Choni: Deleted Scenes

(2x17): Cheryl Stays With Toni

"Toni. You didn't have to do this. I could have stayed with Veronica or Betty. You don't have to put me up. I don't have to stay here," Cheryl says.

Cheryl is still in her outfit from the Sister's. It feels so uncomfortable still wearing it. It's like Cheryl is still there being tortured by nuns because she likes Toni. It's why Cheryl feels weird staying with Toni. She's never stayed the night with someone after kissing them. It's like the nuns and Penelope got on Cheryl's brain.

"It's fine, Cheryl. My grandpa is out working. It's no problem. I like knowing you are safe," Toni says.

Cheryl smiles and with all the darkness in her life Toni is a bright star in the sky. Toni reaches into her dresser and pulls out some PJ's. She hands them to Cheryl.

"This might make you more comfortable," Toni says.

They both change and Toni starts making the bed for them to sleep. Cheryl looks around and she is not fine. Toni is too busy stripping the bed to notice. She starts tucking the sheets into the mattress when she looks up to see Cheryl crying.

"Hey.. What's wrong?" Toni asks rubbing her back.

"Toni. You have no idea what it was like in there. You remember the room you found me in?" Cheryl asks.

"The room with the projector and movie screen?" Toni guesses.

"Yeah. But we weren't watching Peter Pan? They would show us videos," Cheryl said.

Toni asks," What kind of videos."

"You remember when Principal Weatherbee showed us that video on the dangers of Jingle-Jangle well it was like that but instead of the dangers of Jingle-Jangle it was the dangers of boys liking boys and for girls liking girls. They showed it to us every night. I would hope they would forget but they never did," Cheryl says.

Cheryl continues," During the day, the nuns would force me to move sandbags from one side to other side. When I finished they said I did it wrong and make me do it again. During my "therapy" sessions, my therapist would find all these horrible reasons for why I'm bi," Tears rushed down Cheryl's face, " It was hell every day. No one helped me. No one cared when I cried myself to sleep. I wanted to die. Until you came. You saved me. I'm still baffled on how you managed to save me. How did you find me?"

Toni says," I had help from Veronica and Kevin. Kevin knew about the tunnel. He led us to you. Veronica asked your mom the hard questions when we visited her."

"You saw my mother? What did she say?"Cheryl asks.

"She said you were "out of control" and you needed to be sent to a wellness institute for your deviant behavior,"Toni told her.

"Of course! Of course, she did," Cheryl says.

Toni warns," She also showed us your drawings."

"My drawings?" Cheryl asks.

"The ones you drawed for Josie,"Toni said.

"Oh, no. She didn't?" Cheryl asks.

Toni replies,"Yes, she did. Josie was also with us and she seemed pretty upset."

Cheryl says,"Oh great! I'll talk to her later. And, um... Toni about the drawings--"

Toni interjects,"Don't. You don't need to explain yourself."

Toni peels back the covers and slips underneath the sheets. "You should really get some sleep. We both really need it after tonight."

Cheryl gets into the bed with Toni. Toni lays her head on Cheryl's chest. "What about you?" Cheryl asks.

"What about me?" Toni asks back.

"How did you find me?" Cheryl says.

"I guess I have a guardian angel or something. Get some sleep, CB," Toni says.

"Ok-ay, TT," Cheryl says. Cheryl kisses her forehead and whispers goodbye.

Cheryl has never been this close to anyone in her life and it's never felt so good.