Fri 6:04PM: Hey Cher-bear, we meeting up tonight?
Fri 8:12PM: Let me know please, babe...
Fir 9:32PM: I guess that's a no?
Sat 8:17AM: Text me when you're free.
Cheryl had honestly missed Toni's first two texts, her cell phone in her locker while she cheered at the game. She should have replied as soon as she saw them, but Josie distracted her; stepping before Cheryl in her underwear and asking if she and some of the other girls could all go to Pop's together.
Not wanting to say no, because she was afraid that if she said no too many times people wouldn't ask her to hang out in the future. So the girls headed to Pop's, everyone giggling as Josie gave them the recap of the date she'd gone on with Chuck. Apparently it was a disaster.
When she entered Pop's she noticed Toni seated at the counter, with Sweet Pea and a few other Serpents, glancing at Cheryl with a disappointed stare. That's when the third message came in and Cheryl couldn't appear distracted, wanting to enjoy her time with her fellow class mates. She didn't know what to say to Toni anyway.
Josie invited the girls to spend the night, which was really fun; they stayed up and talk about music, the new movies they'd seen, and of course, boys. Cheryl shrugged when they asked who she was into at school, "I don't know... I think they're all too childish for me. We'll have to go to a college party." She responded. The girl's loved the idea, discussing how this would happen.
When she woke up she had another text from Toni, and her heart sank at knowing Toni would probably be upset with her lack of replies. Just as she was about to reply, her mother called, scolding her for not being home, for not remembering they had family coming in from out of town for business.
She rushed home, and as soon as she was through the front door Penelope had a boney hand around her upper arm, pulling Cheryl into the nearby study.
"Blossoms don't sleep around, Cheryl. Look at you. You're a mess." She said, turning her nose up at Cheryl's less than perfect appearance.
"I only stayed over at Josie's house, mother. All the girls were there." She defended. Her parents usually didn't even notice when she wasn't home, but today she was disrespecting the family by being absent while they had guests.
"I'm sure they were. Clean yourself up and be pleasant to our guests. Don't embarrass us anymore than you already have. Hurry up."
Before tears could fall Cheryl ran up to her room, securing her door behind her, her room a prison as much as it was a solace.
She didn't have time to break down, knowing the longer she was the more wrath she'd endure from her parents. So she cleaned up and got ready, appearing as perfect as ever in her signature color, spending the whole day acting exactly like her parents would want her to as they attended to family business together.
She hated being an only child.
When she was finally back in her room for the night, she sat rigidly on her bed, big heavy tears running down from her eyes into the corners of her lips, salty and wet.
With a shaky hand she looked down at her phone, Toni's texts screaming up at her.
I'm sorry, I was busy - my family is in for business. Could you meet me on the far side of Blossom cemetery?
She sent Toni her reply, wiping her tears away and trying to forget about them.
Is a half hour okay?
