Twilight, but make it ✨CHONI✨

Chapter 16

Fenix hotel
Lobby
Night

Toni walks through the lobby, scanning for Josie and Reggie. She spots them outside under the porte cacher, loading the Mercedes, and deep in a heated discussion. She slips out the opposite door, rushes toward a taxi and jumps in, closing the door behind her. The driver is an elderly woman with a hacking cough.

Toni takes a deep breath. "8th and Palo Verde, please" she tells the woman.

The taxi pulls out. Toni watches the hotel disappear.

Mimi's school of dance
Night

She slips the pepper spray into the pocket of her jeans. She wraps her purse strap around her wrist. She takes a deep breath, then approaches the school. She peers in the window, but the blinds are drawn. From inside she hears a faint sound..

"Toni? Toni?"

It's time. Toni goes to the front door. It's unlocked.

Toni cautiously enters this grand, empty room of mirrors. A ballet bar wraps around the walls.

"Toni, where are you?"

Toni whirls, trying to find it's source. She follows the sound to a cleaning supply closet. She throws open the door, only to find a TV. A video plays on the screen. Toni, age 7, hides in the very closet that the TV is in now.

"Don't you want to dance baby?" Toni's mother says to little Toni on the screen.

Little Toni shakes her head stubbornly. The frame jiggles as her mother hands someone the camera. Rene, ten years younger, appears on screen and kneels next to Toni.

"Everyone makes fun of me" little Toni pouted.

"But your a wonderful dancer" her mother assured.

"Mom, I suck"

Toni hears laughter from behind her. She spins, trying to locate James in the mirrors.

"That's my favorite part. Stubborn child, weren't you?" He snickered.

Toni's face flushes with rage... and relief.

"She's not here" she whispers.

"Sorry. But you really made it too easy"

Visible in the mirror, he sighs, disappointed. Then he steps up next to her and points a video camera at her.

"So to make things more entertaining, I'm going to make a little film of our time together. Borrowed this from your house. Hope you don't mind"

He pauses to turn the camera on.

"And.... Action!"

Toni flings her purse at him, and runs for the door.

"Excellent! An escape attempt" he mocks.

Suddenly, he's right behind her, causing her to freeze.

"It'll break Cheryl's little heart"