Start Again | Choni

like a whole new person

Toni's POV

After Cheryl left on Sunday morning, I missed her. I don't understand, I just can't stop thinking about her. Her beautiful hair, her beautiful eyes behind those glasses, and her beautiful lips. Her cherry red lips. "Toni?" Someone was knocking on my trailer door. I opened it and was surprised to see Hermione Lodge of all people outside. I looked around to see if anyone else was around, but it was just her. "Mrs Lodge, what's going on?" "May I come in?"

She sat at the edge of the sofa, opposite me. "Toni, I just wanted to talk to you about Cheryl." When she said Cheryl's name, I was intrigued. What could she possibly want to talk to me about Cheryl for? How did she even know me, or Cheryl? "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Why do you want to talk about Cheryl?" She took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm Cheryl's legal guardian, she lives with me and my daughter at the Pembrooke." Wait, what? Cheryl lives with the family of poison that is the Lodges? What about her family? "And, what does that have to do with me?" I asked. "Well, there's something I need to tell you, about Cheryl. And you can't tell her that I told you this, but it's very important." "Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"Cheryl grew up within the grounds of Thornhill estate, but as I'm sure you're aware of, it was burned down, and the Blossom family perished. However, Cheryl was not at Thornhill on the night of the fire, she was at a place called the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, a home for troubled youths, as well as an orphanage..." "But Cheryl was neither troubled nor parentless?" I interrupted, not buying the story. "Toni, I don't want to explain this part, it isn't my place to say, but there was another reason for Penelope sending Cheryl away. But when the Blossoms died, they thought that the bloodline ended with Cheryl, as they had severed ties with the rest of their family, including the Coopers, who were Blossoms to begin with. Except that there was one relative left in Riverdale. And this was only discovered a few months ago."

"Who? Maybe we can find them, talk to them." She sighed. "Toni, I'm her only living relative. Penelope Blossom is, was, my cousin. My maiden name was Gomez, and my great grandfather, he was a Blossom. You see, the feud between the Coopers and Blossoms extended to my family, too, because it wasn't just brother killing brother, it was brother killing brothers, or trying to at least. They were triplets, a rare occurrence, but not too rare within the Blossom family. They're known for having twins and triplets, extending the branches of their family tree across the States, and into Canada as well. There are Blossoms, and ex-Blossoms everywhere, and I wouldn't be surprised if half this town had at least one drop of Blossom blood." "So what are you saying?" "Cheryl is my niece, effectively, but she cannot know that. Not just yet. And especially Veronica. Veronica has made it abundantly clear that she does not like the Blossom family, and I don't want her to, God forbid, hurt Cheryl. I just want someone to look out for her, because she hasn't had an easy start in life, but she speaks highly of you, and I know you care about her too."

After our little heart-to-heart, I didn't know what to do. Instincts told me to talk to Cheryl, but Hermione Lodge told me not to, and I know the rules, never cross a Lodge. I was split with indecision and ended up staying up all night, worrying about Cheryl, who was living each night under the roof of Veronica Lodge, whose father was a known criminal. But more importantly, Hermione was a Blossom, and that meant Veronica was a Blossom too.

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Cheryl walked through the gates, her bag swinging just as wildly as her red hair, which she had tied into a ponytail, the ends catching the morning sunlight, burning as red as the flames of fire. I stood by my bike as she walked over, and I realized she wasn't wearing her glasses. "Whoa, you look amazing without the glasses, what happened?" I asked. "Oh, Hermione took me to get contacts instead, they make my eyes look bigger." She seemed much happier, and more confident, it was like a whole new person, almost. "You're so gorgeous, you know." She blushed and we walked inside together, hand in hand.

During my free period, I looked into the records of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, and something caught my eyes. It was an old article about suspected illegal activities, and they were accused of running illegal conversion therapy for homosexuals. I started putting two and two together, and I realized just why Cheryl was so nervous and shy around me, and why she decided not to talk to me about the Sisters. God her mother truly was a piece of work.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" I asked her as I met her by her locker for lunch. "Oh, nothing really." She shrugged. "You're a terrible liar, you know, Cher. What's on your mind?" I led her out of the building to go for a walk and she admitted it. "It's just Veronica and the vixens, and Delaney, they're all just so horrible." "What have they said?" "Just that I don't belong here, and I should have died in the fire with my family." "Don't listen to them, Cher, they're all stupid. Ignore them." "Thanks, Toni. You always make me feel better." She blushed and I pulled her into my arms.

"Well well well. Look what we have here." Veronica and Delaney were standing in front of us, their arms folded. "Leave us alone, Veronica." I pulled Cheryl with me as we made to leave but Veronica stepped forward. "You watch yourself, Toni, and you, Cheryl. This isn't over." Well they got that right.

Music was our last period, and when Cheryl and I entered the music room, Miss Grundy was at her piano, and the rest of the students were gathered around, chatting. "Hey, guys, look who it is." Josie said as we walked in. The group spread out and when I saw who was in the middle, I almost punched her. "Hey, Toni. Surprise."