His eyes were red, his breath reeking of vodka mixed with tequila.
"I say he's good for one more !"
"I don't know Jake, he looks maxed out !"
"Maxed out, my ass ! Come on, Fox ! One more shot !"
And down went another one.
His tenth.
"That was a wonderful report, Ms. Cooper !"
"Thanks Madam ! I also have the full analysis ready, I just have to set it in pdf."
"Not an issue, Ms. Cooper. I am sure your story will make the front pages of NYT. It has to !"
Betty's eyes were sparkling with joy. She hugged Maria as the Prof. walked out of the seminar room.
"Oh Maria ! I am so, so happy ! I can't believe my luck !"
"You worked hard for it, Dear ! It was only natural !"
"Oh I can't wait for the story to come out !" Betty squealed "I will rush a copy to home, one to DC and..." she paused, faltering for words "two...two to Frisco."
Maria smiled "Of course, Dear."
Steve woke up with a start, he distinctly heard a dull thud outside the door. He cursed under his breath and groped for the lights as he swung open the door.
"Who is it ?" he was cross, you would be if you woke up at 3 am and had a test the next day. He was going to shut the door when he looked down.
"Holy ...!"
Down there was all 5'11" of Jughead "Fox" Jones, sprawled on the floor in his vomit.
Mr. Jones was cleaning the garage. He tried everything he could, but he found getting a job real hard in these times. Yes, there were some. Riverdale Mall needed some security guards, but ... Security Guards ? He would never be able to face Fred Andrews and Hal Cooper. He and Fred went bowling on some nights and Hal gave him company on the Riverdale Golf Club grounds once a month. And...well, Alice and Gladys were such good friends and...Forsythe and Betty.
Well, there was nothing wrong with being a security guard ? It's an honest job ! he reasoned. And Gladys was already slogging at the Best Buy in the mall. She was stressing on moving Jelly to day long kindergarten although that would mean sending her all the way to Oceanville everyday. Couldn't Alice or Mary look after her ? he argued. It's not right, Forsythe Pendleton, they may be my dear friends but I can't ask that of them ! she glared.
Maybe he could ask Mr. Lodge, Lodge Industries still had some facilities in and around the city.
But...It wouldn't be right. And besides, Veronica was never fond of Forsythe. She hated him. And by what he gathered, the Jones were not welcome on the Lodge grounds.
"God damn them all !" he swung a wrench he was holding and hit a can on the shelf by mistake. It hit the ground and the lid and made a funny noise.
Puzzled he picked it up and opened the lid.
[Flashback]
"Here's a crisp 10 dollar bill for you kiddo ! Gonna blow it at Pops right ?"
"I don't know Dad." Jug, then 12 years old, scratched his chin "Maybe I will keep it for pizza later."
[Flashback ends]
Over the years, Jug took up many odd jobs. He would blow up most of his money on food but his Mom knew that his son did keep something away.
He counted them for the third time. Five hundred dollars !
He probably forgot all about it, I should tell him next time he calls home.
He was going to put the lid back on.
Forgot all about it ?
He took another peep.
He probably never opened the can for a long time.
He palmed the notes.
He doesn't even know there's so much money left.
Doesn't he get a good scholarship ?
He will never miss it anyway.
He folded the notes and put them in his pocket and filled up the can with nuts and bolts.
"Oh ! Jesus Christ !"
"Rise and Shine, asshole !" Steve threw the bottle at him.
"Ste...Steve ! What the hell ! What ...Why is there...What the hell is this ?"
"That's your own barf, you idiot !" Steve threw him a towel "You were plastered in the stuff, I wiped some from your face and hair..." he smelled his hands "Geez ! They still smell !"
"Oh my...Oh my head !" Jug gripped his head "Oh my God ! Steve ! It hurts ! It hurts like hell, Steve !"
Steve rolled his eyes and searched for his first aid box. His Mom was one step away from being a hypochondriac. Pills for colds, headaches, pain and what not ! He tossed the boxes behind his back as he read their contents. "Here !" he held out one to Jug "Take one and gulp it down, that should fix it !"
Jug did everything with his eyes almost closed. Even the soft light of the morning hurt his eyes "I...I don't feel so good."
"What did you expect ? How many this time, eh ? Ten ? Twenty ? Did you try weed too ? It's a miracle you are still breathing !" Steve shouted.
"Please ... please don't shout, it hurts !" Jug cringed, covering his ears. "Steve, I am gonna stay in today. Cover for me, ok ?"
"How am I supposed to cover the Algebra test, wise guy ?"
Jug tried opening his eyes, he wanted to convey an expression of surprise and horror. It ended up looking pathetic, as if he was crying all night. "No !" he said softly.
"No ? Yes ! The test is today ! In two hours ! And you know what the Prof is gonna do if you ditch this test, Fox ! He is gonna screw you ! He's gonna see to it that you get kicked out of Stanford ! How does that feel ? Got some booze for that ?" Steve shouted.
Jug covered his eyes as he shook his head "I am sorry, Steve ! I am sorry !" he said, almost wailing.
"You are pathetic ! Look at you ! This is the Forsythe Pendleton Jones III who has topped his class for two years in a row ? I don't believe it ! Not one bit ! You are a loser, Fox ! You are a loser, that's what you are !"
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to !" tears flowed out of his eyes.
"And all because of some two bit floozey who dumped you !"
"Why you !" Jug pounced at him and locked him down on his bed, Steve tried to hit back but Jug evaded the blows and hurled him on the floor. "Don't you ever talk of her like that ! You hear me ! I will rip your guts out if you do !"
Steve cowered, he never ever heard Jug talk like that and his eyes burned with rage. Jug's face, realising what he had done wanted to apologise, contorted.
He dashed out of the room.
"Everything's in here !" Reggie twirled the memory stick "Just stick it in !" he grinned.
Maria slided the stick between her fingers "And it will do the job ?"
"Technology, Maria !" Reggie propped his legs up the desk. "Magic of the 21st century."
"It's a terrible thing to do, Reginald." she said.
"Yes." he smiled "but think of the delicious consequences."
"Why do you hate her so much ?" she asked him.
"Oh my dear, you have got it all wrong !" he was up in a flash and fondled her cheeks "I hate whatever hurts you, however slight !"
Chick Cooper never felt this worried about travelling. Even when it was to Iran or Venezuela, he knew someone would always have him covered.
Not this time.
He was in the US of A. Just another coast to coast flight. Except that now he was going on solo. Making the cardinal mistake of making personal something that concerned the agency and possibly national security. On top of that, a lot of people knew him in San Francisco.
And the two people he wished most to avoid were his own sister and a great pal from home.
He hailed a cab and got in "Stanford University, please."
Betty was hard at work, she had to finish the draft by noon. She could then send it to Polly for a quick review so that she could turn it in time for the edits at night. "Hi Maria !" she said, without even lifting her eyes off the screen.
"You got this place bugged or what ?" Maria asked as she dumped her bags on the floor and herself on the bed.
"No silly !" Betty giggled "Your footsteps ! You know, it takes a lot of trainig to maintain same or identical steps as anyone else. That's why they have drills in the army !"
"Yeah right !" Maria rolled her eyes, she could definitely see Betty enjoying herself as she clicked away.
"I have to go to the bathroom !" she put the laptop aside and skipped off the bed.
As soon as she was out, Maria plugged the memory stick into the laptop.
Steve turned the page over and over again. A printed letter, that was corny, but that was the only way to reach him. He never said no to people who wanted to meet him. He wasn't the cribbing Profs type who wanted appointments done even if you wanted to ask them the time of day.
But, well, he just didn't have the guts to face him, not yet.
He thought he should write it by hand, but a voice inside him spooked him out. What if he traces me down ? He could do that, surely. But then, he could do it with fingerprints too.
And that's why he was extra careful with this letter. He actually handled it with plastic gloves.
He dropped it into the mailbok and walked away with his head bowed down.
He accused Jug of wasting himself for a girl, and here he was scared of facing a guy, old enough to be his grandpa.
