Adopted by Heathers Cast

One True Friend In The Universe

"Bye Sunshine! I love you!" Elle said as I was heading into school.

"Bye! Love you too!" I yelled. "Who's picking me up?"

"Ryan is!" Elle said happily. "Don't you have dance tonight?"

"Don't remind me. Next week is the Nutcracker and I'm freaking out." Elle quickly kissed my cheek and said, "You're gonna do great. See you when you get home! I love you!"

"Love you too!" I yelled.

_________

I walked into school, only to find a bunch of kids gathered at the door, laughing at me. Violet was front and center.

"Did you like your little surprise, freak?" Violet asked, shoving me harshly.

"Don't touch me, Violet." I said quietly.

"You can't tell me what to do. You're gonna have to speak up anyway, your mommy wouldn't like you whispering. Oh wait, your mommy is dead! Look at yourself, Catherine." Violet said, putting her hand on my shoulder and looking eerily into my eyes.

I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing one of Elle's Heathers T-shirts and a pair of jeans with the Converse she got me, because I couldn't be bothered picking an outfit for myself. I looked at my backpack. The black and white one that Jess and Ryan got me the day of the crash. I looked at the ends of my hair. The short, auburn hair with the natural blonde highlights. No wonder people compared me to Jess and Elle. I looked exactly like them. I looked like I could really be Elle's biological kid.

"Yeah?" I asked, which was a mistake.

"You look so awful and pathetic. Your pathetic crap will get you nowhere? What are you saying you've been through? Abuse? Neglect? Trauma? Nah, no one in New York is gonna play that game. You're nothing special, Catherine. In fact, you're a freak, a pile of dirt." Violet started cackling manically. "God, do you know how absurd you sound? 'Oh hey, my name is Catherine and I got adopted by the cast of an Off-Broadway musical and they're all now my best friends! But oh wait, there was a car crash and my sister got sick and now I'm so sad about it and can't do anything without breaking down into tears because of it!'" Violet said mockingly.

"Violet, I'm not lying. I have been through abuse, and neglect, and trauma. Elle saved my life. And as for the crash, I want to say something. Imagine having a good life after waiting for 12 years, and then one of the people who saved your life almost dies. Because that's exactly what happened to me." I said, but immediately regretted it.

Violet forcefully turned me around and grabbed my backpack. She took it off me and held it away from me, but I grabbed my phone and tucked it in my bag just in time.

"What in the world are you doing?" I asked. Violet smirked and kneeled on the ground, opening my backpack.

My blankie was in there.

I totally forgot about that. Now Violet's gonna tease me for having a security blanket.

And I was right. Violet pulled it out of my bag and held it up like a prize. She started to cackle manically, and the whole school joined in.

"Aww, Catherine! You have a blankie because you can't be away from your mommy! So cute. Not. You're such a pathetic little baby. You're lying and your dad's probably just a grocery store cashier!" Violet said.

Try to stay strong, Catlynn. You can do this.

"Aww, is sweet little Catherine gonna cry and call her mommy? It figures." Violet said. I yanked my blankie and my backpack out of her hands and ran to the bathroom, crying.