New Beginnings

Return of the Mack

"Smith." She sassily whispered.

"Clayton." Polly replies back before giggling.

Cara Clayton had been on Polly's eye from her first week at Riverdale High. There was something beyond striking about her bubbly personality, her pearly white smile and her wide set glittering hazel eyes. So imagine her surprise when she hit the jackpot and finally got her attention.

"What time is it?" Cara asked as she sat up and leant against Polly's headrest. She pulled the duvet towards her chest.

"Don't know. Don't care." Polly said nonchalantly before leaning in for another kiss.

Her bedroom door being flung wide open all of a sudden took them by surprise. Even more surprising was seeing Betty waving a spray bottle around before aiming it at the two of them, soaking them fiercely to get their attention.

Polly briskly pulled her covers over her and Cara's faces, clenching her eyes shut and closing her mouth to stop the water going any further.

"What the hell Betty?!" She screeched in shock, a rush of relief hitting her once her younger sister stopped.

"Mom just called, said her and FP are on their way back and the house is a shithole!" She expressed frantically, watching her older sisters face go completely blank and her eye brows arch in shock.

"Shit!" She gasped before immediately springing up out of bed, holding her duvet against her chest with one hand as she reached for her shirt with the other and rashly pulled it over her messy head. "How long did she say she was gonna be?"

"She didn't! She could be entering the county border right now for all we know. We've gotta get the place tidied or we're screwed!" Betty expressed before leaving her sisters room in a hurry.

Polly tiredly ran her hands through her blonde locks as worry crossed her features. Looking around her bedroom, among the regular mess that existed, it was an absolute state courtesy of the party, so she could only imagine what the rest of the house looked like.

"I can help you tidy up, I mean, if you want?" Cara kindly suggested with a grin.

Polly looked back at her as her lips curved into a eager grin. "I'd appreciate that."

Unfortunately, Polly's prior fears confirmed to be true as she discovered upon walking down the hall and the staircase, that the house was an absolute tip.

The floors were covered in streamers, confetti, red cups, empty beer bottles and pizza boxes, with the added few passed out teens lying about in their own vomit. Even with the added help and extreme cleaning, they still failed to get the place in tip top shape before their mother returned.

"We're out of trash bags." Betty groaned as she returned from outside to find her sister mopping the floors.

"Did you check the basement?" Polly snapped, still in a foul mood.

"Obviously." Betty spat in an unamused tone, annoyed by her sisters attitude.

"So if I check the basement I'm not gonna find any?"

Betty's face muscles tightened in frustration as her eyes darted towards her elder sister. "Don't snap at me just because your party went haywire-"

A car pulling up outside their home instantly gained their attention, drawing them away from their brief argument.

"That's FP's truck isn't it?" Polly panicked as she glanced towards the window. Her panick arose as her mother exit the truck looking utterly disgusted.

"Wow." FP gasped with widened eyes as he followed Alice up the steps.

"I'm gonna kill Polly!" Alice spat as she grit her teeth. Furiously folding her arms over her chest, she stormed into the house to find her daughters and Cara stood there blanked faced with trash bags in their hands.

"It was all Polly's idea! I had nothing to do with it!" Betty defended as she held up her hands.

Polly gasped as she spun her head to face her sister. "You lying snitch." She hissed.

During the back and forth between the family, Cara finally spoke. "I think I'm gonna leave." She said quietly before manouvering her way around them all.

"I'll text you." Polly whispered enthusiasticaly before turning her eyes back towards her furious mother.

"Well? Explain yoursleves." Alice demanded to know with a sassy head tilt.

"Well honestly, I didn't think you'd notice. I thought the place would be spotless." Polly argued.

Alice's mouth tightened into a scowl before reaching for a roll of trash bags and throwing it their way. "This place better be spotless within the hour!"

Polly and Betty guiltily looked towards each other with frowned mouths. They briefly nodded, taking the bags to continue their clean up.

"Well I guess we better get started on the floors then." FP suggested as he grabbed the mop leaning against the wall.

"Uh, nope! I don't think so. Polly's doing that." She stated before walking towards him and attempting to grab the mop out of his hands, but he pulled it back before she could.

"Alice, you've been through enough this weekend." He reiterated tenderly, watching her head droop slowly and her mouth curve into a frown.

"I know, but-"

"But nothing. It's the least I could do, plus it seems like a lot of work." He chuckled.

"Thanks. I appreciate it, but what about Jughead and Jellybean, don't you need to get home to them?"

"Don't worry about that." He assured her with a smile. "They're with their grandparents in Toledo for the weekend."

"Oh, well okay then." She added before reaching for a trash bag.

As she bent down to the ground to pick up the trash surrounding her, a familiar sounding wolf whistle was heard coming from behind her and taking her by surprise.

Her mouth fell into a silent oh as her eyes tightened in suspicion.

"Well, well, well-" The voice spoke with such conceit, cocking his head to the side as he pursed his lips smugly and looked her up and down, admiring the view. "Could never resist a party could ya?"

She finally turned, along with FP following suit. He instantly scowled in distrust at the sight of this mystery man.

"Brody?" Alice gasped in disbelief.

The mention of the familar name got Betty's attention as she turned the corner, fixing her eyes onto the three stunned adults. "Dad?"