A New Start (Jughead Fanfiction)

Chapter Eleven

*A week later*

I wake up to the smell of pancakes and bacon. My nose also caught the strong scent of coffee brewing. I get up and, with a smile on my face, run to the kitchen. Mom, Dad, and Chris all looked at me with big grins. "Happy birthday, Hope. I can't believe you are 17 already. It seems like just last week we adopted you on your 10th birthday." Mom wiped away a tear and I hugged her. "Thanks mom, I am so happy that I have you guy as a family," I say and pulled my family into a big hug and they laughed. We all sat and ate the pancakes, and mom explained what we were doing today. I would go to get my cat, then we would go visit grandpa, me, Betty, Veronica, and Mom would go get our nails done, and we would set up for my birthday party that had my friends in it.

I got dressed and we went to the shelter. I looked around for cats, and found a bunch of cats that had been neglected. I look around, and kept going deeper into the cat section. "Have you found one you like yet, Hope?" mom asked, I shook my head, they were either too vicious, or wouldn't go near me. I find a sleek, grey kitten, that looks a few months old. I go up to it and it looked suspiciously at me, but crawled up to the door. "Hi there." I say to it in a baby voice. It meowed at me. "You are a cute little thing, aren't you," I stick my finger in the box and the kitten sniffed my finger, and rubbed its head against it. I giggle and said to mom, "I think I found the one I want mom." I had gotten the cat, and what it needs to go home with me. I named him Silver. "Let's go, Silver. Let's go see grandpa," I whisper to him, and we leave the shelter.

I enter my grandpa's room in the nursing home. I held Silver quietly, and he purred as I rub his ears. "Grandpa?" I call out, seeing him in bed. He looked at me and smiled. "Hello sweetie. Happy birthday, Hope." I smile at him and go to his bed. I slip Silver into my hood, he liked it there. I hug grandpa, and sit down next to him. "Are you behaving yourself, grandpa?" I ask teasingly. He chuckled. "As much as I can, sweetpea. How is school? Your mom told me you started Riverdale high about two weeks ago." I nod. "It is okay. I made a few friends," I say with a smile. "Good, good. Any boys ask you out yet?" he said, acting like a gossipy teen. I laugh and nod. "I am going out with a boy named Jughead. He is really wonderful." He smiled at me. "Well, I would like to meet him soon, before I go." I look at him sadly. "Grandpa don't talk like that. You will. I am thinking about bringing him here before we go to prom. In two days." he nodded. "Good. So I can pull him by his ear and tell him to treat you right, or I will come back from the grave and shoot him in his backside." he coughed. "Grandpa. Don't work so hard." he would cough whenever he overexerted himself. "Don't worry about me honey, but you might want to spend your birthday somewhere happier." I smile at him and kiss his head. "I love you grandpa. I will see you before prom. Behave." he chuckled and waved me off with an "I love you, and Happy Birthday."

Me and mom picked up Betty and Veronica, and we went to get our nails done. I got beautiful silver color, Veronica got french nails, Betty got a soft pink, and mom got french nails as well. We went out to eat a little bit before setting up. We got to my house and put up balloons and I noticed there were a few presents on the table, courtesy of mom, dad, and Chris. Betty also got me a gift, as well as Veronica. We finished putting the snacks out and I was told that the boys were on their way over. Chris was excited that Kevin was coming as well. I heard the door and went to open it. Archie, Jughead, and Kevin were there. They each held a present, I let them in. "You didn't have to get me presents, you guys," I explain and they laugh. "Of course we did! It is your birthday!" Veronica said, pulling me into a hug.

We all have snacks and talk to each other, I introduced Silver, who was shy in the new environment with the new people. I hold him and show him to everyone. "Aww! He is so cute! What is his name?" Betty asked. "His name is Silver. Silver, say hi!" I say in a baby voice, and he meowed quietly. "Aww!" I heard. I showed him to the boys. Jughead smiled cutely, looking at me holding my cat. "You look cute together," Jughead said, coming up to me, hugging me from behind, kissing my head. He rubbed Silver's head causing him to purr. "Thank you," I lean against Jughead, and heard a few clicks.

We look up and see mom, Betty, and Chris holding their phones and a camera. They had taken pictures of us. I blush and turn to hide my head in Jughead's chest. More pictures were taken and I was blushing like mad. I heard the girls giggling and dad said it was time for presents. Everyone brings out the presents and I sit on the couch, everyone had their eyes on me. Jughead sat next to me, holding Silver. Veronica held her gift out for me and I take it. It was wrapped in beautiful gold wrapping paper. I start to open it, and I notice it was a box. I open the box and see it was a beautiful arrangement of mugs. I smile and thank her. Betty handed me hers, which had balloons of all different colors on it. Betty's gift was a new pillow. It was white and had the Deathly Hallows sign on it. Mom got me a little bed for Silver, it was grey and looked kind of like a throne. I laugh at the thought of him on it. "Look Silver, you will be the little prince of this castle," I say and boop his nose, setting down the bed. He looked at it and then fell back asleep.

Kevin got me a $15 dollar gift card for a bookstore. "Thanks Kev." Archie got me a blanket for my sofa and some more sodas for my fridge. Chris handed me his gift. It was two black helmets. I look at him confused. "Go look outside." I grab my jacket and go outside. There was a sleek silver motorcycle out by mom's car, it had a red bow on it. I gasp and look at him. "How did you get this?" I ask my brother. "I worked it off at the shop and cleaned it up. It is yours." I scoff and hug him. "Thank you!" We went back inside and mom and dad handed me their presents. More coffee, frozen coffee, more canvas, and a little heater that looked like a mini fireplace.

I thanked them and I notice Jughead looked a little nervous. He handed me his gifts. One was a little box, and another was bigger, longer. I take them gently and thank him. I open the long one first, finding new brushes and more paints and colored pencils. I smile and thank him, and sat them in my lap. Silver started batting at the wrapping paper. I crumble it into a ball, laughing as I throw it to him. He was batting at it and played with it. I open Jug's other present and smile. It was a bracelet that had our names on it. "Oh Jug. It is beautiful," I say, breathless. He smiled and put it on me, then looked at me. "I am glad you like it," he said quietly. I pull him into a big hug. He hugged me back. More pictures were taken and we all gathered to eat cake. I was sung happy birthday and was a little uncomfortable. I didn't like this part. Having to sit down while everyone sang around me about how I was one year closer to dying.

After everything settled down, we all sat down in the living room and watched movies. I had my head on Jug's shoulder, and it was dark. I was tired, and soon after the movie ended, everyone left. Jughead was still here, we were half asleep on the couch. Mom giggled and took a few pictures, and took my stuff to my room. Silver was sleeping on his bed, so that was not moved. Jughead had his arms around my waist, mine around his neck. Chris put a blanket over us and headed up to bed. "Happy birthday," Jughead mumbled, half asleep. It made my heart flutter and pound. I nod. "Thank you, Jughead. For being here. And for the presents." I mumble against his chest.