The Man Who Never Speaks

20. Hello, My Friend

"And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky)
And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies)."

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The sun had just set when Alice walked out of City Hall, ready to finally go home, take a relaxing bath and go to sleep. However, the universe had other plans for her. Something important, that could change someone's life.

But it wouldn't be a challenge. It would come natural to her, as a mother's instinct that had been suppressed too long. When she walked out of the head entrance, she saw a familiar redheaded girl sitting on the bench in front, with shocking shoulders and tears stuck on her snow white cheeks.

"Cheryl? Honey, what is going on?" Alice sat down next to her and placed her hand on her shoulder to make her look up.

It seemed as if she was being awakened out of her bubble. On instinct, Cheryl immediately held onto Alice, as if she was the only thing that kept her standing.

"My M-Mother. She kicked me out. She kicked me out for good." She cried out, her lips trembling and her sobs breaking Alice's heart.

"Now I have nowhere to go. I have nobody. I'm all alone." The girl said quietly, her shallow breaths interrupting her sentence, making Alice tear up as well. She couldn't believe that someone could treat their own flesh and blood like this, especially not a wonderful girl like Cheryl.

"Come here. It's all going to be fine, I promise you." Alice wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close to her chest, her fingers stroking in a calming motion over her scalp.

She knew that nobody should make such promise to a young soul like hers, but Alice had a feeling that she was right about this. If things wouldn't work out with her own family, she'd be there for her. She would give her a family.

"Sorry for bothering you." Cheryl sobbed as she held onto Alice, her embrace creating a warmth in her body that she was sure she had never felt before.

Was this how it was supposed to feel like to have an adult figure who really cared about you? She had no idea.

"You're not bothering me Cheryl. Don't worry about that, sweetheart." Alice pulled her back a little and cupped her cheeks to wipe away the tears that had stuck.

She could take a look directly into her brown eyes and she saw how something had broken inside of her that hadn't before. It made her wonder if it would she would be damaged for good, or that they still had the change to turn the tide.

"Did you talk to Veronica?" She asked softly, one hand taking hers in her own and the other one still stroking her hair to calm her down.

"I did. She's with her mother in New York. She can't make it back until tomorrow." Cheryl averted her gaze and looked down at her hands.

All she wanted was to be held by her girlfriend, who was really trying her hardest to get home as soon as possible. However, even if she would take the earliest flight, she wouldn't be back in Riverdale before tomorrow morning. It was out of her control and yet it made her feel a thousand times more lonely, as if a greater force was trying to keep them apart, too.

"You can stay with me tonight, okay? You'll be safe." Alice promised her, sending her a warm smile to make sure Cheryl knew that her words were genuine.

She had to admit, caring for teenagers or being able to read them wasn't necessarily her specialty but with Cheryl, something natural awakened inside of her, telling her exactly what to do.

"Would you really do that for me?" Cheryl looked up at Alice, her eyes filled with shock.

Nobody, not even her own family, had ever opened their doors for her. The people who were supposed to love her unconditionally were the first ones to drop her at her most lonely moment. But this woman, the one she started off with on the wrong foot, gave her more love than any family member had ever given her.