Wednesday 26th February 2014

"Hey, Bubblegum." Lady said as she was walking Bonnie to History. "Do you want to come over to mine and have a sleepover on Friday? It'll be fun, I swear."

Bonnibel smiled; she hadn't been invited to a proper sleepover for a while. "Sure."

Lady frowned. "Really? I thought I'd have to do much more convincing to get you to come."

Bonnie laughed. "No, I actually quite like the idea. It'll be fun."

They arrived outside of Bonnibel's classroom, and Lady pulled her in for a tight hug. "Awesome. I'll talk to you about it later. See you at lunch."

Bonnibel smiled to her as she walked down the hallway, entering her classroom and taking her usual seat next to Marceline, who looked incredibly tired. "Hey, Marceline. You look like you haven't slept for a week."

"Something like that." Marceline mumbled. "You wouldn't mind if I took a nap, would you?"

"You can't take naps in class!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Class time is learning time."

"You're such a nerd." Marceline muttered, sitting back and rubbing her eyes.

"Didn't you sleep last night?" Bonnie frowned.

"No." Marceline sighed.

"Why not?" Bonnibel asked, putting a comforting hand on Marceline's shoulder.

"It's kind of personal." Marceline said. "Don't worry about me, Bonnie."

"You can trust me."

Marceline stared at her for a second, finally letting out a small sigh. "I had a bad dream."

Bonnie shot her a reassuring smile. "What about?"

"That's really personal."

"Sorry." Bonnibel apologised. "You know you can talk to me if you ever need anything."

"I can?" Marceline frowned.

"Of course you can." Bonnibel smiled. "We're friends. You can tell me anything, I promise. I care about you."

"I…I didn't think that…" Marceline trailed off, staring down at her feet. "You care about me?"

Bonnibel felt her heart break at how small Marceline sounded. She couldn't believe that Marceline was shocked to learn Bonnibel cared about her. "Of course I do."

"You're…thanks, Bonnie."

"Are you going to tell me about your dreams?" Bonnibel questioned.

Marceline shook her head. "Not yet. That's a bit too intense."

Bonnie smiled. "Okay. Baby steps. If you ever need me you can text me."

"Thanks." Marceline muttered. "Can we talk about something else?"

Bonnie smiled, gesturing towards the front of class. "How about we talk about the work?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, we should probably pay more attention in this lesson." Marceline said. "Even though it's pretty boring sometimes."

"History can be interesting."

"Since when?"

"The dawn of time." Bonnibel replied. "Don't you think it's fun to learn about things that happened in the past?"

"If it involves dinosaurs, then yes." Marceline stated. "But if it involves British politics, then no."

"What's so bad about British politics?" Bonnie asked.

"It's so boring I can literally feel myself falling asleep during it." Marceline sighed. "I'm just glad I live here so we don't have to focus on it as a main topic. If I still lived in England I'd be fucked."

"You used to live in England?" Bonnie frowned, surprised.

"Yeah. Moved here when I was like four."

Bonnibel was interested. "Whoa. That's really cool. Why did you move here?"

"It's a long story." Marceline said. "Basically, my Dad met my Mom when he went to England for a business trip and then he moved there but then he had to move back because of work."

"I bet you can do a really good English accent." Bonnie smiled. She really wanted to ask about Marceline's parents, but she tried her best to change the subject before her nosiness got the better of her.

"Maybe I can, maybe I can't." Marceline wiggled her eyebrows and smirked. "You'll just have to find out."

"You seem to like being mysterious."

Marceline chuckled. "Don't forget aloof."

"Shut up."

Admittedly, Marceline felt better after talking to Bonnibel, but that didn't stop her from turning up on Keila's doorstep straight after school. Of course, Keila was her usual, happy self and didn't notice anything was bothering Marceline until she noticed the dark shadows under Marceline's eyes and how Marceline seemed to be drifting off to sleep halfway through Keila's very interesting story about a party she'd attended a few nights ago. She trailed off in the middle of her story. "You had another bad dream last night, didn't you?"

Marceline nodded. "Yeah."

"You need to tell Simon they're happening again." Keila stated. She really did worry about Marceline; the two girls were very close, and Keila viewed Marceline almost like a sister.

Marceline didn't want Keila to worry. "It was just a one-time thing. I misplaced Hambo."

"Do you know where he is now?" Keila pressed, taking one of Marceline's cold hands in hers.

Marceline shrugged. "Somewhere in the house."

"Find him. The second you get home, I want you to look for him." Keila instructed, gently squeezing Marceline's hand. "Okay?"

"Okay." Marceline murmured. "Can I take a nap?"

"You always have a nightmare when you don't have Hambo." Keila said. "I don't think it's a good idea. Do you want to watch a movie to get your mind off things?"

Marceline nodded, and Keila pulled her in for a hug. "If you get another nightmare, I'm telling Simon."

"Don't." Marceline replied, a little too quickly for Keila's liking. "I don't want him to worry."

"What was your dream about?" Keila asked.

"My Mom." Marceline mumbled.

Keila didn't have to ask anything else. She knew the rest of the dream pretty well, as Marceline had recounted it to her multiple times. "Okay. We'll watch some stupid movie and I'll order pizza and we'll just try to get it out of your mind."

Marceline shot Keila a weak smile. "Yeah. Thanks. You're the best."

Keila smiled back, standing up. "I've been told. Have you told anyone else about your dream?"

"Bonnie knows."

Keila couldn't stop the surprised look from forming. "You told her about everything?"

Marceline shook her head. "No. She just knows I had a bad dream."

"Are you ever going to tell her about everything?" Keila asked.

Marceline shrugged. "Maybe, if she asks. I don't know. She needs to reach a higher level of friendship before she can unlock my tragic backstory."

Keila rolled her eyes. "Did you just talk about life like it's a video game? You're ridiculous."

Marceline chuckled. "Coming from you? You're the one that's hyper 24/7. You really need to chill with the caffeine, man."

Keila noticed that she was taking Marceline's mind off her dream and that Marceline was cheering up. "I need something now that I've quit smoking. Coffee is all I've got."

Marceline smiled. "I'm glad you quit, you know. I don't want to lose you earlier."

"You really need to stop worrying about me. I'm tough, you know. I'm like, the Batman to your Robin." Keila said.

"Okay, I am not Robin." Marceline defended. "Robin wishes he was me."

"In your dreams, Marmalade." Keila teased.

Bonnibel just couldn't focus on her homework. Usually, she had it all done in an hour, but the thought of Marceline being upset was at the back of her mind and knocking her concentration. She decided to send Marceline a text just to see if she was okay.

Bonnibel: Hi, Marceline. I was just wondering if you were okay, you still seemed kind of upset at school. :)

Marceline was quick to reply, to Bonnibel's relief.

Marceline: cute

Marceline: i'm perfectly fine, i'm at keila's and we're just watching a movie

Bonnibel smiled to herself when she replied.

Bonnibel: Good to know. Text me if you need anything.

Marceline: will do, princess ;)

Bonnie tried to stifle the small smile tugging at her lips. She was no longer annoyed by Marceline's silly nicknames, although she much preferred it when Marceline called her 'Bonnie'.

Bonnibel: What did I tell you about that stupid nickname?

Marceline: omg sorry your majesty didn't mean to offend

Bonnie was happy that Marceline was acting like her usual, sarcastic self. She felt much more confident knowing that Marceline was okay, and suddenly she remembered her homework.

Bonnibel: You're so frustrating at times. I have to go and do my homework now, have fun with Keila.

Marceline: later dude

Bonnibel locked her phone and placed it on her desk. She'd just picked up her pen when it vibrated again. She smiled when she saw the name on the screen. Another text from Marceline.

Marceline: so hey if you wanted to hang out at the weekend that'd be cool I guess

Bonnie's smile was hard to contain at this point. Marceline had actually asked to hang out with her.

Bonnibel: Of course! What do you have in mind?

Marceline: well nothing specific but you know there are thousands of possibilities

Bonnibel: I look forward to seeing what you come up with. I'll see you at school tomorrow.

Marceline: bye, nerd

Bonnie put her phone down and continued on with her homework, which she was finding much easier now that she had confirmed Marceline was feeling better. She couldn't help but worry about Marceline; she'd seen little flashes of her soft side, and Bonnie had figured out that Marceline was the type of person to close herself off rather than let out her emotions, which Bonnie knew wasn't good.

Once Bonnibel had finished her homework, she went downstairs and made herself a cup of chamomile tea. Then, she settled upstairs with a book until she finally went off to sleep.

Friday 28th February 2014

Bonnie was at Lady's house, grazing on candy and talking to Lady about how she felt in the town now that she'd settled in.

"I really like it here, you know," Bonnie said as she got herself comfortable where she was sat on Lady's bed. "I've made a whole load of friends and I'm just glad that you guys are so great."

Lady smiled. "You're awesome, too. We won't let Marceline harass you anymore, either."

"If anyone is doing the harassment, it's me." Bonnibel laughed. "But Marceline doesn't seem to mind. She's warmed up to me a lot, actually. We're hanging out tomorrow."

"Wait, what?" Lady exclaimed, nearly dropping the candy bar she was unwrapping. "You weren't kidding when you said you guys are friends? But…that's weird. You guys are like, complete opposites."

"Believe it or not, she's actually kind of a dork." Bonnie smiled, thinking about how cute Marceline was when the two of them were watching Disney movies together. Marceline had kept on pointing out certain things, or making remarks about how much she loved certain films. She was acting like a big kid, and Bonnie thought it was adorable. "She's cool."

"Since when did she let people talk to her?" Lady gawped at Bonnie as if she'd just won the Olympics. "That's like, a miracle."

Bonnie just shrugged, taking a bite from her chocolate bar. "You've just got to be persistent. I think once you let her know you're not going away any time soon, she figures she might as well be your friend."

Lady frowned. "I don't know. She seems pretty scary to me."

"No, she's really nice. You should talk to her." Bonnie said.

"I'm not talking to her without you waiting to defend my life if she decides to punch me." Lady responded.

"She's literally the weakest person on the planet. She tried moving her bed the other day because her phone fell down the side and she couldn't, and then I did it pretty easily." Bonnibel assured. "Just don't tell people that. She doesn't really like people talking to her, but I think you'd get away with it."

Lady looked apprehensive. "Are you sure I should make friends with her? I mean, she always came off as the type of person I usually avoid. You know, thuggish."

"Yeah!" Bonnie exclaimed. "She's really cool, trust me. You always thought the same about Marshall and now you guys are friends."

"Fair point." Lady said. "Fine, I'll try."

Bonnie hugged her. "You're the greatest."

"If," Lady began, "You answer me a question."

Bonnie quickly nodded. "Anything."

"Are you gay?"

Bonnibel froze. She felt the exact same way she felt when Marceline told her she'd let it slip that night when she was drunk. "I…how…what makes you, um, think that?"

"Well, when we were buying snacks you stared at some girl's butt," Lady said, "And I've seen you checking girls out before. It's no big deal if you are, I just want you to be yourself around me. You don't need to hide it."

"I…" Bonnibel couldn't find words. Lady was being amazing. "You're the best. Thanks."

Lady smiled. "Well, you're my friend. I want you to be honest with me."

"I'm gay." Bonnie said, surprised by how easily it came out.

"Okay." Lady nodded. "So, what do you want for dinner? McDonalds or pizza?"

Bonnibel was in a state of shock at how casually Lady had just accepted everything. "You really don't care?"

"Of course I don't." Lady laughed. "I doubt anyone else will, either. Have you told anyone else?"

"Marceline knows. I accidentally told her when I was drunk. She was really nice about it and comforted me when I got upset." Bonnie said. "And she gave me ice cream."

"This is Marceline Abadeer we're talking about, right?" Lady frowned.

"Yes." Bonnibel rolled her eyes. "She's really nice, I swear. You have to talk to her at school on Monday."

"Will you be there?"

"Yeah." Bonnie nodded. "I'll introduce you guys."

"Okay." Lady said. "Promise she won't get violent?"

"I don't get why people think she's so scary." Bonnie laughed. "Seriously, she's really cool."

"Maybe because she walks around giving people death glares all day." Lady muttered.

Bonnibel rolled her eyes and lightly shoved her. "Don't be mean."

Lady just shrugged. "Seriously, though. What do you want for dinner, McDonald's or pizza?"

"Pizza. I don't want to go out." Bonnibel said, pulling out her phone. "Just get it delivered."

Lady nodded. "Cool. Who're you texting?"

"Nobody," Bonnie laughed, hiding her phone from view as she went onto the conversation with Marceline.

"Ooh," Lady teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "Is it your girlfriend?"

Bonnie burst out laughing. "No, she's just a friend. Now go and order the pizza."

"What do you want?"

"Plain cheese, please." Bonnie requested.

Lady nodded and headed out of the room. Bonnie turned to her phone and typed out a text to Marceline while she didn't have Lady's prying eyes looking over her shoulder.

Bonnibel: I told my friend she could be friends with you so you have to be nice.

Marceline texted back quickly.

Marceline: that depends on which friend it is

Bonnibel: Lady. Or, as you call her, Rainbow.

Marceline: hm let me think about it

Bonnibel: Will you be nice or do I have to buy you food as an incentive?

Marceline: i'll be nice but i'm 100% totes holding you to the food offering

Bonnibel: Did you just say totes?

Marceline: ironically

Bonnibel: Right…

Bonnibel: So, you're going to be nice?

Marceline: yeah

Marceline: aka me keeping my sarcasm to a minimum

Bonnibel: Good. Thanks. :)

Marceline didn't text Bonnibel back, so Bonnie locked her phone and waited for Lady to come back from ordering the pizza. Unfortunately, Bonnibel's phone vibrated when Lady sat back down next to her, and Lady watched over her shoulder as she read the text.

Marceline: so like we're still hanging out tomorrow right

Bonnibel was aware of Lady watching her as she texted back.

Bonnibel: Yep. Am I coming to your house?

Marceline: yeah because reasons

Bonnibel: Reasons such as?

Marceline: top secret reasons

Bonnibel: Can I stay the night? If that's okay, I mean.

Marceline: idk man that's like level 5 friendship and we're on like level 3

Bonnibel laughed at that, whereas Lady just frowned.

Bonnibel: Well, if I stayed over, maybe we could move up to level 5?

Marceline: you can't just skip level 4 that level is fucking sacred man

Bonnibel: You're such a dork. ;)

Marceline: playful insults is a level 4 thing

Bonnibel: You've been playfully insulting me since we met.

Marceline: those were just insults

Marceline: sorry about that by the way

Bonnibel: You're forgiven if we can move up to level 5.

Marceline: you'll have to share a bed with me and my cold feet

Bonnibel: I think I'll live.

Marceline: …fine you can stay over but don't make fun of me

Bonnibel: Why would I make fun of you?

Marceline: you'll see

Bonnibel frowned, but didn't bother texting back as she was painfully aware of Lady reading her texts. Bonnibel looked up to her, and Lady looked in the opposite direction quickly, as if she had been looking that way the entire time. "I know you read my texts."

Lady scoffed. "Did not."

"She said she'd be nice to you, by the way." Bonnibel added.

Lady seemed reassured by this. "Really? That makes the thought of talking to her a little less terrifying."

Bonnibel just rolled her eyes. "Is the pizza ordered?"

"Yep." Lady smiled.

"Cool. I'll give you the money for mine." Bonnie said.

Lady shook her head. "No. You're my guest, you're not doing that. I'm buying."

"Lady -,"

"I'm not letting you pay, and that's final." Lady crossed her arms and shot Bonnie a look which roughly translated to 'my foot is down', so Bonnie accepted that she probably wouldn't change Lady's mind. "Pick a movie or something, we can put that on in the background and just talk."

"Sure." Bonnie nodded, "Put any movie on."

Lady grabbed a random DVD from her shelf and put it in the player. Bonnie didn't bother asking what movie it was, as she doubted that either of them would pay any attention to it.

Once Lady had put the DVD on, she sat back down next to Bonnibel and smiled. "So…seen any cute girls?"

"Oh my God," Bonnibel laughed, hiding her face in her hands and trying not to roll her eyes. "That's why you wanted to know, isn't it?"

"I'm just curious." Lady shrugged, "I like talking about this stuff with my friends. You know about me and Jake."

"All I know is that you guys are together. I don't know any other details about your love life." Bonnibel pointed out.

"Well," Lady started, "We began dating two years ago when -,"

Bonnibel interrupted before Lady could get carried away. "That wasn't me asking about your love life, either. I'm not one for gossip."

Lady pouted. "I just want to do friend things with you. I like talking to you about stuff."

"Well, I haven't seen anyone that I'm attracted to." Bonnibel said. "Happy?"

"Not at all." Lady rolled her eyes. "Come on. You've got to have seen someone that you find remotely attractive."

"There are lots of pretty girls around, but none that I would pursue a relationship with." Bonnie explained. "But you never know what could happen. Someone may come along in the near future."

Lady smiled. "You're one of those people that doesn't really get crushes, aren't you?"

"You think?" Bonnie replied. "I had a bad experience once, and I don't really like the idea of it happening again."

"What happened?" Lady asked.

"A straight-girl crush gone wrong." Bonnie sighed. "She was a really good friend of mine."

"Was? I take it that didn't go down very well, then." Lady said. She put an arm around Bonnibel. "That must've been hard on you."

Bonnie nodded, trying not to think about the day she lost her best friend. "Yeah. Why do you think I get so scared when people figure out I like girls?"

Lady gave Bonnie a squeeze, before letting go. "I can promise you that nobody here will be mean about it. I mean, look at Gumball. He came out almost a year ago and he's much happier. We all already knew, though. His crush on Marshall is pretty obvious."

"You all know about that?" Bonnie laughed. "Wow."

"I think even Marshall knows about it. Marceline definitely does." Lady said.

"Yeah, I told her." Bonnie explained. "Gumball wanted me to ask her if Marshall likes guys and she kept asking why I wanted to know. She promised she wouldn't tell."

"I think it's funny how Gumball thinks it's this big secret he's got." Lady chuckled. "He stares at Marshall's butt like there's no tomorrow. He's as good as hiding it as Finn is at hiding his crush on you."

"He doesn't still like me, does he?" Bonnie groaned. "I don't want to let him down."

"Tell him you like girls." Lady shrugged. "Problem solved. He'll get over it. He gets crushes like this a lot."

"I just don't want to hurt him." Bonnibel said. "He's a really nice kid."

Lady smiled. "I know."

Bonnie lay awake that night; in all honesty, she was rather nervous for tomorrow. She was going to be spending the night with Marceline. She wondered if they'd stay up talking or if they'd spend the time in comfortable silence. She couldn't help but wonder why Marceline asked her not to make fun of her. What could she possibly do that Bonnibel would make fun of her for?

Bonnibel couldn't help but be excited to spend time with Marceline. She did really enjoy her company, something she didn't think she'd ever do when she first met Marceline.

It just goes to show that first impressions aren't everything.