Love & Hate - Choni

11.

The redhead looked deep into the blue eyes of the blonde girl in front of her. She wasn't sure if she could tell Betty what was really going on, but she had to let the pain out. She couldn't bear having to carry the same weight around again.

"There is...something going on with Toni..."

Cheryl closed her eyes as she began to breathe slowly, holding Betty's hands tightly. The blonde girl paid close attention as she waited for something to come out of the redhead's lips. But nothing, not a word was spoken. All Betty thought of doing was bringing Cheryl in for a hug, which the redhead complied to easily.

"Hey, it's ok...if you don't want to tell me that's fine"

Cheryl held back her tears as she took a deep breath and let go of the hug, facing Betty with a serious look.

"I'm starting to think that Toni doesn't want to be with me..."

"Why would you say that Cheryl?"

"Because she doesn't pay attention to me, she's always going off with Veronica and the Poisons, ad it's annoying. She barely gives me any time, and she enjoy's Veronica's company more than mine!" The redhead snapped at the blonde girl, causing Betty to flinch and step back.

"No Cheryl, she...she likes being with you, otherwise she wouldn't be dating you, and Veronica isn't like that"

"If she was able to cheat on Toni, I'm sure she'd be able to cheat on you"

"I wanted to help you Cheryl, but now that I know that you're just asking for attention, maybe I should just leave"

Betty walked off, Cheryl staying in the bathroom to finish cleaning up her shirt. When the blonde girl was getting closer to the table they had lunch at, she saw Veronica and Toni laughing and having the best time of their lives. And the way they looked at each other was enough for Betty to think about what Cheryl had told her.

- time skip -

It's been 2 weeks since the double date happened, and Cheryl has noticed that Toni is spending much more time with Veronica than she was before. Luckily, it was winter break, meaning she would have Toni all to herself for a reasonable amount of time. 

The redhead walked up the stairs with a breakfast tray for Toni. She had woken up earlier that morning to surprise Toni with breakfast in bed. But when she opened her bedroom door, she was the one to be surprised and became upset.

"Toni, what are you doing?"

"Oh, morning babe, I'm getting ready, I have to go in a few minutes"

"What do you mean you have to go?"

"Well yeah, I have to meet up with Veronica"

The redhead placed the tray down on her table and crossed her arms while giving Toni a serious look. The brunette stopped her actions and looked at Cheryl, noticing a deadly glare.

"Babe, don't look at me like that"

"TT, I was really hoping you'd spend time with me during winter break..."

"Well, me and Veronica have things to do with the Pretty Poisons.."

"Fine. We don't have to spend time together. We don't have to be together at all, ever again." Cheryl turns around and begins to walk away before Toni grabs her wrist and turns her around.

"I'm not saying that Cheryl-"

The brunette received a call and it was from none other than Veronica. Toni knew she was hurting Cheryl, but she couldn't lose this job, she couldn't miss the chance that Veronica was giving her. It was best for the future that Cheryl and herself had wanted. She had to go and couldn't spend any more time at the house.

"I'm sorry..I'm running late for work, can we talk about this later?"

"Sure yeah, whatever, I don't care anymore" 

Cheryl turned around and stomped off downstairs, keeping in tears from rolling down her face and sitting down on the couch. It could be possible that Toni was cheating, it could be possible that Toni didn't love her anymore, but how could she ever know if Toni never spent time with her, least of all talk to her? The redhead looked up as she heard footsteps down the stairs and saw Toni standing there while holding her Pretty Poisons' jacket, looking at her with those endearing eyes.

"Didn't you say you had to leave?"

"I texted Ronnie that I would be a couple minutes late, I can't go while leaving a conversation on hold...mostly when it comes to you" Toni saw that the pale girl wasn't convinced since she avoided her eyes, so she walked closer to the couch Cheryl was sitting on and ended up sitting beside her.

"Babe, come on talk to me.."

"It's what I've been wanting to do for the past month"

"Come on Cheryl, just tell me what's going on"

"Are you cheating on me?"

The question took Toni by surprise and stammered while speaking.

"W-What..? N-No Cheryl, I would never do that....I'd never do such thing"

"Then tell me why the hell you're all of a sudden besties with your ex? Why do you spend every second of the day with her?"

"Cheryl, it's not whatever you're thinking about"

"Then tell me! I deserve to know, I am your girlfriend right?"

"Yes but-"

"No Toni, I can't deal with this anymore, if you enjoy Veronica's company more than mine, then why don't you just go back to her?!" By the time Cheryl had said this, the room went dead silent. The redhead stood up and her face got red with anger. She could see in the eyes of the brunette that she was hiding something, and it wasn't fair for her. After everything Cheryl had done for her.

"Cheryl, I'm not gonna argue with you, I already said that I'm not cheating, there's a reason behind all of this...I just can't tell you..."

"Why? I just want to know why you're with her all the time...am I really that bad? Am I really that horrible at loving you? In bed? Are my gifts annoying you? I need to know what's going on Toni" Cheryl wasn't mad or upset anymore. She was on the verge of breaking down into tears, thinking the unthinkable and debating whether she could trust Toni or not.

"No Cher...none of that is true...I just..I can't spend all my time cooped up in this house Cheryl, in your bedroom..it just doesn't feel right.."

"But I'm not asking you to stay here all the time with me Toni, I'm asking you to spend some time with me, give me attention, not just put me aside like you've been doing for the past two weeks"

The brunette looked down, avoiding the taller girl's look, knowing the redhead was right. She was avoiding her, putting her work and the Poisons before her girlfriend. Toni didn't know what to do or say. She was sorry for not including Cheryl, but she couldn't handle herself, and she would never forgive herself if she brought Cheryl into the dark world of gangs and business.

"I-I'm sorry Cheryl"

"Sorry isn't enough Antoinette, and...I don't think this will work out"

The shorter girl shot her head straight up, looking at the pale girl in confusion.

"W-What do you mean Cheryl?"

"I mean us....we're not working out...I-I think it's best if we....take some time off"

"So that's it? You're breaking up with me"

"It's what's best for both of us, this way we don't keep hurting each other...."

All the tanned girl did was go upstairs and grab her things, walking out the door, only looking back to look in the brown eyes that watched her leave, knowing that Cheryl wasn't joking. They we're over.