"That's it, enjoy your couples only weekend; kisses to all! Goodbye now", Cheryl told Jughead as she hung up the phone. Almost immediately, she started checking her hair, touching her make-up; anything to calm herself back down, to keep her famous HBIC mask in place.

Cheryl didn't like doing things like that. Ruining people's relationships, messing up their lives, but sometimes it was necessary. Because they rejected her, but it wasn't even the public humiliation that she had the biggest problem with. It was the reminder that she didn't have anyone: didn't have anyone who cared enough check if she was ok, or make sure she had a ride home, or sit with her at lunch, or even just talk to her when she was having a bad day. There was no one in Cheryl's life who really cared about her.

She was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn't realise there was anyone else in the bathroom until they spoke.

"Did you just tell Jughead that Archie and Betty kissed?"

It was the damn serpent girl, the pink-haired one from the drag race.

"Yes", Cheryl said brightly, not even turning to look at the nosy other girl, "so what if I did?"

"Did you, at least, have a reason?"

Oh god, the serpent was turning towards her now, expecting an answer. Cheryl didn't understand why she was so curious. It was starting to get on her nerves.

"Oh, that's right, you're new here", she said, putting her lipstick down and turning to face the smaller girl, "Hi!!", she said smiling with false brightness, "I'm Cheryl Blossom, A.K.A, Cheryl Bombshell, which means, I need to reasons. I simply, am. Feel free to tremble," she finished smugly, knowing that at least the girl would back off now.

She turned back towards the mirror expecting the girl to leave, while instead, she readjusted her bag on her shoulder and stepped closer to Cheryl.

"I've got a better idea", she remarked calmly, moving to place her hand on Cheryl's upper arm, as they both looked down at the hand, Cheryl surprised at how bold the girl was being.

"How about you tell me what's bothering you, because, clearly, you're in a lot of pain", the serpent girl continued.

Cheryl stopped, glaring down at the girl's hand on her arm. For a second, she actually considered taking to this girl, opening up to her, spilling her heart out for all the world to see.

But then, she mentally kicked herself. Cheryl knew she could never do that, not to this girl, not to anyone, especially not a serpent. Because everytime she did, they saw her for who she was, with all her flaws, her issues, her pain, and they ran. They ran and didn't look back.

So instead, she did what she always has, and pushes them away, hurting anyone before they get close enough to hurt her.

"Get your SAPPHIC serpent hands OFF my body!" she demanded icily, her voice rising almost to a screech. She quickly shrugged off the other girls hand, and stormed out the door.

This girl didn't know her, and Cheryl wanted to keep it that way. She hurried down the corridoor, tears forming in her eyes. Luckily, there was no one around. Class must have started again, but that was the furthest thing from Cheryl's mind as she almost ran for the school's front doors, feeling panicked and slightly claustrophobic, even in the emptiness of the hallway.

Once outside, she turned the corner, rushing out onto the street, before forcing herself to slow down. Cheryl knew the last thing she needed was for one of the people driving past to stop and ask why she wasn't in school. Not that anyone would care enough, she reminded herself.

Sometimes, she missed being younger, playing with Jason, one of the only people who ever cared for her. She missed him so much, every single day. His laugh, his smile, the way he always protected her, even from herself. He would sit with her at lunch, talk to her when she was lonely, and he was the only person she let hug her. He had always been her better half.

She stopped moving along the foot path, and turned off into the forest that had started to appear on the side of the road. She could barely see through the tears, but that didn't matter.

Finally, rounding a corner, Cheryl reached the only place she had ever felt safe. It was a little clearing in the middle of the woods, surrounded by a thicket of trees. She had stumbled upon the little sanctuary while playing hide and seek with Jason as a child, and it was one of the only places she felt truly safe. Sighing she sat down on the grass, wiping her tears on the sleeve of her shirt, before mentally berating herself for ruining a perfectly good piece of clothing.

She almost laughed at herself. She new Jason would have. He never understood her need to look her best, all the time. To him, jeans and his Bulldogs jacket was as fancy as it got, unless Mummy and Daddy had forced him into a suit.

Suddenly, Cheryl felt tired. Emotionally exhausted, and leaning back against a tree behind her, she quickly fell asleep.

Waking up about 4 hours later, she freaked out. The sun was starting to set, and she needed to get home. Home.. Thistlehouse wasn't her home, not really. Not with her murderous mother, and the ghostly remants of her father and brother still haunting the house. She didn't really have a home. But nonetheless, she did need to head off, and go find a cleaner, more comfortable place to sleep, she thought, dusting off her skirt. And food, she realised.

She left her little, peaceful place, getting out her headphones as she walked, and playing her go-to sad song, one she seemed to listen to a lot.

And so she began the mundane trek across town to the house of horrors she called home.

\--/

Hello again!

Another like today!! So to celebrate, here is the next chapter. So far, I have up to Chapter 7 written, and up to Chapter 12 planned. Plans change though, and I'm open to suggestions.

I was wondering the other day: Has CW started filming S3 yet? Is there a release date?? At the moment, I marked the release date as October 11, since that was around when S2 was released, I think.

As an Australian, we don't have CW here, so I'm currently relying on instagram feeds from both the cast and the official Riverdale account. Is there any more up to date ways for me to check these things?

Anyway, that's all from me for now. Bye!!

- G