Deadline ((Jughead Jones)) 4

3

It was agreed that Ronnie and Archie would drive the hearse and Jughead, Betty and I would ride in the truck home. The sun was beginning to set, casting the perfect welcoming glow that would see Fred Andrews home. By the time we reached Riverdale, FP waved down Archie and us.

The second Jughead stopped the truck, I got out and approached FP, wanting to know what was going on. He was knelt at Ronnie's window talking, looking at me as I joined, asking what was going on.
"I'd like to give your dad a police escort the rest of the way home, if you two are okay with it." Fp said, looking between Archie and I. I was the first to speak, telling FP and my brother that he deserved it. Archie looked to me and then the road in front of him that would lead us home, and the sign for Riverdale.
"Yes sir."

That was that. Mr Jones got back in his car, planning to lead the way, while I got into the back of the truck, standing to watch my dad's final journey home, feeling that sitting in the car just wouldn't do him justice. Betty then reached out the back, handing me my dad's hard hat.
"For protection," She smiled and I took the hat before putting it on my head, watching FP turn his lights on and slowly lead us home.

We drove slowly, as if giving Fred Andrews his last tour of town, so he could see his home one last time before going to his final resting place. When we reached the main part of town, every single member washed out of their houses and waved flags at us, no other cars on the road. Crowds lined the streets with signs reading 'welcome home Fred' and 'We will never forget you' and 'our hero' and many more that I couldn't even read. I looked around me in utter awe of this town. I saw Cheryl, Toni and Nana holding Juniper and Dagwood, standing to pay their respects just like everyone else. The bulldogs were all huddled together welcoming home Fred. No one in the town was inside, everyone giving Fred Andrews the welcome that he deserved. Pop's was waving; Jellybean and the Poisons and the Serpents all waving their fallen hero on.

Mary pulled us into a hug when we made it home, both me and Archie. We brought him home.

Josie sang at the funeral, she came home to sing. Archie and Jughead led the carrying of the coffin, Reggie and Kevin helping as well as Mr Keller and FP. I was in a simple black dress, holding a white orchid. Mary had wanted everyone to lay red roses, but she had let me lay my own one. I stood beside Mary, holding my flower especially for my dad. One by one, everyone placed the flower on the coffin, me placing mine after Archie's, letting the white flower sit on top of all the other roses.

Archie and I took our positions at the front of the coffin, ready to give our speech at the funeral. At first we didn't speak, just held hands as we bit our lips, taking deep breaths to try and find our voices.
"Earlier, I was thinking, we both were... on the drive over here...how much of Riverdale our dad built. Or just fixed up. Houses, office buildings. A bit of everything. He helped build this town. And one day, if I'm lucky enough to have a son or a daughter of my own, I'll be able to point to a building or even just a brick in a building and say: your grandpa made that...with his hands."
"And I hope that when it comes to raising whatever children I have, I give them as much support as my dad gave me, gave both of us. I will teach them to be selfless, and knowledgeable and compassionate and kind so dad's spirit lives on through them, as it will live on through Archie and I. Everyone in this town could try to be a little more like Fred Andrews, because if they did, the town would be a happier place, just like dad believed." I added, handing back over to Archie. He told everyone the story of his dad buying fireworks to cheer him up, how it was the best night.
"My dad was there for every high and every low. He's the greatest man I've ever known. It hurts me that I never got to say goodbye, that I won't get to see him again or talk to him, but his spirit and his memory lives on in this town and in everyone he's met. Fred Andrews will always be a part of Riverdale. We love you so much, dad."

We were all inside, Archie and Mary and I, all sitting in collected silence while our friends went to get food from Pop's and Jughead went to get clothes for the next day. We still hadn't taken off our black outfits, somehow not finding the energy.

A knock at the door made us all look up. I looked to Mary who was so wrapped in her own grief she didn't seem to want to answer it. Archie was quietly bawling so I chose to get up. I opened the door to be greeted by a man in a hard hat and a belt, clothes dirty, just like dad's would have been after a day's work. We greeted each other and he offered his condolences. I then asked if there was anything else he needed.

"We found these in Fred's desk, I thought you'd like to decide what happens with them," The guy said. It was a strange request, or at least I thought it was. Mary would have been the one to handle his work affairs, or maybe Archie. I wasn't involved in his work at all, so why this guy had come to give me the brown envelope containing whatever documents were inside, was beyond me. Still, I thanked him, took the envelope and shut the door. In the living room, Archie and Mary were waiting for me, eager to know what was inside. They were as curious as me. So, I opened the envelope and pulled out the papers. I found that they were three legal documents, each set staples together.

The first were papers that were signed by Penelope Blossom and Nana Rose in order to give up legal guardianship of me and giving up any parental rights they held. At the sight of this, the signed copy of the original document, I froze in utter shock. Archie came over to me and I handed him the first set of papers, watching as his eyes widened in shock at what he was reading.

The next document I scanned over. It was signed by Fred Andrews. As I read over it, I felt more tears come to my eyes and I couldn't help but wonder if the never ending flood of tears would ever stop. I was holding in my hands signed custody papers stating that Fred Andrews now held sole custody of me. My dad had managed to get the Blossoms to cut all ties with me so I could live a normal life, free from their clutches and away from any Blossom expectations and customs. These I handed to Archie as well, who gave a happy laugh, knowing how much this meant to me.

Finally, the last set of papers in my hand made me cry. I could barely read them before Archie grabbed them and read them over.
"He was getting her last name changed to Andrews," Archie announced, his tears of happiness and grief matching my own. My dad had even wanted me to be an Andrews. I almost didn't feel worthy of the name. Archie pulled me into a hug, his mom joining us. At this moment, I promised my dad that I'd finish what he started and become an Andrews. I would spend every day of my life trying to be just like him, trying to make him proud. I would become Cynthia Andrews.

How do you sum up the life of a man like Fred Andrews? You could start with the facts. That he was born at Riverdale General Hospital. That his parents were Arthur and Virgina Andrews. That he led the Riverdale High baseball team to two consecutive state championships. Took over the family business at 18, got married, had a son, had a daughter, settled down. And while others were rushing to get out of Riverdale, Fred was setting down roots.When our town saw a pariah and closed its doors, Fred saw a lost soul and opened his. There was always room at his table, in his home, for others. Whenever our town was under attack, Fred was on the front line, fighting for it, defending it. He was our Good Samaritan, our George Bailey, our knight in flannel armour. And by the way, he was a hell of a good tipper. Fred left Riverdale better than when he found it. That's his legacy. How did we spend July 4th? We spent it in the backyard of the Andrews residents, all our friends and Mary, gathered around to pay tribute to a man too pure for the world. Jughead, in his suspenders, had tucked me next to him on the blankets, ready to watch the show as we let off our own fireworks, in the backyard, just like dad had done.
"I love you Miss Andrews," Jughead whispered as the first firework exploded above us and we danced sparklers in front of us. I kissed him, feeling myself heal. No longer did I cry at the memory of my dad, but smile as I remembered him.
"And I love you," That was the best way to spend July Fourth.