Favorite Crime- Bughead Story

Part 1

Betty pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. She savored her pale skin, the way her cheeks glowed a pink without the need of blush from the candle lit next to her. Today was the day things were changing, people all around her were saying it was dumb, her parents were saying it was a good thing, and Betty didn't know much of anything.

She didn't know how to function properly after she found out the news of her fathers passing. Betty could remember it like it was yesterday, the pain still nagging at her heart each time his face crossed her mind.

She rested a hand on her chest, she could feel the pressure of the fabric from her sweater against her skin, holding the peace of him inside of her soul close to her as much as she could.

She tangled the little locket from her sister who had passed along side of him that night, keeping those things near and dear to her heart each step of the way.

She was about to do something she could never be forgiven for, and she can never turn back.

1 month prier:

Betty looked over the banister of the stairs, pacing back and forth trying to calm her nerves. The police laid only inches away, wrapping things up with her hysterical mother. Betty could hear her sobs from downstairs, broken.

She winced and continued to pace back and forth, she could feel the pressure beginning to build in her throat from the nausea that was eating at her. Any moment, she wished they could just leave.

She heard the ruffling of the footsteps walking down the hall, the click of the heavy red door. Her mother's small and worrisome voice and hushed thank you's.

Betty thought she would feel better by now, better now that it was just her and her mom and not strangers pretending to care about their infliction.

Betty walked down the stairs slowly, keeping the weight light from her feet to make the boards in the floor silent. It was as if one wrong move would send them in the opposite direction.

"Mom," Betty whispered, like a singing a little kid back to sleep after a nightmare. "Oh Betty," she sobbed pushing her head down. She wiped underneath her eyes in a effort to cover up the running makeup and tears.

"Mom it's okay it's me now," Betty stood up and wrapped her mother in her arms. She put her face in the crook of her neck. Flowers, her perfume always smelled like flowers. She rubbed her moms back in small circles, still feeling the shakes of sobs pressed under her fingertips.

She couldn't help but let a tear go for her mother.

"I've been trying this whole time Betty, this whole world was supposed to hold so much for you-" she stammered. Alice pulled away reluctantly and backed behind the island, looking at Betty face to face.

Her hair had grown darker, she seemed more frail and skinny. Her face had lost all the colors that made her look like she had tint blush on. Her eyes were the worst, they were the same green, beautiful and resilient. But there was something that died, a peice of them stared unknowingly out.

It was chilling.

"I haven't been honest with you Betty, and I need to now. Your father and I aren't everything you want us to be. We aren't perfect hell we tried to be for you."
Her mine tracing the little silver wedding ring on her finger in circles, half pitty and half nerves.

"There's something we were trying to keep you away from, but I don't think that's possible to do anymore." her gaze trailed down, she didn't want to look at Betty, her own daughter.

"But somehow things fall through, and plans don't go right all the time. I don't want you to see your father and I any differently." and this set off another wave of tears. Betty didn't know how to handle this, she was confused herself on what her mother was babbling about, a family secret of some sort?

"It's alright mom," she reached her hand over the island taking her mother's bony hand in hers and squeezing it gently with comfort. "What is it?"

Her moms eyes caught hold of Bettys, she could now see her mother's beautiful eyes filled with remorse. Whatever the news was, it was going to make it break them.

The air thickened, and with every single passing breath Betty could feel the world coming down on her.

"Your father and I have been working with the Ghoulies for years, we've been there leaders in a way." she began to explain, and Betty felt something flare in her. An understanding of what her mother had felt such pitty over, remorse.

"You can't be saying, your a ghoulie mom?" Betty whispered as if someone were going to storm in any minute.

"Yes, Elizabeth we were ghoulies." she brushed a piece of her bangs out of her face. Betty corked a eyebrow, pure shock riveted her body.

"Why are you saying that in past tense?" her mom remained silent for a moment, then straightened herself up. "Because I'm not a ghoulie anymore, neither is your father." and her eyes met Bettys again. This time she looked like she was putting up the walls of a stone face, trying not to let anything see through the gaps desperately.

She drew in a breath.

"Because you are."