Heathers Requests/One Shots

Lifeboat

This is another story version of a song. This has less of the song lyrics then Candy Store. I, uh... I'm still open to requests! If you want! Hope you like!

Heather McNamara wasn't surprised when her dreamscape brought her back to a lifeboat. Well, it was more like a raft, but she affectionately called it her little lifeboat. She often thought about her school as a lifeboat, her and Heather and Heather on it, along with Kurt and Ram, with everyone else making up the sunny ocean.

Heather was where she always was, kicking her feet off the edge, the warm water lapping at her legs. She tipped her head back, looking up at the sky. Today it was gray. A dull flat gray. Not happy. Heather frowned. Everything felt off today. The air smelled too salty, the sky was too gray, the water was too cold.

She looked down at it, then yanked her legs out. Her gentle tan was stained with purple. The water was black and frigid, freezing and unfreezing with the big waves that jerked their boat back and forth. She looked behind her, seeing Veronica standing behind her with a frown.

"I, uh... it looks like it's going to storm," Heather laughed weakly. Veronica looked up and nodded, pointing silently at the dark clouds rolling in. Light rain fell and the sea became more choppy. Heather looked back to the water, where people looked like they were stirring. That had happened once, with several people like Martha Dunnstock coming up and actually having fun.

She looked up at Heather, who was fidgeting with a red scrunchie despite her green clothes. Heather was looking at the sea appraisingly, like the captain she was. She looked so heroic. Someone surfaced; J.D., the guy Veronica had been dating, shook out his dark hair, sending dark droplets all over the wood. Veronica rushed over, crouching down and talking to him. Heather still couldn't hear their voices.

Everything seemed to happen at once. The waves became too large, spilling over onto the boat, nearly capsizing it. The rain wasn't water, it was spines tearing at her skin, blood mixing with the black water, making the boat slippery.

She tried to get up but stumbled, crashing to the wood. The students from the water lunged up at her. They clawed at her, tearing at her hair and her outfit and her. She screamed as they wordlessly grabbed at her. She jerked her head up, looking for help.

Heather had placed the red scrunchie in her hair triumphantly, chucking her green one into the ocean. It quickly sunk, being swallowed by the water. She laughed, casting her dark eyes around hungrily. Heather flinched as her predatory gaze settled on her.

Heather, the original red Heather, was being dragged into the water, screaming and thrashing. Her already red outfit was being stained with more blood, sending her sliding right into the water next to Veronica and J.D. Veronica reached out weakly, but J.D> stopped her. She nodded, putting her hand down.

Heather face planted onto the wood as the people disappeared. She was so close tp the edge. What had she done wrong? To almost be thrown over the side. She had said all the things, wore the right outfits, done everything people told her.

She gasped, pulling herself to the feet. She cast her eyes to the water, still midnight black but calmer. She looked back up at Heather, pointing at her darkly. A small smirk adorned her face, shining brighter than any pearl or gem she had bedecked herself with before.

Veronica agreeably made her way over with a smile. J.D. crawled up, blinking water out of his eyes. She smiled at Heather teasingly, like they were in on a joke. Veronica grabbed her suddenly, carrying her back to the edge.

Heather kicked at her, but Veronica just smiled. She paused at the edge, letting Heather dangle over the edge for a second. Then. Then Veronica threw her. She soared for a second or two, feeling like a bird, a caged bird finally free, before she crashed back into the water.

It pulled her down just as she had gasped for air. Water crashed into her lungs, choking her. Her vision blacked in and out, sending spots dancing in her vision. Blue, red, green, yellow, and black. Veronica, Heather, Heather, Heather, and him. J.D. Everything was worse now, the time J.D. showed up.

The weakest had to go. Voices, cold and creeping and straight from her nightmares, settled comfortably into her head. One by one her limbs slowed as her vision of the swirling water and the people beyond faded. The lifeboat was too tiny. It's better now that you're gone. Say goodbye to your friends.

Not friends, Heather dizzily corrected. The voices hushed, waiting for her dark, tainted opinion. Tainted from their dark claws, their influence, their corruption. Just... people I know. The voices agreed, weighing her down faster, spiraling down as her vision finally turned black.

Her eyes shot open with her alarm, shouting at her with the song Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. She felt something warm rolled down her cheek and she rubbed at it furiously. She pulled her hand back. No red, just something clear. Either sweat or tears. Heather wouldn't be surprised with either.

She took in deep breathes, focusing on each and every gasp of air she took in. Every time her eyes closed, all the could see was endless swaths of swirling water. It wasn't real. Well...

Heather was still gone. She had attended her funeral. Heather was now the captain, with her- no, Heather's red scrunchie on her head. Veronica and J.D. were still together, slightly breaking her already fragile heart with every sweet word, every moment of brushing hands, every fond look and adoring smile.

And she was still drowning. She had fallen off her boat, her pedestal, her power, and Heather wasn't helping. Veronica wasn't helping. No one and nothing was helping. 

But something might. Her anxiety pills, in the little orange container, which had been teasing her for ages. Lying gently in her backpack. But wait, today was that little... sharing thing. That helping thing. That counseling thing. Ms. Fleming's thing.

Maybe today she would finally climb back onto the boat, finally get J.D. thrown off it. Maybe.

(1010 words)