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“Long time, no see..” Toni hummed, sitting herself down beside Veronica. “How are you doing Ronnie?”
Veronica looked exactly as she always did, well turned out, immaculate hair and make up...but something was different. Off even. Not that Toni had been able to identify what it was yet.
“I guess it’s been a while..” she hummed quietly, offering Toni a small, sad smile.
Too long. Ronnie surmised in her head. She had missed her friendship with Toni.
“I was worried you were pissed with me when you stopped replying to my texts..”
“What? Omg, no. It wasn’t that at all. I guess I just got...busy..”
Another friend that Chad had slowly taken away.
Toni couldn’t miss the sadness in Veronica’s tone, the usual sass and determination missing from her words. She reached out a hand and gave Ronnie’s a gentle squeeze. “I missed you..”
“Don’t Toni, you’re gonna make me cry..” she mumbled, tears already tracking quietly down her heavily covered cheeks.
“Is everything okay?”
“I guess being here just stirs up old emotions..” she couldn’t stop herself checking her phone.
Maybe he’d want to speak to her or check where she was.
“Is it just that though?” Toni raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Seeing everyone again, seeing Archie... it just...it makes my heart hurt.”
Dear, sweet Archie. Nobody had ever loved her like he did.
“And there was me thinking you were happily married.”
“Married? Yes. Happily?...” she didn’t continue her sentence, instead anxiously checking her phone again.
Happiness was overated, right?
“Ronnie?” Toni nodded towards her phone, breaking Veronica from her thoughts. “How about we turn that thing off for a bit and go for a walk?”
“Toni! I can’t. Chad might call me..”
“He can’t wait while two friends catch up?”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind..” she seemed reluctant to turn it off, turning it over anxiously in her hands.
“Toni? If I turn it off...will the tracker still work?”
“Tracker?”
“You know, like to show where I’ve been?”
“I’m aware of the way a tracker works. I’m just surprised that you’d want to track your movements.”
“My husband just likes to know where I am...make sure I’m safe you know?”
“Right..” Toni raised a skeptical eyebrow for the second time that afternoon. “He won’t mind if you’re off the grid for a little bit though right? Riverdale is known for its poor signal..” she winked. “You can just tell him that you lost signal and he’ll be none the wiser.”
“That would work..” Veronica nodded, mulling it over in her head before finally deciding to turn it off.
Dear god she hoped he would believe that.
She double checked it was off about 4 times before finally shoving it deep into her purse.
Toni watched on, Veronica seeming somewhat different from the strong, confident female Toni knew so well during High School. Something didn’t sit right with Toni about all of this. Was she overreacting? Maybe her hormones were just sending her a little stir crazy?
“Want to head towards Pops? Go and get a milkshake and a burger for old times sake?”
“I haven’t checked on my investment in a hot minute” Veronica agreed to Toni’s suggestion eagerly, seeming a bit less on edge now her phone was turned off and put away.
They started to head towards Pops, the Fall weather being kind to them as the sun shone down, a breeze flickering gently through the warm air.
“I believe congratulations are in order..” Veronica nodded towards Toni’s bump. “How far along are you T?”
“”Almost 7 months now..”
“That’s amazing. I bet you and your partner are very happy. Is it anyone I know?”
“Maybe a story for another time..” Toni hummed, her hands rubbing rhythmically over her bump. “But yes, I am very excited to welcome this little one into my life.”
“That’s all that matters..” Veronica smiled, her hand falling to her own stomach momentarily before she realized and quickly pulled her hand away.
Bringing new life into the world was truly an honor.
They walked along quietly for a little while, Pops quickly coming into view in the distance.
“I haven’t had a milkshake in far too long..” Ronnie sighed, remembering the taste fondly. “I hope they still taste the same.”
Please just let something be the same.
“As good as ever. Pops is still the most popular place in town V.”
“Glad to hear it’s doing well. It’s frankly embarrassing to admit I don’t know how the milkshakes taste in the establishment that I own, but I guess it’s easier than I realized to lose touch with the place when you don’t live here anymore and your investment is purely financial.”
“You’re here now..” Toni reminded her softly. “Even if it’s only for a fleeting visit.”
“Chad’s gonna worry when he can’t see where I am..”
“Does he do that often?”
“What?”
“Keep track of where you are, what you’re up to?”
“Oh uh..I mean..” she stumbled over her words. “It’s only because he cares so much.”
“Do you track him too?”
“You make it sound like we’re on the run and cops are after us...”
“So that’s a no then?”
Toni could feel Veronica tense beside her as she pursed her lips, but said nothing.
“I don’t feel the need to track his whereabouts thank you very much..”
“But he does yours?” Toni questioned.
“Yes Toni, I assumed we’d already established that..” Veronica rolled her eyes, wanting to change the conversation but her mind suddenly went blank. “It’s not a problem, he’s my husband for goodness sake. He has a right to know.”
“A right? Ronnie! This isn’t 1950! He has absolutely no power over you, you’re still an independent woman with your own rights. You don’t have to answer to anyone.”
Oh Toni, if only you knew.
“We can’t all be Southside Serpents and do whatever the hell we want Toni” she snapped back, her cheeks flushing crimson.
Toni’s eyes went wide at Veronica’s outburst, not entirely sure how to respond to her for a second.
“You should be able to.”
“Able to what?”
“Do whatever they hell you want. Being married shouldn’t stop that..”
“Every marriage is different. We don’t promise to honor and obey for no reason..”
“Obey? You promised to obey in your marriage vows? Fuck that..”
“I don’t remember the specifics of my vows Toni, it was a long time ago..” she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, pleased they’d reached the steps to Pops.
“You don’t remember your own wedding vows?”
“Well not every single specific one no..” Veronica sighed. “Honor, obey, whatever. What does it even matter? He’s my husband, I have a duty to honor his wishes.”
“Again, I disagree..” Toni shook her head, choosing them a quiet table in the far corner to sit at.
“Never mind about all that now” Veronica hope the subject would be dropped as she tucked her purse beside her and picked up a menu.
Familiarity. Just like old times.
......
It was a short while later when a pretty girl came to take their order.
“Hey Toni..” she grinned.
“Hi Tabitha..” she smiled back.
“I don’t suppose any of these milkshakes comes in a low fat version do they?” Veronica asked as she scanned the menu again.
“I’m sorry ma’am, they don’t...” Tabitha looked surprised at the question. Nobody came to Pops for a low fat milkshake.
“Not to worry, I’ll have a cherry milkshake then please, hold the cream though.”
“What? Ronnie! The cream is the best bit. It was always your favorite.”
“I’m trying to watch what I eat..”
she handed the menu back to the girl. “No cream, thank you.”
“Watch what you eat? You have a fabulous figure, you could eat 10 burgers a day and still look amazing.”
“I’m not a teenager anymore, I need to be careful. Chad doesn’t want me to put on weight.”
The more Veronica spoke, the less she sounded like herself. It was unsettling to hear the way she talked. Obeying her husband, watching her figure, her movements behind tracked.
Toni quickly ordered her own food and drink before turning her attention back to her friend. “So let me get this straight. Your husband tracks your movements, expects you to obey him and doesn’t want you to put on weight? How is any of that part of a healthy marriage?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds bad, but it’s not. Not really. He loves me.”
“Funny sort of love...” Toni mumbled, more to herself that to Veronica.
“Ronnie, you’re beautiful okay? You have an amazing figure and having a milkshake with cream isn’t going to change that. Enjoy yourself..”
Oh how she wished all that were true. How good it would feel to not have to worry about anything for a little bit and simply enjoy herself. Feel free.
“Toni, please, don’t..” Veronica’s lip wobbled slightly, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. “I..” her mouth suddenly felt dry as the words didn’t come.
Toni reached a hand across the table, giving Veronica’s a gentle squeeze.
“You what?” She waited patiently.
Veronica simply shook her head, her eyes focused solely on the table. This was ridiculous. She wasn’t supposed to cry, Chad didn’t like to when she did.
Her hand fell unconsciously to her wedding band, spinning it around on her finger as she tried to regain her composure.
“I’m just being stupid. I mean...it’s not like he’ll know if I eat a burger right?” she laughed tensely.
Toni bit her tongue, deciding not to tell Ronnie what she thought about this husband of hers. None of it sat right with her.
“Two burgers it is then..” she nodded. “I’ll go let the server know..” Toni heaved herself up from their booth with a hand on her bump as she went to head to the counter.
Ronnie has to resist the urge to turn her phone on and check it. She knew Chad wasn’t going to be happy that it had been off for so long.
She tried to put that out of her mind, she wanted to atleast try and enjoy this without Chad’s disapproving voice in her head.
He’d have her exclusively on salads for a week if he knew.
“The order’s all sorted..” Toni smiled, sitting back down opposite Veronica. “It shouldn’t be too long.” The diner was relatively empty, which Ronnie was glad about.
Less chance of being spotted that way.
Silence fell over the pair, Veronica looking like she wanted to say something a few times but not saying it.
“Sooo, tell me more about this baby then..” she forced a smile onto her face. “Do you know the gender yet?”
Toni nodded. “Wanna take a guess?”
“Statistically I have atleast a fifty percent chance of being correct” Veronica mused. “I’m going with...” she mulled it over. “A girl?”
“Looks like the odds were in your favor today..” Toni grinned. “Yep this little bubba is a girl. Possibly a soccer playing in the making the amount of kicking she does. Especially at night when mama is trying to sleep, isn’t that right peanut?” she ran her hands over her bump softly.
“I always imagined you and Cheryl would have a family you know...”
“Me too..” Toni looked sad. “I still remember the day she ended things after graduation. I couldn’t bare for her to say the words...not out loud.”
“I don’t think any of our relationships survived that graduation week did they? It was rough..”
“Kevin and Fangs were the onto two who stayed together..” Toni remembered. “Their relationship puts all of ours to shame.”
“You can say that again..” Veronica disappeared into her own head until a waitress putting her burger down in-front of her, jolting her from her thoughts.
“Oh wow, I forgot how good the Pops burgers were..” she hummed, her eyes widening as she took a bite. “Oh my god...so good...”
“Still taste amazing right?” Toni grinned as she started to enjoy her own. “Little miss peanut is going to be addicted to Pops before she’s even born..” she chuckled as she little girl in her belly kicked, as of she was in agreement.
......
The women were about half way through their lunch when a shiny black car pulling up outside caught Veronica’s eye. She thought it strange that a car so similar to chad’s would be here, before it hit her.
This was Chad. Oh shit, oh SHIT. He’s here.
Her heart was already racing as she pushed the rest of her burger as far away as possible, wiping her hands and face on some napkins.
“Ronnie? Was is it?” Toni wasn’t sure what was going on, but Veronica seemed panicked and suddenly very on edge.
“Chad...” she chocked out, feeling her chest heave. “He’s here....outside...”
The sheer look of panic on her face had Toni worried.
“Is the Speak Easy still downstairs?”
Toni nodded.
“I’m gonna go sneak downstairs, can you get the girl at the counter to make sure she doesn’t say I was here?”
Toni nodded, heading towards Tabitha. “Hey Tab? We were never here okay?”
The girl looked back at her with a furrowed brow, clearly wanting to ask why but thinking better of it. Toni was the Serpent Queen after all.
“If anyone asks, we were not here...I’ll explain later..”
Tabitha nodded from behind the counter as Toni snuck downstairs after Veronica. The entryway into the SpeakEasy has barely closed when a smartly dressed looking man was approaching the counter, a phone in his hand.
“I don’t suppose you’ve seen this woman at all have you?”
Tabitha felt her heart face as she realized it was the woman that Toni had been having lunch with only a few minutes before but she schooled her facial expression into a neural smile and shook her head.
“Sorry sir, never seen her. We don’t usually get such smartly dressed woman coming to a downtown diner like this. It’s more a place for teenagers to chill or skip class. Any reason you thought she might have come this way?”
She could see the irritation on his face before he spoke. “Her phone signal was last picked up not far from here and I’m just trying to make sure she’s safe..” he pulled out a business card and handed it over. “If you see her at all, can you give me a call? It’s really important that I know she’s okay.”
“You’re not her stalker are you?” She joked with a smirk.
“Husband actually. Do you know of anywhere else round here that I could try?”
“Uhhh, you could maybe try Sweet Water river? Or Pickens park? Not much to do in this town I’m afraid.”
“You’ll call me if you see or hear anything?” He doubled checked.
Tabitha nodded. “Of course...”
She watched him head out as she wondered what someone like him might be doing in Riverdale.
Chad let out a frustrated growl as he dialed Veronica’s phone, determined to find his wife. “I don’t know where you’re hiding Veronica, but I’m going to find out, whether you like it or not.”