"So..." The brunette started slowly, swallowing the bacon she'd shoved embarrassingly fast into her mouth. Her hunger getting the better of her. "How old are you? You don't exactly look like a typical English professor."
"Really? What does your typical English professor look like?" Cheryl smirked, an eyebrow raised in question as she tried to stifle a laugh at her student before her. Toni shrugged, cutting around the yolk of her egg, eating the whites first.
"Old, wrinkly, grumpy as hell let's not forget a sight that hurts the eyes...basically Mr Weatherbee. You're certainly not what I pictured on the first day of semester."
"I'm going to assume that's a good thing." Cheryl giggled lightly, her eyes falling on the brunettes plate as her eyebrows scribbled in confusion. "Who eats their egg like that?"
"Oh no, you don't get to ask me a question. You haven't answered mine yet." Toni quipped her eyes locking with Cheryl's with a twinkle of excitement in her eyes.
"I didn't know we were playing twenty questions..."
"Would it hurt if we were?" Toni asked cautiously, not wanting to overstep the teacher student line, if it wasn't something Cheryl wanted. But all she received was a mischievous smirk from her professor, sparking something within the pink haired girl.
"I'm twenty-four, I graduated from Columbia three years ago." The redhead finally answered, watching with intrigue to see the brunette's reaction.
"Wow."
Cheryl pulled a face at her words, "I should hope you didn't think I was over thirty."
Toni snorted out a laugh, "I literally thought you were some stuck up student at River Valley, I think that tells you I thought you were young."
"Hm." The hum left the two in silence for a moment as they finished up their food, the apartment was peaceful now that Heather had left.
Toni couldn't help but be in awe of the home the redhead worked to stay in. Its ten foot windows convey the small town of Riverdale in all its beauty. It almost matched the view from her abandoned factory, a sinking feeling filled her gut as she realised she'd soon have to return home.
"I'm sorry about barging in on you that day...in the shower." Cheryl eventually spoke up, her cheeks warm with a blush. Toni's mind took her back to that moment, remembering the simmer of anger in her eyes as the two glared at one another. The thought enticed a chuckle from the girl.
"I'm just glad you weren't some perv," Toni smirked, her brown eyes drifting from Cheryl's face to her body for just a second before glancing back up. Only to be caught, "Sorry, I uh, thought you had something on your gown."
Cheryl bit her lip momentarily, knowing her words were a lie. "I believe it's my turn to ask a question?"
Toni nodded nervously, "Go ahead."
"What are your plans after college? I know you have a remarkable talent when it comes to words, what are you planning on doing with that?" The woman wondered with interest, she knew a lot of her students had dreams to be reporters. But something told her it wasn't the path Toni wanted to pursue.
Toni sucked in a breath, it wasn't often someone was curious of her future plans. "I want to be a writer. To publish something that will lift the hearts of people who need it - whenever I'm going through something, I find myself lost in a book that takes me somewhere that feels like home. I want to create that for someone else."
"That's a beautiful thought, Toni." Cheryl spoke honestly, a soft smile playing on her lips. Whenever she came across the pink haired girl outside classroom hours, her nose was buried in a book. It was nice to finally know why. It was Toni's escape - much like teaching was for her. "If you get published one day - which I'm sure you will - I'll be first in line to buy your book."
The brunette tried not to think about the way her heart accelerated, doing her best not to allow her professor to see beneath. It was rare someone had such faith in her. She hoped it wasn't just because it was Cheryl's job to push her to pursue her dreams. It marvelled her how someone she'd known in such a short time, could make her feel things no one else had. Toni's mind conjured up another question, one she'd been wondering for a while.
"What were you doing with someone like her? I don't mean this in a way to offend you, but she's a cold hearted bitch."
Cheryl scoffed, wrapping a hand around her glass of orange juice. The chill from the condensation sending a small quiver through her body, she mentally noted to change into something warmer once their conversation was done.
"I met Heather when I was eighteen, we were young and she was someone I found myself always wanting to be around...She had a way of making people feel better and I thought I was lucky when she said yes to having dinner with me." Cheryl smiled thoughtfully to herself, "Then time passed and I think I was the happiest I'd ever been...but things change. People change."
Toni gave a curt nod in understanding, only curious as to how someone could simply fall out of love and into someone else's bed. How was it possible for an emotion so strong, to merely fizzle out like a flame? A sigh passed the redheads mouth when silence tried to creep in.
"What about you? I heard about your little rendezvous in the bathroom with Donna Sweett." The question came from out of nowhere, the redhead no longer meeting her eyes as she played with the spill of food remaining on her plate. "Is she a girlfriend? Or..."
"Pfft, no. I love Donna, I do. Just uh," Toni laughed nervously, she should've known word would get out in the staff lounge. "In the friendship way, nothing more."
Cheryl cocked an eyebrow, her brown eyes flickering up at once, "So it's a friends with benefits situation?"
The brunette swallowed, suddenly feeling embarrassed. For whatever reason, she didn't want her professor to think she was some horny student. The younger woman rubbed the nape of her neck as she rose to her feet, taking up their dishes.
"Yeah, sort of...I don't do feelings you know, it usually ends in a mess and I'm not exactly emotionally available." Toni rambled as she turned on the sink, snatching up the nearest scour pad. She heard the chair creak behind her, knowing Cheryl had joined her.
"Well, have you ever wanted to explore things further with this girl?" Cheryl pried, finding herself wanting to know all of the information on the two. A trickle of jealousy heating up her insides.
"You're breaking the rules of twenty questions." Toni told her, shooting a grin over her shoulder. But Cheryl rolled her eyes, "But no, as amazing as Donna is...I don't harbour the same feelings she has for me."
Cheryl's lips drew in a line, glancing down at her bare feet. "She has feelings for you?"
She watched as the brunette shrugged, suds bubbling out of the sponge as she scrubbed at the egg yolk that just wouldn't budge.
"Yeah, I mean, I get it. We've been there for each other through some tough shit - from her parents to my..." Toni trailed off, clearing her throat as she noted she was still with her professor. "It doesn't matter, I understand why she caught feelings. I just don't reciprocate them."
The redhead bit her lip to suppress her delighted smile, for some reason thankful Toni's feelings weren't elsewhere. A draft passed over the kitchen, another shiver coursing through her body reminding her she was practically naked. Something that was highly inappropriate in front of a student.
"I'm going to change, I don't even remember how I got in this outfit."
"Yeah, I think you've scarred me for life," The brunette joked playfully, pausing from cleaning the dishes to see Cheryl's reaction, the woman almost mortified for a split moment. "Although you still had your bra on, so that one's on you."
Cheryl peered down at herself, finally noting the lack of any underwear, a microscopic smirk dancing along her lips. "I see you pay attention to detail."
"I am a writer. It's in my best instinct to notice the little things." Toni's tongue grazed over her lips, her eyes dropping on the redheads figure for a quick second. It was almost impossible for her not to flirt with the woman.
As much as the sight of the brunette looking over her with such hunger filled her with lust. Cheryl forced herself to take a step towards the archway of the kitchen, she was Toni's professor. Yet here they were, Cheryl half naked in her apartment with Toni ogling her like they'd had a one night stand. If anyone on the faculty knew about it, she'd be fired in an instant. Anxiety settled in the base of her stomach, as she stumbled out of the kitchen tripping over her own feet. Toni reached out almost automatically to catch her, but Cheryl shook her head.
"I'm fine. I just, I'm sorry about this," The redhead fumbled, her mind suddenly turning foggy. "You should probably go, this was inappropriate. I'm your professor and I really shouldn't be dressed like this in front of you. I'm sorry."
Toni felt like a bag of bricks had fallen upon her, the surprise hitting her without warning. But she found herself nodding, drying off her hands with a cloth hanging close by.
"No, I-I understand. I'll just see you friday then." Toni said with disappointment, moving around the woman who now wouldn't meet her eyes and stopping as she reached the hallway that led to the front door. Cheryl felt the pause, her brown eyes locking with Toni's as a silent connection passed between them. But when the older woman made no intention of saying goodbye, Toni left.
The brunette made her way outside the building, sending a curt nod towards the receptionist on her way out. Although, she was almost certain she didn't see anyone at the desk the night before. The small town air felt sweet and crisp that afternoon, the ache in her chest dialling down as she took in a long inhale. Allowing the winter breeze to sweep her problems away, her eyes fell on Sweet Pea's slick matte black motorbike before her. It was the bike of her dreams and if she had the money she'd beg the boy to let her buy it. But until that day, she was forced to return it.
Slipping the tight fitted helmet over her head, Toni readied herself to hit the road. Her brown eyes flitted once more towards the building entrance, a part of her hoping the redhead would burst through crying out for her to stay a little longer. But of course, she didn't. Just as she revved the engine the sound of the door screeching open erupted. Her head snapped towards the door almost automatically, her engine humming in the background, her quick, sudden reaction startling the tall, strongly built man that had exited the building.
"Ha-ha, uh, sorry." Toni called out, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment, waving the man off awkwardly.
When he shot her a weirded out glance, she grimaced hoping the ground would swallow her whole. If she could write out some of the most awkward situations of her life she'd add this one to the bottom of her list. With a groan, she pushed off the ground and made a mental note to never show her face around that guy again.