Archie wakes with a start, sweating, his heart pounding. He doesn't remember what he'd been dreaming about, only that it hadn't ended well. He immediately reaches for his phone and opens his conversation with Betty as if it's second nature. She's often the first thing on his mind lately.

He can't help but be worried about her, with this whole black hood thing plaguing her. And he's the only one who really knows what's going on. She's had to cut ties with Veronica and Jughead, her sister is out of town, and it's not like she could ever tell her mother the truth. So he's really all she's got right now. It has crossed his mind to question why the black hood hasn't forced Betty to cut ties with him as well. There's some sick part of him that's proud that he's the only one she's allowed to keep. And besides, he figures it's pointless trying to get inside the head of someone whose face he hasn't even seen. The best he can do is be there for Betty.

Archie gets up and goes to the window, slipping his fingers between the curtain to pull it aside slightly. Glancing through the gap he can see Betty's own curtains are still closed and he quickly taps out a message to her.

Hey, you up?

Betty's reply is almost instantaneous.

Meet you out the front of your place in 5.

Archie presses the lock button on his phone and throws on the first items of clothing he can find, running a hand through his hair to make sure it's slightly presentable, before pulling on his shoes and running downstairs and to the front door.

His dad calls something to him as he passes, but Archie misses the exact words. He presumes his dad wants to know where he's going.

"Meeting Betty!" Archie calls back as he heads outside. Betty isn't there yet, but he spots her walking down the street towards him, her blonde hair and pale pink shirt hard to miss. He feels an instant sense of relief when he sees her, and he exhales, his shoulders dropping. Perhaps whatever the dream he had was affected him more than he'd originally thought.

Amidst his relief, there's something else, a sort of tug in his stomach that seemed to be a recent development whenever he sees Betty, or thinks about her. A feeling he's been trying very hard not to acknowledge because it would make things very inconvenient. Although lately, conspicuously since her break up with Jughead, he's been squashing the feeling less and less. Feelings are harmless, right? And anyway, he's not even sure he knows what the feelings are. It's probably nothing. His concern for her bringing out some human response that feels a lot like… well, something else.

Archie makes his way towards Betty as she draws closer, meeting her in the middle.

"Everything okay?" she asks him. She looks exhausted, and stressed. He wishes there was something he could do to fix everything, to make her feel better.

"I should be the one asking you that."

Betty shrugs, and glances at her phone. Archie stiffens, reading into her gesture.

"The black hood?" he questions. Betty nods reluctantly. "What happened?"

Betty sighs.

"Walk me to Pop's?"

Archie nods and he falls into step beside her as they walk in the direction of Pop's. He stays silent, waiting for Betty to give him the whole story.

"He called me last night, and he threatened Polly," Betty starts. Archie opens his mouth to say something angry and supportive, but Betty cuts him off, sensing his thoughts. "It's fine, just let me finish."

Archie nods, keeping his silence.

"He told me to give him another name, or he'd kill Polly." Betty pauses. "I refused at first, but he was so persistent."

It's an effort for Archie to hold his tongue.

"I told him Nick St Clair," Betty says. Before Archie can decide how he feels about that, (on the one hand, Nick is awful and the world wouldn't miss him, on the other, Betty could never live with herself if she had someone's death on her hands, even someone as grotesque as Nick St Clair), Betty hurries on. "He's not dead. I checked. The black hood called me before and told me giving him the name was enough. Apparently it shows my true nature." She scoffs, but Archie can tell it bothers her.

"I know your true nature, and that's not it," he assures her. "You're a good person, Betty."

"I know," Betty says, but he's still glad he said it. "I know that now. I needed to clear my head, and I did. And I realised that this is just a sick game to him. Psychological torture. So… I'm done. With the black hood, with his letters, his Simon says."

"So what happens when he calls you again?"

"I won't answer," she says vehemently, and Archie almost believes her. "I can't… keep playing. I can't."

"Didn't he threaten Polly?" Archie reminds her of the fact, as if she hadn't just told him a minute ago.

"He did, and I talked to her. The people at the farm are gonna help her disappear for a while, just until it's safe again."

"Whenever that is," Archie scoffs as the two of them approach Pop's. "What about Jughead, and Ronnie? We have to tell them the truth."

"And we will," Betty promises. Archie's not sure she realises how much the two of them need to know, not just for their sake, but for Betty's own sanity. And for his own piece of mind too. Whenever he thinks about Jughead he feels a wave of guilt wash over him. He feels like it's partly his fault the two of them aren't together. Plus there's the whole confusing feelings about Betty thing. But Jughead and Betty are going to get back together, this he knows. And besides, he has Veronica, whom he's very happy with.

"I'll tell them. Let's just… you know, let things settle first. Make sure it's all over."

As she speaks, Archie notices Jughead through the window of Pop's, sitting across a table from some girl from his new school, Toni or something. Archie stops in his tracks, grabbing Betty's arm automatically, and she trails off, following his line of vision.

Jughead's laughing with Toni, and it's not like laughing is against the law or anything, but he's not exactly looking heartbroken over his break up with Betty, and Archie's no expert on body language, but it kind of looks like flirting. Maybe Pop's wasn't the greatest idea. It's probably a totally innocent breakfast, but either way, Betty doesn't need the heartache of seeing Jughead at all right now.

Archie glances at Betty, gauging her reaction. Is she worried about Toni? He's pretty sure Jughead would never do anything to hurt Betty, but then again, technically they're broken up, and the things he said to Jug on Betty's behalf were pretty brutal. Still, if it were him, he'd at least have the decency to wait a few weeks before moving on. Betty deserves some respect.

He'd like to say something comforting, but before he gets the chance his phone is ringing, and Betty's along with it, and it's their parents demanding they come home right away.

"This can't be good," Betty mutters as she ends the call with Alice. Archie couldn't agree more.

The "intervention" or whatever it is their parents are trying to pull is a complete waste of time. All it does is put Jughead in danger, and even though Archie gets to him in time to rescue him from the raid of Southside High, Jug isn't exactly happy to see him, not that Archie can blame him. To top it off, Archie has this irrational annoyance at Veronica for the things she'd said about Betty earlier. He should understand, after all, what Betty said to Ronnie was pretty mean, and Veronica has always been proud. But does his girlfriend really think she can trash talk his best friend to his face? Not going to happen. He's glad he has bigger problems to deal with to distract him. And once Betty finally reveals the truth everything can go back to normal.

There are a lot of things Archie wants to say to Jughead. He wants to tell him to stop being such an idiot and quit hanging out with the Serpents. He wants to interrogate him about Toni, let him know what an idiot he'd be to jeopardize things with Betty. And of course, he wants to tell him about everything going on with Betty and the black hood. But that's Betty's to tell not his. And Jughead is mad enough without him bringing up either of the other things.

He listens to Jughead's rant patiently, knowing Jughead needs to get it out of his system before he'll listen to reason. Archie suggests going to Mayor McCoy, telling her the Serpents aren't the problem.

"Mayor McCoy?" Jughead says, and Archie can sense the venomous sarcasm. "The same McCoy that just arrested all my friends for no reason?"

"What do you care anyway, man?" Jughead says flippantly. "I thought you and Betty wanted nothing to do with me. Right?"

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened. And how it happened. And as for Betty, you should maybe talk to her."

He needs Betty and Jughead to talk this out. Because the longer they're broken up, the more he finds himself thinking about Betty, and not always in ways that people should think about their best friends.

Guilt pools in Archie's stomach and as he takes in Jughead's stony face, he's hit with a similar image of Jughead from his dream last night. He almost says, hey, I think you were in my dream last night, but before he can blurt it out, Jughead is racing out the door.

As the rest of the dream comes back to him, Archie can only be relieved that he saved himself the torture of having to explain why Jughead was in his dream last night. He closes his eyes as he now recalls, in vivid detail, being in a darkened room with Betty, a gun pointed at them by a man in a black hood.

Confess, or I'll shoot both of you, the black hood had shouted. Dream Archie had no idea what he was supposed to be confessing.

Betty, his dream-self said, urgently, before we die, I need you to know that I love you okay?

I know.

He kissed her, to make sure she really got it, expecting the black hood to fire any second. Nothing came. He turned to see the black hood pull his mask off, revealing his identity. Jughead.

His eyes screamed, how could you?

But what he said out loud was, I knew it. He pulled the trigger and that's when Archie had woken up.

Archie opens his eyes, still reeling from the memory of the dream. Dreams don't really mean anything, he knows that. But he's suddenly certain of something, and the knowledge makes him practically groan out loud.

Of all the people he could go and fall in love with, it had to be Betty Cooper, didn't it?

Archie tells himself he'll just have to get over it. For one thing, he has a girlfriend, who happens to be Betty's best friend. For another, Jughead is his best friend and even if Betty and Jughead aren't together right now, they're still in love. Telling Betty how he feels is not an option. He had his chance to be with Betty and he missed it, and now Jughead gets to be the lucky one.

But no matter how hard he tries, there's this evil little voice in his head, whispering, Jughead doesn't deserve her. You and Betty were meant for each other.

Archie does his best to ignore it.

But Fred says, "Kinda like that when I was trying to help FP. I don't know what it is. Never ending battle with those two. Just hope with Jug it's not a losing one," and Archie hears, Jughead is a lost cause, he's just like his dad. He's not right for Betty.

The voice is wrong, Archie knows it's wrong. The whole thing is wrong. But he looks at Jughead and he sees FP, and even the rational side of him can see history repeating itself. And it's not that FP is the worst guy in the world. But he was in a gang, he was a pretty shitty father and now he's in jail.

And Jughead joined the Serpents so easily. And he agrees to an illegal street race so easily. It's like he doesn't even think about the consequences. Jughead is supposed to be the smart one. But this drag race could end badly. If he doesn't die in the process, there is every likelihood he'll get arrested and thrown in jail, just like his dad. If that's Jughead's path, Archie knows there is absolutely nothing he can do to stop it. But he just might be able to keep Betty from going down with him.

And if he keeps thinking like that he's going to do something stupid, like tell Betty how he feels and ruin basically every single one of his relationships.

They aren't even together, the voice in his head says. You and Veronica aren't in love, what does it matter?

Archie looks over at Betty as he picks up trash for their community service. She shouldn't even have to be here as far as Archie is concerned.

Tell her, tell her, tell her, the voice says.

"Betty, you have to talk to Jughead," Archie says. His chest aches and he can't seem to dislodge whatever it is that's stuck in his throat. He's afraid that if she doesn't come clean to Jughead soon, he's going to come clean to her.

"Soon, I promise," Betty says, "I just need to take care of a few things."

Betty turns away, back to the task, but Archie's eyes linger, his feelings bubbling to the surface, threatening to overflow. He's sure it's only Veronica's overwhelming presence that stops him this time, and he swallows, getting back to work. This isn't exactly the place for a declaration of love anyway.

Guilt gnaws at Archie constantly. When he's not feeling guilty about having feelings for his best friend's (ex) girlfriend, he's feeling guilty about not having feelings for his own girlfriend.

And when he's not feeling guilty about either of those things, he's feeling guilty about calling Sheriff Keller and telling him about the street race. At least his motives for that one are pure. If the Ghoulies are in jail, maybe Jughead won't make any more stupid decisions, and he and Betty can get back together and Archie can put this whole thing behind him. See? He's a good friend after all. At least, that's what he tells himself.

Veronica stays over the night before the drag race. He tells her he's too tired for sex, but then he spends most of the night awake anyway. He should break up with her. He's in love with someone else.

Someone you can't have, he reminds himself. What's the point in breaking up with a girl he likes if he can't even be with the girl he really wants? He might fall in love with Veronica one day. There is every possibility it could happen.

Only, it hasn't yet. And that's not enough for him right now. And though Archie had tried to strengthen his resolve that morning, the blows that follow only serve to make it crumble.

His thoughts sliding to Betty as Veronica kisses him. Jughead's look of pure glee as he presses the accelerator to the floor. Jughead's lack of concern for his own life, and Archie's. Jughead's rage when he finds out Archie called the cops. That look Betty gives him that grips his heart and squeezes tightly.

It all only serves to make him want Betty more, and worst of all, make him believe he has any right to want her.

Archie goes to bed early to wallow, turning down the offer from Veronica and Betty to go to Pop's. He can't deal with that right now. He lies in bed, dreaming up scenarios where everything is fixed, and everyone gets to be happy, including him. Especially him.

Betty calls him a little after ten, and his stomach swoops when he sees her name on his phone screen.

"Betty," he answers.

"I found the Sugarman," she tells him immediately. Archie sits bolt upright.

"You did? Who is it?"

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. I'm going to call Sheriff Keller in the morning and I'm writing something for the Blue and Gold that's probably going to take me a few hours," she says. "I just wanted you to know."

"Okay," Archie swallows.

"Night, Arch," Betty says. She sounds triumphant. Better than she has in days. Archie wants to drink that in.

"Betty?" he says hesitantly.

"Yeah, Arch?"

"Never mind. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

He hangs up the phone, his gut churning with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Tomorrow. He's definitely going to tell her tomorrow.

Except she doesn't show up to school the next morning, and his disappointment is overwhelming. He doesn't have the nerve to ask Veronica or Kevin if either of them knows where she is, but he keeps looking around, hoping she'll show up.

He needs to do it now, today, before it's too late.

He walks out of first period to see her waiting in the hallway, beaming. He can't help but smile back at her, though his heart is beating a million miles a minute.

"Betty," he says, and it's like he can't get enough of saying her name.

"Hey, Arch," she grins. He just stares at her for a moment, as other students stream around and between them.

"Have you got a minute?" he finally says. He's going to tell her now. Just not here, in a crowded hallway.

"Sure," Betty says. He's about to take her hand, lead her somewhere else. But then, "But first I have to tell you something. You'll be happy to know I finally told Jughead everything."

"You did?" Archie's stomach drops. He tries to keep his face impassive.

"Yep! And he understands. Everything is good between us again!" she says happily.

"So you're back together?" Archie verifies. Betty nods. Archie forces himself to mirror her smile. "That's great, Betty," he lies.

"I know. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, uh… just wanted to know all about what happened with the black hood and the Sugarman," Archie supplies.

"Oh, have I got a story for you," Betty laughs, and the sound fills the air and works its way into his lungs, into his heart.

It's better this way, he tells himself. It's really a blessing in disguise. What did he think would happen? He'd confess his love for Betty and she'd suddenly just stop being in love with Jughead? Jug and Veronica would just give them their blessing and they'd get to live happily ever after?

It was always an impossibility.

Well, not always. But now it always will be, and he only has himself to blame for letting her get away.