Confidence

Jacket

Toni's POV
I was napping when I hear a knock at the trailer door
Odd, I wasn't expecting anyone
I check my phone and sigh

Babygirl 🤩❤️: hey Tones, i know you aren't feeling well- I'm omw with some food to make you feel better xo -cher

She's a goofball
I get up and puta sweater on before answering the door.
"Back the fuck up," A bit says as I answer the door
4 ghoulies
Shit
They barge in and hold me at gun point
"Wheres your money?"
"I don't have any, I don't get paid until Saturday," I says with my hands up
They raid my bedroom and take all my jewelry and Cheryls shoes.
They also take a bunch of stuff she's left here like jewelry and stuff.
"Give us all your jewelry bitch," I take all my jewelry off except the necklace that Cher gave me
"I said all of it dumbass,"
"I can't take it off," I lie "it doesn't come off,"
He goes to grab it and I bat his hand away
"It's not worth anything, please,"
He punches me in the face and takes the necklace
"We're in charge here,"
I nod and hear another knock
"It's a red head," one says
"Get rid of her," he says to me
I nod and he keeps his gun trained on me
"Hey TT,"
"Oh hey Cher, um I'd invite you in but my place is a mess,"
"TT I know you're not the cleanest person. Cmon, I bought food and we can eat and watch tv?"
"Maybe later C, uh I'm kind of about to head out,"
"Do you have a black eye?"
I nod cautiously
"You need to go,"
"Are you in trouble Tones? What happened?"
I nod slightly and a tear runs down my face
"Please C, leave me a alone for a bit okay? I'll text you,"
"Okay Tones, ill go hang with Ronnie then I guess,"
I nod and close the door
I gulp as he puts the gun to my head
"Anything else,"
"Where do you keep important documents?"
"Don't have any,"
"No recent emails or mail?"
"Everything would be in that box,"
They empty the box and then another guy punches me In The face and busts my lip open. He beats me up pretty good and they run away
I can't even get up yet and someone walks in.
"Toni?" Veronica says kneeling down
"G-get out of here. They might come back," I stutter while coughing
"Toni they drove away,"
"Why are you here?" I ask
"Cheryl was worried, said I should come talk to you,"
"Nothing to be worried about,"
"Funny,"
She helps me sit on the couch and calls Cher
"Come to Toni's trailer C,"
She hangs up and sighs
"Toni what happened?" She asks
" they went through my bills and stuff,"
She rubs my back and I wince
"They got you pretty good,"
"I thought it was Cheryl,"
"It's okay, you're alright,"
"Did she think I was mad?"
"She did,"
"I just didn't want her to get hurt,"
"I know,"
We sit there icing my face for a bit when Cher walks in.
"Tones?" She says looking at the bruises
"I'm okay,"
"No you're not baby," She says kneeling between my legs "you're really hurt,"
I nod and she looks at the bruises
"Who did this Toni?"
"Ghoulies," I say starting to cry
"Baby what's wrong?" She asks crying my tears
"They took all your stuff. And the n-necklace you got me. I was wearing it and I tried to get them to leave it alone, but he hit me really hard. I'm so sorry,"
"Tones, I don't care. It's just stuff. I care about you okay?"
I nod and she hugs me.
"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you Toni Topaz,"
She kisses my cheek and I sigh
"I'm sorry for being so abrupt when you were at the door,"
"Were they inside at that point?"
I nod and look at my hands
"He had a gun on my back,"
Her face drops and she cups my face
"It's okay Toni. Alright? Don't be sorry,"
"I have to call Sweetpea," I say reaching for my phone
"Babe don't worry about that right now, let me look at your eye,"
She takes care of my eye and then the two of them cleanup a bit.
"You guys don't have to clean, it's okay,"
"We're Good Toni- don't worry," Ronnie says
They hangout for the rest of the night then go home and I go to sleep.
But I'm too scared to
...
I walk into school and people are staring at the bruises.
Fuck me
I go straight to Chers locker and she's already there.
"Hey babygirl," I say learning against the locker beside hers
"Toni! I thought said you weren't coming today?" She says while hugging me
"Well I wasn't, but where else would I find cute red heads to
Kiss?"
"Better be no where else," she says
I kiss her and she leans against her locker
"You're the only one I'm looking at Cheryl Blossom,"
She smiles and kisses me again.
"Okay, break it up," Ronnie laughs
I laugh and see Reggie's here too.
"Reggie, this is my sister!" Ronnie squeals
"That's Toni babe? Are you feeling alright?" Reggie says
"No tonis my sister,"
"Seriously?"
"Yep, twins," I say
"Guess you could say you have a thing for the Lodges Reginald," Cher says
"You're a bitch Blossom," he laughs
"I gotta go to class babe,"
She kisses me and nods
I go to class which is boring
And then another boring class
Finally I have lunch and meet Cher in the lounge.
"Hey babygirl,"
"Hi Toni," she says pulling me down beside her
"How was class?"
"Class was fine," she sighs "I missed you though,"
I laugh and kiss her temple
"I missed you too baby,"
"Topaz up let's go," Sweetpea says coming in
"Where? Dude it's the middle of the day,"
"Fighting some ghoulies who thought hanging around the wyrme was a good idea,"
"Um excuse me- look at her face. That's what happened when she saw the ghoulies," Cher snaps "that's not happening. She might have a concussion,"
"Stay out of it bitch," pea sneers
"What the hell did you just say?" I ask standing up
"Toni she has to stay the fuck out of the way when it comes to serpent business,"
"Sweetpea fuck off with that shit," I snap "she's right look at my face,"
"Youre fine Toni- grab your knife and lets go,"
"Leave me alone Sweetpea,"
He grabs my arm and I try to pull it away
"Who the hell are you and why are you touching her like that?" Veronica asks
"It's Sweetpea, Ronnie. He's my brother," I say not losing his grip on my arm "baby throw my blade,"
Cher tosses my blade at me.
"I text you later aight Cher? Gotta go,"
"Baby please,"
"Cher, I'm alright,"
She gives us and I follow Pea to the alley we always meet at.
"Let's get this over with," I say
"Pea lied to you," Jughead says "I needed to know why Hiram Lodge has declared war with the serpents,"
"How the hell would I know?" I hiss
"He said to ask the pink haired one,"
"I don't know,"
"Liar!" Pea yells
"Give me your jacket Toni. It's obvious you don't want to be part of this gang anymore,"
"Dude what do you mean?"
"Give me the jacket,"
"No,"
Pea pins me against the brick wall and holds my head against the wall- scratching my face on the bricks
Fangs and Jughead strip my jacket off me
"Figure your shit out before I burn your fucking jacket," pea says throwing me on the ground
"You can't do this!"
"Because of your bloodline? Because that doesn't fucking matter Toni. You're bringing enemies towards us- fuck you," pea snaps
"Fangs.." I plead
He shrugs and they all run off.
I walk to Ronnie's place since my phone was in my jacket and knock on the door.
Hermione opens it to see me bawling
"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?"
"I-is Cheryl or Ronnie home?"
"Cheryls upstairs in her room, what happened to your face?"
"That happened last night, a few people broke into my trailer,"
"Is your family okay?"
"I don't have any family ma'am," I say looking at the ground "they all hate me,"
"I'm sure they don't,"
"They all have kicked me out or abused me- so they do,"
"All of them?"
"Or d-died,"
"TONI?" Cher yells from upstairs "DID I HEAR YOU COME IN?"
"Yes Cheryl she's on her way up," Hermione yells "you're welcome to stay over tonight and don't worry about the door rule okay?"
I nod and walk upstairs
Cheryl's on her stomach reading a book
"Sorry Tones, I thought I heard you but had to finish my chapter," she says putting a bookmark on the page
She looks over at me and her face drops
"Toni what happened?" She asks sitting up
I start crying and she comes over and hugs me
"They took it Cher. I have no friends left,"
"Took what Toni? Where are your friends?"
"Pea, Jughead, and Fangs.. they took my jacket because Hiram knows I told Ronnie. He knows Cheryl and now.. I don't know what to do,"
"Slow down T, lets go sit okay?"
We sit on the beanbags she bought and she holds my hand
"Pea set me up. We didn't fight the ghoulies,"
"What happened?"
"They said I had enemies to big for the gang and that my priority wasn't the gang anymore,"
"I'm so sorry Toni,"
"They were my whole life C, I loved the serpents. It's been the only consistent thing since I moved to Riverdale,"
Ronnie walks in
"Did you get hurt?"
I shake my head and look at Cher
"The three douchebags kicked her out of the gang,"
"I didn't like the fighting. But it was somewhere I fit in! I don't fit in here, or at Riverdale High! My mom kicked me out for being bi and they didn't care. I could be myself there," I vent "it was my happy place,"
Cher rubs my arm
"Wherever we are, you fit in Toni,"
"Who was that boy.. Sweetpea? I think his name was,"
"Him and Fangs are my brothers- pretty much Anyways. Fangs was adopted by the same family and Sweetpea lived with us for a while," I say "they still live with my family because they're straight and sell drugs,"
"And you?"
"Are a disappointment," I sigh "I really shouldn't have come here,"
"TT, no it's okay," Cheryl says
"I don't even have protection in the trailer park anymore either and I was scared to walk home alone," I confess
"Ronnie can you give us a minute,"
She nods and closes the door behind her
"TT you haven't slept since that night am I right?"
I nod cautiously and look at the ground
"I'm so sorry Toni,"
She hugs me and then wipes my tears
"We'll figure it out babe- but right now you need sleep,"
"Can I stay here?" I whisper "just for the night, I'm too scared to go home. I'll sleep on the floor or something,"
"TT sleep with me okay? C'mon,"
"No Cher it's alright. I know you wanna go slow,"
"Baby we've gone slow enough alright, cmon let's cuddle,"
She gives me pyjamas and I change in the bathroom
"What side do you sleep on C?"
"Doesn't matter Toni, lay down. I just need to ask Ronnie something okay?"
"Okay,"
I roll and look at pictures that Cher has on her bedside table
I see a picture of us and smile and notice a picture of her and two boys- all around 9 or 10
Must be her brothers
I recognize Jason, and I don't know the other one
"Whatcha looking at babe?" She asks walking in
"Sorry, the picture just caught my eye,"
"It's alright, it's a good picture of us," she sighs
"Who's the third kid?"
"That's Julian, my brother. He died in the Sisters of Quiet Mercy,"
"You were telling me about that," I sigh "I'm so sorry,"
"It's alright," she sighs
She changes and gets into bed.
"TT you don't have to lay down far away," she giggles "I wanna cuddle with you,"
I laugh and move over so she's on my collarbone
"Goodnight Toni,"
"Goodnight babygirl,"