September 1st, 1993
Dear Diary,
I believe I am a good person. I believe there is good in everyone, and here at Harvard, it really does seem that way. Here I am, first day of senior year! I look around at the people I've met the past 4 years and ask myself 'where did time go'? I was so damaged, scared and unhappy, running from my past and trying to forget. Then I grew up, I came here, and everything has been fine! Granted, I share a small apartment with 4 other girls, and work at a... 7-11, of all places. Not many places want to hire you when they hear you have no degree or no work experience yet. But, school's amazing! Welcome to Harvard, this is literally a dream. I'm sad to be graduating soon and leaving here. Life is so beautiful here, I've changed a lot and I never want to change again. Hopefully soon, though, I will get a letter from any one of the companies I applied to work for in NYC, LA, or Miami. No matter what, I am never going back to Sherwood.
"Veronica?" Vivian - One of her roommates - asked as she walked over to where she was sitting under a tree, writing in her diary.
Veronica's head shot up and smiled softly at her. She closed her diary and tucked it away in her bag before standing, "How was your first day?" She asked.
"So much fun! We learned all about our teachers and lobotomy." Vivian said.
Vivian Mason was the perkiest person you could ever meet. She was nice and a bit crazy at times, but she was always so positive. It was the kind of attitude Veronica needed to be around when she got to Harvard, since that fight with Heather Duke at the funeral wasn't the last.
"Sounds... interesting." Veronica chuckled softly.
"It was! By the way, Erik Enderson and Rob Stewert invited us and Vanessa to their fraternity for a welcome back party tonight!" Vivian smiled.
"You know I don't do parties." Veronica said.
"C'mon! It's senior year!" She said, practically whining.
"The last party I went to was in senior year of high school. I'm sure your boyfriend doesn't want me ruining it, I mean, c'mon, I don't even really know how to party." Veronica said with an awkward chuckle.
Vivian sighed, "I'll tell Ram and Kurt you say hi."
"Sorry, what?" Veronica asked, her heart racing from those names.
"I'll tell Rob and Erik you say hi." Vivian said.
"O-Oh, yeah. Right." Veronica muttered.
"Are you okay?" Vivian asked.
"Fine." Veronica said, "I just remembered, I have to go study some things."
Vivian nodded, "See you tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm working till 12 so I'll be a little late." Veronica said.
"Okay. Bye, Roni." Vivian smiled before going off.
Ram and Kurt? Why was Veronica hearing those names? It's been 4 years and for the most part she has been able to forget the terrible parts. "Today we learned about this thing called the anniversary effect, or PTSD. It's always been a thing, but in 1980 they named it and began to recognize it more. It's this thing where people that went through something traumatic experience flashbacks or something like that. The anniversary effect is when it happens more on a significant date." That's something Vivian said while they got ready for dinner about two years ago, in Sophomore year. Veronica had forgotten it, until now.
She looked at the clock, then booked it towards the library. She went to a computer and plopped down, opening 'Archie' to look up the anniversary effect. "The "Anniversary Effect", sometimes called Anniversary Reaction, is defined as a unique set of unsettling feelings, thoughts or memories that occur on the anniversary of a significant experience. Sometimes you can trace the reason why you're feeling sad, irritable or anxious." Veronica read quietly. She sighed and leaned up, staring blankly at the screen.
This couldn't be what she had. Yeah, she watched as her boyfriend murdered three people, but that was 4 years ago, shouldn't possibly still be suffering from it. "Rob and Kurt- Erik! Rob and Erik are similar to Ram and Kurt, I just misheard, right!?" Veronica thought. Her life in college compared to her life in high school were quit similar, minus the murder. Her best friend, Vivian Mason, was dating the quarterback of the football team, Erik Enderson. Her other friend, Vanessa Dillan ran the undergrad council. In a way, they were the Heathers of Harvard, just nicer and smarter.
Veronica sighed and sank in her seat, then saw the time; 5:30! "Shit!" She muttered, jumping up and running for the doors. She stopped in the bathroom quickly, changing from her sweater and into her red button up uniform shirt. Veronica ran out to the parking lot and got into her old, beat up station wagon before zooming off.
It was only a 10 minute drive from campus to 7-11, but those 10 minutes each day gave her plenty of time to think. Today, especially. She could never explain it, but she just knew something was wrong about this day. She parked outback of the building and got out, going through the back door. JD was right about one thing, there was always a 7-11 right there and it was the only place that would hire her. She thought it would make a great story for when she is well known and rich someday while working as the CEO of some big company, kind of like a rags to riches kinda thing.
Every day of work was the same, put her bags away, hide some homework under the counter so she could work on it while working, then grab a cherry Slurpee before beginning her shift. She walked over to the Slurpee machine, pouring hers then realized how watery it was, "Ugh! Taylor! It's broken again." She yelled over to the boy behind the counter.
"Your problem now." Taylor muttered, grabbing his coat and leaving out the back door.
Veronica groaned, "Fuck you!" She shouted after him.
She wasn't very handy with the machines, so she wrote on a piece of paper "out of order" before putting a piece of tape on it, and slapping it over the sign. She groaned softly before going back behind the counter and sinking down in the chair.
Every night, every single day, she would sit there and do her homework, watching the people that would come in. She met very few interesting people, mostly everyone were students. Nothing ever exciting happened. Well, not until tonight.
It was nearly 11 o'clock. Veronica looked at the time and sighed, knowing she only had an hour left. Her nose was in a book, reading as a boy her age walked in, "Welcome to 7-11." She muttered, not bothering to look up. The boy had black jeans on, with a green and black flannel over top. A black baseball cap covered his face as he walked to the Slurpee machine. Veronica now looked up, "Sorry, cherry's broken today." She said, but he didn't hear her, continuing to pour it, "Whatever, throw up cherry Slurpee for all I care." She mumbled, going back to reading.
"Can I check out, or are you gonna keep your nose in that dumb book?" A voice asked from beyond her book.
Veronica tensed up, knowing that voice. Her shaky hands lowered her booked and looked at the boy. Him. Jason Dean, there in front of her. "Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! No! Fuck no! He's dead! He died four fucking years ago! He's not there! He's all in your head! It's a dream! No! A nightmare! A terrible fucking nightmare!" Veronica panicked in her head. She felt like screaming, calling the cops, crying, something, anything! Why is he here!? She saw him die, there was no way he was alive! She was at his funeral!
Veronica took a shaky deep breath, looking at him dead in the eyes, "Y-You?"
"Greetings and salutations." He smirked, throwing the money down on the counter for his Slurpee.
YOU ARE READING
Greetings and Salutations ~ Heathers
Fanfiction"You're planning your future, Veronica Sawyer. You'll go to some college and marry a lawyer." . No more Heathers. High schools ended. Worst of all, no more JD. He killed. He hurt her. She shouldn't have cared this much after his death, yet she does...
