If We Had 5 More Minutes

Burn It To The Ground

Hello everyone 😊
Hope everyone is having a good day.

Everyone had left and the awkward silence that filled in the empty space left by them was heavy. Toni had just finished washing the dishes and looked up at the reflection in the window above the sink. She stared back at someone that she no longer recognized, there were bags under her eyes, the pink washed all the way out. The person staring back at her didn’t feel like Toni, and looked too little too much like her mother, for Toni’s liking.

“Toni.” Toni’s focus shifted from the reflection in the window to the voice calling her name.

“We need to talk.” Fangs replied. Toni made brief contact with him, looked down, then looked away.

“Not today Fangs, not now.” Toni replied.

“Then when? Because-”

“Fangs.” Toni interrupted him, her eyes pleading for him to listen. “Please.”
Fangs stood there hands on his hips, letting out a sign.

“Okay. Fine not today, but we will be talking about this sooner rather than later, so get all your eggs in one basket.” He said as he walked off. Toni looked back to her reflection in the window, she stared at the tree outside in the front yard with a tire swing tired around, she looked at the fence being built. It was a quiet safe street, a southsiders dream, but to Toni it just didn’t feel right, it all felt like a lie. She should be ecstatic about giving Anthony the life she always wanted, but she just felt trapped, she remembered how her parents lived, and even though they weren't in some beat up trailer, and there wasn’t any drinking or yelling, Toni just couldn’t help but be reminded of the suffocating look her mother wore staring back at her from her reflection. She watched as a tear streamed down her face as she tried to keep herself together, not wanting to wake Anthony or fangs. Toni hid her face in the palm of her hands as she slid down the counter, letting herself silently cry, once again for the second time in her life, feeling truly and utterly alone. 
 
      After leaving Toni’s home, Toni and fangs’ home she reminded herself, she found herself sulking away in a corner at the Whyte Worm. The cheap alcohol had buzzed her senses, allowing herself to drown the music out into background noise. That was until she heard a familiar voice, one that nearly sobered her up in that instance.  Her eyes darted to the stage and just as she suspected Toni had graced the stage with her formidable presence. Her voice soft and silky like that of an angel, Cheryl mentally facepalmed herself, considering the reason she came here was to get away from her former lover and her oh so perfect life. Yet here she is getting a front row seat, just as she did at their wedding. She glanced around for Fangs, assuming he was probably somewhere at the bar cheering his wife, however to her surprise he was nowhere to be found. She then looked towards the stage once more as Toni continued, however this time she took note of the woman’s current state. Her words slurred when she sang out, and she stumbled from time to time, before Cheryl could even think of what to do, she simply made her way closer, the crowd around her got notably louder and cheered as she finished her song. Cheryl kept her head low, not liking being around a sudden surge of people, until she bumped into someone.

“Watch yourself you- Tt.” Cheryl heaved, not even sure if what she said was audible in this crowd. She met Toni’s gaze and saw that her eyes were red and puffy, despite the smile she wore on her face.

“Bombshell, what brings you to my establishment?” Toni slurred.

“I needed to air out my thoughts, lying in wait at Thistle House as much as one like me does a number to the mind.”  Cheryl replied, not daring to make eye contact, and instead looked to the crowd around noticing it was now a much tighter fit. She felt Toni try and brush past her, however Toni stumbled and Cheryl quickly caught her.