Southside Boy

Search Party

I haven't managed to fall asleep as hard as I've tried. I'm too worried about Betty at the party. I open my eyes and look beside me at Hal who is sleeping peacefully. I roll my eyes and look over at the clock. 12:45 AM.
I haven't heard Betty come in yet, or maybe she has and I just didn't hear her. I get out of bed quietly so I don't wake Hal and walk out of the room. I walk across the hall to Betty's room but I just see her empty bed. I grow worried and walk downstairs hoping to see her in the kitchen or the living room. But nothing. She's not home. Her shoes aren't even at the front door. I try her cell phone but there's no answer. I try it again and again but all of them go to voicemail.
I run back upstairs and to my bedroom. I change out of my pyjamas and into actual clothing and then I turn to Hal. He's somehow stayed asleep throughout my frenzy, he wasn't worried about Betty going to this party, maybe he would've been if he knew what happened to me.
I roll my eyes before walking out of the bedroom and downstairs. I ran my keys and purse and head outside to my car.
I drive to the Southside of town but once I get there I quickly realize I have no idea where she is or could be.
But I do know someone who might, so I drive to Sunnyside trailer park. I pull up to his trailer and quickly walk up to his door. I know he's still up since the lights are on. I knock loudly until he opens the door.
"Alice? What are you-" he starts but I quickly cut him off with my own rambling.
"I need your help. Betty went to a party tonight with Jughead and I don't where they are. She was supposed to be home an hour ago. I don't where she is, I-" he stops my rambling by wrapping his arms around me. I relax a little as he holds me tight.
"We'll find her I promise." He says as he kisses my head. I just nod and then lean back a little. He wipes my tears and gives me a small but comforting smile. "Let's go." He says.
I hand him my keys since he knows his way around the Southside better than I do.
He starts driving and is seems very familiar, but I don't know why. It's been a long time since I've been on this side of town.
Then he pulls into a parking lot and I finally clue into where we are: The Whyte Wyrm.
"The party is here? She didn't tell me that..." FP can hear the worry in my voice.
"She's going to be okay. I promise." He says. I give him an unconvincing smile. I want to go find Betty but I really don't want to have to go inside this place. I sit still in my seat, reliving the night over and over again in my mind. I haven't been here since it happened and he knows it.
I feel his hand reach for mine and he squeezes it gently.
"You're going to be okay too, I won't let anything happen to either of you." I nod and take a deep breath before reaching for my door handle. I let go of his hand as I get out and he does the same.
He walks back over to me and reaches for my hand again. I turn to face him.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you tonight." He says as he looks deep into my eyes. "I promise."
I place my free hand on the back of his neck and lean up to kiss him softly.
"I know." I whisper as I pull away.
He smiles a little and then squeezes my hand lightly. "Let's go find our kids."
We walk inside the building and the familiar scent of cigarettes, hard liquor, beer and leather, washes over me.
We walk further inside and search around the place.
"I don't see them." I say growing more and more worried the longer it takes. I look around some more and make eye contact with the back door. The same one mustang pushed me out of with him all those years ago. I hope and pray that Betty isn't out there, I don't know what I would do to whoever had her, I just know it wouldn't be good.
"Over there!" FP says, snapping me out of my thoughts. I look to where he's pointing and sure enough there's Betty and Jughead sitting at a table with a few other people.
We rush over to their table and FP only lets go of my hand as we come into clear view.
"Mom?" Betty says the second she sees me. "What are you doing here?"
"Elizabeth, get over here now." I don't try to sound demanding or mean, but that must be how it sounds because she huffs before walking over to me.
FP gives me a weak smile and walks over to Jughead.
Betty gives me an annoyed look as she stands in front of me with her arms crossed.
"Thank god your okay." I say as I pull her in for a hug. She hugs me back after a few moments. I open my eyes and see FP looking over at me, I mouth "thank you" to him and he nods before returning to his conversation with Jughead.
"Mom what's going on?" She asks as she leans back to look at me.
"It's past curfew so I had FP help me come and find you since I had no idea where you were!"
"Mom I had no idea it was past curfew."
"Let's not talk about this in here, come on we're going home." I reach for her arm but she steps back. "Elizabeth-"
"Just let me say goodbye to Juggie first okay?"
"Fine, I'll meet you outside." I say.
She walks over to Jughead and I turn to walk as fast as I can out of the building. I feel my breath shorten as I walk through the crowd, visions of that night playing over and over again in my mind. I walk out the door and over to my car. I lean against the hood of the car as my breathing returns to normal, air finally feeling like it's getting to my lungs.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and tense up immediately.
"It's okay, it's just me." FP says from behind me. I turn around to face him, slowly, and breathe a sigh of relief when I see him.
"You scared me." I say.
"I can tell. I tried to catch up with you but you made it out the door before I could."
"You didn't have to come and check up on me."
"I know, but I know the bad memories this place brings for you so I want to make sure you're okay. I told you I'm not going to let anything happen to you and I plan on staying true to that."
"Thank you... for everything."
"You know I'd do anything for you Alice."
I smile and lean in to hug him, he wraps his arms around me tight.
"So how much trouble is Betty in?"
"Haven't decided yet." I laugh.
"Be easy on her, remember you were 16 once."
"I know... How about Jughead?"
"I'll have a talk with him tomorrow, he's staying at Archie's tonight."
"Ah, well you be easy on him too. I remember what you were like at 16."
We share a laugh and then it gets quiet between us. He leans in slowly and I do the same, but before our lips can actually meet the kids come out. We practically jump away from each other but neither Betty or Jughead seem to notice.
"You ready?" FP says to Jughead and he nods in response. "Well I'll see you two later. Goodnight ladies."
"Night Mr. Jones." Betty says.
"Night FP." I say softly and I catch a hint of a grin on his face.
I gesture for Betty to get in the car and she does. I walk over to my side and get in as well. We're silent as I start the car and only speak once we leave the lot of the Whyte Wyrm. Betty plugs in her phone as we get in. "If only she had done that earlier." I think.
"Elizabeth Cooper I told you to call me if you were going to be later than curfew!" I finally say.
"I know mom, I'm sorry. My phone died and I couldn't call, Jughead's was dead too. We didn't even know what time it was."
"Charge the damned things before you leave next time."
"I will mom." She says in an annoyed tone.
"Don't use that tone with me Elizabeth. I'm not joking around here. I've been to parties on the Southside, it's a dangerous crowd. Some horrible things happen there, and when you weren't home on time it scared the hell out of me."
"I know mom, I'm sorry."
"Sorry just isn't going to cut it Betty. I trust you to be responsible. You should have borrowed someone else's phone when you realized yours and Jughead's was dead."
"I know."
"You're grounded." I state, I had no intention on grounding her it just sort of slipped out.
"Grounded? Are you serious? Mom I made a mistake! It's not like when you got there I was blackout drunk or doing drugs. I was drinking ginger-ale and talking with my boyfriend and his friends. I didn't do anything wrong."
"You violated my trust Betty."
I know I'm being harsh, but I can't help but think of what could've happened. Things could've gone much worse. She could've ended up exactly where I was 22 years ago.
"So I make one mistake and you're going to ground me? At least you're not sending me away like you sent Polly."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Polly got pregnant, it wasn't intentional but it happened, and instead of dealing with it rationally, you sent her away. What dad did was horrible but what you did was worse. You took her out of our lives."
"What do you mean 'what dad did'?" I ask, confused, and completely ignoring her angry comments towards me.
"Dad made an appointment for her? Said he wanted to help her fix her mistake." Betty rolled her eyes and turned to the window.
I grew angrier at the thought. Hal made Polly an appointment.
I turn the car in the opposite direction and Betty looks at me confused.
"Mom, this isn't the way home."
"Text Veronica. You're sleeping over." I say sternly.
"What? Why?" She asks as she pulls out her phone.
"Just do it Elizabeth."
She didn't say another word, just typed something on her phone.
We sat in silence the rest of the ride, Betty not knowing what to say, and me fuming with anger at Hal.
Soon enough I dropped Betty off at Veronica's and once she was safe inside the building I drove off. I drive back to my house, I have no idea what I'm going to say to him but I know I didn't want Betty to be there when I did.
I pull into the driveway and walk to the front door, unlocking it quickly. I walk inside and close the door behind me, not bothering to be quiet.
I storm upstairs and to our bedroom. I see Hal still asleep so I flip the light on. His eyes squint and he opens them enough to look over at me.
"Alice? What are-" he starts but I cut him off angrily.
"What did you say to Polly?" I throw my purse on the floor and walk closer to his side of the bed. "When you found out she was pregnant, did you make an appointment for her?" I glare at him as he slowly gets out of bed.
"Honey-"
"Answer the damn question Hal!"
"Alright, yes. She wasn't ready to be a mom, Alice, she's 17 years old!"
"Did you even ask her what she wants? It's her baby Hal, and you wanted her to get rid of her... 'mistake'."
"Well it is a mistake Alice! No 17 year old girl is ready for a baby."
I think about bringing up my own past, but I decide against it, knowing it's never a good idea.
"That 'mistake' is our grandchild. So whether you like it or not Polly is moving back here, she is going to raise her baby, and we are going to be grandparents."
"The hell she is Alice!" He closes the space between us and now our faces are so close together as we yell. "Because I will not be party to raising a baby that is going to ruin our daughters life."
I feel tears strike my eyes at that moment.
"Get out." I say sternly.
"No."
"Get out!" The first tear falls and I throw my arms toward him, wanting to hurt him, payback for all the times he's hurt me. But he grabs my arms before I can make contact with him.
"Alice-" he says calmly. I wiggle out of his grip and step back. Growing angrier by the minute.
"I want you gone when I get home." I say and he looks shocked and hurt. Not that I really care at the moment.
I grab my purse and walk out of our bedroom. Tears fall from my eyes as I walk downstairs. I open the front door without a single hinge of regret for kicking out my husband of nearly 20 years.
I get into my car, without an idea of where to go. But there must be something in the back of my mind telling me where to go because soon enough I'm driving out of town.

A/N
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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