✔︎ Only You | Choni

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐘

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: This chapter contains sensitive and/or mature topics. Please read with caution.
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Cheryl glanced up at the clock again, sighing to herself. She was the last one in the office for the fifth time that week. Any time she was alone, her thoughts wandered. When she closed her eyes, she saw Toni's skin, the sunlight dancing on silvery scars.

She stood, smoothing her skirt, and grabbed her purse. She dreaded heading back to the apartment these days - Veronica and Betty had understood why Cheryl was upset by Toni's words, but they didn't understand why she was still affected by it almost a week later.

Cheryl dug through her purse, trying to find her ringing cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, are you on your way home yet? Veronica and I were thinking of a girls night... you in?"

Cheryl tightened her grip on her purse, her heels clacking against the office floor. "Are you at our place or Veronica's?" She quickly descended the stairs, waving to the security guard as she left the building.

"We're at Veronica's, she's about to put on 10 Things I Hate About You. You love that movie!"

(A/N: fun fact, that's my favorite movie.)

"You're right, I do. I think I'm going to just head home, though, pour myself a glass of wine and have a bath." She dodged a cyclist and turned left, heading toward their apartment.

"Come on, Cher, are you sure? You've been moping all week. You need a night out."

"I'm not moping, Betty, I just... don't feel like it. Okay? Maybe another night."

"Alright, another night. I'm holding you to that."

Cheryl smiled. "Deal. Night, Betts. Say hi to Veronica for me. I'll see you tomorrow."

~~~

"Hey," Toni called to Josie, balancing a pizza and a six-pack of beer in one hand, her keys and cellphone in the other. "I brought pizza." She slipped her shoes off and stepped into well worn slippers.

Josie paused whatever she was watching on Netflix and hopped over the back of the couch. "Since when do you bring home pizza and beer? Are you trying to seduce me?"

Toni laughed and set everything down on the kitchen counter. She pulled a beer from the plastic ring, tossed it to Josie, then hoisted herself onto the counter top. "Actually, I'm trying to butter you up. I need a favor."

"As long as there's bacon on this pizza, you can have all the favors you want. Two A.M. pizza is the best kind of pizza." Josie flipped the lid on the box and grabbed a piece, smiling as she bit into it.

"I mean, I need a favor, I'm obviously going to get your favorite," Toni smiled. She grabbed a piece for herself and closed the lid. "I'm gonna need the scoop on Cheryl," she said through a mouthful.

Josie chewed and swallowed. "I told you the day she stormed out of here: her brother killed himself when we were in High School. It took her a long time to push past that."

Toni nodded. "I mean, how old were you guys when it happened?"

"Fifteen, I think. Cheryl and I had been friends since we were four. We lived next to each other all our lives. I was basically her only friend until high school, and even then, she only really had me and Kevin. She made me sing a duet with her in Freshman Year. After I joined The Pussycats, I made a lot more friends, but she was always my best friend. At the beginning of Sophomore Year is when Jason died. Cheryl found him bleeding out in the bathtub."