Won't Let This Go: Chapter One
Bonnibel was acting strange for the past couple of weeks. She didn't kiss me, she never wore the T-shirt I gave her, and she seemed really distant and uninterested in our conversations. I should have seen it coming when she approached me at the Earl of Lemongrab's party.
It was the Earl's birthday and the entire Candy Kingdom decided to throw him a jubilee. I tried to get a little sexy for my Bonnibel and wore a tight black dress that was cut low in the back. When I called her to ask when we were leaving together, she told me to go alone and meet her there. She said it would be a bother to go my place and back to the kingdom when she had so much setting up to do before the event started. I didn't see her at the party for at least an hour after I arrived, and then she came up to me.
She was absolutely stunning. Her pink hair was in a bun on top of her head and she wore a light salmon dress that sparkled and shimmered under the low lights of the ball. I was going to hug her, to kiss her, something, but she stopped me before I could do any of that. She didn't look me in the eyes more than she had to and she was fidgeting like crazy.
"We're such different people, Marceline. This relationship doesn't benefit either of us and you know it." She appeared sad, but her facial expressions could never grasp the emotions her words made me feel. I didn't know what to say. I was confused and upset because there was no real explanation. It was like she turned off all the good memories of me in her brain and ended the relationship with no harm.
"But…I don't understand. What's happened to you, Bonnibel? Do you not remember anything?" She clearly didn't like that. Her petite mouth turned their corners into a sharp scowl and she shook her head.
"I am Princess Bubblegum to you. Only people of close importance to me and my Kingdom and call me Bonnibel."
That stung. After all the months we spent together practically attached to the hip, all the embraces we shared, and after all the songs written about how perfect she was to me, she has the nerve to delete me from her life so easily?
That was when I lost it. At that point I didn't want an explanation. I wanted her out of my life forever. It was obviously easy for her, why not me? I didn't need her more than she needed me, right? She wasn't worth my time anymore! I then thought of a brilliant idea (at the time). If she didn't care about me, then I might as well make a lasting final impression on her and her stupid candy guests.
I turned into a wolf, my body easily morphed into the huge beast that needed to be let out so desperately. I screamed, but in my voice it came out as a howl, and I wrecked the party. Chandeliers were knocked from the ceiling; food, presents, and decorations were shredded and destroyed. I heard Bonnibel scream, it was a wretched and horrible scream, and it almost made me stop what I was doing. However, she was screaming for the guards and I needed to make my escape. I punched a hole in the wall and ran back home, making sure nobody was following me.
It's been over two years since that night, and I haven't looked back since. I'd like to say I haven't thought about her, but whom am I kidding? She was everything to me; of course I needed time to get over her. Eventually I did, though, I even dated a few guys to try to heal the heartbreak faster. None of those relationships were as meaningful or lasting as my relationship with Bonnibel, but who cares? I was never one for love anyway. My music was my main priority.
Speaking of which, I had a concert to prepare for my new album, Permanently Broken, or PB for short. It was completely sold out and I was mega-stoked. My songs were perfect; the music was sick and the lyrics were dark and haunting. I guess the breakup was good inspiration for my music and career. After reminiscing my achievements in the past few years, I realized it was time for me to head over to the arena. I shoved some money in my pocket, slung my huge axe bass over my shoulder and flew from my house to the stage in the Mystery Temple.
When I finished setting my stuff up onstage, I saw a tall, grey skinned, familiar face. He smiled at me and pushed his white hair out of his face. It was Ash, one of my exes after Bonnibel dumped me. He's the drummer in my band; he has his egotistical face on his drum kit and everything.
"Hey, Marceline! You ready to rock tonight? I bet you have some wicked lyrics to spit tonight." He said while walking towards me. I blushed and set down my bass. I was actually glad to see him after such a long time, even if he was a total dick to Finn and Jake in the past.
"You know it! I think this is my best album yet. They're gonna love it." I smile and leak back against the wall, my long hair touching the floor and grazing the bottoms of my red boots.
"Any songs about me?"
I laugh, maybe a bit too harshly. "Hah, you wish! There's nothing deep or emotional about you to sing about!" He took it pretty bad in his facial expressions, but he brushed it off and laughed a bit too. "Very true. I'm an unemotional sack of lard."
We stand there for a few minutes in silence, it's a bit weird for me due to how loud and extroverted I am, but it doesn't last too long because people start showing up at the arena.
"You should start getting ready. Tune your bass or something, I'm gonna go check out the crowd." Ash exclaimed to me. He did as he said and ran to take a peek behind the curtains of the stage.
That's when I started getting nervous. What was happening to me? I don't get nervous about anything, especially singing and playing my music! I then realized how big of a deal this was. I hadn't released any music in the past two years. This is the first anyone has heard of me since Bonnibel. I'm performing in a full house tonight because maybe people missed me? They missed my music? This is the jumpstart my career and my music need! And it's all thanks to Bonnibel. She may have crushed my heart, but she fueled a new program of lyrics and ideas that nobody could ever give me. I was done being pissed at her and became almost thankful for her.
I looked over at Ash and he gave me the "rock on" finger sign. That was his universal way of telling me that it was show time. I grabbed my bass and floated onstage as Ash drew the curtains.
"Land of Ooo, are you ready to rock?" I shout, a big smile on my face as I see the huge crowd in front of me. They scream and clap in response. I turn to Ash and nod, then start fingering the silky strings of the bass.
"This songs about how fucked up love is sometimes!" I smile as they cheer and start to sing.
La da da da da
I'm gonna bury you in the ground.
La da da da da
I'm gonna bury you with my sound
I'm gonna drink the red, from your pretty pink face…
As the night goes on, I'm feeling better and better about myself. I haven't felt this rush in years and it makes me so exhilarated. My bass is a part of me again instead of some useless instrument. I finish the majority of my songs and start playing the ending to the most recent one when I look into the audience. I glanced into the audience many times during the show, but I never took the time to look at all of the people in it. There are people from the Wildberry Kingdom, Lumpy Space, and Red Rock Cliffs. I feel pretty awesome to unite so many different people in one branch of awesome music.
Then I see a face far too familiar. It's Bonnibel. It had to be. Even if I just saw one glance of that pink face from miles away I would notice it. It's a wonder why I didn't notice her here before. I can't tell if she's smiling, she's too far away. But I do see a shirt on her that I don't see too often.
It's the rock shirt I gave her all those years ago.
I stop playing. I stop singing. I'm so lost. I have no idea what to do. I can't finish the album about her betrayal when she is staring at me. At this point she notices me looking at her. I see her start to turn and walk away and I panic.
"STOP!"
That was a bad move. She turns around and stares at me again.
"Um…there will be a short ten minute break. Sorry." I quickly drop my bass and float over to Bonnibel. I know I'm making a mistake even as I'm approaching her, but there's no turning back. I stop floating and stand in front of her. I don't speak for a while. I just stand there, helpless. Not knowing what to say.
"I…Bonnibel…What the fuck are you doing here?" I stutter. This is so unlike me. What is going on? I am over Bonnibel!
"I haven't heard you sing in a while. Thought I should stop by." It's been so long since I heard her voice. It's almost as if I forgotten what it sounded like. The richness of her words is fluid with her pitch. She could have been a poet. I look at her again, a bit dumbfounded by why she is even here. She's become so mysterious hasn't she? First the illusive break up, and now this?
"You're wearing the shirt." I saw monotonously. I try to keep my tone cold. Not willing to let her make any assessments.
"Yes. I figured it worked better than any of the other outfits I own." Nothing about me giving it to her or how it meant to us. Just that it worked as a nice outfit. She's really getting on my nerves now.
"Listen, I've got a show to finish and you're very distracting. It's been nice seeing you, but it's time for you to leave." I start to head back to the stage, at this point, everyone is tuned into our conversation.
"What, you can't sing your songs about me with me listening in? You've gotten soft." She's smirking at me. Smirking. It's like a sadistic laugh on her face.
"I'm not soft. I just find it funny that the only time you ever want to see me is when I'm singing about you, you narcissistic bitch." I pull a smirk of my own. She isn't going to win this. This is my game.
She looks at me and her eyes go stone cold. Her mouth goes into a scowl that I remember far too well. She walks over to me, pulls me down and kisses me passionately, pulls away fast, then whispers into my ear.
"Maybe it's because I missed you."