Orioles1997: Good to see you on here again, old friend! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing, and good luck with your exams!
I figured since I already had this chapter written up, it might be a nice 4th of July surprise. Hope everyone enjoys their holiday! And if you don't celebrate today, I hope you have a wonderful day anyway! :)
.: 7 :.
One full day passed before Bubbles saw Boomer again, making her wonder what the blonde was doing.
He'd been ecstatic about her wanting to meet Brick and Butch, even chattering on about how cool they were and how he'd love for them to meet such an awesome girl such as herself. When it began to get dark outside, he had no choice but to head back home, but they agreed that Bubbles would meet his siblings soon.
After a full day of silence—which wasn't completely unwelcome; as much as she was an extrovert, sometimes even she needed to recharge her social batteries—Bubbles began to wonder what kind of mischief her goofy new friend was getting into when he showed up on her doorstep. She had just finished cleaning up for the day and was going to sit down with one of her father's old books when a loud knock sounded at the front door.
She looked through the peephole before undoing the locks, swinging open the door to reveal a chipper, bright-eyed Boomer who was practically bouncing in his shoes.
"Good afternoon, dear friend!" he chirped. "How are you on this beautiful summer day?"
She giggled, happy to see the cheerful blonde again. "I'm good, how about yourself?"
"I'm great! I got to have some Lucky Charms this morning, which was nice, but we had to use water instead of milk, which wasn't so nice, but the marshmallows made up for it."
That explained his extra-hyper attitude today. Bubbles decided to voice her earlier thoughts. "So, what have you been up to lately?"
"Mostly cleaning the house." He shrugged. "Without Mojo constantly reminding us to clean up, we kinda got lazy, but I promise we're not total slobs. Brick kicks our asses into gear if the house gets too messy, plus Butch asked me to bring out the old manual lawn mower yesterday since our front yard was getting a bit too overgrown. It wasn't pretty; I was all sweaty and gross, but our lawn looks a lot better."
"You guys still have one of those manual lawn mowers?" she asked. "I haven't seen one of those in years."
He scratched his head. "To be honest, I don't know why we kept it but I'm glad we did. It's the only way we can keep the grass from getting too high without making a whole bunch of noise. That, and check it out—perks of manual labor!"
Boomer flexed his right arm and kissed his bicep, looking positively ridiculous, and Bubbles laughed.
"I didn't know the gun show was in town."
"The gun show is always in town, Bubbles." He flexed the other arm and wiggled his eyebrows, making her laugh again.
As bright and bubbly as Boomer was, the world didn't look so happy today. Rain clouds blocked the sun, giving the environment a gray, gloomy feel. It didn't help that the air was thick with humidity; it made Bubbles want to brave another cold shower just to shake off the gross, clammy feeling on her skin.
"Looks like a storm is brewing," Bubbles remarked, nodded towards the sky. Boomer followed her gaze and his lips quirked into a frown at the overcast sky above.
"Here's hoping it passes quickly."
She nodded in reply.
"So, hey," he rocked to and fro on his feet, "I was thinking, would you like to meet my brothers today? Unless you have plans to go out, of course, then you could always meet them another time. Totally up to you."
His question caught her slightly off-guard. "Today?"
"Yeah! We're not going out scavenging today so I figured, since they'll be home, it would be the perfect time to get all the introductions out of the way, that way everyone knows everyone."
She did ask him if she could meet his brothers the other day... Perhaps he was right. If everyone was home today, there would be no better time than the present.
"Alright." She nodded. "Just let me grab my phone."
The closer they got to the dome-shaped house, the more Bubbles felt nervous. What would she do if it turned out that Boomer's siblings actually weren't alive and living with him? If the boy didn't quite have all his mental faculties in working order, how would she handle it? And how would Boomer react once he realized that Bubbles caught onto his potentially-warped grip on reality?
Actually, that brought up more questions: what if Boomer's brothers were real? Would they be as trustworthy as him, or would they be the ones Bubbles had to watch out for? Was she digging her own grave by going to meet them?
"Nervous?"
Bubbles smiled weakly, pushing all of her thoughts away. It would only hurt Boomer if he knew what she was truly thinking. "A little."
"Don't be. My brothers may look mean but they're a bunch of teddy bears. Smelly, weird, boring teddy bears, but teddy bears all the same!"
They headed up the walkway and he unlocked the door, motioning for her to step in first. Bubbles did so and was immediately greeted by the strong scent of antiseptic, her nose wrinkling slightly at the acrid smell.
Boomer noticed. "Sorry if the house smells like a hospital. Mojo volunteered at the ER a lot, so he kind of brought the smell home with him."
The living room was the epitome of modern. The walls were a crisp white with black and royal purple accents, two sofas facing each other with a sharp-looking, oddly-shaped coffee table between them. A few science-themed magazines lay neatly stacked on top of the glass table but what immediately captured Bubbles' attention was that the lights were on.
"The power went out a few days ago," she remarked. "How do you guys still have electric?"
"Mojo had solar panels installed the minute he bought the house," Boomer explained. "One of the perks of living in Townsville is the abundance of sun. He figured it would be a great way to save money and be kind to the environment. He was also sick of the rolling blackouts Citysville dealt with, so he installed them as a precaution in case Townsville dealt with those, too."
He led her into the kitchen where two young men that looked slightly older than Boomer sat at the circular kitchen table. The muscular one, whom Bubbles guessed was Butch, had spiky black hair and a thin scar on his right eyebrow. The snakebite piercing and line of silver studs in his cartilage made him look tough; even his expression looked slightly menacing even though he didn't appear agitated in any way. A handheld video game sat in his hands, his fingers mashing the buttons every now and then.
The other one, Brick, had long red hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail, a firetruck-red cap sitting backwards on his head. He looked much less intimidating than Butch but he didn't exactly look like a sunshine-and-rainbows kind of guy. Freckles dotted his face and a single nostril piercing glinted in the light when he shifted in his chair, his attention turning to both blondes. His eyes almost looked red, but Bubbles realized they were just a peculiar shade of brown. He was much less beefy than his dark-haired brother but, like Boomer, he wasn't without muscle.
"Hey, Boomer," he greeted, then nodded towards the girl next to him. "Who's she?"
Boomer beamed at Bubbles and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Guys, this is Bubbles Utonium. She lives in the next neighborhood over."
Both men looked up at the mention of her last name and she gave a shy wave.
"Are you one of Professor Utonium's daughters?"
"I-I am."
Brick didn't smile, but his expression softened.
"Your dad is a good man. It's nice to meet you, Bubbles; my name is Brick and this is Butch. We're Boomer's brothers."
"And the ones who are much cooler than him," Butch added, and Boomer snorted.
"Yeah, you wish."
"We're way cooler and you know it. Just admit it, little bro."
"I'll totally admit you guys are way bigger asshats than I am."
"What did I do?" Brick protested, and Boomer smirked.
"What didn't you do, dude?"
"Idiot," the redhead grumbled, but he didn't seem the least bit offended.
Boomer left Bubbles' side and bounded over to them. "So, what are you guys up to?"
"I was trying to get my radio working," Brick said, and it was then that Bubbles noticed an instruction booklet in his hands. "But the stupid thing is missing a part and I don't think I can get my hands on it."
All mirth disappeared and Boomer grew serious. "What kind of part is it? Maybe I can find it in the city."
Brick shook his head. "Don't waste your time. If the year on these instructions is correct, then this particular part hasn't been manufactured in decades."
"What were you trying to do?" Bubbles asked, her voice barely a whisper. Miraculously, the redhead heard her.
"I wanted to send out an SOS to one of the evacuation zones," he explained. "My dad's had this old thing for ages but it stopped working last year. I was trying to see if I could get it working again, tweak it a little and see if it could send a signal, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon."
"Oh." Bubbles wished she could offer her assistance but she didn't know much about tinkering with machines. Blossom or Buttercup would probably know a thing or two, but they weren't around. She felt a twinge of jealousy; at least Boomer still had his siblings with him. It was weird to think she used to enjoy having the house all to herself when her sisters would step out. Now that it was just her... Bubbles would do anything to have her family's usual chaos back.
"Why not just travel to one of the zones?" Boomer asked.
Brick lifted an eyebrow at the question, sending a pointed look to the blonde. "And end up like the others who tried to do that?"
"Oh... Right." Boomer rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry."
The oldest Jojo brother ran a hand over his face and leaned back against his chair, huffing in frustration. "It's fine. I think in a few days, when it's my turn to go out scavenging, I'll see if I can find a substitute part."
"They sent out a rescue team," Bubbles piped up, and that gained everyone's attention. Swallowing nervously, she continued, "My family was brought to the evacuation zone before they could pick me up. My sister managed to contact me and said they were sending people out to rescue survivors, but it's been a week. I don't know if anything happened, but there might still be a chance that we'll be rescued."
"Fat chance," Butch muttered, returning his attention to the handheld console in front of him. "The infected are fast and they fight dirty. If anyone was dumb enough to come out here, they're probably dead or in the process of turning, just like the people in the evacuation zones."
She knew he didn't mean to do it, but his words cut her like a knife. Bubbles often considered about the possibility of her family no longer being alive but it wasn't something she enjoyed thinking about. She certainly didn't want to hear it spoken aloud.
Boomer glared at the dark-haired male. "Dude."
Butch glowered back at him, clearly not in a good mood. "What?"
"Didn't you just hear her? The Utonium family is in the evacuation zone."
Green eyes softened as the dark-haired male realized what he'd said. "Sorry, but... It's not like it can't or won't happen."
His demeanor reminded her so much of Buttercup. Whenever the stubborn girl had to apologize, she did say sorry but it often preceded more provocative language that would make the situation worse. Instead of backward compliments, Buttercup gave backward apologies; Bubbles figured Butch was the same way.
Boomer shook his head before offering a kind, apologetic smile to Bubbles. "Don't take it personal, Bubbles, I'm sure your family's fine. Bitch—I mean, Butch, is just a meathead."
"Get bent, kid."
"Hopefully one day, bro."
Butch snorted and he turned his attention to the timid girl standing in the archway.
"Don't let Boomer fool you. He's a total loser."
He was joking, but Bubbles knew it was his way of truly saying sorry and trying to make amends for his harsh words. She nodded to indicate she understood, and he visibly relaxed.
The 'total loser' scoffed in mock offense. "I am not! I just happen to not be a winner."
"Exactly: a loser."
"You're just a hater." Boomer sent a playful wink towards Bubbles and she giggled. Watching the two go back and forth reminded her of her own family and although it made her miss them more, it was comforting. The world might have changed, but sibling dynamics hadn't.
"So, Bubbles." At the mention of her name, she looked up and found Brick regarding her politely. "Why aren't you with your family?"
"I had the flu when this all started," she explained. "And I was stuck at home. My family had been out when the infection reached Townsville and they tried to pick me up, but I guess the military wouldn't let them."
Brick hummed in reply, mulling over her words. "Are you by yourself?"
She glanced towards Boomer, who was currently leaning over Butch's shoulder to watch the game he was playing. "I am."
"Would you like to stay with us?" he offered. "We don't have much, but we have electricity and running water, plus we could always use an extra set of ears and eyes around here at night."
"That's generous of you to offer, but I'd rather stay at my house in case the rescue team does arrive," she replied, returning her attention to him. "My sisters told me to stay put, so I try to stay at the house as much as I can just in case."
He nodded. "If you ever change your mind, our home is always open."
"Thank you."
Suddenly, a beeping noise rose up and the casual atmosphere of the room changed. Boomer and Butch froze, all traces of humor and ease gone, and Brick's expression darkened as he checked his watch.
"It's almost night time," he stated, clicking a button on his watch to silence the beeping. "Who's on watch tonight?"
"That would be yours truly," Boomer replied, almost tiredly. "Come on, Bubbles, I'll walk you home."
"You sure you don't want to stay the night?" Butch asked. Bubbles was surprised to hear genuine concern in his voice, but she smiled brightly.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine. I've lasted this long; I think I can brave another night."
Boomer's brothers didn't look convinced but they bid her good night, as well as 'good luck.'
As the blonde walked her out and they set off towards her house, Bubbles felt lighter than she had in days. To be around other people, to listen to other voices and be able to laugh, smile, talk... It was such a welcome change from the lonely silence of her house.
And it was a relief to know that the Jojo brothers were trustworthy. It would not have been pleasant to find that Boomer had simply pretended his brothers were still alive, nor would it have been fun to find his brothers to be creepy or mean-spirited. In fact, getting to meet them made her feel kind of jealous; she wished she could be with her family. The situation might still be dire, but if she had Blossom, Buttercup, and the Professor with her, it would make everything that much easier to deal with.
Boomer is so lucky.
"Sorry again about Butch."
Her thoughts were interrupted by Boomer's words. He looked ashamed.
"Sometimes my brother doesn't think before he speaks. I'm sorry if what he said upset you."
She wracked her brain for what Butch could have said that would have warranted an apology on his behalf, then remembered his earlier comment regarding the evacuation zones.
"It's okay," she assured. "My sister Buttercup is the same way, so I'm kind of used to it. You were right earlier; I have to look at the positives and I think—no, I know—that my family is safe and sound."
Boomer wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a half-hug. "That's the spirit! I'll bet you'll get to see them again in no time. Just gotta keep busy for now."
"So you're on watch tonight?"
Boomer heaved a sigh. "Yeah. Each night, my brothers and I take turns keeping an eye out for any infected that may be lurking around. It's not really necessary since we don't see too many infected around here, but better safe than sorry. If anything, it's just boring."
Bubbles knew if she was in his shoes, she'd be ecstatic not to spot too many of those creatures moving about, but that was just her opinion.
"Wait, so you've actually seen a few around here?"
"When our neighbors turned, they wandered around for a bit before they went into the city. Since then, we try to be extra careful at night and we try to make sure there's nothing lingering around here."
"Please be careful." Her eyes were pleading and Boomer nodded curtly.
"Will do, Mom." He stuck his tongue out and she whacked his arm playfully. He laughed and pulled her into another half-hug.
"I promise I'll be careful if you promise not to worry so much, okay? That's your homework for tonight."
She wasn't sure how she could possibly not worry about him with the knowledge that a few infected had already been spotted around their neighborhood. It didn't help to know that her friend would be out there tonight by himself. What if one of those things attacked him? Boomer was really starting to grow on her and if anything tore him away from her, she would really lose her mind. No family plus her only friend, gone? How could she go on if—
"What did I just say?" He pinched her cheek and she swatted his hand away, pouting at him. "I told you not to worry so much. Look, me and my brothers have a system; if any of those things tries to get in or they see us, Brick set up a bunch of little traps around the house that will not only slow them down, but also alert us that something's up. So don't. Worry. Capisce?"
"I'll try," was all she could say, but she did her best to push out any 'what if' thoughts that tried to poke at her mind.
"That's good enough for me. I'll swing by tomorrow to say hi, okay?"
She smiled. "Okay. I'll be waiting."