Hurting?" He coughs, not believing it. "Ellie is moving on with Reggie and I'm the one who is stuck in that summer. I am hurting, she's kissing another guy."

"You were with Ms. Grundy." Betty remembers him. "You were with Valerie."

"And I still want her."

"Who says she doesn't want you still?" 

"The fact that I tried and she pushed me away." Archie explains. "We are just wrong."

Archie walks away from Betty and into the kitchen, only to find a blonde and a dark-haired girl hugging. "Sorry."

"It's ok." Veronica wipes away her tears. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Eleanor wonders, in concern.

"I'm sure no danger will cross my way to the bathroom, E. But thanks."

Veronica walks out of the kitchen then, leaving the two best friends alone. Archie leans against the balcony, next to her. They both just stand there for a while, her eyes on the blue cup he's holding.

"Is it your parents?"

"What?"

"That are making you drink alchool until you can't remember your own name." She points out.

"That too." Archie takes another sip, and looks over to her then. "Want one?"

"Ah," Ellie takes a deep breath before giving in. "sure. Best friends don't let best friends drink alone."

The red-haired boy smiles on his way to the drinks' table, and walks back with a yellow cup on his hands, heading it to her with a smirk.

"So you were saying 'that too'... What else?"

Archie's about to let it all out, but Jughead walks into the kitchen, followed by Betty. "Oh, sorry."

Betty smiles apologetic. "I just saw Veronica heading to the bathroom, it looked like she was crying. Do you..."

"She's just not in a party mood, you know, her Dad." Ellie smiles sadly, and looks down then. "It's very complicated."

"That makes two of us." Jughead mutters.

"Whoa. Wait." Betty turns to him with a frown. "You're not actually upset that I threw you a party, are you?"

"It's nice, I appreciate it. It's just that I'd be happier if it was just the five of us in a booth at Pop's."

"Yeah, but we always do that." She shrugs. "I wanted to do something special."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Jughead replies with