On Friday morning, Sophie’s grandmother announced that she would be going home. It hurt to know that she was leaving, especially on the cusp of the winter formal, but Sophie understood why. She didn’t want to continue to impose on her daughter. Sophie had made a breakthrough in her training, learned the skill she needed to get the coin and take care of the Well. The rest of her training could wait. And, her grandmother quietly promised when the two were alone, she would be returning soon enough to teach her more lessons.

School went smoothly, though Sophie felt tense the entire time. She asked each of the Heathers about the dance in hopes of getting some clue as to what they were planning. However, Heather M. only gave her increasingly condescending instructions on how she was to behave, Heather S. curtly reminded her that she wouldn’t be helping her, and Heather K. just told her to ask Heather M. She once again briefly considered warning Natalie to stay away from the dance, but decided against it. The whole point in practicing as hard as she had was to protect Natalie without raising the Heathers’ suspicions. There was no reason to give up now.

Heather M. chose to forgo the usual Home-Ec meeting in favor of sending everyone home to prepare. After an early dinner consisting of tomato basil soup, a favorite comfort food of hers, Sophie laid the dress Heather had chosen out on the bed. She let out an exhausted sigh as her eyes ran over the beautiful garment. There was a single shoulder strap erupting from the top of the right breast of the dress, decorated in diamond-like plastic gems. The waist tucked in elegantly before flowing outward at the hips with the help of a slip and thin petticoat beneath the dress’s fabric. The back was all straps in an increasingly asymmetrical pattern, and the midnight blue color of the dress seemed to lighten as it came closer to the floor, spilling out into oceanic blue fabric at the ends. 

It was dazzling, alluring — everything she would’ve wanted in a dress she had chosen. But she didn’t choose this. It was chosen for her, like everything else was these days. It was just another reminder of the control she lacked.

But not for long, she reminded herself.

After showering and ensuring her hair was in perfect shape, she put the dress on as well as the jewelry Heather had bought her, a thin silver chain that wrapped around her neck and two silver bangles to wear together on one of her wrists. She then began applying the make-up Heather had insisted on, using the tutorial she’d been texted as a guide. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized she felt like almost as much of a stranger to herself now as she had before befriending them. Still, she resolved to herself, it would be over soon enough. She would be free.

While waiting in her driveway for Heather K. to arrive, she glanced up at the darkening night sky. 

“Even if I fix this… will Chloe take me back? After everything?” Only the sound of night answered her wonderings. Heather S. and Heather K. picked up Sophie in Heather K.’s ugly yellow car. Heather M. would be arriving separately with Tyler, they said. Sophie sat uncomfortably on the middle seat pear Heather K.’s instruction, so as to “stay in sight”. When they reached the school, to Sophie’s surprise Heather K. pulled around to the back and parked in one of the teachers’ spots. Most likely, Heather M. had instructed her to keep her car far from public view. It always boiled down to her image, after all.

Sophie obediently followed her captors to the gym, trying to act as if everything were normal while her anxiety looped again and again in her stomach. The gym had been transformed under Heather S’ guidance, long, white cloth sheets had been hung in parallel pattern beneath the ceiling with a thin wire running on an intercepting path, causing the banners to drape down into a gentle slope before rising up towards the next wire. Fairy lights had been hung above those as well as around the edges of the gym to give of the feeling of a starry night. At least two dozen tables had been covered with white table coverings, each with a tall red candle burning brightly in the center.

Sophie had to admit, this was honestly a job well done. Heather S. seemed to pick up on Sophie’s astonishment and smiled back at her.

It seemed they had arrived early, as most of the people Sophie saw around were either teachers acting as chaperones or members of the pep squad who had set everything up. But loud pop music was already playing and a few people were even dancing.

It wasn’t long before the gym began to fill with students. Soon the gym was a mass of moving, elegantly clothed bodies that, combined with the dim lights, was impossible to follow with Sophie’s ordinary senses. Thankfully, she smirked, she was no longer limited to those. Stepping away from Heather K. and Heather S. and waiting for a few moments, she closed her eyes momentarily and immediately picked out the new locations the two had migrated to. When she opened her eyes, her vision briefly blurred, but just as when standing up too quickly and getting a head rush, it quickly cleared. Satisfied, she continued to wait for Heather M. and Natalie to arrive. In the meantime, she chatted with classmates, occasionally danced to a song she liked, and conducted herself just as the Heathers expected.

Familiar faces were everywhere. Ryan Vandbolt was jumping and flailing excitedly, much faster than the beat of the song. The crowd had moved away from him out of fear of being hit with a stray arm or leg. Sophie felt a brief stab of guilt at the sight of Margo, whose face had thankfully returned to normal. A moment later, she caught sight of Mark, who waved excitedly. His other hand was clasping another boy’s. His makeup, which was always dazzling, had somehow managed to take a step up and his glittery eyeshadow sparkled under the dim lights.

“Sophie! You look amazing,” he said.

Sophie smiled. “Thanks, so do you.”

“You’re really getting good at makeup,” he added. “You must be a quick learner.”

The compliment felt hollow when it was directed at a look Heather had picked out for her. “I guess so. It’s easy when I have experienced friends to give me pointers.”

She felt a stab of jealousy at how comfortable he looked. No matter how elaborate his appearance was, it never looked forced. His hard work was evident, yes, but it just seemed as if it was right for him. She wished she could be as free as him.

A few minutes later, her first obstacle appeared. It came not from the Heathers but from the unexpected arrival of Chloe alongside one of her friends from the softball team. In an instant, all other thoughts flew from Sophie’s head as she stared at them. Chloe was wearing a white suit with a grey tie and a black button-down blouse. Her hair was tied into a french braid and rested gently on her shoulder. She was wearing heels, only an inch or two but enough to quietly enhance the subtle confidence of her familiar posture and movement as she poured a glass of punch for herself and her companion.

Was she already dating someone else? She had known that teammate for some time — Shelly, she believed her name was. If they were interested in each other, they would have started dating long before Chloe had dated Sophie. They must just be here as friends, Sophie decided. Or, perhaps, less decided than desperately hoped. Either way, she realized, she wasn’t going to get an answer until she had dealt with the situation at hand. However, she was so rattled that she nearly missed Natalie arriving a few minutes later.

She smiled and waved at her friend, who waved back, looking a little nervous. Sophie made her way across the gym to meet her. That wouldn’t look suspicious, would it? It was only natural that she would say “hi” and help her shy friend feel comfortable. In fact, it was exactly what she would do if she knew nothing at all about the Heathers’ plans.

“Hey. Heather mentioned you were coming. How are you doing?” Sophie asked.

“It’s kind of loud,” Natalie replied. “And crowded. I’m not sure what the appeal is supposed to be.”

Sophie laughed. “I felt the same way at first. Want to know what made the difference for me? Dancing.”

Natalie looked at the dancing students quizzically. “People do seem to enjoy that.” She sounded doubtful.

“When you really get into it, it’s amazing. Want to dance with me?”

Natalie’s face suddenly became terrified. “Oh. I don’t really know how.”

Sophie held her hands up appeasingly. “Only if you want to try. But listen, no one really knows how. You just move in whatever way feels right.”

“But if I do it wrong, everyone will see.”

“So? Even if they do, no one will say anything because you’ll be with me and everyone knows I’m Heather’s friend.” She might as well get some use out of that poisonous friendship. “And by the time the night’s over, everyone will have forgotten it.”

“Well, I did come here to try something new.” Natalie hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. “Okay, let’s do it.”

Sophie led Natalie out onto the floor where they danced to an upbeat, if slightly dated song. Natalie mostly tried to imitate Sophie’s movements, and she was more than a little stiff, but she grinned happily every time Sophie smiled at her. For a moment, she felt genuine happiness at the realization that she had helped Natalie out of her shell a little bit.

Then, there was a moment of silence between songs. The doors to the gym opened and, just as a pumping beat started playing, Heather M. and Tyler appeared. Knowing her, that entrance had been meticulously planned.

 

* * *

 

It was a perfect entrance. 

Heather M. surveyed the gym. Everything looked exactly as she had planned it. Heather S. had performed her role in decorating perfectly. Her demotion had really brought out the best in her. She was finally learning how to take Heather K.’s best qualities and combine them with her own bold attitude and creativity. The ever-reliable Heather K., too, was in position. She would have already informed Heather if there had been any issues with Sophie.

A moment later, she spotted Sophie on the dance floor with Natalie. For a second, she was struck with doubt, but she quickly tried to dismiss it. If she was going to have her perfect life, she couldn’t spend every moment second-guessing her friends. She had to trust that Sophie was going to perform her role. After all, it was the easiest role of all. All Sophie had to do was show up. At future events, she would likely be given more responsibilities, but for now she was taking it easy on Sophie. The girl was still learning, after all. And she had dressed just as Heather had instructed her, and from here it appeared that she hadn’t completely mangled her makeup.

This night was a night to relax and celebrate, not stress over Sophie. After all, soon she would be rid of one of the few remaining obstacles to her perfect life. Once Natalie was thoroughly frightened away from Heather’s social circles, the doll house that was her world would be just a tiny bit closer to what she wanted it to be.

Soon, everything would be perfect. Perfect friends, perfect family, perfect school full of worshipful followers, perfect boyfriend. Instinctively, she glanced at Tyler.

Something wasn’t perfect.

“Where’s your boutonnière, Tyler?” she asked through pursed lips.

Tyler rolled his eyes. Strike one, she internally noted. “Babe, I’m not wearing a purple flower. What do you think I am, one of your girlfriends?”

Her jaw clenched. We’ll see about that, she thought. Instead of letting her mounting anger further endanger the night, she forced herself to remain calm. “No matter. You remember your job tonight, right?”

“Yeah. It’s not exactly hard,” he said.

Heather felt annoyance rise, but refused to give in to the impulse to scold him. One way or another, he was going to be made perfect. She stared up into his eyes, her mind sorting through possibility after possibility. “While you’re doing that, I want you to think about your perfect woman. Imagine what it would be like if you could create your own girlfriend. Then, later, you can tell me all about her. I promise I won’t get mad.”

 

* * *

 

Heather M. removed her jacket and handed it to Tyler before they separated, with Heather M. approaching Sophie and Natalie.

“Natalie! You really came,” Heather said with a convincing cheeriness.

Natalie suddenly seemed tense again, and spoke with a hopeful sort of caution. “Yeah. It’s kind of fun. At least, Sophie makes it fun.”

Heather smiled. “I’m proud of you. And look.” Heather held out a corsage. “I got you something to celebrate your new social life.”

Natalie accepted the corsage delicately, as if it were a rare treasure. “You really—I didn’t think—” she paused to collect herself. “Thank you, Heather.”

She carefully pinned it to her dress.

Heather turned to address Sophie. “And, Sophie, what made you decide to help my dear cousin get adjusted to the night life?”

Was that suspicion in her tone? Sophie couldn’t tell. She tried to keep her voice casual. “I know her from class. I saw she looked a little nervous, so I said ‘hi’ and we danced together.”

“You are such a good friend, Sophie. Thank you so much for helping Natalie have a little fun.” That wasn’t suspicion in her tone. If anything, it was veiled glee. Had Sophie accidentally assisted in her plot?

She immediately thought of the corsage. Was that connected somehow? She imagined a wireless microphone hidden in the corsage. Heather would strike up a conversation with Natalie who, excited by how her new experience was going and happy for a chance to bond with her cousin, would confess something embarrassing just as one of the other Heathers switched the speakers to broadcast the hidden mic. It was ridiculous, but it was also exactly the kind of cheesy teen movie plot Heather M. would draw on for inspiration.

To confirm her suspicion, Sophie focused herself and tried to sense the corsage. The clairvoyance came easily, and even without looking, she knew exactly where it was positioned. Only...it was just a corsage. There were the fake flowers, the pin, Natalie’s dress, but nothing else. No hidden microphone. A moment later, a wave of dizziness hit her hard and she nearly stumbled in front of Heather. The self-made queen unfortunately picked up on Sophie’s slip in posture. She pulled Sophie a few feet away and leaned in.

“If you’re sick again, you’re going home now. I won’t have you retching in the middle of the dance floor.”

Sophie blanched and vigorously shook her head. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” She racked her mind for an excuse — any excuse. “Sorry, I’ve been trying out the keto diet. I really wanted to look good for tonight.”

Heather M.’s expression twitched, the tiniest falter reaching her frown before it reversed course into a faint smile. “Maybe I shouldn’t have judged you so harshly. There’s definitely hope for you yet, Sophia.” They returned back to the others where Sophie again saw Natalie fussing with the corsage.

Sophie was becoming paranoid, she realized. A hidden microphone broadcasting an embarrassing confession was a way too elaborate plan, with far too many unpredictable elements. It was the sort of thing Heather M. would think up, but the other Heathers would talk her down, pointing out how easily it could go wrong and the need for a more surefire approach. The dizziness she had felt was probably from overusing her power, she realized. She chided herself for wasting it on something like that.

Then what were the Heathers planning? Whatever it was, they had to be springing it soon. In desperation, hoping it wouldn’t be too much effort, Sophie cast her clairvoyance wide, trying to find something, anything that was out of place.

To her surprise she was hit with the insistent pinpricks of an impending disaster. She saw a teacher shouting at a confused, crying Natalie, brandishing an empty alcohol bottle. How far in the future was that? While it was certainly impending, it was much farther than Sophie had ever seen before. Had training her clairvoyance improved her ability to predict future disasters?

Luckily, Heather M. had moved away, giving Sophie the opportunity to collapse into an open seat at one of the dressed tables. She could feel her hairline becoming moist with sweat, and her mind was thumping against her skull in rapid succession. At any rate, she knew what to look for now. She felt Heather K. over by the punch bowl. Tyler was standing in front of the table, blocking the view, but he couldn’t stop Sophie from sensing the two bottles of alcohol Heather was emptying into the punch. Apparently she had been correct to guess the Heathers would borrow their scheme from a teen movie after all. Once the bottles were empty, Tyler poured two cups and made his way towards his girlfriend. Heather K. slinked away, attempting to conceal the empty bottles.

Before she could consider what to do, another wave of dizziness came, larger than before, and accompanied by a sharp pain in her forehead.  She hoped nobody else would notice as she collapsed forward into herself, remaining seated on the chair by the skin of her teeth. Heather M. began to approach, but was stopped short as Tyler stepped in front of her. Sophie struggled to her feet and inched closer, hoping to catch snippets of their conversation.

“Here, babe,” Tyler said, offering a cup to Heather M. She took it, then gave him a long look, finally clearing her throat impatiently.

“Oh, uh, want some punch?” he asked, offering the other cup to Natalie.

“Thanks,” she replied as she accepted the cup. “I’m already getting thirsty from dancing.”

Natalie had probably never had a drop of alcohol. It wouldn’t take much to get her tipsy. She probably wouldn’t even recognize the flavor. Plus, didn’t sweet things hide the taste of alcohol? Sophie needed to get that cup out of her hands as soon as possible.

But there was another snag. Heather K. had left her purse on the table next to the punch bowl. Her purse which contained the coin. Natalie would be alright for a minute, wouldn’t she? Getting the coin had to come first. And if Sophie left and came back, she would have an excuse to bump into Natalie and spill the drink.

“Actually, I’m going to get some punch, too,” she announced, silently cursing the height of her heels as she strode past the others towards the punch bowl on unsteady legs.

“Okay, enjoy yourself,” Heather replied without taking her eyes off Natalie.

Sophie made her way through the crowd to the table. Bracing herself, she reached out with her clairvoyance, felt the exact location of the coin in Heather’s purse. She was prepared for the pain and dizziness this time, and managed to push through it but her expression must have been grave judging by the frightened response from several band members who rushed away from the table. Her head pulsing with the beat of the music, she reached the purse and slipped her hand in, removing the coin easily. Her hand brushed against something else. She pulled it out, pleasantly surprised to find it was the keys to Heather K.’s car. 

These’ll come in handy, she thought.

This was it, wasn’t it? She had won. With the coin and keys in hand, she now had everything she needed to release the Well and end all of this tonight. She could go straight to the woods before the Heathers ever knew she was gone and take care of everything. As soon as she had secured Natalie’s safety. She turned to return to the group for the cup in Natalie’s hand, but found herself halting in her tracks.

Something was still off about this. The teacher in Sophie’s vision had been holding one of the empty bottles. Where had she gotten that? She could perform one last exertion, right? Sophie struggled to stretch her clairvoyance along the path Heather K. had taken and caught her at the long rack near the entrance which held… something. It was a blurry, fuzzy shape. Even a few of Heather K.’s facial features were beginning to blur together. She pushed harder, forcing the vision to take hold. The shape Heather K. was fussing with began to clear.

Coats. She was slipping the bottle into a coat. Whose coat was— 

Belladonna.

Sophie’s head reeled back as a shrill scream stabbed into her head. She slumped against the wall, sliding down onto the floor.The dizziness and pain hit hard, accompanied by a wave of nausea. She wanted nothing more than to crawl underneath a nearby table and close her eyes. What was that? Who was Belladonna? The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t seem to place it. Her train of thought was interrupted by voice calling down to her.

“Hey, babe, need some help?” She felt a rough hand wrap around her wrist and pull her to her feet. “There ya go. You feeling okay?”

“Yeah,” Sophie said, “I’m okay.”

“Why don’t we get you away from this music? Seems like it’s messing with your head.” She could feel herself being led by the hand, the fading music confirming that they were headed away from the gym as the click-clack of Sophie’s shoes became more distinguishable.

“Really, I’m fine,” she insisted, but couldn’t break free of the hold whoever held her wrist had. They turned a corner, and there was the sound of a jingling door handle followed by the creak of a classroom door opening.

“Here we go, this is more private,” the voice said. The ache in Sophie’s mind had ceased somewhat, clearing her thoughts. All too suddenly, she recognized the voice as her vision cleared.

“Josh!” she screeched, yanking her arm free of his grip. Josh Hansen, her would-be harasser from only weeks ago. He’d led her to one of the English classrooms, a fair distance from the gym and down a darkened, deserted hallway. “What the fuck is this!” she screamed at him.

He held his hands up defensively. “Woah, woah, calm your tits. I was just trying to help you feel better.”

“By taking me to an empty, dark part of the school?” Sophie retorted. “Especially when I’m obviously not feeling well? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

His face darkened. “Wow. Excuse me for caring about your well being, ungrateful bitch.” Sophie watched as he subtly moved towards the doorway. “Leave it to a woman to not give a shit when a guy is trying to do something nice for her.” He gripped the door handle, pushing the door closed. Sophie’s anger morphed in that moment, a crystalizing sense of dread replacing it.

“Open the door, Josh,’ she commanded, though it came out as more of a question.

He began to approach, backing Sophie against a chair and desk. “What? What do you think I’m going to do?”

“I-I don’t…” Sophie stammered, unable to complete her rebuttal. He leered over her, his eyes wandering down towards the chest of her dress.

“I’m not a bad dude, Sophia. You know that, right?”

“I don’t…”

His fingers ran down Sophie’s shoulders, sending goosebumps along her skin. “How about just a kiss? That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

Sophie had no words for him as he leaned forward.

“Maybe this’ll help you get over your lesbian thing,” he chuckled, pursing his lips.

Sophie’s anger raged back, fury and ferocity once more filling her heart. Thinking swiftly, she perched the small of her back onto the desk, using the momentum to drive her shin into the crotch of Josh’s khaki pants. His eyes flew open, nearly bloodshot with shock. Sophie reared her arm back and thrust a loose fist at Josh’s nose. They both cried out as the hit connected, though Josh was the one who fell to the floor, flailing.

“You fucking bitch!” he screamed, clutching at both his nose and crotch. Shaking her aching hand, Sophie hurried over to the door, yanking it open. Her hand brushed against something in the doorknob, something sticking out. She pulled it free of the handle as Josh writhed on the floor. A key laid flat in the palm of her hand. Had he placed this here? She looked him over with increasing horror. How much of this had he planned out? Seeing that he was beginning to stand back up, she hurriedly closed the door after grabbing a dry erase marker from the nearby whiteboard.

“Hey!” he screamed, slamming against the door as she twisted the key in the lock. “Let me out!”

“Not a chance, creep.” Sophie uncapped the marker and began to write on the glass pane of the door. “Hopefully someone lets you out tonight, otherwise you’re spending the weekend at school.” She quickly headed back towards the gymnasium, leaving Josh pounding against the door now emblazoned with Sophie’s penmanship.

 

The Josh (Sexualis Assaultis): A disgusting predator which should never be permitted within an arm’s reach of any woman, lest he try to sexually assault her in a vacant classroom.

 

She paused for a moment to take stock of herself. The pain in her hand was fading quickly, and she still had the coin and Heather K.’s keys. She was okay. Relieved, Sophie rushed into the coat check room, hoping she wasn’t too late. She pilfered through the coats; she’d seen Natalie’s coat in class before. It was just a matter of picking it out of a coat stack. After a few minutes of unsuccessful searching, she was struck by an idea. Peeking over her shoulder to ensure nobody was watching, she began to shake the rack. The coats swung back and forth while a quiet clinking could be heard at the other end of the rack.

“Jackpot.” She smiled. 

She ran over and dove into the coats, immediately finding Natalie’s among the group. She slipped her hands into the pockets, retrieving the two bottles from Natalie’s coat and was immediately struck with a wicked idea. Recalling her failed incident with the donut, she decided that now truly was the time to get a small bit of payback on Heather M. She found Heather’s jacket and, with some effort thanks to the small pockets, slid the two bottles in. There. Now it was time to go.

She froze as a familiar voice called out to her. “Sophie? What are you doing?”

Sophie felt as if her heart were about to stop as she turned to face Chloe.

“I…” she began, but words wouldn’t come.

Chloe leaned to a side to see the empty bottles. “Are you putting alcohol in someone’s jacket? Did the Heathers put you up to some scheme?”

“Listen, let me explain—” Sophie attempted again, but Chloe was pulling aside the jacket’s sleeve to take a closer look.

“This is empty. Wait, you didn’t…” She walked over, sniffing around Sophie. “You don’t smell like alcohol. Did you put this in—” Her eyes widened. “The punch! Sophie!” The look of betrayal in her eyes was one of the most painful things Sophie had ever seen. “Whoever this coat belongs to could get into huge trouble.”

“It’s not like that…I needed to…” She couldn’t think straight. Her head hurt too much.

“Needed to what?” Chloe snapped. “Do everything the Heathers tell you? I can’t stand seeing you like this. I hate what they’re turning you into. I hardly even recognize you anymore!”

She turned and stormed towards the door.

“Chloe, wait!”

Sophie was about to follow her when the music stopped and the lights came on. There was a screech of feedback and then the voice of a teacher came over the speakers. “Everyone, line up against the wall. We’ve just been informed that someone has spiked the punch with alcohol.”

Sophie looked across the newly-illuminated crowd of students. If she was seen rushing out now, she would look suspicious. Instead, she made her way to the edge of the crowd, hoping she would escape notice there.

From somewhere in the gym, Heather S. shouted “I saw someone with bottles over by the coats.”

The teacher stomped her way across the gym. She scanned the coat rack and quickly picked out Heather M.’s out-of-place jacket, which she removed and held up.

“Whose jacket is this?” she shouted.

There was a tense silence before someone, excited to stir the pot, called out “It’s Heather McGill’s!”

“Heather McGill!” Heather stepped forward, a mixture of fury and confusion on her face. “In the hall, now.”

Heather followed the teacher out to the hall as the crowd of students murmured to each other. The other two Heathers moved to the edge of the crowd and caught sight of Sophie as she began to slide across the wall towards the side exit. Heather M.’s eyes narrowed as she was ushered forward by the teacher. Sophie avoided their gaze and opened the door, the chill night air washing over her exposed skin. She heard her shout something just as the door closed, but had already started rushing towards Heather K.’s car and failed to make it out.

Outside, the cool air seemed to steal the tension away from Sophie and she began to laugh excitedly. Her hands shook from a mixture of adrenaline and exhaustion. “I did it,” she said quietly.

Another wave of dizziness hit her and she sank down into a sitting position in the grass. The combination of her excessive training and tonight’s exertion had sapped her last bit of energy.

However, she smiled as she fished the coin and keys from her purse. She had won. The Heathers no longer had any power over her. Now, all she had to do was get to the Well. It was as simple as driving Heather K.’s car out to the woods to release the spirits. At night. When she was exhausted. And only barely remembered the exact route since she’d never driven there herself. 

“I’m gonna sleep for a week after this,” she sighed.

Behind her, Sophie heard the gym door open and looked up to see the Heathers bolting from the same exit she’d used.

“Over there!” Heather K. called out, pointing a spindly finger in her direction. Sophie’s breath caught in her chest. She leapt from the ground and sprinted as fast as her heels could take her towards Heather K.’s car. She could tell they were gaining ground — their footsteps were so close — but she could only make it so far in the accursed heels Heather M. had chosen.

Terror began to quickly rise within her. How had Heather M. gotten away from the teacher so quickly? She had only just reached the car when she was slammed against the trunk by a larger body. She squeaked out a pain-filled yelp and fell to the ground. Heather K. stood over her, with Heather M. and Heather S. quickly catching up.

“You still haven’t learned, have you?” Heather M. said with a sneer.

“I couldn’t let you hurt Natalie,” Sophie replied, struggling to her feet.

Heather M. took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “I could yell at you. Certainly, I want to. There are so, so many things to say and disappointments to list. But I think we both know that wouldn’t do any good. I’m going to have to face it, this isn’t going to work out. I tried, you know? I really did.” She turned her head to the side, her expression seeming dejected. “I wanted to turn you into something amazing, and I gave you so many chances. Far more than Heather K. ever got. But you just refuse to cooperate. So I think we should just call this ‘Sophie’ thing off.”

Sophie waited. They didn’t know she had the coin, not yet. At least, Heather M. didn’t. She wouldn’t be putting up such a holier-than-thou act if she did. If Sophie played her cards right, they’d leave and she’d be able to escape. She wasn’t sure how quickly Heather K. would notice her missing keys. She could only hope they would go back inside and leave her to ponder her fate.

“I’ll give you until Monday afternoon. Enjoy yourself until then. Because after that, I’ll personally be setting everything back to the way it was before.”

Sophie wanted to laugh at the empty threat, but she had to keep her cool. Even so, she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of begging. “You know what? Maybe that’s for the best. Being a girl isn’t worth it if I have to be the type of girl you three are.”

Heather blinked. Clearly that wasn’t the reaction she had expected. “Huh. Here I thought getting to wear all those pretty clothes and makeup and date that lesbian actually meant something to you.”

Heather M.’s attempts to twist the knife did nothing to frighten Sophie, but Heather K.’s hand absently reaching in her purse was another matter. The timid girl’s face became confused for a few moments, before her eyes made their way to Sophie’s closed fist.

“She has the coin!” Heather K. screamed.

In an instant the Heathers were all around her, gripping and restraining her. Prying her hand open. 

“No!” she screamed.

“What the— are those my keys, too?” Heather K. yelled. The keys were snatched from Sophie’s hands, followed by a rough kick against her side. “You were gonna steal my car, bitch?”

Heather M. only shook her head while Heather S. shrank behind her. Sophie closed her eyes and pushed her head down into the grass as tears fell from her cheeks. She wasn’t sure how long she remained there. Another kick, this one on her hip, knocked her to her side. What was the point in getting up? What was the point in doing anything? She had been so close and now everything was lost.

She could sense another kick coming, but the sounds of a skirmish erupted instead.

“Get off of her!” Chloe’s voice rang out through the night. Sophie glanced up in time to watch Chloe plant her fist against Heather K.’s cheek, sending her careening towards the ground near Sophie. Heather M. scurried away from her, digging into her purse before pulling out pepper spray.

“Stay back!” she hissed.

Chloe laughed. “If you spray me with that shit, it’s only gonna piss me off more.”

Heather M.’s jaw clenched. “Then I’ll spray you and your little girlfriend. See if you can hurt me when she feels like her eyes are on fire.”

Chloe faltered, glancing down at Sophie with a sad look in her eyes. “Fine.”

Heather M. slowly retreated with the others in tow, her narrowed, dark eyes glaring at Sophie.

“You’ve got seventy-two hours. After that, ‘Sophie’ is gone, for good.”

A moment later and Chloe was at her side. At first, Sophie flinched from her touch, still hurting from the beating she had received.

“I had the coin,” Sophie said with a sob. “It was in my hand. And they took it.”

Chloe pulled her into a tight embrace, allowing Sophie to lean limply against her. “You were fighting against them the whole time. You… you tried to turn their prank against them, didn’t you? I should have trusted you. I should have helped.”

“They’re going to change me back,” Sophie said with a shudder.

Chloe’s arms tensed. “Hell no, they aren’t. I have my mom’s car. If I go now I can get to the Well before they—”

“Not tonight,” Sophie interrupted. “Monday.”

“They want to draw it out,” Chloe said in a disturbed tone. “Make you suffer. That’s sadistic. Well, I’m not going to let it happen. They might think they’re extending your punishment, but they’re just giving us time to fight back. We can figure something out. And if we can’t...at this point I’m not above just beating the shit out of them.”

Sophie wanted to believe Chloe. If her words were true it meant there was still hope. But she was so tired. She had put everything into this effort only to have it fall apart. Now the clock was ticking and it would be harder than ever to get the coin away from the Heathers. She remained silent. At this point, anything she said would be hopeless. And if Chloe offered a chance to fight back, Sophie didn’t want to do anything to take the wind out of her sails.

“Come on,” Chloe said. “I’m going to get you home. Tomorrow we’ll figure out what to do.”

“What about your friend?” Sophie mumbled.

“Shelly?” Chloe asked. “Her house is just a couple of blocks away. I’ll send her a text and let her know there’s an emergency, she’ll understand. I came with her because she was nervous about coming alone, but I think the dance is pretty much over at this point.”

 

* * *

 

As Chloe made the drive home, Sophie leaned against the window and closed her eyes. It seemed that everything she had gone through had worn her out. And, as Chloe quickly discovered while Sophie mumbled her story, she had been through so much more than Chloe had imagined. She was particularly shocked and horrified when Sophie told her of the encounter with Josh. 

“He’s lucky I wasn’t there—I would’ve done a lot more than just knee him in the groin and punch him in the nose.”  Chloe’s knuckles went white as she gripped hard on the steering wheel.

“Thanks. I doubt he’s going to end up there all weekend—like, I’m sure the janitors do an extra sweep after the dance to make sure no one’s hooking up in the chemistry lab. But it’s going to be awfully hard for him to explain how he got locked in a classroom…”

By the time they got to Sophie’s house, Chloe virtually had to help her out of the car and inside. The rest of the family appeared to be asleep, fortunately; in Chloe’s estimation, another interrogation was the last thing Sophie needed right now. 

The two walked quietly up to Sophie’s room, Chloe averting her eyes as Sophie stripped out of her dress and changed into her pajamas, far too tired to bother with modesty.

“You going to be okay?” Chloe asked gently. Sophie nodded in return. “Alright, I’m going to head out and let you get some rest, then. You’ve had an exhausting evening; I’m honestly amazed you’re still standing upright.” 

As Chloe turned to leave, Sophie grabbed her wrist. “Chloe...can you stay here with me tonight? I just...I just don’t want to be alone.” The words came out a little choked, and Sophie blinked back the tears from her eyes.

“...Yeah. Yeah, I can do that, Soph. Just let me get changed, okay?”

She walked into the hallway, and returned a few minutes later, her suit in hand, wearing an oversized tee shirt that Lars had left in his room. Sophie was already sprawled out on the bed. Chloe turned off the lights, and lay down in bed next to her. Sophie, semi-conscious as she was, almost instinctively curled into Chloe, pressing her body close to her girlfriend’s (former girlfriend? Current girlfriend? It didn’t really matter, Chloe quickly decided)

“Thank you for doing this,” Sophie mumbled sleepily. “I know you must still hate me for what I did.”

Chloe let out a quiet laugh. “I could never hate you. I’m just happy to have you back.” She snuggled into Sophie. 

There was another pause, then Sophie let out a small sob. “I’m sorry I left you. The Heathers said if I didn’t, they were going to change me back. Or...change you, somehow.”

Chloe shuddered slightly. “Knowing Heather M., they’d probably make me straight and dating Josh. Ugh. But I’m here now, and you’re safe.” She tenderly ran her fingers through Sophie’s hair, and the latter hummed contentedly.

Chloe had just about fallen asleep when she felt something pressing into her right leg. It happened again, and Chloe realized Sophie was grinding into her.

“Uh, babe, what...what are you doing?” she asked sleepily.

“I’m trying to—I want you, Chloe.” She paused. “If you want to, I mean.” Despite her actions, Sophie sounded less aroused and more anxious—distressed, even. 

“Of course I do,” Chloe answered softly. “But now? After everything that just happened? Is this the best time?”

“It might be the only time,” Sophie insisted, a note of desperation in her voice.

With a sudden chill, Chloe realized what she meant. Sophie was afraid she would never get to experience intimacy in a body that was truly hers.

“Look, we won’t let them take this experience away from you, okay? And while I know you want me, and I want you, too, you’re not in a good headspace right now. Hell, you were almost raped a few hours ago. I don’t want your first time to be tainted with that experience—I want it to be special. And I want it to happen on our terms, not Heather’s. I promise you, we’re not going to give them that control, okay?” She leaned in and kissed Sophie softly on the forehead. 

“Mhm,” Sophie said, feeling considerably more relaxed in Chloe’s arms.  “You’re right, this isn’t the right time. And besides, this is still pretty nice.”

Less than a minute later, she was asleep. Chloe took a little time to just listen to Sophie breathing, slowly and peaceful, before she, too, fell into a pleasant slumber.