Us [bughead]

Chapter 4

~Him~

See, the funny thing is that no matter how prepared you feel you are, you never really are. I mean we have everything planned out, have a manuscript in our head, but when it comes down to it, it never really turns out as we imagined. Sometimes, life would just be easier if it did.

***

"How about I take you to Pop's, Jellybean? And we let Jughead talk to Gladys?" Jellybean gave Betty a quick smile and Jughead sighed. How the hell was he supposed to deal with his mom and Leonard without Betty being able to calm him down? Not a fucking chance in hell that he would be able to keep his calm if he was alone with them. But then again, he didn't want Jellybean to be near Leonard.

"How far away do you think they are?" Jughead asked Jellybean and she shrugged.

"Few minutes. But they don't know we're here and not at FP's." Shit, shit, fucking shit. If they went to the trailer that would mean that they would talk to FP and he would know that Jellybean was in town. This was such a mess. Jughead took his phone and called Gladys.

"Jughead?" Gladys said into the phone and Jughead scoffed. "We're on our way to come to pick Jellybean up. She has school tomorrow." Jughead clenched his fist tightly and Betty carefully opened it and put her hand in his.

"We are at Betty's." Jughead hissed. "I'll send the address."  Before he could continue Gladys cut him off.

"Ooooooh, who's Betty?" She giggled. Jughead let out a deep sigh.

"Listen, when you get here, Leonard stays in the fucking car." Jughead said through gritted teeth. Betty squeezed his hand but noticed that Jughead was about to lose it. She carefully took the phone from him and pressed it against her own ear.

"Hi, Mrs. Jones, I'm Betty...what Jughead is..." Betty tried to fix it. And even though Jughead loved her for it he was pissed that she didn't let him yell all the things he wanted to yell.

"Oh dear, call me Gladys." Betty sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, Gladys, what Jughead is trying to say is that it would be easier if only you came inside." Betty softly said.

"Did...something happen?" Gladys slowly asked.

"No, I don't think so." She said. "Well...see you in a bit." Betty said. "Goodbye, Mrs. Jo- Gladys." She said and hung up the phone.

"You can't tell her." Jellybean whispered. "Please don't." Jughead looked at Betty and Betty smiled sadly at Jellybean.

"Jellybean, she has to know...what he did to you...it's illegal and she needs to know what is going on." Betty explained. Jughead was so thankful that she was there with him. He would never be able to sit as calm as she does and talk about these things. And he isn't very understanding. And he totally fuckign sucks at keeping calm in situations where the ones he loves are at risk.

"You can't. She'll be heartbroken, Betty." Betty took Jellybean's hands in hers and looked up at her from the couch.

"Sweetie...she has to know." Jughead agreed. Gladys needs to know how stupid she was for choosing such a dick to fall in love with.

"No. Y-you didn't see her when she left FP. She was so...broken. At first, we lived at my grandma's and like mom didn't eat. Not for weeks. And she didn't talk. I almost forgot what her voice sounded like. I begged her to talk...to even look at me. But she didn't. It was as if I didn't exist to her." Jellybean made a pause to breathe. Jughead stared at her. Did this happen? Was Gladys really that broken?