Lost (in Your Emerald Eyes)

F O U R T Y - F I V E

Remember the trigger warnings, yeah? Great, let's go!

☆☆☆

Alice and Hal sat on one side of the large table in their dining room, facing their youngest daughter whose chin was up, staring them down and waiting for an answer. The two had been given an ultimatum. And it looked like something they couldn't say no to.

"So, let me get this straight," Alice said. "If we want the exclusive to the story—the info that the police aren't giving out, to what happened on the scene. You are going to write it."

"Yes," Betty said, creating a momentary silence.

"I thought you didn't want to study journalism," Hal said, looking confused as to what her daughter's motives were.

"I don't. It's boring," the girl said and inwardly smiled at the way her mother gritted her teeth. "Plus, I've been learning about it since I could read and write and listen. It's easy for me. Photography, on the other hand, is something I'm passionate about and I'd love to get better at."

Hal looked over at his soon-to-be ex-wife who rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut. "And tell me your price again."

"Sixty percent."

"That's not something we even pay ourselves or other professional journalists, Elizabeth. You're a high school student."

"I was planning on asking for seventy-five because it's your paper, but I lowered it down by fifteen percent because obviously you need to print them out and such," Betty explained.

Hal slowly nodded. "I agree."

Alice huffed and crossed her arms. "No! Absolutely not."

Betty bluntly stared at her for a moment before blinking and standing from her chair. "Okay," she said with a shrug. "I'll just sell it around town, then. I'm sure everyone would want to read about what happened to the Serpents, or me, or every other girl in town who has ever been kidnapped."

She made her way toward the front door while her parents shared a look, Hal arching his eyebrows. "It's going to sell, Alice," the man whisper shouted. "Don't be stupid, you know that girl can write."

"Wait," the woman spoke up, and Betty smiled to herself before forcing it down and turning around.

"Yes?"

"Fine," Alice said. "When's the deadline?"

Betty smiled and pulled out a pen drive from her jacket pocket. "Here you go," she said and handed it over to her father who she trusted way more. "I've edited it. I want no words changed. This is my story."

"You got it, honey," Hal said while Alice sighed deeply, planning on at least editing it. There was no way a high school student, even her own daughter, wouldn't make at least one tiny mistake.

"How did it go?" Jughead asked when Betty got back home and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Sixty percent," she said while smiling up at him, and the boy chuckled before planting a soft kiss to her lips. "I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you," Betty smiled and walked into the living room. "Fred?"

"Congrats," the man said, smiling at her.

"Thanks," she giggled and made a face right after. "Look, I gotta go to the library, but I have like five overdue books and all my money's on my bank account..."