Pop.
GoGo's pink bubblegum inflated into a round bubble, then disappeared abruptly with a loud –
Pop.
She and Tadashi were studying at the Lucky Cat Café (Honey had gone shopping – apparently there was a 75% off sale at one of her favourite stores – Wasabi was experimenting in his lab, and Fred was doing whatever he did on Saturdays). Naturally, after one and a half hours of reading about chemical reactions, GoGo wanted to do something.
So she did.
Pop.
GoGo wrote down another note, scratched it out, and grinned wickedly.
Pop.
This was going to be fun.
Pop.
Tadashi raised his head, looking peeved. She gave him an innocent look and uncapped her highlighter.
Pop.
He frowned pointedly.
Pop.
Tadashi's eye twitched.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
GoGo had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. There were no other customers – a mother and her son had just stepped out of the café – and Aunt Cass was in the back frying another batch of doughnuts, so it was the perfect time to annoy the heck out of Tadashi.
Pop.
She remembered when Tadashi had bought a pack of strawberry and banana flavoured gum. It was GoGo's birthday, and Tadashi hadn't known what to get for her. So he got her gum.
There had been fireworks, great bursting fireworks. Tadashi took her to the roof, where they sat watching fireworks bloom in a dark backdrop full of stars.
That was when she found out that Tadashi could not blow bubbles to save his life.
To remind him constantly of this embarrassing fact, GoGo always chewed strawberry and banana flavoured gum whenever he was nearby – or at least kept an extra pack in her pocket.
And she always remembered to rub it into Tadashhi's face as hard as she could.
Pop.
Tadashi opened his mouth.
"GoGo – "
Pop.
"Uh – "
Pop. Pop. Pop.
"You know – "
Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.
"GOGO – "
POP. POP. POP. POP. POP. POP.
"THAT'S IT!"
He lunged for her, and GoGo fell backwards with a squeal of surprise.
And then he was tickling her, making her squeak and protest and fall over again.
"Stop – stop – " she gasped, and Tadashi finally did, grinning smugly.
"Still planning on blowing bubbles?" he said.
"You made me swallow it," GoGo replied sourly. "But luckily, I have a whole pack in my pocket."
"Noooo," he moaned.
"Well," drawled Aunt Cass, who hadn't been frying doughnuts, "I've been standing here the whole time, you know. Here's some lemonade and cinnamon rolls to tide you over. Dinner's in three hours if you want some, GoGo."
"Ummm… hi," said Tadashi and GoGo simultaneously.
Aunt Cass raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you two supposed to be studying?"
"We were!" Tadashi said, "until she started blowing bubbles."
"At any rate, we've got company," said GoGo cheerfully.
The door opened with a ring, and in came Honey, Wasabi, and Fred.
"Hi," said Aunt Cass. "Cinnamon rolls and lemonade?"
"Sure!" Honey replied.
"Let the lovebirds study," Aunt Cass added. "They're still on page 116."
"What have you guys been doing?" Wasabi exclaimed. "The test is a review of pages 114 to 143! You've only finished two pages?!"
"We got sidetracked," began Tadashi.
"Sidetracked?" Fred said, waggling his eyebrows.
"NO. Not like that! I mean – I – uh – what I was going to say – "
"You're cute when you're flustered," said GoGo, examining her nails, "but really, Tadashi. I'm already on page 141."
"But I got sidetracked because – wait a minute. What did you just call me?"
GoGo tried to keep her face blank and emotionless.
Honey squealed. "OH MY GOSH!"
"GoGo?" said Fred, Wasabi, and Tadashi at once.
She tried not to turn bright red, and failed miserably.
"Um," began Tadashi.
Ohhh no, thought GoGo.
"Uh," said Tadashi.
Honey squealed again.
Caught in a trap with no exit door! GoGo thought frantically of something to do, something to say. How was she supposed to respond? Her pulse quickened, and she swallowed thickly. Now what?
GoGo couldn't do anything to cover it up. It was far too late for that.
So she did what she thought was best.
She blew a bubble.
POP.
"Argh!"