Strange Connection

Chapter Seven

It was third-period English, usually one of Cheryl's favorite classes. However, this day would prove that to be false.

As predicted, people had been picking on her all day without hesitation. Every class she had gone to had someone teasing her and humiliating her. English would be no exception.

Both Veronica and Chuck had third period with Cheryl, so naturally, she was bracing for the worst.

She settled into her desk at the side of the room and cautiously looked around. She was one of the first inside because she didn't stop to talk to anybody, unlike how the populars did.

They always strolled in exactly before the bell rang, just missing a tardy slip. Cheryl hoped today would be no different so they wouldn't have time for her, but sadly she saw both dark-haired figures walk through the door a whole 3 minutes before class began. The timid Blossom kept her head down in one last attempt to appear invisible and escape torture, but it seemed the two figures had come early specifically for her.

"Cheryl," Chuck sinisterly smirked while kneeling down next to her desk resting his arms on it. Veronica wasn't far behind him and stopped at the opposite side of her desk while frowning. "Um, no offense Cheryl, but like what are you wearing?" Cheryl looked from Veronica's disapproving gaze down to her outfit. She was wearing leggings with a white collared shirt and a light pink sweater over it.

She knew it probably wasn't the smartest idea to respond, but she gave in anyways, not seeing a problem with her clothes. "What do you m-mean?" Cheryl said unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"How do you expect Topaz to be even relatively attracted to you when you dress like that?" Chuck said trying to catch her off guard. It worked, and the redhead's cheeks flushed immediately as she looked down at the wooden desk.

"Yeah... she's too out of your league, maybe you should lower your goals to someone uglier than you" Veronica added as Chuck laughed and tried to gather himself for his next line, "Come on Ronnie that's not fair," he said trying to contain his giggling, "There's no one uglier than her, she would be alone forever."

Cheryl felt the tears rolling down her cheeks while she wondered how long three minutes could possibly take. The two continued to mock her as she silently shook in her seat not daring to look either of them in the eye. Thankfully, the bell finally rang, signaling everyone to find their seats.

"This has been fun, sorry we couldn't chit-chat longer," Chuck said as they walked back to their desks quickly. Cheryl slowly lifted her head just in time to see Veronica laugh and call her a dyke from her seat across the room. God, kill me now...

...

Much to her surprise, Cheryl made it to lunch alive and in one piece. She sat down at her usual table next to Jughead and began eating her food, desperate for even the slightest of distractions from the rest of the school day. However, halfway through eating one of her baby carrots the feeling of eyes on her pulled her attention back up.

Her gaze was met with three very sympathetic looks from her table made up of her only friends. Possibly the only ones I'll ever have.

Cheryl put her carrot down, "I assume you all heard about what happened on Friday night..." What followed was a couple of sad head nods and depressing "yeahs" from the group.