Blood of My Blood, Flesh of My Flesh (Bughead)

13. Feed My Frakenstien

"Hey, nice heels."

Cheryl spun around, and Toni couldn't help but laugh at her dead expression. When she saw Toni leaning near the fence, Cheryl examined her up and down.

"I suppose a compliment, even coming from a snake, is still a compliment," Cheryl sniffed, paying for her red licorice. God, was everything this girl consumed red?

"Actually, your whole outfit is...interesting." Toni said, which was the honest to god truth.

"Okay, what do you want?" Cheryl crossed her arms, "I invented faux compliments, sweetie."

"Just a comment, god." Toni held up her hands, "But, honestly, that necklace...it's pretty sweet."

Toni leaned forward, fishing a necklace that was partially obscured under Cheryl's shirt, something on a very long chain, "Is this real bone?"

Cheryl hesitated.

Toni examined it a moment longer, gauging the magic that radiated off it, "Jason's?"

Cheryl looked ready to dismiss her, or slap her hand away, but Toni continued.

"You know, my brother's gone too. Except, I never knew what happened to him. One day here, next...poof. At least you don't have to wonder anymore. I can't make up my mind if I think he's still alive or not." Toni said.

This did seem to make Cheryl make up her mind. She stepped back, snatching her necklace away and tucking it far beneath her layers.

"God, I didn't ask for your sob story, Nagini." She said, but Toni could see the way she couldn't help but seem a little sorry.

"I guess I just wish I had something of him, as you do." Toni shrugged, "It happened a long time ago. So." She truly wasn't as plagued by it as she made it sound, she figured. People vanish often when you had to turn to shady ways to pay the bills, 'So, Jason's bone or just a random cat bone or something?" From the stiffness in Cheryl's shoulders, though she did a good job of hiding it, Toni knew exactly how special it was.

"Why's it matter?"

"Guess it doesn't. Just curious," Toni played it off casually.

"And you just thought you'd interrogate moi? Don't you know who I am?" Cheryl said, sneering at her.

"Duh. Cheryl Blossom. I'm just not intimidated." Toni laughed, "Unless, of course, there's a reason to be? Something...different about you? Maybe, otherworldly?"

Cheryl blinked twice, "I have no clue what you're going on about. You should be afraid of me because my family could own yours. You should be afraid of me because I can make your life a living hell, just with a snap of my fingers. You should be afraid because you don't want to see me angry."

Toni thought about it, "Actually, I think maybe I do." She said, reaching forward and snatching away a licorice piece, "By the way, that blood ritual you were doing at the river? Dilton totally saw. He didn't know what it was, but oh, we do."

And then, Toni walked away.

From the paleness in Cheryl's face, Toni knew she'd gotten under the girl's skin. Now, just time to wait before peeling it back to reveal the girl's secrets.

XXxxXX

"You looked through my diary?" Betty thundered in the car, "Mom, on so many levels, that is such an invasion of privacy!"

"When your daughter has pictures of a gun on her lap crumpled in her trashcan and her entire browser history wiped clean, I have that right," Her mother snapped back, "And, boy oh boy...this is exactly why I didn't want you hanging out with that Andrews boy." She looked at her daughter, "And what are you wearing? You look ridiculous."