Rosemary ⋇ Jughead Jones

XXII

Crying in The Rain

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Rosemary got a text from Jughead saying that he was going to the trailer park to see his dad and had asked her to come along since she knew FP. Rosemary had agreed and now was standing right in front of the rundown trailer next to the Jones son.

They walked into the trailer to see it a mess. Beer bottles and food everywhere, the television still on, and dirty laundry all over the place. Rosemary had a cigarette between her lips and took a long drag, breathing the smoke out of her nose as she looked around. They heard coughing from down the hall and both turned to see FP walking into the kitchen with a can of beer in his hand.

"The prodigal son returns," FP sighed and put the can down, eyeing his son from over the counter. "How are you doing? You look good."

"I'm hanging in there," Jughead nodded.

"Yeah?" FP asked and started to clean up some alcohol scattered around the kitchen.

"I came by to ask," Jughead started as he looked around the trailer and then back to FP. "If you would consider going back to work with Fred Andrews."

Fp scoffed and turned away from his son, going back to cleaning bottles. Rosemary rolled her eyes and pulled the cigarette out from between her lips, letting out a deep breath of smoke.

"Yeah," FP nodded. "He called me. I said no. He fired me, Jughead. What kind of man would I be if I went back, hat in hand?"

"For starters?" Rosemary asked, about to speak up, but Jughead placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Rosemary huffed and stepped away, placing the cigarette back between her lips.

"A man with a job," Jughead continued for Rosemary, but more calm and collected. "Trying to fix his family."

"Talk to you mom," FP muttered and slammed the cabinet door shut. "She's the one who gave up on us, took your sister."

"Can you please just go see Mr. Andrews?" Jughead begged. "He's willing to give you another chance."

FP laughed and Rosemary ran her hand through her knotted, greasy hair.

"He's willing, huh," FP scoffed. "That's generous of him, after all the crop he pulled on me."

"Dad," Jughead walked over to Fp, who went and sat at the small kitchen table. Rosemary walked over to the kitchen counter and sat on it, pulling out her cigarette to finish a have drunken glass of whiskey. "Don't you want to see our family back together. Mom and Jellybean could come home. I could come home. It's not too late."

Rosemary watched as Jughead stormed out of the trailer and Rosemary sighed, getting up and walking over to the door. She froze and turned to FP, who took a deep breath and poured himself another glass. She took a long drag of her cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke.