The song for this one-shot is The Kills - DNA
TONI'S POV:
"When you said come to this dumb pool party you said there would be booze," I shot Jughead an accusatory look.
He gave a cheeky grin. "That may have been my ulterior motive to get you here."
My hand slapped the back of his head.
He held his hands up. "Hey, enough hitting." He turned to me. "Toni, you're new in town. School starts in a few days. You just got into photography. If you want to have an in with the Yearbook Club then you need to build your folio now." He walked over to the snack table. "Plus, you could meet some new people. No offense."
Offense taken. But he had a point. I'd been in town for two weeks and I hadn't hung out with anyone besides him and Betty. The tortures of being an introvert. I was a cool person, at least, I thought so. No one had ever told me otherwise. Being holed up in my room with a few friends doing something chill instead of wasting brain cells with these popularity contest mouthbreathers was my idea of fun.
I took his advice and ventured off to take some photos with my Asahi Pentax K1000 that I had around my neck. The summer playlist really set the scene of hormones raging teens that just wanted to be accepted and get through high school without showing up to class in the wrong shoes or tragically being murdered like some sixties murder mystery.
Some danced around the pool, made out on any surface available, and a group smoked while the smell of weed wafted in the air.
"Now there's some action," I muttered to myself while I pattered over.
In my leather jacket and fishnets I knew I came across a certain way; tres biker slut but I wasn't that into labels. My black and white striped overall dress clung to my body paired with a royal blue shirt underneath and black thigh high boots. The semi-permanent rose gold dye in my hair was fading but was still evident.
"Mind if I have a hit?" I asked the group of dudes.
A handsome guy with dreamy eyes and rings for days handed it over to me. "You got a name cutie?"
They all were quite cute and had their gazes on me in assessment.
"Toni," I took a drag, then passed it to the nearest person who happened to be a redheaded hottie.
"Archie," He gave a megawatt smile. "Are you new in town?"
I nodded. "Yeah," I exhaled. "I moved here a few weeks ago."
The dreamy-eyed guy stood and made his way over to me. "Wait a sec, did you move into the old Spellman house?"
Oh God. I'd already heard too many ghost stories about the house to count.
"Yup, Zelda and Helda were my Aunts."
I prepared myself for them to ask all crazy stuff about the alleged witches on the block but no one said anything.
He grinned. "You have to invite us over to check it out sometime."
My brow rose. "Do I?" A little grin peaked out.
"I'm Fangs by the way," He held a hand out.
Odd name, but I went with it.
I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."
He gestured to the rest of his group to introduce themselves.
"Reggie," A very hot Asian guy smirked.
Another boy with olive skin gave a half wave. "Sweet Pea," He eyed me.
The last was maybe the most handsome Black guy I'd ever seen like he could permanently be on GQ. "Chuck," He was focused on the blunt.
"Who are you here with or did you wander in on your own?" Sweet Pea asked.
The nerves you got when you met new people, especially attractive people, worked through me. "Uh, I came with my friend, Jughead Jones. Maybe you know him."
They chuckled.
"Sometimes I wish I didn't," Archie muttered.
"He's been holding out on us," Chuck finally looked up and met my eyes.
Did the temperature just rise like ten degrees?
I peeked over my shoulder for Jughead.
"Yo, Toni," Reggie got handed the blunt. "What's your story? You got a boyfriend?"
My head shook. "Not really,"
Where was Jughead?
I checked for him again when I spotted one of the hottest girls I'd ever laid eyes on. My black cloth choker suddenly felt tight around my neck while I took her in.
She was tall in her black pumps, her pink and red high waisted bikini offset her long, wavy red hair and red plump lips.
My limbs worked on autopilot while I took a photo, which may or may not work its way to the Yearbook.
Those long legs walked with our way, her shoulders were held back with confidence that flowed behind her like a cape. Her eyes were covered by black sunglasses but I still felt it in my stomach when she saw me.
"Fuck," I said under my breath.
"Or a girlfriend, I guess." Reggie chuckled.
My body felt on high alert the closer she got. "Who is she?" I glanced at Fangs.
He grinned down at me like a cat, but a harmless cat. "The Queen, of course." His voice held slight teasing but there was seriousness behind it.
The boys laughed behind us.
She lifted her sunglasses, her eyes raked down my body. Maybe she was trying to assess if I'd be a threat. I was well aware that some girls still thought that way.
"Hey, Cheryl." Chuck called.
She was in front of us before I was mentally ready.
"Hi, boys." She greeted them with an unbothered tone. Her amber eyes stared into mine. "And who might you be?"
My mouth opened but no words came out. All of a sudden my throat felt dry.
Fangs threw his arm around me. "This is Toni. She's here with Jughead. Just moved here a few weeks ago." He sounded a bit proud that he had the information to give her.
I was grateful for his stepping in but I could do my own introduction. She was only just a girl after all. A very bodacious girl. Who had eyes that could cut through you and weed out the bullshit. She couldn't see how broken I was, could she?
Somehow I managed to reach my hand forward. "Toni Topaz," I hoped my voice didn't sound as shaky as it felt.
Her red-manicured hand wrapped around mine with a surprisingly soft shake. "Cheryl Blossom."
My eyes went to our hands that were still entwined.
She pulled away after a few seconds. "Nice camera."
I held it up. "Thanks," I was going to bring up yearbook but it was like I couldn't function coherent thoughts.
She held a slight smirk as if she'd figured out her effect on me. "Well, I don't mind if you take pictures just clear them with Jughead if you plan on posting them anywhere. At me, Cheribombshell on Insta." Her eyes ran down my body once more. "Nice outfit btw." She turned on her heels and walked away.
"What just happened?" I asked Fangs.
"I think she likes you." He sounded unsure. "If she hated you then would you know. Trust me."
I looked back at the guys. "Is she single? Seeing anybody?"
Archie shook his head. "No, you don't want to go liking Cheryl, it won't end well for you."
Sweet Pea walked over to me with determined eyes. "Cheryl's a cold-blooded snake, don't let the cotton candy exterior fool you. You seem like a nice girl but I promise you that it won't work out for you." He walked away with a mission to be anywhere but here.
"Did I say something?" I looked at Fangs.
He shook his head. "They used to have a thing."
Someone passed around jello shots. Now we were talking.
I found Cheryl laid against a lounge chair with a dark haired girl with beautiful olive skin.
They smiled at each other then Cheryl had her tongue down her throat a moment later.
My idiotic hopeful heart fractured. Well, you couldn't be that hot and not be involved, I guess.
"The thing about Cheryl is she does her own thing all of the time and when she's done with you, you feel it." Fangs warned.
I threw back the jello shot.
After I got over my minor heartbreak with a few more, I dismissed myself to take more photos. It was the only time I felt unphased by home life. The move helped but it was all still so fresh.
I found a bathroom so I could pee. The house seemed so grande. I wanted to explore it but I didn't have the right too. Maybe I could ask Cheryl to do an impromptu photo shoot. She seemed like the type to go along with it. I set my camera on the bathroom sink and looked at myself in the mirror. As fun as this getting to know people thing was, it was time for me to go home to sober myself up with some tea and my warm blanket.
There was a knock on the door.
I opened it to find the girl Cheryl was kissing.
"Hey, I really gotta pee." She rushed in, pulled down her bikini bottoms, and started to pee. She let out a breath of relief, then registered I was still there. "Sorry, I didn't have time to find another bathroom. This place is a maze."
So she was Cheryl's girlfriend and she didn't even know her way around the house?
"I'm Veronica but you can call me Ronnie. Cute outfit," She grinned.
This was weird. Was it not weird? She must've been really comfortable with her body to pee in front of a stranger and strike up a conversation.
"I'm Toni, just moved here."
She wiped herself. "Oh, right. You just moved into the Spellman house. Yikes. How creepy is it?"
"Fairly creepy," I shrugged it off. "But it's all fake so it doesn't scare me." I turned around so she could finish her business in peace but Cheryl was leaning against the wall outside so I stopped in the doorway.
The soft amber gaze she gave me earlier was gone. Her arms were folded across her chest and she stood taller than me in a menacing way for the first time. "You're a Spellman?" Venom dripped from her voice.
"Not technically, no. They were my Aunts."
I didn't understand the switch or the reason behind her sudden animosity.
"I didn't really know them all that well," I said defensively but I shouldn't have had to be. "Is there a problem?" I glanced between her and Veronica.
Veronica looked just as confused as I felt.
Cheryl Blossom didn't look angry anymore, she looked scared behind the facade. "There won't be if you high tail it out of here and don't come back."
What the hell?
"I didn't do anything to you so why don't you back off?" I stepped toward her.
Her brow arched at my defiance. "You're new here. It would be awfully embarrassing for you to get kicked out of your first party before school starts don't you think?"
Caring about what others thought wasn't really my thing but committing social suicide was asking for trouble so I did what she asked and backed away.
Jughead was talking to Reggie when I marched past him. "Hey, you leaving already?"
"Great party, Jug." I didn't have a car but I could walk home, it beat sticking around any longer than necessary to wait on him to give me a ride.
He ran after me into the woods. "Hey hey hey, what happened?"
"I don't belong here obviously so I'm going to go home."
His hand grabbed my arm. "Toni,"
I looked back at him. "Cheryl's a real piece of work."
He nodded. "That's one word for it." He gestured to the setting Sun. "It's going to be dark soon. Let me drive you home. I was about to come find you anyway."
We walked to his car and got in.
My anger brewed inside of me. It felt like if someone even looked at me wrong then I'd bubble over like smoke from a cauldron.
"Are you okay?" He asked after several minutes.
I kept my gaze on the darkening sky. "I don't know why she got all bitchy."
He turned onto my street. "What happened?"
"Veronica and I were talking and she got mad when Veronica brought up my Aunts."
The car seemed tense while my words hung in the air.
I turned to him. "Were my Aunts really that weird and mean for people to hold a grudge against me?"
He parked the car in front of my house and sighed. "This town has a lot of secrets, Toni. As small as it is those secrets could ruin a lot of people."
"Are you saying my Aunts knew Cheryl's secrets?"
He didn't acknowledge that but instead said, "I can't be the one to tell you. If you're meant to know then you'll know. Otherwise, I'd be putting you in the middle of something that predates your moving here and that wouldn't be fair."
Whatever the hell that meant.
"If I didn't like you I wouldn't care," He tried to make me feel better.
It wasn't his fault I was irritated and I didn't want to take it out on him so I opened the door. "Thanks for the ride, see ya later."
He waited until I got inside until he drove off.
My mom was passed out on the couch so I went up to my room and slammed the door. It wasn't like she was going to hear it in her drunken stupor. Ever since the divorce, my mom had been trying her best to cope with my dad cheating with his coworker but her coping ended up in a bottle a few nights a week when her normal yoga and mediation didn't work.
Hot tea was my night time ritual. I'd been really into candles lately. Aunt Hilda and Zelda sent me some really cute candles for my sixteenth birthday before they died. Maybe it was my mind trying to cope with their deaths by lighting them. It wasn't like I was close to them. I met them maybe five times growing up but they were cooky and kinda fun, but my mom and dad never wanted me to spend much time with them because of their religion. I didn't see much of a point in being religious. There was a nobleness to it, sure but it was all manufactured for territory control, to get money to the state, and to have power of a congregation of people when shit hit the fan. Religions were more like cults than they realized but they were uppidy.
I only believed in what I could see.
Shit.
Cheryl had gotten me so worked up that I left my camera at her house in the bathroom. There was no way in hell I was going back over there to get it. I would just have to text Jughead to grab it for me tomorrow.
My green fluorite crystal sat on my desk. I held it for dear life to clear my mind while my tea brewed. Having an electric kettle was life-changing. I could enjoy a cup of tea without having to leave my room. What more could I ask for? For Cheryl to not be such a bitch.
The more the events of the day replayed in my head the angrier I got and I just wanted my fucking camera back so I could go for a walk and not think about it. Screw Cheryl Blossom.
I leaned against my desk while my hands gripped at the wood.
She didn't get to rule my life here. Not after I lost my dad to his treacherous ways and my mom couldn't find herself in front of a mirror, the few friends I had back home, and even my creepy but quirky Aunts. Cheryl didn't get to make me feel like I was nothing after all of that. She didn't know what I'd been through. She was going to give me my camera back dammit.
I was aware I was maybe overreacting a tad but that didn't quell the bubbling rage inside me. I pushed off the desk when my hand to grab my tea when the silver of my camera glinted in the light of the desk lamp.
What the what? How did it get here?
Slowly I backed away from it. How many shots had I had?
Nausea overtook me. My stomach turned while I rushed to my bathroom, I bent over the toilet while my puke spewed out.
Rain fell down heavy from the sky, the breeze trickled in from my open window. My head rested against the lip of the toilet in case another round came about. Lightning illuminated the bathroom after a while. My stomach seemed to have settled so I stood to swish around some water to wash out my mouth. I still wanted my tea dammit.
Thunder cracked through the sky the moment I stood up to look in the mirror. I jumped back with a screech when I saw Aunt Hilda behind me but when I turned around she was gone.
I needed some rest or to stop drinking.
Nevermind the tea tonight. I scurried to my bed to curl up in a pair of shorts and a shirt. Typically, thunderstorms were calming for me and they were prime time to read a book or watch something scary but I couldn't shake the bad pit in my stomach. I leaned near the candle on my bedside cafe table and blew it out.
A/N: I intended for this to be a one-shot but I guess it's getting continued. I just started posting again on my Riverdale Instagram cheribombshell. I'm mostly on my Insta for The 100 zaven_murven. Anyway, please let me know your thoughts. If I don't get any feedback then I won't waste my time on this because I do have other fics I could work on. Thanks for reading!