Yellow Tape And Tears

Chapter One

Betty's POV

I stood on the sidewalk of my childhood home, staring up at everything that was happening. The cops walking in and out of my house, the news reporters shouting questions at me and the yellow tape surrounding my house. But I was numb, I had tuned out everything and just stood there sobbing silently. I didn't become aware again until I felt Jughead's arms wrapping around me, squeezing me tightly into his chest and turning me away from my cherry red front door. Soon I saw Archie and Fred also approaching us pushing through the crowd of reporters. Archie yelled something at them but everything was such a blur and I couldn't make out the words he was saying. 

I moved away from Jughead and he let me go so I could turn around to see my house once more. Right as I turned around I saw the policemen carrying the black body bag out of my house and into a car to transport my mother's body to the morgue. I couldn't believe she was gone, my mother was dead. I had just gotten her back after everything with the farm and now she's gone again except this time she's not coming back. There is no fighting to save her or trying to convince her to come home because she's dead. Both of my parents are dead, my sister is in deprogramming at a mental asylum and I'm here, the only cooper left.

"Betty?" I heard Jughead say sadly but I didn't answer, I didn't have any words to say. "Betty come on let's get out of here ok?" Jughead tried again. But instead of answering I just started walking away with Jug following me and grabbing my hand.

We didn't talk as we walked to Pop's chocklit' shoppe but even if we had I didn't know what I would say. We sat down at our usual booth at Pop's and soon after Pop walked over and took our order with a sad look on his face. I was grateful that he didn't say anything about my mother, Jug, however, wasn't going to do the same.

"Betts? Are you ready to talk?" He started "I understand if you aren't but you can talk to me when you're ready." He was so sweet and trying so hard to comfort me without smothering me.

"I-" My voice came out raspy after all the crying I had done "I don't know what to say Jug, my mother was murdered in my house. She was killed and we don't even know who did it." I stopped again before I started crying again "Oh my god my mom's dead" I cried out.

Jughead moved to sit next to me in our booth and held me tightly and whispered in my ear. "I know baby. I'm so sorry." He let me just keep crying into him until he started whispering again "Betts look at me" I slowly looked up at him and when our eyes met he said "We are going to find out who did this to her ok? I promise we will find them."

I didn't know how he could be so sure that we would find my mother's killer but knowing I wasn't alone in this made me feel slightly better. I nodded and hugged him again. He sighed and kissed the top of my head as our food arrived. I didn't eat much and mostly just pushed the food around my plate but Jug was always hungry and ate both of our burgers and drank both of our milkshakes even though he didn't enjoy my vanilla compared to his chocolate one.

After we finished at pop's we walked back to my house since we had nowhere else to go. We both lived there and his dad was probably still there waiting for us to come home. The police tape still was up and all over my house but most of the commotion was gone and there were only two police cars outside. We walked in the front door to find  Fp sitting on the couch crying softly while sheriff Keller was talking to him and two police officers looking around my house looking for a clue and investigating. But it was too much, I ran up to my bedroom and slammed the door behind me sobbing and sliding down the door. I was weak I thought, I should be down there investigating but instead I'm crying on my bedroom floor.

I was taken out of these thoughts by the light knock of Jug at my door. "Baby? Let me in please, we don't have to talk but you shouldn't be alone right now." He said softly, whispering only loud enough for me to hear him through the door. I stood up and opened the door to see him leaning against the door frame tears in his own eyes. I walked to our bed Jug following close behind me and laying down next to me. We didn't talk we just laid there crying together and desperately wishing we weren't in this situation.

•••

I woke up the next morning alone and wishing that Jughead was next to me. I figured he was already downstairs eating breakfast with Fp and my mom. My mom... is dead. I remembered all of yesterday and a single tear escaped my eye but I stopped myself before more tears fell. Crying isn't going to bring her back, nothing is going to bring her back but I can figure out who did this to her. Jughead promised we would find out who did it and he's right because I'm not going to stop investigating until we do.

I got up and walked downstairs to find Jug slowly eating a bowl of cereal and Fp standing over the counter with his head in his hands. It was already weird without her making breakfast and smiling as she said "Good morning Elizabeth" like she did every morning. But I wasn't going to point out the obvious so instead, I walked over to the cupboard and grabbed a bowl and the box of cereal. But when I looked down I noticed a knife was missing from the butcher's block. That must have been the murder weapon. My mother was stabbed probably right here in this kitchen. That thought sent shivers down my spine and I suddenly wasn't very hungry anymore. So I put my bowl and the cereal back and went and sat down next to Jughead at the table.

"So Juggie when are we going to start investigating?" I said as I sat down. He gave me a very surprised look and a shrug. But Fp answered in words.

"Neither one of you is going to be investigating this. That is Sheriff Keller's job and I won't risk losing either one of you. All three of us have already lost enough and we don't need anymore." Fp spoke sternly and walked away.

"I can't just wait around Jug, I have to investigate. Are you still in?" I whispered to him.

"Of course we just have to be careful because he is right we've had enough loose. I can't lose you, Betty, I love you too much to let you get hurt so if we do this we have to be extremely careful. Ok?" He said back with pain and love behind his eyes.

"We will be and I love you too Jug. Now let's get started." I said hopping up from my seat at the table.

1257 words