Owner	Pose
Veronica Lodge	It's cold outside. Canada is north enough that spring hasn't /really/ started to set in yet. The weather is still in the 30's in most parts of Canada, or colder the further north you get. Veronica Lodge is holding court at Pop's. She's seated at a booth with a bunch of other girls from school. There are more in the booth behind and they're all chattering and talking as if they were sitting at one table together, which makes for a fair amount of din and noise. But they're all ordering food, and shakes. Ronnie's hasn't arrived yet, but she's currently talking to a couple of the other River Vixens about Cheryl's new routine and emphasizing how they could make it even better. Undermining with encouragement. Her own voice is kept to an easy conversational level despite the louder noise of the girls around her. When her plate and drink arrive it's a simple chocolate malt, and cheese fries. The cheese isn't spread over the fries though, it's kept in a ramiken for dipping in. And there's an extra ramiken as well. Two. Extra cheese. And oddly enough there's a second shake as well. Perhaps Veronica is expecting someone?
Archie Andrews	Better late than never, right? Archie comes in, school jacket on over a sweatshirt, the hood hanging over the back of the jacket and jeans. He's got flushed cheeks, as if he doesn't already but the cold really doesn't help that. He looks around and gives an occasional high five, making his way instinctively over to the table he knows is 'theirs.' Not that it's got a name or it's reserved but at certain times of day you just know who's going to be where, and so Archie looks to the girls and Ronnie, before sliding in. Perhaps he's a bit of a goofball and he makes sure his hips push a little more than needed, just to lightly jostle her but it's not lik ehe'd do with the guys. It's more of an 'mmph' instead of an OOMF if you're looking for depth of force. Both technical terms, by the way. "Hi..." he says, after giving a smile to the girls and then turning to Ronnie, making sure she's the first person he actually speaks to. "Happy Hump Day."
Veronica Lodge	The girls all scoot out of the way when Archie shows up, knowing that he gets the spot next to Ronnie. They find nearby tables so their conversations can continue. She pushes over the heaping plate of fries and cheese, as well as one of the shakes, sipping from her own a moment before she leans in to press a little kiss to his cheek. "I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up Archie Andrews. Luck for you you didn't." A teasing little smile flits across the girl's lips before she plucks up a fry and swipes it through the cheese. "Happy Hump Day indeed." She arches a brow, but is smiling before she pops the cheese laden fry into her mouth, chewing slowly, eyes watching the other girls a moment before she looks back over. "So what is competing with me for your time Archiekins?"
Archie Andrews	He picks up an offered fry but waits to eat it until he has accepted said kiss and properly put his other ont the arm of the booth. Resting it there, you asked him where he was though and as he takes half of a bite of the fry, he chews on it a bit before looking over to you. "Dad needed my help," he says. "I needed to swing by and drop something off for him he'd left at home. He was busy all day and didn't get to get back to it," he says. Though that of course wouldn't have taken the whole time. "I also got held up at school. As I was leaving Cheryl was loading her car and she had a few boxes so what I thought was like, two to load in were actually like five, and three of them were still back in the gym so what I thought would be two minutes turned into a few more." He gives a little shrug, obviously not thinking about it. He's too simple to be hiding anything.
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge looks mollified. At first, at the talk of Archie helping his father. She can't begrudge him that after all. She's quite loyal to her own parents. For some reason. So she ahhs and nods her head, her lips parting to speak, to tell him all is forgiven. But then... then she hears a name that puts her hackles up. Veronica's lips close, and there's a slow and gentle arch of her brow, that grows sharper by the moment. "Oh. How incredibly selfless of you Archie. Taking the time out of your own liesure activities to help Cheryl when you could have been doing something for yourself like being here eating." The last part of the sentence 'With me.' is left off. But it is very very clear that it should be there. And if he looks at her there's no missing the cold look on her features. He doesn't see this side of Ronnie often. But it does come out. Usually around Cheryl. She turns her head to look back across the suddenly empty booth. Like the two girls that were there have split and run off to a different booth when they heard Cheryl's name. They might be friends with both, but they know there's no love between the girls. Veronica takes a slow and purposeful sip from the straw in her milkshake before raising her hand and her voice. "Pop may I please have another of your wonderful shakes?" She flashes her bright patented Veronica smile at him before slanting a look to her left at Archie.
Archie Andrews	This will make it better. "Don't be silly Ronnie," he says softly, hoping that he can give her shoulder a squeeze or pull her in tightly for just a second before letting go. "It's dark out. She was in the parking lot by herself. I don't want to see something happen to another student, whether it was her or Al or Moose or anyone. Besides, she offered me dinner for being so helpful and I made sure she knew I had other plans....and WITH who..." he adds. "Yes...she knows that she was passed up on a dinner invitation for you. So while I did a good deed...you can hopefully cut me a little slack for that," he says though that assumes you listened to -anything- he said after the words 'Don't be silly Ronnie.' He does reach over for the shake you slid to him and says, "Thanks for ordering, by the way." And you can hear a little rumble from his stomach. Someone didnt' eat enough today.
Veronica Lodge	"Archie Andrews if it was after school then it wasn't dark out. It was still daytime." Veronica's tone is not one indicative of a person that wants to be touched right at that very moment. "And I am not being silly. That girl is a viper." It takes one to know one after all. "And she would do anything to sink her fangs into you. Especially if it drives a wedge between the two of us. I would put money on the fact that she memorized how you leave school every day and waited until you were on your way out to start moving boxes. Probably staged the entire thing. You think she's the first girl to come up with a contrived reason to get a good looking boy with a great body to lift heavy boxes and move things around for them?" You know, because Ronnie would never do that. Ever. "You let her manipulate you into this very situation right here that you now find yourself in." Her tone is cold now. Not ice cold, but plenty cold enough. She doesn't get fiery when she gets angry.
Archie Andrews	"I went by my dad's first. It was on the way from the construction area to here that I went past the school," he says, clearing his throat politely. "But it doesn't seem like she manipulated me into anything, Ronnie. It looks like she manipulated you I guess. I mean seriously...I thought the fact I look out for people was one of the things you liked about me." And no, he doesn't call you out on the fact taht you would probably do the same thing if you liked a boy but he does move his arm away a little bit. You can see the look on his face. It's not...hurt per se, but definitely shocked a bit. Surprised would be a good thing. "Sometimes being helpful is just that, being helpful." Archie is being a bit more clam than usual which is good because his tendency is to meet adversity head on, to basically bull through it. That red hair is also a good warning about the fact that he doesn't get icy, he gets fiery. And fortunately you calm him...even though you also confuse him, obviously.
Veronica Lodge	"You said you got held up at school. Not that you were going past the school. That as you were leaving Cheryl was loading her car. So first you were at the school and leaving, and now that I call you on it you were driving past. And if it was so dark how did you see Cheryl loading her car?" Veronica's features have drawn together into a scowl. "Move Archie Andrews. I'm leaving." And if he doesn't move, or doesn't move quick enough she'll do something rather out of sorts for her, showing just how upset she is, she will crawl under the table and out from under it. Either way when she gets out of the booth she will straighten her clothes up, smoothing down her skirt and her top. "When you feel like getting your story straight, or admitting you were manipulated. PReferably both, you know my number." She looks at him a few moments more, and despite the ice... he's gotten to know her pretty well. She's hurt. Because his story isn't consistent, she' believes he's lying to her. She turns then, shouldering her purse, though she does place some money into Pop's hand on the way out, telling him he can give the shake away before she steps out the door and pulls out her phone, calling for Smithers to come get her. And walking in the direction of her home at the same time.
Archie Andrews	He isn't going to not get up. Even though he tries to start a few times and the level of your obvious displeasure is...apparent. Sadly, this is going to be a waste of perfectly good french fries and milk shakes. Of course, if you think this isn't being texted to Cheryl that Archie and Ronnie are having a fight then you're completely crazy. And so he follows you out, cause he's not going to just let you walk home. And as you walk past his truck you see a couple bags hanging out the back, well, leaned up against the side, some strings tied through the hooks to make sure they don't go taking off. They're blue and gold net like bags. "Ronnie..." he says again as he wlaks over to his truck, even if it's not where you were going. "I said I got held up -at- school. Because I had to go back and get the uniforms. It's my week to wash them for the game..." he says. "Look, I'm not making stuff up. I'm sorry if some guy totally messed with you or something in the past but I don't want to date Cheryl. I rather like dating you...well most of the time..." he says, trying to crack a little smile at that one given that this probably isn't his favorite moment.
Veronica Lodge	Veronica Lodge doesn't stop walking. A Lodge does not stop just because someone is trying to be sensible. She keeps on walking. So you can walk and keep up with her, or hop in your truck and drive alongside the sidewalk as she walks. Either way, these heels were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do. The clip on the pavement firmly as her tread takes her in the direction of home. "And what do you think Cheryl was doing there so late Archie? River Vixens didn't have practice. And she's not part of any student interest groups." There could have been some repairing the night. Could have been. But then there's levity thrown in when she is clearly pissed off. She does actually stop and turn back around, glaring, and very few can glare like Veronica Lodge. She's pro at it now, at 16. It's going to be her superpower when she gets older. "Most of the time." She reiterates his statement, then prompty turns back around and stalks onwards, her pace even quicker than before. "Hello Smithers. I'm on my way home from Pop's would you be able to come and pick me up?" Of course he will. He works for her. But she's still polite and asks him to do things. "You're a doll Smithers thank you." Her phone is hung up and dropped into her coat pocket.
Archie Andrews	"Ronnnnieee...." he says with a bit of a drawn out sigh. "I don't know what she was doing there. I frankly don't care," he says. "She could be the friggin'....JK Rowling or Agatha Christe of plot writers. It doesn't matter." But he stays quiet and just walks along with you, staying back. He isn't going to push things. He just follows along until Smithers picks you up. Because he's also not going to let you out in the dark by yourself. His hands are in his back pocket as he walks, kicking a few rocks and things. The inside of his lip is going to look like it lost a fight with a lawnmower tomorrow.