Oneshot: Back to School: Who am I?

Rating: PG (language)

Genre(s): general.

Character(s)/Pairings: Buttercup

Summary: New school, new beginnings, and a chance for a few changes . . . But what will those changes mean to the middle Puff? Who is Buttercup, and how is she going to react to the suddenness of High School life?

"Buttercup," her leader called from the top of the staircase. "Shut the video game down. The Professor said it's time for bed because we have school tomorrow!"

"Shit," she muttered to herself, pressing the pause button on her remote. "School starts tomorrow already?"

"Yes, Buttercup," Bubbles added as she pulled her baby blue blanket lazily behind her half sleeping self, feet dragging as she made her way from the kitchen to the stairs. "Our first day of high school. Don't sound so surprised. You've been dying to see Butch since he left for camp, and you know as well as I that it's your chance. Don't act like you weren't counting the hours."

"Hey, I'm not you. I'm not so eager to see a guy that I practically stalk them. That's your territory."

"Hey!" she snapped, suddenly wide awake. "I do not stalk Boomer. I just fangirl anytime he's in a mile distance."

"Enough, girls," Blossom called suddenly, sounding more like a mother than a sister. "We don't want to anger the Professor when he comes home in an hour. Let's just get to bed and make his job as a single father easier."

"Yeah, yeah," the two muttered, silently making their way to their room just off the second floor hallway.

"You two . . ." her sentence drug off, and their silence extended until their final goodnights.

As the night dragged on, and the Professor had come and settled himself in bed for the night silently, Buttercup lay motionlessly in her bed. Hundreds of thoughts crossed through her mind, not a chance for peaceful rest coming at all to the poor Puff.

Why the hell can't I sleep? Even the nervous as hell Bubbles fell asleep finally. What is wrong with me? I can't be nervous . . . right?

Despite the internal dismissal, nervous is what she was indeed. Blossom statement from the prior morning rang endlessly in her head.

"This is your chance to change yourself, Buttercup . . . to be a new person. It's a new beginning after all. That's what high school is."

Self-doubt was her biggest concern as the witching hour vanished and the early morning started to approach. Who was Buttercup? Was she the tomboy rough housing chick that hung out with former Ruffs and the rocker guys? No, she didn't want to be one of the guys . . . she was tired of it. More than anyone could have thought possible for this avid tomboy.

Then what was her other option? A girly girl like her sisters, in frilly dresses and delicate curls? Wearing makeup and wedges, heels even? Possibly. There were times in the mall she had been shopping at the mall with Bubbles or Robin, and there was a shimmering dress that had just drawn her eyes to the point of near obsession. It made her the dateable type then also, the one hanging with hot studs from the football team and the sexy musicians, the one that they would want to date and take home to their mothers, not the one that they invited over for a smoke in the garage or video games.

But would she feel comfortable with such a great shifting on the scale? Counting calories to keep the figure all these years of sports had gotten her, watching to make sure she didn't outgrow her favorite dress or get the reputation of being easy? She hated the very idea of every being so close to the guys that girls thought her as easy or cheap. Frankly, it brought out a rough side in her, one that made her want to fight. It felt natural even, something that came instinctively. Did that make it obvious she was meant to be the best friend and tomboy, instead of the dateable girl with the gorgeous clothes?

Wait a second, what am I thinking? There's middle ground, right? Blossom and the Professor practically preach it to Bubbles and I. Why can't I have the best of both worlds?

"We're not normal, Buttercup," Blossom had also said on numerous occasions. "Sometimes things are harder for us, choices aren't always as frequent for us."

Okay, she was talking about the Powerpuff Girl thing, and picking and choosing our fights. But doesn't this constitute as a fight, an internal dilemma? It's my fight I guess . . . but does that make her right or wrong?

As two a.m. drew closer and her ever growing busier mind continued to deliberate on this great debate, she started to think of other girls in her situation. Other people.

Butch is like me. He likes to just chill, be one of the guys that smokes and experiments like any other teenager. But when the Professor has him doing older stuff, grown up stuff like attending this function like a part of the family, or tutor this kid at the charity event with us, he straightens out and acts like a mature teenager. That makes it more balanced right? Why can't I be that balanced? Hang out with my buds, but wear a cute little dress and some nice boots every now and then? Can't that be my balance?

Then the revelation hit her, so hard she would have thought it made physical contact. She could have that balance, she could create it?

That's right! Who says I need to make such a radical chance? Middle ground. If I sway either way later on, tomboy again or Bubbles like, then so be it.

She couldn't help smirking up at the ceiling, feeling a great deal of confidence about her discovery as she started to shut her eyes.

I'm so brilliant. I could even impress Blossom with that shock.

As she finally fell to sleep, nervousness gone and confidence at an all-time high, she couldn't help suddenly feeling almost eager for tomorrow; her first day of high school, her first day of her new beginning . . .

xxx

Monday morning rolled around, and as Buttercup stepped out of the car, she couldn't help noticing a certain brightness about the morning. It was as if the weather were mirroring her confidence and enthusiasm.

"Buttercup?" Mitch said with utter surprise as he watched her step up to the front of the quickly filling school. "Is that you?"

"Don't act so surprise," she remarked in her known snarky tone. "I do dress like a girl sometimes."

His eyes wandered from the skull green tee down her black gothic fishnet miniskirt and chunky black boots. She could see the way he took evidence notice of the way her shirt now hugged her figure, accenting the female enhancements she never really flaunted.

"Yes, Mitch, I have breasts. You don't have to stare at them like a hungry dog."

"Holy shit," Butch said from behind her, startling the Puff as she whirled around to see her favorite Ruff. "Buttercup? What happened to you?"

"What?" she inquired, suddenly feeling nervous. He doesn't like it. I look like an idiot. I knew it!

"You . . ." He stepped closer, taking his sunglasses off to get a better look at the new woman before him. "You got hot."

Yes! "Screw you, Butch," she remarked teasingly, socking his arm like she always did.

"Ouch, shit . . ." He rubbed his arm, laughing as he watched her with a softer, almost turned on gaze. "Yep, that's my BC."

His BC . . . somehow it feels different than normally. Better.

His smirk shifted to something much tenderer than she had ever seen him smile at her. "So, is this a new thing? Are you suddenly a Bubbles look a-like?"

He seems to like it . . . "Maybe not quite that extreme . . . But I'm getting pretty used to the whole skirts thing." She shrugged, surprising herself to see her flashing him a flirty smile even. "I think I might be getting used to it."

"I know I certainly am," he muttered, throwing his arm over her shoulder like he always did as they strode into their first day of high school. But this time, she saw the potential for more, and she greatly looked forward to it.

I am so going to loooove high school. I could definitely get used to this.

Thank you for reading, and I'm sorry to publish this so early, but here in TX where I am, school has started for a lotta folk. So trying to keep up with the pace lol. I hope you all enjoyed it!

BTW: A little note in case didn't notify all of you, I have FINALLY updated the Christmas oneshot, and it is up for viewing. I really, really, reeeeaaally apologize for it being THIS late, but its done. It's a different one than I originally planned, but that just means one for next Christmas is in the works! I hope y'all like it!