10-28-11

1:02am

Summary- Blossom wanders through her high school years, trying on different personalities and exploring possibilities while attempting to figure out the person she is…the person she wants to be. Also with some Blossom/Brick.

Disclaimer- I do not own The Powerpuff Girls, which is copyright and belongs to its respective owner(s) and is only being used in a fan-made, fictional story.

xoxo

Title-Skins

4-Recharge

By-Moon Prynces

xoxo

She was anxious about her sketchbook, but didn't have art for another day. It was strange to be holding onto a pencil and not have paper to put it to.

Then again, it wasn't as though she looked forward to that task. She was ready to face facts.

She wasn't an artist. It had been almost (not even) two weeks and she knew it.

Although, and she slumped in her seat, she might be turning into a quitter. Just because it didn't come easy to her she cast away the option.

Blossom turned to the window with her chin in her palm.

But it was more than that. She just didn't feel any connection with it. There was no spark, no electricity flowing through her veins at the prospect of a clean sheet of paper or blank canvas or mass of clay waiting to be molded.

Maybe it was hoping for too much, to try and find what she was good at and also enjoyed. Maybe she was trying too hard. People usually discovered these things naturally, accidentally, luckily.

It might also be because she was distracted by a few other things. College applications were being filled, essays written, recommendations requested. (Though honestly, she had most of this in the bag already.)

She was also noticing her sisters and their flourishing lives. Everything seemed to come so easy to them. Even Buttercup had had a few boyfriends by this point!

Never even been kissed, she grumbled to herself in self-pity.

Her eyes traveled around the room idly, not even pretending to pay attention to the lesson.

The guy a few seats away glanced at her and grinned crookedly when they caught each other's eyes.

It was a good thing he turned away right after, because she felt awkwardness descending like the air pressure being changed. She tried to sit up straighter, to not look so gangly and inelegant, even though it was unlikely he would look over his shoulder again.

Her past selves didn't care for him. But, he had also been different for each of her transformations.

Maybe things were different now. Maybe, they were somehow more compatible than before. Maybe... because she wasn't as focused on shaping herself into someone else, she could pay more attention to what was going on around her (like him).

Blossom set her chin in her hand and stared at the board indifferently.

It was somewhat a relief to know she was still human, could still feel such genuine and unexpected emotion. Even if it meant her heart was jumping around in her chest at the sight of him (which was why she avoided looking in his general direction).

After admitting to herself that she was being chicken and the fear of just seeing him was unwarranted, she let her eyes slowly make their way to the back of his head.

It might have been the senior in her lurking around and waiting for certain moments to strike with nostalgia but... she couldn't believe how much they'd changed throughout the years. And how much their relationship had changed thus far.

Or rather, how much she'd inadvertently manipulated their relationship with her various attitudes.

As a freshman she was nothing, and so was he. To their peers, teachers, to each other. As freshmen they had both been unknown, in the background, keeping off everyone's radar. Their relationship didn't even exist then. She didn't know who he was and he didn't know of her either, only bumping into her once or twice (so she appallingly recalled a day after her discussion with him).

Was it her anonymity that affected her relationship with him? Because she kept to herself and didn't give him a chance (didn't give anyone a chance), not even sparing him a glance or kind word?

And then there was sophomore year, where she was the athletic type, outgoing and bold (bolder than she'd ever been), disinterested in anything other than class, her sports and the friends she acquired with that.

It was then, as she crawled out of her shell, that he (crawled out of his own shell?) was a... nuisance, really.

Blossom smiled down at her notebook in remembrance of her ill-feelings toward him.

Not that she wasn't ashamed of herself now that she thought about it, but he was such a brat. Hitting on her? Really? The persistence wasn't endearing, it was annoying. She hadn't been like other girls, her friends that chatted in the locker room about how they would have given in or found it slightly romantic that he showed up to support (ahem, bother) her at her games and swim meets.

Maybe her aloofness was what drew him to her. Not that she thought she was some sort of magnet for male attention or anything, but assuming her personality did affect their relationship then maybe her putting herself out there got him to do the same.

Blossom quirked her lips wryly, thinking that while she had been involved in sports... so had he.

Then come the next school year and he had somehow become more mature than her, even giving her some subtle (and very reassuring) advice. One would think that a student government official was wiser, more responsible, more helpful than someone who snuck off to play an uncommon instrument by himself.

But that's what he'd been: helpful.

In the beginning, as she was still trying to pull herself together into this seamlessly perfect person and unsure of her capabilities, he'd given her that push in the right direction. (Forward.)

How did he even know she was freaking out about everything anyway? They hadn't been talking in those first two months last year, until they'd bumped into each other. Were her anxious and doubtful feelings that easy to read?

Huh.

And now... well, what was he? What were they?

How could she figure out their relationship when she couldn't figure out her- who she was this year?

xoxo

She knew what she had to do. The day had come.

And luckily, it was a Friday. So that after the retreat (more like surrender) she could head home, sit in a corner and feel bad for herself.

She walked to that last period class with brisk steps. She almost felt bad, clutching the paper in her hand tighter.

Poor woman didn't deserve to feel like she'd been used. But there was no other choice. She would understand.

Still, Blossom paused a few steps away from the classroom door and stared as her fellow classmates (none of whom she had formally met) walked in with ease.

Then there was the pressure of a hand on her shoulder that had her screeching indecently and clawing at the lockers nearby.

Blossom looked up to the amused face of Mrs. Pollock (and her peers).

"Oh, hi." She said while standing up straight again.

"Why don't we go inside and discuss your work?" The art teacher questioned amiably, gesturing to the doorway.

She's gonna think this is a cop-out. Like I'm running away from being criticized, Blossom thought, horrified at herself.

As usual, class began with everyone heading off to continue their work without any prodding or strict lesson plan. Mrs. Pollock sat down at her desk and motioned for Blossom to bring a chair over to the other side of it.

But she only stood there across the table, fidgeting.

"Well, first I wanted to ask-"

"Mrs. Pollock." Blossom interrupted before she got very far. "I came to..." She tried to hold up the paper in her hand higher before sighing and putting it gently on the desk. "I'm dropping the class. I just need your signature."

The art teacher stared at her blankly for a few moments before averting her eyes to the paper. Finally, her brows came together in genuine confusion as she reached for it.

"May I ask why?"

"This isn't for me. I love art and everything but... it's just not who I am." She spoke in a low voice, fearing that someone would get offended. "I did try."

Mrs. Pollock was intently looking over the sheet of paper. "Where will you go now? I'm sure all other classes are full."

Blossom shrugged. "I'll figure something out."

And then she was signing the paper without a fuss and the redhead stared in shock. That was it? No more questions? No comments on her sketchbook?

Mrs. Pollock opened a drawer and pulled out said book, placing the paper on top and handing over the items with her usual cheerful smile.

Blossom grasped it carefully, awaiting something. But then the teacher let go and it was hers again.

"Thanks." She said slowly, and just as slowly she turned to leave.

When she reached the open doorway and glanced over her shoulder, Mrs. Pollock was striding over to a student and commenting on his work.

She looked down at the book in her hand, wondering if maybe the art teacher didn't even know what to say about it.

xoxo

"And where are you off to?" She demanded.

Blossom glanced up from the magazine she was perusing in the living room.

Buttercup shrugged, trying to hide a grin. "Nowhere."

"I thought it was sisterly bonding time!" Bubbles argued, standing up from her sofa.

"You didn't make any official plans." Buttercup rolled her eyes upward innocently.

Bubbles peered at her dark-haired sister. "You just saw him this morning!"

Buttercup stuck out her tongue in such a childish manner that Blossom blinked stupidly. "I already asked the Professor. He said it was fine. Don't wait up!" She sang while darting out the front door.

Bubbles dropped herself back into her seat and sighed. "But I picked out this movie and we can't just watch it without her!"

"Did she just stick out her tongue at you?" Blossom asked.

The blonde glanced over and raised a brow. "I think she's high on her relationship." There was a pause. "What should we do?"

The redhead put down her magazine. "I don't know. Buttercup's dating someone?"

"Yeah."

"But... Did she say something?"

Bubbles gave her a look. "She didn't have to. It's obvious."

Blossom tried to recall the past few months. Had she seen her sister with anyone in the halls? In the gym? In class?

"He doesn't go to our school." Her sister replied as she examined Blossom's thoughtful expression.

She nodded to herself, taking this in. Then, "Are you dating anyone?"

Bubbles looked surprised. "Uh..." Her face twisted up with emotion, and then she replied with her eyes darting around the room. "Kind of on and off."

"Ah." Blossom nodded, though really she was wondering why she didn't notice these things. "How come you never talk about him?"

The blonde glanced her sister's way with a hesitant smile and slightly mocking expression. "Because we..." She stopped and her brows came together. "I don't know. We just don't. The three of us, we're usually just too busy. I mean, I have my own friends and so does Buttercup and you too."

What friends? Blossom thought to herself.

There was a long pause as Bubbles turned back to the TV and Blossom glanced down at her magazine.

If it had been last year, Blossom would have scoffed at anyone who dared say she didn't really know her sisters all that well.

Except, she now realized, it was kind of true.

Yeah, they were sisters, had known each other so well for their whole lives, and had this bond that most people could never really understand but... there were things she didn't know. Things that mattered and that their friends knew.

It was kind of selfish to say that sibling bonds were above those with friends and that she should know her sisters better than strangers. Still, it was just the acknowledgement of her jealousy not some fight against it.

And it wouldn't help to just wallow in the situation, feeling bad about it. There was something she could do to rectify it.

As much as Blossom liked to sit down and think things through, she was just as much a do-er.

"So... what's he like?"

Bubbles looked over quickly and in confusion. "What?"

"The, uh, the guy." She looked up, tossing the magazine next to her before getting up to sit down right next to her sister on the bigger couch.

Bubbles stared for a moment, trying to figure something out. But after a moment she beamed, a smile coming quickly and naturally.

xoxo

The only problem with Monday was that her first period class was now an empty slot. Any ordinary student would have not bothered. A senior would have just rolled over in bed for another hour.

But Blossom hesitantly got ready that morning and headed to school, watching as her classmates scurried off tiredly.

"Hey." She greeted lightly, stopping by the locker of her few odd friends.

If anyone thought it was strange that she was suddenly coming out of the woodwork by acknowledging them, they didn't say it. Instead all she got were similar greetings.

"What do you have?" Someone asked randomly.

The redhead shrugged. "Don't know. I dropped a class last week so... I guess I'm supposed to figure that out now."

"But you pretty much have most of your credits already, right?" A girl, Angela, asked. "You should've just stayed home watching morning cartoons."

"We're not still five years old." Another girl responded while rolling her eyes jokingly.

"So you're heading to the guidance counselor or something?" One of the guys questioned.

"Oh! You should just join yearbook! It's so much fun." Joan, who had made the age appropriate comment, started excitedly. Blossom remembered her as being a class representative last year. "It counts as a class and you get a few random credits. I have it right now. You can come and check it out."

Blossom smiled, trying not to look doubtful, and shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Better than wandering the halls, waiting to get caught and handed detention, she added frankly.

"Hey, who happens to be in yearbook?" She asked while her friend led the way. "Anyone I know?" And she stupidly crossed her fingers, hoping one person in particular wasn't there.

Joan just looked amused. "Blossom, you know practically everyone. You were in SG last year."

It was unhelpful. But hey, at least she didn't segue into questions about why Blossom hadn't gone for office this year.

xoxo

Eyes lazily followed her as she walked into the room, around a few tables, greeted a couple of people, and almost walked right by without so much as a glance.

But he leaned his head sideways into the aisle and flashed a quick upward twitch to the left side of his lips and it would have been rude to ignore.

"Hey." She said, deciding to stop near his desk. Or was forced to anyway.

"Hey." He said right back, raising his brows with that same easygoing smile. "Haven't seen you all week."

She laughed like it was a joke. "We have like three classes together."

His smile slowly faded to something more subtle as he stared her down and raised a single brow this time. "That's not what I meant." Then his expression turned to amused disbelief. "You avoiding me?"

Blossom smiled and shook her head. "My world doesn't revolve around you, you know."

And then she kept walking to her seat, while he turned around to watch her go.

Somehow, he was not convinced.

...

About her avoiding him, that is.

xoxo

"It seems that your applications are all filled in." He said, looking through the portfolio she had handed him. "Essays. Recommendations." He checked off the mental list before looking at her again. "And with the addition of your extra curricular activities, there's nowhere you couldn't get in."

Blossom smiled bashfully. "Thanks."

"You should've tried a few other schools." The guidance counselor nodded to the pamphlets on his desk.

Her eyes went wide at the suggestion. "But these are so..."

"Prestigious? Expensive? Far away?" He filled in as she picked up the papers.

"Uh, not really me." She went with, still staring down at them.

There was a small pause before she carefully put the pamphlets back without the look of longing and regret he usually saw in students.

"Okay." He said in a low voice. "Seems like you know what you're doing."

"I'll see you later." Blossom announced, getting up from the chair, and he wondered if she'd even heard him or was ignoring it.

"Just don't forget to send in everything." He handed back the folder. After she left the room he said to himself, "Now there's a student I don't need to worry about." It was followed by a sigh as he picked up his next appointment's file folder, also noting that this student was already late.

xoxo

"Blos, you can't just sit around and do nothing." A voice told her, while her head lay on the table lifelessly.

With a great, dramatic sigh, she sat up straight and asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Joan opened the redhead's palm and slapped a pad of paper in it. "You can go interview some of the teachers. The questions are all there, and if you think of any follow-ups then go ahead."

Blossom stared down at the item in her hand blankly.

"Or you could go make copies of a few flyers..." The teasing threat hung in the air.

Blossom took a deep breath. "I can do that too. I have experience." She added an amused eye roll while being shoved out the classroom door.

xoxo

She noticed his subtle wave and smile as she entered the room, and thus had to smile and wave back. But there was an empty seat with a few friends from her sports days so she went over to catch up with them (which no one seemed to mind, once again).

He couldn't possibly think she was actually avoiding him. She was doing whatever she wanted, when she wanted, without an agenda this time. It was just nice to have friends all over the place.

And technically, she wasn't even sure they were friends. They were more like, well, classmates.

So was that it? There was an actual word for their relationship this year? They were just classmates?

Someone said something that she wasn't listening to and she nodded absently, pretending to look interested.

She may have been a bit awkward and confused this year but she wasn't naïve. She could tell he still had some lingering feelings for her. He'd made it clear enough the other day. (Not to mention last week.)

And she wasn't stupid enough to feign ignorance or deny herself like a clichéd character, so she knew the feeling that sprung up when interacting with, seeing or even thinking about him was excitement.

So maybe she liked him back, at least a little.

But she didn't exactly feel worthy of his affection. Maybe last year, or the year before, if she had been in the right mindset about romance, she would have smiled gratefully or even flirtatiously.

Right now though, she was a loser. She was trying too hard at things that made no sense, and he was cool and confident, secure in who he was and what he was doing.

If she were still following the same logic that her behavior affected his relation to her then would that mean that her being a damsel in distress made him the knight in shining armor?

Yeah, except he wouldn't come to her rescue. She remembered that.

Damn, he was so much smarter than her.

She nodded to something else being said and subtly slipped open her binder to a specific section, turning away from her friends. She went on with her notes, filling in a few gaps and rereading.

Now that she thought about it... really looked at her relationships with so many people, not just this one guy, so many things made sense. Things she hadn't consciously thought about before, at those moments in time.

Blossom smiled to someone who looked over and caught her eye.

Good thing the week was almost over. It gave her just enough time.

xoxo

"Where's Bubbles?"

Blossom looked up to see Buttercup walking into the living room. "I think she went out."

The other girl's brows went up. "What?" Then her brows came together. "She's the one who made me agree to plans this weekend! She can't just get up and leave without saying anything! I could be out practicing my moves with the team. Or seeing that new thriller movie wi-"

"Oh, look. There she is." Blossom said in a monotone voice, hiding her grin as Bubbles came bounding into the room.

Buttercup stared with her mouth agape, first at her blonde sister and then, after realization hit, at the redhead. She sat down and said simply, "I cannot believe you."

"But it's good to know I can still surprise you." Blossom said while glancing back at the TV.

"What happened?" Bubbles asked, finally looking up from her cell phone to take in the situation.

"Wanna get something to eat?" She asked before Buttercup could complain some more.

"Tacos." Bubbles responded decisively.

Buttercup disagreed with, "Pizza."

When they both looked at her she said weakly, "I wanted french fries and a few other things..." A few completely unhealthy things that would have her rolling on the floor in pain and regret until the next day.

Silence reigned for a few moments as they thought this over.

Blossom stood and grabbed the keys from the kitchen. "I guess we should leave now if we want to get everything. Saturday's busy no matter where you go."

She headed to the front door as her sisters cheered and danced behind her at the decision.

"I kind of want some pizza now too." Bubbles was saying thoughtfully.

"Wanna split a cheeseburger, Blos?" Buttercup questioned while calculating how much of everything she could eat before getting too full to move.

"Better watch out." The blonde suddenly stage-whispered. "She might start questioning you about your relationship." She sung the last part while skipping ahead to the car.

Blossom glanced over her shoulder and Buttercup's eyes went wide at the evil expression her sister wore.

"Now that she brought it up..."

xoxo

No date.

Ah, I said I wouldn't post anything until the entire thing is done but I've made a good deal of progress in the past two weeks. Chapter 5 is also complete and then I believe chapter 6 is the end. I hope. I've reread this thing so many times I'm sick of it.

Thanks for reading and tell me what you think. It's dragging along isn't it? Ah, I know.

12-8-11

1:05am