Chapter Text
Honestly, Cheryl Blossom wasn’t entirely sure how she managed to end up on Tinder. Despite Cheryl’s resistance, B and V, the dynamic duo, had somehow pressured her into downloading the app. They had been so persistent and kept relentlessly bugging her that she even ended up letting them set up her profile. She hadn’t cared much about it nor had she done anything with said app or profile afterwards. Honestly, she had only agreed for the two of them to finally move on and shut up about her dating life.
Cheryl simply couldn’t wrap her head around the appeal of online dating. The notion of finding anyone worth your time based on a few photos and a perfectly curated profile seemed utterly ridiculous. Cheryl couldn’t stand most people in this town when faced with them in person, so how would some polished internet self-staging reverse any of that?
On a very boring and lonely Thursday night, however, Cheryl’s curiosity got the best of her and she ended up opening the app - just to have a laugh, of course. The short explanation on how to swipe pretty much made the redhead snort at the shallowness of it all and she ended up only taking note of how to get rid of people with a swipe to the left.
She dismissed half of Riverdale High’s brigade of boys. She swiped left on jock after jock as well as stoners, loners, goths, and nerds all the like. None of them managed to capture her attention at school for long enough, if at all, and neither did their embarrassing dating profiles with pick-up lines that could make any sound-minded person gag. Cheryl was just about ready to delete the app when the next profile popped up on her screen.
It was one of the Southside High transfers, who had so rudely invaded their school a few weeks back. It was one of the serpents but it wasn’t one of the boys. It was none other than Toni Topaz staring right up at Cheryl from her phone screen. The insufferable pink-haired girl had really struck a nerve the first day she stepped into Riverdale High, even if Cheryl would never publicly admit to it. Toni Topaz was one of, if not the only person at school that had dared to actually stand in her way. Compared to the dull assortment of boys, this girl had most certainly caught her attention before.
She certainly was doing so again now. As much as Cheryl wanted to she couldn’t look away. The first thing that Cheryl noticed about the picture was the ever-so-haunting South Side Serpents logo that decorated the back of the black leather hung on a small frame. Yet, it became the least interesting thing about the picture soon after as Cheryl’s eyes traveled further up along slightly curled pink strands of hair up to glossy pink lips. Toni Topaz had that smug but captivating smile on her lips as she looked over her leather-clad shoulder. Eyes studied white teeth and the small beauty mark above her lip until they finally landed on deep amber eyes. As much as it pained the redhead to admit it, Toni Topaz was gorgeous.
Cheryl quickly moved on to check the serpents’ bio. This surely would put an end to the weird fluttering in her stomach.
if all us bisexual people are “just experimenting” where can we get some research grants over here
The redhead had already heard about the pink-haired girl being into both women and men because, quite frankly, word traveled fast around Riverdale High. So, Cheryl wasn’t shocked but rather impressed by how open Toni was about her sexuality. This, while a little cheesy, was funny yet cut-throat. She wouldn’t have expected anything but Toni combating all and any stereotypes she faced online as well. Just as she did in the real world.
The next lines made Cheryl roll her eyes.
I might be small but I know how to fight and how to treat you right…just saying 🐍💜
Smug as always and unfortunately Toni had proven herself in many standoffs with the head cheerleader. She had yet to slip up and prove her smugness to be misguided.
Interest still very much piqued, Cheryl continued to look through the other photos on Toni’s profile.
The next picture that popped up was a rather candid picture of the smaller girl dressed in all black aside from the serpent logo on the back of her leather jacket and the yellow, grey, and black plaid flannel tied around her hips. With an old camera hung around her neck Toni Topaz was standing in a field of wildflowers. The sky was pained in many shades of purple, orange, and pink as the serpent was looking into the distance. Her pink hair was even more radiant as the light of the sunset illuminated it. Only half of her face was visible. Toni was turned away slightly from the camera as she was soaking the last rays of sun with a smile on her lips. She looked peaceful and happy and Cheryl couldn’t help but notice how stunning the picture, as well as the person portrayed in it, was. It seemed to really capture the girl, who was usually behind the camera.
Admittedly, Cheryl had already been intrigued to find out more of what Toni Topaz captured with the device that rarely left her proximity. Toni Topaz would sneak around the football field every game and Cheryl could have sworn the camera was more often on her than not even if the serpent was meant to cover the game. However, most of these pictures never saw broad daylight, or well at least Cheryl never saw more than the two or three that had been printed in the Blue and Gold so far. Cheryl knew the pink-haired girl took way more than that every game and it honestly bugged her that she got to look at several pictures of the boys playing ball - how exciting - but only so few of the pictures taken of her. She was fully aware the focus was and always had been on the game but the redhead couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. Not so much because she wanted the coverage, she didn’t need it. More so because judging by the number of times she was staring down a camera lens or found Toni Topaz’s eyes trained on her, Cheryl was simply curious about what the serpent captured of her and what she saw in her. There had to be more pictures of her and she was determined to see at least a small share of them at some point.
The next photo that popped up was equally as enticing. Toni was sitting on a tree trunk and cuddled up in a blanket as she was staring into the flames of a bonfire. The fire provided the only light in the otherwise dark picture. It gave Cheryl a good view of Toni’s face scrunched up in a soft laugh though. Admittedly, the otherwise tough-seeming serpent looked really cute.
Cheryl most definitely wasn’t prepared for the last picture on Toni’s profile. The pink-haired girl was captured sitting on her motorcycle from behind, but slightly to the right. A very good angle. No matter how much Cheryl despised the death trap that was encased between toned legs, Toni looked so good on it. You would have expected the small girl to look out of place or too small for the machine but she didn’t. The focus of the picture was still on her because the girl most certainly knew how to pose. Cheryl knew Toni had a well-toned body but the pants and the way she was sitting on that bike left the redhead a little flustered at how great her ass looked.
As Cheryl noticed her train of thought and how blatantly she was staring at Toni’s ass, embarrassment washed over her like a bucket of cold water. The redhead jumped slightly and fumbled around with the phone in her hands. She tried to close the app quickly but ended up accidentally swiping on Toni’s profile.
And much to Cheryl’s despair, it most certainly was not a swipe to the left. She had swiped to the wrong side. She had swiped right on Toni Topaz. Cheryl was cursing herself under her breath and in the matter of seconds after swiping the it’s a match screen popped up hauntingly. Cheryl threw her phone across the bed as another wave of anger and panic overcame her.
Oh how much Cheryl hated Veronica and Betty right now. Without them, she wouldn’t even be in this situation. The redhead was desperately holding onto the hope that the serpent would simply ignore the match and move on.
All hopes were crushed when her phone pinged and she went to check it. Toni had messaged her. On Tinder. Could this evening get any worse?
Cheryl begrudgingly opened the message. Seeing as this accident didn’t go unnoticed, Cheryl would have to at least try and do damage control.
Toni:
well well well if it isn’t Cheryl Bombshell herself…🍒💣
to what do I owe the pleasure?
Cheryl:
Oh shut up, serpent!
This was clearly an accident! Just move on.
Toni:
keep telling that to yourself
you like me after all huh?
Cheryl:
What? No, of course not!
How delusional are you?
Toni:
care to explain why Cheryl Blossom doesn’t know what's left and what's right then?
Cheryl:
I’m simply going to ignore you now.
Toni:
you couldn’t if you tried
you think I don’t see you looking at me?
Cheryl:
What if I did?
Toni:
well I’m not opposed if you didn’t get the memo yet bombshell
Cheryl:
The real question is who would be opposed.
Toni:
fair point fair point
Cheryl:
Let’s not forget who swiped right first.
Toni:
touché
Cheryl:
Getting awfully quiet over there, Topaz.
Did I finally get you to shut up?
Toni:
you trying to tell me you miss me already?
clingy much?
Cheryl:
You’re insufferable.
Toni:
but also hot
Cheryl:
…
Toni:
you didn’t disappear or insult me I’ll count that as a win
Cheryl:
You're easy to please.
Toni:
wanna test that theory?
Cheryl:
Oh god...
Toni:
I like the sound of that
don’t pretend like you’re not curious
Cheryl:
Honestly, how can I get you to shut up?
Toni:
let me take you on a date
Cheryl:
You’re kidding, right?
Is this some sick joke?
Toni:
nope no joke
one date then you can go back to pretending to hate me if that’s what you want
Cheryl:
Pretending? Excuse you?!
Toni:
Blossom what is it going to be? Want to buy my silence or not?
Cheryl:
Fine, if that is what it takes.
One condition. Not a word. To anyone!
About this and the date.
Toni:
don’t worry princess your secret is safe with me 😉
Cheryl:
Don’t get too full of yourself, Topaz.
Nobody said anything about me having to play nice or pretend to enjoy myself.
Toni:
oh don’t worry you’re gonna enjoy yourself
at this point you should know not to underestimate me
Cheryl found herself grinning at how ridiculously determined Toni Topaz was. If any of Toni’s lines had been whipped out by one of the boys, Cheryl would have simply recoiled in disgust. Yet, she was kind of intrigued by them as they came from the pretty pink-haired serpent. Cheryl didn't make it easy for the girl and she wouldn’t be caught admitting it but she felt excited at the prospect of going out with Toni Topaz.
Maybe joining Tinder wasn’t that bad after all. Maybe it wasn't the wrong left.
Maybe it was exactly right.