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Chapter Two
Labour Day Weekend
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     WHEN TONI GOT BACK AND THE DAY OF CHERYL'S POOL PARTY FINALLY ARRIVED, Tori was sitting on her bed wearing nothing but her peach coloured two piece bathing suit while Toni looked through the closet of clothes Tori had.

     "I didn't know that letting you pick my outfit once meant letting you pick every other outfit after that," Tori said as she lay on her back with her legs hanging off the edge of the mattress.

     "You have so much vintage-looking stuff in here, it makes me wonder if you really are a high school student. You literally have a vinyl record player and a box of records by Michael Jackson and Bob Marley in the corner of your room," Toni said while pointing at the blue vinyl record player that was sitting on top of a closed box with the vinyls inside.

     "The record player is a hand-me-down from my mom. She bought it a couple of years before I was born and the records used to be an annual birthday present for my mom from my dad and then I started listening to them and then they would get me a new record for my birthday every year," Tori said while looking at the box in the corner of her room. "My mom still gets me one each year."

     "Two things. One, I have never met someone our age who is into vintage stuff like you are. Two, I think I just found the perfect outfit for you to wear," Toni said.

     "Why does it matter? I'm gonna be in this bathing suit for ninety-nine percent of the time we're there," Tori said as she sat up and leaned back on her palms.

     Toni took the article of clothing off the hanger in the closet and held it up for Tori to see. It was a honey yellow sundress with little white flowers all over that made the yellow look a little lighter from a distance. The hem of the dress stopped mid thigh and each strap was an inch thick and there was a zipper at the front that blended in with the colour of the dress so it would go unnoticed.

     "Put it on," Toni said and Tori sighed as she took the dress from her hands.

     She pulled down the zipper so she could easily slip into it and once she had it on, she pulled the zipper back up and adjusted the straps of the dress to cover the straps of the top piece of her bathing suit.

     "I can't remember the last time I wore this dress," she said as she pulled her hair behind her shoulders and put on a pair of open toe sandals with straps around the ankles.

     "Then it's settled. Also, I think we should just leave your hair down and you're good to go," Toni said while smiling.

     "Thanks for your help," Tori said while grabbing her phone and keys.

     Both girls headed downstairs and ran into Tori's mother who was carrying a basket of laundry from the basement.

     "Are you two heading out now?" she asked.

     "Yeah," Tori said while smiling.

     "Be safe while you're there. And I have a shift at the hospital later today so if you get hungry, there's stuff in the kitchen for you to eat," Selena said.

     "Okay. Bye, Mom."

     "Have a nice day, Mrs. Alvarez."

     Both of them left the house and Toni's bike was out in the driveway.

     "You didn't tell me we were taking your bike," Tori said once she saw the black vehicle with purple streaks along the sides.

     "You'll be safe, I promise," Toni said as she held an extra helmet. Tori made sure her helmet was secure and hesitantly got on the back of the bike while tightly holding onto Toni. "Try not to suffocate me on the way there."

     "Sorry," Tori said as she gave Toni a little room to breathe.

     Toni was soon out of the driveway and on the road towards Thornhill while Tori tried not to let herself fall off the bike as they were riding. After a while, the breeze against her skin felt nice and she was able to see everything in an entirely different view. Sure, everything still passed by in a blur the same way it would in a car but there were no barriers around her to keep her inside a closed space where she could only look through a glass window. It didn't take long for them to reach the entrance to Thornhill and Tori almost wished that the trip was longer so she could enjoy the warm sun and the summer breeze against her skin.

     Toni left her bike with the other vehicles party guests used to get to the party and both of them joined everybody else.

     "Whenever you're ready to ditch the dress and go in your swimsuit, let me know and you can put it in my bag," Toni said and Tori nodded as her response.

     While Toni went to go find somewhere to sit and soak up the warm rays of the sun, Tori headed straight for the table where the food and drinks were. She wasn't aware that Cheryl would leave so many options for her guests to choose from and she only sighed as she dipped a nacho chip into a bowl of guacamole and stuck it in her mouth. No one else seemed to be eating the snacks so she ate more nachos and guacamole before grabbing a red solo cup and filling it to the brim with root beer.

     She had already texted MF the address to where the party was being held and if she was being completely honest, her arrival was the one thing she was most looking forward to. When the place suddenly got quieter, she turned around and saw Noah walking around with his friend. She could already tell that some of the girls wanted to make him theirs as they stared at his shirtless torso but their mischievous smiles soon turned into frowns of disappointment when MF walked in and kissed him. Tori could see Cheryl's look of shock and anger at the presence of MF and her boyfriend along with a friend of his. She noticed a tattoo of a guitar on the right side of her ribs right under her breast and due to the bikini she was wearing, the tattoo was on full display. When MF saw Tori standing at the food and drinks table, she headed right over to her and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

     "You weren't kidding when you said you would crash the party," Tori said before dipping another nacho into the guacamole and sticking it into her mouth.

     MF chuckled. "When do I ever kid?" she asked.

     Tori smiled and took another sip of the root beer from her cup while MF went to go talk to someone else. She noticed Cheryl talking to Noah with her arms crossed and her curiosity got the best of her. She carefully moved closer so she could hear them but not too close that Cheryl would notice her eavesdropping.

     "I just don't understand how you can date someone like her," the redhead said while side glancing at MF who was talking with Eden and laughing with Archie.

     "I like her a lot. Simple," Noah said while shrugging his shoulders and Tori smiled while drinking her soda.

     "She has done a lot of horrible things. I'm just trying to save you from being deceived and lied to," Cheryl said.

     "Nice try, Cherry. But you're a little late because I already told him everything there is to know. The good, the bad and the ugly," MF said as she joined Noah by his side and Tori tried to keep herself from laughing when she saw the look on Cheryl's face before the redhead stormed off. "I know you're listening, Shorty."

     "Sorry. It's a habit," Tori said while tapping her nails on the red solo cup. "Eden must be very happy to see you again."

     "Yeah, and it's good to see her too," MF said while nodding her head.

     "Excuse me while I pass the time by throwing myself into the pool," Tori said before downing the rest of her soda and walking away from the couple.

     She didn't feel like going into the water yet, but she decided that she might as well just take off her dress already and pack it into Toni's bag. Once her dress and sandals and everything else was put away in Toni's bag, she refilled her cup and sat on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water. The water was warm and there were a few guests swimming and splashing each other as Tori sat by herself with her cup of root beer. She looked to her side and saw MF having a conversation with Sweet Pea and they weren't close enough for her to hear anything. She figured that she overheard enough things for one day and decided to just enjoy the feeling of the warm pool water against her skin.

     By the time her drink was almost finished, she was bored out of her mind with nobody to talk to. It looked like Toni was slowly giving Cheryl the benefit of the doubt as she was sitting with the redhead and MF was off somewhere with either Noah or Eden or even Fangs.

     "Is this spot taken?"

     Tori looked up and Sweet Pea was standing right beside her.

     "Does it look like it's taken?" she asked and took another sip.

     "I guess not," Sweet Pea said as he sat down and let his feet hang in the water as well. "So, are you having fun?"

     "If your idea of 'fun' is sitting alone at the edge of a pool with nothing but a cup of root beer to keep you company," Tori said.

     "Could you at least let me try to make things better?" he asked.

     "You mean like how you let me try? Oh, that's right. You didn't. But then again, you wouldn't even spare me a glance all summer, so what was I expecting?" Tori asked while rolling her eyes and looking away from him.

     "And I'm truly sorry about that. I was mad at MF and I took it out on you. You didn't do anything wrong, you're not annoying and I didn't mean it when I said that. I just want you to know that none of this was your fault. You did absolutely nothing wrong," Sweet Pea said and Tori avoided looking at him when she felt her eyes burn as they filled with tears.

      She wasn't sure if she could really trust him or not. "Do you know what it felt like these past few months?" she asked and Sweet Pea stayed silent. "It felt like we were back to square one, when I tried to help and fix things in every possible way I could and still, it was never enough no matter how hard I tried."

     Sweet Pea didn't say anything as he reached for her hand and when she didn't move away, his hand wrapped around hers and she wiped her eyes before he could notice any of her tears.

     "You did everything you could and that was more than enough," Sweet Pea said. "And I'm sorry that I ever made you feel like it wasn't."

     Tori sighed as she looked at her knees and Sweet Pea pulled her closer until she was leaning into his side while he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

     "Well, don't you two look adorable," Cheryl said sarcastically with her hands on her hips.

     "Unless you're here to apologize for setting MF up for murder, keep walking," Tori said while rolling her eyes and MF was soon standing near them, ready to say something if she needed to.

     "I just might do that. I might also tell everyone the truth about your relationship with Reggie Mantle," Cheryl said while smirking and crossing her arms over her chest.

     Nobody else knew that Tori and Reggie dated except for her mother, Toni and Sweet Pea. Tori still had yet to tell Toni what really happened between them and she still didn't tell MF anything about their relationship at all, especially since MF was out of town for three months. Tori removed Sweet Pea's arm from her shoulders and stood up so she was facing Cheryl.

     "If you wanna tell the world about my toxic relationship, I can tell them about how you threatened Josie and set MF up for Midge's murder because of your jealousy and pettiness," Tori said and Cheryl's smirk dropped from her face as her shoulders tensed. "You wanna bring me down, go ahead but just know that I have no problem taking you down with me."

     "You wouldn't dare!"

     "Wouldn't I? Think of it this way. You've trampled over me for the last time. I'm done playing nice."

     "Well, colour me shocked but those reptiles weren't there for you when you went through your toxic relationship," Cheryl said while scowling.

     "Maybe not but at least they don't go around blackmailing people or threatening to release their secrets to get what they want. They've been way more honest with me in the last seven months than you have been in the last four years," Tori said while clenching her fists.

     "Have they though?" Cheryl asked and glanced at MF. "Do you really know that slut?"

     Tori had just about enough of Cheryl and her shenanigans and she pushed the redhead over. A scream was let out as she fell into the water and the splash grabbed everyone's attention. Some guests were shocked and some were trying to hide their amusement of seeing Cheryl Blossom on the receiving end.

     "I'm getting you another drink," MF said as she grabbed Tori's arm and pulled her to the table with the food and drinks. "On second thought, this party is starting to get a little boring. How about we go to Pop's for some milkshakes?"

     "I'd rather be anywhere else but here," Tori said as she crossed her arms. "Just let me grab my stuff from Toni."

     While MF was calling Noah over, Tori went to where Toni was to grab her stuff.

     "What the hell was that?" Toni asked incredulously.

     "Do you still believe that she deserves a second chance?" Tori asked as she zipped up her dress and tightened the straps of her sandals. "Because let me tell you, I don't."

     She grabbed her phone and keys from Toni's bag and went back to MF who was still standing at the snacks table.

     "Hey, don't worry. I'll get you that double chocolate milkshake with the whipped cream and cherry on top. I'll even make sure it has the extra chocolate chips and syrup just the way you like it," MF said and Tori looked up.

     "How do you even know that?" she asked.

     MF just shrugged her shoulders. "It's the little things. I'll get Noah to bring the truck closer," she said.

     Tori sighed and nodded her head as both of them left the party so they could venture out to Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. One thing for sure was that Tori would rather be over there drinking a milkshake than be at Cheryl's pool party.