For the Riverdale Fanfiction Challenge Forum
Noncanon OTP Prompt Collection Challenge (1/40: Pop's)
"Who is she?" Toni asks. "Your friend. The beautiful one."
Jughead follows her gaze. His lips quirk, but it's not an expression of fondness or amusement. "I wouldn't exactly call her a friend," he says simply. "And I'd stay away from her."
Toni studies him for a moment. It isn't a protective sentiment, some fear that Toni isn't good enough for the girl with red hair and perfectly painted cherry lips. It's a warning for her, like this girl is something dangerous. A shiver of delight shoots down her spine. Toni has always loved a challenge. "Her name, Jug," she says again, her eyes fixed upon the girl sitting alone in the booth.
Jughead frowns, an exasperated sigh escaping. "Cheryl Blossom."
Blossom. She knows the name, of course. The Blossom family has caused quite a few problems for the Serpents. Hell, they're the reason FP is sitting in a cell and the group is falling apart.
But there is no steel in her heart at the name. Even the South Side knows that Blossom is synonymous with power. A smile tugs at Toni's lips as she slides out of the booth.
"Toni…" Jughead reaches for her, but Toni easily slips out of his grasp.
She offers him a mischievous smirk. "Don't wait up."
If she had been with Sweet Pea, he would have made a scene. Jughead, on the other hand, won't make a sound. He'll fume silently and act mopey when she sees him again, but he won't make this more difficult than it has to be.
Toni keeps her head held high. As one of the few female Serpents, she's learned that confidence is key. It doesn't matter if she's trembling on the inside. All she has to do is look like she owns the place.
"This seat taken?"
Cheryl Blossom peers up over her designer sunglasses. Her eyes narrow, no doubt connecting her leather jacket and general otherness as something that doesn't belong on this side of the tracks. Before she can say anything, Toni sits across from her.
"Be my guest," Cheryl says dryly. "What do you want, Snake?"
"Serpent," Toni corrects. Cheryl knows, of course. The correction is more of a pride thing. "And the name is Toni."
"I don't remember asking."
"You didn't." Toni reaches over, plucking the cherry from Cheryl's milkshake and biting into it. "Guess they only teach manners in the South Side."
A small scowl plays at the other girl's lips, but it quickly stretches into an amused smile. Cheryl is the queen bee type. There's no doubt in Toni's mind that she's used to people showing her the utmost respect. She wonders if anyone has ever been so upfront.
"Cheryl Blossom," she says.
"I know."
The smile broadens into a grin. Whatever issues she might have with her last name after her father's scandal, she seems to enjoy being known and recognized. Toni tries not to laugh.
Ordinarily, she wouldn't like this sort of girl. She's the type that Toni and her friends would have jumped and robbed without a second thought. Now, there's something about her that Toni finds intriguing.
"Did you want something?" Cheryl asks, fitting her lips around her straw, her sharp eyes still fixed upon Toni.
Toni studies her for a moment. Has she already grown bored? No, those eyes are too intense. This is a challenge, like Cheryl is trying to decide if Toni is worth her time, if she's strong enough. There's a small flutter in her stomach. Once, this would have been laughable. If she can go through the Serpents' initiation, she can do anything. Now, her hands shake, and doesn't know if she can do this.
She takes a deep breath. She's come too far to lose her nerve now. "You," she answers, and she's grateful her voice sounds stronger than she feels.
There's a pause. Cheryl takes another sip of her milkshake before pushing the glass aside. She rummages through her bag and plucks a sheet of paper and pen from it before scribbling something down. "I never text first," she says simply before offering Toni the paper like a business card. "Don't text after midnight. No one interrupts my nightly beauty ritual. Also, if you reply with just one word texts or just smileys, that will be the end of your shot."
With that, Riverdale's queen climbs to her feet. Toni looks at the neat writing on the paper and laughs. "Cheryl Bombshell?"
"Follow me on Twitter. You are totes hashtag woman crush Wednesday material."
And just like that, she's gone. Jughead takes her place a moment later. "I tried to tell you. Cheryl is something else."
Toni grins, still staring at the paper. "She's perfect."