Prompt: 25. (Location) The Register

Rating: T (for minor swearing)

The glass had all been replaced, but Jughead still closed the door gingerly when he entered The Register. Alice Cooper looked up from her computer immediately, scowling. Jughead wondered if she had an expression that wasn't scowling. When she saw it was him, her face softened a little, but it looked like it took a concerted effort. For some reason, every time he encountered Betty's mother, it felt like he was playing out the worst-case scenario. They hadn't exactly set a high bar with that dinner though―his dad trying to egg the Coopers on while Alice was using the whole thing as a cover for Archie and Veronica to break into his dad's trailer. Rather than building trust, they'd started out with very little and degraded it. Jughead figured they were into negatives now on the trust spectrum.

"Jughead Jones." Alice straightened up and wheeled her chair away from her desk a little. Apparently he wasn't worth standing to greet.

"Mrs. Cooper. Hi."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

She looked like she wanted him to say no. To tell her he was lost. To say he'd just hit his head on the sidewalk and had simply staggered into the nearest building, probably suffering from amnesia, and he'd be out of her hair in no time at all if she could please just call him an ambulance. Pinned by Alice's impatient gaze, Jughead really considered faking this.

"Actually, yes."

Alice's manners conquered her distain and she gestured him towards the chair across from her desk. He sat. She stared.

"I wanted to ask you about doing a co-op. You know, like an internship."

"Yes, I know what a co-op is."

Jughead thought she would've made a great general in one of the battles he'd learned about in history class. She had that whole 'give no quarter' thing down.

"I thought it would help my writing, plus," said Jughead, remembering it was always best in an interview to show what you could offer them, "I know it's been a really busy time for you guys." He looked around for Betty's father, but Hal wasn't there.

"True. Murder, suicide, arson, false confessions," she eyed Jughead probingly, "business has never been better."

Well that was a sick way to think about it, Jughead thought.

"Right. So, I thought you might like some help. I can proofread, fact check, even file stuff if you―"

"You mentioned your writing."

"Yeah, I brought some material with me if you want to look through it." He swung his satchel up onto his lap and caught the pages between his fingers, dragging them out.

Jughead thought she might be scornful towards this as well, but Alice glanced at the papers with curiosity before settling them in a To-Do basket on her desk. She linked her fingers and looked back at him.

"You want to write for us?"

Jughead's eyebrows raised.

"I'm not really expecting to, at least not right away. I mean, I would like to, but I think just being around other journalists and reading their work will help me improve."

"That's a good answer," she said firmly, shocking Jughead. He must have looked a little taken aback, because she continued. "I've read your work before and I've seen your work ethic at the Blue and Gold. I'm surprised you wouldn't want to lend those skills to the paper at your new school."

"We don't have one."

"And you wouldn't want to start one? It would take some effort," Alice said, considering it. Jughead thought it seemed like she might like to start one. "But I saw how you and Betty revitalized the Blue and Gold. There would be more work required to get a new school paper going, but you wouldn't be fighting its tired reputation like you were at Riverdale High."

Jughead smiled down at the hands he had clenched in his lap.

"That's the thing. I'm not sure I could do it without Betty. My heart just wouldn't be in it."

"If you're passionate about it, Jughead―writing, journalism―it shouldn't matter if someone's there to hold your hand through it."

"No offence, Mrs. Cooper, but you run The Register with your husband."

A smile spread across her lips.

"Touché."

Jughead fiddled with the edge of his hat at the back of his head, wondering what he should say.

"Well, Jughead, I'll get right to it."

He shifted in his chair, feeling the weight of this like he hadn't felt anything since hearing his dad had confessed to Jason Blossom's murder.

"I would have no qualms about taking you on as The Register's co-op student," she sighed, her brows pulling together seriously, "if not for the fact that my daughter requested the same thing just the other day. Did you know that?"

Jughead met her eye without hesitation.

"No, I didn't." It was hard to say whether Alice believed him.

"You're both very driven, and certainly talented," Alice nodded to him in recognition and Jughead managed a small, close-lipped smile, "but I worry that having you working here together would be… a distraction. For both of you."

"I don't think―"

"You're already spending so much time together." She smiled a calculated smile.

"But I wouldn't be here for that. I want to help. To learn about the paper."

"And yet, you specifically mentioned that without Betty, your heart wouldn't be in your work."

Jughead dug his fingers into his knees. Shit. Shit. Had she just been waiting for him to put his foot in his mouth as an excuse to reject him?

"I would still care about what I was doing. I'm not interested in half-assing anything."

Alice raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. Jughead continued, his mouth and throat getting dry.

"I understand that this would be a different environment anyway, more professional…"

She waved a hand at him, shaking her head.

"Please, no need to diminish your work on the school paper. Everybody starts somewhere and you and Betty printed some very impressive articles in the Blue and Gold. It was hardly 'The Prom in Review' and 'Overheard in Math Class.' I just want to make sure you're doing this for yourself and not for Betty. I don't want to see either of you sidetracked by your relationship or," she eyed him pointedly, "a potential breakup."

"That's not going to happen."

"Ah, Mr. Jones, you know that a journalist's job isn't to predict the future, it's to report the past and present."

Jughead found he was clenching his jaw at her smug tone.

"Tell me again why you want to do a co-op here."

"I want to write. I want to get better," he answered, rapid fire.

Alice nodded along.

"And if I told you there was only one placement available?" She sat very still, looking hard at him.

He jerked his head back. Was she screwing with him? He could feel his conscience bashing its head against the inside of his skull. There was no good answer to this question. How could he throw Betty aside to grab for this opportunity, especially in front of her mother? On the other hand, how could he not rise to her bait and show how much he wanted it for himself? Jughead sighed, refastening the clasp on his bag.

"Then… I'd say it should go to Betty." Jughead resisted looking down, keeping his eyes on Alice's face. "She's your daughter and she's hungry for it. I'm not going to be the one that takes something away from her that she really wants." He knew his words were tactless, but Alice's games were pissing him off.

She looked down, raising her locked fingers to support her chin as she again scanned over the top page of the documents he'd brought. Her eyes flicked back up to his, sharp like the glass she'd scattered all over this floor.

"It should go to Betty. She's hungry, as you say, and she has the energy to keep the Blue and Gold running but still show up here a couple times a week to help with organizational tasks."

Jughead smiled, tempering the ache of defeat with the knowledge of Betty's imminent happiness.

"She does a hell of a murder board."

Alice smiled back at him.

"She does indeed."

Jughead nodded as a sort of awkward conclusion to this pseudo-interview and rose, ready to depart and lick his wounds. As soon as her mother let her know she'd been awarded the co-op, Betty would be calling him and he'd have to sound nothing but thrilled on the phone. Which he was. It was just that it sucked too. Jughead wanted a situation where the success of one of them wasn't the result of the other one's failure.

"Jughead." Alice was still looking at him. "I'm not picking you for the position because I want you to come on board as a writer."

His first instinct was to frown.

"I don't understand. I thought you didn't want to offer two co-ops."

"I'm not offering you a co-op. I'm offering you a part-time position that you can work around your other obligations. I want to pay you for your work, Jughead," she added as her meaning finally sank in with him.

"But Betty…"

"Betty isn't ready for that responsibility yet. She has the Blue and Gold, and spending time with Polly, and the River Vixens, which she has become stubbornly attached to." Alice shook her head, darting her gaze up to the ceiling in annoyance. "I'm not taking anything from her to give this to you. As much as former prejudice towards your family makes it hard for me to say it, you deserve this, Jughead."

He stared at her in silence. The only part of her speech Jughead really trusted was when she said she was prejudiced against himself and his dad. He certainly didn't need any further assurance on that point. Alice looked up at him, losing patience. Evidently, she thought his speechlessness meant he still needed convincing.

"I like your work. I'm going to read what you've brought me as well," she laid her palm on the papers, "but I do think you would be an asset to our newspaper." Alice pushed back her chair and stood, walking around to Jughead's side of the desk. She stiffly extended her hand. "Consider this a sincere offer of employment."

Jughead felt his mouth curl up on one side. He took her cool hand in his. The handshake was staggeringly business-like. Alice dropped her hand and nodded, but Jughead felt one small hesitation.

"I want to talk it over with Betty before I say yes."

"Will her approval change your answer? I ask because I'm fairly sure she's not going to tell you not to accept."

"No, I just want her to know that her opinion is important to me."

"Well." Alice clasped her hands and stepped back behind her desk. "I'm sure you'll be calling her the second you're out the door, but to be official, I'll expect your call before 5pm tomorrow."

Jughead grinned and headed for the door.

"Jughead."

Mrs. Cooper barely had to raise her voice, the tone of it was so commanding. He turned and looked back at her, reaching across his body in a protective motion to hold his satchel against his hip.

"The next time we see each other will be in an editorial meeting. Bring ideas."

Jughead nodded and hefted his bag a little further onto his shoulder. Ideas. He had plenty of those.