Falling Apart

Chapter 22

“Guys,” Jelly says, coming to our table in the cafeteria and sitting next to Sweets. He puts his arm over her shoulders. “You’re all coming to my birthday, right?” she asks.
“Ye-“
“No, they're not,” I say between my teeth and look at her. She rolls her eyes and looks at the others who seem confused.
“Babe, I wouldn't miss it for the world,” Sweets says and she kisses his cheek.
“Fangs is taking me,” Kev says. I sigh and look at Jug sadly. He kisses my nose.
“When? Where?” Veronica asks, sitting between Cheryl and Fangs, Cheryl's hand on hers on the table. They're finally together and both cheerleaders now.
Toni smirks at me and Jellybean, being the only one except for Jug and maybe Sweets, who knows what we're gonna be doing.
“Yeah, we'll be there,” Veronica smiles. They've become friends through me. Like one of the best friends. Just year ago they hated each other. I love myself sometimes. “Right?” she looks at Cheryl.
“I’m invited?” she asks in surprise.
“Duh, you're Ronnie's girlfriend,” Jelly says. Cheryl smiles and nods. “Great,” Jelly smiles so big and looks at me. “Be at mine at 6.” Then she looks at Jughead. “Not you.”
We all laugh at Jug's comedic face. “Right, I'll be in a booth at Pop's with Hot Dog,” he says sarcastically.
“Great,” Jelly smiles, making me chuckle again.

“Listen up everyone!” I hear FP yelling from the stage. I look at him nervously. The bar is full of Serpents and then about 15 or so Jellybean’s friends, who are all great and I know them. “We have a few girls in the house, who'd like to be Serpents,” he announces and all the men start cheering immediately. “So… Come up here,” he says, not really wanting to do it.
Jelly looks at me with a big smile. Jug kisses my forehead. “Keep your shoulders down, it shows weakness if you raise them up, okay?” he whispers. I nod and me and Jelly make our way on the stage.
“This is great, FP, right?” Slurpe laughs from the crowd. Me and Jellybean giggle quietly while he just sighs and shows us that the stage is ours before giving the crowd a warning look, making all of them laugh and cheer.
Here's a pole and also two mic stands, so we go to them, on the edge of the stage. I wrap my hands around the mic and look at JB. She smiles at me nervously and I smile back a little. I can't believe I'm doing this. I never even wear bikini.
The music goes on. I sigh quietly into the mic and look for Jug's eyes as Jellybean starts singing. I see Jughead. He gives me a small smile and then looks at Jellybean. She sings the first verse, undressing herself slowly, looking at Sweet Pea mostly. Then comes the first chorus and she starts slowly dancing around the pole while I start singing it. I have to admit, it actually looks sexy. Her lingerie is dark purple, almost black. It's a lace one, a bra and panties, but not too showing. We went to buy them together since neither od us has mom's who could help with that. Toni also came with us.
Jellybean is done with her performance, so she just comes back to the mic and is kind of awkward, ‘cause she's naked and has to wait. I keep singing and start undressing, really self-conscious about this. They said that they never judge anyone. You just have to be sexy and a good dancer and you're in.
I remove my shirt, showing all of my scars now from my palms to my shoulders. At least the bruises are only on my stomach, so that is covered by my lingerie shirt or whatever they call it. I let my skirt fall down too, showing my scarred thighs now.
I look at Jughead. He's smiling at my body softly and meets my eyes as I keep singing. The others are looking at my scars too –obviously, I don't think anyone has ever seen anything like this before– but they're also looking at my body in general, which is making me even more uncomfortable to be honest. The chorus comes, so Jellybean starts singing, looking at me from the corner of her eyes as I move to the pole and start doing he loves Toni thought me to. She gave Jellybean the easier and shorter one, because she has to be naked all the performance anyways, which shows her bravery. And she gave me the longer dance, so that I would show mine as well and also my dance skills, ‘cause apparently I could rule the world with dancing or something like that.
The dance is actually quite enjoyable. I look at Jughead the whole time, imagining only him here and no one else. He's looking into my eyes as well, not smiling, but neither am I. When the song starts ending, I make my way back to the mic and we sing the last few lines together.
A few seconds, everyone is quiet, still shocked probably that we did it together, or that we actually have bodies or that FP let us do it, I'm not sure. And then they all start cheering and clapping in support. I smile at Jelly as she does the same and look at Jug. He's not there yet. Was I bad? Did he not like it? Was he embarrassed of my body?
FP comes on the stage, clapping slowly, which makes me press my lips together, not to laugh, seeing how uncomfortable he is. Jug follows him, which makes me raises ny eyebrows, but I guess he's the one giving the jackets then. He smiles at me lovingly and I smile back a little, all my worries gone.
Jug helps Jellybean put her Serpent jacket on her lingerie. I chuckle quietly and look at FP. “You’re both so awkward, you're making me feel weird,” I smirk. He gives me a look, smirking at the same time. Jelly takes her clothes rapidly and kisses Jug's cheek before going off the stage. Jug comes to me and starts putting the jacket on my shoulders, but FP stops him.
“Not this one,” he says. I furrow my brows and so does Jug.
“I thought you said she's gonna get the leaders' one?” he asks quietly, confused.
“Yeah, but I have another one for her,” he says and goes off the stage. I look at Jug with raised eyebrows.
“Can she get dressed?” he asks FP. I hear him laugh somewhere and say yes. I quickly pick up my clothes, slide my shirt back on and the skirt as well.
“Boooo!” I hear Kev and Fangs shouting together, making me chuckle quietly and show them my middle finger, which makes everyone else laugh.
FP comes back on the stage, not wearing his jacket, but holding it alongside with another one, looking a little different, but still the same. Most of the Serpents gasp, so I look at Jug. He's looking at FP with widened eyes.
“What?” I ask quietly.
“Dad?” Jug asks quietly. FP smiles at the two of us. Jug sighs and takes his jacket off. Now I realize what's happening. He's crowing him. Us.
I take Jug's hand to get his attention. He looks at me worriedly. “Do you want this?” he whispers.
“I want you,” I whisper back, meaning that yes, I want this is he does. He smiles at me and kisses my temple. We both look at FP. He gives Jug his old jacket, Jug's new one. Juggie smiles at him and pulls it on. The crowd wants to start cheering and so do I, but FP shows them not to and hands Jug my jacket. They both look at me.
“It was your mom's. I've kept it,” FP says. I have a feeling like I wanna cry, but I smile instead. I have one more thing from my mom.
Jug looks at me with a smile. I smile back at him and he helps the jacket on me and then pulls me into his arms, making me giggle. Literally everyone starts cheering and hailing and clapping, making us smile even more. I know we haven't really wanted to kiss each other in front of anyone, but right now I do want to. And he wants it too, I can feel it. So I move my hands up to cup his face and stand on my tiptoes as he leans just a little down so that we could kiss.
When we pull away, I get back down normally on my full feet and he straightens up, pressing his lips against my forehead, being ideal height for that. “You’re my queen now, Betty Cooper,” he whispers and breathes in my scent while he kisses my hairline.
We pull away, but people keep cheering for some reason. He offers me his hand and I take it. We both look at FP who looks so freaking proud that I can’t describe it. He looks at me now.
“Your mom would be so proud of you,” he breathes out as he'd be sighing. That makes me let go of Jug's hand immediately to hug his dad instead. He hugs me back tightly and it feels so good. I squeeze my eyes shut and let one tear drop from my left eye. In a few seconds he sighs. “Go on, before I start crying too.” I have no idea if he felt it or knows me good enough by now, but I pull away and chuckle, looking at him. He really looks like he's gonna cry. He kisses my temple carefully and I smile at him before going down the stage with Jug.
Jellybean jumps on Jughead and hugs him so tightly. “You got crowned on my birthday,” she beams. Jug chuckles and hugs her back really tightly, lifting her up from the ground just a little.
Veronica, Kevin and Cheryl and these guys are so shocked that I actually became a Serpent, but they're also happy for us.
In a few minutes, Jug's hand is back in mine and he walks us to the counter. He sits down on one of the stools and helps me up onto his lap, basically lifting me himself. I smile at him, sitting on his one leg as always, my legs between his parted ones, his arms around me.
He kisses my jawline softly and then looks at me admiringly. “You looked so beautiful up there. And brave. I wished I could've had the chance to touch you,” he whispers and kisses my neck, making me shiver.
“Maybe your dad lets you come over,” I whisper.
“I'm the king now, I'll decide myself,” he smirks. We both chuckle, knowing that it's not true. He can't decide these things himself.
“Hey,” he says softly. “What if I get you a glass of something?” he asks.
I sigh and look at him sadly. “Juggie, I don't know…”
“It's not a drug or smoke, Betty. I won't let you drink more, I promise. I just want you get the idea of what alcohol tastes like. And let me tell you, it is not as good as everyone says.”
I giggle. “Then what's the point?”
“You’re a Serpent now, baby, and I… I know you're gonna try it someday anyways. And I don't want it to be because someone makes you or says you're weak if you don't. And I wanna be sure myself that the way you react is normal,” he says softly, looking into my eyes worriedly.
I chuckle sadly. “You wanna make sure I won't get addicted to it?” I ask him.
“No, I didn't-“ I kiss his lips softly, cutting him off.
When we pull away, I kiss his forehead. “You’re adorable… Yeah, okay. One glass. We share. I don't want you drinking either.”
He smiles lovingly and kisses my temple. “Toni?” he asks. She smiles and comes to us, being behind the counter like a bartender.
“Hey boss, what's up?” she smirks.
“Boss?” Jug asks.
She rolls her eyes. “You own the Serpents, you own the bar.” She looks at me. “Both of you.” I turn to look at Jug and he does the same. We both start smiling a little and I look at Toni.
“Both of us? The workshop too?” I ask.
She giggles quietly. “Yes. You can get a bike.” I start smiling so big and they laugh at that.
“Can we et a glass of…” Jug looks at me, thinking what I'd like. “Sparkling wine?”
“Yeah, sure. Only one?” she asks. We both nod. She rolls her eyes at us, but takes a glass and fills it halfway as supposed to do. She gives it to us and then goes to Sweets who just orders something too. Probably for him and Jellybean.
Jug sips the wine and nods. “One of the best. She has taste.”
I gulp and take the glass. He looks at me sadly as I look really doubtful about it. But I bring it go my lips and take a little sip. I taste it and my face wrinkles up immediately. I swallow it quickly and Jug starts laughing at me.
“Ew. Seriously? One of the best?” I ask and he keeps laughing, both of us relieved. “Toni, can we get two cokes?” I ask. She laughs and brings us two cans with glasses and ice.
“You don't like it?” she asks us with a big grin.
“It’s okay,” Jug says, pouring himself the coke. “I prefer this too, honestly.”
“And you?” Toni chuckles at me.
“Ew,” I say and sip my coke.
She chuckles and takes the glass, raising it up then. “Cheers.”.