Little Darlin' | CHONI |

Thirteen

Hey everyone!

Can you believe it, two updates in two days!

Thank you for all the lovely comments here & on Twitter (if you don't follow me already you'll find me @thunderstorms92).

I can tell you're all loving the slow burn (not).

Anyway, I'll let you get on with the chapter, let me know what you think & thank you for spending your time reading it!

Nat xx

'Toni wait!'

The brunette stopped in her tracks however she didn't turn around. She felt the sudden urge to cry and she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of the redhead.

'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine,' Toni said still keeping her back to the other girl.

'Promise?'

The brunette didn't want to lie to the redhead, she told her she'd never break a promise and she wouldn't so she just let her head fall as she let out a breath. She didn't hear Cheryl say anything else, only her footsteps carefully getting closer as if the serpent was going to bolt off without warning.

'Can I take a look at your injuries?'

Toni just shrugged her shoulders and kept her head down, her eyes filling with unwanted tears as she felt the redheads fingers hook under her chin and lift it gently.

'Oh, Toni. Please let me help you. I have a first aid kit at my house'.

'And your parents are just going to let you bring south side scum into your home?' Toni asked with more bite than she intended to.

'You know as well as I do that you're not scum,' Cheryl said letting her hand drop to her side. 'And my parents are away for the night so come along'.

The redhead passed the serpent and began her walk back to the north side. Toni stood and watched her for a moment weighing up her options deciding she didn't want to push Cheryl away because of her stupid boyfriend so she followed.

~~~

Most of the walk back to the Blossom mansion was made in silence. Toni kept a couple of steps behind simply because she still didn't trust her emotions not to spill out.

'You're not going to get in trouble,' Cheryl said breaking the quiet as she waited for Toni to catch up. 'At least not for the fight. Everyone's going to tell the principal that you were defending me. Which is true'.

'I don't care about Weatherbee or school'.

'Toni I know you're upset-'

'I'm not upset'.

Cheryl pursed her lips together, she knew Toni wasn't intending to be short, she was just trying to protect her feelings. The redhead had experienced herself in that same position many times.

'Come on,' Cheryl said when they finally reached the gates of her home.

Toni looked up at the house she'd broken into before. It loomed over her. There was not a fraction of homely feel to it and she knew the inside was exactly the same.

'Are you hungry?' The redhead asked as she opened the huge doors to her home and stepped inside, the alcohol still heavy in her system although she tried to ignore it.

'No'. Toni shook her head, 'thank you'.

'Okay. We'll go straight up to my room, I have a first aid kit in my bathroom for when I get injured from practice'.