CHAPTER 34: KEEPING THE WOLF OUT

ME: I'm updating! This is late, but at the same time not really. I usually updated on Saturdays until I updated early on a Thursday and I started doing that a lot. So at the same time, this is and is not late.

BUTTERCUP: *shrugs* At least you're updating.

ME: Yeah... I'll try to keep being daily, but it'll be a little weird because I have a couple of exams coming. *sweat-drop*

BUTCH: Well...good luck?

ME: Thanks. Brick, disclaimer!

BRICK: *grunts* Kuku only owns her OC's and the story. There.

BLOSSOM: Don't forget to review!

Chapter 34: Keeping the Wolf Out

Bubbles pushed her hair up and tied it back, her tongue poking out of her mouth in concentration. She finished her pigtails and stared at her reflection. The same old, usual Bubbles looked back at her.

Sighing softly, she decided to try something new with her hair. She took the pigtails and made them into braids. Then she tied them together at the back of her head with a big blue bow. Tilting her head to one side, Bubbles gently tucked stray strands of hair behind her ears. "There," she said aloud to nobody in particular, "a change."

There were a lot of things changing in Bubbles' life, but the main thing was the fact that the Ruffs' lives were now affecting hers. The idea that Brick of all people had gotten amnesia scared her. Are we not safe? Why do the Ruffs always act so secretive? Bubbles thought back to yesterday when she'd gone picking flowers. She'd spotted Boomer, but he'd turned away before she could call him over. She wasn't sure if he'd noticed her or not, and before she knew it, Sidney was leading her to his house.

Sidney's home had indeed looked like a big gingerbread house. It had "soft" edges and looked the brown you'd see in gingerbread. The other colours were bright, and most of it had been either pink or white. The shutters were striped that way, and a swirly circular piece on the top at the front of the house had looked like a giant mint.

"Wow," Bubbles had said. Inside, the entire place smelled like freshly baked cookies. Bubbles had met Sidney's parents—who constantly embarrassed him—and even met his family members. Bubbles would have never guessed that Sidney had so many sisters: there was his sporty twin, Sydney; his younger sisters (who were also twins!) Sarah and Sally. They had taken an immediate liking to Bubbles—going so far as to mention how often Sidney talked about her and even call her his girlfriend. When she denied it, giggling and blushing, they started talking about how Sidney would be a great boyfriend and how Bubbles was perfect for him. The two young girls weer escorted out by Sidney, leaving Bubbles alone with Sydney for awhile. She had tried to make friendly conversation, although Sydney seemed more guarded and hostile around Bubbles than the younger sisters had.

She even said to Bubbles, "You don't know Sidney as well as you think you do."

Flashback

"We're here!" Sidney announced, gesturing at the building behind him.

"Oh wow," Bubbles managed to say. The entire thing did indeed look like a gingerbread house.

"My parents and sisters should all be home today," Sidney continued speaking, sounding excited and shy at the same time.

Bubbles looked at him in surprise. "You have sisters?"

He nodded, but before he could reply or even properly unlock the door, it swung open. "Where have you been?" a loud voice exclaimed, and someone grabbed Sidney by the arm, yanking him inside. The door slammed shut.

Bubbles was left stranded outside, unsure of what to do next. Should she knock, wait, or leave? It turned out that waiting was a good option, as the door opened just split second later.

"Sorry about that," Sidney apologized, "my sister Sydney gets really...excited sometimes."

"Your sister's name is also Sidney?" Bubbles asked, peeking inside. Even the inside of the house was cozy. She sniffed the air; the scent of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies wafted toward her. It was a very homey mixture. But there was something else in the air; something more salty...

"Well, it's spelled different. It's spelled with a 'y' instead of an 'i'," he explained. "We were twins and my parents chose the names to be that way."

"Doesn't it ever get confusing?" asked Bubbles.

Sidney nodded, reaching into a cupboard and pulling out a cup. "Yeah, but we're used to it. There are ways to tell who's being called." He poured himself some milk and got her a cup too, before grabbing a platter of cookies. "Let's snack," he suggested shyly.

"Oh sure; thank you," Bubbles said, taking the mug and the cookies.

Just then, a girl popped in. She wore a a sports jersey jacket and leggings. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. "Hey, Sid!" she called, walking over.

"Hi, Sydney," he answered gently.

"Who's the girl?" she asked, glancing at Bubbles.

"That's Bubbles."

Sydney stopped rummaging in the fridge, flipping her hair back as she turned to stare at Bubbles. "The Bubbles...? Of the Powerpuff Girls?" She shut the refrigerator door, holding a water bottle of red liquid. "Wow, never thought you'd get yourself a girl like that."

Sidney blushed. "It's not like that! She's just here to press some flowers."

"If you say so." Sydney shrugged, before chugging down some of the red liquid. She set it down and stretched. "I'm going to practice soccer and football outside in the yard. Make sure Sally and Sarah don't do anything stupid."

"Okay." Sidney watched his twin sister leave the room.

"Wow, she plays both soccer and football?" Bubbles commented, her cheeks still warm from Sydney's remark.

Sidney nodded. "She plays a lot of different sports." He seemed to hesitate a little. "She has had a lot of...time to practice, let's say."

"Oh, that's really cool. I'm sure Buttercup would like to meet her sometime," Bubbles answered, smiling.

Sidney smiled back. "Come on; I'll show you my room. We can press the flowers there."

Bubbles felt her heart flutter even though she didn't know why, and her smile grew. "Mm!" she agreed with a nod, excited about spending the day with Sidney.

This'll be so much fun! She paused. Too bad I couldn't have caught Boomer and invited him too... Oh well. I'll have a good time with just Sidney then~

End Flashback

She had been really happy to have met his family. Bubbles smiled brightly. Even though she was concerned about the Ruffs, she wouldn't let the bad thoughts drag her down. Sidney was there for support, and she was sure that if she talked to Boomer, he'd be there too.

Bubbles flew downstairs and started the stove, cooking some pancakes as she waited for the others to get up. The Professor appeared, with bags under his eyes. His pyjamas appeared rumpled and his hair was a mess. "Oh my goodness, Professor! Have you been down in your lab all night?" she fretted.

"Pretty much," he yawned. "I've been trying to find out more about how to help stabilize Brick's brainwaves. Before I knew it, it was already 2:00 am and I was falling asleep..." His eyes blinked a couple of times and he nearly fell over.

With one hand still cooking, Bubbles easily caught the Professor with her free hand. Her superpowers allowed her to pick him up like a dinner plate. "You should keep sleeping," she chided, "you've only slept for like, five hours!"

"Are you sure you'll be okay without me though?" he asked, still sounding half-asleep.

"We'll be fine," she promised. "Blossom will keep an eye on us. Now get some much-needed sleep, Professor. I'll cook breakfast and we'll fly to school; like usual, but just without you. I'll leave your breakfast in the microwave."

"Okay," he mumbled back.

When Bubbles placed him down on his bed, she was amused to see him already asleep and snoring. She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Good night—or morning, I guess—Dad. Sweet dreams."

When she went back outside, her pancakes were still sizzling cozily on the stove. The only difference was the sudden appearance of Blossom, whose uniform was already on and her long hair was already in a neat ponytail. "Good morning, Bubbles," she greeted.

"'Morning, Bloss." Bubbles floated over and turned the stove off, carrying the pancakes over to the table. "The Professor needs some sleep so it's just us."

Banana appeared, wearing an accessorized version of the school uniform. "What's happened?" she called.

"The Professor is sleeping," Bubbles explained as she gently placed pancakes into plates and distributed them among the table.

"That's fine with me," Blossom answered, opening a cupboard and reaching for the blender. "I know how hard he's working to help Brick." She paused, her gaze a little darker as she suddenly stopped and stared at the wall. The blender lay between her hands, forgotten for the moment.

"Um...Blossom? Are you okay?" asked Bubbles.

Blossom snapped out of her trance and blinked. "O-Oh; I'm completely fine," she said quickly, taking the blender cup to the blender stand. Ignoring her sisters' odd looks, she started making a smoothie for everyone.

Bubbles let it go because the other Puffs were already appearing. After the smoothie was done being made (strawberry and banana with milk), they chatted as they ate. Bubbles got her usual compliments for her cooking, which made her smile brightly.

After they finished, they flew to school and talked along the way. Bubbles heard snippets of Buttercup and Blossom's conversation:

"But your device... It helped..."

"I don't see how... It needs adjusting..."

"It brought him back for a bit..."

"Scientifically strange... How did it happen..."

Bubbles wondered what they were talking about, but they were whispering in tones that suggested they were trying to hide the information from the others. The blue Puff sighed lightly as she landed at the front of the school, her eyes closed. So many secrets, she thought to herself. She opened her eyes and looked around, spotting a familiar boy lingering in the crowd. He stuck out like a sore thumb, suspended in midair. It was Boomer, and he looked like he was thinking.

He was slightly hunched over, chewing gum in the school uniform. His shaggy blond hair fell softly into his eyes but seemed messier than usual, as if he'd barely had time to comb the knots out. His uniform was rumpled and Blossom would probably have considered it "uncouth".

Bubbles smiled brightly, waving wildly to catch his attention. She waited for a few moments, and just when she was about to give up, he spotted her.

Boomer looked up and turned slightly so that he met her eyes. Bubbles stared back, suddenly feeling awkward. His gaze hardly seemed very cheerful. Swallowing, she gave him a smile and waved again, this time less wildly.

To her surprise, his response was different from what he usually did: Boomer looked away. Then he turned completely away and started floating into the school. As the door closed behind him, Bubbles could only stare in shock, her hand still in the air and her eyes wide.

Did Boomer just...ignore me?

Meanwhile, in the school, Buttercup was quickly going through her locker. She was about to shut the door when someone called out to her:

"Hey."

Closing her locker door, Buttercup rolled her eyes and smirked just slightly. She turned to face the person bringing her their greetings. "Hello," she replied, putting all her weight on one leg.

"...What's up?" he asked lamely.

"Not much." Buttercup shrugged. "School's about to start in like, eight minutes."

"Right. Fun," he answered, still awkwardly. It was clear he didn't know what to say.

She gave him an expectant look. "What's on your mind?"

"So...about yesterday," he said, his gaze trailing to the ceiling. His spiky black hair fell into his face and he blew it out of his eyes. "It was a lot of fun."

"Yeah," she agreed, averting her own gaze.

"We should do it again sometime."

She nodded.

"So..." He let out a whistle. "Did you enjoy the day with me and Ross?"

"Yeah." She still didn't meet his eyes as she shuffled her books.

She heard him sigh. "Okay then. That's nice to hear."

Buttercup brushed her bangs aside, finally daring to look up. The male before her was looking off into the distance, clearly thinking about something. He looked like he had carefully dressed up for the day; his spiky black hair was brushed back, and his shirt was form-fitting. Just staring at those muscles made Buttercup feel uncomfortable. "Is there anything else you wanted?" she demanded, wincing inwardly at how harsh her tone sounded.

He sighed again, shrugging. "I was also wondering about the Math homework? What did Mr. Apocally assign again?"

Buttercup gave him a look.

"What? I forgot." He shrugged again innocently.

"Butch Jojo; I swear to dear God." Buttercup rolled her eyes as she dug through her textbooks. She pulled out a sheet of paper that was slightly crumpled around the edges. "He assigned pages 483 #2-7, and #11. I doubt you can finish all of them in school today."

"Eh, you know me; I've been a miracle worker in the past," Butch smirked, leaning against a locker.

"That was when Brick was there to help—" Buttercup stopped herself. "Oh shit. Sorry."

Butch's playful look vanished completely as he stood up straight and coughed, "It's fine."

"No, I'm seriously s—"

"It's fine!" he snapped, glaring at her. When she stared at him in stunned silence for a couple of seconds, he relaxed and immediately looked guilty. "I mean...sorry; I didn't—just...forget about it." Almost immediately he turned away and started to float off.

"Don't go yet!" called Buttercup, reaching out. He paused and glanced back at her. She blushed and looked down at her books before she said, "Thanks...for yesterday. I'm really sorry about my lack of self-conscious; I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine," he responded over his shoulder with a shake of his head. "Just leave it. Anyway, I have to get to class—"

"Alright then. Let me appeal to your ego to get you to stay." Buttercup paused, taking a deep breath. "Y-You look...nice today."

Butch stared at her, before chuckling. "A cheesy compliment doesn't really make up for it," he teased, floating closer toward her. "Come on; you really need to beg for my forgiveness."

"I'm not begging for anything." Buttercup folded her arms, huffing.

"Well, there's gotta be something you can say to really make it up to me," he continued.

"Oh come on! You're just digging for compliments," she complained, but inwardly she was relieved that he wasn't upset anymore.

He raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Butters; you know you have good things to say about me."

Deciding to tease him further, Buttercup stepped forward till she was inches away from his face. He stopped jabbering, clearly startled. "Butch..." she began.

"Uh-huh?" He was still frozen.

"...I like your outfit today." Buttercup poked him in the chest and concentrated enough power in her index finger to blow him away. Butch flew into the lockers, but it wasn't enough to hurt him.

It did knock the air out of him, however. "Oof," Butch grunted, scrambling back up. He glanced at Buttercup. "You sure know how to make a guy feel pretty."

His tone was clearly sarcastic, and Buttercup laughed in response. "I try."

Butch got up and dusted himself off. "Thanks for the compliment though." He looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Could I ask what about my outfit is so particularly nice today?"

Buttercup blushed as she stopped her giggling. She turned and stared at the wall beside her instead of facing him. "I-It shows your muscles off quite nicely. I'm sure some girls would like that—not me though. I don't really care. I mean, it's nice but you're still Butch and you're still weird and I still don't have feelings for a dweeb like you."

This time it was Butch's turn to start laughing. "Okay, okay. You can lay off the insults now." Despite his choice of words, he was clearly enjoying himself.

Buttercup let out a huff, crossing her arms again. She didn't like this embarrassed feeling. "Anyway, I gave you your compliment."

"Yeah, and thanks." Butch smirked, waving. "I'll be going now."

"Wait," she called, preventing him from leaving again.

He paused and glanced back at her. "What now?"

"In response to your suggestion of hanging out again sometime, I say yes."

When she finally dared to look up, she could see the surprise in his eyes. Then he grinned. "Cool," he called back, "it's a date then." Then he was gone, with only a dark-green streak there to remind Buttercup of their awkwardly civil conversation.

She leaned against her locker. Did he just call it a "date"...?

Meanwhile, Butch had stopped flying so fast because he had realized something: Did I just call it a "date"...?

Boomer flipped through his textbook, trying to ignore the blue eyes obviously lingering on his back. She was being so obvious he could practically feel her confused look and worried thoughts swirl around him. Sighing to himself, Boomer wrote down the formulas the teacher was saying at the front of the class.

Behind him three seats, Bubbles tugged at her blond hair and bit her lip. Boomer hadn't glanced back all class—which wouldn't have been so weird had he not ignored her when he walked in at the start of class; he didn't even say hi! It made her heart sink to think that Boomer was ignoring her, like he was an angry best friend she had never even realized was a best friend.

Her current comfort was Sidney, who sat directly in front of her. "Siddy," she whispered, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hm?" He looked back with his gentle, pale-brown eyes, looking sleepy. "What's wrong?"

"Have you noticed anything...off about Boomer today?" she asked.

Sidney frowned. "Not any more than usual; since he prefers to not talk to me. Why?"

"He won't talk to me either," Bubbles stated worriedly.

Sidney stiffened, his expression darkening. "Probably just 'cause you're talking to me."

"But...why would he be upset about that?" Bubbles pressed, her blue eyes widening.

"He's never been a big fan of me," he answered back quietly.

Bubbles paused to think about this, before shaking her head. "No, that's not true. Boomer's not that kind of person..." She didn't know why she felt the need to defend him, but the need was there and she couldn't just ignore it.

"I'm not so sure about the fact that he doesn't dislike me, but I know he's a good person. I like your optimism and faith in your friends, Bubbles. That's what's so great about you." Sidney smiled warmly.

Blushing, Bubbles leaned back in her seat. "N-N-No, that's n-not—"

"Bubbles; Sidney!" the teacher barked. "No talking while the teacher is speaking!"

Bubbles looked up, her face red as a tomato. At this very moment (along with most of the class), Boomer finally turned around to look at her. They met eyes, Bubbles' cheeks still burning. Then Boomer did something that further worried Bubbles: he rolled his eyes before turning around. She could see him shaking his head as he continued to work, ignoring the rest of what happened after that.

I wasn't sure the first time, but now I know for sure that Boomer's avoiding me! Bubbles felt hurt, but she wasn't so sure why. He'd always been her friend, but they were never as close as two of the closest best friends in the whole world. Yet somehow him ignoring her felt like a blow to the face; one that was in some ways harsher than the actual blows to the face she used to exchange with Boomer as five-year-olds... When he was still the enemy.

But I thought he was my friend now. So why is he mad? Bubbles bit her lip, and Sidney gave her a comforting look, having finally noticed Boomer's odd behaviour.

"It'll be okay," he promised gently, his voice lower so the teacher wouldn't hear. Bubbles could hear another part to the voice; a smoother and yet somehow scarier tone. It's probably his dislike of Boomer showing, she thought as he continued speaking. "Boomer will come to his senses eventually; I promise."

Bubbles smiled. "Thank you, Sidney. You're the best."

Meanwhile, Boomer had felt bad about his eye-rolling. Originally he had only wanted to ignore Bubbles, but that was harder than he'd thought. After his first avoidance of talking to her, she started trying to talk to him over and over again during the day. He'd felt this sudden urge to roll his eyes in annoyance, which he had followed through. Still, it had been rude and probably uncalled for.

Boomer would've taken it back, given her an apologetic look or something more friendly (before going back to avoiding her). But then he saw her giggling with Sidney and not seeming to care at all that he had rolled his eyes at her. A feeling of disappointment clawed at Boomer's belly; a disgusting feeling that told Boomer he was upset because she didn't care if one of her close friends was ignoring her. Boomer was going to turn back away with newfound annoyance, but then they met eyes again.

Bubbles waved.

Boomer didn't respond immediately. He was frozen to the spot for a few seconds. But then he remembered why he was feeling so awkward and that he wanted to avoid her. Also remembering his frustration, he met eyes with another girl behind Bubbles. He waved at that girl—even smiling his most charming smile.

Bubbles seemed relieved, until she heard a squealing behind her that was clearly trying to be held within someone's lips. She turned and saw the excited girl waving back at Boomer; so excited that she was almost hitting Bubbles. The blue Puff turned slowly to look at her counterpart, who returned her confused expression with a blank one. Before she could even communicate her current mood, he dismissed her by turning away.

Bubbles gaped at the back of his head. Why is he doing this?

Bandit glanced over at Darkai, who looked up. The solemn teen gave Bandit a quick nod to acknowledge the fact that he'd noticed his staring. Bandit returned the nod, gritting his teeth. Whenever he thought back to the tranquilizer, his entire body shook. He knew what Darkai had been warning him of.

Frustration ripped at Bandit's brain. Lunchtime was still nearly ten minutes away and even then he wouldn't get much peace. For the past few days, Bandit had been patiently taking care of Brick. Whether he was showing him around, treating him after he had a spasm, or just trying to jog his memory, Bandit was constantly by Brick's side. He tried to hide his disappointment when amnesiac Brick got something wrong about his past, who was so innocent he became sad whenever he got something wrong.

Bandit sighed inwardly. Besides Brick's amnesia, there was also the war that Danes threatened to wage. The Rowdyruff Boys had been forced to the defensive; without an actual army, they were at risk. Danes currently had the upper hand so he controlled when the war may begin. If Brick didn't regain his memories soon and the war began, Bandit would have to lead his brothers into battle. The end result may not be pretty.

He glanced beside him. In the seat next to the person beside him, Bunny was busy folding paper cranes. She looked so gentle and innocent, with the baggy sweater she wore for the school uniform. The sleeves were long enough that they covered some of her fingers. She looked up and spotted him, smiling shyly. He managed to smile back, albeit awkwardly. Shit, he thought, she noticed me. Well this is awkward.

Darkai watched them with his dark-blue eyes, his eyebrow only lifting a little.

Class ended in a couple of minutes, and lunch began. Bandit was out in the hallway when he ran into Darkai. The other teen was standing in the shadows of the school, where the light didn't exactly reach. "Bandit," his coldly smooth voice called out.

Bandit stopped walking, having tried to ignore the male's presence. He turned slowly and met eyes with Darkai. "What do you want?" he demanded calmly.

"I was curious," Darkai answered after a few moments of silence.

"About what?" Bandit was impatient.

"I was just wondering about you guys and the Puffs. It seems that you have things to say to each other but can't bring yourselves to."

Immediately Bandit was in Darkai's face. "Stay the fuck out of my personal business," he hissed angrily, jabbing his index finger toward Darkai. "What do you know about us, anyway?"

Darkai put his hands up. "Relax; Danes has no intention of involving any of the Puffs in our fight—at least not that I know of." His gaze darkened. "Of course, if he was, I would certainly protest."

"Your point is?" pressed Bandit, backing down. He still felt on-edge.

Darkai glanced at the wall behind Bandit. "How's Brick?"

Bandit's shocked gaze snapped toward Darkai, although he tried to hide it. "What do you mean?" he asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone.

"I mean," Darkai began, "I see him constantly with you. You're always whispering together and he sure doesn't act like the Brick we usually see."

"That's none of your business," Bandit replied sharply, relieved that Darkai hadn't figured out that Brick had amnesia. Still, he didn't want Darkai to find out in the future. "Brick's just been sick the past few days so he's too tired to be his usual grumpy self. He knows he's currently still recovering so he's accepting our help."

Darkai stared into Bandit's eyes. Then: "...I see."

Bandit quickly calmed down after that, slumping his shoulders just slightly. He was about ready to leave when Darkai said something again:

"What would become of Brick if he fought anyone in his currently weakened state?"

Bandit spun back around and grabbed Darkai's collar. He smashed the teen into the wall behind them, grinding his teeth together. "Don't get any ideas."

"I'm not."

Bandit relaxed, relaxing his grip on Darkai but not letting go. "Don't even joke about this."

"I'm not. I don't joke." Darkai's solemn blue eyes met Bandit's own flaming purple ones.

Bandit tried to keep his voice steady. "Stay away from my brothers! Don't you dare threaten them in any way, shape, or for—or else I'll be at your throat. Talking to them is fine, just as long as you don't have a second agenda behind it—I. Will. Destroy. You if you hurt any of my brothers."

"As expected of you," Darkai answered calmly.

Bandit let out a low growl, his eyes flashing red as he thumped Darkai against the wall again for good measure. "Don't talk like you know me, YOU LITTLE—"

"Bandit, stop!"

Freezing, the purple Ruff did indeed stop. He released his grip completely on Darkai. The mysterious teen fixed his collar calmly as Bandit turned around. He was surprised to meet eyes with Bunny. "Bunny..." He blinked. "It's not—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Her shyness had been overshadowed by her compassion. She hurried over to Darkai. "Are you okay? Bandit didn't hurt you, did he?"

Darkai shook his head. "I'm fine."

Bandit clenched his fingers into fists. "I didn't do anything," he said through gritted teeth.

"Even so, it looked like you were about to hurt Darkai," Bunny scolded, gently pulling the said person along. "Come on, let's get you to the infirmary—"

"He's perfectly okay!" Bandit cried, exasperated.

"I'm fine," Darkai repeated. "Bandit hasn't hurt me in any way and I'm quite capable of protecting myself."

Bandit felt annoyance at Darkai's words tingle within him, but he didn't say anything. He didn't want Bunny to think that if he wasn't going to beat Darkai up earlier, he was really going to beat Darkai up now. Because I'm not...right? he asked himself.

Her hesitation was clear as she glanced back down at Darkai. Then she said softly, "Okay. But meet me there anyway. I'll check you over."

"I didn't attack him or anything! Will you stop acting like I stabbed him or something?" Bandit stomped his foot in frustration, feeling like a three-year-old. The very thought of him being immature further irritated him.

Bunny shot him a stern look, before glancing back at Darkai. "Go on ahead," she told him. As he walked off, she turned on Bandit. "Will you stop acting so violently and childishly? I was just concerned about his well-being! I thought you were really going to lose your temper," she chided.

"Why do you care what I do? You've been ignoring me for the past few days anyway!" he shot back. He paused, surprised that that was what he had decided to say.

Bunny was clearly surprised too, because she suddenly froze, her eyes hidden behind her bangs. Her cheeks were reddening. "Th-That's not..."

"Bunny..." he tried to say something—anything—to undo his last few words.

She shook her head. "No, you're right. I wanted to apologize to you today. That's why I came out here to find you—I had followed you." Bunny looked up, her eyes flashing with a bravery not usually seen within her shy gaze. "When I saw you and Darkai talking, I decided to wait behind that wall. I only caught snippets of the conversation, but now that I've seen how badly you treated Darkai... I don't know if you deserve that apology."

"Bunny," he repeated in exasperation. "Don't act like this. It's not what you think it is. I didn't get mad for no reason; he mentioned Brick's amnesia—"

"Bandit Jojo," she interrupted softly, "just because your brother has amnesia, doesn't mean that you have to go around threatening anyone who's concerned for Brick's well-being."

"That's not it!" he retorted. "That's not why Darkai asked about Brick's condition."

"Then why did he ask?"

"Because of—" Bandit stopped himself before he mentioned anything about Danes or the war. "You didn't hear anything about a battle?" She shook her head and he bit his lip. "Well, because..."—he groaned—"Look; never mind, okay? I...I can't tell you."

Bunny seemed disappointed. "...Darkai was right," she murmured.

His head snapped upwards as he stared at her. "What?"

"Darkai was right," she repeated, a little louder this time. Her voice still shook, but it was braver. "He was right about you Ruffs having things that you need to tell us Puffs. But you won't. I don't know if it's because you're too paranoid or you don't trust us..."

"...So that's what you heard instead... I don't know if I should be grateful or not..." he murmured.

Bunny stared at him. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he responded, before raising his voice so she heard him clearly. "It's not like—"

"It's not like what?" she challenged. "Not that you don't trust us? Not that you are too afraid to?" When she saw him sigh and avert his gaze, her face fell. "Bandit... How many times have you said that during this conversation without the ability to prove it—because you won't even let yourself say it?"

Bandit paused, biting his lips. They felt chapped. His throat felt dry.

That same disappointed look appeared in Bunny's eyes again as she mumbled, "I see how it is. Never mind then."

"No, wait..." He tried desperately to think of something to say that would fix everything, but nothing came to mind.

Bunny sighed and shook her head. "Save it, Bandit. I-If you don't trust me, then...then don't. Don't t-talk to me again... A-At least not until later, when I'm not so upset with you anymore. I just...I can't right now—I just don't know if I can stand to look at you without feeling your mistrust in the air." Now her voice was obviously shaking. She turned and quickly flew away before he could respond.

Bandit watched her leave, his hand in the air. Then he groaned, tilting his head back as he stared up at the ceiling. Bandit, he told himself. You done fucked up. You done fucked up bad.

Michael wondered where Sidney and Darkai were. Sidney had had the decency to show up and tell them that he was going to eat with a girl, and after some teasing he left. But Darkai hadn't shown up at all. "Where do you think he is?" he asked Ross, biting into his burger.

Ross shrugged, slipping a red bass guitar over his shoulder. He fingered the strings gently for a little bit, before playing a few notes. They rang sharply.

"Sidney said he's with some girl. I bet it's Bubbles Utonium he's eating with. Did you see the look on Boomer's face when he saw them chatting together?" Deth Jackson asked, climbing onto a shelf. He clambered to the top and crouched.

Michael watched his friend get comfortable on the top of a shelf. "You're not a monkey, you know."

Deth shrugged. "I know. I'm more of a wolf or an owl or a bat."

"...Actually, you're pretty damn close to a monkey." Michael rolled his eyes.

DJ paused. "I don't know if that was meant to be a jab or not; I'd rather take it as a compliment."

"You always do," Ross chimed in.

"Guys, focus. We're trying to figure out where the hell Darkai disappeared to," Michael said, changing the subject.

"I wouldn't know. He's like a flitting ghost, always in the shadows. I think he's closer to a wolf, owl, or bat than you are DJ," remarked Ross, strumming a couple of low notes.

Deth shrugged.

Before Michael could say anything, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Wondering if it was a text from Darkai, he pulled it out. Instead, it was a note from his uncle. Groaning inwardly, Michael opened the text and read it over. Instantly his eyes widened—he even nearly dropped his phone!

"What's the matter, Mikey?" called Ross, looking up from his sheet music.

"Yeah, bat got your tongue?" DJ added.

"Guys... My sister's back," Michael deadpanned, still trying to grasp the message from his uncle.

Ross' guitar pick fell to the floor, playing a couple of notes that sounded like cliché, dramatic background music. He exchanged a look of shock with DJ, before turning back to Michael. "What?"

"You heard me," Michael breathed, "my sister's back."

ME: Look at all that drama! I threw in some Butchercup because this chapter introduced conflicts between the blues and purples. Don't worry; they won't be the main focus of the story.

BOOMER: That hurts in some strange way, but yeah I know; it's a Butchercup story.

BRICK: Man, Boomer—you were a prick this chapter. ...Good job.

BOOMER: I-I'm not trying to be! It's the author!

ME: *smirks* Indeed it is! Oh and I also know one of my good friends here on FF is named Sydney (franyfine29), which is kind of funny since you mentioned in a review once that Sidney's name sometimes confuses you. While back in 2013, I designed the families for my "Call of the Wolves" OC's and Sydney happened to become Sidney's sister. Guess that makes it more confusing for you haha. *sweat-drop, sheepish smile*

BANDIT: Well that was a thing.

BUNNY: *blushes* I-I can't believe I... What...?

ME: You stood up for Darkai, Bunny~ Look at you; being so brave.

BANDIT: I wasn't going to do anything to him!

ME: Yeah, but Bunny didn't know that.

BANDIT: *huffs* Pointless drama.

ME: Could it be that you want to be with Bunny happily?

BANDIT: *blushes* What? NO!

ME: Yes. *pushes them closer together* Anyway, Michael's sister's back! Let's see who it is next chapter. AND NO HER NAME WILL NOT BE MICHELLE; THE SEQUENCE WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM "HUNG UP ON YOU" SHHH.

BLOSSOM: *sweat-drop* Anyway, leave a review~