Fast Times

by Animalcrunch12

When a core group of six friends are preparing for their last year of high school at Townsville Academy and their future beyond it, they must deal with the most difficult task they've ever faced―each other. In a year full of drama, heartbreak, betrayal, laughter, tears, romance, and most of all, friendship, these six friends will never be the same. Rated M for language and content.

25. Ex On The Beach

With the last bell of the school day, students of Townsville Academy could not escape the elation they felt. It was finally the start of their spring break. A well-needed pause before the storm of final exams that surely awaited them in the two months before school got out for the summer.

Butch was quick to flee his assigned seat in Ms. Keane class, sticking himself to Buttercup's side as they left the classroom with the flurry of their other classmates.

"So what's the move for the week?" Butch questioned her in the hallway. "I heard Nate from the volleyball team is throwing a party Tuesday night. And then a couple of guys on the soccer team were planning on doing laser tag one night. I was wondering if you wanted to come and help me kick their asses."

Buttercup tossed him an apologetic look as they approached her locker, "Yeah, about that…" She stopped to open her locker, placing her economics textbook in the space. "I, uh—I'm not staying on campus for spring break."

Butch furrowed his eyebrows, "But I thought—"

"I know, I know. I just…" Buttercup sighed, shutting her locker door gently. She had been avoiding this conversation with him for a few days now. "Since Blossom and I are on somewhat better terms now, and I still had my plane ticket, I, um… I'm going with her and the others on their trip…"

Butch took a step back from her, baffled by the choice she was making. "Why?"

Buttercup shrugged her shoulders, trying to make the weight of her decision be lessened. Except it did not change how guilt-ridden she felt from telling him. In a way, Buttercup felt like she was betraying Butch. During the entire break up ordeal, she has been in Butch's corner. Now, Buttercup was fearful Butch saw it as her abandoning him merely because she and Blossom were on speaking terms again.

However, Buttercup did not intend on budging from the choice she had made. She wanted to go. And perhaps, it was best Buttercup got some space from Butch. To get some well-needed breathing room from what she has been feeling for him lately.

"It's all expenses paid, Butch. It will probably be the last vacation I'll be able to take for a while since I'll be drowning in student loan debt pretty soon. And honestly, I need a break from all of this," she answered without letting any of her true emotions towards the topic to be displayed.

Butch arched an eyebrow. His forest green eyes were peaked with interest. "What do you mean by that?"

Buttercup shook her head. "It's nothing important. I just want to get away from campus," she lied mildly. Her hand went to his shoulder for a brief moment. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. But hey, you don't need me to have fun, Butch. Besides, I'm sure being here is going to be more enjoyable than the fifth-wheeling I'm about to do the entire week."

She did not wait for him to say anything back before parting away and heading to her dorm to pack before her early flight in the morning.

If Buttercup had stayed long enough for Butch to reply, he would have pointed out how dumb it sounded for her to go. If she did not want to be the fifth-wheel, then why bother going? Why even bother when one of the couples going consisted of a person Buttercup was not on speaking terms with for almost three months beforehand, and the other, Buttercup constantly displayed her disdain for?

It did not make any sense to Butch.

Nor did it make sense to him as to why Butch felt distraught by the fact Buttercup was not going to be around for the week. It was only a week. Even if Buttercup has been the one person he has hung out with lately—and she was the only one Butch has really wanted to hang out with too—Butch did not need her to enjoy his time on campus.

Yet, as he pondered over showing up at Nate's party alone or getting involved in laser tag with his teammates, Butch did not have the same excitement he once held for those two ideas. Maybe it was the notion of him being practically alone for the rest of the week while his friends—also former friend and ex-girlfriend—were off sunbathing in the Caribbean that soured his mood. Or maybe it was the part of Butch coming to the small but sudden realization he was going to miss being around Buttercup.

It could also be the fact he was annoyed by Brick's actions of replacing Butch's slot on the trip. It was just another move Blossom has made to silently brag about her ability to move on so quickly.

So damn quickly…

Butch just wanted to call her out on it. He wanted her to understand how much she hurt him. To have his feelings validated for once. To finally address the elephant in the room that they did, indeed, have a relationship with each other, instead of her pretending he never existed.

Butch wanted closure.

He wanted to know the exact reason why their relationship had ended. Yes, perhaps it was because of her growing feelings towards Brick to which caused it but Butch wanted to hear it come from the source. To have all his questions confirmed and denied instead of having them being stringed along in his head with new theories or conclusions Butch blindly jumped to.

Butch should be the one that was going on the trip. He had a ticket before Brick and—

Butch widened his eyes, a speedy realization coming to his mind.

He still had his plane ticket.

Butch had never given it back to Blossom due to his guileless hope of rekindling their relationship at some point in the past two months. In fact, Butch could recall exactly where he had left it—it was in his desk, stuck in between the pages of a biology textbook he has not touched since the beginning of the school year.

Maybe he was crazy, but Butch suddenly concluded he may actually have plans for spring break after all.

---

"Alright, we have ten more minutes until our flight boards," Blossom announced, looking at the watch on her wrist and then at the four faces surrounding her. Various degrees of recoiling expressions reflected off of them. Blossom was a little bit too put together for a five A.M. departing time compared to the other four. "Does anyone need to use the bathroom one last time before we go?"

"No, mom," Buttercup deadpanned, slouching more into the uncomfortable chair apart of the airport seating by their gate. A bag of trail mix sat on her stomach as she fed herself a handful of the snack.

"You say that now, but we all know that someone is going to need to use the bathroom the second we got on the plane and then it's a whole ordeal," Blossom defended. Four pairs of eyes all went to a certain blond afterward.

Boomer blinked at them, putting his hands up in defense. "It was one time, guys. I didn't want to bother the guy sleeping next to me."

"So asking Bubbles to do it for you was a better option?" Buttercup recalled from the last time they all rode a plane together—minus Brick, but he had been informed about the past story for once. Her eyebrow was arched in a challenge.

"Well, I—you know, I..." Boomer slumped his shoulders in defeat, dropping his backpack to the ground with a loud thump. Nearby passengers were not fond of the sudden noise, sending some glares in their direction. "You know what? I'm just going to use the bathroom while we're still waiting."

"Smart choice," Brick remarked, his arms were crossed as he stood next to the chair Blossom sat in; while Bubbles giggled at the entire exchange with Boomer wandering off to the restroom alone.

"Does anyone else—"

Before Blossom could finish her sentence, Buttercup's eyes went wide from a sight she saw in the distance. A piece of trail mix she was chewing on, got caught in her throat, causing her to choke. Buttercup sat up immediately, coughing up a storm to remove the lodge in her throat. She felt Bubbles' hand go to her back as she patted it in an offer to help Buttercup. When Buttercup finally got a grip on herself and stopped choking, her throat was burning with a soreness from all of her coughing.

"What happened?" Blossom asked with concern.

"I thought..." She let out another cough. Her lime green eyes were watered, "I thought I saw—"

"It's spring break time, baby!"

Buttercup, Bubbles, Blossom, and Brick all turned, much to their shock—and dismay—to find Butch standing before them. A backpack was held by his broad shoulders and a passport was in his hand. Other passengers sneered in their direction again, thanks to Butch's loud proclamation this early in the morning.

"Butch," Blossom greeted him awkwardly, trying her best to recover from fumbling at the sight of Butch. Right here. Right here before her in the airport, as Butch appeared to be heading off somewhere foreign too. Her stomach flopped and Blossom felt extremely nauseous all of a sudden. She had a pretty good census as to where Butch might be flying off to. "What—What are you doing here?"

"Going to the Turks and Caicos, duh," Butch answered with a broad, unapologetic grin.

"Don't you have to be invited to do such a thing?" Brick argued. His crimson eyes were swift to harden their gaze on Butch.

"I was," Butch stated proudly, displaying his ticket for the others to see. He glanced over at Blossom. "And the last time I checked, I was never disinvited to go."

Blossom swallowed harshly at the fact he had pointed out. She did not not invite him but Blossom did not believe Butch would ever think this was a good idea. Going on vacation with his ex and her new boyfriend? Blossom figured Butch would need to be an all-new type of screwed up to subject himself to such an experience.

He was clearly playing an angle. What it was? Blossom had no idea. Nor did she personally care. This was her vacation. All Blossom wanted to do, was to enjoy herself with her friends and boyfriend. If Butch wanted to come, so be it.

As long as Butch or Brick did not try to start anything, Blossom was not going to stop Butch from coming.

Besides, a week in a tropical location could be a good push for Buttercup and Butch to bond more, Blossom recognized. Blossom had her fingers crossed that went as far as Butch's romantic endeavors would go for the week.

"You're correct. You weren't," Blossom admitted slowly in a calm voice. "And you still aren't."

"Blossom!" Both Buttercup and Brick interjected with mutual disagreement towards her decision.

Blossom shot Brick glance, silently telling him there was more to it. While Butch sent a questionable look at Buttercup. He was confused as to why Buttercup would disapprove of him coming.

"Alright, so I went to the bathroom and—" Boomer abruptly stopped his sentence, displaying the same shock the others had a few moments ago to the sight of Butch as he rejoined them. "Okay, how long was I in the bathroom?"

"Not that long," Bubbles answered, putting on her best smile despite the awkwardness in the air surrounding the six of them. Her voice went up an octave as it did when she was lying. "But the good news is, Butch is coming with us now."

"Right," Boomer nodded, eyeing Blossom but she avoided his gaze. "Again, how long was I in the bathroom? Or was I transported to an alternate dimension without realizing it?"

"Oh, Boomer," Bubbles waved off, followed by a fake laughter. "Can't you just be happy that the six of us are back together again?"

Boomer glanced at the others' faces, easily reading the ranging emotions they all had—and happiness was not one of them. He, however, went along with Bubbles' approach to avoid the tension that they were not liable for.

"I am," he said through a forced smile. "The six of us on vacation… What could possibly go wrong?"

---

"Do you want to talk about how fucking insane you are?" Buttercup whispered harshly to Butch as he slid into the seat next to her.

They had got on the plane, with Blossom and Brick seated a few rows in front of them and Bubbles and Boomer behind them. Thanks to Blossom's financial privileges, they were able to snag first-class seating for the flight too. They had to take a flight to the Miami International Airport before immediately connecting on a charter flight to the Turks and Caicos.

Butch's ticket was assigned to be next to Blossom, and Brick's had his seat next to Buttercup, but the two had made the un-collaborative assumption they would be switching seats. Which was fine, Butch concluded. He preferred to sit next to Buttercup for the long flight anyways.

Butch also did not want to find out what would have occurred if Brick and Buttercup had to sit next to each other for such a long period with close proximity. He could only imagine how it would have not been pretty.

"I don't know if insane is the right word," he played coyly.

Buttercup furrowed her eyebrows. "Butch, what exactly has possessed you to ever believe this was a good idea?"

"Nothing," he defended with a smile. Butch held up his hands innocently. "I swear."

"Mmhhh."

Butch shrugged his shoulders, deciding to explain himself a little to appease Buttercup. "You made some good points. I mean, when's the next time I'll be able to take a whole week off to go gallivanting around the Caribbean? And I get to do it with three of my close friends? How could I miss out on such an opportunity?"

"Because your ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend are the other two people on this trip," Buttercup pointed out, staring at him as if he had lost all of his common sense.

"Eh. They'll just do what they've been doing for the past two and a half months," Butch answered confidently, leaning back into the cushy plane seat with his hands laced behind his head. "Which is avoiding me and behaving as if I never existed."

"Wow," Buttercup said with false astonishment. "That sure is a huge jump from the same person who was paralyzed by the mere sight of the two of them dancing a week ago."

Butch opened his mouth to defend himself but his face fell from the memory of that night. A familiar rush of aching was awoken in his chest. It was the same hollow throbbing that knocked the wind out of him last week.

"Okay, fine. I'll admit this isn't exactly the best idea," he admitted reluctantly. "But you have to believe me that I'm not doing it for her."

"So you're not here to win Blossom back with some elaborate scheme?" Butch nodded. Buttercup narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before flicking them over to the window beside her. They remained on the runway at the Citiesville Airport. The sky was a dusty violet, patiently awaiting the return of the sun for the day. "That's reassuring."

"I'm being serious, B. I'm here because I want to enjoy my spring break with you and the dynamic duo back there," Butch explained, gesturing to the seats behind them despite Buttercup not looking at him. "And if I make Blossom and Brick uncomfortable, then that's just an added bonus."

Buttercup tore her stare away from the runway, glancing at him with a glint of uncertainty in her eyes. She wanted to believe he was not here because of some Blossom related reason but Buttercup was not so easily swayed due to past choices Butch has made.

She just wanted to believe whatever her dad saw, was no fluke and there was an actual chance Butch could move on from Blossom.

"That's it? That's all you have up your sleeve, Butch?"

Butch slumped his shoulders, letting a sigh escape his lips. He could not lie or keep secrets from her. Not when Butch knew Buttercup has been nothing but honest with him.

"I may be hoping to have a moment alone with Blossom–" Buttercup had let out a loud huff of hot air, glaring at him before he could finish. "–to finally get closure. I would like to know why she broke up with me. What did I do wrong and if she ever was in love with me," Butch confessed, his voice getting lower as he went on.

Buttercup shook her head, quietly letting out a bitter laugh.

"I knew it."

Butch arched an eyebrow, "Knew what?"

"It doesn't matter," Buttercup dismissed. She folded her arms across her chest, not easing her harsh stare on him. "You're making a huge mistake wishing to get closure from her. What if you hear something you don't want to hear?"

"What do you mean by that?" Butch inquired, desperately searching for an answer in her eyes. There was a sudden churning in his stomach.

Buttercup looked away from him again. "Nothing. I'm only talking about hypotheticals here," she deflected.

The plaguing feeling of shame over lying has never died down for Buttercup. In fact, it has gotten worse. Buttercup was starting to believe she has Blossom and Brick beat on who was doing Butch the dirtiest.

Buttercup shrugged her shoulders to lighten the meaning of her words, aligning her vision with him again. "I don't think this is worth it, Butch. It's been almost three months. She's moved on; you're slowly getting there. Why keep holding on to it? Why get closure to something that has been over for a long time now? You're only going to reopen wounds you just started to let heal."

"But I—"

"I'm tired of seeing you get hurt, Butch," Buttercup revealed softly, quieting him immediately. His forest green eyes watched her with a delicate stare. "I want you to be happy. I wish for you to realize your worth. I want you to do better. But I can't keep rooting for you if you're just going to continuously charge into the same battle over and over again. It feels like you relish in the misery and I can't support something so unhealthy like that. So please, Butch," she pleaded in a whisper. "Stop hurting yourself."

He did not say anything to her. Instead, Butch took the time to digest her words. He did not listen to the captain speaking over the plane's intercom or to others in first-class talking around them. At that moment, Butch felt like it was only him and Buttercup who mattered. Her words were what mattered.

Someone did care about him. Someone did care if he was hurting. Someone did care enough to call him out on his reckless behavior.

And that someone was Buttercup.

His mouth twitched upward, conveying how grateful he was for Buttercup. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I wouldn't try getting closure," Butch announced to her and himself.

Buttercup arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he grinned, elbowing her side. "I don't need it anymore."

"Okay," Buttercup breathed with relief. A smile slowly overtook her face. Butterflies she longed to be set free, fluttered in her gut in a frenzy. "I'm glad."

---

"We seriously can't be staying here," Boomer remarked in awe, unable to keep his mouth from hanging open as his ocean blue eyes darted around the private villa Blossom's parents owned. His reaction was a joint one among the group as everyone, except for Blossom, shared it.

They were on the first floor, which had an open concept. A wall of sliding glass doors allowed for a panoramic view of the pristine, white sand and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea. The ceiling was vaulted and the sliding doors led out to a sun deck that included an infinity pool. A dining table fit for eight was placed beyond the kitchen and in front of a pair of sliding doors to eat with the perfect view. The kitchen was adorned with the latest, stainless steel utilities; white marble counter-tops with glass tiled back-splash and cabinets matching the same shade of ivory; and an island work-space; was to the left of the front door and its foyer. To the right was a seating area decorated with a nautical aesthetic of navy blues, creams, natural pine wood, and hints of berry. A cream-colored sofa and loveseat were placed in front of a custom-made entertainment center. Pieces of artwork detailing sailor knots, boats, and seabirds were hung on the walls.

"But we are," Blossom smiled. "And don't worry about making a mess. My parents don't really use this vacation house anymore since we got another one in Monaco—and we also have a cleaning staff too. Just promise not to break anything."

"I don't think I'm going to touch anything for a week," Bubbles said under her breath.

Blossom, who did not hear Bubbles' comment, gestured over to the stairs in the foyer. "Let me show you the bedrooms." The other five did not make much of an argument, shifting awkwardly and making the steps to follow Blossom up the spiral staircase. "So there are four bedrooms and each come with their own bathrooms. The hallway to the left has two rooms that have a queen in them. To the right, there is a room with two twin beds and then there's the master."

"I bet you've already called dibs on the master," Buttercup pointed out.

Blossom flashed a sheepish grin once they all made it onto the second floor. "Yeah, I did, but the other rooms are just as nice."

"Oh, I'm sure," Buttercup responded, glaring at Brick and his smug expression from the unspoken assumption he was going to be joining Blossom in the master suite.

The second floor followed the nautical theme from downstairs, carrying over with abstract paintings of ocean water and cream-colored walls. The space was divided by the two hallways leading to the bedrooms, with the exception of a window bench a few feet across from the staircase. The bench was upholstered with navy and white striped fabric, having a view of the lush vegetation that lived on the opposite side of the road.

"Boomy and I can take the room with the twin beds," Bubbles offered. She reached for Boomer's hand, snuggling closer to him. "We can just push the beds together."

"A whole room to myself for once?" Buttercup arched an eyebrow, grinning with satisfaction. "This really is a vacation."

Butch laughed quietly at her comment, gaining a bashful glance from Buttercup as heat rose in her cheeks.

Blossom clasped her hands together in delight. "Alright, rooming arrangements are sorted out." She glanced down at the watch on her wrist. "The staff should be back from the airport with our luggage in ten minutes, I have a private chef coming in thirty minutes for tonight, and dinner should be ready by six. That means we have about two hours to settle in and get comfortable."

"Good. I definitely need a nap after being forced to watch two Fast and Furious films with someone," Buttercup added, making her way down the hall to her room.

Butch followed her, an amused smile on his face as he disappeared down the hall along with her. "You know you could have said no to watching them?"

"Can we go check out the beach?" Boomer asked Bubbles eagerly before they went into their own room.

Blossom and Brick headed in the same direction as the blonde couple, entering the master suite at the end of the right hallway. Like the first floor—and the rest of the house; and literally the trip—Brick was left a bit speechless by the room.

The king-sized bed looked like a cloud personally sent down from the heavens. A piece of driftwood was artistically used to be a floating headboard. A television larger than any Brick has personally seen in real life, sat on an entertainment center produced in the same handmade craftsmanship as the one downstairs—as were the dressers and bedside tables. The walls were painted an icy blue, complementing the white-washed flooring of the room. A cream-colored cashmere carpet with a pattern of pale blue coral appeared to be too pretty and expensive to even think about stepping on it.

"Okay, I know I should be used to it by now but seeing how the other half lives still gets me pretty rattled," Brick admitted, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He lifted up his hat, running a hand through his hair. "It's like a museum in here."

Blossom laughed softly, taking up a spot next to him on the bed. Her hand rested on top of his. "You're adorable. You know that?"

"No, I didn't. But thank you for letting me know. It makes me feel better."

"Feel better?" Blossom furrowed her eyebrows. "Why—"

"It's kind of weird that Butch is here," he answered calmly before Blossom could finish asking her question. "Pretty fucking weird, I must say."

"Oh, right…" Blossom sighed, her eyes falling onto their hands.

They had avoided the conversation on the plane, thanks to Brick falling asleep an hour into the initial flight; which given Blossom the time to figure how to explain her decision to him.

"I think... I think letting him come on this trip is a means to ease my remorse. I can't give him anything but I can give him an all-expenses-paid vacation. This is the only way I can do some good for him without explaining why I am," Blossom reasoned quietly in an unsure manner. "I know this is ridiculous and I shouldn't care but I do. I just want Butch to have a nice week."

"I get that, but there is one fatal flaw in that way of thinking, Bloss," Brick replied. "And that's you. He obviously has something planned—"

Blossom glanced up, meeting Brick's eyes. "And if he does, we both know. Whatever he tries pulling, it wouldn't work."

Brick pursed his lips, thinking it over. "Yeah, I guess so. But what about you?"

Blossom arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What about me?"

"How is having him around going to affect you this week? You haven't been around him for a long time and, as you just said a minute ago, you're still dealing with a lot of guilt. Aren't you afraid of something happening?" Brick rationed, bring along some questions Blossom had failed to consider. "It's your vacation too. I don't want you spending it worrying and avoiding Butch or walking around eggshells because of him."

"I wouldn't," Blossom promised. Her mouth twitched upward. Her thumb ran across the skin of his hand. "And if I do without realizing it, please let me know."

"Okay."

Blossom angled her head to a degree, watching Brick steadily for a moment. "How are you feeling about this? Does Butch being here bother you?"

Brick snorted, shaking his head. "As long as he doesn't try anything, I can handle it."

"I'm hoping he'll spend his time here with Buttercup, anyways," Blossom added after a beat.

"That would mean not having to deal with both of them," Brick mused. He grinned at Blossom. "Maybe Buttercup was right. This really is a vacation."

---

Dinner went on without any problems. Butch kept mostly to himself, sitting at the opposite end of the table away from Blossom and Brick. Boomer and Bubbles made sure to have a conversation flowing to prevent any awkwardness. The personal chef Blossom had hired, prepared them a spread to show off the abundant seafood the Turks and Caicos had to offer; grouper, snapper, conch ceviche, spiny lobster tail, conch fritters, and lionfish. For dessert, they had coconut panna cotta served in individual verrines.

After dinner, three pairs were formed. Blossom and Brick went upstairs for alone time; Butch and Buttercup went to play volleyball on the beach while the sun was setting; while Bubbles and Boomer decided to take advantage of the pool.

Bubbles had only her feet dipped into the warm water, reading through a book she had picked up a week before the trip. She hummed to herself, enjoying the well-needed moment of peace. On the other end of the pool, Boomer popped his head up from the water, breathing in the taste of the salty air around them to replenish his lungs. He had done his normal amount of laps around the pool as he would have done at school to workout. Boomer shook his head, wanting to get strands of his drenched hair out his eyes.

His stare had focused on Bubbles and how the amber glow of the dimming sunlight seemed to halo around her. His heart may have skipped a beat or two. It was a moment where Boomer had to take a second to appreciate that Bubbles was all his. She was the sole keeper of his heart and Boomer would not want it any other way.

He gently parted the water in front of him, swimming over to Bubbles. The movement of the water had given him away as Bubbles closed her book, meeting his gaze with the same affectionate smile Boomer had. Boomer occupied the space next to her, resting his arms on the edge of the pool.

"It's gorgeous here, isn't it?" Bubbles commented, her eyes flicking around to take in the tropical beauty they were witnessing.

The honey hue of the sky was dripping into shades of orange and rose. The palm trees were swaying in a slow pace. The waves were crashing behind them, providing tranquil white-noise. The sound of Butch and Buttercup's friendly jabs of competition and laughter could be heard too.

Boomer had not taken his eyes off of Bubbles. To him, anywhere would be gorgeous as long as Bubbles was there.

"Yeah, it is."

Bubbles returned her gaze to him, sighing happily. "With the plot twist this morning, day one of vacation wasn't so bad, huh?"

Boomer chuckled to himself. "Yeah, things could have been a lot worse."

"It might be because everyone is jet-lagged."

"Maybe," Boomer considered. He poked her thigh next to him. "Or maybe things are over with? Maybe we're heading towards a new normal between the six of us."

Bubbles' face fell for a moment. "I don't believe things will ever be normal between all of us. Too much damage has been done."

"I don't know," Boomer shrugged his shoulders. He looked out towards Butch and Buttercup. His eyes focused on the volleyball sailing back and forth between them. "Wounds can heal and we can get better with time. Maybe this is the time where our better is coming, you know?"

"With how weird dinner was, I don't think the time is now."

Boomer glanced back at Bubbles, raising an eyebrow. "You thought dinner was weird?"

Bubbles made a face that had given Boomer his answer immediately. "If you and I weren't so chatty, those four would have been scraping their forks on their plates in silence the entire time."

"Or they would have been at each others' throats," Boomer added.

"That too."

"I guess I'm being too much of an optimist."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Bubbles grinned to reassure him. She flicked a piece of hair away from his eye. Water droplets rippled onto her thigh from the motion. "We're just lucky it was a mellow night."

"We're also lucky none of this has anything to do with us," Boomer pitched out. "We're the only two here with no drama with any of them."

"They kind of kept us from any of their drama anyways," Bubbles mumbled, her eyes falling to her feet weakly kicking in the water.

Boomer narrowed his eyes. "Why do you sound sad about that?"

Bubbles took a moment to herself before answering his question. She sucked in a poignant breath, exhaling it immediately afterward. "It's stupid."

"I'm sure it's not."

"It is," Bubbles nodded. She ran a hand through her blonde curls. "I guess... I guess I'm upset about being left out."

Boomer tilted his head, not grasping where she was coming from. "Left out of—"

"With Blossom and Buttercup."

"Oh."

Bubbles shook her head once. "They just... They've been closer to each other than they are with me. I know they've kept or excluded me from things. Even when they were fighting, Buttercup had Blossom's back and didn't tell anyone what was happening. I didn't find out about Blossom and Brick until you told me, Boom. Blossom hasn't even told me about anything still—neither has Buttercup." Bubbles fluttered her eyes up to the violet afterglow of the sunset. "I know I should be happy to not be sucked into their drama but..."

"You just want to be involved in your friends' lives," Boomer finished for her. "You want to know what's happening with them instead of being the last to know. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah," Bubbles breathed, gratefully for Boomer understanding her. "That's all I want."

"You should let them know," Boomer offered. He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and giving her hand a little squeeze. "They can't know how you feel unless you tell them."

"Yeah, maybe I should," Bubbles considered after a minute.

Boomer kissed the air, letting Bubbles know what he wanted. Bubbles grinned, leaning down and meeting his lips halfway. Both of their hearts were full; both knowing they were truly the lucky ones on this trip. Not because they were here, staying in a tropical paradise for a whole week for free—however, that was surely close to being why—but because they had each other to love.

In the distance, Buttercup was heard playfully yelling at Butch. Bubbles and Boomer had pulled away to see what the commotion was about. They watched as Butch swung Buttercup by her hips before picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder. She was demanding for Butch to put her down but Buttercup was finding it hard to string together a sentence through her laughter. Butch was saying it was her punishment for cheating at volleyball.

Boomer and Bubbles exchanged a look with each other, speaking simultaneously.

"They're pretty cute together," Bubbles commented.

"How long until they're together?" Boomer questioned.

Boomer and Bubbles grinned widely at each other once they understood what the other had said.

"I think they would be great for each other," Boomer added.

"Me too," Bubbles mused. "I'm pretty sure they both have crushes on each other but are too stubborn to admit it."

Boomer glanced over at them one more time, seeing that Butch had surrendered Buttercup back to the ground. They were now speaking to each other in what could be regarded as an argument but also a very flirtatious conversation. With how close they were standing to each other and the half-lidded gaze paired with a lazy smile Butch had when talking to Buttercup, they appeared comfortable. If one were to conduct a single glance in their direction without any prior knowledge, Butch and Buttercup may have been perceived to be a couple.

Turning back to Bubbles, Boomer smirked knowingly. "I give them a month before they finally get together."

---

In the morning, breakfast was a separate affair. Bubbles and Boomer had awoken early to check out the local shops and get something local to eat. Butch and Buttercup filled up on food in the stocked refrigerator before heading out to do a snorkeling excursion. Blossom was feeling a bit nauseous and wanted to stay at the villa for the day instead. Brick did not fight her on it, and they have spent the majority of the morning laying out on a blanket on the beach, soaking in the sunshine and eating from a bowl of fruit.

"I'm going to be so red after this," Blossom said, taking a piece of chopped pineapple from the bowl they were sharing. She was laying on her stomach while Brick was facing the sun straight on. The sticky juice dripped down her hand as Blossom took a bite out of it.

"How? I must have rubbed ten coats of sunscreen on you already."

"It would be my luck," she shrugged. Blossom rubbed a paper towel along hand to remove the pineapple juice. She ran her eyes along Brick, loving how the sun was bringing out the freckles on his shoulders more. "But it would be worth it."

Brick peeked out of his shut eyes as he did not want to stare at the sun. "Are you feeling any better than when we woke up?"

Blossom nodded once, even though her stomach curdled at the memory. She had been on the brink of throwing up and Blossom had been light-headed whenever she lifted her head. Blossom figured it was her jet-lag or something she ate the night before that did not agree with her.

"I think this is the reset I needed to feel better."

Brick flashed a genuine grin. "I'm glad.'

Blossom felt her lips turn upward, a blissfully sigh escaped her mouth as she took in their surroundings. There was not a cloud in sight, letting the azure hue of the sky be as vibrant as it wanted. A few seabirds flew overhead, chattering happily and basking in the warmth of the sunshine. There were no prying eyes or whispers other than the waves of the ocean. Blossom felt safe. She felt no need to have her guard up. Everything, for once, actually did feel perfect without even trying.

It was paradise.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy in my entire life," Blossom revealed. She scooted closer to Brick, gazing down at his face. For a brief moment, they were smiling at each other without saying a word. Blossom laid her hand on his chest, feeling the heat of the sun radiated off of his skin onto the palm of her hand. "It's nice to be happy for once and getting to enjoy it."

Brick did not say anything. A smile framed his face but it did not reach his eyes. His crimson eyes, in fact, were shadowed as he stared out at the sky.

Blossom chewed down on her bottom lip, debating on whether she should say something. She had a feeling about why Brick had ventured away in his head. "Hey…" She waited until Brick removed himself from wherever he was lost in. Her stare tried to read him in any angle and light she could. "...Do you want to talk?"

Brick knitted his eyebrows together aggressively, "About?"

"What happened last week," Blossom answered softly. "You've been a bit spacey since then."

"Oh." He avoided her gaze, finding the cloudless view above them to be more appealing. "I didn't know I've been spacey."

"It's okay. I–I just want to make sure you're okay." Blossom tapped her finger against his collarbone lightly. "You know I'm always willing to listen to you."

"I'm okay," he responded stubbornly after a beat. His face was contoured with a hint of irritation. "Nothing is bothering me."

Blossom arched an eyebrow, approaching the subject in a gentle tone, "If nothing is bothering you, then why don't call your mom when we get back into the house and give her the chance to explain herself?"

"Why would I do that?" Brick scoffed.

"Because if everything was okay with you, you would be able to forgive her, Brick."

Brick's jaw twitched as he shook his head. "Or maybe I don't feel like talking to her while I'm on vacation. That could be another reason."

"But Brick—"

"I don't want to talk about this, okay?" Brick interjected, jerking away from Blossom. He reached for the bowl of fruit that sat next to them, noticing it was close to being finished. He grabbed the bowl, standing up from the blanket they laid on. "I'm going to get more fruit."

"You don't have to," Blossom started, her face falling as Brick did not wait to hear her finish. "Shut down..." she trailed off discouragingly.

---

Buttercup has never seen such blue water before. In her home state of Texas, most of the beaches she had been to were nothing to praise. The Pacific Ocean had never been a particular astonishment to her. The closest she saw water this shade of a captivating blue was on a day trip to see the Mediterranean sea in Italy with Blossom last spring break.

The warm current of the water gilded against her skin as she dove deeper to part of the barrier reef the excursion boat had stopped at. Species of fish she could never have enough time to memorize and name swam past her. Their scales ranged from vibrant jewel tones to shimmery silvers. For an organism Buttercup only thought about when deciding what to eat, she found a new appreciation for how beautiful they could be in their natural habitat.

She felt a tug on her wrist, finding Butch trying to gain her attention. His dark curls swayed wildly as he pointed in the distance. Her lime green eyes followed, a few bubbles blew through her snorkel from her excitement.

Just about ten feet away from them was a sea turtle. The creature continued on, coming closer to them until it came between Butch and Buttercup without any concerns. The two simply watched, mesmerized by the turtle going about its business.

The turtle went along, swimming past them and further into the sea, leaving Butch and Buttercup alone again with the fishes flurrying around them. Buttercup turned to him again, using her finger to point upward, gesturing her want to surface for air. Butch nodded, kicking his feet to propel upward.

When they surfaced, Buttercup pushed her snorkel and goggles up. Water droplets fled back into the ocean from the short length of her hair. Her chest moved at a steady pace as she regained fresh oxygen into her system. A broad grin framed her lips.

"I can't believe we just saw that," Buttercup remarked in awe between catching her breath.

"Me either," Butch replied with a similar expression as her. He pushed up his goggles and snorkel too. "I hate to sound like a cheesy, old lady but that shit was breathtaking."

"It was…"

It took Buttercup a moment. A gentle slap of the warm water against her chin, the droplets of water from her hair hitting her neck, the slow movement of her chest returning to normal; for her to realize the lack of space existing between her and Butch. If she moved her hand forward just a little, Buttercup would come in contact with his chest. A chest, in which, Buttercup was becoming acutely aware of how solid and well-defined it was.

A heat warmer than the water surrounding them overcame her.

She did not know why Butch was so close. When they were under water, they had at least five feet of distance. Now they were hardly a foot apart.

Buttercup scanned his face. She watched a droplet of water fall from his dark, full eyelashes. His chest moved with more force, still trying to catch his breath. His forest green eyes stared at her in a way Buttercup was not used to seeing.

There was a flicker. A light she had not noticed before. A slight slit to his gaze, piqued by an interest Buttercup could not read.

Was it…

Was this what Blossom meant? Was this the way Butch looked at her during the play? Was this what made her dad believe Butch carried some secret flame for her?

A static daze electrified in her ears. The air suddenly became punishing for her. It was a tease. A push for her to just do it.

To get it off her chest. To let Butch how she felt about him.

With their conversation on the plane in the background of her mind and the way he was watching her in the forefront, Buttercup felt a jolt of courage shudder through her body.

Buttercup tucked a strand of hair behind her ear but it lacked any purpose as it simply fell to her face within a few seconds later. Her mouth twitched upward nervously.

"Butch, I—"

Before she could respond, a splash of water hit her face. She blinked through the saltiness, spitting out the water in her mouth. A burst of boisterous laughter danced in the air as Buttercup glared at Butch when she was able to see through the stinging in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Butch laughed, putting up his hands in defense. It was clear to Buttercup that he had moved a foot or two away from her now. Most likely to escape any retaliation from her. "It just got a little too serious between us. I couldn't control myself."

Buttercup continued to send him daggers. Her shot of courage had frazzled out and was wiped clean from her system. It was not meant to be said, Buttercup determined. This was a sign.

"You have about ten seconds to swim away from me before I drown you," Buttercup warned through her teeth.

---

"There was a seashell chandelier in one of the shops that I almost spent all my money on," Bubbles informed as she was filling up a pot with water and bringing it to the stove-top to boil. She had decided on making dinner for the night and was in the middle of telling Butch about her day in the kitchen. "Boomy offered to pay for half of it but I couldn't ask him to do that."

"You should have haggled with them," Butch responded. He sat on a stool opposite from Bubbles with the kitchen island between them.

"I'm not good at haggling. It's too stressful and aggressive."

"You should have brought Buttercup with you. She's pretty good at being stubborn and getting what she wants," Butch smirked.

Bubbles arched an eyebrow, picking up on how Butch's face brightened up when mentioning Buttercup. "You and Buttercup have gotten pretty close, huh?"

Butch blinked at her. "Well yeah, she's my best friend."

"Is that all you—" Bubbles immediately dropped the subject when she saw Blossom walking down the stairs. She could not imagine anything more awkward than asking Butch about his romantic interest in Buttercup with Blossom being in the same room. "Hey, Blossom. How are you?"

Blossom forced a smile, heading for the sliding doors to go outside. Butch did not bother to even turn in his seat to acknowledge her. "I'm okay."

She could tell Bubbles wanted to ask more but Blossom was already out the door, looking for a place of solitude to clear her mind. Blossom had thought she would be alone outside since everyone was waiting for dinner to be made. Yet, Buttercup was sitting on the concrete steps leading down to the beach.

"I didn't know you were out here," Blossom stated, making Buttercup aware of her presence. She took up a spot next to her, not bothering to wait for Buttercup's permission.

"I wanted some alone time." Buttercup glanced over to Blossom for a brief moment before going back to the high tide hitting the beach. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you have a boyfriend trailing behind you or something?"

"Brick's taking a nap–"

Buttercup snorted. "How precious."

Blossom rolled her eyes slightly, ignoring Buttercup's comment. "And I wanted some time for myself too."

Buttercup flickered her eyes over to Blossom, reading her face. "Are you upset about something?"

Blossom slumped her shoulders, sighing. "Is it that obvious?"

"Well, given how you've been floating on a cloud for the last couple of months, the way you're looking right now makes it hard not to notice." Buttercup elbowed Blossom gently, "What's bothering you, Pinky?"

Blossom smiled faintly at the nickname Buttercup had heavily used for her before their fallout. However, it was not enough to relieve her stormy mood.

"I don't know if I'm being ridiculous," Blossom began, keeping her gaze on the turquoise water curling into thunderous waves. "But Brick has been..."

"An asshole? A scumbag? A dick? A douche?" Buttercup offered to help Blossom finish her sentence.

Blossom let out a quick laugh, shaking her head. "I was going to say difficult."

"That would also work for Brick," Buttercup nodded once.

"He's going through something with his mom," Blossom confessed softly. "I've been trying to get him to talk about it in a healthy way instead of shutting down and ignoring how hurt he is. Yet, when I do, all Brick wants to do is brood."

"God, I hate people that brood," Buttercup commented with annoyance.

"I think I do too," Blossom agreed. Her face expressed the pure exhaustion she held towards her situation with Brick. She sighed, speaking in a low tone. "I don't know what to do. I know I should give him more time but I fear he'll continue to repress what he's feeling. I already know he's been doing that with..." Blossom cleared her throat, not wanting to air out all of Brick's dirty laundry to Buttercup. "And he can be so defensive sometimes and—and I just don't want to say the wrong thing and push him away..."

"Oh," Buttercup frowned. "That… That sucks, Blossom. I'm sorry."

Blossom chuckled a little at Buttercup's attempt of sympathy. She knew it was difficult for Buttercup to be empathetic when it came to Blossom's relationship with Brick. Buttercup saying sorry was sufficient enough to let Blossom know that Buttercup genuinely felt bad for her.

"Thanks." Blossom elbowed Buttercup gently, reading over her profile. "So why are you out here? Shouldn't you have a Butch trailing behind you or something?"

"Ugh," Buttercup groaned, rubbing at her temples. "I don't even get me started on Butch."

Blossom grinned, "What happened? Did he do something cute and make you get all flustered again?"

"No, he did not," Buttercup answered flatly. "He's being an asshole actually."

"I guess Brick isn't the only one."

Buttercup eyed her. "I thought you said Brick was being 'difficult', not an asshole." Blossom simply smiled, shrugging her shoulders. Buttercup let out a quick laugh. "Nice one."

"So what did Butch do this time?"

Buttercup huffed out some hot air. "He didn't really do anything. It was me and my stupid brain thinking something was going to happen."

Blossom furrowed her eyebrows, "You're going to have to be less vague, Buttercup."

Buttercup grumbled, slowly but surely forcing herself to admit what she thought was going to happen a couple of hours ago. Of what she wanted to happen.

"I thought we were having a moment," Buttercup mumbled for a confession. "For a second, I thought Butch may have felt the same way and we were about to kiss, but then," Buttercup hung her head in embarrassment. Her voice grew an octave louder to express her frustration. "Butch was an asshole and splashed water in my face instead."

Blossom grimaced. "That is pretty bad."

"Tell me about it," Buttercup exasperated. She turned her head away from Blossom, muttering, "I wish I wasn't so disappointed by it but all it told me, was that Butch wouldn't feel the same way I do. We're just friends. That's it."

"It doesn't really tell you anything," Blossom attempted after a beat. "Butch can be oblivious sometimes. Maybe you should just ask him already?"

Buttercup laughed humorlessly, raising her eyebrows as she looked back at Blossom. "And what? I'm supposed to go up to him and be like, 'Hey, you got some pretty looking lips, Butch, and I got a nice pair too; wouldn't it be super chill if we just make out right now?' Is that what you want me to ask him?"

"No," Blossom guffawed, shaking her head. "Absolutely not."

"Then what am I supposed to say?"

"Ask him if he has feelings," Blossom suggested. "Ask him on a date. Ask him if he only sees you as a friend. Anything is better than you brooding about it."

"I'm not brooding," Buttercup deflected hotly.

Blossom eyed her with a knowing grin. "Whatever you say."

Buttercup let out another groan, running a hand along the length of her face. "So then what happens? I either ruin my friendship with him or I'm back in another relationship where the guy likes someone else. Gee, what great options I have, Blossom."

"I'm pretty sure Butch is over me by now," Blossom pointed out swiftly. Buttercup remained quiet. The image of Butch's face after seeing Blossom and Brick dancing a week ago burned brightly in the forefront of her mind. "And if he's not, then maybe telling Butch will help him get over me completely."

"I'm not some fucking wizard, Blossom," Buttercup argued stubbornly. "There's no way Butch hearing that I like him will magically change anything for him."

"Or it does," Blossom challenged. "Humans are weird. Sometimes hearing someone likes us, makes us think about them more. It makes us question and imagine what it would be like to be with them. And Butch isn't stupid. If you told him about your feelings, I'm almost positive Butch will realize he wants to be with you. You're great together and you've been the one who has helped him through his lowest points this year. That shouldn't be taken for granted by him at all."

Blossom placed a hand on Buttercup's shoulder, meeting her stare. "One thing I know for sure with Butch, is that he thinks with his heart. If you allow yourself to do the same, Butch is going to notice."

Buttercup wavered. The river of doubts and insecurities were on their way to flow out of her. She wanted to go on and on about how Butch terrified her. A thought, that a year ago, Buttercup would have laughed about for months. But it was true.

Somehow, the power had shifted. Butch was not some guy Buttercup found herself able to cut down and make fun of anymore. Instead, he was the one person who could, unknowingly, break her heart. Buttercup has always guarded her heart with barbwire fencing but Butch snuck his way through and made a home out of it.

Half of Buttercup was not even that upset Butch did. That part of her enjoyed it. It enjoyed the attention, the looks, the what-could-have-been moments, and the teases.

Occasionally, Buttercup found herself wondering what everything would have been like if she and Butch had become friends during their freshman year. Would she have fallen for him regardless? Would Butch have shown mutual interest? Perhaps, there was a lifetime where Butch did choose Buttercup. It was a lifetime where Blossom was never an option for Butch because Buttercup had been there the entire time, making her intentions known to him.

That Buttercup in the other lifetime was the person Buttercup knew and liked; confident and decisive. Not this person she has become who was a melting pot of irresolute emotions over a boy. Buttercup wanted some power back in her life. Butch was not going to choose her path for her; Buttercup was going to. And maybe the way to accomplish that was to finally follow Blossom's advice.

Buttercup decided right then. After dinner, she was going to tell Butch. No matter the outcome, Buttercup had to tell him the truth.

---

After eating the dinner Bubbles had prepared, Blossom and Brick announced they were going to take a walk on the beach to watch the sunset. The two then headed out into the golden light graced by streaks of burnt orange and fiery red. Boomer and Buttercup volunteered to do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen while Bubbles got to enjoy a much deserved bubble bath upstairs. Butch found himself heading upstairs too as he wished to take a shower to wash away the saltiness on his skin from snorkeling earlier in the day.

Once in the bathroom connected to his room, Butch had taken his shirt off halfway, with it hanging from his neck like a scarf when his phone buzzed against the counter-top of the bathroom sink. He let out an annoyed huff of air when reading the number.

It was the same unknown number that has been attempting to contact him for a couple months now. It has been non-stop lately, ringing him at odd hours of the night and morning. Butch was getting really sick of them blowing up his phone with no regard. Fuck it, he thought, pressing the green button to answer the call.

"Whoever this is, stop calling me," Butch fumed while the person on the other end said, "Butch?"

Butch's eyebrows were raised all the way up to his hairline. He knew that voice.

"Ace?"

"Butch, it's you! Finally," Ace remarked and Butch knew Ace was grinning wherever he was. "I thought you blocked me or some shit."

"I did," Butch found himself revealing. "My new phone didn't get the memo, it appears."

"Well, fuck man, I see how it is," Ace threw out but there was a degree of satisfaction in his tone. Butch found it incredibly odd that Ace did not sound pissed off or, at least, annoyed. "Anyways, I was calling to make sure you see the message I'm about to send you." Ace then made sure to emphasize his next few words. "I also called so you personally knew it was from me."

"What are you—"

"Adios, asshole," Ace dismissed, hanging up the phone before Butch could finish his sentence.

And then it happened.

Butch's phone vibrated in his hand and he went to check his text messages. It was a video. Butch's stomach was already churning before he even clicked on it.

It was grainy and obviously taken discreetly through a cracked open door. There was nothing to see until the thirty-second mark when a guy came into view. It was only his back and his neck was strained as if he was arguing with someone. Then a girl popped up. Her milky skin glowed into a silver under the moonlight. She kissed him and he pulled away out of shock. Butch furrowed his eyebrows, feeling the intensity and anticipation of the room as if he was there personally, waiting for things to unfold fully. The guy pushed the girl up against a wall and her hand ran through his hair.

And then a hat fell off of his head. It was a hat Butch recognized immediately and despised.

Butch narrowed his eyes. It took him a second later to realize what this was.

It was a video of Brick and Blossom making out.

Butch questioned why Ace would record such a thing. To rub it in? Butch already had to see their public displays of affection in the hallways at school. This video made no sense.

But then Butch remembered Ace was expelled before Blossom and Brick even got together. Before Blossom had broken up with him.

"No…" Butch whispered to himself.

As if the universe had to spoon feed it to him, flashes of color ran across their bodies and a loud booming noise could be heard from the video. Butch's jaw was grinding his teeth together, getting a clear idea of when this video was recorded.

This was taken on New Year's. This was why Blossom was nowhere to be seen. She had been off making out with Brick instead. She had been cheating on Butch.

Butch wanted to punch something. The innate feeling. The flashes of white-hot rage flurried through him. It was far too consuming for him.

It had all been a lie.

Blossom breaking up with him. Brick's friendship with him. Their relationship. It had all been a lie.

It was all right there in front of him to see.

Butch wanted to stupidly believe Blossom cared about him, when in fact, Blossom did not. He was right to believe Blossom did not give a shit about him. If she did, Blossom would have respected Butch. She would not have been making out with his roommate while they were still together.

Butch's hands were formed into fists and he had to cool down somehow. He tried counting to ten and taking in slow, steady breaths, but it did not calm him. Butch knew he was close to losing control. On an impulse, Butch headed for the stairs in hopes of talking to Buttercup. She'll know what to do, his mind convinced him. He tugged down his shirt, putting it back on and Butch was physically shaking from the wrath he felt.

He was at the top of the stairs when Buttercup met him halfway.

She had an anxious grin on her face. "I should feel bad for leaving Boomer to do the dishes alone but I needed to talk to—" Buttercup interrupted herself when she got to the second floor, reading Butch's body language quickly. Concern reflected off of her face. "Are you okay?"

It physically pained Butch to say it out loud. The truth, it had to scratch and crawl its way out of his throat. When it did, Butch's tone was raw and damaged.

"I know about Blossom and Brick," he answered. Butch felt his voice was coming out of another person. It was so distant from how Butch wanted to be. "I know she cheated."

A flash of fear struck across Buttercup's face and she could not hide the shame creeping into her system from Butch's burning stare. "Butch, how could you know for sure—"

A part of Butch was irritated by Buttercup's question. It sounded as if she was trying to defend Blossom; when Butch could recall numerous times where Buttercup had implied that this was bound to have happened.

"I saw a video," he said curtly.

"Of them having sex?" Buttercup exclaimed in disbelief. She blanched, her eyes were wide and bugging out a little. She babbled in a panic, "Butch! Blossom is still a minor! You need to get rid of that—How could you get a video of that?"

"Of them making out," Butch corrected through his teeth. The gears in his head were turning at a furious pace. "Why would it be of them having sex—Unless—"

Butch stopped, taking in the pained expression Buttercup was giving him. Her face was fragile and guilt filled in the gaps. It was clear for him to read. Buttercup had let it all show. Even if Buttercup decided to hide behind a mask or lie to Butch nothing had happened, Butch saw the truth.

He knew the truth.

Blossom did not just make out with Brick on New Year's. Nope. She apparently did not have the decency in her because Blossom had also decided to have sex with Brick while they were together.

She had cheated on him. Blossom had a whole, entire affair. She had broken his heart once before but now it felt like Blossom had ripped through Butch's chest with her bare hands and left his heart out to be picked at by buzzards. And she did not give a shit about it. Not one single bit.

Brick, who was supposed to be Butch's friend, had slept with his girlfriend and he had no remorse over his actions. That was comprehensible.

However, the worst part for Butch, was the cruel discovery of Buttercup having known about it. She knew Blossom cheated. Hell, she knew Blossom and Brick had sex behind his back; yet Buttercup had still committed to acting clueless about it when Butch informed her of when he had originally thought it occurred.

Butch had persistently asked her point-blank if anything went down between Blossom and Brick, and Buttercup had repeatedly told him no. She had continuously lied to him. For months, Butch suspected. Butch could give her the benefit of the doubt but it all made sense now.

It was why Buttercup and Blossom grew apart after New Year's. It had given a justification as to why Buttercup was fidgety whenever Blossom got brought up. It was the reason behind Buttercup's vague warnings about Blossom. It explained why Buttercup was so adamant about pushing the narrative of Butch needing to let go and move on.

She had to have known the entire time, Butch concluded. Which brought on the sobering reality of how Buttercup has been lying to him since New Year's.

As Butch eyed her up and down through his accusing stare, Butch definitively determined he was done. Butch wanted absolutely nothing to do with Buttercup from this moment going forward.

Buttercup tried to swallow the unbearable lump in her throat. She tried to blink through the blurriness in her eyes, waiting for Butch to say something. Buttercup wanted for him to yell at her. For Butch to start an argument between them. For her to have a chance to apologize and explain herself. Anything was better than the tormenting silence Butch was leaving her in.

The air was incredibly thick, matching what it felt like to be outside before an impending thunderstorm. The pressure was extruding out in such a powerful force it had left Buttercup breathless.

Despite what Buttercup silently wished for, Butch stared at her as if Buttercup had never existed to him. It was a confirmation to whatever they had, whatever she meant to him, whatever may have built up between them; it was over now.

She was dead to him.

"Butch, I…" Buttercup began in a weak voice but it was too late.

Butch brushed past her, racing down the stairs and heading for the beach. Buttercup experienced a delayed reaction, having to overcome her emotions to fully grasp what was happening.

"Butch!" She called out to him. Panic plunged her system as Buttercup ran down the stairs to catch up to him.

---

"Do you wish I came with less complications?" Blossom found herself asking.

The night sky shifted over into a sapphire hue with the stars glittering brightly when Blossom and Brick were making their way back to the house. Their hands were loosely entangled and Blossom had felt like she was holding her breath the entire time. Brick had been in a better mood on the walk, smiling and cracking jokes; but Blossom's mind continued to be stuck on what happened earlier in the day. Thus, bringing upon the question Blossom was still debating on whether she regretted saying out loud.

Brick cocked an eyebrow, giving Blossom a look that made her feel crazy. "I like your complications. I like trying to figure them out."

Blossom shook her head. "That wasn't what I meant. I..." Blossom sighed, knowing she was not vocalizing her emotions properly. "Do you wish I was the type of girlfriend who didn't care? Like the type that is content with dates and kissing, but doesn't care to get too deep with our feelings? Someone who isn't too much?"

"That sounds like a bore," Brick answered without a beat. Blossom narrowed her eyes at how blasé he was being.

"Then why does it feel like that's what you want?" Blossom countered.

Brick blinked at her. A flash of hurt shined in his eyes for a second. "Why would you say that?"

"You've been moody and distant." Blossom softened for a moment. There was a certain gleam of impatience in her eyes. "I want to be there for you and help take care of your problems like you do for me. I want you to feel safe enough to let me care about you; but lately, it has felt like the exact opposite."

"Bloss…" Brick trailed off. The lights of the beach house were blinking in the distance. Brick ran a hand through his hair, a defeated breath fled from his lips.

Brick understood where Blossom was coming from. He has not been the warmest person to be around lately, and it appeared Blossom was lost in the collateral fallout of it. Brick did not intend for her to be. In fact, Brick has been distant because he did not want to trouble Blossom anymore than she already was.

Brick was used to dealing with his emotions alone. The gravity-defying highs and plummeting lows and lengthy plateau; they were all for Brick to dissect on his own and sort out. For him to ignore or reject if he pleased to. Brick simply forgot how easily those emotions could be read when he grew close to someone. Blossom was the closest he has been with anyone other than his mom. The fact of it has actually been terrifying him lately.

To be close with someone and having to share parts of himself that were no longer kept private. To let someone have the ability to like or dislike things about Brick that he had no control over. It felt way too naked—and not in a fun way.

Yet, Brick did want to let Blossom in. He simply has not found a way to do it all of the time as he should. Brick has not found the correct way to string together the right words or actions to express the opposite of how he has been making Blossom feel. There was a block. A gigantic wall in him that felt impossible to climb over. It was his defensive measure of holding his tongue back. From preventing anyone to have power over him with the secrets of his personal life.

However, Blossom was worthy of such a power. Blossom was someone who Brick trusts. And Blossom was the single reason why Brick was trying his damn hardest to climb over the wall preventing him from being fully there emotionally.

Brick cleared his throat, averting his gaze to the sand his feet were crunching. They were about twenty feet away from the steps leading up to the sun deck of the villa.

"...I'm used to not letting people care," Brick began hesitantly. "My problems, they don't need to be known—they don't want to be known. I can feel what I want. I can think about what I want, but it's all mine to keep. It makes things," Brick paused, trying to find the right word. "Less complicated. It makes things feel less of a issue. It makes things easier for me to ignore. I guess..." Brick shrugged his shoulders, slowly meeting Blossom's stare. "I guess it's a coping mechanism."

Blossom entangled their hands more, squeezing his hand. A tenderness swept over her face. "Was that so hard?"

Brick smiled faintly with a quick laugh. It was actually extremely hard for him. Brick felt more adrenaline burning through his body than when he played a full four quarters of football but he could not admit that to Blossom. "It's a start."

"Good." Blossom snuggled up closer to Brick. "Because I care about you a lot, Brick."

"I care about you too—"

"Butch! Don't!"

Blossom and Brick broke their loving gaze on each other to find Butch stomping towards them. When Blossom saw him, her stomach dropped to the greatest depth possible. Her nausea from the morning had suddenly returned, urging Blossom to throw up the dinner she had just eaten. She knew from the moment her eyes landed on Butch that he knew.

"How could you fucking do it?" Butch seethed, his eyes narrowed tightly as he marched his way over to her and Brick.

Buttercup was hot on his heels and so was Boomer. Brick immediately stood in front of Blossom, shielding her from Butch when he met them with a foot of distance between the three.

Blossom blanched. "Butch, I know this is bad—"

"Bad? This is bad?" Butch sneered. He patted his hand against his chest aggressively. "You cheated on me! You have no remorse about it at all! You're such a coldhearted bitch—"

Brick's jaw twitched and he chillingly spoke over Butch. "You're not going to speak to her like that."

Butch made a face to display his offended attitude towards Brick. "Like I give a fuck about what you have to say."

"Butch, stop," Buttercup commanded once she got to where the other three stood. Boomer was right next to her, his hands were on his knees as Boomer was trying to catch his breath after sprinting out to them.

"What's going on?" He muttered to Buttercup through his breaths. She did not reply to him as Buttercup went to stand between Brick and Butch, pushing the two apart to create more distance between them.

"Butch, I wanted to tell you," Blossom began in a small voice. She was on her tippy-toes, trying to meet Butch's burning gaze over Brick's shoulder. "I—"

"Tell me what? That you were too busy getting cozy with Brick to be faithful to me?" Butch snapped. His forest green eyes were dueling with Brick's.

"Oh," Boomer murmured to himself, immediately figuring out what was happening. This was exactly what they had all been trying to prevent. A relentless, hostile Butch who only had blinders on to express his wrath. "Butch," Boomer pitched out uneasily. "Why don't you take a moment to cool down?"

"Just admit that you never cared about me!" Butch demanded, ignoring Boomer. He attempted to move past Buttercup to get closer to Blossom.

"Butch, stop!" Buttercup ordered in a strained voice.

"Admit to everyone here how you didn't give a single fuck about breaking my heart! Admit to everyone about how fucking apathetic you are, Blossom! Let them all see the heartless bitch you are!" Butch threw out like bullets, still trying to fight off Buttercup guarding him.

Brick felt a fire burning in his chest fueled by the want and need to defend Blossom. In his mind, no one had the right to speak to her like that. And Brick was about to make sure Butch was well-aware of that.

"Call her a bitch one more time," Brick warned through his teeth, taking a step forward.

Blossom reached for Brick's arm, trying desperately to hold him back from moving any closer to Butch. Her fingers dug into his skin, surely to leave nail marks afterward. "No, Brick."

Butch scoffed, his hands forming fists. Visions of punching Brick's face flooded his mind. "What are you going to do? You wouldn't do shit! You're too much of a pussy to do anything, Brick! All you're good at is stealing everything that is mine!"

"She didn't want to be yours," Brick provoked callously, knowing it would piss off Butch more. His face seemed unfazed by Butch's words but his body was asserting a fighting stance similar to how Butch was. "She never has."

The two had entered the realm of puffing out their chests and asserting their dominance. The place where two men did not care to listen to any reason or logic other than trying to weaken the other's masculinity.

Blossom tightened her grip on Brick's arm. "Will you stop—"

"Doesn't change the fact that you're slumming it with my sloppy seconds!" Butch raged venomously.

"You need to shut up!" Buttercup advised aggressively, pushing into Butch's chest to get him back into the house but Butch stubbornly would not budge. Boomer began to help Buttercup with not much success either.

"You're saying stuff you're going to regret, dude," Boomer said, digging his feet into the sand to move Butch.

"You can't even be man enough to admit to what you've fucking done!" Butch continued ferociously. He dropped back a couple feet, forcing Buttercup and Boomer to stumble into the sand from not having a force to push into anymore. He staggered towards Brick again, sizing up to him. They were toe to toe, face to face. "You don't want anyone to know the truth about how obsessed and desperate you were for Blossom to even notice you!" Butch spat out right in Brick's ear. "You're fucking pathetic!"

Brick cocked his eyebrow, seething from Butch's words. "You want to know the truth?"

Brick ripped his arm out of Blossom's grasp. He formed a fist, throwing back his hand and punching Butch in the jaw with maximum force.

"Brick!" Blossom screamed.

Butch recoiled, touching his face for a second in shock before throwing the next punch, hitting Brick in the nose. Droplets of blood were spilling out of Brick's nose. His hand lightly touched the dark, warm liquid dripping out of his nostrils. Brick stared down at the fluid staining his fingertips.

"Wow," Brick mused without an ounce of emotion. There was something spine-chilling to how he sounded.

"That's right, motherfucker!" Butch boasted. "Try me again and I'll break your fucking nose!"

Crimson eyes grew dark, becoming soulless instantly. Brick's mind grew foggy about everything except for the impulse to beat the shit out of Butch. He had the strong urge to thrash Butch into the sand. His body trembled from the adrenaline rush he had and the blazing rage coursing through his system. Brick's hand flexed back into a fist and he swung again, going for Butch's left eye. He was swift to throw more punches while Butch did the same to further the brutal fistfight they were engaging in.

Blossom was screaming for them to stop and Boomer was trying to pull them away without getting hit. Buttercup just stood there, paralyzed by the turn of events and the guilt she felt from the self-accusation of being responsible for Butch even knowing.

The two began to stumble, losing their footing and toppling over into the sand. Brick had gained the advantage of being on top, punching Butch repeatedly in the face and chest. The rest of the world had faded away as Brick continued to let his aggression out. Butch tried to flip and knee Brick off of him but Brick was used to becoming dead-weight against guys who were twice his size due to football.

"Will you stop!" Blossom cried. She moved, struggling to get Brick away from Butch.

Boomer was quick to help her, using all the strength he had left to pull Brick off. It was then when Buttercup snapped out of her remorseful daze and went to assist them. Buttercup's added labor was what got Brick to be thrown back into the sand and off of Butch. Brick sat on his knees, wiping at the blood under his nose with the back of his hand as he stared at Butch laying on the ground in front of him. His chest was heaving in and out at a furious pace. Sand stuck onto the blood coating his skin.

Butch tried to get back up to attack Brick more but Boomer and Buttercup were pinning his arms and legs down. They were able to overpower him since Butch had used a good amount of energy fighting Brick. His lips were bloody and his left eye appeared as if it was about to be bruised for a long period. He looked swollen already from all the punches that connected onto his face. Droplets of blood-stained Butch's shirt from the free fall out of Brick's nose.

"What were you thinking?" Blossom yelled at Brick. Her cheeks were drenched and Blossom was shaking from what just occurred.

Brick stood up, brushing past Blossom with no regard. He hovered over Butch, unfazed by seeing the damage Brick had done to Butch's face. From seeing his blood mixing in with Butch's. "The truth is, Butch, I fucked your girlfriend," Brick spat out. "And I don't regret it one fucking bit."

Brick went on to walk away from the scene on the beach, making his way into the house, not bothering to glance back for Butch's reaction or anyone else's.

Butch attempted to move his limbs but his body ached way too much to fight off Buttercup's and Boomer's hold on him. He could hear Blossom quietly sobbing near him but Butch did not even want to look at her.

"Butch, I'm so sorry, I never meant for this to happen. I shouldn't have cheated on you," Blossom babbled out through her crying. She was gaining no sympathy from Butch. In fact, Butch found himself hating everything about her; her face, her voice, her cruelty, her boyfriend. "I'm so sorry. This isn't the way I wanted you to know—"

"I heard yelling! What happened?" Bubbles came out of the house. Her hair was still soaking wet and she appeared as if she saw a ghost. Her hand was shakily pointing towards the house. "Why is Brick bloody"

Her questions were met by a deafening silence. Baby blue eyes went to Butch laying on the ground, listening to the grunts he was making for Buttercup and Boomer to let him go already. She lifted her gaze to Boomer, speaking with him through a single glance.

"Oh..." She looked down at Butch again, wincing at how much damage had been done to his face. Bubbles spoke in a frail whisper. "I'm so sorry, Butch."

Butch scoffed at her apology. Why would she think saying sorry was the appropriate thing after someone got their ass beat? Butch could not—

"Why would you be sorry?" Butch snapped, narrowing his eyes at Bubbles as he watched her scramble to find an answer.

"Well, uh, because of Brick did—you know why," Bubbles fumbled out in terror.

Boomer seemed to tense up from her wording and Buttercup was subtlety running a line across her throat to tell Bubbles to shut up. Even Blossom paused her pity party to panic about Bubbles' word choice. They were all little reactions Butch had suddenly become intensely attuned to witnessing after months of being oblivious to hints that had been there the entire time.

Butch's eyes widened, hearing Bubbles' words for what they truly were, allowing everything to slip right into place and click together.

Everyone knew.

It was not only Buttercup who knew. But Boomer and Bubbles too. They all knew. His friends knew about this damaging secret and kept it from him. They had all elected to protect Blossom.

Butch was able to jerk away from Buttercup and Boomer due to them being distracted by Bubbles. His eyes were daggers as he shifted them between the four still before him. All of them were mortified by what Butch was about to do next.

"You all knew," Butch heard himself say in bitter astonishment. "Has this all been a joke to you? Have all of you been laughing behind my back this entire time?"

His chest was collapsing in on itself and Butch felt like the whole world was spinning backwards. There was no one he could trust. Not his friends. Not his girlfriend. No one. They had all betrayed him.

"No, of course not!" Boomer jumped to dismiss. His ocean blue eyes were pools of heavy guilt. "Butch, you have to understand we were worried about you—"

"Yeah, sure," Butch rejected. He stood up and brushed off some sand coating his body.

He glared at Boomer, at Blossom—he wanted to laugh at how pitiful she looked—at Bubbles, and finally, at Buttercup. He lingered on Buttercup the most.

"Butch, please," Buttercup whispered remorsefully, her voice cracking with emotion as she stood up before him. Butch had never seen her look so broken. "Let me explain everything."

Butch shook his head. The blinding rage in him was clearing up and Butch was confronted by the harsh truth of how his heart had been broken twice tonight. Once from finding out who Blossom really was. The second from learning Buttercup had been deceiving him this whole time.

The dagger Buttercup had ruthlessly stuck in his back was the most painful discovery of the night.

"You knew," Butch refused resentfully. His voice wanted to portray the hurt Butch felt but he used every ounce of self-control Butch could muster to prevent it from be heard. "You, out of everyone, knew how much this would hurt me. I thought you were the one person who had my back throughout all of this, but you were only protecting her this whole time."

Buttercup felt her lip tremble. Her eyes were growing warm and Buttercup could not loosen the lump in her throat. Nor the guilt seizing up in her chest.

"That's not true," Buttercup argued weakly as blinked away the water in her eyes.

"We both know how you're not good with the truth, so whatever you have to say, doesn't mean anything now," Butch deflected quietly. He could not bear to hear another response from her. The agony in her eyes was enough for Butch. He decided to move away from Buttercup, going in the opposite direction of the villa and walking into the darkness surrounding the beach.

---

It was twenty minutes after the fistfight. Buttercup had walked off into the opposite direction Butch had gone in, wordlessly and holding back a cry. Boomer wanted to go after both of them but had to console Bubbles after she was distraught with self-imposed responsibility for making things worse. Blossom had stood in place for a while, frozen by the replays of the entire fight sizzling through her mind.

The shock had a strong grip on her for a length of time. It was when Blossom noticed the light on in the master bedroom, did her shock subside. It was substituted for other emotions Blossom could not run from. She wiped at her face roughly, removing any more tears that may have stained her skin. Her eyes narrowed at the bright light illuminated from the window. When her hands were returned to her sides, Blossom formed them into fists, making her way into the house.

Blossom approached the door to the master suite, sucking in a sharp breath to prepare herself for the argument she was on the verge of having. Upon opening the door, Blossom found Brick sitting at the end of the bed. A towel was in his hand and he was trying to dry off his hair. He was only wearing a pair of basketball shorts, giving Blossom the indication he was about to go to sleep for the night.

"Hey, Bloss," Brick had greeted in between running the plush white towel against his hair. He sounded so normal and calm. As if he had not been repeatedly pounding his fist into Butch's face just twenty minutes ago.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Blossom chastised, skipping right through any pleasantries or small talk. Her eyes were slanted into daggers.

Brick furrowed his eyebrows. The towel in his hand was thrown into a nearby hamper, no longer needing to be used. Blossom could see how inflamed his nose was and there was a blotchy red-spot on his jaw that was surely going to deepen into a gnarly bruise. His knuckles were stained a purplish-red, ruined for a momentary period after beating into the flesh and bones of Butch's face. Blossom also spotted indentations of her nails on his arm, a glaring sign of how much she did not want Brick to have done what he did.

"Are you seriously mad at me?" Brick deflected. Hurt shadowed his face.

"Yes, I am," Blossom nodded furiously. She crossed her arms and could not believe how Brick did not see what was wrong here. "What had given you the impression of getting into a fistfight with Butch was a bright idea, Brick? Seriously—"

"I was defending you," Brick argued over her. He stood up from the edge of the bed, making his height advantage over Blossom apparent but she was not going to back down.

Not when Blossom had just gotten her voice back. Not when she failed at speaking to Butch about the truth tonight. No, Blossom was going to stand her ground.

"No, you weren't," Blossom dismissed. She pointed an accusing finger at Brick. "You were looking for any reason—"

"He called you a bitch. You think I'm just going to stand there and let him say shit like that to you," Brick interrupted, his voice growing an octave louder than normal. His frustration was gravelly noticeable in his tone.

"I don't need you to protect or defend me, Brick. I could have talked to him like I've been needing to," Blossom countered. She eyed him up and down. Her pink eyes were red-rimmed and heavy with her ranging emotions. "Sometimes I feel like you don't think I'm capable of handling things on my own—"

"Oh my God," Brick groaned, running a hand along the length of his face. He winced for a long moment, obviously forgetting he should not be touching his nose.

"Butch was mad at me tonight. I'm the one who cheated on him. All you should have done was stay out of it—"

"He was calling you a bitch!" Brick defended again, throwing his hands up like it was an obvious answer. "He should have known what was going to happen—"

Blossom tightened her jaw. "There was no need for what happened—"

"He started it!" Brick pointed out, sounding like a five-year-old who got caught fighting with their sibling. "He didn't have to say shit—"

"You threw the first punch!" Blossom yelled over him. Brick blinked at her in response, having never heard Blossom raise her voice like this before.

"Okay? So what? You also slapped him in front of the entire school, so why the fuck am I being crucified here when you weren't?" Brick threw out venomously. He regretted saying it immediately but there was no way Brick could fully take it back now.

Blossom recoiled at the memory, feeling the invisible wound of his words stab into her stomach. "Wow. I, I—" Blossom tightened her glare on him. "You know just how much I've regretted doing that to him. The fact you would even try bringing that up now—"

Brick ran a hand through his slightly damp hair, sighing. "I'm sorry," he muttered remorsefully. "I shouldn't have said that."

"This isn't about me," Blossom fumed, not even allowing for a moment to consider forgiveness. "It's about you and the stupid decision you made."

Her chest was a buzz and Blossom was feeling lightheaded from the entire night. Tears had betrayed her, streaming down her face. Blossom was highly annoyed by the fact she could not even express her anger towards Brick without crying.

Brick avoided her gaze, narrowing his eyes at the wooden floor underneath them. "I don't regret punching him," Brick mumbled hotly.

"Of course you don't," Blossom responded flatly. "You made it pretty obvious you don't regret any of your actions."

Brick angled his head to a degree, staring at Blossom intensely. "Blossom, I don't know what the fuck you expect me to say."

"I want you to admit you're wrong," Blossom revealed in frustration. She combed a hand through her thick hair, pulling at her roots a little. "I want you to have some sort of capacity for feeling remorse."

Brick pressed his lips together, shaking his head slowly. A stubborn glint could be discovered in his eyes. "Why would I do that? I did the right thing tonight—"

Blossom interrupted him by puffing out hot air loudly. Her face sneered at him. "You literally can not see passed your damn ego—"

"My ego?" Brick's face contoured with disbelief and a sprinkle of feeling disrespected. "What the fuck—"

"That's what it's always been!" Blossom argued. Her cheeks were burning brightly and her hands were shaking. "It's always been some ego contest between you and Butch. The football team, his friends, me; it's all been some contest between—"

"You actually believe that shit?" Brick questioned, letting his wounded response to be completely on display. How could Blossom say something like that? Brick had thought she knew him better than that. "You actually believe I've been purposefully trying to one-up—"

"No, I don't," Blossom answered swiftly. "But I do believe you know how to use it to your advantage. The more it benefits you, the more smug you get. The more valid it makes you feel to swing your dick around and say the things you did tonight."

Brick rolled his eyes the hardest he could muster. "What exactly did I even say—"

"That I never wanted to be Butch's?" Blossom paraphrased for him to recollect. "We both know that isn't true. If it was, I would have never taken so long to choose between the two of you. Or did you forget that patch in our relationship?"

Brick sighed, shaking his head. "No, I haven't."

"Then why would you say something like that—"

"Did you not hear how Butch was talking to you?" Brick retorted. He took a step forward, making his height even more intimidating than before. "I think I'm valid for—"

"He was angry, Brick," Blossom challenged, craning her neck up to meet his daggers with the same velocity of fury. "He was bound to say things he doesn't mean and will regret later. That—"

"No," Brick interrupted frigidly, shutting Blossom up immediately. "He was saying things he meant without any filter. We both know Butch meant every, single word he had to say." Brick shifted his weight, leaning forward a little. "So why the fuck are you defending him so much, Blossom?"

"I'm not defending Butch," Blossom deflected, turning her cheek to him. "I'm simply defending what I believe is right."

Brick snorted. "Yeah, right. Because you're the person to ask about what is the right thing to do."

Blossom's mouth was slacked as she felt betrayed by Brick's jab. It was such a low blow and both of them knew it. A silence captured them as Blossom reflected off all of the hurt Brick inflicted on her.

"And neither are you," she said frailly after an extended period. The tears pricking her eyes were not constituted solely by anger anymore. They were from being severely wounded by a person she loves and trusts.

"Then why do you expect me to do something right?" Brick questioned harshly. "You knew how I was before we got together—"

"I didn't think you would be this cruel," Blossom whispered, shaking her head and hugging herself for comfort. "Do you understand that I did love Butch? That he was a big part of my life? Do you realize how much I hurt him? Did you not hear the pain in his voice when he confronted—"

"Of course I did," Brick interjected softly. The unfamiliar feeling of regret was swimming in his lungs and throat, making it difficult for him to breathe. "Bloss, I didn't—"

"You don't care about anyone but yourself, Brick," Blossom criticized. "I—"

"That's wrong and you know it," Brick refuted. It was clear from his tone that Brick was beginning to get choked up. The damage of their argument was spilling out all over his face. "I care about you. I was literally telling you that before Butch interrupted us—"

"If you truly cared about me, then tonight wouldn't have happened. It—"

"Come on," Brick huffed out. He pounded his fist lightly into his forehead out of irritation. "Don't you dare pull that on me, Blossom. I'm not playing that game—"

"Then what game do you want to play, Brick?" Blossom questioned with a faint amount of venom. "Or are you just going to continue to act like this isn't worth your time as you do with everything else?"

Brick shook his head, glaring at her. He was absolutely drained from fighting with Blossom. "Just stop it already, okay? I get it. You're upset—"

"I'm furious, Brick," Blossom stated with an edge to her voice. "Not upset."

Her mind flashed with the thought of how she should simply broke up with him right now. It would be so easy; it would be the quickest way to wipe her hands clean from the mess Brick had made for the night.

However, Blossom rejected the thought immediately. It was an idea Blossom felt ashamed for entertaining, even if it was for a brief second.

Brick flinched for a moment before continuing on. "Can we just, like, sleep this off and talk in the morning?"

Blossom let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, sure—"

"Great," Brick forced out along with a painfully, fake smile. He made a step towards his side of the bed, "Then I'm going—"

"You're not sleeping in here," Blossom decided abruptly, marching over to block Brick from even getting the chance of touching the bed.

Brick narrowed his eyes at her, finding her actions to be a bit childish. "You can't be serious, Blossom?"

"I am," she responded back sharply. "I don't want to be anywhere near you."

"This is bullshit—"

"No. What you did tonight, that is," Blossom cut in. She took a pillow from the bed and shoved it into Brick's chest. "You're lucky the couch downstairs is actually comfortable—"

"Blossom. Please," Brick whispered. He swallowed harshly and Blossom could see the harmful effect she was having on him. She could sense the regret Brick had acquired. "Don't do this," Brick pleaded quietly. "I was only trying to defend you."

Blossom stood motionless for a moment. A faint glimmer of remorse alluded her face but it was not strong enough. "That isn't the way I want anyone to defend me."

"But—"

"I need space, Brick," Blossom murmured to him desperately. "Just please respect my wishes and give me that, okay?"

Brick watched her woefully, clutching onto the pillow in his hands with an iron grip. "Okay."

---

When Butch got back to the villa, no lights were on and everything was eerily silent. It felt like the entire place was empty. As if no one was occupying the space and all of the events of the past forty-eight hours had been a part of some dream.

The throbbing pain Butch felt in his swollen eye reminded him this was far from a dream. It was his actual life. A nightmare.

He pushed open the sliding doors, quickly becoming aware of the sound of someone snoring nearby. In fact, Butch has gotten quite accustomed to the sound of this snoring.

In the darkness, Butch could make out Brick's body resting on the couch. He snorted quietly to himself. It appeared someone had gotten in trouble with Blossom.

It sparked a sense of joy in Butch to see this. To know there were cracks in their relationship. Because with cracks, there was bound to be larger fractures that would break away into a chasm. Butch could only root for this to be the start of the end for their relationship. It was what Blossom and Brick deserved.

As Butch climbed up the stairs, the profound thought of leaving in the morning was at the forefront of his mind. There was no way Butch could afford a hotel room for the rest of the week or a plane ticket back to California. Which unfortunately meant he was stuck in hell with a house full of untrustworthy, backstabbers.

At the top of the stairs, Butch jumped slightly at the sight of Boomer sitting on the nearby window bench. His arms were hugging his knees as Boomer was staring out towards the road and beyond. A pair of navy blue sleeper pants with a pattern of polar bears adored his lanky legs. A mug containing tea sat on the ground.

Boomer must have felt Butch's presence because he turned his head, eyes wide and uncertain.

"Hey," Boomer whispered nervously. He tried his best to greet Butch with a genuine smile but it still came off a bit too frightened. "Do you, uh... do you want to talk?"

Butch scoffed at the idea. "Like I want to talk to you," he retorted in a harsh yet quiet tone.

Boomer's smile faltered. A sigh escaped his lips as his eyes went to look out the window again. "I'm sorry for what happened today," he muttered. It was barely audible and Butch had no idea why he had not left for his room already. "I'm sorry for not telling you the truth. I'm so…" Boomer inhaled a shaky breath, exhaling it out with his next words. "I'm disappointed in myself for keeping it from you for this long. You're one of my best friends, but I haven't been a good friend to you."

Butch kept his lips pressed together. His eyes were shining with the outrage Butch could not express properly due to not wanting to wake everyone up—even when everyone has wronged him, Butch had to laugh at the irony of him having the decency to be respectful towards them. Butch did not want Boomer's apology. He did not need it. Boomer had proved to Butch the type of person he was tonight, and Butch wanted nothing to do with him.

"We didn't tell you because we were protecting you," Boomer continued on in his fragile whisper after realizing Butch was not going to say anything back. "You've made so much progress with controlling your anger, and what Blossom did…" Boomer paused, choosing his next words carefully. "We knew it would set you off. Buttercup, Bubbles, and I chose to keep it a secret until you were ready to hear what truly happened. It wasn't because we were trying to protect Blossom or Brick. We were protecting you, Butch."

Butch shook his head immediately. Boomer's words were falling onto deaf ears. Not when Butch's mind was still clouded over from earlier in the night. Not when Butch had stubbornly jumped to his own conclusions that he wanted to firmly trust.

"I don't believe you," Butch rejected.

Boomer sighed, reaching down for his mug. He wrapped his hand around the handle, standing up from the window bench. His ocean blue eyes were plagued by an exhaustion Butch had not seen before.

He had given Butch a once over, making steps towards his room. Boomer quietly bestowed Butch four parting words before retiring for the night.

"You'll eventually realize it."

---

Waves crashed beside Buttercup. The water stretched up to kiss her toes, retreating back in an effortless pull. There was no moon in the sky and the stars were too spread out to light up the beach Buttercup sat on.

She was fine with that.

Buttercup was fine with the darkness of the night. It fitted her mood. It also had hidden her drenched cheeks; hidden the redness in her eyes; hidden the pools of wetness on her shirt.

This. What she was feeling, was the worst pain Buttercup has ever experienced.

The way Butch had gazed at her. The vacancy in his stare. The easy expression of her existence meaning nothing to him anymore. It was branded into her, scorching brightly in her mind.

Buttercup questioned if she even deserved to be upset. She blindsided Butch. He trusted her and Buttercup tainted that trust.

She should have told him. Buttercup wanted to tell him. But she also had to protect him.

Her heavy thoughts were putting Buttercup in a fragile state. Buttercup felt utterly defeated. There was no way to fix the damage she has caused.

Butch made that abundantly clear to her.

They were back to the start. Back to Butch hating her. Back to no longer being friends. Everything was the same, except for the glaring fact Buttercup was in love with Butch this time around.

Buttercup hurt him in a way she should not harm someone she loves. She betrayed him. And now Buttercup had to deal with the heartbreak inflicted upon herself. She had to suffer on her own.

Butch had broken Buttercup's heart and he had no idea about it. What exactly was Buttercup supposed to do with a broken heart? She felt useless, pitiful, pathetic, and hysterical. Buttercup did not feel like herself. And it was all because of Butch.

All because of Butch and what Buttercup had done to him.

Buttercup just wanted to ask for forgiveness. She wanted to spill out her guts to Butch about the past few months and how she was only looking out for him, but Butch would not see it that way. Buttercup knew Butch well enough that he was not going to forgive her. Not over this. Not at all.

It was the end.

It marked the end of their friendship. It was the end of Buttercup getting to be around him. Of getting the exhilarating rush of producing a smile or laugh from him. Of Buttercup feeling safe enough to let her guard down wholeheartedly with someone. It was the end of Buttercup getting the taste of what real love should look and feel like.

And because of that, Buttercup was left to feel empty and alone. She had a freshly broken heart and a love that had to fade away.

It was such a lovely way to spend her spring break.

---

Author's Notes:

The craziest thing about writing this chapter is that I actually enjoyed most of it. This is what I've been building up towards for such a long time and to see it come into fruition is amazing. Also, I may be a little too excited because there are only ten chapters remaining to this story. Now if only I could focus and write the next ten chapters in a good enough time span instead of only doing two chapters a year...

Until next time, thank you for reading!