Okeydokey this prompt is for DekkaDemon, and is EXTREMELY amazing. So Dekka: How you come up with this stuff, I don't know. I hope to glob made it as beautiful as it truly is and deserves. Thank you for letting me try and put it in writing.
To everyone else: check Dekka out if you want for more great stories. Also enjoy and tell me what you think. I really do love whatever feedback, let it be fangirl-ish or critical or just your thoughts and whatevs.
The second part will be coming out on Frdiay, Saturday or Sunday. Just check in to see, yea?
Thanks. :D
Now unto the story.
~CalmMango
Glitter. Gold, so much gold glitter.
Gold shinning, bright as the day and night, whether or not she knew that this gold,
opens the vault, she's had closed for over half a decade.
Confetti, golden confetti. It twirls and dances in the air as the caps fly into the fray, disrupting more of the confetti. In the mass of cheering bodies Bonnibel finds her roommate, engulfing her in a large hug. The girl laughs Korean sayings into her shoulder; they jump in joy.
It's not long before larger arms encircle them all, in a bear hug only one could give. Lady turns to wrap an arm around her boyfriend and give him a kiss. The red-head just watches on with a grin, but her attention is taken when another boy squeezes in through the crowd of black gowns. Blonde hair shakes out many flakes of golden confetti, before moving up to expose blue eyes.
"Princess!" He hugs her tight, swinging her left to right. "We made it! We made it!" Feet lifted off the ground she giggles and gives his head a stiff rub of the knuckles, messing up is already shaggy locks. "Aww!" Instead of pouting as usual at the motion, he only laughs, letting it stay that way.
Maybe it's just the feel of the occasion. It's impossible to feel anything other than overjoyed at this moment.
Him and Jake bump fists, before the other blonde being swept away by his redheaded girlfriend. With couple hugging around her, Bonnibel cheers along with a couple students that she knows, partaking in short elated conversations.
Eventually the group fights their way out, find's their personalized caps in the field, and go out to a bar to celebrate. In the well lit place, many cheers are presented, toasts, and overall radiating happiness. They made it. She made it.
The thought is mind boggling. She made it. College is now over. Jake orders another beer after the jokes die down and nudges Finn.
"So what you doin' man? We outta school, the whole world is the playground." He winks, golden ale glinting on his mustache. "What you got in mind?"
He rubs the back of his neck. "Man I'm gonna be a police officer! No doubt. Gotta keep the baddies in their place. School was just a fall back."
He flexes and Felicia rolls her eyes. "I'm going to be firefighter." She announces proudly. They all give short whoops in celebration.
Bonnibel motions to the other couple. "What about you Jake and Lady?"
Jake runs a hand through his short, choppy brown locks. "Uh man I'm gonna try out for the Oo brown orchestra. My viola and I are gonna kick some classical butt!" He does a wild fist-pump before sheepishly adding, "And of course if I don't make it or they're just too lame, I'll just be a music teacher. Teach them kiddies some real knowledge."
Lady nudges him in the side. "I'll be just a veterinarian at the animal hospital in Aa. I hear it's the largest in the country, and I've already got a couple higher ups checking me out for the job; Or 나는 행운을 가지고있다 you could say." The known saying makes her giggle and the rest smile.
Alas, its time for Bonnibel, the most expectant of the group. Yet uncertainty plagues her features. She palms the half-full glass before gulping the rest down. "I thought I knew.. but ever since the start of this year, I'm not so sure anymore." The liquid pools in the back of her throat tingling on the way down.
Lady gives a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine Bon. I just know it."
"Yeah!" Finn quips. "Well I bet that you're muse is gonna come from somewhere. Then BLAM you're gonna have it all figured out."
"Yeah.." She smiles bitter sweetly, still staring at the wood of the table. With the high of graduating gone down some, truth seeps into her like an open wound.
Remember… The words twist in her head. This whole year there's been something in the back of her mind she's forgotten.
You said you wouldn't forget…
Suddenly noticing how they were all staring, she changes the subject. "Hey uh.. how about the singer singing on stage tonight?" She motions to the stage near the far side, where a band plays a low melody, accompanied by low hums of the main singer.
Oo's always housed local talent, and these look right out of high school, showing real promise. The group listens intently with smiles. Jake adds on a side note, "Damn, they remind me of the Scream Queens."He winks at the rest and they laugh in agreement.
The boy at the drums has inexplicably similar facial hair as the other boy from their years, the guitar player having the other girl's characteristic striped dress, another playing the piano with a particular shaggy head of hair. The instruments shine a bright gold tinge.
"Yeah except for the singer." Felicia adds. "She doesn't look nothing like M-_-_-_" She takes swig of her beer and the rest agree and more laughs. Bonnibel blinks. What?
"Wait what?" She asks. "I didn't hear the last part."
"Oh you know, Mar-"
"Thanks you goodnight!" the band interrupts from the mics, receiving scattered cheers. Soon their equipment is packed it the stage is clean.
Bonnibel offers after another half-hour, "Kay guys, I'm gonna go hit the sack. Let's meet up later this week, yeah?" They come back to life, after brief disappointment, agreeing and patting her on the back. After leaving the golden rays of the bar, her mind still strains, yearns, for the answer plaguing her inner turmoil.
Days pass. She busies herself with getting a part-time job at the local music store, something calling to her there. A boy with dark locks helps her around the businesses, leaving her with the job of cataloging and ordering albums.
Other than that, nothing makes a notable change. They meet up all the time, almost once a week, to hang. Beach. Park. County Fair.
The cliché' that time flies by literally doesn't happen for Bonnibel. Auto-pilot. Sure, she enjoys the company of family and friends, yet deep, hidden inside her something yearns to let her remember. But she can't.
One day worthy of notice is when a man with dark, short curls and an obnoxious playboy attitude comes in to the store. He flirts with some of the other clerks, but it's really when he picks up a guitar to test it out does that she stops ordering albums.
The short strum ripples throughout the store, the result of a quick sound test. Her hands freeze, heart pounding away inside her chest. Slowly, ever so slowly, shaky eyes drift up to the red bass in his hands. He grins and murmurs to one of the other male attendants to buy it. When it's set upon her register to be checked out, she can't breathe.
Literally.
She can't breathe.
She excuses herself to the bathroom and splashes water on her face. Looking in the golden tinged mirror, she knows from past knowledge that it's a panic attack. Her breathing hitches, left and right, never slowing. Yet, as she grasps desperately for her heart beating away under her polo, she doesn't know why.
And that alarms her even the more.
When she returns, the bass is gone, the man is gone, and her boss is randomly giving her a couple days off., saying she's working too much and that would be the reason of her brief panic. That's what she's hoping.
It takes three days for her to get off of being on the edge.
Another time, it's a group hangout going down the pier.
Jake makes a bad joke, prompting him to be barreled with little peanuts packets.
Finn laughs along with Lady, Bonnibel's eye catching a little girl crying near a booth.
They all stop and make their way over to her, Bonnibel taking the lead. She crouches down and takes action first. Something about the girl just breaks her heart.
"Hey why ya crying?"
"I.. can't f-find my mommy" She sniffles, much like a fearful child would. Lady frowns.
"Where did you last see her?"
Big brown eyes look left to right, then pointing shakily at the booth right next to her. "I-I was playing a game an-d... when I turned around she was gone!" Tears rivulet across her cheeks.
"Don't worry we'll find her for you. I'm a hero in training!" Finn declares suddenly, wiping one of the wet streams away. The slightest hint of a smile takes her lips.
Bonnibel stands up, all of them looking around for the woman. Jake lifts the little girl up on his shoulders to see if she can get a better view. Eventually, only a couple minutes later, a voice rings out across the area.
"Chelsey!" Bonnibel looks through the passing strangers, but can't pinpoint the voice. Jake sets her down and she runs into the crowd, meeting up with her mother somewhere inside.
Emerging seconds later is a woman with dark, long and dark hair. It goes to her lowers back, cut in sharp bangs at the front. She gives them all frantic thanks, saying how she thought she was behind her the whole time. Lady elbows Bonnibel, not noticing the girl doesn't respond.
Her eyes train to the hair, something about it making her want to curl up inside. The way is sways s easily, how it seems to shine a bit in the dimming sunlight. Uneasiness.
"Well Mrs. Winston, Bonnibel here was the one to notice your daughter. Without her, we wouldn't have been able to help." Lady comments.
The woman faces her and shakes her hand with a grateful smile, but Bonnibel doesn't respond. She swallows and nods, accepting the thanks and staring with wide eyes. That same feeling wells up deep in her gut, travelling up her throat like words or bile; she can't tell which. When they leave, they all focus on their friend.
"Bon you look so pale! Are you okay?" Felicia asks, looking her up and down.
"Yeah what is it?"
"Don't tell me it was all that cotton candy we made ya eat earlier..."
Her hands shake, so she hides them in her hoodie pockets to avoid suspicion. However, no words can leave her lips. It's too hard to speak and in fear of what may come out, she doesn't. After accepting a complimentary pretzel, she powers through fake smiles and mumbling of "I'm fine" for another half hour before going home.
She goes to sleep with tears on her pillow and not knowing the cause.
It's almost half a year after that day. Time just speeds by, day by day. Sure they meet up, but time gives scattered intervals, all of the them becoming busier. Still, they don't go a month without seeing each other. Heck, Lady even moves in with Jake.
Finn is accepted into the police academy quick, passing with flying colors.
Lady saves a Bengal tiger from the local zoo from a bad disease. It's only a quick diagnosis that sets more trained doctors to take over, but it's her diagnosis that eventually saves the animal's life.
Jake is accepted into the orchestra, only to turn it down for a job at an elementary school/ tutoring music on the side. The kid's love the crap outta the man, his class always being the highlight of the week.
Even Felicia, with her fire loving self, saves her first life in a hasty fire at the local coffee shop.
Everyone seems to know exactly what to do... except the only most predicted to be assured of herself. All her life, Bonnibel has been the one to know what to do. For example, when Finn fell out of a tree and broke his collar bone, she knew how to deal with the situation and call help properly. When Jake was failing his classes, she tutored him back up.
Heck, the only other time she didn't know what to do was when Mar-
"Bonnibel! Your shifts done." Her manager motioned to her station. She blinks, lost out from her thoughts. Something important... was about to come up, building up the pressure in her chest. She quickly cleans up her mess and leaves, phone ringing halfway on her walk to her apartment. It's Lady.
They talk casually as usual, joking, catching up on things. It's just like usual. At least until she says absently, "You know, Bonnibel I think you should go get an internship maybe. Just get some ideas flowin, y'know?"
She frowns and opens the door to her apartment with the key. "I.. I don't know anymore Lady. I just feel so lost." For the first time, she mentions something plaguing her or almost two years. "For awhile now I've been feeling uneasy. Like I... should be remembering something, but I can't. You know that feeling?"
"Yeah it sucks." The girl listens intently from the other line as she continues.
"Well I've been feeling like that... that dread and anxiety and.. shame for almost two years. It just comes out of nowhere! Panic attacks, the whole ten yards. I don't know why though. I really don't…"
A slow breath is taken from the receiver. "Bon… I don't really know either. You might just have depression; but I'm hoping otherwise. Let's talk more about it tomorrow yeah? Get some coffee and chill; A girl's day out like we used to in high school." After a pause, she adds, "I've missed you."
Bonnibel smiles, shrugging out of her work clothes and into comfier ones. The familiar black shirt rings her a deep feeling of dread. "I've missed you too. Ahh I remember when we'd hang out a TreeTrunks diner all the time afterschool. Those were the times."
A fluffy laugh occurs on the other end. "Aha I remember some of the mishaps though. Gosh, but these were the best."
She blinks as he heart quicken suddenly, out of the blue. Slowly, she asks, "What mishaps?"
Lady goes on, most likely sipping tea from the sound of it. "Oh remember that time when M-_-_- came and popped outta nowhere! It was pretty crazy, but that was one of the best girl days out. We went to the playground and you guys played on the equipment like we were all in elementary school again!"
Bonnibel's no longer thinking, the words striking into her skull, brewing up that sickly familiar feeling. As Lady goes on, chattering happily.
"Haha, I'm gonna miss them. Gosh and you went home with all those scratches and got chewed out by your parents! It was worth it though. Oh-or that time at the ice skating rink? Damn, I never knew that girl could skate like she belonged in the Olympics; I sucked though and kept falling everywhere. M-_-_- was always good at the weirdest things, you'd never think. Right?"
The only thing she registers is the extremely loud ticking of the clock, the sound of her own raged breathing, heart thumping so slow and hard it hurts to breathe. But no worry, soon her breath is gone too. As on cue, when her hands starts to shake, Lady asks, "Wait- Bonnibel are you alright? Have-"
The voice that comes out, the words that come out, aren't her own. They aren't Bonnibel. "I'm fine. I'm going to go to sleep. See you tomorrow; goodnight."
"Oh- okay I'll meet you at the apartment around 11. But-"
Her voice is shut off. The phone drops silently on her couch and Bonnibel pads into her room, tripping and stumbling over her own legs the way there. Once under thick warm covers, her shaking doesn't cease. She doesn't even remember drifting off to sleep. Just staring fearfully at the ceiling one moment, then nothing the next.
Or at least she thinks.
Does this count as a cliffhanger? I hope it does.
Just in case you never noticed, Felicia is Flame princess.
Next and final part will be an emotional roller coaster. And you'll figure out why is this weird stuff happening to Bonnie is going down.
Peace, until then.