Start Again | Choni

good girls are blonde, bad girls are brunette, and the devils are redheads

Cheryl's POV

Saturday arrives, and Toni and I finally agree to a sleepover at hers. I waited by the park for her to show, and she waved as she brought her bike to a halt. She chucked me a helmet and I climbed onto the back as we rode towards Pop's for lunch. When we arrived, Pop's was extremely busy and I was tempted to turn around and just go, but she pulled me inside and we sat at the only empty booth by the window. I was facing the back of the diner, away from the door, so I didn't see them walk in. But Toni did and she frowned. "What?" I turned around and saw Delaney and Josie walk in. Delaney spotted us and they walked towards our table.

"Hey, mind if we join?" She asked in her high-pitched voice before squeezing in without waiting for an answer. "Toni, you don't mind, do you?" Toni just shrugged and let Josie sit beside her. "So, what are we gossiping about today?" She looked from Toni to me to Toni again. "Just, um, just our music project." "Really? You sing, wow, you must be good." Delaney laughed, definitely pretending to be impressed. Toni didn't answer but Delaney pressed on. "You must let me hear you sometime." "Yeah, sure, whatever." Toni said casually. I kept focused on the menu until I heard my name being mentioned. "Cheryl sings too, don't you Cher?" Toni was trying to include me in the conversation, "Oh, yeah, um a bit." Delaney didn't seem to interested and spent the rest of the lunch time talking non stop. After we finished, Toni and I stood up to leave. "Hey, what are you up to this afternoon?" Delaney asked, standing up too. "Oh, just hanging out at mine." Toni shrugged. "That sounds fun, don't you think, Josie?" Delaney nudged her friend, who smiled. "Whatever." "Great, we'll follow you."

I groaned inwardly as we rode to the South side, I was going to be stuck with Delaney and Josie for the rest of the afternoon. Well, at least I had the night time to myself. I'd never been to this part of Riverdale, but I'd heard the stories about the serpents and the bikers. Toni reassured me as we entered her trailer that everything was going to be fine. "I trust you." I said, and I did.

Her trailer was spotless, with her books piled in one corner, a guitar resting on its stand, magazines stacked on top of a make-shift coffee table in front of the small television. It was peaceful until Delaney and Josie entered, Delaney was still talking. "This is great, Toni, nice place." Toni sat on her couch and picked up her guitar. "You wanted to hear me sing, Delaney?" She nodded and sat beside her whilst Josie went to the bathroom and I sat at the other end of the couch.

So they're going away
So they've left you
And they asked you to stay
So life's not going your way
Call in the morning
Ask for a new day
Call in the morning
Ask for a new day

Fuck the system
Down with the man
Look at all the things that they've done to the land
Call it over
Call the shots
Don't you listen if they tell you that you're not enough

Here's to life
Here's to us
And here's to you
Yeah here's to us

In light of darkness and come what may
Do what you will with the power of the day
Call it over
Call the shots
Don't you listen if they tell you that you're not enough

Here's to life
Here's to us
Here's to you
Yeah here's to us

When the night is breaking
And all my friends are taking
Things that make them hurt inside
I hope you stop and think
I hope you stop and think
I am lucky to be alive
I hope you stop and think
I hope you stop and think
I am lucky to be alive

Here's to life
Here's to us
Here's to you
Yeah here's to us

And here's to life
And here's to us
And here's to you
And here's to us

Here's to life
Here's to us
And here's to you
Here's to us

When she finished, she was looking at me, but Delaney jumped right in. "Wow, Toni, that was so good. When did you learn to play the guitar?" I tuned out of their conversation and focused on a tune in my head. Toni reminded me of when I used to just play all day long, whatever tune came into my head. Apparently, I started to close my eyes because the next thing I knew, I woke up and I was covered in a blanket, lying across the couch. Toni was sitting cross-legged opposite me, a pencil in her hand, a notebook on her lap. She put the book away when she saw me stir and grinned. "They're gone, Cher, it's just us." I sat up slowly, stretching and adjusting my glasses.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have fallen asleep." I apologized but she stopped me and just laughed. "You're so cute when you're flustered." She said, moving to sit beside me. "Don't worry about it, she was getting on my nerves as well." "I got thinking about the project, and about a song we could do." I suggested nervously. She beamed and picked up her guitar. "Here, I'm listening."

I closed my eyes and let the foreign, intense feelings fill me up before I started to sing.

Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'll be the one, if you want me to
Anywhere, I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you
And I am feeling so small
It was over my head
I know nothing at all
And I will stumble and fall
I'm still learning to love
Just starting to crawl
Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
Anywhere, I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you

When I finished, I felt myself choking up but Toni already had tears falling, but her eyes were filled with passion. "That, that was beautiful, Cher." "I-I haven't finished it, but I was hoping you'd like to do the next part?" Toni looked excited, "Of course. But I think, first, we should rest." She laughed and gently pushed me onto her lap so my head was resting on her thighs as she gently unbraided my hair and removed my glasses.

"What are you doing?" I mumbled, getting tired already. "Just making you look even more beautiful, Cher." She said softly, stroking out my curls. "Hey, your hair is gorgeous." She said. "No, it really isn't. It's a mess, and it's bright red, and hideous." "Who told you that?" Toni sat up straight and I nearly slid off her lap. "Oh, someone I used to know. They always say that good girls are blonde, bad girls are brunette, and the devils are redheads." I said simply. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, they told you that?" I nodded. "I've already accepted that I'm utterly worthless." "No, you're not. You're not, Cheryl, you have to believe that. The only devils are those who prey on the shy, the quiet, the people who don't make fools of themselves on a daily basis, not you, okay? I want to hear you say it, Cher, you're not the devil." I was crying by then, my head against her chest, tears soaking her top. "I-I'm not the devil."