Choni~ a twisted tale

Chapter 8: You and Me Forever

Toni and I were in her trailer a week and a half after our trip to upstate New York. I had on gloves and was sifting through various pictures of Hiram conducting shady business. My hair was tied back and Toni was reading her history book on the couch.

"We're missing something," I said, dropping the pictures onto the table and tossing my head back. "This is illegal enough but we need something that will make it an obstruction of justice not to arrest him. I stand up and start pacing running my hands through my hair repeatedly. "Maybe a video of him dealing drug or saying he does."

I see Toini nod without looking up from her textbook. I pause to smile at her overwhelming natural beauty and then go back to pacing.

"I have something that may help," Toni said. She stood up and stretched at then went to her room.

I was pacing, my eyes trained on the small book collection the Topazs had when I noticed they had a classic copy of Alice in Wonderland. I walked over and picked it up, hoping to distract myself. I opened the book and looked down to find it was hollowed out. I gasped, who could do that to a book. When I was over that I noticed the ring laying in the hiding spot. It was made of tarnished gold with lots of intricate scrolls and a vintage cut and set topaz stone. I was holding it and admiring it when Toni's footsteps got closer and then stopped suddenly.

She was holding a flashdrive in one of her hands and her mouth was hanging open slightly. She had on the look I was starting to realize she only had when she was freaking out.

"Cheryl," she whispered.

I dropped the ring into the book and set the book back where I got it. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snoop. Alice in Wonderland is just one of my favorites and I was going to distract myself.

"I... what?...how?... you shouldn't have seen that...it was my mom's," Toni said, her voice wavering with nerves.

"It's beautiful. Sorry again, baby," I supplied, trying to calm her nerves.

"You should go," Toni said after a few painful seconds.

I felt the world grind to a halt. My heart started beating frantically and not in the good way. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Toni looked horrified for a second before her face went neutral again. "No. I think we need a break...I just... I can't...I'm scared."

"We don't need a break, Toni. I need you," I said barely audible but I know she heard me. My throat burned with unshed tears and my vision was becoming blurry. Numb. I was becoming numb again.

"Two days. Give me two days to sort through everything," Toni said. Her line of vision was still trained at the bookshelf in the same place it had been for the last five minutes. I sighed, gathered all the pictures and pushed past her and out of the trailer. I tossed the pictures in my dashboard cabinet and started driving. The shout of the wind was lulling me into a trance. I flipped the radio on and let the tears I had been holding back spill out of my eyes.

I zoned back into full ficus when the air git chillier and the sky got dark. I realized I was nearly in New Jersey. I yawned and swung into the parking lot of the nearest hotel. I booked a room and walked up the stairs. I stripped down and turned on near boiling water in the shower. I ran the cheap, left out shampoo through my long hair and rinsed it out. I stood under the spray unit lI couldn't cry anymore. I wrapped myself in a faded blue towel and walked back to the living space. I redressed and ordered room service.

I woke up to nearly a hundred missed calls and two hundred texts from Josie, Betty, Veronica, a few from Kevin, a few from some Serpents and one from Toni.

The drive back to Riverdale was quiet, I didn't turn on the radio just immersed myself in my thoughts. How I had messed up. I pulled into a random mall I drove past. I wandered past stores until I found a low end jewelry store. I found a simple silver band wound into and infinity sign in the front with small stones embedded in the rest of the band.

My alarm woke me up after what seemed like not enough sleep. Slowly, the last few days came flooding back. I almost got back into my bed and cocooned myself in blankets but I got out of bed and got ready for school instead. I wore white jeans with a red lace, high neck top. I drove to school the small, velvet box containing a promise ring in my backpack feeling heavier than ever.

I kept my sunglasses on as I walked into the crowded school. I heard frantic heels click up to me and soon enough Veronica's arm was linked in mine.

"Where the hell were you?" she hissed in a whisper.

"Pennsylvania, I think," I replied offhandedly.

"You had us worried sick. Toni was besides herself. She cried, Cheryl. I've never seen her cry before and she's in a gang."

I sighed and raised my sunglasses to look Veronica in the eye. "So sorry. I just got in a haze and kept driving. My phone was dead."

"Your phone was dead? Why didn't you tell me you were so upset?" Veronica's face transformed form upset to concerned.

"I practically got broken up with. I was distraught."

Veronica smiled at me. "You guys are made to be."

"Maybe."

The day passed to slowly in my opinion. It was fairly difficult to focus with Toni sitting near me in almost every class and being behind because of my skipped school day. But finally the final bell rang. I went to my locker and dumped any books I didn't need to take home. I sucked in a few deep breaths and strutted down the hallway, once the confidence was flowing through my bones, I stepped into the parking lot and scanned my eyes over it. Toni was talking to Sweet pea and Fangs.

They saw me approaching and left leaving me walking towards Toni. She stayed in place. Her face was stricken, she looked utterly shocked and slowly her face morphed into her miraculous smile that normal accompanied an 'I love you'. When I was close enough she engulfed my in a hug, pinning my arms to my sides so I couldn't do much but close my eyes and re memorize the feeling of her body against mine.

"I'm so glad you're okay. When you weren't here yesterday I freaked," Toni said. Her tone was steady but she was rambling slightly. "I'm sorry. I never should have suggested a break."

"Can it, Topaz," I said.

Toni's eyebrows squished together in confusion.

I dug the small box out of my backpack and opened it. I faced it towards her.

"What are you doing?" Toni asked slowly.

"What I should have done a long time ago. Many freakouts ago. I'm not proposing to you or anything but I promise you nothing is ever going to seperate us. Not a ring or a secret or anything. It's you and me forever," I said. "I love you, Topaz."

Toni's eyebrows were practically at her hairline, her eyes were comically iede and she was nodding like a bobble head. She slipped the ring her her left middle finger and cupped my face in her hands. She pressed a chaste kiss to my lips.

"Glad we're on the same page," I joked and she whacked me playfully in the shoulder.

/\/\/\

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Toni asked me for the billionth time that morning.

"Yes, Cha-cha. We need to get Hiram arrested. For the Southside remember?" I said, clipping in earring and grabbing my purse.

We met Veronica at the police station. She was holding the envelope with the incriminating evidence and her eyes were rimmed red.

"Ready?" I asked.

Veronica and Toni nodded. We pushed into the station and demanded to speak to the Sheriff. Veronica showed him the pictures and a video she had saved to her phone.

The next few weeks were very stressful until Mayor McCoy called me one day to tell me our plan had worked. Hiram Lodge was arrested for unlawful use and dealing of hard drugs. I don't think I saw Hermione or Veronica cry once. I made an appointment with my real estate broker.

And just like that I owned most of the Southside. The Serpents had a party in honor of their town being saved and the general atmosphere of Riverdale was lighter. Like it used to be.