Chapter 2- Fleeing The Scene Of The Crime
Veronica was in a similar struggle. Her boyfriend was falsely accused of the murder of Cassidy Bullock. She knew her boyfriend could never hurt anyone. And as soon as she found out her father was behind it. She was livid. She marched out of the gymnasium hot on her heels and slapped her father across the face before heading over to bail Archie out. When she was told she couldn't. She was furious. And that was only May.
Now it was the first day of school since The Black Hood fiasco happened. She woke up in the same clothes she was wearing before. Her leftover makeup still printed on her face as she looked herself in the mirror. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her Junior year at all.
Fp stayed in Pop's after He was rehired by Veronica. He learned that she gave up all the money and bought this place back from her father's grimy hands. He couldn't imagine what she had to do for Pop's. He didn't want to know. He just kept his head out of her business and worked until lunch. At lunch he sat out in the back conplating on checking up on Alice. They hadn't spoken since she confessed to having his baby. He didn't even know he had another kid. Or now will never know what that would be like. Since he recently found out that his son died. It hit his heart and repeated until he finally broke. After he was fired from Pop's before Veronica bought it. He soaked down into liquor. He felt like he was just walking in water until one day that walk turned to a soaking wet tundra.
A bell rang at three. The kids all left to their life's. Betty didn't want to go home. She couldn't face her mother's bottle again and again. Instead of seeing her happy smile all she saw was the bottle stuck to her lips. Veronica was busy with the Speakeasy. Archie was still going on trial. Kevin wasn't really speaking to her. Not that it was on purpose. He seemed to focus on his life to notice Betty was drowning. Cheryl she was into involved into her relationship with Toni to notice either. She just wished someone would notice.
Instead of going home, Her and Jughead went to the Bijou. Jughead pulls out his money and buys them a ticket. Betty didn't care what movie they saw. They found seats and sat down. Jughead globbles down some popcorn and Betty just looks down. In the middle of the movie, Jughead feels like something is bothering Betty. He grabs Betty's hand and gently takes her out of the theater. Betty was confused when Jughead suddenly pulls her out of the movie. She follows him anyway.
"What's going on?" She simply just shakes her head. She knows he's catching up. She's happy he's figuring out but she's also afraid. Jughead sees her eyes starting to sparkle in the lightly lit up hallway. Betty just shakes her head and looks away from his eyes. He grows concerned and takes her hand into his.
"Nothing, Jug." She lies through her teeth as her stomach churns. She couldn't tell him. Would he leave her?
Jughead still doesn't seem convinced. He can feel the hollowness in her voice. It's like she's hiding something. He softly cups her cheek in his hands. "Are you sure?" Betty wants to crack at this point. She can't. She had to keep to her story.
"Yeah I'm sure. I'm just very tired. It's been a long day." She lies again as she fakes a yawn and looks at the clock. "Oh it's nine. I should get going. Mom's going to be pissed if she sees me out this late." Another lie falls off her tongue. She knows her mother could careless right not. She didn't even want to go home.
Jughead agrees reluctantly and drops the subject. He grabs her hand and they walk out of the Movie theater. As They strapped their helmets securely on their heads and take off. Betty feels almost lost in her own mind. Jughead just focuses on the road. Once they arrived, Betty takes off her helmet and kissed Jughead softly before walking into the house. Jughead watched as she walked into the house and almost feels worried. He knew that Betty wasn't telling him the truth and he was going to find out.
Betty closed the door behind her and heads up to her room. She looks out her window and watches as he rode off. She turned around and sinks against the wall. Her eyes feel raw again. She's afraid this is her reality and it will forever be that way. She doesn't want this life. She wants to get out. Having an alcohol mother and an Serial killer father really wasn't her plan. None of this was on her plan. She just wanted to disappear. Nothing about this dead town made her want to stay. As soon as she graduates. She's getting the hell out of here and never coming back.
A engine dies off as Fp looks down at his pictures. He quickly hides the old photographs under his bed and comes into the living room to see his son. He couldn't be caught with looking at his loved cherished items and he intends to keep it that way. He can't stop thinking about Alice. No matter how hard he tries. She's still jammed in his head and chanting him like a broken record. He can't get her out. It's impossible not to think about her soft lips on his. The way he feels around her. Like he can't catch his breath. He won't call it love. He though he knows that could be a slight chance he could be.
Jughead walked into the trailer with dead worry in his eyes. Fp can just tell something wasn't right. He gets out his chair and walks over to his son. "Jug, what's going on?" He just hears his son sigh and plop down on the couch.
"I don't know." He stares at his son with confusion. "I was at the movies with Betty. Everything was going good and then I noticed she wasn't that into the movie. I asked her what was going and she says nothing. I don't know Dad but it just doesn't add up. " He can hear the concern in his son's voice.
Fp slowly sat down on the couch next to his son and looks him in the eyes. "Did you get her pregnant?" He asked as he feels the words slip through his mouth. Jughead almost chokes on his own spit and looks at his dad.
"What?! No, we've been safe." He stated as he got off the couch and opens the fridge. "Besides she would've told me." He added as he poured him something to drink and sits back down.
Fp wants to smack his son's cocking grin off his face. His son wasn't that bright right now. It could very well be a possiblity. He wasn't safe when he was with Alice. And Alice became pregnant and then never told him. He was a little angry about that. But he couldn't be because she was so broken when she told him and then Chic happened. After that Hal and then his son almost died. It had been a very long difficult summer.
"Jughead, use your brain. And figure out what's going on? Didn't she break up with you?" His son shook his head. "Okay then you don't have to worry about that. Maybe something about her dad is getting to her. She has been gone for while. And now she's back." He simply said before he walked into his room and shut his door.
He grabbed his phone off the charger and lays down on his bed. He slides his fingers and starts typing up a text. "Alice, I'm just wondering how you're doing. I hope you are doing better. I know the last things didn't go well. Maybe we can talk about things." He presses delete and closed the screen. He wanted to tell her that night they spent was the best he had in days. But he doesn't. He just pretends that nothing happened. That their night wasn't even there. He didn't want to. He wanted to replay it over and over. But his head told him it was time to move on.
His heart tells him to let her in. He wants to. He wants her. To hold her and make her love him. But he knows that you can't just make someone fall in love with you. They have to be willing. He wants her. But his head gets the best of him. He wonders what she's up to. How's she's doing? Does she love him? Will he ever have her back? Hal took her away from him but will he get what he wants back or will things hit the flames.
Alice stumbles into her kitchen. Her head ignores all the warning signs her hearts telling her. She keeps drinking even though it's not good for her. She knows deep down that it's not good. But she keeps throwing down the poison as if it will take away the pain. Her pain doesn't decrease or stay the same. It increases until she feels like she's numb. That she can't feel anymore. She hates herself for what she has done. Joining a cult wasn't wise. Starting to drink wasn't smart. But her addiction was telling her nothing else remembered. She felt so hollow and empty. She killed her son. Let her daughter get tortured and drive another away. Polly came back. Betty left her and then came back. She remembers what happened last night and cringes.
As she walks by her daughter's room she feels her heart sting from the cries that are escaping her youngest daughter's room. She caused this. Her drinking just was making Betty's life worse. She wasn't aware that she was causing Betty so much pain. She was so focussed on the glasses and bottles of red wine to even realize. Regrets burns her heart like acid.
She gets the courage to open the door. She finds Betty with tears running down her cheeks as she stares at the window. After a few seconds, Alice finally opens her mouth. "Elizabeth..." Her daughter looks at her with raw eyes and her heart breaks into two. She caused this.
Betty hears a drunken slur and turns her head. She sees her mother's eyes and feels her heart rate skip a beat. What did her mother have to say? Another remark about how she wasn't good enough? She already a had gotten those for years. What she doesn't expect is her mother to hug her. Alice hugs her daughter close and cries. Betty fights the tears. She had been trying to keep herself strong. She just couldn't take anymore stress. She had been tortured for months and then found out that her father was the Black Hood. She was literally at her wit end. She can't handle another break up or a destruction. She had too many. She needed a break. Her mom began listing all the reasons to forgive her. She wanted to. But another part knew it was a cycle until there was no the next time. She never thought her mother would be with an addiction. "Mom. I think you should go to bed." She nicely stated as she ushered her mom back to bed.
Alice rolled her eyes and stayed put. With her heels to the floor and eyes pleading, She begged Betty for another chance. "I will get my shit together, Betty. I just need your help." She cried as she looked her daughter directly in the eyes. She hated who she became. She never wanted to be like this. She just kept pushing her feelings away and her loved ones even further away.
Betty nodded her head and helped her mother get back to bed. Once they were in the room, Alice laid down on the stained sheets and closed her drunk eyes. Betty sighed as she watched her mother's eyes close and she sat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes felt heavy and she needed to sleep. She had school in the morning. It was a busy day and now it was time to shut off. She laid down next to her mother and closed her eyes. She just hoped her mother could keep her promise.
Before the kids get out of school, Fp finally comes to his senses and decides to check on Alice. What he's not expecting was this. His eyes flash with worry and anxiety. He sees the Cooper Family home up in angry flames. What frightens him the most; that he still sees Alice's car parked in her driveway. He knows that he could die. But he also knows that Alice could die if he doesn't do anything. His mind's spiraling as he races into the house, ignoring all the warning bells in his head. He needs to find Alice.
When He's in the house. He knows he's in the hallway the closest to the living room. He turns down the hallway and heads to the kitchen. He feels his heart rate racing as he notices the red wine bottles all over the kitchen hardwood floor. Then he has the realization that Alice became an alcoholic. He wishes he would've know. He would've stopped her. He feels so anger with himself.
Finally after checking all the first floor rooms, He tries upstairs. He sprints until his out of breath. And once he's at her bedroom door. He feels hotspots and starts to freak out. He knows the fire is on the other side of this door. He doesn't think for long. He slammed his foot to the door.
A crash causes all the smoke to smother his lungs as he waves his hands around to clear the smoke cloud hovering over his head. The first thing he spots is the fire was on the other side of her king-sized bed. His heart pounds frantically and his eyes burn from the smoke getting to his lungs. He feel like he's stuck in the sun and it's burning him alive. He wants to wait. But another part needs to find Alice. He didn't care if he died at this point. All that matters to him was that he has to find Alice. He loves her so much. He can't let her die.
As he looks down a huge part of the ceiling starts to collapse. He has to find her before he loses her forever. He didn't realize how much she means to him until he's standing in her house searching like a mad man looking for her. He docks and shields his head as another ash pit falls onto the now broken bed. He looks around the room again and spots a pair of feet lying on the other side of the room by the closet. His heart rate picks up and he runs over to the closest and nearly falls to his knees.
A pale skinned woman with blonde curls holding a red wine bottle clenched into her hand was lying closed eyed and motionless. Even with smoke covering every inch of her bedroom; she still looked like his queen. "Al?" His voice was in cries as he tries to shake her awake. No motion. He tries again. "Alice! Please baby! You need to wake up!" His shaky voice sounds hoarse from all the smoke he's inhaling.
He starts to shake her body as he hovers her to see if she's breathing. He doesn't hear her heart over the roars of the fire building inside the room and it was ready to cave at any sudden movement. He wants to scream, cry or punch a wall. But he knows that he has to get them out. And as soon as possible. He's panicking as he lifts her off the bedroom floor. He can't believe what's happening. He might lose her forever. He can't part with that thought. He find the strength to raise her above the flames and fights his coughs as he exits the house. What doesn't realize was the stairs were up in flames. Fuck! How was he going to get down? He was stuck. He grabs water and douses his jacket in water. He wraps them with the sopping wet Serpent jacket and embraces his feet for the landing. He keeps breathing in as he leaps over the stairs and lands on his feet. He was surprised his plan worked. He wasn't always good at landing as he jumps and he landed perfectly.
"Al, I need you to wake up for me." His request was yet again denied and he prays for a miracle to work.
His eyes bleed of the pain as he realizes it might be too late. She was in his veins. And she wouldn't get out. He needed her more than anything. She had to survive. His lungs hitched as he inhales more smoke. He looks around the room and realizes that the door was blocked. He bolted for the basement door. With her eyes closed he sprinted into the dark almost dead hot basement. He soon realizes he's trapped and there's no way out. This was it. His ending. He was going to die. He was fine with that earlier and now he regrets being so sure of that.
Betty runs out of her classroom as soon as the bell finally dismissed her. She hears her friends calls and she deliberately ignores them. She races out of her school and hops into her car. As she drives down her road. She instantly sees the flashing hazes and she stops the car. She dashed over to the "Don't cross" police tape and sees her family home in risky light. She sees Sheriff Keller talking to the fire department and her first question doesn't even leave her mouth. What was going on? Her old childhood home was in flames like Cheryl Blossom's home.
She's informed by an neighbor that she saw a man in his forties with a Serpent leather jacket enter the house around an half ago. Mr Jones could be in her house. She quickly calls Jughead and alerts him. As she stands there waiting in panic, her stomach twists, head pounds and her throat closes up from the falling tears. Her mother's in there. She's crying when Jughead holds her and waiting in the same agony. Jughead doesn't know what even happened. He didn't bothering asking questions and then he sees Mr Keller approach them. He doesn't know how to feel.
"Jughead, Betty. I'm very sorry for this happening. We are trying everything we can." Betty feels her heart collapse. She can't handle this. It's all too much. Just when she thought things would be better. They turn into shit. "I just have one question. Is there any other excess points? Like a door?" Mr Keller asks as he looks the distraught teens in the eyes. He can see the pain hidden deep within their corneas.
Betty nods her head and slowly opens her mouth."There's a door in our basement." Betty says as she looks at her boyfriend's fried eyes. She can see his true fear in his eyes. She knew he was dying inside as they waited.
Tom heads over to the backyard and guides the firefighters over there. He sees the back door and his stomach falls to the ground. The fire was out of control. No where close to contained. He can hear the roars from the angry flames. The fire was starving and craved for more rage. One of firemen grabs their house and starts coating the air with water. Once the fire was more contained, they break down the basement door.
A crash can be heard in Fp's ears. He looks up and shakes Alice again. This time he hears little muffled moans and happy tears cascaded down his cheeks and neck. Alice flickers her eyes and all she sees is hot fire dancing around her. The last thing she remembered was sipping some wine before she hit her head and spilled her glass of red wine. She can hear Fp's voice coaching her back to reality. Her vision was blurry and she reaches for something to hold. Fp smiles when he feels a small hand grab onto his arm. He uses his other hand and holds her hand. He can feel her fear with one squeeze of her hand.
"Fp? Alice! Are you in here?!" They hear people shouting for them. Alice keeps fighting to stay awake and Fp works his voice to a hearable volume. "In here!" He shouts over the roars.
Before they knew it that were hoisted onto stretchers and their families cried. Betty's eyes stung from all her tears in her eyes. Jughead didn't put a brave face. As soon as he laid eyes on his father; his eyes broke and tears raced down his boyish face. Veronica stands on the sidelines stunned. Archie holds her close and Cheryl squeezed Toni's hand as they all watch the final layer of the Cooper home fall into the engulfed flames. It rocked everyone. Guilt burned their hearts. They felt stupid for not paying attention. But they also knew that Alice needed help and they were going to be there for her.
Alice slowly flickers her eyes and shuts them as she rolled into the ambulance. She couldn't take the burning inflammation from the fire. She knew that her burns were horribly bad. And finally relaxes as she feels a burn reliever was placed on the excruciating areas. Fp was looked over at And worries about Alice as Jughead holds his hand as the paramedics look over his burns. He whimpers as he looks over at his son's face. He can see the unsheded tears and fights back his tears. Jughead hates seeing his father in pain. He can tell that his dad was in so much pain and it broke his heart. He wanted to help in anyway he could.
Betty sits right next to her mother holding her hand. She looks over at all the wires and machines her mother was hooked up and a single tear falls to her cheeks. In one instant everything was fine and then all hell breaks loose. Alarms blare in the younger teen's ears, Paramedics start grabbing supplies and placing them on her mother. Her mother starts shaking and her heart stops. Betty's heart pounds rapidly as she sees her mother's heart monitor flash with flatlines. And all Betty knows is that this is the worst day ever. When they finally able to stablize her, Betty nearly faints as she feels the ambulance come to a harsh stop. Just like that her mother was wheeled away from her. She quickly jumps to her feet and follows them until she was stopped and told to sit in the waiting room.
As she slowly walks over to the waiting room. Veronica and everyone else hugged her until she broke down into sobs. Jughead fights his tears and eventually loses. It had been a very long day. Archie can see his best friend crumble in front of his eyes. He breaks out of the hug and holds Jughead as he sobs. He can't believe what a day he had. He was going to be on trial soon and now both of his best friends could lose their parents. He didn't want this to happen. Nobody wants any of this to happen. Fred and Mary walked out their house and fight their tears as the house next-door was up in flames. They called the fire department and almost collapsed when they saw both Fp and Alice with third degree burns all over their bodies. And now walking into the waiting room was going to take more energy they didn't have. Nobody had the energy. After seeing a house burn to the ground; it take everything you have and sucks you dry.
When the Fire Marshall shows up and tell them the causes was a oven left on and nearby alcohol bottles caught on fire. They all had many questions. Betty falls apart again. She knew her mother started to to drink again after she made her a promise. And yet she believed her and she broke that promise. She felt broken and betrayed. Everyone was shocked by the amount that was found. Mary, Hermonie and Fred had no clue Alice was struggling with an alcohol addiction. Everyone was shocked expect her daughter, Betty. She feared that her life was falling apart and now it has.
A few hours later, Fp wakes up all groggy and sees Betty and Jughead sitting together with tears running down their cheeks. Jughead practically trips his way over to his father and Fp laughs. He chokes down his tears that were forming at the bay. Betty didn't look at his bandages. It only causes her to feel guilt. Fp can tell she feels guilty. "Betty, this wasn't your fault." He reassured as he looks her in the eyes.
The way he looks at her causes her to start sobbing. She tells him about her mother and how she hasn't woken up yet and that her heart stopped. Fp almost feels dead inside. Alice has to wake up. He needs her. He can't tell them the real reason why he's upset. That can't be ever be told. He needs to be the one to tell her. Jughead heard his father's smile die off his lips. Something just made his smile disappear. He wonders what happened. Maybe it was his dad's burns. His serpent jacket took a beating. But that was the least of their worries.
Two days go by and Alice still hasn't open her eyes, wiggle her toes or do anything. The doctors all said that she met never get out of this. Fp was released from the hospital and still checks on Alice. He thought about if he hadn't came to the conclusion. Things would be a lot different. Betty spends most of her days in the ICU visiting her mother. Her mother isn't wake or making any progress. She was told by her mother's doctors said that there is a chance her mother would never wake up again. Betty refused to believe they were right. The first two hours Mary and Fred all brought little get well gifts and sad expressions were written when they reached for a sassy comment and none was made back. They missed her sassy comments more than ever.
One evening, Fp was sitting in the chair look hopelessly at the wires in her and held her hand. It didn't feel the same. Almost like she was already gone. And the longer she stayed that way. The longer and more time it would take to recover. He would look at old photos that he had hidden in his room at night. His eyes would glisten as he stared at them and at any hope it would bring her back. But his prays were never answered. No wishes were granted. Jughead noticed how his father would never leave his chair unless it was to visit Ms Smith. He didn't call her Cooper anymore. He knew she wouldn't like that.
The days grew longer as they waited. Three weeks became a cursing circle. Everyone who loves or care about her would swear every time it turned around day longer.
Veronica still fights with her father and Betty fights her break downs throughout the first three weeks of school. Her junior year already sucked. Her mother hadn't woken yet. The doctors kept pushing the idea of unplugging her. But Betty refused. She didn't want their options and asked for more time. They reluctantly agreed and fights the urge to tell her it was over and then the call was answered.
Fp looks so hopeful. Betty squeezed Jughead's hand as she sees her mother's eyes fluttered open. She feels her heart skip a beat and then it stops all together.
"Who are you guys?" And then they knew that they officially crashed.
Alice flickered her eyes open and sees three people that she didn't know. One looked so much like her when she was younger. Onces she opens her mouth their mouths shut and almost look like they died. "Uh who are you guys?" Just as they were going to answer.
"Ms Smith, You were hurt in a fire. It seems like you must of hit your head of something and it caused you to lose your memory." One of the doctors explained and Betty fought the tears.
It killed Fp to hear that she didn't remember meeting him. He loves her so much and she doesn't even know who he is. Nothing hurt more that. Betty almost wanted to die. Her own mother doesn't even know she exists. She wanted to know why her mother lost her memory. She was just fine before she stopped breathing.
And by the next day, The whole town knew and kept sending them fruit boxes. Which just made Betty, Jughead and Fp want to crawl inside a hole and starve. Over those weeks Betty hadn't been social. She would lock herself in Jughead's room. Jughead didn't know what he could do for her. He knew that it must be difficult to hear your own mother doesn't remember you. He also notices his father slowly falling apart and he still doesn't understand why his father cases so much. He gets why Betty's upset. But he doesn't get why his father is all bent out of shape because of it.
Fp felt like this was all his fault. If he just could've found another way out. Maybe she would still be able to remember him and their night. Maybe she wouldn't have turned into an alcoholic if he would've just gave her a chance. He would happy instead of miserable. He wants to drink and never stop. He fights the urge and heads off to work. He gets looks of concern from his bosses. Veronica starts observe his change in mood. She notices how desperate he has become since that fire happened. Fp glares at every order or chore she gives him. He used tonnot do that. He used to greet her with a smile marking his lips. Now she's lucky if he even puts a fake smile on his lips.
Fred works up his courage to knock some sense into his former friend. He wants to make sure he's going to be alright. He hears low groans as he reaches the door knob. Fp rolled his eyes and laughed humorlessly. And that's when he realizes Fp has given into his vice and he slaps him in the face.
"Man up, Fp! I can't believe your doing this again! Do you enjoy ruining Jughead's life?" He remarks as Fp's face still remained Unphased by his remark.
Fp just huffs and scoffs." Now you care about me?" He slurs as he takes a swing from his bottle. Fred just rolls his eyes and snatched the vice from Fp's hands.
He chucks it on the ground and Fp growls deadly as his eyes grow red. "Fuck you!" And then he slammed the door in Fred's face.
Later Jughead and Betty return to the trailer and find Fp stumbling all over the place. Jughead almost feels stupid for believing this would actually work. That his father could actually stay sober. He was wrong. The bottle was always get his attention. And he would get the short end of the stick like always.
Betty fights the anger in her as she curls her finger into her palms. She couldn't believe that this was happening again. Not only did she loose her mother to alcoholism. She also lost Fp to the battle to. She felt like she could come apart and collapse at any moment. "You know Fp. Just let you know you didn't just drive everyone away. You drove me and Jughead away." She spat as she packed up her things and slammed the trailer door behind her.
Jughead take another look at his father before he opens the door. With his hand on the door knob. He feels done. And then he opens his mouth. "I hope you know that this the last time I will be coming at your beck and call. I'm done. I'm sick of cleaning up your shit and it's time you learn to clean it up on your own." He said before closing the door behind him.
With too many goodbyes at once, Fp finally crumbs. He lost Alice, Jughead and even Betty. Everyone was done with him. He knew it wasn't long before he was fired again. And maybe he will just find another reason to drink his problems away.