Cheryl walked towards the White Wyrm with a flask full of straight liquor in hand. She took a few swigs before throwing it back into her purse and making her way closer to the entrance of the bar. It was New Years Eve and due to the combining of Northside high and Southside high, they had decided to host a town wide party to bring in the New Year. The Mayor was hoping that tension would be eased as liquor flowed and music blared with the impending excitement of the New Year. Although Cheryl was almost completely positive the only Northsiders she would see would be Archie, Betty, and Veronica all due to their undying support for Jughead. There was no way the mayor or any other older residents would make appearances at such an event.
"Hey pretty lady, what are you doing on this side of town all by yourself?" An older male covered in tattoos and facial hair barked out at her. He took a long drag of his cigarette, his eyes gazing up and down her body, which was clad in a tight fitting red velvet dress. "Hey", he called out again, "I'm talking to you".
Cheryl put on her best fake smile, running her hand through her silky red locks. "I'm sorry, but you are privileged to see somebody like me come to a bar like this. And for the record, my type of guy is anybody but a Serpent". She started to walk forward.
"Oh come on now, we invited you Northsiders to our bar, and you're not even gonna put out?" He stood up and Cheryl immediately stepped back without thinking. There certainly had to be somebody around here other than just her and this imbecile.
Her once strong interior was nothing but a false outer shell because on the inside she was curling into a ball hoping for the quick exchange to be over. Ever since her incident with Nick Sinclair she had grown more cautious around guys; especially a guy who was way too old to be hitting on a girl in high school.
She heard the revving of an engine and turned around to see a motorcycle pull up. Finally, she thought. Her knight in shining armor might have arrived just in time to save her from this disgusting Serpent. Although she was sure no Northsider would be seen with a motorcycle, so it was unlikely they would be the perfect knight to sweep her off her feet.
The man got off his motorcycle and took his helmet off, to reveal cascading caramel colored hair with streaks of pink. It was hard to see who exactly was on the motorcycle because Riverdale had been covered with a blanket of darkness as night fell. When Cheryl looked closer she realized it wasn't a man at all but rather a female Serpent. She looked around Cheryl's age and was wearing the leather Serpent jacket Cheryl had seen so often at school since the recent merge.
Cheryl couldn't tell if it was the alcohol talking, or if she was just soberly enticed by the girl in front of her. But she couldn't take her eyes off of her. For a serpent, she was tough but maintained as essence of beauty. And quite frankly, the way she looked on the motorcycle made something in Cheryl feel energized.
The girl walked closer, not even looking at Cheryl before looking at the male who was blocking the door.
"Is something wrong here?" The girl glanced at the guy for an answer, as if anything coming out of Cheryl's mouth would be a fabrication simply because she was clearly a Northsider.
Cheryl walked closer to the girl, "Yes, could you please tell this disgusting Serpent to stop degrading women".
"I talk to a Northsider for less than ten seconds and Serpents already get insulted. How am I not surprised?" The girl looked at Cheryl quickly, but didn't even maintain any eye contact before rolling her eyes.
The new girl leaned in and whispered something to the guy's ear angrily, he didn't seem happy but started to walk towards where the motorcycles were lined up. He tossed his empty beer can right onto the ground and stomped on it. Somehow the female Serpent had scared away the creep.
Cheryl decided to follow the pink haired girls lead. She stayed close behind her to ensure her safe entrance into the bar. She walked into the crowded area, immediately losing sight of the girl she had just encountered.
Part of her was disappointed that she didn't get to talk to her again or at least thank her for sending the creep away. But then again, would she really want to come into contact with a Serpent?
The bar was smoky and loud and all Cheryl could see were leather jackets filling up the entire bar. Fortunately, she spotted the bright blue and yellow varsity jackets tucked back into the right corner. These were the few brave souls from the Northside who had ventured out on the chilly New Years Eve night into Serpent territory. Mainly they came because the White Wyrm was known for serving unending amounts of alcohol to minors without question.
But Cheryl didn't want to be comforted by their presence. She didn't want to isolate herself into the corner of a room, for she was always front and center.
And maybe just maybe, she could get the pink haired girl to pay more attention to her later in the night. Cheryl never backed down from a challenge, and when she wanted something or someone she would get it.
Toni leaned up against the bar peering out into the White Wyrm which was packed when she arrived but had dwindled down to about 35 people. When the older Serpents had started to see the familiar enemy colors of blue and yellow, they had left to most likely go home and drink themselves to sleep. The serpents weren't known for caring much about holidays, or anything like New Years Eve. Especially in a room full of drunken, hormone ridden teenagers.
Now, the only people left were the students of the newly merged school. Toni could've laughed, it was pathetic to see the division between the two sides of the room. As if two separate parties were going on side by side. She was surprised no fights had broken out yet.
"Pathetic isn't it?" Sweet Pea walked up to Toni, a glass full of beer in his hand. "There aren't even any hot girls here". He scoffed before chugging down the rest of his beer.
Toni would've responded, if it weren't for her spotting a stunning girl with red cascading hair, dancing alone in the middle of the floor. Her lips were colored with the same dark red that matched her dress, which contrasted her pale delicate skin. Toni remembered she had briefly spotted her outside in some type of situation with an older serpent, but she hadn't been looking closely enough. Which now she realized was a huge mistake because this girl was gorgeous.
"Hello? Toni?" Sweet Pea tried to gain Toni's attention, but her eyes were focused solely on the electric girl stealing the attention of everybody in the room.
The red headed girl had to be Cheryl Blossom, she had heard the stories of the crazy girl with radiating beauty and vibrant red hair. Everybody had known Cheryl, even if not personally. Her brother had been the talk of the town for quite some time. Due to the recent merge and Toni skipping school, she hadn't crossed paths with her yet.
"So Cheryl Blossom is your type?" Sweet Pea chuckled, snapping Toni out of her gaze. "Never thought you'd be the kind of girl to go for uppity rich bitches like her".
"Shut up", Toni punched him hard in the arm, "Everybody is looking at her, not just me. I have a feeling she is used to getting attention from everybody".
"Oh sweet Toni, it is about to be a new year in about two hours. You tap that, and I give you major props. Anything can happen, as the town people have been claiming it is time for 'new beginnings'". He chuckled and walked around the bar, getting himself another beer. Toni assumed, free of charge.
Toni knew he was right; the night had been unusually chilly and foggy. As if a new wave of something overtook the town creeping into everybody who ventured out into the night. The group of people was moving in unison, guys all cheering on the dancing girl who was craving attention. It didn't matter which side of town the students were on, tonight they were all drinking the same alcohol, experiencing the same thing, and all running away from something. She could see it in their eyes; in the way they poured liquor down their throats.
Somehow this girl had garnered enough attention to start the real party, to merge the two distinct groups into one.
Toni turned around, taking one of the many lined up shots she hadn't taken yet. They went down easy, slightly burning her throat. She had thought to herself, what am I running from? What am I escaping from on this night?
She couldn't think of the answer, because when she turned around she had locked eyes with Cheryl. Others had started dancing around her, her circle of attention and space closing in around her. But still all Toni could see was her, through the smoky room and the sweaty bodies. She could only see her and she felt her breathing hitch slightly. Cheryl's eyes looked Toni up and down and the red headed girl didn't seem to try to hide her lustful glances. Her eyes seemed daring, longing for danger, longing for connection.
Toni bit her lip as the girl moved with the music, never losing eye contact with Toni once during her sultry and sexy dancing. Right then and there Toni wanted to walk out onto the floor, and pull the other girl close. She wanted to feel her body up against hers in perfect motion.
The moment and fantasy was soon lost, as it seemed Cheryl had found a new dancing partner in a Northside guy. Soon enough, Cheryl's back and ass were pressed up against the varsity football player. His hands moved to here hips pulling her closer. Toni thought to herself, what an awful dancer. This guy surely didn't deserve to dance with the red headed goddess Toni had laid eyes on first.
She rolled her eyes, looking away from the scene. Surely she had been imagining it all, Cheryl was the Northside it girl. No way would she like a Serpent, let alone a female Serpent. Toni was used to swaying girls in her direction, bringing them home for one-night stands and flirting with them relentlessly. But Sweet Pea was right; Cheryl was so far from her type and so far from the type of girl who would easily fall for Toni's antics.
Or was she?
Cheryl eventually got tired of the countless guys grabbing onto her and relentlessly demanding a dance in the smoky room full of noise. Sure, she had loved the attention and that was what she had wanted. She had successfully grabbed hold of the focus of both Northsiders and Southsiders alike. But now she just wanted more alcohol to keep her spirits up for the impending New Year.
In fact, with everything regarding Jason and her abusive family, she would prefer for tonight to forget everything that had happened in the previous year. She walked closer to the bar while trying to figure out which alcohol could take her the furthest away from herself, what could give her the biggest escape.
"Um excuse me", Cheryl noticed that the girl with pink hair was behind the bar. Apparently, nobody was bartending tonight and all the alcohol was open for grabs, "Make me a drink, the most top shelf liquor you have".
The girl turned around and smirked. "Hello, the name is Toni Topaz, nice to meet you too". She mocked Cheryl for skipping the formality of introducing herself and just demanding a drink.
"Well Toni, I would say it was nice to meet you as well but usually the majority of the human population isn't fond of snakes" Cheryl spit out. For some reason Cheryl wanted to push the girls buttons.
Cheryl had been drinking the majority of the night and it didn't allow her to suppress her inner thoughts. And she deep down she found Toni extremely attractive. She had been dancing all night but only felt the true rush of getting attention when she locked eyes with the sexy Serpent. The aspect of danger in their possible connection sent a new feeling throughout her entire body.
"Serpents, not snakes. But something tells me you know that", Toni leaned up against the other side of the bar, until she was directly facing Cheryl who had taken a seat at one of the stools on the other side. "Something also tells me you aren't a part of the majority population".
"Well I certainly am special" Cheryl stated while feeling electrified by their new conversation. "So are you going to make me a drink or am I gonna be sitting her all night, Topaz?"
"I'll make you a drink. But only because that ass was clearly made for dancing, not sitting on a bar stool all night" Toni said confidently, her eyes never shifting from Cheryl's. The confidence in her statement had sent something through Cheryl, excitement maybe. Or maybe something else entirely. Either way, Cheryl wished there was no bar between them, so she could move ever so slightly closer to the intriguing Serpent girl.
"Well, if you want a more up close view you should consider coming onto the dance floor yourself", Cheryl smirked before taking a sip of the drink Toni had placed in front of her. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but she trusted the girl to give her something strong.
"Seems like you have no problem finding other people to dance with" Toni stated, "guess it makes sense for a girl like you to like Northside guys. No danger, no problem".
Cheryl rolled her eyes playfully, "You don't know anything about me". Toni looked at her as if inspecting her every move, analyzing every word that escaped from her cherry red mouth.
"What if I want to know more?" Toni questioned back. Tilting her head to the side, never letting her eyes wander.
"Then you'd be one of the only braves souls to try," Cheryl sipped more of the strong drink she had been given, enjoying the back and forth conversation. "Not many people can handle me".
Before Toni could say anything Cheryl downed the rest of her drink, and slammed the cup down on the bar.
Cheryl slid the empty cup closer to Toni, whose hand rested onto the cup over Cheryl's, in a moment of brief connection and touch.
"Cheryl Blossom, you are full of surprise aren't you", Toni said clearly impressed by her ability to chug the drink in a matter of seconds. "But you should know, I'm not very good at backing down when I want something. Even If I've been warned".
Cheryl looked down at their hands, both on the empty cup. They eventually let go, and Toni put the cup into the sink. The hand contact was unnecessary; Toni could've waited for Cheryl's hand to let go of the cool glass so she could grab it. But instead, both the girls had now set the bar to take any opportunity in which they could touch one another.
"Are Serpents always attracted to danger?" Cheryl leaned over the bar a little closer, but not by much.
"Why do you need to know that? Are you scared of us?" Toni questioned back, a slight smile on her face.
"Well I certainly didn't get a warm welcome from the Serpent outside who was trying to take me home with him" Cheryl got up from her bar stool but remained looking at her.
Cheryl saw Toni's jaw slightly clench down, as if she was still angry at what had happened. "He won't bother you again," Toni replied, "But not all Serpents are like him, making such aggressive advances".
"So then you aren't trying to take me home with you?" Cheryl slightly frowned, "That is a damn shame".
"Babe, don't get ahead of yourself there" Toni playfully responded even though the comment has secretly sent jolts of excitement throughout her entire body. "I can see it in your eyes, I scare you. Just a little bit".
Cheryl appreciated Toni's will to keep up her bad girl image, but Cheryl knew she made the other girl weak.
"I guess we will just have to find out, babe" Cheryl replied, "Maybe I'll see you around, maybe not".
Cheryl flashed her signature smirk before disappearing back into the crowd of dancing teenagers, not letting Toni say anything else. Hoping that somehow, Toni would follow her into the center of it all. She had left an air of mystery, to intrigue the Serpent to want to know more. The alcohol coursed through Cheryl's entire body, making her warm and vulnerable. She closed her eyes, and danced to the music once again. A smile spread cross her face possibly due to her intoxication, but mostly due to the excitement she felt when talking to Toni.
"So, I saw you and bombshell blossom talking" Sweet Pea shoved his arm into Toni who was trying her hardest to not seem eager by glancing out in the crowd of people. "She was totally into you, like wanting to jump over the bar and make out with you into you".
"Sweet Pea, don't let the alcohol get to your head." Toni warned, but deep down she knew her drunken friend had been speaking words of truth all night.
"Toni, its new years eve-"
"Shut up, I can't handle you saying that one more time" Toni playfully punched him in the arm once again, "I don't give any fucks about whether this is New Years Eve or not. If I want Cheryl, I would go for it regardless of the day of the year. And I would get exactly what I want."
"Yeah because she's fucking hot," Sweet pea gestured out into the crowd.
Toni followed his gaze and spotted her once again, "She certainly is". Toni blurted the words before she even knew what she was saying.
"We don't have much time until midnight, you might want to snatch her up before somebody else gets the New Years kiss." He gave her an encouraging look.
"Fuck it" Toni exclaimed, before chugging back a beer she had been nursing for the past 20 minutes in an attempt to not seem desperate to reconnect with Cheryl.
She looked out and spotted the Vixen once again, moving as if she had danced to this song hundreds of times before. The crowd had all seemed to join in, hormonal teenagers dancing up against one another. The boundaries of North vs. South had been erased, everybody escaping their lives for one mysterious night. And Toni walked fiercely through the crowd, pushing people aside not caring if she looked desperate.
She walked in front of Cheryl, and they glanced at one another with a look in their eyes that set the night on fire. They gave each other small smiles, looks of knowing, looks of lust. The room has seemed to pause around them, as if the fog from the chilly night had creeped into the room making everybody disappear but them. Toni moved forward, closer and closer.
Toni grabbed Cheryl's waist from in front of her, pulling her body into hers. She moved her head closer to Cheryl's. It seemed as if the other girl didn't mind the close contact one bit.
Toni whispered into her ear as her body was pressed up against Cheryl, "Are you scared of Serpents now?" She backed up slowly, hands still on her waist; Cheryl's touching her right back. Eyes connected in a fiery exchange.
Cheryl leaned in, enjoying the heat radiating from the Serpent's body. She placed her hand on the left side of Toni's face, before moving her face closer. She whispered into her right ear, "I'm not scared, just promise me you won't…. bite". Her lips brushed Toni's ear, and it sent a shockwave through her body. Her voice has sounded so sexy as a whisper, so electric.
Toni turned the girl around, using her hands to pull Cheryl's backside against her. They started dancing to the beat, Cheryl subtly grinding on Toni while maintaining elegance in her movements. Toni was using her hands to guide Cheryl's body against her own, and she thought she could pass out just from the heat she felt coursing through her. She wanted more. The only way to describe what she was feeling was wanting more. She wanted to feel every curve of Cheryl's body, every inch of smooth pale skin.
She moved Cheryl's hair to the right side of her neck, while leaning in to the left. "I don't make promises I can't keep".
Toni moved her lips down from her ear where she had just whispered to Cheryl's neck, before gently biting down. Cheryl's head tilted right and her eyes closed as she enjoyed the small gesture. Cheryl's hand reached back onto the side of Toni's face pulling her in to leave more kisses and soft bites. Her other hand grabbed Toni's which was still on her waist.
They danced like that for a while, bodies connected in perfect rhythm. Feeling one another, enjoying one another. Cheryl doing everything in her power to dance as sexy as possible up against the Serpent. Toni enjoying every minute of the exchange.
After dancing for what seemed like forever, Toni couldn't take it anymore she needed Cheryl. She needed her now. She grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd as fast as possible leading her back towards the bar. She didn't know where she was going; she just needed more space away from the crowd. More room to feel Cheryl, to be with her.
They ended up by the bar, Toni spinning around to face Cheryl once again.
"You didn't tell me you could dance, Topaz" Cheryl stepped closer, mainly because of wanting to be close to Toni. Also trying to be loud over the blasting music.
"You are..." Toni searched to find words, but nothing came out. Not one single word could describe the spectacle that was Cheryl Blossom.
"I'm what?" Cheryl questioned, moving closer until she was face to face with Toni.
Toni could tell Cheryl wanted something to happen. Toni could tell she herself wanted something to happen. Toni was never one to freeze but she just wanted to gaze at Cheryl for a moment before the inevitable happened. In fact, she could look at the Northside girl for the rest of her life and never get tired of those eyes, lips, pale soft skin or the silky signature red hair.
"FIFTEEN MINUTES UNTIL MIDNIGHT!" Sweet Pea yelled coming up to the girls, interrupting their intimate exchange and grabbing them into a group hug. "Aren't youz girls exciteddd?" He slurred his words, clearly drunk. Otherwise, he wouldn't find this exciting. Serpents never find special occasions exciting.
Toni wanted to kill him. He had interrupted the tension that was building between the two lustful girls; he had interrupted her chance to kiss Cheryl.
"Okayy, so Toni need your help getting shots lined up, right FUCKIKNG now!" Sweet pea yelled, everybody chattered with excitement over free booze and the impending New Year.
Toni knew she had an obligation to help Sweet Pea, so she gave Cheryl an apologetic glance. "Find me at midnight."
"Possibly," Cheryl said, giving her playful smirk she had been wearing all night.
"I'm not sure your understanding, I'm taking a page out of your book. That wasn't a question." Toni demanded. She watched as Cheryl rolled her eyes playfully.
"Demanding things now?" Cheryl stepped closer one finally time before whispering, "I find that extremely sexy". She gave the pink haired girl a kiss on the cheek, surely leaving her mark of red lipstick to ensure that Toni was hers for the night and hers only.
Then Cheryl disappeared into the room once again and Toni prayed to a God she didn't believe in that she would see Cheryl at midnight. Nobody else was going to steal that kiss away from her.
Cheryl was watching the clock intensely, midnight couldn't come fast enough. She wanted so badly to kiss the Serpent that had been pursuing her all night. She actually wanted to do more than kissing, but she was taking one step at a time. But she could still picture it now, taking Toni into a back room. Making out with her into the New Year, tearing each other's clothes off, playing hard to get while simultaneously getting everything they had been wanting all night.
Around her everybody was holding up shots, the one's Toni has poured with a very drunk Sweet Pea. Cheryl glanced at the bar but couldn't find Toni in the mix. Her heart began racing, what if Toni had left? What if she has been reading all the signs wrong and this girl had fled?
Cheryl had been called crazy, her image had been slightly tarnished and maybe Toni found it a better idea to run off into the night without her. The thought made her body ache more than anything because she wanted her so bad.
Cheryl began to walk through the crowd, keeping her eyes open for pink hair and a leather Serpent jacket. She couldn't find her and the countdown had begun. Excited teenagers were buzzing together as they held their lovers close, new and old.
"10…9...8...7" The crowd chanted as if they had all been buddies for life, working as a unit since birth.
Cheryl felt tears stinging her eyes; once again she would be alone on New Years Eve, with no love, with nothing. She thought she was stupid for coming to this place. For believing the alcohol would let her escape her demons.
She ended up in side hallway, by unknown locked rooms and two bathrooms. She leaned up against the wall letting her head fall back and rest. She closed her eyes and tried to breath, she could not cry in this dingy Serpent bar. She could not let her night be ruined be a Serpent.
"3... 2... 1" Everybody screamed with excitement.
Cheryl joined in on the countdown by whispering the seconds, eyes still closed. Heart still racing. Heart still beating wildly for the girl she wanted to be with right now.
"Found you" Toni's voice rang out in front of her.
Cheryl opened her eyes, and sure enough saw her in front of her. Toni's face was lit up by the neon signs hanging around the bar that were casting green and pink light. The hallway was dark and smoky, but she could see Toni so clearly. In fact, everything in this moment was defined by a moment of clarity.
A moment of Cheryl knowing for sure what she wanted.
"I thought you would never show up", Cheryl playfully scoffed. She grabbed Toni's leather jacket and forcefully pushed the girl up against the wall across from her.
Their eyes were connected once again, faces inches apart. Toni took this moment to grab Cheryl and flip them around so that she was the one holding Cheryl against the wall. Toni had one hand on Cheryl's waist, the other against the wall beside Cheryl's body.
Toni leaned in, and connected their lips. The kiss was slow and soft at first, as both enjoyed the shared moment in time. Cheryl's hand gently grabbed the side of Toni's face and brought her deeper into the kiss they were sharing. Lips moving perfectly together, as if they had done this before.
They kiss became more aggressive and passionate as their hands wandered, pulling each other closer and feeling each other. Cheryl felt like her entire body was on fire as the steamy kiss continued. Toni lightly bit down on Cheryl's bottom lip, which only made Cheryl moan out quietly in delight. She took this a sign to grab Toni and pull her even closer, deepening the kiss.
Eventually their mouths parted, both girls looking at one another once again. It took them a moment to form words because the kiss had been so breathtaking. It was the climax of the night, the moment that was so heavily anticipated.
"Cheryl…you are…" Toni tried to finish her sentence once again, at a loss for words. Her eyes looking at Cheryl's lips then reconnecting with her eyes.
"Spit it out, Topaz" Cheryl chuckled slightly, enjoying the expression of the other girl who was in awe of their steamy kiss.
"You are incredible," Toni put her hand on Cheryl's arm and traced it upwards, "And sexy…" Toni leaned in placing a kiss on her cheek, "And gorgeous".
Cheryl took in all the words being said, and it filled her with happiness. "Don't go falling in love with me already," Cheryl retorted.
"Slow down there, babe" Toni chuckled, "And just kiss me again".
Cheryl was beaming at the compliments being thrown her way. She connected their lips once again in gratification of the Serpent that had been thrown in her path on this New Year's Eve. She realized no matter how many times she kissed Toni; it would feel like the first. Her lips were so soft, so warm, so foreign, and yet completely familiar. All Cheryl knew was that she didn't want this feeling to end.
"Will I see you again after tonight?" Cheryl questioned, desperate for the answer to be yes.
"Possibly." Toni smirked, "but just don't go falling in love with me, alright?"
Cheryl gazed deeply into her eyes and put both hands on either side of Toni's face, and recited the words Toni had said earlier to her in the night, "I don't make promises I can't keep".
For the millionth time that night, it seemed as if everything else slowed down. As if they were the only two girls in an empty smoke filled bar.
Of course they would see each other again. This was just the beginning of their electric love story. The beginning of the New Year. The beginning of both girls finding the love they so desperately needed.
After sharing knowing glances, they kissed once again in the dingy, dark hallway of the Serpent bar. Knowing they both successfully found their escape in one another. Knowing that this was just the start of something special.