BAD LIAR ✪ FP JONES

Ｅｉｇｈｔ

A/N: I'm so sorry but I promise to update more now that college is settled more and I can manage my life better.

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Maria had come to watch the police search through the water. She could see parents stand by the shore and watch with sad expressions, they were all thinking the same thing. They were all standing there internally thanking God that it wasn't their kid. Except for the Coopers. Maria had eyed them up since she arrived at the river, she could tell it was Alice by the way she stood slighting in front of Hal, her eyes watching the scene unfold. The aged brunette was sure she could see the woman smile at the panic of the Blossoms. There was a surge of anger that had run through her body at the very thought of her best friend having a deep satisfaction in other people's pain.

Alice Cooper had turned to her husband with a grimace as if she had just seen a dead rat "If he is dead Hal, I hope in those last moments he suffered," she cocks her head to the side to stare out into the river, her eyes filled with disgust "May Jason Blossom burn in hell." she had said loud and clear.

A week later, the Blossom family buried an empty casket and Jason's death was ruled an accident, as the story that Cheryl Blossom told make the rounds. That Cheryl dropped a glove in the water, and Jason reached down to get it and accidentally tipped the boat and panicked and then drowned. It was known as the 'Fourth of July Tragedy'. Maria couldn't stop the shivers traveling up her spine. All she could think about was how traumatic that must have been for the family.

Before the summer vacation ended and Jughead returned to school, Maria took him out for dinner at Pop Tate's. She could feel the nostalgia settle on her skin as she smiles very fondly at what was left of her memories. She could see her younger self-sauntering around and sit in the booth with her friends. Alice would be there, sipping a strawberry milkshake and throwing her head back in laughter at whatever Molly had just said. Maria would giggle and sip her own milkshake as Molly tried to reason with Alice but the young blonde would just laugh some more. They would be joined by Hermonie, a dark-haired goddess that would smile warmly at the girls before taking a sneaky sip from Maria's milkshake.

The young brunette would then nudge her away and stick her tongue out as if she was eight again. The girls would then order large curly fries and share. This was their ritual, every month they would meet and have milkshakes and curly fries. It was their little haven, frozen in time, their laughter would travel through the diner and if there was music Maria and Alice would dance together and encourage the other two to join. It was a very happy memory. Maria had that memory saved. A memory she had always remembered ever since the beginning of her illness, she couldn't bear the idea that one day she might forget what Alice's laughter sounded like. Or how Hermonie hated it when she was forced to dance but she secretly loved it or how Molly was singing along to the music. How she could sing. Maria loved how beautiful she sounded.

She slowly turned her head to Jughead and how he looked up from the menu at that exact moment and gave her his signature smiles. The kind of smile that said 'I'm happy at this moment' and how Maria wanted him to smile like that all the time. That smile was reserved for the people he cared about most in the world. Jughead loved Maria like a mother. He loved his biological mother very much but Maria was constantly there, her hand held out to catch him if he even stumbled. He felt safe with her as if she wouldn't let anything harm him or inconvenience him. She would always make him dinner or take him out and sometimes clean his clothes if he hadn't had time that week.

Maria smiled at him with such warmth and slowly took his hand. He gently held her aged hand with such delicacy it made her heart hurt. How little did they know?

How could they have known?

Unfortunately, that happiness would soon change into a terrible nightmare.