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Cheryl spent the weekend thinking. She knew what she had to do, but it was the last thing she wanted. She knew she needed to end things before Toni fell in love with her. It was the only way to prevent the curse from being broken. Because to Toni, this wasn't a curse at all. This was a chance at real happiness.
The redhead began dodging Toni's calls and responding to her texts with short, one word answers. It was killing Cheryl inside, but pushing her away felt like the best thing. As long as Toni didn't love her, she could keep her perfect life.
Jughead thought she was insane, and maybe she was. He tried to convince her that this was the real world, and that all she was doing was causing Toni pain. Cheryl didn't listen; she knew better.
"Cher, even if you are right, don't you want to get home?" he asked.
"Not at her expense," Cheryl said adamantly. "I love her too much."
"So what? You're just going to go through life miserable so she can be happy?"
"Yes!" she barked. The anguish stirred within her as she fought back tears. Cheryl knew what she needed to do, her own pain meant nothing.
Her phone lit up, another text from Toni. The pinkette had been texting her all weekend, wondering what was wrong.
"You at least owe her an explanation," Jughead deadpanned.
"What am I supposed to say?" Cheryl cried. "Sorry I can't date you anymore. If you fall in love with me you'll lose everything?"
"So just string her along forever?"
A sob escaped her throat as Cheryl fell to the bed. "I have to let her go."
"I can't believe you," Jughead shook his head. "This whole time you've been fighting for her, and now you are just giving up. I'm ashamed of you."
"I'm putting her first!"
"The way I see it you have three possibilities here," the boy explained. "One, this is real, and all you are doing is hurting her. Two, everyone is cursed, and you'd be taking away her family. Or three, none of this is real. You are trapped in Oz like Dorothy, and your Toni is out there, somewhere, waiting for you to get back. You're really willing to chance everything on a hunch?"
"I can't be the reason she's miserable. I can't."
Jughead huffed, "Maybe you're the reason she's happy! Did that ever occur to you?!"
"Please go," Cheryl said. "I need to prepare what I'm going to say to her at school tomorrow."
"I'm ashamed of you," he scoffed. "I've never said that before. You're my best fucking friend, Cher, but right now... you're nothing like any Cheryl I recognize."
-
Two hours later, Cheryl laid in bed, staring at her ceiling. Tomorrow was Monday, the day she would break Toni's heart. She wasn't ready, but it had to be done. If she didn't, Toni's family, her status, her wealth, it would all be taken away... Cheryl refused to let that be her fault.
