Waiting For The Drop

by slurpeesandmcwings

Summary:

After Veronica Sawyer stopped Jason “J.D.” Dean from blowing up Westerburg High, as a way for Heather McNamara, Martha Dunnstock and Veronica to cool off steam, a trip to the fun fair in Sherwood, Ohio was arranged. What they didn’t know was that Heather Duke had arranged a trip on the very same week, and on Tuesday, October 31st, 1989, these four girls boarded the Cyclone roller coaster at 4:42pm. At 4:44pm, the front axle of the Cyclone broke, causing it to derail at the very top of the roller coaster, sending them to their deaths. When they awaken, a mysterious fortune teller dubbed ‘Karnak’ forces them to tell their stories for a chance to return to the life that they had once lived.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Notes:

HI I WAS PLANNING TO WRITE THIS FOR A WHILE AND LOST MOTIVATION BUT MY FRIENDS LIKE RTC SO I CONTINUED THIS!!!!!!!!!

“4:45pm. The bodies were discovered, a mangled mess of blood and gore smeared all over the Cyclone and its seats. After the rollercoaster had come tumbling down, the two unfortunate Heathers (and a Veronica and Martha) had plummeted to their deaths, with the straw breaking the camel’s back being the coaster train that had cracked their skulls with a crunch. Authorities had been informed, and the police and paramedics were on their way. Not like it would matter, after all.

4:53pm. The bodies had been transported onto a cart, and had been moved from the gory scene and ceremoniously laid out on stretchers. Even in death, the Heathers were still beautiful; their unconscious forms being the only thing park goers and staff alike were interested in looking at. Blood stained their yellow, green and blue blazers; though a final look of horror was etched onto Martha Dunnstock and Heather McNamara’s face, oddly, Veronica Sawyer and Heather Duke looked as if they were at peace.

The point is, life goes on. The world moved without Veronica Sawyer, Martha Dunnstock, Heather Duke and Heather McNamara. That’s what the world is, isn’t it? It just keeps moving, never stopping for anyone, or anything. Time flew by and they were reduced to mere names in the history of Sherwood, Ohio as the victims of a freak accident. Just another stain on the reputation of an otherwise forgettable town.

As Veronica Sawyer once said, “they were just seventeen”. And seventeen they were, Sherwood mourning the loss of such poor, unfortunate souls. Only momentarily. Children who had been bullied by the Heathers preached about how amazing they were; it was amazing to see what lengths these students would go to just to get attention, even if it was just for a while.

Hello. I am the Amazing Karnak. This is not a boast but rather what it says on my legal patent as a precognition machine. I was designed to predict the exact cause, time, and place of someone’s death. A rather morbid function, I grant you; which is precisely why I was set on “family fun novelty mode” when sold to the Wonder Ville traveling fairground... Turns out... being told the place and time of your death in front of your family, with a mouthful of corndog at a fairground, is the very opposite of fun. I can even predict my own demise. I always could – but tonight is not the night. Not yet.

Meet the sole member of my orchestra, a rat I’ve named Virgil. For the past few years or so, Virgil has been my sole companion within this desolate warehouse. As there is nothing more based than death, for tonight’s concert, Virgil will be playing the bass.

And my part in this story... I read all of the children’s fortunes... I felt their hopes, thoughts, dreams, knowing they would board the doomed roller coaster and could tell them nothing. I even suggested that they ride the Cyclone. On Tuesday, October 31st, they would board the Cyclone roller coaster at 4:42pm. At 4:44pm, this same roller coaster’s front axle would break causing it to derail at the apex of the loop-de-loop, hurtling the children to their deaths. Tonight, I wish to give them the chance to express not what they were perceived to be, but what they dreamt they were. Tonight, we shall raise a middle finger to that ruthless adjudicator called time.

Speaking of which, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Heathers!”

Chapter 2: Introductions

“What. The. Fuck.”

When Heather Duke, Heather McNamara, Veronica Sawyer and Martha Dunnstock had opened their eyes, what awaited them wasn’t heaven, or anything close to that; it was a dilapidated warehouse, the four walls rusty and the once exciting rides overridden with the disgusting color of iron oxide. Over all of the rust was a massive broken girder of the Cyclone roller coaster, standing in massive relief to the scale of the other rides at the fair ground. Mold, vines, and patches of dirt were speckled all over the warehouse, and it almost made Duke want to throw up.

A voice interrupted the awkward silence. “Uhm… aren’t we dead?” It was Martha, who seemed apprehensive of the whole situation. Almost instantly, McNamara and Veronica rushed over to her side, protectively shielding her from Duke.

Veronica glared at Duke. “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but you’re not hurting Martha, or Heather Mac. You’re a horrible person and-“

“Shut up, Veronica! We’re dead! No one cares!” Duke retorted angrily, and Veronica’s face darkened.

“We’re… really dead?” McNamara’s voice was only slightly louder than a whisper, and you could almost hear her trembling.

Duke glanced over, noticing the fear in McNamara’s eyes and her burning glare softened almost immediately. “Yes, Heather. We’re really dead.”

Almost instantly, Heather McNamara burst into tears, and any tension between Veronica and Duke broke, as Martha and Veronica watched helplessly as Duke rushed to McNamara’s side, hugging the crying girl and humming a soft tune, and almost as if it were magical, she calmed down within a matter of seconds.

Veronica looked at Duke with slightly less irritation. “How did you do that?”

“You’re her friend now, you tell me.” Duke retorted sardonically, and McNamara tensed in Duke’s grip, the latter running her hand over her back.

“Please… don’t fight, okay? There’s no use fighting… not now…”

Duke and Veronica gritted their teeth. “Okay.”

“Is that… Heather and Heather?!” Two voices from a distance could be heard, and Veronica’s face turned pale. Duke and McNamara shot each other knowing looks, and Martha narrowed her eyes in thought.

“…Ram?!” Martha got up from the floor, running towards the voices, and sure enough, two boys in eerily familiar letterman jackets stepped out from behind the coaster. They looked the same ever since Veronica last saw them; excluding the bullet hole through their chests, obviously.

“You’re just unconscious, right, Ram? Ram!”

“Get off the fence! Get off the damn fence!”

“I don’t understand!”

“Veronica? Are you okay? You’re so pale!”

In the heat of the moment, Veronica Sawyer didn’t notice that McNamara had been watching her, and her face was as white as a sheet. She could practically feel her heart leaping out from her chest, and that feeling was amplified further when she saw Kurt sneering at Martha.

“After all this time you’re still a fatass. Wide load, Martha Dumptruck!”

“Stop it!” McNamara yelled, cutting in.

Kurt looked at her in confusion. “She’s the lardass, and we’re supposed to bully her, right?”

“No! It’s all over! Why are we even bullying each other when we’re all dead? It doesn’t matter!” At that proclamation, Kurt and Ram gasped.

“You guys are dead too? Woohoo! Dead buddies! Punch it in!” The jocks did their signature fist bump, and studied the remaining girls. When their eyes glossed over Veronica’s, their look of glee turned to one of slight apprehension and hurt.

“Veronica… you…”

“Not here. Not now. Please.” The look in Veronica’s eyes was pleading, and Kurt and Ram backed down, shooting each other furtive looks. McNamara and Martha looked slightly confused, but Duke seemed to be thinking, eventually shrugging it off.

“Hey assholes. Did you find anything here, or at least, know how you got here?”

Ram shot a wolfish grin at Duke, who cringed. “After we got shot- I mean shot ourselves,” he added hurriedly after being shot a pointed look from Veronica, “…we were kinda uh dead for a while, and then we woke up here.”

“Ugh. That did not help.” Duke rolled her eyes, annoyed, but her face suddenly turned pale, as a gasp escaped her lips. The rest of the group turned towards what her gaze was fixated at, and while the jocks and McNamara looked ecstatic, Martha looked apprehensive. Worst of all was the colour being drained from Veronica’s face as the figure strutting towards them got closer and closer.

With every step she took, she had the exact same finesse that she had when she was alive. Her blonde hair swished from side to side, the all-too-familiar red scrunchie keeping it together in a neat ponytail. The red blazer stood out like a sore thumb; serving as a harsh reminder to the group that she was the mythic bitch. Heather Chandler herself stood in front of them, hands at her hips with a triumphant smirk etched on her face as she towered over them. Her icy blue eyes scanned over the group, and a look of pure malice appeared on her face as she scanned over Duke and Veronica’s forms.

“Well, well, well. Heather Duke… and Veronica Sawyer.”

And then, the unthinkable happened. A mechanical voice echoed all around them, and they jumped at the jarring sound. “You have inserted two loonies! Karnak! He sees the future!”

The group looked around for the source of the noise, until McNamara gestured at a dilapidated machine that looked like one of those weird fortune tellers that you would find in a carnival, complete with a magnificent beard and glowing eyes.

“Guys… I think this is it.”

The machine (presumably Karnak) sprang to life, and it started speaking, the others in the group staring at it in a mixture of wonder, horror and confusion.

“Meet Heather McNamara, head cheerleader. Catchphrase…”

And then, it was as if McNamara’s body moved against her own will, shifting into a weird pose that did scream McNamara. The other Heathers let out a somewhat softer chuckle in unison, and McNamara spoke in an oddly cheery tone.

“Go, Westerburg!”

She then unfroze, looking at her body with confusion. “What was that…?”

Karnak replied smoothly. “Your catchphrase. In the interest of the expedition of time, I’ve taken the liberty of choreographing a few of your moves in advance. Don’t bore us; get to the chorus. Our time together is limited.”

Chandler stepped in, yelling at the machine. “Stop fucking around with us! Get a life! Oh, wait… you don’t have one.”

Karnak seemed to be unfazed by her insult. “And neither do you. Meet Heather Chandler, mythic bitch. Catchphrase…”

Just like McNamara, Chandler’s body moved in a way that suggested it wasn’t by her own will, but her pose was eerily similar to the one she had done when she had made her grand appearance in front of the group.

“Fuck me gently with a chainsaw!”

Like McNamara, she unfroze, balling her fists and turning towards Karnak with annoyance in her eyes. “What the hell are you and what do you want with us?”

“Well, Heather, I have-“

“Hey! I want a catchphrase too!” The jocks yelled in unison, and almost immediately shifted into a pose. Strangely enough, this did seemed as if they had moved of their own accord into a pose that almost everyone could recognise immediately; their fists connecting together as they always did, wild looks on their faces.

The mechanical voice of Karnak droned on, clearly annoyed that they had interrupted him, but continued anyway. “Meet Ram Sweeney, linebacker and Kurt Kelly, quarterback and football captain. Catchphrases…”

“Hell yeah! Punch it in!”

They unfroze, looking at each other in awe, and repeating the exact same thing again, eliciting a look of pointed disapproval from Chandler. “Shit dude, that was awesome! Punch it in!“

“What’s all of this shit for, anyways?” Chandler demanded.

“What do you mean by ‘shit’?” Karnak inquired, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice that the mythic bitch picked up immediately, and she responded with full force.

“You know what I mean! The introductions, the corny poses and retarded catchphrases…? What, are you playing a game with us?”

“Ah, but you see… every game has a prize; whether it be bragging rights or physical items, and this one has fabulous prizes! Like… a bottle of half opened drain cleaner…”

Chandler groaned as a weird sound effect played with the drain cleaner’s appearance, and Veronica cringed. Karnak ignored the both of their reactions, continuing to display the items.

“A copy of Moby Dick!” At this, Duke’s ears perked up and she looked at the book with interest, while Chandler leered at her.

“A trigger bomb used in the destruction of Westerburg High’s football field!”

“Stop pulling on my dick and get to the point! Do any of us look like arsonists to you?!” Chandler snapped, and Karnak chuckled.

“Perhaps you might be interested in the grand prize, Heather? One worthy contestant will be brought back to life, to live beyond your untimely deaths. The grand prize… to live again.”

Chandler snorted. “You really expect me to believe you, do you? All you are is just a weird fortune-telling machine.”

“It appears that Heather Chandler has used up the group’s five questions for the evening. Maybe… five is too much. Three would be better…” Karnak’s voice trailed off.

“This is too much information all at once!” Martha exclaimed.

“Meet Martha Dunnstock. Catchphrase…” And almost immediately, Martha shot into a pose, causing Chandler to laugh raucously. Chandler glared at Duke and McNamara, and surprisingly, both McNamara and Duke didn’t follow suit; while McNamara glared back, Duke just shrugged.

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a happy ending!”

Upon hearing this, Veronica chuckled as Martha unfroze. “That is so you, Martha.”

“Meet Veronica Sawyer. Catchphrase…” Just like Martha had previously, Veronica shot into a pose, clutching a book that seemingly popped out of nowhere.

“I believe I’m a good person. You know, I think that there’s good in everyone, but…”

Almost as instantly as the diary appeared, it vanished from existence and Veronica’s jaw dropped. She shook her head in disbelief, and turned to Martha. “Yeah, this is really wild…”

Duke exhaled. “I guess I’m the last one, so…”

“Thanks for making it easier for me, Heather. Meet Heather Duke, head of the yearbook committee. Catchphrase…” Duke froze into a pose, just like everyone else had.

“Sorry, Heather…”

Immediately after, she unfroze and sighed, looking down with embarrassment. At this, Chandler grinned. “Even now, you know your place.” Duke just rolled her eyes, which elicited a gasp from the blonde.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?”

Duke snarled at Chandler. “Look, we’re all dead. It doesn’t fucking matter anymore, does it? The only place where people in different social groups can get along is in death! So you shut up, Heather! I’m fucking done with you!”

“Oh, you’re so fucking-“ Chandler retorted, but was interrupted by a resolute Duke.

“-dead on Monday? You sound like an idiot, Heather. Just leave me alone.”

“Wow, Heather Duke actually standing up to Heather Chandler? I must be dreaming… this couldn’t possibly get any weirder… right?” Veronica muttered under her breath, and Karnak laughed.

“I’m under the firm belief that it always can… allow me to introduce you to the mystery contestant.”

A loud bang was heard, and smoke sprayed everywhere. The seven of them waved their hands, fanning away the smoke. Eventually, it cleared, and at the centre of it all was a figure in a trenchcoat, and Veronica gasped. He was missing one arm, and the other seemed disfigured beyond recognition. Both of his legs seemed weak, and both his eye sockets didn’t have actual eyeballs in them, replaced with blue orbs instead. The only defining feature he had was his curly, dark brown hair, as well as the trenchcoat that complimented his features perfectly. And when he opened his mouth, Veronica almost screamed.

“Greetings and salutations, I’m… Ja- John Doe.”

“John… Doe?” Veronica’s voice was barely above a whisper, and she could feel a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“John Doe is what the coroner said… they found my trenchcoat and hair, that’s it… and so I wonder… why?”

“What a freak.” Chandler muttered, and John Doe put his disfigured hand on her shoulder, smirking as the former yelped. “Fucking pervert! Get off of me!”

“You didn’t say please.” He removed his hand either way, letting it fall to his sides.

“Meet John Doe. Catchphrase…”

“Our love is God.”

Notes:

ok guys not beyond repair is on hiatus until I get my next therapy session LOL hope you enjoyed I’ve been planning this for a while. John doe’s identity is supposed to be super obvious to y’all so I hope you guys know who it is istg

Chapter 3: Heather Chandler’s Bumper

“Our love is… God?”

Veronica’s face turned paler than it had ever been before, and her face was frozen in horror. Martha rushed over to Veronica, gripping her hand tightly.

“Are you okay, Veronica?”

Veronica smiled half-heartedly, face still pale. “Yeah… just a bit under the weather…”

“Heather Chandler… you are first.” Karnak looked at Chandler impatiently, and the blonde groaned.

“Why?”

“Alas, if only you hadn’t burned off those five questions right at the top…”

Chandler hissed. “I don’t care! Can’t… Heather go first or something?” She pointed at Duke, who just sighed, shaking her head.

“No. Just no. I’d like to see what narcissistic, ego-filled set you have for us today, Heather.” A few sounds of scattered snickering could be heard in response to Duke’s comment, which died as soon as Chandler glared at the group, scrutinizing them carefully.

“You know what? I think I’ll go first, because all of you are fucking pussies. Since I’m the only one with any sort of brain in here…”

She strode confidently to the machine, pulling the lever and Karnak started reading out a… fortune?

“Heather Chandler, born July 27th, Leo, sign of aggression. Heir to the Chandler fortune, Heather was always pampered by her parents, always giving her whatever she wanted. Yet, she felt like something was off for her; her parents never seemed to want to know how she was feeling. As a possible gesture of guilt, Heather’s father gave her his credit card, and initially, she had no clue what to do with it. It came to her attention in her freshman year that buying hot clothes and dressing like a stripper would be beneficial for her high school life. She rose to popularity once she donned the signature red blazer, attending college parties, having sex with much older college boys and getting nerds to do her homework for her. High school fashionista, mythic bitch, Heather Chandler… the most popular girl in town.”

She quite literally glared the group down. “Look at all of you, and what you are! I deserve to come back to life because… people NEED me! The people love me!” She pointed to Duke. “Traitorous, angry bitch. Grow the fuck up.” Then, she pointed at McNamara, who seemed hurt. “Retarded pillowcase.” She pointed at Veronica. “Idiot.” She pointed at Martha. “Fat good for nothing lard-ass.” She then pointed at Ram and Kurt. “Two assholes in a pod.” Lastly, she pointed at John. “Creepy freak.”

“You see, all of you are nothing compared to me! I should come back just because all of you are incompetent… imbeciles! God! And you’ll never be like me, especially you!” She thrust her finger at Duke, who just coughed.

“Are you done with your stupid monologue yet? You know, I was expecting something narcissistic, but not this bad. Look at what you’ve done.” Duke gestured to the group huddling behind her, and McNamara was in tears, while everyone seemed to be putting apart their differences to comfort her in some way.

“Look, Heather’s a bitch. And though you were her childhood friend, and though we were all friends… that’s how she’s like. But… Martha and I will always be here for you.” Veronica.

“I-it’s fine! I’m sure Heather still cares, she’s just… a little mean?” Martha.

“Hey, uh, Heather’s an asshole, but she’s hot. And you’re the head cheerleader, don’t cry like a bitch…” Ram.

“You give better head than she does, Heather. And you’re a good hugger.” Kurt.

“…I’m happy to see that the Heathers and Marthas are getting along…” John.

Duke smirked. “You’re so shallow, Heather. You really haven’t considered the possibility that this whole thing is decided by a majority vote, and you’ve already thrown shit at your fellow competitors for every fucking reason. You call Veronica an idiot, but look at yourself.”

Chandler chuckled. “Oh, Karnak… is it by majority vote?”

“Again! If only you hadn’t burned off those five questions…” Karnak replied smoothly, and Chandler rolled her eyes, but continued anyways.

“All of you really need to know this… God, all I feel is disappointment whenever I stare at the lot of you.”

“Guess what? Ever since the world began… same plot, everyone's been dumping on their fellow man, pounding people they feel better then! I hope you're taking notes, 'cause you feel everyone deserves a shot. Get real, some of us have got it, girl and some got squat! That's the truth, oh honey, like it or not, I hate to break it to you… my daddy taught me you get nowhere being nice so now I'm sharing his advice!”

“The world according to Heather is better to strike than get struck! Better to screw than get screwed! You’d probably think it's bizarre but that's the way things are!”

McNamara shrieked. “But that doesn't mean it has to be that way, Heather! What does it cost to be kind? To everyone, no matter who they are?”

Chandler looked at Martha distastefully. “Ew, Dumptruck, what have you done with my best friend? Heather, so tell me, am I right or am I right?” She turned to Duke, her glare fixed on her figure, but Duke crossed her arms, shaking her head disapprovingly. Chandler sighed, and continued.

“I’m here to tell you how this whole damn freak show works! If you don't listen, then you're jerks… The world according to Heather is better to punch than get punched! Better to burn than get burned! Learn that and you're gonna go far, 'cause that's the way things are!”

“Heather! Please! I thought we were friends! Why are you doing this?!” McNamara screamed desperately, tears forming in her eyes yet again, but Chandler waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, poor little Heather, just whine, whine, whine all night! You’re pathetic because you whine… you whine all night! Your ass is off the team, go on and bitch and moan! You don’t deserve the dream… cry alone, Heather…” McNamara let out a pained squeal, and more tears flowed from her eyes as Duke rushed to her side, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and humming a soft tune, but McNamara cried. And cried. Noticing this, Chandler’s tone changed to be way softer, but it had no effect on McNamara’s state.

“The world according to Heather is better to whip than get whipped… Even if somebody bleeds… please. Nobody dies from a scar… and that's the way things are…”

At the end of her song, everyone was shocked, even John and the usually stoic Duke. McNamara was still crying, and Duke was still trying to comfort her.

“You’re such a megabitch, Heather! Do you know what Heather tried to do? She tried to kill herself! And you’re seriously telling her that now?” Veronica yelled, and Chandler shrugged.

“Veronica, Veronica, Veronica… you’re so stupid. You really need to understand that in this world, to get what you want… you need that killer instinct to give you the nerve, to grab everything you want in life but may not deserve! It takes that killer instinct, that killer desire! Are you the little ant or do you set the ants on fire?”

“She’s even hotter now.” Ram and Kurt said in unison, before yelling excitedly. “Hell yeah! Punch it in!”

Chandler looked at both Heathers, giggling softly. “Do I sound awful? What have I become? Who's that girl in the mirror I see? Some backstabbing whack-job I'd run screaming from! Oh God, I just love being me! Wouldn't all of you kill to be me?!”

“No, Heather, I would kill to not be you.” Duke deadpanned.

“You need that killer instinct since time first began! From Genghis Khan to Bristol Palin, you need a killer plan… You need to reach the top, if it's the last thing you do! I'm the girl to beat, the high school queen… College guys kiss my ass and I'm just 16! I'm raisin' hell, and I'm a felon in a 6-foot frame! I just use my killer instinct and my dreams come true!”

Karnak cleared his throat. “Perhaps now would be a good time to say that whoever is brought back to life, will be brought back by a unanimous vote from everyone here.”

Almost immediately, Chandler’s jaw dropped and her face turned beet red. “What?! No way! You could’ve-“

Duke mocked. “If only you hadn’t-“ Chandler roared. “Shut up, Heather!” And surprisingly enough, Duke didn’t shut up at all. “-burnt off those five questions!”

“B-but if I had known-“

“-you wouldn’t have mocked every one of your potential judges, crowing about your superiority in song? That did strike me as an unorthodox strategy.” Karnak mused.

“Well, all of you had better vote for me, or I’ll-“

“What will you do, Heather?”

The voice was small, but it was still there. And Heather McNamara had spoken.

“You’ve already toyed with my feelings. You’ve already proven that I’m nothing more than a tool to you. What more do I have to lose? I’m already dead. We don’t have to vote for you. And I won’t vote for you.”

The tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife, and not even the demon queen herself dared to speak. You could detect a little bit of guilt in her eyes, but it was almost unnoticeable.

“That’s what I thought… Heather.”

Notes:

Yep. Heather McNamara’s up next.

Don’t worry, Kurt and Ram will get a lot more development as this story progresses. I do not intend on neglecting their characters.

And sorry if any of you Chandler fans are butthurt that I made her an asshole, because realistically, this is what she would do.

Chapter 4: Heather McNamara’s Bumper

Notes:

Yes, I know that Mac lives with her mom and her parents are divorced in canon. But it’d make more sense if she lived with her dad because her dad is rich AF. Also, this is musical Mac and this whole shit is set in musical verse hence it is only tagged with musical, and if Veronica talked about her dad being loaded, then she probably lives with her dad… also because I need an excuse to make Mac filthy rich.

edit: I just realised Mac’s dad can just give her money. I’m stupid. I changed it. LOL

“That was… enlightening.” John offered.

“B-but Heather…” Chandler pleaded, and it was a rare sight to see. “I… I want to live.”

“Well, too bad, because I’m sure the most of us want to live too. Stop pretending anymore, Heather. We know who- no, what you are.” McNamara gestured at the group, before stepping forward and pulling the machine’s lever, and he started reading out her fortune.

“Heather McNamara, born March 28th, Aries, the lucky nature. Ever since Heather was a toddler, her parents knew there was something wrong with her; yet they couldn’t quite put their finger on why. Maybe it was the fact that she liked cheerleading a little too much, or she was unusually sensitive. That is, until her parents submitted her for an autism diagnosis, and she was diagnosed with autistic disorder. Almost immediately after that, her father’s facade of ‘loving father’ dropped, and dynamics within their family changed immediately afterwards. Noticing the shift, her mother filed for divorce with her father, and Heather happily accepted this change, her life turning for the better as she befriended Heather Chandler in kindergarten. As her dad realised how empty his life was without her, in a last-ditch attempt to win back Heather’s love, he paid her a ridiculous paycheck of at least $10,000… a week. Widely regarded as the nicest Heather, she pursued her childhood dreams of becoming a cheerleader, forcing herself to work out every day in order to get on the cheerleading squad, eventually gaining the title of head cheerleader. This is how Heather became… the most athletic girl in town.”

McNamara stepped away from Karnak, taking a deep breath, her eyes scanning the group nervously, Martha shooting her an encouraging look which she returned. After a while, she spoke, her voice filled with fear.

“I guess all of you guys know me as the girl who thought about killing herself. I wanted to die. I really did. I just… couldn’t live with the fact that Heather never told me how she was feeling, or anything hinting that she was going to kill herself at all! I wanted to join her! I wanted to get out of this place and join her! I wanted to leave everything behind, since it was all crashing down on me anyways! I was failing maths, my other best friend who I always looked up to lost it and became… her, and it was just all a spiral… a whirl of doozy-floozy flashing light!”

She clenched her fists, breathing heavily.

“It’s not fair. Heather could kill herself, Kurt and Ram could kill themselves, even Martha tried to kill herself… and I couldn’t. Those stupid fucking childproof caps… and at the end, it all didn’t matter, because we all died in some stupid rollercoaster accident. And now, nothing matters. My life can’t get any worse. My best friend that I’ve known since childhood actually just thought of me as a-“

Chandler pleaded yet again. “Heather, I don’t-“

“Shut up, Heather!”

The group fell silent, and Chandler’s jaw dropped. McNamara looked like she was ready to kill someone, and she continued talking with venom in her voice.

“-a… retard. You know, living in small, rural Sherwood, Ohio with a dad that hated your guts and a mom who had no idea how to help you was so awful. Everyone here knows everyone- okay, maybe not like Uranium City in Saskatchewan, Canada, for example, but when you’re one of the only autistic kids in this place, of course it’s gonna get out eventually. And no one wanted to befriend the autistic kid. Except for Heather and Heather, and Heather just… thought of me like that. I’m kind of… in denial?”

“And when I died, it was horrifying. The screams. The wind against my face. The fall. And it hurt, and hurt, and it felt as if I was being pricked by a thousand needles. And I met you again, Heather. And now I have to forever live- no, die with the fact that I meant nothing to you. All those times I spent trying to help you with the lunchtime poll meant nothing. All those times we played together, laughed together and cried together meant nothing. Our friendship meant nothing! You’re such a horrible person, and… you’re the reason why Heather has bulimia. And all I did was blindly follow you like an idiot, and look how that turned out. Yet… I still want to trust you, Heather. I just… why?”

“Tell me what’s wrong with me… my body, face, my hair. Tell me all my many faults… tell me like you care. When we both know you’re cruel, and we both know you’re right. I could listen to you… like a fool all night. What’s wrong with me? How I speak?! How I dress? What’s wrong with me…”

Chandler tried making eye contact with her, but she refused to return it, opting to look at Duke instead with a bittersweet look.

“You keep me guessing… mama called me beautiful, don’t believe her anymore… now I’m listening to you, what do I do that for?! Please… don’t ignore me.”

“I-I didn’t know…” Chandler whispered under her breath, and both Duke and Veronica shot her a withering glare.

“She… has good points.” Kurt admitted. “And a beautiful voice.”

“Yeah, dude. She’s so rad.” Ram added, and Martha just nodded silently, not wanting to interrupt McNamara.

“Tell me who we hate today and I will fall in line… hug me while my shoulders tense, and we’ll pretend we’re fine! Though we both know one day, there’ll be blood on the floor… now which one will betray the other more?”

Her voice broke, and she screamed, gripping her head in panic. “What’s wrong with me?! Where’s my mind?! Where does it end?! Maybe I… need to find a better friend. What’s wrong with me? What can I do? What’s wrong with me?! Could it be you…?”

Now meeting Chandler’s gaze, she sighed, her voice calming down slightly. “It’s probably me… see that, you see… what’s wrong with me.”

“…there’s nothing wrong with you, Heather. You’re a really nice person, even after everything you’ve done to me!” Martha offered, shooting her a small smile which McNamara returned weakly.

To everyone’s surprise, Ram spoke up. “She’s right. There’s nothing wrong with you, I mean… I guess that’s high school for ya.”

“Yeah, that’s right, dude.” Kurt said solemnly. “You’re quite cool, Heather.”

“…thanks.” McNamara’s breathing was still uneven, but a small, albeit weak smile was now visible on her face.

“Heather.”

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice. Unsurprisingly, it was Heather Chandler. What was surprising was how weak her voice was, and what was even more surprising was the guilt in her voice.

“I want to live, Heather. I-I didn’t know. I… I’m sorry, Heather.”

McNamara stiffened, staying silent and opting to stare at the ground instead, refusing to acknowledge her apology.

Next, Duke spoke up. “I was angry. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you in front of the cameras. I really didn’t mean to. Sorry, Heather.”

McNamara looked up and at Duke, jumping into her arms for a hug. Duke wheezed, but smiled softly. “Hey… it’s all over, Heather. She can’t hurt us anymore.”

“I-I’m sorry too, Heather. I should’ve stood up for you. I just let her put you down like that. I let her call you fat, ugly… all those mean things. And you just… sat there and took it.”

“Don’t apologise, Heather. It really isn’t your fault.”

“Heather… uh…” McNamara whispered.

“Hm?”

“You know, when I tried to kill myself… I saw you.”

Duke looked at the ground guiltily. “I-I didn’t know. I’m… so sorry.”

In response, McNamara gripped Duke tighter, and Chandler stared at the ground, trying not to show other signs of guilt but the rest of the group could see right through her, and an awkward silence filled the air. Martha was standing next to Veronica awkwardly, the jocks seemed… supportive of McNamara, John was just pacing around, his trenchcoat swishing side to side as he walked, and Chandler was just there.

“Hey, John, how’d ya get those blue orb eye thingies? They look sick!” Kurt asked, and John chuckled as Duke pulled away from the hug, giving McNamara one last pat on the back.

“Trust me, Kurt, you do not want these.”

“They look like Christmas ornaments on your eyeballs.” Ram tried to complement Kurt’s comment.

“…you really do not want these. Unless you want to feel your eyes getting exploded.”

“…so, John… you died in an explosion?” Duke offered, and you could see his confident swagger falter slightly.

“I did.”

“You know… there was an explosion at our school, and… one person died. When we saw their remains, it was just little bits and pieces of the person they once were… is that you, John?” Martha hurriedly asked, and John shot Veronica a knowing look before continuing.

“…it was me.”

The color from Veronica’s face drained, and he had essentially just confirmed her theory. Silence hung over the group like a blanket, and the tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

“Man, I could really use a Slurpee.” John thought out loud, trying to break the tension.

Duke snapped her fingers. “Aye. Slurpees are great. They’re sugar ice water. Ugh, they’ve got me hooked worse than cocaine.”

John chuckled, singing softly. “Happiness comes when everything numbs. Who needs cocaine?”

Freeze your brain… freeze your brain.

It was almost scary how John’s voice echoed through Veronica’s brain, automatically completing his verse for her. Yet, she stayed composed. Nobody needed to know.

Notes:

Can you guess who is going next?!

Also, as you’ve probably noticed, this won’t be a low effort copy paste of the pre-existing Ride the Cyclone script and this will actually be its own story following the RTC universe, with just Karnak and the setting of the warehouse cyclone thing being the same. I don’t do stupid low effort copy pastes.

Chapter 5: Heather McNamara’s Encore

Notes:

Sorry for not uploading lately, I was REALLY busy with preliminary exams and also lost motivation to write. The reason why Mac has another song… is because I have 3 for Chandler and I’m not leaving my girl Heather McNamara out to dry like that. POP OFF, MAC!!! YOU TAKE THOSE!!!

“Did you seriously think I was done?”

That sharp tone came right out of nowhere, and no one expected that it’d come from the girl who had just finished her musical number.

Heather McNamara.

“What do you mean? You just finished-“ Kurt stammered, but was cut off.

“You know… I can’t seriously have my plea to live be a sob story of how Heather Chandler treated me. I have more to say… if you guys don’t mind?” She said, smiling sadly. Strangely enough, no one objected. It seemed as though everyone in that room unanimously agreed that Heather McNamara deserved to be heard. Even Heather Chandler herself had agreed.

“Well… if that’s the case, then…”

“I think we can all agree… I’m the 10 amongst these threes.”

McNamara smirked confidently, placing her hands on her hips. Everyone’s jaws dropped. Was she really going to take the Chandler route?

“And ever since I was a child, I’d make the boys go wild.”

And at that moment, everyone in the room seemed to have a collective realisation. Kurt and Ram’s eyes widened, but they couldn’t stop her now, could they?

“Take the old cornerback, Theo Kovack… I was young it's true but even then I knew! The only thing you wanna do is…” She blew everyone a kiss.

Kurt and Ram looked at each other nervously while the rest listened to McNamara intently.

“Tall, dumb, sexy Kovack taught me all about dynamics… He was 18, and I was 14 going on 40. We'd spend hours playing with balls, practicing passes and trashing the halls. He tackled my ass to the other side… felt him opening his arms wide. Tell me what you need! What you want, you don't need to plead! 'Cause I feel the chemistry, like I get you and you get me…”

Hearts filled in McNamara’s eyes as she seemed to be reminiscing about her past.

“And maybe this is it… he just cares so much, it feels legit! We have a connection… I think this guy is different…!!”

Chandler and Duke looked at each other with a solemn look on their faces. They both knew exactly what Theo was. McNamara kept singing like it was free real estate, acting as if it was just no big deal. Just another boy.

“'Cause all you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby is touch me, love me, can't get enough, see? All you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby is please me, squeeze me, birds and the bees me… Run your fingers through my hair, tell me, I'm the fairest of the fair! Playtime's over… The only thing you wanna do is...”

She blew a kiss and winked at Ram, whose face turned as white as a sheet. “Heather… fuck, Heather, I’ll-“

She didn’t give two shits about his pleas, and kept speaking. “But then there was another guy… Ram Sweeney!” She gestured to Ram as if he had just won a prize, and he looked at his feet shamefully. Veronica, John and Martha seemed to be catching on.

“Goofy, big and slow… gets what he wants, and he won't take no! Passion in all that he touches… the dumb linebacker to the Rottweilers. Helped him in the field, had a duty to do, passing him his bottle and his shoe! Cheered my fucking lungs out, my throat was so tired… still I came back the next day as he required!”

Being the dumbass he was, Ram didn’t catch the implication of McNamara’s words. At all. Yet, Veronica looked like she was ready to kill Ram… even when he had been the one causing her to panic a few minutes ago. Even Martha looked shocked. Ram did that?

“You say I'm what you need… All you want, you don't need to plead! 'Cause I feel the chemistry, like I get you and you get me…”

And at this moment, McNamara had a hopeful look in her eyes. As if she was trying to convince herself that everything turned out fine.

“And I know this is it… He just cares so much, this one's legit! We have a real connection… I'm sure this time is different!”

Was it?

“'Cause all you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby is touch me, love me, can't get enough see? All you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby is seize me, squeeze me, birds and the bees me… There's no time for when or how 'cause you just got to have me now! Playtime's over… The only thing you wanna do is...” She blew yet another kiss at the rest.

As the song progressed, McNamara looked as if she was getting more and more bored. Like all this was normal to her. It shouldn’t have been normal… yet it was, wasn’t it? The energy that she had started with was slowly diminishing as the song progressed.

And Kurt knew exactly who was next. Himself. He looked at McNamara with a look of pure resignation. Kurt had taken this matter to his grave… yet, it was all coming back up again.

“So, guess who I met next? Kurt Kelly, quarterback and captain! The smartest guy on the football team!!!” She did a mock cheer, her eyes somehow looking more dead than she was. Their once hazel tint had faded, and they looked… borderline empty.

“With Kurt Kelly, it isn't easy, his brain is small, and his friends are sleazy! Except for just some nights… He's a really nice guy, we’d never fight! The captain life isn't what I planned but Kurt is there to lend a helping hand! So sweet, makes sure that I'm okay, and we hang out loads when his dad’s away!”

Duke and Chandler sighed. Kurt was none of that. Quite contrary to their reactions, Kurt’s eyes had a glimmer of hope to them. Like he actually was recognised as the best fit for McNamara.

Seeing this, Veronica rolled her eyes. Martha and her started to whisper things to each other; it wasn’t that usual of a sight, but even Martha seemed disgusted at Ram. That was an extremely rare sight. Martha loved Ram ever since kindergarten… but now, none of that was showing. All that remained was pure, unbridled disgust.

“This guy finally is what I want, the man I need! Just mates and chemistry… I get him and he gets me… and there's nothing more to it, he just cares so much, he's devoted! He says we have a connection…?”

Her voice started trembling, and you could practically see the hairs on her arms and legs stand. She tried her best to keep singing, but her voice got more and more unstable as she went on. Voice crack after voice crack followed, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Veronica glared at Kurt and Ram, who just looked at the floor in shame. They both fucked up majorly… and they knew it.

“…I thought this time was different! Why did I think he'd be different…?! But it's never… EVER… different!!!”

The seven of them (and Karnak) watched as Heather McNamara’s tears streamed from her cheeks, her voice spiking every few seconds as her body swayed from side to side, flinching from nothing in particular.

Duke’s eyes widened, but she kept herself in control. She didn’t care about Heather McNamara… did she?

“'Cause all you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby is touch me, when will enough be ENOUGH!? See?! All you wanna do, all you wanna do, baby, squeeze me, don't care if you don't please me! Bite my lip and pull my hair as you tell me, I'm the fairest of the fair!!!”

Through sobs, she kept singing. “Playtime's over… playtime’s over… playtime's over…!!! The only thing, the only thing… The ONLY thing you wanna do is...”

And with that, Heather McNamara let out a choked sob, throwing her head back and letting strands of hair cover her face.

The room was silent; so silent that the usual sounds of Heather Duke tapping her foot or fidgeting with a pen couldn’t be heard. So silent that only the heavy breaths of Heather McNamara could be heard.

After a while, she looked back at everyone, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Guess I ended up narrating another shitty sob story about my life, didn’t I…?”

“It wasn’t shitty, Heather.” Martha spoke up. “Your problems are valid. I… I’m so sorry.” A bitter expression was on her face. Veronica just sighed.

John muttered. “This is why I was right…” Veronica shot him a reproachful look and he shut up almost instantly.

“…I kind of deserve this. I let them step over me.”

“Shut up, Heather!” Duke yelled. “It’s not your fault! They’re assholes and you know it!!!” She glared at Kurt and Ram, who just looked at their feet in guilt.

“Oh, what’s the sudden matter with you two? Character development?! Do you seriously think I can forgive you after what you did to Heather?”

“…Heather… you may not be able to, but… I can.” To everyone’s surprise, it was McNamara yet again. She looked at the two with a sad gaze in her eyes. “Both of you have been the cause of several of my nightmares, but… Veronica’s always told us this. If we changed back then, we could change again… we can be beautiful! And… although it’s hard for me… I still believe that you guys can change.”

John hissed. “But they’re-“

Veronica interjected. “Heather’s… right.” The last word sounded very strained. “And besides… she’s… the one they…” She didn’t finish her sentence. It wasn’t just McNamara who was hurt, was it?

And then, there was silence again. Until both Kurt Kelly and Ram Sweeney spoke up.

“…I’m sorry.”

Notes:

You may have noticed I removed the second chorus from All You Wanna Do. I hope you guys don’t mind. I did want to combine the movie and the musical verse (Ram rapes Mac in the movie I think??? and he was her boyfriend in the movie while Kurt was her boyfriend in the musical) BUT DON’T WORRY I WILL TRY TO REDEEM THEM, THEY ARE ASSHOLES BUT EVERYONE GETS REDEMPTION!!! (or at least my attempt to redeem them even though they’re awful people)

Also, if I ever finish this fic, I’m probably going to get a couple of people to record a reading of this fic. If you’re interested then I may post more information in my last author’s note! I’ve already found a potential Mac and of course, I will be playing Heather Duke. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter since my nationals are coming and this may be my last one in a while!

Chapter 6: Martha Dunnstock’s Bumper

Notes:

Heyo! I’m so sorry that I haven’t been writing, I’ve really lost motivation and nothing really seems fun anymore but I realised I should probably complete this fanfic. My SAT and ACT were trainwrecks and since I’m an international student I’m… going to have to retake them. Yay!

The room was dead silent. The truth had just come to light… as if it wasn’t already prominent. It seemed as though Martha was the only one unaware of the jocks’ true nature, and befitting of this big reveal, she looked absolutely disgusted. She wasn’t disappointed or angry, just… disgusted.

“Martha, I know this is a lot for you to take in-“ Veronica tried to say, but Martha shut her down.

“I guess that’s what you get… when you’re at the bottom of the barrel, huh? Maybe it’s way better here than it is ‘floating above it all’.”

Chandler sneered. “Well, it’s maybe because you’ve never experienced being rich, popular and hot before, have you, Dumptruck?”

She didn’t even seem scared of Chandler anymore. In fact, no one did. She shot right back at her. “Says the girl who only got us an hour off after she committed suicide.” Veronica tensed up, but John’s expression stayed blank. “Heather- Mac would’ve gotten us half a day at the very least.”

The look of shock that followed on everyone’s faces after was palpable. Even Heather Duke was surprised. “You just-“

“I just what, Heather? I guess the memory loss from purging so much got to your head?”

Duke was too shocked to even return a snarky remark. The room was absolutely silent until Karnak spoke up.

“Who’s next? Would you like to go, Dukey?”

Duke’s face turned red and she gritted her teeth. “What the fuck did you just call me?”

“I called you Dukey.” He deadpanned. Chandler and Mac snickered. Duke rolled her eyes and Martha stepped forward.

“I’ll go next…” She sighed. “Sorry, guys, I just… didn’t really believe that Ram was a bad person.” Her eyes bore right into Veronica’s.

She started speaking. “I guess I really didn’t want to believe it, didn’t I? Ram was so sweet in kindergarten… we’d do everything together. I remember that time during preschool when I broke my ankle and he helped me!”

Kurt and Ram didn’t even banter with each other in this situation. It was so unlike Martha to snap like that… yet, it had happened.

“And… even now, I just…” She sighed again. “…can’t let go of Ram. I can’t let go of what we’ve done in kindergarten, the time we’ve spent together… even with knowing that he’s a dirty… rapist, I… couldn’t let go of him.”

Martha walked up to the machine and pulled hard on the lever, and Karnak began to read out her fortune.

“Martha Dunnstock, born February 29th, Pisces, sign of passion. The most notable aspect of her life was arguably the fact that she either tried to kill herself on the Old Mill Bridge after her best friend betrayed her… the fact that she knew Veronica Sawyer even before she could walk, or the fact that she fell in love with a boy and a girl even before elementary school. The moment that her eyes fell on Ram Sweeney at age five, it was mutual love… clearly shown by how they kissed on the football field. At age six, she attended a church camp, eventually befriending Heather Duke. The friendship didn’t last long, though. The next time they met at yet another church camp… Heather spread a nasty rumor about how she jacked off to pictures of the boy of her dreams. That was when Martha experienced her first ever heartbreak… she realised too late that she had developed feelings for her.”

Duke blinked. “What the fuck?”

Karnak ignored her remark and continued. “Yet, she never gave up on her love for Ram… though the feeling grew less and less mutual throughout the years. At first, he talked to her less. It gradually evolved into ignorance… then joining in others’ mockery of her. Watching The Princess Bride was simply a feeble hope that Ram would be her ‘Dread Pirate Roberts’, and that all this would end in a happy ending. Holding out this hope till the very end was how Martha Dunnstock became the nicest girl in town.”

No one else spoke… though questions were practically popping out of Veronica and Duke’s heads.

“I guess you all know my secret now, huh?” Martha looked down shamefully. “I didn’t have a crush on just Ram… I had one on Heather, too. It was… weird. When we took baths together… played together… my heart just… fluttered a million beats! It felt so wrong… it was wrong, yet… so right. Yet… she had to betray me. She had to stab me in the back just like that… but I never faulted her. I… I didn’t want to let her go either. You know… I’ve influenced Veronica a lot. Even after everything… I believe that we’re all worth saving. None of us are bad people… everyone can be a good person, if they just try.”

“When I saw Heather at Westerburg… I knew for a fact that she wasn’t the same Heather Duke that I had fallen for. She had turned much colder… and Ram kept flirting with her. She denied his advances every single time… and it hurt. It hurt seeing the boy of my dreams try to get with the girl of my dreams… but I still held on to hope. I still held on to the fact that they could change… and be the good people I once knew them as. I wanted them to change so badly… and I wanted to be with them.” She turned to Veronica. “…I didn’t believe in bisexuality because… I… didn’t want you to know what I felt about her.”

“That’s enough about them, isn’t it? They say suicide is for cool kids… first Heather Chandler, then Ram and Kurt… then Heather Mac. I was never cool. Nothing worked out for me. I even tried working out once… and I couldn’t even lose weight. It felt so awful… so bleak. Westerburg was such a cold place; harsh, unforgiving… and dangerous. It’s one thing when people talk about you behind your back, but it’s another thing when people bully you in your face… and it’s yet another thing when the teachers join in. When Veronica joined the Heathers, it just got even worse. I was left to fight for myself… Ram wouldn’t fight for me. Heather Duke wouldn’t fight for me… and now, Veronica wouldn’t fight for me.”

“Imagine my shock and horror when I realised that Veronica lied to me. That yet another person who I considered a friend stabbed me in the back yet again. So I decided, I had the right to create my own happy ending… or so I thought. I put my note near my glasses… and I jumped off the Old Mill Bridge. I could feel a pair of eyes watching at me… I could feel it everywhere. In my last moments, I didn’t even write about Heather Duke… why? I didn’t want to ruin the reputation that she had built up for herself… I didn’t want to ruin her.”

“When I woke up in Sherwood’s hospital… I realised that maybe there was a chance at a happy ending. Maybe the world didn’t want me to give up. Maybe… I could end up with Heather. Then, we went on that trip, and when I saw Heather on that rollercoaster… my heart leapt again. Another chance for love… another chance for something to work out in my life. Maybe this was it… the chance that God had promised me! Yet… she looked so disgusted, so… disdainful. As if she wanted me dead… her gaze was murderous.”

“And then I rode the Cyclone with the Heathers… and that’s when I felt myself dying for the second time.”

“We were at the top of the loop, when the roller coaster made this kind of… screaming metal sound? Sparks were flying all over the place… and then the screaming and the sparks just stopped, and there was this… weightlessness. I felt like I was flying… and I screamed. I screamed at how surreal it felt… how painful it was going to be… yet something unlocked in me. Everything flooded back to me… distant and recent memories alike just… hit me.”

“Like sharing a mat with Ram, watching his chest rise and fall as he slept so peacefully, dreaming of whatever he was dreaming about, getting kissed by him with his scab in my hand, sitting and playing with Heather in the bathtub, going trick-or-treating with Veronica, swimming and splashing happily in a swimming pool, where no one judged me… receiving that forged note, getting to finally talk to Ram again… and I kept screaming… and screaming… it was so scary, yet… so exciting. That’s when I realised… there’s no shame in loving Ram Sweeney. In loving Heather Duke. Ram and Kurt’s dads were right. Being gay wasn’t a bad thing… and it’s 1989! If you were gay anywhere else, you’d be shot… but we’re in Sherwood, Ohio… and I realised it too late.”

“I was so lucky to stay in this town… even when nothing seemed to work out, it was okay… and the only good things that happened to me happened in Sherwood. It took a tragic rollercoaster accident out of all things to make me realise how wonderful everything is… this tragic rollercoaster accident gave me the happy ending that I had longed for for so long!”

Everyone else stayed silent as Martha started to sing… for once, no one mocked her. Probably because it was a formality to listen to everyone sing at this point.

“I used to think that life was just a jawbreaker… yeah, you suck and you suck and you suck and you suck and you suck some more… yeah, you suck some more. At first it seems so sweet, and the colors come and go… like the seasons come and go, the slush and rain and snow ‘till you can taste no more… so you suck some more.”

Martha looked at Ram and Duke wistfully as she kept singing. “I used to think that life was just a heartbreaker… that just breaks, and it breaks, and it breaks, and it breaks…! Till you can’t break no more… till you can’t take no more.”

Her wistful look turned into a more upbeat one, a grin slowly breaking out on her face. “I see the world with all its backwards upside down! There’s nothing wrong with being the nicest girl in town… oh, everything’s clear, now that I’m here on my sugar cloud! Oh my soul, it sings a song so sweet and pure! I’ve felt it all along but now I’m sure… oh, everything’s love looking down from above on my… sugar cloud!”

She spread her arms as wide as her grin was. “Let me take you away… to a sky of cotton candy! Flying like a kite on a string… up up up up and above, all that sugar coated dandy… I wouldn’t change my life for a thing! It makes me wanna sing… I see the gold, I see the pink, I see the blue! The sun goes up, the sun goes down, oh what to do? Oh, everything’s clear… now that I’m here on my… sugar cloud!”

Ram threw a recorder to her, and she started to play it… he chuckled a little sadly. After all… he had ruined Martha again and again and again… and not once did he ever apologise for his actions. He had reflected on it before, but he could never see himself apologising to Martha. When she was done, she threw the recorder back at him… he tucked it away, taking extra care not to break it.

“I used to think that life was just a jawbreaker… you suck and you suck and you suck some more! I used to think that life was just a heartbreaker… it breaks and it takes till you can’t take no more!” Martha looked as if she was on cloud nine… for once in her life, she felt like a star. Like all the attention was focused on her. “And now I’m floating high on a cloud… like I could puke a rainbow!”

She started to prance around and dance happily. “I see the world with all its backwards upside down… there’s nothing wrong with the nicest girl in town! Everything’s clear on my sugar cloud… oh now everything’s love, looking down from above on my sugar cloud!”

She finally stopped, looking back at everyone… her grin didn’t fade even by a bit. The happiness on Martha Dunnstock’s face was palpable, as she caught her breath.

“Oh now everything’s clear… now that I’m here… on my sugar… cloud! Look at me now on my sugar cloud!”

She threw her hands into the air, grinning. “Thanks, guys!”

Everyone was shocked, but in a different way… no one had expected this from Martha Dunnstock. No one at all. Not even her best friend since diapers… it was a new side to the girl that they had ridiculed and ruined for majority of her life.

Veronica ran up to Martha and hugged her tightly. “I… didn’t know you were feeling this way.”

“It’s okay, Veronica, now you do.”

Ram stepped forward slowly, looking at Martha. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something… but closed it. Kurt nudged him, as if encouraging him to say it… and Ram looked up to Martha, not looking into her eyes.

“I’m… sorry.”

Martha pulled away from the hug, and offered Ram her hand… he took it, and hugged her tightly. She hugged him back, and silence hung over the group for a while.

Notes:

I think we all saw Martha singing Sugar Cloud coming. And she’s going to be getting an encore… when I get around to writing it. I originally planned to have Martha go last, but for some reason when I opened my google notes Martha was going after Mac so I decided to roll with it.

Also, I bet ya didn’t expect that twist!

Chapter 7: Martha Dunnstock’s Encore

Notes:

I recently watched The Greatest Showman. I liked it. I really liked it. It was thought provoking. What the hell am I writing?

The group was at a loss. Secrets had been revealed, feelings had been expressed, and everyone’s true selves had come out… except for John’s. He watched the students whose lives he had helped change for better or for worse fight for their lives… and why would he want to reveal his identity? Exposing himself as a murderer would grant neither him nor Veronica any favours. Doing what he did best, he was prepared to retreat back into the shadows… until Duke spoke, looking straight at John.

“I now know thee, thou clear spirit, and I now know that thy worship is defiance-“

John hurriedly pinned her to the ground, but Duke didn’t look scared at all. Eyes flickered in their direction as Duke effortlessly kicked him off her and held him up in a one-handed choke.

John wheezed weakly. “Hah… Heather Duke… you of all damn people know, don’t you?”

“What the fuck was that for?! And if any of you dare to call me Heather Dumptruck I will impale you.”

She let go of him and John fell to the floor, gasping and panting for air.

“You’re an interesting one, aren’t you?”

Duke ignored his comment and turned to Martha, who was still hugging Ram. “Don’t think that just because you spilled your little fetish of getting slut shamed, I’m going to go on my knees and beg you for your forgiveness.”

Martha sighed, pulling away from the hug and speaking with a bitter voice. “You know, Heather, you and Ram have been at the top of the social hierarchy for… years. You two have been so… untouchable, perfect, immune to bullying… so of course I had to fall for you. You of all people… you and Ram. Why didn’t I fall for someone more in my league? Like Veronica?”

Veronica blinked. “Excuse me?”

Martha grimaced. “I didn’t mean it that way, but… sometimes, I wonder why I fell for you two. Why I had to love you two so much that I could never get the both of you out of my mind… but a girl can dream, I suppose.“

Duke yawned. “Oh, bother, we are getting a-“

“Shut up, Heather.” Chandler hissed, and as much as Duke didn’t want to show how affected she was, she flinched and her fists clenched.

Yet, it was as if nothing Duke could do would reverse the fact that this had just become a standard response for her. “Sorry, Heather.”

Chandler scoffed. “If I’m not getting a chance to come back, I’m taking you down with me, Heather Duke.” Her voice was full of pure, unadulterated venom, and her pure blue eyes practically tore holes through Duke’s head.

“Stop it, Heather!” Mac yelled almost pleadingly, and Chandler backed down, not sparing Duke a second glance, yet silently nodding at Mac’s request. The demon queen of Westerburg High had truly softened… yet it had taken death and a metaphorical bitch slap from her childhood best friend to wake her up.

Martha broke the silence. “Uhm… can I continue?”Veronica chuckled nervously and prompted her to go on, meanwhile shooting piercing glares at both Chandler and Duke.

“Ever since I was a child… my parents called me a dreamer. And it was true… it still is, to this day! I still do dream of Heather apologising and listening to my problems, going out with Ram… and being happy with everyone. Even if it isn’t dating Ram or Heather, I’d be happy. I’d be happy to just befriend them. To get to know them… again.” She closed her eyes, starting to sing.

“I close my eyes and I can see the world that's waiting up for me… that I call my own. Through the dark, through the door, through where no one's been before! But it feels like home…”

“They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy… they can say, they can say I've lost my mind. I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy… we can live in a world that we design!”

Finally opening her eyes, her voice sounded almost pleading, yearning for a life that she had never had, a future that she would never get to build. “'Cause every night I lie in bed… the brightest colours fill my head! A million dreams are keeping me awake…”

She turned to Ram and Duke, almost begging. “I think of what the world could be… a vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it's gonna take…!! Oh, a million dreams for the world we're gonna make…”

Duke seemed completely unamused and even bored, while Ram seemed guilty, as if he himself felt like he didn’t deserve someone as forgiving as… her.

“You were right.” John whispered to Veronica. “They were just 17. They still had room to grow.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” Veronica rolled her eyes, whispering back. “Just stay on the down-low and nobody is going to find out what really happened to Heather, Ram and Kurt.”

In response to that, John chuckled dryly. “It does seem that someone in this room has already found out.”

Veronica looked at Duke, who seemed as if she was lost in her own thoughts, and groaned. “Son of a bitch!”

“There's a house we can build! Every room inside is filled with things from far away. The special things I compile, each one there to make you smile! On a rainy day…” Martha took several steps closer to Ram, offering him a hand. He looked at it hesitantly, still feeling guilty for what he had done to Mac, guilty for how he had treated Martha… but didn’t take it just yet.

Martha looked into his eyes, pleading. “They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy… they can say, they can say we've lost our minds. I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy… runaway to a world that we design!”

He looked back into her eyes, his hand inching forward. Her eyes lit up with hope, exclaiming. “Every night I lie in bed… the brightest colours fill my head! A million dreams are keeping me awake…”

To everyone’s surprise, Ram started to sing with her, smiling slightly. “I think of what the world could be… a vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it's gonna take…!! Oh, a million dreams for the world we're gonna make…”

The joy on her face was indescribable, as she gripped his hand tightly, and he returned the gesture, laughing. “However big, however small, let me be a part of it all… share your dreams with me. You may be right, you may be wrong, but say that you'll bring me along to the world you see… to the world I close my eyes to see, I close my eyes to see…!”

Martha’s voice was as light as a feather, gazing at him with childlike wonder. “Every night I lie in bed… the brightest colours fill my head. A million dreams are keeping me awake…”

Ram joined in with her, and their voices harmonised beautifully… so beautifully that it almost brought a tear to John’s eyes. Almost. “I think of what the world could be! A vision of the one I see… a million dreams is all it's gonna take. A million dreams for the world we're gonna make…!”

They both stepped forward, joining their hands and looking at each other with pure love, leaning in with smiles of varying intensities on their faces. “…for the world we're gonna make.”

Lips joined and eyes closed, both Martha Dunnstock and Ram Sweeney never wanted to leave this moment… even if it meant that they wouldn’t be coming back to life.

Notes:

As much as I ship Ram and Kurt, I just couldn’t ignore the fact that Ram kissed Martha on the kickball field. If you couldn’t tell, I’m trying to keep this as close to canon as possible. If I weren’t there’d be a shitload of Chansaw. Yes, Chandler is still a bitch but she will get better. Yes, Duke is still a megabitch but she will get bitchslapped in a chapter to come.

If I’m still alive by then.

I have a personal appointment with Satan. I hope Satan takes pity towards short Asian women.

Chapter 8: Interlude One

Notes:

holy shit I haven’t touched this fic in such a long time… chat I hope I haven’t fallen off… also the first part was written like back when the previous chapter was released, that’s why there may be a disparity in writing style :P hope yall enjoy lol

The kiss was long and drawn out. Chandler opened her mouth to make a snarky comment but Mac shot her down, and surprisingly, she turned away. Mac’s gaze was fixated on the pair, feeling happy for her new friend yet… bitter. One of the men that had raped her had gotten away with just a slap on the wrist? Forgiven so easily by Martha?

Sure, Mac said she was willing to forgive them. But was she, really? A large part of her felt so bitter… but what could she do? They were happy. All she could do was sit and watch her former rapist(s) be happy while she was stuck with a lifetime of trauma. Well, more like… an afterlife of trauma.

She was stuck with them for eternity. God had really cursed her. And there were no pills to get her out this time. If she had known the afterlife was this bad, she wouldn’t have attempted suicide.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t even notice Chandler walking towards her, snapping her perfectly manicured fingers in front of Mac’s face. The latter yelped, jumping back. “H-Heather?”

“I have questions for you.” Chandler said, a little pissed off.

Mac nodded slowly. “Fire away.”

“Why have you changed so much?” She folded her arms. “I’m your best friend, Heather.”

Mac sighed and turned away a little, mumbling under her breath. “…it doesn’t feel like that sometimes.”

“What do you mean?” Chandler asked sharply.

As much as she didn’t want to… Mac recoiled slightly too. The truth was, everyone was scared of Heather Chandler… except for Veronica (to an extent) and her boyfriend who was totally not here and faking his name.

“It’s just… it’s just… you didn’t tell me anything before you died, Heather. You never told me anything. It just… doesn’t make sense!” Mac exclaimed. “It’s like, I thought you had it all together and then you… you…”

Her breathing got heavy, and Chandler’s gaze softened… in a corner, John snickered slightly while Veronica elbowed him. Duke made sure to watch their reactions carefully…

“I’m… sorry you felt that way, Heather.” Chandler whispered, and Mac’s eyes widened. Heather Chandler actually apologising to someone was less believable than the earth being flat.

“No, no, Heather, you shouldn’t apologise for killing yourself!” Mac flailed her hands a little worriedly.

“I… Heather, please, just… I’m sorry you felt that way.”

Veronica was extremely surprised… she’d have thought that Chandler would’ve sold her out by now, but she just kept going on with the suicide narrative. Did she not want to hurt… someone?

“You really don’t have to apologise for killing yourself!” Mac exclaimed.

Chandler groaned a little. “I’m not fucking apologising for killing myself, I just… want to keep being friends with you. Best friends.”

Mac looked a little guilty. “You… you’ve… hurt so much people, Heather.”

“And? It’s our Sunday activity.” Chandler scoffed. “What’s so significant about that?”

“Martha made me realise… it’s not okay to bully people and treat them badly!”

“We’re the Heathers. We don’t listen to some-“

“If you hurt Martha again we can forget about being best friends!” Mac hissed, and Chandler blinked. First Heather Duke, then Heather McNamara… ha. The queen was truly losing control of her pawns.

She looked away from Mac, pacing back and forth, her breathing getting increasingly heavier. “…so this is it, then?”

“Is what it?”

“You seem like you really want it to end here.” Chandler turned back towards Mac, that cold indifference typical of the queen bee back on her face, and Mac couldn’t help but flinch. “And you know what? I’m not going to stop you.”

“Wait, I didn’t-“ Mac started, but Chandler continued that facade. She knew that Mac had long since succumbed to her charms. Hook, line and sinker.

“It is what it is. I suppose you-“

“Heather, stop being a megabitch!” Veronica’s sudden interjection startled both Chandler and Mac, the latter looking at her in bewilderment.

Mac started. “Veronica, you don’t have to-“

“I’m not going to stand around and watch Westerburg’s very own Stalin manipulate you again, Heather.” Veronica glared at Chandler, who glared back with equal intensity. “What is the point? What’s the point of all your stupid theatrics? We’re dead. We’re not going back. Or are you such a stuck-up, egotistical, narcissistic asshole that you refuse to admit the fact that you’re wrong?”

And then there was silence.

Until Heather McNamara reached out her hand to Heather Chandler, pleading, begging her to make a change.

“Fine!” Mac yelled, breaking Chandler from her solemn stupor. “We’re damaged, really damaged… but that does not make us wise!”

She stepped a little closer to Chandler, her hand still extended. “We’re not special, we’re not different… we don’t choose who lives or dies! Let’s… be normal. See bad movies. Sneak a beer and watch TV! We’ll bake brownies, or go bowling… don’t you want a life with me?”

Chandler’s shoulders tensed, but Mac didn’t stop trying. “Can’t we be seventeen? That’s all I want to do… if you could let me in, I could be good with you.”

“We hurt people…”

“Or they vanish.” Chandler finally spoke, eyes downcast.

“Well, I’m right, that really blows! But we let go…”

The shocking thing about it all was that Chandler was actually entertaining this. “Take a deep breath.”

“Then go buy some designer clothes! We’ll go party!” Mac seemed more hopeful, and Veronica raised an eyebrow.

“Play some poker.” Chandler let a dry chuckle escape her lips, her shoulders relaxing once more.

“Then we’ll eat some chilli fries… maybe prom night?” Mac begged, as Chandler finally turned around to face her.

“Maybe dancing?” Chandler winked, and Mac squealed, grabbing onto her hands.

“Don’t stop looking in my eyes!”
“Your eyes…”

“Can’t we be seventeen?! Is that so hard to do? If you could let me in, I could be good with you! Let us be seventeen, if we still got the right!” Mac and Chandler’s eyes were locked onto each other, and the rest watched in silence.

“So what’s it gonna be?! I wanna be with you!” Mac begged, until finally, Chandler responded in an equally resolute tone.

“Wanna be with you… tonight!”

The two best friends embraced in a hug, and all was well again.

Or was it?

“Woah, bro!” Kurt howled. “That’s so hot!”

“It’s fucking platonic, you meathead!” Chandler hissed, shielding Mac as she flinched from Kurt’s words. “And you’re making Heather uncomfortable!”

“Maybe the queen bee has a heart, after all.” John mused.

Notes:

YES CHANDLER AND MAC ARE PLATONIC BESTIES

I WANT A PANINI RN I AM HUNGRY

also yes. there IS unresolved tension between Mac and Duke. however, I’d say Duke isn’t actively hostile and bitchy to Martha or the others in the story, she’s just apathetic and done with life

she’s still a dick tho, bitchslapping will happen