Only a Matter of Time // Veronica Sawyer x Fem!Reader

twelve

"Y/n?" I look up. Mac stands over me, a look of concern on her face. "Are you okay?" I realize I'm sitting on the steps, my phone held to my ear long after my dad hung up. I take a shaky breath.

"Yes. Yeah. I'm good." She sits beside me.

"Are you sure?" I resist the urge to tell her everything. I mean, I'm leaving. I exhale.

"Yes. Let's go inside." As we do, I feel even more panicked. We meet with everyone else at a table. I can't process it all at once. Veronica leans over to talk to me.

"Hey, you okay? You look kinda overwhelmed." I swallow.

"I'm fine." I'm not fine. I'm holding back tears. I'm holding back a scream. I want to hit something. I want to run. I want to go for a drive. I want to...

I don't want to leave.

"Okay...," she says. She knows I'm lying. But she doesn't know how much of a mess my mind is right now. She doesn't know how much pain I seem to be in at the moment. One by one, the Heathers are asked to dance. They leave the table. Veronica is asked, but she hesitates.

"You should," I say. She glances at the guy, then back at me.

"Alright, then." She lets the guy lead her to the dance floor. Before anyone can ask me, I grab JD by the wrist and pull him up.

"What?" He asks as I hurry him to the dance floor.

"I need to talk to you." He frowns a bit, then pulls me into position.

"About what?" He says, his voice low enough that people around us can't hear, but I can. "Are you okay?" I shake my head.

"I'm not, JD. I'm really not." His eyebrows crease in concern.

"What happened?"

"I... I don't..." I feel my mouth go dry.

"... Y/n?"

"I hate it," I mumble. He slows our dance. "JD-" He takes my hand and pulls me towards the door, leading me into the hallway. I follow him into a quiet wing.

"Talk to me," he says as soon as he turns around. I suddenly feel the inability to talk. What would I even tell him? I feel a quiver run through my body.

"JD, I..." He waits patiently for me to talk. I take a few deep breaths. It doesn't help, though. We're washed in silence as I struggle to tell him.

"Tell me what's going on, y/n. I've never seen you like this before."

"I'm... Well, my dad just-" His eyes suddenly narrow. I knew he'd catch on. He's too smart not to.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" He says softly. It's not really a question. More of a statement. But for some reason, he needs my verbal confirmation. Even when he can see so plainly on my face that it's true. I tremble, staring at the floor. "So are you?" I close my eyes, my hands clenching into fists.

"I'm sorry." He grabs my shoulders.

"Why? Why are you sorry?" He shakes his head. I watch as his calm demeanor changes, his expression hardening. I swallow.

"JD." He rakes a hand through his styled hair, messing it up. I pull on his arm, guiding his hand away from his head. "You're gonna make the Heathers mad if you do that."

"Why does that matter to you right now?" He demands. I flinch. He closes his eyes. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Don't."