Toni didn't look back at Cheryl as she left the bathroom. She took Jughead's hand and led him down the hall to where she knew V's room to be. She stepped inside, turned on the light and sat down on the bed with Jughead. He was looking around the room curiously and she could tell it was his first time in V's room. She was sure the other girl wouldn't mind if she used it for a bit. She fiddled with her fingers as she watched him.
"It's nice in here." He said with a weak smile as he ran his hands down the front of his pants before looking over at Toni. His face fell at the expression on her face. "What's wrong?" He asked as he reached over to take her hand. She allowed him looking down at their joined hands.
"I have to tell you something." She whispered the same words she had awhile ago. He nodded his head and waited for her to continue but she didn't really know where to start. She took in a deep breath. "Okay well I guess I'll start with the relationship between me and Cheryl." She whispered and looked up at him. He looked slightly confused at the mention of Cheryl but nodded his head for her to continue anyways. "Well before you and I started dating me and her were... a little more than just friends." She shrugged her shoulders because that was a pretty nice way of putting it.
They were silent and she watched as Jughead tried to understand what she had just said but he looked more confused than ever. "You and Cheryl- Wait, what?" He chuckled with a shake of his head and looked back at her. She took in a deep breath. "I mean, I don't get it." He looked to the door as if he expected Cheryl to step in and explain it to him.
"We were... friends with benefits." He looked slightly hurt at her words now and he stared at her before he slowly nodded his head and she felt the tears come to her eyes because this was the hard part. "And I-I-We never did anything when she was with Reggie and when I started dating you but just down in the bathroom... we..." She trailed off giving him a pleading look to understand so she wouldn't have to say it out loud. It only took a split second for him to understand this time.
"Oh my god!" He shot up from the bed, yanking his hand away from her. He turned his back to her as if just the sight of her disgusted him. He ran his fingers through his wavy hair. She bit her lip as she watched him fighting back the tears that wanted to spill over. She never wanted to hurt him. "Jesus, Toni..." he turned to look at her, his expression a mixture of hurt and anger. "You cheated on me with Cheryl!?" He shouted.
"It was an accident!" She cried as she stood up from the bed as well. "I really, really care about you, Jughead. I never meant to hurt you and I'm so, so sorry." She shook her head as she covered her mouth trying to stop herself from sobbing. Jughead stared at her, his eyes slightly wide as his thoughts raced.
"This is her fault." He suddenly said as he began to pace the room and now it was Toni's turn to look confused. "She always wants to ruin something good if it doesn't benefit her! She-she tricked you! S-she used you! That's what she did! This is her fault!" He yelled as he turned to look at her, his eyes wild, nodding his head at his own words. "Don't worry, sunshine. I won't let her get away with taking advantage of you like this." He said as he stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "We're going to be okay." He tried to smile but she slowly shook her head.
"Cheryl didn't take advantage of me, Jughead." She looked confused at the thought that he would even think something like that. "Everything that Cheryl and I did together was consensual. She never forced me to do anything. I wanted it all." She bit her lip and looked away from him as if she were ashamed.
Jughead could only stare at her and Toni wiped her tears as she kept her eyes away. She was unable to even look at him. She knew she'd see nothing but hurt in his eyes. "Well, at least you don't love her, right?" He finally whispered through the silence and she tensed up at his words. "I mean, we can still be together. I can look pass all of it as long as you're not in love with her and I know you couldn't possibly... right, T?" He asked sounding more unsure of himself with every word. She bit her lip before she slowly looked up at him.
"I'm so sorry, Jughead..."
"No." He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair again. He stepped away from her as she stepped towards him. He shook his head once more before he turned and stormed out of the room. She quickly followed after him, calling his name but he ignored her as he rushed down the stairs and back into the living where Cheryl paced while biting her nail and the others were fully awake and watching her. "You!" He shouted as he reached the bottom the stairs and all eyes fell on him.
"Jughead-" Cheryl started but he quickly cut her off.
"You don't love her!" He shouted and her eyes narrowed as she looked slightly taken back. "Not like how I do, so you better release the hold you have on her! Tell her the truth! Tell her this meant nothing to you!" He yelled and Cheryl stared at him for a beat before her eyes slid over to Toni who stood behind him, holding herself and biting her lip to stop herself from crying. She looked at Reggie next who was watching her like the others. He slowly nodded his head.
"Just tell her..." He encouraged and she swallowed thickly before she looked up at Toni once more.
"Toni..." she sighed.
"It's okay!" Toni quickly shook her head. She had heard Cheryl tell her she didn't love her before. She didn't need to hear it again. "Jughead, Cheryl has told me before that she didn't love me. I know she doesn't." She shook her head as she looked back at Jughead. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Jughead... but don't be mad with Cheryl because this is all my fault. I knew how I felt about her and how I felt about you... I knew the feelings weren't the same but I still lead you on, and for that I'm so sorry." She cried while shaking her head.
The room was silent and they all stared at Toni as she cried before Jughead slowly turned away. He gathered his things, put on his shoes before slowly looking up at Cheryl but the older girl wasn't looking at him like the rest of the room was. She was looking at Toni while biting her nail as if fighting everything in her not to go to her. He clenched his teeth and balled his fists before slowly stepping up to her and finally her eyes fell on him.
"I hate you." He hissed through his teeth. Her eyes narrowed and her lips formed a thin line as she stopped biting her nail but she said nothing and he turned and rushed out the house, slamming the door behind him. Cheryl released a breath before looking back at Toni, who had sank down to sit on the steps. Her head in her hands that were on her knees. She quickly rushed to her side and sat down next to her.
"TT." She whispered before she hesitantly pushed brown hair out the way to cup the back of Toni's neck, massaging it softy as she tried to soothe her. Toni only shook her head in her hands.
"Please... please leave me alone, Cheryl." She whispered and Cheryl bit her lip before she removed her hand. She nodded her head before standing back up. She walked around the couch and slipped on her boots. She put on her jacket before looking at Veronica who was already watching her but the other girl tensed up the moment Cheryl's eyes landed on her.
"Take care of her, okay?" And Veronica nodded her head quickly.
"Sure. Of course." She said before jumping up and making her way over to Toni quickly. She sat down where Cheryl had been and wrapped her arm around the little brunette, pulling her into her side. Cheryl sighed before she looked at Reggie who was frowning up at her, a look of sympathy in his eyes.
"Call me later. If you want to talk." He whispered and she nodded before making her way out the door, closing it quietly behind her.
"I'm a horrible friend." Toni cried.
"No. You're not a bad friend, Toni. Everyone makes mistakes." V said as she rubbed her arm and looked down at her. Toni only shook her head. "Yeah, Jughead is hurting right now and so are you and probably Cheryl too, but time heals all wounds and I'm sure in no time you'll all be friends again." Toni calmed down to sniffling but still kept her face hidden away in her hands as Archie walked over to take a seat on the other side of her and Reggie stood in front of her. "You just have to give him time. He'll be okay."
"You really think so?" Toni asked as she finally looked up at V, wiping under her nose with her sleeve. V offered a small smile as she nodded her head and wiped Toni's tears from her cheeks. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I never meant for it to." She shook her head.
"We know that, T." Archie finally chipped in and Toni looked at him next. "And I'm sure Jughead knows it too. Give him a little time and he'll forgive you."
"I don't think I deserve his forgiveness. I broke his heart and I know how hard it is to fix one of those." She whispered as her eyes fell to the floor. Reggie took a step forward before crutching down in front of her and placing a hand on her knee.
"Talking about Cheryl?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and she slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, she's a heart breaker that's for sure, but the last person's heart she'd ever want to break is yours, Toni." He shook his head and she frowned as she looked away from him. "She's never been good with words... like, at all, but her actions often speak enough for her."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she's in love with you." He nodded and her eyes widened slightly because this was the first time that someone else thought that Cheryl was actually in love with her besides herself. "She's never said it before, probably not even to herself, but the way she acts around you says it all. You have her full attention when you're in a room together. Her eyes light up with such intensity and just by watching her looking at you I can tell that you're everything and the only thing she wants. You're probably the only person in this world who could make her laugh and smile and I'm pretty sure you're the only person who can make her cry because Cheryl Blossom doesn't cry. I've known Cheryl for a long time, so believe me when I say... she's in love with you. She loves you, T"
Toni could only stare at Reggie like V and Archie, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. She was in shock. She couldn't process his words though they repeated in her head over and over again. "And you're okay with this?" V spoke first, voice soft, and her eyebrows pulling together in confusion. Reggie allowed a small smile to come to his lips before he nodded his head.
"I mean, it hurt at first but all I really want is for Cheryl to be happy. She hasn't been truly happy in a long time and I think that Toni can give that to her. Cheryl will always be my best friend though" He said as his brown eyes fell back on Toni. "And if Jughead is a true friend then he'll forgive you like how I forgave Cheryl and still be your friend in the end." He nodded and she nodded as well before leaning forward, falling into him as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
"Thank you, Reggie." She mumbled in his neck and he wrapped his arms around her small frame, holding her tightly as he returned the hug. "Thank you so much." He nodded his head before she pulled back and wiped the rest of her face off tears and snot. "I should talk to her." She stood up quickly and the others did the same.
"You should probably actually get some sleep Toni. It's been a long night and it's pretty late." Veronica said as she looked at the clock.
"But-"
"No buts, Missy. You can talk to Cheryl in the morning. It's probably for the best if you both sleep on it anyways." She said with her hands on Toni's shoulders and turned her towards the stairs. She began to push her up them and Toni pouted as she looked over her shoulder at the boys for help but they both just shrugged their shoulders.
"She's probably right." Reggie said and Archie nodded his head.
"We'll clean up down here and then head out." Archie called after them.
"Okay, thanks guys!" V waved back at them before the two girls disappeared up the stairs.
The two boys cleaned up their mess from downstairs before heading out. The two girls brushed their teeth and climbed in their night clothes before getting in the bed together. V feel asleep quickly while Toni laid awake beside her. Her thoughts kept racing back to what Reggie had said about Cheryl. She knew the older girl had to have felt something for her but she didn't think she was in love with her. She had worked so hard to try and forget her feelings for Cheryl, telling herself that she would never return her feelings and here Reggie was, telling the opposite. It gave her stomach butterflies.
But those butterflies turned into sickening tight knots when she thought back to how she pushed Cheryl away, both in the bathroom and on the stairs. Cheryl probably hated her now for it. She bit her lip at the thought and tried to think of something else but that just made her think of Jughead and the hurt look on his face when she couldn't tell him that she wasn't in love with Cheryl, because it would be big, fat lie.
How did everything turn out so messed up?
She just wanted to be with Cheryl. It started out as two friends just having fun, exploring themselves together, then she began to really like Cheryl as more than just a friend. She began to like everything about her, from the black dye in her hair to her obsession with correct grammar. That like turned into a love and before she knew it she loved everything about Cheryl, from the color of her eyes to the combat boots she always wore. She loved Cheryl but loving her caused her to hurt a lot so she turned to Jughead who was always so comforting. He comforted her when her feelings for Jughead hurt her too much. And now she had hurt him when all he ever did was be there for her.
She was a bad friend. A terrible friend.
She tossed and turned with these thoughts in her mind before sleep finally came to take her.
"Toni... T, honey, wake up."
She was woken up gently by a hand on her shoulder. She blinked a few times before looking over to the clock to find that it was only seven in the morning. She frowned as she looked up at the person who had woken her, only to find V's mother staring down at her, a frown on her lips and eyes filled with worry. A little bit of light peeked through the blinds and light from the hall shined into the room but besides that the rest of the room was still pretty dark.
"Mrs. Lodge? Did I do something wrong?" She asked as she slowly sat up right in bed. V's mother quickly shook her head as she sat down at the end of the bed and shook Veronica's shoulder to wake her up.
"Of course not, Toni. I need to tell you something." She whispered as Veronica groaned before sitting up.
"Mom, it's the weekend." She groaned.
"I know, V, but I need you and Toni to put your shoes on and get your coats on." She said, her voice soft as if she didn't want to alarm them but Veronica's face immediately went into panic mood knowing when her mother was trying to down play an emergency so as to not freak them and Toni felt her own heart kick start at the expression on Veronica's face.
"Mom, what is it?" Veronica's voice was tight as if trying to stop herself from panicking. Her mother sighed before looking over to Toni who tensed up under her glaze.
"I just got a phone call from Mr. Blossom." She started and Toni felt her heart drop in her stomach, a knot forming in her throat. "Cheryl was in an accident late last night. She's been in the hospital since this morning."
"What?" Veronica whispered before her eyes quickly snapped to Toni. Toni's mouth was parted slightly as she stared at Mrs. Lodge. Her breathing was quick as if ready to have a panic attack. She gripped the sheets so tightly her knuckles turned white. She felt numb like an out of body experience. This couldn't be real. She was having a bad dream. A really bad dream.
"I'm going to throw up." She whispered, her voice shaking as tears quickly burned her eyes. V's mother quickly scooted closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Breathe, Toni. Cheryl is okay. She's going to be perfectly fine. She has a few bruises and broken bones but other than that she'll be okay." Toni felt her body relax and she covered her mouth, not sure if she was trying to stop the sob that wanted to come out or the throw up she thought was surely trying to come up her throat as well. "She just woke up a few moments ago and has been asking for you."
