Chapter Six: Don't be a Crybaby
The following Monday at school, Eleanor returned, wearing the same black shorts and the same, now ripped, fishnets. The dirt Toni had previously noticed was still there but faded as if Ellie had tried to wash it off. Eleanor sat at the table with her friends and slammed a poster down in front of her.
"Who's gonna audition with me?" She smiles.
"For what?" Black Eye leans over the poster "Cry Baby?"
"El, is it really a good idea for you to audition? You just came back, I don't want you to push yourself too hard." Toni says. Eleanor brushes her off and instead responds to Black Eye.
"Yeah. It's like grease but way cooler. The bad boy, Cry Baby, falls in love with this square named Alison."
"Sound familiar?" Veridian asks Betty who just hides behind a smile and digs her nails into her palms.
"So, who's gonna audition?" Ellie smiles at the group but her smile slowly fades. "Oh come on. Nobody?" She turns to Toni "Come on, T, please? Don't make me do it alone." She gives puppy dog eyes and Toni sighs.
"Fine. I'll do it. But only if Betty does." She looks at Betty.
"I really don't want to." Betty protests.
"Please?" Ellie whines.
"I guess." Betty sighs. "Amanda?" She turns to her girl and grabs her hand under the table.
"If everyone else is doing it then I guess I have no choice." Amanda smiles. "But just a warning, I don't sing."
"Come on Kacey. One of us! One of us!" Ellie laughs and starts to bang her hands on the table. Toni, Amanda, and Betty join in on the chanting and banging and Kacey finally does too.
"One of us!"
"Yeah!" Ellie, Betty, Amanda, and Toni all cheer.
"Auditions are after school," Ellie says, standing with her lunch tray.
"Lunch isn't over, where are you going?" Toni asks, worried that she might start another fight.
"Oh, it just looks cool if you stand up when you're done talking." Ellie winks at Toni then starts walking away as her entire group watches. She tosses her tray into the trash but keeps walking, B-lining for Jugheads table.
"Oh no." Toni stands to follow her, so does Amanda and Kacey but they stop dead in their tracks when they notice Ellie is talking politely.
"What are they saying?" Kacey asks.
"I can't tell," Toni responds. The three stand ready to fight, but tentative to advance.
"So, any of you auditioning for the school musical? Or are you leaving that to us, your better half, this year?" Ellie asks, crossing her arms. Jughead and a few other serpents bolt up. "Woah, Woah, Woah." Ellie puts her hands out. "I'm not here to fight." She takes a shaky breath and looks behind her at her friends, crossing her arms again.
She turns back to Jughead and leans in, talking in a hushed voice. "I need to talk to you. Alone. Find me when you have a chance." She turns and walks back to her group. "It's important!" She shouts over her shoulder before sitting back with her group.
Toni, Amanda, and Kacey look at each other then follow Ellie back to their table.
"What the hell was that?!" Toni scolds.
"I needed to talk to him." Ellie shrugs, playing with her bracelet.
"You're lucky he didn't hit you again! You're still healing, who knows what would have happened if you got into another fight?!" Toni says.
"It's fine. He wouldn't hurt me again. He had no reason to." She's still fixated on her bracelet. "Hey anyone know how to fix a barrel clasp? This thing seems to be stuck."
"How are you so chill with this?!" Toni asks Ellie before turning to Amanda and Kacey for help. "Amanda? Kacey?"
"I'm sure it will be fine," Betty says. "He hasn't gotten mad at me for sitting with you guys yet. Maybe this'll end the divide." She said that last part with a hint of sorrow in her voice. After all, if the serpent divide ends, she'll have to choose a lover.
After School, Kacey was late but finally joined Ellie and the others in line for auditions.
"Hey did you guys see who's at the front of the line?" She asks.
"Who?" Toni raises an eyebrow.
"Jughead Jones." Kacey smiles a little bit but tried to hide it. "Weatherbee is forcing him to do the show as punishment for the fight."
"What?! Okay no. You're not doing this." Toni says, grabbing Ellie's arm.
"Um, yes I am." Ellie yanks her arm back.
"Ellie this is stupid! It's a school show. It's not worth it." Toni pleads, hurt in her eyes.
"Gee, thanks for the warning Mom." Ellie scoffs.
"El,-" Toni's is cut off by the sound of a throat clearing.
"Toni, I thought you promised not to talk to this creature anymore." Said the red-headed demon queen from behind her.
"Cheryl." Toni turns to her. "I-"
"Save it, Topaz." Cheryl glares at Toni but hidden behind the facade Toni could see tears in Cheryl's eyes.
"Cheryl…" She reaches out for her girlfriend who promptly steps back.
"I said save it. We're done." Cheryl can't bring herself to look at her now ex-lover so instead just walks away.
Toni watches her leave with tears building up in her eyes. Not one of the serpents nor Amanda or Kacey said anything for what felt like forever.
"Hey, Toni, you okay?" Eleanor finally asks, reaching out a hand. But the second Eleanor's hand touches Toni's shoulder she rushes off down the hall. Eleanor's hand lingers in the air for a moment before falling back at her side.
"Someone should go check on her," Kacey says, looking at Ellie.
"Yeah." Ellie notices a lot of the group is looking at her. "What?" She asks before realizing why they were staring at her."Not me." She looks off in the direction Toni went. "I'm sure I'm the last person she wants to talk to right now."
"Ellie, someone needs to go after her," Amanda says.
"Send Veridian." Ellie orders. "She's not my problem." She crosses her arms and looks at Veridian. "Go on." Veridian hesitates but runs off down the hall after Toni.
Black Eye, Amanda, and Kacey exchange looks.
"Ellie-" Kacey starts but she trails off. Ellie turns back forward in the line but her eyes still solemnly watch the hall Toni had run down.