TONI POV:
"Have you talked to Cheryl?" I walk into the dorm. "What?" I ask Veronica. "Cheryl?" I sit down on my bed. "I haven't talked to her, not today." I whisper sadly. "I miss her." I lie down and look at the picture of us. "So call her!" She insist. I grab my phone and call her. "You should call Archie! Since you know our partners are stuck at school with each other!" I say quietly. "Hello." I smile. "Hey Cher." I sit up. "How's school?" She ask quietly. "Hard. The coach is a mean bitch who doesn't have any sympathy." I say. Both Veronica and Cheryl laugh a little. "Homecoming is this weekend. I know you said it would be a month but I was hoping you could come down." I smile. I look at Veronica she shrugs. "I don't think I can." I bite my lip. "Oh..." Cheryl whispers sadly. "I'm sorry baby." I hold back tears. "I'll call you tomorrow." She hangs up before I can say anything else. I throw my phone to other side of my bed and sigh. "Have you talked to your mom or dad?" I sigh. "I haven't." I whisper. "God! I don't want to go back home." I whisper. "Why?" She ask quietly. "Because if I go home I'm afraid I won't come back." I confess. I get up. "I need some air." I walk out, I just walk around campus until I end up at the gym. I grab a ball and practice. "Topaz!" I turn around the my coach. "I'm sorry, I'll get out of here. I just need to clear my mind." I say quietly. "You ok?" She ask concerned. "No." I sit on the bench. "My girlfriend is a year younger than me and I miss her like crazy! We're drifting apart! Fast! I-I can't live without her." I say freaking out a little. "I miss my parents. I hate college, this this was never meant for me." I put the ball away and start to walk away. My coach stops me. "Toni." I look at her. "Go to your girlfriend. Just for this weekend." She whispers. "I'm afraid if I go, I'll never come back." I whisper. "I hate college and honestly I'm starting to rethink if Basketball is my path in life." I confess. "Take the Lodge girl." She whispers. "Do you know any, of our names?" I ask quietly. She thinks for a second. "It's hard to know you're first names at least when it's only your last names on the jerseys." I nod. "True." I smile. "Go to see your girl and take the Lodge girl to make sure you come back. I know you guys went to the same high school so it's not like she's going into unknown territory." I nod. "Thank you." I whisper. I wipe my tears. "I'll go talk to her." I leave and walk back to my dorm. "We're going to Riverdale!" I say packing my bag. "We?" She ask. "Yeah. You'll drag me back here kicking and screaming." I say quietly. "You want to see Archie right?" She nods. "I wish we graduated together." Archie wasn't able to graduate so he stayed back.
The door swings open. "Hey!" Cheryl kisses me. We go upstairs and to her room. Nothing happens. "You ok?" She ask sensing that I'm out of it. I look down and start crying. "No!" I whisper. "I am so overwhelmed." She rubs my cheek. "There's something else." She whispers. "I didn't come her for homecoming. I feel like we're drifting away from each other." I struggle to say. "Cheryl, I don't think we can keep this up any longer." I confess. She looks down. "I'm- I'm so sorry Cheryl! It's just to much for me." She gets up and paces around the room. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you! I can't do this, not right now." I whisper. I stand up and walk to over to her. "One last kiss." I shake my head. "If I kiss you I'll never leave." I walk away. I leave her house and home. I walk in. "Mom! I'm home!" I yell. "Mom?" I go into the kitchen. "Toni." She smiles. "Where's dad? it's a Saturday he doesn't work this late." She looks down. "There's something you need to know." She whispers. "What?" I ask quietly. "Sit." I sit down at the kitchen table and she sits in front of me. "Is he ok?" I ask quietly. "We're going to be separating." I look down. "So love is dead?" I ask frustrated. "What about you and Cheryl?" She ask excitedly. I stand up. "Everything is ruined! My life is- is ruined!" I yell. "Toni..." I looks at me. "I'm sorry." I whisper. "It's everything is falling apart in front of me. I thought I was ready to go to college, my grades are slipping worse than they already were! I don't know how much longer I can stay in college." I explain. "Why?" I ask quietly. She looks at me confused. "Why are you and dad getting a divorce?" I ask calming down and sitting down. "You know our relationship has been on the rocks since before you were born." I nod. "Is it permanent?" She shrugs. "I don't know." She says sadly. "How's Cheryl?" She ask quietly. I drop my head and sigh. "Heartbroken. I smashed her heart into a million pieces! Because I'm to selfish to have a relationship." I whisper. "Why did you break up with her?" Mom ask concerned. "Everything has been so stressful and I came here to surprise her, but when I saw her, I realized how much turmoil I'm putting her through right by being away from her. I can't do that to her." I whisper holding back tears. "How does that make you selfish?" I look at my mom. "What?" She smiles sadly. "You broke up with her because it was too much for you, but you also did because you couldn't put her through that." She takes my hands. "I want her back." I whisper. "Give it some time. And go to Homecoming with Veronica and have fun!" She insist. I nod. "Yeah."
