Tickled Pink - Choni

Strawberry Milkshake

Cheryls relationship with her mother had always been rocky but it worsened when Cheryl was 12. She was extremely close with a girl named Heather, they were inseparable. Heather thought it would be funny if they 'practised kissing' for when they have their real first kiss with boys, Cheryl agreed as she wanted her first kiss with a boy to go well. When Cheryl and Heather first locked lips, her stomach was in knots and her heart was beating a million miles an hour. She loved the feeling, she was so excited to try it with a boy, she thought it would be even more special.

She was so wrong.

Heather and Cheryl had been invited to a 'make out party' and both were excited to attend, to finally have their first kisses. The they went to the party Cheryl was over the moon excited, she had been paired with the boy that everyone in her grade wanted to be with - Archie Andrews. Though, after all the excitement, Cheryl was let down. Archies kisses were sloppy, weird and just all around unenjoyable. All she could think about was Heather, and how she wanted it to be Heather. 

Cheryl thought she was close enough to her mother to tell her about what her and heather done, she thought it was fun and innocent. Her mother was far from amused, Cheryl was banned from seeing heather and a week after the ban was put in place - Heather disappeared. Her mother assured her that Heather had been sent to a place that would help her 'get better' and that she had an illness. Cheryl didn't understand - Heather was fine at the party, what kind of illness could she have? was she alright? 

Ever since then, Cheryls mother has basically forced Cheryl to be the person that she wanted her to be. Cheryls feelings have been pushed so far down by her spiteful mother, that she couldn't help but resent other with those feelings. 

-- 

[October 29th]

Cheryl hadn't seen the tiny pink haired serpent all week and she couldn't help but feel like she had said something very wrong, which she sort of had. She didn't really mean what she said, she was just taken back by Toni saying she was bi so nonchalantly and she kind of turned into her mother in that moment... Which she wasn't proud of. 

Toni hadn't even sat in Cheryls seat at all the entire week, which was their thing. Toni would sit in Cheryls seat, Cheryl would snap at her, Toni would reply with a snappy, but flirty, comment and then Cheryl would leave her be. They both acted annoyed by it but deep down, they loved the bickering. 

Cheryl was quite worried about Toni, though she didn't want to admit it, so she decided to try and find out if she was alright. 

"Hello cousin" Cheryl slams her hand on the locker beside Bettys, Startling Betty and making her flinch. 

"Cheryl! What can I do for you?" Betty grabbed her bag and closed her locker, turning to face Cheryl. 

"I need you to talk to Jughead, You guys have been very close ever since the bijou so I thought you'd be my best bet." Cheryl slightly pleaded with Betty.

"Sure, what do I need to ask?" Betty and Cheryl start walking down the corridor as they speak.

"Can you just ask if Toni is-"

"Oh this is about Toni." Cheryl stopped and looked at Betty confused "Look, Cheryl, Me and Jug have spoken to Toni. You really hurt her feelings and she's not just going to get over the way you acted about a damn flag, Cmon Cheryl, You can't be that cold hearted." Betty feels slightly bad as she sees Cheryls lip start to quiver, as if she's about to burst into tears. "I'll talk to Toni again for you, mkay?" Cheryl smiles slightly, quickly walking away toward the girls locker room. She throws the door open and sees 3 girls standing gossiping.

"Out, NOW!" Cheryl hold the door open for the three girls as they all run out as quickly as they can. As soon as they're out Cheryl slams the door and locks it. Here comes the tears again. Why is she getting so emotional over this topaz girl?

Cheryl had biology next, it's been a lonely week without Toni there. There was always something Toni done to keep Cheryl entertained in the boring class, a burst pen, throwing paper balls at the back of fangs head, Toni falling off her chair, forgetting her bag and eventually finding it in the trash... the list goes on. 

Cheryl walks over to the mirror and just stares at herself, not knowing why Toni being upset with her is causing her to have a literal breakdown. 

--

Cheryl decided after school she wanted a milkshake from pops... and maybe some fries. She chose her usual usual booth when she is alone - The one in the farthest corner, where not many people could see. Occasionally she heard the bell ding but, for the most part, pops was empty. 

There was one thing she heard that did catch her attention though... 

"Just a chocolate milkshake for me pop" The pink haired serpent she had been worried about all week was here. Cheryl watched Toni look for a seat, just as Toni was about to sit down she looked in the corner and locked eyes with Cheryl, Her face dropping as she did so. "Great" Toni whispered to herself, rolling here eyes and looking in the opposite direction.

"Toni" Cheryl said in a low, shameful voice, "Can we talk?" Toni sighed and walked over to Cheryls booth, taking a seat opposite Cheryl. 

"I'm gonna talk, and you're gonna listen." Toni said sternly, Cheryl nodded in agreement. "I get that you have different views in life, and you might not agree with the way I live, but all I'm asking for is a little respect. I don't see why it's such a big issue if I like girls, it's not like I'm trying to get with you or anything." Toni wasn't sure if that last bit was completely true, "I'm not ashamed about being bisexual, I like girls and I like guys... More girls than guys but still both. I thought we were getting somewhere and we could've been friends but it seems to me that you can't even handle being friends with someone who likes girls. What do you think I'm gonna do? Bite ya'?" Both Toni and Cheryl laughed at the last comment, Of course Cheryl didn't think that. "You can talk." Cheryl looked up, making eye contact with Toni, The redhead took a deep breath to catch up with her own thoughts. She felt like just spilling all her feelings to Toni, she wouldn't be judged by her at least. 

"I-" Cheryl tried her hardest to hold back tears, looking up and fluttering her eyelashes to stop the tears coming out, "When I was 12 I had a friend, Heather. Im not going to go into detail, but I loved her so much. We were naive 12 year olds who were practise kissing for our future boyfriends, but it wasn't just practise, it was what Heather told me to get me to do it with her. I have never felt with any guy like I did with her. She made my stomach flutter, she made me feel crazy. I trusted my mother and told her about the practising with Heather..." Cheryl took a second to compose herself, "I was banned from seeing her and Heather was sent away to god knows where, But I haven't seen her since."

"Cheryl im-"

"Please let me finish." Toni nodded, feeling like shit for being so mad at Cheryl, "My mother has spent every day since, forcing me to push whatever feelings I'm having deep down inside of me."  Cheryl felt the tears coming and she could not stop them this time, "I- like girls." That was it, Cheryl had never fully said it out loud, She was full on sobbing, "I don't wanna be like this, Toni, Its terrifying." Toni was trying to hold back her own tears at this point, "I don't want my whole life to change." Toni jumped out of her side of the booth and rushed to hug a sobbing Cheryl, Who tucked her head into Tonis chest. 

"Im super proud of you." Toni couldn't bare seeing her so upset, "You know, your whole life doesn't have to change, you're still you. Just... gay." Toni felt Cheryls sobbing calming down, hearing little sniffles, "I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're afraid of." Cheryl sat up and looked at Toni, all she could think about was how bad she wanted to kiss her right now. Toni watches as Cheryls eyes scan the empty diner. "Cheryl are you oka-"