Lost (in Your Emerald Eyes)

T W E N T Y - F O U R

"Is Joaquin working?"

"Yep. He said he doesn't have many customers today."

"Okay..." Jughead reluctantly stood as Toni rolled her eyes at him.

"So that's why you wanted to come," the beanie-wearing boy murmured once they were in Pop's, sitting behind the counter to talk to Joaquin, and a certain redheaded Northsider walked through the doors with her older brother.

"Ooh, someone's on a date?" Joaquin whispered back with a smirk as they watched the two siblings take a seat.

"Just wait," Toni silently said. "They won't be alone."

Right as she had stated that, the bell over the door rang once more and four more people walked in this time blonds, two of them relatively tiny. A stupid grin took over Jughead's face as he saw Betty carrying a little girl who must have been her niece, the other hand busy holding her nephew's who was toddling next to her, barely able to reach her hand.

"Dada," the little girl suddenly said, starting to bounce on her lap, so Betty leaned down and placed her on the ground, both of the children running to Jason Blossom.

When her sister and the blossoms were speaking something about being late, her eyes gazed over Joaquin, Jughead, and Toni, giving the boy behind a counter quick wave and smiling at the other two, including her boyfriend.

Jughead noticed that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes, though.

Betty had been sitting in the booth with her sister and the Blossoms for quite a while now, and yet the only thing holding her back from going to the bathroom to vomit out the salad she had just eaten was the fact that both of her sister's children were sitting on her lap, trying to engage with her in their baby talk. They always ranted to Betty about everything and even as she didn't understand, she was happy that someone was so happy to see her.

She watched the way they pushed the meatball around on their shared plate with their fingers, repeating the word "ball" a million times between the small words they understood but she didn't.

"So, Cousin Betty," Cheryl started, earning her attention.

"We're not actually cousins, Cher," she quickly pointed out, only making the redhead roll her eyes.

"What am I supposed to call you? Brother's sister-in-law? No thanks."

"They're not married yet, either."

Sighing exaggeratedly, Cheryl rolled her eyes once more. "That's exactly what we need to talk about. You're one the bridesmaids, right?"

Betty tilted her head to look at Polly for confirmation, and after her sister simply smiled and nodded, she looked back at Cheryl with a single nod and a shrug of her shoulders.

"So," the girl smiled. "We should match."

"The date isn't even set yet," Betty said.

"Can you just ignore something your facts say for one moment and have a conversation with me?" the girl rudely asked.

"No offense, Cheryl, or any of you, really, but I'm really not in the mood to talk about the wedding my mother and father have argued about for months."

"Your parents are arguing about our wedding?" Jason frowned.

"I told you," Polly pointed out to her fiancé. "Mom is driving dad crazy, and according to Betty, now there are other topics they're fighting about."