SUSPENDING GRAVITY , sweet pea ¹ ✓

035. Another Interrogation

     "There has to be something that the police didn't think to look into," Tori said.

     "Jesus, it was Cheryl! Your redheaded dog is the reason I'm in here," MF spat out bitterly.

     "Cheryl?" Tori asked. "What does she have to do with any of this? Did she say something to you?"

     "Just threatening me with something she shouldn't even know cause it's none of her damn business."

     "So, Cheryl set you up and threatened you? What does she even want from you?"

     MF scoffed, "You tell me, Buttercup."

     "I already knew that Cheryl had a problem with you but for her to set you up for a murder you didn't commit is ridiculous," Tori said.

     MF just shrugged her shoulders. Time was running out by the minute and all Tori knew was the Cheryl might've set up MF for Midge's murder and knowing her, the reason was most likely a petty one.

     "What was Cheryl's threat? What did she say to you?" Tori asked.

     "What did I just say?" MF sneered.

     "You know what?" Tori asked. "Let's just agree to call it a day."

     "Gladly," MF said while walking back into the corner.

     "Time's up," Attorney McCoy said as she walked into the room.

     "Hey, Tori?" Tori turned around and Fangs was standing at the bars. "Do you think you can help us get out of here?"

     Tori bit her lip in uncertainty. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to help but if she could get to the bottom of Cheryl's threat and at least prove MF's innocence, she was willing to give it a shot.

     "I can try but I can't promise you guys anything. Just hang in there," Tori said before leaving.

     When she walked out of the police station, Toni and Sweet Pea were still waiting outside like she asked them to.

     "What happened in there?" Sweet Pea asked.

     Tori looked at Toni and sighed. "Where's Cheryl?"

     "What?" Toni asked in confusion. "Why?"

     "Toni, where is Cheryl? If what I just found out is true, then I need to find Cheryl. Now where is she?" Tori asked.

     "She just texted me five minutes ago from home, she said she was heading to the mall soon, but maybe she's still there," Toni said.

     "Thanks," Tori said as she started heading towards Thistlehouse.

     "Wait, what is this about?" Sweet Pea asked.

     "No time to explain, I gotta get to Thistlehouse before Cheryl leaves. The closest mall is in Greendale and if I don't get to Cheryl before she leaves, I'll never get to her at all," Tori said quickly.

     "I can give you a ride. My grandfather let me borrow his truck and we all know you'll never get there on foot," Toni said while pulling out the car keys from her pocket.

     The three of them got inside the truck Toni borrowed from her grandfather and put on their seatbelts.

     "Speaking of your grandfather, how is he? I haven't seen him since Pickens Day and I've been wondering how he's been doing," Tori said.

     "He's doing alright. I stop by to visit him every now and then," Toni said as she kept her eyes on the road.

     "Can you tell us what they told you in there?" Sweet Pea asked.

     "Not until I'm one hundred percent sure," Tori said. Toni kept driving down the route towards Thistlehouse and Tori saw Cheryl heading towards her mother's car. "Stop right here!"

     Toni hit the breaks and Tori took off her seatbelt and jumped out of the truck. Cheryl was about to leave the driveway but stopped once she saw Tori standing right in front of the bumper.

     "Tori, what the hell?" Cheryl asked as she stepped out. "I could've hit you!"

     "What did you say to MF and the police?" Tori asked, not bothering to sugarcoat it and just get to the point.

     "What are you talking about? Has that snake been telling you lies?" Cheryl asked with her arms crossed.

     "You said something to the police that got MF arrested and now she's sitting behind bars for something she didn't do. You set her up and then you threatened her, now start talking," Tori said.

     "I don't know what you're talking about."

     "Cheryl, I've had it with your lies and your shenanigans, and you're going to tell me exactly what you said to the police right now."

     "I don't have time for this─"

     "Cheryl, right now!"

     Cheryl took a step back when she realized how angry Tori was and Sweet Pea stepped out of the truck. Toni followed behind him and they stood a few feet behind Tori who was waiting for Cheryl's answer.

     "Tori, I don't think Cheryl was involved in any of this," Toni said skeptically.

     "Then say it. Look me in the eye and tell me that you didn't set up MF and threaten her," Tori said.

     "Cheryl, is this true?" Toni asked.

     Cheryl looked at the pink haired Serpent who was standing behind Tori and she could tell by the look in her eyes that she was hoping that none of it was true, but she had no other choice but to come clean.

     "I told the police that I heard MF threatening Midge while she was talking with Jughead and that I saw her pointing a knife at her," Cheryl said, feeling very defeated with three people demanding answers from her.

     "Did you actually see MF threaten Midge with a knife?" Tori asked, trying to keep herself from exploding.

     Cheryl sighed, "No, I didn't."

     "So you lied to the police about MF possibly killing Midge?" Sweet Pea asked.

     "It wasn't all a lie, I did hear her threatening Midge but I didn't see anything," Cheryl said quickly.

     "What did you say to MF when you threatened her?" Tori asked.

     "I told her that I wanted her to plead guilty for Midge's murder or I was going to tweet something about her to the whole school," Cheryl said.

     "You can't be serious! Did you actually believe that MF was going to plead guilty for a crime she was never involved in?" Tori asked.

     "Well, with the kind of stuff I had on her, yeah," Cheryl replied and then looked at Sweet Pea. "What's that snake doing here?"

     "You are not going to pull a stunt like that and then turn this around on me! I've had it with you, I'm done!" Tori didn't even give the other three a chance to say anything as she headed back to the truck.

     The fact that Cheryl got MF arrested and lied to the police wasn't all that surprising to her but it was still disappointing and just thinking about it made her angry as she waited in the backseat of the truck. When Toni and Sweet Pea got there, Toni was driving away from Thistlehouse and Tori just watched the world pass her by through the window. The weight of the world was slowly crushing her and it felt like nothing was making it any easier.