i just want you to know who i am

Chapter 20

Like every Monday morning, Cheryl left her house early and took off for school without so much as a goodbye to her parents. Monday mornings were her time to be alone with Toni at school before classes started. And after Friday night, she found herself physically craving her presence. Even if it was only for twenty minutes before school started. Unfortunately, Mr. Clemmons was also one to show up earlier than necessary.

Driving into the parking lot, she pulled into her spot, eyebrows furrowing in confusion when she didn't see Toni's car. She was always here before her. Maybe she was just running late today. Would it be weird if she waited in front of the photography lab for her? Toni apparently picked the lock in the morning to get in, and Cheryl wouldn't know how to pick a lock if her life depended on it. She climbed the stairs and set her backpack down on the floor to wait. She checked her watch every few minutes. No sign of Toni. She was starting to really worry. She'd probably picked at every split end at the bottom of her braid by the time Mr. Clemmons showed up.

"Hey there, Cheryl. No Toni today?" the older man approached her after she had been waiting for a half hour, the jingling of his keys breaking her from her worried trance.

"I guess not. I-I was just gonna see if she left anything for me to give to Betty today," she lied, standing up with a bit of a nervous smile.

"She didn't drop anything off on Friday," he unlocked the door, going inside. Cheryl stayed outside the door, biting her lip.

Where could Toni be?

She lingered around outside the door until the bell rang, leaving her no choice but to make her way to homeroom. Maybe she would show up for gym class.

xxx

Biting her nails was a nervous habit of Cheryl's. And currently, her thumb nail was being bitten down to the root. Toni wasn't in gym. She wasn't at her lunch table. There was no sign of her at all. Cheryl was halfway tempted to ask Veronica if she'd heard from her.

"I'll be right back," she mumbled, gathering all her belongings into her backpack, barely earning a nod from Betty before she left the cafeteria. There was a pay phone by the parking lot and she was already fishing through her coin purse for some dimes as she made her way over to it.

Holding the phone to her ear, she fumbled with her change as she put them in the machine, dialing Toni's number and saying a silent prayer that she would pick up. She was so paranoid about being found out and something happening to Toni ever since her parents caught them together at the dance two weeks ago.

"Topaz," a tired and nasally, but familiar, comforting voice sounded in her ear, making her whole body relax for the first time since this morning.

"Hey, how come you're not at school?" she asked quietly, looking around in case anyone was close enough to hear her.

"I woke up with a fever on Saturday. Turns out my outfit for Friday night wasn't the best idea, as cute as I thought it was," Toni mumbled with a weak laugh, making Cheryl's heart beat even faster.

"I'm sorry you're sick, baby," she let the term of endearment slip without even thinking, a heavy blush taking over her cheeks. But Toni spoke again before she could even explain herself.

"I'll live. I just feel like shit," she coughed.

"Is your uncle in town already?"

"No, he won't get in til tomorrow afternoon," Toni sniffled, "Why?"

"Maybe I can come keep you company? I can bring you some soup from Pop's or something."

"You don't wanna be around me, babe, it's pretty gross. There's tissues everywhere and I don't want you to get sick too."