Chapter 34- Wishing Jar
A light breeze flew around the house as Jughead pulled into the driveway. He and Cheryl took turns ranting about what's better. Cherries or Burgers. Betty wanted to stab her eardrums with toothpicks as she listened to them debate over and over it. It was like she was re-living the friends date jug and her mother had before she gave birth to Koel.
Betty helped Cheryl wake Fp. He had fallen asleep at his break down. She couldn't blame the poor man. Losing a child is devastating. She hopes that they will find him soon. Fp jolts awake by the sound of a dying engine. He wasn't ready to come back to reality yet. He was dreaming about his son. They were at the park and his son was a year old. His was toddling around carrying his stuffed dog which was caked in mud under his arm.
He only wished that his son was there for real and not under the ground. His stomach jolts as the thoughts enters his head. He can't—no he's alive, he keeps telling himself. His son was alive until it was proven so.
His feet brace the floor as he dreads walking into his home. The home he shares with his family. It's also the place he last saw his little man. He doesn't even know if he'll see him again. He tries so hard not to let the negativity rot his brain cells but it's getting impossible to ignore his inner demons. Drinking was one.
As much as he craved a drink, to end the misery and just run away. For once the father in him gripped and held by one hand to the vine. Everything felt like gravity crushing him into a pressurizer. His lungs lacked oxygen he need to breathe and survive. His heart lacked a thing called; hope. Hope was running low for him. The longer his son was gone. The less hope he had to live on. His stomach craved food and booze.
He wishes he could wish on a wishing jar. A wish could make his day a little brighter and the glow would make his son appear. He wishes he could find his son hiding in a laundry basket under the all the clothes and pop out and squeal. A squeal that would make him scoop up and give him a squeeze. He wishes his son was just playing a risky game of hide and seek. All he wants.
All he needs. All he desires was his son in his arms, safe and sound. But unfortunately, life has cruel intentions. All his life was filled with cruel intentions. Nothing but disappointments after disappoints. From his father, mother and finally him.
He caused a number of himself. He was a drunk for one. Two: he always caused problems. He joined football to escape from his abusive father at the age nine. His mother left him. He always felt like it was his fault. Like he was destined to be broken. A drunk, abusive and a deadbeat like his old man.
He glances over at Alice. He could see that she was baking. Baking? Why was she baking? Not like there was something wrong with her baking. Not at all. What made him curious was on how she smiled. She hasn't smiled in days. And god he missed her smile.
"What's all this?" He questioned as he lumbers over to the stool by the island.
Alice's eyes flicker over to her boyfriend and she instantly raced up to him. "Where have you been? You had me worried sick, Forsythe!" She exclaimed as she slapped him on his shoulder.
He steps back and catches the wooden spoon by its handle and retrieves the spoon from her tightly locked fingertips. She rolls her eyes at him and snatched the spoon back.
She's tired of the games and wants to know where he's been. She can't keep up with his lies. First to his father! What on earth would it be now?! He smells like a bar and she instantly wants to slap his head again.
"Easy, Al.." His voice trails on as he smoothed his palm on her back. She feels his hand right along her spine and sparks ignite with her nerves.
"Where have you been?" She demands this time. Her tone cold and pointed as she pushed his hand back like he burned her.
He frowns slightly and exhales," Nothing Al." He twisted his lie through his lips.
She can tell he's lying again. Again. She can't keep doing this. The constant questions.
She placed her hands on her hips and glares," I won't ask again, Fp. I'm getting fed up with the lies!" She snarls through a tight bitchy smile.
Jughead and Betty both watch as they sat at the dining table. Another fight that would demolish everything in sight. Cheryl brushed her hand through her curls with a shaky hand. Yelling made her queasy ever since her mother became a witch.
"Guys… can't we have a nice dinner." Betty's voice slips into their ears. Also ignored by Fp and Alice's stubbornness.
Alice keeps her eyes on Fp. Fp feels her eyes burning into his. He can feel another fight about to breach. "Al, I don't want to fight. Not tonight." He sighs as he rubs his temples in a circular motion.
"Seriously?! I ask you where you been and you disregard what I just said!" She shouted as she stomps her foot.
A crack and a snap could be heard. The lovers hearts began to give way. The imploding has begun. There was no safety. The iceberg had cracked and took all the life jackets with it.
Fp sees the hurt in her eyes and wishes he could take it back. He watched as she starts backing away from him as if he burned her. His words weren't the cause. It was his actions that caused the hurt. She can't even look at him at this point.
"Al—" He tries to get take back what was said. He knows he's wrong and she's right.
Alice shoved passed him with force and dashed for keys." No. I'm not going to speak with you." She snaps as she squeezes the keys into her palms.
"Alice… please let me explain." He pleads with her to come back as his hands block the door.
She crushes her hand again and ripped his hands off the door and slams the door hard and makes a dash for her car. Her heart's pounding in her chest, racing against the time she slammed the door to the point the bond had broken. She thought she could trust him with her heart. But maybe it was a mistake. Maybe he can't be trusted like she once thought.
Her foot rubs against the gas pedal as she speeds out of her driveway and down the road. She didn't care where she was going. It didn't matter. As long it was away from the madness. She wants drive away from her problems. Maybe take a road trip like she's always wanted since she was a little girl or visit her parents. She didn't know what she wanted it.
She keeps her eyes on the road as her phone rings. She glances down at the screen and sees his name. Her heart's telling her to answer the damn phone but her hand misses the signal her brain was telling her hands. She doesn't bother answering and keeps her eyes focused on where's she heading. Her eyes were glossy and tears kept cascading down her cheeks like a rain on a windy spring night. She feels like her phones speaking to her.
Fp paces back and forth as he plugs in her number that he knows like the back of his head. He knows that he fuck things up. He always fucks things up for everyone. His son, his daughter look at him with hateful eyes. He should have just told her the truth and now he's dealing with this.
"Al, please return my phone call. I'm worried sick. I'm sorry, Baby. I should've told you the truth. I was just trying to protect you. I recruited the Serpents t help us find Koel. I know, I know, I should've just opened my mouth and told you. Damn't! I'm sorry, Al. Please call me back." He leaves her message and hopes she calls him back.
Jughead and Betty decided to take JB upstairs and play game while Fp handles his mistake. Even Cheryl was calling her to see if she picked up. She also went to directly to her voicemail box. She tries again and yet again she goes to voicemail.
Betty sits down on Jellybean's carpet playing Shoots and ladders. Jughead watched in amusement. He never knew how competitive his girlfriend was until he watched her and his sister play the game together. His sister was laughing and Betty was winning. Which wasn't a surprise for Jughead.
A knock on the door makes their eyes follow the sound. They find Cheryl standing in doorway with a sad smile. That's how they knew there was still no luck. It came to their attention that she turned her phone off. A crash sounded broke through their ears and cursing could be emptied from their souls. Jellybean sighed as she meets Betty's winning streak again. She knew it was going to be a long night.
Alice's eyes welled up as she pulled to a stop. Her eyes craved for hope. She getting wanting to buy a wishing jar. She would seal up all her desires and pray it was enough to bring back her son. She was still angry about Fp's excuses. She was aware she could get any man she wanted like a blink of eye.
As a girl she had a lot of boys that wanted to crown her the princess of their kingdoms. She knew that she was special to them and she honored that. But she settled on her king. Fp was the man of her dreams. They became best friends at the age six and never stopped.
She remember the first time Fp punched anybody. She was eight and this boy named Eric wouldn't stop taking her markers in art class. She didn't even get time to tell the teacher. No Fp already had him on the ground with a bloody lip. Their teacher pulled him off Eric and Fp was taken to the office. His mother showed up and he knew right then that he was in trouble.
An hour later, School ended for the day and she raced home to thank him. She climbed up a tree and knocked on his window. He opened and she pressed her lips into his. It was her first kiss and she knew it was his too. It was innocent and sweet. He blushed like a puffer fish and she laughed at him. She sat on his bed as they watched full house and eventually fell asleep.
Now she wonders if she made the right decision. She wants to be right and tell her mind to fuck off. But she can't. Her mind kept listing the reasons why she picked one. Her heart was saying different. She knows that Fp has struggles with losing Koel but so does she. She needs him to be her backbone when she can't walk or if she falls to catch her before she falls.
After fourteen voicemails, forty-five text messages and thirty-five miscalls, Fp starts to panic. Was she okay? Why does she have her phone off? Why does she have to be so goddamn stubborn all the time? He just wants to her to shoot him a text saying she's alright. No instead she's having him all freaked out and panicked.
His heart keeps racing as he calls again and again. But still nothing. How could he be so stupid? He stops pacing and heats up the some leftover tea in the teapot. His hands shake as he brings the cup to his lips. Sometimes he wished that he could go in a time machine and take back all his mistakes and faults.
If he could go back? He would go back to the day she told him she was leaving and make her stay. He should've showed her what she was going to be missing but he didn't. Instead he let her slip out of his grasp. His heart gave in and she left.
But he wouldn't have Jug or Jellybean. She wouldn't have Betty or her psycho daughter. He wouldn't wish his son away. His son was everything to him. Jughead Jones was his pride and joy ever since he found out Gladys was expecting. He always wanted to be a father. And when he was allowed the chance. He wasn't going to lose that chance.
For some reason Alice felt so far away from him. It was like he couldn't reach her. He was alone as he was tempted by the liquor cabinet down in the basement. He had days he would sneak downstairs and stare at the liquor cabinet as it was his life alert. When in reality it was his end of life.
When he drank he lost all sense of touch and feelings. He would become reckless and break anything in his path. One drop of liquor was like a drug intolerance. That one drop would cause his bloodstream to be out wack. He knew the cause but his head was blocked by the poison in between his lips. It would suck him dry until the only thing he had was the desire for that vice. Most of the time; his family was the victimized in the process. Anger takes another part of his spiral.
A spiral can't undone. Once done it's already done the damage. His sobriety was hard to hold up to. He wants to drink all the time. His brain keeps chanting just one drink. Then that drink turns into several before he has work in the morning. That's the life of an alcoholic. There's two ways out.
One: You drive yourself into the ground, leaving you without a family or support system; which furthers your addiction and you eventually die alone.
And two: You get the help you need, keep your family's trust and learn that drinking isn't the answer. It can be hard to get a grip. You'll fall and get back up again. It's a cycle, routine and a life's roller coaster ride.
Fp Jones chose the second way. He still has daily struggles and his vice was still dangling in his face. He wants to tell her that the wine cellar has to go. He tried to tell her once but he couldn't force his mouth the make the right words. He knows as long as that liquor stayed in arms reach that he'll may slip and lose everything he's worked so hard to regain. His son and daughter are very important and if he loses them, he'll lose her too. And that's exactly what he doesn't want to happen.
Alice finds herself at a bar. Something she knows that wasn't good news. Her head was killing her. Loud music blares in her ears as she slips in the doors. Everyone looked like they were having a blast. She wished that she was having one too.
Her heels clicked as she strutted over to the bar and hollers over Hogeye. Hogeye notices her signature 'I need a drink' look and starts making her drink. He can tell something is bothering her but he can't think about what it could be. She hardly comes here unless it's been a rough day at work or a fight. Ah— he already guessed. She had a fight with Fp and it didn't end well. It was like he was psychic.
No over the years he became Alice's psychic. Her body language was the clue. If her shoulders look tense or she had a really nasty snarl. She was pissed and in a need for a drink.
He slides her drink over to her and she swiftly catches it with both hands before shaking down her first shot. Oh boy it was going to be a long night. He just knew by her facial expressions.
"Ace, You alright tonight?" He curiously questions as he pours her another shot.
Alice snakes her fingers around the shot glass and tilted her head back and swallows the acid. A rush releases chemicals to her blood and signals her neurons to gain a reaction. Without a thought in her mind she flips him off and snatched another shot.
"Mind your own damn business, Hogeye." She snarls as she slams the shot glass against the bar top.
He shrugs,"Ace… slow down a bit, alright?" He adds as he starts walking to the back room.
She just rolls her eyes and snorts," Yeah right! Very funny!" She shouts as he flips her off.
Ten tequila shots later, She's stumbling around the bar, holding onto walls and swearing up a storm. "Fuck you, Fp! Fucking fuck!" She chants as she wobbled toward the backroom.
Before she can reach the handle. She almost stumbles backwards after she body slammed into something. She feels someone's hands guiding and rebalancing her. She can't see straight.
All she hears was downed out words,"Mrs. Smith, are you alright?" She flutters her eyes and readjusted to a new setting.