Choni

11

Toni's POV

It's almost April break. My mom asked me to come meet her at some town outside of Riverdale, and I could tell she was trying to patch things up with me after our family kind of blew up. But I didn't want to leave Cheryl, especially not alone in Riverdale, in the south side, when she just got emancipated.

It was the Thursday before break starts after school Friday and I still hadn't really decided what to do. "Cheryl" I nudged her away from her crazy advanced math homework. She looked up at me from the floor and I was still shocked at how gorgeous she looked. We'd had a relaxed few weeks, nothing too bad around Riverdale.

But I still had a sick feeling that it would only be the calm before the inevitable storm that was Riverdale.

She flicked my leg that was hanging over the couch, "Don't distract me without a purpose Topaz, what do you want" I realized that I'd been caught staring at her for about a minute. "Umm I have something I want to talk to you about" I looked right into her eyes and told her. Her eyes squinted with confusion and her nose crinkled, but she still got up from the floor and sat next to me.

"So break starts tomorrow, and my mom asked me to go to her house on Monday." I said, and gauged her reaction. She leaned back onto the couch and crossed her arms. Raising her eyebrows, she asked "Why didn't you tell me? I'm not mad at you, but it might've been nice to know I'd be alone basically all of break"

"I know, I know" I breathed out and reached for her hand, I just didn't want you to be alone after all of the threats you could face without me here. And I don't want to spend my whole break without you either, but my mom is really trying now."

I continued, "I just didn't tell you because I was so stressed on what to do, but now I think I want to go, and I kinda just wanted to make sure you'd be okay without me here."

Cheryl just sighed with a funny smile and held my hand tighter, "Toni I love how much ypou care about me, but stop treating me like a piece of fucking glass" she finished with a wide smile, and we both broke into laughter.

"Okay I'm sorry I'll treat you like a rock or something from now on" I said and heard her beautiful laugh again. "But you're okay?" I asked, "I can go and leave you and you'll be okay?" She nodded and leaned in to leave a lingering kiss on my lips.

"I love you for caring so much" she whispered and leaned herself into me, ditching her homework.

Soon enough it was Monday afternoon and I was borrowing Jughead's car to drive to my mother's house to meet my brother, who I hadn't known for all of his 10 years of living. I couldn't help but feel like this happened to every family on the south side, and I hated it.

I threw my clothes in the backseat and turned to Cheryl "Listen, you call me at anytime if you need anything at all, okay?" She nodded and rolled her eyes in a sarcastic way. "Okay" she said, "I love you." "I love you too" I said and opened my arms to her, mentally finding reasons not to leave.

She pulled back and I kissed her. "I love you, okay? And call anytime, at least twice a day." "I knowwww baby" she drew out, "just go before you don't leave at all."

I opened the door and kissed her once more goodbye. She waved me off and I was on my way.

I would be back Saturday, and Cheryl agreed to call me two or more times a day so I'll know she's okay.

It's Wednesday and I've been getting to know my mother and my brother well, I'm grateful that I gave her a chance for the sake of meeting my brother. He's an amazingly smart kid, and I get so into playing around with him that I forget about Cheryl.

Cheryl who hasn't called me since this morning at 7am, which I missed, and now it;s 5 at night. I've texted her often, but gotten no reply or call back. I texted Veronica and Betty, but only Betty replied to say she didn't know where Cheryl was, and that she wasn't at the trailer.

Earlier, I had gushed to my mom all about Cheryl. I knew she'd be accepting, and if she wasn't, it didn't really matter because I hadn't known her for most of my life anyway. I told my mom about Cheryl not calling me back and how worried I was, and she told me not to worry.

But everyone knows about how danger just follows Cheryl everywhere she goes, and I knew something was wrong.

During dinner later, she sent a cryptic text 'I'm okay, just can't call, phone isn't working'.

Sketchy. I thought to myself, but pushed my doubts down when we had fine conversations through texts through the rest of break. I had a relaxed rest of break, spending time with my mom and learning about who she was. And who my father was.

When I left, I promised to visit more often, and really meant it. I told Cheryl I was on my way back and didn't get a reply, making me even more stressed.

After 2 hours of trying to convince myself that Cheryl would be okay when I got to see her, I pulled up to an empty trailer. There were three notes, addressed to me, Betty, and Jughead. I was too fucking confused, I ran around to every room looking for her, hoping to see her face.

I called Jughead to come home immediately in my breakdown, and sat down to read whatever Cheryl had wrote to me.

"Toni,

I love you, and I always will, but you have to forget about me. Nobody is meant to end up with me, and I wouldn't want to put that burden on you, you're too special to be held back by me.

Just know that I'm okay and you'll be okay without me. You never needed me anyway, it was always the other way around (haha).

Find someone better for you, or maybe in some twisted fate that person will be me, but I've been dragged out of Riverdale at this point, and there's no point in looking for me now.

I love you, Toni Topaz.

-Cheryl Blossom"

By the time Betty and Jughead had gotten home, I'd trashed the trailer with punches in the walls and chairs thrown about. I'd tired myself out and was lying on the floor, asleep when Jughead and Betty walked through the door. They carried me to my room and whispered above me about what the hell had happened. How they had let this happen.

But nobody knew, except the Lodges and Blossoms, who were on their way to New York City, with a miserable, drugged up Cheryl Blossom.