Chapter Text
“I’m home,” Heather called, removing her shoes from her feet. Heather tossed her coat on the coat rack and walked to the kitchen. To her surprise, it was her mom cooking tonight. Not one of the fifteen chefs her parents hired.
‘Huh. forgot the old hag could cook.’ Heather joked in her head, leaning against the doorframe.
“Old hag? Really Hessa? I thought you would have better nicknames for your old woman than that.” Her mom laughed over her shoulder, pulling the casserole out of the oven.
Heather flushed a shade of rade out of embarrassment. “I said that out loud, didn't I?”
“Sure did,” The older woman placed Heather’s food on a plate and handed it to her. “Sit down, I'll eat with you.”
“I don’t suppose daddy will be eating with us.” Heather mumbled, grabbing cutlery from the drawer.
“Hey, don’t be like that. You know that you’re father is-”
“Busy. I know. I’ve been hearing the same excuse since I was nine. I’m used to it.” The younger girl finished. She sat down at the kitchen table and picked at her food.
“Don’t be like that. Your father loves you very much. Eat your food.” Her mom commanded, setting her food down in front of Heather’s plate.
The two sat in an uncomfortable silence for another ten minutes, clearly not used to having family dinners.
“You know I– um, I’m not hungry. I’m really tired too,” Heather lets out a fake yawn and pushes the plate away. “I think I might turn in for the night.”
“Wait, honey are you sure? You look like you haven’t eaten anything in weeks. Your father and I are really worried about you.” Her mom asked, clearly worried.
“I’m fine mom. I think visiting Maggie puts me in a tired mood,” Heather stands up. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight mom. I love you.”
“Alright goodnight. I love you.”
Heather exited the kitchen and made her way upstairs. Despite her family’s wealthiness, the Chandlers lived in a very suburban neighborhood. Just before entering her room, Heather stopped and looked at the room right across from hers. She hasn’t been in Maggie’s room since her death. It was too much. I mean, who wants to willingly find their older sister’s body hanging from a ceiling fan?
“I miss you, Mags. Everyone does.” Heather muttered under her breath. Then she made her way to her own room and collapsed on the bed.
I guess visiting her dead sister really does make her tired.
“Heather! Get up! We have to get to grandma’s!” Her mom calls from down the stairs
Heather’s eyes shot open.
“Shit.”
The infamous trip to grandma’s house. The trip that Heather hates and the one that Heather has been avoiding since she was ten. Heather shot up from her bed and started panicking. She definitely did not want to go.
“Heather,” Her mom opened her bedroom door. “Are you ready? We have to get going.”
“Sorry mom! Wish I could but unfortunately I promised Vanessa that I’d go to her house. Give her some of Maggie’s stuff.” Heather lied.
“Oh. Alright then. Glad to see you two are finally getting along. I’ll be leaving now.” Celine smiled. “Tell her I said hello won’t you?”
“Totally. Tell grandma I’m sorry I couldn’t come.”
“Don’t worry about it. Love you.” The older woman then shut the door and Heather let out the breath she was holding in.
‘I guess I really should go to Vanessa’s house.” The girl thought.
Heather got dressed and left her room and grabbed a cardboard box. Again she stared at the room across from her but this time she entered. Nothing changed since the last time she entered. Her mom and her were too grief filled to clean it out and her dad, as usual, was working himself to the bone. He didn’t even show up to Maggie’s funeral.
Heather’s eyes started to water but she powered through it, picking out things that she thought Vanessa would enjoy. Shirts, comic books, pictures, just things that symbolized all the things Maggie loved. After all, Vanessa needed it more. Heather had fourteen years of memories. Vanessa only had a year.
Heather packed all the stuff into the boxes along with cologne that Maggie wore all the time and taped it shut.
‘Hopefully this isn’t too heavy.’
She braced herself and picked up the box. Surprisingly, it was fairly light and Heather could carry it with ease. The girl brought the box downstairs and outside to her driveway. She found her old wagon in the garage and placed the box down.
‘The journey begins . ’ Heather thought, as she made her way to Vanessa’s house.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Heather was scared. She didn’t know why, she was just visiting her sister’s ex-girlfriend. There was nothing to be scared about.
‘This is stupid, she might not even be home.’ She chewed her lip and contemplated going home.
CLICK
The door swung open and there stood a very tired looking Vanessa.
“Vanessa?”
“Heather,” She greeted. The tired girl then stepped to the side. “Come in.”
The younger girl nodded but picked up the box from the wagon first.
“What’s that?” Vanessa questioned.
“Some of Maggie’s stuff. I felt like you need it more than we do.” She replied.
Vanessa’s eyes widened in surprise before smiling warmly. Heather returned the smile and stepped inside the house. She shut the door behind her as Vanessa went to the kitchen.
‘Huh. Her house looks the same.’
Heather removed her shoes and placed the box down by the door before joining Vanessa in the kitchen.
“Hey Heather? Do you mind cooking eggs?”
Heather obliged and grabbed a few eggs from the fridge. She placed the eggs on the counter and took out a frying pan from a cabinet under the stove. She tried to locate the salt and pepper but to no avail.
“Vanessa? Where’s the salt and pepper?”
“It should be where you found the frying pan, if not check the pantry.” The older girl replied, sitting down at the kitchen island.
Heather quickly located the seasonings in the pantry and fired up the stove. She poured just the right amount of oil before waiting for it to heat up. Once she decided it was hot enough, she cracked the egg into a pan.
“Do you want your eggs over easy?”
“That’d be great, thanks Heather.”
The cooking girl then flipped the egg with such finesse that you’d think she was a cook. Sustaining a few burns, Heather placed the egg on a plate before seasoning with salt and pepper. She then pulled out a loaf of bread, taking two slices before placing it on the same pan, toasting it to perfection.
“Thank you Heather.” Vaneesa thanked, as Heather placed the plate in front of her.
“No problem.” Heather shrugged, taking a seat in front of her.
As Vanessa was eating, Heather slipped deep into thought. It was about Emily. She still couldn’t believe she had a boyfriend. I mean there was surely someone that could treat her better than he could. Take Heather for example! She’s only known Emily for a few months but she could guarantee that she was a better kisser and could probably be a better boyfriend!
Wait. No. No, no, no! She wasn’t gay. She didn’t have a problem with gay people anymore but she liked guys. She only liked guys. She could not be a better boyfriend than Emily’s. She didn’t want to be better.
“Heather, you’re zoning out. Are you okay?”
“How did you find out you like girls?"
The room went dead silent after Heather blurted that out.
“I-I’m sorry,” Heather flushed a shade of red. “That was very, um, uncouth of me.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Vanessa laughed. “To answer your question though-”
“No! I don’t need an answer to that question.”
“Well you’re clearly lying. I’m doing this out of pure will. Let me tell you. Please.”
“Um,” Heather sighed. This might help her figure out why she thought of Emily like that. “Sure, go on.”
“Alright. As I was saying, I was always subconsciously aware that I liked girls. I didn't think there was anything inhumane about it. If boys can like girls, girls can like girls and vice versa. Are you with me so far?”
Heather nodded.
“Moving on, if I had any doubt I could safely say it was because of my parents. I always heard them talking smack about gay people, so I pushed my feelings down and down. I convinced myself I only liked guys and liking girls was simply just a phase I went through. Then, my entire world came crashing down when I met your sister. She was just– she was just perfect. She still is. The more I started hanging out with her, the more I felt old feelings resurfacing.”
“Wait, so you met my sister and you turned gay again?”
“Well, people don’t turn gay. It’s just the way they happen to be.”
Heather nodded. “Go on.”
“Then, around six months into our friendship, I finally came to terms that maybe I liked her. More romantically than platonically. I worked up the nerve to ask her out a month later and the rest is history.” Vanessa sighed and her eyes started watering. “I really miss her.”
Heather placed her hand on top of hers. “I miss her too, but don’t cry. Please. It’d pain her to see you like this. She really loved you, you know.”
The words that were just said made Vanessa cry even more. Heather got up and wrapped her arms around Vanessa as she sobbed hysterically.
During the embrace, Heather mulled over Vanessa’s words. Maybe she did like Emily. Romantically not platonically. Maybe she was just trying to please her parents with a perfect daughter. Maybe it wasn’t a phase. Maybe that’s why Heather found girls so mesmerizing.
Maybe Heather did like girls, and you know what? She could be okay with that.