Weirdo - Jughead Jones

22: Fire

Betty filled us in on everything Polly had told her. That they did break up, but when she told Jason about the pregnancy they got back together and were perfectly happy. They made the plans to run away together. But on July 4th, the day of their plan, Polly was grabbed and taken to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

There was a car that Jason had stashed in the forest, the one they'd use to get away. This is what we were searching through the forest for now.

"What's that?" Betty mumbled. Jughead and I's flashlight followed hers to reveal a tarp. We walked closer and pulled it off, revealing a car. "This is it."

The three of us moved to the back of the car. I stood back as Betty opened up the trunk. The first thing I noticed was Jason's jacket. And then the drugs.

"Oh god."

Jughead started taking photos.

"Betty," I murmured. "This means Polly was telling the truth. She doesn't have a reason to be in that... place."

Betty stared at the evidence, pursing her lips and nodding.

The three of us continued to scan and stare at the scene. Then something else caught my attention.

"What is that?" I started to walk towards it. The other two followed with curiosity. I stopped when I reached it.

It was a thick flannel. And for some reason it looked familiar. I hesitated, but then touched it. I felt something more: something flat and rectangular in an inside pocket. I pulled it out to reveal a photo.

Jughead held his flashlight up so that I could see. I gasped when I saw the people in the photo.

It was my family. My whole family. Dad, Mom and myself, a puppy in my arms. It was taken before we left seven years ago.

"This is...." I stared at it, confused. "This is my dad's."

* * * *

I felt Jug's thumb trace circles on my hand as we sat on the bus with Betty. The flannel and the photograph kept appearing in my mind. What does this mean? Was my dad there with Jason and Polly on July 4th? And if he was, what was he doing?

We didn't bother waiting for an escort. We ran to Polly's room, ready to tell her the news. But as soon as her door was thrown open, we stopped dead.

The window was broken, blood dripping on the glass edge.

* * * *

"I'm just so worried about her, Mads," Betty said softly. We were sitting at a booth in Pop's. Jughead paced on the phone outside. "And what about the baby? She's pregnant and running out in the woods at night...."

"She's clever, though." I tried to reassure her. "Polly knows her way around."

Betty nodded before taking a deep breath and resting her head on my shoulder. I sighed, thinking about the flannel I'd found. I'd given it to Sheriff Keller when we ran through the school to inform of the car. I don't know what could be done with it, but it was all we had.

Jughead soon returned, looking confused and worried. He'd just been on the phone with Sheriff Keller.

Jug sat down in the booth and breathed out. "The car was burned."

"What?" Betty and I both look up at him.

"The police found nothing but a fire."

We sat in silence as the questions raced through our minds.

When the milkshakes had been half-heartedly finished and Betty had been picked up by her mother, Jughead walked me home.

"Are you sure you'll be okay tonight?" he worried.

"Yeah," I sighed, in a daze after the events of the evening. "I'll be fine."

"If she hurts you again, Maddie, please just promise me you'll stay with Betty."

"I promise." I gave him a small smile. We continued to walk as the dialogue stopped. My mind was everywhere, thinking of what had happened and what he had found today. "Jug," I said, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"Remember when Rose Blossom said all of those things to Betty because she thought Betty was Polly?"

He nods, looking at me and listening.

"She said something like, 'That Parker man was supposed to do his job.' And since my dad's coat was in the woods...."

"You think he had something to do with Jason and Polly running away?"

I nodded. "Like, what if his 'job' was to keep them safe?" I thought about it as we walked in silence. "Jug, what if whoever took Jason took my dad, too?"

Jughead looked at me without any words. He then took my hand in his and squeezed. "We're going to figure this out, Mads."

I squeezed back and took a deep breath. "Yeah. We are." This wasn't enough to calm my mind through the night, but it was at the moment.