𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚔𝚒𝚗// 𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝙿𝚎𝚊

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝙹𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚖

"Did you find what you were looking for," Nick asks as I come up from the den.

"Yeah, I did actually." I smile and I go upstairs and take my dress out of its bag and lay it across my bed.

"Is he lying to you?"

"No." I set the rest of my things out and turn the shower on.

"Now if you'll excuse me I need to take a shower." Nick chuckles and leaves so I can shower. 
***

"Super-delicious, Mrs. C.," Jughead says and I look up at Jughead 

"Sure is, Alice. Been a long time since I ate something that didn't come in a combo meal or a snack pack." FP says and my dad chuckles. 

"So, FP...

"Mmm."

"Betty tells me that you're working for Fred Andrews and your brother now. How do you balance that with all of your other responsibilities?"

"Do you mean like being a father? And being a part of the Southside community."

"Mom." Betty scolds and I roll my eyes.

"You can say "Southside Serpent," Alice. I'm not ashamed. And it's not just me, there's a bunch of us working on Fred's site." My mom shakes her head and continues to eat.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, I mean, I'm just curious, how did you make your living before that?"

"I scraped by. Odd jobs." I look over at Betty and she shrugs her shoulders.

"I know that you worked for the drive-in, Jughead before it was closed. Did you find work there, too, FP?"

"Dad," Jughead says and I grip my knife a little too hard. My dad puts his hand on my arm and I calm down a bit.

"Well, hung out a bit. What can I say? I'm a movie buff."

"So, tell me, were you upset when Hiram Lodge bought the drive-in land?"

"Stuff happens."

"Let me rephrase that question. Were you surprised?"

"I'll get it." Betty gets up and goes to get the door.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"Right this way." Betty comes in with her dad and his smile fades when Alice glares at him.

"I thought you said she wanted me to be here."

"She does. I mean, it is Homecoming after all. And our families should be coming together. Right, Mom?" Betty sits back down with a sarcastic smile.

Mr. Cooper sits down and he looks over at FP.

"I'm hoping maybe you have some vacancies down at Sunnyside. You see, I've been sleeping in my office down at the paper, and it's just getting a little chilly at night."

"I bet your office beats the trailer park."

"I wouldn't be so sure. You see, Alice here, she's been redecorating the Register. The other day, she threw a brick through the window."

"Is that so?" My dad says and looks between the both of them.

"Keep talking, Hal and the next brick I throw may not be at a window. " She growls and I hold back a laugh.

"You remember our Homecoming, Alice? Hal? Back in the day? Castles in the Clouds? Your mom ever tell you about that night?"

"Just that she and my dad were king and queen," Betty says with a smile.