𝐕𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐑 || Sweet Pea ✔️ || REWRITING

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙉

𝐄𝐙𝐑𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒

"What do you mean you can't pick me up!?" Ezras tone was harsh, three days after her admission she'd been discharged from hospital with a list of rules as long as her arm among other things from her nutritionist.

Sweet Pea had already told her he'd pick her up, but now he'd changed his tune "Dude, why are you barking at me? It isn't my fault."

"How am I supposed to get home now?"

"God gave you legs, didn't he?"

With a huff she hung up the phone, throwing it in the overnight bag Toni had brought for her and zipping it up.

"Car service for a Miss Ezra Jones?"

She recognised the voice as soon as the first syllable reached her ears. She thought her face would spilt with how hard she'd smiled as she leapt off her bed and tackled the figure in the doorway.

"Dad! Holy shit, you're home!" Her yell was muffled by the fabric of his shirt as she clung to him like a child with a teddy bear.

She didn't realise she was crying until she hiccuped and a sob escaped.

"Hey," FP gently pulled her off him, holding onto her shoulders as he did "I hope those are happy tears."

Ezra nodded her head, the heels of her palms rubbing at her eyes in embarrassment "Why else would I be crying?"

"With you, I never know." FP chuckled, moving past his daughter to pick up the bag that sat on her bed "Alice Cooper is parked outside with Jughead and Betty, I already spoke to your doctor an' he gave me all those plans. I think we're ready to go."

After signing discharge forms and getting lost, twice, FP and Ezra were sat in Alice's car, FP up front and Ezra squashed in the back with Betty and Jughead.

"I'm feeling a Pops breakfast." FP said with a clap, looking in the rear view mirror "Jug, Ez?"

"Don't you think it's a little inappropriate to be taking her out for breakfast considering everything?" Alice questioned, eyebrow raised as she looked at the man, talking as if Ezra wasn't in the car.

A shake of his head was his response as he clicked his seatbelt into place "I remember how we went about this last time, besides Ez is probably sick of hospital slop."

"FP."

"I know my daughter, Alice."

A tense silence settled in the car, there was a brief moment when Alice sat and glared at FP before starting the car and backing out of the parking lot.

The ride was silent, not even Betty or Jughead wanted to speak up and Ezra didn't exactly have much to talk about. She had questions, of course, but she didn't know how to bring them up.

Even when they slid into their booth at Pops, Ezra between her father and brother with Alice and Betty sitting across from them, conversation was slow to pick up again.

"So," Ezra began, twirling her straw around her vanilla milkshake absentmindedly "what did I miss?"

Jughead cleared his throat awkwardly, shoving in his seat "I'll fill you in at home, 'kay?"

The femme shrugged, mumbling 'fucking weirdo' under her breath before reluctantly taking a sip of her milkshake. The past two days her therapist had been working through, well, everything with her and helped her organise her headspace when it came to getting back on track with her eating habits.

Between them they'd made a list of 'fear foods' or 'guilt foods'. Her illness was a product of guilt prompted by poverty, Ezra had convinced herself there were things more important to spend her money on than food so had been living off of cheap dollar noodles with little to no nutritional value for a while.

They'd also made a list of her favourite foods, and as a suggestion for the short term her therapist brought up the idea of trying to eat one meal off that list a month. Originally she'd suggested a week, but when Ezra protested the cost of some of the items a compromise was made.

The two dollar milkshake from Pops wasn't going to break the bank, especially now her dad was back, but it didn't ease any of the guilt she felt.

"The Black Hood is targeting sinners, so I'd watch my back if I were you, FP." Alice began after another prolonged silence "Especially once you rejoin that gang of hoodlums."

"Isn't having a kid out of wedlock also a sin, Alice? And the whole, you know, being a spiteful — "

"Ey!" FP cut in, pointing a warning finger at his daughter "Besides, Alice, I'm not going back to the Serpents. I thought a lot about this while I was in Shankshaw, and I'm done with the Serpent life. It's too much of a slippery slope for me."

While Jughead and Betty protested, Ezra felt a strange sense of relief. If FP meant what he was saying, the probability of him ending up in any more trouble was little to none.

"And what, pray tell, will you be doing with all your extra time, FP?"

As Ezra opened her mouth to snap again, FP beat her to it "Working, Warden Cooper. I saw a help wanted sign in the window, thought I'd talk to Pop about picking up some shifts."

"Let's hope your plans don't come crashing down once you start drinking again."

"Actually, I'm in AA. Started in jail and don't plan on stopping."

The three Joneses wore a smug grin as they took in Alice's reaction, the eldest of them breaking into a chuckle as he lifted his cup of coffee.

Less hostile conversation was passed between the group, mostly about school and part time jobs, college applications and GPAs.

Ezra was already topping her classes, it wasn't exactly hard when you went to Southside High. She knew somewhere like Stonewall Prep would be a major boost to her application, but a semester there could pay a months worth of rent.

Yale was her original dream school, she wanted to be an English teacher, but after not-so-subtle hints from the Serpents her interest in English lowly dissipated and Law took its place. So Harvard became her new Yale.

"You kids got any plans? It's still pretty early." FP question, eyes examining the watch on his wrist "I mean, you gotta study or something, right?"

With his question, Ezra flipped over her phone that had been left face down on the table in front of her "I'm gonna go to the Wyrm, I think Frankie and Toni are working tonight."

She elected to ignore Alice's look of disapproval as she shoved Jughead out of the booth and scooted out behind him.

"You sure you're up for it, doll?" FP asked, subtly gesturing for Pop to come over when he was ready "I'll ask Pop to make your milkshake a takeout and I can walk you."

"I don't need a babysitter." She huffed, offering Pop a small smile when he passed by and complied with her fathers request "Its not even that far, if you're that bothered I can text you."

FP started something that sounded like it was about to be 'but', only to be stopped by Jughead "If Tall Boy is there you might wanna steer clear, he's still acting like a bitch over, you know, everything."

Ezra nodded, thanking Pop and taking the paper takeout cup from him when he returned "I'll be home about ten, eleven."

"You'll be home at eight for dinner, young lady."

"Never mind, I'll be home at eight for dinner."