Planning Your Future

When All Is Said And Done

June 14, 1992

Veronica's POV

Hank leads us to the venue. The park has a spot where a lot of weddings take place. "This is nice." Heather looks around. "Where's the reception going to be?" JD asks. "We're setting up a tent in that clearing off I-75. I think you'll like it. Jill showed me the sketch of what the inside will look like. We also planned to set up road markers to help people get there. I'm surprisingly good at wedding planning.

I spend the rest of the day with Jill and Heather. "I can't decide which flowers are best." Jill sighs. "What are the options?" I stop looking through the binder. She shows them and they are buttercups or hydrangeas. "I like the buttercups. I think if you got yellow and blue, it would go good with the green." Heather suggests. "What do you think, Veronica." I don't even look up, "I agree. The yellow and blue buttercups are good." I keep flipping through the book. "What's wrong?" Jill has been asking me this every day for the past two weeks. The truth is, I don't like being stuck with Heather all the time. She's like the honorary Maid of Honor since her dad's the one getting married, so she's always with us. I honestly haven't forgiven her for the stuff she said at the party on New Years. It was hurtful to both Alyssa and to me. I just want the 24th to come so I can get away from this shit.

Jill leaves to get dinner for us. "Veronica, are you still mad about New Years? Because I am so sorry. What I said was stupid and wrong. I really am happy for you and Alyssa." Heather looks genuinely sorry. But she's done so much to me. "You know why I didn't tell you? Because you love taking what I have. You tried it with JD over and over. So I was afraid you'd do something like out us or convince Alyssa to dump me." I put the book down. "I also didn't tell you because you're a coward. You stayed with the Heathers despite what you knew they did to me. You've always done what keeps you out of danger. Now we should just not talk to each other unless it involves this wedding." I start writing down the schedule we had discussed yesterday.

"You know, fuck you! You act so high and mighty! You pretend to be this innocent, damaged person. You have broken up with JD so many times to then just come crawling back when you feel like it. We all know that's what you're going to do once you're sick of Alyssa. Then you get to hurt Zoe too! You were always a toxic girlfriend to JD yet you make yourself the victim. You honestly deserved to get shot." I'm about to kick the shit out of her. "Fuck you! I'm not the one who spent her whole relationship pining after your friend's boyfriend. Then you lashed out when you didn't get your way! And how dare you say I deserved that! You don't know the feeling of being held against your will with the fear of dying. Or the feeling of having to murder another person to save yourself! Maybe you should get shot! It might give you some fucking empathy!" I get up and storm out, the tears pouring down my face.

I lie on the couch, crying. Someone knocks on the door. "Who is it?" I hear in my voice that I sound like I've been crying. "It's Alyssa." She yells. Should I let her in? "Come in." I hesitantly call back. She walks in and walks over to the couch. "What happened?" She kneels in front of me. "Heather is just an insensitive bitch. She called me a toxic girlfriend who was just going to dump you for JD again. Then she told me I deserved to be shot." Alyssa stood up quickly. "What are you doing?" I hope she isn't doing what I think she is. "I'll be back." She leaves before I can stop her.

Heather's POV

After Jill came back and saw that Veronica was gone, she just sent me home since there wasn't anything we could do without her there. I went home so now I'm watching tv. Suddenly the front door bursts open. "Heather!" Alyssa's voice shouts. I walk out of the sitting room and she immediately slaps me. "You are such an asshole! How fucking dare you say that to her! First New Years, now this?" I hold my cheek, "I'm sorry. It was stupid. I was just upset."

"Upset? I hope you know you lived a very privileged life. You're a straight, white, rich girl who only has to worry about boys. It's still illegal for people like me to get married. I could be beaten to death and the ones who did it would barely face consequences. You've never been followed in a store because an employee assumed you were shoplifting. You can actually hold hands with and kiss the person you like in public! I am terrified of my mom disowning me for being a lesbian! And now I have to deal with that asshole Henry threatening to ruin my life as well as Veronica's. You can be mad at Veronica for dumping JD all you want. But when all is said and done, you will never understand the things we go through just to be with the ones we love." Wow. I had no idea she had to deal with that much. I can't even imagine. Alyssa backs up, shocked over something.

"Alyssa, I didn't know you went through that." I say. "Of course you didn't." She scoffs. "I am so sorry. I should really apologize to Veronica." She nods, "You really should."

Veronica's POV

I'm curled up on the couch, watching TV. I hope Alyssa didn't actually go to Heather's. There's a knock at the door. When I open it, Heather's on the other side. "I really don't want to talk to you." She just hugs me. "I'm an idiot." She says.

"I regret saying those things. It was rude and awful." I'm guessing Alyssa did something. When I let go of her, I see the red mark on Heather's cheek. Yep, Alyssa definitely did something. "You didn't deserve to get shot. I can't believe I said that to you." She shakes her head. "And what I said on New Years about Alyssa, 'that she made you gay,' I don't really believe she did. Or that something makes you gay." I can tell she's actually ashamed. "I forgive you. And what I said wasn't fair either." I was also a bitch. "It's okay." She smiles. "Now can we be friendly and get through this wedding planning the right way? I think we'd enjoy it more." She nod, "I'd like that." We hug one more time.

After Heather leaves, Alyssa comes in. "Hey." She greets. "What did you say to her?" It must've been something good. "I told her a sob story about how she doesn't have to deal with what we have to deal with." She shrugs. I kiss her and pull her into a hug. "I love you." She says. I back up. I- Wow. "You don't have to say it back. I just... When I was talking to Heather I referred to you as the 'one I love' and then I realized that you are. But I get it if you're not-" I shut her up by kissing her. Do I love her back? It's been five months but it feels like longer. Is it too soon for me? "I love you too." I rest my forehead against hers. I do. She has made me feel alive for the first time in a long time. "Really?" She beams. "Yes." I give her a peck on the cheek.