Complaints

May I Speak to Your Manager?

It had been four months since Jughead almost lost his life to the Ghoulies, four months since Archie was accused of murder, four months since Alice Cooper found out that her (ex) husband was a serial killer. The four months were a change for Riverdale, the town was shocked to see the golden boy sent off to jail by Hiram Lodge who had everyone wrapped around his finger so tightly the only one who had the balls to argue with him was Fred Andrews. Well there was one other voice louder than his, and that would belong to Miss Veronica Lodge.

Alice herself though had taken herself out of the entire context itself, not exactly addressing the whole issue. The whole issue of her ex-husband being a serial killer, being a man she slept in bed with for twenty years and she couldn't tell. How could one even make sense of that, so she avoided it and packed up her things and went to the farm with Polly. It was nice, she was trying to find a reason why she didn't see it before, yet everyone adored forgiveness so Alice tried to forgive. Letting her ice-cold walls down and letting herself just be, to not be holding her breath every time someone walks by, not caring if they saw her for who she is.

Alice came back to town in September right before school, in order to see Betty. Trying to figure out how to keep her relationship with her daughter, her being the only other person in this world who could understand what it felt like.

Yet Betty was distant, she had gone to the city for the summer with Mary for an internship. She knew Betty wanted to get out of Riverdale, she knew that feeling all too well. She had though been able to reach out to her, talk to her even though it was all on the surface. Betty had been able to lean on Jughead which made her happy although Alice wished deep down that she had the other member of the Jones family to lean on, to specify, a certain man, a real man.

"Mom, I'm going to go head over to Veronica's for a spa day, is that alright?" Betty called out to Alice from the living room as Alice walked in shaking her hands of water from washing the dishes.

"Sure honey, isn't it a bit early in the school year for that though? Isn't only the third week, are you guys already overwhelmed?" Alice said as Betty laughed shaking her head.

"No, it's nothing too bad yet. No Veronica had finally finished up the Speakeasy. They opened last night and now everything's up and running. She's got a whole bundle of new employees and actually, FP Jones is running the place as well as a manager. You should go by check it out" Betty said as Alice laughed at the thought. Going into a place full of memories than to risk the possibility of seeing someone who's a part of most of them? It wouldn't help her with her task to keep a calm aura.

"I don't know honey," Alice said as Betty smiled walking over to her mom rubbing her shoulder as she sighed.

"Geez mom you're tight, go check it out! A milkshake always calms me down, plus if there's anything you don't like there you can nag at FP. I know you love doing that" Betty said as Alice laughed rolling her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry about me, go enjoy your afternoon out! Text me if you need anything ok?" Alice said as Betty nodded before heading out. Alice then sighed as she finished cleaning up the kitchen and then began to think as she went up to her room. It wouldn't hurt her if she went out, there's nothing to be afraid of or anything. She sighed as she fiddled with the ring on her finger, it was a replacement ring. To signify she left the person she was with Hal and Hal himself behind her. Alice looked up at her reflection, you are Alice Smith, Alice told herself as she nodded. This isn't a big deal, she's just stopping in to see the new addition to Riverdale, nothing more or less. Although she could take advantage of what she saw Alice thought to herself as she slides on a tank top with a flowy cardigan on top. Alice then walked out of the house before driving down to get a sight on this new Speakeasy.