The Missing Part of Me | a Choni Story

Chapter Nine

Please enjoy what is my favorite chapter so far :)

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Sweet Pea is already in Toni's trailer when she comes back from dropping off the redhead. He's got his feet up on Toni's coffee table, eating from a bag of chips. He widely smiles when Toni comes in.

His voice bellows, "Wow, didn't spend the night, huh, Topaz?"

She rolls her eyes, too happy to make any response.

He chuckles, "How'd it go?"

All she can do is look at him, eyes lighting up as she smiles. His own smile grows, happy to see Toni like this. They sit together on the couch, staying silent.

The last time Toni was anywhere near this happy was their Senior Trip. It'd taken her multiple shifts at the Wyrm, plus additional jobs wherever she could find, to be able to pay for the trip. It was the only thing she was really looking forward to at the school, getting to fly out to Florida for a trip to Disney and Universal. She was even happier when Sweet Pea and Fangs also pulled through to go on the trip, she wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if they weren't there.

She did, however, have to share a room with two girls she did not know, which all in all, turned out fine. She spent most of her time outside the room anyways, either with the guys or somewhere else entirely.

It was the first time Toni had ever left the Riverdale area. The first time she had ever left the whole state . The first time she had ever flown on a plane and saw the clouds from above. (She captured many pictures of this scene). The first time she ever realized there was life outside Riverdale.

She didn't have to think about the Serpents for a whole week. She didn't have anything against them, they're her family, she adores the Serpents and all they stand for. But , the Serpents are a gang and growing up she never knew that there was more to life than being a gang member.

She went on a waterslide for the first time, went on a rollercoaster for the first time. She experienced more than just Pop's hamburgers and milkshakes.

She saw fireworks, not just small, cheap firecrackers. She went to the beach and swam in the ocean. She met girls, many, many girls who she got familiar with in just one night. (And would never have to see them again).

She wasn't tied down to her Serpent duties. She felt brand new.

She felt like an actual kid.

Toni was only thirteen when she joined the Serpents. Her whole family had been apart of the gang since its origins, so she was almost shaped since birth to be a great member. Her parents, however, died when she was only nine. A showdown with a neighbouring gang led to mass bloodshed, most notably both of Toni's parents. The Serpents, as per law, took her in and took care of her until it was time she joined.

She may have only been an official member for a few years when she'd went on this Senior Trip, but her whole childhood was Serpents, Serpents, Serpents.

For a whole week, Toni felt as though she was meant to be living out in the world, away from all the chaos of Riverdale. She thought, I'll get out of here. I wasn't able to afford college, but I'll still leave. They'll understand, the gang will understand. Fangs, Sweet Pea, they'll understand. I can get out, I'll get out.

But as the high from the trip wore off over the next weeks, Toni realized that she couldn't abandon Sweet Pea or Fangs or the gang she called her family. Not only could she not leave the men and women she called family, she wouldn't have been able to support herself. Most important, she didn't have anywhere else to go.