Collateral Damage ▻ Riverdale [1]

2.6

THE AFTERMATH
CHAPTER SIX

Queenie was sitting with Cheryl in her red convertible, which used to be Jason's, outside of Pop's. Queenie was clearly zoning out while sitting in front seat. Music was blaring through the radio speakers and Queenie stared down at the to-go milkshake she had ordered.

"Turn down the music," Cheryl spoke and Queenie instantly obeyed before turning to see what Cheryl was staring at, "I spy with my little eye, Hermione Lodge full of secrets," Cheryl smirked evilly.

Queenie quietly gasped and her eyes widened when she saw her father arguing with Hermione Lodge near the dumpster that resided on the side of Pop's. Hermione had her hands up in defense as FP pointed an accusing finger at her. There was clearly some conflict going on.

"Riddle me this, Queenie, why the hell is Hermione Lodge having a conversation with a Southside Serpent beside a dumpster behind Pop's?" Cheryl asked the girl before taking a picture. Queenie slightly sighed in relief when she realized that Cheryl never met her father in person like Jason did, "Tell me, you're a Serpent, have you seen this guy before?"

Queenie quickly shook her head, "Nope. I have no clue." She lied and Cheryl just smirked as she looked down at the picture she had taken with her phone.

Queenie sighed as she undid her seat belt and got out of the car, "I think I'm going stay here for a bit, wait for Sweet Pea to come and pick me up." She lied once again and Cheryl nodded, telling Queenie her goodbyes before she drove off.

After she watched Hermione walk back into the diner, Queenie stood next to a motorcycle that was clearly her father's. FP frowned when he saw his daughter standing there. Queenie had been avoiding him for days now, not saying a word to him if she were ever to accidentally see him.

"Queenie. What are you doing here?" FP asked her, clearly trying to keep the questions to a minimum. 

   Deep down inside, FP had a ton of questions: Why did you want to leave Riverdale in the first place? Did I do something wrong? Was I the reason you wanted to leave? Am I that bad of a father? Why have you been avoiding me lately? Why does it seem like you hate me? Why won't you speak to me? Why did you move out? Do you hate me, is that why you left?

     He had so many more, too, but didn't have the courage to ask her at that moment.

"Are you doing business with Hiram Lodge?" She asked with her arms crossed.

"Why would you think that?" He tried to lie to her, but it was no use. Queenie could see right through him, "How did you know?"

Queenie sighed, "I saw you just a few minutes ago. Talking with Hermione Lodge. I sure as hell know it wasn't going to be small talk about how she liked living in Riverdale, I knew right away that it had to be something related to Hiram. Now tell me, what the hell you're doing being involved with Lodges. I deserve to know."

FP was about to answer and tell her, but instead, he just scoffed, "Deserve to know? Queenie, what about me? Don't you think I deserved to know that you were leaving town? Don't you think I deserved to know that you were pregnant with Jason Blossom's kids? I sure as hell know that wasn't a surprise to you when you woke up from your disappearance pregnant. What about this, don't you think I deserved to know why the hell you left? Was your life that bad? And don't you think I deserved to get a goodbye from my own daughter before she went to go leave town with the boy that knocked her up!" He began to shout at her without even realizing it, "And don't you think I deserve to know why you hate me so God damn much!"

Queenie couldn't keep a straight and emotionless face any longer, she began to tear up at his words, "I-I don't hate you." She told him quietly, trying her hardest not to cry. She had been so emotional lately without even trying. Just six months ago, she was the person that no one ever saw crying. Ever. And now, she cried about everything. Thinking about Jason? She cried. Thinking about her twin babies? Cried. Thinking about how she left everyone without even saying goodbye to her friends, only to come back with her whole life going to shit? Also crying. She was fragile and broken beyond repair after everything that happened to her in the past four months.

"You don't say," He replied sarcastically, "Then why the hell did you leave? Queenie, you were going to leave town without telling anyone goodbye. Well, except for Jughead. That's right, he told me all about you going to Pop's right before July Fourth. He told me everything you said and he also said that he knew right away that it was a goodbye, but just didn't know you were actually going to leave just like that. How could you do that, Queenie? You left Jughead, the Serpents, your friends. You left me. Was I that bad of a father that you couldn't tell your old man that you were leaving town? What, you were just going to fake your death, leave town with your boyfriend and never come back to Riverdale?" He explained to her, both sadness and anger in his voice.

Queenie watched as a single tear fell down her father's cheek. He clearly had gone through a lot. All because of her. All because she decided to leave town with Jason, which actually ended up with Jason dead.

"And then, after everything, you come back and move in with Sweet Pea rather than living with me? You live in the same trailer park as me, Queenie, yet you haven't said a single word to me ever since you got discharged from the hospital. And that was over a week ago. I want to know what the hell I did wrong as a father for you to hate me so much. I knew Jughead hated me, but you...I never expected you to. Not in a million years."

Queenie began to cry right then and there, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm not thinking clearly. I haven't been for a while. I was deeply in love with Jason that I thought, 'Oh, I could just leave town with him with no consequences whatsoever'. I got pregnant and I began to have regrets for the first time, but I ended up agreeing to leave. For the time we were still in Riverdale, waiting for July Fourth, I had so many regrets on leaving. I didn't really want to leave town much anymore, but I felt inclined to. Deep down, I didn't want to leave you and the Serpents, but I just didn't want to admit it. Before leaving, I tried avoiding you as much as possible. It was too much to deal with. Too much to think about how you would feel if I was gone. Yet, I was so stubborn and naive and ended up leaving anyway. I was and I still am heartless for doing that and I'm sorry. After coming back, I've realized that I've changed so damn much. I'm broken, okay? I am a total mess. And to top it all off, I'm confused. I'm so fucking confused about what the fuck I'm doing with my life. I'm pregnant with my dead boyfriend's babies! And I have no clue what I'm supposed to do next. How am I supposed to raise two twin babies on my own? Where the hell am I supposed to live? How the hell am I supposed to finish high school and go to college with two babies and no help? I keep trying to avoid everything wrong with my life. I try to avoid you because I don't want to you to tell me how much of a screw up I am, I try to avoid Jughead, but he just ends up pulling me closer. Everything is just so fucked up and I don't know the hell to do."

     By the end of her explanation, Queenie had tears streaming down her cheeks and she didn't know to calm herself down. FP quickly walked closer to Queenie and pulled his daughter in for the hug she so dearly needed at that moment, "I'm so sorry, dad." She sobbed and FP just nodded his head.

"It's okay, it's okay." He assured her quietly.

AN: Last sad chapter for a while I promise.