CHAPTER SIX


Toni used to walk the streets of the northside when she was younger, eyes on each of the houses she passed, imagining what it would've been like to be apart of that family. To live in an actual house instead of the shitty little bungalow that she and her uncle lived in, always wondering what it would be like to have a caring family. One who wouldn't hit her for forgetting to wash up a plate, someone who'd actually wish her a happy birthday or merry christmas. Toni craned her neck to look up at the building before her, all those memories of her from all those years ago in this exact same stop, staring up at the exact same house flooding back into her mind. Except this time she was actually going in the house that she'd wondered so much about. It was strange to think she used to think whomever lived here must've lived the best life, with every luxury they could want at the tip of their fingers.

Little did she know the girl that lived here endured just as much pain everyday that she had, it made Toni realise that it didn't matter whether she had a crappy little trailer and Cheryl a huge manor, it didn't make either of their lives any better. Not when they had cruel families.

Toni held her breath as she lifted the knocker that was in the shape of a lion on the front door of the Blossom Manor, praying it wasn't Penelope that answered. From what she heard the woman was terrible. But when the door screeched open, she was greeted by the pearly smile of the girl she was so fond of, it caused Toni to automatically smile back.

"Cha-Cha, I'm glad you could make it," Cheryl's eye found the motorbike that Toni must've parked outside her house and gave a worrying glance over her shoulder. "I hate to ask this, but do you mind if you park the motorcycle out of view of my mother. She'd only freak and kick you out if she saw it."

Toni just smiled, extending a hand to give Cheryl's forearm a light squeeze, turning to wheel her motorcycle around the side of the house near the practically overgrown bushes. Toni had a feeling Penelope wasn't going to like her either way, but she respected Cheryl's wishes. It was bigger than Toni had imagined, the hallway being bigger than her trailer already. The staircase looked as though it had just stepped out of castle, the whole building had a darkened glow about it, Toni knew this would've been the perfect place for a haunted house one day.

"You could fit like, a hundred of my trailers in here," Toni spoke up, hearing her voice echo out into the hall. Her brown eyes travelling curiously around the room, feeling the urge to venture the manor but then her eyes found Cheryl's the girl looking at her with a soft smile on her lips. It caught her slightly off-guard, Cheryl wasn't really all about cute smiles and loving looks, yet here she stood. Looking at Toni as though she was holding the world in the palm of her hands.

"What? Sauce on my face?"

Cheryl let out a cute laugh, Toni smirking at the sound she hadn't heard Cheryl laugh properly yet. She gathered it was something she didn't do very often. The redhead shook her head at her words; stepping closer to her to fill most of the space between them, she brushed some of Toni's hair off of her shoulder before she locked eyes with Toni again.

"I'm just glad that you came. The girls are upstairs braiding each others hair, would you like to join?"

Now it was Toni's turn to release a heavy laugh, amused by the cliche thought of girls spending their time braiding each others hair at a sleepover. But the serious look on Cheryl's face told her she wasn't joking so she halted her laugh and nodded. As girly and unappealing as it sounded to her, she knew Cheryl wanted her to join in so she simply nodded, making her way towards the staircase.

"You might have to help me up these stairs though, I might pass out from exhaustion halfway." Toni joked, earning a grin from Cheryl, finding the joke funny.

"I don't know, TT. I might just leave you lying there," Cheryl shot back playfully, it was the first time Toni had seen Cheryl have a little banter with her. Something told her tonight was going to be a good one, especially the fact that Cheryl had mentioned she and Toni will be sharing the bed whilst the other three girls camped out on the floor. It was mainly only because Penelope wouldn't allow them to stay in the spare rooms, which they all found pretty selfish and unfair, especially since this house was a mansion. Toni waltzed into the room first, greeted by smiles from the three girls seated in a line on the floor. Josie was the first to speak to her, Cheryl coming up behind Toni, curving around her to slip into the room.

"Glad you could make it, Lady Serpent," The young girl stood with a smile, she'd been wondering who this Toni was that Cheryl spoke fondly about. "Rocking the pink hair by the way."

Toni was flattered at the compliment, she seemed to be gaining friends by the day. She prided herself in her hair sometimes, she knew it stood out among the other students when she walked the halls of their school - coloured hair wasn't exactly allowed. But it seemed for now, she was getting away with it.

"Thanks, uh, mind if I join?" The petite girl gesturing to the girls sat before one another, Josie glanced over her shoulder to Betty and Veronica, the pair both nodding in acceptance causing Josie to beam happily at the girl stood before her.

"Of course, why don't you sit in front of Cheryl?" Josie directed, Toni hadn't noticed that Cheryl had came and sat before Betty, the blonde already beginning to brush through the luscious red hair of hers. Toni felt slightly jealous that she wasn't sat where Betty was, but she happily accepted the fact that she was before Cheryl.

Toni hadn't been to many sleepovers in her lifetime, she'd been to the odd handful when she was a child. She wasn't going to count the many times she'd slept over at some one night stands house, nor the times she crashed at Fangs or Sweetpea's seem as that was back when she didn't have a home of her own. So sitting here, feeling Cheryl comb through her wavy locks, felt odd. It was already weird being surrounded by feminine energy so often these days, she was used to her boys. A smile crept itself along Toni's lips as she felt a shiver run down her spine as Cheryl's fingers had grazed the back of her neck. Cheryl didn't say anything - which surprised Toni a little - but she knew the redhead had noticed. There had been a pause when it happened, slightly hesitance whether or not to ask if she was okay, but nevertheless she continued in silence.

The five-some didn't bother staying up very long, a couple hours of gossip and doing whatever on their phone and Josie was the first to sleep, muttering how she wasn't going to the one sleeping last seem as she was basically fifth wheeling right now. A comment which had caused Toni and Cheryl's cheeks to warm up, it was pretty obvious with how they'd been acting within these few hours that they were into one another. The ogling eyes from Toni when Cheryl had stripped down to change into her night clothes, the close proximity the two remained in the whole time the girls had been chattering. It was as thought the were glued to one another, longing to be together yet they weren't. Betty and Veronica were next to fall asleep, the pair snuggled close together under one of the spare duvets Cheryl had stolen from the spare room.

It just left Toni and Cheryl to be the last ones awake in the manor, silence had hung between them for a moment as the two laid side by side, space between them as their eyes focused on the ceiling above them. It had felt as though Toni's heart was hammering heavily against her chest, as the seconds of silence ran by so did all of her thoughts of Cheryl - every reason why she should just turn over to face the girl her heart so raced for. She was lying right there as though she was waiting, so why wasn't she just taking the chance to tell the redhead she liked her?

A sudden shift in the beds weight had captured Toni's attention, Cheryl had been the one to move, the girl moving onto her side, a hand tucking itself beneath her fluffed pillow. Toni gulped anxiously, she could already feel the piercing brown eyes on her.

"I'm afraid that my horrid mother and my uncle are planning something," Cheryl had broken the silence, speaking in a whisper so that she didn't wake the others. Toni mimicked how Cheryl was lying when she heard the girl, offering her her full attention. "I think...I think they want to get rid of me and nana Rose."

Toni's heart broke when she heard the crack in Cheryl's voice, she could feel the fear radiating off of her, sadness flooding her eyes. Toni reached out, a hand resting on Cheryl's upper arm, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance.

"I promise you, I would never let her hurt you, Cheryl. Not ever again."

Cheryl's eyes welled with tears at Toni's words, breaking eye contact with the brunette as she thought of what to say next. It was obvious that she was hesitating whether to say it or not so Toni slid her hand affectionately down Cheryl's arm until it reached her hand, entwining their fingers.

"You should know that I never wanted to invite the others..." Cheryl confessed, her brown eyes still struggling to meet Toni's. "I only wanted you to stay, but my mother...she'd never have allowed it."

In that moment Toni felt as though her heart had leapt out of her chest at the news - Cheryl had liked her too. The pair held their gaze on one another for a few minutes, a shy smile playing on Cheryl's lips whereas Toni was simply beaming in joy, it was as though the two were communicating through their minds when the simultaneously moved in for a kiss. This was a moment Toni had been thinking about since she'd laid eyes on Cheryl, what her body would feel like beneath her, how soft her lips were, how she tasted. And now it was actually happening. But just as their lips met - just grazing one another - a scream and crash could be heard, awakening everyone.