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The five of us are sitting at lunch listening to Jughead talk about what happened at Pop's this morning. "It's another win for the bad guys. No one was there. His entire staff quit. He says he doesn't know how long he'll be able to keep the doors open, maybe not even a week."
"This sucks." I says and hang my head.
"It's because of what happened to my Dad. People are freaking out. And I gotta be honest guys, I don't see myself going back anytime soon." Archie says.
"Wait, I am hearing acceptance? I'm not letting one psychopath with a gun dictate what happens to our place. Jug, you went crazy trying to save the drive-in." Betty says to him.
"I can't take on any more social issues. My hands our full."
"With your Dad, of course. And he should be your priority. I'll take point on helping Pop Tate." Betty offers.
"I'll help too, Betty." Veronica volunteers, "Hey, anything to help me get away from my parents I'm in."
Jughead chuckles, "Another B and V team up, they should really make a video game about you guys. We gotta jet. We're off to meet our Dad's court-appointed joke of a lawyer. Come on, Stevie." Jughead and I grab our bags.
"I'm gonna come with you, guys." Archie says and stands with us. "I gotta drop off some flyers with Sheriff Keller."
Jughead and I walk into the interrogation room and Dad is handcuffed to the table across from his lawyer. Seeing him like this hurts.
"Let's talk about the damn deal." Dad demands.
"First, to review your charges, arson, destruction of evidence, making a false confession, obstructing justice, not to mention this whole nasty mess of dumping a dead kid in a river." His lawyer spouts of everything.
"I know what I did. What's the deal? What are they offering?" He asks.
The lawyer slides the file across the table, "You're gonna want to take it. I'm telling you, I've been doing this for a long time It's a strong deal."
"How many damn years?" Jughead demands.
He looks at us for a moment, "Twenty."
"Oh my God." It feels like the wind has been knocked out of me.
"Stevie." Dad says trying to comfort me.
"If we go to trial he could be facing forty."
"I can't do this." I say and rush out of the room.
"Jasmine!" Dad yells just as the door slams shut.
I lean up against the wall and shut my eyes tightly, trying to keep the tears from falling. I slam my fist against the wall and slid down to the floor. I'm full on sobbing when Jughead sits down next to me.
