You Shine (Choni)

11- The Party

Toni's POV

I lay in my bed, hearing the door slam, having just watched the girl of my dreams walk out on me. I couldn't figure out what to do. I knew, in my heart that Cheryl needed someone. But it was getting too hard to keep probing, and to be met with her truthful answers only half the time. The rest of the time she was an unbreakable ice queen.

I was angry at her, partly angry at myself for pushing stuff onto her too quickly, but mostly worried. I had no idea how genuine she was being. And if all the things she said about us not being worth the effort were true, there was no point going after her.

Sighing, I got out of bed and showered, starting to get ready for FP's party, though I really wasn't in the mood for partying anymore. I wiped the tears that had formed away. Oh god, I was really crying over Cheryl Blossom wasn't I. I was doing exactly what Jughead warned me not to. Falling for her.

I threw on a mesh top, my serpent jacket and black jeans. The leather pants I normally would have worn with this outfit were on my bed frame, but they reminded me too much of Cheryl now. I decided to forget about her for the next couple of hours, and decide whether to chase her afterwards. I owed it to the serpents to have a good time with them.

"Topaz! Worried we wouldn't get to see your pretty face today!" FP yelled as I came out of the trailer. 

I wished him a happy birthday and gave him a hug. "You're getting old," I joked, and he gave me an affectionate punch on the shoulder. I spotted the boys lounging on an old bench, and threw myself down on top of them.

They all groaned, and shoved me off. Smiling, I pulled up a chair opposite them.

"So, where's Cheryl?" Jughead asked, winking. "You know, with her obsessive love for you."

I glared at him and he withered. "I'm really not in the mood, Jug."

Sweet Pea and Fangs chuckled to each other. "Oooooh, looks like someone's not in love with her like she thought," Fangs teased.

I got up and pulled him off the bench onto the floor, sitting on his chest. He was way stronger than me, though, and we wrestled for a while, until I surrendered. It was a good distraction, but I was hoping nobody brought her up again.

Sweet Pea bounced up and ran around his trailer. 

"Look what I found!" He yelled, bringing out an inflatable unicorn swim ring. Putting his head through the hole, he danced with the unicorn.

"Bet you can't get it around my head!" I yelled back, and he tossed it over like an arcade game. I lunged, and just about managed to get the unicorn on, pulling it down onto my waist so it sat like a belt.

All of a sudden, I heard someone clear their throat behind me, past where Jughead and Fangs were still sitting. I spotted a familiar figure, red hair and lips, holding a red rose. 

I pulled the unicorn off me and gave it to Jughead.

"I'll be back in a sec," I said. "Don't kill the unicorn."

Slowly I made my way over to Cheryl, hands in my pockets.

She attempted a half smile, which I didn't return. I was still hurting, and wanted to hear what she had to say first.

Her dark eyes glistened. "After I ran off, I realised I was expecting you to come after me. And then I discovered that I can't do that. I need to make the first move too sometimes. And let you be there for me."

I raised an eyebrow and let her continue.

"Nobody has ever cared for me enough to try and get through. And I don't let anybody, because I don't want to be weak or vulnerable, but then you came along and broke down my defences so quickly and easily, and that's scary, because it made me feel like my defences weren't strong enough in the first place. Maybe they didn't need to be, because nobody tried anyway. Nobody needs me."

I looked deep into her eyes, into the reflected light among all the dark. "I do. I need you."

She bit her lip, and I heard her voice shake as she finished. 

"I'm so sorry. For everything I said. I didn't mean any of it, I was just trying to hurt you so that you wouldn't come after me, but I later realised that that was exactly what I wanted. You to come. And I'm ready to tell people. I don't want to be labelled, but I want to show you off. I don't care where you're from. I thought I did, but I really don't. You're stunning, I'm stunning, we just make an attractive couple."

I smiled at the return of superficial Cheryl, and accepted the rose which she gave me. It was bright red and sweet smelling, but the thorns were a reminder of its bad side. It was just like Cheryl.

"Of course I forgive you. These last three hours without you have been awful," I joked. "But now that you're here...do you want to join the party?"

"Will they allow me?" She asked nervously. "After all the anti-Southside petitions, I don't know how welcome I'd be."

"You're with me. I am very threatening. Nobody will mess with us."

She laughed. "Don't take this the wrong way, babe, but right now you're about as threatening as that stupid unicorn you were just on."

I pulled a face at her, before letting her grab my hands and tug me in towards her. I could feel her smile as she kissed me, my stomach going crazy, the way it always did when I got to kiss her. 

"Did you really think I wasn't gonna have you back?" I whispered against her mouth, my eyes still closed.

"Hm. Maybe a tiny bit of me was unsure," she admitted, her eyelashes soft on my cheek. I smiled and pulled her back in, running my hands through her hair.