Start Again | Choni

driving me crazy

Hermione's POV

Hiram was out with Veronica, looking for Cheryl. I downed my second glass of wine before heading to his study. I didn't know what his endgame was, but I knew it wasn't going to be good. And it involved Cheryl and the Serpents. I had to protect her, she truly was my family, not Veronica and Hiram, and I owed it to her to keep her safe. But I also loved her, I loved her like my own. She was just beginning to grow as a person, realising who she was and who she could become. This could just break her once and for all, and I was determined not to let that happen. Even if it meant putting myself in harm's way, but Hiram wouldn't hurt me, would he?

I was rifling through his papers when I found a red folder, with the Lodge Industries logo printed on the front. 'BLOSSOMS' was the title, and I knew it couldn't be good. The first page was an outline of his plans for Cheryl and her extended family and the Southside of Riverdale. My stomach churned as I read it, he was going to turn her into one of his pawns, isolating her and using her to do his bidding. Slowly grooming her to do whatever he wished. All because of some stupid old family feud.

The door slammed shut and I heard Hiram storming inside. Shit. I quickly reshuffled the papers and got up, hiding behind the door. He strode into the study, putting something away in his desk and I slipped back into the living room. Veronica was nowhere to be seen. "Hiram, where's Veronica?" I called out. He came back and sank onto one of the sofas, staring into the fire. "She's gone to look for Cheryl. It won't take long, she knows that girl well. Damn it. I knew she's be a tough one to crack, but she's the crowning jewel to our empire. The daughter of a former drug lord and respected, powerful mobster, finally under my control. It will happen, I will get her back." He said in a voice I'd never heard before. It scared me, seeing such a dark side to him.

He turned to look at me and his expression changed. His face filled with worry and in a heartbeat, he became the caring, sensitive man I'd fallen in love with. "Mi amor, what is it?" This time, I couldn't be strong. I couldn't hide my feelings any longer. For the first time in many years, I cried. "Hiram, please, don't break her like this. Cheryl deserves a chance, she deserves a better life away from this town, away from her dark past. Riverdale is just going to keep her rooted in that dark place in her mind that she's only just beginning to come out of..." He interrupted me with a mortified look, and I saw that same darkness creeping into the corner of his eyes once more. "Please, mi amor, don't start flaking out on me now. We've gone so far, it's just that little bit further. Or are you changing your mind? Don't tell me you actually care about her? She's just another result of the poison that is the Blossom family, and she needs to be contained, taken care of. A poison like this, if left undetected and untreated, will spread through the town and be even more dangerous." He stared hard, putting me on the spot.

I had a decision to make, and I had to make it fast. Hiram was dangerous, but I could take him. I knew all the ins and outs of his business. I knew his game. And I knew I had to get out while I could, because if he was this committed to his mission, he wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted, even if he had to go all the way.

"I'm sorry, Hiram. I can't do this." I said and I ran out of the Pembrooke, down the block and kept running. I didn't care if he was following or not, I just had to leave. I was done with his schemes and his plans, enough people have been hurt thanks to him, and it's time to end this once and for all.

Toni's POV

With nothing better to do, I decided to get some work done. I sighed at the table with my books spread out randomly, I didn't know anything about the book we were reading for English, I had hoped Cheryl would be able to explain it, but I guessed I had to figure it out by myself. Several times I caught myself just staring hopefully at my phone, with the wish that she would magically just send a flurry of text messages, explaining everything in her cute, frantic way, and that things would go back to how they were a few days ago. But that was wishful thinking, and I had to get realistic.

I invited Delaney round to my trailer to practice music. She was my new music partner, now that Cheryl has randomly just swapped out of all her classes. With still no sign of her, I had to think about something else, or rather, someone else. I couldn't stop thinking about her, where she was, what she was doing, whether she was with someone else? I knew her, she wouldn't just lie about something like that. Then what was she doing? Where was she? I couldn't see her anywhere, it was driving me crazy.

"Toni?" Delaney interrupted my train of thought. "Oh, yeah, sorry. What were you saying?" "Just wondering about our song, you wanna sing lead?" I bit my lip and looked at the guitar in the corner. "Oh, I'm not so sure, Delaney, I'm not good with singing in front of others." "Come on, it'll be good, and I'll be there." She smiled and I reluctantly agreed. "Fine, I'll do it. But you're starting." I added and she nodded. "We make a good team." She said brightly, and I had to agree. "Let's get started."

About an hour later, we'd just written one verse, and I was starting to get rather sleepy. I always get tired when I think too hard. "How about a nap?" I suggested, yawning and putting the guitar back on the stand. "Sure." She said and joined me on the couch. "Scoot over then." She laughed and I obliged. Her laugh wasn't the same as Cheryl's, but it was soft and soothing, and I just yawned again. "Come on, lean on me." She said gently and I felt my eyelids closing as I let sleep take over.

I must have slept for a couple of hours when I woke up to loud banging on my door. They wouldn't stop. Delaney was still asleep, her chest slowly rising and falling. "Damn it, I'm coming." I whisper-shouted, getting up. I was shocked when I opened the door and saw Hermione standing at my trailer door, tears staining her cheeks, with desperation in her eyes. "T-Toni, please. Cheryl needs you now more than ever."