Dreamers

52

B POV
I woke up and got Scarlett up. We got ready for school and jughead drove us. I walk to the office with Scarlett and get her schedule and locker number. He shows me to my classroom and I get started.

I have Scarlett before lunch, and her class was decent. We get through the day and jughead came to pick us up. "How was school?" he asks. "I like it better than Riverdale High." Scarlett says. "It was ok." I say. We pull up at the bar, and jughead tosses me my keys. I catch them and put them in my pocket. "What do you have to do today?" I ask. "A lot." he sighs. "How can I help?" I ask. "Check on how much booze the bar has, and see if we need to get more of anything." he says. "Yes sir." I say and grab the clipboard and go behind the bar. "Mom?" I hear. "What munchkin?" I ask. "What are you doing?" she asks. "I'm seeing what we have in stock and if we need more of anything." I reply. "How can I help?" she asks. "You're not allowed behind the bar, but Joaquin isn't in for his shift yet, so you can clean glasses." I say. She runs behind the bar, and starts cleaning. I chuckle and shake my head.

"Hey lady?" I hear behind me. I turn and see someone. "You're not a serpent, so why are you in the serpent bar?" I ask. "I'm looking for Elizabeth Smith. Where can I find her?" he asks. "Who's asking? She doesn't let random people know who she is." I say. "I'm looking for her. My name is Jackson. I'm her real father." he says. "She's not here right now, but I can get a message to her." I say. He writes his name and number on a napkin and leaves the bar. I grab the napkin and shove it into my pocket.

FP POV
I was in the office helping jughead with a meeting when Betty came in, breathing heavily. "Betts?" I ask. She holds out a napkin. "H-he s-said he's m-my real f-father. Do you think Hal and Alice adopted me?" she looks up at me. "Only one way to find out is to ask him." I say. "I don't want to get to know him, real father or not. You are my father." she hugs me. "Mom, that guy never left and he wants to talk to you." Scarlett says.

B POV
I nod and she walks in with him. "So you lied to me about being Elizabeth Smith?" he says, and I cringe as he says that name. "I hate that name." I say quietly. He nods and looks around the room. "Not to bad of a place, but I wouldn't let a child work behind the bar." he says and I glare at him. "She was cleaning glasses. I didn't see her serve a single drink. I wouldn't allow it." I say. Scarlett touches my arm, but I move it. "Scarlett." Jughead says and she walks towards him. "Betts." Fp says quietly. "If you're my real father, then why was I with Hal and Alice smith?" I ask. "You're mother and I couldn't take care of you, and she wanted her sister to take care of you." he says. "So you left me with people who abused me!" I yelled. "I'm so sorry Elizabeth." he says. "It's Betty, not Elizabeth." I say, "who is my mother?" "Penny Peabody." he says and my face goes white. "You're joking, right?" I say and he shakes his head. "You need to leave." I say. "I'll see you later." he walks out of the bar, and I stumble back. "Can my life get anymore screwed up. I get adopted by my abusive aunt and uncle, only to know that my father never wanted until now and my mother wants to kill me." I laugh, "I'm losing my mind." "Betty, it's gonna be ok." Fp says. "When, because every time I look up." I start. He wraps his arms around me. "I need a drink." I mumble and head down to the bar. "Joaquin. Can I have the bottle?" I ask. "That bad of a day?" he asks. "That bad of a life. Don't get me wrong, I love the parts when my life is steady, but when you learn that you were adopted by your abusive aunt and uncle because you're parents didn't want you, and that your mother wants your head and tattoo, drowns out the good moments." I say. "That's rough." he hands me the bottle. "Thanks." I mutter and head to the garage.

J POV
"She literally just got out of the deep end. Could this not have waited." I say. "I know. You want me to send fangs to her. He seems to be the only one who can get through to her." Fp says. "Why is that?" Scarlett asks. "Fangs has been her best friend ever since she got here. He understands what she has gone through, because his dad killed his mom in front of him, and put him in the hospital. They even kept in touch while she was gone. He has helped her more than all of us combined." Fp says. "Yes. She's gonna need him after she finishes her bottle." I say. He nods and heads down the stairs.

F POV
I was playing pool with sweet pea and saw Fp headed towards us. "Fangs go find Betty and calm her down." he says. I set my pool stick down and look in the parlor. Next I look in the garage. She was there, nursing a bottle of whiskey. "Hey Betts." I say. "My life just got turned upside down." she takes a swig if the whiskey. "What happened?" I ask. "It turns out, that Alice and Hal are just my abusive aunt and uncle who adopted me, because my father didn't have the balls to stand up to my mother. And get this, it's Penny Peabody who wants me dead." she laughs. "I'm so sorry Betty." I say wrapping my arms around her shoulders. She holds the bottle towards me. I take a swig and hand back. "Why is my life so screwed up. It's one moment I'm fine, the next I need tape and glue to stay together. I'm mean, penny Peabody is my freaking mother, who sent Gladys to give me a message. She wants my head and wants to carve my serpent tattoo off my hip." she rants. "How come you haven't told anyone about Gladys?" I ask. "I forgot about it until that man came back talking about Penny." she finishes the bottle, chunking it at a wall. "How about we go get your gun, and go to the shooting range?" I ask. "I'm too drunk to shoot a gun and I don't feel like going to the hospital cause I shot my foot." she laughs. "Come on Betts." I say. I help her up, wrapping my arm around her shoulders, we go back into the bar.

J POV
Fangs came back with Betty and I could tell she was drunk. "You might want to get someone to clean the glass up in the garage. She chunked the bottle at the wall." Fangs says. I chuckle. "I think it's time for her to go home." I say. "Let's go home." Betty slurs, adding a laugh at the end. "Did she drink the whole bottle?" I ask. "No. I helped." Fangs says.