(There are many things Cheryl associates with the summer before sophomore year.
Most of them? Not positive.
Jason.
However, a few gems find themselves imbedded in those few weeks. Chief among them?
Being hand-picked by their coach to be Captain of the River Vixens. Despite there being a few seniors in their mix, it was Cheryl's athleticism & physical prowess – and attitude! – that had granted her the coveted title of HBIC.
Cheryl is forever thankful for that opportunity, as she still has the pictures of her and Jason – who had himself beaten out seniors as well for the role of Captain of the Bulldogs – from when the two of them had first gotten their distinctive uniforms.
And while Cheryl never got to see them properly dominate the school as she so dreamt of growing up, she still treasures the memory of the two of them standing together in front of her bedroom mirror; trying out their uniforms and knowing – without a singular doubt – that they were the best.)
(Which is all to say, Cheryl is nothing if not thankful for how fucking fit she is.)
Cheryl doesn't hesitate, after shouting Toni's name, in rolling herself off of the bed and landing with a graceful thud on the motel room's carpeted floor.
Distantly, through the sound of blood pumping in her ears due to the adrenaline, she hears Toni shout her name in response.
Hears the other girl roll off of the bed on her side.
Hears the sound as her body hits the ground too.
(Although there were many miles between them and Alabama, Cheryl couldn't help but be wary on their first night in Louisiana. The men from earlier still on her mind.
Toni had noticed, of course.
And, as Cheryl had moved her travel archery set from her bags and set it right by the door, Toni had had a different suggestion.
Keep it under your side of the bed. If anything happens, you just dive for it.)
(Cheryl is forever thankful for Toni's knowledge of gang warfare.)
Cheryl quickly dives under the bed, reaching for her arrows in one hand and her bow in the other.
She feels, however, as hands take a hold of her legs and pull her out from under it. The small space of the motel room not allowing her much time.
Regardless, Cheryl is nothing if not efficient.
As the goon pulls her out, she quickly drops her bow and turns in his grip, using both her hands to swing into him as hard as she can.
Three sharp and deadly arrows lodge themselves painfully in his shoulder.
Cheryl hears his yell of pain as he stumbles backwards.
She quickly jumps to her feet and looks to her side. She watches as the man in front of Toni also stumbles backwards, his hands at his neck as blood begins to gush out of it.
(Not quite a lethal spot on its own, but definitely one that needs immediate attention, Cheryl quickly surmises.)
(Two sides of the same vicious coin. Just trying to survive.)
Before Cheryl can do much else however, she hears it.
Click.
She turns her head and finds herself staring straight down the barrel of a gun.
"Don't!," Toni desperately shouts.
The whole room freezes.
Cheryl swallows.
(If there's something Cheryl has pondered quite a lot this past year, it's her own mortality.
After Jason.
After her father.
After Sweetwater River.)
(I don't ever want to feel like...living isn't worth it.)
(If there's something Cheryl has concluded since? It's that she wants to live.)
(I want so much more out of this life.)
A beat passes.
And Cheryl finally gets a good look at the men in the room.
They're all wearing masks of some sort of bull-like creature.
Time seems to start again in their motel room, as the man with the gun makes a gesture with his free hand. The two injured men then quickly rush out of the room.
The gunman then seems to bring his attention back to Cheryl.
And well, she doesn't need to see his face or hear his voice to know what his next gesture means.
(As he tilts his head, Cheryl can almost picture Clifford Blossom in his place, his voice dripping in condescension as he would speak to a young Cheryl, You didn't really think this through did you, sweetheart?)
Cheryl feels her blood boil and she can't help but snap.
"What the hell do you want from us?" she shouts angrily.
A beat passes.
The gunman straightens up and gestures again.
One of the remaining goons walks over to Toni.
And Cheryl feels her stomach drop.
(She wonder when she'll finally stop letting her attitude get the best of her.)
(Mouthing off)
Cheryl turns her head and sees Toni tighten her grip on her bloody switchblade.
The goon pauses just out of arm's reach.
Toni glances over at Cheryl.
The two lock eyes.
(Two sides of the same vicious coin. Just trying to survive.)
The man with the gun steps closer to Cheryl.
A warning.
Toni drops her knife.
The soft thud of it as it lands on the carpet reaches Cheryl's ears – quickly followed by the sound of Toni's nose breaking as the man in front of her hits her. Hard.
"Toni!"
Toni hits the ground with a grunt of pain, but is only there for a second. The man picks her up by her hair, lifting her high as she struggles to reach the ground on her tiptoes.
Toni's hands reach for the man's arm and wrist, doing her best to keep him from ripping her hair out, as blood pours from her nose.
It's then that the final masked intruder finally moves, as Cheryl watches him pull out what looks to be a business card from his pocket. He hands it to the man holding Toni up. The man takes it with his free hand and presses it against Toni's lips. The other girl seems to get his intention, as she opens her mouth.
Cheryl watches in pure rage as the man puts the card between Toni's teeth, forcing her to hold it like, like...
Like an animal.
Toni shuts her jaw, fury in her eyes, as she clenches the card between her teeth.
A beat passes.
The man drops her.
Toni falls to her knees.
All three men walk out.
The door shuts behind them.
A beat passes.
And Cheryl vaults over the bed, her body barely touching the mattress as she lands in front of Toni.
However, before Cheryl can even get a single word out, it's Toni that speaks first.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm fine," Cheryl emphatically repeats herself as she sees the anguish in Toni's eyes.
She sees Toni's eyes roam all over her face and body, clearly looking for any sign that Cheryl might not be as fine as she says.
(Cheryl briefly wonders if she should be more upset about the whole ordeal. Sure, she's absolutely fuming at the men for what has happened and what they've done, but she's not….
She's not traumatized.
Or, at least, she doesn't think she is.
After everything they've seen in Riverdale, with the Black Hood, with Penny Peabody and the Ghoulies – hell, with her own father. This right here? It's par for the course, as far as Cheryl's concerned.)
(Cheryl wonders if maybe she should be worried that such an event feels like just another Wednesday in Riverdale.
Wonders if maybe the truth is that she's gotten too good at compartmentalizing.)
Cheryl reaches to gently cup Toni's face, getting the other girl to look her in the eyes.
"I'm okay," she slowly says and watches as Toni releases a sigh of relief. "Are you?" Cheryl softly asks as she eyes Toni's face, which is rapidly bruising.
"It's just a broken nose," Toni shrugs.
Cheryl stares at her for another beat, before she's reaching forward and kissing her, not caring about the blood which Toni has only barely wiped off her face.
Their lips meet and Toni slightly flinches. Cheryl goes to pull back, before Toni's hands wrap around her neck to keep her in place.
The two breath each other in in relief.
We're okay.
Cheryl pulls back a moment later, but carefully let's their foreheads rest against each other.
They take another moment, before they both pull back.
(They'll have time, later.)
Back to business.
"Did you notice their masks? Something tells me it wasn't those A.P. Hill creeps," Cheryl comments.
"I don't think so either," Toni says, as she reaches for the business card that had been shoved in her mouth. She hands it to Cheryl, who then takes a good look at the logo on it.
It's a minotaur.
Bull-like, indeed.
"A minotaur," Toni states, confirming Cheryl's assertion. "I've got a feeling this is a rival gang."
"Of the Serpents?"
"Of the NOLA Serpents, yeah," Toni nods.
It's then that it clicks for Cheryl.
"It was a message. A warning," she states.
"We'd be dead if it wasn't," Toni confirms.
"For whom?"
"Probably my brother. He's King down here."
"A fact you forgot to mention," Cheryl drily states.
"Sorry, babe."
Cheryl shakes her head softly, not truly upset over it.
"How'd they know to find us here? How did they even know who you are?" Cheryl questions.
"That's what we're going to find out," Toni states as she stands and reaches over to help Cheryl do the same. "Let me clean up a bit and we'll get out of here," she continues.
She goes to head to the bathroom, but freezes almost instantly. Her eyes on their motel room door.
"What?" Cheryl nervously asks as she glances at the door.
Are they back again?
"The door," Toni unhelpfully points out.
"What about the doo–" Cheryl cuts herself off as she notices.
(Oh.)
The front desk, if you could even call it that, is literally just a small office.
(They've continued their streak of staying in smaller motels and while Cheryl doesn't regret it at all, her hand itches yet again for a gallon of gasoline; for a lit match.)
(Watch as flames devour the place whole.)
As the two walk in, the man behind the desk looks up from his phone.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" he asks as he takes in Toni's still bloody appearance.
"Me? Oh, I'm good," Toni snarks as she walks around the desk, essentially trapping the man behind it, as the desk is situated in the corner of the room. Cheryl plants herself by the door, keeping an eye out for any possible guests that might try to come by. "But there is one thing you can do for me," she continues, seductively batting her eyes at him in a way Cheryl can only describe as a predator luring in their prey.
As a snake preparing to strike.
(Is this what Serpent Toni is truly like? Cheryl briefly ponders, as Toni seems to take on this menacing persona.
.
.
.
She likes it.)
"Do you need me to call someone?" he asks as he swallows nervously.
"What I need is for you to tell me the names of the men who just attacked us in our room," she continues in a low voice. "The ones you gave our room key to."
"What?" he asks in surprise, but Cheryl can see it.
The nervous look in his eyes.
She's sure Toni has clocked it too.
"See, they came in and made a mess, but funnily enough, they were able to just walk in and out. No broken door frame in sight," Toni continues.
"Look, Miss. I-I don't know what you're talking about. Giving out keys is against company policy," he shrugs, clearly attempting to play it off.
He doesn't succeed.
(My, my, my. What a terrible liar you are, Cheryl snarks in her mind.)
Toni hums at that response before she takes a step back and notices a baseball bat leaning up against the desk.
She grabs it and taps it against the desk gently.
Once.
Cheryl notices how the man begins to sweat.
"What's your name?" Toni asks.
"J-Jared," he stutters.
Twice.
"Jared, who were the men you gave our room key to?"
"I don't know."
Three times.
"I don't," he repeats shakily.
Toni literally tsks at him, before taking a step back and swinging the bat against the old desktop computer sitting on the desk.
She hits it hard.
The man flinches as the computer goes flying and hits the wall across from them.
(Small office indeed, Cheryl contemplates amusing herself.)
The man tries to stand then, but Toni quickly drops the bat and pulls out her switchblade. She uses her free hand to push the man back in his chair.
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about!" the man shouts.
"And I don't believe you," Toni responds, as she menacingly points at him with her knife. "So how about you start telling the truth."
The man shakes his head, "I don't know anything."
Toni hums and Cheryl watches as she looks around and spots a roll of tape on top of a small filing cabinet.
"Baby," she says and Cheryl can't help but perk up. "Want to give me a hand?"
"With pleasure, T.T.," Cheryl responds with a smirk.
She walks over to pick up the roll of tape, before walking behind the desk to tape the man to his chair.
"Please, I'm telling you–"
Cheryl slaps a piece of tape on his mouth.
"If you don't have anything to say, then say nothing at all," she sneers at him.
A few minutes later, she and Toni stand side by side staring at Cheryl's handiwork.
The man's arms and legs now tightly taped to the chair.
"You know, there used to be a rumor around Thornhill," Cheryl begins.
"Rumor about what?"
"About how my father would get information out of…uncooperative men."
"How?"
"Maple Syrup."
Toni turns to look at her as she lets out a surprised laugh.
"Growing up, I never quite understood how a maple syrup farm would require such a heavy hand. Of course, discovering that it was all a drug front cleared that up," she muses.
"We're, uh, sadly too far away for a proper mapleboarding, babe. So it's just going to be a back to basics," Toni comments as she then takes a step forward toward the man.
Cheryl hums in agreement as she watches Toni flick open her switchblade once more and stab the man straight through the hand.
He writhes in pain as he tries to shout from behind his taped mouth.
"What was that?" Toni asks. "Are you ready to tell us what we need to know?"
The man vehemently nods.
"Or are you just going to lie some more?"
The man shakes his head so hard, Cheryl's surprised he doesn't injure his neck.
Toni then reaches forward and removes the tape.
"Talk, before I decide to have some more fun," Toni threatens.
"I-I don't know who they are! I'm just a middleman!"
"Explain," Cheryl demands.
"My boss owns the motel. From time to time, he calls me and tells me that someone is going to show up and ask for a key. I hand them the key and then that's it. They bring it back once they're done. That's all I do, I swear!"
Toni reaches into her pocket then, pulling out the business card.
"I'm just following instructions!" he shouts as tears begin to fall.
"History is filled with men who were just following instructions and let me tell you – none of them were the good guys," Toni forcefully states. "Now tell me, who are they?" she asks as she shows him the card.
"That's the Voodoo Kings. A local gang," he quickly answers.
"Is your boss one of them?"
"No, not at all! We're neutral ground! We let anyone do business here – I mean, the girl who came in asking for your room key was wearing snake earrings!"
At this Toni takes a step back. Cheryl can't see her face from where she's standing, but she watches as the other girl's body tenses in shock.
"What did she look like?" Cheryl asks as a feeling of dread comes over her.
"I-I don't know! I'm not good at descriptions! She was– she was really tall! Beautiful! That's all I know, I swear!"
Toni reaches forward and places the tape over his mouth again as the man babbles on about not knowing anything else.
She then turns and walks out the door.
Cheryl follows.
(And oh how she hates the look of devastation on her face.)
They stand in the parking lot, just outside the office.
"Fuck," Toni murmurs as she goes to wipe at her mouth and flinches as her hand makes contact with her nose.
"Hey," Cheryl says as she reaches for Toni's hands, turning the other girl to face her.
"I don't understand," Toni says with a shrug, looking for all the world like a lost child.
(Cheryl's heart aches.)
"We don't have all the facts," Cheryl tries to comfort.
"It's not looking good, either way. A tall female Serpent? Who did we see last night that happens to fit that description to a tee? Hell, we probably even saw the earrings she was wearing too," Toni says as she shakes her head in defeat. "We've been...betrayed."
(Cheryl knows what it's like to lose. To find yourself without allies. To look at someone you once trusted, you once loved, and see a stranger; see an enemy.)
(You did a bad thing, Daddy. And now everyone knows.)
(She powers through.)
"So, what do we do now? What's our next move?" Cheryl asks as she squeezes Toni's hands in comfort.
"I think I know where we need to go, but…" Toni answers, trailing off.
"But what?"
"What if my brother–
"Don't," Cheryl firmly rebuts. She won't let Toni go down this road of what ifs. Not now.
Not yet, anyway.
"Cheryl…"
"Why would he have a hand in this? You said it yourself this was more than likely a message for him," she reasons, hoping the logic reaches Toni's brain.
(She can't fault the other girl, however. As it seems her whole world – what was once steady and true – is turning upside down right before their eyes.)
"You're right," Toni answers as she swallows.
"Of course I am."
Toni chuckles at Cheryl's confident remark.
However, it seems that's not the only thing troubling Toni's mind at the moment. The other girl pulls her hands away from Cheryl's gentle grip and stuffs them in her jacket pocket.
She shuffles her feet a bit.
A nervous habit of hers that Cheryl has picked up on.
(Cheryl waits patiently.)
"Cheryl...what you just saw in there...that's– that's not who I am. You know that, right?" she asks, a vulnerable look in her eyes.
(Cheryl's heart aches.)
"I know you," Cheryl fiercely whispers as she pulls Toni in close by the lapels of her jacket. "You're a good person," she confirms.
Toni shakes her head a bit, not meeting Cheryl's eyes, as Cheryl continues.
"We do what we must to survive."
"It's not the first time I've done something like that," Toni confesses. "I've been in the room with other Serpents. I– I've participated. Hell, I even helped Jughead cut off Penny Peabody's Serpent tattoo. Held her arm down all the while," Toni shrugs.
"You're a good person, Toni Topaz. This does not change that," Cheryl reiterates. "Serpent Toni is scary, sure. Violent, yes. But she's still you. Fighting for justice. Fighting to protect the people you care about."
A beat passes.
"To protect me."
Toni finally locks eyes with her.
"Always."
(Toni is kind and sweet and warm.)
"Ditto," Cheryl replies.
(Toni will always catch her.)
(And Cheryl will too.)
Toni smiles at her, before she gently leans forward to kiss Cheryl.
"You're a good person too," Toni says as she pulls back.
"I'm certainly trying," Cheryl answers with a playful smile.
"You are."
"I don't think a good person would have found all that back there as hot as I did."
A look of surprise crosses Toni's face before she laughs. "You're crazy," she says with a look of–
(It's too soon. Way too soon)
(Cheryl's heart soars.)
After some quick showers and even quicker packing up, the two of them now find themselves parking in front of a modest house in what looks to be a relatively nice neighborhood.
As they dismount their bikes, a middle-aged black woman comes out of the house. She stands on her porch, eyeing them carefully.
Toni turns to properly face her before speaking, "Mrs. Thompson? I'm—"
"I know who you are," the woman says cutting her off, but Cheryl can see it.
The glimmer in her eyes.
(So this is her. Amara Thompson. The woman Toni's father loved when he was sixteen. Thomas's mother, Cheryl thinks.)
"You look just like him. Especially with that busted-up face," she continues.
Toni's shoulders sag in relief as she chuckles.
"Are you two coming in or do you plan on staying out in the street all day?"
At this Toni and Cheryl quickly hustle inside the house.
The two follow her into the kitchen as she points to a stool at the kitchen island.
"Sit," she orders Toni.
"Yes, ma'am," Toni answers as she dutifully follows. Cheryl remains on her feet, however, standing beside her.
Mrs. Thompson then pulls out a fancy first aid kit out of the cupboards.
She walks back over to the island, pulling a stool for herself. She sets the kit on the countertop and opens it. She pulls out a pair of gloves and places them on, as she then reaches for Toni's face.
"Are you a licensed medical professional?" Cheryl can't help but inquire.
"We prefer the term nurses," Mrs. Thompson drily answers as she raises an eyebrow at her.
Cheryl merely nods in response as the woman gets back to work.
"Can you breath okay?" she asks as she check's Toni's nose. Cheryl can't help the slight grimace that comes over her face as Toni reaches over and squeezes her hand tightly.
"Yes, ma'am," Toni says, her voice rough.
"Have you iced it?"
"We were in a bit of a rush," Cheryl answers for her.
Mrs. Thompson hums in disapproval as she pulls back. She takes off her gloves and throws them in the trash, before heading to her freezer.
Toni releases a sigh as she relaxes, loosening her grip on Cheryl's hand.
Cheryl flexes her hand as Toni gives her an apologetic look in return. Cheryl shakes her head at her playfully.
Mrs. Thompson comes back with an ice pack wrapped in a kitchen towel.
"Apply it gently. It'll help with the swelling. You should be fine in a few days," she determines. "The bruises will last a bit longer, though I'm sure you already know that."
"Thank you," Toni softly responds as she reaches to press the ice pack to her face.
"Now, are you going to tell me what happened or am I meant to guess?"
Toni and Cheryl exchange brief looks, before Toni responds.
"Group of Voodoo Kings jumped us at the Sunrise Inn," she answers as she pulls the business card from her pocket and hands it to Mrs. Thompson.
Mrs. Thompson narrows her eyes as she looks it over, a disgusted look crossing her face.
"Bunch of white boys playing dress up, thinking they know anything about anything. Group of pretenders is what they are," she says. "My son's been trying his best to knock them down, but they're like cockroaches."
"So it's definitely a message for him," Cheryl states.
"It is," Mrs. Thompson answers before addressing Toni. "And he won't be pleased to hear that you got caught in the crossfire. How the hell did you girls even get on their radar?"
Cheryl looks over at Toni again and watches her nervously swallow.
"We, uh, we went by the Art Market on Frenchmen Street last night."
"The VK's know to steer clear of the Quarter," Mrs. Thompson rebuts.
"The guy at the Sunrise… he, uh...he said..." Toni begins to answer, clearly struggling with talking about what they've just found out. "That a girl with snake earrings came asking for our room key."
"A tall girl," Cheryl adds.
"The guy at the Sunrise told you that?" Mrs. Thompson questions, a look of doubt crossing her face.
"We, uh… persuaded him to speak," Toni replies.
Mrs. Thompson then gives them both an appraising look. Clearly assessing the veracity of their statements, trying to suss out if there are any malicious intentions behind such serious claims.
(Cheryl stands up straighter.)
A beat passes.
Mrs. Thompson nods to herself as she heads over to the kitchen's cordless phone. She picks it up and dials. The three of them wait in silence, before someone on the other end apparently answers.
"Hi, baby," Mrs. Thompson greets. A warm and maternal tone clear in her voice.
Cheryl looks over at Toni and sees the hopeful look in her eyes.
Thomas, Cheryl concludes.
"I'm going to need you to come by the house today, as soon as you can. No, I'm alright," she answers after a brief pause. She looks over to them before continuing. "Antoinette is here. With a Blossom," she says and Toni and Cheryl share a shocked look.
(The thought had never occurred to them that the woman might know who Cheryl is.)
"And they're looking worse for wear," she continues. "Or at least your sister is. A group of VKs came looking for them at the Sunrise," she explains. She begins to hum in agreement at whatever is being said on the other side. "I know, that place is always willing to give it up to the highest bidder," she finally says. "That's not all though, son," she begins to say as she casts another glance their way. "The girls squeezed some juice out of the mousy boy that works mornings there. He told them it was Jessa that came for their key," she pauses again and Cheryl can hear Thomas's voice on the other side get louder, although she can't quite discern his exact words.
(He's angry, Cheryl surmises. Good.)
"Mhm. I know, son. I know. Just take it easy," Mrs. Thompson says, clearly trying to calm her son down. "Okay. You too. Bye," she finishes as she hangs up.
She turns to them fully now, before speaking again. "He'll be by in a few hours," she says. "It's early though, you girls have anything to eat yet?"
"Uh, no. Not yet," Toni answers.
"Eggs, bacon, and toast good?"
"You don't have to do that, Mrs. Thompson. We can just go get something to eat and then come back when Thomas—"
"What is the first law?" Mrs. Thompson asks, cutting Toni off.
"No Serpent stands alone," Toni answers without hesitation. Answering the question second nature to her.
"What is the second law?" Mrs. Thompson then demands.
"If a Serpent is killed or imprisoned, their family will be taken care of," Toni dutifully replies.
"What is the third law?"
"A Serpent never shows cowardice."
"What is the fourth law?
"No Serpent is left for dead."
"What is the fifth law?"
"A Serpent never betrays his own," Toni answers, clenching her jaw.
(And Cheryl can almost taste the anger in her voice.)
Mrs. Thompson looks Toni over again, and Cheryl swears she sees that glimmer in her eyes once more.
(Pride.)
"In unity, there is strength," Mrs. Thompson states.
"In unity, there is strength," the two of them reply in unison.
Toni turns her head then to give Cheryl a proud smile.
Mrs. Thompson nods at the both of them – the matter apparently resolved.
(Cheryl thinks of dichotomies and multitudes. Of how the Serpents are both exactly what you expect them to be and then nothing like it at all.)
Mrs. Thompson then moves over and starts to pull out a few pots and pans, clearly preparing to make their breakfast. A moment passes before she speaks again, "So how long have the two of you been together?"
Toni and Cheryl freeze.
When no answer comes from either of them, she turns and raises an eyebrow at their shocked, hesitant faces.
"Please, I know that puppy love when I see it. Red over there was flinching harder than you were when I was touching your face," she says.
(And if Cheryl ignores the way her heart starts to beat faster at the sound of that particular word, well.)
(It's too soon. Way too soon).
"Toni was crushing my hand," Cheryl complains.
Toni turns to her, scoffing playfully at Cheryl throwing her under the bus.
Cheryl can't help but giggle, before she turns back to Mrs. Thompson, "How'd you know who I am anyway?"
"Sugar, I grew up in Riverdale same as you. Heard all sorts of stories about that spooky mansion y'all live at. Thornhill was it? Kids on the Southside used to dare each other to go running through your family's graveyard. Used to tell stories about Blossom ghosts haunting them. They used to say that even the ghosts had red hair," she reminisces.
"It's not there anymore," Cheryl says.
Mrs. Thompson turns to look at her.
"The mansion," Cheryl clarifies. "I burned it down."
"Anyone in it?" she asks.
Cheryl shakes her head.
Mrs. Thompson nods her head in approval.
Before anything else can be said on the matter, the sound of motorcycles parking up front reaches their ears.
Toni jumps from where she's still sitting on the stool, dropping the ice pack as her hand quickly reaches into her pocket.
"Relax," Mrs. Thompson says as she starts cracking eggs. "They're just here to make sure no one's stupid enough to come by. It's a precaution," she says.
Cheryl watches as Toni walks out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Watches as she looks out the window and then nods at Cheryl.
Serpents.
(Exactly what you expect them to be and then nothing like it at all.)
"Now, are you two going to tell me how you want these eggs or am I meant to guess?"