Chapter 39: Miss' Old You
Angry when she sees FP walk into her bedroom and hour later than he said he'd be. When FP met the fury in the woman's eye - - he wanted to run. He knew she would be angry with him.
"Where have you been? I had to call into work because you never showed. So explain, why you smell like a brewery!" Her tone spat distastefully.
Alice laid in bed, arms crossed over one another, nostrils flaring as she looked at him with fury in her eyes. FP tried to approach her, but her hand held up. "Don't come any closer. Explain, now!"
He hufffed, throwing his arms up." I was at the bar."
She snarled." I can tell, Forsythe." She threw body off the bed and landed feet first on the carpet. "Why?"
He groaned," You wanna know why? I mean do you really wanna know?"
"Yes, I do. Now EXPLAIN!"
"I wanted to forget about it!" He shouted angrily, almost at himself and the world. Her features soften on her face. "I-I just wanted to forget about it, Alice. My baby has a disorder!"
Alice blinked back the tears that started welling in her eyes. "FP..." Her voice was in a whisper. She started warming up, walked toward him and pulled his body close.
"Our b-b-baby is never going to be like everyone else. How are we going to do this? I failed with my others! What am I doing wrong?" His eyes started welling with a rush of emotion and tears threatened to fall.
She shook her head." Nothing, baby. You aren't doing anything wrong. Unfortunately this is just one of the things that we need to learn how to deal with. We can do this."
Stroking his head soothing with her fingertips," We take care of our own." It is told in the softest whisper but he hears it.
After sometime Alice and FP laid in arms and she looked over him with knowing eyes. He could feel her eyes burning into the back of his head and turned.
"What do you want to know?"
A sigh fills the room." Did you drink?"
He shook his head.
"No. Actually Hogeye stopped me." Alice's eyes search for more information.
—-xxxx Three Hours Ago — Whyte Wyrm —xx
"FP, what are you doing here?" An spiteful tone broke his eye contact.
He turned around, seeing Hogeye glaring at him as he approached the bar area. He cursed silently to himself and waited for the bomb to drop.
"Blowing steam whatcha ya think."
Hogeye reached him by the collar of shirt and pulled toward him. FP could feel the rage in the man's shaking body as he was pressed up against him.
"Listen to me! What are you doing here? Looking for a cry for help? Well you've got it! I'm not going to let you throw away your life for a damn fucking drink!" The man shouted furiously, shaking his fists in his face.
"What's the point all I do is fail! Why even try anymore, I might as well be my father."
"What's the point?!" He shouted," You will never be that man. I've met him, remember? And you ain't nothin' like him!"
Then a firework lit up and exploded. FP's strong wall came crumbing down. Hogeye saw something he hadn't seen the man do before - cry. FP broke down, burying his head in Hogeye's neck.
"What's wrong, king?"
He brokenly in a hoarse voice answered back, rubbing angrily at his eyes. "We got news about Roselyn. She has PKU."
Hogeye's face showed empathy." Oh, man. I'm sorry. I've heard of it." He gave him a hug and then broke from it. "Now, go home and face your lady. She needs you right now."
—xxxx
Alice's eyes widened as she listened to what happened and she held him close to her. She hadn't thought about FP's feelings. She had been so wrapped up wallowing in her room to even notice that FP was going through the same thing she is. It hurt what he'd rather drink than talk to her about it.
"Oh, baby. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you. I'll try better." She kissed him gently on the lips.
He returned the gesture and smiled at her. "It's okay."
She shook her head." No, it's not, FP. She's your child too. You have the right to grieve. Even thought we didn't lose her, we came close." She shuddered as the thought hit too close to home.
"Remember the law: We take care of our own. I'm going to take care of you and Roselyn." He kisses her head, plays with her hair and says." I'll never let anything to have to my girls. Ever."
—-xxxx—
Two Weeks Later...
Jughead, JB, Polly and Betty had a meeting in Pop's booth. They all knew something wasn't right. Their parents had been acting very odd as of lately. So Polly decided to divide and conquer the possible issue. She texted others and told them to meet her at Pop's diner.
"Who wants to go first?"
Jughead sighted his opportunity.
"My dad has been acting weird. He came home from Alice's smelling like a bar. I really hope he hasn't fallen off the wagon again." She could hear the underlying of worry and disappointment. It was clear in Jughead's voice as he spoke. "That's not the only time. Whenever him and Alice have doctor's appointments for Rosey -- he comes back home looking like someone took his favorite thing in the world. I don't know what's going on." He rubbed a tired hand over his face.
The look in his eyes, on his face was a giveaway. Polly sighed, smiling sadly. "Same with our mom." Betty nods, agreeing with her.
"It's true, Polly's right."
JB frowned." I've never seen him this down. We need to get to the bottom of it."
They all nodded, watching Polly carefully. Polly started to explain what's the plan and they agreed. Their parents were hiding something and the Jones-Smith clan are ready to team up to find out the truth.
P: Can you and FP meet us at Pop's?
A few seconds later, dots appeared on Polly's iPhone screen.
Mom: Sure we'll be there in 14 mins.
Another second goes by and Polly's phone pinged again with a new message from her mother.
Mom: is it serious? Are you or Betty pregnant?
Polly bursted out laughing, earning strange looks from the other people in the booth. Polly held up her phone to show them the message and Betty rolled her eyes.
"Is she for real?" Jughead looked at her," No. I'm not. But I'm never wearing this outfit again." Betty crossed her arms, hiding her stomach.
P: No. We just need to talk to you guys.
Polly turned to the group and sighed," They are coming in 14 minutes."
14 And Half Minutes Later...
They turned their heads around when the doorbell called for their attention. Alice and FP walked into the dining, holding hands. They didn't look sad today, only confusion read on their features.
"What did you need to talk to us about?" Alice asked, slipping into the other side of the booth, while FP sat next to her.
"We know something is bothering you. You have been different since the day you got back from the doctor's. What's going on?"
The couple's shocked faces made the kids wonder. "How'd you suppose?"
The son cleared his throat," Dad, you came home smelling like the bar." FP caught his son's frown. He could tell the kid thought he went back on his promise. Well... he almost did.
"He's not drinking, Jughead." Alice stated, gripping FP's hand under the table. FP shot her a half-smile as a 'thank you' to her.
"Then what are you two hiding? You said no more secrets. We are all worried about you. Are you sick? Dad, are you dying?" The pretween eyes flashed with horror.
"No, JB. I'm not dying."
Jug and JB released a breath they were holding back since their dad and Alice sat down. "Oh..ok..." JB added unsurely.
Betty grabbed her mother's hand." Please tell us."
Alice's heart was in her throat. She didn't mean to worry those poor kids to death. She and FP were still wrapping their heads around the news themselves. She didn't even know how to break the news.
"Betty, I lied to you when you asked if we knew." Betty's hands retracted.
"You lied to me... again?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to lie to you."
The blonde shook her ponytail. "I can't believe you lied again! I thought we were passed all the lying and keeping things from us!" She started to become angry. She couldn't believe this was happening again. She guessed she should've known.
"I know I did, honey. I'm sorry... I-I just needed time to--" Betty cut her off.
"Why! We're finally in a good place why ruin it?!"
Alice tried to open her mouth to speak but couldn't. FP noticed this and the tears watering her light blue orbitals. He squeezed her hand, pulling her close to his chest.
"We learned something about Roselyn..." All four children look at FP, daring for him to say it. "...We found out that your sister has a metabolic condition called PKU. She will never be eat or drink like we do." FP's eyes began to water.
Jughead, Betty, Polly and JB felt the soul-crushing pain strike straight through their hearts as the news hit like a hurricane, spinning them into a whirlpool - the eye of the hurricane - the center and shivers skewed into their spines, leaving them breathless from the lack of oxygen to their lungs.
"No bacon?" JB whispered brokenly.
FP and Alice shook their heads, sadly at her question. JB fell against her big brother, sobbing into his arms. Jughead rubbed her back, while holding back his own tears. Betty, Polly got out of their spots and hugged their mother tightly, wrapping arms around her and ignored how uncomfortably tight it was. That was the last thing on their minds.
Then the rain came pouring off the window, gloomy as the way the family felt right now. FP, Alice, JB, Jughead, Betty and Polly stayed in their booth not giving a fuck if the rain shut off the power. They didn't hear Pop Tate calling their names saying the storm knocked out the power lines. The family hugged one another, ignoring the curiousness in the small, popularized diner.
"But we'll get through this." FP finally said after moments of silence. "We take of our own." He squeezed Alice's hand gently.
Two Southside Serpents, Polly, JB and the ex-serpent king and queen all knew that. "No Serpent is left behind, left for dead or forgotten!" They all knew it was the truth.