thirteen reasons why ↣ riverdale

xiii. alice cooper

Carmen Smith stood by her locker with a fearful expression behind her baby blue eyes, shutting the locker door slowly with such force that it made Veronica jump. The raven-haired girl looked at her with a worried look and held her hand.

'I just saw the memories of a girl who isn't me.'

The feeling of familiarity in everything flashed before her eyes, freaked the blonde out. Whispers and staring eyes were at her, adding to the fright she already had. Veronica dragged her out of the critical halls, directing themselves to their first class in the morning.

The things she saw overwhelmed her and it broke her down. Her eyes watered up until she couldn't guard the tears anymore. Veronica simply held on to her and calmed her down with hugs and words of comfort. She instantly wiped the tears when fellow students filled the room.

She hasn't said a word ever since that morning.

☽

Alice Cooper had done her best to avoid the tapes her daughter left before she died. She cleaned the hell out of their suburban house, wrote articles about the political and cultural happenings and started a book club for the town. But she, herself, couldn't keep up with it. She had to do the inevitable, listen to her tape.

She grabs the iPod and clicks on her file. The front door opened and revealed Carmen, looking very weary. "Thank God!" She whispered under her breath.

She greeted her niece but the weary look on her face didn't shift at all. But, she was surprised when she broke down and held onto her like the world was ending. She also gave her words of comfort until her tears stopped falling.

" Alice, do you think that Betty is still alive? " She spoke, and the first time she did all day.

Alice taken aback, she went blank. She wanted her to be alive but is wishing enough to bring back a dead girl?

She just nodded and she received a smile from Carmen. " Carmen, is it okay for you to join me in listening to my tape?" Alice asked to which Carmen said yes,

Hey, it's Betty. Wow, the last tape, isn't this great?! But, if you're not my mother, please leave this audio and proceed on with your life, last tape was YOUR last. This is too personal for the rest of you and I won't let any of you ruin the image of my mother. And mom, I'm sorry.

Carmen looked at the other blonde as she stared at the cherry wood coffee table, which was carefully centered in the room. Her hand tightened as waterworks started to flow as Betty spoke.

You know, mom, I hated you for about 12 years. You never gave me a chance to loosen myself, discover myself, discover the world, find answers. I kept telling myself that you were doing this because you just want me to be perfect...but, none of me is perfect or even normal. I keep on putting masks because I know how much perfection means to you. In reality, I relate to you so much and on so many things. But there's just this one thing I wont and dont wanna be if I ever continue facing this despicable world, and it is that perfection doesn't really matter. Perfection ruined me even more than if you just let me be all those years before.

Alice grasped the truth her daughter spoke about. She was indeed drunk on her aspiration to make every single thing perfect. She traced the very thing that made her the way she was, and it brought her back to the days of her youth. It ruined her and soon, it ruined her own family.

I never thought that I'd see you let my true self bloom, but they're right when they say people can change. Thank you much mom. Please start to open up because it's the thing that made me realize that you're really a great person with great stories. Also, please don't let perfection be your definition of your dreams because its not. Its happiness.

The last three words haunted her, words replaying in her head. Its happiness. She was sure that throughout her life she never really knew it. Probably, when Polly, Chick and Betty arrived she felt happy but before and the years where they grew up, it withered. The ghosts of her past kept on coming to haunt her and hid her from the light which was happiness. She looked up at Carmen, who had a curve on her lips that really made her wish for one last chance with the daughter she wished was still there to forgive her. With her newly bleached hair, it made her really feel that Betty was there by her side.

Mom, I'm probably gone now and I just want you to let loose once in a while. I swear, it's much better than using every power you have in your body to throw dozens of ceramic plates or scream to an innocent pillow. I love you so much. Bye.

Her sobs grew and the younger blonde hugged her as the only way she knew to comfort her. She let her be until she was stable and she was after a while.

Alice watched her niece leave as she told her that she'd get them a few bites to relieve the pain she just underwent.

But moments after, a huge bang on the door was heard that startled Alice. She quickly answered the door. Startling her even more, four of the most familiar faces welcomed the already stunned Alice Cooper. She invited the teens to her simple home and let them tell her what they were doing.

"Alice, we have a good-bad news. Betty is and was never dead." Veronica blurted, feeling exasperated after the process they had to find out about this news.

Looking confused, Alice looked at them weirdly. "No...that can't be. I know this must be hard on you but we'll have to deal with this loss sooner or later–"

"Trust me, Alice. We have proof. But there's another news and it's not a very good one."

"What? Tell me."

A brief exchange of looks were done by Kevin and Archie. Are we really gonna tell her now?

" Your ex-husband...we mean Hal... was found dead near the Southern part of town. Officials rule it as suicide and we know why he did it." Jughead exposed the news.

Another one. She began spiraling out, this was too overwhelming to her. Then they began to tell her the real story behind the disappearance of Betty Cooper, the resident perfect girl next door, and the surfacing of Carmen Smith, a newbie from the Big Apple, to the town of Riverdale.

A/N:
HEY GUYS!!
since we're almost at the end of 13rw, i want you guys to also read my new book, Magnum Opus. It's another bughead fanfic and the story is mostly centered on them! it would really mean a lot if you also give the new book the same love you gave to 13RW ❤️ love you guys for supporting this fanfic, it sincerely warms my heart that you guys enjoy my writings lol

much love, n 😉