i just want you to know who i am

Chapter 22

"Did you think about me?" Toni's lips broke away from hers and started an aimless trail along her jaw, "While you touched yourself?"

"Mmhm," the redhead whimpered out quietly with a slight, shaky nod of her head, squealing when Toni's teeth grazed against her jaw.

"Mm, good," she mumbled, smirking against her pale, flushed skin, continuing to cover every inch with cinnamon flavored kisses.

Cheryl could practically feel her good judgment being thrown out the window. They were at school where anyone could walk in and catch them. And here she was, ready to risk it all just to keep the feeling of Toni's lips on her sensitive skin. But the sound of the classroom door closing outside the darkroom was enough to bring them both back to reality. Toni tore her lips from the spot below Cheryl's ear and pulled back as the redhead hastily hopped down from the table, tucking loose hairs behind her ear nervously just before Mr. Clemmons let himself into the room.

"Hey, girls. No photos to develop today, Toni?" he asked, starting to sort through negatives from his photography classes.

"Not today, Mr. C," Toni shrugged, playing it cool as Cheryl looked around, confused as she realized that Toni hadn't even been doing anything when she had come in to meet her this morning.

"Well, you better head to homeroom. I heard Principal Weatherbee is gonna start cracking down on tardiness pretty soon," he adjusted his glasses with a kind smile.

"Will do. Catch ya later," the brunette nodded, saluting the older man with a chuckle.

"Thank you, Mr. Clemmons," Cheryl smiled shyly as she followed Toni out, closing the door behind her as they entered the dimly lit classroom. She turned to Toni with a confused gaze as they gathered their belongings. "Why did you come in so early if you didn't have any photos to develop?" she asked quietly, putting her arms through her backpack straps.

"Isn't this just what we do on Monday mornings?" Toni asked, slinging her own backpack onto one of her shoulders with a shrug.

"I guess, but...it's usually cause you're in there working," Cheryl bit her lip.

"Cher, I come in early on Mondays cause you do. I thought meeting up on Monday mornings was just our thing now," she chuckled, "I just bring my photography stuff with me so I can get it done."

"O-oh," she bit her lip, tasting Toni's strawberry lip gloss that was still lingering, "I thought you were just always here on Mondays."

"I would usually come in once a week, but I just started sticking to Mondays cause I knew you would come to see me," she explained, shrugging again.

"I-I'm sorry, I just thought you would be here anyways, I didn't mean to make it seem like I wanted you to get up early just to-"

"Hey," Toni stepped closer to her, reaching out for one of her hands, "I come in cause I wanna see you, Cher. You come in cause you wanna see me, right?" Cheryl nodded. "Like I said, this is just...our thing. Okay?"

She nodded again just before Toni pecked her lips gently, leaving her reeling with even the simplest and most innocent of kisses. "Okay."

xxx

"Are you going on the ski trip?" Cheryl asked quietly, her voice drowned out by the crowd in the gymnasium. Basketball was boring, but being with Toni wasn't, so being the sports writer for the Blue & Gold wasn't all bad. As long as she was there, there was no place Cheryl would rather be on a Tuesday night.

"Yeah right, with what money?" the brunette snorted, looking down at the camera in her lap, "Are you?"

"Surprisingly, yeah. My parents paid for it towards the beginning of the school year," she nodded, frowning at the fact that Toni wasn't going to be there. Every year, the Riverdale High junior class would go upstate to a ski lodge in the mountains for the weekend at the end of Thanksgiving break. It was something that every freshman and sophomore looked forward to. Some students went to the slopes while others went on chaperoned activities around the surrounding village area. Even Cheryl was excited to go. "Your uncle can't get you the money? Friday is the deadline to turn in your permission slip and the fee. You still have time..."