Other side of paradise (Jason Dean x reader)

𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞

You walked through school, following your sister, listening to your peers mindless chatter.  You were being led to the cafeteria, a bit surprised by the news you had heard nonstop today:

Heather Chandler, your sister's best friend, was dead.  Suicided her way out of life.  There was no longer a queen over the school.

Obviously you offered your condolences to Veronica and the other two Heathers.'  Duke thanked you, but wasn't fully paying attention, she was off in her own little world.  McNamara was distraught, bothered by the fact that best friend had been lying to everyone for god knows how long.  Veronica just brushed you off entirely.  

Your group made it to the cafeteria and got the disgusting school food, and made your way to your usual table.  It felt strange without Chandler there.  You missed her, in a way.  It was probably you trying to stomach the fact that someone who everyone around you looked up to was six feet in the ground, and never coming back.

"God, it's so unfair," McNamara exclaimed.  "We should get off a whole week, not just an hour!"

Ah yes, now that lunch was here and your clique was gathered together, it was time to talk about pressing matters.  Not the fact that Heather C was dead, but how much time the school was giving the student body to 'recover.'

"Write the school board," Duke advised, following her statement by stuffing her face full of food.

"Hey, what happened to your urge to purge," Veronica interrogated.

"Fuck it," Duke responded, eating more.

"Hey, we were cleaning out Heather's locker earlier and found one of her swatches," McNamara told you.  "We thought she'd like you to have it.  She always said you couldn't accessorize a fit."

"Her final interaction with me was an insult from beyond the grave," you muttered.

McNamara slid you the fashion watch from across the table, and a random student stopped before continuing the path to their usual table.

"Sorry to hear about your friend," they began.  "Thought she was her usual air-head bitch, but I guess I was wrong.  We all were..."

"What a waste," McNamara stated.

"Oh, the humanity," Duke added.

The student walked off to their usual table, and the girls around you returned to their conversation about how much off time you were getting out of this tragedy.  You looked around the caf for a potential escape, only to see someone give you a curt wave.

"Hey, I have someone I need to talk to," you told them.

"Really?  Who," Veronica asked.

"Just a friend.  I'll catch up with you guys later."

Before you could be asked any more questions, you grabbed the swatch and made your way over to the schools loneliest table under a broken light.  The sole occupant was smiling at you brightly, and you couldn't help but smile back.  Martha's words rang through your head louder than any doubts.  You're just a kid.  It's your time to make stupid mistakes.  You got to the table and sat down across from JD, and held out the swatch to him.

"Hey, can you help me put this on," you requested.

"Of course.  Where'd you get it?"

"From Heather.  Apparently Heather would have wanted me to have it."

"Fair enough.  How do you feel about Heather's passing," he asked you.  "I knew you didn't really like her, but you still spent a lot of time with her."

He took the watch from your hands and wrapped it around your wrist, and clamped the buckle shut, securing it perfectly.

"I don't know how to feel," you admitted.  "I didn't like her, she didn't like me, but she was my sister's best friend.  And it seems like she had some real demons, I wish I'd known.  Even Heather didn't deserve to be alone."

"You're too good for this world," JD told you.  "You're like the only good thing in a cruel, cruel world."

"You flatter me," you replied.

"What can I say?  I can't look in your eyes without sparking something... you electrify my heart."

You smiled, and felt your heart flutter a little.

'You only met this kid Friday (y/n)," you thought to yourself.

No.  It's your time to make mistakes.  So how about we get started, hm?

"JD," you began.

He looked at you expectantly, wondering what you were about to say next.  You looked in his eyes, and felt butterflies in your chest.  You opened your mouth to speak...

But chickened out.

"I don't know how to feel about all this," you said.

It wasn't exactly a lie.  Heather never treated you like a friend, but did she consider you one?  It was clear that she had some issues, so maybe she was just taking out her emotions on them when she actually had good thoughts about them.  Maybe she did care about you, but just couldn't articulate it properly.

"Well, what do you think you should be feeling," he asked.

"I don't know... sad, maybe?  Someone I know is dead.  From suicide, no less."

"And how do you feel?"

"I have negative emotions about it, but I don't think I miss her as much as I should," you admitted.

"Well, no one can really control how you feel, you need to just do what you feel is right," he told you.

"What happens if what feels right is the worst decision you could make in a situation?"

"Well, I'd say give it a shot."

"Okay then.  I don't want to be alone right now, and if you haven't noticed, my sister and her friend's aren't exactly my favorite people in the world."

"Why don't you come over to my house after school?  I'll even take you home," JD suggested.

"That'd be great, thank you," you smiled.