Falice 2

Teenage Years

Jellybean stormed into the house and marched up the stairs, disregarding the fact that Alice was sitting in the living room working on a new crocheting project.

Alice turned around to look at FP entering behind her. "Forsythia, get the hell back here! We're not done talking!"

Alice knew that whatever they were arguing about was serious. FP rarely called Jellybean by her legal name.

"I don't care! I hate you!" Jellybean yelled back at him. She continued to make it up to her room.

He and Alice both heard her door slam shut. FP sighed heavily and pinched the arch of his nose.

"Everything alright?" Alice frowned.

FP shook his head. He navigated his way to her and slumped down next to her. "I thought girls were supposed to be easier than boys," He glanced over at her. "How did you manage two?"

"All teenagers are tough, honey. You can't honestly say Jughead never caused you any trouble," She placed a comforting hand on his knee and gave him a little squeeze. "It's a blessing and a curse that Polly and Betty inherited my attitude."

"Jughead had been easy...for the most part. It's a blessing he's nothing like I was at his age." He loosened his tie and tossed it onto the coffee table. "Hell, Jellybean had always been my sweet baby girl. What happened?"

"That's the thing. She's not a little girl anymore. She's growing up. You knew her teenage years were coming eventually."

FP groaned. "I've been dreading the day."

"What happened anyway?"

"I got a call from the high school. She and a couple of her friends got caught smoking pot under the bleachers."

"JB?" Alice sounded as surprised as FP did when he received the phone call from the principal.

"Yeah. I've never felt us so distant. I don't know what happened. Even while we had that rough patch when she was staying with her mother, it was easier to talk to each other than it is now."

"Maybe she's still adjusting to being the only child at home. I mean, Charles gets busy traveling for work. Betty and Jughead are away at college. And Polly is still healing; she doesn't like coming around. Then there's her mother. You said so yourself, the two have always been close, regardless of what she's done. We're all she has right now. That's a lot for a sixteen year old. Don't you remember what happened when Betty and Jughead were sixteen?"

"I'd rather not think about that anymore," FP hated that period of their lives. It's only a reminder of when he was trying to get his act together for the sake of his kids, but kept failing to do so.

"Our teenage years weren't the greatest either. Who is to say they are for anybody?"

"What am I supposed to do, Al? I'm losing her."

"You're not losing her."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're a good father and you're not going to let that happen."

"Am I supposed to go up there and talk to her now?"

"Give her time to cool down. Going up there now is not going to help anyone." Alice advised him to think about what he wanted to say before confronting her. She knew from experience that she had to be calm when talking to her daughters in order to have a civil conversation. "Why don't I make you a tea in the meantime? You feel tense."

"Please? I'd really like that."

She pecked a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be right back."

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