Back In Black

Chapter Fourteen: Why Do I Do This?

We get to the club and it is instant that Veronica gives me a drink. It was weird being out with Reggie, after everything, but it was also a great time. Veronica, Josie, and I danced like there was no tomorrow. It felt good to be a regular teenager for once. At one point I was grinding on Reggie, his hand found my hips.
"One night, and you tell no one" I shouted over the music
"Sweet heart, I wont remember anything tomorrow." He whispered in my ear. We just continued to dance our hearts out. I was dancing with everyone, Veronica and I laughing our asses off at the slightest of things. It was amazing, I down so many drinks that I could hardly stand straight but I knew exactly what I was doing. After awhile we all make our way to a lounge area and I sit down leaning into Kevin. Josie starts laughing causing the rest of us to laugh.
"Mmm-mmm, girl. You better hydrate. You practically left your body on the dance floor" Josie forces Veronica to drink
"I wish, Josie. I wish I could leave my body sometimes."
"Preach!" I held up my glass, still leaning on Kevin.
"Leave Riverdale, leave everything" Veronica continues
"is any of this helping? Going out, going Black Swan, any of it?" Kevin was the most sober out of all of us.
"When my dad got arrested, the police, the lawyers, the judge, the courts, they took everything from us. Our houses, our cars, our club memberships, our yacht, even, I'm not kidding, the clothes off our backs." Veronica sighs and gets this huge grin on her face that then fades fast "Anyway, my mom sat me down on the edge of my canopy bed and she told me not to cry. Because there was one thing in this world that no one could ever take from me. Not ever"
"Your trust fund?" Reggie asks, earning a glare from all of us.
"My name, Reggie. Which, after telling me no one would ever take it, that is exactly what she did. Like it meant nothing. Like it was nothing. Like I was nothing." She leans over again and picks up her drink. We all just sit around that lounge for what felt like forever.

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//Jughead POV//

I'm sitting with Archie and my dad in the garage as the two play the guitar.
"Damn, Hoss, you're good. Way better that your dad." My dad announced, he starts walking to put the guitar up. "Hey, does Fred keep any beer in there?" He asks point at the fridge and my heart kinda breaks a little, who was I to think he was actually better.
"Uhh..." Archie starts
"Dad, don't you think it's a little late? Kinda..." I point to the door. The last thing I need would be him embarrassing me in front of Archie. Especially after the whole Pops thing. Asking about Betty, it hurts, no wonder Kat hates me being around her. Anyone drops her name someone has to ask if her and I are together.
"Oh, yeah, yeah. No, it's all right." He looks longingly at the fridge." You know, I got a big day tomorrow anyway." He starts walking towards me to get his jacket just before Archie speaks up.
"Hey, Mr. Jones, before you go, can I ask you a question?" Shit Archie really?
"Yeah" My dad turns to look at the red headed boy.
"Earlier tonight, you said my dad owed you. What did you mean by that?"
"Hey, Archie, why don't we quit while we're ahead?" I put my arm on his shoulder and whisper.
"It's just.... I mean, it's just a question." I laugh nervously. I wanted out of the situation so badly. "Did something happen between you two?" I start walking towards the door nervously trying to get away from the whole situation.
"It's ancient history, but your dad and me, we..." I lean against the counter my back to the whole thing "We started Andrews construction together."
"You and my dad were partners?" Just shoot me now
"He wouldn't call us that. Anyway, we, uh... We struggled at first.Fred, he just had you and your mom to provide for, I had Jughead and Jellybean and their mom and hospital bills. So I took some odd jobs that weren't exactly on the level." I still remained with my back to my father, I wanted nothing more than to be sitting in Pops laughing with Kat as I moved and she screamed at me for ruining her drawing. "And sure enough, one of 'em landed me in some hot water, and your dad was good enough to bail me out. But then he said we should part way. That I was a liability. Made me sign a paper saying the bail money was him buying me out of the company. Never mind that my share of the business was worth probably ten times that, easy. So, that was that, he went his way, and I went mine." I heard liquid in a bottle and turned around to see my dad getting a flask out of his jacket pocket. "You know, I think I need something a little harder than beer." It broke my heart, but it pissed me off even more.