Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out! If you aren't aware I was working on a collab fic. It is about choni in the zombie apocalypse and available exclusively on AO3. My username is the same there. Be sure to check it out!
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Cheryl woke up with a new sense of purpose, more so than the day before. She was going to fight. Really fight. No more avoiding. She had taken care of her immediate problem, and nothing stood in her way... except Cheryl herself.
"What to wear, what to wear?" the redhead hummed to herself as she rummaged through her closet.
Cheryl wanted something red, but, once again, she was greeted with mostly black. Some of the pieces reminded her of her girlfriend's side of their closet at Thistlehouse. Toni's clothes had more color than the ones before her, most popping with pink or purple.
She took a deep breath, her hand clutching onto one of the black shirts before her for support. Cheryl struggled to control her emotions, feeling overwhelmed with how much she missed her girl. It only fueled her resolve. Today was a turning point. Something felt different; Cheryl didn't know why, but she could feel it.
After making her selection, a Shinedown t-shirt she choose for the large red, lowercase d on the front, Cheryl went about her morning routine. She took her shower, dried her hair, got dressed, and applied her makeup for the day. A smirk appeared upon her face as she uncapped her lipstick. It was her first time applying her signature color to her lips since her altercation with Heather, and the sense of victory she felt as she painted on the vibrant shade was intoxicating.
"Made some extra eggs for you, Goose," Claude called from the living room.
She returned the cap to the tube and yelled back, "Thank you, Uncle. Have a good day at work."
"As good as can be expected," the man laughed as he appeared in the doorway. "And remember the lunch money I left on the counter this time. Need to stop relying on Jughead to make sure you're fed. Supposed to be my job, and here you are... taking care of me."
"You are doing your best," Cheryl told him. "No one can expect any more than that. And, for what it's worth, I think you are doing a great job."
"Well," Claude exhales, "enough of that. It's too early for all that emotional talk. See you at dinner."
One of the few positives of Cheryl's current predicament was her relationship with her uncle. Apart from Jason, she wasn't used to having family care for her. She loved her brother, and he looked out for her, but it wasn't the same. For the first time since she was a little kid, she didn't feel like a burden.
Cheryl found the eggs Claude had left for her and rolled them into a tortilla for easy travel. She threw on her Serpent jacket and tossed her backpack over her shoulders before grabbing her burrito on the way out, locking the trailer door behind her as she left. When she reached her car, Jughead was already waiting for her.
