Alice couldn't stand it, it's beady eyes were staring right into her soul as she put a pan full of cookie dough into the oven.
She knew her house wouldn't be the same when she came back to it and yes her and FP had agreed on having a mixture of their things incorporated into the house. But this, she hadn't agreed on.
It was that damn trophy fish that had been stuck on a plaque with his name engraved at the bottom along with the title of first place. She remembered it from his trailer back in Sunnyside, but she hadn't thought much about it until it ended up on her perfect cream colored kitchen wall. She had to put an end to this, now.
Betty walked into the kitchen noticing her mother standing at the counter, clearly fuming about something.
"Mom? You okay?", she gave a confused look.
Alice turned to Betty and then pointed at the fish, "I'm taking this down, I've agreed on many of FP's hideous decor choices, but this one I can't allow."
Alice walked over to the mounted fish hung right above the phone on the wall and took it down.
"Mom, FP is going to notice if you take it down", Betty crossed her arms. "That's like his prized possession."
"He's not going to notice a minor change", Alice looked around the kitchen before hiding the fish in a bottom cabinet that FP seemed to have stuffed with miscellaneous items.
"Whatever mom", Betty sighed and walked upstairs to her room.
A few hours went by before FP came home, hanging his Sheriff's hat on the coat rack by the doorway. Everyone was finishing up the meal Alice had prepared and started putting their plates away.
"How was your day dad? Heard there was a car chase", Jughead looked at his dad before walking passed him to put his plate in the sink.
FP sighed, "Yeah, it was a long da-", he paused.
"Where's Hank?"
"Oh no,'' Betty said under her breath.
"Who the hell is Hank?", Alice walked into the kitchen and towards the sink to start the dishes.
"My first prize fish, the one hanging on the wall, where is he?", FP asked, confused by why his essential decor piece was missing.
"You're joking, it has a name?", Alice raised an eyebrow. "I moved it,'' she shrugged.
Jughead continued to watch the exchange, walking over to Betty so he wasn't in the crossfire.
"Alice, put Hank back on the wall or I'm taking something of yours down", FP looked around the house. "Like that ugly ass painting above the fireplace."
Alice scoffed, "Excuse me? I bought that painting in Europe! It's a one of a kind!"
"Well it looks like someone puked on the canvas and I don't want to have to see it every day when I come home", FP walked over to the painting and took it off the wall.
"I'm holding it hostage until you put Hank back on the wall", he raised an eyebrow, challenging her.
"FP! You're being absolutely ridiculous, I don't want a damn dead fish on our kitchen wall!", her voice raised even more.
Betty and Jughead gave each other a look before rushing upstairs. This was too much for them. Betty knew when her mom used that tone, she didn't want to be in the middle of the argument.
"Alice, I own this house and I put Hank there when we moved in, I've agreed on a lot of your stuff but I'm not agreeing on this", FP shook his head. "I'm this close to smashing this garbage painting."
"Oh, I see, you're pulling that card", Alice gave off a short laugh. "You can sleep on the couch tonight then."
"Excuse me?", FP raised an eyebrow, not understanding what she didn't get by it being his house now.
"The mattress and sheets in the master bedroom are mine so, seems like you're shit out of luck tonight since we're claiming everything we own", she tilted her head to the side to show she meant business.
"Goddamn it Alice, what did Hank ever do to you?" he sighed, winning a fight against Alice was a hard battle. "It's bad enough you made me move the pool table!"
"Why would I want to look at a dead fish while I'm making dinner? I sure as hell don't want Hank staring at me when I drink my morning coffee."
"If you smash my painting, I smash Hank", Alice walked over to the bottom cabinet where she had stored the mounted fish, she pulled it out, noticing a pink envelope with her name written across it.
"Alice, you've gone too-"
She cut him off, holding up the envelope.
"What is this?"
FP opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
She didn't waste time opening the envelope to see a polaroid of them from their production of Bye Bye Birdie in high school. She was confused until she read the note attached:
I don't want to make the same mistakes again, let me make it up to you tomorrow night. Good luck tonight Al, I can't wait to see you steal the show.
Love, FP
She looked up at FP once she read it, "I don't get it, you didn't even come to the musical."
FP sighed, "I did come to the show, but then I saw you laughing with Hal and, well, I left."
"The only reason I made amends with him was because you gave me the cold shoulder."
"It doesn't matter now, a lot has changed since then," she looked at him.
Alice was right, a lot had changed since that fateful night at the musical.
"Not everything, I still mean what I wrote in that note Alice", he walked closer to her. "Every word."
Alice smiled softly and put 'Hank' the fish down on the counter, "Can you elaborate on how you planned to make it up to me that night?", she raised an eyebrow.
"Put Hank back on the wall and I'll do you one even better,'' he put his hand on her waist. "I'll show you."
"How about we compromise and put him on a different wall?"
"Deal", he smirked and pulled her up on top of the kitchen counter.
