"I'm with Jughead. This guy is dangerous and you're more concerned about a rigged dating show."
✿
Mickey walks out of her bedroom to find her sister and mother standing outside of Hiram's study.
"Oh, I can take that in to Daddy," Veronica reaches for the cup of coffee in their mother's hands. "I wanna ask him something, anyway."
"Your father and I have business to discuss," Hermione keeps hold on the cup. "You know the rules about his study."
"Mom, those were the old rules."
"Which still apply, Veronica."
Hiram comes out of his study, "I thought I heard my two palomitas out here chirping." He acknowledges Mickey's presence by kissing the top of her head. "Is that my café con leche?" He takes the cup from his wife, "Thank you, corazón."
"Daddy, tonight's the season premiere of The Matchlerette," Veronica informs him. "I would love to have my friends over."
"Who exactly are these friends?"
"Inner circle only."
"Does that include Jughead?" Mickey asks nonchalantly.
Veronica gives her a duh-look. "He is my best friend's boyfriend." She turns her attention back to their father and adds, "You can watch with us. They're dying to meet you."
"They're welcome to come over, mija," Hiram tells her.
"Thank you, Daddy," she kisses his cheek.
✿
"It was full-on Carrie," Kevin retells his story for his friends who haven't heard it. "Midge covered in Moose's blood, screaming like a banshee. It was insane."
Late last night, Moose and Midge were at Lovers' Lane and Moose was shot several times. In a horrible twist of fate, Kevin was nearby and heard it all.
Archie appears behind all of his friends. "Kev, what were you even doing there? You could've been shot, too."
"I was just...night-jogging, you know, as one does, and suddenly, I hear gunshots."
Archie sits down and asks, "Can we agree there's a killer on the loose?"
"With terrible aim," Jughead comments.
"Jughead, he murdered Ms. Grundy." Archie frowns, making the indent between his eyebrows more apparent.
"We don't know that these three crimes are related," Mickey points out.
Veronica claps her hands softly to get everyone's attention. "Guys, can we focus on what matters here? Midge and Moose are alive. Archie's Dad survived. The Matchlerette starts tonight. You're coming over to watch."
"There's a shooter terrorizing the town," Jughead says slowly for emphasis.
"I'm with Jughead. This guy is dangerous and you're more concerned about a rigged dating show." Mickey looks at her sister dubiously. "What's your real motive?"
"I really want everyone to meet Daddy officially."
"I've been waiting for this moment since you two moved here," Kevin admits, the corners of his mouth turning up.
"Daddy will eat you alive," Mickey half-jokes. "This should be interesting."
Veronica goes on, "Back in New York, my Dad was always in his study, doing bad things as it turns out. I'm tired of closed doors. I need to know my Dad's life and he needs to know mine."
"When did you start wanting to be so open?" Now Mickey is really curious.
"If we're all starting fresh, there needs to be no secrets between any of us."
The emphasis makes Mickey feel guilty. Of course there are still things she hasn't been honest about with Veronica, or anyone. Veronica is her twin and Mickey is supposed to share everything with her. That has always been their thing.
"Well, we'll be there, Vee. Can't wait," Betty smiles.
Reggie and a few other bulldogs stride into the lounge. "Hey, Andrews, we're going to the hospital to see Moose. You coming?"
"Yeah, for sure," Archie gets up. "I'll see you tonight, Ronnie."
"I better go too," Jughead stuffs his phone into his jacket pocket. "I was supposed to meet my peer mentor at Southside High half an hour ago."
"Wait!" Betty takes his hand and walks him out into the hallway.
Veronica takes that as her cue to leave too.
Mickey wiggles her eyebrows at Kevin.
"What?" His cheeks transform to a pink color.
"Night jogging near Lovers' Lane? Isn't Fox Forest right beside it? I've never been, but...what were you really doing?"
Kevin shrugs coyly. "Cruising."
"So it is true. The only way to get over one guy is to get under another," she winks.
"You have such a dirty mind."
"I have to get to class. Be careful though. Archie's right. There is a serial killer on the loose." She kisses his cheek. "The ones having sex are always killed first. Toodles."
✿
"Tell me something interesting about Mickey Lodge."
Mickey sits across from Oliver at Pop's. She asked him out—platonically, of course. She most definitely gave him a rude first impression the other night at Pop's and she doesn't want that to be his only impression. Plus, he's pretty set on getting to know her, and she's not opposed to the idea.
Oliver is a Serpent, but that's just one part of him, as he said. He's a movie buff who spends more time in front of the TV with rented taped than at the Whyte Wyrm. He loved the drive-in, just like Jughead. One more thing is he looks smoking hot in a leather jacket—just one of Mickey's observations.
She slides the tray of cheese fries toward him and sits back in her seat. "Like what? My life isn't as wild as a Serpent's."
"I find that hard to believe," Oliver smirks. "The first time we met—
"I don't remember too much of it."
"Exactly. Tell me. What leads a girl like you to a bar on the dirty south?"
"A girl like me?"
"Rich. Snobby." He uses the adjectives so casually, like the latter isn't offensive.
Her smile instantly diminishes. "Snobby?"
"You know what I mean," he waves it off. "Don't look too much into it."
She reads the time on her phone. 9:16 PM. "Look at that. I have to go. I told my parents I'd be home early."
He is thrown off by her abrupt need to leave. "Do you want a ride?"
"No," she says rapidly, hoping he gets the hint.
"See you tomorrow?"
"I'll call you." It's a lie. At least she tried. Now he's the one who leaves her with a rude impression.
✿
"Hey!" Kevin glances at Mickey before reaching in his locker for something. "I need my sweater."
"Well, I was going to give it to you last night. You didn't show up," she looks at him accusingly. He was so hyped to meet her father, so when Veronica said he never made an appearance, she knew what he was doing.
"I was busy and Betty said you didn't show up either."
"Fair enough. Did you go back into the woods?" she asks bluntly.
Kevin puts the lock on his locker and chews his lip nervously as they make their way to the student lounge.
Betty joins the two of them. "We missed you last night. Both of you," she adds the last part. She's been trying really hard to be cordial with Mickey lately.
"Yeah, something came up," Kevin glances at Mickey, a slight curve on one corner of his mouth.
"Something in the woods?"
Kevin sighs. "Betty, don't take this the wrong way, but how many years did I listen to you go on about Archie and Jughead? Did you ask my permission to date them? No. You didn't need it. And I don't need yours."
"Dating is one thing," she says. "This is—"
"It's none of your business," he interjects. He pushes himself out of the chair and says, "I'll, uh, catch you later, Mickey."
"Did I do something wrong?" Betty looks at Mickey for an explanation once Kevin is gone. "Why can't he just meet guys normally—"
"Kevin's hot, but there isn't a supply of openly gay guys in Riverdale," Mickey tells her. "Kevin is hooking up with guys to feel whatever he needs to feel. You need to stop trying to control him, like you do everything else."
Betty's expression hardens. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I have to go."
✿
"What's wrong, Mom?"
Hermione snaps out of her frozen state and wipes under her eyes.
"Mom?" Mickey's eyes are filled with concern.
"Nothing."
"Something." Mickey stands beside her. "We've made such progress and you're letting it go down the drain."
Hermione turns her head to face her daughter and starts playing with Mickey's hair. "This is a lovely dress." She's sidetracking to avoid a real conversation.
Mickey breathes deeply, annoyed. "Dinner with Archie won't be that bad."
To her surprise, dinner actually doesn't go as bad as she thought it would. Sure, it was mostly quiet with Veronica trying to force conversation here and there about little things because she really wants their father's approval of Archie.
"The posole was really great, Mrs. Lodge," Archie compliments.
"Glad you liked it," Hermione takes a sip of her third glass of wine.
"So, Veronica tells me you rescued the Muggs girl," Hiram tries to make small talk now.
Archie started a watch group, the Red Circle, with Reggie and some of the other bulldogs. There are flyers all around town and in school. Principal Weatherbee was actually a supporter of the group.
Mickey didn't hear about any of that from Archie because he still isn't speaking to her. She wasn't planning on speaking to him. He's the one who owes her an apology. He weaponized his words against her to hurt her.
"So, tell me, have you ever had rum?" Hiram probes.
"Rum? What, like the alcohol? Archie wears this muddled expression on his face that makes Mickey snort.
"Yeah, there's a signature Lodge family label. I have some in my study. Would you like to try it?"
Veronica smiles from ear to ear. "Of course he would." She stands when their father and Archie stand.
"Oh, palomita," Hiram stops her, "would you mind if Archie and I had a little chat, man-to-man?"
She nods hesitatingly. "Okay. Sure, Daddy." She watches them go into the study with worry lines on her forehead.
"Poor little princess," Hermione taunts. "The king will always keep her at arm's length. She'll never be allowed in his private throne room."
Veronica pouts.
Mickey watches her mother finish the rest of the wine. She takes the last glass from Hermione. "Maybe you should stop."
"And maybe you got that pesky little habit from me," Hermione whispers before going to her bedroom.
Mickey joins Veronica outside of the study to eavesdrop on their father and Archie's conversation.
"No more sneaking into my daughter's bedroom.
Ever. You know, and, uh, never, ever hurt Veronica," Hiram says gravely from behind the door. Leave it to him to make such a noble, fatherly talk sound like a scene from a mob movie.
Mickey snicks before making her way back into the dining room to clean up.
✿
"I want a more active role in Lodge Industries," Veronica gives her best pleading smile the next morning.
Mickey groans quietly. It's way too early for business talk.
Hermione comes into the dining room with her husband's coffee and places it in front of him, catching Veronica's request.
"I am a shareholder, am I not?"
"That's an honorary title, Veronica," Hiram clarifies. His voice is consistent, no red flags because of Veronica's plead.
"Let's make it a real one, Daddy," she exhorts. "I wanna get my hands dirty. I wanna be in the room where it happens," her eyes wander to his study door. "Unless there's a reason why I shouldn't be involved? Get a peek behind the curtain?"
"No. None at all. Of course you should be involved. You're a Lodge, after all."
The two of them pick up their drinks and share a silent cheers.
Mickey makes a disgusted face at their little game. She uses the moment to get up and escape that conversation.
✿
"You never called."
Mickey closes her notebook and her eyes follow Oliver, who sits right next to her at her table in Pop's.
"I offended you, didn't I?"
"A little," she admits.
Oliver questions her. "Why didn't you just say something?"
"It seems like one of us is always offending the other."
"But I can't stay mad at that pretty face for too long." His tone walks the line between flirtatiousness and humor. "You don't have a tiny soft spot for me?" He draws his lower lip in between his teeth, waiting for her response.
Before she can answer, Kevin appears. His bottom lip is quivering and his eyes are glassy. Mickey looks at Oliver. Uh, Oliver..."
He looks at Kevin and then at her. "Yeah, I'll leave you two."
"I'll call you."
"Don't disappoint."
She waits until Kevin replaces Oliver's seat next to her to ask, "What happened?"
"My Dad found out about Fox Forest," Kevin cries. "He wants to talk more, which I'm so relieved about."
"How did he figure it out?"
"Betty."
"Of course," she rolls her eyes
"I've been making bad decisions and lying," he states. "I could've been seriously hurt out there, but that wasn't Betty's place. It's like she didn't even hear me when I talked to her."
She rubs his arm for consolation. "You can talk to me, Kev. I have no room to judge."
"You guys have options," he vents. "You can be free and no one is crucifying you for it. Betty's BDSM exploration, no one thought twice about it. Then she gets to go back to her pale pink world of milkshakes and decide between Jughead and Archie. She had the nerve to call me disgusting."
"It wasn't her place and she doesn't understand that not everything is so picture-perfect," she validates him. "I'm sure in her own way, Betty was just trying to watch out for you."
"Her and I need a timeout," he concludes.
"If that's what you feel is right, then sure. But no more cruising, right?" Even though Betty went about it wrong, Mickey shares the same fear as her—Kevin getting hurt. Mickey knew not to push, knowing Kevin needed to make his own decisions and mistakes to learn from them.
"I almost forgot! This man pulled up and started shouting at me. I thought I was going to get stabbed or something. It scared me straight."
"Not literally," she nudges him playfully.
"Thanks for listening, Mick." A smile forms on his pink lips. "Let's get to school. And on the way, you can tell me all about biker boy."