Timing is Everything

School Encounters(Chapter 25)

* Your POV as Jughead *

You wake up the next morning in not the best of moods. On top of the ringing in your ears and aches consuming your body, you now need to venture back to that hell hole of a school with your mom. She starts her secretarial job today and has already made it clear that she is going to check in with Nurse Smith and inquire about the arrival of your hearing aids. 

"So where exactly will you be located in the school, mom?" you ask walking into the kitchen and pouring yourself a bowl of cereal.

Your mom sips her coffee, already dressed and looking nice for her first day, and gives you a knowing stare, "Already wanting to know my whereabouts Jug to know how to avoid your mother?"

"H-hey!" you chuckle defensively, "Your words not mine!" you sit down at the table  next to her and begin eating your cereal staring tiredly at her. 

"Well, if you need to find me, I'll be busy in the main office. At least that's where I'll start until they need me somewhere else.... But, I'm fine wherever.... a job is a job and i'm happy to work in your school." she smiles kindly at you at the table with her half filled mug of coffee.

You nod as you finish your cereal bowl. "Ok, well... at least I now know where you are in order to ....keep an eye on you mom!  You know..." you smirk walking up to clean your bowl in the sink, "...make sure no one gives the new secretary a hard time."

"Oh Jug!" your mom rolls her eyes at you and chuckles, "..you're really a smart ass sometimes, you know that?" she stands up and places her mug of coffee in the sink for you to clean, "...you can clean that while you're at it. That's for being too much this morning!" she shakes her head smiling as she walks over to the front door to put her coat on.

You figure its better for mom to travel to school without you. The last thing you want is for people to see you walk through the halls with your mom. You also do not want anyone knowing that the new secretary is your mom. You know that she is worried about you having a hard time at school, but you can't help but believe the opposite to be true. If kids find out that the new school secretary is related to Jughead Jones, the loner boy from the wrong side of the tracks, they would have it out for her. Everyone would.

Instead you walk to school and agree to meet Betty by her locker after texting her last night that you have a lot to share with her.

                                                                                          __________

You stand by Betty's locker, waiting for her and a feel familiar hand tap your shoulder. You look over at Betty who looked like she is waiting for you to respond to a question.

"Jug?" Betty smiles up at you caressing your cheek sympathetically, realizing you didn't hear what she just said.

"I'm sorry" you sigh, "...can you repeat that?" you lean against the nearby lockers and hold her hands while she speaks to you in a louder tone, remembering what you had texted her about your hearing loss.

"I should be the sorry one!" she giggles and whispers playfully in your ear, "So? What is the big news?" she stands back and studies your face, half excited and half concerned as you begin to speak.

"It's about my mom." you take a deep breath and peer your eyes making sure no one is close enough to hear this information.

Betty's eyes grow with concern, "Jug..." she lightly touches your cheek, "...is everything alright? Is she going to be okay?"