The Girl Next Door

Chapter 6

"Hey Ton—Cheryl?" Kevin asked confused as he walked up holding hands with Fangs. Cheryl and Toni quickly pulled away from each other. This disheartened Toni. "We were just—-" "I was just talking to Toni about some drama I'm having with Reggie." Cheryl quickly added before Toni could finish.

Cheryl shifted away from Toni making space in the trunk for Kevin and Fangs. She wiped away the leftover tears. "Where are you going?" Toni asked noticing Cheryl climbing out. She didn't want her to leave. Just a few moments ago the were having an intimate moment. "Getting a ride from one of my river vixens. Later Kevin, Kevin's lover and....Cha Cha" Cheryl answered coldly before disappearing off into the sea of cars.

Toni's heart ached. She couldn't stand being so close yet so far to the girl. One minute they could be having a moment and the next Cheryl's walls would come right back up. She wanted to be the one to make her smile, kiss her, and hold her at night. The one that she could call the love of her life. "Are you okay?" Kevin whispered to Toni noticing that she seemed out of it. "Yeah, I'm fine." Toni replied.

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Toni sat in one of the lawn chairs in her backyard. She stared at the tall white fence. It was a warm summer day. She looked noticing a strange looking tree in the corner of her backyard. She hadn't noticed this tree before. She looked up at the sky.

Something was off. The color. It was changing. She watched it go from blue to black. "What the...?" When she looked over at the tree she noticed a tall dark figure. She quickly stood up trying to make her way back in the house but the screen door was locked.

She began banging on it. No one came. "Help! Please!!" Toni cried. Turning around she noticed the figure coming closer. As it emerged, she recognized the face. It was the man that stalked her back on the Southside. "Stay away from me!" Toni cried. Toni looked around helplessly. She couldn't breathe. A wide grin was plastered across his face. His eyes looked unnatural. They went from blue to fully black in a matter of seconds. He began laughing maniacally as he stalked closer. "HELP ME!!!!!" Toni cried. "Toni?!!" Toni?!!" She heard a familiar voice call.

Toni suddenly shot up awake with a loud gasp. She was covered in sweat. She noticed Sweetpea sitting on her bed looking at her in concern. She looked around trying to familiarize her surroundings. "It's okay. You were just having a nightmare. It's okay." Sweetpea said, pulling her into a hug.

Toni rested her head in his shoulder. "It was probably that scary movie we watched at the Drive In." He said. "I saw...him Sweetpea. He was there." Toni said. "Who?" It took Toni a moment to answer. "The guy that used to stalk me." Toni replied. "Just breathe." Sweetpea replied rubbing circles on her back.

When she had finally calmed down she thanked Sweetpea. She noticed that it was 5:30 in the morning. She suddenly noticed her phone light up on the nightstand. She grabbed it seeing it was a text from Kevin. "Kevin wants to know if we want to go to beach today. He had a beach house that we can stay in for a night or two." Toni said. "I'm game. Damn Topaz! I definitely have to come up to the Northside more often." Sweetpea laughed.

Toni laughed accepting Kevin's request. With everything that was going on she needed some time away. Maybe she could catch a break from this Cheryl drama. Also her nightmares had come back so she needed to get her mind off of it. The strange thing was that they always came around spring or summer time.

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It was about 2 in the afternoon. Toni heard the sound of a car horn out front. Peeking out of her window she saw a blue mini van. It looked new. Kevin quickly stepped out of the passenger's seat waving up at Toni. "You guy's ready T?" He asked. He was shirtless and wore a pair of red swimming trunks. "Be down in a sec! Catch!" Toni shouted, grabbing the bag she had packed and dropping it from her window.