"Well, don't you have to practice for the Variety Show anyways?" Betty asked curiously. 

The group had sat at their usual lunch table outside. Betty and Jughead sat next to one another as Archie and Val were adjacent.

"Uh, no. I don't." 

Val watched as Archie's head ducked down and then met her eyes. Before anyone could respond, Veronica waltz towards the tables, smiling, as Kevin and Emma followed behind.

"Except that yes, you do. Thanks to a certain Veronica-and-Emma-ex-machina." Veronica glided in-between Valerie and Archie, making herself comfortable as Emma sat next to her brother. 

Archie looked at Emma and then Veronica. "What did you do?"

"Um other than being and gracing you with our presence?" Emma said snidely as he automatically assumed Emma was up to no good.

"Oh nothing. Just that I had a few words with our director/host, and reminded him that he's heard you sing on numerous occasions." Veronica had said proudly, earning an eye roll from Kevin and a chuckle from Emma. "

Even though it compromises my artistic integrity." Kevin muttered. Emma shot him a look of annoyance from across the table. 

Tying her hair up, Emma huffed at Kevin's remark. "Can you relax Woody Allen? It the Variety Show not the Emmy's." Jughead laughed as Emma smirked. 

The strawberry-blonde was happy that someone enjoyed her comment as Kevin sulked in his artistic dilemma.

"Cutting to the chase," Veronica quickly changed the subject, "you still have a slot if you still want it."

"Veronica, Em, thank you, but you saw what happened." The red haired boy said as he looked down.

"We all did." Emma chimed in as Veronica shot her a look. Convincing Kevin to let Archie try again was enough, convincing Archie would probably be harder feat.

Emma watched as Jughead gestured towards Betty causing the blonde to look at him the way she once did for Archie. 

She could tell the two of them were close. By the looks of their closeness, he reciprocated. Her smile had faded from her previous remark as she watched the two. 

Yet, Archie caught her attention once more, causing Emma to peel her eyes away from Betty and Jughead to her brother.

"Playing my songs in front of you guys is one thing, but getting back up on that stage by myself..." Archie said quietly as he trailed off. 

Emma attempted to cheer her brother up, "Arch, you'll be fine. It's like that time dad made you go in the haunted house with me when we were 10 and you peed on yourself after the pig man jumped out. Not to mention you shoved me into a wall and ran out, leaving me to be stuck in my own horror show-" 

The group watched her as she awkwardly smiled knowing it was not what Archie needed.

She watched as Archie gave her a side eye, as she told one of his more embarrassing stories, "Anyways, the point is next year, dad made you go back. Even with all your fussing, you got through it and at the end you saw the pig man, with his mask off in the parking lot smoking." Kevin looked at Emma attempting to not laugh. 

"What I was gonna say was I'm not sure if I'm ready for that." Archie said as he eyed at his sister. Most likely planning his revenge on Emma after her little story time.

"If it's a partner you're looking for, Veronica Lodge is more than willing and able." Veronica chimed proudly causing Val's head to turn. 

The strawberry-blonde eyes with met with Kevin. They both got the sense of Val's uneasiness.

Betty became peaked at Veronica's declaration, "Veronica, I didn't know you could sing."

"Like a nightingale." The raven haired girl stated. "What do you say Archiekins? Be the Jay to my Bey?" Emma rolled her eyes at Veronica's horrible pop culture reference causing Kevin to smile at her knowing exactly what her train of thought was.

***

"So, what was the look you gave Jughead and Betty at lunch about?" Kevin said as he jumped on to Emma's bed causing her throw pillow to fall on to the ground.

"What do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes he watched as she picked the pillow up, "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Em." She shrugged as he looked at her, waiting for her to respond. 

Moving closer to the bed, she sat down placing the pillow in her lap.

"Are we really gonna do this? You know how this goes." He watched her as he waited for her response knowing he would have to fish more. 

Kevin looked at her pointedly, "One second your smiling about your comment and the next moment you are staring holes into their heads." She remained quiet.

"Em, come on. We already know the drill. I'm gonna ask, you'll say nothing or deflect, and then I hound you. And whether you like it or not, I'm gonna get an answer."

She exhaled slowly, pulling the pillow closer. 

She knew he was right but she didn't know exactly what to say. 'Jughead and I had a great night. We connected and I blew it with a lame line at the end.'  

Kevin waited for her response causing her to close her eyes. "Fine. I'll tell you." Her tone was defeated.  He perked up. "But don't assume anything, Kev! I know you."

Placing his hands in a surrendered stance she proceeded to tell him about the night before. As she spoke, Kevin listened.

 Yet, in Archie's room, Fred approached Archie on his budding relationship with Veronica's mom, Hermonie. To which Archie stated he didn't mind and was happy for his father. As Fred left, he went towards his daughter's room, only to find her gossiping to Kevin. 

'Later.' He told himself as the two teens carried on with their conversation, oblivious to Fred passing her room.

"Wait so- do you like him?" Kevin looked at the girl as she shrugged with uncomfortable look on her face. "I don't know."

His mouth opened at her revelation. Kevin knew she liked him without saying it in so many words. 

"Oh, Emma. You got yourself into it this time," She nodded in agreement. "but if it makes you feel better, I support it. I love Betty, but I like the idea of you two together more."

"Oh shut up, you hopeless romantic." She hit him with the pillow as he laughed.

***

As the early birds of Riverdale High buzzed around, Emma closed her locker to see Veronica enter the student longue. Following the usual cheery raven-haired, she went to ask her about going to the mall to help her shop for a new outfit. 

Girl time, was what she needed. Who better than Veronica, the shopaholic queen, and Kevin, who looked for any excuse to dictate her wardrobe, hoping to make it chic and girly.

"You are unbelievable Archie." She could hear Veronica's voice raise as she neared the doorway. 

Slowing down she listened. 

She wasn't one for gossip but she did love chaos erupting, a bad habit she later developed via Cheryl Blossom. "You literally have zero loyalty, you ginger Judas!"

"Okay Ronnie, what's wrong?" Emma heard Archie's defensive vice come out. Though she did think the whole ginger Judas thing was witty, she knew it would set Archie off.

Scoffing, Veronica retorted, quite boldly in fact. "What's wrong, Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever, is that your father kissed my mother." 

Emma's mouth dropped at the bomb Veronica had indirectly dropped in her lap.

"Um... maybe I should leave." Emma heard as Val lifted from her seat, not wanting to be involved. 

"No, hold on. Hold on." Archie pleaded. "When my dad told me how he felt it seemed like they were both really into each other."

Veronica, however, was steadfast in her stance. "They're married to other people."

"Hey, my mom and dad are separated and your dad-"

"My dad is what?" Veronica had spoke suspiciously low as anger oozed out.

Archie knew that he had stepped in it, "He's incarcerated, right?"

"That's so not the point, Archie!" She yelled.

"You're right. It's not." Veronica turned to see Emma in the doorway, betrayal etched across her face. Archie looked at his sister, knowing she had no idea. "So when did you plan on tell me? Or did you not?"

Shaking his head, he curled his lips. "No, no it's not like that. We were gonna tell you soon." 

"Soon? Wow, Arch. What happened to not keeping secrets?" She stepped closer. "Was I not close enough to know about it yet?"

"No. It's not that. Dad was going to tell you, but things have been busy. I don't think mom would care  if-"

"You weren't there when mom would lock herself in the bathroom with the water running. Crying, thinking I didn't hear." Understanding Veronica's anger she shook her head. "Maybe I'm just not important enough to tell this to. Since you and dad are so tight and I'm just the plus one to the Andrew's boy club, what does my feelings matter, right?"

He remained silent as she waited for him to give a response she knew he was unable to formulate. 

"So much for coming home." He watched as his sister paced out the door and into the hallways. 

Veronica watched as she rushed out before looking back at Archie.

Emma was fuming at how her dad kept it from her. There were so many chances he could've told her.

 Dinner. Later that night. Breakfast. 

Yet, she was an outsider once again.

Bumping into another person, she dropped her books on the floor. If she wasn't as mad as she was before she was definitely angrier now. "Hey, Hey. Let me help." Looking up, she was met with the same radiant smile as before.

"I'm fine." She uttered as she snatched the papers from his hand. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, Jughead, why don't you ask Archie? He is your BFF after all, I'm sure you even know about the secret affair." She stated harshly as she stood up. 

He looked at her with concern. "And while you're at it, why don't you ask yourself." Storming off, he watched as Veronica buzzed by him on a mission. His eye moved in the direction the two girls had come from to see Archie standing by the doorway with Val.

 The duo met eyes as Jughead's face described confusion. He bent down picking up her a leather sketch book that had fallen from Emma's grasp.

Confusion and anger trailed behind the two girls.

***

Emma was angry at her dad and brother. She evaded them at all costs as she had chosen to sit next to Veronica at the Variety Show. Truth be told, the raven-haired girl seemed to slowly forgive her mom causing Emma to wonder if she should do the same. 

However, she wasn't mad that her dad had a budding romance with Hermione Lodge, nor would it had mattered to her if it was anyone else. Her father and brother kept her out of the loop and that was what she hated. 

Another reminder that she didn't fit in, even at home. The door chimed to Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe and Emma sighed knowing it was a matter of time before one of the Andrews men entered in search of the strawberry-blonde.

"Hey." Looking up Emma was met with Jughead as he slid into the booth across from her.

"Hey." She said softly, looking into her cup of tea. He noticed her slip her gloves on once he sat.

The two hadn't spoken in since her lash out that occurred days ago. Instead, Emma clung to Veronica and Kevin throughout most of the day. 

"How are you doing?" He asked her. He could see her nose and cheeks slightly were colored with a soft pink.

She stayed quiet, avoiding eye contact. "I could, uh, ask you the same thing." He looked at her puzzled. "I saw you with Betty, drenched. You were talking to Keller during the Variety Show." He nodded. He could tell something was bothering her but he answered her question, in hopes to appease her deflection.

"We found the car Jason and Polly were going to use to escape. Polly had told Betty when we went to visit her at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy." She didn't probe for more and he didn't expand on it.

They sat quietly as he looked at her with concern. "I heard about your dad. Archie told me." She still remained silent, biting her lip. 

Emma didn't want to talk about it, in fact, she wanted to forget about her harsh words that she delivered to her brother and him. She wasn't one to explode, however, something about that day really set her off.

"Do you mind if I work here with you?" He said softly. 

She nodded as he proceeded to pull out his laptop.

 Her hand laid on the cup, unmoved as she stared into the abyss. Reaching his hand out, his covered hers. Her eyes met his, to her, the world had slowly faded.

In that moment, they were 13 again sitting in front of her dad's house. Tears slowly trickled from  Jughead's eyes while she held him. His mother had left that morning with Jellybean, leaving the young boy to deal with his alcoholic father. 

She could do nothing but hold him as he cried. Watching Jughead's world fall apart at the harsh reality that would soon follow. His hands lightly covered hers that laid on his arm, "You're just what I needed." He whispered. She stayed quiet, knowing he was hurting and she was unable to fix it.

Emma looked up at Jughead as reality had set in. Her hand flinched causing him to lift his. Pop had dropped off a coffee for Jughead knowing he would be there for a while. 

The raven-haired boy could tell that the gesture had made her uneasy. 

Instead, he cleared his throat, "You, uh, dropped this in the hallway."

Reaching in his bag he pulled a leather bound book and handed it to her. She smiled with relief, "Thank you."

"You've improved since the last time I saw your drawings. They're beautiful." He said to her. "Especially the last one." His eyes wandered her face, Emma simply nodded.

He  began typing. Staring at him for a few moments more, Emma opened her notebook to the her most recent drawing. It was rough- incomplete. 

It was of him. A side profile, the face incomplete, except for the smile.

The two remained quiet for the rest of the night. Her mind slowly wandered towards her father and brother. She was sure by now that Archie had told her dad about her and Veronica confronting him earlier in the day.

She couldn't help, but feel bad for loosing her cool. 

Emma continued shading in the hair of his portrait. As Jughead watched her eyebrows furrowed together with concentration.

It seemed as though both of them had much on their minds as he had tossed with his emotions with her and with the recent kiss with Betty, attempting to understand what it all meant.

Smiling, he resumed typing. Still with a watchful eye, he glanced towards her with adoration, he knew he was in peril. 

Stuck between two roads. 

Two amazing women, one feeling uncleared.