The Man Who Never Speaks

6. Thunder on a Thursday

"And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite."

————

On a Thursday morning, it was drizzling just slightly. The sky seemed to prepare for the big forecasted thunderstorm that was about to reach Riverdale around midnight.

The dark clouds almost looked like a warning as they were hanging over town, but as always people were too busy paying attention to anything dangerous that might be waiting for them.

The same went for Alice, who was on her weekly morning run through Pickens' park to clear her mind. Even when she wasn't a big fan of working out, with everything around her changing so fast it was the perfect way to literally and figuratively take a breath.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely even registered that slowly, the rain was covering her. That was the danger of those tiny raindrops— suddenly they had caught you.

However, the more she realized that her outfit was getting soaking wet (and because she didn't want to catch a cold because of it), she was about to turn around to start the second part of her run back home.

Before she could even do so, her eyes fell on a familiar redhead sitting on the bench on her right side. She was sobbing quietly, a sight of a vulnerable girl that Alice hadn't expected to see.

"Cheryl? Are you alright?" Alice asked concerned, making the young girl snap her head up. Her eyes grew wide when she saw who it was.

"Mayor Smith..." She breathed out in a faint whisper, her hands shaking. It was only eight in the morning, the girl hadn't expected to run into someone she knew.

"I'm fine." Cheryl immediately wiped away her tears and pursed her lips. It was a failed attempt to hide the deep sadness in her eyes.

She had always been taught to keep her emotions to herself and she had no idea how to deal with the fact that the woman she hadn't even dared to give a friendly smile, was the one asking her if she was okay.

"You're sitting on a park bench crying barely after sunrise. I don't believe you're fine." Alice walked her way and slowly sat down on the bench next to her. She expected for the girl to get up and walk away but to her surprise she didn't.

"Why would you care?" She scoffed a little and sniffed, her eyes stained red from all the crying.

Cheryl couldn't even look her into her eyes, afraid that she would break down once more. She was a Blossom, and Blossoms didn't show any weakness.

"It looks like you need someone to talk to. What is bothering you? You can tell me. No judgement." Alice said softly, trying to approach her with kindness.

They might have started off on the wrong foot, but a teenage girl sitting here crying her eyes out early in the morning was very worrisome. She'd never let her sit there without proposing a listening ear.

Cheryl was a little taken aback by the sweet tone in Alice's voice, considering she had never treated her with the kindness Alice was willing to offer. She was terrified to talk to someone, but as for right now she was the only one around.

When Cheryl dared to look up, she was trying to find an ulterior motive written on Alice's face, but she couldn't find it. Her eyes sparked with something genuine, which is why she slowly started to open up.

"I have been in a fight with my mother." Cheryl confessed silently, as she wrapped her hands in the sleeves of her sweater.

The drizzly rain had made her cold and she hadn't noticed the goosebumps on her skin until after her little bubble was burst.