After the movie, Toni was plesently surprised when Cheryl asked to hang at Pop's together. The red-head even went as far as offering Toni a ride in the stunning, bright red and oh-so-very-Cheryl convertible she owned.

Toni had had to fight to keep from smiling constantly; she was so glad the other girl was starting to act like they were friends. It was a huge, but not unwelcome change in Cheryl's demeanor.

Now, the pair were sitting at the counter in Pop's, waiting for the milkshakes they had ordered- choclate for Toni, and strawberry (of course) for Cheryl. They were sitting in silence apart from Toni's occasionally question about the movie or the town or just school in general.

Once the milkshakes arrived, Toni watched Cheryl twirling her straw around for a minute before finally saying exactly what she had been waiting to say since they finished the movie:

"I know you think you've mastered the art of silent tears, but I saw you crying in the movie Cheryl," she said boldly, waiting for the other girl to bolt away.

I... I never cry in movies," Cheryl stated. "Real life is tragic enough. But... but when Simon's Mom said he used to be such a care free kid growing up, and then, at a certain point he stopped being that happy kid. Because he was hiding his secet. I.. I..." she stopped almost sobbing. Toni looked at her, waiting, hoping that this girl wpuld trust her enough to open up to her.

"Everyone thinks im this loveless monster. But it isn't true: I loved someone once, who loved me, and my mother destroyed them.." The girl continued, staring at the bench infront of her.

"You mean your brother Jason?" Toni asked kindly, slightly confused. "I heard how close you guys were."

"No." Cheryl replied weakly. "Not JJ. Her name was... Heather", she said, looking over at Toni sadly.

Toni was shocked that Cheryl had decided to tell her all this, especially since they had only really become friends about 2 hours ago. It was nice though, Toni realised. That someone she had just met would trust her with secrets no one else alive knew.

"She was my best friend in Junior High," Cheryl said, and Toni returned her attention to the girl next to her. "She used to sleep over every weekend. Until one night, my mother caught us in the same bed. She said I was deviant." Cheryl rolled her eyes at this, still weak and flushed from crying.

"Cheryl, I am so sorry. But you have to know your mother's wrong," Toni said fiercely, watching Cheryl carefully, hoping she wasn't pushing boundaries with what she was going to say. "You're not loveless, you're not deviant, ok. You're sensational."

Cheryl looked over at her as she said this, meeting Toni's undertstanding eyes with her own red-rimmed ones, full of the pain and abuse her mother forced upon her.

They sat there for what felt like forever, just looking into each other's eyes, until Toni moved slowly onto the seat between them, before wrapping her arm around Cheryl, and drawing the still sobbing girl against her.

Cheryl stiffened slightly at first before relaxing into Toni's embrace, as the rest of the world fell away, leaving just the two of them, within their little bubble.

"Thanks for this, Topaz.

\--/

Hello!!

School finished today!! Three weeks of holidays from today omg I'm so glad. Honestly, I've been exhausted, and this chapter really reflects that I think.

I'm glad you liked the split-pov thing I used for the last chapter. I will definately be using it again.

Anyway, it's late, and I have to go.

Thanks for everything,

-G