When Cheryl finally sorted things out with her mother, she quickly changed and took a shower in order to get back to school just in time. It took longer than she expected because it was quite difficult to get the blood-like liquid out of her hair. She silently cursed once she noticed that she was already running late. Luckily, the readhead was nearly done and ready to leave. Few moments later, Cheryl got into her car and sped away.
The play barely started, so the redheaded girl got to see Toni perform. She attempted to ignore the pang in her chest that her mother caused by not allowing her to take part in the play. However, Cheryl managed to push away the negative feelings as she watched her best friend performing. The way Toni's eyes lit up up there had a strange effect on Cheryl. The redhead didn't bother to fight it, but she was forced to contain herself when the play ended and she almost ran up to the girl and hugged. She casually clapped along with the audience.
The crowd slowly dissipated and Kevin headed to the backstage with Cheryl right behind him. The pair found the ensemble and the director congratulated and thanked them for an amazing performance. The redhead had different intentions, though. The girl she was looking for wasn't present so, naturally, she went to look for her. Cheryl didn't even have a chance at doing so because Toni appeared from behind the corner.
Once the girl with pink hair spotted her friend, she quickly made her way towards her. Cheryl didn't hesitate for a second and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl. Without even realising what she was doing, her head automatically rested on Toni's shoulder. However, after a couple of seconds her brain caught up and she quickly pulled away before the others noticed their position that was obviously more than friendly.
The redhead coughed nervously and smiled at Toni brightly. ''I'm sorry I missed the beginning. I had something I needed to take care of.''
The shorter girl tilted her head curiously. Her eyes held inquisitive, yet concerned expression. ''Is everything okay?''
''Yeah,'' Cheryl shortly said and sighed. ''My mother and I talked for a bit.''
''And?'' Toni inquired. There was something about the way her friend said it. When the redhead talked about her mother, the tone of her voice was usually laced with sadness. This time, she held her head high and her voice was strong.
''I'll tell you later. We're here to celebrate your outstanding performance,'' Cheryl cut it off, proudly watching how Toni slightly blushed.''You did amazing, T.T. I'm so proud of you.''
''Thanks. Such a shame you weren't with us, though. Not that Midge wasn't great but it wasn't the same without you in it,'' Toni complimented back.
A soft smile spread across Cheryl's face upon hearing Toni's confession. ''I think the invitation is in order. How about you get changed and then we'll head to Pop's? My treat.''
''Sounds like a plan,'' she accepted.
After that, she went to get changed into her regular clothes and returned few minutes later. Some of them were still in costumes when Kevin and Fangs decided to give them all a speech. The boys thanked them for everything and invited them all to a party the next. Apparently, they thought they deserved it after all the hard work they'd put in. The cast of the musical hung out for a bit more, still buzzing with excitement.
Cheryl and Toni took an advantage of it and snuck out to have some time alone. The young girls went outside to get some fresh air. The unspoken words still lingering in the air caused some tension but both of them didn't mind. The pair stopped in front of Toni's bike.
The thought of sitting on that dangerous vehicle made the tall girl uneasy. ''Actually, my car is right here. Let's use that instead.''
''Come on, Bombshell. You've never even tried it. Who knows? Maybe you'll actually enjoy it,'' Toni tried to convince her friend once again. Pleading look appeared on her face, knowing the redhead would have a hard time resisting it. The redhead dramatically rolled her eyes and sighed.
''Fine.'' The Serpent smiled and handed Cheryl a helmet.
The Serpent smirked, seeing that her plan was working so far.
''What about you?'' Cheryl asked Toni who was already seated on the bike.
Toni looked at her in confusion. ''What do you mean?''
''Where's your helmet?'' The redhead said, the concern in her voice evident.
''I don't really wear it,'' the Serpent shrugged like it was no big deal. ''I gave this to you just to be safe. Don't worry, Bombshell. I'll drive slow.''
Cheryl couldn't believe her own ears. She glanced at the beaten helmet in her arms and made a mental note to buy her a new one. There was no point in arguing with Toni, she trusted her completely and put the helmet on her head.
Once Cheryl was safely sitting behind Toni and her arms were tightly wrapped around her waist, the Serpent slowly drove away. The northsider had to admit she did enjoy it. Whether it was the ride or the fact that she was really close to Toni, she didn't know. It was probably both, Cheryl assumed.
The neon lights indicated they finally arrived, then the pair entered their favourite hang out place. The girls occupated a free booth and Cheryl ordered two milkshakes.
''I've been thinking about what you told me and I made an important decision. I am going to get emancipated. I talked about it with Archie's mom and she said she would help me.'' The redhead looked proud of herself for standing up to her mother. It was enough to put a smile on Toni's face.
As if on cue, Pops brought their order and the girls cheered on the statement.
''So,'' Toni began carefully, aware of the fact that Cheryl's mother was a sensitive subject. Whenever she and Cheryl talked, it was always a disaster on the young girl's end. ''What happened between you and your mother?''
The girl with red hair took a sip of her strawberry milkshake before replying, ''I cleared things up with her. Let's just say I might have kicked her out of Thistlehouse. Along with uncle Claudius.''
The Serpent choked on her chocolate milkshake, ''Really? How did you even do that?'' '
'Yeah,'' Cheryl confirmed with a chuckle. Her hand reached across the table to grab Toni's hand in her own. ''I might have gone batshit crazy on her. It worked, though. You should've seen her face.'' Toni laughed along with her.
''I'm really proud of you, Cheryl.'' The compliment warmed her heart.
''Talking about Thistlehouse, there's something I want to ask you.''
The pink haired girl felt a light squeeze of her hand and decided to encourage the obviously distressed girl in front of her. ''What it is?''
''Now that my mommy dearest and Claudius are gone, it'll just be me and nana Rose. I know the situation with you and your uncle is complicated, so I was wondering if you wanted to crush my house sometimes,'' Cheryl nervously offered, looking up at Toni only to see her staring at her with a look on her face she couldn't quite decipher. ''I mean, you completely don't have to do that. I'll understand.''
Cheryl was about to pull her hand away, but Toni managed to stop her in time. ''I would love to, Cheryl. Thank you. It means a lot.''
The redhead released an intake of breath she didn't know she was holding. ''I should be the one thanking you, Toni. If it wasn't for you, I would've been stuck in that hell hole that was my life. You made it million times better and I can't thank you enough.''
As soon as Toni spotted tears in her eyes, she decided to leave her seat and sat down next to Cheryl. Not really caring what people would think, she put her right arm around her waist and pulled her closer to her body. The redhead made herself comfortable and rested her head on Toni's shoulder. The Serpent took in the intoxicating smell that was Cheryl's shampoo. The member of a gang kissed her head and tried to calm down the girl in her arms when she heard a quiet sniffle. They remained in that position for a long time. The restaurant was relatively empty until almost everyone who contributed to the play came inside. Cheryl decided to finish her milkshake and returned to her previous position.
''Let's go somewhere quiet,'' Toni suggested. ''This place is getting a bit crowded.''
A couple of moments later, the girls found themselves on the bike again. Toni refused to tell where they were heading. Before Cheryl could blink, Toni pulled up in the middle of the woods.
The view in front of them was one of the most beautiful things Cheryl had ever seen. The full moon was reflecting on the river, the tall trees around them only magnified the sight. Toni approached her from behind and looked over at Cheryl who was taking in the beauty of nature at it's purest form. However, the sight paled in comparison to what Toni had in front of her. The way the moon's light glazed Cheryl made her look even more sensational. Her beautiful brown eyes were lit up and Toni saw something she had never seen before in them. The Serpent was deep in her thought that she failed to realise she was staring at Cheryl. Her barely visible smile never left her face.
''This is a really special place for me,'' Toni confessed. ''I always go there when I want to be alone and just think about things.''
Cheryl turned her head, so Toni knew she had her full attention.
''I brought you here because you're so special for me too and I want to share this with you,'' Toni cautiously watched the northsider's reaction, afraid she crossed a line.
She was scared she was moving too fast. Their little kiss happened almost two weeks ago and even though they acknowledged it, they never properly talked about their status. Their relationship was only blossoming and Toni decided give it a shot when she saw Cheryl was getting better. Ever since she got out of that toxic household, the northsider's mental health visibly improved. She had to use the money she had saved to pay for a hotel. Going back to that house never an option. The red headed girl glanced at the Serpent with adoration in her eyes. Toni put her hands into the pockets of her Serpent jacket and took a deep breath, closing the distance between the two of them.
Cheryl didn't back down. Both of them look into each other's eyes. The moonlight danced on their skin, their eyes shining like the moon itself.
''Toni? Can I ask you something?'' Cheryl asked, not breaking the eye contact.
''Sure,'' Toni gulped, finally realising how close they were standing.
''I think we can agree on the fact that we've been hanging out a lot lately and it was the best time of my life. Let's be honest, our encounters have never really been friendly and I was wondering,'' Cheryl made a dramatic pause and took a hold of Toni's hand, enlacing their fingers naturally.
''If you want to be my girlfriend.'' Instead of giving her a proper answer, she stood on her tiptoes to be able to reach Cheryl's lips. There was nothing that could make her look like she was the same height like last time. The pink haired girl captured her lips like it was for the first time. The kiss was tender, slow and natural. It didn't last long but it surely felt like a lifetime because the ginger stopped it before they could get any further. Toni pouted when she started to lean in again but was only met with the cold air.
''Is that a yes?'' Cheryl asked in a teasing manner. Her eyes were sparking in anticipation.
The Serpent pretended to think about her answer, ''Of course it's a yes, Cheryl. I would love to be your girlfriend. I was going to ask you the same thing.''
The girls then sat down on the ground, hand in hand. They just stared at the breathtaking scenery. Neither of them knew if the glory was intesified by the fact that they were simply with each other. Nobody was there to ruin the moment. All of their issues at home, sorrows taken away by the curent of the calm river. The young couple was together and nothing else mattered as long as they had each other. Toni leaned into Cheryl and she happily obligated, wrapping her arms around her tiny girfriend. They had no idea how long they were in this position. They refused to move, except for the times Toni had to crane her neck to steal kisses. Their content moment was interrupted by Toni's ringing phone. She groaned at the interruption but ignored it because it was a simple text message. The young Serpent didn't bother to move because the phone was located the bag that was next to her bike. However, she couldn't ignore it any longer. Her phone kept dinging every five seconds.
Both of them became really irritated, so Toni stood up and went over to her bike in order to turn off her phone. Fangs and Sweet Pea were messaging her like crazy because, according to their words, they were in serious trouble. She let them know she was on her way and put away the device.
She headed back to Cheryl and started explaining, ''it was just Fangs and Sweet Pea. Apparently, they're in deep trouble. Do you mind if I we call it a night tonight?''
''No problem, it's late and I'm really tired,'' Cheryl replied. ''They obviously need you. Although I would love to have my girlfriend by my side tonight. Nana Rose is still in the hospital and it's going to get lonely.''
''I'm really sorry,'' Toni looked away, guilt written all over her face.
''Don't worry about it, T.T. I mean it,'' Cheryl reassured the girl. ''I'll get to be with you tomorrow...and hopefully, many days after that.''
The Serpent smirked and nodded. Then the girls packed their things headed back to Thistlehouse. Cheryl held on to Toni for dear life since she was going over the speed limit. Luckily, the ride didn't take long and before they knew it, it was time to say good night. Toni parked in front of Cheryl's home. The lights were turned off as expected, now that Penelope and Claudius were out of the picture. The redhead found it weird how easy it was to throw them out, but she decided to let it go.
''Today was amazing,'' the taller girl began and silently wondered when she became this cheesy. Nonetheless, she smiled at the girl like she was the only thing in the world. The Serpent agreed with her statement.
''See you tomorrow?'' Cheryl nodded, placing her lips on Toni's in order to remember the feeling for the rest of the night. Then Toni walked off to her bike again,
''Cha-cha?'' she turned around upon hearing the nickname she gave her when they met for the first time. ''Let me know when you get back, okay? I'm not going to sleep until I know you're safe and sound.''
''Okay,'' she answered with a smile on her face, a warm feeling exploding in her chest. ''I was going to do it anyway.''
The Blossom watched her drive away and then headed back to her own, empty house. For the first time in forever, she felt like she could breathe inside that building she called home.