Through the Glass

Constitutions and Kegs (I)

As I stirred awake the next morning, FP next to me, I could hear voices echoing from the silent hallways down to the living room.
"Dude," I heard, "I mean I knew your dad and Maddy were a thing, but I didn't think they were..."
"Archie, people in relationships sleep together," another voice echoed.
Why was Veronica Lodge in my house?
"We don't even know for sure they slept together," Archie's shaky voice came again.
"So this isn't her sweater thrown on the floor?" Betty's crisp voice chirped as Kevin chortled in the background.
"Archie she's an adult," Jughead said. "Believe me, it's weird for me too. But at least their happy,"
I smiled and stood from bed, pulling on an outfit.

I slowly walked downstairs, seeing five familiar children sitting on the floor of my still partially unfurnished living room.
"How did you get into my house?" I asked the teens with a smirk. Jughead held up his key and I rolled my eyes. "Jughead, you could have called."
"I did. Twice. You were a little preoccupied-"
Kevin snorted of laughed along with Betty and Veronica and I rolled my eyes as I walked into the kitchen.
"What do you need, kids?" I asked them as I flipped the switch on my coffee pot.
Silence filled the room behind me.
"Arch?" I pressed, turning back to the kids.
"Dad left for Chicago, to finalize the divorce from Mom," Archie said and I breathed slowly as I nodded.
"I see," I spoke, biting my lip.
"I know you just moved in... but could you spend some time with us? Just because of everything," Veronica said. "We don't want to bother you and FP, but there's some things that aren't the same without you."
I gave a small smile and nodded as I grabbed a coffee cup. "You kids want breakfast?"
The group smiled, all coming to find places in the kitchen. Veronica and Betty took seats upon the breakfast bar, and the boys found stools from the living room, sitting at the kitchen island.
"So, have you kids discovered anything more about the Blossom kid?" I asked them as I cracked five eggs onto a pan, before pouring pancake batter into a second pan.
"Uhm," Betty cleared her throat, as she sipped the lemonade Jug poured for her. "The Blossoms and Coopers are closer than we thought..."
"What do you-" I started and my mind caught on to it. The families were related.
Polly's babies. Holy shit.
"No fucking way," I sighed and grabbed my phone. I grabbed a post it note from one of the boxes and flipped to the back of it, scribbling down one of the contacts from my phone.
"One of my friend's from Chicago. Best OBGYN you'll ever meet. Tell him that Mack sent you, and he'll help you." I said as I handed Betty the number.
Archie looked confused. "Mack?"
"As college students, we could afford the left side of the dollar menu. Big Macs were on that side. One night, it was me and six guys, we were drunk off our asses and had a bunch of Big Macs, and I not only outdrank him, but I ate more than him."
"Who did you outdrink?" FP asked as he walked into the kitchen. "Hey kids,"
Veronica tensed heavily as FP kissed my cheek. "I gotta go check on some stuff. I'll call you later."
"Bye," I smiled at him as he opened the door, and walked out.
"Are you happy with him?" Veronica asked me, bitterly.
Her change in tone surprised me and I turned to her. "What?"
"Knowing what he is. Are you really ok with that?"
I scoffed and crossed my arms.
"Veronica, don't push her," Betty advised.
"She needs to know what he's done-"
I shook my head and put the plate of eggs in front of the children. "We don't get to choose who we love, Veronica. It's not th-"
"You love him?" Kevin seemed shocked.
"I'm not incapable of love, Kevin. I'm just shitty at it."

*****

"It's Jug's birthday," Betty had called me in a panic. Being the girl she is, she wanted Jughead to have something. He hated parties, but she wanted him to know he was loved. It's all he wanted.
"Don't make something crazy, Bets," I said to her as I clicked around the photos at my studio. I hadn't been at the studio in so long, it felt like. "He doesn't want anything crazy. He just wants love. Order pizzas and watch movies or something. That's all he wants. Maybe get cupcakes."
"He likes you. Are you coming?"
"I can't, I have to go into the city again. I have a meeting with a rep from Teen Vogue," I spoke into the phone as I read through my calendar.
"Damn, ok," Betty cursed, getting nervous.
"Betty, Jughead is in love with you. I promise. Don't worry."

*****

I was seated with the Teen Vogue representative, a woman in her late fifties. She was an editor, I believed.
"Miss Andrews," the woman, Bev Harris, smiled at me as the waiter brought two glasses of wine over from the golden bar.
The restaurant was one of the swankiest in the city, The Blooms. Politicians and actors and the like all made their deals here. It became what the restaurant was famous for, not their whiskey.
"Miss Harris," I smirked back at her as I sipped my water.
"We're willing to give you a flat rate of six thousand dollars per set you shoot. A set consists of twelve approved photos, and you don't have a contract. You come when you want to. You can start tomorrow, if you want."
I nearly dropped my wine glass. That's one of the best deals I've ever heard.
"What's the catch?" I asked Harris as I crossed my legs.
"No catch," Harris shook her head as she sipped her rosé. "We like your name. We like you."
I smirked as I set my wine down, my hands folding on the table. "You have a contract?"
Harris's eyes widened with a smile as she reached into her bag, as my phone blared an ugly ring.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment," I stood, grabbing my phone and walking to the entrance.
"Jug?" I spoke into the phone.
I was answered with screams and booming music. "I need you to come get me. The party Betty planned got outta hand."
I sighed and set my hand on the bridge of my nose. The one thing I told Betty not to do, she did. "I'll leave the restaurant in two minutes. Hang tight, Juggie."
Quickly walking back into the restaurant, I saw Harris.
"Please fax it to my office. I'll have it signed for you by the end of the week. Something has come up," I said as I put my phone in my clutch purse, pulling my trench coat back on.
"Thank you very much for meeting with me, Miss Andrews," Bev stood and outstretched her hand. Smiling, I shook her hand back before leaving the restaurant.