another reason to stay | choni

ch two: the not-so-great life of toni topaz

tw: homophobia, abuse, drugs

"tonight is the night," toni's best friend, fangs, told her quietly, "yes fangs, i know." she replied.
after tonight, everything should be okay in toni's life. she won't have abusive parents, she'll be living with her best friend and she'll be going to riverdale high, alongside fangs of course.

three years ago, whenever toni topaz was fourteen years old, her mother hit her for the first time.

flashback*
"mom, dad..can i talk to you about something?" toni asked, scared of what her parents will think of her after today, "yes, of course, antoinette," her father responded.
"well, today...i-i saw a girl, her name is orion and i just...i thought she looked really good. like, how i think whenever i see a cute boy, what does that mean, mom? am i okay? p-please, what's wrong with me?" toni cried, hoping for anyone to help her understand why she felt that she did. but no one helped.
jamal topaz grabbed his daughter by her hair, and screamed, "you will not think like that ever again, do you hear me, antoinette?"

almost simultaneously, her mother slapped her, and begged god to rid her daughter of her homosexuality.
that was the last time toni ever told her parents anything. anything true, at least.
they knew, though. they knew whenever she went on her first date with a girl, her first kiss with a girl. and they hate her for it.
*flashback is over

"i'm so happy to be getting out of there, fangs. i don't know what i would do without you, sweet pea, and the rest of the serpents. i genuinely love you, fangs," toni thanked her best friend, a true smile a on her face.
"it's no problem, topaz. we love you and want what's best for you. always."
-
toni topaz quietly walked into her trailer and rolled her eyes at the sight of her parents passed out, drunk. she shook her father's body, "dad!"
jamal topaz jumped up, whilst simultaneously pushing toni out of the way, "what do you want, antoinette?" he grumpily asked, "j-just letting you know i'll be going to fangs'. forever. i-i'm not coming back and you treat me better than mom..so just thought i'd let you know. maybe a part of you still loves me, maybe not. i couldn't care less, to be honest. but i do want you to know that no matter how badly you've treated me, i will always l-love you." toni told her father, and then walked to her soon-to-be old room, without another word.

toni looked around at her room. her bed, her dresser and her very few posters covering the wall. she ripped the posters off of her wall, threw her clothes and blankets in a bag, and left her trailer with tears in her eyes.
-
as toni arrived at her best friend's door in the north side, she got anxious. anxious because she grew up in the south side, anxious because despite how they treated her, she missed her parents and her old home already. she shook her head, knocked on fangs' door a put on a fake smile.

"hey toni, ready to see your new home?" fangs asked excitedly. toni smiled, a genuine one this time, and said, "hell yes!"
-
two hours later

"well...since you're finally out of there, don't you think this calls for a celebration?" sweet pea, toni's other best friend asked, as he pulled out a small bag of cocaine.
"oh...um, no thank you, pea. i decided weeks ago to stop doing that shit," toni replied.
"c'mon t! trust one bump!" fans chanted, "n-no, fangs, i don't want to,"
"okay, toni. sorry for pressuring you, we just want you to have fun, you know?" sweet pea told her, truthfully.
"i know..but i'm good, really. though, i think i'm gonna get some fresh air, if you guys don't mind?"
"of course not, toni! go ahead," her best friend smiled.

toni got up and waved at them, then turned around and let the water in her eyes finally fall to her face. she walked out of her new home, feeling more lonely than ever. that is...until she saw a beautiful girl with red hair, also with tears in her eyes.
-
so..this chapter or cheryl's? i personally prefer this one :3 i still haven't decided whose pov the story will stay in. who would you rather it be? cheryl, toni or both?

also i would just like to say that yes, fangs lives in the north side. he just moved there, a few days before toni. i will go more into detail in further chapters.