Chapter 5
Veronica stared at the casket wide-eyed as the high-pitched scream was heard one more time. There was no mistaking it — it couldn't be wishful thinking, or a simple illusion created by Veronica's tired mind when that shriek was so eerily similar to the one Heather had let out in her last moments alive. Nervous, Veronica's heartbeat felt almost deafening in her ear. The plan worked. What now?
Luckily, the sound of nail scratches on the coffing finally helped her regain her awareness of the moment.
First she had to open the casket, of course.
Picking the shovel up from the ground again, she focused all of her efforts in prying the casket open with as much strength as her tired arms could still muster after digging in a graveyard for hours on end. After what felt like an eternity, the casket's lid suddenly opened with a loud pop, somewhat startling Veronica.
It took a few seconds until, just like the lid of the coffin, the girl inside it also slowly stood up, squinting, her eyes seemingly not yet accustomed to the light.
Veronica gave the other girl no time at all to get used to her surroundings. Pulling the other girl by the arm, she enveloped her with a hug intense and eager enough to almost make Heather lose balance in the process. The blonde, in turn, did not — and could not, even if she wanted to — return the hug. Still attempting to wrap her head around everything that happened just now, she was capable of having no reaction other than just let herself be hugged.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe that actually worked.” Veronica rested her head on the taller girl’s shoulder, tightening the hug even more as she did so. “I can’t believe-“ her sentence was cut short as a mix of tiredness and relief overwhelming her and turning her words into indecipherable sobs.
Heather didn't understand. Beneath her, her two feet were firmly grounded on the hard cemetery soil, and blades of overgrown grass burshed softly against her ankles. The harsh wind that blew in the nape of her neck contrasted deeply with the feeling of warmth from the other girl's body, forcefully pressed against her own. The tears being cried in her right shoulder soaked her dress enough to permeate it, reaching her skin.
It had been so long since Heather last experienced anything like this. Pulling the brunette closer, it was more instinct than thought that led her to return Veronica's embrace and allow herself to feel that comforting warmth. After all, it had been so long since anything felt so impossibly human. It was almost as if…
“You’re alive.” Veronica continued once she was able to calm down a bit. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I'm…alive?” Heather murmured, abruptly pulling away from the hug. Veronica observed her with a certain kind of amusement as the blonde's expression morphed quickly from shock to relief, and from relief to pure anger. “Veronica Sawyer, I will end you.”
Veronica smiled. Yeah, that was the same Heather she knew and loved.
“Welcome back, Heather. I know you must be confused, and also very mad because I technically killed you, but-"
“Mad because you killed me?” Heather interrupted. “Hating me enough to kill me is absolutely flattering, thank you very much.” the blonde rolled her eyes, and Veronica wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic or not. “but seriously Veronica, did you have to make me such a sappy suicide note? Do I look like the kind of person who listens to Air Supply?”
That caught Veronica by surprise. She knew about the suicide noite? “I…I didn’t know what else to do. I thought you'd like everyone fussing over you. I guess I’m sorry?”
“Whatever.” Heather sighed, deciding to drop the subject. Even though she had technically just woken up, the idea of arguing with Veronica somehow seemed too tiring for her. “We'll talk about that later. For now, I'm more curious as to why.”
"What do you mean?" Veronica frowned a bit as she tried to understand Heather's words.
"I mean…why did you bring me back, Veronica? You hate me," her voice was unusually low.
"I don't hate you, Heather. I mean, you might've made angry a couple of times- well, a bunch of times, and I'm sure I made you angry a bunch of times too but," the words came out of her mouth faster than she could process them, "we were friends. I know it sounds like such a bullshit thing to say, but I didn't wish for things to happen this way. Not for real."
Heather didn't say anything in return. Instead, she utilized the silence that formed between them to finally take a proper look at Veronica.
She was in a deplorable state. After that kind of physical activity, it was natural that Veronica's face would find itself covered in sweat, no matter how cold the weather was. Not only that, but she was dirty too — her clothes, as well as her hands and arms were completely covered in dirt. Her body seemed heavy and her posture was unusually slouched forward, something that she likely didn't even notice, but Heather did. It looks like you're the one that just got dug out of the ground, was the thought that crossed Heather's mind. Still, Heather wouldn't dare say it out loud — or at least not so harshly, after everything they'd both been through.
Veronica felt quite awkward under the spotlight of Heather's scrutinizing look. Turning her head away from her overseer, seeing the dark blue, almost pitch black shades that painted the sky made her realize something almost immediately. It wasn't quite morning yet — not yet, but sunrise was sure to come soon. She would rather not take the gamble on being seen leaving a cemetery with someone who surely was supposed to be dead.
"I know things are probably still a bit confusing for you Heather, but we should go home now," she grabbed the blonde's hand, pulling her arm. "We have to get out before people start waking up to go to work." Heather tried to pull away, the other girl's hand feeling quite rough against her own, but Veronica's grip was too firm. Unwilling to resist, she simply followed the brunette towards the entrance.
"Veronica?" Heather called suddenly.
"Yes?"
“…Thank you.” these words came out of Heather's mouth almost as a whisper, as she averted her gaze from Veronica, directing it to the ground beneath her.
"Don't thank me." Veronica couldn't help but say that somewhat coldly. There was no reason Heather should thank her. She was just cleaning up after a mess she made herself, and hearing these words coming from the usually proud Heather Chandler only seemed to make things worse.
A sudden thought snapped Veronica away from her small session of self guilt tripping. She didn't know if Heather had realized that fact or not, but once again she could feel the girl making another attempt, although a more gentle one, to pull her hand away from Veronica's. This time, though, she just let go. "Oh, sorry Heather. My hands are dirty, aren't they?"
"Not only your hands." Heather rolled her eyes," Frankly, Veronica? You look like hell."
“Of course,” Veronica couldn't stop herself from letting out a small chuckle at that comment, “I just brought you back.”