Family Ties (Heathers Reader Insert)

ELEVEN

I ring the doorbell of McNamara's house. I need to check on her, see if she's okay. No one answers. I hear the click of a croquet mallet against a ball and a few words. Someone laughs. She's probably in the back. I head around and freeze in my tracks. Veronica and McNamara are playing croquet. I try not to look at the former.

"Hi...," I say cautiously.

"Y/n, hey! Wanna play?" I shake my head.

"Oh, no, that's okay, Heather. I just wanted to check in on you," I say. "You know... Since that thing. Are you okay?" She smiles, giving me a hug.

"I'm doing great." I nod, exhaling a shaky breath. I hug her back.

"Good. That's good."

"Thank you for helping me." I smile weakly. "But seriously, take my thanks." I sigh.

"I just... I don't know..."

"When you left, you seemed..." She trails off. "Are you okay?" I swallow. No one saw me at the bridge. I don't think so, at least. I ran into that girl Martha in my haste to leave, to escape the call that the water was making to me. I don't think she saw what happened.

"Yeah. No. I'm fine. Just a lot of emotions."

"Oh. I see." She shoots a glance at Veronica. She's wondering if I'll talk to her.

"... Veronica," I address her.

"Y/n," she says coldly. The way we interact now, you'd think we were each other's worst enemies. Or that she hates me. Which she probably does.

"Guys, what's up?" McNamara asks gently. "You haven't talked to each other since the funeral. I thought you were close." I look down.

"I don't know. Some stuff happened. Some stuff I... Regret. Stuff I'd rather not happen ever again," I say. McNamara nods.

"Okay... I'll just go get some water." She walks back into her house. I think she wants us to resolve it. I turn to Veronica after a few seconds.

"Hey."

"What?" She snaps. I look away. She's being defensive, and she has every right to be. I know I've messed up.

"... I really am sorry," I say quietly. "I didn't mean you any harm."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious. I..." I look back at her. "Can we just call a truce?"

"Why, so you can kill more?"

"No. So that no one else gets killed." She sighs. "Veronica, we saved McNamara from dying, we can do it for more people."

"Why did you even save her? I thought that was your goal." I shake my head.

"It never was."

"Look, I trusted you. I really did. But then JD told me the truth."

"It's not the..." I trail off, knowing she won't listen to me. "Sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Are you really?"

"Yes. I didn't know it would come to this."

"Is it true, then? Did you want to kill t-"

"No. None of it is true!" I say. I take a deep breath, calming myself down before I have another outburst.

"Are you sure about that?" I collect myself.

"You can choose to trust me or my brother, but it'll come to an end whether you want it to or not. Whatever you choose, it'll end it." I step closer to the girl who used to be the voice of reason out of us two. "Just make sure you know what's right." She backs up.

"Give me one good reason why I should trust you, y/n," she says with a cold, humorless laugh. I can see her confident facade faltering as she tries to figure out what I'll say next. "Just one. Tell me."

"I can't." She blinks a few times before looking down. "I know that I can't even influence what decisions you make anymore. It's up to you now. Even if you don't trust me... I trust you." And I really do trust her. She doesn't respond. I turn. "Tell Heather I had to leave." I walk away, leaving her standing alone, her croquet mallet hanging listlessly at her side.

I start the walk home. It'll all be over soon, I know it. I don't know when or how, but it will be. I stare up at my house. I almost don't want to go inside. Jason is probably home.

I walk up my driveway. I haven't confronted him about anything. The argument we had before the funeral tore a rift into our relationship, and I've been out of the house a lot recently. I open the door and find him preparing to leave.

"Jason."

"Y/n." I feel a wave of anger. This is it.

"Why did you lie to her about me?" I demand. He starts to tuck his gun into his belt. "Hey! Answer me!" I yell. I step forward to try to grab the gun from him. "Jason-"

"She broke up with me. Happy?" He spits. My heart beats a little quicker. She broke up with him? Did she listen to me? "Did you ask her to do that?"

"I..." I pause. I can't skirt around this topic. Do it, now. "I didn't. But... But you're misleading her and now three people are dead!" I say. He picks up a big box off of the floor, ignoring my words. "You are a murderer," I accuse.

"I know. And I love it." He opens the door. "I know you stopped McNamara from committing suicide." I freeze, then turn to face him.

"Of course I did, I don't want her to die!" He scowls. "Do you think I'm that cold-hearted?"

"I don't know. One more dead Heather is a good thing." I stare at him, incredulous.

"You're a monster." He turns away. "Where are you going?" I demand.

"Veronica's house. She's my date to the pep rally. It'll be... Explosive," he says with a smile. "See you. If you want to help, I'll be at school. Under the gym." He closes the door. What was in that box...?

"No...," I murmur to myself, panic coursing through my veins, making my heart beat faster and faster.

He's going to blow up the school.