chapter three:
mama

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"hola conejita," mariposa grinned, picking up her two month old baby from her highchair.

luca sat at the cooper's kitchen island, eating whatever he could find in the cupboards. betty reminisced the summer that her and luca had their thing, but eventually just deemed themselves friends. the abbotts and the coopers had been linked for a long time. the minute mariposa and polly clicked, so did everyone else. the kids basically became siblings, and leanne and alice were like two peas in a pod.

both posie and betty were in their cheer uniforms, their hair both pulled back into blue scrunchies, and pom poms attached to their laces. thanks to veronica's speech, betty was finally allowed on the vixens, and posie felt the happiest she'd ever been in weeks.

posie picked up her little daughter, bouncing her gently and making funny faces.

"so get his mar, mom kicked out eric last night" luca said warily.

both betty and posie snapped their heads to look at the curly haired boy sat in the kitchen.

"what!" posie exclaimed, putting adelaine back into the high chair. "when-when.. why!?"

"i'm as dumbfounded as both of you. i thought he'd never leave," he explained to the two girls. "and she wanted me to give you this, it's okay if you don't want it" luca handed his little sister the envelope.

mariposa's name and a small heart was all that was on the front of it, the corners a little dog eared from being in luca's pocket.

"thanks luke, ill put it somewhere safe" posie gave him a little smile.

they knew she wasn't going to open it. not soon, and definitely not in front of everyone. it didn't matter that eric was out of the house, mariposa wasn't going home to her mom. too many things happened there for her to forget so easily. just holding the envelope made her shake a little.

"on a lighter note, track tryouts are next week, have you been training? running" luca asked.

"every morning of course" posie said, "it's weird going that early though"

"that was always yours and jason's thing" betty added.

posie nodded, agreeing with betty, "but it feels refreshing, and i intend to be first in the state again. maybe even nationals is in my future"

"you're gonna be a track star pose, and betty and i will be your cheerleaders" luca said, trying to imitate a cheer.

the two girls laughed at the boy as he got up and began to dance. mariposa and betty giggled trying to teach luca a couple moves from their routines, their cheeks began hurting they were smiling so big. adelaine had a big smile as the trio showed off their newly practiced dance to the little baby, who really had no clue what was going on.

alice walked in on the three dancing in front of the baby, frowning at the sight of the girls in their uniforms.

"what is this?" she inquired, glaring at their clothing.

"i made the cheerleading squad" betty said shyly, clearing happy about finally being able to cheer.

mariposa grinned at the sight of betty confident in her uniform. she remembered feeling the same way the first time she put it on.

"cheryl blossom's
cheerleading squad? mariposa we talked about this, after what jason did to you" alice said, "no i'm sorry, i won't allow it. take those off, right now"

"no" mariposa said to her adoptive mother curtly, picking up adelaine, and walking upstairs to her room, luca shortly behind the girl.

"what did she just say to me!" alice exclaimed, looking to betty hoping she would back her up.

betty shook her head, "no mom. mariposa and i have done everything for everyone.

look at mariposa, look how excited she is! and me! i do everything for everyone! everything to be perfect. the perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect student! can't i just do this one thing just for me?"

betty picked up her bag, pushing past her mom.

"where are you going?" alice questioned, stunned by what she'd said.

"to buy a dress! because guess what! i'm also going to the dance with archie! and veronica!"

"hermione lodge's daughter?" alice frowned.

"she's actually really nice and trying to be a good person. it's happening mom, i'm going!"

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