Consequences

Chapter 4

Naturally, the first thing Jughead could remember was the suffocating smoke that had taken away his home.

Then, he realised he was in a place that he never wanted to be in again—the hospital.

He was hospitalised a while ago after almost being beaten to death by the Ghoulies.
Since then, he had been quite wary of hospitals.

"Son, I'm glad you're awake," FP breathed a sigh of relief as he took Jughead's hand.

"What happened?" Jughead mumbled, still in a daze.

"Our house went down in flames. And I don't think it was from natural causes," FP said gravely.

"Where's Veronica? Did she escape?" Jughead found himself thinking of the Lodge living in the trailer as well.

"She's safe," FP assured him. "In fact, she was the first to wake up."

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Veronica, like Jughead, was injured. She had a cast on the leg that had been hit by the cabinet during her escape. However, unlike Jughead, she was not resting in the hospital.

Although FP had repeatedly told her to take at least a day off, Veronica insisted continuing her work at the bar.

It was not easy for her to sweep the floors with a foot wrapped in a cast. That was not a challenge for Veronica, though.

The biggest challenge was hearing the Serpents' gossips.

"Lodge girl burned the Jones' house down."
"They should burn her for what she did! The ungrateful little... after all, they gave her a home."
"She probably tried to avenge her parents."

An aggressive Serpent even confronted the hobbling Lodge.
"Why did you burn the trailer down, huh? Did you do it out of spite?"

"Leave her alone, Bayon," Veronica's pink haired friend came to her rescue. "You can scoot off and tell your friends that she did nothing of that sort. And you know FP doesn't like you lot bothering her."

"FP isn't leader anymore," Bayon scoffed as he turned away.

"Thanks Toni," Veronica massaged her temple.

"Tell me if they bother you again," Toni touched Veronica's shoulder as comfort, "Oh, and the Jones and you will be staying at Thornhill with Cheryl and I. We offered since you guys have nowhere to live now."

"Seriously?" Veronica perked up," That's like the best news I've heard in a very long time."

"Yeah, FP told you to go directly to Thornhill after work," Toni waved as she left the bar," See ya later!"