Play with Fire || c. blossom

1

I'm aware some of you probably skipped the Intro, so I copied and pasted an IMPORTANT note I made in the Intro:

R.I.P. Luke Perry, however Fred Andrews is an important part of this fanfiction. I started writing this long before his untimely death and I can't exactly cut him out of it. If that makes you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. I hope many of you can still read and enjoy this story.

On with the story ——>

      Cheryl Blossom thought she was having a normal day.

     She was sitting in a booth at Pop's, enjoying a strawberry milkshake and a basket of fries. Every once in a while, Veronica would stop next to her booth and chat a little. It was a somewhat slow day at the chock'lit shoppe, so she kept Cheryl company when she could.

     The Blossom girl was scrolling through her Instagram, casually leaving comments here and there, when there was a sudden presence at her booth. She looked up expecting to see Veronica again, but saw some random boy about her age sitting across from her. He had on a leather jacket over a hoodie and there was a mop of wavy brown hair, with one stubborn curl over his forehead.

     "Well, if it isn't Cheryl Blossom."

     Cheryl raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

     The boy sat back, crossing his arms. "Guess."

     "I don't care to. And frankly, you're disturbing my peace." She sat straighter and crossed her own arms in order to assert dominance. It was a little weird though; he did look familiar somehow, but she couldn't place him.

     He chuckled lightly. "Relax, I won't bite. I heard about Jason, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

     Cheryl's mouth gaped a little. Who was this guy? And how did he know about Jason?

Cheryl spotted Veronica and made eye contact with her. She gave the Look; the one every girl knows among their friends, the one that meant "get me away from this situation now". Veronica furrowed her brows and saw the boy sitting at Cheryl's booth. She nodded knowingly and started to make her way over.

     "You really don't remember who I am, do you?"

     Cheryl looked back at the boy to see him leaning over the table now, he was staring intensely at her and he had an amused smirk on his face. My god, she thought, what the hell was his name?

     "Obviously not! Right now, you look like a weird stalker nomad."

     He licked at his lower lip before leaning back to pull something out of his pocket. "This might trigger your memory," he said, revealing a lighter. He opened it and lit it up.

     Cheryl gasped; there was an image in her head of a young boy with a box of matches. He had a devilish grin on his lips and glee in his eyes. They glinted wildly as he lit one of the matches.

      "You try one, cherry girl," the young boy said.

     Cheryl stood up from the booth quickly, almost knocking into Veronica, who had finally approached the table.

     "David ... you're David..."

     He smirked again. "In the flesh."

     "Cheryl?" Cheryl turned to see Veronica, who had a look of concern and confusion on her face.

     "I have to go." Cheryl slapped some money onto the table for the bill, grabbed her bag, and started to walk away.

     "Wait, don't run off, cherry girl!" Cheryl looked over her shoulder at that, just as she reached the door. She stepped outside quickly. She heard the bell at the door, and she knew he had followed. "Don't worry. I know where to find you for our next reunion."

     Cheryl Blossom was having a normal day, and now it was anything but.

* * *

     On her drive home, Cheryl saw Archie and Betty walking beside a park. She pulled the car over haphazardly and pushed the gear shift into park.

     Still reeling from what happened back at Pop's, she slammed her door and ran up to them. Grabbing the back of Archie's collar, Cheryl turned him around to face her and grabbed the front of his shirt in her fist.

     "Cheryl, what are you —" Betty started.

     "Why didn't you tell me your cousin was back in town?" Cheryl asked, not even looking at Betty. Betty furrowed her brows and looked to Archie, who looked positively confused in the Blossom's grasp.

     "Why would I tell you if David was in Riverdale?"

     Cheryl blinked. She realized Archie probably had no idea about her past with David Andrews. She let him go then. As Betty helped Archie pat his shirt down, Cheryl tugged at her own shirt and started taking deep breaths. Betty turned to her cousin then and got her attention.

     "Cheryl, what's wrong?" Her arms were crossed and there was a look of genuine concern on her face. Cheryl wanted to tell her, but somehow the words wouldn't reach her lips. The only soul who knew of Cheryl and David's connection to each other was her mother — who has probably forgotten — and Jason, who died with the knowledge.

     Now it was just Cheryl and David left that knew of the awful things they used to do together.

     "Oh Betty, I wish I could tell you."

     Betty glanced at Archie, who still looked confused, and then back at Cheryl. "Well, why can't you? You're here now, and he's Archie's cousin so ..."

     Cheryl shook her head at them. "No, it's something I swore to never talk about again." She looked to Archie then. "Just try to keep him away from me." Archie nodded, and Betty offered a sympathetic smile.

     Cheryl apologized for frightening them, and she went back to her car. The drive back home was mainly peaceful, but her mind and heart were still racing.

***
This part is for soberdanger aka SOBERPRINCESA happy birthday sweetie!