Something Missing

3.

Forsythe Pendelton Jones II wasn't the man he used to be in high school. At Riverdale High, he was an all American football star who had big plans for college. His classmates either wanted to be him or be with him, he was constantly showered with praise. But that all changed once he started to drink, and the abuse from his old man got too much to bear.

His grades started to slip to the point of no return, he dropped out and joined the army as soon as he could. Once he came back to Riverdale, a one night stand turned into a wedding ceremony. Gladys had been a friends with benefits kind of deal since he'd gotten out of the army and once she got pregnant, he felt obligated to marry her.

Since then, their marriage had been one fight after the other and his drinking problem became increasingly worse. After losing his job at Andrew's Construction, his only source of income was shipping drugs in and out of Riverdale as the Serpent King. It wasn't the job he wanted, but Gladys bartending at the Wyte Wyrm four nights a week wasn't getting the bills paid.

FP, as he went by now, shucked off his Serpent jacket right as he walked into the door of his childhood home. He hated the fact that he was raising his six year old son, Jughead, in the trailer where his father beat him on multiple occasions. But it was all they could afford. Some days when his mind would be filled with his past traumas, he would remind himself of the times he would climb through Alice Smith's window and all his pain would be temporarily taken away. On occasion, those memories were enough to stop him from downing a bottle of whiskey. Alice was somehow still his escape, even if it was just in his memory.

"Daddy!!", Jughead called as he ran into the living room to greet his father. Gladys walked behind him, her arms crossed.

"Hey little man", FP smiled at his son, tousling his hair before sitting on the couch so Jug could sit next to him.

"Where the hell have you been?", Gladys stood in front of him on the couch.

"Relax, I had a late delivery", FP lied, he'd finished a run early and sat at the bar for a few hours downing a couple of beers. He made sure to sober up before he left, he couldn't have another DUI on his record.

"Was your delivery at the Wyrm? Because you reek of alcohol", she rolled her eyes.

"So what? I'm here now", he glared at her and then turned to Jughead to give him a smile before getting up and going into the kitchen.

"Wasn't today grocery day? It's just as empty as I left it", he riffled through the fridge and cabinets for any sign of food.

Gladys writhed her hands nervously, she had lost their grocery money in a game of poker last night after work. "Juggy and I already ate", she lied.

"No we didn't mommy! You said I could have candy for dinner", Jughead stood up on the couch and smiled.

FP walked over to Gladys, "What the hell did you do with the money that was for food, Gladys?"

"I lost it in a game last night okay?? I was just trying to double our money!"

FP scoffed and rubbed his temples, "You are so selfish! That money was supposed to go towards our food for the week and now what are we supposed to do?"

"I fucked up alright? I'll win it back at the next game!", Gladys yelled back.

FP grabbed his Serpent jacket off the rack, "Come on Jug, let's go get a pizza alright? I think I can scrounge up a few dollars."

Jughead walked over to FP and grabbed his own jacket from the coat rack and put it on. He let Jughead walk out the door first, FP turned to look at Gladys.

"Sometimes I wonder if we should even be together anymore", he slammed the door behind him, and helped Jug into his truck.

Gladys had been feeling FP slipping away for a while now, and it terrified her. She watched as her husband and son drove away, she knew she would do anything to keep them in her life.