.....................................................................................................CHAPTER FOUR.......................................................................................................

It was just like Buttercup said.

Butch sat at the marble table the next day with her notebook, flipping through the pages, sighing occasionally in sadness or boredom—no one knew.

Buttercup wasn't back.

He didn't bother asking her sisters where she was. He knew. And all she had left behind was her notebook filled with drawings.

Sometimes he thought she would show up any moment but she didn't.

He wasn't hungry so he didn't fight for any lunch money and he was in a little bit of a shock so he didn't care enough to beat anyone today. He didn't feel like it right now.

He just kept wondering when she would come back.

Butch flipped another page of her artwork with his fist propping his head up. Everything was drawn beautifully but sadly. He saw tear stains on some of the pages but it over looked that all and just wondered if she was exaggerating when she said she could be gone for weeks.

Butch was alone outside until Boomer sat across from him with his lunch bag. They usually ate inside the cafeteria but when Boomer didn't see his brother there he decided to check out here.

Butch didn't notice him at first.

"What's that?" Boomer asked and Butch looked lazily over at his brother, shrugging and looking back at the papers.

Boomer didn't really notice that he cared about how his brother was feeling; he just felt the need to stay by him ever since last night when Butch looked miserable.

"Boomer?" Butch said after awhile.

Boomer refrained from taking a bite of his sandwich and listened, curiously.

"Has bubbles ever said she hated you?" He asked, flipping another page.

"No, why did she say something?" He seemed upset by it and took a bite of his sandwich.

Butch sighed. "No."—and flipped another page— "Just asking."

Boomer raised an eyebrow, frowning. "You okay?"

Butch didn't respond.

Boomer took another bite and they sat in the silence until he heard a voice behind him and looked to see Bubbles.

"Boomer, what are you to sitting out here for?" She seemed to have been worried that Boomer wasn't inside.

Boomer smiled and then smirked. "Why you miss me?"

She scowled. "No. I thought maybe you or Butch had started the food fight going on in there but I guess I was wrong?"

"Food fight?!" Boomer became excited.

Bubbles rolled her eyes. "I guess it was just Brick then? Blossom's trying to take care of it."

"He started without me?!" Boomer scowled and jumped to his feet.

Bubbles put her hands on her hips, scrutinizing him.

Butch had looked up again to see them quarrel with each other then he looked down at the art and asked loud enough for Bubbles to hear but still soft enough that every word showed his odd feeling of loneliness and indifference. "How's Buttercup?" he asked.

Bubbles shrugged and sighed. "She left for our aunt's house yesterday."

Butch felt hurt knowing she was really gone.

"She did?" Boomer asked and looked over at Butch. "So is that why you look so sad today, Butch?"

Something inside Butch snapped and he shot an intense glare at Boomer. "Shut up." He growled, threateningly. Butch doesn't get sad and he doesn't get sad especially because some girl left to visit her aunt's. With the look he gave Boomer, he made sure Boomer understood that.

Boomer didn't mean it like that. He was embarrassed with himself just for saying that aloud but all he was thinking about was how he would feel if Bubbles left.

Bubbles was always around even when they weren't fighting so Boomer assumed that he would probably feel a little empty with out her around because she was always there.

"I didn't mean it like that." Boomer said, putting up his hands defensively with an awkward smile.

"I'm not sad, I'm bored." Butch added. "With your stupid sister gone, who am I suppose to beat the hell up now!" He stood.

"Hey!" Bubbles stamped her foot.

Butch looked at her intently then smirked. "But I suppose you'll do."

Boomer scowled. "Hey man, not cool. That's not fair that, just because your counterpart left, you gotta go and beat up on mine."

Butch narrowed his eyes. But Boomer was right. He wouldn't have liked anyone beating up on Buttercup either. She was his chew toy not anyone else's. So Butch just rolled his eyes and closed the art book.

"Shut up, Boomer. You act as if you like that little brat." He hissed, walking away.

Boomer blushed, appalled. He never thought of Bubbles like that. To him, Bubbles was just some sweet girl that he beat up every now and again when she tried to stop him from having fun or when she would make him look stupid in front of his brothers. Boomer beat Bubbles up because he wanted to feel like he was in control of someone for once. He wanted someone to know that he could be just as tough as his brothers.

Bubbles blushed as well.

She was sort of the same. She wanted to show her sisters she could take care of herself and that she wasn't the weakest in strength.

Bubbles and Boomer seemed to understand each other when they fought and they usually ended with a smirk or a smile and a 'Until we meet again' saying. They respected each other enough for it and that's what Boomer liked best about Bubbles was that he saw respect for him in her eyes and he held the same for her.

Boomer watched Butch leave then sighed and followed Bubbles back into the lunch room.

"You might as well help your brother clean up the mess." Bubbles said. "Seeing as how, you were kind of in on it as well."

Boomer rolled his eyes, sighing.

Butch walked over to the cherry blossom tree where he usually found Buttercup and he kicked the tree trunk. "Who cares if she's gone?" he spat and walked back to the lunchroom, tossing her art book where she usually sat.