Blood of My Blood, Flesh of My Flesh (Bughead)

Somebody's Watching Me

"Polly! Polly...pssst! It's me, Archie!"

Click! Click! Click!

"Okay folks, smile real bright now!"

Click!

"I know who you are," Polly hissed back sourly.

"Betty is worried about you. Why won't you talk to her?"

"It's complicated," Polly whispered back through the side of her mouth, trying to grin brightly for the camera. Why was Archie in this family photo? Damn, she had more to worry about. She didn't need to think about this kid and the frankly concerning insinuation. Wasn't he dating Valerie? Maybe she was confused; what did it matter?

"She fought for you! She fought for you and now it's like she's the enemy. I don't get it." Archie whispered back furiously.

Polly turned her head. She was about to respond when she was called away.

She just shook her head at Archie. Then, pretending she was bending her arm to sneeze, she grasped her pendant quickly.

"Betty, keep your nose out of this! And call off your ginger puppy dog. He could get hurt if you're not careful."

Then, before she could hear Betty's reply, she unhooked the chain and shoved it deep into her pockets.

XX

"Explain it to me!"

Hermione wasn't one to flinch, or so she thought. But as Fred Andrews paced in front of her, more furious than she'd ever seen him, she realized she has never seen him truly angry. At least, not until now.

"Explain to me why Hiram is so interested in this! Why Clifford is! Why am I being dragged into this way over...over..." Fred struggled, "Hell, I don't know what's so special about an old drive-in site, Hermione."

"It has more potential than I think you would guess," Hermione said, trying not to break down in front of him.

"Don't treat me like I'm a child! That's a bullshit answer. What am I missing here?" Fred asked.

Hermione swallowed, but couldn't answer.

"It's between me and you and Hiram-,"

"The fuck it isn't." Fred rarely swore, "I know a set-up when I see it. I know something more when it's in front of me."

"Are you going to drop the project?" Hermione asked, nervous.

Fred gave a hard laugh, "That's what you're worried about?" He demanded, "Naw, no. I gotta take a walk. Alone."

XX

"Who would have predicted this? Archie Andrews is our fox in the hen-house!"

Alice scooped a double heaping of pancakes on Archie's plate. Betty suppressed a sigh.

Usually, she'd bemoan her mother's dramatic fanatics, but she had to admit she was sort on her mom's side...who would have guessed Archie, a Grimm (a new concept to her, but still) would be...valuable. She rather thought she was leaving her friends behind for this new, magical world, but now...Archie was part of that.

Her mother looked like a child on Christmas morning.

"They invited me back for this weekend," Archie said, "I guess...I said yes?"

Alice clapped her hands together.

"Wait, wait, what's their interest in him?" Sweet Pea asked, narrowing his eyes, "I don't like this."

Sweet Pea, begrudgingly, had been granted a seat at the table. Apparently, his loyalty and protection toward Betty had softened her mother's heart just a tad, enough so that she didn't look at him like she'd smelled curdled milk. Plus, it was good to have someone so knowledgeable about magic, since arguably that was no one here.