Letters From Another (Bughead)

Chapter Thirty-Six

A/n Hi.  It has been several weeks since I last posted.  I've had some chapters in the works but I hadn't had the inspiration to finish them until now.  

So here is my newest chapter, crossing my fingers it isn't total garbage. 

Betty POV

As I finished my last knock on the door it shot open and I was face to face with Alice Cooper.

Her face was lathered in makeup and her outfit was perfectly pressed.

"Hi mom."

Her expression seemed stuck and tired, almost if she was wearing a facemask and she didn't want it to crack.

"Hi Betty." she finally countered with a judgmental tone. "Would you like to come in?"

I gave a half smile out of courtesy. As I entered the red door I felt like I was stepping through a time machine.

Most of the house seemed the same. Same furniture, paint, all that seemed different were the photos. My face was no longer presented front and center. In fact I couldn't find myself at all.

I wandered around downstairs until my mother snapped me out of my thoughts by clearing her throat.

"Why are you here Betty? I thought you never wanted to see me again."

"Last time I saw you some things were said that didn't need to be. I'm sorry."

She wasn't facing me, " So why all of a sudden do you want to make amends?"

I wasn't entirely sure. I probably would have never taken a step in this house again if it wasn't for Archie. Perhaps I was doing this because I felt the need of a mother's touch in these trying times. The only problem is my mother had never provided that 'touch' to me in any way. That's probably why I lost contact with her in the first place.

"Mom... I don't want to fall back into this fight with you. I just wanted to come see you."

"Well?.." she put her hands up, "You've seen me. Now what?"

How could I have been so naive after all of these years. No matter how hard I tried or how many chances I gave her she would never truly care for me, be my mother, and every time she opened her mouth it reminded me of why I left in the first place.

"You know what? I'm sick of this. This is why I don't talk to you. You're a terrible person and you don't care who you hurt, even when it's your own daughter. "

She responded with an eye roll.

"You know what Betty? You came to my house not the other way around. You can leave whenever you'd like."

"Fine." I could feel my face tightening. "I don't know why I didn't see this outcome from the first second I walked through that door."

I was praying for her to say something like 'I'm sorry Betty, I love you.' or even just a hint of affection, a way for me to tell she wasn't a total monster. But as usual my prayers went unanswered.

"Me neither." she said with eyes as dark as a shark.

I scoffed and turned so fast I was surprised I didn't fall over.

Was I so terrible that my own family didn't want me anymore? Every step I took towards the door felt heavier and heavier. By the time I had reached the handle I had lost her attention.

I didn't need to turn to know that she had walked away. She had given up on me a long time ago, I just had to return the favor.

I opened the door and stepped out into the new day.

I took a deep breath of fresh air before I returned to Archie's car.

As I approached I noticed that he had fallen asleep. I tapped on the window and he immediately shot up.

He turned towards me and his confused expression turned into one of relief.

I pointed at the car door and he reached over to unlock it.

"Thanks Arch." I said with a smile.

I'm not sure why I was smiling. My whole life has gone to shit, my mother officially hates me, yet all of that seemed to just fall off of my shoulders as soon as I left that house. That cursed house that I had been trapped in for so long was cast out of my life for good. That was the last time I tried to appease that God awful woman.

"Are you ok?" Archie asked concerned.

"I am... I really am."

He shrugged his shoulders before he proceeded to start the engine and pull away from the place I once called home.

A/n Next chapter will be a part 2 of this one.