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Hey, shawty, you’re my Candy Girl. The kind with the swirls.
The bored classroom broke into talking and laughter. The attention snapped away from the lecture.
Ooh, so good. Baby, out of this world!
Mr. Phylum turned around from his monolithic stack of equations on the board. He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, the nonverbal ‘I’ll wait’.
Look so sweet, fell in love with your curves-
He lingered another moment to make sure the phone had been silenced.
“Alright, who was it?” Not giving a second for anyone to own up, he took a dig at the usual suspect, “Reggie?”
He played off the accusation coolly, “Honest, ‘love me some Pussycats, but no... my ringtone is ‘Mad World’.”
Reggie's eyes flickered to his partner, Jughead, who stared him. He mouthed something like: “You’re awful”.
Phylum puzzled over the exchange when the ringtone went off again. He snapped his head towards Cheryl Blossom whose hands were clenched over her cherry red clutch bag. Finally, the culprit was found. Who was uncharacteristically embarrassed.
She chewed on her darkly painted lips. Everyone was silent, deer in the headlights. Not one daring to question or giggle about Cheryl.
“Miss Blossom,” Phylum initiated uncertainly, “Your phone, please.”
A no tolerance policy on cell phones always. Even for a Blossom. But this time, he didn’t dare playfully barb her. Reading the atmosphere, Phylum knew that wasn’t wise.
The redhead grasped onto the phone for a moment as if considering something about it.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Phylum,” she snapped into sweet-mode, saving face.
He deposited the pink-cased phone into his desk drawer, turning back, “You can get it after class. Now, moving on.”
The rest of the period went on uneventfully. Cheryl Blossom retrieved her phone from Phylum curtly, leaving the classroom in a huff. The the Gang was admittedly very curious about what it meant.
“Like, what was that?” Kevin immediately quick to gossip after they left the class.
Veronica pulled her lips into thought, smirking, “Cheryl’s secretly Josie’s #1 fan?”
“Guys, I don’t think we should talk about it,” Betty interrupted, face creasing into worry.
“Of course, we have to talk about it, ” Kevin interjected, “I mean everyone else will be anyway. But, Ronnie, are we sure? Cuz I’ve been wondering about her and Ginger...”
Betty kept at it, “You shouldn’t talk about people like that.”
“What?” Kevin scowled, “Like you haven’t been wondering if Cheryl Blossom is a lesbian.”
“Or bi.” Veronica offered quickly.
“True,” Kevin amended.
“Does it matter?” Betty cried.
“Yes,” Veronica and Kevin agreed.
“Listen, Bets,” Kevin locked his arms around Betty’s shoulder, “I know your mom’s Puritan matriarch shtick hasn’t really made it easy on you, but... Gay people clock each other all the time. For good reason.”
Betty shrugged off his touch, “Like what?”
“For community,” Kevin insisted, after he thought about it a second.
“Oh, like you’re all going to be friends with her because of this?” the skeptic in Betty showing through.
He pursed his lips, looking away, “Well, maybe not friends.”
Betty frowned, falling in line with the brunette walking in front of them, “Veronica.”
“Just because I hang out with Kevin doesn’t mean I agree with him,” she returned, smiling at her.
Betty still wasn’t satisfied with that. Veronica could not ignore those puppy eyes. As unintentional as they were.
Veronica called back, “Kevin, let’s agree to not audibly obsess over people’s sexuality anymore, okay?”
Kevin did his best aw shucks, playing innocent, “Ronnie, I was just about to mention that thing between Reggie and Jughead.”
Betty’s eyes almost bugged out of her head.
“No more,” Veronica soothed in a whisper, placing a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, “At least, Kev wasn’t doing it to you.”
Betty blushed, but pushed herself closer Veronica. Letting the other put an arm around her as they approached their lunch table.
Kevin was not wrong. What happened in class was the buzz during lunch. No one in the courtyard would shut up about it. It was made worse when Cheryl’s triad showed up as a duo. Tina Patel and Ginger Lopez stared daggers at everyone, daring them to come talk to them about it. The girls were liable to gossip at Cheryl, but never behind her back to the common people.
Now to each other? That was different.
“She’s seeing her right now?” Tina questioned before digging into the lasagna.
Ginger bristled, “I don’t keep track of her every move.”
Tina hummed in disbelief.
“Okay,” Ginger sighed, “she texted me to say she wouldn’t be here so... I assume so.”
“I would hate to be in the same room as them right now,” Tina laughed, “Those two talking must be intense.”
“Really?” Ginger disagreed, “I would to be watching it.”
Tina smirked, “Yeah, I’m sure you get off on that.”
“Shut up!”
Meanwhile, in the tucked away part of the music department, Josie and the Pussycats were practicing.
The set came to close. Josie turned around, ready to give some direction to Melody over her last beat count who interrupted her.
“Jose,” Melody waved towards the direction of the door with her drumsticks.
Cheryl was hovering in the entrance-way. Obviously, having been waiting for them to finish.
Josie’s focus was sapped away in a moment when she met eyes with the redhead. I mean her being around almost always did distract Josie anyway, but right now she did not look happy either.
“Hey, Cherry,” Josie tried.
“Can we talk? Cheryl said, less than the usual affection in her voice.
Right, this was not a good type of conversation.
“We can,” Josie agreed, “Outside though.”
Valerie leaned forward, interrupting before they could leave. She touched the front of her keyboard for emphasis, “Didn’t you say nothing stops practice?”
Josie looked between Cheryl and Valerie, deciding, “That rule only applies to Archie and you.”
Valerie looked struck. Josie could hear Melody was cackling as she headed out into the hallway.
The door closed behind them.
“What’s up?” Josie asked, steeling herself for whatever this was. If Cheryl’s mood was an indicator, it was not good.
Cheryl breathed, crossing her arms, “You tried calling me during class?”
“Uh,” Josie tried to understand what was meant, “I must’ve butt dialed you, I guess?”
Cheryl softened a bit, realizing that it wasn’t intentional, “It was a twice actually. And it went off in class. And you changed your ringtone in my phone?”
It clicked in Josie’s head. Remembering that she had snuck onto the other’s phone last night while they were together.
Josie curled her lips, shrugging, “Well, that was meant to be a pleasant surprise.”
“I’m sure it was just for me,” Cheryl breathed out in frustration, “But I’m sure everyone’s talking about it by now.”
“Oh shit.”
Cheryl ran both hands through her long hair, “Yeah.”
Josie touched at her neck, taking a step towards Cheryl, “Uh, how much’s being said?”
“Enough, I’m sure,” Cheryl offered back, meeting Josie’s gaze, “Everyone was suspicious anyway so I’m not surprised. But, y’know.”
Josie took Cheryl’s hand in her hers, rubbing her thumbs over her knuckles, “Listen, my mom’s pretty cool about... She kinda gave up on the whole idea of me bringing a boy home anyway. So this is about you and what you need.”
Cheryl shook her head, squeezing Josie’s hands, “I don’t really wanna think about my...”
“I’m sorry,” Josie finished, not meaning to make the situation worse. Not everyone go to see this side of Cheryl and from what the other let her know, Josie understood why. Josie only did what she thought she could do. Having someone’s hands in hers always put Cheryl at ease. They just kept touching each other in support, though a bit less intimate than usual. Paranoia about being walked in on.
Cheryl thought aloud, blinking away tears, “I don’t know what I’m gonna come home to if they hear about-”
“Hey, Melody would let us stay at her place if you needed,” Josie offered, “You’ve got people here who know what it’s like.”
They just stood together, practically hanging off one another. There wasn’t much Cheryl or Josie could say anymore at that point. They were just in it together.
“I think lunch is almost over,” Josie said eventually.
Cheryl bit at her lip, “Fuck.”
“Let me walk you to class,” Josie squeezed her hand again.
Before Cheryl could protest, Josie turned her head to the side, “Everyone’s gossiping anyway. Let’s just do it.”
The redhead bit her own tongue, considering her options, and watching the nearest entrance as people were about to start filing in.
“You’re right. Let’s own it,” Cheryl decided.
Josie smirked at that.
They headed towards Cheryl’s class, right ahead of the mass of students so they could still comfortably hold each other’s hands as they wanted. And they did. Cheryl focused intensely on that rather than the. Usually, she was confident. She could fake it well, but this was different. Not that she didn’t love Josie or want this, it was just everything leading up in her life had told her that this wasn’t to be approved of.
That’s not how Blossoms did it. Spending so long in her family life because of her parents and because Jason - this wasn’t comfortable for her.
It took a lot for Cheryl, but she had been with Josie now for awhile.
Josie leaned in a whisper, “You’re stop.”
Cheryl hadn’t even realized that they had made it all away across the building to class.
“I love you,” Cheryl answered an unproposed question.
“Love you. Text me when you’re out,” Josie kissed Cheryl on the lips quickly. Not being able to resist even though PDA was a very unexplored thing for them. Cheryl returned it though so that was a good sign. They shared a knowing, affectionate look before Josie had to leave.
As she sat down at her desk, primly, feeling the stares of Betty, Veronica, and Kevin at her back.
She turned away, flashing a winning smile, “Jealous much?”