LAST SUMMER [ARCHIE ANDREWS] - DISCONTINUED

four

IT WAS about an hour before the formal, and Kara was panicking. Initially, she hadn't planned on attending the dance, but now that she was going with Archie, Veronica, and Betty, she had nothing to wear.

"The green matches your eyes," her mother commented from the door, "But clashes with your hair..." Kara had laid several dresses out on the bed, and chewed on her nail trying to choose. None of them were ideal, but they'd have to work.

Her mother helped her pick a flower printed dress and do her makeup just before Archie arrived to pick her up. Betty and Veronica were already in the car, looking fantastic at that, and greeted her with large smiles.

"Well, it's not the Met Ball," Veronica said as they walked into the gym, which was now decorated vibrantly and with giant hanging posters of Jason Blossom. It was a little unsettling. Kara had one arm linked with Archie, the other with Veronica, Betty on Archie's other side.

"You've been to the Met Ball?" Kara asked her, raising an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. Veronica grinned and gave her a wink, when Betty turned to Archie.

"Hey, when do you have to let Coach Clayton know about football?" she asked the ginger. Apparently, Clayton had given Archie the option to play varsity, which was a rare opportunity for a sophomore. Archie looked at her. "This weekend," he said.

Veronica stomped her foot dramatically, stepping to stand in front of them. "Guys, can't we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock/artist? Can't we, in this post James Franco world, be be all things at once?"

Kara laughed along with Archie who rolled his eyes playfully. "I've been working on it, Veronica." The girl clapped, appreciated, and said, "Work faster." She grabbed Kara's wrist and said, "We're going to get punch."

She brushed past Betty, whispering a quick "you've got this" in her ear. The dark haired girl dragged her to the snack table, pouring both of them a plastic cup of most likely spiked punch.

They sipped in silence, Kara finding herself staring after Archie as he moved across the gym to talk to the music teacher, before Veronica sighed heavily, setting down her punch. "Okay spill," she said, crossing her arms. Kara swallowed the red juice, frowning as she lowered the cup from her lips. "W-what?"

"You and Archie," she said, and Kara's stomach clenched. "Oh please, don't pretend like I don't see the longing glances, the cute grinning," Veronica continued, "What's going on between you two?"

Kara looked at her black pumps, pressing her red lips together softly. "You..." Veronica narrowed her eyes at Kara, "You didn't sleep with him, did you?" Kara felt Veronica's ebony eyes burning into her as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish, cheeks heating up.