Planning Your Future

Henry Returns! (Part 2)

March 28, 1991

Veronica's POV

JD is sitting beside my bed. "What're you doing?" I rub my eyes. "Happy birthday." He kisses my cheek. "Thanks." I hug him. "You don't have class today, right?" He asks. "I do, but my friend said she'll get me caught up." I tell him. "Good." He offers his hand and I take it.

We make our way out the door when there's a knock. I open the door. Henry stands in front of us. "Oh. Are you going somewhere? I can leave." He definitely isn't the person he used to be. "No. It's fine." I look at JD and sighs and goes outside. "What is it?" I ask him. "I have to be honest. I didn't come here to visit relatives. I came for you." He admits. "Why?" I take a half-step back. "I'll admit that I wasn't into you when we were together or before Heather died, but when we talked that last time before Graduation I felt myself falling for you. I haven't been able to get you out of my head since then. Then I remembered your birthday was today so I decided to come now." He says all of that with barely any breaths. "Henry, I have a boyfriend." I remind him. "I know. But I just... I had to tell you."

Erika comes in. "You got a letter from Heather..." She looks at the next envelope. "And Heather." She looks proud of the "comedy" in what she had just said. Henry looks at her, then back at me. "Wait. You are seeing Heather in jail?" Erika's eyes go wide and she hands me my letters before ducking out.

I open Heather Mac's first. It's a letter wishing me happy birthday and saying she can't wait to see me. Heather Duke's is the same story but longer. I smile at how sweet she is. "So why didn't you tell me yesterday that you're talking to the person who killed my cousin?" He clenches his teeth. "It's not your business." I say. "Well you also remember how she framed you for it, right?" Something about him attacking her makes me angry but I suppress it. "I've forgiven her and I advise you to do the same." I cross my arms. "She's nothing but a killer and a dyke." He spits. That last word holds on to me. "What did you call her?" I speak slowly, trying to fight everything in me that's telling me to punch him in his pretty boy face. "A killer?" He's messing with me. He knows what I'm talking about. "No." I glare. "A dyke? What? She is one. Heather told me all about her huge crush. It's disgusting." He laughs. I clench my fists. "Shut up." I warn. "Why? You support that?" He's testing me. "Shut. Up!" I demand. "Why are you defending someone like her? That dyke deserves to be behind bars." That was it. I punch him square in the nose. I push him out of the room and he slams into the wall. He yells at me as I run down the hall to meet up with JD.

JD smiles when he sees me... then he sees my knuckles. "What happened?" His concern is evident in his voice. "Nothing. Let's go." I brush it off. We go out to dinner. The dinner is great, then he takes my to a hotel. He checks us in and brings us to the room. "So what really happened?" He asks me as I bandage my right hand. "So... Heather told me that she liked Heather Chandler. Like... liked her. And Henry started calling her a..." I couldn't say it. "You don't have to say it. I know what you mean." JD pulls me into a hug. "I may not like Heather, but that's for personal reasons. But I am happy that she's opened up about who she really is." Wow. How did I get so lucky? "You're so amazing." I smile. "I try." He shrugs. I kiss him. We fall onto the bed.

JD is asleep next to me. I sit up and think about how Henry seemed to have really changed. But he's still the ass I'd met over a year ago. He's worse than I thought, though. He's also a huge homophobic piece of crap. Sure, Heather killed someone. But putting that and her liking girls both in the same box is stupid and wrong. I would for sure hit him again if I saw him again.

Well... happy birthday to me, I guess.