Sick of losing soulmates (Cheryl Blossom & Toni Topaz)

11

Veronica Lodge arrives into town a few days before junior year starts and Cheryl is eternally grateful for the distraction. She sees it, immediatly. Veronica and Archie are soulmates. She doesn't even need to see the tattoos to know.

She also notices Betty. Oh, poor Betty. She's been in love with Archie since they were born even though her tattoo says another's name.

Cheryl sees a chance to cause chaos and she takes it — at the prom afterparty. Veronica and Archie go into the closet, Archie's non-existent lips stained red, and Betty's stormed off a while ago. Veronica is giving her a vile look and Cheryl would be afraid, honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that Cheryl's received worse looks from her own mother.

"You bitch," Veronica spits at her, eyes narrowed, "just because you haven't found your soulmate doesn't mean you get to make everything miserable for everyone else."

Veronica storms off with Archie in tow before Cheryl can really say anything, and she's grateful for that. She wouldn't have been able to say anything equally bitchy back. Soulmates are a low blow and Veronica knows that.

Oh, well.

She accepts Veronica and Betty into the River Vixens because why not, and, also, as some sort of apology. A sorry to Veronica for the closet thing and a sorry to Betty for having lost her sister. Not in the same way Cheryl lost Jason, of course, but rumour had it Polly had lost her mind after Jason's death and had been shipped away to some convent. Betty and Veronica are cute and their dancing isn't too shabby so it's whatever. They become best friends, naturally, and Betty hangs out with Kevin a lot so Cheryl kind of enters the oddball friendgroup. It gets even worse when that homeless kid, Jughead, enters the mix and oh, surprise, he and Betty are soulmates. Even Kevin, the gay one, has his boyfriend and Cheryl's always by herself at Pop's, and in class, and at the rec room.

And then, to make matters worse, Southside High gets shut down and now Cheryl has to see Fogarty and Jughead constantly making out with their significant others like chimps just released from captivity. It's always basically an orgy in the recreational room and Cheryl always sits in the loveseat, ironically enough, with a book in her hands.

"Cheryl," Kevin interrups, prompting Cheryl to look up. Fogarty is glued to his side, dopey smile on his face. They're cute. "There's gonna be a party at the Whyte Wyrm, if you wanna come."

"And see all of you practically having sex on the dance floor? I think I'm good." Cheryl replies, looking back down at her book.

"I really think you should come." Kevin continues, unfazed by Cheryl's attitude. He's never really stopped liking Cheryl like most of other classmates even though she's a raging bitch sometimes. She appreciates him.

"Is that so?"

Kevin nods and the glint in his eye is brighter than ever — Cheryl decides she'll have to stop by to take a look. Anything beats being home with her mother on a Friday night, even socializing with gang members and drunk classmates.