Sick of losing soulmates (Cheryl Blossom & Toni Topaz)

6

High school is completely different from middle school but, at the same time, it really isn't. There's stupid boys and cliques and gross lunches and boring teachers. Everything's remained the same — except for Cheryl Blossom and her twin brother. She joins the River Vixens, for starters. It's easy and Cheryl's good and she's hot. Everyone knows that and the other girls know it and so does the cheer captain. Jason, on the other hand, joins the football team.

Soulmates, honestly.

Except — well, Cheryl meets Heather mid-October after she's had her classes switched around so that they're all advanced placement, to her mother's request. She's in AP biology with her and they're lab partners. Cheryl's pretty sure she's in love. Heather has blonde hair and she always bites her lip when she looks at Cheryl. Not that Cheryl looks at her lips. She doesn't.

But, anyways, Cheryl thinks Jughead might've been right all those years ago when he said soulmate tattoos are wrong sometimes. She hasn't met any Toni's or Tony's or anything in years and maybe she's Heather's soulmate. Maybe the universe is wrong sometimes. It has to be busy once in a while, creating other worlds and keeping the sun from exploding... What does the universe care whether a Cheryl Blossom meets a Toni or not? The older she gets, the more Cheryl is convinced this whole thing is a government hoax.

"You like her a lot, huh?" Jason asks one night, hair wet and flat on his forehead. He's just come home from football practice even though Cheryl knows those are over before six o'clock and it's nearing eight right now. He doesn't tell her a lot of things, Cheryl's realized; he doesn't share all his secrets like he used to but Cheryl does. She's always been like an open book to him. Maybe because – surprise, surprise – Jason's meant to be her soulmate instead of some random boy.

Or girl.

"I do, Jason, she's amazing. She's – Heather – is so sweet and she touches me even though she doesn't need to, at all, and she — I think she likes me too." Cheryl's run out of breath by now but there's so much more to say. A lot more.

"Maybe you're meant to be together," Jason looks away, towards Cheryl's perfectly manicured hands, "not in a soulmate way, but you're meant to be together anyway. I think that makes sense, don't you? People meant to be in your life... even if the universe didn't think to put their name on your body."

"It makes sense," Cheryl says, piecing it together easily. She's got a 4.0, after all. Top of her class. "You've found someone."

Cheryl feels something, deep inside her heart. Not jealousy — more like... guilt. Guilt that it's her name on Jason's body and that he won't ever meet a romantic soulmate. He was destined to be alone and for that, Cheryl won't ever forgive the universe. Sure, Cheryl will always be the most important person in Jason's life but he deserves love, too. Romantic love. A girlfriend.

When Jason nods, the guilt is replaced with relief. He's found someone who he loves and who loves him — Cheryl hugs him. She hugs him long and tight, as if she might never hug him again but there's just so much to say through that hug. She hopes he gets it. The look on his face when they both pull away, tells Cheryl that he does.

"I'm happy for you. I'm so happy,"
Cheryl's grin is so wide her cheeks hurt, "you deserve it. You deserve love like that."

"I need you to understand that you are my soulmate, Cheryl," Jason takes her hands in his, this really focused look on his face that scares Cheryl, deep down, "it's you. And you'll always be my priority. I'll always look out for you first. I'll take care of you first. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do."

He had this weird look on his face, one Cheryl's never seen before — fear, maybe. Fear and guilt and always, underlining but powerful, love.

"Good."