I was sitting at Pop's going over shoot offers, and editing photos for upcoming deadlines. I was nursing a vanilla coke, and a small plate of french fries. FP appeared at my side, giving me a small smile.
"Are you finished, Angel?" He asked me and I shook my head.
"With the way this is going, I might be here with these fries until you close tonight, babe," I frowned slightly as I offered him a french fry, which he gratefully accepted. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before he went to address Jughead and Betty.
After a few moments, I heard a shatter on the floor.
"Clean it up, Pleb, just like you cleaned up Jason's blood."
Cheryl.
Jughead and I both sprinted over to her, with red in our eyes. I was so tired of Cheryl's bullshit attitude all the fucking time.
"Jug, Angel, don't," FP warned us before he turned to pick up the broken glass and looked at Cheryl. "I'll get you another milkshake, on the house."
After they walked away, and Jughead and Betty sat back down, I looked at Cheryl and Josie with deep set, angry eyes.
"Cheryl, you are the last person who deserves to act like this," I growled at her. "Your father was the one who pulled the trigger, not FP. Get off your high horse before your father comes back from the dead to shoot it just like Jason."
I could feel my blood boiling as I walked back to my booth, and continued to work on the photos. The time flew by quickly as I threw myself into my MacBook's screen. I didn't even look at the clock again until Jughead set a hand on my shoulder, alerting me that it was time to go home.
Deciding in the truck we wanted to eat, I quickly placed an order for Chinese takeout. I sent Jughead to run in for the food as FP and I sat quietly in the car, my fingers tracing his hand as music flowed softly from the speakers.
The three of us walked into the trailer later that night, a bag of takeout food being spread between the three of us as Jughead purposed a party.
"I'm trying to keep the Serpents in my rearview mirror, you guys," FP sighed and looked at us as he grabbed plates from the cupboard.
"It's just one night," Jughead defended. "Not even, maybe three hours. You've done more than right by the Serpents. Let them do right by you."
I took a seat on FP's lap as I sipped a soda, crossing my legs. "Come on, honey, it's the end of an era. Now your son and super hot girlfriend get to take over."
Sighing, FP kissed my cheek and looked at his son. "Fine, fine. Let's do it."
I smiled, and so did Jughead. "Great!"
After a second, Jughead's phone rang. "it's Archie, give me just one second. Don't bogart the egg rolls."
FP grabbed an egg roll from the carton, which I quickly snatched from his fingers and claimed as my own. Not five minutes later, Jughead quickly announced he needed to leave to help Archie fix a fight he started with Veronica. Moments went by as we silently consumed the food, reveling in the silence of chewing.
The night of FP's party went off without a hitch. I had Jughead get ready at my house with me, so we could head over to the Wyrm early to make preparations. I found Archie and Jug talking, nursing sodas.
Archie and Jughead spoke heatedly for a moment before Jug walked away, and I saw him greet Alice and Betty.
"Betty," I smiled, taking her into a hug as she took in my attire. My Serpent jacket was hugging my shoulders closely as I saw Alice Cooper's Serpent attire. After the expulsion of her past, I guess she decided to not fight where she came from anymore.
"Alice," I greeted her, a wicked smile dancing my lips as I took her in.
"Hogeye," I called over, not breaking eye contact with her. "Two shots of tequila," I knew Alice better than she knew herself.
"Hold the worm," Alice smirked and we both walked to the bar. We tapped our glasses together before throwing them back.
"Hit me," Alice and I said in sync as our children watched us, shocked.
"Do you want anything? A shirley temple?" Alice joked with Betty who simply rolled her eyes.
"Hogeye, give me my-"
"Bourbon, straight," he cut me off as he poured the booze into the glass, handing it to me.
I heard piano music come slowly into fruition as I saw Archie and Veronica get onto the stage. I heard the two singing before Jughead approached me.
"You're next, come on!" He grabbed my arm and began to pull me towards the stage.
"What?" I asked him, shocked, almost dropping my glass.
"Archie showed me that video of you with your ex boyfriend. Dad has never heard you sing, now's the time!" He cheered me on and I felt my heart start to beat fast. I haven't sung live in what felt like a century.
Archie and Veronica stormed off stage. I guess something took hold of them. Before anyone could do anything, Betty hopped onto the stage.
What the fuck is she doing?
The girl slowly began to strip her clothes down. Until she stood in nothing other than black lingerie as she stepped towards the stripper pole.
I'll be fucked, Betty's doing the Serpent Dance.
I heard clapping begin to erupt and I saw FP walk towards the stage, giving Betty her jacket. Alice look absolutely traumatized and I quickly approached the woman, taking her into my arms.
"Give her a round of applause!" FP cheered on stage, "let's give her some of that Serpent hospitality we are known for!"
"I've been in and out of the Serpents since I was younger than my son," he pointed to Jughead and I couldn't help but feel as isolated as Jug must have. "Good times, bad times, but through it all, the Serpents stuck by my side."
Jughead and I found each other across the bar quickly, concerned. "According to the law of the land, I'm not allowed to associate with the Serpent. People have turned against me. My friends, even my family, my blood."
His eyes flickered towards Jughead and I, and I felt my whole entire world crash down. What the hell was he doing?
"I've been thinking about that a lot lately," FP spoke, his eyes addressing the crowd. "And it'll be a cold day in Hell when a Serpents takes orders from a pig."
Horror spread across my face and I began to panic as his rant continued.
"The North Side wants me to retire, but they better bring a coffin!" The man began to scream. "I will not go gently into the night! I am here to stay!"
A riot began to ensue around him. Screams and cheers and erupted yells began to sound all around me. I quickly found Jughead and extended my hand to him. This was not where either of us needed to be.
"They can bring the fire!"
People began to disperse and congratulated Jughead and I. We were royalty, and I couldn't help but feel sick. I lost all my peace of mind about what Jughead and I had promised FP not days before about safety and our dreams.
We wanted FP to fix the problems, not to become a problem. I'll be fucked if I let this happen again, not while my boy is in the crossfire.
FP stepped off the stage, and slowly began to walk towards Jughead and I. As he approached his son, I slightly stepped in front of him, a small shield to protect the boy from something I knew was uncontrollable.
"What happened to retiring?" Jughead asked bitterly, before his father took him into a hug.
The boys exchanged words to each other, words I couldn't decipher over the music. Jughead looked startled to see his father pull away from him.
"You broke my heart, Jughead." I heard and looked at FP, then at Jughead.
What the hell was going on?
"Shots! Let's line them up!" Someone yelled. Tall Boy handed FP a shot and I felt my hand creak from white knuckling my whiskey glass.
Raising his shot, Tall Boy looked directly at me with an evil, triumphant smile. "Long live the king."
I saw FP down the liquor, breaking his AA code.
Fuck. What the fuck did Jughead do?
The men began to quickly move towards the stage waiting for more women to strip to revealing lingerie and dance on a pole, probably.
My eyes quickly fluttered to Jughead as tears welled in his eyes. I set my hands on his shoulders. "Jughead, Jughead what happened?!"
The boy's glassed over eyes couldn't looked in my own teary ones. Something catastrophic happened. What did Jughead do? What did we do?
"Jughead, honey, please, I need you to talk to me," I spoke, broken. A tear slipped over my lid and I quickly wiped the eyeliner tinted stain away from my eyes as I looked at my adoptive son. "Talk to me, please."
Jughead pushed me off of him, and quickly walked outside.
"You," I growled as I saw FP begin to approach me, his buddies preoccupied with their drinks and women.
"Madison, Angel, I-"
"You, FP Jones, are one malicious, pompous and self-righteous piece of shit," I growled at him, tears flowing past my eyelids faster than they can be wiped. "I believed in you. I believed in better for you, for us. You've just thrown that all away."
I turned on my heel, walking away as I set my whiskey glass down on a table. FP grabbed my hand and spun my around, only to be met with a harsh slap across the face.
"You made your choice, FP."
Before he could say anything else, I walked out. I found Betty standing outside, alone. She was now wearing the cotton candy colored clothes she arrived in, and was dripping tears down her pretty face.
"Hi, doll," I took her into a hug, and I felt the young girl collapse into me. Pain was heavy in the both of us, and I could only imagine how she ached. "Do you want to stay at mine tonight?"
I could feel the girl nod into my chest and I slowly began to ease us towards my car. I knew Jughead would want to be alone. These deep seeded emotional issues were too guarded for him to handle while with me. He needed solidarity.
This is one of the many things from which I knew we might not ever recover.