now tell me, how did all my dreams turn to nightmares?

Chapter 14

Cheryl awoke to the sound of plates clattering in the kitchen. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes, "What's going on?"

"Shit," Claude said. "I was tryin' not to wake you."

"What time is it?"

"Just after six," the man said. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"Toni spent the night," she smiled, relishing in being able to say those words. "I gave her the bed."

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that the girl?"

Cheryl blushed and nodded. "She is."

"You know, Goose," Claude rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "as long as things stay PG in there, I don't mind if y'all share the bed."

"Oh," Cheryl blushed deeper, "it's not like that... not... not yet."

"Ah. Well, when it is," he smiled. Claude tilted his neck, looking down the hall. "Speak of the devil."

"Where am I?" Toni asked, emerging from Cheryl's bedroom looking incredibly disheveled.

The redhead's heart plummeted. "You don't remember?"

"Cheryl?" the blonde squinted. "Is this your place?" Cheryl nodded in response, wondering how much Toni remembered of the previous night. "I guess we came back here from the bar."

A sigh of relief left Cheryl's lungs. Toni did remember, well, some of their evening. "We were both too drunk to drive, especially you."

"Thanks," Toni ran a hand through her hair as she padded into the living room. She sat in the arm chair and yawned.

Cheryl couldn't help but grin, admiring how adorable Toni looked. "How about I get you some Advil and make something for breakfast before driving you home?" she asked.

"That'd be great," the shorter girl said. "Just some toast or something."

Claude fetched the pills and a glass of water before leaving for his shift, handing them to Cheryl as he left for work. The redhead brought them to Toni with a smile before busying herself in the kitchen. Despite Toni only requesting toast, Cheryl cooked an entire meal. It wasn't anything special, simply runny scrambled eggs, dry toast, and a side of sliced bananas. She prepared the exact hangover meal she always cooked Toni, knowing exactly what the other girl craved when she woke up after a night of drinking.

After their breakfast, Cheryl changed and drove Toni back to Thornhill, though she suspected Toni's family didn't refer to it as such. When she returned, Jughead was waiting for her on the porch.

"Since when are you out this early on a Sunday?" he asked, jumping off the banister.

Cheryl smiled widely, "Since Toni spent the night, and I had to drive her home."

His eyes grew large, "What the hell was that text last night?"

"I have a lot to catch you up on," Cheryl said as she walked passed him to unlock the front door and enter the trailer. "Wait a second, why are you here this early?"

"I had some inspiration and was up late researching," the boy explained. "Didn't even sleep." Jughead downed a huge drink of coffee from the tumbler he carried in his hand. "I was out walking and noticed your car was gone."

"Inspiration on what?" she asked, intrigued.

"On you," Jughead answered. "On your life. On what could have possibly changed between our two versions of reality for them to be so different! And I think I've figured it out."

"You figured out how to get me home?"

"No," he said. Jughead's face fell as he realized how Cheryl had interpreted his excitement. "I figured out what changed. I figured out where the timeline changed."