Timing is Everything

Trailer Breakfast (Chapter 35 )

*From your POV as Jughead*

You wake up the next day feeling like you had awoken from a dream. What the hell happened last night? Was that a dinner between the Jones and Coopers?  Or one  between the Montagues and the Capulets?  Regardless, you try to push these thoughts away from the awkward dinner conversations and focus on the good time you had with Betty.

Adjusting your hearing aids back on, you pick up your phone and text Betty: 'Hey Betts. Going to work on the article. I'll start it on a Google Doc, so you can take a look when you get a chance.'     After hitting send, you rub your mildly tired eyes, open your laptop to a fresh blank Google Doc page under yours and Betty's Blue and Gold  File, and title it  Why This Town Sucks. Chuckling to yourself you delete the title and think of an actual  title, not getting far enough as you notice Betty has logged on to the Google Doc and types the title herself;  Teacher's Salaries and Test Scores.

Groaning to yourself as you read the new boring title, you text Betty; 'Boo. I thought we were going to expose Hiram Lodge in this article?'  Looking back at the article, and shaking your head with an exasperated sigh to see Betty ignore your text as words begin to flow onto the page of your laptop, knowing Betty was determined to type up another article that was safe in plot but well written nevertheless. 

Deciding to let Betty type up this article without further complaining texts, you let out a laugh and shut your laptop, not having patience to type mundane articles that wouldn't expose the truth of the town. "Oh Cooper..." you mumble to yourself with a growing smirk, picturing Betty at home in her bed typing away at this article, knowing there was no stopping Nancy Drew when she gets an idea.

Standing up, you begin to get dressed for the day, sliding on your grey S t-shirt, followed by your flannel shirt, keeping on the same black jeans with the suspenders from the other day, and finishing off with your signature beanie. Spotting your beat up black converse, you bend down to reach for them and slide them on before giving each shoes a quick tight tie of the shoelaces, and grab your phone to slide in your back pocket. Feeling your blade besides your phone, you tuck it in deeper, knowing it needed to remain hidden.

Leaving your bedroom and freshening up in the bathroom, you enter the kitchen and begin to make yourself some cereal, something quick; cereal and milk. Adding milk to the bowl you poured a generous portion of Cheerios into, you add a spoon and begin to eat it while sitting on the edge of your kitchen counter, noticing how much cleaner it appears since your mom's return. Your mom has always been the one to clean around the trailer over your dad; picking up the bad habits of leaving your things around the trailer and adding to the mess from your dad.

Finishing your cereal quickly, always able to eat a lot and fast, known to have a bottomless pit for a stomach despite your slim physique, you nearly choke on the milk you're now drinking out of the bowl as you feel a hand clamp on your shoulder. Turning around, you wipe your milk mustache with a cough as you look up at your dad staring down at you.

"Morning Jug." your dad mutters tiredly as he takes the now empty bowl from you, pouring fresh milk and cereal in for himself, being the savage Serpent King he was.

"Dad..." you chuckle while still coughing from your earlier surprise , ".... a little warning next time."

"No promises bud."

You shoot your dad a look.

"Ok ok...So what's on the schedule for you today Jug?"

"I'll probably get some homework done, add more to an article with Betty, and..." you continue to say until you notice a small flicker in your dad's eye, making you think back to last night. This causes you to fold your arms over your chest and lean back against the counter while studying your dad's mannerisms, "...ummm... and just try to finish things up."

Your dad begins to eat the cereal he poured into your bowl, clearly fixated on something you had said. This gets your attention and couldn't help but speak up again. "Dad? Is that ok? Did you need my help around the trailer or something?"

Your dad seems to realize he was staring into space and quickly snaps out of it, chuckling into a forced smile and patting you on the shoulder before sitting himself down into a chair at the kitchen table. "I'm fine Jug. Just tired... nothing for you to be concerned about. You hear me? Go have fun with Betty." He mutters quickly in an attempt to dismiss you from this conversation. This doesn't sit well with you. Since your dad got his drinking under control, he hadn't been this terse in conversation with you in some time, causing you to run a hand through your hair sticking out from your beanie, thinking something was up.

Not wanting to start the day on a wrong footing, you force a smile down at your dad at the table, hopping off the counter as your side suspenders wave up in the air momentarily, and landing on the floor with ease. You're used to doing tricks around the trailer, thinking back to the days of living at the Twilight Drive-In and all the moves you needed to make for survival of living in the projector room without getting caught. "Alright dad. Enjoy your cereal." you mutter walking past your dad, deciding to give him the business for acting a bit shady and sneak yet another spoonful of his cereal into your mouth.

Not getting too far in the process, you feel a strong hand grab you down, putting you in a headlock, looking up with a laughing wince to see your dad was going to go full serpent on you if you dare try something like that again. Laughing, you grunt in an attempt to be released, laughing harder as your dad keeps you in this strong hold.

"Dad!" you laugh out in a struggle to be released, "...I have to go, I have..." you steady your converse on the floor, hoping that would help in your escape, ".. homework!"

"Ha! Homework my ass, Jughead!"

"Dad!"

"You gonna eat my cereal again? I know ya can eat, but...." he shakes his head with a chuckle, ".... so can  I boy.  And the last time I checked, it's me..." he tugs on your headlock harder for emphasis, "... who pays for the food in this house. Not the bony teen."

This teasing gets you to let out another laugh, knowing how your dad never lets you mess with him without him showing ultimately who's boss; serpent king himself.

"I'm sorry dad. Ok?" you mutter lowly, hating to admit defeat, but knowing this playtime needed to end if your were going to  a) Get work done.  AND    b) Remain feeling in your neck.

"Ah good answer boy." Releasing his bionic strength arms off of you, you feel your dad give you a playful push back after you stand up and adjust your beanie, trying your best to keep your dignity up against the larger version of you, only able to mutter a "thanks" as you walk back and off to your room, smirking at the thought of how your day was already off to an unconventional start.