Townsville High
PLEASE READ; I cannot apologize enough for the delay in updating. This story had been put on a temporary hiatus, but I plan on updating as fast as I can. I won't go too much into my reasons for not updating, but I will say that it's been a rough couple of weeks for me, personally. I know that this is not an excuse, that I should have found time at the end of the day, but I hope all of you forgive me and I also hope that you all enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 54 - Nothing Scares Me Anymore
Last Chapter - Bubbles broke up with Boomer. Maxine tried to convince Mitch to stop stealing from The Cove. Buttercup and Butch began planning the last party the gang would have as teenagers. And Boomer hid the fact that he has a stomach ulcer that could possibly kill him to protect his brothers and Bubbles.
A Special Thank You To; Meleex (My sister from another mister), Jeannette, tomboygreengurl, River Wolfgirl, Smileyboo101, CuriousReaderNia, Pink Powerpuff Blossom and finally, Samkitty 14. You lot always manage to put the smile on my face. You're all angels! (P.S, some of you need to make accounts so we can talk!)
AN; The first scene has no dialogue apart from a flashback. It is basically explaining Boomer's situation, although I personally feel it a little badly written. The rest of the chapter goes back into the story. But if you want to understand more of Boomer's new twist, I'd read the first paragraph, if not, skip.
Previously;
"Boomer, you need to let go." Bubbles said quietly, pulling herself away from Boomer's arms.
Boomer bit his lower lip. "I don't want to."
Bubbles pulled herself away, letting Boomer's eyes meet hers. She raised her hand to caress his cheek, wiping away the lingering tears. She didn't think that this would be so hard. She knew it was coming. She didn't want to be in this relationship anymore. So why did it hurt as much as it did?
"Close your eyes," Bubbles whispered. "Just close your eyes."
Boomer was reluctant, but he did as instructed. His eyes snapped shut. He felt Bubbles' lips on his own, pressing a chaste kiss against them. Then her lips were gone. Boomer took a deep breath before opening his eyes. She was gone. All he could see what the open door.
The blonde stood rigid for a couple of minutes, his eyes wide and unblinking. It was only when his phone began ringing that he finally pulled himself from his trance and returned to the harsh reality. He quickly reached into the pocket of his blue jeans and dug his phone out.
Doctor Russell
Boomer swallowed the harsh lump in his throat. He clicked the answer button before slowly pressing the phone to his ear, dreading what Russell had to say.
"Mr Jojo? I assume Bubbles has spoken with you?"
Boomer closed his eyes at the mention of her name. "I didn't tell her. I couldn't tell her."
"You have to, Boomer. She's going to find out sooner or later."
"I'm not telling her because I want to protect her. If she found out the truth..It would kill her."
"You need to tell her eventually, Mr Jojo. You can't hide the fact that you have a stomach ulcer. Boomer, it could kill you. You do realise that, right?"
"Yes. That's why she can't know, and neither can my brothers. If she calls, don't tell her anything." Boomer instantly shut off his phone, refusing to let Doctor Russell get another word in. He stared out of the open door into the darkness, wondering just how long it would take for his secret to catch up to him.
To Be Continued..
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo
Silence greeted Boomer Jojo as he sat in solitude. For the past hour, he had been staring absentmindedly at the black Toshiba television in his bedroom, barely capturing the attention of the bright colours flashing across the small, block-like screen. He was wrapped up in his bed covers, sulking to himself. He could hear the sound of his brothers conversing and chuckling downstairs, but he refused to join them like everything was fine, because even his brothers knew that he wasn't in the mood for company. For once, Boomer just needed to hear himself think.
It was a dull Tuesday evening, mearly five days after his break up with Bubbles Utonium. It had been the longest time that they had not talked this year. Although Bubbles had tried to call him, most likely craving the sound of his voice, he never answered. He wanted so desperately to just pick up the phone and tell her that she had made a mistake, but he couldn't be honest with her, and she deserved better than a ticking time bomb. Because no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, Boomer had an illness that could very well be the end for him.
He felt himself laugh in bitterness. He had worked so hard to make it to graduation, and now he might not even live to see the day. Boomer couldn't deny that he was scared, death terrified him. The only thing that terrified him more was the thought of someone finding out about his illness, seeing the looks of panic and devastation on his brother's faces. He couldn't allow Brick or Butch to find out, nor could he stand to see Bubbles find out.
Once Boomer arrived home from school he had ran straight to his bedroom, refusing himself to leave. He climbed onto the silk blue sheets of his bed and turned his television on, not even bothering to flick through the channels in order to find something worth watching. As he sat there watching his television, he began to remember the day that this had all began, and just how he felt when he received the news that he might not live through the month..
FLASHBACK;
Boomer Jojo's midnight blue gaze rested on the clock above Doctor Russell's desk. He watched silently as the hands ticked by. He counted the minutes before he could leave. All Boomer could seem to think about was getting out of that office and going to see his girlfriend. After spending the past half-hour being examined by a thirty-something nurse he just wanted to spend the rest of his evening in the company of his friends.
The sharp sound of a door closing behind him brought Boomer's mind back to reality. He turned himself around and glanced towards the door to find Doctor Nathaniel Russell, looking his absolute finest in a long white lab coat and black slacks. As Nathaniel made his way towards his patient, Boomer could not disarm the look in his dark eyes. Something about that awkward look in his eyes caused Boomer to tense his whole body cautiously.
Boomer watched as Doctor Russell sat down on the black office chair opposite from Boomer. His wise eyes softened as they met with Boomer's own. Russell leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on top of his desk. He finally decided to break the longing silence that both men were eager to end.
"Good afternoon, Boomer. Thank you for coming in on such short notice."
"Well, I had nothing important to do today. But I actually have plans to meet my friends soon so what is it that you wanted to discuss?"
"How have you been feeling? Since the accident, I mean." Doctor Russell asked slowly, a hint of curiosity in his tone. His dark eyes studied Boomer as his thin brows furrowed slightly.
"I'm great," Boomer answered half-heartedly. "Sure there's been some days were I've not felt at my best, but the accident is all behind me now. And I'm not seeing things that I shouldn't be seeing if that's what you're worried about." Boomer chuckled casually. His devil-may-care smile faded at the utter look of un-amusement on the young Doctor's face.
Doctor Russell shook his head. "Boomer, I am not worried about your mental state. I'm more interested in your physical state. Have you been having any abdominal pain lately?"
"Well, yes. Usually three hours after eating. But that pain doesn't last long. I'm sure it's nothing." Boomer smiled confidently hoping that this would the end of this conversation. He observed the way that Russell's dark eyes narrowed in thought, as if he was trying to work something out that he already understood.
"Have you been experiencing heart ache? Nausea? A lack of appetite?"
Boomer remained silent, tugging on the collar of his blue polo shirt, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and claustrophobic in this small office. He always felt uneasy when being barraged with complex questions about himself. His brows furrowed uncontrollably, wondering just what Doctor Russell was trying to make him figure out.
"I suppose, occasionally. Doctor, why are you asking me all of these questions? I've told you that I'm feeling a lot better," He persisted, only half telling the truth. "I mean, this is just a routine check up."
Doctor Russell's lips curved into a frown, only adding to Boomer's nervousness.
"Boomer, you have-" Russell paused. In all of his thirteen years of being a respectful doctor, he still wasn't the best at delivering bad news. More importantly, he didn't like giving bad news. Although he didn't know these people personally, he still hated that he had to be the one that would deliver the news that could turn someone's whole life upside down.
After a long muteness, Russell finally built up some courage in himself to tell Boomer the thing that he had been dreading all evening. "Boomer, you have a stomach ulcer."
The whole room fell deadly silent all of a sudden. Boomer's face froze uncontrollably as he stared at Russell's expression, hoping to find some clarity that this was all a sick joke. For a couple of seconds, no one dared to move or speak. Everything fell into a quiet stillness. Boomer could hear the sound of his heart hammering against his chest as the reality of Russell's words sunk in. "W-What?"
"You have a stomach ulcer." Doctor Russell repeated, followed by a melancholy frown.
As the words began to process in Boomer's clouded mind, he could feel his breathing stop. It was as if he was drowning. He wanted to scream, to do something, anything. But Boomer couldn't move a single muscle. He stared at the white wall opposite him, an honestly confused look on his face mixed with an over-whelming surprise. Finally he blinked and the full reality came rushing back that this was not a dream and that he couldn't close his eyes and make it all go away.
"Boomer?" Doctor Russell's velvety voice spoke, tearing Boomer away from his daze.
"What do we-" Boomer sucked in a shaky breath. "What do we do now?"
The Doctor cleared his throat. He was trying to think of a way to explain how this all came to be but no words were ever going to be good enough. There was nothing he could say that could make Boomer feel any better about this situation. So Russell did what he always did when he was in a position like this. He told the truth.
"Boomer, after the car accident, both you and Miss Utonium were given a certain amount of Anti-Inflammatory drugs to ease the pain. Bubbles managed to come through the accident very well, but you- you weren't responding to the medication in the first couple of days, which is why you got more than Miss Utonium. When we first noticed that your scar wasn't healing normally, you continued to take them. And these drugs caused a stomach ulcer to appear."
"Why am I just finding out about this now!?" Boomer's voice rose drastically. "Shouldn't you have known this after my last check up?" He yelled desperately, still unable to believe the circumstances that he was in. He watched with narrow eyes and Doctor Russell frowned awkwardly.
"You have to understand that it is very uncommon. We didn't even think that this would happen. The ulcer has been in your system for a while now, which does of course make our job harder to remove it. We'll need you to come in every couple of days for repeated assessment and treatment."
A mix between a bitter laugh and a groan echoed throughout the small office. Boomer wasn't usually one to lose his temper, but as of now, anger was the only thing stopping him from breaking down all together. Boomer's hand shot to his chin, placing it over his mouth to stop him from saying something he would later regret.
A thick muteness passed over the two men before Boomer finally removed his hand and glared at his doctor, blue eyes narrowing uncontrollably.
"Okay, so..what do we do? How do we remove it? And don't tell me that you might not be able to, because I think you've delivered enough painfully bad news for one afternoon!" Boomer's voice raised once more, alerting a couple of nurses passing by the office.
"We'll have to perform antibiotics, if that doesn't work then some serious surgery is needed. But I should warn you, if we can't find a way to remove this ulcer in time..there are some complications."
All of a sudden, Boomer shot out of his chair. He ran his hand through his rough blonde hair, taking less-than-calming breaths. Just when Russell thought that Boomer might start yelling again, he noticed the boy glance at him with serene blue eyes, nodding his head slowly.
"What are the complications?"
Russell let out a sigh. "The most common complication is Gastrointestinal bleeding. Sudden large bleeding can be life-threatning, but not if we treat it in time. There is also the risk of cancer developing from the ulcer."
"Cancer?" Boomer coughed out. "You're telling me that I might get cancer!?"
Boomer's eyes darted about the room, the full extent of his situation dawning on him. His mind suddenly shot to his brothers. He remembered listening to Brick's speech in the hospital after the car accident, how scared and worried he had sounded. Boomer had made a promise to himself that he would never hear Brick sound like that again. He had a sudden over-whelming urge to protect his brothers like they had always protected him. And it was when he had decided to keep it a secret that he had never felt more alone.
"You can't tell my brothers about this." Boomer spoke abruptly, turning to his doctor.
Russell's brows furrowed. "Mr Jojo, you have to tell them. You have to tell Miss Utonium too."
"I'll tell them. I just want to do it myself." And just like that, Boomer had lied. After promising to himself that he would remain truthful, he lied and he planned to do it again and again until he got better. Because although scared, Boomer wouldn't allow himself to believe that he was going to die. Not until the very end.
END FLASHBACK;
Boomer sighed deeply, pulling himself from the memory he had been trying to repress for the past couple of weeks. He could feel himself getting weaker as the days flew by. Memories of when he was a child seemed to plague his dreams, as if they were reliving themselves, trying to make things end differently. Boomer wished that he had lived more fully, that he had been nicer to people, that he had let more people in, that he had been more understanding. His main regret was how much he had put his best friend through, stealing his first love and pretending that it didn't matter.
He could barely count the amount of lies he had told this year alone. He was getting so good at lying that he was starting to believe his own lies. Boomer was starting to believe that everything really was normal although he began to realise that nothing was ever really normal to begin with.
There was always a small part of him that knew he was supposed to die in that car on the night of the crash. But something went wrong, and he woke up. And ever since that fateful day, he had continued to love the one girl that he was so sure he had loved since he was a little boy. Now, she had broken up with him, and Boomer didn't feel sad about it.
Sure, he was devastated that the relationship he had worked so hard to achieve was history. But now, he knew that the girl he was so desperately in love with would never know the truth about his health. She would never know that Boomer Jojo had a stomach ulcer as a result of that crash, and that his eventful life could end at any moment. But that was how he wanted it.
Lifting himself up, Boomer sat up straight on his bed. He lifted up the stray television remote sitting beside his pillow and pointed it at the screen. He was finding it hard to concentrate on watching his television, also the colours had began to start hurting his eyes. As he yanked the silk blue sheets off of his shivering body, Boomer noticed the small white box that had been sitting underneath, filled with crisp, old photos.
He reached out and pulled the box back towards him, carefully lifting the lid off and placing it beside him. His hand reached into the box, pulling out the first batch of photographs. A small, insignificant smile lit up his face as he stared down at the first picture, which just happened to be of Brick and Butch. If he remembered correctly, this picture had been taken when they first started high school, all of those years ago before the girls had came back. Things seemed easier back then.
Boomer instantly put the photo back into the box. He placed the lid back on top, tucking his precious memories away safely out of sight. As he leapt out of bed for the first time in what seemed like days, he came across the stray blue guitar sat beside his wardrobe, leaning against the wall. His eyes lit up as he remembered the last time that he had played it for his girlfriend, when he had helped her get through a hard time. Although the memories of her seemed to make Boomer feel more trapped than ever, that was the one memory that could never be tainted.
Boomer reached his hand out and took hold of his midnight blue Gisbon guitar. The object felt cold in his hands, almost lonely. Boomer didn't play his guitar often. It was a simple hobby at the age of thirteen that he had grown out of once he found a new obsession. But he felt as though he needed it now. Musical therapy was always the best medicine in times like these.
He sat on the edge of his bed, Gibson in hand. As his fingers caressed the old strings, he smiled softly remembering how Butch always made fun of him for playing it. While he practiced football and boxing, Boomer was strumming away without a care in the world, and Butch always seemed disinterested. He began to play one of the first songs he had ever learned on the guitar, a song that seemed to make more sense now..
The world might end,
The night might fall.
Rain on down and cover us all,
And drown us with the burdens of our sins.
Maybe I'll look you in the eye,
Tell you, you don't wanna die.
Maybe I'll hold my breath and jump right in.
Maybe I'll hold my breath and jump right in.
I never saw you coming from inside my little prison,
Your autograph would really buy me time.
If you think you are the reason,
Give me something to believe in.
It's always darkest right before the dawn.
It's always darkest right before the dawn.
I confess I've lost control,
I let my guard down,
I let the truth out.
Oh I confess I've lost control,
I let my guard down,
I let the truth out.
The final celebration,
A bad hallucination.
Flip a coin and see which way I fall,
The shark tail is singing.
We love to watch him killing,
And suffer through a never ending day.
Suffer through a never ending day.
I can feel I've lost control,
I let my guard down,
I let the truth out.
Oh I can feel I've lost control,
You let your guard down,
You let the truth out.
I was trapped like a prisoner in my skin.
I was punished like an enemy for my sins.
I was blind,
I was caged,
And I was tricked,
And I was suffocating.
I was suffocating.
I can feel I've lost control,
Oh I can feel we've lost control.
I was suffocating.
I confess I've lost control,
And I was suffocating.
If I was suffocating,
I can feel we've lost control.
Feel my hunger.
Feel my hunger.
As the song finished and Boomer's lips stopped moving, he closed his eyes to savour the moment of feeling well and truly alive. He always felt special when playing his guitar. It made him feel as though he had a true purpose, a real talent that people would appreciate. However now, he just felt like he had wasted so much time trying to learn a skill that he had abandoned a year later.
Boomer stared into space with dull, unblinking eyes. He was suddenly pulled out of his daze by the soft vibration beside him. He glanced at his phone sat on his bed, the name of his now ex girlfriend lighting up the screen. Boomer sat rigid for a moment, silently debating whether he should look at the text or not. A small part of him wanted to read it, hoping that she had told him that she made a huge mistake. But the other part just wanted to erase her from his life, for both of their own good.
After much silent deliberation, Boomer's hand untangled from his guitar and picked up his phone. He took a deep breath before allowing the text to reveal itself.
I know that things are awkward now. But there's still a part of me that misses you. Everyone is coming over to my house later. Stop by? I just really want to see you. Bubbles.
Boomer swallowed the harsh lump in his throat. She wanted to see him. She missed him. For some reason Boomer could not wrap his head around it. After all, she had ended things, not the other way around. Boomer began to type his reply, occasionally stopping reluctantly. He sighed in despair, unsure whether he should respond to the message or just leave it. But Boomer soon realised that if he did not reply, she would call his phone every five seconds until he did. She didn't like to be ignored.
He hesitantly pressed send.
I think it's best that we keep our distance. I have a lot of personal stuff to take care of today. But I miss you too. Boomer.
As he watched the screen dim into darkness, Boomer closed his eyes and reveled in the moment. Bubbles missed him. His lips curved into a small smile. He opened his eyes once more and placed his phone back beside him on the bed, knowing full well that Bubbles would not reply to that message. She had too much pride to tell him off for not wanting to see her. That was one of the many reasons that he loved her.
"She misses me."
Boomer sighed.
Mitch Mitchelson held his glass of iced-cold water to his lips and took a small swig, watching as his co-worker Hailey Cloud did the same. As their eyes met across the table, Hailey's thin pink lips curved into a small smile. Mitch's eyes casually glanced towards the ticking clock sat on the wall of The Cove, checking how much longer he had until his break was over and he was once more subject to hours of serving college students and business men.
This was Mitch's favourite time of the day. When he would sit down at one of the clean Cove tables and have a quick lunch-date with the girl he had been seeing for the past couple of weeks. Although Mitch wasn't officially dating this young woman, nor did he honestly want to, their dates were the only thing that got him through the day.
It was no secret that Mitch had a certain charm when it came to females. But when it came to dating, he wasn't sure how to commit fully to just one girl. The thing that surprised him was how he had yet to so much as flirt with another girl since meeting Hailey Cloud. What he had come to realise was that this girl had a certain charm too, and he couldn't pull away.
"So, how was your morning?" Hailey's voice dawned.
"The same as always," Mitch replied casually, setting down his cold to the touch glass of water. "I got dressed for work and went down stairs to hear my mother arguing with my eldest brother. I snuck out before they could see me, and then I came here." Mitch picked up the fork sat beside his plate and stuck it into the cheesecake he and Hailey were sharing. He took a quite bite, watching as Hailey's thin brows furrowed and her smile seemed to fade.
"Don't you go to school?"
Mitch felt his body tense slightly. "Yes. I mean, I had to skip today because Chuck gave me an extra shift. Everyone is too busy to notice that I didn't go this morning."
"I understand that you're having money problems. But you're graduating soon, and if you don't want to work here for the rest of your life, I'd stop skipping classes and study for your exams. You have them next week, don't you?"
"Yeah," Mitch muttered. He had almost forgotten about his exams, or rather he had hoped he could forget about them. He knew that the extra stress was bound to drive him over the edge. "I doubt I'll pass them, though. I'm not the smartest kid on the block."
Hailey smiled beautifully, accenting her pearly white teeth. "I could help you study? I happen to be very smart."
"That would be amazing, Cloud."
Mitch returned her smile as he dug into his cheesecake once more. He took that moment to notice how great Hailey looked this evening. For once, her usually tied-up hair was down, allowing strawberry-blonde curls to cascade around her shoulders. Underneath her customary white apron was a stunning icy-blue blouse that resembled something Maxine Slater would wear. Her legs - that seemed to go on for miles - were on show all thanks to her white thigh-high pencil skirt. If her outfit wasn't enough to turn a few heads, her face did the trick. Smoky blue eyeshadow and long lashes. Mitch was sure that Hailey had to be at least a meter out of his league, although he would never say it out loud.
"This cheesecake is really good," Hailey mused as she gracefully snuck another bite of mouth-watering cake. "You know, when I was a kid, I never ate cheesecake because I was sure that it would actually taste like cheese. I mean, who would want to eat cake that tastes like cheese?"
Mitch let out a small chuckle, shaking his head in amusement as Hailey sent a coy smile his way. Sometimes he couldn't get over how adorable she could be. He had known her for a couple of months and yet she told him literally everything about herself. He knew that blue was her favourite colour, and that she adored vanilla ice cream, he even knew the name of her first pet, a dog called Pongo. Mitch assumed that she shared so much with him because she felt alone in the world, and she knew that he was the only one who she could talk to. It made him feel needed, for once.
"Well," Mitch started, his eyes meeting Hailey's from across the table. "When I was a child, I always thought that bear claws were actually bear claws rather than pastries. I'm pretty sure I was traumatized until the age of nine."
He watched carefully for the strawberry-blonde's reaction, expecting her to start laughing in his face. Hailey simply rolled her eyes at Mitch's stupidity and let out an amused chuckle.
"You truly are an idiot, Mitch Mitchelson."
Mitch's hazel eyes narrowed slowly. "I resent that. I'm actually the smartest person that I know."
"You must know very few people then."
The brunette sent a playful faux-pout towards his date, watching closely as she laughed adorably at her own joke. In that moment, all he could seem to think about was taking his new friend out for a night on the town and making her laugh until he couldn't bare to hear it any longer. But unfortunately, both of the young adults had a job to get back to, and Mitch couldn't afford to lose this job.
Just as Mitch was reaching out to grab his glass of water, he felt that familiar vibration of his mobile phone coming from inside his pocket. He retracted his arm back and reached into his pocket, pulling out his almost out of battery phone. His eyes scanned the screen, catching the name Nick. Mitch suddenly tensed as he opened the text, reading carefully.
We couldn't get that loan. I'll have to find another way to get things back on track. Don't worry, Freddie and I will sort this out. See you tonight. Nick.
Mitch silently cursed. His restless leg syndrome was acting up, so bad that his knee almost knocked the table over. For some reason, Mitch wasn't even agitated at the fact of not getting the loan they had been hoping for, it was more because of Nick's words. Something about the way that Nick seemed to think that Mitch couldn't help them out made Mitch restless. He wasn't a child anymore, in fact he was just a couple of months away from being eighteen and an official adult. But nevertheless, Nick Mitchelson seemed to think that Mitch wouldn't be able to help his family like he and his brother could.
"Are you alright?" Hailey's soft voice called out. "You've been staring at your phone for like three whole minutes."
Mitch looked back up, his coffee coloured eyes latching onto the concerned blue of Hailey Cloud. He nodded absentmindedly while stashing his mobile back into the tight pocket of his black jeans. He abruptly rose to his feet, the chair he had previously been sitting on shuffling back behind him. Hailey watched him curiously, noting the way that his breath had quickened in an angry manner and how his mind seemed to be in a whole other world. The strawberry-blonde teenager suddenly felt her eyes soften in worry.
"I need to make a call. Do you mind if I cut our date short?"
Hailey shrugged casually, attempting to hide her disappointment. "It's alright. My break is almost over anyway."
He watched as Hailey rose to her feet. She took a step towards him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before placing a small, chaste kiss on his cheek. Hailey turned around and began to walk towards the room at the back of The Cove where all of the cleaning supplies were, her Merlot Giuseppe Zanotti heels clicking along the hard-wood flooring. Mitch let out a short sigh as he glanced back down at his phone.
Mitch tucked his chair into the oak table before turning around and walking towards the bar. His eyes latched onto the cash register just sitting there, unattended and filled with the answer to all of his problems. For a second, he considered just ripping into the register and taking as much money as he could carry. Mitch wasn't even worried about what would happen to him, as long as his family had a roof over their head's.
As he stared intensely at the small black till, Maxine Slater's words bounced around his head.
Your family can look after themselves. You're the responsible one. You have a job, you're graduating this year, you have your whole life ahead of you. Promise me that you'll stop trying to save everyone. Just..promise me that you'll stop this, before it's too late.
The lanky brunette closed his eyes in thought, raising his hands and resting them on either side of his head. He began to rub his aching temples. On one hand, Mitch could understand that Maxine had a point. He didn't have to be the hero. He didn't have to risk going to jail for technical robbery. But on the other hand, if he didn't even try to help out his family, they could be forced to leave their home. He didn't want his family to be living on the streets or worse. Mitch honestly wasn't sure what to do anymore, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before someone caught onto what he was doing.
Without giving it another thought, Mitch marched towards the cash register and turned the key, opening it and revealing a tray full of dollar bills. He glanced up to make sure that Hailey Cloud nor any customers were gazing in his direction. He reached forward and grabbed a fist-full of bills before stuffing them into the pocket of his black jeans.
Mitch knew that what he was doing was risky. But he had an idea. This idea would ensure that all of his loved ones and himself would be safe, but he still needed to make sure that he could pull this off. He needed to make sure that Maxine wasn't going to tell anyone before he could put his plan in motion. If only he realised how hard it was to convince Maxine Slater into doing something that she didn't want to do.
Bubbles Utonium was not pleased.
Her face hardened as she fixed her gaze on the small white cell-phone in her hand. No matter how many times she re-read her latest text from Boomer, she still couldn't process that those were his first words to her since their break-up. A small part of her felt angry at him for getting to be the one that blows the other off. But although she was frustrated at her ex boyfriend, she still hated that she couldn't see him.
She envied her friends for being able to keep their relationships strong. Even after Blossom had lied to Brick about her eating disorder for weeks, they still made it work. And even though Brody and Maxine had spent weeks not speaking to each other or wanting to be in the same room, they found a way to get their relationship back. Buttercup and Butch seemed to be the only couple that strived and survived. That thought alone made Bubbles want to scream into her pillow.
The blonde continued to stare at her phone as she sat curled up on the couch of her living room. For a moment she considered calling him just so that she could hear his voice on his answering-machine. Bubbles might have been the strongest minded of all of her sisters, but being broken up from Boomer seemed to make her weak. And Bubbles hated feeling weak.
Bubbles averted her gaze towards the dark oak fireplace, staring absentmindedly at the open-fire sparkling inside of the darkness. The slow, captivating voice of Lana Del Rey strumming from her radio was all that Bubbles could hear. As she watched the ember flames, it took every ounce of self-control inside of her to hold back the groans of frustration. Yes, she was frustrated. Boomer had no right to act so callous and cold towards her. The way Bubbles saw it, if he had just been honest with her from the start, they would still be together. But Bubbles of course did not know the full extent of his reasons. And she had no intention of finding out.
"He's a liar," She muttered to herself, trying to convince herself not to get up and run over to Boomer's home. She sucked in a shaky breath and began to chant. "It's over," She closed her eyes and let her words sink in. "It's over. We're over." She repeated, her voice cracking as if she were under pressure.
As she let out an exasperated sigh, Bubbles began to shake her head frantically, allowing soft blonde hair to cascade around her. She was starting to lose her mind. Bubbles wasn't really sure how to cope without Boomer. They had tried so hard, fought so valiantly to make their relationship happen. Truth be told, she didn't want it to all be for nothing.
"What's with the long face?" Buttercup's voice dawned upon Bubbles.
The short blonde turned her head to the side. She glanced at her sister who was standing beside the conjoined kitchen, dressed purely in comfortable track trousers and an over-sized green shirt. For a second Bubbles had considered pouring her heart out to Buttercup. However she was aware that Buttercup couldn't begin to understand why Bubbles wanted to call Boomer. She could never fully understand what was going on inside Bubbles' head.
Bubbles watched cautiously as Buttercup took a seat on the red arm-chair beside the fireplace. Her emerald green eyes lit up with genuine curiosity as her question hung over them.
"Boomer just totally blew me off," Bubbles whined. "He said that we should keep our distance. I think we've kept enough distance. He should be over the awkward phase by now." She sulked, sinking deeper into her chair.
Buttercup raised her eyebrow. "Well, he's not your boyfriend anymore. He doesn't need a reason to not want to see you. Also, you were the one that dumped him. Shouldn't he be the one begging for your attention and not the other way around?"
"I know that," Bubbles' voice raised sharply. "I just didn't think that he wouldn't want to see me. Whenever I see him in school he hides behind the lockers. And he switched seats with someone in Art so that we're not sat beside each other anymore. It just- It hurts is all."
"You need to move on, Bubbs."
The blonde shook her head slowly. "I don't think that I can."
Buttercup's face twisted in pure concern. She had never seen Bubbles so torn up before. Back in Citysville, she had dated her fair share of boys, and yet she had never seemed to care this much once the relationships were over. Buttercup didn't have a doubt in her mind that Bubbles could get over Boomer. You can get over anyone if you put your mind into it. But what Buttercup was worried about was that Bubbles would always go on not knowing if they could have made it work.
"You moved on from Tyler." Buttercup spoke softly, staring at her sister with a blank expression.
"Yeah," Bubbles nodded. "But I was never in love with Tyler."
Buttercup suddenly fell silent. For once she did not have the answer to everything. She simply nodded at her sister whilst biting her lower lip, trying desperately to find the words to make her sister feel better. Buttercup wished that Blossom was home, she always knew what to say. This was her area of expertise. Buttercup was the person you came to if you wanted revenge on the ex boyfriend, not clarity.
"Do you think that I did the right thing? Breaking up with Boomer?" Bubbles asked in a small voice.
"Yes. Of course, yes. He's been lying to you about only God-knows-what. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if we found out that he's been cheating on you too!"
Bubbles unintentionally shrank back.
"Buttercup, you're not helping." The petite blonde glanced up at her sister, unsure of what possessed her to say such a thing. Boomer would never cheat on Bubbles. He may have been many things, but he was not an unfaithful person.
"I'm sorry," Buttercup spoke sincerely, her voice barely audible. "All that I'm trying to say is that Boomer isn't the honest guy that we all thought he was. He lied about something. If you go running back, then he'll think that he can get away with lying to you and he'll do it again. Don't get me wrong, Boomer's a decent guy, but he's a closed person. He'll never fully let you in."
The room silenced immediately. Bubbles simply stared at her sister in awe. She was shocked at Buttercup's words. Of course, what she had wanted was for someone to tell her that Boomer was amazing and that she should do whatever she thinks is right. But Buttercup spoke her mind, and that was exactly what Bubbles needed right now. She didn't want to admit it, but her sister had a point. Boomer needed to be with someone he could trust, and Bubbles needed to be with someone who let her in.
Bubbles nodded reluctantly. "You're right."
As her sister sulked in her chair, Buttercup quickly reached onto the mantle place. She snatched up the letters that the mail man had brought earlier this morning. Once she had separated Blossom's mail from Bubbles', she rose off of her red armchair and extended her arm out to Bubbles.
"You got mail. I know it's probably just those pricey, superficial fashion magazines, but they might cheer you up." Buttercup chuckled to herself, desperate to change the topic of Boomer.
Bubbles smiled in appreciation before taking the letters and magazine's from Buttercup's waiting hand. She shuffled through them all, looking for her favourite magazine which she knew would take her mind off of her ex boyfriend. Just as she found it, she also noticed a letter addressed to her, sent from New York.
Her eyes widened.
"You alright?" Buttercup asked noticing Bubbles' shocked expression.
Bubbles glanced up and nodded absentmindedly. She held the letter into her chest with both hands protectively, trying to shield Buttercup's vision from where it was from. Bubbles had always planned that if she didn't get in then she wasn't going to even mention to Buttercup that she had applied. She just didn't expect them to get back so quick. This couldn't be good.
"Yeah, I'm good." Bubbles spoke before abruptly standing up from the couch. She pushed right past her sister and headed upstairs at full speed. Buttercup's eyes followed her as she ran, her thin eyebrow raised in curiosity of Bubbles' strange behaviour. But before she could get a chance to ask, she heard Bubbles slam her door shut.
In her room, the blonde began to pace back and forth. She continued to clutch the letter close to her determining whether she should open it now or wait until later. She was worried. St. Valentines only ever sent out applicant replies before exams if either the student was immediately declined or given an early acceptance. And not a lot of people got early acceptances there. In fact, she had read that only four students had. Which meant that she was most likely holding a letter of rejection.
Usually rejection didn't bother Bubbles. She would just say, "It's their loss." She said that when she didn't get to star in the school play in Citysville High. She said that when she was shot down by Travis Jared in the second grade. She said that when Melinda Porter was appointed head cheerleader two years ago when Bubbles was in the running. But this was something she could not handle being rejected to. This was her dream college. Seriously, she dreamed about being inside the hallowed halls of St. Valentines every night.
Bubbles carefully moved her hands away from her chest, staring down at the small letter that contained her entire future. She took a deep, longing breath as she turned the letter over. She meticulously peeled back the enclosing triangle of the envelope, her ocean blue eyes lit in anticipation. Once the envelope was opened she reached inside and pulled out the letter. Her hands were shaking so frantically she thought she might drop it.
As her eyes loomed over the letter and she began to read, her face froze.
"Oh.." She whispered.
Brick Jojo's POV
My eyes glanced towards the cheap, easily noticeable knock-off Bremont watch hanging loosely on my wrist. 17:43. I only appeared to have seventeen minutes left until I was supposed to be at Blossom's house. Luckily we live so close to each other that I'd be able to make it with time to waste. As long as Boomer hurried himself up and got out of the bathroom sometime today. He had been in there for what I could only assume was a half-hour.
"Boomer, come on!" I said impatiently, my voice raising. I froze waiting for Boomer to yell something back. After a couple of seconds of standing rigid, I let out a throaty groan, my teeth basically scrapping in frustration.
Without another word, I reached towards my bedroom door and yanked the red sweater I had already picked out earlier this evening off of the hook. I strode up to the full-length mirror hanging on my wall and stared at my own reflection in the mirror, glancing to see if anything was out of place. I quickly through the cotton sweater over my head, yanking it down with both hands. All the while I listened out for Boomer, wondering if he was ready to go yet.
Just as I was about to grab my hat from the side-table, I felt the familiar vibration from my mobile inside the pocket of my jeans. As I pulled my phone out I noticed Blossom's name lighting up the screen. A small smile lit up my face. I opened the text and read it aloud.
You know how upset I will be if you are late. Hurry yourself up and get over here. Buttercup and Butch are driving me up the wall with their party planning. Oh, and I sort of miss you. Blossom. Xoxo.
I rolled my eyes but chuckled at Blossom's text message. Sometimes she can be so demanding, but yet she always manages to back it up with her adorable charm. I glanced back at the text for just a second and re-read what she had said about my brother and his girlfriend. Something seemed odd. Why are those two so excited about a party? We used to have them all the time. But I guess that is why it is so important. It's the last party. There won't be any time for fun once we're all scattered around the place, working endless jobs or studying at college.
It finally occurred to me that it was so close to the end of High school. No more waking up at seven in the morning and having to tackle Butch out of bed to wake him up. No more rushing my way into my car so that I can make it to Blossom's in time to drive her to school. No more treasured Friday's spent at my girlfriend's house, laughing as we shared stories of Buttercup's many trips to detention. Graduation just seemed so final now.
Soon I would have to start applying to college's, hoping for an early acceptance. It's not as if I needed to wait for after exams. I knew I wasn't going to fail my exams. That might make me sound cocky, but it's true. I have a high IQ and an excellent GPA. There was no way that I was going to fail. The only question I had to ask myself now was, which college would I apply to? As Blossom said before, there is no good colleges in Townsville. And although I'm not ready to leave home, and I don't think I'll ever be ready, I want to be successful. So whether I liked it or not, by next month I will no longer be residing in Townsville.
After applying my hat on my head, mostly to hide the mess that was my hair, I pulled back my sleeve to reveal my watch. 17:49. I let out a small exasperated groan. Boomer was seriously pulling my last nerve. I marched out of my bedroom and headed towards the bathroom down the hall, ready to start yelling.
As I stood before the bathroom door I heard an unpleasent sound. Boomer projectile vomiting into the toilet. Damn, I just cleaned the bathroom last night. How quaint. For a second I waited to see if the noise sounded theatrical. You would be surprised what Boomer would do or fake to get out of going somewhere. Once he covered his right leg in fake blood he had bought from a costume shop three years prior just to get out of doing PE.
Twenty seconds had passed and Boomer still sounded genuinely not well. I instantly knocked on the door, listening as Boomer fell silent on the other side of the door. I waited impatiently for him to come to the door and explain his situation. A small part of me was waiting to burst into the door and look for the hidden tape recorder. Yes, it was hard to believe that Boomer was actually sick. Like I said, he'll do anything to get out of doing something he doesn't want to do.
The door opened all of a sudden, revealing my brother looking as white as a sheet. His eyes were dulled slightly and his face was paler than a ghost. I seized him up, noticing that he had changed from the outfit he had worn to school and into a pair of midnight blue track trousers and a blue pajama shirt. Of course. He had never intended to go over to Blossom's house in the first place. Great, now I feel like an idiot for thinking that Boomer was actually getting ready.
"What is wrong with you?" I wondered aloud while once more taking in his ghastly appearance. His lurid exterior concerned me as I had never seen Boomer like this. I mean sure he had been unwell before but not like this. Nothing like this. If I wasn't so worried that he might throw up on my shoes I would have given him a comforting hug. But these shoes are expensive.
"I have a stomach ache," Boomer paused for dramatic effect. "A really, really bad stomach ache."
My eyebrow raised slightly as my eyes searched his, studying for deception. After a moment of pure silence I crossed my arms over my chest and pursed my lips. "I'm assuming that this means you're not coming over to the girl's house then?"
"What do you think?" He asked with a blank face. If he wasn't unwell I would have punched him for using that tone. Since when did Boomer grow a backbone?
"Look, I know that things are weird between you and Bubbles but you have to see her some time."
Boomer's left eye twitched as the mention of her name. Butch and I had been careful not to bring it up over the past couple of days but it began eating away at me. I'm his brother. I should know what is going on in his life. For some reason he seemed reluctant to mention in slightest detail the reason that she had broken up with him.
"I'll see her around. I just don't feel up to going over today."
"Just out of curiosity," I spoke slowly and slyly. "Why did Bubbles break up with you? I mean, she wears her heart on her sleeve. If she wasn't happy we would all know about it."
Boomer's blank exterior did not falter. "She didn't give me a reason."
My eyes narrowed into slits.
Having an IQ of 140 had it's perks. Not only can I figure out the answer to an equation a mere 20 seconds after having been asked, I can also figure out when someone is lying. Boomer is easier to read than most. He never lies, so whenever there is a rare occasion that he does, it takes me less than five seconds to catch him out. But what I don't understand is why he would lie in the first place. And why on earth did he lie to me of all people? Boomer knows better than that, he's smarter than that.
"Do you want me to ask her?" I asked Boomer, my eyes still narrow and my voice dangerously low. I watched carefully as Boomer shook his head instantly.
"It's fine. I'm over it."
I nodded slowly all the while wondering why Boomer was lying again. I think he might have hit his head. It's the only answer I can come up with to why Boomer thinks that he could get past me with lies. Without another word, I turned around and began walking away, hearing the faint sound of Boomer's sigh of relief as I strolled down the hall. My eyes bounced around the hall as I thought of all the possibilities to which Boomer was acting this way, but even I couldn't seem to figure it out.
However that does not mean that I would just give up. I'm smart and Boomer is less than average and also a mediocre liar. It should take me a week to find out, at the latest. It looks as though applying to colleges will have to wait. For now, I will find out what Boomer is hiding from me. And that's not an assumption. I will find out before this week is over.
Normal POV
Maxine Slater's lips curved into a smile as she stared down at the photo of her baby. Ever since receiving the ultra-sound picture, she had barely been able to tear her eyes away from it. She wondered just what her child would be like when she would grow up. Would she have Maxine's sharp tongue and Brody's intelligence? Would she be talented in boxing just like both of her parents? Would she be caring like her father or perhaps charming like her mother? Maxine could only assume what her daughter would be like, but no matter what, she knew that this one person was going to change her whole world and turn it upside down, it the good way.
Brody McKane's eyes softened as he watched his girlfriend stare at the photo. He wasn't honestly sure of how good a father he would be, but he knew one thing for sure. Maxine was going to be a fabulous mother. She might forget to feed the baby at 3am feedings or she might dress her two-year old in vintage attire, but that just added to her charm. Brody began to wonder what his child would look like. Will she have Brody's light brunette hair or Maxine's naturally dark chestnut hair? Will she have an athletic build like Brody or adorable dimples like Maxine? Will her eyes have that mysterious blue-green vibe like her mother or would they have the wise blue of her father? Brody was hoping that his daughter would be the spit-image of her mother, because to Brody, anyone as beautiful as his girlfriend was the luckiest person in the world.
"How are you feeling?" Brody asked softly.
When he did not receive an immediate answer, he reached out and placed his hand over Maxine's in order to grab her attention. Her eyes were almost trapped on the sonogram picture. It was as though she was looking for something she had not noticed yet. Brody touched her hand again, looking at her with an amused expression. Maxine finally tore her eyes away from the photograph after a good seven minutes of staring.
"Huh?"
Brody rolled his eyes, smiling. "I asked how you are feeling."
"Me? I feel amazing," She breathed in content. "I just wish that Russell would hurry up with his next patient so we can get out of here. I promised Buttercup that we would make it over to her house in at least thirty minutes." Maxine spoke softly, her voice undertoned with impatience.
For the past thirteen minutes the couple had sat in Doctor Russell's office, just waiting to get the all-clear to leave. All they had came in for was a sonogram picture and their weekly check up. However a nurse had interrupted them by informing the young Doctor that there was an emergency and he needed to come with her right away. This was why Maxine hated hospitals. Too many patients, not enough doctors.
"We'll be out of her soon, Maxy. Are you sure that you're okay? I mean, you keep staring at that photo like you might lose it." He chuckled in amusement.
"It's nothing," Maxine dismissed. "Just thinking about how we're going to be parents. It still hasn't fully sunk in yet. I'm sort of scared thinking about what kind of mother I'll be. I mean, what can I offer this kid except a nice home and fabulous genes?"
"You need to stop worrying. You'll be a great mother." Brody insisted while giving her hand a comforting squeeze. He placed his arm around the neck of Maxine's office chair, giving her an encouraging embrace.
Maxine smiled contiguously at her boyfriend. She leaned forward and placed a sweet, chaste kiss on his cheek. "I hope you're right." She whispered.
"Have you thought about a middle name yet? I know that we're naming her Lola but don't you think she should have a middle name?"
"Actually," Maxine drawled. "I have a middle name in mind." She grinned slyly, looking down towards the white floor. She had been thinking about it for a while now and yet there was only one name that seemed fitting enough for a Slater. Of course, Maxine had a secretive nature, and she was planning to keep the name under wraps for now.
"Excuse me," Brody spoke politely as he rose from his office seat. "I'm heading to the bathroom. It might be a while until Doctor Russell gets back from his other patient."
"Okay." Maxine breathed blissfully. Her eyes followed him as he exited the room.
Realising that she had a couple of minutes to spare, Maxine stood up from her own seat. She glanced around the office, admiring the decor. Russell's office was like any other doctor's office. The walls were covered in a typically suave wallpaper, the colour matching the white flooring. Their was a diploma from Townsville State University hanging idly on the wall, adding a touch of class and sophistication.
Maxine turned her attention to Russell's desk. The brown of the bureau adding a touch of colour into the almost pure white room. Sitting on said desk was a couple of photo frames, holding pictures of Nathaniel Russell and a tall blonde woman, possibly his wife, and three adorable children. Two male twins and a little girl. Maxine smiled uncontrollably. They looked like a nice wholesome family.
Just then something odd caught the brunette's eye. There was a small folder sat beside the silver swirl photo frame. What confused Maxine was not the folder itself, but the name sprawled across it. Written on the corner of the folder was "Jojo, Boomer." She wondered why Boomer's patient document was on Russell's desk rather than tucked away in the shelfs where it belonged.
Maxine began to fix the stuck-out collar of her white, cropped blazer, wondering if she should examine it. Without deciding any further, she glanced out of the small window on the office door to make sure that no one was around. After noticing that no one appeared to be near, she hastily picked up the folder, anxious to see just why it was sitting there. Once it was opened Maxine began to read the first paragraph.
"Boomer.." Maxine read aloud, skimming through the paragraph. "..Accident...Anti-Inflammatory drugs...Sickness..Stomach Ulc-" Maxine stopped reading abruptly.
She stared down at the pages with wide, unblinking eyes. None of this seemed to make sense to the pregnant teenager. Of all things that she had expected to read, this was not one of them. Maxine let out a surprised laugh. This had to have been wrong.
"It's a joke," Maxine told herself. "A sick..joke." She laughed shakily trying to convince herself of what she was saying. Just as she finally began to believe her desperate attempt, she turned the page and noticed a picture stuck under another statement. It appeared to be an X-Ray of Boomer. None of it looked right.
Maxine had had her share of X-Rays before. More specifically when she went to this hospital many months before and was told that she was carrying a child. She had seen her X-Ray, and this was not how they were supposed to look. Something honestly was wrong with her blonde friend.
The brunette let out a massive, breath-tearing gasp as the document fell right from her finger tips and landed on the ground beneath her. For just a moment she stood frozen on the spot, staring at the bland white walls, unable to move or breath.
As the situation began to dawn on her, Maxine's thoughts drifted to Boomer. The sweet little boy that she met when she was just a little kid. The boy that always brought an extra pencil to English because he knew that she was forgetful. The boy that bought her a bouquet of pink Poinsettia flowers -her favourite flowers- when she was ill in the third grade. The boy that helped her home when she had her first drink of alcohol when they were fourteen.
"He's dying," Maxine finally whispered. All of these unbridled emotions came crashing at her all at once and for the first time in a long time she was terrified for her friend. "He can't- He can't be.." The brunette stuttered, staring into space with glassy blue-green eyes.
Maxine sucked in a sharp, painful breath. "No, no, no.."
Bubbles Utonium's POV
"Hey, what do you think of this one?" A voice called out. "Bubbles!?"
Pulling myself out of the Boomer-induced trance that I was forced to relive over and over, I turned my head and noticed Buttercup waving her hands around to grab my attention. She was sat on a kitchen chair beside the couch I was sitting on, a notepad in hand and a determined look on her face. That look was never good. When Buttercup puts her mind to something, she doesn't stop until she's went bat-crap crazy and finished what she has started. Apparently this 'last party' fiasco was driving her up the wall and back.
It took me a couple of seconds to register what she was asking me. My eyes fell onto the small deep green music player sitting on the glass side-table beside Buttercup's chair. I furrowed my brows wondering how I had not even noticed that there had been music playing. The sound of Lana Del Rey's sensational voice rung out of it, the music bouncing around the room.
"Uh..yeah, it's good." I muttered absentmindedly.
Truth be told, I wasn't paying much attention either way. Although I admired how hard Buttercup was working to make this party spectacular I couldn't see the importance myself. In my mind, this party would just be a reminder that soon we'll all have graduated from Townsville High and there won't be time for the parties we had took for granted. It is also a reminder that Boomer and I didn't last to end of school. All I know is that this party is going to be the most depressing thing to happen this entire year.
Buttercup's lips curved into a small frown. "Bubbs, our final party is in just a couple of days and I still haven't got the perfect playlist," She moaned. Gosh, perfect playlist? She is starting to sound like Blossom. "Come on! Help me out here?" She yelled desperately.
She was basically shaking out of her own skin. You know, her nervous exterior is seriously starting to freak me out.
"Ask Butch to help you."
"Have you heard what Butch wants to play?" Buttercup deadpanned. "Let's just say that his music taste has gone downhill since we started dating."
A smile spread across my lips. "Play whatever music you want to play, Buttercup. Just nothing too depressing. And nothing romantic either. Once you're single, those songs are sort of like being kicked in the teeth." I said attempting to sound amusing but actually making myself sound rather pathetic. Oh the joy of being single.
"Got it, nothing romantic." Buttercup piped up as she ticked something off on her lime green notepad.
I rolled my eyes at my sister's erratic behaviour. She is getting far too stressed over this. Although it's sweet that Buttercup wants to make it perfect. I turned my head to glance at the front door. I waited and waited, hoping to see that Boomer had changed his mind about coming over. I just wanted to see him walk through that door and give me that look. And then I would apologize. And he would apologize. And we would hug. And we would talk. And we would just be friends again. But that seemed almost impossible at this point.
"Butch!" Blossom's livid voice screeched through the living room. She was screaming so loud that I had to cover my ears to protect my perfect hearing. "No throwing footballs inside the house!"
Buttercup and I turned our heads around to find our red-faced sister screaming at a snickering Butch Jojo and Mitch Mitchelson. While I rolled my eyes at Blossom's tantrum, Buttercup began laughing at Butch's expense. Ever since Butch accidentally -I repeat, accidentally broke a lamp last week, Blossom has forbidden him from pretty much moving in our home. I personally don't see the problem though. I mean, Butch paid for the broken lamp. No harm, no foul.
Suddenly Buttercup stopped laughing, her face hardening. "Hey! You're supposed to be helping me. Why are you playing football with Mitch?" She asked, her eyes narrowing at her unfortunate boyfriend.
Without another word, Butch sped past my angry sister and sat down on the arm rest of Buttercup's seat. I watched them with a content smile on my face. It has been so long since they have been dating and yet I'm still not quite used to it. If someone had told me a year ago that my sister would not only be dating Butch Jojo, but in love with him, I would have called them silly. I suppose people can surprise you.
Mitch walked over to us, anxious to get away from Blossom, and sat down on the empty seat beside me.
"When is Brick getting here?" He asked, his question directed to Blossom. I suddenly found himself much more interested in this conversation at the mention of Brick's name. I hoped that maybe he had convinced Boomer to come over with him. Of course it was a shot in the dark, but a girl could still hope.
"He should be here in about five minutes or so," Blossom spoke softly as she sat down on the red armchair beside the fireplace. She seemed to have calmed down in the last couple of seconds, thankfully. "But if he's late, so help me I'll rip his head off!" Oh. Never mind.
"What's got you in such a mood, Bloss?"
Blossom glared at Buttercup. "You're imbecile of a boyfriend."
And just like that, the fighting began. Words were tossed, threats were made and insults were shot. I sat perfectly still, trying not to laugh at some of the things they were coming out with. Mitch, Butch and I glanced at each other, all smiling to ourselves and attempting to stay out of the fight. Sometimes it makes me feel left out in a way that they don't argue like this with me. But I also feel grateful. I mean, you don't want to get into a fight with Buttercup. A lot of people in our school have once gotten on her bad side and let's just say that whenever they see her, they run and hide.
A knock on the door was enough to stop the argument between my two sisters. Realising that it was probably her boyfriend, Blossom jumped out of her seat and rushed towards the door. I turned myself around to look at the door with hopeful eyes, but alas, only Brick stood before my sister. I pushed my body over the back of the couch, trying to see behind Brick. After almost falling, I realised that he was not with him and pulled myself back to resume sitting on the couch.
I listened as the door closed and Brick said his "Hello's," to everyone. Although I did not reply. I sat there with a sour look on my face. I can't believe I actually believed that he would come over. I must be an idiot to have believed it. As I frowned to myself, my thoughts returning to my now ex boyfriend, I heard Mitch's voice distract my daze.
"You okay, sis?"
A small smile crossed my lips.
I turned to face my self-proclaimed brother from the age of nine. He smiled back at me although the smile did not reach his eyes. He looked concerned. I let out a short sigh as I looked around the room. Brick and Blossom were sitting on the red armchair, basically mauling each other as though they had been apart for days. Buttercup was playing music, once again writing on that notepad of hers whilst Butch continuously tried to grab her attention.
"Bubbles?" Mitch tried again.
Finally glancing back towards Mitch, I shrugged absentmindedly. "I'm not perfect, but it will get better. It always does, right?"
"You know, it's okay not to be okay," He said softly. "You and Boomer have only been broken up for a couple of days. So, it would be kind of weird if you were doing fine."
"But I am fine." I insisted, although the attempt to sound genuine was rather fruitless.
Mitch raised his eyebrow. He looked completely not convinced. Damn him and his ability to tell when I am lying. It must be because of how close we were as kids. We were practically siblings. He could always seem to tell when I was being dishonest, just like Brick can do with everyone.
"Come on," Mitch pressed. "We're like two dysfunctional siblings. You can tell me anything."
I glanced at him in reluctance. Talking about Boomer would be easy, I honestly adore talking about him. I just know that if I start talking about him, and us, then I'll start crying, and if I start crying then Mitch will start crying. Not because he's overly emotional or anything. Mitch just has this tick where if someone else is crying, he starts doing it too. Come to think of it, he should probably see a therapist about that.
"I'm honestly doing alright. I just wish I could stop thinking about the last things I said to him. I was so mean. It was Tyler all over again." I spoke quietly watching as Mitch frowned contiguously. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. It did nothing to relieve the despair but it made me feel a little better knowing that he was there.
I sighed deeply, trying to stop the frustration from appearing on my face. As I thought about the reality of my situation, it suddenly dawned on me that this was exactly what I had deserved. Having never been broken up with before, nor heart broken, I hadn't realised how much pain I had caused Tyler after he ended things with me.
For once, I was just so ecstatic, so in love, that I didn't care who I betrayed in order to make it happen. But that makes me believe that Boomer and I were never supposed to get together. Not at that time at least. We should have waited, even for just a little while until the dust had settled and our relationship wouldn't be considered wrong. We were stupid. Just too kids in love, two silly kids who let their love consume everything about them.
"How come all I can think about is being beside him? Just doing silly things like having those meaningless arguments that lasted a full twenty minutes. Even just sitting beside him, I miss that. He would always slyly try to grab my hand, just be intimate, because on some level, all of those little things were always more special than the big things, you know?"
Mitch smiled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's natural to miss doing all of those things. When you break up with someone, I suppose it's always the little things that you miss the most. Of course don't trust my word for it, I've never had a real girlfriend," He chuckled. "Maybe you should just try and forget?"
"How am I supposed to forget about him? How can you really forget about anyone?"
"Maybe you don't have to forget," Mitch said as he turned to face me once more, an uncustomary seriousness clouding his expression. "Someone once told me that if you were happy before you knew someone, you can be happy after they're gone."
"And you believed that?"
"Of course not. But it made me feel better."
I nodded slowly, a small smile tugging against my pursed lips. I leaned myself forward a little and allowed Mitch's arm to rest around my shoulders. Letting out a sigh, I closed my eyes as I lay in my self-proclaimed brothers arms. What Mitch said made sense. It is possible to get over someone, although it's not possible to forget someone. And I was happy before Boomer and I began dating, surely I can be happy now that it's over, right?
"Oh, Bubbs," Buttercup's voice suddenly distracted my thoughts. "Didn't you have something to tell us all?"
My whole body tensed uncontrollably. I almost forgot that I had decided to tell them today. Apparently my talk with Mitch had made me forget all about it. All eyes were on me, waiting patiently for what I had to say to everyone. I untangled myself from Mitch's arm and sat up straight on my seat, looking around at all of my friends and siblings. I took a sharp breath, wondering just how I would begin.
"So, um, I got a letter today," I spoke quietly, my eyes landing on Blossom's. "I applied to a college." I noticed Blossom's face harden at the mention of the college. She had been just as anxious to find out the answer as I was. "I wasn't going to apply until after exams, you know, so I'd have a better chance at getting in, but I was in the heat of the moment and I just did it anyway."
Buttercup suddenly spoke up. "Does this story have a point?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm getting there! Okay, so I got a letter back today. And um.."
"Bubbles?"
I returned Blossom's sad stare. "I got an early acceptance to St. Valentines Performing Arts College. I leave for New York after graduation."
Silence followed my announcement. I braced myself as I watched my friend's shocked expressions. The muteness seemed to go on forever and I found myself dying to end it. As I glanced at my sisters, I felt myself frowning. Blossom looked like she might start bawling right there which surprised me considering she already knew that I had applied to St. Valentines. And Buttercup's face seemed to be frozen in pure shock.
"New York?" Buttercup asked in a shaky tone.
I nodded slowly. "New York."
My eyes scanned the room, waiting for someone to congratulate me. But for some reason no one did. No one spoke, no one moved, no one did anything. I glanced at Blossom once more, praying that she would just say that she was happy for me like she had promised she would. It occurred to me that Blossom obviously didn't think that I was going to get in. Well neither did I so I suppose it's alright.
"Boomer is not going to be happy about this." I heard Butch muttered under his breath, earning an elbow in the side from Buttercup. Tearing my eyes away from Blossom, I stared at the wall, realising that I had to tell Boomer that I was leaving the country on the night of the farewell party.
This isn't going to end well.
Once again, sorry for the very late update. I hope you all enjoyed it thought. As you all know, the next chapter is indeed the final party chapter. It will be pretty sad, but I have planned some very happy moments as well. And we will see if Maxine will tell someone about Boomer's illness! It's all very exciting.
Next Chapter - As the final celebration dawns, Boomer plans to make things right before Bubbles is out of his life for good. Maxine's relationship is in jeopardy once more when her secret is revealed. Buttercup battles with her emotions and ends up doing something she would later regret. And Blossom makes a decision about her future that will rock Brick's world.
Review please, it only takes seconds :)
Allie
