Chapter Seven - Hate, Rage, Lies, and Insecurities

After that painful conversation with Casey, I was back in Heather's room. At least all her cow-print madness had been abolished. Now she was stuck on zebra-print.

Heh.

It amused me for some odd unknown reason.

"So. You and Casey. What's up with that?" she smirked.

I blushed but said, "There's nothing between us. You know that."

He sighed, crossing her legs on her bed. "I wish there was, though. I hate Noelle. You suit him more."

"I do?"

"Yeah. You do. Besides," she leaned forward, the tips of her French-manicured nails resting on her chin thoughtfully, "you are so much prettier than Noelle."

I snorted. "Doubt it." woah. Did Heather really think some good things about me?"

"Okay, you're right. Noelle is prettier in the skanky, faker way. You have a natural beauty."

I almost started laughing out loud. I could not keep a straight face. "Natural beauty"? Since when did she become Miss Fairy Godmother?

"Tell me something real."

"Like about how I'm nervous that Danny doesn't like me?" her face hung, her stick-straightened red hair hung down past her face. The golden light of the lamp struck on her face. I'm no photographer but I wished I had a camera to get this one scene. She looked really pretty...really serene. Something I've never seen in the usual-fiery Heather.

"I'm sure he likes you." I said, trying to be nice to her. I felt kind of sorry for her. Who knew popular people had so many insecurities? First Marissa, now her. Sure, they were shallow. But maybe it's because they haven't been taught otherwise. Maybe it's because all the friends they've had are just like them. Maybe they need more non-shallow people to be their friends. Maybe it would balance out their priorities.

Maybe.

"How are you sure?" she said, wiping off a tear. Outside the rain splattered hard against her window. Why was it constantly raining? It barely rained this in Santa Martina. We get the occasional shower but never a full-out thunderstorm this huge. It frightened me. Kinda. What frightened me more was the fact that I might never get out of this hell.

"Sometimes I feel like Danny is using me." she rattled on. "Like he would only go out with me because of who I am."

"And who are you?" I asked softly.

She started crying more. Woah. So not Heather-behavior. "I'm shallow." she weeped. "I'm shallow and a bitch."

"No, you're not." I pressed. Yes, she WAS! But maybe I could fix that.

"I am!" she sobbed on. "I'm so shallow that...that...that... THAT I'M A KIDDIE POOL!" [A/N: The "kiddie pool" analogy taken from Vampire Diaries tv show, not me].

"You're not a kiddie pool!" I said. "Heather, the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one. You just did that."

"I don't want to CHANGE!" she snapped. Then she blinked and we stared at each other. Lightning flashed.

"Well, you don't want Danny to just like you because you're shallow and 'popular', right?"

"Maybe." she sniffed.

"So do the fool-proof plan. Don't BE shallow. And if you aren't those things, how could he like you only for them, right? Be yourself."

"It is myself. And if I stop, I won't be popular. I'll be uncool, like Samm—"

"Like who?" I stiffened.

She shook her head, looking wide-eyed and scared. "That's weird. I just had a sudden vision of be hating you because you were uncool or something...but the weird this is, you and I have been friends since the fourth grade and I have never hated you. You've always been popular. So why did I have have that vision? It seemed so real...like I was there...taunting you. Wow. You're my FRIEND. I would never be that meant to you."

Oh my god! Maybe this was a sign! She had a vision of my real life! Maybe this was some sort of sign that I was on the right track, that I was one step closer to getting back to my real home and life. But what had I been doing? Helping Heather be better?

Helping Heather be a better person! That was it! I was making her change for the better! Or, at least trying.

I needed to keep on trying. Maybe then even when I get back to my real life, she'll be nice there too. One can only hope.

"It's nothing," I insisted. "Probably because you're so upset right now, your brain is thinking weird things." I knew my theory made no sense but Heather was stupid enough to believe it.

After a moment of silence she said, "But I was being really cruel to you in my vision. I can't imagine how you were feeling."

"Probably wanting to punch your lights out," I joked.

She stopped and stared at me.

"I was kidding!" I laughed nervously. Not really.

She cracked a smile. "So if you punched me, I'd probably want to claw your face off."

"And I'd want to stomp you into the ground."

"And I would want to tear every vein out of your body, one by one—"

"Okay! Too gruesome!" I laughed.

She laughed too.

And then we both burst into peals of laughter, as the thunderous roar died down to a quiet growling and the vigorous rain slowed to steady drizzling against her window.