Chapter 14: Tantrum

Okay, when you read the last chapter, you might have been left with a brief WTF moment. If so, this chapter might explain. I'll try my best not to stray too much from Bubblee, but it'll be difficult.

Also, this story might end soon, so yeah...But I have yet to plan out the ending, I think this chapter might be second-to-last, but I dunno.

Marceline stood there, her limbs numbing, her head throbbing, her feet anxious, all as she stared at the ground, tied completely voluntarily to a tree.

She hummed. This all seemed too familiar to her. When was the last time she'd tied herself to a tree? To her, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Bubblegum got her message and soon. She herself wasn't sure how much longer she'd take of this before she couldn't feel herself at all.

Then, from rustling bushes, appeared the person she least wanted to see. Her brother.

Marshall stared at his sibling, walking two circles around the tree. "Wow," he muttered, "If you didn't look miserable, I'd pass you off for those loopy, nature-loving tree-huggers."

Marceline glared at him, but the numbing feeling in her arms settled her down. "What are you doing here? Is Bubblegum with ya?" she asked.

Marshall leaned on a tree across from her. "Well, my GF is just trailing behind, and should be here any minute. She told me about you, and I decided it would be funny to watch. She told me to walk or fly ahead and see if I could spot you. Sure enough, my psychotic sister has been found."

He looked around him. "Frankly, I didn't think it'd shock you this much to know Gumball likes you."

Marceline flinched at the mention of the Prince.

"But," Marshall continued, "Then again, he's a pretty big dope, and I'm sure this all is stressing you out. I guess I have to stick by you, as you did to me, right?"

Then, he narrowed his eyes. "You asked dad what to do, didn't you?"

His sister nodded shamefully. "Yeah. But he always tells me to tie or chain myself to something sturdy so I can prevent the urge of killing or choking or beating others up. It's for the best."

Then, from another rustling bush, arrived Princess Bubblegum. Upon laying eyes on Marceline, she dropped all her equipment and rushed to the sides of the tree, searching for the ends of the rope.

"Good glob, Marceline," the Princess muttered, "I was so worried when I got your message! I mean, I didn't pick up 'cause I was on a date with your brother, and I'm sorry, but—" she refrained herself. "Wait, wait. How long have you been tied up here?"

The vampire girl shrugged. Or, tried her best to shrug with weakened arms. "I dunno. About five hours. Kinda dark already. Maybe you should go home. The urge to choke Gumwad is gone, but I can't guarantee I won't do something to beat sense into him."

Bubblegum finished untying her friend. "No, I can't leave you here like this. But..." she unwrapped the last bits of rope from the tree, "May I ask why you were flipping out?"

THUD!

Marceline toppled to the ground, face into the grass. Yup, numb limbs. She couldn't even fly. Rolling to her back, she sighed. "I don't know, I mean, he broke up with your sister a few days ago, and realizing he frigging likes me is just disgusting, 'cause you know I haven't had such a great love life, and if he falls for me..."

She tried her best to wobble to a sitting point. "That would be like knowing the world is crumbling. You know how horrible it is to have such a great bond with somebody, who you know since forever, just to know they have a petty crush on you?"

Bubblegum crossed her arms. "Well—"

"Don't answer that," Marceline snapped. "Anyway, it's just awful. I mean, I just want him like a bud. When you've had somebody in a friend zone for eleven freaking years, it's nearly impossible to see them as anything but a second brother. Glob, what do I do?"

Marceline felt tears at the edge of her eyes, frustrated tears. It was the first time either Bubblegum and Marshall had seen her cry in a lifetime.

She shook her head violently, to stop the water works, but they kept coming back.

Bubblegum sat next to her, with an arm around her back, and the other around her bent arms. "Shhh...It's okay. Just let it all out," she crooned.

The vampire queen shoved the princess' hand off and growled. "I would rather sit here like a wimp than let all my anger out on weak crying!"

Bubblegum turned to Marshall, and mouthed the words "Help me".

He shook his head. "No way," he whispered, "This is girl business! I'm only here as second figure of support! Comfort her!"

Princess Bubblegum rolled her eyes and tended to her miserable friend.

"Now, now Marceline," Bubblegum cooed, "It's alright. It's okay, this is normal in most teenage—"

Marceline snapped her head towards her. "Oh, this is so NOT freaking normal for a practically teenage girl to want to choke her best guy friend because she's flipping out, and then tying herself to a tree! What kind of damn twisted reality do you want me to live in, Bonni?!"

The vampire girl looked back ahead and crossed her arms, holding a silent tantrum against her flowing emotions.

Princess Bubblegum sighed. "Huh, that's a good question, so I'm retracting my words. But, tell me, how do you feel right now, crying? Not how the situation feels, how you feel."

Marceline sniffled. "Frigging weak," she huffed, not turning to back to see the princess.

Bubblegum stroked her back. "Well, you are making a mistake in feeling weak or thinking you are weak right now. You should know, that people who cry aren't weak. They've been strong for too long."

Marceline looked at her in a spiteful way. "You searched Johnny Depp quotes, didn't you? You're not making me feel better."

Princess Bubblegum stared at her. The vampire Queen had her mascara running, staining trails of black residue down her face. Her hair was messy, and her beautiful yellow dress had blotches of black-colored tears.

"Oh, get up," the Princess huffed, lugging her up. "We're getting you cleaned up or else you'll be the laughing-stock of school tomorrow."

Marshall Lee stared at them as one girl dragged the other.

"Ahem," Bubblegum grumbled, "You coming, or will you stand there all night, being useless?"

Marshall began pace and gulped. He'd never seen Bonni like this since...okay, he'd never seen her like this.

Princess Bubblegum threw the cotton ball full of make-up remover and mascara into the trash can.

"There," she sighed, "That's the last of it. Feel any better, Marceline?"

Marceline blinked twice. "Yeah," she yawned, "I guess so. All that crying made me exhausted. And...kind of embarrassed that I threw a silent tantrum. And I'm sorry I snapped at you...twice. I was just so devastated..."

Bubblegum smiled. "It's okay. I've had worse nervous breakdowns, believe me. Poor Peppermint Butler, having to suffer them all along Dr. Ice Cream. I still feel grateful at them surviving all my bad times."

Marceline stared at herself on Bubblegum's beauty station's mirror. "I still have to talk to him, don't I?" she pouted. "I don't like the idea."

Bubblegum nodded. "Yes. It's an involuntary must to speak to the person who's causing your problems."

Marceline stared at herself in the mirror. "I SO-O-O will need you to do my prom make-up in six months."

Okay, I decided... Maybe the next chapter will be the last. I mean, it could be. I have the idea started, and I might as well make it the last and write an epilogue chapter after that one.

Well, expect it with pride! See you all next time!