Cheryl's POV:
It's been two weeks since Archie blew his brains out right in front of thistlehouse. Jug, Toni and I were still pretty traumatized from that series of events, but we're getting through it. I guess you could say we're moving on with our lives. We're all at school right now so Caleb is with my nana Rose and I'm sure they're having a blast. Everyone was talking about what Archie did. Some celebrating, some mourning. Honestly, I didn't know what to feel. I mean, sure I was relived that Archie wouldn't be a threat to my friends and I anymore, but there was still the fact that he was Caleb's father and later in his life this could really destroy him. Toni and I knew we would have to deal with that in the future but as for right now, we just want to move forward with our lives and be happy and live together forever.
Just then I was interrupted by a kiss on my cheek, "Hey baby." Toni whispered in my ear with a cute smile. It was now lunch time and the gang and I were at our usual table. Veronica and Betty were being all flirty with each other as always and it was nice to see Jug finally accepting that and being good friends with the both of them again. This has been a very strange year so far for me. But I'm glad because it gave me the chance to really fall in love and go through things that made me a stronger person. Just then my thoughts were stopped when I felt a squeeze on my hand, "You okay?" Toni asked with a worried look in her eyes. I just nodded and smiled at her, "Never better." I answered honestly. She smiled back with a look of relief and continued to hold my hand as we all ate lunch.
After we ate I went to my next period class which I was dreading. I haven't told Toni this, but that's the class I get bullied in every day since Archie died. Everyone blames me and says my child is going to grow up to resent me cause I killed his father. The truth is, hearing what kind of shit those people have to say about the matter make me very depressed. But I've been pretty good at hiding it from Toni. I don't want her to go all serpent on them because then she'd get suspended or worse and I needed her. She's the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning and willing to go to school.
I walked into the class with my head down and quickly went to my seat. I instantly heard people whispering about me just like they always do. But today was the first time someone actually put their hands on me in the last two weeks. Without saying a word, Jen Cardin punched me square in the face and blood went all over my desk. My nose was running with blood and she also managed to give me a black eye. Jen Cardin was a huge bully. She bullied me a lot in the beginning of when Toni and I first got together but she eventually stopped. She was madly in love with Archie, even though he didn't even know she existed. Since he shot himself in front of my house, she's been the rudest and has had the worst vendetta out of everyone against me. I just held my nose to try to stop the blood from getting on my clothes, since I was wearing Toni's shirt.
I felt a tear fall from my eye as I got up and stormed out of class. Lucky for her, the teacher wasn't in the class yet so she was off the hook. No one else in the class was going to vouch for me I can promise you that. I ran straight to the bathroom and grabbed a bunch of paper towels to clean my bloody nose, which was also bruised now. That bitch had rings on and she sure knew how to leave some cuts and bruises. Once I cleaned the blood up I stared at my puffy black eye in the mirror and let a few more tears fall.
I heard someone else was in the bathroom with me, but didn't see who it was till they came out of the stall. "Cheryl?" I heard Toni's voice say to me. I turned around to look at her and she instantly looked shocked and worried. "Oh my god... your face." She said as she gently touched my face. "What the hell happened to you?" She asked concerned.
"I-it's nothing. Don't worry about it." I said as I quickly wiped the tears and sighed as I looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry I got blood on your shirt." I whispered as I kept my eyes on the ground. "The shirt is the last thing on my mind. Tell me what the hell happened to your face, that's so much more important than the shirt."
My plan was not to say anything and just run out of the bathroom, but instead I broke and pulled Toni into a hug and began sobbing into her shoulder. I let all the mean words people said to me come crashing down. I knew Toni was my rock, that's why I felt so vulnerable around her. "Baby, talk to me." She whispered as she stroked my hair while I continued crying. "People are so mean." I cried to her. "They keep bullying me about Archie and one girl punched me hard in the face and I just feel like shit." I admitted as I kept hugging her, sniffling in between words.
"Who hit you. Tell me her name." Toni said as she broke the hug, holding onto my shoulders and staring me straight in the eyes. "It was Jen Cardin.." I admitted. Toni just looked pissed, "Jen Cardin? That same bitch that picked on you for dating me when we first got together? Oh that bitch is gonna get it." Toni said as she let go of me and began to exit the bathroom but I grabbed her arm. "Toni, stop. What are you gonna do? You can't just go into my classroom and beat her up for me." I said to her.
"Yes I can and I will. She has no right to treat my girlfriend like that. Archie was a terrible person. And it's not your fault that not everybody in this school knows that. I will tell the truth to the whole damn class if I have to, then I will beat her up." Toni said as she broke away from me and stormed off to my class. I followed closely behind her as we finally made it to the room. "Okay everyone listen up. Cheryl did nothing wrong. Archie Andrews was a terrible person. He raped Cheryl and knocked her up, he kidnapped Cheryl as well and hurt her very badly and kept her in his basement. He wasn't a good guy. Archie chose to end his life because his actions finally caught up with him. but blaming Cheryl for any of that? THAT'S what's fucked. You all need a reality check." Toni said as she addressed the class. I smiled a little at how Toni stood up for me in front of the whole class.
"and you?" Toni said as she stared at Jen and stormed up to her. "You keep your fucking busted up hands away from my girlfriends face or I swear to god you'll live to regret it." Toni said as she grabbed her by her shirt collar. Jen gulped and quickly spoke, "I-Im sorry Toni. It won't happen again." she said scared. Toni just forcefully released her back into her seat and began to walk back to where I was standing. Before she could make it to me, Jen whispered something under her breath. "Dykes."
That set Toni off. She instantly turned back around and punched her harder than Jen punched me. She fell backwards out of her seat and hit her head. Blood went everywhere and I quickly ran up to Toni. "Oh my god. Toni!" I said with panic in my voice. Jen wasn't dead, but she definitely needed to go to the hospital. Just then the teacher of the class walked in and saw Toni's bloody hand, then looked down at the floor to see Jen bleeding from her face and head. "Toni Topaz? You are hereby expelled from Riverdale high. Go see the principle immediately!" He yelled as he pointed towards the door. "No. No please don't expel her. You can't." I began. "Cheryl, I don't want to hear it. Toni, go. Now." he finished. Toni sighed and began to leave the class. "Toni stop!" I yelled as I turned back to the teacher. "She was just defending me. Look at my face! Jen did that. For no reason. Toni didn't mean for her to fall on the floor and hit her head. She was just looking out for me. Please don't expel her, sir." I finished. "I'm sorry Ms. Blossom, I have no choice. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to call an ambulance." He said as he picked up the phone.
Everyone in the class was just staring at us in shock. That was quite the show for this period. I just went up to Toni and pulled her into a hug. "You can't leave me." I whispered into her ear. "I have to. I fucked up." She whispered back. "This is all my fault." I said once we broke the hug.
"No. It's not. You tried to stop me. I-I'll see you home okay?" She said as she left the classroom. I was about to follow her but Mr. Crushank stopped me. "Ms. Blossom... Take a seat." He said as he hung up the phone with the ambulance. I sighed and sat in my assigned seat. The whole time I was thinking about Toni. How could I be happy in this hell hole without Toni around?