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CHAPTER VIII
THE OUTSIDERS

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𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐇 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 in the student lounge, nestled against James's side as his arm draped casually around her shoulders. With her sketchbook balanced on her knees, she drew slow strokes with her pencil. The conversation around her continued, but Florence was lost in her own world.

Betty's voice pierced through Florence's concentration, drawing her attention momentarily. "Polly's convinced herself that no one wants her baby." She remarked, her tone laced with concern. Glancing up from her sketch, Florence caught a glimpse of the solemn expression on Betty's face before returning her gaze to the canvas of her notebook.

"Besides, of course, the child-snatching Blossom monsters," Kevin replied. James and Cheryl's icy glares bore into Kevin, making him continue. "No offence, guys."

"None taken." Cheryl replied.

"So your mom and dad want Polly but not the baby and the Blossom's want the baby but not Polly. It's a true Gordian knot." Jughead concluded, making Florence glance up from her notebook, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"It's an impossible situation." Betty stated.

"An impossible situation is being invited to the Vanity Flair Oscar party and Elton John's party the same night, which happened to me one year. I know." Veronica interjected, earning a shocked expression from Kevin.

"This merely an annoying situation. But luckily, I have been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in its conception." She declared, her gaze sweeping across the faces of her friends. "What if my mom and I were to host a baby shower?" She proposed.

"Count me in." Cheryl replied immediately.

"You want Polly to feel loved and supported." Veronica continued.

Betty nodded. "Yeah, but ideally by her own parents."

"Okay, so baby steps, girl. Get Polly and your parents in the same room, in a public setting where they can't fight and voila, let the healing begin."

"Am I expecting to come to this thing?" Jughead asked, glancing at his sister who was still immersed in the notebook resting on her lap.

"Of course. You're Betty's boyfriend, so..." Veronica trailed off. The couple went quiet at her words, spearing awkward glances at each other. "Oh, my god, you guys, relax. It's just a word that starts with the letter B."

"Betty, what do you say?" Veronica continued, making Betty smile in response.

The atmosphere shifted with the sudden appearance of Alice Cooper. "Elizabeth Cooper." Her voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Mom?" Betty stammered, her mind racing to comprehend why Alice would be at the school.

"I need you and you. Right now." Alice commanded, pointing to Betty and Veronica. Veronica exchanged a quick glance with Betty, her brow furrowing in confusion as she rose to her feet.

"Well, they're in trouble." Florence stated matter-of-factly, before returning her attention to her drawing.

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"We're here!" Cheryl's arrival was as dramatic as ever, her presence commanding attention the moment she stepped through the door of the apartment. "No big deal," she declared, a hint of pride in her voice, "it's just the best stroller money can buy." She gestured to the sleek stroller she was pushing.

Florence couldn't help but giggle at her boyfriend, who stood behind Cheryl, a fond smile playing at his lips as he observed her antics. James finally made his way through the crowd until he reached Florence's side. Leaning down, he greeted her with a soft kiss.

"Hey, Flo." he murmured against her lips, his smile widening as he pulled away slightly to gaze down at her.

"Hey." Florence replied, her smile widening as she returned James' greeting, her gaze flickering over to where Polly was engaged in conversation with Penelope. "Coopers and Blossoms in the same room." Florence observed with a small chuckle. "This won't end well."

James smiled in agreement, his eyes following Florence's. "Honestly," he admitted, a smirk forming at the corners of his lips, "I came here prepared to get into a fist fight."

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After Nana Rose's ritual revelaed Polly was having twins, the gift-opening portion of the evening had started.

The warm atmosphere shifted with the sudden arrival of Archie, his presence cutting through the room like a knife. With a quick glance exchanged between them, Jughead and Archie slipped away from the crowd. Betty, Veronica, Florence and James exchanged worried looks before following after them.

"Did you know Jughead and Florence's father is a serpent?" Archie addressed James and Betty as soon as they approached them. Florence glanced up at James, searching his face for any sign of reaction, but he remained stoic, his expression unreadable as he listened to Archie's accusations.

"That's why he tried to stop me from going into the bar," Archie continued, his voice tinged with bitterness. "So I wouldn't find out. After everything my dad has done for you."

Florence felt her throat tighten with a mixture of guilt and fear, the weight of Archie's words pressing down on her like a heavy burden. Desperate to diffuse the tension, Florence attempted to change the subject. "You went to a bar in Serpent territory? Archie, you could've gotten hurt."

But Archie seemed unmoved by her words, his disappointment evident in the downturn of his lips as he shook his head in dismay. Before anyone else could interject, Jughead stepped forward. "Archie, we can explain. Okay?"

"But not right now." Veronica insisted, her gaze sweeping over the group with a sense of urgency. "This is Polly's day, so you three need to check yourselves."

"Archie..." Jughead trailed off.

"No, save it." Archie said before turning on his heel and leaving. Once Archie, Betty and Veronica had left, Florence could feel the tension thickening between her, James, and Jughead. Unable to bear the suffocating silence any longer, Florence shifted uncomfortably on her feet, her gaze flickering between James and Jughead. But James remained steadfastly silent, his eyes fixed on some distant point in the room, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Oh, Polly. Come stay with us." Cheryl's unexpected offer sliced through the tension like a knife, drawing the attention of Florence, James, and Jughead in an instant.

But before anyone could respond, Penelope stepped forward. "Cheryl's invitation is genuine." She affirmed, her words carrying a weight of sincerity. "Thornhill's gates will always be open to you. The child would want for nothing. You would want for nothing."

But before Polly could voice her thoughts, Alice interjected sharply. "Do you think you can just waltz in here with a bedbug-infested trojan horse, wave a blank check around, and steal my daughter?"

"I didn't think you wanted her. Else why would she have been exiled like some pariah?" As Penelope fired back with her own cutting remark, Florence's eyes widened in shock as she watched Alice rise from her chair.

"Here comes the fist fight you've been waiting for." Florence whispered to James, her voice barely above a murmur as she attempted to diffuse the tension with a touch of humor. But James's response was a small smile, as he watched the confrontation unfold before them.

"To keep her away from your family." Alice retorted.

"Oh. And not because you're ashamed. Why is your own daughter not living with you?" Penelope questioned.

"She's not gonna step a foot into that twisted, poisonous house of yours," Alice declared, making Cheryl rise to her feet.

"She should be so lucky."

Betty, sensing the escalating tension, quickly followed suit, rising from her seat. "Cheryl, that's not helping."

"She'd do a lot better than with you."

"How dare you?"

"Enough. Both of you." The room fell into a stunned silence as Polly's words reverberated through the air.

"If you believe one lie this woman is saying-" Alice began, her voice trembling with barely contained fury as she pointed an accusatory finger at Penelope.

"This is why Jason is dead. Because of this hate. This pointless, stupid fighting." Polly recoiled from her mother's attempts to calm her down, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and betrayal. "No, don't touch me." She snapped, her voice tinged with bitterness. "We were supposed to be together. And you didn't let us have that. Neither of you. And you know what? It cost Jason his life." With those final words, Polly turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving behind a stunned silence.

Florence sighed as the rest of the guests started leaving the apartment. She stared at her feet, lost in thought.

"Want me to give you a ride to Sam's house?" James asked, pulling her out of her trance.

Florence lifted her head at James's offer, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips despite the heaviness in her heart. "Sure. Thanks."

As they made their way out of the apartment building, the tension between them hung thick in the air. It wasn't until they reached the car that Florence finally found the courage to break the silence, her voice soft. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my dad." She admitted, her gaze dropping to the ground as she struggled to meet James's eyes.

"Why didn't you?" Florence felt a pang of guilt twist in her chest as she watched him, his eyes avoiding hers as he waited for her response.

"The same reason I didn't tell you that I wasn't living with him anymore." Florence admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of regret. "I guess I was embarrassed and ashamed."

She watched as James's gaze flickered up to meet hers, a mixture of understanding and concern in his eyes. Before he could say anything, she continued.

"And I also didn't want you to assume things, like that he's a drug dealer or a criminal," she continued, her voice growing stronger as she met his gaze head-on.  "He's messed up... but he isn't a criminal."

James took a step closer, his hands reaching out to cradle her face gently in his palms. "You know I wouldn't have assumed anything." He reassured her softly. "I just want to know everything about you, like you know everything about me. No more secrets, okay?"

Florence nodded in agreement. "Okay." She whispered, her voice barely above a murmur. James pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, before pulling away with a smile.

"Let's go to Pop's." A soft giggle escaped Florence's lips at James' suggestion. She watched as he moved to open the car door for her and Florence slid into the passenger. Florence stole a glance at James, a smile playing at the corners of her lips as she leaned her head back against the seat.

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