"High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably drunk or delusional."

― Kami Garcia, Beautiful Darkness

Life in High School had went on without JD and his victims. Life always goes on, just like death.

At first Veronica felt so relieved; JD was a psycopath, a predator that had chosen her as his special prey. She had been a good girl since his overly dramatic death. She had been good to people hoping to change the old and noble institution of high school. She had started to date a nice guy in her class and had the typical untrue relationship with her parents : they didn't really ask and she never answered for real. She had new friends that were almost normal and college would be there soon. It couldn't have been better, right ?

That's what Veronica told herself everyday in the morning. She had to repeat it because what seemed so great in the beginning was starting to feel… how to put it into words… DULL. High school hadn't changed that much, that was the truth if she had to voice it. Sure, at first everybody was nicer and more open after the « suicides ». At first. Day by day nature took back its rights and those who felt powerful started to rule the school, humiliating the powerless. Some people had really changed though, she guesses that was already a very good point.

The real problem would came when she was in her bed at night. Images of his face, his so kissable lips, his very perfect bone structure, his hair… Then his voice, the sexiest voice she had ever heard… And last but not least, his words and thoughts. Wasn't reality the best proof that JD was right ? People were dead, violence had been exposed, parents had been worried. And what did it change ? Look at « Martha dumptruck » the big, Veronica had been nice to her after all the drama. She had eaten with her, had helped her with guys, gave her a diet… everything a friend would do. Then Martha had lost weight and gained power, the next thing Veronica knew Marty had become some kind of Heather being a bitch to all the people as hepless as she was once. Veronica had confonted her about it.

« Why ? », she had asked. « You were in their shoes, you know how it feels. »

« That's why ! I was on the bad side of the road too much time, now I enjoy my time on the right one. » The red ribbon wasn't enough, she couldn't rule the school as a happy place and it was the Heather's all over again.

Maybe JD was right. People didn't want peace, they didn't want a world where they could live together as equals, they simply wanted to be on the powerful side. High school without Heather wasn't exactly the same but it wasn't so different neither. And if they didn't let her change things, she'll have to choose the good side. Who wouldn't ? It wasn't the people, it was the institution. And how do you end up with an institution ? With a bomb as JD wanted ? Veronica tried to forget that kind of thoughts as soon as they got to her. Sometimes she even suceeded.

But then there were other thoughts. Matthew was the perfect boyfriend, litterally. He was good looking without being a jock, funny but not smartass and intelligent but not too much. He adored her withou treating her like a doll and, the most important of all, he wasn't a psycopath. He was the most balanced person on earth. High school ? High school was a phase, a normal phase. Was it cruel ? Sure but what can we do ? Survive it. Just survive it thought Veronica. And because Matthew was so perfect she couldn't understand why most of the time she found herself missing JD. Why Matthew's kisses weren't as hot as his, why his words didn't got to her like his did, why wasn't he Jason Dean ?

How could she miss a psycopath ? She had almost enjoyed his death. She had found it poetic, she had found him coherent with his behavior. She didn't cry, she didn't think it was a shame, she just missed him all the time and everywhere. When JD came into her life she thought, for the first time ever, that maybe soulmates weren't a stupid lie of litterature. She felt instantly connected to him, she felt as if she could spend each day of her life by his side willingly. How crazy is that ? People acted as if it was such a natural thing. There were six billions of people in the world, how was it natural to just want one ? It was a fucking miracle.

Then she thought he had manipulated her. Did he really though ? How could she really ignore what was happening ? A gun that makes people bleed and look dead without really killing them, was she that much of an idiot ? Maybe, at some unsconscious level, he was right and she had been on his team willingly. The willing victime, that's what Veronica had become in JD's hands. Such her luck to have a murderous suicidal psycopath as a soulmate.

Of course nobody suspected her thougths while she walked down the corridors of high school. At the end she was still Veronica, the queen of high school she ruled that fucking institution she had despised so much. And that was the part that annoyed her the most, everything had came back to the big fat lie in the end. And when she saw Matthew waiting for her at the end of the corridor she could only think of a very sick and sexy smirk belonging to someone who was probably in hell right now.

"I don't care," said Seth. "I would have done it. I would have sold my soul for you. You and me...I told you. Something's always going to keep us near each other...even if we aren't together."

― Richelle Mead, Succubus Heat