Prologue.

"How long are you going to stay with me?"

Jughead Jones couldn't help the words coming out of his mouth. They were like word vomit, already spilling from his lips before he had the chance to stop them. He hadn't meant to say it, but the question had been at the back of his mind for a while now. Despite the intensity of the question, Jughead made sure to whisper the words softly so his parents didn't hear. Having just turned seven years old, Jughead wasn't supposed to still have an imaginary friend. That's what Dr. Lowell said anyway. According to him, it wasn't healthy for a child of his age to still be playing pretend. Which his mother and father wholeheartedly agreed with. So for months now, Jughead had kept his pretend friend on the down-low, only speaking to him when he was safely in his room.

But the thing was, Jughead didn't just have one imaginary friend. He had two. They had appeared a few years ago out of the Blue; a small boy with pale skin and red hair falling in brown eyes, a permanent perplexed smile on his freckly face. Archie. That's what he called himself, anyway. Then there was the tiny blonde girl always holding hands with Archie. She had wide blue eyes, blonde hair pulled into pigtails and was always wearing the same pastel pink dress. She was called Elizabeth. The two of them sat in front of him on his bed. Before he had spat out the question, Archie and Elizabeth had been helping him create a pillow fort. So far Jughead had done all the work, though, tossing pillows and sheets everywhere. He had piled up a good number of pillows and planned to make a tent on his bedroom carpet so the three of them could stay up and talk all night long. Though over time, their chatter had dulled to an uncomfortable silence.

Archie had been unusually quiet, and Elizabeth had been staring at Jughead's Spider-Man bedspread for far too long. After a moment of silence from the two of them, Jughead repeated the question. If not now, with his hands curled into fists in his lap.

Doctor Lowell had told him Elizabeth and Archie had an expiration date. That they wouldn't be around for much longer. And that made him want to cry. They were all he had. Jughead wasn't a popular kid in his first grade class, thanks to his rather pointy nose. His mom and dad didn't think it was funny, but the kids in his class were cruel, teasing him relentlessly. Reggie Mantle and Cheryl Blossom called him "Pinocchio."

"How long are you going to stay with me?" he repeated softly, flinching when Elizabeth looked up suddenly, her blue eyes narrowing a little. The girl was still holding hands with Archie, the two of them sat shoulder to shoulder opposite him. Jughead definitely wasn't jealous of them, but he often wondered why Elizabeth never reached out for his hand. Initially, Archie had been the first to appear, and the boy had become Jughead's best friend. They did everything together. He was never lonely at school or at home when his mom was working the night shift and his dad was sleeping on the couch. Archie had always been there with that playful grin and teasing eyes, egging him on to go on the best adventures, whether that was exploring the ancient Pyramids of Egypt or being abducted by aliens. Though then Elizabeth had appeared. One day, Jughead and Archie had been taking turns rolling down Fox Hill. The girl had seemed to materialise out of nowhere. Just like Archie, she was Jughead's age. The girl had stood there for a moment, blinking, confused, just as he had been, before grabbing hold of Archie's hand.

She had never really let go. Over the two years Jughead had known Archie and Elizabeth, she had only let go once. When they had been playing tag and she had been appointed the chaser. It had only been for a second. The blonde girl, upon realising she now had to chase the two of them, had detached her hand from the redhead before Archie, in a moment of mutual panic between them that Jughead didn't really understand, had grabbed her hand once again.

Jughead had giggled, finding the situation funny. But Archie and Elizabeth hadn't laughed. Instead, the blonde had leaned into the redhead, almost as if in comfort, and Archie had held her hand so tightly Jughead noticed their entwined knuckles turning white. Since then Elizabeth had stayed glued to Archie, never letting go of him again.

Jughead had never questioned the two's almost desperate need to stay together. Sometimes he wondered if he should join in. But Elizabeth, as if reading his mind, had shook her head, and ever since he could remember - Elizabeth chose to stay linked with Archie.

To his dismay, Elizabeth didn't answer his question, which still hung in the air. She only smiled at him sadly. Her bottom lip was trembling, and he wondered if the girl was going to start crying. Sometimes that was the case when Jughead asked too many questions. For a seven year old, he was intelligent for his age. He knew the two of them weren't real, and were a figment of his imagination. Or what Dr Lowell called: "Imaginary friends." after all, nobody else could see them. His mom and dad, even when he had pointed at them, insisting they were real. That they were standing so close to his parents, they could touch them. Veronica Lodge his neighbour and the mayor's daughter pretended she could see them to make him happy. She tearfully told him a while ago that she had lost her own imaginary friend. Jughead couldn't remember his or her name.

"Forever." Archie replied, finally. But his tone was different. It didn't match the grin on his face, his glittering eyes and rosy cheeks. Archie's answer should have made him feel happy, but Jughead only felt an unwelcome sickly feeling washing over him, choking the next words from his dry throat. Elizabeth and Archie had been so happy with him, he didn't understand what was wrong with them. Were they sick? In the time he had known them, the two of them never got a snuffly nose or a cough. So what was wrong?

"Are you okay?" he asked the two of them. It had been ages since Archie had cracked a joke, or Elizabeth had insisted on playing House with Jughead's Star Wars figurines. Jughead knew the girl couldn't physically touch them, but knew she longed to run her fingers along their pointy edges and make them move and talk. Instead of using her best 'baby' voice to make them sound funny, while awkwardly hovering her hand over them.

Clearing his throat, Jughead fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, pulling and yanking at them. "I can tell something's wrong." he mumbled. "Why can't you tell me?"

Archie looked like he might reply, but Jughead's bedroom door was suddenly flying open, Gladys Jones sticking her head through the gap. The woman had been smiling, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun, smears of flour decorating her cheeks as well as her jeans and t-shirt. The smell of cupcakes drifted into the room and Jughead's mouth watered. "Sweetie, Ronnie's here." upon seeing her son sitting cross legged on his bed with a sheet over his head, her lips curled into a frown. "Juggie, I hope you're not still playing pretend, honey. There's a real friend at the door." Jughead couldn't understand why his mom was so against Archie and Elizabeth. They were his imaginary friends, he could play with them whenever he wanted. Jughead was determined for them to stay-

Just like Archie had said. Forever.

"Okay mom," Jughead smiled up at his mother. Archie and Elizabeth had shuffled closer together, but their expressions's had brightened significantly. Elizabeth loved playing with Ronnie, even if the girl couldn't see her. "Is Ronnie staying for dinner?"

Gladys nodded with a grin. "Hiram is going out for the night, so he's dropped off Ronnie to stay here for a while." she started to back away, wiping her hands on her bright pink apron. She pursed her lips. "Jug, you need a haircut," she murmured, tutting at the boy's long dark hair that fell in his eyes. The knitted beanie in the shape of a crown was nestled on top. Jughead rarely took it off. He nodded, eager to get rid of his mom. Even if he liked his hair. He was secretly hoping it would grow long enough to cover his nose.

"Veronica, sweetheart!" Gladys called. "Jughead is in his room!"

Veronica Lodge was like a whirlwind. Gladys had barely moved before the girl was pushing her way into Jughead's room with a huge grin plastered on her face. It might have had something to do with the half eaten rainbow cupcake in her grasp. Jughead giggled. She had pink frosting smeared all over her face and looked ridiculous. Veronica was the daughter of Mayor Hiram Lodge. But you wouldn't think that upon your first impression of the girl. Firstly, Veronica despised her name and insisted everyone call her Ronnie.

She hated anything pink, anything girly or that had tassels. Her seventh birthday party had been Superhero themed, with Veronica and Jughead both dressing up as Spider Man. Much to her mother Hermione Lodge's displeasure. Who had gotten a Super-girl suit tailor made for her daughter. Ronnie was the closest Jughead had to a real friend. The two of them had been close since they were still in diapers. Jughead had properly made friends with her in Kindergarten when the girl had ran over to him, punched him in the shoulder, yelling; "You're it!" before rushing off, giggling. Of course he had followed her and hit her back, expecting the girl to screw her face up with disgust and call him names like the other kids. But Ronnie Lodge was different. Her blue eyes had sparkled through her sheath of dark hair. "Do you want to play Horses with me?"

It turned out "horses" consisted of Jughead getting on all fours and the girl straddling his back, yelling at him to go as fast as possible. And that had been the start of their friendship. Even when Archie and Elizabeth appeared, Ronnie had insisted that she too could see them. Even when Jughead knew her eyes never truly landed on his new friends.

"Hey Jug!" Ronnie rushed over and leapt on his bed. Archie and Elizabeth shuffled backward to make space. Ronnie was her usual bubble of hyperactive energy that never seemed to calm down. She wore her hair in its usual ponytail, her favourite Harry Potter shirt hanging over shorts. The 'G' in 'Gryffidor had rubbed off over the years, so the shirt proudly exclaimed: "ryffindor!" which Ronnie wore like a badge. The girl offered Jughead the rest of her cupcake, but he shook his head with a polite smile.

"If you're sure," the girl paused, her wide eyes searching the empty air around them. "Elizabeth and Archie!" she sang loudly, rocking forwards on her knees. Before Jughead pressed his index finger to his lips in a "Shh!" motion. Ronnie nodded and pretended to zip her lips. Jughead slipped off his bed and wandered over to the door, closing it.

"Okay, you're good." he murmured. Ronnie nodded happily.

"Guys!" she whispered, giggling. Ronnie lifted the cupcake into the air, and Jughead watched Elizabeth's gaze follow it longingly. "Do you want my cupcake?"

"Ronnie, I told you they can't eat real food." Jughead jumped back onto his bed, shuffling over to Archie and Elizabeth. Ronnie took her place in front of them. They always sat in that formation, to avoid confusion. In Ronnie's eyes, it was just her and Jughead. She failed to see the kids sitting next to him. The girl sighed before cramming the rest of the crumbling cupcake in her mouth. "Why though?" leaning forward, the girl gazed at the empty space in front of her. She traced the air with her fingers and cocked her head. "They are here, right?" she murmured, sitting back with a frown.

Jughead nodded. "They're just quiet." he murmured. Archie and Elizabeth were being more than 'quiet' though. It was almost as if the two of them no longer existed, with them only being moving apparitions in front of his eyes.

Ronnie frowned at the space where Jughead's imaginary friends were for a moment longer before her expression brightened. "How about we play a game?"

Elizabeth seemed to like that idea. Watching the blonde girl smiling at Ronnie, Jughead's stomach twisted. Elizabeth often expressed her dream of Ronnie finally being able to see her. But no matter how hard the mayor's daughter tried, sitting there for as long as she could with squinting eyes. Unfortunately for both girls, Ronnie never saw Elizabeth. So Jughead had to relay Elizabeth or Archie's words back to his friend.

"Elizabeth thinks we should play a game too." Jughead said, and after a small nod from Archie. "Archie too."

Ronnie lay back, kicking her legs. "What game though?" giggling, she stared at Jughead's bedroom ceiling. "Your room is so boring."

To Jughead's surprise, Elizabeth lay next to Ronnie, copying the girl. She too was giggling, her blue eyes stuck to the glow in the dark stars blinking in the twilight. Of course when Elizabeth joined Ronnie, she dragged Archie down too. The redhead didn't complain, only chuckling softly. After a moment of watching the three of them lay there, which really, was only Ronnie. He decided to lay across Ronnie's legs, refusing to budge when the girl laughed. "That tickles!" she squealed. Jughead smirked, twisting his head to grin at the girl. But his breath caught in his throat when his gaze instead landed on Elizabeth. She was still staring at the ceiling, no longer smiling. Jughead felt his chest clench. The girl's golden curls were spread out around her like a real angel.

"Elizabeth is laying next to you." he murmured. Ronnie squeaked. "Really?" she hissed excitedly. The girl jumped up, pawing the air next to her. "Am I touching her?" before Jughead could answer, Ronnie was shuffling over to where Archie was peering at her with his usual confused grin. "What about Archie?" her eyes glinted as her small hands hit the redhead repeatedly. Though Archie didn't flinch. Instead, he murmured something to Betty. Before the girl nodded silently, and let go of his hand. Jughead gaped at them. Elizabeth stared down at her own hands, frowning at them as if they were alien to her. It must have been something really special to the two of them, if they had finally disconnected.

Archie, finally with a free hand raised it into the air, nodding at Jughead.

Jughead understood automatically. "Ronnie, do this." he mimed Archie's actions, raising his hands, palms up. After a moment the girl copied. "Archie?" Ronnie blinked at thin air, where the boy was knelt, his lips stretched into a smile. Their hands were so close to touching. Archie grinning wildly at the girl, and Ronnie smiling hopefully.

Jughead realised Elizabeth was still staring down at her own hands, and before he could hesitate, he was crawling over to her. The girl looked taken-aback at first, her cheeks flushing a deep red. Which was funny, because they had never done that before. Jughead nodded with a reassuring smile and raised his hands. Elizabeth, after a moment, copied, her hands coming to almost-touch his. Jughead felt something come over him, squeezing his chest. His eyes stung with tears but he blinked them away. The girl looked like she too was fighting back tears. She didn't move her hands. Even when he started to.

"Juggie." Elizabeth's voice broke, her blue eyes closing for a moment, before flickering open. There was a lone tear sliding down her pale cheek.

"What is it?" his eyes widened when he noticed the girl was trembling. Archie and Ronnie were still locked together, their hands almost touching. The imaginary boy's smile had long since faded, while the dark haired girl smiled hopefully at empty air, where his ghost hands hovered. It seemed to hit Jughead then, that there was something wrong. Elizabeth and Archie didn't like being imaginary. They wanted so badly to exist.

Jughead's gaze never left Elizabeth who he swore had turned almost as white as his bedspread. If he stared at her long enough, he could see she was getting progressively more paler, slowly beginning to bleed back into the air. The girl's eyes widened, her lips twisting into a grimace. She dropped her trembling hands and instead lunged at him, desperately trying to wrap her invisible arms around his neck. Jughead fell back when he felt the slightest touch, the tiniest brush of her dress tickling his arm. But it was enough. It was enough to tell him that Elizabeth was real. She was- she was real!

"Jughead, help me." Elizabeth whimpered. Maybe he was imagining it, but he felt warm breath tickling his cheeks. He had never felt anything but empty air when the girl was near him, and yet now he could sense her. Her beating heart. Her shuddery breathing.

But just as her words that seemed so much more real hit his ears, the girl trying to grasp onto him for dear life seemed to evaporate into thin air. Her terrified face dripped away like a nightmare. But Elizabeth's touch was still very much alive, still tingling on his skin. For a moment he grabbed at thin air, breathless, his heart in his throat. "Where- where did you go?" choking out a sob, Jughead searched for the girl. But she was nowhere to be seen. Squeezing his eyes shut he tried to imagine her back into existence. But she wouldn't appear. Even when he whispered her name repeatedly.

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth. Elizabeth." the longer he stared at empty air, the more his chest constricted. Sitting up, he turned to cry out for his other imaginary friend.

"Elizabeth?" his voice broke. "Archie?"

It was like waking up from a dream. Jughead swiped at his damp cheeks, trying to coerce words with his tongue. But he couldn't speak. He was scared if he did, he'd scream.

The redhead was gone too. Ronnie frowned at him in confusion. "Juggie, what is it?" she tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Though Jughead could barely hear her. His ears were roaring, his gut twisting and turning. Wordlessly, he trailed his fingers over his legs where Elizabeth's dress had touched. Physically touched. He'd seen her dress, a much more perceptible version of it. But it wasn't just the dress. For just a single moment, Elizabeth his imaginary friend seemed to cross the bridge between fiction and reality. Her voice was real, her breath on his face, her wide, frightened eyes.

Dr Lowell was wrong. They weren't imaginary friends at all.

They were real.

10 Years Later.

Veronica was always going to find him. The bathroom stall wasn't exactly the best hiding place. Especially in such short notice. Jughead sat with his back against the stall door, his legs pulled to his chest. The thrum of pop music was vibrating the walls, the crappy lighting flickering in short bursts of blinding yellow light. Maybe if he stayed silent and held his breath, the Lodge girl might actually leave him alone. Jughead bit his lip when the familiar click-clack of the girl's heels graced the marble tiles outside the stall. The girl took a few steps, before hesitating. She was scanning each one for life.

Bracing himself against the door, he squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to all the gods- real and fictional- that she left. Unfortunately for him however, he was pretty noticeable. Having curled up on the floor, his battered converse were visible underneath the gap in the wooden door. Fuck. Jughead mentally cursed himself. He decided he'd rather be pulled under the ground and sucked into hell by Satan himself than reveal himself.

Veronica Lodge, however, was patient. When he slid down to his stomach and dared a peek through the crack in the door, he could see her long golden legs and the start of the purple glittery dress she was wearing. Veronica had outgrown her tomboy days as a child. Now she liked nothing more than shopping, cute dresses and heels. But she never lost her personality. That gleam in her eye he had grown up with. So, even ten years later, Jughead Jones and Veronica Lodge were still best friends. Much to their peers confusion. By fourteen, they had been expected to start dating. But Jughead never saw the girl as anything else but a sister to him. An extremely annoying sister who he knew wouldn't leave him alone until she had hold of his arm, dragging him back to the party.

"Jug," Veronica let out a sigh. "I can see you hiding in that stall."

Jughead jumped back up and fell back into the stalls walls, slipping back to his knees. Scowling, even when the girl couldn't see his face, he stubbornly stayed where he was and shoved his face into his lap. He could practically hear the girl's eyes rolling.

"You can't be in the boy's bathroom." he muttered. Albeit pathetically.

The girl snorted. "And?"

When he didn't answer, Veronica's tone softened a little.

"Dude, you can't run away from your own birthday party."

"Watch me." he grumbled back into his knees. Veronica cleared her throat. "There's cake."

"So."

"And burgers." her voice turned teasing, flying up in octaves. "Daddy had them flown in straight from New York."

Jughead's mouth watered. But there was no way he was being bribed with fucking burgers. Rubbing his eyes with his fists, he scowled. "Ronnie, you can't blackmail me with food."

"Did I mention your birthday cake is in the shape of a burger?"

"Leave me alone." Jughead mumbled, tipping his head back and letting out a loud, exaggerated groan. He reached up and pulled off his beanie, running his hands through his thick, dark hair. It was a habit when he was nervous. And he had every damn right to be anxious. A birthday party. For him. It was all of his nightmares come true. Jughead had been naive, actually believing that Veronica wanted to celebrate him turning 17 by hanging out as a twosome. When in actuality she had invited the whole fucking town.

So when he had walked in, definitely not expecting a few hundred kids and adults all jumping out at him at the same time, screaming; "Happy Birthday!" it was only natural that he would make a run for it and lock himself inside a stall in the men's bathroom. Jughead's cheeks were still burning scarlet. His heartbeat had only just started to calm down. But as soon as Veronica had stepped into the bathroom, it had begun its rapid pace once more. Holding his breath, Jughead fought against a tearful accusation. What he really wanted to say was: "Why?" why had his best friend since kindergarten organised a huge birthday party when she knew he absolutely despised them?

Instead, he stayed stubbornly quiet. After an uncomfortable silence, Veronica slid onto the floor and stretched her legs out. "Fine." she said. "If you're not coming out, we'll celebrate in here." Jughead frowned. But he couldn't help the small smile curling on his lips. "How do you expect to do that in a bathroom at TGI Fridays?"

"Is that a smile I detect?" Veronica was never going to give up. Jughead sighed before standing up and unlocking the door. It slowly slid open and there was Veronica 'Ronnie' Lodge sat cross legged on the floor in her favourite purple sparkly dress, from a label that Jughead didn't care to remember. The girl was beautiful. Her skin was a light olive, glistening in the fluorescent lighting bathing the two of them.

The girl's expression lit up when he finally stepped out of the stall and she jumped up with her usual energy and grabbed the boy gently, throwing her arms around him. Her perfume was rich, tingling his nose. He fought against a sneeze. "Jug, we've been friends forever," she murmured, tightening her hold around him when he didn't answer, awkwardly leaning his weight against her. "Tell me next time, okay?"

"I did tell you." he mumbled back, rolling his eyes. "Multiple times, Ronnie."

Veronica pulled away grinning at him, slapping his cheeks teasingly. She'd done it enough times for it barely to faze the boy. "What can I say?" she giggled, turning around to fix her hair in the bathroom mirror. "Sometimes I go a teensy bit OTT."

"A bit over the top? Ronnie, you got fucking Tiesto to DJ!"

"Isn't he amazing?" she gushed. "Daddy said he was well over a hundred thousand dollars."

Jughead groaned. "How are we friends?" he grumbled. The girl giggled. "Sometimes I wonder that too, y'know," she chuckled. "The mayor's daughter and the school cinephile." pursing her ruby lips, she shook her mane, her colourful fingernails streaking through strands of her hair. "We couldn't be any more different, Jug."

He chuckled. "And yet here you are, the closest I have to a sister." he murmured, more to himself than Veronica.

Upon catching his own reflection in the mirror, Jughead inwardly groaned. He hadn't been getting much sleep so his face compared to Veronica's, looked ghastly. His eyes looked hollow, shadowed with sleep circles. His hair looked unbrushed, dark strands splayed across his pale forehead. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed. Which wasn't strictly untrue. After school he'd passed out doing a homework assignment and woke up to Ronnie shaking him, rather violently, insisting he come and hang out with her at TGIF.

God, he should have been expecting it. Veronica Lodge didn't do small gatherings. So really, it was his fault for falling into her perfectly lain trap.

"Stop frowning at yourself like that, you look fine." Veronica licked her thumb before fiddling with his fringe, brushing it out of his eyes. Jughead bit his lip. "That tickles." he muttered. "Ronnie, I look like death." Jughead felt his chest clench. The thought of walking back out in front of that huge fucking crowd made him want to vomit his insides. The girl scoffed and took a step back, her green eyes taking all of him in. She didn't lose her smile. "I'd say you look like Jason Dean before he went psycho."

Jughead took that as a compliment. Even if she was probably lying to please him. He smiled at her, rolling his eyes. "You're a walking migraine, Veronica Lodge."

Veronica's lip twitched. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." the girl winked at him before grabbing his hand and squeezing it. Just like when they were kids. "C'mon, we can do this together." turning to him, Veronica looked determined. Her green eyes narrowed in concentration. "Okay!" she marched them to the door, and Jughead fought against yanking his arm from her grasp and ducking back into a stall.

"We're just going to get your cake, and then we can go. Okay?" turning to him, Veronica smiled brightly. "I have The Outsiders on DVD if you fancy a movie night?"

Jughead chewed his lip. Admittedly, that did sound good. Just a night with him and Veronica, getting hyper from left over Halloween candy and watching a bunch of classics.

"Fine." he murmured, crossing his arms. "I'll stay for the cake. But then we're gone, okay?"

"They may also sing happy birthday to you." she said quickly. When he scrunched his face up, she was quick to defend herself. "It'll be like two minutes tops!"

"If it's longer than that I'm leaving without you." he grumbled.

"It's your birthday, Juggie," Veronica said. Then she held out her little finger. "I pinkie promise I won't force you to stay at the party." Jughead scoffed. "We haven't done this since we were little." but he still wrapped his pinkie around hers.

"Done." Veronica grinned. "All you have to do put up with is off key singing for like a couple of minutes and then we're gone." saying those words, the girl confidently threw open the bathroom door, dragging Jughead along with her. Blinking, he shaded his eyes when red and blue flashing lights hit the two of them and the bumbling crowd all looked to Veronica for the heads up. Compared to the boys bathroom, it was pitch black. Jughead swallowed. His heart was hammering into his chest. Part of him just wanted to bury himself into the ground. Every single eye in the crowd was looking at him.

It was silent. Apart from mild chatter and giggling. Jughead half wished for the pop music to be back, slamming into his skull.

"Everything okay?" a voice Jughead didn't recognise. "Are we okay to-"

"It's okay now!" Veronica nodded happily, keeping a good grip on his arm. Jughead did his best to smile at his classmates. There was a shout which sounded like his father, before everyone fell into an off-key calibre of 'Happy birthday' while Midge Klump, illuminated with orange candlelight from sixteen flickering candles on a burger shaped cake appeared from within the crowd. Oh god. It was worse than the films. He gritted his teeth in what he hoped was a grin. Veronica's hand crept down his arm and took his, squeezing it. The girl didn't move from his side. And he was eternally grateful. Because he was pretty sure he was about to faint. His head spun, and the glow from the candles wasn't helping.

Jughead felt his chest constrict. Midge's smile was bright, her eyes looked haunting, reflecting in the orangeade glow. The girl took slow steps towards him, and he didn't know what to do. Did he laugh? Cry? he certainly felt like crying. His throat was on fire, but Veronica's smile made him melt. She looked so happy. Midge came to stand inches from him as the birthday song died out and Jughead found himself staring down at his cake. It was beautiful. Veronica must have made it herself with help from his mother. There were even smarties as poppy seeds. "Make a wish, Jughead!" Midge grinned at him, and he nodded slowly and squeezed his eyes shut. What exactly did he want more than anything else in the world? For one single moment, his mind flittered back to when he was a kid. To his made-up friends playing with him in the woods. The little boy with hair the colour of flames attached to a girl with angel like features and long golden curls.

"Help me, Jughead." the girl had whimpered. Before disintegrating in front of his younger selves eyes. Jughead took a deep breath. He wished for them to come back. Even if they were just figments of his wild imagination. Even if it was just for a second, a glimpse that the friends he had dreamed up were okay. Back then, Veronica had insisted on going on 'missions' trying to find the two of them. She had been almost as upset as him when she found out Archie and Elizabeth were gone. After telling his parents, trying to insist that they were in trouble, he'd found himself at weekly sessions with Dr Lowell. Who smiled at him patiently, busy brows furrowing around the frames of thick glasses.

"They're not real, Jughead." he had said softly. "You have quite the imagination though." chuckling, he'd prescribed some pills to 'calm his mind down' and Jughead had grown up, forgetting they existed. That was until that very moment when he had gained a wish.

The room exploded with applause when he blew out his candles, puff after puff. He couldn't help laughing a little when tendrils of smoke from the candles snaked into his nostrils. Midge yanked the cake away, squeaking. "Sorry about that!"

Jughead nodded, smiling. "It's fine." he said. Midge wandered off with the cake to start cutting it, and the music resumed. Some pop song started blasting, and Jughead for once, felt genuinely happy. He was still staring into the crowd, nodding halfheartedly to a Taylor Swift song, when Veronica came to face him, a huge grin spread out across her lips. "You're smiling." she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

"Shut up." he retorted. But she was right. He was actually smiling. Without straining his jaw to fake it. Veronica squealed a little. "No, you're not taking this moment away from me, Jughead Jones." she grabbed his arm and spun him around, and Jughead stumbled, unable to choke back a laugh. "What did you wish for?" she murmured, and he shrugged.

"Cake." he lied. Veronica clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! I'll go get you a slice!" before he could reply, the girl was rushing into the crowd of kids, and Jughead found himself magnetising to the refreshment table. Ronnie was right. The burgers stacked on a huge platter looked delicious. Grabbing a plate, he helped himself to two.

"Ronnie!" he shouted, holding up a burger. "Yo, do you want some food?" squinting into the crowd, Jughead searched for the girl's familiar swishing obsidian ponytail. Veronica wasn't exactly hard to spot in a crowd. But she was nowhere to be seen. Searching through faces, Jughead's heart jumped into his throat when he saw a glint of golden curls.

No. He laughed at himself, steeling himself against the refreshments table. It wasn't- who he thought it was. It was Polly Cooper, spinning around, her dress flying with her.

Jughead blinked. He was losing it. Turning away from the crowd, he went to take a bite from his burger. "Can I have some cake?"

The voice startled him. Jughead turned to find himself face-to-face with a pale girl around his age, with sun kissed curls, no longer pulled into pigtails. Instead hanging in bright blue eyes. It wasn't like when he was younger. She wasn't smiling. Instead, her lips were curved into a frown. Instead of a pink dress, she wore a pastel blue sweater and jeans. Her feet were bare, looking so out of place on the dance floor.

Jughead nearly choked on his bite of burger. Elizabeth. His imaginary friend from childhood. She was standing in front of him with that same glimmer in her eyes.

"Jughead?" when he blinked, Elizabeth morphed into Ethel Muggs. Who was frowning at him. The girl waved a hand in front of his face. "Dude, I said can I have some cake?"

"What?" he choked. "No, I mean yeah. I mean. I-" before Ethel could reply, Jughead was stumbling back through the crowd. The bitter taste of burger was climbing back up his throat. As he pushed through his classmates, he caught a flash of crimson coloured hair before throwing the doors to the boys bathroom open again. Jughead found a cubicle quickly before throwing up the little food he'd had all day. His throat burned, his chest ached. Gagging, he wiped at a thin sheet of perspiration soaking his forehead.

Jugehead found deep comfort in the cool, fresh water gushing from the faucet. He stuck his face under the stream. "You're crazy, Jones." he whispered to himself before straightening up. But the second he was staring at his reflection, there she was again. Elizabeth. Jughead spun around, swallowing a cry. Not real. He squeezed his eyes shut. But when he opened them, the girl was still standing there frowning at him. But this time she wasn't alone. She was hand in hand with a tall boy, who had outgrown his chubby cheeks, making way for thick shoulders and arms. He still had that same pale skin, the wash of freckles over his cheeks and nose his younger self used to pretend were a special marking of some sort. He was wearing shorts and t-shirt, his feet bare like the girl's.

Archie.

The boy still had that same smile pricking on his lips. "Hey man." the boy raised his hand in a salute and Jughead felt tears prick his eyes. The two of them seemed so - so real. He remembered them having a translucent glimmer to them when he was a kid, but somehow, they looked like living, breathing kids like him. His chest clenched.

"Elizabeth and-." he managed to choke out. "You're not- you're not real. I'm losing my fucking mind-"

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's Betty, now." she murmured. Before her blue eyes darkened. "Jug, what I said to you when you were a kid- I meant it. We need help. You-"

The girl's words were drowned out by the door flying open, the thrum of pop music drifting inside the bathroom for a moment. "Jug? are you hiding in the bathroom again?"

Veronica Lodge stumbled in, and Jughead opened his mouth to try and explain what was going on. But then he remembered she couldn't see them. However, Veronica's gaze didn't land on him. Instead she was staring at Archie. Her ruby lips popped open, and she let out a soft squeak. "Oh my god," she whispered. Archie's brown eyes widened in confusion. But the girl stiffened. A pink blush spreading over her olive cheeks. Veronica pointed to them shakily, her frown growing into a smile. "Archie and Elizabeth, right?"

Jughead let out a shaky breath. "You can see them?"

Veronica nodded slowly. "Oh god, someone must have spiked my drink." she whispered. Archie's lip twitched into a smile.

Betty shook her head. "Neither of you are seeing things." she said softly. Before the girl took a step forwards, letting go of Archie's hand. This time neither of them seemed fazed that they broke the link. Jughead couldn't take her eyes off her. The angel he had grown up. The girl he'd wished would come back. She had actually come back to him.

Betty took his hands and squeezed them, and he bit back a cry. He felt them. Her icy cold hands. When she spoke, her breath tickled his face just like ten years ago. "We're trapped," she said softly, her indigo eyes searching his. "Listen very carefully."

Archie nodded. "Yeah," he murmured. His brown eyes still on Veronica Lodge. The girl was still blinking at him in confusion. "Because we've got about five minutes."

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