It was now 6pm, everyone was due to arrive in just one hour, Minerva arrived at 6:15 to help me set up the drinks at the bar. Archie and his army buddy G.I Jackson arrived next, then Betty, Veronica and her husband Chad shortly after. Jughead and his date Tabitha arrived and Jughead chucked his keys in my bowl and pushed straight passed me for the booze.
Ugh, whatever....
Kevin and my beloved T-T arrived next, but without Fangs?
What? No... I needed Fangs to be here.
I started to internally panic.
"Hi Toni, Kevin, ugh, where's daddy number 2? He has to be here, this celebration is for all 3 of you" I insist.
"It's okay Cheryl, he's on his way, he's ugh, bringing a date" Kevin explained and walked to the back with Toni.
Oh my god. I didn't even plan this part, perfect!
Reggie arrived next keen to start the party games and then finally Fangs and a tough looking guy arrive, Fangs introduced him as Rick. I turned to Minerva to update her.
"I see we have a surprise guest" I said
"Yes, it seems your ex's rather handsome baby daddy brought a friend"
"Oh well, if he's collateral damage, then so be it, shall we gather everyone, it's time for some party games" I said and winked at Minerva
"Everyone, the game is about to begin, we all know how this works. You pick some keys and there will be absolutely no switching, are we clear? Who wants to go first?"
Veronica ended up volunteering first and surprise, surprise she picked none other than Mr Archie Andrews' keys. I thought for a moment that a fight was going to break out between Veronica's husband and Archie, but no. Veronica dared taking Chad's keys from my bowl and took him home instead, I tired to protest but then decided, they were irrelevant to plan anyway.
Bye Veronica. Bye Chadwick.
Jughead was up next but he was so drunk off of my maple rum that he stumbled across the room.
Great.
Tabitha tried to insist on taking him home, no.
"No one else is leaving without picking a key, I don't care how inebriated Jughead is, he has to draw" I protested
"No-no-no, I wan-wanna draw, let-let me do it" Jughead slurred.
Ugh he picked Tabitha's keys, how boring
She insisted on taking him home.
Whatever.
"You're next solider boy" I said to Archie's friend Eric. He picked Minerva's keys.
Perfect, that gets him out of the way.
Reggie was next, this was it. I positioned the bowl and shuffled the keys perfectly, he was bound to pick Fangs. Reggie picked some keys, they had a serpent key ring attached, he glanced at Toni and asked if they were hers.
HA, he wishes, better luck next time Reggie, she's mine.
Fangs stood up and claimed his keys and to my utter surprise Reggie kissed Fangs, right in front of Kevin. Perfect, couldn't of planned this better if I tried. Kevin picked Rick's keys and then Betty picked Archie's.
"Perf. BYE" I squealed to Archie and Betty as they left the room leaving just me and Toni, just like I planned. I picked out Toni's keys and spun them around my finger.
"Well, well, well, looks like fate has brought us together yet again, Antoniette" I said flirtatiously.
"How did I know this was going to happen?" Toni replied
"Destiny has manifested, I could feel it. After making this night all about you, I knew we would end up together" I said while dancing my fingers up her arm.
"I don't believe in fate, Cheryl. But I do believe in your ability to be a master manipulator"
"Hush Toni" I said while playing my index finger on Toni's lips. "And follow me, I have a super surprise" and then I held my hand out for Toni to take and follow, which she did. I took her through to the room I spent all day and night making just perfect.
"A gift to you and your little one, a nursery" I told Toni.
"Cheryl, what the hell is this?" Toni responded, she seemed mad.
What did I do wrong?
"A place where we can be together, with or without Kevin and Fangs, depending on whether they survive tonights festivities" I said with a smirk on my face
"So this is why you through a key party? So you could hurt Kevin and Fangs?" Toni questioned
"To show you how fragile some unions can be, yes and to show you a path forward, don't you see? All these years I've been compelled to restoring Thornhill without ever truly understanding why, but now I see it so clearly, it was to make a sanctuary for your child, if not ours?"
"Cheryl, you've got to be kidding me? I'm not bringing my baby into this house of horrors"
"But, all you've been trying to do is draw me out of Thornhill?"
"Yeah and as my reward you're trying trap me here like you did at Thistlehouse with your two dead brothers? Well it's not going to work, I'm done trying to bring you down from the mountain, I'm done trying to have a normal friendship with you. That was my mistake, I should have just left our relationship where it belongs, in the past. Look, I'm sorry I lead you on and I'm sorry I agreed to this stupid party, I really, really am" Toni said finally and she left the room.
I didn't know what to do, I just started to cry and collapse to the floor, head in my hands crying like I was never going to stop. I felt a soft hand on the bare skin on my back.
"Toni?" I moped
"No, it's me Cheryl, are you okay?" Minerva said
"Oh, hi Minerva. No I'm not okay, Toni rejected my gesture after everything I did to get her here, after all she did to get me to leave my fucking house, she tells me that I trapped her at my house when we were younger, trapped her, TRAPPED HER" I was screaming.
"Cheryl, please calm down, you'll be okay I promise. Just breathe" Minerva said calmly
"How could she do this to me? She made me vulnerable, she made me leave my safe space, for what? Nothing. Absolutely nothing"
After venting my sorrows and frustrations to Minerva for a little while longer, she took me upstairs to my bedroom and tucked me into my bed, my head hurt from crying, my throat burnt from shouting. Minerva laid next to me on top of my bed and stroked my forehead.
"Everything will be okay Cheryl, you're so strong, you can get through this" she said sweetly.
"Oh Minerva, my life is a mess once again. Well at least, you had fun with your solider?" I asked her, trying to distract myself from thoughts of Toni.
"Ha, well not really Cheryl. I kissed him, tied him to the chair and teased him a little bit, for fun, but nothing else happened, I like women Cheryl, not men" Minerva explained.
"Ohh I see, me too" I sighed
"I know Cheryl, I know" Minerva giggled softly.
YOU ARE READING
Choni (Season 5)
FanficI wrote this because I can't wait until July to find out what happens to Choni. This is based off of season 5 of Riverdale (after the time jump) The first few chapters will be based around the episodes we've already seen and then I'll continue wit...
