Cheryl's POV
Toni went to a serpent meeting but she's been gone longer than expected. I'm just doing my math at the living room counter and listen for her to come back and so we can go to sleep.
I hear the door open and I close my books.
"Baby do you want some water?" I yell
No response
She's weird. Anyways I get up and walk into the main hall to find Toni.
"Oh my god Tones what happened?!" I ask looking at her
She looks half out of it and her fists are all beaten up. Her eye is black and her sleeves are slashed.
"Toni what happened?" I ask
She calmly walks up the stairs and I run infront of her in the hall and cup her face.
"Baby What happened? Are you okay?"
She sighs and shrugs , still frowning and tears rolling down her cheeks.
She slowly walks past me and into a bedroom that's not used.
"Baby what's wrong? Tones what happened?" I ask through the locked door
No response.
"Toni I'm actually going to get Archie to take this door off,"
"No don't," I hear a mousey voice say
"Baby What happened?"
Still no response but I hear crying and I feel her sit down against the door.
"Toni I love you," I say sitting next to the door "baby please tell me what's going on?"
Still just crying
"I'm not leaving T, I'm going to be right here okay?" I say "when your ready I'll be right here baby,"
I think I hear a 'thank you'
"I love you TT, no matter what- I love you,"
I sit there for two hours listening to her crying and then her cries die down and I hear her snoring.
I try and stay awake but I end up falling asleep.
...
I wake up to the door opening and I jolt awake.
"Tones?" I say
"H-hi," She says
I stand up and she looks away from me and averts her eyes to the ground.
"Wanna get some coffee?" I ask
She nods and we go downstairs.
"Sit down, I got it," I say
She nods and sits down
I sit next to her with the coffee and she looks at me.
"Baby, What happened?" I ask
"I-I didn't mean to," She says looking at her hands
"Of course not," I say
"He k-kicked me out Cheryl," she says "he kicked me out because he found out I'm bisexual and I have no more family left,"
"Your uncle kicked you out months ago,"
"No FP kicked me out," she says bawling "he said I was hurting the gangs image and I had to turn my jacket in and leave,"
"And what happened to your hands Toni?"
"I was walking home and I beat up his son," she says "I think his name is Jughead- I'd never met him but I know who he was and I beat him up to get back at FP. I'm a terrible person,"
"And your eye and arm?" I ask
"Just a ghoulie who thought I was still a serpent,"
"So you had a really tough night?" I say
"I deserved to get slashed- I'm such a bad person- I don't deserve anything and I'm moving out," she says
"Where are you moving?"
"I'll go back to living in the woods, I shouldn't be given anything- I'm literally the worst,"
"Baby no you aren't okay? It was a bad decision, but we all make mistakes,"
"I'm dropping out of high school," she says
"No you aren't, you love school and you wanna come to NYU with me," I say
"I can't go back to south side high, I'm going to get killed and I can't go to Riverdale because Jughead hates me and I can't afford prep school," she says "so I'm dropping out,"
"Babe is Jughead Okay?"
"He was right walking towards the north side- I don't know, I didn't turn around,"
"One second okay?"
She nods and I grab my phone and call Betty.
"Betty, is Jughead Okay?" I ask as soon as she picks up
"He showed up to my door beat up and bloodied last night- but he'll be fine. How did you know something happened and why do you suddenly care about my boyfriend?"
"Betts can you bring him to Pops? I know who did it and they're very very remorseful,"
"15 minutes?" She asks
"Thank you, so much," I say
"Who did you call?" Toni asks
"Someone, Anyways- lets continue this over breakfast, wanna go to Pops with me?"
"Not really," She sighs "can we just stay here and pack my things?"
"You are not moving out," I say sternly "I don't really care what you have to stay about it,"
She sighs and puts her head on the counter.
"Baby please come to Pops with me?" I ask kissing her temple and down her jawline
"Fine- if you'll let me move out,"
"Not happening, but I will let you move out of my room if that's really what you want,"
"Fine," she says
I get the keys and drive to Pops. Betty and Jughead are already there and Toni doesn't notice them at all.
"Cheryl May I use the washroom?"
"Tones you don't have to ask me silly," I say "I'll wait here,"
She leaves and I walk over to Betty and Jughead.
"Cheryl what's going on?"
"Well, remember when I said I was dating someone who I was going to introduce to you and Veronica soon?"
"Ya? Is that important right now?" She asks ushering to a beat up Jughead
I mean Toni got him good
Two black eyes, bruised jaw, road rash on his face and he's holding his ribs which probably means broken ribs.
"They came home last night absolutely destroyed and this morning.. told me they.."
"Your boyfriend did this?!" She asks infuriated
"Technically no," I sigh "surprise, I'm a lesbian- but yes my girlfriend Toni did this. She's a serpent and from my understanding, FP kicker her out of the gang for being bisexual and she saw Jughead and just snapped,"
"You're girlfriend has pink hair?" Jughead says looking at the table
"She does," I say "some parts,"
"I felt bad for her, she was tormented by everyone in the gang and ridiculed. Why did she even stay?"
"The serpents were her family, a birth right she never wanted to give up since her brother passed away,"
He nods.
"My mom always said she was a tough one,"
"On the outside maybe," I say
He nods and looks at me.
"I saw a ghoulie attack her- is she okay?" He says
I nod and look over to the bathroom and see Toni walk out and look at us.
She looks at Jughead and breaks down.
"Toni, Toni, it's okay,"
"Cher I did that, I did that to him- fuck me, fuck me, fuck me," she says bawling "I don't even know why, I just reacted I didn't want to I don't know,"
"Come talk to them," I say "Betty is my cousin and his girlfriend," I say
We sit across from them and Toni is still crying.
"I'm sorry," she says "I don't have an excuse, but I'm sorry because it wasn't right of me to take out all of my anger towards your dad on you,"
"I forgive you," he says "that's an asshole move my dad made,"
I rub her back as she cries a bit more.
"Toni, he said he forgave you," I say
"He shouldn't," she mumbles
"I know a lot of people who would've let this go and not been upset about it," Betty says "I think the fact that you're showing this much emotion about your mistake means you're a good person. Plus I've know Cheryl for an awful long time and know she would only be with a good person,"
Toni dries her tears and looks at Jughead.
"I really am sorry, I don't know why I did it,"
"It's alright Topaz, it's understandable- I know your reputation on the south side," he says
She nods and we all eat breakfast together.
Veronica walks in with Archie as we are saying goodbye.
"Cheryl! Betty! Both of you are looking great today, Jughead- you look the same as always," she jokes "and new girl?"
"I guess since you're here V, this is Toni my girlfriend,"
"Is Toni a full name?" She asks
"Antoinette," Toni says "that's my full name,"
"Well I see why you go with Toni- more of a biker vibe. Bad girl type of thing you got going on, and I'm going to say you're awful confident and cocky at most points in your life- but something happened and you aren't right now,"
"Stop psycho-analyzing my girlfriend V,"
"Am I right though?"
"How would you know any of that?" Toni asks
"Motorcycle helmet in your hand, tattoo on your arm, and even though you didn't sleep last night and have been crying for a significant amount of time your posture is almost perfect and your favouring your right leg- like a boss. Now that I'm looking at it, I think you beat up Jones over there since your bruised hands match his face that actually looks considerably the same in terms of attractiveness with a little more blue and purple. But you were in another fight I'd say- last night? Or within 48 hours since your arm is bleeding through your shirt and you have a black eye which I damn well know Jughead doesn't carry knives and you look way strong to have been hit like that by our scrawny little friend,"
"You're good," Toni says "does she do this a lot?"
"Never, I don't know when she became a detective,"
"Good instincts Blossom," she says
We talk for a bit and then go home and take a nap.
"Are you going to love out of my room?" I ask snuggling into her
"And leave my princess alone?" She asks "never,"
"Someone got their confidence back," I tease
"Maybe you're right, people do make mistakes,"
