T O X I C // (Choni - Riverdale)

Chapter 20

Toni's pov

"Why is my chat with Jughead open?"
I look at her without saying a word.
"Speak!" she raises her voice and I flinch.
"P-please don't yell.." I say.
She grabs my throat and comes closer, until our noses are almost touching.
"Speak." she says more calmly now.
"I-I..." I say while I try to get free of her grip, but she only tightens it.
I start crying and she slaps me, not too hard but it still hurt a little.
Her grip's too tight now, I can't breathe.
I look at her trying to tell her with my eyes and after a few seconds she realizes she's choking me and she lets go.
I catch my breath as she gives me a harsh look.
"I'm not gonna ask you again. Tell me, now."
"I...when you went up to Reggie yesterday night, you left your phone with me..." I pause, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze.
"Go on." she orders.
"J-jughead texted you and I saw it on the screen...accidentally. It said something about a deal and I got curious.."
"You were only allowed to use my phone to text your mom. You pried into my stuff."
"I'm sorry, I..." I look down and sigh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that".
"Now you'll stay locked in here until I decide you can go." she says and walks towards the door.
"W-what? Cheryl, please don't leave me here"
She walks out and locks the door.
"What was Jughead talking about? Don't you think I need an explanation?!" I say louder.
I hear the door unlock and regret asking that.
"It's nothing. None of your business anyway. Stay out of it. I mean it." she says and leaves, locking me back inside.

I can't stay here. Cheryl really scares me when she acts like this, you never know what she could do. I love her but she can be aggressive and violent and I don't wanna get hurt again, my ass is sore enough.
I go to the window and look down. I can't escape from here, it's too high.
I'll just have to wait here and pray that Cheryl won't be as mad when she comes back.
Since I'm here alone and she probably won't be back soon, I take the chance to look around her room.
I look at her pictures and decide to open a few drawers.
All I find is clothes, makeup and a drawer full of weird stuff like handcuffs, ropes, a whip and other things I don't wanna know about.
Just as I'm about to close that drawer. I notice something shiny in the corner. A key.
I take it out and look at it. I could be the key to this door. I mean, it makes sense, right?
I carefully put it in the lock and unlock the door making as little noise as possible.
I quietly sneak out and when I'm downstairs I peek in the living room.
Nobody's here.
I look in the kitchen but she's not there either.
Has Cheryl left me alone in her house, locked in her bedroom upstairs without even telling me?
"Cheryl?" I try calling her name but she doesn't answer.
Yes, she left me here alone.
Where did she even go?

I try leaving by the main door but it's locked, so I just use the backdoor.
As soon as I'm outside I start running, scared that Cheryl will come back and see me. Her reaction would be so...I don't even know. I don't wanna know.
I get home and find my mom in the living room.
"Toni! How are you?"
"Um..fine thanks"
"Did you sleep at Cheryl's?" she asks smirking and I just roll my eyes.
"I got some homework to do" I say and go upstairs to my room.

After dinner I make sure every door is locked and every window is closed. I close the blinds in my room and get in bed.
I'm scared Cheryl will appear any moment.

*Next day*

I was barely able to get only two hours of sleep.
Today I gotta go to school...and face ms Lovato. Ugh.
"Mom?" I say and my mom looks at me. "Could you...take me to school? I..have a stomach ache"
My mom looks at me suspicious but she nods.
I don't want to walk to school because I know Cheryl would find me. And I'm already anxious enough about ms Lovato, I don't want to have to deal with her anger too right now.

I arrive at school and quickly walk to english class.
I'm early and ms Lovato is the only one in the room. I walk in.
"G-good morning.." I stutter.
"Toni. Come in"
"Ms Lovato I'm sorry...what I did is unacceptable, I don't know what got into me"
"You're right. You should get suspended for what you did, miss Topaz. But I want to give you another chance."
"Thank you! Thank you so mu-"
"Not so quick. You'll have to stay here two extra hours everyday for two weeks. You'll help the janitor."
"Yes, of course. Thank you so much ms Lovato. It won't happen again"
"I hope so" she gives me a small smile and I smile back.
Wow, that went way better than I thought.

After class, while I'm walking to my next one, someone grabs me from behind and drags me in the janitor's room.
I get scared but then I see it's just Jughead. He's got a black eye and a busted lip.
"Jughead? What the hell??"
"Toni, be quiet please. I need to tell you something-"
"What happened to you??"
"It's not important now. Please listen to me. You need to be careful, don't trust Cheryl. Please Toni, I don't want you to get hurt"
"Wait, she did that to you??" I ask shocked.
"Come to my house right after school. I'll tell you everything. You need to know the truth. Until then, avoid her."
I think for a second and nod confused.
"I have to go to class now, I'll see you later"
"Y-yeah...later" I say and we both leave.
Did Cheryl beat him like that? Was she really that dangerous?
I spend the rest of the day at school trying to avoid any possible situation where I could come across Cheryl, I even skip lunch.
After school and after spending two hours cleaning the gym floor and benches, I leave and go to Jughead's.
I arrive there and ring the doorbell.
Jughead opens the door and lets me in.
"Take a seat" he says, pointing at the couch.
I sit on the couch and he sits on the opposite side.
"So.." I say, waiting for him to speak.
"So...it's time for you to know the truth, Toni."
"About what?"
"About Cheryl. She's dangerous Toni, and she's been hiding the truth from you."

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a/n

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