CHAPTER 4 - Mutual Avoidance Makes For Great Grievances

Marceline tried her best to appear unfazed by the situation as she proceeded to sit on the chair from the side by the window, a seat behind the front. There's no point in hiding from the professor, whoever they might be; she learned it from the beginning of her time in the university, with Lim screaming at everyone who had the nerve (or the balls, or whatever) to stay at the seats designated at the back. What she wanted, though, was to remain secondary, inconspicuous – with the bonus as to probably not be next to Bonnibel at any point.

Bonnibel though, was clueless to the line that Marceline wanted to put. The girl in question just sat at the seat in front of her, with no such sense on what was going on with Marceline's head. Marceline didn't even really know why she was so worked up – but she just knew, that from several years of not really interacting, to suddenly being the redhead's anonymous confidante, she was probably breaching some sort of moral code. She tried to shut it, though. Not that anxiety would really stop, but what else is there to do?

So she just shut up.

After a few minutes, the professor – Betty Petrikov – got into the class, holding the class list and some other papers. Finn followed her with a bunch of books stuffed in his arms. Still remembering his comments on humanities, she felt a sense of ire. He winked at Bonnie though, and that probably made it a whole lot worse. Bonnie just dismissed him with an eye-roll.

Marceline snickered at her reaction, and it only prompted Bonnie to level a glare at her.

"Why are you laughing?" Bonnie said, accusingly.

"Hmmm… I'm just quite amused that Finny Boy over there is still hung over you," Marceline drawled. "You'd think a boy would finally get a grip once he gets a girl."

Bonnibel looked fairly annoyed; okay, much more annoyed than just the fair amount, but the point is, she's annoyed. Okay. At least the class was drowning everything out with their chatter. She seemed a little less annoyed once Finn left the classroom. Marceline didn't know what to make of that. Even better was the face she made when Sae Na finally entered the room (late much?). That was when Bonnie finally seemed to not mind the class as much.

"Hello, people." Professor Betty called over, probably to calm down the scene. "I'm Betty Petrikov, and I'll be your Public Speaking and Argumentation professor. Please distribute the books on our subject. And, yes, these have been paid for. Tuition."

Marceline felt everyone release a collective sigh of relief. Wow, that was saying a lot.

Betty looked across everyone with a glint in her eyes. She was expecting something; she was waiting and weighing things over. She looked over at Marceline, to Bonnie, and to everyone else.

"The thing about this class is, we need to establish pairs. And we need to start it from the very beginning of the semester. It's… essential. So they say."

Marceline blinked. Pairs?

"Why pairs?" Marceline blurted out, before she could filter it out.

Betty's eyes sparkled at the inquiry.

"You'll have your debate partner for the rest of the semester, of course. And it's best when you're stuck with someone. Challenges you." And she winked. "And it helps you get to know them."

The classroom went silent.

Marceline scanned the room for anyone she knew, and she found Grey sulking in the side. He noticed her then, and gave her a salute, and mimicking a notion that basically meant "me and you?" and it was heartwarming gesture to give the proposition, so she smiled and silently celebrated the victory of—

"By the way, I'm making sure the people you work with are people outside your social circle." Betty added, sensing the looks that the people in the class gave to their friends. "Like I said, this is a challenge. If you're aware of each other's old idiosyncrasies, then that totally erases the point."

Bonnibel and Sae Na looked defeated, as she looked like they looked like they found comfort but then had it snatched away. Marceline felt the same, as Grey's eyes went wide over the notion put forward by the professor. All Marceline could do was sink further in her seat.

Betty's eyes scanned over them again, as if to reanalyze what she said, but she was pleased with it, as she paused away and started ticking people in for attendance. Marceline dozed off after her name was called, feeling emotional exhaustion take its toll.

"Marceline Abadeer? Miss Abadeer, wake up. Pairing is going on…" Betty announced, as she tapped the top of her head. Marceline was all groggy, though.

"Simon wouldn't wake me up like this." She muttered.

Betty blinked, and hit her a little harder. "Come on now, Marceline."

With a bored shrug, she relented.

"You'll be paired with Miss Park." She happily sang.

Marceline didn't process what was going on at first, but once it registered, she was shock faced and wide awake.

"Which Park are we talking about…?" Marceline blurted out, as she looked over to the others.

Bonnibel was clearly displeased and Park Sae Na (the Park she was more bent on being paired with) was apparently paired with some dude named Braco. Bonnibel looked stressed out enough as is, as she tried to alert her, she snapped her fingers right at Marceline's face.

"Bonnibel Park," the professor chimed, in a sing-song manner.

Marceline looked at the redhead, and then just got a sigh in return, irritation evident on her pretty features.

"Alright class! We'll have some rundown on the types of speeches – please do research on British Parliamentary form of debate. Our debates will be under that format. Don't forget to look up any issues…"

And the professor's voice just drones on as Marceline's dreaded fears come to.

-/-/-/-

Right after Public Speaking and Argumentation class, Marceline decided to settle a little bit before going out. She wanted to discuss things with Betty; it looked like Bonnibel was going to do the same. And if not, why was she staying a little bit longer?

"Hey, Betty…" Marceline drawled, unsure of where to start.

"Marcy," the professor said, smiling way too brightly for someone who hasn't left for lunch. "What's up?"

"Well…" Marceline sighed, taking a glance at Bonnie and seeing that she was arranging some sort of time table. "You know… I'm really not sure about the pairings and…"

"Oh hush now," Betty tutted, slightly striking a chord on Marceline. "It'll be good for you. Besides, you're a complete type B. If a type A like Bonnibel can't get you riled up for something like this, then by God I think it's some sort of conspiracy that the universe put up against us."

Bonnibel walked over to the table and gave Marceline a leveled glare, passing on something to Betty.

"I know you're trying to get rid of me. What? Can't put up a fight, Abadeer?" she snarled.

"Oh, why, dearest Bonnibel, what kind of fight does this entail?" Marceline grinned. She was partly amused of the challenge, probably inching closer than she intended.

Jabbing a finger at Marceline's chest, Bonnibel huffed. "You're just afraid that I'll tarnish your little reputation for being nasty; either that, or you're just scared."

With a smirk, Marceline raised a brow. "Scared of what? A ginger finding a way to keep my mouth moving?"

Bonnie almost flushed at the comment but her scowl probably kept it from becoming overt embarrassment.

"You're just scared of trying at all." And then turning to face the professor, "Ma'am Petrikov, I think… I'll take this challenge. But please don't forget to give this off to Sir Simon. It'd be a real big help."

And she was off.

Marceline was left to watch Bonnibel as she left. She couldn't help but smile, despite this slight pang.

-/-/-/-

With the whole "confronting Betty" thing, she had to rush a bit to get to the one free period that she, Keila, and Grey shared in the middle of the day.

"Marcy, you look all flushed and tired. Is that subject drying you out already?" Keila commented, poking her face.

"Nah, she's probably a bit miffed over being paired with Miss Prissy Princess." Grey muttered. He was about to pop the lid off of his soda, but Marceline took it from him, thus ending with her earning a sour expression from the boy.

"Oh, that girl? For real?" And cackles. Cackles all around.

Chugging a bit of the cherry softdrink, Marceline decided it was just a time to let loose a bit.

"Who cares, really?" She waved. "If it gets my grades up, then maybe it'll be of use."

The other two burst out laughing. It was a way to look at things, really.

"I bet she didn't see that coming. It'll probably bring down shit! Her grades are going to suffer!" And the two friends didn't really stop with the taunts against the Chancellor.

"Bonnibel has to haul her ass around, maybe."

"Maybe Princess would actually learn to chill."

"Keila, I think Princess might even go gay."

Their chants go so boisterously that Marceline couldn't even decipher whose voice was who, and she figured to just zone out from then on.

"Imagine: Marceline Abadeer in a Political Science class! I've seen everything now!" Finn bellowed, strutting into the lunch room. The next period was looming in, and Keila and Grey had to ditch soon. Didn't stop them from glaring all the way over to Finn's direction.

Sae Na remained quiet as she and Jake took their seats with him.

"Bro, stop being a dick. She ain't so bad." The older Mertens barked, punching him by the shoulder. It didn't even look half in jest, but Finn laughed anyway.

"She got close to the lowest standing in the school, and then you still defend her? She's literally borderline stupid. She's probably only good at playing those instruments she's so proud of. She shouldn't be stepping into the Social Sciences boundary." Finn retorted. "She probably wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Dear Old Uncle Simon."

"백치. (Idiot)" Sae Na whispered. "You're saying that as if you're so exponentially better."

Finn shrugged, not caring.

Jake was visibly angry, but didn't say any more at the matter. He and his girlfriend just scooted a little over especially once Phoebe got in to sit with them. Phoebe wasn't any more into talking with Finn, either. They all went about their less aggressive banter, veering away at the topic of "more likely to fail" candidates. It brought Marceline into her pit of bad thoughts.

"Hey Marce," Keila said, snapping Marceline back from the draining track in her mind. "Grey and I gotta head to class. We've got this Health Science in Food class thing, so…"

Marceline smiled weakly. Why couldn't she have just chosen something like that?

"It's fine. Stay safe, and don't poison anyone."

"We make no such promises." And they left laughing, leaving a slightly discouraged and unhappy Marceline by herself. It just took a while until she saw Bonnibel, who walked to Sae Na, and later on stalked away. Probably to some sort of fancy schmancy student body head something or whatever.

It was heavy.

-/-/-/-

Statistics was next and Marceline just wanted to die right then and there. She knew Bonnibel was in that class, and now knowing what Finn really thought of her brought her to all sorts of bad places. Despite that (and the struggle to really try anything), she drove right in with the knowledge that at least she was really good with numbers. Living by herself in the class would be a breeze.

Professor Frieda was already by the table, with Bonnibel helping her set things up.

"Marceline Abadeer! It's so good to see you." Frieda greeted.

Marceline waved at her, with a half-hearted smile. Professor Frieda seemed to have sensed her exhaustion as she set her to go to her seat. Marceline had her head by the arm chair as soon as she dropped in, her usual spot in every classroom by the window. The classroom filled in with other students, and there goes Finn's group yet again showing up. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice her, so he just sat down comfortably at the seat by the middle of the classroom. A calculated move for finding seats.

As she raised her head she took a little look at Bonnibel, who decided to sit in front of her. She found a sense of comfort in that, as Bonnie clearly stayed away from where Finn's group lingered. Bonnie looked to check on Marceline's direction and Marceline just went back to her previous "sleeping" position.

-/-/-/-

Marceline's first instinct was to bash the walls once she got home, or to write some song that she thought would make the most of the time. It would've been productive, but she was just way too tired.

She decided to settle for the next best thing.

SEND MESSAGE to bubblegumbites:

"Hey Bonnie.

Today was terrible. Just terrible."

She waited for Bonnibel to reply, but after two hours, she just gave up on it. Who was she kidding? There's no point.

But.

Ping!

bubblegumbites sent a message:

"What's up? I'm here. I'll listen.

I've got a lot on my mind too… But hey, I'm here for you. We can talk about it."

Just as she thought Bonnibel wouldn't reply, she got that message.

And she smiled.