Smokestacks - Jughead Jones [1] ✔

Chapter Ten

SMOKESTACKS

CHAPTER | TEN

"How are you feeling, Savannah?"

The tip of a glossy black ball-point sat between her two fingers like a cigarette, her thumb pressing down on the button every second or so, to split up the silence. The woman had her left leg crossed atop her right, causing her pencil skirt to rise up her thigh a few inches.

The teenager sitting across from her, upright on a red couch, looked anything other than impressed. Her face had fallen into a sullen scowl as she was forced to take in this lady, with her glasses perched on the tip of her nose and the buttons on her shirt done up to her neck.

"Super." Savannah replied, clearly not feeling very "super".

Ms. Albert was a therapist the school had insisted on Savannah seeing, following the death of her father. They knew all about what had happened in the few months before he had died, and wanted to help the girl.

However, in Savannah's eyes, talking to a complete stranger about her problems, was not helping.

Ms. Albert let out a sigh and moved to the edge of her seat, "I can't help you, Savannah, if you won't let me."

"Maybe I don't need your help." Savannah said honestly, glancing at the clock. "Time's up, Ms. Albert."

"Please, I insist that you call me Kelly." Ms. Albert smiled at the girl.

"And I insist that you don't look at me like your personal project." Savannah shot back, slinging her backpack over her shoulder as she moved to the door, not glancing back as she slid through it.

Savannah felt bad for how she had spoken to the woman who was supposed to help her, but she refused to give Principal Weatherbee the satisfaction. He'd believe that the school had done apart in helping her "recover".

Her feet scuffed the sidewalk as she kicked a stone along with her. Usually, Kyle would pick her up, but he was working, and so she was walking.

After all, she thought, as she watched a familiar face cross the road toward her, every cloud has a silver lining.

"Good morning, my love." She sang as the shaggy haired boy fell into step with her.

Jughead snorted and mumbled a greeting in return. He then cast a look sideways at her and commented, "You look like crap."

"Gee, thanks." Savannah scoffed, self-consciously running a hand through her hair. "I just had to make a 7am therapy session which is a half hour walk from my house. I was not waking up at 5am, so I could "look pretty" for school."

"Ahh," Jughead nodded thoughtfully, the two falling into a blissful silence.

Betty had invited them for breakfast, knowing that her mother did not approve of Jughead, and that they could use this to their advantage. Alice Cooper didn't really like Savannah either, found her too vocal.

"Good morning, Mrs Cooper!" Savannah chirped as the woman opened the door.

Alice faked a smile as she opened the door wider for the two, "Please, come in."

Savannah had never liked awkward silences, but the tension that lay blatantly across the table that morning, was amusing. It was obvious that Alice's kindness was not genuine, and whilst they all knew that, it didn't stop the overly nice pleasantries being exchanged.

Like, "These pancakes are amazing!" or "Did you squeeze this orange juice yourself? It is divine.". The majority of which came from the brunette girl, who was watching Alice stare holes into the side of Jughead's face.

"So, Jughead." She started, holding her tea up to her mouth. "I suppose we have you to thank for Betty's ongoing obsession with this Jason Blossom ghoulishness." She placed her tea back on the table.

"Actually, Mom." Betty interjected as Jughead continued eating his breakfast. "I was the one who asked Jughead to help me write it for the Blue and Gold."

Alice started chuckling at her daughter, "Relax, Betty, I'm just making conversation."

Betty shot a look at Jughead, who was taking a sip of his orange juice, and raised her eyebrows suggestively.

The boy nodded and placed his glass back down. "Do you guys have a bathroom I could use?"

"Sure." Betty smiled at him, moving to stand up. "I'll show you."

"No, no." Alice halted her daughter in her steps. "I'll show him. Follow me, Jughead."

As the two turned the corner, Betty snatched up her phone and leapt out of her seat, making straight for her mother's purse.

"Ooh," Savannah whispered as she turned in her seat to watch her friend rifle through the bag. "Little Betty gone rogue."

Betty stifled a snort as she pulled out Alice's cheque book, taking photos with her phone of a few recent payments, before she scurried back over to her seat.

"The Sisters of Quiet Mercy." Betty would later tell them, reading from the photo on her phone.

Jughead typed it into the computer, exchanging a look with Savannah about what they found.

"What is that?" Betty questioned as she moved toward the pair. "Like a church? Or a charity?"

"No." Jughead shook his head, turning to look at his friend. "It's a home for "troubled youths". Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline and respect, enjoying lives of quiet reflection and servitude."

Betty felt her gut clench as she thought of her sister in that place. "Poor Polly."

"We'll get her out, Bets." Savannah assured the blonde with a soft smile. "We will."

*

Savannah was jealous.

She couldn't help but pout as Jughead picked up his shoes that he had left by her front door. She didn't like the idea of him and Betty going to meet Polly together, especially when she was about 95% sure that Jughead had a crush on her.

"It sucks that I can't come." Savannah sighed, leaning back against the door frame.

Jughead looked up at her, bent over as he tied the laces on his boots. "Works out though, less people, less suspicion."

Savannah paused, biting her lip anxiously. "Are you sure that's it?"

The boy frowned and double-knotted the bow, switching to his left foot. "What else would it be?"

"I think maybe you have a crush on Betty and you'd rather be alone with her." The words tumbled from Savannah's mouth before she had even processed what she was saying.

Jughead straightened up at that, his frown deepening. "That's not it, Savannah, you know I like spending time with you."

Savannah inwardly flinched at his choice of words. "But you love spending time with her?"

He winced, "That's not what I meant, I don't have a crush on Betty, okay?"

"Okay." The brunette nodded, not quite convinced.

Jughead finished knotting his left boot and offered a half-smile. "Tell you what, call me after dinner with your brother, we can meet up at Pop's if you want?"

Savannah forced a smile and moved to open the door for him, "Sure. Talk later."

But as the boy walked out of the house and jumped down the porch steps, Savannah knew, that she would not be calling him tonight.

Then, maybe it was a good thing that he called her.