Trigger Warnings: Talks about self harm and talks about Cheryl's suicide attempt. It also talks about what Nick did to Cheryl.
Before I get into this story, I would like to say a few things.
1) I do NOT own any of these characters and places, they all belong to the CW.
2) All I did was simply make the story! :)
It does have swearing and graphic language.
Rated: M for Mature.
"For once in your life mommy, care about me! Love me!" Cheryl had really emphasized on the word "love" and her eyes were filing with tears. She bit her lip and looked up at her mother, Penelope's eyes filled with confusion. "Cheryl, I do care about you. How dare you say I don't!" Cheryl's lip quivered. Penelope was never a good mom. When Cheryl was only 7 years old, her mom told her how worthless and useless of a daughter she was. How she wished Jason was the only one born. A single tear rolled down Cheryl's cheek "No Mom, you don't care! For gods sake you took hush money from my rapist!" She looks at her Mom with pleading eyes. "Oh shut up Cheryl, nothing really happened to you! You just provoked the boy!" She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mom's mouth. "No! I didn't! Mom why don't you believe me! Why don't you LOVE me?" Cheryl was close to letting all her tears out, but she didn't want to cry in front of her mom. "Because Cheryl, you're a brat! You're a fucking brat! Why on earth would I love you? Why on earth would anyone ever love you? I wish I never had you to begin with! Waste of my fucking life!" That's when Cheryl broke. She just couldn't take it anymore. Over the past 16 Years of living, that was the cruelest thing she's heard, and she's heard pretty bad things. She didn't care about her mom seeing her cry anymore. She just let it all out. She brought her knees up to her chest and sobbed. Chocking on her tears and regretting every talking to her mom. Her mascara had ran down Cheryl's cheek, staining the white, porcelain skin. Penelope bit her lip and new she fucked up. She put her hand on Cheryl's shoulder "I-I'm sorry I didn't mean it.. any of it." To Penelope's surprise, Cheryl slapped her hand away and stood up, tears still in her eyes and lipstick stains on the girl's white dress from holding her knees up to her chest. "Leave me alone" she ran up stairs and slammed the door shut, sinking to the ground in agony.
She breathed in and out. Opened her hands to reveal the finger nail marks and blood that her nails had left. She closed he hands tightly and squeezed, drawing more blood. She got up and changed out of her white, stained with lipstick, dress and into her mom's old sweatshirt and sweatpants, remembering a day she would never forget.
It was a cold winter day, Cheryl was 12. Jason and her had come back from playing in the snow and Cheryl was frigid. She could barley feel her skin. She was almost frozen. Jason had been holding her for warmth and yelled out "MOMMY, DADDY CHERYL FELL INTO A SNOWY ICEY PIT AND IS FREAKING COLD!" Cheryl had slipped and fell into a pit of ice and cold water and snow, hit her head and was barley able to move. She was so cold her skin was whiter than snow. Penelope rushed and picked Cheryl up, carrying her in her arms like you would a baby and brought her to her room. Cheryl's eyes closed and her breathing was slowing down. Penelope gasped and felt a hint of guilt. "Cheryl sweetie stay with me please stay with me" Cheryl's breathing was slower than ever and Penelope changed her out of her frozen, wet clothes and grabbed her own favourite sweat shirt and pants and put Cheryl in them, hoping it would warm her up. Penelope started to cry "Cheryl please I'm begging you " her words were stuttered "I love you!" Cheryl's breathing had miraculously improved and her eyes shot open. "I I I" she breathed in "mommy I'm cold " was all she could say and Penelope wrapped her and Cheryl in a blanket and held Cheryl close. "I know sweetie, I know."
That was the one and only day that Penelope acted like a real mother towards Cheryl. The one and only day, and Cheryl never forgot it. She cherished it. She craved for it to happen again. She longed for it. After an hour of crying and weeping, she had checked the time to see it was dinner time. She got up from her bed, wiped her tears and walked downstairs.
Meanwhile, Penelope had finished preparing a meal and set it out on the table. One for Nana Rose, one for herself, and one for Cheryl. That is, if Cheryl would ever come down. She sat down, cleared her throat and began her meal when she saw the small figure that is her daughter approach the table. "How nice of you to join us" Penelope had said to Cheryl and all she responded back with was a sigh. Cheryl sat down, un-clutching her hand and releasing her nails from her skin. She went to pick up her spoon when Penelope grabbed her hand. "What the fuck is this Cheryl?" She bit her lip and looked down at her nail marks. "Um" she looked down in shame. "Um what? Have you been hurting yourself?" Penelope spat out. Cheryl simply nodded. Penelope ran her fingers over the nail marks, wiping off the blood. "Cheryl if you were in pain to this point, why didn't you tell me!" She held onto Cheryl's hand. Cheryl shimmied her hand out of her Mom's. "Why would I? You would r care anyway!" Tears were beginning to well up again but she fought them back. She got up and ran upstairs, still digging her nails into her hand.
Penelope got up, excused her self from the table, and walked to the living room. She sat down on the couch, remembering her childhood. Remembering when she was Cheryl's age.
"Mom please don't make me do this!" A 16 year old Penelope Bennett whined out. "I don't want to marry him! I don't love him." She cried a little. Her mom stood up and slapped her. "You stupid, worthless, slutty brat! After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me? You're such a brat I wish I never had you!" Her Mom slapped her again. "M-Mom d-don't say that! I-I know you love me!" Her Mom laughed and slapped her again "think again. I've never loved you, and I never will." Penelope's Mom got up and left, leaving a small, broken Penelope to cry.
Fast forward to July 1st. Her and Cheryl had just finished having a fight. "Cheryl, you're so incredibly incompetent and stupid, why can't be more like Jason? Why are you so fucking dumb!" She sighed and sat down. Cheryl stood there in tears "I I ... I'm sorry mother" she ran off to her room to cry, leaving Penelope alone. Jason walked over to her and sat down next to his mom. "Mom can I ask you something?" She nodded "why are you so mean to Cheryl? She's tying to get your love and affection but it's not working." She breathed in "I don't know how to show love to her. My mom raised me like this, she treated me like this, she was sweet and loving to my brother but cruel and terrible to me." He simply nodded and ran off to comfort Cheryl.
Her thoughts were quickly cut off by the sound of a loud thud and a scream. She got up to examen the sound and found that Cheryl had slipped down the last four stairs, hit her head against the railing and was bleeding. She rushed over to her and held her. "Cheryl are you ok? Cheryl?" She didn't respond. Instead she simply closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. As much as she tried, words weren't coming out of her mouth. She was unresponsive but was still aware of her surroundings. The next few hours were all a blur to her. She remembers people talking and hospital beds and her mom crying. She remembers doctors and tubes connected to her. She remembers closing her eyes and taking it all in. Was this how she was going to go? A tragic hit to the head from a less tragic and rather pathetic slip down the stairs? No, Cheryl wanted to die in a more dramatic way. No, she refused to let her self die this way.
Meanwhile, Penelope had sat down crying. When the doctor came in she stood up. "What's the news?" He looked up at her. "She hit her had, not too bad but it's no good either. She might be unresponsive for the next few days, max a week. She'll wake up, there's no doubt about it. Just.. try talking to her. Be positive." She nodded and he walked out, leaving the Blossom women alone. Penelope hesitated but she walked over next to her daughter and sat down. "You know Cheryl, I do love you. It's just hard. " she breathed in "with your father and brother and everything. I didn't grow up with the best mom either and now here I am, being exactly like her, a bitch." She sighed and realized the doctor said "be positive" this wasn't it. "I... have good news. They said you won't be like this for much longer. People have stopped by to see if you were ok. The Lodges, the Coopers, the Andrews, even FP and Jughead Jones. The room is filled with flowers and cards and chocolates." She smiled at the sight of all the people that care for her daughter. "Oh and that Josie girl. You know, I think she likes you. I could be wrong, but I think she does. She kept calling you "her girl" " Penelope bit her lip and looked at her daughter. She sighed and sat back down then starred at the floor with tears in her eyes. "Gosh, I really am a terrible mother."
