Bonnibel hurried down the stairs two at a time and grabbed her handbag from the coat rack before hurrying out the door.
"Bonnibel, where are you going?" called Peppo from the doorway, "They don't land for another three hours." By they he meant Bonnibel's parents. They had called the house last night and announced that they would be coming home the following day. It had been going on for three weeks since Bonnibel had last seen them.
"I don't want to be late," Bonnibel called back, "So I'm going early just to make sure."
"Don't you at least want me to drive you?" asked Peppo.
"I'll be fine," replied Bonnibel, "I've been planning the route since last night."
"Since last night?" said Peppo incredulously, "Bonnibel, have you slept?"
"No, too excited," replied Bonnibel, "Anyway, I'll see you later." With that she left, leaving Peppo feeling decidedly concerned. Yes, he understood fully the excitement the young woman felt at the prospect of seeing her parents again. He remembered when Bonnibel was still young enough to need a guardian, namely him, to look after her. When her parents went away on trips such as these she had cried her eyes out for the first night and then spent the remaining time waiting for them to come back, asking once in a while how long it would be until they returned. In some ways he felt not much had changed. Bonnibel no longer needed to be watched or looked after but to him she always seemed a bit downcast after her parents departed and she would ask him when they planned on returning after them having been away a while.
Bonnibel hurried down the street towards the subway. Ahead of her she spotted a familiar figure made conspicuous by the rainbow T-shirt she wore.
"Hey Princess," Lady called to her, "What's the hurry?" Bonnibel skidded to a halt in front of her and after taking a moment to catch her breath, explained.
"My parents are coming home today," she said breathlessly, "They called last night. I'm on my way to the airport to meet them."
"That's great, when do they arrive?" asked Lady,
"4:30," replied Bonnibel.
"Flip, that's three hours away," said Lady, "You'll be waiting up there ages."
"I know, it'll be worth it though," smiled Bonnibel. Lady nodded. She knew how the young woman felt. Although she didn't talk about her parents a lot Lady had managed to pick up on things here and there and it was clear to her that Bonnibel wanted nothing more than for her and her parents to settle somewhere and for them to spend more time in her life.
"Hey, say hello to them from me, ok?" she said with a wink.
"Will do," replied Bonnibel, "See you later, Lady." With that she sped off again and within a few minutes had reached the mouth of the subway. From below she could hear the rumbling of the underground trains that made their way through the long echoing tunnels which snaked across Winterview's underground. She descended the stairs quickly and scanned her card on one of the ticket barriers before making her way through. She checked her timetable before heading down one of the sloping corridors that led to the platforms. Eventually she reached the platform she was looking for and checked the stations to see which platform would take her eastbound towards her first stop. While she waited for the train she took out her map and traced the line she would be travelling, 'The WestView Line.' According to the map she needed to take it eastbound towards Green Park where she'd have to change to the Northern Line which would take her to Winterview Central Station where she'd have to transfer to an overground train to take her straight to the 4th Terminal of Winterview aiport. Her stomach grumbled, a mixed reminder of how anxious she was and how she had neglected to eat breakfast that morning.
She looked up as she heard the train rattling along the track. As always it was packed and it took her a moment to squeeze her way into the crowded train coach. She reached up, grabbing hold of one of the hanging straps as the train began to move. She strained to see over the crowd, trying to catch sight of the stop schedule. The Winterview underground was a strange mixture of exciting and unnerving. On one hand she could feel the bristling atmosphere of the area around her, particularly when the doors opened to let more passengers on and let others off but on the other hand she always felt a bit nervous here. After all, she didn't need Lady or Bea, who were both seasoned underground travellers, to tell her the underground could be dangerous and was known for its pickpockets. For this reason Bonnibel kept a tight hold of her handbag and did her best not to look to conspicuous.
The doors slid open and a voice announced that the station the train had just arrived in was Green Park. Bonnibel hurried out among the other passengers and followed them towards the exit. Here she split from most of them, making her down a flight of stairs to the Northern Line. A few minutes later the train arrived and she got on. This train was, if possible, even more packed and she'd had to leap onto another coach at the last second, only narrowly avoiding catching her bag in the doors. She grabbed a conveniently placed pole in the centre of the coach to avoid being knocked to the ground by the train picking up momentum.
Before long the train came to a halt at the underground section of the central station where she got off before making a beeline for the escalators. The overground portion of the station was massive, with a high oval domed ceiling made of glass. To her right were the shops which ranged from selling small bottles of expensive perfume to fast food. Next to these were the platforms separated by large columns baring the number of the platform. Along the far wall was a large board displaying the train schedule in luminous yellow letters on a black background and to her left were the doors which led out onto the bustling city streets. Bonnibel checked the schedule and discovered that she must've taken an earlier train than she'd planned for it was another twenty minutes before the train she was to board was due to arrive. Resolving to make good use of her time she made for one of the food stands and bought a sandwich and a coffee. She sat down at one of the rows of chairs in the waiting area and opened the flimsy cellophane wrapping on the sandwich. Tuna was not one of her favourites but in absence of anything else she had readily accepted it. The coffee was slightly bitter but at least it was warm and it was palatable.
By the time she had finished eating the train had just pulled into the station and she hurriedly deposited the remains of her lunch into the bin before making for the platform. She checked herself in using her card and took a seat near the doors. To her intense relief the coach was virtually empty besides herself and a man who was dozing against the window a few seats along. As she waited for the train to depart she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She lifted it out and unlocked the screen, revealing a text message from Peppo, asking if she had made it safely to the airport yet.
"No, not yet," she said aloud as she typed in the reply, "Just in Winterview Central, waiting to go. Will text you when they arrive : )" As she typed the last few characters the train whistle blew and the train drew out of the station. The train station interior quickly gave way to towering skyscrapers and office buildings. Closer to the track were some older, more decrepit looking buildings. They were factories mostly, linen factories which Winterview had been famous for in days gone by. Eventually they were left behind as the train made its way along a bridge which stretched across the vast river which ran through Winterview. From above it looked like a large green serpent snaking its way through the vast city. Bonnibel looked down into the water, made murky by the boats which constantly travelled up and down it. On the far side stood several large oddly shaped buildings which looked as though they had come straight out of a modern art gallery.
After a while Bonnibel gradually lost interest in the scenery and instead focused her attention on a book she had packed that morning. It was a science fiction novel set in a galaxy far far away. She had reached a part where the story had switched from telling of a young boy working on a desert planet as a farmboy to a couple of droids wandering lost in the desert which covered much of the planet's surface. One droid, a humanoid bronze male, was arguing with his companion, a squat droid with a cylindrical body and three sturdy legs. She found she couldn't fully focus on the book however as she looked up every time the train showed any signs of slowing.
Four stops later the train pulled into the airport terminal and Bonnibel got off, making her way up the stairs that led to the main part of the terminal. From there she followed the hanging yellow and black signs to the arrivals area. The walk was a long one and took her at least ten minutes. The arrivals area was located on the opposite side of the terminal and consisted of a large area outside the baggage reclaim which was dotted with clusters of chairs. Against one wall stood several vending machines and a crane game machine. Bonnibel checked her watch. As both Peppo and Lady had surmised she had reached the airport with an hour and a half to spare, and that was if the plane arrived on time. She checked the TV which displayed the expected plane arrival times. For now the plane arriving in from Malaga was expected on time and Bonnibel leaned back in her seat, taking out her book and immersing herself once more in the galactic epic which was rapidly unfolding. Peppo had bought her the book a year ago for her birthday. She couldn't recall just how many times she had read it and re-read it since then but it never lost its interest.
Minutes dragged on as she sat there. Once in a while she looked up at the arrival schedule, watching as the flight her parents were due to be on moved nearer and nearer to the top of the screen. Still the optimistic message flashed next to the flight, 'On time,' and each time Bonnibel would return to her book. As the time drew near she couldn't help the bubbles of excitement that rose in her chest every time a flight arrival was announced. She hoped that this time her parents would at least stay long enough for her to introduce them to her new friends. Three thirty came and went, then four o'clock. She found herself holding her breath every time a large crowd of people flooded through the baggage reclaim doors.
Suddenly her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out and her heart leapt when she saw her mum's name on the incoming call. She started the call and put the phone to her ear.
"Hey mum," she said cheerily.
"Hey sweetie," replied her mum.
"Have you arrived in Winterview yet?" asked Bonnibel. There was a momentary pause.
"I'm afraid we won't be coming home today like we planned," said her mum hesitantly. It took a moment for the words to register but when they did the grin vanished from Bonnibel's face.
"O-oh, why?" she asked in a decidedly less cheery tone.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, something unexpected turned up, a meeting your father has to go to," explained her mum, "So unfortunately we're going to be another week."
"Oh, ok," mumbled Bonnibel.
"I'm really sorry, Princess," said her mum, sounding genuinely apologetic.
"That's ok," replied Bonnibel, "I'll see you next week then."
"Alright, see you then," said her mum, "Bye sweetie."
"Bye," Bonnibel almost whispered the last word before ending the call. She looked up at the ceiling, feeling oddly numb. She didn't cry or bury her head in her hands as she usually did. She just remained virtually unmoving as though frozen in the moment when her hopes had been dashed. She only moved when her phone went off again, this time a text message. She expected it was Peppo asking if things were alright but when she unlocked the screen she saw Lady's name beside the text.
'Hey Princess, have they arrived yet : ),' read the text. Only then did the tears start to prick at her eyes.
'No : (," she replied. She would've explained further but by this point the tears were making it difficult to see the mini onscreen keyboard clearly. A moment later her phone started ringing.
"Hello," said Bonnibel, trying to keep her voice steady but failing slightly.
"Princess, I just got your message," replied Lady, "Is everything ok?"
"Not really, Lady," said Bonnibel.
"Is the plane delayed," replied Lady.
"No, they aren't coming home today," explained Bonnibel, "Dad has to go to another meeting that suddenly came up so they won't be home until next week."
"Oh, I'm sorry," replied Lady, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah...I'm fine," said Bonnibel, feeling anything but. There was a pause and she could tell Lady was concerned. She could almost picture her standing at the phone, twirling her hair around her fingers as she always did when she was worried.
"Princess, why don't I meet you from the central station?" she suggested.
"No really, I'll be fine," replied Bonnibel, "That's way too far for you to come out."
"Of course not," said Lady, "That's what friends are for after all."
"Are you sure?" asked Bonnibel.
"Of course I'm sure, you dope," teased Lady and Bonnibel found herself smiling.
"Ok, see you soon," said Bonnibel.
"See you," replied Lady before hanging up. Bonnibel took one last look at the board where her parent's flight had been replaced by the next arriving flight, one from Seoul. She got up and retraced her steps towards the terminal train station where she waited for the next train to arrive. Ten minutes later saw her sitting down on one of the adequately comfy chairs on the train and a few minutes later it rumbled to life, travelling back along the track. Midway through her journey she got a text from Lady letting her know she'd reached the station and would be waiting just outside the platform area. A little aside in the message told her to keep a lookout for the rainbow with a smiley face next to it and Bonnibel couldn't help but smile.
The train finally came to a halt in central station and Bonnibel got off. Within a few seconds she had spotted her rainbow clad friend in amongst the crowds of people. She waved over at her when she caught sight of her and Bonnibel hurried towards Lady. Even as she did so a few stray tears escaped her as she remembered why she was here in the first place. As she reached her Lady stepped forward, enveloping her in a warm hug.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Bonnibel, "Thanks for coming to meet me."
"No problem," said Lady, drawing back, "I didn't really fancy the idea of you travelling the tubes alone."
"Were you afraid I'd take a sudden notion to leap onto the track?" joked Bonnibel.
"Princess, don't say such things," replied Lady, a shocked tone in her voice. Bonnibel paused, looking puzzled.
"You didn't really think I'd do that, did you?" she asked.
"Of course not," replied Lady, "It's just not something you joke about. I was worried about you." Bonnibel smiled. "Look, why don't you come over to my house for dinner?" suggested Lady, "Me and the girls were going to head out afterwards and well, maybe a night out would do you good."
"I don't know if I'm up for that, Lady," replied Bonnibel.
"Well, at least come for dinner, won't you?" asked Lady, "Then you can see how you feel later."
"Yeah, ok, thanks Lady," replied Bonnibel, "I'd better just call Peppo first."
"No problem," smiled Lady, waiting while Bonnibel took out her phone and dialled the number. When that was done she lead the way towards the tube station.
An hour later they arrived at Lady's house. It was a terraced house where the lower floor was given over entirely to a Korean takeaway. Lady led the way into the steamy atmosphere. A woman, most likely Lady's mother, was standing behind the counter. "엄마 안녕," said Lady, greeting her mum before introducing her to Bonnibel, "이 보니입니다."
"Hello Bonnibel," said Lady's mum.
"Bonnibel, this is my mum, Ethel," said Lady.
"Hi," said Bonnibel shyly. Ethel smiled.
"Lindsay, your three friends are already here," she added.
"Thanks mum," replied Lady. Bonnibel followed her behind the counter and up a flight of stairs to the living quarters. She opened the door to the living room. Bea, Fina and LSP were lined up on the sofa playing a shoot 'em up game on Lady's games console. Fina was the first to look up.
"Hey Lady, hey Princess," she smiled, "Glad you're finally here. Wanna join us in a game of COD?"
"I can't, I have to help my mum with dinner," replied Lady, "Make yourself at home, Princess. Bea, would you mind giving me a hand too?"
"Alright, after this round," said Bea, still somewhat intent on the game.
"No, now," replied Lady, giving Bea a meaningful look. Bea set down the controller and followed Lady out of the room.
"What was that about?" she asked once Lady closed the door.
"I need to talk to you," replied Lady as they made their way into the kitchen.
"What about?" asked Bea. A large pot was simmering on the stove. Lady took some cutlery out of the drawer and began setting the table. "It's about Bonnibel," replied Lady, "Remember I told you her parents were supposed to be coming home today?"
"Yeah, did something happen?" asked Bea.
"They didn't show up," replied Lady, "They said something came up and they had to stay longer. Bonnibel was already at the airport when they called. She was really upset so I went to meet her at the station and here we are. I think it would be a good idea if we could get her to come out with us tonight."
"Yeah, I think you're right," said Bea, "What a rotten thing to do though."
"Yeah, I wouldn't say that to Bonnibel though," replied Lady.
"Of course not," said Bea. Lady checked the pot and added some vegetables to it before stirring.
"Ok, that's all we can do for now," she said, opening the kitchen door. They arrived back at the living room to find Bonnibel engaging in a round of COD. She looked a bit happier and was partaking in the usual banter that came with a round of hardcore shoot 'em up action. Lady and Bea took a seat in front of the sofa where they waited for their turn.
A while later Ethel came in to tell them dinner was ready and they all trooped into the dining room where the dinner was already served. Lady's dad, whom she introduced as Bob, was there too and when he heard Lady call Bonnibel princess he joked that had he known they were to be entertaining a princess he would've fetched a crown for her. The atmosphere around the dinner table was warm and friendly and before long Bonnibel felt completely at ease. Ethel was welcoming and kind, often passing around the plate of kimchi while Bob was light-hearted and prone to making jokes, some of which were too corny not to laugh at.
"What time are you girls going out at?" asked Ethel.
"Probably an hour after dinner," replied Fina, "The band starts playing down at the Malibu at 8 so we thought we'd get there a bit before."
"Are you sure you'll be alright out after dark?" asked Ethel, addressing Lady in particular.
"We'll be fine," replied Lady, "We'll all keep a look out for each other. And it's not that long a drive."
"Are you meeting up with any others there?" asked Bob.
"No, it's just us," said Bea, "Some of the guys will probably be there anyway though."
"Well, you know what I'm going to say," said Ethel, "You girls just be careful." They nodded. It was now clear where Lady got her mother hen attitude from.
"So, what about it, Princess?" asked Lady, giving Bonnibel a playful nudge, "Will you come with us?" Bonnibel smiled.
"Yeah, alright," she replied.
"Good," grinned Lady, "Because it wouldn't be the same without ya."
"Course not," added Fina, "Have you been to the Malibu before?"
"No, I've passed it once or twice though," replied Bonnibel, "Lady told me about it."
"Did she mention the live bands?" asked Fina. Bonnibel nodded. "And they've got a cool 80s themed dance floor, discoball and everything."
"Sounds groovy," joked Bonnibel.
"Totally," replied Fina, "Shall we help with the dishes?"
"No, you girls go ahead," replied Ethel, waving her hand, "I know you all like to glam up a bit before you go."
"Oh mum," said Lady with mock dismay at her mother's attempt to stay hip. They got up from the table and made their way out of the room. Lady led them down the corridor to her bedroom. As Bonnibel had half predicted the room was very colourful and fairy lights hung from the bed canopy. The rug on the wooden floor was soft, white and made of a fleecy material. Many photos adorned the walls, mementos of family, outings and many had evidently been taken back in Korea. LSP stood in front of the mirror, mascara in hand while Lady fished about in a trunk at the bottom of the bed. At last she found what she was looking for and pulled out a t-shirt the same colour as the sky at sunset decorated with a black palm tree silhouette in the foreground. She held it up in front of her chest.
"So, what do you guys think?" she asked.
"That's you all right, Lady," said Fina, "Do you think I should wear my hair up or down?" Lady thought for a moment.
"What about if you wear it in an over shoulder plait?" suggested Lady. Fina looked in the mirror.
"Yeah, that could look pretty sexy," she smiled. Bonnibel joined LSP at the mirror and fished about in her handbag for her eye shadow. It was a deep purple which went rather well with her shock of pink hair. Bonnibel looked at her hair, wondering what she should do with it. She'd got it cut recently so it was too short to put up into a ponytail. She took out her brush and began brushing it. "Lady, do you have any hair gel I could borrow?" she asked suddenly.
"Yeah, I think there's some in the top drawer there," replied Lady. Bonnibel pulled open the drawer and took out the small bottle, squirting some of the gel into her hand and began rubbing it into her hair so that her hair flared out at the tips. She then put the little bottle back in the drawer before finishing her makeup.
"You guys ready to go?" asked Lady, standing at the door.
"Ready," the others replied, hurrying down the stairs after her.
"Don't stay out too late," Ethel called after them.
They crossed the street, laughing and chattering excitedly amongst themselves, to wear a green car was parked. LSP got in the passenger seat at the front and Fina, Lady and Bonnibel squeezed in at the back.
"I didn't know you could drive," said Bonnibel.
"I've been driving a few months now," replied Bea over her shoulder, "I got my license back in November." She put the key in the ignition and the engine rumbled to life. As the car made its way down the street towards the town centre the chat in the car turned towards something that Fina had apparently been talking about earlier before Bonnibel had got back from the station.
"So where are they selling the tickets?" asked Bea.
"Down by the reception I think," replied Fina, "Are you going to go?"
"Probably," said Bea, "I haven't been to one of the big games in ages."
"What big game is this?" asked Bonnibel.
"The big basketball game," explained Fina, "This year our school made it to the semi-finals. If we win this match against the Highacre Hornets we have a good chance of winning."
"Sounds like fun," replied Bonnibel, "I'll go too."
"Fina here is one of the cheerleaders for our team," said LSP, "Our team's the Winterview wasps."
"I still can't believe they practically copied are mascot," said Fina, "I mean they could've been the Highacre Hounds or the Highacre Hummingbirds."
"More like the Highacre houseflies," sniggered LSP.
"Or the Highacre Hamsters," added Fina.
"Here we go again," said Lady, "Brace yourself, Princess, this could go on for a few minutes at least."
"Well, wouldn't you be annoyed if someone copied something that was your thing?" protested Fina.
"Yes, but there wouldn't be anything I could do about it," replied Lady, "So why bother complaining?"
"But you hold protests and stuff for the activists group," said Fina, "What's the difference?"
"The difference is that the kinds of things I hold campaigns about are things that can be changed," explained Lady, "And they're things that are more than just a bit unfair, they're wrong or injust."
"What's your newest campaign anyway?" asked Bea more to change the conversation's direction than anything else.
"It's a protest to stop the government doing away with the free internet," replied Lady.
"The free internet?" said Fina, "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"There's this bill the government are trying to put through which will make anything that's even remotely copyright infringing illegal. I mean things like Fanart and game playthroughs on iTube." At this point Bea slammed on the brakes and the car behind blared its horn at her. She put her foot down on the accelerator and got the car going again to placate the irritated driver.
"They can't do that," she protested.
"They can and they will if we don't do something about it," replied Lady.
"I never thought I'd hear myself asking this but what can we do?" asked Bea.
"There are a couple of petitions online and spreading the word never hurts," replied Lady, "I can link them to you on Convozone if you want."
At last they reached the Malibu and parked in the car park at the back. They got out and made their way towards the entrance. It was a cool evening and Bonnibel was now grateful for the jacket she'd put on that morning.
The atmosphere inside the Malibu was crowded and noisy. Music blared out from the DJ booth on the other side of the room and the clink of glasses could be heard coming from the bar. It was the bar they made for first where they ordered their drinks. They sat down on high bar stools which were situated around a similarly high table. Bonnibel sipped at her vodka and coke. Already the events from that afternoon seemed more like a bad dream than anything. Lady had been right. A night out would do her good.
As 8pm drew near they kept an eye on the stage. There were no fancy banners or posters up so they guessed it was a local band that would be playing that night. LSP was secretly hoping it would be 'From Mercury to Mars,' while Bea hoped it would be a techno band called Gina and the Electrodes.
"I hope they get Neon Borealis in soon," said Bea as she took a gulp of her orange juice. She stopped as she noticed the woman with dark blue-black hair walking up onto the stage. She was carrying a bass guitar on her back and was accompanied by a girl with a shock of blue hair carrying a portable keyboard under her arm, another girl with dark hair with red highlights who took a seat at the drum kit which had already been set up on stage, a girl with a green tuft of hair on the top of her head who was carrying a red electric guitar and a girl with black hair and turquoise bangs who carried no instrument. It was Marcy and the Wild Cats. Bea knew of course that they did perform here once in a while but she hadn't expected them to show up tonight. They set up on stage and began tuning their instruments in readiness.
"Look who's on stage," said Bea, nodding in their direction. Bonnibel followed Bea's gaze. She remembered Bea telling her about the wildcats performing here from time to time but she was as surprised as Bea to see them here tonight.
"I will admit," said Fina, "They are good." Bea nodded. The music started with a cover of another song called, 'The Stray Cat Strut,' which suited their group rather well. Before long people were getting up and dancing.
"Shall we?" asked Fina. LSP downed her drink in one.
"Let's go," she said, following the others up onto the dance floor. Just as Fina had described the dance floor was in true 80s style, tiles of colour which lit up and flashed alternately with the music. Above the dance floor a disco ball slowly spun, catching the light and scattering coloured lights around the otherwise dark room. Bonnibel began swaying in time to the music and found herself tapping her foot in time to the beat of the bass guitar. LSP was busy trying to impress a guy who was standing by the bar while Lady was swinging some really retro dance moves. Bonnibel couldn't help but laugh when Lady made a horizontal v-sign over one of her eyes and drew it away from her eye before doing the same to the other eye.
"You're crackers," laughed Bonnibel.
"Nah, just jiving to the beat, same as you," grinned Lady, "C'mon, let's see what moves ya got."
"Ok, here goes," said Bonnibel with a smile. She began shaking her hips in time to the music before shifting into a shuffling step, moving her arms in and out.
"Not bad," said Lady, "But can you top this?"
Marceline strummed the bass, surveying the crowd before her. There was the usual group who showed up to her gigs headbanging by the amps and there was LSP chatting up a man by the bar, nothing unusual there. Her eyes fell on the dance floor and her heart momentarily fluttered in her chest. Wasn't that Bonnibutt? Yeah, it had to be. No one had pink hair like hers. It was flicked out at the sides and Marceline had to admit it rather suited her. She moved a little nearer to the edge of the stage, still strumming away, hoping to get a better look.
The song changed in tempo and the dancing in the crowd became more chaotic and less co-ordinated, particularly from those who had had a little too much to drink.
Bonnibel chanced to look up at the stage and caught Marceline looking at her. Her expression was difficult to read in the dim lighting but her eyes were most definitely on Bonnibel. Bonnibel felt a little peculiar as those dark eyes looked into her green ones and she found herself moving unconsciously closer to the stage.
Marceline gave away nothing of what she was thinking, nor could she have done for Van Rach had noticed what was going on and was fixing Marceline with a penetrating gaze. Marceline's gaze dropped from Bonnibel's and she focused back on the music. Bonnibel noticed the break in connection and turned back to her friends. Marceline watched her go and for some reason it took her a few moments to get back into the rhythm of the beat.
The spark had faded but Bonnibel couldn't deny it had been there. She felt hot though that could have just as easily have been from the crowded room but she was shaking a little which she knew had nothing to do with the heat.
"You alright there, sweetheart," said a voice next to her. It was a young man of about eighteen with spiked up ginger hair, "Want me to buy you a drink?"
"N-no, that's fine," replied Bonnibel, taking a step backwards, "I'm just out with my friends."
"Whatever you say, darlin'," said the youth, "Name's Barry by the way."
"I'm Bonnibel," replied Bonnibel.
"Bonnibel, nice name that," he grinned, "You sure about that drink?"
"No really, I'm fine," replied Bonnibel.
"Ahh, alright then," said Barry, "Hey, why don't you give me your number?"
"Sorry, I don't have my phone on me," lied Bonnibel, "Anyway, I'd better go."
"What? Are you a lesbian or something?" Barry yelled after her but Bonnibel ignored him, making her way up onto the dance floor as the next song came up.
As the song came to an end she spotted Bea near the edge of the dance floor. She made a beeline for her.
"Hey Princess," said Bea, "You enjoying yourself? Oh, I saw that jerk over there. Don't take any notice of them."
"Don't worry, I won't," replied Bonnibel, "But yeah, I'm having a blast. You seen LSP?"
"Oh, she went off over there with a guy a little while ago," replied Bea, pointing to a cluster of chairs by the wall, "Hey Lady," she said as she spotted Lady walking towards them carrying a bottle of blue liquid.
"Hey guys, great night, huh?" she smiled.
"Yeah, did you see LSP go off with that guy by the bar?" replied Bea.
"Yeah, that ginger guy, right?" replied Lady. Bea nodded.
"Wait, he didn't have spiky hair did he?" said Bonnibel suddenly.
"Yeah," replied Lady.
"And was he wearing a studded leather jacket?" asked Bonnibel.
"Yeah, he was, why, do you know him?" replied Lady.
"No, not really, he tried to chat me up earlier," said Bonnibel, "And when he asked me for my number and I said I didn't have my phone I made an excuse to leave and he yelled after me, asking if I was a lesbian."
"Hmm...maybe I'd better warn LSP off him then," said Lady.
"Best not to interfere," replied Bea, "She has to form that opinion herself."
"Yeah, ok," said Lady.
The song changed again, changing to a more punk rock style. Teens and young adults were beginning to fall about and some had to be carried out by their mates. Others were talking in slurred voices to the barmaids, trying to get out the name of the drink they were trying to order without mixing up the words. Several couples had retired to secluded corners of the club to get more intimate with one another while a crowd had gathered at the dance floor, cheering on two dancers who were pulling off some breakdancing moves in the centre of the dance floor.
"It's my turn to buy us a round," said Lady, "What do you guys want?"
"Just a water for me," replied Bea, "Driving, remember."
"Right, and you Princess?" asked Lady.
"Oh, shandy for me," replied Bonnibel.
"Got it," said Lady before making her way over to the bar to get the drinks. She returned a few minutes later and handed them their glasses. "It's packed over there now," she observed, "I think the bar closes soon."
"Yeah, we'd better think about going soon," said Bea, checking her watch, "It's nearly midnight."
"Already?" replied Bonnibel in surprise.
"Time flies when you're having fun," said Bea. Suddenly Fina appeared at Bea's shoulder.
"Hey Bea, I think we'd better go," she said, "I think Lily's had a bit too much to drink."
"Where is she?" asked Bea.
"Standing outside with some guy," replied Fina, "I don't much like the look of him."
"Barry," said Bonnibel.
"So that's the name of our mystery man," Bea said dryly, "Come on guys. Lady, I'll need your help here." They made their way outside where LSP was standing with the ginger haired youth from earlier.
"Okay Lily, it's time to go," said Bea.
"Yeah, whatevers," LSP replied tipsily, "Catch ya later Barry."
"See ya, Lily," replied Barry with a wink. With Lady's help Bea helped LSP over to the car. They got in and drove out of the car park and back up along the street.
"Nice guy, that Barry," said LSP, "Yup, real nice guy. I am so definitely calling him."
"You gave him your number?" said Bonnibel incredulously.
"Course I did, Princess," replied LSP, "He said he tried to get a number off some bird earlier but she gave him the cold shoulder." Lady tapped her on the shoulder.
"Lily, that was Bonnibel whose number he tried to get," she explained, "And she didn't give him the cold shoulder. She didn't want to give out her number so she just told him she had to go."
"Seriously?" replied LSP.
"Yeah, then he called after her, asking if she was a lesbian," continued Lady.
"What a jerk," muttered LSP, "So deleting him now. Done." She looked over at Bonnibel. "Hey Princess," she began.
"Yeah?" replied Bonnibel.
"Straight question: are you a lesbian?" asked LSP. Bonnibel's face flushed red.
"N-no, I'm not," she stammered out.
"Sheesh LSP, what a question to ask," said Bea.
"I was just curious," muttered LSP. Bonnibel's heart was now beating rapidly against her chest. She had not expected that question to arise. She looked out the window to distract her attention, taking sudden interest in the bridge they were travelling across.
They dropped off Fina first. Her house was a large townhouse with three floors. There was a potted plant on either side of the wooden door and a cobblestone path paved the way from the street to the door.
"See ya guys," she said as she got out, "Tonight was great, thanks."
"No problem, Fina," replied Bea, "See you at school." With that they drove off.
By the time they reached Bonnibel's house Bonnibel, Lady and of course, Bea, were the only ones left in the car.
"Bye, Princess," said Bea, "See ya tomorrow."
"Night, lil sis," added Lady, "Keep up those great dance moves, by the way." Bonnibel grinned.
"Night big sis," she smiled, "See ya, guys." She got out of the car and Bea and Lady set off. She walked up the path to the door and took out her key. She knew Peppo would already be asleep so she went straight upstairs to her room. She flopped down on the bed. Awkward questions aside tonight had been a great night. She thought about Marceline again and the moment when their eyes had locked on one another. Her heart fluttered at this thought and somehow she found herself smiling. It was a curious feeling though not, she noted, an entirely unpleasant one.