"Shut up, please. Right now." 

Zoe, stop talking out loud.

"I don't care," she was whispering. "Just shut up." 

Veronica leaned outside the music room door. Zoe was hunched up in a corner, hugging herself tightly. "Hey SQUIPY, what's that linking thing you do?" 

You want to link with Zoe? She's clearly unstable right now. Her SQUIP isn't controlling her very well. 

"That means it's the perfect time to talk to her. When she's herself. Do it." 

Up-up-down-down-left-right-a.

Inside the music room, Zoe suddenly fell off the chair, holding her head from that sudden shock to the brain. "What was that?" She asked aloud. 

Veronica Sawyer is waiting outside the room for you.

"Wait, does she-" Realizing that someone was around now, Zoe went back to thinking at the SQUIP. Does she have a SQUIP, too? 

Yes, it just linked with me.

Then what does she want? 

Perhaps to talk. Let's face it, you wouldn't have spoken to her if she didn't have a SQUIP. 

You mean you wouldn't let me speak to her. 

Same thing. 

Zoe rolled her eyes. Tell me what to do. 

She's right outside the door. Lean up against it casually. You have more important things than her to worry about. 

Zoe nodded to herself and stood in the doorframe, seeing Veronica. She leaned up against it, and narrowed her eyes at her. "So, you have one too?" 

Veronica smiled. "Well, if I didn't, you may not have been willing to speak with me."

Zoe gave an annoyed scoff. "So you took a supercomputer... just to bait me?" 

Veronica relaxed slightly. "Deactivate." She shook her head quickly, then motioned for her to do the same. "I think we should talk. No Heathers, no SQUIPS. Girl-to-girl." 

Zoe, don't you dare.

"Let me hear her out, okay?" 

This is going against-

"Deactivate." 

Zoe also shook her head. It had been much longer since it was off than Veronica's, and it was a bit of a shock to have her mind cleared. "Feels weird. No more voices." Her voice became quieter, her expression more sullen. "Except mine. And Heather's, and... Carrie, god, I hurt her so bad." 

"So at least you feel guilty." Veronica said. 

"Thanks?" 

"You've got a soul, you just have to work on keeping it clean. Someone told me that a long time ago, and even though he was completely f*cking insane, I still keep it to heart." She explained. 

Zoe sighed and slid down the wall, sitting against it on the floor. Veronica came to her other side and followed suit. "You said that if you were still a Heather, your life would still be good." 

"No, no." Veronica said firmly. "Easier, without a doubt, but not good. I couldn't live with myself if I was still a Heather." She sighed. "And if it wasn't for the computer wedged in your brain, something tells me you wouldn't be able to, either." 

Zoe looked away. "Why shouldn't I just block out my conscience? It's worked so far." 

"Yeah, but you're crying in the music room." 

Zoe gave a few stutters before turning away. Veronica sighed and stood up. She extended her hand for Zoe to take. "Let me show you something." 

"What?" 

"Just let me take you to the hospital. I have to introduce you to someone." 

......................................

Veronica set down the yellow flowers on the bedside and smiled at the girl in the bed. The girl grinned. 

"Veronica! It's not movie night! What's going on?" She was a very chubby girl, but with a cute round face and an unrelenting innocence in her eyes. 

"I brought a friend today." Veronica explained. She pulled Zoe into the room, playfully exaggerating how heavy she was. Zoe couldn't help but smile, too. "This is Zoe. She's going to that school they sent the Westerberg kids to while the gym gets repaired." She looked in between Zoe and the girl. "Zoe, this is my best friend. Martha. She got caught in the fire when the gym exploded." 

Zoe's eyes went wide. "The Heathers told me about you." She looked back at Veronica. "They said that she's the reason you got kicked out." 

"Hold up." Martha said. "Veronica didn't get kicked out, she quit." 

Zoe sat down. "Why'd you quit? You must have known what would have happened?" 

Veronica sighed and sat down in the chair beside her. "Yeah, I did." She rubbed her forehead, struggling for a way to put it. 

Martha helped her out. "The Heathers tried to really embarrass me at a party. But Veronica stood up for me. That's why she left." 

"I refused to hurt my friend anymore." Veronica said. "That's why I left. Because I couldn't live with myself for hurting someone like that." 

Martha looked Zoe up and down. "You're dressed like a Heather. You're one of those honorary girls, aren't you? Like Veronica?" 

Zoe paused, but nodded slowly. "It's been hard." 

"Well it should be hard, if you're a nice person." Martha said. "But look at Veronica, she stood up to them, and even if she does get bullied-" 

Veronica cut her off by jumping up and giving Martha a huge hug. "I still have one of the best friends a girl could ask for. I didn't need popularity, or cool clothes. I just needed me, maybe a couple of friends, and my own life." 

Martha looked back at Zoe. "Yeah! Veronica's the greatest, and she escaped the Heathers, so why can't you?" 

Zoe smiled. "You two... make the cutest friends." 

Veronica scoffed playfully and rolled her eyes. "I think that title goes to Michael and Jeremy." She put her hands on her hips, before turning her attention back to Martha abruptly. "I forgot to tell you! I've started eating with these guys at lunch, Jeremy, Evan-he broke his arm recently..." Veronica went on talking about her new friends, while Zoe sat and watched with a sort of content, comfortable smile on her face. Eventually, she jumped in with her own happy little thoughts, and Martha had the habit of making them all the happier. 

She got more relaxed and comfortable, taking off her blazer, leaning over in what was totally not good posture, she felt much better with Veronica and Martha than with the Heathers. Maybe she could escape and still be happy with her life. Veronica and Martha seemed to be accepting enough, and Veronica's friends sounded cool, too. Christine might be able to give her another chance, and heck, maybe she could patch things up with Connor. 

After at least two hours, Zoe flung her blazer over her shoulder and stood up, as Veronica stretched. "Well, that was awesome, Martha, but visiting hours are almost up. We've got to go." 

"I'll see you, then." Martha reached up and Veronica hugged her again. Veronica and Zoe went towards the door, but Martha stopped them. 

"Zoe?"

She looked back at Martha, who grinned. "Feel free to visit, too." 

Zoe smiled and walked out with Veronica. 

.............................................................

Outside the hospital, the two girls waited for the bus. "Martha's nice." Zoe said. 

"Yeah. I'm lucky I have her." Veronica looked back at Zoe, before patting her on the back. "Looks like you've got her, too. You passed the Martha test; you have to be a good person somewhere." Veronica tapped her on the chest, then looked back out to the road. 

"You don't need everything, Zoe." Veronica said, still not looking at her. "Maybe the Heathers will make your life hell, but when you can find the things really worth living for, you'll be able to walk through the worst circles of hell, as long as you're by their side." 

Zoe was silent for at least a couple of minutes, as everything went through her head. Eventually, she finally spoke. 

"What can I do?" 

Veronica smiled and opened up her backpack. She pulled out an opaque water bottle. "Aparently, you've got to drink it while the SQUIP is on. Michael made sure not to tell me what it was, so that my SQUIP can't tell what it is. Something about how if I know what it is, then the SQUIP does, and it'll try to stop me- I don't know." She rolled her eyes, but smiled just as fast.

Veronica held out the bottle. "But I've got a hunch." Zoe reached out, but Veronica pulled back. "Zoe, getting rid of your SQUIP is a much bigger decision than just quitting the Heathers. Are you sure?" 

That made her hesitate, but she took the bottle anyway. She took one last glance at Veronica, nodded, and then they both said it in unison. "Re-activate." 

In an instant, both of their heads lit up with the voices of their SQUIPS. Before either of the computers had time to stop them, though, Zoe chugged down at least half of the bottle, and Veronica quickly guzzled down the other half. 

Zoe's eyebrow curled down. "Is that mountain dew- HOLY-" She fell off the bench, screaming in agony. Veronica joined her. 

"JESUS CHRIST, WHAT IS THIS?!" Veronica screamed. 

Being right outside of a hospital, doctors that were outside heard the screams and rushed to their aid, just before both girls fell unconscious.