PpG3
Secrets and Surprises
Chapter 20 - Surprises
To everyone's surprise the next morning, Buttercup woke up right when the Girls' alarm clock went off.
"Buttercup, you have the day off, don't you?" Bubbles asked as she brushed her hair and Buttercup dashed around trying to find clothes.
"Andra and I have letters from Miss Bellum that basically say let us go to school or else."
"You want to go to school?" Blossom asked. She was sitting at her mirror doing her hair, but was carefully avoiding looking in the glass since Buttercup was getting dressed in plain view of the mirror.
"Not really, but I don't want Mitch and his buddies to think they can get the better of me and Andra."
"Can we help?" Blossom asked. Buttercup was dressed now, so Blossom had turned around in her chair to look at Buttercup.
"How?"
"I was serious when I said Monday that if someone messes with one Powerpuff Girl, he messes with all of us. We could be. . ."
"We could be your bodyguards!" Bubbles squealed.
"Uh, no, thanks, I think we can handle it," Buttercup said.
"C'mon, Buttercup," Blossom pleaded. "Bodyguard is the wrong word. How about added insurance?"
Buttercup was a little uncomfortable with Blossom's sudden 'all for one and one for all' attitude, especially after what Andra had said on Monday afternoon. But Mitch wasn't likely to try anything with Bubbles and Blossom there, either. And if it was obvious the two most popular girls in school were on speaking terms with the 'dykes,' it might convince everyone else that there was nothing wrong with Andra and Buttercup. Buttercup didn't really care what the other students thought of her, but Andra seemed to.
"All right, you two can help us out," Buttercup said.
"Yea!" blossom and Bubbles cheered.
Blossom linked arms with Buttercup. "No one's getting through us."
Damn Andra for making me suspicious of my. . . my sister.
***
For the first time in weeks, the Powerpuff Girls flew to school together, though their formation had changed. Before, Blossom always took the lead, unconciously slipping into her leader role. Now Buttercup was in the lead, with Blossom slightly behind and to the right; Bubbles in the same position on the left. The three had left early, even earlier than Buttercup had been leaving to meet Andra, so they'd have time to pick her up. Buttercup had made Blossom to promise to at least be civil to Andra. Surprisingly, Blossom had agreed without argument. Something is definitely going on with her, Buttercup thought.
"We've got insurance today," Buttercup told Andra when she, Blossom, and Bubbles met Andra at her house.
Andra gave Blossom a skeptical look.
"I'm being good today, I promise," Blossom said. Andra didn't look convinced. "I've had a change of heart. I promise, Andra.
Andra sighed, but went over to Buttercup and put her arms around the Girl's neck. "Let's get this over with, if we get kicked out, I want to get kicked out early enough to get home to watch the last of the cartoons."
***
Mitch and his gang were gathered by the flagpole when Buttercup, Andra, Blossom and Bubbles arrived.
"What are you doing here?" Buttercup demanded as she landed. Andra leapt out of her arms and Blossom and Bubbles hovered over their shoulders.
"We aren't the ones who got suspended for lewd misconduct," Mitch said.
"And where on Earth did you learn words like that?" Andra demanded.
"My dad," Harry said proudly. "I told him about you two and he said all queers and dykes should be locked up for lewd misconduct."
"It's weasels like you who should be locked away," Buttercup said as she pushed up her sleeves and took a few threatening steps towards the boys.
"No, Buttercup," Andra said quietly. "Not now. Not at school."
"Yeah, listen to yer girlfriend," Mitch jeered.
"Blossom landed, her face inches from Mitch's. "That's right, she will. But I don't have a girlfriend to hold me back -"
"That's 'cause you're normal," Mitch interjected.
Blossom smiled wryly. "I am, huh? Either way, since I don't have a girlfriend to hold me back, maybe I'll be the one to kick your ass."
Bubbles gasped. She'd never heard Blossom say a word like that.
Mrs. Stone gasped too. She'd stepped out of the school's front doors just in time to hear Blossom's expletive. "Blossom Utonium!"
"Oops," Blossom muttered. "Um, good morning, Mrs. Stone."
"Good morning to you, too," Mrs. Stone said stiffly. "She looked over Blossom at Buttercup and Andra. "What are you girls doing back so soon?"
"We're here to get one of those high quality public school educations we hear so much about," Andra said primly.
"Well, as you've obviously witnessed by your greeting here this morning, now probably isn't the most appropriate time for you to return."
"it is according to our lawyer," Buttercup said. She and Andra pulled out their letters from Miss Bellum, with the official 'Office of the Mayor' seal, from their backpacks and handed them to Mrs. Stone. "And this is only the beginning. You can't keep us out for no reason, Mrs. Stone."
"There is a reason," Mrs. Stone said; her lips were pressed into a thin line.
"Okay, how about a legitimate reason?" Blossom asked. "I know Buttercup, Mrs. Stone. She's done some crazy things, but none of those boys were hurt, not any way worth mentioning at least. If Buttercup had started the fight, they wouldn't be standing here at the moment."
"Which might be a good thing," Bubbles said, adopting the same tough demeanor the other girls had.
The first warning bell sounded inside the school, but no one involved in the face off between Mrs. Stone and Andra and Buttercup moved.
Mrs. Stone glanced down at the envelopes in her hands. "Go in," she said harshly. "All of you," she added with a glance at the boys. She looked back to Buttercup and Andra. "You may stay here for the day, but don't be surprised if you get called to my office for a conference with your guardians. No get to class!"
Buttercup and Andra joined hands as they dashed into the school, followed closely by Blossom and Bubbles, all of them wearing huge grins.
"That's one battle won!" Buttercup exclaimed as they took their seats in first hour.
"But how many more will we have to fight?" Andra asked soberly.
"Don't think about that now," Buttercup scolded. "If we get called down to Mrs. Stones office, then we'll worry about future battles. Until then, I think I'm going to enjoy school for a change.
***
mrs. stone didn't call Buttercup and Andra down to her office that day. Mitch, Harry, Sam and the other boys avoided the two girls, possibly because a very tough looking pair of Powerpuff Girls accompanied them everywhere.
After school, Andra and Buttercup said goodbye to their unofficial body guards, wanting to tell Miss Bellum about their success. But when Buttercup and Andra reached the Mayor's office, Miss Bellum wasn't at her desk. Instead, they found the Mayor hidden behind stacks of papers taller than himself.
"Hello, girls!" the Mayor greeted cheerfully when he saw them. "Can you believe all the paperwork that's accumulated today?"
"Where's Miss Bellum?" Buttercup asked.
"She called in sick this morning, she has a slight case of the flu."
"Do you think she'd mind a visit?" Andra asked.
"Probably not. She always does like to talk to you, Buttercup. Ah, who's your friend?"
"Andra Meda," Andra introduced herself. "Miss Bellum has been helping Buttercup and me with some problems at school."
"That's too bad," the Mayor said absently as he focused on one of the papers in front of him. "If you girls go see her, tell her to come back soon! I'm going to drown in papers!"
"Sure thing, Mayor," Buttercup said. She grabbed Andra's hand and together they ran out of the building. Buttercup didn't even stop when they were outside to allow Andra to get comfortable. She simply lifted off and swung Andra up into her arms. Through her terror, Andra managed a slight giggle. "What with all this sudden hand hold and PDAs?" she asked when they were in the air.
"PDAs?" Buttercup asked. "We haven't done that!"
"Okay, but what about the hand holding? Swinging me into the air? It's like a bad romance novel!"
"Hm, how much money do you think I'd make if I sold our story to Harlequin?"
Andra laughed. "Not much. So what's your reason?"
Buttercup attempted a shrug, but that was kind of hard with Andra clinging to her. "I guess I figure that since both our families and the entire school know about us, there's nothing to hide, so why shouldn't I hold your hand, or sweep you off your feet?"
"Or do this?" Andra tilted her head up and gently kissed Buttercup.
Buttercup lost her concentration the moment Andra's lips brushed her own and began to drop out of the sky. She quickly regained her composure and steadied their flight, but both girls were rattled. "Um, yeah, or that," Buttercup stammered. "Hey, there's Miss Bellum's!" She swooped down and gently set Andra on the porch before she rang the bell.
From inside the girls could hear soft footsteps and a voice call, "I'll get it, Sara, you stay there!" the door opened a moment later.
"Ms. Keane?" Buttercup asked in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"
"Sandra? Who's there?" Miss Bellum came up from behind Ms. Keane and put her arms around the other woman's waist, but jumped back when she saw Buttercup and Andra. "Girls! What are you doing here?"
"That seems to be the question of the day," Andra said dryly. "We went to see you at your office, but the Mayor said you were sick. So we came here and found. . ."
"Ms. Keane," Buttercup filled in. "Who I thought had an apartment by the Kindergarten."
"Why don't all of you come inside," Miss Bellum suggested. "I'll faint if I stand much longer."
"Follow Miss Bellum to the living room, girls," Ms. Keane said. "I was just going to make her some cocoa. Would you like some?"
"Yes, please," Andra said.
"Yeah, sure," Buttercup agreed. Miss Bellum led the girls to the living room. She laid down on the couch where, judging from the blankets and bowls half filled with cold soup, Miss Bellum had spent the day. Andra and Buttercup sat next to eachother in a recliner, leaving the chair next to the couch for Ms. Keane.
"So what happened at school?" Miss Bellum asked.
Buttercup grinned. "Mrs. Stone met us before we actually got into the school. We told her she couldn't keep us out, and even Blossom stood up to her!"
"So are you two over your argument?"
Buttercup shrugged. "Yeah. I guess we are. She acted kinda weird after we found out we aren't really sisters, but then when she heard me and Andra got suspended she went all Three Musketeers on me. All for one and one for all, y'know?"
"I'd rather have her be a bit corny with you two getting along, than the two of you fighting constantly."
Buttercup shrugged again. "I guess."
Ms. Keane entered the living room then, carrying a tray with four steaming mugs of cocoa. "Hope I didn't presume too much by putting marshmallows in everybody's mug. That's the only way Sara - Miss Bellum, will drink it, and I know you used to love it, Buttercup."
"Still do," Buttercup said as she took her mug.
Ms. Keane turned to Andra. "I'm afraid I've been rude and haven't taken the chance to properly introduce myself. I'm Ms. Keane, I was Buttercup's Kindergarten teacher all those years ago."
"That's all right. I'm Andra Meda. Buttercup's. . . uh, girlfriend." Andra blushed slightly, then took the mug of cocoa Ms. Keane offered. "And I love marshmallows too, thanks."
"You're very welcome," Ms. Keane said. She set a mug by Miss Bellum then sat in the chair next to her. "So you girls were a little surprised when you showed up here this afternoon?"
"You could say that," Buttercup said. "I mean, I've heard rumors, but the idiots at school spread rumors about any single adult. And what about your apartment?"
Ms. Keane flushed slightly and looked down into her cocoa. Miss Bellum answered for her. "We're in a precarious position, Buttercup. When people found out about you two, the worst that happened was some boys beat you up and Mrs. Stone tried to suspend you. There are people, both in the school district and at the Mayor's office, who would do everything they could to fire us if they found out we lived together."
"But what about the anti discrimination laws you told Mrs. Stone about?" Andra asked.
"Mrs. Stone didn't suspend you because you were gay, not officially, anyway," Miss Bellum said. "She said something about it being safer, for everyone involved, right? We'll, we'd be fired for something trivial, like too many sick days, or too many parking violations."
"I've even heard of teachers being fired because a student they had turned out to be gay and the parents and the school board felt the teacher provided a bad moral example, or perhaps even 'recruited' the student," ms. Keane said quietly.
"We could fight it, and we'd probably win, but the odds of getting our jobs back would be slim, at best," Miss Bellum said. "How did the other students act around you two today?"
Andra thought for a moment. "You know, they weren't very talkative," she said to Buttercup. "It wasn't as bad as Monday, but it wasn't like before."
"I guess I didn't notice," Buttercup said. "Blossom and Bubbles were always with us and talking, so I didn't really miss talking to anyone else."
"So that's why I keep the extra apartment, and I park my car to the other side of the house, where it's not visible from the street," Ms. Keane said. "I doubt I'm fooling any of the neighbors, but people from work will only be able to be suspicious, they can't get me fired based on suspicions."
"That's so sad," Andra said. "Mom moved us here because Townsville was supposed to be better than California. I guess the bigotry is just hidden."
"Don't worry about us, girls," Miss Bellum said. "This situation isn't ideal for us, but that's why I was so eager to help you two. Every time someone stands up to someone like Mrs. Stone, the world becomes a slightly better place for us. And hopefully by the time you two are older, you won't have to keep a spare apartment, or even a spare bedroom."
"Hey!" Buttercup said suddenly. "Miss Bellum, you said yesterday that you had the same problem we did in middle school. You were suspended because you were gay?"
"Sort of," Miss Bellum said. "Mrs. Stone was only the assistant principal then, she couldn't suspend me on her own. But she could keep me from going to dances with my girlfriend. And when we were caught kissing in the halls in eighth grade, mrs. Stone and the principal decided to enforce the rule that said kissing wasn't allowed in school and suspended us. I ended up going to high school in Citysville, just to get away from Mrs. Stone and everybody who had sided with her."
"Where did you go Ms. Keane?" Andra asked.
"I wasn't dating Miss Bellum back then. I was still trying to convince myself I like boys. I didn't get a girlfriend until college."
"Where you met Miss Bellum?" Buttercup asked.
Miss Bellum shook her head. "No, we've only been together for four years. Five in two months. Not everyone stays with their high school, or even middle school, sweetheart." Buttercup and Andra sent eachother panicked looks. "Some do," Miss Bellum assured them quickly. "But you two have your whole lives ahead of you. Perhaps you two will be fortunate and no one else will come between you. But I can't, in good conscience, let you believe that life will always be rosy for you. Either of you."
Andra sighed. "I know, but. . . but it's nicer to think that Buttercup and I will be together forever. We'll have a house with a picket fence out in the country, we'll have a couple of kids, grow old together -"
"Whoah, when were you going to inform me of these plans?" Buttercup demanded.
Andra laughed. "Eventually."
"That might still happen, Andra," Ms. Keane said. "If Buttercup agrees, anyway," she added with a smile. "I don't think you need to worry about it much now. Enjoy your time together, and keep standing up to Mrs. Stone, and all will be well, for the time being." She glanced over at Miss Bellum, who's eyelids were drooping. "Perhaps it's time for you to go," Ms. Keane said quietly.
"Tell her thanks for her help," Buttercup said as she and Andra followed Ms. Keane to the door.
"And to get better soon," Andra added. "The Mayor was drowning in paper work when we left."
"Ms. Keane laughed lightly. "I'm sure he was. I'll pass your messages on to Miss Bellum. It was nice to meet you, Andra, and good to see you again, Buttercup. Come back again soon, both of you."
"We will," Buttercup assured her. She lifted Andra up. "See ya', Ms. Keane!" She flew off.
Ms. Keane leaned against the door frame. "See you, girls," she said, "and good luck."
***
Bubbles met Buttercup at the door of their house when Buttercup got home that afternoon. "Blossom got in a fight!" Bubbles declared.
"What?!"
"With Mitch an' Harry an' some other boys I didn't know. She took them on all by herself an' won !"
"What did she do that for?"
"They were sayin' stuff 'bout you on the way home. They weren't at school anymore, so they were. . ." Bubbles paused for a moment to think. "Fair game. That's what Blossom called them."
"Why would she start a fight over me?" Buttercup asked herself. "Andra's theory sprang up in Buttercup's mind again, but she pushed it away.
"I dunno," Bubbles said. "But she beat those stupid boys up good."
"Is Blossom okay?"
"Some bruises an' stuff, but not as bad as the boys."
Buttercup couldn't help grinning. "Go Blossom."
"She told me to tell you she wants to see you. Like, now. She's up in our room, and won't let anyone in until she talks to you."
"That's weird," Buttercup said. "Has the Professor talked to her yet?"
"Just to try to get her to come out and explain what happened and why she locked herself in. She says she's fine, it's just very important that she talks to you. If she talks to anyone else, she says, she'll lose her nerve."
Buttercup shook her head. "Blossom's weird. I'll go see her." She zipped pass Bubbles into the house and up the stairs, stopping at the door to the bedroom she shared with Blossom and Bubbles. "Hey, Blossom," she called as she knocked. "It's me."
The door opened slowly, but Blossom wasn't standing behind it as Buttercup expected. "Blossom?" Buttercup asked as she floated in.
The door shut, revealing Blossom, who'd been standing behind it. "Hi, Buttercup."
The only sign Buttercup could see that Blossom had been in a fight was the small scratch along her jaw and the grass stain on her elbow. "Uh, Bubbles said you wanted to talk."
Blossom sighed. "Yeah, sit down." Buttercup sat backwards in Blossom's desk chair while Blossom sat on her bed.
"Bubbles told you about the fight too?" Blossom asked. Buttercup nodded. "She didn't hear what was said, she stayed back while I handled the boys. But some stuff got said that I'd rather you hear from me than from rumors tomorrow at school." Buttercup shifted in her chair while blossom took a deep breath.
"Buttercup, I'm gay."
Buttercup shrugged. "It really wouldn't surprise me if all three of us were."
"And I like you."
Buttercup stared. "Say what?!"
Blossom intently studied the quilt on her bed. "I like you," she repeated quietly. "You know. Like ."
Andra was right! "Uh. Um. Kay."
"I understand completely if you're grossed out," Blossom said quickly. "I mean, we haven't even known that we aren't related for a week and I'm dumping this on you. I'm still a little. . . weirded out, too."
"Why did this come up during the fight?" Buttercup asked.
"Mitch, or maybe it was Harry, made some accusations and I didn't deny them quick enough. I don't know, maybe I didn't even want to deny what they said. Subconsciously, I mean. Before now the only people I'd told were the Professor and Miss Bellum."
Buttercup smiled ruefully. "We throw a lot of crap at that woman. She shoulda been a shrink. Then she could get paid for all the help she gives us."
Blossom smiled. "Yeah, I guess." She pulled a loose string from her quilt. "So you aren't, like, freaked out or anything?"
"Not really. Andra actually told she suspected, y'know, this. So -" she stopped suddenly. "Blossom, I like Andra. I'm not going to dump her for you."
"I know," Blossom said. "And I don't really want you to. For awhile I did, I guess. But you two obviously like eachother. I'd have major guilt if you broke up over me. But we're still friends, right?"
"duh."
"And if you and Andra should happen to break up. . ."
buttercup leaned over and lightly hit Blossom on the arm. "Don't even think about it."
There was a knock at the door, then Bubbles poked her head in. "Is everyone okay again?"
Blossom smiled. "Yes, Bubbles. Everything's okay."