Adult-FanFiction.org : Comics

The Emancipation of Lizzie Cooper	By : Silent Pluto Category: Comics > Archie & Co. Views: 10135 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Archie & Co, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
“Homecomings”

“Damn it Betty! Did you give Artemis Vodka?!” Ethel snarled at me.
“*snicker* Now that’s a stoooopid question! You know I didn’t have Vodka!” I giggled winking at the Taxi driver who was eying me through the rear view mirror.
“Hi, there!”
“Betty! Concentrate here! Artemis is knocked out cold! What did you give him on the plane?!” Ethel exasperated with the dozing cat on her lap trying to revive him.
“I gave him what I was having, duh!” I murmured rolling my eyes, as I looked at Riverdale passing me in the backseat. We were taking a Taxi to god knows where, Ethel gave the guy directions, I wasn’t very coherent so I could careless. I’m back in the hell, I’ve been avoiding for the better part of my twenties, I’m not happy about that at all! So I drank as much as I could on the plane, and I slept most of the way too.
Damn that Ethel, she threatened to call the Humane Society on me. Laugh if you want to, but out there in Arizona, they have laws for animals, and *sigh* I admit to giving Artemis some Alize. ONLY because he likes it! Damn it he’s my cat! I don’t hear him complaining about hang overs or anything like that, and it’s not like I get drunk every night! Ethel even called their hotline and left a message! If I didn’t leave, I’d either be in handcuffs, or paying a fine of mostly $2,000- $5,000 dollars for animal abuse! Or both, the folks out here don’t play when it comes to their pets!
So while I’m here in hell valley- I mean Riverdale, I have to keep Artie on a strict diet. I feel bad for the poor guy, he was actually starting to like Pina Coladas.
“I swear to god, Betty Cooper! You gave your cat Bourbon?!” Ethel shouted.
“Geez, are you sure you didn’t have any?” I snorted.
“His stomach could be on fire! He could die!” Ethel screeched. Then we heard a low belch. We looked down to the cat as he started purring in Ethel’s lap, he wiggled a little, and then went back to sleep.
“You were saying?” I replied.
“Are you sure you couldn’t name him Garfield?” Ethel laughed.
“Yuck, that is so offensive. And he’s not a orange cat! And he doesn’t eat human food.” I replied, looking out the window as the lights flashing us by in the night. I could’ve sworn we passed by at least 4 ‘Pop’s Chock Lit Shop’, but it could be the bourbon, because I know of only one location.
“But he drinks liquor.” Ethel replied.
“And that’s what makes him special, now stop criticizing my cat!” I said drowsily, as I felt my eyelids start to droop.
“Your sleeping to much.” Ethel remarked.
“I took some Tylenol P.M. before I got on the plane this afternoon.” I smirked, before I dozed of listening to Ethel swear obscenities at me.
(Yeah, yeah, I know do not take pain killers with alcohol. Don’t remind me.)
The next morning I woke up, I woke up to something I haven’t heard in years. Birds chirping. That meant I left the window open, thinking I was still in my apartment I rolled over to cover my head, from the dazzling sunlight that I knew would blind me if I opened my eyes. And thinking it was my Queen sized bed at my place I rolled completely off the bed and fell on the floor. That woke me up!
“Damn it!” I moaned fighting to get out of the covers I was wrapped in.
I untangled myself, to take notice of my situation. It was like I stepped into a time portal, and I was a teenager again. Here I was in my old room, in my old bed, in my old house. I wanted to scream.
I was about to let all hell break loose until someone bolted in through the door.
“Betty are you alright honey?” I heard my father huff in his ever so familiar gruff voice.
“I’m ok dad. I just fell out of bed.” I said covering my face with my hands. I had no idea how in the world I got here last night. All I remember was the flight to Riverdale, the taxi cab drive, and then that was it.
“She tricked me!”
“She? She who? Who tricked you?” My father said as he walked over to me and helped me off the floor.
“Ethel.” I said between clenched teeth.
My father just laughed. I removed my hands from face to look at him. Boy had the years been good to him. He had a head full of white hair. He still had his bright blue eyes, (the ones he pass to me) but he had a nice gut hanging from his front.
“Are you sure it’s all Ethel’s doing? You were pretty much out of it when she dropped you off here last night. I never knew you to be much of a drinker. You must’ve had some party going on that plane. Heck I guess it does pay to fly first class!” he chuckled as my face blushed with embarrassment.
“Did I do…anything? Say something embarrassing?” I whispered.
“Nothing really, mostly mumbling. You were so out of it you couldn’t walk. Had to have Chic carry you in. If you would’ve call earlier we could’ve fixed up the room for ya. No one’s set foot in here, well except for Amerie, we always seem to find her hiding somewhere in here, sometime or another.” he smiled as he talked about his granddaughter.
I could almost feel an old twinge at the thought of children, but then I remembered what day it is and whom I was. Polly my anal younger sister carried on ‘the dream’, whatever it is anyway, well, let me rephrase that then, Polly carried out my old dream, as sour and sad as it may seem, she fell in love with some guy in high school, went to college got married to the toad and now had his babies. Not that I don’t love my nieces to death, but I never really met them, I’ve got an album full of pictures my sister mailed to me. (I don’t know how they got my address) Amber and Amerie were the cutest little blonde hair blued eyed devils you’d ever seen! Well…only they were twins, and Amerie had green eyes, and Amber had dimples on each cheek….which is weird but anyway, they were the cutest terrible two’s you could find around. And truthfully I was anxious to meet them.
I just didn’t want to have to see their mother.
“Well, I know you’d probably like to meet them, their anxious to see you.” Her dad said and he slowly made his way to the door.
“Uh…yeah I’ll be down in a minute dad.” I said, as I looked down at myself, somehow I slept in just my under wear and an oversize football jersey. Then I heard dad clear his throat, I looked up to him to see him try to hold back another laugh.
“Umm… That’s Chic’s jersey, you were trying to undress for bed….and…well…you know he thought maybe you like to borrow it.” Mr. Cooper said coughing back his laughter.
“It’s really hot in Arizona dad.” I blushed remembering that I don’t sleep with clothes on when I’m at home.
“I bet, well breakfast is already waiting for you downstairs. Oh and Betty it‘s good to have you home honey.” he said as he shut the door behind him.
“Oh god. I’m never drinking again.” I muttered to myself as I looked around my room for my suitcase. I could’ve sworn I told Ethel that I was going to stay at a hotel. That’s what I had planned from the start. I sure the hell wasn’t going come back here!
I looked around the room taking in my history.
“Geez, why couldn’t they just recycle everything?” I retorted. With Polly having her family live here, I knew they’d need the room. Worse Chic’s still in college, he didn’t go to an out of state college, he stayed right here in Riverdale! So obviously he still lives at home. “God no one has any sort of ambitions anymore?”
It took me half an hour to take a shower and get downstairs to find food. My stomach was gurgling and I didn’t blow any chunks this morning! Thank you Tylenol P.M.!
As I made my way down the stairs, I took in what I couldn’t have last night of the house. Nearly almost everything thing was still the same, well except for the new furniture, carpet, and draperies everything was still kind of the same. The old house still had it’s homely charm. I followed my nose to the kitchen, I stopped dead in my tracks when another set of dark blonde hair, and brown eyes stopped.
“Well look who decided to join the land of the living.” Polly said as she sipped her coffee from her mug.
“Good morning to you too sunshine.” I said passively, as I looked around the kitchen for some spec of food, in which ironically I did not find.
“Actually it’s good afternoon.” she smiled smugly. This pissed me off royally. When she saw my reaction she laughed. “And here I thought you still rouse with the sun. Living in the valley of the sun and all.”
“If you stayed a day out there, you’d hide from the sunlight too.” I replied. Now where was I going to get food? I didn’t feel like cooking. And it would be a waste for me to start, I always have food left over. And it seemed no one was here except for the two of us. “Where’s dad?”
“He’s taking his noon nap.” she replied, still staring at me. I always hated that, even as a child Polly had an annoying habit of staring at me.
“Afternoon nap? This isn’t a nursing home. What’s he doing taking naps?” I asked confused.
“He’s on medication. If you kept up-”
“Don’t start this on me now.” I puffed.
“IF! You’d kept up with your FAMILY you’d know that dad has arthritis in his left leg, and hands. So he’s on medication. It makes him sleep often sometimes. He needs the rest anyway, after mom died-”
After she said “after mom died” I turned and left the kitchen, I ran up the stairs to my parents room, I peeked in, heard my dad snoring loudly. I giggled to myself, he always snored when he was in a deep sleep. As my eyes looked around the room, I saw the urn. It was sitting on top of the dresser. Looking at it made my skin crawl, why couldn’t they just dump the ashes somewhere? Urns always gave me the creeps, all I know is that somebody’s dead and burnt to ash body is inside that thing. And it’s just sitting around the house, like an ornament. Yeah it’s an ornament, but not to me it isn‘t.
I moved back and closed the door as I turned around, Polly was standing right there leaning up against the opposite wall. She hadn’t made a sound.
“Shit! Why didn’t you say something?!” I yelped.
She just shrugged.
“Where are the girls?” I asked as I walked past her to the stairs.
“At daycare, I’ll pick them up in about 2 hours.” she replied walking behind me.
“Daycare?! Polly it’s in the middle of summer, what are they doing in daycare?!” I asked shocked.
“Betty when and if you have children of your own, then you’ll understand.” she snorted.
I decided not to reply to that remark, I will not be involved when her kids get older and Child Protective Service is knocking at her door. She’s always doing that, just like mom pushing my buttons, and frankly getting on my nerves. I was about to say something to her but then I felt my phone vibrate. I forgot to turn the ringer back on, I always usually turn my cell phone off, or just leave it on vibrate when I go to sleep at night.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Betty! Come to lunch with me.” I heard Ethel said over the phone.
“Oh my god! If I wasn’t so hungry I’d strangle you!” I said running upstairs to grab my purse. Even though I’m an adult I still never wear much make-up. I never needed it, I just little eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss. If I’m going to take pictures for a book cover or something then I wear the whole works, other than that I still don’t bother.
“Strangle me? What did I do?” Ethel asked innocently over the phone. I nearly tripped over Artemis’s cage, when I walked back to my room. I noticed he wasn’t there.
“You know what you did you goose! But never mind that, I can’t find Artemis.” I said looking under my bed.
“He’s in the girls bedroom. I fed him this morning, he refuses to go outside. You have an odd cat.” I heard Polly say behind me. Again I did not hear her.
“Geez Polly, mice make more noise than you do. At least give a squeak every once in awhile to let me know your there.” I snapped.
“A little gratitude would be nice.” she remarked.
“Ok, E problem solved, how far from the house are you?” I asked as walked to the hallway bathroom. I was about to brush my hair again when I remembered this was Riverdale and there was no dry heat out here, so my shaggy hair laid flat, it even started to get it’s old curl back. Ethel had put me up to letting my hair grow out, since living in Arizona I kept it cut short for obvious reasons, and that was about 6 months ago, it was down my back in waves, I never liked flat ironing it like most stylist would encourage, I just had some streaks of light brown dyed in it.
“I’m right outside, hurry it up!” Ethel said before hanging up.
“Bitch.” I muttered flipping my phone closed, I then just put on some lip gloss, there was no point getting all dolled up. I checked my earrings to make sure each one was in their hole, I pierced my ears twice on both sides, and sometimes when I sleep one or two come up missing.
Seeing all was good I turned to leave, just about to run into Polly once again.
“You look great.” She murmured.
“Your like a fucking zombie you know that?” I quirked. She said nothing as she turned and walked away. “Finally.”
I had on a blue mini jeans skirt and white sports top. I pulled on my low heeled slippers and made way down stairs. I heard Artemis meow as I passed by the kids bedroom.
“Later Artie, and remember no milk!” I yelled as I grabbed a set of house keys off the shelve above the fire place and walked out the door.
Sure enough there was Ethel outside waiting, she was leaning up against a red Jeep Wrangler.
“Now that was fast. Not!” she yelled.
“Whatever, you should have told me you were already here! I just go up like half an hour ago.” I said nodding towards the jeep. “When you get that?”
“Just this an hour ago!” I heard a female voice say from the other side of the car. She walked around it to stand in front of me. She looked damned familiar, I just couldn’t remember who she was.
“Wow Bets can’t say hello to an old friend?” she smirked.
“Uh…” I jarred.
“Oh come on, I never stopped cutting my hair. I just let the bangs grow out.” she said. I still looked at her like she was crazy.
“Come on mommy, I’m hungry can we go now?!” a child’s voice came from the backseat of the care.
“In a minute Max, mommy’s picking up her friend.” the woman shouted.
“Ethel?” I asked looking to her for help. She just shook her head, telling me I was on my own.
“Oh come on Betty, it’s me Midge!” the woman frowned.
“Midge?!” I replied.
“Yeah! Could I be anyone else?” she quirked.
“Oh my god! It is you!” I screeched as I pulled her into a hug. I think maybe, just maybe Ethel was right with dragging all the way here. I didn’t even recognize one of my best friends. Even worse knew she had a kid.
“Yeah it’s me.” she grinned.
“You look great! And you have son?” I asked.
“Yup! Max is going to be eight this summer.” she smiled proudly.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up just a minute here. You have a son. And he’s eight years old?” I babbled as the wheels started turning in my head, this could be interesting.
“Yeah.” she replied as she walked around the jeep to the drivers side. “Get in guys, this little monster must be starved by now.”
“I’m not a monster mommy. But I am starved. Can we go to McDonald’s?” he asked.
“Not today Max.” she replied. “We’re going somewhere else today.”
I jumped into the front seat with Midge, as Ethel sat in the back with the elusive max. When I looked around to look at him, I wasn’t totally shocked at what I saw.
It was like looking at Moose Mason all over again, except in a child like version when we all were kids. But Max had his mothers dark hair, but that didn’t take away the features that strongly favored his paternal father.
“Hi there, I’m Betty Cooper what’s your name?” I asked the boy, as he played away on his handheld game. When he looked up at me, I saw his eyes widen a bit.
“Umm.” he mumbled.
“Max is always shy around new people.” Midge whispered. “Don’t worry honey, remember what I taught you.”
“Uh, yeah! I’m Max Clump, I’m 8 years old, and I go to Riverdale Elementary School.” he said in one breath.
“Cool, I’m Betty Cooper, and I’m a author.” I replied as Midge started up the engine.
“Author meaning you write books?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I smiled.
“Boring.” I replied with a shrug, and turn his attention back to his game. Oh yeah Max Clump is just like his father.
Which gave me an odd thought, from what Ethel told me, Midge and Moose broke up their sophomore year in college. Midge got a little to fickle (like she always does) and Moose caught her with none other than his head football coach. Lucky for Moose he was scouted that year and they accepted him to go pro, that happened before he found his fiancé in a compromising position, and beat the coach to a pulp. Moose was suspended for the rest of the season, but a team had already drafted him. Last I knew he was playing for the Raiders, I’d always watch a game every once in awhile to see him play. But I don’t know how Max got into the picture. I may be wrong, maybe moose isn’t his father, but I have a strong feeling I’m right about this one.
Ethel also told me, midge wouldn’t talk about Max’s paternity. She outright refuses to discuss it, maybe I can get some of it out of her. Just like Ethel said before, I’m curious.
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Emancipation of Lizzie Cooper