Lords of the Playlist

Authors note: The Powerpuff girls do not belong to me and as always, they have human appendages.

Greens ages variate between late teens/early twenties.

Track 69: The Middle – Jimmy Eat World

Buttercup shifted uncomfortably as she pressed herself up against the wall, trying to have as little contact as possible with the horde of drunken, giggling girls that sauntered past her.

She shook her head when they had cleared out enough for her to move again. What the hell was happening to the good-old-fashioned mosh parties that she used to host with several of her close friends? They never used to include bimbo's like them, just normal people who were down for a good time – all they did was make people uncomfortable.

And by people, she meant herself.

Because while she'd never admit it out loud – those kinds of girls, who looked like they applied their make-up with a snow blower – had the uncanny ability to make the normally confident Puff feel slightly uncomfortable in her own skin.

She shook her head as she watched another group of similar looking girls run past one end of the hallway she was in – laughing drunkenly as they ran around the house. She shook her head in a state of bewildered amazement.

This was too much. The parties that she had helped create had turned into something else entirely. She needed air.

She glanced around the hallway, looking for an escape point, before noticing a sliding glass door leading out onto what she could only assume was a balcony. Making a break for it, she pushed it open and breathed out a sigh of relief as the cool night air hit her face, slowing her heart-rate down.

"Well, well, well Sunshine, fancy meeting you here."

She stifled a groan at the familiar voice as she turned her head to the side, only to see her counterpart leaning against the railing, holding a beer in one hand, as he stared out at the horizon.

"I'm surprised I didn't see you earlier babe. You've been slacking off the party scene recently. I've been to almost every single one that's been held this year, and I haven't seen you. Where've you been?"

She looked away briefly and rubbed her arm, unable to meet his eyes. It was true, she hadn't been going out much recently, and it was because she was starting to feel more and more alienated, and it was all because of the growing number of plastics like Princess that were infiltrating the parties that she had basically created.

If she was honest with herself – she had started to feel that she didn't belong at parties anymore. She wasn't like those girls, and she never would be, and while she was utterly fine with that – she hated the way that made her feel insignificant. But god forbid anyone ever found that last bit out. She'd never be able to live it down.

But with Butch it was different. Butch was one of the few people she could be completely honest with. She sighed.

"I don't really belong here-"

"Bullshit."

She looked up at him with a start, only to find him staring dead ahead at the twinkling horizon. He took a swig from his beer can. "If there's anyone who belongs in a crowd like this – it's you. This is your scene. You basically helped create moshes like this one."

"Not like this. There's too many plastics here." She nodded over her shoulder to a bunch of scantly dressed girls in the background – their high-pitched laugher muffled by the sliding glass door.

Butch only snorted. "So? Who gives a damn about them? By morning, nobody's even going to remember their names – fuck, I don't even have a clue who the hell they are – pretty sure I've never seen them before in my life."

He caught her hesitant look and sighed, hurling his beer can into the adjacent neighbor's yard. "Look my point is: nobody cares about who you are or where you come from tonight. Tonight, you're just another girl from the neighborhood who's here to enjoy herself and not worry about what some people may or may not think about her. He leared at her drunkenly. "An attractive girl from the block at that."

"You're fucking nuts." She snorted with a laugh, lightly shoving him, prompting him to let out a grin. "You mean it though?"

"Honestly? Yeah. I do." He wrapped his knuckles against her head. "Trust me, this is all in your head. That's all it is."

"That's some pretty sage advice coming from you."

"I do my best." With that, he pushed himself off of the railing and sent her a lopsided grin, before extending his hand to her. "Now let's go get one of those vodka slushies from downstairs."

She mirrored his grin and took his hand in her own, allowing him to pull her back inside the party. "You read my mind."

.

XxX

It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on.

Just do your best, do everything you can.

And don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say.

Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.