Chapter 7: In a Lonely Place (Part 3)
- - - - ANDREWS CONSTRUCTION- - - -
Later that same day Peter, Jughead, and Archie were at Andrews Construction, in Archies Dad office, relaxing and goofing off, when Fred and FP walk into Fred office to meet the three boys.
Jughead: Oh, how was your first day back?
Fred Andrews: Oh, it was great.Your dad is the hardest-working guy on the crew, as always.
While Fred is talking about how great FP was, at work, FP notices Peter, who doesn't recognize at first.
FP: Hold up, is that little Peter Parker?! Damn, kid. Hardly didn't recognize you, without your glasses.
Peter: Nice to see you, again, Mr. Jones.
FP: How's your Aunt doing?
Peter: She's doing good. She's actually got a job, at Pop's.
Jughead: Y'know, Speaking of Pops, why don't we all celebrate?
Archie: Yeah, the three of us were actually thinking the we should all have dinner or something.
Fred Andrews: Uh, tonight? I don't know...
FP: I'm game if you're game. On me.
- - - - POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOPPE - - - -
A shirt moment later the three boys, joined by Fred and FP, are all sitting together at a booth in Pops. Peter, Jughead, and Archie are sitting on one side while Fred and FP are sitting on the other side reminiscing about their teen years, in the small town.
FP: Anyway... Me, Fred, and Ben spent the whole summer fixing up that old VW bus Remember what the three of us called it, Fred?
BOTH: The Shaggin' Wagon.
FP: This was before your dad had game. Senior Year, he started a band, and then the girls were all over him.
Fred Andrews: We were awful.
FP: Yeah, yeah, we were. Oh. But it was great. Best time of my life. Y'know, Pete, your dad and uncle were the most popular kids in school.
Peter: Really?
FP: I'd say. Kid, your dad and uncle practically ran that school. While Ben was captain of the football team, your dad was student body President. What was that nickname we called them, back in the day?
Fred Andrews: Oh, man. We called them The Amazing Parker Brothers.
They all laugh at the ridiculous nature of the nickname but Peter was hooked. He never knew much about his parents and, he didn't wanna tell anyone, but the older he got, the more harder it was to remember their faces so any story about his parents was a gift to Peter.
Peter: I never knew any of this. To be honest I don't know a whole lot, about my parents.
Fred Andrews: Your parents were great. Some of the best people I've ever known. Your Dad was also popular too, Jughead. He was commonly known as a BMOC, Jughead.
FP: Come on. The hell I was. In what way?
Fred Andrews: Football, for one. He single-handedly defeated our arch-rivals, the Baxter High Ravens.
F.P: He doesn't care about that stuff, Fred. Football, sports.Takes after his mom in that respect, and I mean that as a compliment. I'd rather see you spending your time writing, thinking up stories, you still do that?
Nose in a book? Typing away?
Peter: Yeah, yeah, Jughead works on the school paper with me and Betty
FP: Betty? Who is Betty? Is that your girlfriend?
There's a bit of an awkward pause as Jughead didn't want to bring up Betty, so Jughead thinks quick and tries to point the conversation to another direction,
Jughead: She's... I wanna know more about the band. What was the name of the band?
Fred: Ah, yeah. It was called The Fred Heads.
Archie: Wait, the what now?
Fred: Yeah, that's why it doesn't come up very often.
As they're all enjoying this walk down memory lane, Pop walks over to the kitchen table with a check in his hand.
Fred: Oh, thanks, Pop.
FP: Oh, come on, Fred. This was supposed to be my treat.
Fred: Hey, you get it next time.
FP: Hey, excuse me. Pop?
Jughead: We invited you guys out. Let me pay.
FP: Put your damn money away. You owe me this.
Fred: Yeah, sure. You get this one.
As the booth has now reached maximum awkwardness and tension. Peter does his best to break the tension and tries to keep the spirits high, during tense situations. A little gift he picked up, from being Spider-Man.
Peter: You know, if I'd have known, I would have gotten another milkshake
- - - - RIVERDALE CLUB - - - -
Josie: Mmm-mmm, girl. You better hydrate.
You practically left your body on the dance floor.
Veronica: I wish, Josie.I wish I could leave my body sometimes. Leave Riverdale, leave everything.
Kevin: Is any of this helping? Going out, going Black Swan, any of it?
Veronica: When my dad got arrested, the police, the lawyers, the judge, the courts, they took everything from us. Our houses, our cars, our club memberships, our yacht, even, I'm not kidding, the clothes off our backs. Anyway, my mom sat me down on the edge of my canopy bed and she told me not to cry. Because there was one thing in this world that no one could ever take from me. Not ever.
Reggie: Your trust fund?
Veronica: It was my name. Which, after telling me no one would ever take it, that is exactly what she did. Like it meant nothing. It was nothing.... Like I was nothing.
As Veronica is struggling to hold back tears, feeling the overwhelming pain and betrayal that her mother has inflicted upon her. Gwen then grabs her hand as a way to comfort her and to show her that she has friends, who'll be there for her.
- - - - ANDREWS FAMILY GARAGE - - - -
Meanwhile, the five guys have taken the celebration to the Andrews family garage where Archie is currently showing off his guitar skills.
FP: Damn, Hoss, you're good. Way better than your dad. Hey, does Fred keep any beer in there?
Jughead: Dad, don't you think it's a little late? Kinda...
FP: Oh, yeah, yeah. No, it's all right. You know, I got a big day tomorrow anyway.
Archie: Hey, Mr. Jones, before you go, can I ask you a question? Earlier tonight, you said my dad owed you.
What did you mean by that?
Hearing this makes Jughead tense up, as he doesn't want to give his Dad any excuses to drink away his troubles or re-opening old wounds.
Jughead: Hey, Archie, why don't we quit while we're ahead?
Archie: It's just... I mean, it's just a question. Did something happen between you two?
It's ancient history, but your dad, Peter's uncle, and me, we...We started Andrews Construction together.
When hearing that, even Peter became intrigued. All this stuff he never knew about his Uncle so any information he was getting was godsend, in his eyes.
Peter: You three were partners?
FP: He wouldn't call us that. Anyway, we, uh... We struggled at first. Fred, he just had you and your mom to provide for. Richard and Mary had just died, so Ben had Peter to look after and I had Jughead and Jellybean and their mom and hospital bills. So I took some odd jobs that weren't exactly on the level. And sure enough, one of 'em landed me in some hot water, luckily your dad and Ben was good enough to bail me out. But then they both agreed that Andrews construction should be a two person operation and that I should part ways. And that I was also a liability. Made me sign a paper saying the bail money was them buying me out of the company. Never mind that my share of the business was worth probably times that, easy.
The garage has now gone silent with this big revelation. No one knows what to say after that or what to do now. All are eyes are on FP as he reveals this secret that none of them knew about.
FP[cont.]: So that was that. He went his way, and I went mine and few years later, Ben packed up and moved to New York. I guess you know what happens after that, huh Pete. You know, I think I need something a little harder than beer.
As FP takes a swing of a secret flask. Peter decides that he's heard enough and starts to collect his stuff and begins to head on home.
Peter: I think I'm gonna head out. I'll see you guys tomorrow. G'night.
As Peter walks out out of the shed and begins to walk home, he wonders if what FP told him was the truth and if was, was his Uncle did was the right thing.
- - - - RIVERDALE CLUB - - - -
Back at the club, as the five teens are enjoying their night out, a waiter comes to the teens to inform them some serious news.
Waiter: I'm sorry, Ms. Lodge, but your card's been declined.
Veronica: Really? And let me guess, it's been reported stolen.
Waiter: It has, in fact. We're supposed to call the cops.
Reggie: Yeah, sure. Call the cops. We'll be happy to tell them how old we are.
Josie: Or I could call my mom, the mayor.
Kevin: Or my dad, the sheriff.
As they all begin to laugh at the waiter, Harry gets up and hands the waiter his one silver card.
Harry: Here, this should cover it.
Gwen: Veronica, did your mom cut you off?
Veronica: She did.
Harry: And that's a good thing?
Veronica: Oh, Harry. This is how we Lodge women roll. We feint, we parry, we approach, we retreat. We're like a cobra and a mongoose dancing. She blinked, which means, I suspect, that Hermione Lodge is ready to negotiate.
- - - - PARKER HOME/FRONT PORCH - - - -
Later that night Aunt May is walking home from and she's approaches her front porch, she sees Peter sitting there.
Aunt May: Hey. What are you doing out here, in the cold?
Peter doesn't answer and he just sits there. It doesn't take a genius to tell something was bothering Peter, which concerned Aunt May very much.
Aunt May[cont.]: What's wrong?
Peter: Aunt May, did Uncle Ben really buy out FP from Andrews Construction?
Aunt May: Is that what FP told you?
All Peter does is nod. Aunt May than shakes her head and laughs to herself. She didn't like anyone hurting Peter, emotionally or physically, and she tried her best to hold her anger back. She lets out a deep breath and then sits next to Peter, on the front porch, to console him.
Aunt May[cont.]: Honey, listen. Your uncle gave FP more chances than I can probably count. I can't tell you the many times he would have to leave home, in the middle of night, just to bail him out of jail. Now, from what Ben told me, FP was secretly stealing from the company and selling it on the side. If I was your Uncle, I'd cut him lose and leave him with nothing. But the deal your Uncle and Fred gave him
This was a lot for Peter to take in, as he doesn't know how to take any of this news. Seeing Peter reaction, Aunt May grabs Peter's face and turns it to face her.
Aunt May[cont.]: Hey, look at me. Your uncle was great man and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, okay?
Peter: Yeah.
Being a nurturing person, Aunt May hugs Peter and comforts him. If she could, she would take the pain Peter is feeling away but she knows she can't. As she is hugging Peter, suddenly an anger starts to boil inside of her as she knows exactly who was responsible for this and she was gonna give him peace of her mind.
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