Choni One Shots pt: 2

211: The One Where Toni Tries Part 2

TONI POV:

I walk into Jason's room. "It's time to get up, it's almost noon!" I tell him. He rolls over. "Jason. Come on." I say. "Where's mom?" He ask quietly. "Work." I say quietly. "Oh, she didn't tell me." He whispers. "It's just you and me today." He groans a little. "What do you want to do?" I ask. He goes over to the door. "Sleep." He says closing the door. I take a deep breath. "I'm gonna be in the kitchen getting some work done, come down if you need anything." I go downstairs.

"Jason! Dinner is ready!" I yell. Jason walks downstairs into the kitchen. "Mom's birthday is next week." He says quietly. "I already got her something." He adds. I look at him. "What did you get her?" I ask quietly. "A new bag." He says quietly. "You?" He ask quietly. "An engagement ring." He nods. "Well, have you guys talked about getting married?" He ask. "Yeah." I nod. "And you guys are in the same page about it?" I nod again. "So, you both agreed that after mom's last relationship, she wasn't ready to get married?" I look at him. "We literally talked about it last night." He looks at me. "And I know you're full of shit, because your job for the last 6 months has been to try and ruin our relationship!" I say pissed. He takes a deep breath. "You know, you're an asshole! If you hate me so much, go stay with your father!" I yell. He sits down. I look at him. "I'm not staying with my dad. I already talked to mom about it." He whispers. "Why not if you clearly don't want to be here?" I ask. "School, I might have a scholarship for swimming. You'd know that if you actually paid attention to my life." He says quietly. "I try to you just don't let me." I say back. He looks at me. "Yeah, well, you were a drug addict." I shake my head. "Nope! We talked about this. I didn't." I say. We hear the door open and Cheryl comes in. "Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late." She smiles. "How was your day?" She ask. "Fine." I say quietly. She nods. "I have to get changed you guys can start eating."

I walk out of the bathroom into the bedroom. "Did you take your meds this morning?" Cheryl ask quietly. I nod. "Did you guys do anything today?" I shake my head. "He didn't leave his room and than I called him down for dinner and we got in an argument." I explain lying on the bed. "I'm sorry." She whispers. "You already knew that didn't you?" She nods. "You called him an asshole." I nod. "Did he have it coming?" I nod again. "He's 16 he needed to hear it from someone that wasn't me." She whispers. "I'm not trying to be a dick or anything but, do you ever think some of this is your fault?" I ask quietly. "I know it is." She whispers. "It all is!" I sit up. "I didn't mean it like that." I whisper. "No, but you're right! I hated my parents and feared I was make the same mistakes. And instead of killing my clearly favorite child than myself. I married the first person that would, realized I didn't love him and than on my son's 10th birthday, Reggie gets drunk and finally one of us admits it's not working, get into a huge fight, which we never do by the way we're usually pretty civil about everything, we get into a fight right in front of him, get a divorce, a few years later I reconnect with you, I know you're the one, Jason thinks I'm insane because I didn't just introduce him to my new partner, I had to tell him that I'm gay and there's now definitely not a chance of me and Reggie ever getting back together, you just start living here with no explanation, which isn't your fault! Come to find out that he resents you and at first I just thought he needed time but he's had his god damn time and he's not warming up to you and I don't know what to about it!" She explains, it's like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She's clearly been holding that in for a while and just needed to vent. "I'm sorry." She whispers taking a deep breath. "No! I get it! I was the same with my parents." I whisper. She looks at me. "They divorced when I was young, my dad remarried and I hated her with a burning passion. My goal in life was to make this woman hate me. I see where he's coming from. I didn't mean to make it seam like this was all your fault. It didn't help, but there's more, trust me!" I explain. "Toni, you have been on and off your meds since you were 16. Should I really trust you about this?" I nod. "It's started before I even showed systems." She nods. "Ok, but there's more, what else could it be?" She ask quietly. "School. Maybe pressure from Reggie to be the kid he never was." I say. "I don't know exactly, but I think something else is going on with him. He didn't leave his room all day and when I went to make sure he was still breathing because it was almost noon he usually gets up at some point to use the bathroom and he didn't. He had the blinds closed and the room was pitch black and he clearly didn't want to be awake. I would talk to him but he hates me." I explain. She looks at me. "He might be depressed." She whispers. "It runs in the family." She adds. "I don't think it's that bad but it wouldn't hurt if he went and talked to someone." I whisper. "Also, I've been on my meds pretty consistently since we met." I say quietly. She looks at me. "I know, I was just saying whatever came to mind." I nod. "You weren't 100% wrong though. A lot of the shit I put my step-mother through was in a very manic state. Not the whole time but once I really started to show any symptoms." I whisper. "What does it feel like?" She ask out of nowhere. "What does what feel like?" I ask quietly. "I know what it feels like being depressed, but what is it like to be manic?" She ask quietly. "It's like you're on top of the world and you know you're on top of the world and luckily I'm usually aware what's gonna happen next and I'm honestly horrified." I explain. "That's just for me though, someone else could feel different." I add. She nods. "Where were you when we first started seeing each other again? Like when we met at Pop's?" She ask quietly. "Well, Veronica had to drag me out of the house kicking and screaming. I was starting to get out of my depression and was once pretty level headed. Also Veronica was forcing my meds down my throat." I explain. "You were still living with her?" I nod. "Yeah, when I actually came home." She looks at me. "I was out all day everything day when I was manic. I wouldn't sleep for almost a week." I look at Cheryl. "Do you still feel some of the highs and lows?" She ask. "Like on my medication?" She nods. "Yeah, it's just not as bad. I'm not gonna impulsively buy a boat and I'm not gonna lie in bed for 2 weeks." I explain. "Did ever try to buy a boat?" I nod. "Don't remind me." I whisper. "We should go to sleep." I say. "Also, I don't feel like talking about this right now." She nods.

I walk into the kitchen. "Jason." He looks at me. "Toni." He whispers. "Cheryl." I look at her. "I hate you guys." I nod. "Cool." She smiles. I sit down next to Cheryl. "I thought you guys hated each other." She whispers. "I had the chance and took it." I say quietly. "Eat." Cheryl says quietly. I look at her. "Did you take your meds?" She ask quietly. "I can't take them on an empty stomach, we've talked about it." I whisper. I look at Jason. "Don't you have school?" He nods. "I'm gonna leave in a minute, I just have to eat." He says quietly. "My- my fr-friend us picking me up." He says hesitating a bit. "And he's not here yet." I nod. "You know, you could just get your license." Cheryl says quietly. We hear a honk and Jason bolts out the door. I look at Cheryl. "He's gay right?" I ask quietly. "Probably." She says. We watch them leave. "Definitely." We both say. She shrugs. "Whatever." She whispers. "I don't really care, he can do what he wants." She says quietly. I look at her. "Does it concern you that he won't come out?" I ask quietly. "When he's ready." I nod. "Cool." I smile. "Eat then take your meds!" She says getting up and handing me my fork. "I have to head to work, I'll see you tonight. Try and get out of the house." I nod. "You need to get out more."

I walk into Cheryl's office and knock on the door. She looks up. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She ask smiling. "You forgot your lunch, and you also told me to get out of the house so I came to drop this off you you." She stands up and kisses me. "Thanks baby." I smile. I look at her. "You ok?" I ask quietly. "Yeah! I'm just kinda stressed. Work is crazy." She whispers lying her arms on my shoulder. "Jason has practice tonight. Maybe I can relieve some of that stress." She smiles. "I'll see how I feel when I get home, I might just want to lie on the couch and watch a movie." I nod. "Whatever your up to." I whisper cupping her cheeks. "I love you." She whispers. I smile. "I love you too." I pull her into a kiss. "So I have the day off for my birthday weekend." I nod. "I just need to call the school and tell them Jason won't be in school and I also need to convince Jason that he wants to go to his dads house this weekend instead of the one we're away, because as well as Reggie and I co parent he can't rap his head around the fact that he might not see him when he sees him." I smile. "Will he really bring you to court over it?" I ask quietly. She takes a deep breath. "No, but he will have a hissy fit and that's my job." I smile. "I'm supposed to be the dramatic one. He's the one who's supposed to talk shit about me and make Jason hate me not realize he's slowly turning his own kid against him." She whispers. "Well, he is doing his job than... kinda he's just talking shit about me." She nods. "I'm sorry about that." I shrug. "Honestly it could be worse."