The Quiet Kid: (choni)

2: I love her

TONI POV:

It's been a few months since we started dating. I was officially adopted, I still call her Mrs. Baker. Why? I don't know. My voice is done cracking every ten seconds. I'm passing. Cheryl is out of her parents control. It's great. "Toni we've never talked about what happens with your parents." She ask me. I cover my chest more. "Good, can we keep it that way?" I say. I hate talking about what happened to my mom and what my dad did to me. "Yeah, if you ever need to talk about it... I'm here." She says. "How are you feeling?" She ask quietly moving hair out of my face. "Better. For once it wasn't lack of medication." I've been sick the past week. It's great I get to see Cheryl more. The only bad part is I'm stuck in bed and can't wear a binder. Cheryl has been bringing me homework, if we are being honest I don't think the teachers noticed I'm gone that's how quiet I am. "I asked the math teacher to get the work for you and she thought I was crazy." She pulls me closer. "Did you try my birth name?" I ask jokingly. "Yes actually." I really want to tell her that I love her. "I have to go. Jason needs something." She climes over me and grabs her bag. "Feel better." She kisses me. "I will if you stay here..." I sit up. She smiles. "Nice try." She walks out and leave. I lie back down and try to go back to sleep. "Bud." There is a knock on the door. "Hey." Mrs. Baker put some water on the desk. "I have a question." I look up. "Are you ever going to call me at least Sarah?" I shrug. "I don't know." She sits down. "You love Cheryl." She changes the subject. "More than anything. I want to see my dad, I'm sixteen I need closure." I say. It's true I haven't seen him in ten years. "I'll see what I can do." I don't even know if he'll recognize me. I just realized this conversation is all over the place which is normal for us. "You've changed since you've gotten here." She says as she starts to walk out. "I'm proud of you. Get some rest." She walks out turning off the lights and closing the door. I turn off the lamp. I want- no I need to tell Cheryl how I feel. I wonder if she feels the same. Probably not honestly.

"Someone's feeling better." Cheryl says as I walk to her locker. "No, not really. Mrs. Baker made me come, her boss is coming over for some business meeting and she doesn't need a sick teenager in her house. But, I'm feeling slightly better and I'm not contagious anymore. If I got you sick I'm sorry." She cups my cheek. "I'm fine." She says quietly. "I love you." I blurt out. Oh god, what if she doesn't say it back? Shit I shouldn't have said it in the first place. She smiles and rubs my cheek. "I love you, Toni Topaz. Can you sleep now?" She says. "What?" I ask quietly. She raps her arms around my neck. "Never mind, I love you that's all that matters." She says kissing me slowly. "Is that what's been keeping you up at night?" Last night we talked about why I haven't been sleeping I never told her really why. "Part of it. Some other stuff has been to." She plays with my hair in the back of my head. "Like what?" She ask. The thing about Cheryl is she actually cares. She comes off at first as the girl next door and bitchy all at the same time. "You won't understand." I say. She nods. Usually when I say that it means I don't want to get into it and she fully understands. "If you want to tell me you can. Like always." I rubs my hair. "Get to class." I walk away and go to class. Nothing happened I stayed in the back and drew. Once the bell rings I try to walks out but the teacher stops me. "Are you a new student?" He ask. "No I've been here since freshman year." I say walking out. I walk into the library, grab the gayest book I can find, sit down in the quietest spot, read and hope no one bothers me. Unless it's Cheryl, but still. "Toni." I look up and Cheryl is standing in front of me. "What?" She sits in front of me. "You're such a introvert." She says quietly. "Good." She sits next to me. "What's wrong?" She takes my hand. I take a deep breath. "My body. I didn't wear a shirt or binder for a week and I hated it." I say quietly hoping no one will here beside Cheryl. "How did you know?" She ask. "I don't remember." I say. "It was so long ago." I look at her and kiss her. "Toni." She kisses back. "Wait I'm sick." I stop her. "Ok. I'm Cheryl nice to meet you." She says sarcastically. "What would I do with out you?" I cup her cheek.