Cheryl had been at the party where Archie & Betty had performed 'mad world'. Betty hadn't been the best singer. But when she was pole dancing she'd never been quite so sexy. Cheryl had never been a big fan of just how good and perfect Betty was but now that she was changing...Cheryl could relate to her more.
After the incident w/ Nick Cheryl had once said nothing had happened. Well but something had almost happened she just wasn't one to share soft emotions.
She was in Jughead's trailer of all places thinkign and waiting for him. His dad was off getting groceries. She was curled up on the beige sofa in her long red wool cape and Jughead's beige comforter around her legs and lap. She had a silver flask and hot chocolate near her.
It was snowing outside. Snow reminded her of when she'd fallen through the ice and how nice Veronica had been to her after.
She didn't want to be at Thornhistle now. She needed somewhere neutral and quiet where nothing had happened. Her mother had abused her and she thinks. The sugar man the original one was someone who had done something to her once which was why mother had told her and Jason to go upstairs each time he came. But. Her mother wasn't there when she'd been almost...when Nick... in the hotel room...Veronica had. Not a man but a woman. She'd drifted toward Jughead after that bc she saw something in him. She knew h e and Betty had broken up bc he didn't want her Betty getting involved w/ the Serpents. Oh but somehow it was perfectly ok for him to be?
Nick had blackmailed her. He gave her mother money so she wouldn't say anything. And was controlling her, again. And her mother, which is funny given how her been. Ever since the breakup Jughead had been rigid towards her which was just fine w/ her.
She poured more liquor into the hot chocolate.
This time it was her controlling the liquor. And what it went into and what went into it. She wondered when he'd be back w/ that jj she'd asked him to get earlier that day.
Yes. The new sugar man had been killed. But that title always passes on to someone else.
The one thing though the one difference. other then Betty's being perfect was that. It hadn't happened to Betty.
The trailer was quiet. And outside was quiet. She thought of...just heading outside sans cape or the long black wool coat the one hanging on the hook by the front door. It was Jughead's dad's but that wasn't it. It was that. She didn't care again and wanted to become more numb. But instead. She waited for the liquor to spread in the hot chocolate. It was odd that she drank something warm when she didn't want it. But that biological survival instinct kicked in. it was cold in the trailer.
A few mins. later she heard someone open the door. She tensed.
"Hey it's me," Jughead said coming in: "i got what you asked for."
He came and set the paper grocery bags on the coffee table in front of her.
"Where's it?"
"You drunk?"
She noticed he wasn't wearing anything warmer then leather.
"No I'm fuking sober. Yes I'm drunk," she replied.
"Me too in a minute. Goddamn this breakup. uh. It's in the bag."
And there she saw it the colored green and white strawlike tube peeking out of the bag. There were 2 actually a purple and white one as well. She leaned forward and grabbed it out of the bag and was about to open and pour it when...
"Cheryl. You're gonna end up...again. if you're gonna do that at least notify me first."
why do you care, she thought.
"Close the door," was all she said.
He went and closed the door.
"bc, you've been staying here the last few days and you're partially my responsibility," he answered her unasked question.
"I don't need to be anyone's responsibility," she answered annoyed.
"Ok fine," he said w/ irritation and attitude.
"Oh you really want to do this? You really want to argue w/ the queen bee after what I've been through?" she stood leaning forward her long red hair swinging.
Inside he smiled. He was glad to see that fire back in her.
"So what do you want?" he asked.
"liquor."
"Food?"
"Don't. Don't do that ok?"
"alrite," he threw his hands up.
She sat back down.
He then looked through the bags.
"i...oh there it is," he muttered puling a long thin box of pasta out.
"Hey flask?" he looked at it then her asking for permission.
"Yeah take it. It was my grandmother's," she said quietly and dismissively.
"i..." he began not wanting to approach her.
She put it on the table by the bags.
"There."
He had his own liquor yes. But he wanted to see what it felt like to drink out of something classy. He took it and put it in his pocket. He'd give it back to her.
She wondered where his dad was.
"Held up at the store. It was snowing more, so. Might be there awhile," he replied.
She turned, brushed back the window curtain w/ her pale delicate hand. Oh so it was. The curtains fell into place. She turned back around.
She took the jj tubes out of the bag. He grabbed the grocery bags and took them into the small kitchen. She opened the jj and let it rest for a bit. In the kitchen she heard him set the paper bags down go to the stove and turn on the burner. She was reminded of the fire she'd set to her mother.
He set to work in the kitchen and she. Set to work pouring the jj on the dark surface of the black and wood coffee table.
"Cheryl...what are you doing?"
"I'm riding a bike what the fuk do you think i'm doing?"
"Look. If you're gonna do that. Don't pour it on the coffee table ok? House rule."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"You wanna stay here?"
"Maybe I don't," she said getting up again then realising how dizzy she was.
She quickly sat back down. Then scooped the jj into her hand and put that in her cup.
"I cleaned it you'll be glad to know."
"alrite."
When he'd opened the door the cold air had blown in.
"Turn on the heat," she said.
"It *is* on that's as high as it goes. Dad said he'd fix it some day but in this weather."
Right. The alcohol was lowering her body temperature.
She heard him filling a pot w/ water.
Maybe she should be the one who started screwing for drugs.
"Betty's. Not as perfect as she used to be maybe you & I are a better fit," she said softly from her spot on the sofa.
"I already got my rebound lady. And i'm not gonna just screw you. You want that?" he said sounding like Veronica when she'd told Betty something about helping w/ Chuck's sticky maple: "Walk outside at any time. But I warn you it's not a good life. And, whatever you decide. Have confidence enough to not be dishonest about it. Which."
evidently she was. Well w/ him she was anyway. if she hadn't been...she wouldn't have told him implied wanted him to screw her. He saw her delicacy. Even before Nick...he saw it. He saw that she wasn't just.a manipulative bitch. It was just a cover for what she'd been through w/ her mom.
She knew if she went to the bar where the Serpents were any one of them would buy her a drink. and then maybe screw her. And appealed to her right now.
She took a sip.
"But, you're right she's not and I couldn't handle her joining the Serpents. so."
we broke up, thought Cheryl.
I didn't like that she was so good and perfect when.i'm not.
"She was really sexy on that pole. Hell I could've been up I," she took another sip realising how close she was to opening up.
Was enjoying the show was the finish.
She heard him open the fridge get the cheese and sauce out.
"Yeah and if I talk to her again I might actually tell her you said that," he said.
Cheryl wasn't one to say nice things about people.
"well. Now she's not as good," he pointed out.
"She's not a great singer though. And she's too blonde and..."
"You're taking shots at my ex girlfriend?"
She shut up.
He was, obviously tense and she wanted to help him forget. She knew he'd refill the flask.
"So now we wait," he said coming back into the living rm. And sitting down in front of the table opposite her.
He took the flask from his pocket opened it tipped his head back and drank. She looked down and sipped more of her drink. he'd changed into his dad's long wool coat.
"I'll sleep on the sofa tonight," she said after awhile.
"Ok."
ever since ick...she hadn't wanted to sleep in a bed.
"What do you know about the sugar man? I mean the original," she began.
"Same thing everyone knows why," he said his arms encircling his knees legs his legs bent.
"I think that. When he'd visit one time when he visited...Jason and I..."
jughead swallowed feeling the weight of this.
"and I obviously can't ask him 's not here but."
He took more of the drink. He was ok, w/ the fact that she didn't go into detail. It was actually a relief after being w/ Betty.
She had more of the drink. It bit.
She didn't want sympathy cause sympathy was closed to pity. And she hated pity. It made her feel like she wasn't the queen. She was ok w/ the small action the small way he'd reacted just a minute ago.
"Jason..." Jughead asked asking if they'd ever talked about it.
She swallowed sharply as a reply. Meaning yes.
"it's a fukin speakeasy here isn't it," he stated annoyed.
"Yeah. It is," she said quietly.
They both knew he didn't just mean the liquor. He meant the literal definition of that term.
"Why."
"Why? Bc not every guy's a fukin jerk. That's why. Look I know you think I'm from the wrong side of the tracks and maybe I am but. Believe it or not I'm not always this sarcastic and cold."
She noticed the typewriter.
"xmas gift?" she asked.
"Yeah."
Now it was her turn to tip her head back and drink.
"I'm," she said after she'd swallowed.
She indicated the typewriter: "but I want you to destroy...after. You show it to anybody and I swear to god."
"Alrite," he said in agreement.
"Hold this," she said getting up and giving him the cup.
"Alrite," he said taking it.
She went over to the typewriter, sat and typed 'I was almost raped' on it. Then stood, came back and took the cup out of his hands.
"I'll be in the kitchen while you. I'll be in the kitchen," she said.
"mmm. Yeah," he nodded up at her.
She went into the kitchen, and waited sipping her hot choclate. She heard him get up and go over to the typewriter.
"Godamnit Nick. Godfukindamnit. When I get my hands on you I swear to god. Oh," he muttered then sighed.
She sipped more then swallowed so she wouldn't tear up. Cause cheryl blossom never teared up.
She heard a rip as he pulled it out.
"Destroy it?" he asked towards the direction of the kitchen.
"Yeah fukin burn it. Burying it would be too obvius."
"Um alrite," he said looking at her.
"What," she said.
"I. Hand me that mason jar," he said looking at one on a shelf above the stove.
"Alrite and I got a lighter," she said getting it down.
She set both on the counter as she went to the living room and got the crumpled piece of paper off the living room floor. Then came back to the kitchen.
"Here. You do the honors. It's your...you do the honors," he told her looking at the counter: "you know how to do this?"
"Yeah i'm not an idiot."
And she was back.
She went over, put the paper in the jar, set fire to it and closed the lid tightly. She held it in her hands until it nearly burned her. He didn't say anything just watched her from a short distance. She was calmer didn't erase what happened.
