At the Lodge household, Veronica and Peter were setting up decorations. Hermione had entered in the den from the kitchen holding drinks for both teens.
"Peter, I really appreciate you coming over to help us out." Hermione said.
The Lodge's usually get a tree, so Hiram and Peter had gone out into the woods to cut down the tree. It was something new for Peter, Hiram had mentioned to Peter that he hadn't cut down a Christmas tree in years.
Peter turns, "Oh it's fine." He smiles, "I don't mind."
Hermione placed down the two glasses on the coffee table near the teens, and then she left the room. Hermione was sitting on the floor near a box of lights.
"Everything okay?" Peter asks looking at her.
Veronica shrugs, "Yeah, it's just- getting into the mood of the holidays after what happened with Archie-."
Peter looks at her, "If it makes you feel better, we're both single for Christmas." He gives her a smile.
Veronica looks at her and shakes her head smiling, "You're a dork."
Peter kept the grin on his face as he grabbed the lights from Veronica to untangle them. Veronica got up and grabbed one of the glasses -- it was lemonade in it. Veronica took a sip and turns to Peter.
"So you meeting up with Tony for Christmas?" She asks.
Peter shrugs, "At some point," He said, "It's what he said last time we talked."
Veronica nods, "Things still tense between your parents?"
Peter sighs as he held the lights a certain way, "They keep going at it like rabbits but refuse to talk about how they feel." He said.
Veronica makes a face, "Okay, TMI." She said.
"I just feel like the adult in the situation," He said and then hands the lights to Veronica.
He had managed to untangle the lights and now the two began to wrap the lights around the tree. Just then the door bell rings, Veronica perked up.
"Must be Betty," Veronica said.
Peter nods, "I'll finish, you get it." He said.
Veronica heads off to the door and then Peter finished wrapping the lights around. He plugged it in, revealing all the lights work.
From the other room he hears Betty's voice -- and it was getting closer.
"Just remember, Vee, Kevin's Secret Santa is strictly a twenty dollar limit." Betty said.
Just then Betty noticed the gifts under the tree -- and then noticed Peter. He took a sip of his drink and then waved at Betty.
"Hi, Peter." Betty said.
Peter smiles, "Hey, Betty." He said.
Veronica looks at Betty, "Look Kevin needs to relax, and before you say anything these gifts aren't just for the exchange." She said, "These are gifts to my mom, my dad, May, and even Peter."
Peter gives her a look, "Oh I get a gift." He says.
Veronica rolls her eyes, "It's something expensive, because I know how you feel about things costing more than thirty dollars." She said.
Peter gives her a grin, "Don't worry, Veronica, you're getting something from me and it'll blow your mind." He laughs.
Betty finally gets back in the conversation, "So uh- have you two gotten your Secret Santa gifts yet?"
Veronica glanced at Peter, "You're apart of Secret Santa?"
Peter nods, "Kevin kind of pulled me in it. We've become closer after serving some time." He laughs.
Veronica rolls her eyes at him with a grin. Meanwhile, Betty watched the banter between them. Betty fumbles with her hands and then looks back at them.
Then Betty noticed Veronica moving boxes under the tree, "What are you doing?"
"Uh- I don't know if I should give this to Archie or not." Veronica said.
Peter looks at her, "What is it?"
"I got a bauble for him," Veronica said standing up as she held onto the box.
Betty glanced from Peter to Veronica, "Because you're getting back together?"
Veronica shakes her head, "Because I purchased it pre-breakup. And haven't you heard?" Veronica asks, "We're still friends."
"Isn't everyone?" Betty asks.
~RIVERDALE~
It was the next morning -- and it was time for the gift exchange. This years Secret Santa wasn't just the inner circle. Cheryl, Josie, and Michelle were apart of it. Jughead had managed to be at Riverdale High before heading back to Southside.
Cheryl, Peter, and Kevin sat on the couch. Josie and Veronica shared a seat. Michell was sitting on the side of the couch next to Cheryl. And both Betty and Archie had their own seats.
"Okay," Kevin says with a big smile, "Who is going first?"
Michelle groans, "I'll go first," She said.
Just then she reached into her backpack and pulled out a poorly wrapped present. She handed it over to Jughead -- which was shocking to him. Jughead accepted the gift from Michelle. When he unwrapped it, it was a book about famous serial killers.
Cheryl glanced from Michelle to Jughead, "Wow, you two are made for each other."
That comment seemed to hurt Betty -- some way, despite her conflicted feelings she hasn't quite addressed yet.
Jughead looked at the book then to Michell with a big smile, "Uh- wow, Michelle. Uh- um thanks." He was reading the back of the book.
Michelle pretended as if she didn't care, but Peter noticed some faint blushing on her face. Jughead then looks at Kevin.
"Want me to hand my gift next?" Jughead asks.
Kevin nods, "Yeah."
So then Jughead reached into his bag and then pulled out a gift wrapped in newspaper, then reached out to Peter. Peter didn't expect to have Jughead as his Secret Santa.
"Here you go, man." Jughead said.
Peter unwrapped the newspaper -- Cheryl leaning close to Peter to see what it was. Then underneath the newspaper, it was two CDs -- that were labeled as five dollars but it seems as if Jughead was trying to remove the price. The CDs were of Bob Dylan and David Bowie.
"I know you like old music," Jughead said.
Peter looks from the CDs and then to Jughead, "I do, Jug. Thanks." He said.
Kevin turns to Peter, "Okay, you're next." Kevin said.
Peter turns to Kevin, "Well then, I hope you like it." He hands Kevin two presents wrapped together.
Kevin unwraps them and Peter awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck -- feeling a bit nervous because he just started to become friends with him.
"If you don't like it you can always return it." Peter says.
Kevin had unwrapped the CDs from the Broadway hits Wicked and Funny Girl. Kevin was speechless, he turns to Peter.
"Return these? Oh my god, Defying Gravity is my song!" Kevin exclaims, "I- I love it, Peter."
Michelle leans over grinning, "I think he's gay for you, now." She whispers quietly.
Cheryl groans, "Okay who has my gift?" She was growing impatient.
Kevin nods and hands Cheryl a small box, Cheryl accepts it and opens the box. A smile appears on her face.
"I was needing more red lipstick." Cheryl said.
Kevin had a smile, "I mean that red is ionic." He said.
Cheryl kept the smile and then hands a wrapped up present to Josie. Josie has a smile on her face as she accepts it from Cheryl, upon opening it -- Josie was in love.
"I love this top," Josie said holding up a golden top.
This top is something that Josie could wear for her performances. Cheryl had a smile on her face.
"I saw it and knew it so you," Cheryl said smiling.
Josie had a smile, "Thanks Cheryl."
Cheryl smiles, "I know."
Josie then hands Veronica an envelope, "For you Veronica."
Veronica smiles. And then she opens it -- it was couple massages. She looks at it and briefly looked up at Archie.
"Couples massage." Veronica said and then turns to Josie, "Thank you, Josie."
Josie sensing the tension that everyone else did tried to fix the situation that she didn't mean to cause -- after all Josie had gotten that for her before the break up.
"You could always take Betty- or your mom." Josie said.
Veronica kept the smile, "It's fine, thank you."
Veronica then handed a gift to Michelle -- it was wrapped in what looked to be gold, at least that's what Michelle thought. Michelle unwrapped it and it was a sketchbook and some detailed pens.
"Wow," Michelle said, "Thank you."
Veronica had a smile, "Peter had mentioned how you've been bitching about needing a new sketchbook." She said.
Michelle kept the smile, "Thanks, really."
Kevin turns to Betty and Archie, "Alright you two swap." He said.
Betty and Archie awkwardly laughed at each other as they swapped their gifts. Veronica watched as they did.
Archie opened his first and it was a photo of her and him when they were eight but framed. Archie looks at it and then to Betty.
"Betty, I thought this picture was damaged from a flood?" Archie asks.
Betty gives a smile, "We thought there was only one copy, but I found that while going through old stuff. I wanted you to have it." She said.
Archie had a smile, "Wow, thanks, Betty."
Betty then in turn opened her gift. It was a record-- and Betty had a smile on her face.
"Archie," Betty said.
"I guess great minds think alike," Archie started, "My dad and I were cleaning out the garage. And found it."
"Swiss Family Robinson?" Veronica asks.
Betty nods, "Yeah. It's this old read-a-long record we use to listen to when we were like five." She then turns to Archie, "I love it, Archie. Thank you."
~RIVERDALE~
Peter stopped by the motel his dad had been staying at. He walked down toward the room -- remembering the number from text messages. He knocked on the door and heard some muffling.
Peter seemed a bit alarmed but also worried.
"Dad?" Peter asks.
"Peter?" It was Tony's voice and it sounded a bit panicked.
Peter heard some fumbling sounds and then the door opened. Tony was standing there in a bathrobe, completely covered. Peter sighs.
"Mom in here?" Peter asks.
"I uh- don't know what you're-?" Tony was cut off.
His sixteen year old son stepped into the motel room and saw his mom covered by a robe as well. Peter -- who should be grossed out or pretending to need to bleach his eyes couldn't seem to act like that. Instead he just turns to his dad and back to his mom.
"What is going on, kids?" He asks.
May looks at her son, "Excuse me?"
"I mean you two going around having sex as if it's nothing? But aren't you two not speaking?" Peter asks.
Tony steps in, "Well, Peter, once you're an adult you'll learn everyone has an urge to need sex." He said.
Peter glanced at his dad, "Then hire someone to have sex with you."
May's eyes widen, "Peter!" She exclaims.
Peter looks at his mom, "You want to yell at me? You've been going around sneaking behind my back and fooling around. You keep doing this, having sex and then not doing anything. Are you divorcing or working on your marriage?"
"It's complicated, son." Tony said.
Peter shakes his head, "How- How is it hard? Clearly you two still want to be together." He said.
May frowns, "The sex is different than- how we felt then."
Peter couldn't take this -- he shakes his head and storms out of the motel room. This was suppose to be a day where he spent it with his dad. Something he had been looking forward to for a while now. And now it was just ruined.
~RIVERDALE~
Jughead knocked on a door -- opening it was Michelle. She stood there, crossing her arms on her chest and stared at him with a bored look.
"Yes?" She asks.
Jughead has a grin on his face, "I just wanted to stop by and talk,"
Michelle looks at him, "Oh really? Talk."
Jughead nods, "Look Toni has said that she trusts you a lot- and I know that Peter trusts you very well."
Michell nods, "I don't betray my friends and kiss another person's girlfriend."
Jughead nods making a face, "Yeah I uh- I deserved that." He said, "Can I come in?"
Michelle instead shut the door, "How about instead since you want to talk, you buy me dinner." She said grinning at him.
"And where would I buy you dinner?" Jughead asks giving her a smirk.
Michelle stepped close to him, "Oh a little diner, it's opened 24/7. It has the best burgers." She said.
Jughead nods, "Alright." He said grinning.
Michelle took his helmet from him and headed in the direction of his bike. Jughead watched her walk toward his bike.
"You coming or what, Jones?" Michelle asks as she puts on the helmet.
~RIVERDALE~
At Pop's Michelle and Jughead were sharing fries together. Michelle was laughing at something that Jughead had said. He looks at her with a grin on his face.
"I can't believe that your a Vixen," Jughead said, "You just don't fit the stereotype."
Michelle rolls her eyes, "Thank Liz." Her voice was so monotone, "I mean sure it's alright but some of the two face drama is too much for me."
Jughead points a fry at her, "Just think of the psychological mind games going on in cheering. It would be a great study." He said.
Michelle rolls her eyes, "I'm not going undercover for you." She said.
Jughead shrugs, "Hey at least I tried." He then laughed.
Michelle took a sip of her cola, she watched the beanie bound boy eat some fries. She put down her drink and looked at him.
"So why did you come over to talk to me?" Michelle asks.
"Well," Jughead ate another fry, "I wanted to thank you again for that book."
"It was a Secret Santa gift," Michelle said, "Toni helped me out."
"I kinda figured," He said smirking, "But I also wanted to get to know you."
"Wow, you're being forward." Michelle said, "So this is a date?"
Michelle was now leaning her head on her hands, her elbows resting on the table. She was staring at the crowned Serpent.
"I mean, do you want it to be a date?" Jughead asks.
Michelle ate a few fries, "Let's see how the rest of the date or not date goes." She said smirking at him.
Meanwhile, a little away was Archie and Fred Andrews -- Veronica had entered and began to speak to Archie after Fred stepped away.
Neither Michelle nor Jughead noticed it. Instead they seemed to have continued with their date or not date.
"Now question," Michelle spoke, "If we did date, would I have to worry if you'd cheat on me?"
Jughead looks at Michelle, "I mean- I'd hope it never happens again, but that ship between Betty and I are done."
"Does she know that?" Michelle asks.
"I don't know, but I am ready to be with someone who wants to be with me without having lingering feelings for another." Jughead said.
Michelle gives him a look and then takes a sip of her drink, "I see."
(A/N: SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I am really sorry. I had been so busy with school. Literally so much assignments and quizzes came out of no where. I was so caught up I didn't realize when my last update was until someone sent me a message about updating. So for making you guys wait for so long, I am sorry.
I hope you like what happens in this chapter. Minor Betty seemingly jealous/nervous around Veronica and Peter, minor Veronica seemingly jealous with Archie and Betty's gift for each other, and some Muggie moments *it's what I'm Jughead and Michelle*. I kinda think they'd be such a cute couple.
I want to find the right time to begin to write some Choni stuff, so hopefully soon there will be some Choni in this story.
Look forward to the next chapter! Because it may come out in a few days or so! Until next time. - ICrzy)