Guys, I graduate college in a week! Isn't that crazy? Also I haven't updated sooner because college.
Chapter Eleven: Jughead
"Hey!" I shout again, trying to get someone's attention. "Hey asshole! I know you're behind that door and you can hear me!"
Finally, after ten minutes of me yelling, the door opens to reveal a very agitated Cruncher. He slams the door closed behind him, arms crossed over his chest. I look up at him from my spot on the floor, unable to stand with my legs chained.
"There better be a damn good reason for you calling me in here, boy," He growls, glaring at me with unfiltered hatred.
Admitting to it is harder now that Cruncher is actually in here, but pride be damned, I don't have much of a choice. "I need to go to the bathroom."
The man's eyes narrow at that, and he shrugs casually. "Then go."
My heart sinks, and my eyes flutter closed briefly before meeting Cruncher's again. "Do you have no human decency?" I scoff incredulously, trying to keep my anger in check.
"What, you need help?" He sneers back, coming closer. "Can't go by yourself without your girl helping you?" I take in a deep breath, refusing to take the bait this time. Cruncher gives me a knowing smirk, stopping to tower above me. "Betty, right? She's a pretty one. I've always liked blondes. And I've been watching you two walk to school every morning, eat lunch together in the courtyard, get milkshakes at that little diner I visited the other day. She always gets vanilla –"
"I get it!" I snap, unable to keep quiet any longer. "Just shut up and leave me alone."
"Not so fast," Cruncher chuckles, pulling me up by the collar so I'm standing precariously with his help. "You called me in here for a reason. What was that again?"
"Go screw yourself."
My back collides with the wall, feet barely touching the ground and Cruncher's meaty hand closing around my throat. My vision goes black around the edges almost instantly, and it's all I can do to start punching the man before me in desperation. In a faraway part of my brain a snide remark forms about how they need to find new scare-tactics that don't involve choking. But I can't breathe enough to say anything, and as Cruncher continues to squeeze my throat I fear that this might be more than a simple scare tactic. My lips try to form a plea for him to let go, but there's no air -
My gaze lazily drifts over Cruncher's shoulder in time to see the door slam open to reveal Venom, who quickly storms over. The grip on my neck loosens, and my head flops down onto my shoulder, shuddering breaths raking through my body. I would have fallen on my face if Cruncher weren't still holding me up.
"You moron!" Venom bellows at Cruncher, face livid. "I come here for the kid and find the door unguarded, only for you to be in here trying to kill him! What would I have told the boss if you had killed the brat, huh? She wants him alive, or we're done for!"
"I was teaching him a lesson!" Cruncher growls back, pressing his palm harshly against my chest. I sag a bit against the wall, body fighting not to shut down. "I wasn't going to let him die!"
"Right," Venom rumbles, setting his jaw and obviously forcing himself to remain calm. "Well, she's here and ready to see him, so hurry up and unchain him."
I hold still, expecting Cruncher to start doing as he was told. Honestly, I don't have it in me to fight back anymore, throat burning. Before letting me go, he lands a solid punch to my lower stomach, halting all other thought. Instantly my body bends over double and I fall to the ground, unable to stop myself. I cry out, eyes clenched shut as I hold my stomach instinctively. I pull my hand away quickly upon realizing the front of my pants are now soaking wet, the warm patch rapidly spreading down my legs.
"Shit," I mutter, looking down at myself, cheeks burning. "Shit."
"Do you need help with that, too?" Cruncher jeers, unlocking the chains wrapped too-tightly around my legs. I avoid his taunting gaze, keeping my eyes on the floor. The situation is bad enough without the embarrassing knowledge that he did it on purpose.
"Cruncher!" Venom snaps in warning. "That's enough! Go join the lookout. I'll deal with you later."
"Yes, sir," Cruncher responds stiffly, leaving the room without another word.
Venom grabs my arm tightly, hauling me up to my feet as he strides to the door. "Move," he orders gruffly, wrinkling his nose at me. "God, you smell awful." I stumble after him, still trying to regain proper blood flow back into my legs.
"Doesn't it bother you that your henchmen don't respect you?" I ask in an almost casual tone, secretly glancing around the hallway in search of a way out.
"Doesn't it bother you that you're powerless and just pissed yourself?" Venom growls back, jerking me down another hallway.
"I was right earlier when I said that you're not smart enough to orchestrate this on your own," I notice a stairwell on my right, leading up somewhere. We go down another hall and I just hope I can retrace our steps correctly if given the chance. "You said your boss needs me alive, and you sounded pretty afraid of her. So this she hired the leader of the Scorpions to kidnap FP Jones' kid; but what she didn't know is that you're incapable of keeping your men in line –"
Venom forces us to a stop, aggressively grabbing my jaw and bringing his face inches from mine. "You're right about one thing – I do need you alive. For now. But when the job's done, kid, it will be my pleasure to shut you up for good. You'll see just how much control I have then. But for now, it's time for you to meet your gracious host."
With that I'm shoved into what appears to be an office. It's the nicest room I've seen here so far, with wooden chairs facing a neat desk. I stop dead in my tracks when I see the figure sitting behind the desk, dressed in expensive red velvet and black lace.
"Mrs. Blossom?" I ask in shock, mouth a little agape as I take in the woman before me.
A light smirk creeps onto her face as she raises her eyebrows. "Have a seat, Mr. Jones."
"It's Jughead," I correct, mind whirring.
"Ah yes, Jughead. An unfortunate title," Penelope sneers with false sympathy. "Do sit down."
"I'd rather stand, thanks," I reply coldly, unwilling to give into the strange woman.
"I wasn't asking," she smiles, icy gaze unwavering.
Venom gives my back a sharp jab, driving me forward, palms clammy as I obediently sit in one of the chairs. My back is stiff, whole body on high alert in case I get the chance to make a run for it.
Mrs. Blossom pauses before speaking again, looking down at me in disgust. "He smells like urine."
"Why am I here?" I demand, avoiding the uncomfortable comment. "I didn't think you even knew who I was, and yet you took the time to have me kidnapped. Why?"
"I suggest you watch what tone you take with me, child," Penelope warns snidely, straightening in her seat.
The idea makes me scoff. "Sorry, I only watch my tone with people I respect. And seeing as all you and your family do is destroy everything around you, I gotta say that the respect is pretty low."
Penelope rises from her chair, slowly walking around the desk until she is in front of me, leaning leisurely against the oak ridge. I glare up at her, a combination of pissed off and exhausted.
I'm not an idiot – I know that I'm no match for Venom or the other Scorpions guarding the room – but I'll be damned if I'll ever cower before Penelope Blossom. I may be physically pummeled, but I've still got my wit and sarcasm.
"I should have known that the child of FP Jones would be just as insolent as their father," Mrs. Blossom picked a speck of fuzz off her shoulder, as if this were a simple conversation about the weather. "Tell me, Forsythe," she began slowly, seemingly disliking the name almost as much as I do. "Do you know why you're here?"
The question makes me bristle, annoyance clear in my voice. "No, that's why I've been asking the past several days," I snap, rolling my eyes at the woman before me.
"Watch it," Venom growls out a warning from my right, but I don't even glance at him.
"I know you want my dad to confess to killing your son, even though we all know your husband did that. So I'm…what? Blackmail?"
Penelope's eyes narrow at the mention of her husband, and she moves forward slowly, resting a hand on each arm of my chair, closing me in. I don't move, locking eyes with her in a challenge.
"We warned your father that if he didn't play his part, that his son would pay for it. He failed to keep his end of the bargain."
My eyes widen at the new information. I had no idea why Dad had gone through with the whole thing, honestly just assuming he had 'gotten an offer he couldn't refuse' like he had told me countless times about drug trades, and then gotten in way over his head. The thought makes a pinprick of guilt rise in my chest, now. I would not have guessed that I had anything to do with it.
"Okay, but," I stammer out, eyebrows knitting together as I look up at the vulture leaning over me. "He kept his side of the agreement. It's not his fault that the truth came out!"
"No," Penelope agrees, resting a cold finger under my chin to pull my face up. The falsely sweet action makes me cringe. "But it is your fault. You pocked your nose where it didn't belong, and now both of you have to pay for it."
"I thought adults were supposed to be smart," I sneer, knocking her hand away in irritation. "Even if he pleads guilty and turns in all the Serpents involved, it wouldn't matter! The police have all seen the video."
The woman grabs a fistful of my hair, tilting my head back painfully. "I don't care how he does it," she whispers dangerously, tightening her grip and making me wince. "But if he wants you returned in one piece, he'll find a way."
"Why does it matter?" I hiss, eyes boring into hers as I raise an unsympathetic eyebrow. "Clifford Blossom is dead!"
Before I can even register it a sharp knife is resting against my cheek, the tip pointed towards my left eye. I suck in a breath, not daring to move as Penelope presses the blade down by a fraction, pricking the skin and releasing a few drops of blood, which roll steadily down my face.
"My husband was not a good man," Mrs. Blossom seethes, her face livid. "He never cared about his wife or his children. I was just a means to an end for him; Jason and Cheryl were there to carry on the Blossom legacy. So when I find out that he murdered my son?" She applies more pressure to the blade, and I sink back further in the chair to try to escape it, swallowing past a thick lump in my throat, eyes wide as I listen to the crazed woman. "Well. We did what we had to do to cover it up, of course. And then you got in the way –" the knife moves to my throat, and I again try to pull away from it, pressing myself into the corner of the chair. "Now everybody knows what kind of man Clifford was. He took my son and by doing so, tarnished the Blossom name. Now I'm left to pick up the pieces and rebuild my life, and I don't care how many people I have to take down to do it."