Choni One Shots pt: 2

388: The One With The Teacher

TONI POV:

"This is 2 weeks late." My teacher says looking at a paper I just handed in. "Yeah I know." I say quietly. "Someone must have died for it to be this late." He says quietly. "Does my sister count?" I ask him. He looks at me in shock. The room is silent for a minute until I break it. "I'm sorry, I didn't email you or anything. I thought my mom sent an email to Weatherbee and he'd relay the message to all my teachers. I guess he didn't." I explain. "That's a lie, I know he sent an email to all my teachers, a few reached out to check on me and tell me not to worry about any of the work. You're the only one who didn't, which is fine, this essay gave me something to distract myself with, but the fact that you just said what you proves to me you have a huge ego problem and probably shouldn't be a teacher." I explain to him. He looks at me. "I'm sorry." I whisper before going and sitting down. I look at Cheryl. "You ok?" She ask quietly. I nod.

I look at Cheryl. "You ok?" She ask quietly. I shrug. "My mom is picking me up in a few minutes." I say practically ignoring her question. I look at her. "I'm impressed with the fact that you stood up for yourself." She tells me. "You should talk to Weatherbee about him. You wouldn't be the only one who's complained maybe this'll be the final straw." She says quietly. "Can you come down with me?" I ask her. She nods. We both stand up and go down to the office. "So how long are you doing half days?" She ask quietly. "Until I'm ready. So probably for a few weeks." I tell her. She nods. "Shouldn't you come in late?" She ask quietly. I look at her. "Why?" I ask confused. "You get to sleep in." I shrug. "I don't hate getting up early. Especially recently." I say sadly. "I haven't been sleeping well." I shake my head. We get into the office. "I'll come over after school and we can talk?" She ask quietly. I nod. She looks at me. "I'm sorry that I'm kinda out of it today." I tell her. "Don't be sorry." She says quietly. I look at her and hold back tears. "I'm gonna go and talk to Weatherbee." I say forcing a smile. I knock on the door to his office. "Come in!" I open the door. "Ms. Topaz! I was about to call you down. Sit." I sit down in front of his desk. "What's up?" He ask quietly. "Mr. James embarrassed me in front of the whole class." I tell him. "I know. Today is his last day. Some other kids have complained about him and I have someone report back to me on what happens in that class and they told me what happened." I nod. "I think I need to stay at home for a little bit longer." I tell him. "We can come up with a plan." He tells me. "What do you mean?" I ask him. "Finish your senior year at home." He suggests. "I know losing your sister was so hard, especially the way you did. I know how close you were." I nod. I look at him.

"I found her." I whisper. "I didn't do anything because I was in so much shock. I checked her pulse and she was gone. I just waited for my mom to find her." I explain. "I can't go back to school." I whisper. Cheryl takes my hands. "No one should lose their sister like this." She says quietly. "Everyone says that." I whisper. "I know. It's true though." I nod. "You're the only one I have told that too." I tell her. "I figured." She whispers. "I don't want to talk about it." She nods. "I'm doing school remotely for the rest of the year." I tell Cheryl. "I can barely get out of bed and everyone knows what happened. I can't look at anyone right now." I tell her. She nods. "I felt the same way when Jason died." She says quietly. "How did you do it?" I ask sitting up in bed. "Therapy." She tells me. "Can you stay tonight? I don't want to be alone right now." She nods sitting next to me and getting under the covers. "If you want to talk right now about anything, I'm all ears." She tells me as she lies her head on my shoulder. "She left a note." I whisper. "My parents don't know about it, I took it before they got home." I whisper. "I haven't read it yet. I don't want to read it, I want to get rid of it either." I tell her. "You don't have to." I nod.

I look at Cheryl as we lie in bed quietly. I smile a little bit. "What?" She ask feeling me look at her. "You look really pretty tonight." I tell her. She looks at me. "Really?" I nod. "You always look pretty. Thought you'd like a reminder." She smiles. I look at her. "You ok?" She ask quietly. "Please stop walking on eggshells around me. It makes me feel even worse." She nods. "You aren't that stable emotionally though." I nod hold back tears. "I know. But can you just not ask me every 5 minutes if I'm ok? The answer is no! You know that." I tell her. She nods. "I'm sorry." I shake my head. "Don't- don't be." I whisper. I lie into her. "I really miss her and everyone is creating me like a child instead of actually helping me!" I say sitting up.

CHERYL POV:

I walk into the bedroom and put a glass of water on Toni's nightstand. I rub her back. "Toni." I kneel down in front of the bed. "Toni." She doesn't do or say anything. "I have to head home, but your mom and dad are here if you need anything. And you can always text or call me, I'll come over." I tell her. "Ok?" I ask her. She doesn't do or say anything. I kiss her cheek and leave.

I look at Toni. "What are we doing here?" She ask walking onto the basketball court in my backyard. It was Jason's and Toni uses it to practice. "Are you actually throwing your basketball career away?" I ask quietly. "I don't- I don't have a choice. And I was kinda ready to quit before." She tells me honestly. "You really want to quit?" She nods. "I think I want to pursue my photography." She tells me. "Really?" She nods. "Yeah! I've done a lot of thinking recently and with Maria gone. I-I think I need to really do what I love. I really hate basketball! I just did it for fun at the beginning of high school and it was something my dad and I bonded on! I- I just didn't really like playing recently. I was gonna quit then I kinda dropped out of school all together." She tells me. "What kind of photography do you want to do?" She ask quietly. "I don't know yet. Maybe a little bit of everything until I figure out what I want to do." She explains. "There's some classes at RCC you can take." She nods. "I know, I've already signed up for some over the summer, not a lot! Just a few to get me used to school again." I nod. I smile as I rub her cheeks. "What- what about you? What are your plans for the future?" She ask quietly. "Well, you were supposed to be a big basketball player and I was gonna be there supporting you the whole time!" I tell her. "But you were gonna go to college first so I'm gonna do that." I whisper. "That means a long distance relationship." She whispers. "That would have meant a long distance relationship no matter what." I tell her. "I know. B-but reality is hitting me." She says quietly. "Is that what is also causing you so much-." She stops me. "Yeah. I'm shitting my pants over it." She tells me. "We'll be ok." I tell her. "I don't want to be that person and I don't want you to feel like you have to be responsible for me. But, you're the only person who makes me feel normal and you know what I am going through. I'm horrified of losing that." She tells me holding back tears. "I don't want to lose you." I shake my head. "You- you won't!" I tell her. She kisses me. "I love you." She whispers. I smile. "I love you too." I tell her.