Chapter Text
“I’m telling you, it was a bear,” Veronica insisted as the group entered the student lounge. She sat down on the couch, elegantly crossing her legs. “I swear on my pearls.” Her perfectly manicured hand came to rest on the string of pearls that always adorned her neck.
Cheryl rolled her eyes as she sunk onto the couch beside her. “We don't have bears here.”
She had gotten used to Veronica’s exaggerations by now. The young heiress apparently still had trouble adjusting from the hustle and bustle of the city to the quiet lull of a small town. If there was no gossip around, she was bound to create some.
“It was probably just a raccoon,” Betty offered as she followed, always one to keep the peace. “There was one in my backyard last week. It dug through all of our trash cans.” She sat down on the chair adjacent to them, setting her backpack on the ground in front of her.
Eight hours.
Cheryl just had to get through eight hours of the school day. Then nine hours until tomorrow. And then two days before she had to go back to school on Monday.
At this point, Cheryl felt her entire life was one big countdown. I just have to get through this day. “I just have to get through this week.” “I just have to get through this month.” “I just have to get through this life. ”
She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for at the end of this constant countdown, but she could only pray it was better than the unbearable monotony she called her life.
“It was way bigger than a raccoon,” Veronica scoffed as she raised her cup of coffee to her lips. “I saw its eyes. They were like, glowing red. It was super creepy.” She shuddered, taking a sip, her dark lipstick leaving a mark on the rim.
Archie frowned, bringing up the rear. “Bears’ eyes don’t glow red.”
Cheryl rolled her eyes again. She once ruled this school, but after the tragic events of last year her social standing fell dramatically. Before, she commanded these halls with fear and respect, parting the crowds with a click of her red bottoms. Boys lined up for the chance to ask her on a date, every girl wanted to be her best friend, and it was considered a great honor to be invited to one of her legendary parties. Whether people hated or adored her, they paid attention to her. With her twin brother Jason by her side, Cheryl felt there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish.
And then Jason was murdered by her father, and it all came crashing down.
Now when people spoke of her their voices held only pity and disgust. Her so-called ‘friends’ abandoned her, quick to fight for her place on the social ladder. The entire town had finally gotten a glimpse of the true ugly under all the glitz and glamor of the Blossom name, and happily turned their backs on them. Cheryl was alone.
There was one silver lining though. Cheryl’s eyes fell on her friends, a small spark of affection lighting at the sight of them. After an unfortunate “accident” at Sweetwater River, Archie, Betty, and Josie had accepted her into their little group, becoming true friends and helping her out of the depths of her despair. Veronica on the other hand… Veronica just came with the territory.
“I know what I saw.”
“Maybe it was el chupacabra, ” Cheryl muttered sarcastically. Five minutes into the school day and Veronica was already giving her a headache. She just wished the girl would shut up.
Seven hours and fifty-five minutes.
Of course, things were never that simple.
Veronica’s jaw dropped in offense. “Is that a microaggression because I’m-”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it-” Betty cut in.
“ Relax, Veronica I was just-”
“Oh so now you’re telling me to relax?! Wow- ”
Archie dropped his bag loudly on the floor, effectively silencing the girls. “Whatever, it’s probably gone by now.” He sat on the arm of Betty’s chair, barely hiding the exasperation in his voice. It seemed he also had no patience for Veronica today. “Anyway, are you guys coming to the drive in tonight?”
Cheryl played with a loose string on her sleeve. The sweater was a little warm for early September, but thanks to her mother she deemed it a necessary precaution. Her head pounded. She could barely find the energy to get through the day, let alone socialize after school, but before she could voice her uncertainty Veronica cut her off.
“Not me. I’m headed back to the city to spend time with daddy dearest,” she boasted.
Archie rolled his eyes, turning to face Cheryl and Betty. “What about you guys?”
“Probably…” Betty started. She paused, looking around the student lounge with a frown. “Hey where’s Josie?” she asked. “She’s usually here by now.”
Archie shrugged, and Veronica took another sip of her coffee. Betty’s frown deepened. “Maybe I should call her…”
“Relax, Betts,” Archie assured. “She’s probably just running late.”
Cheryl tuned out the conversation, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Archie, Betty, and Josie were great, and Veronica was, well… Veronica, but she couldn’t deal with casual conversation and current events right now. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before, too focused on muffling the sounds of her sobs into her pillow lest her contemptuous mother hear her. Luckily the puffiness was easily hidden with layers of makeup, but no amount of makeup could stave off the growing headache that often tormented her after nights like those.
“Hey, Cheryl,” Betty interrupted the redhead’s downward spiral. “Are you coming? Archie’s bringing Val and if Josie’s not there I don't want to third wheel.” She pulled a face of distaste at the thought.
Cheryl tried to shake those thoughts from her head, bringing herself back to the present. She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in semi-genuine interest. “Val as in Valerie Brown? So that’s a thing?”
A bashful grin began to grow on Archie’s face. “Yeah, um, I invited her yesterday.”
Had she been in a better mood, Cheryl would’ve congratulated him for finally working up the courage to ask his long time crush out. Or more likely, she would have made a lighthearted joke about not having to hear him whine anymore about how she was “so pretty and cool”.
“ Ooh la la! ” Veronica sang teasingly before Cheryl had the chance to speak. “Little Archie’s all grown up and found himself a giiiiirlfriend !”
“We’re taking it slow-”
“Veronica, please-”
“HOLY SHIT GUYS!” Always one for dramatics, Josie burst into the room, announcing her presence and inadvertently ending any impending argument. Several heads turned her way, but the other students quickly returned to their own conversations.
“My car fucking broke down!” she continued ranting, completely ignoring any remaining eyes on her. “Luckily my mom was able to get it towed to the mechanic, and I called in a favor with Reggie to get a ride, but I’m so pissed! This is like the third time this happened this month!”
“It might be a problem with the engine,” Archie offered unhelpfully, running a hand through his ginger hair.
“Fuck if I know,” Josie snorted, crossing her arms. “I don’t know shit about cars, all I know is that I don’t have a ride to school anymore, and I refuse to take the bus.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Or get anymore favors from Reggie.”
Veronica leaned forward, wrapping her hands around her coffee cup. “Well I’m sure Archie and I could-”
“I’ll drive you!” Betty interrupted suddenly. The group turned to her, surprised by her eagerness and her cheeks flushed. “I- I mean, I leave early anyway, and it’s not really far so it wouldn’t be a problem…” she trailed off, her gaze dropping to her feet as she nervously played with her ponytail .
“Thanks, Betts,” Josie saved Betty from any further embarrassment, giving her a warm smile. “You’re a lifesaver.”
Betty ducked her head, smiling shyly. “Yeah, no problem.”
Hmmm, interesting…
Cheryl’s eyes shifted to Veronica, noticing her looking between Betty and Josie suspiciously, which was never a good sign. She could practically hear the gears turning in the other girl’s head.
Veronica opened her mouth, but before she could utter a sound the first bell rang, signaling it was time to get to class. Saved by the bell, literally.
Cheryl jumped up, grabbing her bag and rushing out of the room. “Uh, bye!” Josie called after her. As she hurried away, Cheryl heard a faint, “What’s her problem?”
The first part of the day passed uneventfully for Cheryl. Despite her desire for distraction she had barely paid attention in her classes, too focused on pulling down her sleeves to keep the bruises on her wrists covered. Though her family’s dirty laundry had already been aired out for the whole town to see, there were still some secrets they didn’t see, some secrets Cheryl wanted to remain hidden.
At lunch, Veronica purposely and dramatically gave her the cold shoulder, going so far as to turn away as Cheryl sat down. Cheryl couldn’t be bothered to care, ignoring the strange and concerned looks her friends gave her.
I just have to make it through three more hours…
She moved through the rest of the day like a zombie. On days like this, Cheryl was grateful that the student body now largely ignored her. It was much more difficult to keep up the facade when she had dozens of prying eyes on her at all times, desperate for her attention.
The final bell rang and Cheryl let out a relieved sigh, rushing to her locker and shoving her things inside her admittedly tiny backpack. With a slam, she shut her locker and hurried to the exit. I can’t wait to get home, lock myself in my room, and binge meaningless shows on netflix until I can’t feel-
“Cheryl!”
Oh for god’s sake-
Cheryl plastered on a fake smile as she turned to address the sweet voice of Betty Cooper. “Yes, cousin?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even to hide her exasperation.
“Are you okay? You’ve been acting strange all day.”
Cheryl fought the urge to roll her eyes. At least Betty was trying. After the events at Sweetwater River the blonde had made an effort to be there for her cousin, but it would take more than an “are you okay?” to fix Cheryl’s problems.
“Just tired, thanks,” she chirped cheerily, whirling around in an attempt to escape out the double doors to freedom.
“Hey,” Betty grabbed Cheryl’s arm, gently pulling her back. Cheryl tried not to wince as the blonde inadvertently pressed down on an old bruise. “You should apologize to Veronica for what you said.”
Cheryl frowned. “What, the chupacabra thing? I was just making fun of her for being dramatic, which as you may have noticed, I always do. I didn’t mean it that way.” She shifted uncomfortably. Other people’s hurt feelings never bothered Cheryl the HBIC, but unfortunately Cheryl the Social Pariah had developed this annoying thing called a “conscience”.
“Still, that wasn’t cool. You really upset her.” Betty’s green eyes bored into Cheryl’s, reminding her how different the two of them were. The perfect girl next door, Betty was always willing to extend the olive branch, even when the offending party didn’t deserve it. Cheryl, on the other hand, preferred to tell people exactly where they could stick that olive branch. “Come on, Cheryl, please?”
Cheryl sighed. As much as she hated to admit she was in the wrong, (especially with Veronica,) Betty was right.
“I guess you’re right,” Cheryl conceded, crossing her arms. “I’ll apologize now.”
Betty gave her a soft smile. Cheryl envied the way she was so effortlessly pretty, so naturally kind and sweet. How is this girl a Blossom?
“Good. I know we’ve had our…” The blonde trailed off, searching for the right words. “Differences, but you should try to be nicer to Veronica.”
Cheryl scoffed. “I would hardly call what she did to you ‘differences’.”
“Cheryl.” Betty gave her a pointed look. Ugh.
“Fine, fine, I’m going.” Cheryl rolled her eyes, accepting defeat. She had no idea why her cousin was so damn good. How Betty could ever forgive Veronica for what she did was beyond her.
Betty quirked her mouth to the side in an understanding smile. She rubbed Cheryl’s arm comfortingly. “I’ll text you later, okay?” she said, dropping her hand and walking out the open doors to the parking lot.
“Yeah,” Cheryl muttered unenthusiastically.
Realizing she would have to move quickly to catch Veronica before she left, she jogged after Betty, descending the steps rapidly. She surveiled the area, spying those annoyingly perfect black waves and stupid pearls making their way towards Archie’s car like always.
“Veronica, wait up,” Cheryl called to her retreating form. She speed-walked to catch up with her as Veronica turned around with a scowl on her face.
“What do you want, pendeja?” Veronica sneered, crossing her arms.
Cheryl didn’t know what whatever Veronica just called her meant, but judging by her tone it wasn’t great. I probably deserved that.
“I just wanted to apologize for my faux pas earlier,” she said sincerely. “I genuinely didn’t mean it like that, I was just grumpy and wasn’t thinking. I meant no offense.”
Veronica stayed silent, staring off to the side.
“I am truly, deeply sorry,” Cheryl continued. Out of all the times she had apologized to Veronica, this was one of the few sincere ones.
Cheryl and Veronica had never had an easy friendship, and as much as she hated to admit it, Cheryl knew it was because they were too similar. Both outspoken spoiled rich girls, used to getting their way until something had turned their lives around, they often butted heads over even the smallest of things. Cheryl couldn’t help but feel a little resentment for Veronica though. After all, your parents getting divorced and remarried was way less of a fall from grace than your drug kingpin father killing your twin brother and then himself.
Apples and oranges.
“Okay,” Veronica said finally, meeting Cheryl’s eyes. “I accept your apology.” She gave a little haughty sniff. “I guess this is what I should expect from hanging out with gringos . But I suppose I won’t cancel you on twitter.”
Cheryl’s eye twitched as she bit back a retort. ‘You don’t have to hang out with us.’
“I’m glad,” she replied, plastering on a fake smile. “Your friendship means the world to me.”
Okay, so maybe that was overselling it a little. Cheryl’s ‘Ability To Be Nice To Veronica’ meter was running low. Sue her.
“Great,” Veronica gave a fake smile of her own, all teeth. “Me too.”
The two stared each other down in a battle of wills and false amity, waiting for the other to crack first. Students weaved around them on their way to their cars, completely unaware of the showdown happening right in front of them.
In the distance, Archie honked his horn. “Veronica, come on!” he yelled out of his car window.
“Well, I guess I’d better be going,” Veronica trilled, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “Have a good weekend, Cheryl.” She spun on her heel and started walking towards Archie’s car, then turned her head back to throw one last quip.
“Say hi to your mother for me.”
Cheryl froze, Veronica’s words hitting her like a punch in her chest.
She knows.
She stood paralyzed, watching slack jawed as Veronica slid into the passenger seat, saying something to Archie before the two pulled out of the lot and sped away. She didn’t even look back.
Cheryl’s breathing grew panicked. She knows. How could she know? If she did she wouldn’t have said that… right?
Oh god, she knows, and she doesn’t even care- Does everyone else know? Is she going to tell them?? What did she tell Archie??? What if-
“Cheryl, are you alright?”
Someone’s concerned voice startled Cheryl and she stumbled back a few steps, turning to the perpetrator.
Ethel Muggs; a classmate that just a year ago Cheryl had ruthlessly bullied.
“I- I’m fine,” Cheryl stuttered, taking a few more steps back. A year ago she would have taken this as a blessing, someone to scream at and take all of her frustrations out on.
That’s not me anymore.
“Are you sure?” Ethel tilted her head slightly. “Do you need help?”
‘Why are you being so nice to me?!’ Cheryl wanted to scream. ‘I don’t deserve it!’
Instead she just shook her head. “No. I just- I need to go.”
She turned and fled to her car, throwing open the door and sliding in, tossing her bag carelessly on the passenger seat. Her hands shook as she desperately tried to shove her keys in the ignition. “Fuck fuck fuck,” she muttered as she battled the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
After what felt like forever, she finally jammed in the key and turned the car on, peeling out of the parking lot. Tears streamed freely down her face.
“FUCK!!!” Cheryl screamed as soon as she was far away enough from the school. She hit the steering wheel with her hand. “FUUUUCK!!!”
“Fucking Veronica, fucking Ethel, fucking fuck fuck!!! ” she screamed again, punctuating each word with a slap to the wheel.
A sob ripped through her. The road had become a blur of grays and greens but Cheryl couldn’t find it in herself to care. She started hyperventilating, all coherent thoughts gone from her head.
‘Run off the road,’ that voice in the back of her head whispered. ‘Do it.’
No. Not again. She promised.
Cheryl tried to catch her breath. ‘Stop.’ she told the voice. She wiped at her tears, trying to slow her breathing. Remember your grounding techniques. Inhale for 8 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 7. Close your eyes. Wait- you’re driving. Nevermind. Cheryl gripped the steering wheel. Try to focus on what’s around you. Her eyes wandered, taking in the scenery. The incredibly rapid moving scenery… Glancing down, her eyes widened as she caught sight of her speedometer and her foot immediately eased off the gas. She was going nearly 30 miles over the speed limit.
Taking another shuddery breath, Cheryl turned her focus on the road ahead.
I just need to get home.
Home. To her mother.
Veronica knows .
She let out another sob.
Suddenly, something darted out into the road in front of her. Cheryl panicked, swerving on instinct to avoid it. Her tires screeched loudly as her car flew over the edge of the road, crashing into a ditch.
Cheryl’s body flew forward as the airbag deployed and her head slammed into it. For a few seconds everything went dark.
Holy shit.
Cheryl’s eyes fluttered open. Her head throbbed. Feeling dazed, she lifted her head, surveying the damage. Through the cracked windshield she could see the crumpled hood of her car, small wisps of smoke rising from it. Fuck, mother is going to kill me. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes.
Remembering the creature that had jumped out and caused the crash, Cheryl whipped her head back to the road to look for it. She groaned at the sudden movement, bringing a hand to her head.
There was nothing there.
Of course whatever it was had run away. Why would it stick around after she almost ran it over?
“Great,” Cheryl muttered. She felt something wet under her fingers.
Cheryl brought her hand down and inspected it. A red smear of blood stained her fingertips, a bright splash of color against her porcelain skin.
‘At least it matches my aesthetic,’ she thought wryly before breaking down in tears.
New Message: veronica hate club
josie: jesus are you ok????
betty: omg what happened?!? are you hurt?!?!??
Cheryl sighed as she stared down at her phone. Between her car, her mother, and insurance, she had completely forgotten she had made plans until Betty texted to confirm; and apparently “can’t, got in an accident” demanded a follow up.
cheryl: Yeah I’m fine. Some animal jumped into the road and I swerved into a ditch to avoid it.
archie: I’m sorry :(( glad ur ok tho
betty: me too.
cheryl: Thanks. Wish I could say the same for my car.
betty: how bad is it?
cheryl: [attachment: 1 image]
josie: shit
betty: yikes.
archie: Oof
josie: what ran you off the road? was it a deer?
cheryl: I’m not sure. I didn’t get a good look at it.
archie: Maybe it was a bear 👀
betty: too soon archie.
Despite everything, Cheryl chuckled to herself. In moments like this she was grateful for Josie, Betty, and Archie. She didn’t know where she would be without those three; sometimes she felt like they were the only reason she was still here.
cheryl: Lmao
josie: ARCHIE
archie: Sorry 😅
betty: how did your mom take it?
She inhaled. Her jaw still stung, but not from the impact.
cheryl: Not well.
josie: im sorry :(((
betty: is there anything we can do?
archie: Do u want us to come over?
cheryl: No, go to the drive in. I’ll be fine.
archie: R u sure?? Me or Betty could take u if u still want to come
cheryl: Thanks but I don’t really feel up to it. Go have fun. I’m probably just going to take a nap.
betty: ok. just let us know if you need anything.
archie: Yeah we’re here for you Cheryl
josie: whatever you need babygirl <3
Cheryl put her phone down, rubbing her eyes. They still felt swollen from crying.
Penelope Blossom was not known for her kindness on a good day. The yellowing bruises littering Cheryl’s body could attest to that.
Needless to say, upon finding out her daughter had crashed her car she was even less so.
Her shouts still echoed in Cheryl’s ears, words like “worthless”, “idiotic”, “impotent”, and “deviant” bouncing around in her head. “You’re too harsh on the child,” Nana Rose had scolded, seemingly at one of her more lucid moments. Harsh. Cheryl would’ve laughed had her jaw not been trapped in Penelope’s claw like grip.
She rubbed at her jaw. Since coming home almost two hours ago, she hadn’t had a chance to properly assess her wounds. Hopefully Penelope’s tireless gardening would provide the perfect distraction for her daughter to tend to herself without fear of more violence.
Cheryl rose from her bed. Listening carefully for any movement, she padded to the doorway and poked her head out. Upon finding no evidence that her mother was near, Cheryl made a quick dash to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and locking it. She paused again, listening for any sign that Penelope had heard her, and sighed in relief when she heard none.
She turned to the mirror, taking in her reflection. Her eyes were red and swollen, and a red bruise was beginning to bloom on her jaw, and to complete the look: a large scrape just above her right eyebrow, still crusted with blood.
“Stop being so dramatic, you petulant child, it’s just a scratch.”
Cheryl glared at the mirror. “Fuck you,” she mouthed, imagining Penelope’s face in the glass instead of her own. How she hated their resemblance.
The first aid kit was right where she left it, hidden behind all the cleaning products under the sink. Penelope had never made an attempt to dispose of it before, but knowing her gargoyle of a mother, one could never be too careful.
Cheryl got to work cleaning herself off, using a damp cloth to gently wipe away the blood and splashing cold water on her face to soothe her eyes and jaw. Ice would’ve worked better, but that would risk another encounter with Penelope, and Cheryl didn’t want to take that chance.
As she started to apply antiseptic cream to her forehead, she heard the telltale sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She froze in fear.
The footsteps continued down the hall. Cheryl heard a pause, near her bedroom, then they continued towards Penelope’s room and she heard the door slam.
Rooted to the ground, Cheryl waited with baited breath until the only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat roaring in her ears.
She sagged in relief, gripping the countertop on either side. She tilted her head up slightly to look in the mirror and scowled.
Pathetic.
As quietly as she could, Cheryl ripped open a bandage, placing it carefully over the scrape. It didn’t completely cover it, but she didn’t have time to worry about that now. Now was her chance.
The door creaked softly as she opened it. ‘Shut up!’ she willed it silently. After a quick pause to make sure her mother hadn’t heard her, she tiptoed down the hall and around the corner to the stairs. The first step groaned in protest when she stepped on it. Cheryl winced, but kept going. It was useless to stop now.
She descended the stairs quickly, (avoiding the fifth step that always squeaked) and rushed to the kitchen. Cheryl grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, sighing in relief as she pressed it to her aching jaw.
She leaned back against the counter, spotting her Nana across the foyer in the living room.
‘Please be quiet,’ Cheryl tried to communicate psychically. It must have worked, because Nana Rose remained silent, simply staring at Cheryl with vacant eyes. Cheryl gave her a sad smile. She loved the woman, truly, and it broke her heart to see her once sharp mind slowly drift away.
Cheryl’s gaze drifted past her Nana, out the window to the backyard, and landed on the targets that made up her personal archery range; the perfect way to ease all of her frustrations. Her lips twitched upward in a small smirk.
Thunk!
Cheryl smiled widely as the arrow hit the bullseye with a satisfying sound.
She had filled the bullseye of every target with arrows. The sun had set long ago, but Cheryl barely noticed. Her arms ached with the strain, but for once Cheryl relished in the pain that was earned.
She started pulling the arrows free from the target, feeling quite bored. Sure shooting things with a bow and arrow was cathartic, but she had filled these bullseyes a thousand times. She needed a challenge.
Walking back to her place on the ground that she marked with tape, Cheryl surveyed the area. There had to be some other suitable target. ‘Perhaps I could use mother dearest’s window,’ she thought, smirking to herself.
Something rustled from the woods behind her targets and she jumped.
“Hello?” she called out instinctively, immediately feeling stupid after the word left her mouth. It was likely an animal, of course it wouldn’t answer.
Cheryl’s face turned into a scowl. ‘Maybe it was that damn deer that ran me off the road.’ She nocked an arrow, aiming at a knot on the trunk of a pine tree 50 yards away. ‘This will scare it off.’
The distance and the darkness did add a further challenge, one that Cheryl welcomed. She raised her bow, remembering her lessons.
Focus, aim, release.
Cheryl pulled back the bow string and took a deep breath. Focus. She closed one eye, centering on the swirl of wood on the trunk. Aim. She exhaled, preparing to lift her fingers off the string. Release.
A branch cracked from the woods. Cheryl jumped again, right as she released her arrow.
The arrow flew right past the tree. Then Cheryl heard the unmistakable thud of her arrow striking flesh.
And a cry of pain.
Her eyes widened. Oh my god.
Dropping her bow, Cheryl sprinted into the forest. She hadn’t meant to actually hit anything! Hopefully she could save whatever poor creature she had struck.
Crashing through the brush, Cheryl skidded to a stop in a small moonlit clearing. Just a few feet ahead of her, the creature groaned in pain. Cheryl furrowed her brow. That didn’t sound like an animal. She squinted, trying to get a good look at the figure but not wanting to get too close. The shape looked like… a person. Oh god. She felt sick. Seventeen years old and I’ve already committed a felony.
“Oh my god I’m so sorry,” she breathlessly pleaded as she approached the person curled on their side. “It was an accident, I swear-”
Cheryl jumped back with a yelp as a fireball whizzed past her head.
The person hissed, and Cheryl caught sight of pointed ears, sharp teeth, and glowing red eyes.
Nope, definitely not a person.
Before she had time to react to the thing in front of her, its hand blazed with another fireball. She ducked as the creature fired at her, losing her footing and falling on her rear. Pine needles bit into her palms.
“Back!” the creature yelled in an unusually high pitched voice. Another fireball flew in Cheryl’s direction and she scrambled backward. “Go away!!!”
“I’m just trying to help you, please!” Cheryl cried, covering her head. She trembled, awaiting a fiery demise, but the flames she anticipated never came. Upon a moment of silence (and no more fireballs), she cautiously lifted her head.
“Help?” the creature questioned, snarling slightly, one hand gripping where the arrow pierced their shoulder and the other raised to attack again. “No, you hurt. ”
“I-I’m sorry,” Cheryl breathed, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. “Please, it was an accident.”
Her head swam. Here she was, in the forest in the middle of the night, talking with some sort of… demon that shot fireballs at her after she accidentally shot it with an arrow.
‘Could my life get any weirder?’
“Accident.” the creature repeated. Cheryl peered at it from between her fingers as she blinked away the bright spots caused by the fire. It was actually quite tiny, curled up in the grass like a small child, its dark clothing helping it blend into the surroundings.
A tiny demon is still a demon.
“Yes,” she said, her voice shaky. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Didn’t mean to…” the creature murmured, lowering its hand, and Cheryl took this chance to finally get a good look at it.
It- they (Cheryl figured she should stop referring to them as “it” since, they were clearly capable of intelligent thought) had light brown skin that almost seemed iridescent, and long wavy hair, slightly matted with sticks and leaves. Cheryl wasn’t sure if it was just the dim lighting, but their hair looked pink. Their facial features were similar to that of a human, the exception being their slightly flattened nose, pointed ears, and unusually high cheekbones. And of course, those sharp teeth.
They were dressed in some kind clothing Cheryl had never seen before, ragged fabric loosely clinging to their skinny frame, secured by what looked like armor. Earthy brown bracers studded with gemstones covered their forearms, along with a matching half plate across their chest and greaves on their calves. Though they looked like something out of a renaissance fair, the tears and stains suggested this armor had seen better days.
The creature huffed in pain and Cheryl turned her focus to the bright red arrow sticking out from their shoulder. She grimaced. Oops.
Then they shifted, leaning forward to expose their back. Cheryl gasped.
Behind the creature fluttered long, shimmering wings. Translucent like that of an insect and slightly tinted green, they glittered in the moonlight. Cheryl stared in awe, speechless.
Finally, she found her words. “Oh my god. You’re a fairy.” she breathed.
The fairy’s head shot up, recognizing the word. Their eyes narrowed and they hissed again.
“H-hey hey, it’s okay! It’s okay,” Cheryl threw her trembling hands up, hoping to avoid any more fireballs. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to help.”
The fairy’s snarl dropped, all ferociousness gone from their expression. “You will not hurt?” they asked, tilting their head suspiciously.
Cheryl nodded. The fairy just stared at her, clearly not understanding the gesture. “Yes.” she confirmed.
“Yes,” they repeated. They seemed to consider it for a moment before speaking again. “You can help.”
Pushing herself up to a crouch, Cheryl warily inched closer. Her rational side screamed at her to run away, avoid those sharp teeth and fireballs, but her guilt won out. She had injured this poor creature, so the least she could do was help. Still, she shuffled forward slowly on her knees, lest the fairy feel threatened (and fiery.)
“O-okay,” she said, mostly to herself to steel her nerves. The fairy watched her, their pupils wide and round. Up close, Cheryl could see their eyes were actually pink, not red. That’s… slightly less threatening. “Okay, we need to keep pressure on it to stop the bleeding. Now this may hurt a little-”
“Pull it out,” the fairy demanded.
“W-what?” Cheryl stammered, caught off guard by the little fairy’s forceful tone. “No, that will only make the bleeding worse-”
“Pull it out!” they insisted again, making Cheryl jump. Against her better judgement, she grabbed the arrow and ripped it from the fairy’s body. They cried out, not unlike the sound of a wounded kitten.
The fairy panted, clutching at the profusely bleeding hole in their shoulder with the hand that wasn’t holding them up. ‘I told you!’ Cheryl dropped the bloody arrow and moved to press her hands against the wound, but they swatted them away.
Cheryl frowned down at the small creature. “I’m just trying to help you, we have to stop the bleeding otherwise you’ll bleed out.”
“I,” the little fairy gasped out, their face twisted in pain. “I can stop.”
Cheryl opened her mouth to respond, but quickly leapt to her feet when she saw the fairy’s hand start to glow again. However, instead of harsh orange flames, their hand emitted a soft yellow light. Cheryl watched in awe as the wound seemed to close itself, sealing like a scar, before the raw pink skin returned to its natural tan color. The fairy’s ragged pants slowed and their eyes fluttered shut until the wound closed completely and the light faded from their palm. Their hand fell, leaving only a bloody hole in their tunic.
“Oh my god,” Cheryl said for the third time in five minutes.
She raked a hand through her hair, trying to keep calm. “Okay,” she muttered to herself as she started to pace. “You had a panic attack at school, crashed your car, got slapped around by your mother, and just watched a fairy heal themself after you shot them with an arrow. This is fine.” She laughed, fully aware of how unhinged she sounded. “Just another day in Riverdale!”
The fairy pushed themself to their feet, eyeing her warily.
“Oh I get it now!” she exclaimed, slapping herself on the head. “I’m clearly in a coma from when I crashed my car, and this is just some crazy dream.” Her laugh echoed slightly in the forest.
“You are strange,” the fairy said, tilting their head. Somehow they seemed even tinier standing up.
Cheryl rolled her eyes. “You’re in my dream, get used to it.” She waved them off. “You can fly away now, or turn into a unicorn or a mermaid or something. I’ll wake up soon enough.”
“Wake up?” the fairy questioned, sounding confused. “You are awake. You are talking.”
Cheryl’s chest grew tight. Of course this wasn’t a coma dream. The pain, the bruises, they were all too real.
She turned to acknowledge the fairy, then froze. The scent of wild violets and something else filled the air. She sniffed deeply. Apples? Whatever it was, she wanted to get close to it. She needed to.
As if in a trance, Cheryl took a step towards the fairy. A magnetic pull lured her forward. She needed to go towards them. To follow them.
The fairy took a step backwards, a look of concern on their face. “Stop.”
Cheryl advanced. She reached her hand out. She had to go with them, to be near them, to touch-
“Stop.” The fairy grabbed her outstretched arm in a surprisingly strong grip. They twisted her hand away from their face. “You are lost. You want to go,” they said with a firm voice. Their brow furrowed, as if trying to think of the words. “You… no. No.”
“Please,” Cheryl begged, still caught in a daze. “Take me with you. I have to go.”
“No,” the fairy repeated, eyes dark.
“I have nowhere else!” Cheryl cried desperately. I have to go, I need to go, I have nothing, I have nowhere-
“Nowhere… There is nowhere. Nowhere to go,” The fairy said somberly. Cheryl brought her other hand up, reaching out for them. She just needed to touch... “There is nowhere to go!” the fairy yelled, throwing her to the ground.
For the second time, Cheryl found herself on her ass on the forest floor. What the hell… She shook the fog from her head. “What…” she stared up at the fairy, confused. “What was that?”
The fairy pursed their lips, deep in thought. “Humans… lost humans, want to follow fae.”
“Oh so you’re a faerie with an a e,” Cheryl mused. She shook her head again. Unimportant. “Anyway, I’m not lost.” she huffed. “My house is right there.”
“Lost in here,” the faerie pointed at Cheryl’s chest. “Sad.”
Oh.
Cheryl blinked. She knew she was depressed, but not depressed enough to desperately want to follow some random faerie in a trance. Her online therapist would be so disappointed in her.
Cheryl dropped her head in her hands. “This is all so much,” she groaned. Tears pricked at her eyes.
As if you haven’t cried enough today.
She heard some shuffling, and peered over her hands to see the little faerie sitting cross legged across from her.
“I’m sorry,” they said. Their expression lost all suspicion, now holding mild interest. “You are sad.”
Cheryl sniffled a little, laughing slightly. “ You’re sorry? I shot you with an arrow.”
“Yes,” the faerie said matter-of-factly. “Hurt.”
Cheryl smiled in amusement. Apparently the little creature didn’t hold a grudge. She noticed their voice had a strange lilt to it, like an accent she couldn’t place.
“But you’re okay now,” she gestured to the bloody spot on their now healed shoulder. “You healed yourself.”
“Healed…” the faerie murmured. They seemed to do that a lot. “Yes.” They then turned their big round eyes to her face. “I can heal.”
The faerie stared intently at her, and it took Cheryl a moment to realize that they were referring to the wounds on her face.
“Oh, um-” she started, but they were already scooting closer to her. Cheryl froze as the faerie reached out, cupping her face in their small hands. Her heart pounded, in the hold of a strange creature whose hands were blazing with fire only minutes ago. “Y-you, don’t have to-”
“I heal,” they repeated softly.
Their hands started to glow again, and Cheryl screwed her eyes shut in anticipation. However, instead of the pain she expected, she just felt… warmth, washing over her body. She exhaled. It felt like a warm hug, like sunshine peeking through the clouds on a rainy day, like the soft lull of falling asleep…
The faerie removed their hands and Cheryl’s eyes fluttered open.
Immediately her hands flew to her face, feeling for her wounds. Her fingers pressed into her jaw, over the bandage, but she found no swelling, no cuts, no pain.
“Oh my god,” Her wide eyes fell on the faerie. “Thank you.”
They simply smiled at her.
Cheryl gave a shaky smile back. A gentle breeze ruffled the faerie’s bright pink hair and their wings flitted behind them. How strangely beautiful.
“What’s your name?” Cheryl asked. She didn’t feel quite ready to end this encounter. How could she go back to her normal life after this?
The faerie tilted their head. “Name?”
“Yeah like,” Cheryl considered for a moment. Clearly english wasn’t their first language, but they seemed to pick up words quickly by repeating them. She pointed to herself. “My name is Cheryl.” She turned her finger towards them. “What is your name?”
“My name,” the faerie repeated like Cheryl expected. “T…” they hesitated. “Toni,” they said slowly, as if feeling out the name on their tongue for the first time.
“Your name is Toni?” That didn’t exactly sound like a faerie name, but then again, Cheryl had never met one before.
“Yes,” the faerie, Toni, said, sounding more sure of themself. “My name is Toni.”
Cheryl smiled. “Nice to meet you, Toni.”
“Nice to meet you, Cheryl,” Toni repeated. Due to their accent, (if you could call it that,) it sounded like ‘seryl’. They frowned, trying again. “Seryl. Ssseryl.”
“Cheryl,” Cheryl helped, emphasizing the ‘sh’ sound. She couldn’t stop the small grin spreading on her face.
“Sss- shhhheryl,” Toni’s eyes lit up. “Cheryl!”
“You got it!” Cheryl cheered.
“Got it!” Toni beamed, showing their pointy teeth. Somehow that didn’t scare Cheryl anymore.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew how strange this was, sitting on the forest floor teaching a faerie to pronounce her name. A faerie that just healed her at that. Speaking of... Curiously, Cheryl pulled up her sleeve. The bruises were gone.
Her eyes turned back to the little faerie in front of her. Toni. Was this meeting fate? Some gift from the gods to make up for the endless tragedies they dealt her? Though she knew it was incredibly narcissistic, Cheryl felt Toni was meant for her, placed in her life by fate or magic or divine intervention. Why not just accept it?
Her whole life, Cheryl had prayed for something like this, something magical, a miracle of some sort to take away her suffering, and suddenly this faerie fell into her lap. This had to mean something.
“Can you grant wishes?” Cheryl asked suddenly. Toni’s pointy little ears perked up. “Since you are a faerie.”
Toni was silent for a moment. ‘Ah, wishful thinking,’ the redhead thought, slightly disappointed. ‘No pun intended.’
They looked down, wiggling their feet. Cheryl followed their gaze, staring at their tiny little boots made of what looked like tree bark. Adorable.
“What is your wish?”
What is your wish, Cheryl?
As a child, Cheryl spent a lot of time pondering that question, holding onto the hope that she would one day find a fairy godmother or a magic genie or something. On the outside, she had everything a little girl could ever want: all the toys and sweets and clothes money could buy. However, money couldn’t buy love, the one thing she sorely lacked. She had Jason, but even then she yearned for her parents to look at her the way they looked at him.
Jason. Her heart ached. She wanted him back more than anything she could ever wish for.
“You can’t bring back the dead, can you?” she asked hopefully. That seemed to be a general rule among magic wishes. And though Cheryl wanted nothing more than her beloved brother Jason back, she remembered the cautionary tale from her required 6th grade reading, “The Monkey’s Paw” . She didn’t want Jason to come back… wrong . Different .
Toni was silent for a moment, as if processing the words.
“Like, make them alive again,” Cheryl clarified.
“Make dead alive again, no.”
“Can you turn back time?” she tried again. Maybe she couldn’t bring Jason back but if she could go back and stop him from running away, stop her father from catching him, stop something-
“No.”
Cheryl sighed. Her wish would have to be realistic then… So what realistic wish could change her life? The memories of this afternoon echoed in her head. She clenched her jaw, thinking of the root of her problems, the one thing that would make her life infinitely easier if it just went away.
“I want my mother out of my life. I want her to go away. Permanently .”
“Mother.” Toni’s pink eyes burned intensely into hers. “The human that hurt you.”
Cheryl stiffened. “Wha- how did you know??”
“I watch.” Toni said simply. “And learn.”
The only sound that could be heard was the soft chirping of crickets and the rustling of the wind as Cheryl sat there in silence, staring at the faerie in shock.
Toni had been watching her. Had seen her mother hurt her.
“How long?” she croaked out. She had no idea how to feel, clenching her fingers into the damp foliage underneath her in an effort to stabilize herself. “How long were you watching me?”
Toni’s little face twisted in confusion. “Not you. Humans.”
“But you know my mother hurt me,” Cheryl frowned, growing frustrated. “So you were watching me.”
“I hear loud speaking.” Toni said, answering the question in apparently the only way they knew how. “I watch. To learn.”
“So you only watched me today?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you, Cheryl.”
“Okay,” Cheryl breathed. It sounded like Toni observed different people to… learn? Learn what? About humans? But why? And what were they doing here?
Toni sat, back completely straight and hands on the grass in front of them, watching her intently. They hardly seemed to blink.
Kind of creepy but… I’m desperate.
“So, can you do it? Can you grant my wish?”
The faerie stayed quiet for a few moments, considering. “I do for you,” they turned their finger back on themself. “And you do for Toni.” They pointed their finger at Cheryl, just as she had done a few minutes ago.
“You want me to do something for you?” Cheryl quirked her brow in confusion. What could she possibly do for a faerie ?
“Yes.” Toni’s fingers tapped on the ground. The gems on their bracers gleamed. “Do something for Toni.”
‘Okay, hold on. Doesn’t like, ALL folklore say not to make deals with the fae?’ Cheryl thought, as the reality of what she was willing to do hit her. ‘Then again, it’s not like my real life is any better,’ she rationalized with herself.
“You’re not going to like, make me promise my firstborn to you or something, are you?” she asked cautiously. Common sense was screaming at her not to trust this creature, to run away and forget everything that she had seen, but something deeper inside her felt… calm. Like some inexplicable force drew her to Toni, like they were meant to find each other. It felt… inevitable.
“Firstborn?” Toni repeated questioningly. “No. Want… to be human. Learn to be human.”
“You want to learn to be human?”
“Yes.”
“You want me to teach you to be human?”
“Yes. Cheryl has big house where Toni can live. Teach Toni to be human.”
Cheryl couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to be human, but Toni said it so clearly and decisively, and if getting a faerie roommate was the price of being rid of her mother forever, how could she refuse?
“Okay, I can do that,” she said mostly to herself, hoping this wouldn’t turn out to be a terrible mistake. “You have a deal, Toni.” She stuck out her hand for Toni to shake, but Toni just stared at it blankly so she quickly lowered it. “So,” Cheryl cleared her throat awkwardly, turning her eyes back to Toni’s pink ones. “Can you do it? Can you make my mother go away?”
Her heart hammered with anticipation. No turning back now.
Toni smiled, their sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. “Yes, I can do that.” A sudden breeze swept through the clearing, chilling Cheryl to the bone. “You have a deal, Cheryl.”