Work Text:
reginald: Guys, I think I need your help with something.
gaylien: my good bitch it is five thirty am what the fuck
reginald: I wake up early to work out with my mom. Why are you awake?
gaylien: why do u think i’m awake reggie
reginald: Fair point.
africabytoto: But what does Regina need help with?
gaylien: caddy why are you awake bby
africabytoto: Because I’m at your house?? You’re not quiet, love
gaylien: oh yeah
africabytoto: Come back, I need snuggles 🥺
reginald: You two are absolutely revolting.
gaylien: shush reggie ur just jealous that i have a gf and u dont
reginald: I’m going to hit you with a heavy rock.
africabytoto: Hey!!! Be nice!!!!!
sashafierce: Y’all what kinda fresh hell it is like six in the morning
gaylien: hi damie!!!!!
sashafierce: Hi Jan!!!!
reginald: Good lord.
sashafierce: OwO Reggie needs our help??? With a mystery???? Is she hiding a body??
gaylien: if you ever say owo in earnest again i’m disowning you
sashafierce: Constructive feedback has been taken into consideration
reginald: You know what, never mind.
africabytoto: Nooo!! I wanna help!!
reginald: Fine. My therapist noticed I still have a lot of guilt about my past actions, which, duh. But a good bit is about the Burn Book. So she said I should recreate it but with compliments to help that, and to teach me to think nicer things of people.
reginald: And I know it’s my doing and it’s my responsibility, but I would feel better having a group there.
fetchen: Aww, Regina! It wasn’t just you!! Also hi good morning!!
mynameiskaren: yeah i rote some stuff! ✍️✍️✍️
reginald: But it was my idea.
gaylien: and so is this
gaylien: character growth
reginald: I mean. Sure. Technically it was my therapist’s idea, but I’ll take it.
gaylien: regina omfg
africabytoto: Janis and I will help!!
gaylien: i did not agree to this
africabytoto: Janis
africabytoto: You’re helping
gaylien: ok fine
sashafierce: Honestly this sounds fun, I’ll help too
fetchen: We’ll obvs help, Gina!
mynameiskaren: 👍👌💋👯♀️📓
fetchen: She says her too!
mynameiskaren: ill bring snacks!!
sashafierce: Karen you’re an icon you’re doing great sweetie
gaylien: that’s the whole reason u agreed
sashafierce: Excuse u I agreed before I knew there would be food
reginald: I’m already filled with regret.
gaylien: reggie u had to know this would happen
reginald: I suppose.
mynameiskaren: wait did janis ever go cuddle cady?? 🤔🤔🤔
africabytoto: Sent a picture: My girl <3333
sashafierce: Ugh my gaybies
gaylien: dame that’s weird
sashafierce: Let me live omfg
reginald: God, help.
————-
“Hey, Regina!” Cady greets as they’re let into the house.
“Hi Cady,” Regina responds. Janis coughs to make her presence known, as if it wasn’t already. “Yes, hi, Janis and Damian.”
“Hi Reggie!” Damian responds.
“Hello, Reginald.”
Regina huffs at them, but does allow them in and shuts the door after them. The art freaks follow her down the hallway to the living room where Gretchen and Karen are already waiting. Snacks and craft supplies litter the floor next to them.
Damian looks very excited, and so does Cady. Janis does perk up a little when she sees everything, but it’s still obvious that she’s only here because Cady forced her to come.
“Okay, so… I got a second yearbook for the pictures, and then I raided the marker aisle at Michael’s,” Regina says. “And Gretchen brought stickers.”
“Ooh,” Damian says, reaching to see their options. “Pretty.”
Regina opens the yearbook, flips to their class, and takes a pair of scissors to all the pages. Everyone looks on in slight concern, but takes their offered pages to cut out photos.
Cady sits down on the ground to work on her set, and Janis plops down in her lap to do her own. Cady chuckles and kisses the back of her neck, making Janis give a pleased shudder.
Gretchen and Karen start hacking up magazines and newspapers for letters for the cover. Regina looks through her unharmed yearbook at the photos of her classmates, trying to start coming up with compliments. Damian is still entertained with his stickers.
Janis peeks up at the former Plastics from time to time as she works, carefully cutting out a photo of Trang Pak. Janis was present for the construction of the original Burn Book. She decides she likes this version much better.
Regina also appears to be looking up and around sometimes, specifically at Gretchen and Karen. Janis notices a sense of… could it be longing, in her eyes? Huh.
“What should we call this one? It’s not a Burn Book again,” Karen asks after too much silence. Everyone looks up, realizing she’s right.
“Um…” Gretchen hums. “The Bless Book? Like, blessing people with positivity?”
“That’s good!” Cady says excitedly. “I vote that.”
“Seconded,” Damian pipes up, face covered in holographic stickers.
“I’m down,” Janis shrugs.
“That’s really good, Gretchie,” Karen agrees.
“I love it,” Regina whispers. Karen and Gretchen pick out the needed letters and pass them to Regina, who glues them down on the hot pink cover of the new book. “Let’s begin.”
Janis hands over a picture of Dawn Schweitzer first. Regina takes it and glues it down on a page.
“What did we say about her in the original?” She asks quietly.
“Fat virgin,” Gretchen says immediately. Everyone looks at her. “What? I’m good at remembering stuff.”
“Okay,” Regina hums. “Well, she never really… cared what we had to say. She’s always been confident. I actually really admired that.”
“That’s a good start, Regina,” Cady says. “Write that down.”
Regina takes a pink sharpie (some habits die hard) and scratches the comment down. She gets the smallest hint of a smile when she finishes. It’s a start.
“Who next?”
Cady hands over another picture of Trang Pak. “Here.”
Regina looks to Gretchen again. “Grotsky little beeyotch.”
“What the fuck was wrong with us?” Regina whispers under her breath. “Good lord.”
“I have one for this one,” Gretchen pipes up again quietly. “She’s… kind a hero. She was assaulted by Coach Carr, and she’s the first one who’s ever decided to press charges. He’s being brought to court because she spoke up.”
“Damn,” Janis says. “That’s incredible.”
“Seriously,” Regina says. There’s a hint of empathy in her eyes, which Janis finds concerning. It has been a while since she had a genuine conversation with Regina. She might have to soon. “Okay, Trang done.”
Cady hands over one of Ms. Norbury. She hunches in on herself slightly, remembering it’s technically her fault Ms. Norbury was in the Burn Book in the first place. Janis notices and leans back against her, peppering kisses to the side of her neck to comfort her.
“Oh, I can do this one!” Karen says happily. “She’s why I’m graduating, kind of. I needed a math tutor and she helped me because none of the other tutors I had made sense. She, like, stayed after school with me a lot and made sure I got stuff so I could pass.”
“Aww,” everyone says. Cady adds, “And good job to you for working for it!”
Karen smiles as Regina scratches everything down under the photo. “We’re making good progress!”
-
Gradually, they work their way through the whole grade until the only photos left are the people in the room.
“Um… I think I should do these on my own,” Regina says sheepishly. She looks specifically at Janis. “I’ll show you guys once I finish.”
“Works for me,” Janis shrugs. She picks up the picture of Cady sitting next to her and smiles. “You’re so cute.”
“Ugh, I hated that photo,” Cady grumbles. Janis reaches to pull her into a kiss.
“You’re precious, shush. I want one in my pocket all the time,” Janis hushes. Damian leans in and sticks one of his stickers to her lips. “Damian!”
“What?” Damian asks. “I thought you could use a sticker.”
“Have you just been playing with those the whole time?” Janis huffs around a laugh.
“Yeah! They’re holographic!” Damian says. “Nobody asked me to do anything, as far as I’m concerned I’m just here for, like, moral support or whatever.”
“Do you want a very important job?” Regina asks. Damian nods suspiciously. “Okay, hold on.”
She stands suddenly and dashes off to her bedroom. Regina finally traded bedrooms back and let her mom have the main one. It took a fair bit of persuasion, but Regina did eventually do it on her own terms.
She comes back with a new, bright red lipstick and some setting spray. “Here. It’s new, so there’s no cooties or anything.”
“You believed in those until we were thirteen years old,” Janis laughs. “I forgot about that!”
“It makes sense if you think about it, shush,” Regina insists, blushing violently.
“No it doesn’t! I’m a lesbian and I never believed in boy cooties,” Janis laughs harder. Cady kisses her to shut her up. It works.
“Damian, honey,” Regina chuckles. “Let me, I forgot to give you a mirror.”
She tenderly wipes the lipstick off his face and reapplies it perfectly. Damian strikes a pose and pouts to show off his made up lips. He honestly looks very good.
Regina passes over the new book, and Damian kisses the middle of the cover, leaving behind a perfect lip print. Regina spritzes the setting spray over top so it doesn’t smudge, and the book is (nearly) complete.
“Thanks, guys,” Regina says shyly. “I’m… I’m glad you could do this with me.”
“Aww, soft Reginald!” Janis teases.
“Janis,” Cady scolds. “Be nice, you little pest.” Janis pouts. Cady kisses her to make it better, then moves to hug Regina. “We’re glad we could do it too.”
Gretchen and Karen join in and surround Regina, and Damian hauls Janis over too so they’re all wrapped in a big group hug. Regina gives them a whole minute before she makes them get off.
“Now where’s the food?” Damian asks. “I think it’s time the Plastics learn about art freak movie nights.”
————-
About a week later, they take a little road trip around the district to share the photocopied pages with people. Gretchen somehow found everyone’s addresses, which is a bit concerning, but convenient for them.
Damian and Regina bond over their mutual love of Taylor Swift in the front, while Gretchen, Karen, Cady, and Janis are all squished in the back. None of them complain, it’s cute to see.
“Okay, um… all that’s left are you guys,” Regina says anxiously once the last page has been stuck in a mailbox. She hands a page to each of them so they can see what she’s written.
Cady’s says, “The most resilient person. Can and will fight through whatever’s thrown her way, and does it beautifully.” She smiles widely when she reads it and peeks to see what the others’ say.
Damian’s is, “Future Broadway star, the most talented performer in school. Kindest heart and best hugs.”
“Aww!” He coos. “And it’s true!”
Gretchen’s says, “Brave. Fights her own head every day and is still one of the kindest, gentlest, warmest, best people I’ve ever had the joy of knowing.”
“Regina,” she breathes. “I… thank you.”
“Of course,” Regina whispers back. Karen goes next.
“Wise in the best ways, and incredibly brave. Has been through so much shit she doesn’t deserve but still can make me smile any day of the week without even knowing, and is one of the friendships I’ve treasured most.”
Karen beams at her, and Regina smiles back. A real, genuine smile, not the fake and cold one she used for so many years.
Janis is the only one left. Hesitantly, she flips hers over to read, “The strongest and most forgiving person I’ve ever known. Resilient, bold, and brave in the best ways. Not afraid to show who she is any way she can. And she is a beautiful person, inside and out.”
Janis tears up slightly when she reads it, and reads over the words again and again and again. She wishes she could go back in time. To show this to the Janis in eighth grade. The one who had just been outed. The one who was recovering from a suicide attempt in the hospital. The one who had to rebuild her whole life from scratch at the tender age of twelve. Janis wants so badly to go back and tell that little girl that it all works out in the end.
But, deep down she knows she still is that girl. She’s still inside her, somewhere. And Janis likes to think she’s just as comforted as current day Janis is. Janis is surrounded by people who care about her. People who love her. Some have been around her whole life, and some are new.
But Janis is happy, she realizes. This is the life middle school Janis could only dream of, the one she spent late nights awake crying and desperately hoping she would have one day.
Janis has made it. And the book is right, she is strong. She’s resilient, and powerful, and brave. Janis is here, and that’s the best thing she could have ever imagined.
“Thank you,” she whispers hoarsely. Regina just nods and reaches to squeeze her hand.
“Thank you,” she whispers back. They both know what she means.
Everyone in the car is crying by this point. Damian sniffles and wipes his cheeks, and Cady cuddles into her girlfriend closely.
“I want ice cream,” Karen sniffles. Everyone laughs, and suddenly her page makes even more sense.
“Okay,” Regina agrees. Damian starts the car again, and they head to the closest ice cream shop.
All of them have finally found where they belong.
Together.