Planning Your Future

I'm Right Here Beside You

July 8, 1993

JD's POV

Camp was rather uneventful this year. Dan got to be here so the gang, with the exception of Veronica, was back together again. It was pretty fun spending time with Heather. People thought she was my girlfriend the first day but they felt embarrassed when I said she was my stepsister.

Veronica shows up to pick us up before all the kids are gone. I'm assuming it's to see Hannah but Alyssa seems like she wants to say something. Ryan made a lot of comments about them getting back together. I want that too, but I felt it got to be too much. Alyssa was pretty upset when it would happen. Eventually, he stopped doing it.

Veronica's POV

"Veronica!" Hannah runs up to me and hugs me. "I told you I'd be back." I say. "How was camp?" I ask. "It was great. I definitely missed you, but Alyssa's a really good counselor." Of course she is. "Who won ga-ga?" I want to know who beat us now that all the good players went to Alyssa. "The counselors won the first one. Then our cabin won." She tells me. So I was right. "I'm not surprised." I expected nothing less. "We dominated!" Annabeth comes up behind Hannah. "I bet you did." I high five her. I have no loyalty for Heather's cabin since I didn't meet any of the new girls. Alyssa's cabin is full of my girls so they are where my loyalties lie.

Alyssa's POV

"So what did you and Alison do while I was gone? Did you do anything... fun?" JD asks Veronica as they sit on the porch of his cabin. "No. We could've. But my dad came home. Speaking of which, I came so close to telling him I'm... y'know." She sighs. "You really like her don't you?" JD smiles at her. "Yeah. I do. With you it was just fight after fight. With Alyssa, we got along great, but she was so scared of anyone finding out. With Alison, we get along and she's so carefree. It's a perfect mix of both." She puts her head on his shoulder. "It is a little weird that you're dating a girl who's name is very similar to your ex's." JD says. "It just happened that way. It's a complete coincidence." Veronica tells him. They get up and go to Heather's cabin.

I never realized my fear was hurting the relationship. I always thought she had the same fear. I feel bad for letting that ruin our relationship. I was just so scared of my family finding out, I hurt her in the process.

Veronica's POV

We get home and all of us go out to eat. Some guys I went to high school with are there. "Look who it is! It's our favorite dyke!" The one guy leans against the booth. "Oh look who it is! It's my favorite loser jock who peaked in high school." I smirk. He frowns and goes back to the place where the others are sitting. "Wow. You're such a badass." Heather laughs. "Wait. People here know?" Owen whispers. "No. They think I'm the lover of this popular girl who killed her best friend. Because I defended her after she got outed." I explain. "Speaking of which, did you tell Heather?" Heather asks. "Yeah. She told me she called it. I'm not sure how." I still can't believe she said that.

"Her name is Heather too? Let me guess, her best friend that she killed was also named Heather." Sam jokes. I'm unable to hold in a laugh. "You're kidding. That's a joke right?" His jaw drops. "Nope. All three of them were the popular kids. They were called The Heathers." I tell him. "She was the only nice one in high school." JD points to Heather Mac.

"I was an honorary Heather for an entire day. This one got me out though." I motion to JD. "I wouldn't say I got you out. I more encouraged you to leave." He shrugs. "Same difference." I say.

After we eat, the guys go hang out with JD while I hang out with Alison at my house. "So when do you guys have rehearsal?" Alison puts her arm around me. "I don't know. Two of them are staying with me this summer so we just have to get JD, the guitarist, here." I tell her. "That makes sense." She nods.