"Come sit with us", invited Jughead, and Betty scooted over to make room in booth. I was sitting down when the questions started. "What are you doing here? And when do you arrive?"
"Well, I arrived yesterday, or rather early this morning, and as for why I'm here, there are a lot of things I need to tell you, preferably when we are alone." I looked to Juggie's friends. "No offence you guys, it's just… family drama and stuff."
"Oh, don't worry. We all have our share of family drama", Veronica told me.
'Yeah, but have you had one of parents die? Your closest parent at that?' I thought to myself.
"Wait, if you arrive yesterday, where did you stay for the night?" Jughead asked me, in his brotherly protective way.
"Don't worry, I stayed at the Whyte Wyrm." I told him, placing my hand on his arm.
"That's a dangerous place and you shouldn't go there, let alone at night and alone." Jughead seemed very concerned for me, and although it was nice to have some care about me, I think he was being a bit overkill.
"Look, she's alright now, Juggie, that's all that matters," Betty calmed him. There was that nickname again.
"So, how long have you two been together?" I gestured to my brother and Betty, changing the subject. Jughead looked at Betty and smiled. I could tell he was really happy with her, and I was happy for him on that fact.
"About a year now, isn't it?" Jughead gestured to Archie and Veronica across the table. "About as long as these two been together." The other couple smiled at each other.
Just then someone cleared his throat at our table. I looked up. Ryder. I totally forgot about him.
"Ryder, I'm so sorry, I totally forgot about…" I lagged off as I stood up from the table.
"Wait, JB, you know Ryder?" questioned Jughead, standing up as well.
"And Jughead, you know her?" Ryder questioned back.
"And you guys know each other?" I was equally as confused, but I tried to make some sense of the situation. "Juggie, I met Ryder last night, he rented me a room to stay in the Wyrm."
Jughead still looked suspicious. "Oh, so you know about JB and me then, Ryde, don't you?" Jughead said I assumed just to mess with Ryder for whatever reason, slinging his arm over my shoulders once again. I guessed Jughead was making it look like we were a couple to trick Ryder for a moment.
"Juggie, stop it," I said, laughing and playfully pushing at his arm around my shoulders.
The look on Ryder's face was priceless. It was obvious that he liked me – to be honest, I liked him too- but I knew what Jughead was doing was wrong. I nudged Jughead, giving him a look that said enough. Juggie always knew better than disobey me and my looks.
"Let me introduce you, Ryder," Jughead said to him. Ryder looked confused; of course, he already knew who I was. "This is Jellybean Jones, my sister."
Finally understanding everything, well mostly everything, Ryder let out a breath.
"Oh, thank god! I thought you were a couple or something…"
Jughead looked at Ryder with a look suspicion, but I could see right through his façade. "And why would you worry about such a thing Ryder?" Jughead asked his friend.
"Well, I... uh, um… kinda like um, getting to know your sister", Ryder stumbled, looking flushed.
"I just kidding, Ryde. I don't mind you hanging out with her, just don't hurt her, or there will be consequences," Jug warned, this time deadly serious.
This whole exchange was witnessed by Archie, Veronica and Betty, who quietly nibbled on their food during the conversation. Archie was the first to speak up from the group.
"I should go, I promised my Dad I would help with some construction today. One of his men is sick today" Archie explained, standing up, leaving a 10-dollar bill to cover his food.
"I better head off, I need to prep for the debate coming up" Veronica excused herself, also leaving money for her meal.
"See yah guys", Jug called to his friends.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya at the Wyrm later?" Ryder asked, having to head back.
"Yeah, later. Sorry about breakfast. I didn't really expect my brother to be here." I apologised once again, feeling bad for not only forgetting about him but also that I missed out on time to get to know him better. "Bye", I said to him as he headed back to the bar.
"Do you want me to go too?" Betty asked us both, the only one still in the booth with the siblings. "JB said she wanted to talk to you alone."
"No, you can stay. I can tell how special you are to Jug, and you will find out later anyway," I assured her.
"Ok", Betty agreed, leaning into Jughead's arm that was wrapped around her shoulder.
"Tell us everything, Jellybean," Jughead said to her.
"Uh, where do I start?" I laughed, with no humour though.
"Begin with why you are here" suggested Betty.
"Ok, well, it's kinda a long story, but here it goes." I took a deep breath, then dove into explaining the past events that I desperately just wanted to go back in time and change. "Well, as you know, a year ago Mom and I moved to Toledo, and she found a good job, a few days after we arrived. And then she started getting sick. I thought she was just nervous about her job, or worried about our big move, but it when on for a while. She would wake up in the middle of the night vomiting, and she would feel sick all day. We couldn't afford a doctor, and I was really worried. It turns out that she was pregnant."
I paused to let the shocking news sink in for Jughead. His look of surprise must have mirrored mine when Mom told me that one morning.
"Apparently, she and Dad…, well you know – before we left. Anyway, Mom couldn't work from then on, she felt too sick – morning sickness- so I found a job, working after school and on the weekends, and earned enough to buy food and stuff for the baby for when it came. Finally, it was time for the baby to be born. Mom went into labour, and I took her to the hospital. I went home to grab some stuff for mom that we left at home, she assured me that she would be in labour for hours, so I wouldn't anything why I was gone." This was the part where I got tears in my eyes, wiping them away with the back of my hand. "As I was at home, rushing around to find the stuff Mom needed, the phone rang. It was the hospital, they were calling to tell me that Mom had died while giving birth, that since she was quite old to have a baby, she was very weak, and she wasn't given the proper medicine during her pregnancy to help her."
I looked up to see Jughead crying as well, and Betty's eyes were full of tears too. Although Jug wasn't as close to Mom as I was, he still loved her the same. And Betty had met Mom a few times when she was younger.
"I feel like it was my fault. I should have quit school and worked more, to get the money to help Mom. She died because of me!"
Jughead slid across the booth to wrap his arms around me. "Hey, it is not your fault, okay? Do not blame yourself for this. The medicine might not have worked even if she had it."
"What about the baby? Did it survive?" Betty questioned.
"Yes, it's a girl, Cadence Grace, Caddie for short. Mom and I discussed names before, well, she was gone," I explained.
"Where's she now?" Asked Jughead. "Did you give her up for adoption? Please say no".
"Of course not! I couldn't get rid of my own sister! My good friends in Toledo are taking care of her. I didn't want to bring her down here because I didn't know if you were even still here," I explained to Jughead.
"Well, when can we go get her?" Jughead asked.
"I was hoping today if that's alright." That had been my plan: If I had found Jughead or Dad we could head back to Toledo and go get Caddy.
"Let's go then." Jughead smiled my way.