"Please, Cher," Toni begged again. "If you don't play we'll forfeit."

Cheryl huffed and rolled her eyes, "And how is that my problem?"

Toni smiled a toothy grin and gave her best puppy dog eyes, "Because you love me?"

"I cheer for sports. I don't play them," she reminded her girlfriend.

"Please?"

"Believe it or not, mon amour, but I do not wish to cater to every lesbian stereotype."

"Right, babe, because you're such a stereotypical lesbian," the pinkette laughed.

Cheryl crossed her arms across her chest and huffed, "I own a flannel."

"That you stole from me!"

The redhead thought for a moment. She really did not want to play, but this was important to her girlfriend, who was important to her. "Fine," she caved. "What exactly will I have to do?"

"Seriously?" Toni's face lit up, "Nothing! You won't have to do a thing, babe. Just stand in the outfield so we have a complete team out there. Peaches is pitching, and that girl has a wicked curveball. It should be a no hitter. Thank you so much! I'll text the girls and let them know the game is still on."

Cheryl watched as Toni picked up her phone and began typing out a group text. She sighed, immediately regretting her decision.

It was already the second of two games, and Cheryl was bored out of her mind. The fourth inning had just started, and to the redhead's dismay there were still another three once it concluded.

Just as Toni had assured her, Cheryl hadn't needed to do a thing. She found herself standing in the outfield, her glove tucked under her elbow. Rather than attempt to fake interest in the game, she choose to spend the remaining time scrolling through her Instagram feed. There was no reason to start participating now when the ball had not come within 50 feet of her in the last hour and a half.

"And that's three!" Toni yelled from third base, causing Cheryl to close lock her phone and slide it into her back pocket.

The teams swapped places, and Chery followed Toni to the benches, taking the seat next to her.

"How much longer?"

Toni finished taking a drink from her water bottle and replaced the cap before rolling her eyes and turning to her girlfriend. "Just about another half hour, babe."

The redhead whined, "And then home?"

"The girls wanted to stop by the Wyrm for a drink after," Toni started to say before noticing the exhausted appearance of her girlfriend. "You know what, nevermind. They can celebrate our glorious victory without me."

"No, I promised not to monopolize all of your time. Compromise? One drink at the Wyrm, and then home?" Cheryl asked, attempting to find a middle ground. After their breakup earlier that spring the two had been making an effort to see things from the other's point of view. For Cheryl, that meant sharing, something the redhead found to be a constant struggle.

"Deal," the pinkette smiled. "One drink, and then home. And since you are being so amazing tonight how about I give you a massage after we shower? I'm sure your arms are sore from all that texting you are doing in the outfield."

"I can't help that I'm bored," she said exasperated. "It's not like the ball has come anywhere near me all night."

"I know, Cher. I'm just glad you're here." Toni leaned in and placed a kiss upon her girl's cheek. "I'll show you just how glad when we are home and cleaned up."

"I'm holding you to that, ma chérie."

The shorter girl bit down on her lower lip momentarily before smirking, "You know how much I love it when you speak French to me, right?"

Cheryl leaned forward and met her girlfriend's lips with a kiss before whispering, "Oui, vous l'avez dit plusieurs fois. Alors peut-être que j'utiliserais cette langue de l'amour ce soir, entre vos cuisses, après le massage que vous m'avez promis."

"I have absolutely no idea what you just said, babe," Toni laughed. "But I have a feeling it was good."

"Very good, mon petit amour."

"And on that note, it's my turn to bat. One more kiss for good luck?"

"You don't need luck, TT, but I will never turn down a chance to kiss the most beautiful girl in the world."

Toni rolled her eyes, laughing. "Trust me when I say you are the most beautiful." She leaned down and received the kiss she requested before grabbing her bat and heading to the plate.

Before Cheryl knew it the Poisons were up by three more points, causing them to be winning against the Bijou Buttercups 17 - 2. She found herself back in the outfield, once again playing with her phone, waiting for the last inning to finish so they could be on their way.

"Strike one!"

"Ugh," the redhead mumbled. She glanced up from her phone briefly to admire how nice her girlfriend's ass looked in her fastpitch pants. Cheryl tilted her head and smiled absentmindedly letting her mind wander to what she had planned once they returned home after the bar later that evening.

"Strike two!" The sound of Bear Trap's booming voice pulled Cheryl out of her day dream.

Where do they get these nicknames? I lucked out Toni doesn't want to go by something stupid like Cheese Ball or Pebbles. Whenever I think it can't get worse they prove me wrong.

The redhead returned her attention to her phone. Only one more strike and she could sit down for the rest of the monotonous game. Not too much longer until she would be at the Whyte Wyrm and from there home with her beloved.

She hit like on the post Josie just shared of her and Archie after his boxing match before continuing to scroll through her feed.

Hurry up.

Cheryl tapped on a video Polly shared of her niece and nephew to enable the audio. The redhead smiled as she listened to the sound of their laughter playing from her phone's speaker. She faintly registered the crack of a bat coming from home plate.

"CHERYL!"

The sound of Toni's voice caused Cheryl to jerk her head up just in time to see the softball zooming straight for her. A moment later everything went black.

The mattress below her felt old and worn, reminding her of staying with Toni after her girlfriend rescued her from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy the previous year.

How hard did that ball hit me? It must have been hard if they moved me without waking me up.

An unfamiliar smell invaded her nostrils. Cigarette smoke. No one she knew smoked. Jason had briefly one summer while he was alive, but the smell had always turned the redhead's stomach. Now, it strangely felt almost inviting.

"Toni? W-where am I?"

Cheryl brought her hand to her face and rubbed circles upon her eyelids to aid in waking herself up. Her mouth opened in a yawn as her eyelids fluttered open. Feelings of surprise and unnerve hit her suddenly upon realizing she was alone.

"Babe? Where are you?"

She sat up fully before turning and swung her legs off the bed. Her bare feet came in contact with worn, dingy carpet.

"Toni, this isn't funny! Where are you, and where are my shoes?"

The redhead dragged herself out of the bedroom and into the main area of the trailer. It was perfectly still. Not a sound could be heard except for the faint buzzing of the window AC unit sticking out against the far window.

"If this is some kind of joke… Seriously, where is everyone?" Her voice cracked in panic as the words left her mouth. Her breathing quickened, and her eyes darted around the room for some sign of where she currently found herself.

Cheryl's eyes stopped upon another pair staring back at her. The bathroom door was opened wide, and above the sink was a medicine cabinet with a mirrored door. She looked into the glass and saw a complete stranger. It was her, yet not her at all. The reflection had frizzed, unkempt hair tied upon her head in a messy bun, smudged dark black eye makeup, a small ring in her nose, a daith piercing in her left ear, a double helix through her right, and 6g gauges in each earlobe.

"This really isn't funny anymore, guys! You can come out now. The joke's over."

There was no answer. Cheryl Blossom was completely alone and more lost than ever.