Bubbles had always been the good one. The one that always followed orders. The most innocent one.
She sighed softly, sipping the drink in front of her and eyeing her sisters standing on the other side of the crowded club. They chatted happily to a group of boys sat in a booth in the corner. The girls were adults now, twenty one years old to be exact. They could drink, they could party. Bubbles could, but did she really want to was the question.
No. No she did not.
She hated the sweaty, dancing bodies. She hated the pounding music and the lack of personal space.
She couldn't help the way her nose scrunched up as she finished off the rum laced drink, moving the straw around the ice with her hands. Her sisters had convinced- more like forced- Bubbles to come celebrate Blossoms promotion. She had gotten a job in the mayors office as a secretary, replacing Miss Bellum after she'd retired.
She wanted to celebrate. She truly did. Just not like this. She waved over the bartender, ordering one more, and then she would go home. She promised herself she'd go home and go straight to bed.
"Hey Bubbles! Are you having fun?" Blossom chirped, sliding onto the stool beside the blond. Buttercup climbed onto the stool on the opposite side. "Oh yeah, loads." She rolled her eyes and smiled weakly.
"I know you don't like this whole thing too much but I want to have some fun with my sisters" Blossom crossed her arms and frowned after setting her drink on the bar in front of her. Bubbles sighed again. Guilt wrapped itself around her brain. "I know Blossom and I'm so happy for you. I'm not having a horrible time, this just isn't my scene.
"Yeah because a kindergarten teacher totally belongs in a club on a Friday night." Buttercup chuckled softly. Bubbles blushed and took a swig of the mojito being placed on her coaster. She did need to unwind. Kindergarteners weren't the most relaxing thing to be around after all.
The minutes ticked by as the girls talked, the occasional boy coming up to ask one of them to dance. Blossom and Buttercup took them up on it, but Bubbles declined, choosing to stay behind. She glanced at the time on her phone. Eleven o'clock. She needed to get home.
"Bye guys. I'm going to head home. I'll call you when I get there." She stood up, hugging her sisters and making her way out onto the sidewalk in front of the bar. The night was quiet, the cool air felt amazing on her flushed face. She decided to walk home. A big mistake. But the thought of a stuffy cab ride didn't sound very appealing. Townsville hadn't changed. The buildings were the same, the streets all the same. The dimly lit path in front of her seemed to stretch forever in front of her. She tugged her cardigan tighter around her body, pulling the hood up over her head.
Her pace quickened as a terrible feeling began gnawing at her stomach.
"Hey" she squeaked at the voice coming from behind her. She turned slightly, locking eyes with one of the boys that had asked her to dance. "What are you doing walking home by yourself?" He chuckled. Her mind was too fogged with rum to realize exactly how badly she had screwed up. She had screwed up bad.
He reached out to touch her shoulder, scowling when she jerked away. "Please don't touch me." Her request fell upon deaf ears, his hand reaching forward and grabbing her wrist and yanking her towards him.
"Let me walk you home." He grinned at her, his tongue wetting his lips.
She shook her head slowly, pulling her arm in vain to get away from him. She whimpered softly.
"I think she said no." a different male voice spoke up from behind her. "And I think this is none of your business." The man snarled, still clenching her arm. She could feel his nails digging into her skin and his thumb pressing into her wrist.
Her thoughts raced, a cold feeling creeping its way up her back and settling between her shoulder blades. She decided to walk home alone. She had been drinking. And there were two men that she didn't know.
Good job Bubbles.
"Get your nasty fucking hands off her before I do something you'll regret." A hand reached over her shoulder from behind her and settled it on the other mans hand, prying it off of her arm. "You know I wont hesitate to beat the ever loving shit out of you." Bubbles shrunk back into the person behind her. She didn't know who it was, but she didn't want to lean forward either.
The man shook his head and turned, deciding it wasn't worth it.
"This isn't over Brick." Her blood ran cold and she turned to look into a pair of deep crimson eyes.
"Brick?"
"That's right. I'm back baby"