Red Roses: A Choni Story

Sammy

Cheryl's POV
Toni's dad went out of town today so she wants to show me her room
I text her that I'm here and her door flies open.
She has a little boy in her arms- no older than 6 and she points at me and hands him a piece of paper
He start crying and grabs her leg
She points again and when I start walking forward she yells at me to stop.
I hear a crash from inside and the little boy stumbles towards me.
"Hi, who are you?"
He hands me a note
Babe
I'm sorry
Take him somewhere safe please I'll be no more than an hour
Text me where you are
He probably won't talk, he might need food, I'll pay you back
Thanks
t
"Hey buddy, what's your name?" I ask
Another crash in the trailer makes him jump and grab my leg.
"We're going to my friends house okay? You'll like her, she's really nice and she has a lot of toys,"
He nods and I do his seatbelt up for him
He looks like Toni so they're probably siblings.
Or at least cousins.
"We're here," I say parking and getting out
I help him out of the car and we walk towards the stairs
"I dunno stairs," he says
"You can't walk up stairs?" I ask
He nods and I pick him up
I knock and Ronnie answers
"Cheryl! Hey I was just about to.. call you? Who's this little heartbreaker?"
"I don't know," I say
"What?" She asks "you found a kid and brought him here?"
"No I went to Toni's house and he ran over to me and gave me a note,"
"Hey buddy, I'm Veronica- what's your name?"
He says nothing and moves closer to me.
"Toni said he doesn't talk much," I say adjusting him
"You're a very handsome boy, how old are you?" She asks
He holds up 4 fingers
"Wow 4 years old?"
He nods and yawns
"Wanna take a nap?"
He nods and I put him on the couch
He falls asleep instantly and I look at Ronnie
"Cher who's kid is this?" Ronnie asks
"He's too old to be Toni's if that's what you're thinking," I sigh "I'm guessing it's her brother,"
We talk and theorize for a while until Toni texts she's here.
I open the door and she hugs me immediately.
"I'm so sorry, and thank you so much. I needed him out of there. My dad.. its doesn't matter but thank you,"
I look at her and she's bleeding from a cut on her forehead and her shirt is ripped and that's about it.
"Toni you're bleeding,"
"I'm fine, where's Sammy?" She asks
"Sleeping in the living room?"
"Did he talk at all?"
"Once, he said he didn't know how to walk up stairs,"
She nods and jogs to the living room.
"Sammy wake up baby boy," she says kneeling and opening the small black bag she had
"Toni!" He says happily
"Sammy how's your blood sugar?"
"Really low," he says looking at something on his hip
She pricks his finger and takes his blood sugar
"Sammy why the hell did you let it get this low?" She asks
"Because I was scared. I don't know who they are Toni,"
"Sammy, they would've given you a juice box or something,"
"How was I supposed to know that!? You just said it's your girlfriend and I don't know her name, or what a girlfriend is!" He says
"Ronnie do you have juice or anything with sugar in it?"
"Ya I'll go grab some,"
"Sam, this is Cheryl Blossom, my girlfriend. Cher, this is Sammy, my little brother,"
"Nice to meet you Sam," I say bending down
"You too," he says
He turns back to Toni and starts crying
"What's wrong Sam?"
"I- I didn't mean for him to see it Toni. I'm sorry, I was trying to take my sugar and he walked in. I thought it was locked!"
"It's okay, Sam I got a new one. Just be careful okay? I'm so so close to getting us a place and leaving okay?"
He nods and Ronnie give Toni some orange juice.
"Is this Okay?" She asks
"Perfect thank you so much,"
She gives it to him and he drinks it.
"He has type 1 diabetes," she explains "and my dad doesn't believe in buying medication. Thinks if we are born with a disease or if we develop something- that's how we die. I didn't want that for Sam so I get his stuff every other week and take him to the doctors,"
"You never told me you had a brother," I say
"I try and keep him away from people. If he says the wrong thing and social services gets involved they'll take us, and last time.. bad things happened," she sighs "plus he goes to my aunts for most the year and she's really good with him,"
"Why don't you live with your aunt?"
"I have to take care of the trailer,"
She looks hungry so I ask her and Ronnie if they wanna go grab food from Pops
"I forget your name," Sam says as they leave
"Cheryl," I say sitting beside him
"Toni never told me what girlfriend means,"
"It's when you really really like someone and then you hangout and go on dates,"
"Why?"
"Well I guess the end goal would be to get married one day," I say
"Like my mommy and daddy? They don't live together though,"
"Well kinda, I hope whoever I marry I'm going to be with forever,"
"Will you marry Toni?"
"I don't know Kiddo, maybe,"
He nods and drinks the rest of his juice
"What is your friends name?" He asks
"Her name is Veronica,"
"That's pretty,"
"It is a very pretty name," I say
"I've never met any of my sisters girlfriends," he says
"How many has she had?"
"Not a lot, she's kind of ugly," he says
I laugh and shake my head.
"She's a cutie,"
"I'm a cutie, she.. tries her best," he jokes
"You're just like her," I laugh
He nods and giggles
"Ya she hangs out with me a lot. Daddy doesn't anymore. All he does is fight with her, Toni's always sad too,"
"They don't like eachother?"
He waves me closer and I lean in
"He hits her Cheryl. And she gets really really hurt," he says
"I know, she told me,"
"She's trying to buy us a trailer, that's why she works at the bar,"
He really likes to talk now apparently
"Really?" I ask
"She's almost there," he says "she works really really hard,"
"I know she does,"
"Cheryl, I'm tired again. But I don't wanna get nightmares,"
"Wanna lie on me?" I ask
He nods and I adjust so he can lay on me
He falls asleep and I rub his back until Ronnie and Tones get back.
"Hey baby," Toni says kissing me
"Hey Tones,"
"How long has he been out? I can move him,"
"He's alright. He didn't wanna get nightmares,"
She nods and takes his blood sugar
"Is it okay?"
"I'll give him half my milkshake when he wakes up and he'll be fine,"
"Toni if you guys want to stay here tonight you're more than welcome too," Veronica says
"Thanks for the offer but it just gets worse if I don't come home and I don't want to put you or your family in danger. Thank you though,"
"He was saying you almost have enough for a trailer,"
"Kid can't shut his mouth," she chuckles "I'm about $500 away,"
"For a down payment?"
"To own it," she says "I don't have enough time to manage a mortgage- just going all in,"
We eat and then her and Sammy leave.
"Please text me before you go to sleep?" I ask
"Sure babes," she laughs kissing me
"Bye bye Cheryl," Sammy says
"Bye Sammy, you be good okay?"
He laughs and nods
"This is our lives now," Ronnie sighs
"Isn't it better though?"
"I guess it's more interesting,"