New Beginnings

Working 9 to 5

"But why can't I stay home from school?! I can help you with the stock check!" Jellybean protested as she sat at the bar watching her father write down notes on his clipboard.

"Because you're not sick, for one, and two, I don't need the truancy police on my case." FP tells her before bopping her on the nose with his pen. "Jug?! Have you finished with those cases?" He calls out.

"Yep. They're done!" The dark haired boy calls out as he re enters the bar.

"But I am feeling a little sick Dad!" Jellybean interrupts.

FP sighed and put his clipboard down. He came out from behind the bar and sat beside his daughter.

"Okay Jelly belly, what's going on? What's the real reason you don't wanna go to school honey?" He asks as he brushed her blonde tresses out of her face.

She sulked a little and turned slightly away from her father. "Nothing. I just hate school." She mumbled.

He placed his hand on her chin and turned her head back towards him. "Since when sweetie? You've always loved school, what's changed now?"

Jughead too is concerned about his sisters sudden change in attitude towards school. She's always loved attending so surely something had to be wrong. He walked over to her back pack and reached into the front pocket, finding his answer.

"Uhm, Dad?" He called. FP walked over to him and was presented with a leaflet.

"Riverdale elementary's Mother and Daughter talent show!" Was right there in big and bold colourful letters

FP sighed and ran his hand down his face. It was things like this he was dreading since the death of his wife two years ago.

He walked back over to Jellybean and crouched down in front of her. "Sweetie, why didn't you say anything? We could've sorted something out." He explained to her

"Because I'm the only kid without a Mom! It's not fair!" She yells in a strop before lowering her head into her arms and kicking the table leg.

"I know it's not fair baby and I'm so sorry you feel that way and I can't do anything about it." FP looks over to Jughead, both donning sad looks on their faces.

"Okay, okay. You can have just today off, don't make a habit of it." He tells her.

She rises her head and the gleam in her eyes puts a smile on his face. She immediately jumps out towards him, tightly wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tight.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She says ecstatically.

"Okay okay, but don't think you're gonna lounge around the office all day watching Spongebob. If you're not studying then you'll be helping out here if I need it alright?"
He says as he pats her head.

"Okay Dad." She says with a smile before running off to her fathers office, he ruffles her hair as she does.

He strolls back over to his eldest. "Why didn't she say anything to me?" FP asks with regret.

"I don't know Dad. Maybe she thought you'd get upset, or it was too upsetting for her." Jughead suggests.

"I don't want her feeling like she can't talk to me you know? Honestly it makes me feel like such a shitty father."

You're the furthest thing from it. Okay you're not exactly a great talent in the kitchen-" Jughead jokes.

"Hey I'm not that bad of a cook!" FP defends.

"But besides that, you're a great Dad. We're lucky to have you."

Jughead's words cause FP to tear up a little. He loved his kids with every fibre of his being, to the moon and back.