It started with a text - {Choni}

- Chapter 30 -

Toni's Pov

After the door was slammed in my face, I knocked once more, but unsurprisingly got no response. All I wanted to do was apologise for everything I said at the hospital, and now she had disappeared. Or maybe she just didnt want to see me or talk to me, so her mom made up a crap excuse to try and get me to leave. No. There was no way that was true.

After I stood by the door for another minute I decided to make my way around the house, looking for what could possibly be Cheryls room or Cheryl herself. After about five minutes of looking for a room that looked like Cheryls, I settled on one with a deep red painted wall and bright red closets, then I started to make my way slowly up the drainage pipe next to it. It took me a while but when I finally reached the right height I pushed myself onto the window ledge and looked deeper into the room. There was so sign of Cheryl, but the whole room had been ransacked. Everything was upside down and all over the floor. Her drawers and closets had been opened and everything was pulled out of them. The only person that could have done this was Penelope, what the hell did she want to know so bad.

I slid back down the drainage pipe and hung my head low in sadness and started to walk back towards the entrance of Thornhill when I heard a loud scream come from the far end of the garden. Only one person came to mind.

Cheryl.

I stopped in my tracks and turned towards the end of the garden and started to sprint towards the screams. I had never run faster in my life. Branches from trees and bushes slashed my face as I ran, I felt the blood trickling down my cheek, but I didnt care. All that was on my mind was getting to Cheryl.

As I was sprinting I tripped over a tree root which was sticking out of the floor causing me to facepalm on the ground, but it was in perfect time as Penelope was walking towards the barn infront of me, belt in hand. I wanted to shout at her, attack her. But all I could sit and do was watch as she slowly entered the barn door and shut it behind her. I instantly knew Cheryl was in there, and that she was the one who was going to get hurt.

I managed to stumble back onto my feet and quickly ran over to the back of the barn and climbed up and onto the roof. Slowly i walked across the top, slipping a couple of times, but managing to make it to a small gap in the roof so I could see what was happening. I managed to hear Cheryls voice, which seemed weak and frail, which meant she was obviously hurt by everything. This meant I also heard her talk about the fact that serpents were weak and manipulative, and that I was using Cheryl. But I wasnt. Cheryl was there for me when I was in a time of pain. This caused my heart to drop and a single tear to fall from my eye, I honestly thought she was fine with the fact that I was a serpent. I wiped the tear away, also wiping the cut on my face, causing blood to smudge all over my cheeks and onto my hand.

But I didnt leave. I stayed. So I heard what she said next.

"But Toni... shes different to all the other serpents! She's kind, the kindest even. She always tries to do whats right, to help those who are broken. Forget Betty or Veronica... Toni Topaz is the only girl I know that has a heart, the only girl who would put someone elses life before hers. I know a side to Toni that no one else knows... and its beautiful. All she wants is for someone to care about her, which I do. She's broken...just like me."

I felt warm, knowing she did care. This whole time the person who I didnt know behind the phone...cared for me...deeply. She saved my life more than once. All I wanted to do know was save her.

I squeezed myself through the gap in the roof and landed on one of the barrel towers, so they wouldnt hear me. I ducked down and looked at them... unfortunately just in time to watch Cheryl get struck on her back with the belt that was in Penelope's hand, leaving a bright red mark across her body and a deep gash in the middle of it. Cheryl screamed out in pain causing me to cover her ears, I couldnt see or hear her like this, it caused me two much pain. I heard her scream one more time through my ears and I started to rock back and forth, still shaking from hearing her screams.

After a few minutes I heard all the screaming stop and pulled myself to look down at Cheryl underneath me, who was curled up in a ball crying in pain, her own blood covering her back. I pulled myself together and climbed down the barrels until I hit the floor and slowly made my way over to Cheryl.

Once I was stood next to her, I wrapped my arms around Cheryls waist and her crying suddenly stopped and she looked up to see me.

"T...To-." She could barely even make her words out she was so scared.

"Shhhh...shh Cheryl its ok, I'm here now you dont have to say anything." Cheryl slowly managed to raise her arms up to me and wrapped them around me as she started sobbing again.

"Im sorry Toni.... Im so... so sorry.." I managed to pick her up so she was standing up, but I was holding all of her weight.

"Its ok... Sweetpea explained everything, you dont need to talk about it I just need to get you out of here." I managed to pick her up in my arms, but she was groaning in pain the whole time. "Ive got you Cheryl... your safe."

"Thank you Toni....thank you for not giving up on me." I gave her a weak smile while kicking down the doors to the barn and trying to get out of there as fast as I could.

"I would never give up on you Cheryl, not after everything you have done for me."

Somehow she still managed to look beautiful in a time she was as weak as this. With her in my arms I knew. Cheryl Blossom had a special place in my heart.

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A/N: So um im questioning how im suddenly getting so many reads on this book, I mean Im not complaining...its just amazing!

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