𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 | 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚

Chapter 16.

Alice followed Betty into her bedroom, right on her daughters tail watching as Betty tossed her bag on her bed preparing for the lecture that was heading her way, her intuition was telling her to just apologize and say but she knew it wasn't nothing, she couldn't fear telling her mum how she felt about Veronica because Veronica was everything to her and she wasn't just discarding her because her mother doesn't like her life decisions.

"What the hell was that?" Alice spat in disgust, Betty never took her mother for a homophobic woman, she was cruel and manipulative but she never thought she'd be homophobic, her father maybe, but not her mother.

"What?" Betty said innocently as though she didn't know what Alice was talking about although she knew exactly what it was about. The car drive back was like someone had taken all the tension in the world and rammed it all in the car, no words just harsh silence. Betty had been waiting for the explosive argument to spill out of her mother since they got out of the car.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, what was your lips doing on Veronica's? Did she force herself on you?" Betty scrunched up her face at the ridiculous accusation, Veronica would never and she couldn't believe her mother thought Veronica would do such a thing.

"No, Veronica would never do anything like that. Did you not see that I was the one holding her? Kissing her?" Alice turned away in disgust at her daughters words and that only fuelled Betty's anger. "We have every right to kiss each other, we're dating, we've been dating for a while and this is exatly why I didn't tell you!"

"Dating?" Alice scoffed, letting a spiteful laugh escape. Betty folded her arms across her chest, shooting daggers at her mother with her glare. "You're sixteen years old, your just in that experimenting phase, it'll pass and you'll throw that Lodge girl out and find yourself someone better." 

Betty felt that inner locked anger flame up, her mother was rattling a cage she really didn't want to open. "This isn't a phase," Betty growled, her voice dangerously dark. Her mother took up the same stance as Betty, eyebrows raised at her daughter as if to challenge her on her words. Betty stepped closer to her mother, trying her best to seem threatening. "A phase is throwing all of my pink things away even though I love them and suddenly buying all things the opposite colour then deciding I want my pink things back. I assure I this isn't a phase."

"Only a few weeks ago you were writing about Archie and how you were going to take your friendship a step forward." Alice's lips twisted into a snarl, Betty's mouth dropped open reminding herself to get a lock on her diary.

"For your information that was a long time ago, Archie is just a friend and it's very clear to me that I'm not into Archie like the way I am with V," Alice opened her mouth to cut in but Betty stopped her before she could. "Another thing, if I find out your reading my diary again, I'll go after something of yours."

Alice glared at her daughter, unsure of how to fight back she strode over to Betty's bed, rummaging through her bag, Betty rolling her eyes thinking her mother was trying to find her diary or something that she wasn't going to find. But Betty lurched forward when her mum pulled out her pills, Betty still hadn't taken one, it explained how the darkness seemed to be breaking through easily than usual. Alice swiped her arm out of Betty's reach.

"Don't expect to get these back any time soon, they're playing with your mind that's where all this nonsense is coming from." Alice backed out of the room, Betty still reaching for the pills Alice moved fast into the bathroom locking the door just as Betty could slam against it. But it was too late, she heard the flush and she knew her pills were gone. The bathroom door swung open and Alice stood with an empty pot which used to contain her medication. Betty's eyes flickered to the jar, thinking maybe her mum was playing with her, maybe she'd pretended to flush the toilet but really hid the tablets somewhere. It was a stretch but her mother knew what happened when she didn't take her tablets after twenty four hours, she lost control.

"I hadn't even taken one, what the hell did you do? I won't be able to get a prescription for another week or two, they don't allow it and you know it!" Betty was yelling now and she knew her voice practically echoed when she yelled, her voice was powerful seem as she rarely used it to yell. Alice flinched and Betty could already sense her fear, she knew how Betty could be when she was mad. Betty felt the blood run between her fingers as her nails dug into her palms, the feeling was all too familiar to her she faced the feeling at least a couple of times during her days, except on weekends when she spend her days with Veronica which were the days she treasured most.

"I'll get you a different set, like I said, these don't seem to be effecting you all too well." Alice said calmly, Betty glared for a moment bedroom storming into her bedroom slamming the door shut as hard as she could hoping she broke something. Betty released a shaky breath trying to swallow her anger, a notification lit up her phone which had been tipped out of her bag which now laying face down, phone hanging out flashing into her blanket. Betty shuffled over shaking off her jacket and lifting her phone as she pushed her things aside and dropped down on her bed. Betty felt the anger flush away as a smile crept over her face.

I hope everythings ok, B. If you need to slip out of the house I'll bring Smithers over to pick you up. xoxo -- V.

Betty hesitated glancing towards her door, half expecting her mother to storm back in but everything stayed silent. Betty typed a quick reply and tipped the contents out of her bag and headed over to her drawers packing pyjamas and clothes for tomorrow and the other essentials she'll need. Veronica had replied in less than a minute, her message explaining she wouldn't be with Smithers seem as she had to practise with Archie but she'd be home later. Betty thanked her and shifted the bulky bag onto her back, snatching up her diary and shoving it at the bottom of her bag so that her mother couldn't go snooping again. Betty headed downstairs, she didn't care if her mother saw her.

"Where are you going now?" Alice sighed, clearly tired of her daughter. Betty opened the door, holding it open half out already.

"I'm staying around Veronica's, Smithers is coming to pick me up, I'd appreciate it if you didn't turn this into another argument because I love her mum, I love Veronica and her mother understood her, she didn't judge her, Hermione supports Veronica. Why can't you do that for me? Just once?" Alice's face softened and she took a small step forward reaching Betty but Betty pulled away. "Right now it feels like Hermione is more of a mother to both me and Polly."

She knew her last words hurt her mother but she didn't care; Betty was only stating a fact.