Chapter 2 Memory Lane
Jughead sat down at the table with his dad completely quiet in thought until F.P interrupted said thoughts. "Why did you shut her out Jug?" "I thought I was protecting her dad. Trouble seemed to follow me around and I didn't want her mixed in with that, especially after the whole locker ordeal. I thought I was doing right by her." F.P sighed "Look where that got you kid. You have a son you didn't even know about because you wouldn't explain to her what was going on in that head of yours. You need to do right by her and get to know your kid. You owe them both that much Jug." F.P responded as he got up from the table leaving Jughead to his thoughts.
*FLASHBACK*
After Jug had accepted the leather Serpent jacket he had secluded himself from his friends, and Betty. He knew it was wrong, but he wanted to protect them and as long as he was around them that wouldn't happen. He seen the calls and texts from all his friends, and then eventually it was only Betty trying to contact him. He figured if he changed his number then she would stop trying but this was Betty Cooper they were talking about. He found out just how determined she was when she stepped into the Whyte Worm a few days later.
She looked radiant, skin glowing or maybe it was just the bar lighting or even the fact that he hadn't seen her in so long. She always looked like a goddess to him, but he couldn't lie to himself and say that he didn't see the bags under her eyes or that she had lost weight since they last seen each other. He felt the guilt clench in his chest of how his actions, his reclusion had done to her. But he had to protect her, even if it was from afar. He heard her asking for him, about his whereabouts, where she could find him if he wasn't there again the guilt knawed at him as he could hear the pain in her voice.
He knew she didn't understand why he was doing this, but he hoped in time she would understand. He seen one of the Serpents walk up to Betty and watched their exchange. He watched as he grabbed her wrist, at that point he couldn't hear anything of what was said. All he seen was red at another man grabbing what was his, not as a possession because Betty could never be kept. It was one of the many things he loved about her, the spirit she had even while the world around her tried to damper it and conform it. The next thing Jughead knew there was a resounding crack in the bar that caused the whole room to go quiet.
Looking up he seen Betty pull her fist back with blood covering her knuckles. He seen the smile she held at causing the pain in the man who no doubt deserved it. He seen dark Betty slowing rearing her head. He heard her say how she needed to speak with him and that it was important. But to Jughead the most important thing was keeping her safe so he kept his distance. He didn't hear from Betty after that, the next time he heard from the Coopers' was when Alice had told him that Betty was in the hospital.
Seeing Alice walk into the Whyte Worm was quite a surprise, considering it had been about seven months since he had seen Betty. He was glad she finally gave up because it had made it a little bit easier. She was out of sight, but still not quite out of mind. He doubted she would ever be out of his mind, but the one thing he knew was that he was bad news for her and would only bring her trouble in the long run. "Jughead, we need to speak. It's about Betty." Alice spoke as she sat down at the table directly across from him.
While his stomach turned as the worsts thoughts came to his mind, after all what other reason could Alice have for stepping into the bar besides bad news. "What about her?" Jughead managed to maintain a calm exterior. "She's in the hospital." Was Alice's grim response. While he had wanted to ask a million questions he controlled himself, he hadn't wanted to show that he still cared. "Is she alright?" "Under the circumstances." Was her cryptic response. "But you need to be there for her. You'll regret it if you don't, trust me on that."
"She's no longer my concern. She's got her friends and you guys to watch out for her. I washed my hands of her a long time ago. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm very busy." Alice had gotten up from the table with a straight face but you could see the disappointment in her eyes. In herself, or in him he wasn't quite sure. "Don't say I didn't warn you. It's on your conscious not mine. My daughter needs me." Shaking her head, she walked out of the bar.
He had seen Polly in town three months after the exchange with Mrs. Cooper, her twins with her they both had the signature Blossom hair. He had heard Betty had left town but no one knew why, he assumed it was for a fresh start. As Polly made eye contact with him she had that same disappointed look that Alice had their last encounter. One of her twins pipped up "Hey mommy isn't that-" "Not now Jace. We don't talk about that." As she pulled the twins out of the store. That was the last he ever heard from the Cooper family again.