"Bastard!" Before she knew what she was doing, Alice threw Chic's empty mug at her husband.
It missed Hal by an inch. Everyone looked to the cupboard. Then to Hal. Then Alice. She was staring at the mug pieces on the floor. She needed to get away from him before she did anything else. She walked up the stairs in a fit of rage and threw open her bedroom door. Alice pulled a suitcase out from the cupboard, put a suitcase on the bed, and stood still. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she felt the tears fall. Alice didn't understand, couldn't understand, why Hal would cheat on her; she didn't know what she did wrong, she changed everything for him. Her clothes, her attitude, her habits. Her lifestyle. She changed her life, she changed who she was for him. Forgot her roots, her past. And all for what? To be cheated on? At least she felt guilty about what she had done. At least she didn't continue it. Sadness turned to more anger and she smashed a photo of the two of them against as wall; Alice threw Hal's clothes into the suitcase, not bothering to fold them. She growled when she heard Hal's voice from downstairs calling her name and dragged the suitcase down the stairs. Betty and Chic looked on in shock when their mother opened the front door and heaved the suitcase outside
Hal followed Alice out the front door and put a hand on her arm, "this isn't my fault, Alice," he said in a soft voice, "you were the one who let a stranger into our home. My home."
Alice yanked her arm away from Hal, "Chic is not a stranger, he is my son."
"I worshiped you. Like a goddess, for twenty years," Hal's voice became louder with each word.
Alice laughed in his face, "yeah, you did. Because, historically speaking, Hal, goddesses are regularly treated like shit by their husbands. Cheated on, even. Occasionally with family, too," Alice gave her husband a once over and went to walk back inside, "bye, Hal," she shut the door, leaving him outside with his suitcase.
Alice leaned against the door and sighed, waving off her children's concerns. She headed up the stairs to bed and told Chic and Betty to do the same. She shut her bedroom door and sat on her bed, pinching the bridge of her nose. A goddess. A fucking goddess. That bastard. She couldn't feel any less guilty now. She'd march over to FP's and kiss him if it wasn't 2am. She'd spent these last few weeks feeling guilty because she was thinking about, and wanting, another man; all the while, her husband has been around Thistle House going down on Penelope Blossom, and probably letting her go down on him, too. That damn harlot. Alice looked up at her door as she heard her daughter tip toe down the stairs talking on the phone, and going out the front door. She's more than likely sitting on the front steps with Jughead, telling him what happened. Hell, if word got out that she threw a mug at her husband, everyone would gloat; 'Alice Cooper's finally lost it, always knew she was a crazy bitch' they'd say. Susan fucking Browne would knock on her door with a newly brought mug to replace the one she smashed. Bloody stumpy, twig bitch.
--
Alice knocked twice on the large door in front of her. She hated this place, and everything and everyone to do with it. Cheryl was at school, so she wasn't at risk of talking to little miss popular, thank the lord. Not a moment later the town's very own strumpet, Penelope Blossom, opened the front door; her face turned to a scowl the moment she spotted Alice. She'd thrown all of Hal's things out the day after he was kicked out; even his malt whiskey, poured down the sink and then smashed. Alice secretly hoped he was here so she could gloat at him about his belongings being either destroyed or binned. But it was Penelope Blossom. Damn hussy. The woman raised an eyebrow at Alice and gave her a judgemental look. Silently blaming her for her cheating ass of a husband, no doubt. Alice pulled some papers out from her bag and shoved them at Penelope.
"What are these?" Penelope looked at the papers and took them from Alice, skimming the writing on the first page.
"Divorce papers. Give these to Hal for me, will you? Tell him I send the kindest of regards and that I hope he's having fun with his ruined reputation," Alice smiled sarcastically and walked back to her car, leaving Penelope standing in the doorway staring with an open mouth, "half melted, ten cent trollop," she mumbled to herself as she drove away from Thistle House.
Now that she'd handed the divorce papers over she felt free, happy. Happier than she's felt in years. Alice let out a sigh of relief as she opened the door to her house, she walked in the kitchen intending to make her a cup of coffee but stopped in her tracks when she saw the box of chocolates on the counter. In a split-second decision, she grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down a note to the kids saying she'd gone over Sierra's to talk about the divorce and for them to get Pop's for dinner. She picked up the chocolates and placed a twenty dollar note on the table along with the small piece of paper. Alice heard Betty and Jughead laughing upstairs before she closed the front door again. She didn't have to feel guilty about wanting FP anymore, about kissing him, about thinking about him. About almost going there. Alice felt free. She knocked on the trailer door and held the box tightly. Honestly, she didn't know why she was there, but she knew the chocolate was an excuse to see him. She couldn't just hand him the chocolate and go; Alice didn't know when she'd see him again, and the longer she stayed here, the better. His trailer made her feel safe. Alice opened her mouth when he opened the door, but no words came out.
"Alice," there was that look in his eyes again that she couldn't quite place.
"Hey," Alice bit her lip, "can I come in? I brought chocolate."
"Sure," FP stood to the side as Alice made her way in to the trailer and in the small lounge. The sun was setting and the small room was lit only by the light from the TV; Alice smiled a little to herself, she always remembered FP liking sitcoms, and it was of no surprise to her that he was watching Full House. She turned when FP switched the TV off and handed him the box of chocolates, which he placed on the coffee table. There was an awkward silence between the pair of them and Alice didn't know what to say; she wondered if he knew about her and Hal yet, news travels fast in Riverdale, but FP hadn't said anything to her so she presumed he didn't know.
"Hal and I are getting divorced," Alice inwardly cringed, the way she said it sounded awkward and forced.
FP was silent and just stared at her, "oh."
"He was cheating on me with Penelope Blossom. I don't know how long, I kicked him out before he could say. It's been two weeks," just as well tell him the rest she supposed. As long as both Penelope and Hal were shamed, then she was happy. The only problem Alice had was the pity she was receiving from the whole town. She didn't want their pity, she'd received enough of it from Betty, and now Polly, who called to say she was coming home for a while. Alice was glad, of course, but her relationship with her oldest daughter was strained, one wrong word and Polly would leave again; so, really, it stressed her out. FP was silent again as he sat down on the sofa and opened the chocolates, placing one in his mouth. Alice nearly scowled when he told her he was sorry. She turned away from him and sighed. The silence was getting to the both of them, they were tense and looked elsewhere but each other. All Alice could think of these past two weeks was their kiss a few metres to her right, up against his front door. If she kept quiet about it much longer she was going to scream, she needed to tell him, she just wasn't going to looks at him when she did.
"I can't stop thinking about that kiss, FP."
"Neither can I," Alice faced him, stunned, to find he was already looking at her. She unconsciously stepped closer to him and searched his eyes, studied his face, glanced at his lips. She wanted to say something, anything, but she had no words. The only person who could stun her into silence was sitting before her and was holding her gaze as if he had been for the last twenty years. She was drowning in his eyes and she didn't want to stop.
FP was still looking in her eyes, she was standing directly in front of him now, "I can't stop thinking about you, Alice," his eyes swept up her body, drinking her in while she looked down at him in shock, mouth slightly open.
FP took her hand and gently pulled her down; he leaned up and closed the distance between them. He could taste cherry on her lips and deepened the kiss, enjoying the taste. Alice put her hands on his shoulders and straddled him and moaned as FP held her hips and ran his hands up her sides and back down again. She'd missed the taste of his lips, of the chocolate that always seemed to linger there every time he ate a piece; how he'd let her kiss him until the taste was gone and the taste of her cherry lip balm would be there instead, how he'd lick his lips for hours afterwards. Alice broke the kiss and moved to his jawline instead, kissing up towards his right ear where she knew he liked it. She let out a sultry laugh as FP took in a quick breath when she swayed against him. Everything came to a halt when he took her face in his hands and traced her lips with his thumb.
"I want you," FP searched her face for a millisecond before she nodded and kissed him again, hands shooting straight for the buckle of his belt to pull herself closer to him. FP's hands found their way to her shirt and unbuttoned it, while Alice unbuckled his belt. He's wanted this for twenty years, he's loved her for twenty years, and everything be damned, he noticed the way she looked at him. The glances, the stares lasing half a second too long, the way she said his name with a touch of honey that she only reserved for her kids. Alice Cooper tasted like cherries and smelled like roses, and fucking hell he'd missed it. She gasped and leaned into the crook of his neck when he pushed her pencil skirt up her thighs, and gasped again when he squeezed them. FP's kisses moved along her jawline, down her throat, to her collarbone, and ended at her chest; Alice leaned her head back, moaning multiple profanities.
"Alice..." FP breathed against her skin, and Alice pushed his shirt up, running her hands up his stomach to his chest. She broke the kiss and looked him in the eyes, both of them panting. FP stared at her chest, rising and falling with every breath she took, and went to unhook her blue lace bra. She kissed him again and bit his lips, smiling as he groaned; Alice jumped off FP when she heard a knock at the door. Both of their eyes wide and breathing fast. She hastily buttoned her shirt and FP put his belt back on and stood up. A smirk grew on her lips when she looked down at his trousers and he swore at her.
"Think of Clifford Blossom, dear," Alice winked at him and put a chocolate in her mouth, staring him in the eyes as she did so. Another knock made FP answer the door, and he raised an eyebrow at an old Serpent standing in front of him.
"Why's Alice Cooper here?" The Serpent looked in her direction and then back at FP.
"She came to talk about Betty and Jughead."
"And I was just leaving. Bye, FP," Alice held her nose up at both of them as she walked out the trailer door and drove home.
"There's something you need to know, boss."