Archie Andrews is in his room. He lies on his back as he strums along on his guitar, playing out the familiar chords to his own song, the one he wrote with Valerie. He thinks about Thorn. He wonders which bed is she sleeping in tonight and if she's okay after Jason's memorial. He thinks about sending a text, saying they could sit outside on his front-porch to talk like they did over the summer, but he knows it's too far to believe they're in the same place as they were back there.

"Hey," says Fred Andrews to his son. Archie sits up upon seeing his dad enter his room. "I just wanted to let you know, I, uh... I bought tickets for all the guys at work to come and see you in the variety show." He sees Archie nod and Fred steps forward, his hand awkwardly in his pockets. "Yeah, me and Hermione... we're gonna go together. With each other," he adds, nerves showing as he tries to explain it to his son. "I don't really know how to say this, and I don't want to make a too big a deal of it, but, uh..."

"Dad, it's okay," Archie tells him with a small smile. "You're good."

"Yeah?" Fred questions.

"Yeah," Archie nods, with a light chuckle shared with his dad.

"Good. Okay." Fred lets out a sigh of relief and then says, "I do like her, and I... you know, I think maybe I'm ready."

"If this is something that makes you happy, then I say go for it," Archie says. "You're good. Mom's good. I'm," he pauses, "good."

"All right," Fred nods. "How's Thorn?" he asks, surprising his son at the mention of her name. "I saw you at the memorial for Jason," he says, "it seemed pretty intense with you two."

"Always is."

"Is there something I should know about you and her?" asks Fred. "Because I don't wanna be having a beer with Joel and then him threaten me about you and his daughter."

Archie laughs, "No." He swallows. "There's nothing happening between us, dad."

"But there was," he states, making Archie furrow his brow. "I know when two people have something, son."

"It was summer fling," says Archie lowly. "Besides, it's over."

"Is that the reason you're not together? Because it ended? Son, you didn't even start." Fred laughs, "You and Thorn, we're all been waiting for it to happen; and if you think for one second that there's a slight chance you and her could work, then you should tell her." Fred then says, "Because if she's the something that makes you happy, maybe you should go for it too."

"It was just a teenager fling, Dad."

"So were me and Hermione back in the day. Now look at us."

"Do you think we'd work out like that, like you and Veronica's mom?" Archie asks.

"Hopefully you don't have to go through almost two decades of not seeing other to get together," Fred says jokingly, and he adds seriously, "I think you and her are good together, Archie. You always have been."

"You think?" asks Archie with a smile.

"I know."

*

Veronica storms into photography classroom knowing that Thorn would be there, and she is. Veronica, ignoring the stares she gets from the others using the room, heads directly to Thorn and slumps down in the chair opposite Thorn, letting out a giant huff of air.

Thorn looks up from the photograph she's editing on her laptop to the raven-haired girl. "Hey, Ronnie."

Veronica snaps. She shoots forward in her chair. "How? How is he that much of an idiot - that selfish?"

"Who's an idiot?" asks Thorn, shutting down the top of her laptop to listen to the fuming girl opposite.

"Archie!" she cries. Veronica throws her hands up in the air. "Not only did his father kiss my mother; he gave my part to Valerie in a heartbeat because I'm the back-up. I'm nobody's back-up! I am Veronica Lodge!"

"He should be so lucky," replies Thorn jokingly. When she sees the glare Veronica gives her, Thorn apologies. "Sorry, just trying to soften the mood."

"How do you even like the guy?" she asks in disbelief. "He has zero loyalty - no integrity whatsoever."

"Why do you think we're not together?"

"Wait, I thought you weren't together because of Betty," Veronica says, confused. "And then Grundy thing when--"

"When he threw me under the bus to protect his child predator girlfriend?" asks Thorn pointedly, "or when he chose her over me while he stood in my grandmother's kitchen?"

"Oh god," Veronica leans back in her chair, "I got my duet stolen from me and you got crapped on."

"Thank you." Thorn sees the girl is still annoyed and she decides to still talk to her about it. "So, he went back to Valerie."

"Yes!" Veronica pulls a face. "I mean, what does she have that I don't? He didn't even give me a chance."

"The ability to write a song with him, connect with him on his one big love," says Thorn bitterly.

"Wow, are you jealous, T?" asks Veronica, and when Thorn rolls her eyes, it confirms it. "Oh my god, you are so jealous."

"It's like - it's not that," Thorn defends. "It's that whenever Archie had a problem, I was the one to fix it for him or try to. When he choked the other day, and I went after him, Valerie was there. He went to her, and I just like I'd been replaced because I'm not a part of that world." Sadly, she adds, "With all that's happened, I don't even know if I'm any part of his world anymore. I'm just clinging on."

Veronica's hand reaches for her friends. "I think, and what I think is most likely the truth," she says firmly, and Thorn laughs, "you are a pretty massive part of Archie's world. You are the sun his world revolves around, Thorn, and Archie Andrews will forever be an idiot if he ever replaces you, which he won't."

Thorn smiles at the girl across from her and then says, "And Archie Andrew is an idiot for replacing you, Veronica Lodge, the most amazingly dressed and bad-ass girl I know." The two share a smile and then Thorn adds, "And if you really want to get at them, which I don't encourage but I'm not against either," she slides across a advertising poster for the pussycats, "maybe you should try out."

"God, you're good."

"I try."

*

Thorn Sanders sits beside Fred Andrews in the town hall with Hermione Lodge on his right. They've come to show support for their children, and Thorn for her friends.

"I spoke to Archie," whispers Fred to her.

"He's really nervous, I know," Thorn says back to him.

"No, about the summer," says Fred, causing her eyes to snap to him. "Relax, Thorn," he says softly, "I'm not mad, honestly. I just wish I knew what happening with the both of you, make sure you were protected. It's gonna make seeing your dad a bit more awkward."

"Yeah, sorry," she says.

"Archie was really happy that summer before you quit on me, which I know why you did," Fred says understandingly, "but if you were just a fraction of how happy Archie was - is when he's with you, would you give him a chance, for me?"

"You want to me to give son a chance for you?" she asks.

"For you and him too, but mostly me," he says, "I still have twenty bucks against your dad that you'll get together."

"You're taking bets on your children?" She laughs. "Despicable, Fred," Thorn says, and they both laugh.

At the side of the stage, Archie panics. He feels hot and sweaty. He's nervous about performing on his own, scared of choking, and Veronica can see that.

"Thorn looks great," she says, making Archie turn to face her as she joins his side. "I saw her before the show. She's sat with your dad, and my mom." She sees how uncomfortable he is and she decides now is her time. "Okay," she says to him,"So this is my mea cupla moment. I was angry at my mom and I took it out on you."

"And I shouldn't have tried to bench you when Valeria came back," Archie says sincerely.

Veronica smiles, "Truer words could not have been spoken."

They share a laugh, and then he asks seriously, "You holding up?"

"Honestly," she says, "I'm hanging on by my whiskers. You?"

"The prospect of total humiliation in front of this entire town is terrifying," he tells her truthfully, nerves fully on show.

"Want some company out there?" Veronica offers politely.

"More than anything," Archie replies. "But no. I have to do this on my own, Veronica."

"Well," she says, fixing his tie, "if you freeze out there, Red Troubadour, just focus on someone that makes you feel safe."

Archie hears his name and the applause that follows. He gives Veronica a thankful smile and then heads outs on stage with his guitar. He can see his dad and Thorn sat together, clapping for him more than anyone else, but his nerves are still there. Thorn can tell when the ginger boy messes with the microphone several times, trying to adjust it.

"Stick to football!" yells out Reggie Mantle, making him and his goons laugh.

Thorn goes to stand, but Fred keeps a grip on her. "Sit, for Archie's sake," he pleads, and she nods her head, returning her gaze to the stage.

Archie glances to the side of the stage to see Veronica is still stood there for him. His eyes go back to the audience and he finds his dad. He dad looks so proud already, nodding to encourage him, and then Archie sees Thorn.

"Do you have a safe place?" Thorn asks Archie as she lies across his chest, looking up at him.

"My room, maybe," Archie answers. "You?"

"The river," she replies. "It's the place I feel the happiest, the most free. I have a choice there. That's safe to me."

"This is pretty safe," he motions to them lying under his bed sheets, "and I'm happy."

"Are you saying that I'm your safe place, Archie?" teases Thorn.

"Shouldn't that be the goal, to have the person be your safe place?" Archie says.

"Well, if my safe place was a person, it'll be you too," says Thorn. She smiles up at him and then she places her lips on his, kissing him softly. They are safe together.

Archie looks at Thorn and he feels safe, safe enough to have the courage to play, and he does play.

Can you hear me?
Am I drowned out in the crowd?
Are you listening?
Or is everyone else too loud for you to hear anything?
Are you just gonna walk away?
'Cause there are so many things I can do, but instead I'll say

Thorn feels her heart ache in her chest. She bursts with pride, and yet, she wants to cry. She feels every word like they're meant for her. She thinks about each time she's walked away from him and how she wished she stayed, and how much she cares for the boy sat on the stage singing. Thorn needs this love song of his to know what she wants, and she wants Archie Andrews, no matter how much she'll be disappointing her family.

I'll try,
I'll try to let it go,
And never look back this way

Archie finishes his song and he's stunned by the response. The entire amphitheater bursts into applause. She sees his dad leap out of his seat, clapping profusely, and then Archie sees Thorn at his side. She gives him the biggest of smiles and she claps for him, and it makes Archie's heart race.

"Go," says Fred, urging the girl next to him. "Go get him," he tells her.

Thorn hugs the man tightly and when she pulled back, a beaming smile on her face, she says, "I will."

She grabs her bag eagerly from her seat and then heads out to the theater in search of Archie. She knows she won't be the first to congratulate him, but she hopes he'll appreciate her way of congratulating him over anyone else's.

"Slow down there, tiger," says Veronica. She grabs onto the girl's arm as she tries to rush down the corridors. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

"I'm going to find Archie and I'm going to tell him," she says, beaming. "I'm going to tell that I l--"

Thorn stops in the tracks. Her heart drops to the floor the moment she sees him. Archie kissing Valerie burns into her, scaring her heart violently. She feels she could die in that moment and when he pulls away from Valerie with a smile on his face, Thorn thinks she does.