bloodthirsty // heathers au

five

Veronica

I graduated June 30th, 1990. I was exactly thirteen weeks and six days pregnant. I was anxious grabbing my diploma and as I grabbed it, I knew that my life as I knew it was entirely over. This was the end of my teenage life. I would be moving in JD tomorrow and be raising a baby in six months. With that thought, I hurried off the stage.

JD wouldn't shut up about how he graduated before me because his last name was before mine alphabetically. My mother spent the entire evening blotting her eyes with a tissue and eating pate. My father was, as per usual, quiet. He even brought a novel to the restaurant to avoid talking to me.

"Where's your father, Jason?" My mother asked JD.

"It's JD, mom." I corrected her and she swiftly apologized. It wasn't the first time I corrected her on it. I knew it wouldn't be the last time, either.

"He moved today. To Miami, which would have been a fabulous move. I love the beach." He answered my mother, ignoring the fact that she referred to him by his first name. He hated being called Jason.

His mother called him Jason.

"It's a shame he couldn't make it to your graduation." My mother remarked as she still looked over her menu.

"Not particularly. He's a piece of shit." JD said, rather crudely. His annoyance about my mother calling him Jason apparent now.

"We should go, really. I'm not feeling well." I told JD, who looked thrilled to have an excuse to leave. It was a farce, obviously. I really didn't want to eat with my parents anyways, it's why I let them pick the restaurant. "You guys should stay and enjoy a night out." I added.

"Oh, alright. Feel better, dear." My mother told me, and my father said nothing.

"We'll be by in the morning to get my things." I told her before JD and I hurried out of the booth. My mother slid out of her side. I gave her a quick hug and waved to my father before we left in a rush. When I glanced back, my mother was sitting in the booth we were in. I hoped that her and my father would have a nice dinner. They never went out.

"Thank god we're out of there." JD commented as we exited the restaurant. As soon as we were outside, he put his arm around my waist. "So where do you really want to go for your graduation dinner?" He asked me.

"Reed's." I answered him. It was the name of a local burger joint I adored. I was hardcore craving the burgers there.

"Sounds perfect." He told me as we walked towards his car.

Before going to Reed's we stopped at 7-Eleven so JD could have a blue raspberry slushie with his meal. While I loved slushies too, I'd much rather have one of the thick vanilla milkshakes at Reed's. I did grab one of the thicker Big Gulp straws for my milkshake. The ones at Reed's were super thin, so thin that the milkshake would be mostly melted by the time you could drink it.

We got back in the car and began the drive to Reed's. It was a good half an hour of a drive but I didn't mind that. It was summertime and warm, I loved being out driving around in this weather. And being in the second trimester finally meant I wasn't feeling as nauseous all the time. The only downside to the long drive was that it meant that JD's Slurpee would only be about 75% full.

The windows were all down and we were just talking as if it was easy. We were laughing and smoking. My hair, which I had spent an hour curling this morning, was blowing in the wind. I knew it'd be a wreck by the time we got to Reed's. JD was driving over the speed limit but he always did a little bit. He never really got caught. Everyone in Sherwood drove over the speed limit, even the cops.

After what only felt like a few minutes, we were at Reed's. JD and I got out of the car. He ordered for us. "Can I get six hamburgers, a large french fry, medium onion rings and a large vanilla milkshake? Oh, and a Diet Coke with no ice, please." He added. JD was always very polite with service workers, which I really liked. I hated when people were nasty to folks just doing their damn jobs.

And, yes, I know it's weird to drink a soda with no ice. But I stand by the fact that they fill the entire cup up with ice and then add way less soda than you'd get without ice. Besides, the drinks are cold coming out of the fountain machine. We grabbed our food and the lady handing it to us noticed the burn on my knuckle. "Yikes, that looks painful!" She winced.

"Oh yeah," I chuckled lightly. "I fell asleep smoking a cigarette and burnt myself." I explained to her, a total lie. JD smiled at me for coming up with one so easily.

"That sucks. I hope you have a good one." She told me.

"You too." JD and I replied before we applied our condiments, ketchup only for me and everything for JD. He even puts onion rings on his burgers. After that, we walked back to the car to eat in the parking lot. We usually did this because it was more private than sitting in the middle of a restaurant.

"God, I love these burgers." I told JD as I began practically scarfing down my dinner.

"Same." He added before going to town on his dinner.

We ate quickly and quietly, which is how we usually did it. We both felt awkward talking and eating at the same time. JD says it's social anxiety. After that, we began to drive back home. I sipped on my milkshake and sighed happily.

"Can we go more this summer?" I asked him.

"Of course, V. It's good food for a good price, why wouldn't I go for that?" He questioned back facetiously. There was no intended response for this.

"That makes me really happy." I laughed, just excited that I was finally feeling okay and having a good time with JD. Every time before this within the past week and six days was a little awkward. This gave me hope for us living together, I wasn't feeling nervous at all anymore.