Chapter Text
Toni Topaz strutted through the school hallway with confidence. With her two best friends, Fangs and Sweetpea on either side of her, nobody dared glance at the leather jacket clad trio for fear of repercussion. The three had been going to Riverdale High for almost six months now, but that didn't mean the novelty had worn off for everyone. Yeah, they may come from a lower socio-economic class than their new classmates, and yes, most of them have had issues with authority figures in the past, but that didn't mean they were about to beat up everyone that glanced their way. These were the thoughts that ran through Toni's head as they made their way down the hall to their lockers.
"Hello? Toni?" Fangs said to her, waving his hands dramatically in her face. She shook her head, snapping herself out of her internal dialogue.
"Sorry," she smiled at him sheepishly, "I was in my own world,"
"What's new?" Replied Sweet Pea Toni rolled her eyes as she playfully shoved him away from her.
"You guys are mean!" She huffed
"Well you still haven't answered the question!" Fangs replied
"What question?"
"Geez you really were off in Toni-World weren't you?" Said Sweet Pea, causing Toni to push him again and roll her eyes as he dramatically fell into a locker, causing the group of cheerleaders standing nearby to gasp and glance at Toni in shock, and slight fear. Fangs giggled at his two best friends banter, knowing that neither of them took it seriously.
"The guy I'm currently seeing, whose identity, before you both ask is still being kept private for now, invited me to a house party tonight that one of the Juniors is throwing. He said I can bring friends, sooo...."
"You know I'll be there," smiled Toni, grateful for an opportunity opportunity unwind on a Friday night.
"Eh, I'll see...depends if I get any better offers," said Sweet Pea cockily. Fangs just glared at him.
"Sounds good Tee, my dad said he can give us a ride so I'll pick you at like 9?"
"Sounds perfect. I'm gonna go to the bathroom before class so I'll see you guys later tonight I guess, unless you find somebody cooler to hang out with Sweet Pea," Toni announced, while jokingly narrowing her eyes at him.
"Have a good afternoon Tee," Fangs waved as they continued on their way, leaving Toni in their wake. She swapped her books in her locker before making her way to the most unused bathrooms in the school. Only one cubicle actually locked, they were covered in gum and graffiti and majority of people avoided them as they were the furthest from most clasrooms, and it was where most of the smokers hung out during lunch, which was due to finish in about five minutes. But the isolation of them, was what appealed to Toni. None of the cheerleaders went there and the smokers barely acknowledged her existence. It was the only place she could get 5 minutes of solitude to be honest. She enjoyed school, and she was ever so grateful to be transferred to a school that actually nurtured their students education, but she also found it very overwhelming considering it was twice the size of South Side High. The cafeteria echoed, the student lounge was always full, and the library, funnily enough, was too quiet for her. She reached the bathroom door just as the smokers barged their way out, almost swinging the door into Toni's head. They laughed loudly as they exited, a cloud of smoke following. Toni scrunched up her nose at the smell while making her way through the door. 'Atleast I can have 5 minutes silence, alone she thought to herself. She checked out her reflection in the mirror before noticing behind her that the one working toilet cubicle was locked. She rolled her eyes in annoyance
Seriously? Nobody actually uses this bathroom except me She thought as she launched herself up to sit on the sink to wait for whoever to finish their business. She leant her head against the tiled wall as she closed her eyes, trying to enjoy her almost alone time. She got a total of about 45 seconds before a loud wretching sound came from the stall. Her eyes snapped open. Her first thought was 'what the fuck?' followed closely by 'ew' and then lastly 'that better not be contagious.' It was silent for a minute before the loud wretching and splashing was heard again. And again. Toni felt awkward, standing there listening to somebody chuck their guts up. But she needed to pee, and she only had 3 minutes until lunch ended, and she knew she wouldn't make it to another bathroom in that time. But she also didn't want to risk getting sick by using the cubicle straight after whoever was in there right now. Before she could make a move the cubicle door flung open and a dishevelled looking red head walked out. Toni knew of her, but had never personally met her. She knew her name was Cheryl. She wasn't in any of the prominent cliques from what Toni could tell. She was petite and pale with long red hair down to her waist and naturally pretty. She seemed to hang around one girl Betty, who was in Toni's chemistry class.. But she'd never heard her speak. She kind of seemed to fly under the radar. Toni hadn't realised she was staring until a throat was cleared and she snapped back into reality.
"Can I help you?" The red head asked
"Um... no, I was just waiting to use the restroom.." Toni replied
"Oh. Well, sorry I..." the girl started
"Are you okay?" Toni cut her off
"I'm fine."
"That didn't really sound fine," Toni said gently
"Not that it's any of your business, whoever you are, but I have a weak stomach and my friend was talking about gory shit during lunch and I made me queasy." Cheryl explained. She walked over to the sink and rinsed her mouth out with water and washed her hands, before pulling a small bottle of mouth wash from her backpack. She glanced at the other girl in the mirror and saw that she was already looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
"What?" She snapped.
"So prepared," Toni quipped
"Not that it's your business, again. But I have extremely high cleanliness standards," she responded, taking a swig from the bottle and gargling. "You're so nosey," she continued after spitting out the minty liquid.
"You're so rude," Toni quipped back. The other girl shrugged in response. Deciding to not risk catching anything, Toni turned around and made her way to the door.
"Thought you were waiting for the restroom?"
"I don't wanna get sick," Toni responded as she pushed the door open and walked out.
"I'm not sick!" She heard the mysterious red head shout back as the door slammed closed. Toni shook her head and smiled, slightly amused at the banter she just had with her random school mate. Deciding she'd rather be late for class than risk getting a UTI she made her way to the bathrooms at the other end of the corridor.
***
Fangs picked Toni up with his dad at precisely 9pm and dropped them off at the party on the northside of town. Or the fancy side, as the south siders often referred to it. Inebriated teenagers were already spilling out onto the front lawn by the time they arrived. Toni and Fangs weaved their way through the crowd and made their way to the kitchen to pour themselves a drink. It wasn't long before Toni heard her name being called across the house.
"Yo Toni!" She whipped her head around the room trying to find the person when she noticed Sweet Pea waving his arms around trying to get her attention. She nodded her head in acknowledgement of him and he proceeded to wave her over. She walked towards him with Fangs in tow.
"Thank God your here. I need your help," said Sweet Pea in all seriousness
"What's up?" Toni asked
"What's up is that I need you on my team to finally kick some ass at beer pong because so far, I'm losing every round," he explained, tipping his empty beer bottle upside down for emphasis.
"You know you don't have to asked me twice Sweets, you know I slay at beer pong," she grinned smugly. They began pouring their drinks into the designated cups and setting the table up while waiting for their opponents to arrive. They were pretty much set up when Toni heard
"Oh my God, not this bitch," in a somehow familiar voice. Toni's head snapped up to see the not-so-well, not-so-friendly red head from her earlier bathroom encounter, and sighed in exasperation. The redhead was wearing black skinny leg jeans with an all white baggy sweater and white Air Max.
"Sorry about her," piped in Betty, the blonde girl by Cheryl's side who Toni spoke to more often. "She's drunk and ruder and usual," she tried to explain.
"Interesting," Toni responded, "shouldn't you be at home resting or something?" She said to Cheryl, whose face instantly dropped.
"What, why?" Betty asked with a scrunched up face.
"No reason Betty, she's weird I barely know her," Cheryl tried to say nonchalantly, but she could feel Toni's eyes boring into her. She looked up and made eye contact, trying her hardest to muster an icy, shut-the-fuck-up stare. It seemed to work as Toni looked away and mumbled a "Whatever," before the game started.
****
3 games of very competitive beer pong later and Toni was alot more drunk than she had anticipated. Betty and Cheryl were a fierce team and neither of them were intimidated by Toni and Sweet Pea. Each team won one round each and the third tie breaker just kept going on and on with all the loop holes and rules the group had implemented for the game. Eventually they all needed a refill and so they settled on a draw. Betty shook hands with both Toni and Sweet Pea and told them "Good Game," while Cheryl glanced at them both up and down before flipping her hair and turning around while muttering
"we went easy on you..." before walking to the kitchen, undoubtedly for a top up.
"Don't take it to heart, she's kind of like that to everyone," Betty tried to explain
"Except you." Sweet Pea stated
"Yeah, well, she doesn't have a choice our Dad's are brothers so we grew up together."
"You're cousins?" Toni asked, shocked.
"Yup. But also friends. Kind of. Anyway, it was good playing with you guys," Betty said with a genuine smile.
"You too Betty," Sweet Pea smiled back,
"Can I make you a drink?" He asked her
"Oh. Um, yeah sure. That sounds great. Thanks," the blonde replied, slightly fumbling over her words. Sweet Pea offered her his arm which she gladly linked her own through as he led her to the kitchen. Toni smirked and shook her head to herself. Sweet Pea had been crushing on Betty since they first moved to Riverdale High but she was completely oblivious to it. Deciding she could definitely do with being more intoxicated she also made her way to the kitchen, as she walked around the corner something smacked straight into her. She fell backwards and felt a cold, sticky liquid splash on her, followed by an angry growl.
"Are you fucking serious?!?" Toni's head snapped up at the sound of that voice again. Cheryl was standing practically over her, her oversized white sweater now splattered with the red beverage. Toni looked up at her sheepishly,
"Sorry. I didn't exactly want a sticky red shower either. At least red is your colour," she mocked, although it was true. Toni pulled herself up from the floor and dusted herself off as much as she could with her sticky hands. She looked at Cheryl who had a genuinely upset look on her face.
"Hey, I am sorry, it honestly was an accident," she said gently.
"It's fine, I'm used to being invisible," Cheryl responded, not looking at Toni, instead focusing on a spot on the floor behind her.
"Don't say that. You're not invisible," Cheryl huffed and rolled her eyes I response.
"Okay, nosey stranger whose never talked to me up until today," she responded. Toni just shook her head and smiled slightly. Damn, this girl is a lot of work.
"Come on, let me sort your sweater out, my mom was practically an expert in stain removal," Toni held her hand out to the other girl who looked down at the offered hand, then up at Toni's face, before rolling her eyes.
"Thanks but no thanks, I can sort myself out," Cheryl retorted before walking away. Jesus, quit while you're ahead, Toni, she thought as she shook her head to try and forgot about yet another strange interaction with this mysterious, albeit bitchy stranger. She spotted a bottle of silver tequila and popped the lid off before taking a swig. And another. And then a third. She then sloshed some into a cup, poured in some lemonade and a squirt of grenadine. She could feel the straight alcohol still making its way through her system, warm and fuzzy like a hug from the inside. She felt a lot better and more relaxed and definitely thought it was the right decision to forgot about the earlier events of the night. She was even stickier than before however since the red spilled drink had now dried on her hands and face. She plopped a few ice cubes in her drink and gave it a swirl before heading to find a bathroom to wash her hands and face so she could enjoy the rest of the party feeling relatively clean.
She finally found what she figured was the bathroom since the other three doors she opened had led her to one empty bedroom and two occupied ones. She twisted the handle but ofcourse it was locked. And now she needed to pee as well. She put her ear up to the door to try and hear if there was actually somebody in there. There were no sounds, no running water, no giggling, no toilet flushing. Ah fuck it. She rifled through her handbag before pulling out her small pocket knife and jiggling the lock. It didn't surprise her when she heard a click and the handle turned all the way. She closed her knife, picked up her drink and walked into the bathroom closing the door behind her. The quiet was nice.
"Seriously?" Toni jumped at the voice and turned around, surprised to find Cheryl sitting on the floor, knees to her chest, eye brow raised at Toni in questioning.
"Seriously what?" She slurred in response. "I didn't know you were in here. You made me all sticky," she continued as she made her way over to the sink.
"The door was locked." Cheryl replied flatly
"Yeah and I thought somebody had accidentally locked it considering I couldn't hear anything coz you're sitting in here in silence like a weirdo."
"I'm soaking my sweater." Cheryl stated. Toni's eyes widened in horror.
"Soaking it? No!" She said as she pulled the sweater out of the sink filled with warm water. She wringed the excess water out of it before grabbing some toilet paper and blotting the red stains. Cheryl said nothing as she observed the other girl at work. Toni then turned on the cold tap and held the sweater on the side as she let the water run over it, taking the majority of the red stain with it down the sink.
"Oh thank God." Cheryl sighed in relief. "My mother would have absolutely lost it if I ruined that."
"Really? It's just clothes," said Toni, back to blotting the last of the stain away.
"It was my brothers." Cheryl replied.
"Oh." Was all Toni could say in response. Her brother. Her twin. Everyone knew what happened to him. And honestly she didn't know how Cheryl continued on each day after such a loss.
"Yeah. Oh indeed. And thanks, I guess." She said, trying to come off nonchalant. Toni finished cleaning the stains and looked up at Cheryl. She was stilled sitting hunched on the floor, picking at her cuticles.
"You guess?" Toni asked.
"Yep."
"What's your problem with me?" Toni asked, straight to the point. Sick of this back and forth dance of bitter banter.
"Who even are you?" Cheryl quipped
"Antoinette Topaz"
"That is not your name,"
"What's wrong with my name?" Toni snapped. The tequila had set in a little more and she found herself giving less and less fucks about what this snobby, rude, although extremely attractive girl had to say.
"Nothing. But I've heard people call you something different..." Cheryl explained.
"Everyone calls me Toni," Toni explained as she hung the soaking wet sweater on the towel rack.
"Aren't you gonna ask my name?"
"Nah, I don't really care..." Toni said with a cocky smirk. Cheryl's mouth dropped open in shock but then Toni laughed, confusing her even more.
"I know who you are Cheryl," she told the other girl.
"How?" Cheryl questioned.
"Contrary to what you think about yourself, you're not invisible. And I've noticed you around."
"Oh..."
"Plus I speak to Betty a fair bit sooo..."
"Okay then." Cheryl didn't know what else to say.
"I gotta pee," Toni blurted out before giggling loudly. "Can you turn the tap on while I pee so you can't hear anything?" She said as she made her way over to the toilet. Cheryl hopped up off the floor finally and moved to the opposite side of the bathroom, turning the water on as Toni requested. When she heard the toilet flush she turned it off.
"So wasteful," she commented.
"Oh shut up!" Toni snapped back. Cheryl seemed taken aback but quickly recovered herself.
"God you're wasted," Cheryl told her, watching as Toni struggled to walk in a straight line from the toilet to the sink.
"Yeah you pissed me off so I skulled some tequila," she flashed a toothy grin in the mirror as she washed her hands.
"I pissed you off? What?" Cheryl asked
"Yeah with your sassy attitude and the whole spilling your drink all over me and knocking me to the ground and then blaming me for it," Toni rambled.
"Sorry. I know I'm a bitch." Cheryl offered, face emotionless, like she had accepted the fact long ago.
"I didn't say you were a bitch, I said you had a sassy attitude." Toni informed her, running her finger under her eye in an attempt to fix her smudged make up.
"Yeah, well. I am abitch. It's fine. I'm well aware." Toni turned around and looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since they'd been in this bathroom. Since her jumper was a sopping mess at the moment she was wearing only black skinny jeans and a black cropped singlet. Toni couldn't help but stare at the other girls body a little longer than she probably should have. She was gorgeous. Cheryl cleared her throat and Toni snapped her head back up to meet her eyes.
"Are you right there?" Cheryl asked
"Your....just...I...." Toni struggled to speak. Drunk and feeling even more so intoxicated by the feeling that lingered in the air.
"I'm what?"
"I dunno. Sorry. Um. Maybe we should go. We've been in here a while. People might be getting the wrong idea," Toni rambled. She turned to face the mirror and fixed her hair, stealing a glance at Cheryl, whose face had flushed a light shade of pink at Toni's off handed comment.
"My sweaters still wet though." Cheryl replied.
"Yeah it's not gonna dry anytime soon."
"I can't go out there like this." Cheryl said, her tone serious.
"Why not? You look good," Toni told her with with slur. Cheryl rolled her eyes and said
"Because...I'm just not comfortable in front of so many people this...exposed."
"Then why did you wear it?"
"Because I was planning to wear my sweater all night. Obviously."
"Right. Well... your just gonna have to deal with it," Toni shrugged, making her way to the door. She opened it slightly before a thin pale hand quickly pushed it closed again.
"No. Toni, you don't understand. I cannot go out there like this," she repeated, her arms wrapped around her stomach in an almost protective manner. Toni looked at the other girl with interest. She had such a serious look in her eyes, but they were also filled to the brim with tears threatening to spill over. She was really serious about this. Toni didn't really get it but she was feeling some kinda way and decided to help this new friend (?) out. She unbuttoned her purple flannelette shirt she was wearing and shrugged it off, holding it out to Cheryl. She hesitated before accepting it and slipping it on, doing up a few buttons and then tying the bottom in a knot at the top of her jeans. Toni watched with curiosity at Cheryl's visible relief. The red headed girl walked back over to the mirror and checked out her reflection from the front. She then turned to the side and placed her hand on her stomach. Then the other side. Same thing. Then turned her back to the mirror and turned her head to look at herself from that angle too.
"Are you alright?" Said Toni, having watched the whole obsessive outfit check.
"Better now. Thank you." She smiled at Toni genuinely for the first time. Toni wasn't really sure why her stomach fluttered when she saw that smile but she was going to blame it on the tequila. She managed to tear her eyes away and knocked back the rest of her drink.
"We can go now," announced Cheryl, checking her sweater was hung perfectly on the towel rail.
"Finally," Toni sighed opening the door, "I need a refill."
"You owe me a drink too," Cheryl smiled at her again as she walked through the door. Toni's stomach did that stupid flappy twisty thing again. What the hell?! She followed Cheryl into the kitchen where they both decided on tequila again. Toni poured them both a cup and Cheryl insisted that they do a shot together before going their separate ways.
***
The party died down around 1.30am when there were just a few people left. Fangs had been picked up by his Dad a while ago, Sweet Pea was passed out on the couch and the other ten or so people left were passing a bong around and playing Mario Kart. Cheryl wasn't really a smoker so she hadn't been partaking but the smoke in the air mixed with her way too many drinks was making her head spin. She stood up slowly and walked to the kitchen to get herself a drink of water. When she walked in she saw Toni sitting on the kitchen bench eating dry cereal out of the box. "Munchies." Was all she said, mouth full of Froot Loops. Cheryl nodded in understanding and filled a cup with water before drinking it all in one go.
"That shirt looks good on you," Toni told her from across the kitchen.
"Funny," was Cheryl's response. Toni watched with intrigue as the other girl started collected cups and trash and putting it all into a trash bag.
"Why are you cleaning right now?" Toni asked, hopping down from the counter.
"Mmm, I don't know. I just am," Cheryl replied. She just wanted to keep her hands and mind busy. Suddenly a tan hand grabbed onto her arm, the other hand grabbed the trash bag and pulled it out of Cheryl's hands.
"Stop. It's a party." Toni told her gently.
"I know. I don't really wanna be here any more," she admitted
"So let's go." Toni told her simply. She nodded toward to front room and Cheryl followed her, not really sure as to why she was letting this strange girl boss her around.
"Get your stuff, I'll be back in a second," Toni told her before disappearing up the stairs. Cheryl made sure she had everything she needed and let Betty know she was heading home. Toni came back downstairs with a plastic bag full of something and said goodbye to the leftover party goers. By the time they walked out the front door a car was waiting for them. Cheryl turned to look at Toni,
"I ordered us an Uber," she explained.
"Oh. That's so kind. Thank you Toni," Cheryl said genuinely.
"Of course, it's no biggy," she smiled. The two of them rode in comfortable silence for the first few minutes before Cheryl turned to Toni,
"Where exactly are we going?" She asked
"Oh right, what's your address? I want to drop you off first to make sure you get home okay." Toni said. Cheryl gave her address to the driver and Toni asked him to add it as a stop along the journey to her own place. It was quiet again before Cheryl broke the silence once more
"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked quietly.
"What?" Toni wasn't sure she heard her right.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" She repeated.
"Oh. Um. Well...I don't really know to be honest," Toni stuttered, head slightly spinning.
"Oh." Was all Cheryl could say. She wasn't sure what she was expecting the answer to be.
"You're kinda like, an enigma. This mysterious red-headed beauty who just kinda floats around the school. Under the radar, untouchable..." Toni trailed off quietly. Their eyes met, before Toni looked away almost shyly, not quiet believing what just came out of her mouth. Cheryl bit back a smile, continuing to stare at Toni.
"Stop looking at me. I'm drunk." She whined in embarrassment.
"Huh!" Cheryl huffed
"Whaaat?" Asked Toni, now hiding her face behind her hands, eyes peeking through fingers.
"You think I'm pretty." Said Cheryl matter of factly
"I never said that." Toni glared at her
"Oh I'm sorry. You think I'm beautiful." Toni groaned in response as Cheryl giggled.
"Shut up."
"You're never gonna live that one down!" Cheryl could hardly wipe the grin off her face as the car pulled to a stop out the front of her house.
"Well this is me," she said as she looked through her bag for a key. "Thanks for helping me get home, and for helping me with my....oh my God my sweater! No I left it at the party!" She cried out, tears once again threatening to spill from her eyes. Toni simply held up the plastic bag she had brought with her from the party.
"I got you," she simply said, handing it over to Cheryl. She opened the bag and saw her damp sweater folded neatly. Cheryl could not believe this girl. She barely fucking met her one day ago and she's already more thoughtful than anybody in her life. She didn't deserve this kindness.
"Toni...I can't even tell you how much this means to me. Thank you so much, I am slightly, unhealthily attached to this thing."
"You're more than welcome," Toni told her, genuinely glad to have helped her out. "And I'm sorry for being nosey earlier." She added
"You weren't being nosey. You simply cared. I should be the one apologising for being so rude. I don't know you so I'm sorry for being on the defence. It's kind of my natural instinct." Cheryl explained.
"I feel like we turned over a new leaf tonight though?" Toni said through a yawn.
"I think so too," Cheryl agreed "Oh,. And here. Thanks for letting me borrow this," she said untying the purple flannelette currently keeping her warm.
"Keep it." Toni told her.
"No it's okay, I'm sure you want it back."
"Nah, I have heaps of them. Keep it. For real," she smiled sleepily at the other girl, causing Cheryl to smile too.
"Appreciate it. A lot. Now, pass your phone here please" Cheryl gathered both her bags, made sure she had her key and hopped out of the car. She closed the door without a word but before Toni could even realise Cheryl had walked around the other side and opened Toni's door. She leaned down and handed her back her phone.
"Let me know when you get home safe," she said, before giving Toni a quick peck on the cheek, then closing the car door and walking away before she could embarrass herself any further. She opened the pedestrian gate and walked in, closing it behind her. She saw the uber was still stationary, and gave Toni a wave, receiving a wave in return, as well as a goofy smile on Toni's face which was practically squished up against the window. The car rolled away and Cheryl did her best to contain the stupid smile on her stupid face as she unlocked the stupid door and made her way up to stupid bed.
She thought she was done being stupid for the night, but apparently not, she thought as she vomited up the excess liquid calories in the shower before brushing her teeth and hopping into bed.
It was stupid because
1. the grenadine basically stained her near perfect teeth
2. she hated throwing up and brushing her teeth barely got rid of the awful taste
3. The stupid liquid calories would have already absorbed into her stupid body by now.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
But what was even worse was when she got into bed and opened a text from an unknown number that read
"I'm home safe. Thanks for caring. And thanks for a good night. I enjoyed kinda getting to know you x"
And the stupid smile return to her face.