Modern Heathers

Chapter Twenty: The Chapter In Which I Truly Hate School Assemblies

JD: Veronica please I'm sorry
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JD: I know you're getting my messages please answer me
Read 7:55 pm

JD: at least talk to me
This number has been blocked

I threw my phone onto the bed, trying not to cry and failing. He's such an asshole. Fuck him.

The next morning at school, I took the long way to my locker. I didn't want to have to pass him. Didn't want to hear his stupid apologies.

I don't think I could handle it.

My homeroom teacher, Mrs. Lendy, announced that we would be having another school assembly in the gym and internally I screamed FUCK.

Heather Duke has entirely changed her look. She wore a cute red crop top and a short black skirt. I wondered how she hadn't gotten dress coded to be honest. Her hair was in Heather's red scrunchie.

Macnamara looked awful. She had attempted to dress stylishly in a yellow blazer and a plaid skirt, but her makeup was smudged and her hair was messy.

"Hey, Heather, how're you doing?" I asked as I joined them in the gym.

She swallowed. "Not... great. It's been a rough two weeks for me, y'know?"

I nodded. "Yeah... it's been hard for me, too."

"You and JD broke up, right?" She asked.

I stopped. "How did you know that? It just happened yesterday."

Heather looked at me. "Because his locker is next to mine and you stop by every morning. Today you weren't there and he was really angry. He literally punched the wall next to the locker."

"Holy shit," I mumbled. I shook my head. "Yeah things with us just... didn't work out. But I'm fine."

As we took our seats in the gym bleachers, I noticed several cameras on one side of the basketball court. Ms. Fleming came out to a podium with a microphone and I knew I was in for another day of misery and guilt. Hooray.

"Westerburg High is facing a very troubled time right now with the deaths of three extremely popular students, Miss Heather Chandler, Mister Kurt Kelley, and Mister Ram Sweeney. And in this time of grief, I think it's important to know why this happened. Fear. All three of these students took their own lives, trying to escape their fears. But you don't get a second chance. So if anyone would like to share their fears or a tribute to these students, feel free to step forward."

A few kids said things like "Kurt was my best friend and it hurts not having him here" or "Football practice won't be the same without Ram" or something about how they were just scared of being unliked.

Then from beside me I heard a shout of "I've thought about killing myself!"

Heather immediately swallowed, her breath getting faster. Duke hissed at her "what are you doing?"

Ms. Fleming stopped the girl holding the microphone and walked over to the bleachers.

Heather started shaking her head. "No, forget I said that I just—"

"No, this is a safe place. Speak up, Heather." Fleming passed the mic to her.

Duke grabbed her arm as she stood. "Sit down, Heather!"

"Miss Duke, be quiet!" Fleming hissed.

Heather took a shaky breath and stood, holding the mic in both hands. "I-I don't know... I mean, my best friend seemed to have everything together. I could always count on Heather. And now she's gone. And my boyfriend killed himself because it turns out he was gay. It makes me feel like no one wants to be around me. I'm alone. And I'm supposed to be this popular and perfect person so I can't talk to anyone about it. Like on the bus this morning, I could feel my heart beating faster and faster because it's like jeez I'm on the freaking bus again because all my rides to school are dead."

She took a breath. That last statement made me angry; not at Mac, but at Duke. Heather had a nice, brand new Jeep yet apparently wasn't even offering to give Mac a ride to school. The nerve of that bitch.

"Are you saying Westerburg isn't a nice place, Heather?" Duke asked, standing to face Mac. "Our head cheerleader, saying our school isn't nice? You don't deserve to represent this school!"

Heather let out a weak cry and shuffled out of the bleachers and ran out of the gym.

Fleming looked to the cameras. "Turn them off! Turn them off! And Miss Duke, you are suspended!"

Duke rolled her eyes. "Oh no, the tragedy," she said sarcastically.

The school board canceled the rest of the day.