I see through you - A Choni Story

29 - The boy's change room

Toni's pov

Toni watched the shaky recording of Veronica kissing her directly on the lips. She had regretted not saying anything to Cheryl when she had the chance. She stared back up, meeting with the redhead's eyes. Anger, frustration and outrage blared in her eyes, and just as the Serpent, so did confusion and heartbreak.

"Cheryl, you don't understand, let me explain," she pleaded.

"Then explain why you two went back into the Pembrooke," the video kept playing as they watched Veronica being carried inside by Toni.

"Cheryl, it's not her fault I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Lodge!" the redhead blocked the raven-haired girl's face with her hand "How dare you have the audacity kiss MY girlfriend and to even think about going back inside with her,"

"Cheryl, babe, please just calm down and-"

"Oh wait, did I say 'girlfriend'? I'm sorry, I meant ex-girlfriend!"

Toni kept her mouth shut, she didn't want to make things worse although, she doubt it could.

"And you, Lodge," Cheryl took a step closer to the raven-haired girl, "You think you can just waltz into Riverdale, the Blossom's town, with your daddy's filthy money, do whatever you want, take my place at school and now do this. Well, think again,"

She was speechless as Cheryl flipped her hair in Veronica's face to storm out of the room, followed by the other girls. The Serpent turned her head back towards the raven-haired girl who seemed embarrassed, as if the entire class was staring at them. They were.

Toni couldn't just stand there and not do anything, she had to go after the redhead. Knowing her well, she was certain Cheryl wouldn't return to class after a scene like that.

Cheryl's pov

Josie and the other girls had returned to class whilst the redhead headed to the front entrance to reach her car. It was beginning to become quite common for the students to simply leave the school and their problems behind. As always, Pop's would be the ideal place to go, it made the day of many students. The wondrous aromas, the good-for-a-dinner food, the retro aesthetic and the upbeat mood was almost therapeutic.

Before she had the chance to walk out the door, she heard Toni's voice calling her name from behind. She couldn't believe she allowed herself to fall in love with the Serpent. She let her guard down, thinking she had found love in her life. Toni was certainly the last person she wanted to hear from.

"Cheryl, wait! Don't go out that door,"

"Why shouldn't I?" the redhead turned to face Toni.

"Can you just give me a minute to explain," the Serpent pleaded.

"Explain? Explain! I bet it'd be rather difficult to come up with an excuse- sorry I mean 'explain'" Cheryl air quoted with a mocking voice, "why there is a video of you and Veronica kissing last night on Chuck's story!"

"I wasn't kissing her," Toni defended herself "She kissed me!"

"Because that makes things soooo much better," the redhead rolled her eyes sarcastically "You know what, now I know why you couldn't tell me in person when you left last night, you just couldn't say it to my face," Cheryl's voice began to tremble.

"It wasn't like that at all, Veronica was-"

"Look, I really don't want to hear how amazing your experience was," the redhead turned around to leave "Just... don't follow me, is all I ask,"

Toni's pov

Toni kept her head down as she walked back to class. She saw Veronica leaning against the lockers near the door with her phone in hand. Toni went up to her and looked over her shoulder to see the video posted on Chuck's Instagram playing on repeat.

"You have to believe me," the raven-haired girl begged, "I truly don't remember ever kissing you,"

"It's alright, I'm not mad at you, Veronica. I know you weren't thinking straight last night,"

"Well since I've met Betty, when have I ever?" the girls giggled at her joke.

"Yeah..." Toni's laugh faded away "I shouldn't blame you, we should both blame the guy behind the screen,"

"I can't believe Chuck would do such a thing," the raven-haired girl sighed.

Toni thought for a few instants as she stared at Chuck's profile picture. She walked back into the classroom as Veronica followed her to see that the teacher was no longer at his desk. After a few minutes of asking around, Toni glanced back towards Veronica.

"Follow me," the Serpent directed Veronica to the hallway as she walked out of the classroom "We're going to go pay a little visit to the bastard,"

-

"Where are we heading?" Veronica asked as she trailed behind the Serpent.

"First period should end just about any second now," Toni began to explain "Which means Chuck should be heading to the change rooms for PE,"

"Sounds like a plan,"

"Wait, you're completely content with the idea of going in the boy's change room?" Toni stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah," Veronica shrugged "In fact, this isn't the first time I had to go into the boy's change room for confronting, it's not even the second,"

The bell rung as the halls began to fill with students rushing from class to class. Toni and Veronica began to slow down as the much larger and taller students began to crowd the way. The Serpent had always wondered what it would be like to be a tall student, her head above water, looking down at all the other heads.

Eventually, the girls made their way to the change room, right before the second bell rung. Toni kicked the door open to a room full of shirtless juniors and confused stares. Chuck Clayton changed near the opposite side of the room as he turned to face the girls.

"If it isn't Toni and Veronica," he smirked "What should we call them? Toronica? Veroni?"

"Take. This. Shit. Down." Veronica ordered infuriated as she held her phone to show his post.

"No can do, I think I like,"

"Ok, first of all, you will take it down before you will regret your parents ever fucked each other," Toni stepped in front of Veronica as she heard some oohs across the room, "And second of all, how the hell did you even get this video?"

"Some friends and I were coming home from the Bijou and we saw one last show," he smirked "we had to make sure the whole world would see the Serpent Slut and her-"

Toni couldn't stand the smile on his face, taunting her. She couldn't control herself from punching him right across his idiotic face. She left a dark purple bruise right under his eye and he simply chuckled back at her.

"You little bitch," he said through his grinding teeth before returning her a punch to her lips.

By that point, Toni knew there was no turning back. She didn't care that dozens of pairs of eyes laid on her. The Serpent wiped the smeared lipstick off the corner of her mouth. She swung her elbow directly onto his diaphragm, making him step back out of breath.

The much larger and taller bulldog attempted to grab Toni by her neck, forgetting she had been fighting for the Serpents since freshman year. Toni took a hold of his wrist, pulling his face forward into her knee jab, causing his nose to bleed.

"Daaamn," went the boys in the change room.

"Fuck!" Chuck cupped his nose "You're really going to regret this one,"

Toni noticed Chuck's eyes twitch down to the pocket-knife pouch clipped onto her belt.

Let him have his moment of fun

The Serpent didn't react when Chuck got closer to fake a hook punch and pickpocket her knife. He switched the blade open and pointed it to her chest. Toni shrugged it off as child's play before kicking the knife straight out of his hand, causing it to spin back into Toni's grasp.

"Toni Topaz, my office, now!" the principle's voice came from the door.