Collateral Damage ▻ Riverdale [1]

1.22

THE BEGINNING
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
June 23, 2017

Queenie took a deep breath before she entered Pop's. She ended up spending more time there than she ever did before. Before, she would only go there to work her shifts, but now she went there for dates with Jason, hangouts with Cheryl and even rare occasions when she hung out there with her Serpent friends,

She stepped into Pop's and gave Pop Tate, who was standing at the front counter, a quick smile before she walked over to Polly Cooper's booth.

She looked down at the blonde, who was fiddling with her hands as she looked down at the table in front of her, "Polly." She spoke up, causing the Cooper girl instantly look up.

Polly gave Queenie a small and genuine smile, "Queenie. You actually came." She stated, almost as if she was shocked.

"Well, after all, she did text me saying, 'Pops?'." Queenie informed her as she took a seat at the booth across from Polly, "So, why did you want to meet here."

Polly was quiet, trying to figure out the right apology. Finally, she looked up and sighed, "Look, I've been wanting to apologize to you, for like ever. I should have never left you for the River Vixens or even popularity, It was stupid and a horrible mistake, and I was wondering because we're going to be leaving together, would you want to be friends again?" Polly asked and Queenie nodded as she smiled at the blonde.

Just then, Pop Tate came over and took their orders, "What can I get you, girls?" Pop asked with a smile.

"Just a chocolate milkshake for me, Pop." Queenie smiled before looking over at Polly, "What would you like, Polly?"

"I'll get a strawberry milkshake." She told Pop, who nodded his head before going to get their orders.

"So, Polly, how's your baby?" Queenie asked curiously, "How's the pregnancy and all going?"

"Great," Polly replied before staying quiet for a few seconds, "How's yours?"

Queenie looked up at Polly shocked, "W-What?" She stammered as she stared at Polly with wide eyes.

Polly slightly laughed, "I'm not dumb, Queenie. You have morning sickness, like, all the time. Anybody who has had a child or is about to have one would know," Polly explained, "How far along are you?"

Queenie shrugged as Pop came over with their milkshakes. Queenie took a sip of hers before speaking up, "Um, I don't know. Am I supposed to keep track."

Polly sighed at the Serpent girls, "Do you know anything about teen pregnancy, Queenie?" Polly questioned.

"I know enough. It's not like I can go to the doctors. Doesn't a minor need a parent? My dad would be furious if he found out." Queenie answered calmly.

"Don't you think it's messed up you're not telling him?" Polly asked her and Queenie scoffed loudly.

"Don't you think it's messed you're not telling your parents?" She retorted.

"Reverse Psychology, really? What are we, five?" Polly groaned, "It's different for you than it is with my parents and me."

"Yeah, how so?" Queenie said with attitude.

"For as long as I've known you, you and your dad have had the best father daughter relationship. You guys were both father and daughter, but you were also best friends, too. I remember you used to tell him everything when we were younger. You used to tell him stories about how you beat up the football players at school all the time and he would give you a high five. You guys did everything together, more things than Betty and I ever did with my dad. You guys were and are family goals. Wouldn't you want want to tell him that he's going to be a grandfather?" Polly explained.

Queenie gave Polly a sad look, "I can't. I just can't. It's too much. If I do that, I'll be filled with guilt about leaving him then I'll start having second thoughts. I can't let that happen. that's why I've been keeping my distance from him. Do you know how hard that it?" Queenie told Polly.

Polly placed a comforting hand on top of Queenie's, "It's okay, Queenie. I understand where you're coming from. Are you going to say bye to him, at least? You know, before we leave?"

Queenie sighed as she shook her head, "Like I said, it's too much. The only person I'm going to say goodbye to is probably Jughead. I need to tell him to care of Dad. But only him. Maybe some Serpents, but that's all." Queenie answered.

Before Polly could speak up, her phone rang. She pressed the green answer button before placing the phone to her ear, "Hello?" She told the person on the phone before sighing in frustration, "Yeah, I'll come home right now. I was just at Pop's with a friend. Oh, you don't know her. Okay, bye Mom, I gotta go."

Polly hung up the phone before staring at Queenie, "Sorry, to cut this short, but my mom wants me home asap. We'll finish this talk another day, is that okay with you?" She asked her and Queenie nodded.

"Bye, Polly." Queenie told her as Polly stood up from the booth.

"Bye, Queenie." Polly smiled before exiting Pop's.

Queenie was sitting by herself for not even thirty seconds before Jughead came over and took a seat at her booth.

"Oh, hey, Jug." Queenie greeted her brother.

"Oh, thank God you're finally here, Queenie." Jughead sighed in relief.

"What's wrong?" She asked him concerned.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, that's why." He answered.

"About what?"

Jughead didn't even bother to ask. He slid Queenie's half-drunken chocolate milkshake over to him and took a sip. He was about to give it back, but Queenie gestured for him to keep it for himself, "Oh, thanks," He muttered before taking another sip, "I've been wanting to talk to you because we haven't spoken in what felt like weeks. You're my older sister, after all. We should be talking more."

"True." Queenie agreed with him. She couldn't help feeling concerned about why he suddenly wanted to talk to her after all this time.

"How's being pregnant?" Jughead asked her but made sure to say it in a hushed tone.

Queenie laughed slightly at his question, "Great. How's you and Archie?"

"Fine," He answered, "We're actually going on a road trip on July fourth,
do you want to come along with us?"

Queenie started to tense up at what he asked her, "Sorry, I would love to, but I'm going out with Jason that night." She told her brother apologetically.

"It's fine," Jughead replied, trying to put on a happy face, but it was clear he was sad about it.

More and more as the date became closer to July forth, she felt worse and worse about the people she was leaving.

AN: I'm thinking about having Queenie's disappearance after Jason's death and all of that stuff being the cause FP's drinking problem.