Senior year was going by rather uneventfully.
Bonnie was hard at work – her grades had been nothing less than perfect so far – and other than spending time with Marceline (aka spending time kissing Marceline) nothing noteworthy had happened. It was nice. Admittedly, she was starting to feel a little stress at the workload from her A.P. classes, but she was willing to do it. School was important to her.
Upon being let out to lunch after her Wednesday Statistics class, she made her way out to the football field, expecting to see her friends. Nobody was there yet, but she did see Marceline lazing on the grass, reading her book. She'd had a free period, Bonnie remembered – she'd taken the liberty of memorising her girlfriend's schedule.
She had her cute grumpy face on like she usually did when she was in school and unaccompanied. It was one of those times where Bonnie wasn't sure if she wanted to be disturbed or not; she knew that sometimes, Marceline enjoyed her own company, and since she wasn't in the music room with her friends, maybe that was the case.
But her heart gave a pull, and she couldn't resist. She walked over to where Marceline was and dropped down onto the grass next to her. Marceline looked up in surprise and pulled an earbud out, her whole face lighting up in a smile. "Hey."
"Hi," Bonnie greeted her, and then asked, "I'm not intruding, am I?"
"You could never," Marceline said, marking the page in her book and closing it as Bonnie got her lunch out of her bag. "Enjoy your weird smart people math class?"
"Of course," Bonnie retorted, "did you enjoy not utilising your free period for actual study?"
Marceline waved the book she'd been reading in front of Bonnie's face. "Read the cover, brainlord. It's one of the books we're studying in lit class."
"Oh," Bonnie let out, effectively shut up, "Well, then. Colour me impressed."
Marceline rolled her eyes, but she didn't look offended that Bonnie had accused her of basically just lazing around. She stole one of Bonnie's grapes from the little tub she'd packed and ate it, and then rooted around in her backpack for her own lunch.
Because she was being so quiet, Bonnie tried something else. "How's Simon?"
She hoped that Marceline was happier with Simon. She had to be, because there was a marked improvement in the way she seemed to hold herself. Her movements weren't careful and calculated to avoid giving away that she was in pain. She seemed a lot lighter, except for in class with her dad. Even with Bonnie there, she wore a permanent scowl in the science classroom.
"He's okay." Marceline said after a bite of her sandwich. "Seems happy to have company, so… that's good. How's your uncle?"
"Peter is fine. He asked after you too, actually," Bonnie replied, and Marceline cringed, "What's that look for? It's sweet. He likes you."
"God knows why. You're an ultra-polite, super-smart, clean-cut kind of girl," Marceline pointed out, "I'm dumb and wear all black and glare at people all day. Not the kind of person you want your niece to date."
"None of that is true," Bonnie laughed, "You're actually really smart, you're not even wearing all black right now, and you don't glare at people all day, you've just got a cute little grumpy face. Plus, you're always polite when you're talking to him. Not so much when you're talking to me, though."
"Well, whatever," Marceline answered in a scoff, "I'm still in disbelief that a parental figure approves of me."
"What's not to believe? You're always a pleasure to have over," Bonnie said, and when Marceline laughed, she nudged her. "Come on. You know you are. It's just us here, you don't have to pretend to be a big scary troublemaker."
That had done it. With a dramatic sigh, Marceline said, "Fine, fine. Maybe I play the polite card when I'm talking to him. Is it so bad that I want your uncle to approve?"
"It's actually rather adorable," Bonnie smiled, "I appreciate it."
"Appreciate what?" Finn flopped down on the grass next to her, with Jake awkwardly trailing behind him. "Also, hey guys."
"Hi, Finn," Bonnie smiled, and elbowed Marceline to make her let out a grunt in greeting. "Just telling Marceline I appreciate her being all sweet and polite around my uncle."
Marceline snorted and muttered, "Thanks for exposing me."
"Stop being so dramatic," Bonnie teased her, and if anything, Marceline seemed to get grumpier when Lady sat down next to Jake and greeted him with a kiss. Bonnibel laughed quietly to herself. Once Finn had sat down, she knew that was the nail in the coffin. Soon, all of her friends would congregate around them.
By the way Marceline threw her book into her backpack, Bonnie knew she'd realised the same thing, and quickly grabbed her by the hand to stop her from leaving.
"Don't," she murmured and coupled it with a pleading look. Marceline sighed heavily but didn't make a move to leave. "Thank you."
She heard Lady's quiet snicker and knew she'd seen their little exchange. "Maybe you two should switch clothes so Bonnie can wear the pants."
"Oh, leave her alone," Bonnie smoothed out her pink dress and kept a grip on Marceline's hand so she wouldn't get up and leave. Her girlfriend merely groaned and laid back on the grass, muttering something that sounded a lot like kill me now.
Jake frowned and looked around at Lady. "Wait, what?"
Finn just laughed, "She means that Bonnie's the boss, bro."
Jake still looked confused, glancing between Bonnie, who was smirking to herself rather proudly, and Marceline, who was laying back on the grass and probably hoping it would swallow her up. Then he glanced at their hands and his eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute… no."
Bonnie laughed. "Yes, actually."
Jake's brown eyes widened rather comically, and he looked between them like he didn't believe what he was seeing. "But… you're… and she's…"
"I'll give you a few minutes to let it sink in," Bonnie said, and when she saw Marshall approaching, she greeted him, "Hello, Marshall."
"Hey." He looked over her and stared at his sister in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I was here first, dickface," Marceline glared at him from her spot on the grass, "Apparently letting one nerd hang around attracts more. A little bit like fleas. Who knew?"
Marshall laughed at her. "Staying with Simon hasn't made you any less grumpy then."
Marceline scoffed. "Nah, I just save the grumpiness especially for you."
"Damn, all these years, and I thought you were just a bitch," Marshall said, but then his expression morphed into a grin and he added, "Miss you, though."
Marceline let out a fake vomiting noise. "Gross. I don't miss you, dillweed."
Both Marshall and Bonnie knew that translated into 'miss you too'. Marshall just grinned and sat down next to Jake, who was still processing the new information he'd learned.
Finn nudged Bonnie and asked her, "We're all getting together out at mine and Jake's house next Friday night to celebrate my birthday. I turn seventeen next Tuesday, so... do you want to come?"
She hesitated. "Is it a big party?"
"No, just the usual group. Our parents are away for the weekend and Jermaine is at college, so we're going to have a big sleepover and I think Jake is going to get some alcohol." Finn said, and then quickly told her, "But you don't have to drink. I know you're not really into that."
"Um," Bonnie hummed in consideration, and even though she expected she'd likely end up sending an SOS text to Marceline to get out of the sleepover part, she nodded. "Alright. That sounds like fun."
Finn looked over her shoulder at Marceline and asked, "Do you want to come too, Marceline?"
She'd been laid back sunbathing, but upon his question, green eyes popped open in surprise. "What?"
"Do you want to come over next Friday night?" He asked, and clearly added to entice her, "Bonnie will be there."
Marceline frowned, like she still wasn't sure why he was asking her, but after a few moments of silence, and an encouraging nod from Bonnie, she answered. "Uh, I guess so."
Finn grinned. "Awesome. Don't forget your pyjamas!"
"I don't know how I let you talk me into this."
Bonnie laughed, pulling her grumpy girlfriend in for a kiss. "All I had to do was look at you and you did exactly as I asked. Is the big scary Marceline whipped?"
"Shut up," Marceline rolled her eyes, but she didn't dispute the claim. She merely held up the big overnight bag that they were sharing and said, "At least the bottle of vodka in here will help me through this ordeal."
Bonnie knocked on the door, keeping one hand wrapped tightly around Marceline's in case she tried to run off. The door swung open, and Lady flashed them both a bright smile. She already looked a little bit tipsy. "Bonnie, Marceline, come in!"
She ushered them inside, and Marceline dumped their big bag and sat down on the floor to untie the laces of her boots. For a moment, Bonnie wondered if they were the only shoes she owned, but she remembered that Marceline had those trainers she went running in. Her socks were cute too – mismatched, but they always were, and Bonnie wondered if she did it on purpose – one was black and covered in little pizzas, and the other was a navy blue and covered in little embroidered versions of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.
"Is everyone else here?" Bonnie asked once Marceline stood up and immediately rifled in her bag for that bottle of vodka. "Or are we early?"
"Everyone's here, except Marshall, who cancelled, and Fionna, who got herself grounded." Lady said, and glanced over at Marceline, "Elle might leave early too, if Brad calls. They're on speaking terms again."
"Thank god for that," Marceline said, but raised the bottle of vodka. "Still going to be drinking this, though. Got any orange juice for a mixer?"
Before Lady could answer the question, Finn burst out of the living room with a big smile. "Hey! It's my birthday, guys! Well, it's not technically my birthday, but since the celebration is today, it's my birthday."
"I'm guessing you've already started drinking," Bonnie said, looking at his flushed cheeks and dilated pupils. "But happy birthday, anyway."
They followed Lady and Finn into the lounge, where Jake, Elle and Phoebe were sprawled out on the floor over a Twister mat. Marceline saw the orange juice on the coffee table with all of the other drinks and poured some into a glass that Lady offered her, then adding a considerable amount of vodka.
"Are you going to drink, Bonnie?" Jake asked after he'd taken a sip from his beer bottle. "You don't have to, though."
Elle scoffed. "Of course she won't."
Ever since that party, everyone seemed to tell her she didn't have to right after it, or assumed she wouldn't. She appreciated that but looked around the room. She supposed that maybe one drink wouldn't be such a bad idea. She was with friends, so it wasn't like she was at that party, surrounded by strangers. And she knew that Marceline would never let anything happen to her.
"Alright. I'll have one." Bonnie said, looking at Marceline, who had downed her first vodka and orange juice and was in the middle of pouring another. "Marcy, would you mind making me a drink?"
Marceline paused after adding some more vodka to the juice in her cup. "Wait, are you sure?"
"Positive," Bonnie flashed a smile to show she was really okay with it and sat down next to Marceline on the couch, "really."
"Alright," Marceline took another offered cup from Lady and poured some orange juice into it. She added less vodka to Bonnie's drink than her own and passed it over. "There you go, Bon-Bon."
When Bonnie took a sip, Elle gasped in legitimate surprise. "I can't believe you actually did it."
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I have had a drink before, you know."
"Wait, what?" Lady blinked at her. "When?"
"Marceline and I shared a bottle of wine after we saw the concert, and also at dinner the night after." Bonnie said, looking at her friends' surprised expressions. "Why is that so surprising?"
"You just don't seem like the type," Jake said, and he looked a little wary when he pointed at Marceline and added, "She does, though."
"She can hear you," Marceline retorted, swirling the remainder of her second drink around in the cup, "I told Bonnie she didn't have to if she didn't want to."
Bonnie took her hand and squeezed it gently, trying to tell her it was alright through touch, that she didn't need to get defensive. "It was entirely my decision. I'd never tried it, and I was in a safe environment with someone I trusted, so…"
"You're still in an environment with people you trust," Lady said, then squinted at her and asked, "Right?"
"Forget Bonnie's weird drinking rules," Elle said, pouring herself a fresh drink and then connecting her phone up to the speaker. A pop song Bonnie vaguely recognised blared through the speaker, and she grabbed the Twister mat, bunching it up and tossing it aside lazily. "Okay. Everyone sit in a circle. Time for some party games so we can get drunk."
Bonnie heard Marceline mutter, "you've got to be kidding me," and laughed. She nudged her playfully as she pulled her up from the sofa. "Be present, Marcy. Isn't that what you're always telling me?"
"They're your friends, not mine," Marceline grumbled, but she let Bonnie pull her over to where everyone was sitting. She'd brought her orange juice and vodka bottles with her, and as she sat down, she topped up her drink. Mostly with the vodka.
"Never have I ever!" Phoebe suggested loudly, "We should totally play never have I ever."
Bonnie vaguely knew the rules – she'd never played drinking games before, but she'd watched enough television where the characters played drinking games – but Lady took it upon herself to explain the rules. "You've done the thing, you drink. You haven't done the thing, you don't drink. We'll go clockwise."
Marceline sighed. "So dumb."
"What's the matter, Abadeer?" Elle smirked at her. "Scared you'll spill your nasty little secrets?"
Marceline snorted. "Definitely not."
"Alright then," Lady smirked at her, then glanced at the tattoo on Marceline's wrist and said, "never have I ever gotten a tattoo. Drink up."
Marceline rolled her eyes but took a drink. Bonnie glanced around the circle to see if any of her friends had secret tattoos, but nobody else drank.
Phoebe went next. "Never have I ever… been kicked out of a store. Or a mall."
Elle took a drink. "They sold the dress I reserved and I got kicked out for making a scene."
When Marceline drank, Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me. When was this?"
"Honestly? It's so dumb," Marceline said, and when she looked at Bonnie, she seemed to soften a little bit and open up. She was less closed-off, public Marceline and more sweet, real Marceline. "Keila had to buy some new jeans so we went to the mall – couple months ago – and after she bought the jeans, we thought, fuck it, let's play hide and seek for a little bit of fun. The security guard kicked us out for suspicious activity."
Everyone laughed, even Elle, but Bonnie especially. "I honestly don't know what I expected, but it definitely wasn't that."
"I didn't expect to be thrown out, either." Marceline sounded so offended by it, "Like, on what planet is playing hide and seek considered suspicious activity? Stupid security guard."
Bonnie laughed. "You probably looked like you were casing the place out."
"Oh," Marceline frowned in thought, "that makes sense, actually. Still a dick move, though."
"We should try that some time," Finn said, and then realised it was his turn and added, "never have I ever… skipped school."
"Are you guys just trying to get me drunk?" Marceline asked aloud, draining the rest of her drink. "Jeez."
Elle and Jake both drank, and then looked at Bonnie expectantly. She frowned. "What? I've never skipped school."
Marceline nudged Bonnie once she'd made a fresh drink, and when she met her gaze, her green eyes looked a little cloudy. "It's your turn, brainlord."
"Oh." Bonnie hummed in thought, musing over it for a few moments. Then she smirked and looked at Marceline, poking her nose ring. "Never have I ever had a piercing on my face. Drink."
"That was blatant targeting," Marceline scowled at her, but she drank. Bonnie was surprised when Jake drank too, and she knew Marceline was at least a little tipsy when she was the one to question it. "Wait, what?"
"I got my lip pierced on a dare once. It was your brother who dared me, actually," Jake said, "I took it out though, didn't like it."
Bonnie nudged Marceline similarly to how she'd nudged her. "It's your turn, grumpy."
"I know, I'm trying to think for something I haven't done but you have," Marceline said, sending a teasing wink Bonnie's way, "Just to get you back for that last one."
Bonnie laughed. "Good luck finding-"
Marceline cut her off with a grin, "Never have I ever lived in England. Drink up, babe."
She glowered at her and wanted to kiss that stupid smug smile off her face, but took a long drink from her cup. It was more than half gone, and she already felt slightly fuzzy. "You're an arse."
"My apologies, your majesty," Marceline put on that fake English accent of hers, "I'm sorry to have offended the princess."
Bonnie laughed – well, it was more like a giggle – and it was enough to make Marceline laugh too. Her girlfriend leaned into her, and Bonnie naturally put an arm around her waist to steady her, but then she looked up and realised that everyone was staring at them and plastered on a polite smile. "Can we help you?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Elle squinted at Marceline, "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before. Or like, seen you smile. At all."
"That's because you're not my friend, genius," Marceline rolled her eyes, and then admitted, "and maybe I'm a little bit tipsy."
Bonnie's arm was still around Marceline's waist, and she didn't intend on moving it. Her fingers traced a little heart through Marceline's t-shirt, and Lady flashed Bonnie a teasing grin, but instead of commenting on it, she glanced and Jake and said, "Alright, Jake, your turn," before Elle could say anything else.
Jake paused to think and then said, "Never have I ever shoplifted."
Admittedly, Bonnie glanced at Marceline, only because of that so-called 'angsty phase' she'd told her about. But Marceline didn't drink; only Finn did, and everyone looked at him in surprise.
"I don't know if it counts," he started his quiet explanation, "but I stole an eraser from school once."
"Oh, well, if that counts," Bonnie said, taking a sip of her own drink, "Admittedly, I've pocketed quite a few items of stationary from school. I stole some microscope slides from my old secondary school once."
"That," Marceline said, looking adorably amused, "is the nerdiest crime ever."
"Shut up," Bonnie sent her a rather weak scowl, because she could never legitimately be upset with Marceline, especially when she looked that cute. She held up her empty cup. "Make me another drink."
Marceline took her cup with an eye roll. "Always so demanding."
When Marceline gave her the new drink, she smiled, and really wanted to kiss her. She thought about it, but she didn't know where they stood on the whole everyone knowing thing. "Thank you, Marcy."
Marceline answered the question in Bonnie's head by squeezing her hand and kissing her cheek. Bonnie glanced over at Elle, but the gossip was far too busy thinking of a never have I ever. She sent the older girl a covert text.
bon-bon (7:42PM): If I want to kiss you, can I? Even in front of Elle?
She watched as Marceline pulled her phone from her pocket and read the text. Green eyes flicked over to her and her girlfriend smiled. "Always."
"Okay," Elle announced, holding her cup in the air and smirking. "Never have I ever kissed someone of the same sex."
Marceline drank, and without thinking, Bonnie drank too. Finn, Jake and Lady weren't surprised, but Elle and Phoebe looked at her in complete shock.
"Wait, what?" Phoebe asked. "When? Are you into girls? Oh my god, is that why every time we tried setting you up, it wouldn't work?"
Her rather fuzzy brain ran through all of the possible scenarios of things that could go wrong, even despite Marceline's reassurances. So, she just shrugged and said, "Yeah, basically." She blamed the alcohol for her loose tongue.
Elle gaped at her, and Bonnie waited for her to grab her phone and mass text that latest piece of gossip, but instead she just said, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I knew," Lady admitted, holding her hand up, "She told me a little while ago."
Finn nodded. "Me too."
Jake raised a hand. "And me."
Elle's gaze flicked to Marceline, and Bonnie didn't know if she'd made the connection. "Did you know?"
After taking another non-game related drink, Marceline nodded. "Yup."
Phoebe looked a little hurt. "So… you kept it from me and Elle?"
"Fionna doesn't know, either," Bonnie said, "but in my defence, you guys are kind of gossipy and I didn't exactly want the whole world knowing when I've really only just grown comfortable with it."
"Bonnie," Elle stared at her with something in her gaze. Bonnie couldn't quite place it. "Maybe we gossip a little-"
Lady snorted. "A little?"
"Fine, maybe we gossip a lot," Elle shot daggers Lady's way, "but we wouldn't out you. That's just messed up. Damn."
"But I heard you talking about Keila that time, when you overheard her talking about being pansexual," Bonnie pointed out, and she felt Marceline bristle next to her. Best friend defences activated, she thought to herself amusedly, and then realised the alcohol was affecting her a little bit. "You were gossiping about that."
"Everyone knows that Keila likes girls," Elle said, "that knowledge is in the public domain. But if it's meant to be private, I won't tell. None of us will. Unless you tell that snaky bitch Melissa. She'd tell."
Bonnie laughed at the sudden change of tone. "I thought you two were friends this week?"
"She's just bitter because Brad wants me," Elle rolled her eyes, and then pointed at Bonnie accusingly. "Anyway. You're telling me your type. At least now I've got the gender right."
Maybe she was making a mistake in doing it, but she poked Marceline and said, "Extremely pretty green eyes, about the same height as me, might have a reputation for being a big grump and is sat right there. Let me know if you can find somebody who fits that description."
Elle's jaw dropped to the floor, and Finn laughed. "Damn, I think you broke her."
Marceline elbowed her, "I know the girl you're into, and she doesn't like you."
Before Bonnie could tease Marceline about how much she really liked her, Elle managed to screech out a loud, "What? Her?"
"Yes," Bonnie laughed, "her. And I suppose it'll be a true testament to how genuine your prior words were about keeping things that aren't in the public domain to yourself if it remains between the people who matter."
"I just…" Elle's mouth worked again, and she pointed at Marceline, "her? But… why?"
"Well, I could give you the full list of reasons, but I think it might embarrass her," Bonnie said, and Marceline muttered something that sounded a whole lot like please no. "So I'll give you the short version; because I like her. And for her own reasons, Marceline likes me."
"But I… what?" Elle frowned like that made zero sense, and after a few moments, shook her head and tried to get back some normalcy. "I'll never understand that."
"Well, I'll never understand why she chooses to be friends with you but-" Marceline started, and Bonnie nudged her before the insult could come out. After a few moments, Marceline sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll play nice."
"Good," Bonnie smiled satisfactorily, and then glanced at Lady, "anyway, back to the game?"
Lady smiled at her, and it was almost proud. "Yeah. Back to the game."
