Lifeline ((Jughead Jones)) 1

21

People like to say that the death of Jason Blossom changed everything at Riverdale High. But certain things, certain traditions, never change. Take homecoming, for instance. Though Jason's jersey had been retired, the Riverdale Bulldogs would still be playing their arch-rivals, the Baxter High Ravens, with the River Vixens cheering them on. As in previous years, graduates from days of Riverdale past will come to town to relive their more youthful, more carefree days. Or...make up for lost time.

Polly living with us wasn't entirely a bad thing. She was polite. She always said good morning and good night to the family. If anything, she was too good. The others seemed oblivious to how she was acting, but I wasn't. Jason always said I knew how others felt before they felt it themselves. Polly wasn't the loving house guest that my parents thought her to be.

Before school, I saw her pass my room, heading towards where my parents room was, as well as their personal studies. I slipped on my heels and walked after her, making sure to stick to the rug that ran down the hall to stop my echoing heels revealing I was following her.

Polly was looking through the door into my dad's walk-in wardrobe, jumping back when the door was slammed in her face, her eyes wide. I had stopped at the stairs, watching her stare questioningly at the door.

"Polly? Are you coming to breakfast?" I asked her, smiling sweetly. She spun around to see me, her hand holding her large stomach. A false smile was plastered on her face when she saw me.

"Of course, Cynthia. Tell Penelope, I'll be right down." I nodded and walked downstairs. I'd have to keep an eye on her. I may hate my family, but they are still my family. Blossom's look after the best interests of Blossom's.

My sister had just left the table of my friends when I had left the school building. I walked over to them, over the snow-covered ground, sliding onto the bench next to Jughead. He turned and kissed my forehead. The others began talking and I turned to Jughead.

"My parents want to invite you over for dinner. You and your dad." I stated. He turned straight to me, his eyes wide and a smile creeping onto his face. This meant a lot to both of us, that my parents were making an effort.

"We'd love to go." He smiled, leaning closer to me. I told him it would be before the dance, which I had convinced him to go to, and he got his phone out to text his dad.

"I'm a little terrified by the social experiment of it all, but I think it'll be good for us, you know?" He added with a cute, genuine smile on his face. Just by the look on his face, anyone could tell that he was excited. He was like a puppy being told they could have a bone. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Betty deep in thought, before she jumped up saying she had to go and talk to her mother.

"Yeah. I do," Jughead's smile widened.

Penelope Blossom doesn't do anything to be nice for anyone else, let alone Clifford Blossom. So as Polly, Cheryl and mom and dad took their seats at the table, Fp sitting next to Jughead on the large dining table, me opposite, I silently begged my mother to not question FP or Jughead about the murder of Jason. It was a sore subject for the three girls at the table, and Polly didn't need the added stress. I could sense that Cheryl had spoken to Polly as there was tension between the two. In fact, there was tension throughout the entire table apart from Jughead and I occasionally trying to spark up conversations.

Mother got up and served desert, politely handing out the expensive-looking dish to everyone at the table.

"This is delicious, Mrs Blossom." Jughead complimented, smiling at the dragon lady.

"I agree, been a long time since I ate something that didn't come in a combo meal." FP smiled. He was never the sort to change his personality or put up a front in the presence of others. Most people have three faces: one they show their friends; one they show their family and one they show only when they are alone. FP had one that he showed anyone else, and one he didn't. Jughead and I were lucky, or unlucky, enough to have experienced both.

"So, FP," My mother said his name in an almost judgemental tone, one that I sent her a glare for. Jughead grabbed my hand, sensing my warning stare, and it calmed me down immediately. "Cynthia tells me your working for Fred Andrews now," he nods, digging in to the course in front of him. "How do you balance that with your other responsibilities?" My dad asked. I looked at him in shock. I was stunned that he would ask that because I knew what was implied.

"You mean like being a father?"

"And a part of the Southside community." My mom replied. Jughead rubbed the back of my hand gently. They promised this wasn't why they invited the pair over. They promised they wouldn't ask this. I understood that they wanted to bottom of Jay-Jay's murder, but this was supposed to be a civilised meal, not an interrogation.

"You can say Southside Serpent, Penelope. I'm not ashamed. It's not just me. There's a bunch of us working on Fred's site," We knew that it was my dad who was trying to take away the work from Mr Andrews. That also meant he was the reason that some of the Southside Serpents had a job with Fred, one that was legal and law-abiding.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how did you make your living before that?" Cheryl sent another warning glare at mom, telling her stop. She knew what this meant to me. She had sat in my room earlier, calming me after a panic attack because I was stressing about this very moment. All my worries were coming true. Cheryl had said she would help me stop them if they went too far.

"I scarped by. Odd jobs." I was looking down. Jughead was looking down. Polly was silent.

"I hear you worked at the Drive-In, Jughead, before it closed. Did you find work there too, FP?" dad asked, joining in the questioning session.

"I hung out a bit, I'm a movie buff," Lightly chuckling at his comment, trying to lighten the mood. I could sense this dinner already moving towards a disaster. This wasn't going well.

"So, were you upset that Hiram Lodge bought that land?" Dad continued.

"Stuff happens." Everyone was surprised and taken back by the question that had been thrown across the table. Polly was still shrinking in on herself. Cheryl was pushing food around her plate, not knowing how to act in the situation. This was the first time I had brought a boy home and the first dinner with his family, and my parents were successfully ruining it.

"Let me rephrase, were you surprised?" Silence came across the table.

"Mom, please." I begged.

"FP, did you talk to Jason before he was killed?" Mom said, looking straight at FP. I stood from my chair, faster than anybody else, Cheryl ran up-stairs and Polly went after her, mom following swiftly after. I turned to dad, glaring at him.

"I don't care what you think of me, Clifford, but don't jerk me around, not in front of my kid." FP warned, I grabbed Jughead's hand, pulling him out of the house with me, FP soon following.