Hurt

12

''I'm gonna be sick." Toni said, pacing the tiny backstage room at La Bonne Nuite.

"You're fine, Tiny." Fangs said, laughing at her. She had been home for a week now, and this was her first time back at La Bonne Nuite. "You've got five minutes or so, just take a deep breath and relax." Toni sat on the only chair in the room and closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe slowly.

Cheryl was standing at the bar with Betty and Veronica, nervously staring at the still empty stage.

"I should go back there." Cheryl said, taking a big swig of beer.

"She's got Fangs back there. If she needed you she'd send him. Just relax, she's gonna be great." Veronica said. Cheryl looked to Betty for some kind of help.

"She's fine, Cher'." Betty said, taking a big gulp of her own drink. Cheryl thought that Betty looked even more nervous than her.

"Hey, Cheryl, right?" A voice said from behind them. Cheryl turned around to see Katherine standing there with a warm smile on her face. A dark-haired handsome man had his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Hi Katherine!" Cheryl said, excitedly. She introduced her to Veronica and Betty. "Toni will be so glad you've come."

"Yeah, she told me about this like five times during our last session. This is my boyfriend, Adam." She added, realising she hadn't introduced him.

"Hi." Cheryl said, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Hey." He said back. "You want a drink?" He said, turning to Katherine.

"Please, baby." She said. "So, Toni tells me you're writing an article for the Express? That's pretty awesome."

"Yeah. They gave me a month to write my first one so it's due like, next week sometime." Cheryl said. Adam returned and handed Katherine her drink. They heard the voice of the new manager up on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give the biggest of cheers for a girl making her triumphant return to this sacred stage. Give it up for Toni Topaz!" He said, stepping aside to let Toni walk on. Toni raised her hand to greet the cheering crowd.

"Hey, how are we all doing?" Toni said, grinning at them. "Okay so I've been away for a while but it feels so good to be back. As usual, I have to dedicate a song to my stunning girlfriend. This one's for you, babe." Toni said, finding Cheryl in the crowd. She began playing and singing. It was a song Cheryl didn't recognise but the lyrics seemed appropriate.

"I had days when it was hard to live,

But I've never been afraid to die,

But I've met someone good,

And now I'm scared like a little child."

She carried on singing the chorus and the second verse, her eyes never breaking away from where she imagined Cheryl's were. As she sang the second chorus, her eyes filled with tears at the same time Cheryl's did.

"'Cos if you've got someone,

If you got somebody waiting,

They always puts their heart in,

You better give them one more day in your life."

After a few more lines the song came to end and she received a roar of applause. She laughed slightly, wiping her tears on her sleeve.

"Sorry." She said, laughing. "Here's a bit of Ed Sheeran to lighten the mood." She began playing and singing 'Little Bird', her tears disappearing as quickly as they had come.

"Wow, she's great!" Katherine said.

"I know, right?" Cheryl said, her own tears stopping finally.

"She was nervous as shit." Fangs said, having joined the group as soon as Toni had gone on stage.

"So was this one." Veronica said, nudging Cheryl playfully.

"Clearly, I needn't have been." Cheryl said, smiling at the stage. Toni finished playing to another cheer from the crowd.

"Thanks guys." She said, grinning. "Okay, Betty Cooper, where are you?" Toni asked squinting into the crowd. Cheryl and Veronica both whipped around to where they had last seen Betty and discovered that she was no longer with them. They faced the stage again and saw Toni helping the blonde up.

"Hi." Betty said, nervously into the mic. "I just wanted to say something but first I wanted to tell Toni how proud we all are of her. She's been through a bit of a rough patch but she's finally coming out the other end and we're all so happy for her. I haven't known her very long but she's my best friend's girlfriend and that practically makes us family. So, well done Toni. Also, how talented and amazing is she?" Betty said, turning to hug the small brunette as the crowd gave a roar of agreement.

"I didn't ask her to say that, honest." Toni said, when they broke apart. The crowd laughed. Toni  had no idea the blonde was going to say those things about her, and her heart seemed to swell as she'd heard them. "I didn't just ask her up here to say that."

"No, she didn't." Betty said. "I have a question to ask someone out there. My girlfriend of almost four years, Veronica Lodge." Cheryl and Veronica gasped, simultaneously. "Roni, I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" A hush fell across the bar.

"YES!" Veronica shouted at the top of her lungs, rushing towards the stage. The crowd erupted again as Betty jumped from the stage and wrapped Veronica in her arms, kissing her.

"How fucking amazing was that?!" Toni asked the crowd. "Guys, seriously congratulations. Okay, fuck, a lot of love in the room. Here's the most romantic song I know." Toni said, playing the opening chords of 'Just the Way You Are'.

Betty and Veronica had made their way back towards the rest of the group, receiving claps and pats on the back.

"'Betty!" Cheryl squealed, wrapping her arms around her friend before moving to hug Veronica. The bartender congratulated the girls and gave them a complimentary bottle of champagne. Not long after, Toni joined them, brimming with adrenaline and excitement. "You were awesome!" Cheryl said, squeezing her.

"Thanks, babe." Toni said, kissing her quickly.

"Good job, dude." Fangs said, patting her on the arm.

"Champagne?" Betty asked, beaming.

"Not for me thanks." Toni said, accepting the bottle of water from the bartender. "Oh, hey, thank you for coming!" Toni said, spotting Katherine.

"You were awesome!" Katherine said, hugging Toni. "This is Adam." She added.

"Nice to finally meet you." Toni said.

"Same here." He said. "You did a good set, kid."

"Thanks." She said, moving back to Cheryl and wrapping her arm around the redhead's waist.

"Everything good?" Cheryl asked softly, putting her arm around Toni.

"Everything's amazing." Toni replied, smiling softly at her group of friends.