Timing is Everything

A Night To Remember (Chapter 31)

* From your POV as Betty*

"And why exactly are you inviting over the same family you ripped to shreds at the last dinner party?" you express your concerns to your mom after she gets off the phone.

Wanting to call FP, and even Julia for that matter, to apologize for her harsh behavior would be one thing. It would be the right thing. But calling to invite them back over and into the same dining room where hell broke lose before FP made the call to send the Jones troop packing, did not make any ounce of sense to you. More importantly, you love Jughead and are afraid to see him get any more hurt, knowing how hard things have been for him with all the changes going on in his life.

"Oh Elizabeth, will you relax." Alice scolds you while preparing the brisket and salad she had cooked for dinner. She was focussing intently on her cooking and it was apparent to you that something was on her mind. You couldn't quite tell if your mom was eager to make things right between her and Julia or between her and FP. Then again, she may not have any good intentions for this dinner and simply had ulterior motives that only she was crazy enough to think of.

"Me? Relax?... Look at you mom!" you point a finger at her earning you a stern look, "...you're... you're the one preparing food for a family that felt completely unwelcome from their last visit. Why are you even doing this mom? Please..." you fist your hands for a moment knowing you were about to pull a Jughead remark, "...enlighten me."

Alice full on glares at you while adding seasoning to the meat on the expensive silverware platter. "What? I'm not allowed to invite over the family of your boyfriend Betty? I'm not allowed to get to know the mother who raised that boy..." she makes a face thinking about Julia's neglect, ".... or didn't quite raise that boy... I'm just being hospitable Betty."

You were fuming inside knowing your mom was pulling her old crap. She was never up to any good when she went off and made these big moves like calling over four members of a family for dinner. When you try to bring it up to her, and get to the bottom of things, SHE is the one who makes you feel like the crazy one. It was infuriating and you just wished you didn't need to deal with this stress right now. It was heightening your anxiety and you were doing everything in your power not to dig your nails into your palms to release the tension you were bottling up.

"But you do realize that you're also inviting over the Jones family not too long after we literally just saw them and you called FP later that night and things went haywire in that trailer..." you speak up again fast as you notice your mom about to brush off what you said, "...And don't deny that mom because Jughead filled me in on how FP's drunk beating came RIGHT after you called home about him being disrespectful to you. Don't deny it! Jughead doesn't lie to me and you and I both know how capable you would be to do something like that."

This certainly gets Alice's attention for she stops preparing the dinner and drops the salad tongs she had been holding. "Enough Elizabeth. Enough with your wild imagination and your ramblings outbursts young lady. You have been running around with that Jones boy far too long... his imagination is now rubbing off on you." She shakes her head and picks up a stack of plates before walking over towards you with cold eyes and forcefully handing them over to you. "You know what to do Elizabeth. Be a good girl and set the table. I don't want to hear another sound out of you until that family arrives."

You stumble back ever so slightly as you grab the plates and feel your heart beating faster as you watch Alice return to the counter to continue preparing tonight's dinner. While you knew things could be worse, especially when you compare your home life with that of Jughead's, but the mental abuse from your mom really got to you sometimes. You walk over to the table and like the sweet good girl next door image you always display, you remain silent and place a plate on the table for each chair before storming off to the couch in the living room and digging your nails deep into your palms as you so desperately wanted this dinner to be ok with as little fireworks between your mom and Jughead's parents as possible. You hiss to yourself from the pain and bite your lip not wanting the sound to be any louder than this low hiss, knowing your mom would have an absolute fit if she caught on to how you cope with stress.

You release your nails and sigh seeing the crescent moon impressions deep into your palms. This makes you miss Jughead and in some ways are glad to see him later. After all, this boy is the love of your life and even with all the drama circulating around, Juggie would be there. He was your rock and you could literally melt from his single touch.

You wipe your sweaty palms on your jeans and pull your phone out of your back pocket and text Jughead. You figure this can help move the time along and you'll stay out of your mom's way. After a bit of flirtatious texting going back and forth, you feel well enough to stand back up and walk into the kitchen and set the rest of the table with cups and utensils, earning an impressed smile from Alice as you offered this kind gesture on your own.

Unfortunately, Alice's sincere smile becomes one that is forced with her cold eyes as the doorbell rings. You know that look. And based on nothing more than that cold and harsh look, you know this should be a night to remember.