I know the chapters vary in length and it's annoying but sometimes I feel like a chapter should end. The last chapter was rushed so I'm sorryyy but don't worry this chapter is going to be long:)
Chapter 6: Brutally Chaotic
Two months passed since the party and Buttercup and Butch's friendship was an awaking for Buttercup. She forgot how fun it is to have a friend. She was so used to people leaving and hurting her that when Butch came along she was skeptical. But Butch, Butch made sure they were always doing something exciting. Some days they egged someone's car and others stargaze and get high. She felt lighter and happier, he had that effect on her and she found herself loving it.
The problem is she loves it too much.
It's the way he talks to her, like she's the most important person to him. How he smiles so soft and genuine whenever she compliments him. How his eyes light up at the mention of dessert. She loves it all because it's him.
All the days they spent together only made her realize, that the knot in her stomach was never a knot. That it was the start of a brutal fate. She doesn't know how to love someone else. She's afraid of losing him. There is no winning in this situation.
So what does Buttercup do? Buttercup does was she knows best. Her worst and only coping mechanism.
She ignores it and lets it pile up until the inevitable comes.
Brutal, isn't it?
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So you don't want to go roller skating on Friday?" Butch asks Buttercup as they walk into the drama room. It's a Wednesday and the chilly January air has left her in a shitty mood. Snuggling into her black fleece, Buttercup shivers.
Rolling her eyes she looks at him and tries to ignore how adorable he looks with a beanie on in attempt to tame his bed head.
"It's not that I don't want to go. It's just...we should invite other people so it's more fun." She suggests darting her eyes away from him.
Ever since her epiphany. Buttercup tries to avoid hanging out with Butch alone though fails most of the time. She fears if they continue to be alone her feelings will become apparent.
She can't have that. She can't.
Raising his brows, Butch sighs. "Okay, I'll text on the group chat if anyone wants to go with us. But I told you already. The more people who come, the more likely we are going to get caught sneaking into an abandoned roller rink."
Buttercup grins and nods. "Yeah, yeah, yeah I got it." The two sit in the back of the theater. Butch whips out his phone and starts tapping away at his screen.
Buttercup feels her phone vibrate and already knows why.
Asshat: So Friday butters and I are going roller skating who wants 2 join?????;))
Bubs: wait didn't that place shut down..?
Asshat: what's ur point
Brickhead: sounds chaotic, I'll go.
Pinky: I don't know about this. We could get in trouble for trespassing.
BoomBBY: OOO SHIT YES!
Bubs: is bc coming?
Asshat: ofc she's just lazy and doesn't wanna text since she's right next to me:(
Grumpy: eat shit.
Brickhead: I feel the energy draining out of me
Pinky: oh shut it. Fine I'll go.
Bubs: me 2
Asshat: FUCK YES IM SO PUMPED
Buttercup looks over at Butch who is smiling like an idiot and laughs to herself. He can be such a child.
The sound of the Mr. Carino's booming voice grabs her attention and she settles in for another boring class.
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Buttercup waves a goodbye to Butch as she makes way to the science lab. She's about to go into the lab when she smells chrysanthemums. Stopping she almost drops everything in her hands.
Her heart beats faster and faster as the smell gets stronger. It's coming from the Science lab.
That day, they had chrysanthemums everywhere.
She's suffocating. Suffocating in memories and can't seem to wake up. So she runs down the hallway and keeps running. Doesn't stop when a teacher yells at her. She keeps running until she's panting on the side of the school holding her knees to her chest.
She can't stop the suffocating. It's not a new feeling but it's never fails to catch her off guard. She closes her eyes and tries to calm herself.
Yet she can't.
She remembers her dad is never coming back and it's not like she forgot. It's a constant reminder in the back of her mind when she's doing something, anything.
That the moment the casket was put six feet under, that he was never going to come home. The music that day was cold and full of melancholy. The heavy scent of chrysanthemums to block out the rotting corpse in the box. And that corpse happened to be her father. How it was eerily silent the whole funeral. No one dared to comfort her because they knew. Words weren't enough. Words weren't going to resurrect him. Nothing could save him because he's gone. Gone. He's gone and she's never getting him back.
Exhaling, Buttercup finds her balance. Standing up she leans against the side of the school and runs her fingers through her raven locks.
Eventually she stops shaking and looks around. She notices a group of girls standing a few feet away from her and squints at them.
Hopefully they didn't see me.
She's about to turn away and head back to class when a nasally voice calls out to her.
"Hey Butterbitch!" Groaning she turns her head and looks at Princess. She's with two other girls who Buttercup recognizes just never cared to learn their names.
"What." She says flatly. Looking Princess in the eyes with a dead stare. Princess scoffs and walks closer to her.
"I know you fucking egged my car."
Well that's not what she was expecting.
Buttercup is close to protesting when she remembers that she did in fact, egg her car.
Well technically her and Butch egged her car. They didn't even know it was her car until they saw the
custom license plate with gold on it and expensive looking leather seats.
It's not like it was intentional.
"How was I supposed to know that tacky yellow Jeep was yours?" Buttercup smirks. Princess face scrunches up in anger. She takes another step closer and pokes Buttercup forehead.
"You're a freak you know that right? You think we didn't witness your little mental break down?"
"Careful Princess wouldn't want a brick being the next thing hurdled at your car."
"What was your little freak out about, huh? Did you remember how much of a waste of space you are? How you're a fucking corpse? Do me a favor and many more and die!"
Buttercup laughs at the dramatic speech.
Why would she die when the best thing she can do for her dad is to live?
Before she knows it, she's getting slapped in the face, hard. Buttercup knowns better than to throw the first hit. She taught herself to only fight back if the first hit was thrown.
Her body moves on autopilot. She punches Princess in the jaw and finds herself grinning at the dumbfound look on her face. She knows it's an unfair fight as soon as one of Princesses friends hits her in the side.
Groaning at the pain she punches the girl in her throat and the girl wheezes. She's about to make a comment when Princess jumps on her. Her head collides with the cement. Blocking Princess hits she knees her in the stomach.
Standing up she brushes off her jeans. She can taste the iron liquid in her mouth.
Blood.
Somehow it motivates her.
It's three against one.
Life never fails to be unfair.
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Buttercup never made it to Science or her class after that. After a good 20 minutes of fighting, Princess called it quits after one of her false nails broke. As much as it pains her to admit, she took a beating. Yeah, she beat the shit out of them too but she took too many hits.
She can feel blood dripping from her nose and her busted lip. Spitting out blood onto the ground, she takes out her phone and checks her camera.
She's got a bruise on her left cheek. Luckily not the eye. There's some scratches on the slide of her face.
She's disappointed in herself. Which is not a new feeling at all but doesn't mean it's welcomed. Pulling her hair into a ponytail, she inspects the cuts and bruises. Her bangs covering a cut that is most definitely going to scar.
Looking down at her fists, she winces. Cuts litter her knuckles and bruises continue to darken. Wiping the blood on her hands on her knees she looks at the time.
Sinking down the ground. She sits there and tries to fight back the urge to scream. She feels weak. Weak because she let herself have a panic attack over flowers. Weak because she lets herself get beat by some petty bitches.
She picks up her phone once again and sends Butch her location, shutting off her phone she sighs and looks up at the sky. She holds her sleeve to her nose to stop the bleeding but gives up when her sleeve becomes drenched.
Before she knows it, she drifting into a sleep.
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"Holy shit! Buttercup!" It's Butch's voice that wakes her up. Opening her eyes she sits up fast and groans at the pain she feels on the back of her head. Holding the back of her head she glares at him.
"What did I do now?" She says yawning. Looking around she remembers. She got into it with Princess. She looks back a Butch and frowns when she sees him worrying. "Hey, calm down I'm okay."
Butch grabs both of her hands and helps her up. He grabs her chin and studies her injures. "Who did this to you?" His voice is filled with anger.
"Princess and her little gang. It was only the three of them so if you think about it, this is the best I could look after it."
Butch's eyes widen. "You went against three people?! Are you crazy?" He shouts and Buttercup smiles at his reaction. Chuckling she pats his cheek.
"She started it." Pulling away from him she shoves her hands into her pockets realizing her actions. "I just need some painkillers for my headache and an icepack and I'll be good as new."
"Your head got hit?"
Buttercup nods. "I fell back when Princess decided to fucking jump on me. But that doesn't matter, let's go get the stuff and get back to class."
Butch lets out a sigh. "You could have a concussion Butters! We aren't going back to class. We are leaving and I'm taking you to the doctors." Buttercup groans and wants to protest but knows she's not going to get out of it.
"Fine. Here." She takes out her car keys and hands them to him. She been taking out her car more often since her and Butch hate the bus and don't have to wait for it either when they want to go out.
Taking the keys, he picks up her bag from the ground and shove some books and papers into it. He puts it on his shoulder and starts to walk to the parking lot. Buttercup follows and grumbles about how he's being paranoid and that she doesn't have a concussion.
xxxxxxx
Buttercup nervously chews her nails as they await to get the results from the X-Ray. Luckily the waiting room isn't packed and the doctor assured her they would have the results before they left due to it being a serious matter.
She shifts in her seat and figets. Butch is staring at his phone screen updating the group chat about her failure.
Pinky: Butch, why aren't you in history???
Bubs: same goes for you buttercup it's language arts rn
BoomBBY: Brick I bet you 10 bucks they're fucking
Brickhead: 20 they aren't
Asshat: we r at the hospital you dicks
Brickhead: me right fucking now
BoomBBY: FUCK,(
Pinky: are you guys alright?
Asshat: im fine but Butters decided it would be a great idea to fight 3 people at once
BoomBBY: NO SHE FUCKING DIDNT???!!
Bubs: are you shitting me?
Asshat: she went against princess and her friends
Brickhead: lmao did she win
Pinky: not the point.
Bubs: Princess?????? Did she tell you anymore info
BoomBBY: i saw Princess packing makeup over her eye and one of her friends was holding an icepack to her face
BoomBBY: they all looked like shit
Pinky: as oppose to the usual?
Brickhead: who knew buttercup was the best karma
Asshat: she says she didn't start it
Grumpy: because I didn't
Pinky: Are you okay? What did the doctors say?
Grumpy: I had an X-ray and they are checking to see if I have a concussion besides that my hands are a little fucked and my nose and lip stopped bleeding
Asshat: you forgot to mention the huge bruise on your cheek and ribs
Grumpy: cut me some slack
Brickhead: why did you guys even fight
Grumpy: she knows Butch and I egged her car
Bubs: you did what now
BoomBBY: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAAH
Asshat: YOU DIDNT TELL ME THAT BUTTERS
Grumpy: whoops
Pinky: You guys are adrenaline junkies and do crazy shit all the time. This isn't surprising.
Grumpy: gasp u said shit
Brickhead: she cusses all the time when we're alone
BoomBBY:
Bubs: stop it Boomer
Pinky: I'm going now I have a pop quiz. Feel better Buttercup.
Pinky is offline
Brickhead: What she said
Brickhead is offline
Bubs: buttercup u should know I don't think Princess was mad about the car
Grumpy: wdym?
BoomBBY: I agree with bubs
Bubs: at cheer practice...Princess was talking about how Mitch has been talking to her about you
Asshat: so ur saying Mitch sent her after butters
Grumpy: that's too elaborate he could barely pass any of his classes last year
Bubs: Boomer and I overheard him on Monday talking about how...you have a nice figure
BoomBBY: i didn't know he was such a fucking pervert
Grumpy is offline
BoomBBY: well shit :
Bubs has sent Asshat a private chat
Bubs: i know what happened between them
Asshat: did butters tell you
Bubs: yeah. I asked her about it after the party a while back
Asshat: do you have any more details on why Princess and Mitch are doing this
Bubs: this may be a stretch but Mitch is starting to be more interested in BC and since she's been hanging around you
Bubs: ever since you and BC became friends Princess has been bitching about her more and then Mitch was talking about her body to his friends
Asshat: Christ. I'll talk to butters about it
Bubs: okay I just don't want her to get hurt
Asshat: Yeah me too.
Butch turns off his phone and shoves it into his pocket. He glances at Buttercup to see her playing a game.
"Hey, butters." Buttercup looks up from her phone and sighs.
"I already know. Mitch has been talking about me. About how him and I...you know."
"Fucked?" Butch offers and Buttercup swats his arm. She smiles and looks down at her lap. Her fists balled up.
"I kinda suspected it was more than egging her car that lead her to start shit." She shrugs. She picks up her phone once again and checks the time. "Oh, it's only one fifty pm."
"Let's get lunch after this. I'm starving, I took off during class to find you and missed lunch."
Buttercup stares at him in disbelief. "You left class for me?" Butch scratches the back of his neck.
"Well yeah. You're important to be butters. And you constantly are getting into trouble." He laughs and Buttercup stares at him.
The emotions she's feeling conflict her. She wants him. She wants Butch.
But she can't.
The doctor comes back out and show them the results. Buttercup does in fact have a small concussion. He orders her to take naps for thirty to sixty minutes. To stay hydrated and if she starts showing new symptoms to call in.
The two leave the hospital with a bag of painkillers.
"He said you should take two of those before you eat anything so you can avoid pain while chewing." Butch reminds and Buttercup rolls her eyes.
Taking out her water bottle from her bag she unscrews the orange bottle and pops two pills in her mouth before swallowing them with water. She sticks her tongue at him. "Done."
Chuckling, Butch turns on the car and they drive off to the nearest Mc Donald's.
When they arrive, they order their food and park in the parking lot when it arrives.
"God, I've been craving a Big Mac for six fucking weeks." Butch takes a huge bite from the burger and moans after.
Scrunching up her nose, Buttercup chews her fries. The painkillers are definitely kicking in. She feels drowsy.
They sit and eat their food and the silence holds something. Curiosity or confusion.
"Why were you near the side of the school, Buttercup." Butch asks. His voice is laced with concern. Buttercup tenses. She turns to face him and flounders.
She wants to make up an excuse but she doesn't want to lie, god she's so tired of being ashamed for things that happen to everyday people. Plenty of people have mental breakdowns. Plenty of people get unlucky.
She takes a deep breath and "It smelled like chrysanthemums in the science lab. The same smell at my fathers funeral. I couldn't do it. So I ran and ended up on the side of the school. I don't want to talk anymore about it."
Butch nods and goes back to slurping his drink loudly on purpose to annoy her. They banter about it and Buttercup slowly feels better.
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Since Buttercup can't go back to school, Butch drives her home. Only to find out she left her house key in her locker at school.
"Why wouldn't it be in your bag?" Butch groans. He's just as frustrated as Buttercup.
"I took it out of my pocket because my pockets were crowed." She sighs and looks around. Her bedroom is on the second floor so no luck there and she knows Susan has the house alarm on and doesn't get back until six forty.
"What are you going to do?" Butch asks crossing his arms. Buttercup glares at him and gets an idea.
"Can't we just go to your house?" She requests. Dropping her backpack on the ground infront of the door, she clasps her hands together. "Pretty please..." She musters up her best puppy dog look.
Butch looks unamused. "Butters, you know how much I hate it there...but you do need to rest so." He pauses. "Fine but only this once."
"You're the best." Buttercup whispers and goes to hug him. She's standing on her tippy toes and Butch face flushes.
"I try."
They walk across the street to the two story gray house. Butch pulls out his key and unlocks the door. Stepping inside, Buttercup inspects the place. She's never been over to his house. The last two months Buttercup learned the one thing Butch hated was his own home.
She remembers that conversation like it was yesterday. They were lounging in her car smoking in a empty parking lot. She had been crackling about some joke he made about losing his virginity. She suggested they head back before they get caught and Butch shook his head.
"Why not?" She questioned. His answer was agonizing. His calm demeanor perplexed her. He explained in detail the truth of his home.
"I hate who I become when I'm home. I hate how my mother insists that we all sit together at the dinning table for dinner and make small talk. Like she isn't the reason our family is falling apart at the seams. It makes me sick watching my father hopelessly pine after his own wife who fell out of love with him. She doesn't even hide it anymore. She leaves every night at ten and my dad alway tells her 'I love you' before watching her go to fuck her boss. He knows it's doing more harm than good. At one point the insecurities and problems of their relationship became insecurities of mine. I don't want someone to break my heart and I don't want to break theirs."
She remembers how she held her breath and stared at him. Reached out for his hand and put it against her face. She told him he would have her and that he didn't need to worry about heartbreak and his parents relationship was not a prophecy of his future ones. He had looked at her like she meant something.
Buttercup snaps out of it and blinks.
"It's nice." She comments clearing her throat. Butch hums and takes off his shoes and Buttercup does the same.
She follows him upstairs and tries to take in her surroundings. Photographs are hung on the wall along with certificates. She spots a baby photo of Butch and coos at it.
"Oh my gosh you were so adorable. What the hell happened?" She jokes and Butch gives the finger as he opens his bedroom door.
"Ladies first." Butch says. Buttercup snorts and walks in.
Well she didn't expect this.
The walls of the room are black. Paintings cover the walls and there's glow in the dark stars on them as well as the ceiling. A queen size bed sits infront of the window, pillows of every color. Buttercup walks towards it and sits down. Gathering the dark purple silk fabric in her hand.
Butch's room is so unlike him yet not at all. It's colorful but plain. Loud but quiet. Flopping back on the bed, she looks up and sees Butch staring at her.
"What?"
"I'm just surprised you didn't make a comment about my room." He retorts setting his bag on the white desk to the left of the door. It's covered it markers, paints, pencils and books. She watches Butch unpack stuff from his bag.
"I didn't know you were an artist." Buttercup comments. "Guess it makes sense. So colorful here, I like it."
Butch looks pleased to hear that and smiles. "Yeah, in school, people used to make comments about how it was girly that my favorite color was purple. It's the 21 century get over yourselves."
Buttcup hums in agreement. "Is it still?"
Butch raises his brow at her. "Still what?"
Patting the blanket beneath her, she feels the smooth and soft fabric. "Your favorite color."
Butch stops what he's doing and pauses. Turning around to face her, he looks at her. "No, it's not."
He watches her emerald eyes scan the room. A strange sense of nostalgia engulfs him.
They remind him of the emerald necklace his father bought for his mother. How he saved up for a year to buy her it. It gleamed in the sunlight and caught everyone's attention. The first portrait he drew was of his mother in that necklace.
Confused, Buttercup drops the subject and goes back to snuggling into his blanket. It smells just like him. Like rain and mint. "So comfy. Why are you just standing there? Aren't you going to mother me and nurse me back to health." She comments, scooting over.
Butch takes his jacket off and joins her. He grabs a blue blanket from underneath the bed and wraps it around Buttercup. She beams at him and moves closer to him.
"I like it here, we should come here instead of constantly sneaking into mine." She suggests. Butch sniggers.
"Hell no. My parents will know. I bet your ass that they are going to harass me about who I had over. Since I've never really brought friends over, always would go out just to escape." He admits quietly. Buttercup understands that. Home is an experience for everyone.
"Have you ever told your parents what you think about them? You know...their relationship?"
Pondering, Butch opens his mouth. "Once. Didn't go how I wanted it to. They ended up saying it wasn't my place and that I need to stay out of it."
"Oh. That's disheartening to hear."
He flicks her forehead. Buttercup sulks. "Big word for the idiot who went against three people today."
"I had no choice. She hit me first and I wanted to get in some revenge punches."
"That's by far the worst explanation I've heard." Butch snorts and reaches down and grabs both of Buttercups hands. "I'm loving your hello kitty bandaids."
Buttercup weakly tries to pull her hands away but fails. She's closes her eyes and starts to feel something soft on her knuckles.
He's kissing my knuckles.
She feels heat rush to her face. Keeping her eyes close she opens her mouth to speak. "Butch?"
"Yes?"
"What are you doing." Buttercup questions. She tries to keep herself from smiling like a fool.
"Kissing away the pain that you fail to conceal every now and then. "
Rolling her eyes, Buttercup pulls her hands away. Missing the softness of his lips she sighs. "I can feel the cuts and bruises vanishing."
When did I become such a sap?
She thinks to herself sleepily. And before she can stop herself, she's slipping away.
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For the second time today, Butch awakes Buttercup. Shoving her face deeper into the mattress she groans.
"Buttercup you can't tap a nap for more than an hour. Remember what the doctor said? Plus we have company." He sounds bitter saying the last part.
Sitting up, Buttecup rubs her eyes. She lets out a hiss of pain as she accidentally rubs the bruise on her cheek.
"What do you mean by company?"
Butch lips are set into a firm line. "My mother is home."
Xxxxxxxx
I hope you guys liked this chapter. Leave a comment!️️