Blossom watched with a critical eye. She observed each movement like they were under a microscope. She searched for any visable flaws.
A slip up. A fumble. A simple mistake.
However, she was pleasantly surprised.
They had finally perfected the hand jive.
And it only took three weeks to do so. It was way ahead of her scheduled teaching for the choreography of the spring musical.
When the music cut off, Blossom rose from the seat in the audience she sat in to watch. She climbed back on stage, smiling warmly at the those in front of her—Bubbles caught her eye the most as Blossom was extremely proud at her progress since she was the star of the show.
"That was perfect," Blossom praised. "As long as you all keep everything up, opening night will be a huge success."
In the group of actors, Princess leaned over to the person next to her, whispering to them, "Am I hallucinating or is Blossom actually not being a bitch for once?"
The person did not get to reply as Blossom interrupted them by continuing on, "I would also like to apologize for keeping everyone back much later than normal for the past week. I realize each of you have your own lives outside of the musical and should have been given a heads up beforehand," she finished, keeping a friendly tone throughout. She then cleared her throat, "With that said, we still have thirty minutes left for rehearsal. I don't want to dance any new choreography in such a short time-span, so you are free to go over lines or practice more dance routines until the time expires."
A few individuals on stage groaned to themselves, wishing Blossom had dismissed them for the day. The others who did not, quickly gathered within their own groups to carry out their own different tasks to prepare for the musical.
The only one who did not, was Bubbles, who rushed over to Blossom's side.
"Were you serious a minute ago or was that a clever stage trick I haven't heard about before?" the blonde asked frantically. Her blues eyes searched Blossom's face with hope and eagerness but also disbelief and uncertainty.
"I was being serious," Blossom chuckled, untying her hair from the ponytail she held it up in for rehearsal. Her long orange locks flowing freely, curving into loose ringlets—Blossom had began the habit of neglecting to use her hair straightener, finding a new appreciation for her natural hair pattern. "I think everyone has improved incredibly in the past month. Even Princess has impressed me a ton. I almost singled her out in order to praise her but she'll probably think I was trying to set her up or something."
Bubbles lifted an eyebrow, grabbing Blossom's shoulder and staring intensely into her eyes, "Did you just compliment Princess?"
The redhead arched her eyebrow. "Yeah."
"Blossom," she said dramatically, pulling the redhead closer to her. "Are you feeling alright? Do you have the flu? Or—Is Boomer right? Aliens exist and they abducted you and did science experiments on your brain? If so, blink three times. They wouldn't know."
Blossom laughed at Bubbles' reasoning, brushing her hand away gently. "I'm fine, Bubs."
"Then why are you acting so strange?"
"I'm just…" Blossom shrugged, unable to contain the smile from spreading across her face. "Really happy with where my life is right now."
"Really?" Bubbles asked in puzzlement. She then processed what Blossom said, growing in delight for her friend's happiness. "I mean, really? That's awesome." Blossom nodded, chuckling more at the blonde. "What—" Bubbles stopped her sentence, her eyes narrowing in confusion as the doors to the auditorium opened and Brick entered the space. "Why is Brick here?" She thought out loud.
Blossom threw a glance over her shoulder, waving and grinning affectionately at Brick—he did the same, taking a seat in the middle of the auditorium as he waited for Blossom—before turning back to Bubbles. "We have a date tonight," she said nonchalantly before shrugging, "Well, a study date but I'm still considering it a date."
"A date?" Bubbles repeated. "Wait. You're official now?"
"Yeah…" Blossom paused, glancing over to him again for a brief second. Her eyes stared at him lovingly, "We are."
Bubbles could feel the mixture of stirring emotions within herself.
One half of her wanted to be excited for Blossom. It was obvious to her now why the redhead was so happy. She did not have to hide her feelings for Brick anymore after months of keeping them in secrecy.
The other half felt pity for Butch. Once the rest of the school hears, he would be crushed. It would be another thing for him to deal with.
Bubbles did not want to choose a side to support. She did not know where her loyalties lie nor did she want to find out. Bubbles simply wanted the group to come back together again but given Butch's heartbreak, and Blossom and Brick's new coupledom, it seemed impossible for such a thing to occur at the moment.
"That's… That's great, Blossom," Bubbles mustered. She smiled weakly at the redhead, not wanting to crush her mood.
"Thank you," Blossom nodded. Her eyes shifted over to the others on the stage. "Hey everyone," she shouted calmly. "Change of plans. Rehearsal will be ending early today. Have a nice day."
Bubbles scurried beside Blossom as the redhead grabbed her workout bag behind the stage, "You're seriously ending rehearsal early? We're opening in three weeks. And on top of that, we are about to go on a three day weekend with no rehearsal time. This isn't the time to be careless."
Blossom smiled softly at the blonde, placing her hand on her shoulder, "Bubs. It's fine. We could all use a break."
"Is this really about us needing a break or is this an excuse for you to spend time with your boyfriend?" Bubbles questioned.
An over-excited gasp was heard over Bubbles' shoulder as Dee Dee and a few others who were a part of the stage production stared curiously at Blossom.
"Is that true?"
"Blossom, you're dating Brick?"
"Oh my god, if you are. I'm totally so jealous."
Blossom smiled sheepishly at the girls, nodding to their questions.
"We are."
"Oh my god!" They squealed in unison, causing Blossom and Bubbles to cringe at the high pitch of their voices.
"I totally have to text everyone now," one of the girls announced running behind the stage to grab her bag containing her phone as the others followed behind her.
"Uh… sorry about that," Bubbles coughed, rubbing the back of her neck.
"It's fine. They were going to find out eventually. But it does end the nice stage of where it's just Brick and I caring about our relationship," Blossom shrugged, sighing a little before getting back to her upbeat nature from earlier. "And to answer your question, I spend time with Brick everyday, so it's not any excuse, Bubs. I honestly think everyone has been putting in an extraordinary amount of work into this play. You all deserve a little break. Especially you. I haven't seen you this tense since freshman year when you convinced yourself Boomer was not interested in you."
"Yeah…" Bubbles laughed halfheartedly, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I hope you make good with your free time," Blossom beamed. The redhead then turned on her heels to walk down to the audience section of the auditorium, finding herself in Brick's arms.
Bubbles watched as the newly established couple kissed each other tenderly before leaving the space with their hands held. The smiles on their faces were what stood out the most to the blonde.
They were in a true blissful state of happiness. It was the same shape Boomer and her were in for the betterment of the first year they were a couple.
Bubbles never realized it but she missed that stage of a relationship. When a person was blind to everything but their significant other. It was intoxicating and mushy but there was never a moment where Bubbles was unhappy.
It was not that she was not pleased with her relationship with Boomer. It was that Bubbles has become more aware of the lingering problems they have put off for an unknown length of time now.
She was insecure about losing him to Dee Dee. They were codependent on each other, never seeming to be able to make a decision without the other's input or preferring each other's company over them branching out and making new friends. His decision not to attend college was not a huge deal to her but Bubbles did have a few reserves she has yet to make public to him about it.
Then there was the fact she has yet to tell him about her dad, who she still has not heard from.
The lack of response was the very reason she was dissatisfied by Blossom excusing rehearsal early. The blonde did not want any extra time to stew over the mystery of her dad.
Even after her conversation with Butch a week ago and attempting to distract herself with diving back into her artwork, Bubbles could not get her mind off of her paternal figure. This resulted in her making, perhaps, the most depressing image of a monochromatic owl she has ever seen. The bird's eyes widened with fear and the appearance of water welding up within it.
Despite not wanting to accept it, Bubbles reluctantly went backstage again to collect her bag after everyone left. She pulled her phone out from one of the pockets of her backpack, with the idea of calling Boomer. If Brick was out of swim practice, then Boomer was too, which meant they could hang out together for once in the past couple of months.
When Bubbles tapped on her screen, she took noticed to a text message notification from an unidentified number.
However, she knew this number by heart because it was the same number she had called in hopes of finding her father.
Do not call this number again.
Bubbles re-read the six words over and over again. She blinked back the tears formulating in her eyes. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably as the blonde sunk down to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging herself in comfort from the disappointment the single text message produced.
She could not believe how stupid she was. To think her dad would want anything to do with her after all this time. There was a reason why he was never in her life.
And now, Bubbles knew she would never have the chance to meet him.
Buttercup grumbled silently to herself as the lead in her pencil broke. She was three problems away from finishing her Trigonometry homework and simply wanted to get it over with immediately. The dark-haired girl huffed out hot air, searching for another pencil in her desk but had no lucky. She then eyed the pencil holder on Blossom's desk containing various pencils, pens, and highlighters. Buttercup shrugged to herself, deciding Blossom would not even notice if a pencil went missing.
She rose from her desk, stepping one foot out when her phone notified her of an incoming text message. Buttercup swiftly sat back down, reaching out for her phone and reading the words on her screen.
It was from Dee Dee.
So Blossom and Brick are a couple now?
"Fuck," she muttered. Her fingers typed furiously across her screen but not to response back to Dee Dee.
Buttercup placed the phone against her ear, waiting for the other line to pick up.
On the third ring, she heard a groggy, deep voice greet her.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Butch… um… Dee Dee just texted me and I wanted you to know before—"
"I already know," he sighed into the receiver. Buttercup pictured him running a hand through his thick curls. His eyes glazed over with a seemingly incurable sadness. She just wanted to hug him—as a supportive friend would, she told herself before dismissing the idea and focusing her attention back into the conversation. "A few guys on my floor asked me about it when I was getting my mail."
"I'm so sorry, Butch," she whispered.
"It's fine." It was not fine, and she knew he was lying to her about it. However, Buttercup was going to let it slide because Butch was going through enough shit as it already was. "They were bound to get together, anyways… I just didn't think it would be so soon," he mumbled.
Buttercup could hear the physical heartbreak in his tone. She frowned at this fact.
She wanted to give him a good shake to wake him up. She wanted to explain to him that Blossom was not the only girl in the world and he could fall in love again.
She just wanted him to be better again.
To be his improved self again.
His damaged soul was slowly breaking her heart out of pity for him. She wanted to help fix him because Buttercup believed it was her duty as his best friend to do so but how was she going to do that if he did not seem to be trying himself to get over Blossom?
"Hey," she said uneasily, clearing her throat. "Do you want to do something? Get your mind off of everything?"
"Nah. I think I'm going to just focus on soccer right now. It's the only thing I can dependent on lately."
Buttercup wanted to blurt out that he could depend on her anytime but instead, she said, "Oh… Okay… I'll talk to you later."
She did not wait for Butch to response as she hung up the phone.
Buttercup folded her arms, lounging back into her desk chair more. Her mind unable to comprehend the hollow emotion within herself and why she felt an inexpiable anguish when her mind traveled to anything about Butch.
Perhaps, out of everything Buttercup wanted, she wanted to know was, why could she not stop thinking about Butch for the past couple of months?
Boomer entered the auditorium with confusion struck across his face. He had heard around campus about rehearsal for the musical getting out early, to which he grew excited about because it brought about the thought of finally having time to spend with Bubbles. The blond had also asked if anyone had any idea where Bubbles went after rehearsal.
He was met by the response that his girlfriend had not left the auditorium from everyone's knowledge, leading him to check out the very space.
The blond was stumped to find Bubbles to be nowhere in sight. His eyes searched across the stage for her presence but came up with disappointing results.
Boomer was about to exit the space when his ears perked up to a distinctive muffled sound from behind the velvet stage curtain—thanks to the acoustics of the auditorium, he was able to hear whatever the noise was, even if it was faint. He hesitantly approached the stage, climbing up the platform, and going in the direction of the noise.
It had come from the very person he was looking for.
With his ocean blue eyes weakened with a heart full of sadness, Boomer instantly rushed over to Bubbles' side, having found her on the ground, sobbing to herself. His arms wrapped tightly around her. He whispered against her golden curls, attempting to soothe her.
"What happened, love?" He asked softly. His voice tender and fragile. Boomer was afraid to break her even more with choosing his words wrongly or having an inappropriate tone. All he wanted to do at the moment was to help make Bubbles stop crying and feel better.
Bubbles briefly smiled at him weakly, wiping a tear away but did not help to remove any of the others that stained her cheeks. "I… I made the mistake of contacting my dad," she revealed, her voice trembling along with her words. Her body grew lighter with the confession but was still weighed down by her heavy-heart. "And he doesn't want to meet me… I don't know what I was thinking. I would have just annoyed him to death… Or I'm probably not good enough to be his daughter."
"That's bullshit," Boomer scoffed. He squeezed Bubbles a little more tighter as he spoke, "You're the sweetest, most kindest person ever. It's his loss for not even attempting to meet you."
"Thanks, Boom," Bubbles breathed. She ran her hand through his shaggy blond hair, tucking a strand behind his ear. Her eyes brimmed their own oceans as she stared into his. "I know you're trying to comfort me and everything, and I really appreciate it, but I think I'm going to be sad about this for awhile."
Boomer nodded with understanding, pulling her head into his chest as they sat on the floor in silence. Bubbles listened attentively to Boomer's heartbeat, focusing her thoughts on the rhythm than her dad, while Boomer was stewing in his own thoughts.
He understood Bubbles needed time. He believed that was the smart decision for her.
However, Boomer was crestfallen by her decision. As her boyfriend, he felt it was his responsibility to cheer Bubbles up and help fix her problems.
He did not want her to be sad about her dad anymore. Boomer was going to find a solution to the situation no matter what the cost was because that was what he felt was the right thing for him to do.
"Well if it isn't my incredibly beautiful and lovely girlfriend?" Brick smirked as he approached Blossom's locker. His arms instantly wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him.
She enveloped her arms around his neck, a playful smile spreading across her lips, "You're excited to be public, aren't you?"
"I mean..." He chuckled lightly. "It is nice for everyone to know that you're mine."
"And you are mine," Blossom whispered softly, closing the distance between the two.
As the couple attempted to deepen the kiss, Brick had strange feeling of being watched. He reluctantly pulled away, his crimson eyes narrowing in frustration from having the correct assumption.
Two of his classmates who he did not recognize stood on the other side of the hall, observing him and Blossom nervously.
"Can I help you?" He asked harshly.
"What… I… oh my god, he acknowledged me," a blonde squealed to her friend after stumbling with her response. She closed her eyes suddenly, taking in a deep breath. "Be cool. Be cool. Be cool…" She opened her eyes again, smiling nervously at the couple. "Um, we just wanted to say you're a beautiful couple."
Blossom smiled at the girls and then at Brick, snuggling her head against his firm, muscular chest, "Thank you."
"Oh god," the blonde's friend squeaked. "Blossom just spoke to us. This is the best day ever!"
The blonde nodded, squealing again with her friend before being yelled at by a nearby teacher. Due to this response, the two ran off down the hall in another direction.
Brick rolled his eyes, "You know, I like not having to sneak around anymore and getting to publicly call you my girlfriend, but I don't like the other shit that comes with it."
"Like what?"
"Whatever that was," he grumbled. "Or how about last night when literally everyone interrupted us when we were studying for our Chemistry exam."
Blossom laughed softly, lifting her head from his chest, "Brick, it's not like you aren't going to ace the exam."
"That's not the point."
"I know," Blossom smiled with amusement.
Brick sighed, studying Blossom's face, "Is it always going to be like this? Is everyone going to insert themselves into our relationship?"
"Unfortunately," Blossom nodded. "It's one of the many cons of dating me."
"It is the only con of dating you," Brick challenged as his massaged his hands into her hips.
"You're too sweet to me."
"How can I not?" He teased, flicking a few hairs of her bangs out of her eyes. "But I'm serious. I don't like them attempting to insert themselves into our business. It's annoying as shit and I don't want my time spent with you interrupted."
"Come on, Brick. We had almost a month of privacy. A few weeks of endearing everyone's gawking wouldn't be too bad. You've faced much worst. Plus, I think it's kind of cute," she grinned, picking herself up on her tippy-toes. "We do make a beautiful couple."
"Yeah, because of you."
"Cut yourself some slack, pretty boy."
"Maybe…" he whispered against her lips before kissing her softly.
"Hey Blossom, I—Oh um…"
Brick groaned loudly, pulling away from Blossom again, dropping his hands to his sides, only to find Boomer standing next to them, flustered by having seen the redheads' in an embrace.
Blossom chuckled lightly at Brick frustration before turning to Boomer, speaking in a calm and friendly tone, "Yes, Boom?"
Boomer tossed his eyes between the two. His stomach clenched with unease.
He was outright lied to by Brick.
After last week's chat with Buttercup, Boomer knew of the truth about them but seeing Brick and Blossom kissing in the hallway, made the distrust he had for them more of a reality.
The tough part for the blond was the decision to remain mum for Butch's sake. He rather the dark-haired male continue his stability than worry about Blossom. They only had three more months of schooling. Once they were done, Butch would not have to be in the redheads' presences anymore nor have any lingering thoughts about them.
At least, that was what Boomer hoped for. It was the singular way the blond kept his mind at peace during the night.
It was how he did not let the guilt of the secret he withheld from consuming and destroying him.
In regards to the redheads, Boomer was utterly conflicted. He still wanted their friendship. Boomer still wanted to believe they were good people, but they were sadly proving otherwise each and every time.
But he was not going to give up on them. Boomer would give them nth chances to better themselves because change was never a simple and linear process. It would take time, and he believed the redheads would figure it out eventually.
Again, at least, that was what Boomer hoped for.
Boomer blinked to himself, forcing a cool smile on his face. "I was wondering if you could help me out with financing something?"
Blossom studied him, pondering over his question before shrugging her shoulders and nodding. A wide grin on her face as she spoke, "How much do you need?"
"I should tell you—Wait, what?" Boomer fumbled. "You're not going to ask me what it is that I need the money for? Or give me the tenth degree about how you don't want to spend your father's money on something fruitless?"
"No, I wouldn't," Blossom answered. "Besides, I have way too much money anyways. I would rather spend it helping my friends than letting it go to waste."
"Are you sure?" Boomer questioned again in shock.
"Yeah, definitely. Just stop by my room tonight and I'll write you a check for whatever you need."
"Wow, I… I don't know what to say," Boomer mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "I… thank you. I appreciate it."
"Anything for a good friend," Blossom smiled.
Boomer stared at Blossom for a few seconds, baffled by her behavior. Her surprising and odd behavior.
Perhaps, she would not need that many more chances to improve herself, after all.
"Right…" Boomer nodded before excusing himself from the couple and heading down the hall with the rest of their classmates hurrying off to their next class.
"That was… strange," Brick announced, furrowing his eyebrows.
"It's Boomer. Everything is strange with him," Blossom countered. "It's a part of his charm."
"You're not wrong," he smirked.
"Thank you," Blossom smiled, bringing herself close to Brick again. Her hands cupped the sides of his face. "And thank you for attempting to be patient with all the interruptions." She lightly brushed her thumb against the corner of his lips. Her eyes studied him through her eyelashes, "I'm sorry I can't make your first relationship experience smoother than everyone else's. I know it's hard to be with me and—
"Hey," Brick interrupted. "I'm the one who wanted this. I rather go through millions of speed bumps with you than be with anyone else—which is probably why you're my first girlfriend."
Blossom smiled softly before sighing lightly, "God, Brick. You always have the right thing to say to reassure me."
"It's the least I can do," he murmured as placed his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer.
He inched closer, feeling her warm breath against his lips, when the bell rang above them, alerting the couple that they should be in class at the moment.
Brick inhaled and exhaled deeply as Blossom pulled away, giggling, "Can I ever catch a break?"
"Save it for later, babe. We have to get to class."
"Fine," he groaned, following her down the hall. "But we will make up for all of this."
When the bell struck for lunch, Buttercup knew the exact location to where she would lead herself. She weaved through the crowds of her classmates, her eyes focused steadily. A weak smile tugged on her lips when she found herself at Butch's side.
The place she was determined to be at since the beginning of the school day.
She wanted to be at his side to ensure he was okay. She wanted to provide him a distraction if Blossom and Brick popped up unexpectedly.
"Hey," she greeted, catching him off guard. Once he realized it was Buttercup, he smiled meekly at her in acknowledgement. "How have things been?"
"Okay."
"Are you sure?"
Butch rolled his eyes, his pleasant expression fading away in annoyance. "Yes," he said firmly, throwing his eyes anywhere that was not the green-eyed girl.
"Butch," she sighed. "I'm sorry I just—"
She jumped back, startled from finishing her sentence. Her eyes went to where the loud noise came from.
Caramel-colored soda streamed down Butch's right hand. The artificial sugared drink formed a puddle at his feet. The tin can crushed by his firm grip. The carbonated gas fizzed in the air until reaching a halting silence.
Buttercup glanced up to Butch, finding his attention to be somewhere else. His view entirely focused on Blossom across the courtyard again. Her hand curled around Brick's bicep as they spoke closely to each other.
They appeared radiant. Utterly consumed by the warmth they brought to each other.
It was the most unabashedly happy Buttercup had ever seen Blossom—Brick too, she realized.
Butch's reaction was appropriate, Buttercup determined. It was created solely out of heartbreak.
Out of disrespect.
Most of all, it was created out of self deprecation for not being able to enact such a mood out of Blossom.
"Butch," Buttercup said cautiously. Her fingers lightly brushed against his forearm, gaining his attention. His eyebrows furrowed in emotion, forest green eyes glassed over with sorrow and rage. "You're not okay."
"I'm fine," he said through his teeth.
His eyes flashed over to the redheads' again for a brief second. The can crackled faintly some more.
"No, you're not. We should get out of here," she advised. "How about lunch off campus? Or—"
"No."
Buttercup frowned at his answer. She retreated her touch from his arm, "Why not?"
Butch chuckled darkly to himself, narrowing his eyes at her. "No offense, but I don't want to be around you when all you're going to do is smother me."
"I—"
Buttercup blinked back in shock. She had not predicted his reaction. Her chest swelled up in a heaviness. She felt suffocated. The wind seemingly knocked out of her.
Her face contorted indignantly from finally processing what was being said. He did not want her help. He did not need her.
He found her to be a nuisance.
The same person who claimed she was his best friend and was seemingly grateful that she was the only one who was there for him when things went to shit, was now pushing her away.
Buttercup could feel her thoughts mocking her. Telling her this was the exact reason why she never got close to anyone. To not fully invest herself and care about someone wholeheartedly because it would only lead to disappointment.
She looked weak and she felt humiliated.
She was a fool in her mind. A fool to ever think she could be friends with Butch.
"Fine," she seethed. "I'll leave you alone. And while I do that, I would want nothing more than for you to do the same." Buttercup eyed him up and down, staring at him in utter disappointment. "I don't want to waste my time with someone who is so ungrateful."
"Fine," he grunted.
They stared each other down for a good second. Each waiting for the other to speak up. To say something to ensure this was not going to be turned into a big deal but neither did.
Buttercup sighed greatly, turning on her heels and disappeared within the lunch crowd of the courtyard.
It was not until she was out of sight, did Butch realize the mistake he made in how he spoke to her. The instant regret surged throughout his body as did the want to rush after her to apologize.
He was going to run after her. He was going to tell her how much he was in-debt to her because of her friendship.
He wanted to tell her how much he needed her.
Butch did not, however.
His mind got distracted again when his eyes accidentally landed on Blossom and Brick again. His temper clouding his mind once more as he seethed at the very sight of them, wondering what they were speaking of and mocking them with his thoughts.
There was nothing more he wanted than to see them apart. For Blossom to realize the mistake she made.
The fact of her not coming to her senses yet, irritated him. It made his blood boil with no end in reach.
His angry slowly crept back up on him. His mind disregarding any teachings he had learned in therapy.
The problem was, Butch wanted to be angry. He had every right to be. Therefore, he was going to use this anger until he saw not to.
However, in this decision, he simply forgot how much he loathed the rage-full person he used to be. A notion he did not remember as he continued to simmer throughout his lunch period.
The fury crawled through his cracked foundation, ingesting him into a cloud full of wrath and despair.
It was the first men's soccer game of the season. Townsville Academy was facing off against Centerville High.
The game plan for the team was to play conservative since it was the first game of the season and the coach did not want to risk anyone getting injured so early. This notion fell onto deaf ears in regards of Butch as his mind was a thunderstorm within him. His wrath guiding his conscious.
As the regulation period played on, it was clear to anyone observing the game that Butch discarded his coach's advice. His game play becoming overly aggressive. He had tripped up five different players with no concern for their well being. One even had to exit the game after twisting his ankle in the gnarliest way.
It was not until he knocked an opposing player square in the shoulder when they did not even have him in their plane of view, did Butch have to deal with the repercussions of his rough and uncalled for playing style.
The referee near him pulled out a yellow card from his back pocket, cautioning Butch to calm down.
The dark-haired male grew more outraged by the action, stepping up to argue with the referee when he heard another blow of a whistle. It was the end of the first period.
Butch rolled his eyes, jogging over to the bench where his coach berated him for not behaving like a team player nor as a leader—a position he should be committed to as he was team captain for the season. Once his coach finished ranting, Butch merely agreed to what he said under his breath. He then went to grab a water bottle, leaning against the bench provided for the team.
"Butch, you need to get your head out of your ass."
Butch furrowed his eyebrows, surprised to find Buttercup glaring down at him from the stands behind him. The heavy rage around him evaporating into the air as he remembered how things ended with them earlier in the day.
How he needed to apologize to her.
"You came," he said in astonishment. Butch immediately grimace to himself for that being the first thing he had said to her but he could not hide his surprised nature. He figured she hated him again and would not want to be anywhere near him. It was certainly what they agreed upon when parting.
"Of course I came," she dismissed. "I never miss a soccer match."
"Yeah, I…" Butch paused, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. His hand absorbing the dew of sweat from his skin. "Look, Buttercup. I just want to say I'm sorry. I should—"
"I don't care," she interjected. Her eyes stared off in the distance as she said this. She was unable to meet his eyes when trying to convey a lie.
"But—"
"I'm only talking to you, to tell you to get your shit together before you get ejected. This isn't the place to get your anger out nor should you be out to injury someone in the process."
Butch remained mum, searching for anything to say as his eyes danced across her face. When it finally came to him, the whistle sounded behind him. The second period was about to begin. He groaned to himself, placing his water bottle on the bench and jogging back to the field without saying a word to Buttercup.
Buttercup watched on, ignoring the longing in her chest for him. The confusing and distasteful longing she did not want nor understood. She returned to sit on the bleachers in desolation, not aware of who exactly she sat next to. A wicked smile spreading across their face as they tucked a red curl behind their ear.
"How is he?"
Buttercup escaped her dejected mood when greeted by a nasally voice. Her mind confused by her concern as she narrowed her eyes at Princess.
"And why would you be asking?" She questioned with a slight degree of venom. "More important, why are you even here?"
"To answer both, Butch and I are close acquaintances now," the redhead shrugged. "So I thought I should show him my support."
"Yeah, right," Buttercup chuckled off sarcastically. "And you also don't have an ulterior motive towards Butch, right? This isn't a chance to get revenge on you know who by trying to get with Butch?"
"It is not," she replied firmly. "Butch and I would never work out. We're too over-emotional to function properly together. Too sensitive, I suppose."
"You're sensitive?"
"Yes, I am," Princess scoffed, glaring at the dark-haired girl before flicking a piece of lint off of her miniskirt. "But I also think Butch is in no shape to be with anyone at the moment."
"Yeah…" Buttercup mumbled. A sense of unmistakable sorrow washed over her despite not having the slightest clue as to why.
"He's not taking it very well, I see."
"That is the understatement of the year."
"She is the fucking worst," Princess seethed. Her hands balled up in tight fists at her sides. The sharp edges of her freshly manicured nails dug into her skin. "She gets away with publicly humiliating him and breaking his heart, but on top of that, everyone accepts her relationship with Brick despite the short time-span allotted to make it look decent… Everyone here is absolutely a fucking moron."
"I couldn't agree more."
"I know you wouldn't confirm anything but I firmly believe she cheated on Butch." Buttercup stiffened, keeping her eyes on the soccer game in front of her. "And I would spread the idea around school but I know it would fuck Butch up even more since I've already had conversations with him about the subject. He's still in total and utter denial."
"How gracious of you," Buttercup deadpanned.
Princess eyed her attentively. She studied for any cracks in Buttercup's poker face but found none.
"But I still find it unfair how she got out of this without any consequences other than cleaning a basement."
Buttercup shrugged off Princess' comment, "That's what happens when you grow up privileged… You should be well-acquainted in that subject matter."
"You don't think I have to deal with the consequences of my actions?" Princess scoffed. "Because of my drunken mistake from last year, Daddy took away ten percent of my shares in his company. Not to mention, he wouldn't allow me to be around his business associates anymore, which technically means, I'm not even allowed to step foot in five of our ten properties."
"Tragic."
"It truly is," Princess snarled. "With regular parents, you simply get a slap on the wrist and a good scowling. They say that they're disappointed in you but you are your own person. You don't have to carry your name around like a hazard. Us, rich kids, we have to deal with a shit ton of backlash from our parents. Lasting effects. We could be cut out of our family fortunes if we make the slightest wrong step. The ever pressing pressure to behave a certain way because you're the future of your family name… All from parents who opted to have nannies around twenty-four seven and didn't even bother to raise us."
"Huh… No wonder Blossom fears her parents," Buttercup thought out aloud.
"Blossom is afraid of her parents?" Princess questioned eagerly, seizing the opportunity of the slip up.
Buttercup considered whether she should answer. Blossom's family issue has been a well kept secret for the betterment of the last four years. If Princess got any further knowledge on the topic, who knows what the redhead may do.
Her eyes found themselves settled onto Butch. He was still playing aggressively. She knew the very reason he was losing himself in the game was because of Blossom. Because of her new relationship and lack of being honest with Butch.
It was her frustrations towards Blossom in which overloaded over the past months, that caused her to reply.
"Blossom cannot do anything if parents disapproved of something. She is basically their lap dog… a broken and wounded lap dog."
"Interesting," Princess smirked, growing satisfied with the new information. Her mind formulating plans of revenge towards Blossom—but also Brick. A light bulb flashed in her mind when the perfect idea popped up. "You know, if her parents did not like—"
Princess was unable to finish her sentence as a whistle in the distance cut her off. The two turned their attention to the field, finding a player from Centerville coddling his knee while fighting back tears. The referee waved a red card in the air as the athletic trainer from Centerville attended to their fallen player. An outraged Butch was engaged in a shouting match with the referee, having to be pulled away by his teammates.
"Oh no," Buttercup breathed.
Butch getting ejected was one of the worst things that could have happened. It could jeopardize his chances at the soccer scholarship they were both vying for. Not to mention, the disappointment Butch must feel about himself would be another added layer to his misguided mind.
She watched as he left the field in disgrace, heading into the locker room with his head down. Buttercup felt her chest swell up, distraught be the events happening to him. Even if she was mad at him, she still wanted to be there for him. It was like a habit now. To help Butch in this rough patch he was experiencing.
Her mind raced with plausible ways to help him move on. To be happy again.
But she knew if Butch was still in his wrathful mindset he was currently in, there was no getting through to him. With that, Buttercup brainstormed solutions for his angry. The loudest answer did not come from her but from a piece advice she was given once by Boomer.
Without a word, Buttercup rose from her seat on the bleachers and went straight to the locker rooms. Her back pressed against the wall of the building as she waited patiently for Butch to exit.
It took twenty long minutes for Butch to withdraw himself from inside the room. His curls dripping wet from taking a shower in the time. Water droplets falling upon his forehead as his eyes widened in shock to find Buttercup by the door.
His expression immediately shifted to shame and also regret.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. His eyes lined straight to his sneakers. "I fucked up… and I'm not just talking about the game. I was a complete and utter dick to you today and you didn't deserve any of it. I just…" He slowly but surely met her gaze. Sincerity reflected intensely off of his forest green eyes, "You're the best part of my day, B. And I'm sorry for making you feel like you're not important to me because you are very important to me. Tremendously important. And… I can't say how much I appreciate how much you have done for me in the past few weeks. You've done nothing but be there for me, so how I acted was unacceptable."
Buttercup let his words hang in the air. Each word resonating with her deeply. However, the sentence that got her the most was, "You're the best part of my day". For whatever reason, Buttercup felt her stomach complete multiple somersaults, unable to contain itself. She felt as if she was going to puke but she was not going to let Butch know that as she did not even know why she felt this way.
"Okay," she said softly.
Butch blinked at her in confusion. "That's all you have to say? Nothing about how much of an asshole I am? Or how if I ever cross you like again that you'll cut off my dick"
"Yeah, no," Buttercup chuckled. "I know you're being sincere with your apology, so you're good…" She shifted her weight, rubbing her arm awkwardly. Her eyes gazed out to the horizon of the soccer game that continued to be played. "Besides, I can't seem to stay mad at you anymore."
Butch grinned brightly at her confession, clipping his hand onto her shoulder affectionately, "What the hell happened to us?"
"We grew up."
"I don't feel like I have," Butch frowned, removing his hand from her to run it through his drenched hair. "I feel like I have regressed back to how I was when I was twelve."
"You might have," Buttercup nodded. "But that's not your fault."
"It is. I'm letting… them get to me."
"It was going to happen," she shrugged. "It was expected that you would fall off a little when things progressed more between them but the real test is if you keep yourself in this head space or you take the time to help yourself."
"I want to help myself but I don't know how to," he sighed dejectedly. "I've tried the school counselor but she is more better equipped at handling the grieving process than anger management."
"Well, lucky for you, I might have a way to help you," Buttercup teased with a grin.
Butch arched an eyebrow, matching her expression, "You do?"
"I do… but we will have to go to Boomer's dorm first."
"That's a wrap for the weekend," Blossom announced to the stage of actors. "I hope you have a great three day weekend and a much needed break."
She watched as the crowd dispersed into their own directions, petering out with various conversations among them. None of them approaching her on their way out except one.
"Is Princess going to be in trouble for skipping out again?" Bubbles questioned curiously as Blossom grabbed her bag.
"I'll have to discuss things with Ms. Sedusa but I doubt it," she shrugged off. "She'll just have to stay for an extra hour on Tuesday."
"Oh… okay."
"It's not a problem, Bubs," Blossom smiled reassuringly. "We'll be fine. So don't worry about it."
"Okay," the blonde mumbled. She stared at Blossom in silence as the redhead waited to see if she was going to say anything else to her. Bubbles cleared her throat, adjusting the strap of her bag, "Are… are you doing anything tonight? We could get something to eat for old times sake."
Bubbles hoped Blossom would agree. She wanted a distraction from the lingering thoughts about her father and his rejection.
"I would love to but Brick is surprising me with something tonight…"
"Oh," she breathed. The sorrowful response flashed across her face for a brief second before she forced a friendly smile. "Well, I will not stop you from that."
"Thanks, Bubs," Blossom beamed. "Maybe we could hang out next week?"
"Yeah, maybe," the blonde sighed discouragingly. She was not looking forward to the long weekend because it meant there was more time on her hands to wonder about her dad. The inescapable sadness over the situation would prison her for three straight days. Bubbles simply hoped the days would go by fast instead of being painfully slow.
"Buttercup, what a pleasant surprise," Dexter greeted when opening the door to his dorm. His eyes crossed over to her companion. "Butch," he disgruntled before focusing his attention back to Buttercup. "What brings you here?"
"I'm cashing in on the offer you made during New Year's," she explained. "Butch and I need to blow off some steam."
Dexter pursed his lips in thought, tapping his foot below them, "Does Butch really need to?"
Butch lunged forward, attempting to get in Dexter's face, "Listen here dork—"
Buttercup cut Butch off, restricting him from moving forward towards the redhead with a stiff arm, pushing him behind her. She glared at him for a brief second before doing the same to Dexter.
"Yes, he does," she said through her teeth. "I know you are not the best of friends, but can you put your differences aside for once? For me, at least?"
"Fine," they both muttered under their breath in unison.
"Great," Buttercup smirked. "So are we allowed entry?"
"Yes," Dexter groaned, stepping aside and allowed the dark-haired pair into his room. The redhead then went to his shared closet with Boomer, shuffling through various items in search of a particular gaming system.
"Why are we here exactly?" Butch whispered to Buttercup. His towering frame brushed up against her side.
Buttercup grinned at him, "We're here because we are going to play violent video games until four in the morning to get your penned up aggression out."
"And you think that's going to work?" Butch snorted.
"I do," she nodded. "It helped me get through my breakup with Mitch. And look at me, I haven't thought about snapping his neck since New Year's."
Butch sighed in defeat, rubbing his chin in thought, "That is an impressive feat."
"So are you willingly to try?"
"I mean, I'll never pass on the opportunity to slack off and play video games but do I think this will work for me? No," he admitted to a disappointed Buttercup. "But I do appreciate the effort. So thank you."
"Doesn't feel like I'm smothering you?" She quipped, arching an eyebrow in challenge.
Butch chuckled to himself, "Oh, I knew I was going to regret saying that." He met her eyes, memorizing the vivid hue of electric green they were. "If I'm going to be honest, I kind of like it when you smother me—that is, if I'm not in a mood." He shrugged his shoulders, continuing, "To me, it shows you care about me. It's something not a lot people tend to do. So yeah… smother me all you want."
"Oh, um…" Buttercup fumbled. Her cheeks grew in an intense heat from his words. She quickly looked down to their feet, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll only smother you when you need it. So then you don't get too used to me handling everything for you. You are your own person, after all."
Butch pretended to groan, stomping his feet a little like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum would, "But I like it when you do everything for me."
"That's too bad," she laughed lightly, meeting his gaze again. Her eyes flashed a hint of her competitiveness, "But I will kick your ass in whatever Dexter has in store for us."
"Oh, you are so on, B," he challenged, a lively smile spreading across his lips. It was the first time Butch has enjoyed himself since finding out about Blossom and Brick's coupledom. He could not help noticing how Buttercup's help was the exact break he wanted.
Her friendship was exactly what he needed.
When coming back from rehearsal, Bubbles was surprised to find Boomer sitting on the ground by her door. His attention focused on his phone as he waited for her.
"Boomer?" She said when she stood in front of him.
Boomer quickly rose to his feet, wiping the back of his pants from sitting on the ground. "Hey."
"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why are you here?" She asked cautiously, eyeing him suspiciously. Boomer was one to be spontaneous but not with her. She was the one person he did not keep secrets from—or at least, she hoped so.
"So I may have constructed the most ridiculous plan ever but I just couldn't sit here and watch you be so upset lately," He began, running a hand through his shaggy blond hair.
"What do you mean?" Bubbles said quietly. Her entire body stiffened at the mention of her being upset.
Boomer took in a deep breath and exhaled soundly before explaining himself, "I may have asked Blossom for a check to rent out a van for us, so we can drive to San Mateo to meet your dad. He can't ignore you if you're knocking at his doorstep, now can he?" He finished.
Boomer smiled at her for reassurance but was not met with the response he thought he would get. Instead Bubbles stared down at her hands.
"We can't," she breathed. "It's too crazy—"
"It's a three day weekend," Boomer pointed out. "You have no rehearsal for once. I already cashed in the check for the van. Plus, I made a playlist for the drive. All we need is your okay."
Bubbles wanted to say yes. She knew this was too much of perfect timing to say no. Her heart shouted the loudest for her to agree.
But her mind.
Her mind wanted nothing to do with it. She did not want to go all the way to San Mateo to simply be shut out by her dad. His text message was enough to prove he did not want to meet her.
Bubbles opened her mouth to reply but stopped herself short when she took in the hopefulness in Boomer's expression. She melted at the thought of realizing how much trouble he went into doing this for her. How much he wanted her to be happy. How could she possibly say no to the sweetest person she has ever known?
"Let's do it," she grinned, taking his hands and entwining her's with them.
"Are you sure?" He questioned, leaning his forehead against her's.
"One hundred percent."
"Then let's go find your dad, Bubs."
Blossom could not help not hiding the gleeful smile rising on her lips once she saw Brick approach her. She had been sitting on a bench in front of his residence hall, waiting for him and his surprise for her.
She quickly went to him, enveloping him in her arms as she greeted him with a kiss. His mouth turned upward as they pulled apart.
"So what do you have in stored for me?" Blossom asked him softly.
"I wouldn't say," he teased. "But I can show you." His hand retreated from where it rested on her hip, digging in his pocket as he pulled out a black cloth. "However, I will need you to put this on first."
Blossom arched an eyebrow at the cloth, "A blindfold?"
"Yup."
She sighed quietly, removing her arms from around him and turning around. He placed her hair to the side, his fingertips lightly brushing up against her skin.
"You better not be planning to murder me," she quipped as he tied the blindfold together.
"I could never," he replied, placing a tender kiss on her shoulder before take her hand into his.
Blossom smiled softly at his affections, following his lead blindly. A cool early March breeze hitting her skin as they walked for what seemed like a large distance to her.
After some time, Brick paused in his steps, dropping his hold on Blossom's hand.
"You can take off your blindfold," he murmured. A hint of apprehension in his tone as she untied the cloth.
Her eyes danced across the setting before them. They were on the football field, which was completely empty other than them. A red blanket was spread across mid-field with a variety of plastic, ivory candles; which ran on batteries, ranging from different heights circled around the linen. Another blanket was folded perfectly in the left corner. There was also a fresh bouquet of pink roses on the center of the blanket.
"Brick…" she breathed. The flickering of the artificial flames from the candles illuminated her eyes into a soft medley of amber and blush.
"I know it's not much," he said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to take you out somewhere nice but I didn't have enough money to afford anything that I felt was good enough for you, so I improvised. Which I'm now seeing, was an awful idea. I just…" He groaned, rubbing his eyes in frustration at himself. "I'm happy we don't have to hide anymore but I also wanted to make sure we will still have some private moments together because a part of me is terrified we wouldn't anymore. But apparently big romantic gestures are not my thing."
Brick could feel his hands being prided away from his face as Blossom took them into hers'. Her small, delicate hands contrasting against his long, strong palms.
"No," she whispered, nuzzling closer to him. "I love this."
"You do?" He questioned, unconvinced by her notion. "Are you just saying that because you feel bad?"
"I'm not," Blossom answered softly. "I like this way more than going out on a fancy, over extravagant date that probably was going to cost you a good amount of money." Her thumbs began rubbing the skin on the back of his hand. "I know and understand your situation, Brick. So don't ever feel pressured to spend money on me. I have had plenty of experiences that involved extreme amounts of money spent and none of them have ever brought me happiness… But getting to spend time with you? That's more than I could ever want or need."
Brick gently bumped his forehead against her's, "I guess I'm just getting insecure for once. Planning dates and navigating relationships are uncharted territory for me. Not knowing what to expect, is kind of unsettling to me. Especially when I'm starting out with a girl I'm absolutely crazy about."
Blossom expressed a giddy smile as she spoke to him, "With me, you don't have worry, okay? With us, I don't want to feel like we have to pressure ourselves to behave a certain way. I like you, for you. Inexperience and all because this is new for me too. I haven't been this happy in my entire life. I got into the school of my dreams. For once, I feel good about myself, but I also feel like a better person lately. And it is all because of you and your support."
"Well, that settles it," Brick smirked, kissing her forehead briefly before continuing. "I'm not so bad at this thing after all."
"You never were," she replied, turning on her heels and leading them over to the blanket he set out. They withdrew their hands from each other, settling onto the cozy fabric. Their backs laid lazily on the ground. Blossom's hand immediately went to the bouquet of rose, which were still wrapped into a bundle covered by brown craft paper. She took in the sweet smell, closing her eyes for a moment in delight.
"They didn't have peonies," Brick said quietly, watching her in awe. Captivated by her utter beauty as he always was. She opened her eyes, settling them onto him, listening to what he furthered on. "According to the lady who ran the flower shop I went to, they weren't in season. So I got those… They reminded me of your eyes."
"You're too good to me," Blossom murmured, awed by his recollection of her favorite flower after a brief conversation they had before even realizing their feelings for each other.
Blossom gently placed the roses beside her. She then snuggled up next to Brick, her head resting on his chest. Her right leg draped over his, while her right arm did the same over his torso. His right arm snaked around her neck as he settled his hand on her waist. She felt Brick lift his head up as his free hand went to the empty space beside him. A few seconds later, a gray blanket made of the same material they laid on, was draped over both of them, stopping before her chin and his chest respectively. The combining heat radiating from Brick's body and the blanket warmed her soul.
"If you look to the left, you could see Canis Major," he revealed, his free hand pointing in the direction above them, trailing out a figure. Blossom shifted her eyes to see the constellation he spoke of but had no luck. "Not my favorite constellation but I always seem to find it out of everything else."
Blossom wished she could relate to him but all she saw was a jumbled array of stars. Each reflecting and shining in their own way.
She smiled softly against the fabric of his shirt, "Is Astronomy another one of your past passions?"
"Sort of," he chuckled. "When I was in elementary school, anything involving science was a favorite of mine and I had to learn everything about each sub-field. That's why I was into Meteorology. But Astronomy is probably my least favorite out of all the fields I brushed up on. It just seems too vague and unattainable for any of the information to make sense to me." Brick smirked to himself, "But knowing each constellation is definitely a perk."
"Impressed a lot of girls before?" She teased.
"Maybe," he grinned sheepishly.
"Such a dog."
"Not anymore."
"True." Blossom nuzzled her cheek more into his chest. Her eyes remained on the blinking lights above them. "Tell more about the constellations."
"Are you sure?" Brick questioned. "Other than physically seeing them, everything else is pretty much a bore. Most of it is either mathematical facts or mythology."
"I don't care. I just want to hear you talk."
"Alright," Brick exhaled. The hand on her waist stroked the skin peeking out from the hem of her shirt as he explained to her the origins of certain constellations in the sky.
As Blossom listened to him retell the story of Orion to her, she could not escape the blissfulness she felt. The utter peace and harmony she was experiencing from being in his arms. How his voice soothed her. His touch pulsing through her skin like electricity but also had a way of calming her down too.
She contorted her head to an angle, looking up at him as he spoke. Her eyes memorizing each and every detail about him. The lights of the candles catching his eyelashes, making them appear lighter than they were.
He was beautiful to her. She was still in awe on how he could ever be her's, yet he wanted her. He took the time to surprise her with a gesture she did not know she even needed until he did so.
For once, she did not feel intimidated by someone's affections for her. She knew now in her gut that this felt completely right. Being at Brick's side, listening to him, and feeling the overwhelming happiness he produced within her, was all Blossom could ever want in the world.
It was for those reasons why, this was the moment she knew...
"Okay…" Boomer grinned, turning the key in the ignition of the rented Volkswagen Van he acquired. The engine immediately rumbling from being turned on. He pressed on the gas, backing out of one of the school's parking lots. Once out, he ventured into the road outside of the school, glancing at Bubbles excitedly for a brief second. "And we're off."
"I can't believe we're doing this," Bubbles grinned tightly.
"Me either but I'm glad we are."
"Me too," she breathed.
Her stomach sunk in from the anxious feeling. They were five hours away from meeting her dad. Five hours, and Bubbles would no longer be an orphan.
She could not pinpoint one justifiable emotion she felt.
Anxiety. Excitement. Terror. Joy.
She felt ever possible emotion she could think of.
There was also one thought in her mind that she could not escape from.
She simply wanted for everything to go right. She did not want anything to go wrong.
With that, she only had five more hours to discover the truth. To find out who her father exactly was.
Author's Note:
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for reading and supporting this story. Furthermore, thank you to those who take the time to review.
Also I'm hoping to be more speedier with the updates now that I'm summer break from college. Other than that, have a wonderful day.