Chapter Four
" FEEL FREE TO TREMBLE! "

"What are the odds that we became lab partners? It's like the universe wanted us to be together. Like destiny or something," Sydney said as she sat down next to Cheryl. Cheryl rolled her eyes and looked the other way. "Look, Cher. I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted yesterday and I had no right to snap at you like that. I know talking about that is a touchy subject for you and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

    Cheryl turned around and looked at Sydney, the hope in her eyes borderline blinding. Having no energy to roll her eyes yet again, she heaved a sigh and said, "I guess so. You need a movie for the film festival, don't you? You'd crash and burn without me."

    "You're being a lot more compliant than I'd thought you be. Did you hit your head on something?" Sydney went to lay her hand on Cheryl's forehead until Cheryl slapped it away. "Don't make take it back," she threatened. Sydney nodded and retracted. After that, not another word was spoken between the two. To fill the awkward void, they started working on the lab and to make matters a bit worse, their hands kept knocking into the other's when trying to follow the directions.

     "I'm just gonna get around you real quick..." Sydney trailed off as she went behind Cheryl to get to the sink to wash her hands. Her hair (that was supposed to be in a ponytail) tickled Cheryl's bare shoulder and it made Cheryl shiver a little. "How did you not puke when we pulled out the frog's intestine tract?" asked Sydney as she was drying her hands when the bell rang. "I've seen worse, remember?" Cheryl reminded her and Sydney nodded. "Oh. Right."

     "Are you always this quiet?"

     "No. And you don't scare me. There's just something about you that makes me want to say the right thing and not offend you."

     "I'm sure I can take it."

     "Oh, I know you can," Sydney said, suddenly getting all yes-manny. "I don't know why I'm getting all flustered and embarrassed about it, though."

     "Is there something you want to say to me?" asked Cheryl, tilting her head to the side. "Uh...no." Sydney grabbed her things before flying out the door. "See you at lunch!"

______

"I think Cheryl hates me," Sydney said as she was sitting in the film club room. "Why? You guys only spent one day on the film and haven't seen each other since," Christie said, sitting on the teacher desk. "And it's not like she has any reason to hate you. You're just being hard on yourself again," Roan assured her. "Wait..." Christie trailed, "you only think someone hates you when you like them. Do you like Cheryl?"

    "Sounds stupid when you put it like that but I think it's a little early to tell. Come back later when the movie's wrapped," Sydney said as she dragged a hand through her hair. "Aw, our little camera comrade is falling in love through the lens." Christie drew her into a hug and Sydney let her head rest against Christie's shoulder. "I just don't want to get hurt again," she whispered and Christie hugged her tighter. Roan lay a firm, reassuring hand on her arm and gave her a smile. "You guys are the best. What would I do without you two?" Sydney looked from Roan to Christie, both of them wearing a supportive smile.

    "Crash and burn," Roan said. "Right, right," Sydney agreed. "You know what? We should go to Pop's to eat for lunch. On me," Christie offered. "I would love to, but I can't. I've got to interview Cheryl some more so I can cross today off the calendar," Sydney said, disappointed.

    "You can always do it later, right?"

    "I want to, but we set up a strict schedule and we always meet during lunch and a few times at Pop's after school. You guys go on without me and I'll make it up somehow. But right now, I've gotta run. See ya!" Sydney grabbed her bag and scuttled out of the room. "Do you think she's trying to avoid us by working on the movie?" asked Roan when she was gone.

     "She wouldn't do that. She knows where her priorities lay and if she has to leave us to work on the movie, then so be it. You really think that she'd pick Cheryl Blossom over us?" Christie assured him.

    Roan shrugged and didn't say anything.

______

"So," Sydney said as she focused her camera, "what's your home life like? Are there perks to being a Blossom? Any more doubts or misconceptions you'd like to clear up?"

    "First off, it's so not easy being a Blossom. After everything that's happened, I can see that no one looks at me the same. They all look at me with some sort of pity in their eyes so I have to be a leader and never show weakness. Someone around here has to be the HBIC," Cheryl smirked as she crossed her arms. "HBIC?" asked Sydney, as she was confused by the acronym.

     "Head Bitch in Charge."

     "Oh. But why would you want to turn away from the people who are trying to be compassionate towards you?"

     "Because they're the same people who wanted me dead."

     "A little extreme, don't you think?"

     "Not when I tried drowning myself in Sweetwater River, it's not."

     Sydney went silent but still kept going afterward. "Would you say that after that experience, you found yourself being a bit more sympathetic to others who are going through a rough time?"

     "I did find myself caring a bit more but that's kind of hard to do when you're a slave in your own home," Cheryl snapped. "How so?" Sydney asked. "My mother's very controlling. Not letting me do what I want when I want and I can't even do it without her constant criticism and it honestly drives me up the wall." Cheryl rolled her eyes. Sydney nodded. "And would you consider this constant criticism a way of looking out for you?"

     "Oh, please," Cheryl made a "pfft" sound, "the only things she looks out for are herself and Thornhill. The witch doesn't have a caring bone in her body."

     "Would you say that your friends care about you?"

     "I don't have many friends," Cheryl mumbled. "And what about Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica? Are they your friends?" asked Sydney. "I wouldn't say we're friends, but acquaintances of some sort," Cheryl answered, shrugging.

     "We can be friends."

     "I'd like that."

     Sydney turned off the camera and began to put it away. "That's a — " she started, but Cheryl pushed past her and made her way to the bathroom. "Wrap." Sydney went after her, pushing and shoving her way through the crowd until she got into the hallway. There, she could hear small weeping noises bounce off the walls. Making her way into the bathroom, she called out, "Cheryl?" and the weeping stopped.

     "Cheryl," she repeated, "I know you're in here."

     Then there was a flush of a toilet and Sydney followed the sound and got to the very last stall. There, she found Cheryl sitting on the toilet, her head in her hands and her hair falling around her. "You okay?" Sydney asked. "Do I look okay?" Cheryl snapped between tears. "No," answered Sydney, realizing that it was a bad question.

     She slid down the wall until her butt hit the floor and she was at Cheryl's feet. "Cher, I know what it's like to be outcasted and looked at weirdly by your peers and — "

     "How? How could you possibly know?" Cheryl cut her off.

     "I got outed for liking a girl who didn't even like girls when I was in middle school. I sat alone at lunch for a week until my best friends showed up and I've been better ever since," Sydney explained calmly and Cheryl went quiet. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

    "It's okay." Sydney lay a hand on Cheryl's knee in a comforting matter. "I know you mean well. You just have an odd way of showing it."

     Cheryl laughed dryly at the compliment.