Jellybean Jones

Chapter 1: Home At Last

Jellybean POV
I stared out into the night sky. It was a little bit too dark and the clouds seemed too thick. Man did I ever hate Toledo. I'm sure I would love Riverdale. Where I used to live. But that was when our family was actually a family, five years ago. That was when I was eight and Jughead was eleven. I used to live with him, my mother and my father. But Jughead, my beloved brother, and my father stayed in Riverdale.

Flashback
"Please let me stay!" I wailed as my mother screamed at my father. He hadn't come home until 1:45am last night. Jughead stroked my hair, "It's okay Jellybean, I'll see you soon. You can't stay in Toledo forever." I smiled. Jughead's words comforted me. I nodded as I felt my mother pull me into the car and we drove all the way to Toledo.
End of Flashback

I sighed. I heard my exhausted mother walk through the door. It was 11:00pm and she had just gotten off work at a scuzzy diner. "Forysthia come here!" What did she want? She only called me by my real name when she was mad. I hopped off my bed and ran into the small living room of our apartment. "Yes?" I asked, as innocent as I could manage.

She glared at my outfit, which consisted of black ripped jeans, a Pink Floyd shirt and a black choker. I assumed it was fine for a thirteen year old. My black hair was pulled into a high ponytail, "I'm done with you!" She screamed. I knew she wasn't fond of me, but that was harsh. "Umm, okay?" Her voice was sour, "You're going to live in Riverdale! I'm sick of providing for you, now go pack!"

I walked briskly to my small room. I gathered up all of my belongings and put them in a suitcase. Lastly, I grabbed a picture of Jughead and I that had been taken the day before I left. I smiled at it and put it in my pocket. It was only 11:30 when I was done, so I crawled into my bare bed and fell asleep.

At 5:00am sharp, I was awoken by my mother. She handed me a bus ticket, "Goodbye." She said rudely. Still dressed in my same clothes as yesterday, I grabbed my suitcase. I started walking to the door. Without saying goodbye, I marched right out. I vaguely knew where I was going. The bus station was in a central part of town and I had until 6:00 to get there.

I took the elevator down to the bottom floor and walked out into the brisk morning air. I turned left. There was the odd car going to work, driving quickly through the run down street. Without realizing it, I had walked for thirty minutes and there, right there, was the bus station. Though it looked decent, I knew the buses would be old and probably have seen better days.

With my luck, there was no way my mother told Juggy and Dad I was coming. It was 5:47am and there was no chance Jughead was awake. If my Dad had work he might be though. I took my chances and inserted coins into a pay phone. I had their new number. I dialled it quickly. It rang once, twice, three times. "Hello?" My Dad's voice was clearer than it used to be. "Hi Dad, um it's Jellybean. Mom pretty much kicked me out, so I'm coming to Riverdale."

He paused. "Well when will you be here?" His voice sounded excited. "The bus leaves in a few minutes and gets there at 11:00." I explained. "I'll meet you at the bus station." Dad sounded happy. "Bye see you there." I said and hung up.

Jughead POV
I was being poked. I grunted. It was 6:00am and I wanted to keep sleeping. I rolled over. "Jug, wake up!" I shut my eyes tightly "No thanks." I grumbled. "It's your sister." I shot up into a sitting position as fast as I could. "What about Jellybean?!" Dad laughed. "She's coming home." Those words. Those were the words I had been waiting for for five years!

"She's really coming home?" I wasn't complete without my little sister. She was my other half. "She's on the bus right now." A red light started flashing in my mind "Is mom okay?" What had happened? "Well I don't have all the details, but it sounded like she got kicked out." A sense of relief, but also resent, washed over me.

I nodded. "Her room!" I half yelled. All of her stuff was in a spare room, but it was a mess. "Considering the fact she likes Pink Floyd now, I think she'll want to decorate it." Dad was right. People change in five years. "When is she getting here?" My enthusiasm wasn't deflating. "Well I have to cancel on work, but we're meeting her at the bus station at 11:00." I nodded.

"I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when we're going." My eyes were heavy, "You can't live without sleep, can you?" I shook my head, "Or burgers." I concluded as I dozed off. But before I fell asleep. There was one thing I had to do. I got up and grabbed my laptop. To my new story, I added a new chapter titled: Family Reunion. But that was all I could manage before I fell asleep.

Jellybean POV
As the bus passed the Riverdale sign, I was giddy with excitement. I was finally coming home. I looked out my window. All I could see was green. Greens that would sure turn to brown in the weeks to come, for it was October. As I saw Sweetwater River, I remembered the time Jughead and I had went swimming there. We spent the day there.

I missed Riverdale. The small, gossipy town that it was. As we drew nearer and nearer to the bus station, I grew impatient. I had never been so close to pure joy. About a mile left. I couldn't wait. The bus slowed to a stop. The next moment was a blur. I grabbed my bag and began to walk off the bus. And there, waiting for me was my Dad and my best friend in the whole world, Jughead.

Author's Note
Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I'm writing this Author's Note over a year after this was published. I just wanted to let you all know that the chapters do get longer, I know the first ones are pretty short. As well, because I wrote these first chapters so long ago, I feel that they do get better (AND WAY LESS CRINGY), in my opinion at least. Anyways, thank you all so much for deciding to read my story! The support that I have gotten on it is absolutely incredible! -Bria