Snakes and Ladders - Falice

Same Mistakes

Circles. We're going in circles, dizzy's all it makes us. We know where it takes us, we've been before.

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"Wait, uh, Mom." Betty stopped her mother before she could leave her bedroom. "Before you leave, I wanted to ask if I could borrow the station wagon tomorrow."

Alice cocked her head to the side questioningly. "Why?"

Betty took a deep breath, "FP's getting released from jail." Alice widened her eyes, "So, Jughead and I were going to pick him up and treat him to Pop's."

Alice was too overcome by strangely familiar emotion to even remember to force herself to cover her wide-eyed surprise. "They're letting FP out?" To Betty's surprise, her mother's tone was not vindictive, it was almost hopeful.

"And you're going to hear it eventually, so it might as well be from me." Betty inhaled sharply, "Don't freak out." Upon hearing those words, Alice had already begun to panic internally. "Jughead is a Serpent now. Officially."

"Betty, I wish I could say I was surprised." She crossed her arms.

"Jughead is important to me. FP is important to Jughead. So, I'm asking, Mom. Will you try to give him the benefit of the doubt? For me?"

Betty was surprised when Alice then offered to join them.

Closer. Maybe looking closer, there's more to discover. Find out what went wrong without blaming each other.

FP was glad to be greeted by Jughead when he finally stepped onto the other side of the barbed wire fence. It wasn't shocking that Betty was standing by his side, but FP was taken by surprise to see Alice Cooper, arms crossed and leaning on the front of her car.

"Hey, Betty." He greeted the youngest Cooper.

"Hi, Mr. Jones." She responded with a smile as FP's gaze now landed on Alice.

He walked towards her, taking in a deep breathe. He never knew what to expect with her. "Alice." He was cautious, but even Alice could sense the question and surprise in his voice. Since when did she care?

But, Alice didn't even bat an eyelash. "Is it true what they say about men who have just been released from prison, FP?" To her utter despair, she couldn't look down her nose at him no matter how hard he tried. Not while the man stood so tall.

He gave her a look, he would play along. "What do they say?"

"That they are incredibly sexually frustrated." She raised a playful eyebrow before sending FP one last teasing look and walking around to the other side of the car.

"Mom, what?"

"Wow."

FP didn't comment, but he was taken aback in the most pleasant of ways. If this was Alice Cooper's way of proving to him that the real her was still somewhere inside, even if it was hidden by layers of Alexander Wang coats and gold broaches, it was working. He couldn't help but smile and watch her as she walked away, remembering with amusement just how cheeky she had always been.

Think that we've got more time when we're falling behind.