heathers au: beautiful // I was a mess when I was writing this hello — dani

September 1st, 1998

"Dear diary," Masha wrote down as she walked down the halls of Westerburg High. "I believe I'm a good person. I believe there's good in everyone, but, here we are, first day of senior year! Can you hear that fake sarcasm? Yeah, I'm not happy. I'm stuck with these kids I've known all my life, but now that I look at them, I can't help but ask, What happened?"

Masha snapped her diary close. Students, mostly seniors, since this is their side of the building, were throwing insults at each other.

"Freak!" "Slut!" "Burnout!" "Bug-eyes!" "Poser!"

Masha walked to her first class, English. She opened her diary, writing once more.

"This isn't high school, no. This is the fucking Thunder Dome."

A paper ball was thrown at her direction. Masha glared at the person who threw the ball, but continued to mind her own business.

"I'm just gonna count the days. I'll be graduating soon. College is gonna be paradise— that is, if I'm not dead by June.  Life is beautiful, I know it."

—

The bell rung after fourth period, signalling the students that it was already lunch. Masha walked out of her History classroom, making towards the cafeteria.

After she grabbed her lunch, she sat alone at an empty table. She continued to write.

"Things will get better as soon as letter comes from Harvard, Duke, or Brown. I'll just take my diploma, and I can blow this fucking town. I can already imagine the ivy-covered walls and those aesthetic cafés."

Masha finished her lunch, grabbing her lunch tray to return it to the lunch lady.

But the world had other plans, of course. Someone just had to slam her lunch tray, with her diary on top, down on the ground.

"Oops." A boy laughed. She knew exactly who he was.

Kim Byeolmin, or as everyone calls him, Wyatt, 3rd year as the school's swim captain and 8th year of smacking lunch trays and—

"Being a huge dick." Masha muttered under her breath.

"What did you say to me, skank?" Wyatt snarled, making Masha gulp.

"Ah! Nothing!" Masha stuttered, picking up the lunch tray and her diary. Wyatt walked away, laughing.

Masha jumped as someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around, seeing Hazelle Ji, her best friend since they were toddlers.

"Hey!" Hazelle brightly smiled, her braces showing.  "You on for movie night?"

Masha grinned for the first time that day. She placed the lunch tray on top of the other trays. "Yeah, you're in charge of the movie."

"I rented The Princess Bride." Said Hazelle, adjusting her glasses.

"Again?"

"What can I say, I'm a sucker for a happy ending."

A raven haired boy pushed Hazelle, which made her glasses fall off.

"HAZELLE JI, THE SCHOOL NERD!"

Masha's frown immediately disappeared. Onyx Altin, smartest guy on the swim team. It's like being the tallest dwarf. He laughed as he walked away, leaving the two girls shocked.

Hazelle picked her glasses up, placing them inside her pocket. "Why do they hate us?"

"I don't fucking know." Masha sighed.

The cafeteria doors open and the students silenced. Masha looked at the three students that stood by the doors.

The most popular kids in school. The Trio.

Yuika Katsuki-Nikiforova, she goes by Yui Katsuki, call her anything but that and you're dead. She's the youngest of the four Katsuki siblings, but with her father being loaded, she's now in her senior year. She's also the school's cheer captain.

Salchow Nishigori, Kou for short. No desirable personality but his parents did pay for his nose job. Sent him to Europe just to get it healed. He's the only boy in the trio but that never bothered him.

And of course, Natalya Plisetskaya, the all mighty. She is a mythic bitch. God bless you if you mess with her.

The trio were never bothered, never harassed.

Masha would do anything to be like them.

—

Masha was running late. The bell for the next class already rang but she can't find that class. She saw Kou run into the girls' bathroom, Yui and Natalya running after him. At the end of the hallway, there was Ms. Perminova.

Oh they're gonna get in trouble.

Masha stood outside the bathroom, quickly writing a forged hall pass for her and the trio.

Inside the bathroom, Kou was hunched over a toilet, puking his guts out. Natalya was fixing her hair and Yui was adjusting her blazer.

"Grow up, Salchow." Natalya rolled her eyes.

"I need a mint." Said Kou, rinsing his mouth with the water inside the bottle he was carrying.

"What you need, Kou, is to see a doctor." Yui sighed.

"Yeah Yui, maybe I should."

Perminova entered the bathroom, not noticing Masha outside. "Ah, Nikiforova, Plisetskaya and Nishigori— What are you even doing here inside the girls' bathroom?"

"Kou wasn't feeling well, we're helping him." Natalya answered.

"Not without a hall pass you're not. A weeks detention."

That's when Masha entered the bathroom, forged hall pass in hand. "Actually, Ms. Perminova, all four of us are out on a hall pass. Yearbook committee."

Perminova snatched the piece of paper from Masha, carefully examining it. "I see you're all listed. Hurry up and get to where you're going."

She handed the paper to Natalya and walked away. The three immediately examined the paper, surprised at how well Masha forged the note.

"This is an excellent forgery— who are you?" Natalya turned to Masha, making her gulp.

"I'm Masha Popovna— I crave a boon." Masha said, nervous.

"What boon?" Natalya crossed her arms.

"Let me sit at your table at lunch— just once. No talking necessary. If people think you tolerate me, they'll leave me alone."

The three looked like they were about to laugh. Before they could speak, Masha cut them off. "Before you answer, I also do permission slips, and absence notes."

"What about prescriptions?"

"Shut up, Kou."

"Sorry, Nat."

Natalya took a step closer to Masha. "For a greasy little nobody, you do have good bone structure."

Yui grabbed Masha's face, examining it. "And a symmetrical face. If I used a meat cleaver down the center of your skull, I'd have matching halves. That's very important."

"Of course, you could stand to lose a few pounds." Said Kou, poking at Masha's stomach.

"This could be beautiful." Natalya gestured to Masha. "Get this girl a new outfit and some blush. Yui, I need your brush. Let's make her beautiful. Okay?"

Masha's face lit up. "Okay!"

—

"Woah, who's that with the trio?" Himawari gasped.

"When did they accept new people into their squad?" Makka raised an eyebrow.

"Wait is that?"

"No way..."

"Masha!?"

As the trio walked down the hallway, Masha, who is now dressed just like them, but only in blue, followed.

"Dear diary, I look like hell on heels, but god damn, I look so fucking beautiful."