The day started bad for me.

And this pouring rain didn't make it any better...

But let's backtrack to how my morning started.

I woke up so early this morning with no idea how that happened because normally I woke minutes after the school bell rings, in which I skipped first class.

But not this time. I really don't know why... Well, scratch that. I actually know why. I just don't want to think about it.

I had a dream, you see. I'd dream a long lost memory. I don't even have a vague idea why that memory resurfaced back to me.

But it was about Bonnibel Becket.

My dream started with little Bonnibel playing the piano. I was gazing at her from their couch and Gregory was beside me.

We're both staring at her. That's how captivating Bonnie was. Even if she was a seven-year old child that looked so small behind their big piano, she still looked lovely and the scene looked so pure, so innocent.

The moment was muted but the feeling was there. I couldn't remember what her piece was at the minute. But the tapping of her fingers on the black and white keys of their grand piano was quite familiar with me - even if the whole memory-slash-dream was muted. Then, suddenly I remember the piece. It easily came back to me. It was The Swan by Saint-Saens.

Something clicked in my brain when I remembered what she was playing and because of that, I could now hear the musical melody coming from the piano. It was a beautiful scene really. I loved it and now I love it.

And then my dream shifted.

This time we were going back home from school when suddenly her shoelace loosened. I was beside her but still I caught it in my peripheral. I held her back and said something to her and we exchanged words I couldn't quite remember since it was a past memory.

I don't know the exact words we used although one thing was sure. I was telling her that her shoelace had been untied while we were walking and it should be fixed or else she might fall down on her face.

I crouched down in front of her, kneeling on my right knee and I tied up her right shoe, feeling the pink lace making contact with my skin before tying it up in a knot.

I can't remember if we were talking while I was tying up her shoe or if we were just surrounded by the silence.

But I looked up to her - still crouching down - and saw that she was looking down to me and she smiled and laughed. I remember her laugh like it just happened yesterday instead of years ago.

I said something - still couldn't remember the exact words - but I know what myself was thinking that time. Bonnibel was pushing me away from her now, almost kicking me with her foot, stopping me from tying her shoe up but I could see that there was a hint of smile at the corner of her lips.

I was just making a tangled mess of knot! It's not even a big deal!

Well, as long as she wouldn't fall face-down on the ground, she'd be okay. Hahaha.

I was now running away from her - a light jog actually, since I knew she's not that good at running and her shoelace was now a tangled mess. Thanks to me.

Unfortunately, I didn't hear any footsteps behind me and I stopped my feet from taking a step forward anymore.

Looking behind back, I saw Bonnie crouching down, tying her shoelace properly now. And then, she was running to me. Damn it! I ran away from her before she could even catch up.

She was yelling things to me but I knew she was not really that mad. I kind of remember her telling me that I'm dead if I let her catch me though.

"I really, really hate you!"

I faced her, now running backwards. "Me too!" I said with a laugh, knowing she was just joking and I was just carrying on with her mood.

And now, I hate how I remember our exact words, how I wanted to know what happened after I stopped running so Bonnibel could catch up to me - about what happened after the slap on my arm she gave me when she already caught up to me and then the laughs and the smiles and the talks after that.

But I guess I will never remember what happened after since my dream shifted again.

This time there's no Bonnibel.

It was just my mom, my dad and I, in the dining room, eating dinner with the television on. Dad was talking about something funny - I think it was funny from the way my mom and I laughed. I couldn't remember the actual joke even if I wanted to.

And then I blurted something about wanting to learn about music or any musical instrument for the matter.

I was seven years old that time and really when you're that young you just blurted out anything you wanted to, right?

Anyway, my mom and dad were happy. We talked about music a lot and when they asked me why the change of heart, I shrugged my shoulders and said nothing even though I know in myself that I just want to impress a certain piano prodigy.

For the last time, my dream changed.

I was on the backstage, eyeing the necktie looped around my neck in front of the mirror.

I remember this time now. I had the leading role for a play we were required to perform on stage, I actually don't want to participate in events like this. Normally, I'm just props for plays, like trees or bushes, or a rock, those kinds of things but this time, I'm not one of those. I'm the lead role. The male lead role. Damn.

I was just supposed to be a friend of one of the leads, but when our teacher asked who could sing well because there's one scene where the male lead role has to serenade the female lead - yes, this is a love story, stupid idea, and such sap - suddenly there were twenty-eight pairs of eyes staring right through me.

Somebody shouted my name and up until now I don't know whose voice that was. It's kind of frustrating since I will never know because I transferred schools. Anyway, before I could even decline the role, some of my classmates argued that I'm not the only one that could sing well.

I waited if somebody would volunteer. Well, check it out! No one did. It really sucks to be me. Nobody wanted the role and I'm pretty sure nobody really wanted to participate at all.

A series of chattering began when no one volunteered. One was saying I could pull it through. I muted the others before I could hear any more mutterings.

It caused a ruckus, actually. Shouting, laughing, teasing, anything a bunch of devil children could do was happening. They just don't want to spend their little time to a theatre play they could barely do because they were really against this school play in the first place.

Suddenly, our teacher, our great and beautiful and so nice teacher, slammed her hand on table and stared us. She just stared at us with a look of discipline and disappointment - and that's not her usual look, I tell you. I have a feeling that she wanted to say something but she never opened her mouth and then she walked out of class just like that.

Wow.

A teacher walking out of class... Wow.

If I weren't feeling so guilty and angry because of my classmates, I would also walk out of this room, and spent the rest of my free time in the music room.

The class was so silent. And then the whispers came. Suddenly, we were all afraid - even me - because there's a pretty good chance that Ms. Taylor would rat us out to the guidance counsellor and that would make our school cards be tainted with the counsellor's signature. We don't want that.

And then Bonnibel stood up and walked in front of the class... and she talked.

Long story short. She made the class calmer. She then suggested an idea that we should just talk about the play. Most people nodded even though they just wanted this class to end immediately.

And that was where the suggestion of picking random names began... and so we draw out names for different roles.

"Marceline Abadeer!"

My mouth was left agape because that's stupid. I was picked out again for the male role. Augh.

And then I heard Bonnibel's name for the female lead role. I craned my head to look at her but she was busy with the other committees in managing the class. Well, at least I'm comfortable with her.

When the evil stepmother was appointed to Carlo, everybody laugh. When the butcher boy was assigned to Anastasia, all hell broke loose. Everybody was laughing in a fit of spasm - since we couldn't imagine her standing in a boy's role - but this kind of laugh was not the bad kind of way. It was funny, enjoyable, like were all friends, which is really, stupid to think about.

In the end, the play will be comedic since most of the actors were gender switched. Bonnie was the one who talked to Ms. Taylor. And that was it.

But back to my dream, I was saying how I was on the backstage in front of the mirror. I know what I'm feeling that time, afraid, nervous, and... slightly angry.

I stopped trying to knot the necktie around my neck when I heard a knock on the wall and Bonnie entered coming from the maintenance room. I remembered that she was wearing a black shirt with "Tech Team" written on the back part, wearing wireless headphones and holding a clipboard.

My dream wasn't like that.

In my dream, Bonnie was wearing the marshmallow shirt I gave her the last summer before this year and streaks of pink were noticeably visible on her blond hair. She still hadn't colored her hair back then since our middle school prohibits this kind of act - but in my dream she already had been.

"You ready?" she asked me.

I nodded, accepting the bottle of water she gave me.

"You'll do fine."

I didn't answer her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't your partner." She was talking about the fact that she couldn't take the female lead role. After her math coach knew that she has to participate in the play - care of her mother, he rushed out in the English Department and lashed out why her student was playing some important role for the school festival instead of focusing the rest of the time for studying math.

Ms. Taylor couldn't do anything except to replace Bonnie - we draw out names again for that - after all, that math competition was the contest before the nationals. She was fifth place last year on nationals, just so you know.

"You don't have to apologize, you know. I'm not even mad. Just win that contest for me so you can go to the nationals, okay?" I surprised myself this time because I am not lying to myself, to her.

"What's up with your tie?" I stopped sipping water to look at her just to see her looking at the tie around my neck.

"Oh." I unwrapped it around my neck. "It's nothing," I said as I balled up the black tie on my hand and then putting it inside my pocket.

She scoffed and snatched the tie from me. She wrapped it around my neck and I let her tie a knot to it. I rather liked the feeling of Bonnie tying my necktie. It was really an awesome feeling.

When she was finished tying the necktie, she brushed invisible crumbs on my suit and pressed back my collar. I let her do those things and just stared at her.

"Sheesh, you're all sweaty," she said. I'm not even embarrassed about that fact. I'm too comfortable with her presence here with me. She brought out her white and pink handkerchief and dabbed it on my forehead and cheeks - on my face.

She shook her head and smiled.

"You're really hopeless without me," she said, still smiling - smiling that smile.

And ever since she entered the mirror room, I realized that was the first time our eyes met.

A/Notes:

I just really, really miss my best friend and dreaming about her didn't help a bit. T.T

Anyway, this fic is Bubbline. Cheers!

At first, I just planned this to be a one-shot but the dream sequence became so long. So, now it will be a two-shot! :D

(02/12/2017)