Chapter 13: Stitches Works Better Than Band Aids

Two weeks later, FP's anger toward Alice lessened. Don't get him wrong, he was still very anger about the lies, the pain he was caused and the hurt she made her daughter feel. Jughead still was furious with Alice. Betty didn't know whether or not to trust her mother again. Her mother did a lot of damage that can't be taken back.Alice was still handling her issue. It wasn't an issue. A baby isn't ever an issue. She couldn't even believe she thought that way about her baby. She still has to tell FP. FP told her about Gladys. That only made Alice feel even more like shit. She was keeping him away from his child's life. She knows it's wrong. She's afraid of rejection and what might happen if he finds out. The last thing they needed was a baby. Sure it wasn't ideal but you can't stop the future if it already started the process.It's not like she can terminate her pregnancy. And it was way too late for that. Nor did she want to end it. Her baby was growing inside her. She felt joy each time she held her stomach or the baby kicks.Only the fact she was robbing FP blind from the experience. Both parties missed out on Charles. She had days she wished she told him a lot sooner than she already did. Now she will have the chance but FP on the other hand will not. Guilt gnawed at her heart and she'd spend hours crying silently to herself at night.She had so many questions like; will Betty hate me? Betty already was furious with her. She completely understood why. She left her behind, without a single reason. Also Jughead wasn't quite fond of her either. It was a lose-lose situation. No matter how hard she would try. It would fail in the end. Like it always does.Alice sat in the living room, knitting in her chair when her oldest walked in the door. Polly seemed calmer since the last few therapy sessions she started last Friday. FP took her and Polly under his wing since they got back."Mom." Polly says before she set down juniper and looked over at her mother. "You have to tell him." Alice sighed at her daughter's gesture.She was officially as today eleven weeks into her first trimester. The clock was ticking by and she soon would have no choice to tell him."I know, Polls... but what if he reacts badly. He hasn't even officially signed the papers with ink yet. Telling him now would only seem wrong."Her daughter scoffed." And not telling won't seem wrong?" Ugh. She knew her daughter was right."Ugh, I hate when your right." Alice complained while her eldest smirked. "Well you knew that you would have to tell me sometime. You better tell him before he learns from someone else." Polly states, kissing her mother on the cheek and takes Juniper to her room. After Polly went to her room. Alice inhaled deeply, thinking about what her daughter said and groaned. She was starving. She got off the chair, traveled to the kitchen. Her eyes scrolled through the fridge intently looking for her craving.

Unfortunately they didn't have Oreo cookies. It had to be double stuffed. Oh and absolutely not off brands. Her baby didn't like them. You could say her baby was stubborn. She knew the baby got her and FP's stubborn-ness. No matter how much they'll deny. They both knew being stubborn is a vice. Her vice was also avoidance. Maybe that's why she keeps stalling. She kept hoping she could buy more time.

But her time was quickly running out.

—x-

Betty went to school that morning with anger still heavy in her chest. It only had been two weeks since her mother and sister randomly showed up at FP's door with pleading eyes and in hope of forgiveness. She wasn't sure if she could forgive.

Her mother really tore her apart. She hated admitting that her mother weakened her but she did. FP stood by her side, all while grieving on top of helping her with her issues. She never could repay him for all he's done for her. He took her in when she needed a support system the most.

"Betty." Betty fluttered her eyes and peered up. There she found Vee. Her eyes looked much brighter since Archie had been released. But the threat wasn't contained yet.

Hiram still had hit men working for him from the outside of his lock. Veronica wasn't blind. She always known her father wouldn't go down without swinging and knocking down anything that had any meaning at all.

"Hmm." She muttered quietly, still fluttering her eyes open.

Veronica let out a heavy sigh and then sat in the booth. "How is your homelife?" She heard Betty practically rolling her eyes and scoffing.

"Oh friggin fantastic!" Betty exclaims, rolling back her blue eyes and chuckled with no humor.

Betty feels Vee's hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles in a motion that calmed her. She breathed in and out before recollecting herself.

" How does that feel, B?"she slowly nodded and exhaled again.

"Ah… yes." A tear formed in her eye and she discreetly wipes it away. "No. I don't." She huffed as more tears formed. "Now that Mother's been home for two weeks. It just feels… I don't know—"

"Off." Answered Veronica. Betty nodded. She shook Betty's hand into hers. "I know. It's going to be. She up and vanished for weeks on end and now that she's back. You feel ambushed."

"Yeah." She bit at her lower lip. "It's not like I don't want her here, cause I do… but I also hate her."

There she said it. She finally said it out loud. After so long of holding that awful word inside, it was finally out there and there was nothing she could do to stop it from exiting her mouth. She didn't want to hate her mom. She really didn't. But

she did hate her mom. Maybe a little less than her dad.

"To be honest I would to." Her friend confessed.

—x

FP noticed two girls sitting in the booth next to the window from afar. He couldn't believe who he saw.

He walked up to them, fighting the urge to scold. He didn't have the authority to yell at the Lodge for skipping but he sure could for Betty. He's been raising her since Alice went crazy and took off. Betty became his priority and he's job to keep her out of trouble.

"Elizabeth." He watches as she shrinks back against the booth and tries to hide.

She failed miserably. He had already seen her and she knew that she was in trouble; just by the look on his face. Disappointment, that was the last thing she needed. FP has been there for her when her mother wasn't.

"Oh hey.." She says shyly, trying to distract him.

FP bit back a laugh and kept a stern look on her. "Don't oh 'hey' me, Betty. Why aren't you two at school?" She avoided the question again.

Veronica stepped in, seeing that Betty was in hot water." Oh Mr. Jones… we had a half-day." She half-lied. It was true that they had a half-day but only because they skipped fourth period.

Betty ignored the voices and lightly giggled into her sleeve. This was comical to her. Lodge was taking the fall for her idea. It was her idea to skip not Veronica's. She remembered just before they went through the back exit with had no video cameras. Vee turned to her and asked,'are you sure, B?" All she did was walk through and nodded with a wicked smile.

That was out of the ordinary for Betty to be bad. But that Betty she was before was such a good girl. Now she was different.

"Oh really?" Betty nodded along with Veronica." Then where is Jug? He would've came with if he didn't have to stay."

Damn he was right. Betty had completely forgotten to pull Jug out of chemistry before she and Veronica busted out. The two stared at him with shocked faces and sighed.

"Really did you think you could die to the king of skipping?" He chuckled." You got a lot to learn, Kids." Betty grimaced at the mockery.

"FP—"

FP sat down next to them in the both and turned to face them head on. He could feel the embarrass-ment written on their faces." Listen Betty, I'm very disappointed in you. I expect this from Lodge but not you." He saw Lodge's face fall. "No—"

"It's okay, Mr. Jones." Betty felt awful." It was my idea."

"Oh well I will have to call your mother at the mayor's office and tell to pick you up." He said as he took his phone of his apron pocket.

Betty couldn't take it anymore. "I did it! It was my idea to skip!" She exclaimed, red burning bright on her face and FP's face falls.

He looks her in the eyes and sighs. He hadn't expected this from her. She was the good girl and— his thoughts were interrupted by Betty's voice.

"Do you wanna know why?" He nodded." Because I'm sick of everyone staring, and pointing, FP! I'm treated like trash ever since Hal and now my mother! I hate her with all my heart. I don't want to

hate her. I really don't but… I-I do.."

He's shocked but when Betty starts crying a pang hits his heart like a rocket. He pulled the crying girl

into his arms. Tears soon bursted through the dam called her eyes. Betty buried her face into his chest, gulping in shaky inhales and exhales.

Veronica felt hopeless as she watched her break

in front of her. That girl she once knew was far gone. Betty has been broken.

"It's okay to hate her." FP's voice breaks off slightly. He tried to hide it but both girls noticed. He took a breath before he continued. "I'll let you in on a secret."

Betty slightly lifts her head, facing his brown eyes and could see the pain within them. "I hate her too." Betty and Veronica gasped.

They wouldn't expecting that. "I love her so much but I hate her at the same time." He finally confessed his dark secret he's been holding in for months.

—-x

Her eyes flew across the cookie aisle with hunger in them. She stopped at the store for a list of her cravings. Betty didn't come home after school. It wasn't like she expected her youngest to come. She hurt her and she was okay with the con

-sequences. See how she said she's okay with them. She's not. She deeply irretrievably hurt.

"Yes!" She exclaimed when she found a box. The only problem was that it was on the top shelf.

She started standing on her tiptoes trying to reach the top shelf. She extended her arms and was about to touch them when someone broke her concentration with her cookies.

"May I assist you?" She turns around and the girl's face falls to her baby bump.