Falice

July

Prior to 1.01

FP walked out of the bedroom. Jughead was stuffing a bag with clothes. He was reaching into the closet for sweaters. FP liked having him stop by the trailer and visit at the very least. Ever since he moved out he never got to see him. Jughead had it in his heart to make sure he knew he was going to be gone.

"You all packed?" FP says marking his presence.

"Yeah. I've got everything except some damn sweaters. I can't find mine."

"You can borrow some of mine." FP yawns. "When will you be back?"

"It's just the weekend," Jughead says. Archie and Jughead were not going on a long road trip.

Jughead grabbed one of FP's smallest jackets. They were both slightly lanky but FP had more muscle to fit around his bones. Jughead put it in the bag and zipped it up.

"Did you eat?" FP didn't want him leaving without breakfast.

"Yeah, I left you a pancake on the stove. It should still be warm." Jughead says. "I gotta go now. Bye dad. Please cut down on the bottles."

"Bye Jug. Drive safely. I know red still doesn't have his license." FP hugged him and went into the kitchen.

"Trust me I'm not letting him drive," Jughead closes the door behind him. FP touched the pancake. It was still warm enough to eat right away. He looked for the syrup and poured some all over it.

He grabbed his phone and dialed a number. He placed it on speaker phone so he could eat. He didn't get an answer. He sighed and turned the phone off. He carried his breakfast over to the living room. He looked for the remote and turned the tv on. David Schwimmer popped up on the screen. It was an episode of Friends. The tv's quality wasn't the best but he was able to see.

"We were on a break!"

"Oh my god, if you say that one more time I'm going to break up with you!"

The phone rang and FP lowered the volume on the tv. He sets the plate aside and walks back to the kitchen to retrieve the phone. He pressed the phone against his ear. "Hey, thought you were trying to ignore me."

"I was helping Hal," Alice said on the other line. Alice was helping him pack for his trip to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy to visit their eldest daughter and a business trip after.

"Just leave him already."

"It's not that easy."

"Gladys did it to me without a sweat."

"What happened between you and your wife is none of my business."

FP sat back down on the couch. "While I have you on the line what do you say about having a little rendezvous?"

"I'm married to Hal may I remind you."

"But do you seriously love him?"

"Goodbye FP."

"I miss-" FP said before she hung up. "-you." He tossed the phone on the couch. He dropped his face into his hands and pondered. He wanted to see Alice. They've lived separate lives for decades. He couldn't get over the fact she moved away from the southside, left him behind, and created a new persona for herself in the northside.

•••

FP sat in his truck. To his right was the Cooper house. Home to Hal Cooper and his wife Alice Cooper, née Smith. They shared two beautiful daughters, Polly and Elizabeth Cooper. FP never got the chance to meet them but he was fully aware that they grew a family together.