Timing is Everything

Don't Judge a Boy by its Cover (Chapter 30)

* Your POV as Jughead *

You tremble trying to find the right words to begin the long story of FP Jone's and Alice Cooper's rekindling of their high school love. Sure they had moved their separate ways after high school, but deep down, the two had always kept a special place in their heart for one another. Through marriage, baby births, and jobs, the two of them could never help but wonder... what if? What if they never broke apart and stood with one another. Well for starters, you would not be here and neither would Jellybean. Everything, you believe, is meant to be. That is, except for this. Except for the responsibility that you and your dad will have to own and relay to mom and Jellybean.  Relaying to them how things eventually improved when they left and how Alice Cooper was the biggest cause of this change for the better.

"S-S-So... ummm..." you stammer while facing your mom as you stand in front of her, shielding your dad from her, who was still on your bed laying next to Jellybean, "... w-when... you and Jellybean left.... ummm.... it took a while f-f-f-or things to settle down. I didn't even.....l-live at home with dad for the first c-couple months since d-dad was -"

You're cut off by your dad clamping a hand on your shoulder, and giving you a look to stop speaking. "Julia please! Give the boy a break, he's got his freaking hearing aids on and is still recuperating from his drunk ass father's beating. I think we can discuss this some other time."

Your mom shakes her head way too calmly for you to take this as defeat on her end. "FP if you would kindly shut up and let our son continue, that would make my day babe." she retorts with the same sarcasm you use, and you can't help but wheeze lowly from how eery this entire encounter is becoming.

You don't want this to blow up any more than it has to so you quickly continue and peer at FP and give him a knowing look; letting him know it is easier if he lets you just get the truth out and get it over with. If only things were that easy... you roll your eyes when your dad begins to speak over you.

"Julia, listen... Jughead is right. When you left and took Jellybean, I just went right back to the bottle even harder. I missed you and I missed my daughter..." his voice trails off thinking back to the memory, "....to the point where...." he throws his hands up, "....I couldn't cope! I treated Jughead like dirt and had zero patience for any of his needs and anything I needed to do for myself to become a stronger man.... I was at an all time low when Jug left to live at that stupid drive-in."

You gulp, not expecting your dad to bring this up now, unsure why he picked now to do so. You try your best to see his perspective and can only think that it will help your mom better understand why Alice, a source of love and stability, was needed while she was gone in Toledo.

"He what?" Julia asks sternly and darts her eyes at you waiting for an explanation.

"Yeah..." you try to mumble calmly and nervously adjust your hearing aids, "... I needed some space and I found it there. Before the Twilight closed, I worked there mom. It made the most sense to pick there to live."

Julia shakes her head trying to process this new information. "So you're telling me Jughead that you were homeless? And you FP..." she looks at your dad with a stern expression, "...just let him pick up his things and leave?"

"Sounds like a pretty familiar situation if I say so myself woman." your dad says low, giving it right back to her with resentment dripping through his voice as he thought back to the horrific night as Julia left you and him with Jellybean.

"Call me woman one more time and we'll see who is the man in the house. It's certainly not the man who cheated on his fucking wife while she was out taking care of her daughter to get away from a drunk!" she explodes raising her voice to the high heavens.

This was awful, truly your worst nightmare unfolding before your eyes. Not only did your mom now know about the past relationship your dad had with Alice, but the fighting in the house was hurting your ears as the hearing aids were beeping  from the noise.  The toxic air was back in the trailer.

* Your POV as FP *

Jeez, some things do not change. Julia doesn't mind when you call her 'woman', but when she's mad it's like you said the worst thing in the world to her. You sigh trying to keep calm and let her explode. Hell, let the kids see mom go crazy while dad keeps his cool together for a change.

"Calm down Julia. All i'm saying is that Jughead leaving for a better life is not to different from what you did. At least the boy still kept in contact with me. He still came in to visit from time to time and talked me into getting my act together for....." you narrow your eyes down at her, "....the family."

Julia's eyes widen and stays speechless for a few moments as she peers at your son in admiration. "F-For the family? Jug? You were..." she says in a soft voice with the smallest of smiles creeping over her face, "...trying to get the family back together while I wasn't even living in the same freaking state as you?" She begins to caress Jughead's face and is careful not to rub his hearing aids that were calming down as the yelling has subsided. Poor kid. Like the yelling isn't enough, his hearing aids beep wildly. 

Jughead nods slowly as he stays quiet, knowing his mother was slowly coming to her senses. "Yeah. I left the trailer to keep myself safe and in return I told dad I wasn't returning until he cleaned up his act..." he glances at you for a moment causing you to feel guilty for putting your son through such emotional distress, "... and eventually he did clean up his act mom. He did. And do you care to let me finish and tell you what helped him clean up his act?" 

Julia already knew the answer to Jughead's questions but nods anyway, too entranced by her son's words to speak or retort back a sarcastic mutter like Jughead would.

Jughead steps closer to Julia and says in a hushed town, as if he were mentioning a forbidden code to her. Only this was no forbidden code. This was a forbidden love.

"Alice Cooper." Jughead says lowly but clearly, silencing everyone in the room for the rest of the morning. That is, until Alice made a phone call to the Jones household that evening to invite the four of you to dinner.