Snakes and Ladders - Falice

I'm A Mess

I'm a mess right now, inside out.

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            It should have been harmless.

A friendly breakfast between two friends. But Alice's blood ran cold when Betty calmly told her that Jughead was on his way over for breakfast that morning. She had been surprised when she wasn't even able to mask the terror that she suddenly felt as Alice turned away from her daughter and only responded with "Hmm."

Minutes later, when she sat rigid at her own table with the son of FP Jones to her right, Alice felt all her anxiety boil up inside of her. She was lost deep in thought as she rhythmically stirred her tea, wondering if this is how it would all begin. She hadn't known who to look out for with Polly, which is why she was in the mess that she was now in thanks to Jason Blossom. With Betty, it was all to clear. Why shouldn't it be Jughead Jones that would lead to Betty's own demise; like father like son.

Alice was at a loss for words, and she knew that her daughter noticed. The truth of the matter was that she couldn't help herself from wondering if FP knew about his son's breakfast with her daughter and what exactly he thought about it. She had no way of knowing that Jughead didn't even talk to FP anymore, so it really made no difference. "So..." Alice began in a monotone voice, "Jughead. I suppose we have you to thank for Betty's ongoing obsession with this Jason Blossom ghoulishness." She crossed her arms, ready to play.

"Actually, Mom..." Betty interjected. "...I was the one who asked Jughead to help me write it for the Blue and Gold.

Alice began to chuckle, "Relax, Betty. I'm just making conversation." Her words remained light but the manipulation behind her eyes told a different story.

Alice would have been relieved to know that the main reason behind the breakfast was not a romantic meal between two almost lovers, but a chance to force Alice into a moment of weakness that would lead to Betty sneaking into her mother's purse and finally getting some information about where exactly her sister was living.

Searching for a sweet surrender. But, this is not the end - I've known it for the longest time.

Later that day, Alice was in the middle of dwelling on the fact that certain people seemed to have their minds set on reliving the past. Alice had always told herself that no one's teenage years should ever be recreated. For everyone she knew, high school had been one bad decision after the next – herself included. She was dead set on making sure that her children had a different experience. Polly was past the point of help, so Alice had already failed there.

And, truth be told, it had hit her hard. The fact that she couldn't protect Polly from going through exactly what she had at her age shook her to her very core. It kept her up at night. At least she was doing everything that she could for Betty.

But, when she watched Fred Andrews and Hermione walk hand in hand into the Andrew's house in the middle of the day while both their children were at school, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course. Of course the two of them couldn't help but give in to the weakness that a better life provided. But it was selfish. Because everyone could have a better life, but when you have children, it's no longer just about you. It's about providing for them in ways that your parents couldn't for you.

If all Alice had to worry about was whether or not she was truly happy, she would be living a much different life. But, with Fred and Hermione back together, she couldn't help but wonder if anyone was thinking about her and FP, and how much of an iconic group the four of them had been when they were in relationships with each other.