Inner Turmoil-Chapter 6
A few days later the sky was alive with the brightest colors the girls had ever seen. Huge explosions and pops filled their ears as they watched the dazzling light show on the side of a lake.
The fourth of July had come with little to make the girls worried. The past few days had been entirely uneventful, and Blossom still hadn't had time to sneak over to the library for some undercover research. But, this day was a day to celebrate, and Blossom wanted to push everything out of her mind for the time being.
The bright colors launching into the sky reminded Blossom of days past, when the three of them could fly high into the air, leaving trails of sparkling color behind them as they laughed together. It made her miss, just slightly, the old crime-fighting days, and she imagined fondly that the three of them were five years old again, patrolling the skies of Townsville in streaks of pink, green and blue.
But they couldn't fly like that anymore, and patrolling for crime had gotten to be a dangerous affair, causing the professor to suddenly panic and whisk them out of the city to grow up in a safer place. But that was history.
Blossom sat next to the professor on the big blanket they'd brought to the park, her head resting lightly on his shoulder so she could look skyward with comfort. Bubbles sat on the other side of the professor, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulder and her own head also lying gently on his chest.
Buttercup was of course still not speaking to him, but at this point the professor had given up trying to reason with her in order to let her cool down on her own. Whether or not it was working, Buttercup did a good job hiding it.
The professor was going through a lot of trouble to be overly nice to her, offering to buy her snacks and sweets whenever the other girls had wanted some, but she'd always refused with a very fierce shake of the head.
Whenever they'd walked anywhere, Buttercup had been dutifully careful to walk at least ten feet away from them, shuffling with both of her hands shoved into her pockets.
If Blossom had wanted to make eye contact for scolding that would have been impossible, because Buttercup never looked at anything but her own two feet. She now sat on the edge of the blanket away from them, and appeared to be looking at her hands instead of the fireworks.
The fireworks ended with an amazing finale, and more than twice Bubbles had started laughing with glee. Buttercup made no motion to signal that she'd been watching. With a light shrug she stood up as the professor prepared to fold the blanket up so they could go home.
"Independence Day has always been my favorite holiday of the year. You know one of my great-great-great. great grandfathers was here in America during the war. I believed he served under George Washington himself," the professor said lightly as he tucked the large blanket under his arm. He looked at both Blossom and Bubbles. Bubbles was looking at him like a very soft kitten, wide-eyed and smitten, while Blossom looked positively thrilled over the history lesson. Buttercup had already started walking away and had nearly disappeared into the crowd.
"Buttercup! Don't get lost!" Blossom called out to her. Buttercup halted and didn't even bother to turn around. She remained standing where she was in the middle of the grass and let the crowds of people wash over her in a hurry to beat the traffic.
"Do you think it's about time I say something to her? This is getting ridiculous," the Professor said quickly as they began walking after her. He looked at Blossom as if she was the one to go to for advice, which she usually was.
"Nah, I think this is actually an improvement. I haven't fought with her once since she's been acting like this," Blossom giggled. Bubbles chimed in,
"She hasn't called me any mean names for days!"
The professor was silent for a few beats, then, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Professor. I think at some point she'll realize she needs you and she'll come around. Trust me. It's what I would do if I was acting like her. which I never am." Blossom said sweetly, and the professor ruffled a hand through her already wind-tussled hair. She looked at him with an expression of pure gratitude.
"Well, since the house is boring, who's up for something sweet?" said the professor as they made it to where Buttercup was still standing.
"MEEEEE!" Bubbles cried enthusiastically. She began tugging very affectionately on his sleeve.
"After all, this is a day to celebrate your great-great-great-great-great-"
"-Okay, Blossom."
"Great-great-great grandfather's victory!" Blossom laughed, very loudly, elbowing her raven-haired sister very hard in the ribs as she did so. Buttercup clicked her tongue in blatant annoyance and pushed herself away lightly.
"Cut it out will ya?" she said under her breath, just enough for Blossom to hear her. In fact, Blossom couldn't even understand why Buttercup was so angry towards her at all. It wasn't like she'd done anything wrong. Granted, she didn't even think the professor had necessarily done anything wrong either.
The library, her mind reminded her. Again, she pushed it away for the moment.
"Have I told you how much I love you today?" Bubbles said playfully, grabbing Buttercup's arm and swinging it widely in very large circles.
"Yes, I believe you mentioned it once-"
The professor was laughing to himself, trying to hide it behind the cover of his hand. Blossom noticed it anyway and started laughing with him.
"-or twice-"
"I LOVE YOU!" Bubbles grabbed Buttercup in a very strong hug.
"-That's FIVE today alone!" Buttercup choked under Bubbles's well-hidden, unnaturally strong grip. Blossom looked away from them and turned her attention to the professor who was looking straight ahead. They came to a bridge that crossed over a river and followed the crowd over it to the street.
All around them the distant sounds of pops and whistles could still be heard from the surrounding neighborhoods. After all, it was only past ten, and there was still tons of celebrating to be done on the fourth of July.
The street lamps cast a strange orange glow on the crowded people, which were now starting to thin out considerably, seeing as most people left by way of their cars in the parking lot. Now, the three girls and the professor were practically alone, left to walk together on a night that symbolized the strength of a family, a national family.
"Professor, tell me more about your great-erm-grandfather," Blossom said, not sure as to how many greats she should add to the word. Next to them, Bubbles was still chattering away madly in Buttercup's ear, and she was clearly ignoring it, which was just as good. At least they weren't fighting.
"Well, let's see." he said thoughtfully. "If I remember correctly, I believe he was from Iowa-"
"Professor, you know that Iowa didn't even exist during the Revolutionary War," Blossom corrected him. He laughed slightly.
"Okay then, that's apparently not right. perhaps it was actually the Civil War I'm thinking of. no, I'm sure it was the Revolution." he trailed off and looked up into the sky as if trying to get some sort of help from his deceased ancestor. They were now walking on a fairly busy urban road towards the same café they usually visited once a week.
It was a twenty-four hour desert bar and café with live jazz music on Fridays and Saturdays. The professor knew the owner pretty well, a Filipino man in his late thirties that played with the house band. He was nice, both inside and out, and always liked to give Bubbles extra ice cream in the root beer float she always ordered.
They walked into the dimly lit café, which was fairly loud, filled mostly with college students and families with their screaming kids. Blossom dimly wondered if they were that misbehaved when they'd been that old. She then realized it had probably only been her sisters that had been even close to that rambunxious, running around screaming and flailing their arms while they pretended to be monsters.
Blossom had never acted like that, even when she'd been the youngest she could remember, which was only about five-
-Even so, none of them had ever really acted that badly. Perhaps only on their bad days, usually when they'd snuck some candy or caffeinated soda. Those were the days when they really got on the professor's nerves, because they had always been naturally hyper without the aid of artificial stimulants.
"Professor! Oh, do you think I could have some cake?" Bubbles cried loudly as she sat down on a particularly squishy chair. Blossom watched her calmly, wondering at the same time why Bubbles had never really grown up. On the outside she had certainly matured, but Bubbles frequently still acted like a young girl, at least she did around the family.
Blossom had been in a few classes with her sisters the previous school year, and Bubbles had always been fairly quiet in school. Perhaps that had been a good thing, because if she'd acted like she did at home that would have turned lots of people off. Bubbles did have friends, but nothing nearly as close as her relationship with her sisters, and at least Blossom had never heard them complaining.
"Well. I don't know. That's a bit too much sugar for you. Why don't you just have what you always do?" the professor said, partially distracted by a little brown haired girl who had just whizzed past his seat, closely followed by a blonde-haired boy who was screaming and crying very loudly.
Bubbles didn't say anything after that, she just nodded quietly and pursed her lips very sweetly to show that she understood. Buttercup was watching the other people in the café with mild interest.
"Do you want something sweetheart?" the professor said very lightly to Buttercup, keeping his voice low so that nobody else would hear. Buttercup was usually embarrassed easily by terms of endearment, and the professor knew this. She shook her head, watching a group of kids over by the arcade with a cool satisfaction.
Blossom looked over at them, and recognized them as classmates from school. She thought about going over to them for a split second, but then thought better of it when she noticed Buttercup's expression of utmost disgust.
Plus, it was a group of teenage boys acting incredibly immature over some video game called Mortal Kombat, screaming in delight, as heads were lobed off in gushes of pixilated blood.
Blech. They don't know a thing about organized fighting.
Bubbles stood very quickly to go order what she wanted, and she disappeared for a few minutes. Buttercup stood a few seconds after and disappeared down a small hall that led to the bathroom, leaving Blossom and Professor Utonium alone.
"Don't you want anything Blossom?" he asked her casually after a few seconds. Blossom had been deeply into her mind wanderings when he spoke. A little red-haired girl was tugging on her mother's sleeve behind Bubbles at the counter, and Bubbles looked back at them questioningly as if she was supposed to do something about it.
Blossom had started thinking about everything that had been bothering her and barely noticed that the professor had asked her a question. "Blossom?"
"Oh-wha? Sorry professor, I was just thinking about school. No, I don't think I want anything. I'm not in the greatest of shape anymore," Blossom said lightly, knowing full well that it wasn't what she was thinking of, despite some of the truth in her statement.
"Oh nonsense, that's silly. I think you look perfectly fine," the professor said, and Blossom could tell he was a bit uncomfortable saying it. Not because he didn't mean it, but because it was a sensitive subject, especially for dads. Blossom smiled wearily, her mind back on the question of their origins, and the fact that she still had some research to do. Bubbles came back at that moment, holding a fizzing soda in her hands.
"Oh, well, I'm certainly not a toothpick."
"What?!" Bubbles blurted very suddenly, and Blossom gave her a disapproving look. The professor clicked his tongue in disgust.
"Oh be quiet. You're perfectly fine, and I don't want to hear another word like that come out of your mouth. Besides, all those girls in Hollywood need to eat something. Blossy, there's too much in life to enjoy, so stop worrying about your weight," he said very smartly, as if Blossom complained about it daily, which she didn't.
Blossom just nodded in response, eyeing Bubbles carefully. Bubbles wasn't paying attention anymore. Instead she was deeply involved in the ice cream that was in her soda, swirling it around carefully with her spoon.
"So, your schedule confirmations came the other day. For next year I mean," said the professor, folding his hands and laying them on the table in front of him. "So did your report cards." Bubbles looked up very quickly as if expected the professor to say something bad, but he didn't.
"Oh did they?" Blossom said very half-heartedly. She watched the little kids playing, and thought about her and her sister's true origins again, about the fact that they couldn't remember anything before they were five because they'd never lived those years. It seemed like they'd missed so much time. for some reason, and the professor wouldn't tell them how or why. They'd, or Blossom, would have to find out on her own.
"Straight A's again, but I would expect no less from you Blossom. I'm very proud. You too Bubbles, very good grades. You girls are really going somewhere." he said and he touched Blossom's shoulder. She turned to look at him, not realizing what sort of expression was on her face, and the professor suddenly looked alarmed. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she said quickly, trying to smile. "I'm just worried about next year is all. I assume Buttercup didn't pass all her classes?"
"Well, she failed math, but that was expected. She always complained about the math teacher. Didn't you two have the same teacher?" asked the professor.
"Yes, but she was in a lower level of math than I was. Her and Bubbles were in the same period I think, right?" Blossom said, turning to Bubbles who was looking at her. She nodded. "We didn't have too great of a teacher. I did struggle in that class."
"But you still got an A. I got a B," Bubbles said glumly as if a B was something to be ashamed of.
"That's still a terrific grade, don't forget that. I just think Buttercup had more problems than you did. She just sort of. gave up I think," Blossom said, suddenly aware that Buttercup had been absent for a long time.
"So, how does your schedule look next year?" the professor asked, eager to change the subject to something other than failed math classes. Blossom thought very carefully.
"Well, I had to sign up for health because I missed it last year. I also still need to see if I can get that last P.E. class waived. It's not like we really need it," Blossom snorted in disgust. None of them had ever needed help with physical activities. "I'm also taking honors English and history again. That's gonna' be a bit difficult, but after AP classes last year I think I'm more than prepared."
"Um, I'm taking Spanish again," Bubbles said timidly, trying to get her own word in. Bubbles had been taking Spanish since junior high, so she'd gotten to be fairly fluent.
"That's very good Bubbles. oh and I'm taking wilderness survival, as if that isn't the most useless class in the world," Blossom said quickly.
"You never know when you might need to escape from a raging grizzly bear!" Bubbles said thickly, as if angered by the fact that Blossom had almost ignored her.
"Oh Bubbles, don't act this way, please." Blossom moaned, realizing her mistake. She really didn't need any more arguments, because after all the fights she'd had with Buttercup the past week, Blossom felt she was set for the whole year. Bubbles didn't really make any motion to show that she'd heard, but she turned to the professor.
"I'm doing art this year!"
"Oh, that's very good. That would be a class I could see you taking," the professor said finally, after a long silence. He began to aimlessly drum his fingers on the table and looked around as if he was searching for Buttercup
"Uh huh, and I wanted to take an advanced class, but they don't offer that sort of thing-" Bubbles began to talk very quickly and passionately about her art classes but Blossom had lost interest ages ago. Buttercup had been gone an awfully long time, and Blossom had suddenly felt this dark feeling come over her like a rising sensation of dread.
"Um, I'm going to go make sure she's okay," Blossom said swiftly, interrupting Bubbles long speech about colored pencils. They both looked at her and nodded, then Bubbles was off again about color combinations and pencil strokes.
Blossom got up and walked quickly in the direction Buttercup had gone, carefully avoiding the gaze of all the boys who were still shrieking at the video game machines. One of them looked over at her casually and his eyes widened very quickly when he saw her.
"Hi Blossom," he said quietly, but the other boys heard him anyway and turned to look. Simultaneously they all started sniggering with barely controlled laughter.
"Hi," she blurted quickly, because she recognized him as the boy who had sat behind her in AP Bio. She'd suspected for a long time he'd had a thing for her, and it was only confirmed by the reaction of his cronies. Blossom felt her face get really warm and she smiled shyly, and then ran off down the hallway in search of her sister. Behind her she could hear the boys saying obscene things to their friends, which most likely involved her.
She ran to the bathroom, and burst in, for some reason expecting to see Buttercup lying on the floor bleeding to death, but she wasn't. In fact it was worse. She was against the far wall, sitting on the floor with her knees up, her face in her hands as if she was trying to hide herself. She looked very small and vulnerable, alone like that, and Blossom felt a rush of maternal instincts swell inside her as she moved towards her sister quickly.
"Buttercup?" she asked quickly, crouching down in front of her sister. Blossom touched her shoulders and was surprised to find Buttercup very warm and trembling. She looked up quickly; saw Blossom, and quickly hid her face again so that she wouldn't reveal what Blossom already knew. Buttercup was doing something that she barely ever did. She was crying.
"What's the matter? Is it the professor? Oh Buttercup, why don't you just talk to him?" Blossom cried helplessly. Buttercup didn't respond, but she shook her head fiercely, and with a huge sniffle fell into quiet sobs once more. "Buttercup, I know why you're upset, and maybe if you would just sit and talk with him-"
"I'm not upset!"
"Oh please, you're scrunched up in a corner crying your eyes out, and you have the audacity to tell me you aren't upset. I wasn't born yesterday you know-"
But Buttercup's head had shot up when Blossom had said this and she looked at her angrily. Blossom was expecting her to say something, but beat her to it. "Look, I know he's not telling us what we have a right to know, but I think you're being unreasonable. I saw what you saw, and I'm going to try and find some things out first-"
"That isn't the problem," Buttercup said. She was trying really hard to keep her voice even, but it was difficult because her voice kept jumping with hiccupping gasps.
"Well, then what is it?"
"I.I."
But Buttercup had lost her will to speak, because at that moment a woman had walked into the bathroom. She looked at the both of them questioningly, and then walked into a bathroom stall and shut the door. Blossom pulled her sister up and pulled her out of the bathroom.
"Pull yourself together alright? At least for tonight. I suppose you don't have to speak to him, but don't be such a brat either. I'm going to look up this Medicom business and see what I can find. Maybe once we know a little more. than we can ask him, alright?"
Buttercup didn't say anything, but she looked into Blossom's eyes very carefully. Blossom didn't know whether or not she was getting through to her sister, but Blossom did see something in Buttercup, which she rarely showed; fear. Blossom felt a strong urge to hug her, but thought better of it, knowing that Buttercup didn't like being hugged. She thought it was childish.
"I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is best for us."
"But he still lied. I can't find it in myself to trust him anymore. Something happened and he felt obligated to take us in. He never really wanted us."
"Buttercup, I'm sure there's more to it than that."
Blossom suddenly really wanted to know everything.
But now was not the time.
She'd go to the library tomorrow, she would look up anything she could find about the company, see if there was anything about past genetic research (which was unlikely) and just see if she could put the pieces together.
"Blossom, when I was in the bathroom I saw him," Buttercup blurted. Blossom was puzzled. Buttercup was clearly fighting back a new string of tears that threatened to come.
"Hmm? Him who? Boys aren't supposed to be in the bathroom. I didn't see anybody-"
"No. HIM."
"WHAT?!"
But Buttercup had turned away very quickly and was walking back to the table. Blossom was left puzzled. The lady had come out of the bathroom and stopped next to Blossom.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Yes everything's fine." Blossom said. The woman walked away, satisfied, and disappeared around the corner. ".I think."
A few days later the sky was alive with the brightest colors the girls had ever seen. Huge explosions and pops filled their ears as they watched the dazzling light show on the side of a lake.
The fourth of July had come with little to make the girls worried. The past few days had been entirely uneventful, and Blossom still hadn't had time to sneak over to the library for some undercover research. But, this day was a day to celebrate, and Blossom wanted to push everything out of her mind for the time being.
The bright colors launching into the sky reminded Blossom of days past, when the three of them could fly high into the air, leaving trails of sparkling color behind them as they laughed together. It made her miss, just slightly, the old crime-fighting days, and she imagined fondly that the three of them were five years old again, patrolling the skies of Townsville in streaks of pink, green and blue.
But they couldn't fly like that anymore, and patrolling for crime had gotten to be a dangerous affair, causing the professor to suddenly panic and whisk them out of the city to grow up in a safer place. But that was history.
Blossom sat next to the professor on the big blanket they'd brought to the park, her head resting lightly on his shoulder so she could look skyward with comfort. Bubbles sat on the other side of the professor, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulder and her own head also lying gently on his chest.
Buttercup was of course still not speaking to him, but at this point the professor had given up trying to reason with her in order to let her cool down on her own. Whether or not it was working, Buttercup did a good job hiding it.
The professor was going through a lot of trouble to be overly nice to her, offering to buy her snacks and sweets whenever the other girls had wanted some, but she'd always refused with a very fierce shake of the head.
Whenever they'd walked anywhere, Buttercup had been dutifully careful to walk at least ten feet away from them, shuffling with both of her hands shoved into her pockets.
If Blossom had wanted to make eye contact for scolding that would have been impossible, because Buttercup never looked at anything but her own two feet. She now sat on the edge of the blanket away from them, and appeared to be looking at her hands instead of the fireworks.
The fireworks ended with an amazing finale, and more than twice Bubbles had started laughing with glee. Buttercup made no motion to signal that she'd been watching. With a light shrug she stood up as the professor prepared to fold the blanket up so they could go home.
"Independence Day has always been my favorite holiday of the year. You know one of my great-great-great. great grandfathers was here in America during the war. I believed he served under George Washington himself," the professor said lightly as he tucked the large blanket under his arm. He looked at both Blossom and Bubbles. Bubbles was looking at him like a very soft kitten, wide-eyed and smitten, while Blossom looked positively thrilled over the history lesson. Buttercup had already started walking away and had nearly disappeared into the crowd.
"Buttercup! Don't get lost!" Blossom called out to her. Buttercup halted and didn't even bother to turn around. She remained standing where she was in the middle of the grass and let the crowds of people wash over her in a hurry to beat the traffic.
"Do you think it's about time I say something to her? This is getting ridiculous," the Professor said quickly as they began walking after her. He looked at Blossom as if she was the one to go to for advice, which she usually was.
"Nah, I think this is actually an improvement. I haven't fought with her once since she's been acting like this," Blossom giggled. Bubbles chimed in,
"She hasn't called me any mean names for days!"
The professor was silent for a few beats, then, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Professor. I think at some point she'll realize she needs you and she'll come around. Trust me. It's what I would do if I was acting like her. which I never am." Blossom said sweetly, and the professor ruffled a hand through her already wind-tussled hair. She looked at him with an expression of pure gratitude.
"Well, since the house is boring, who's up for something sweet?" said the professor as they made it to where Buttercup was still standing.
"MEEEEE!" Bubbles cried enthusiastically. She began tugging very affectionately on his sleeve.
"After all, this is a day to celebrate your great-great-great-great-great-"
"-Okay, Blossom."
"Great-great-great grandfather's victory!" Blossom laughed, very loudly, elbowing her raven-haired sister very hard in the ribs as she did so. Buttercup clicked her tongue in blatant annoyance and pushed herself away lightly.
"Cut it out will ya?" she said under her breath, just enough for Blossom to hear her. In fact, Blossom couldn't even understand why Buttercup was so angry towards her at all. It wasn't like she'd done anything wrong. Granted, she didn't even think the professor had necessarily done anything wrong either.
The library, her mind reminded her. Again, she pushed it away for the moment.
"Have I told you how much I love you today?" Bubbles said playfully, grabbing Buttercup's arm and swinging it widely in very large circles.
"Yes, I believe you mentioned it once-"
The professor was laughing to himself, trying to hide it behind the cover of his hand. Blossom noticed it anyway and started laughing with him.
"-or twice-"
"I LOVE YOU!" Bubbles grabbed Buttercup in a very strong hug.
"-That's FIVE today alone!" Buttercup choked under Bubbles's well-hidden, unnaturally strong grip. Blossom looked away from them and turned her attention to the professor who was looking straight ahead. They came to a bridge that crossed over a river and followed the crowd over it to the street.
All around them the distant sounds of pops and whistles could still be heard from the surrounding neighborhoods. After all, it was only past ten, and there was still tons of celebrating to be done on the fourth of July.
The street lamps cast a strange orange glow on the crowded people, which were now starting to thin out considerably, seeing as most people left by way of their cars in the parking lot. Now, the three girls and the professor were practically alone, left to walk together on a night that symbolized the strength of a family, a national family.
"Professor, tell me more about your great-erm-grandfather," Blossom said, not sure as to how many greats she should add to the word. Next to them, Bubbles was still chattering away madly in Buttercup's ear, and she was clearly ignoring it, which was just as good. At least they weren't fighting.
"Well, let's see." he said thoughtfully. "If I remember correctly, I believe he was from Iowa-"
"Professor, you know that Iowa didn't even exist during the Revolutionary War," Blossom corrected him. He laughed slightly.
"Okay then, that's apparently not right. perhaps it was actually the Civil War I'm thinking of. no, I'm sure it was the Revolution." he trailed off and looked up into the sky as if trying to get some sort of help from his deceased ancestor. They were now walking on a fairly busy urban road towards the same café they usually visited once a week.
It was a twenty-four hour desert bar and café with live jazz music on Fridays and Saturdays. The professor knew the owner pretty well, a Filipino man in his late thirties that played with the house band. He was nice, both inside and out, and always liked to give Bubbles extra ice cream in the root beer float she always ordered.
They walked into the dimly lit café, which was fairly loud, filled mostly with college students and families with their screaming kids. Blossom dimly wondered if they were that misbehaved when they'd been that old. She then realized it had probably only been her sisters that had been even close to that rambunxious, running around screaming and flailing their arms while they pretended to be monsters.
Blossom had never acted like that, even when she'd been the youngest she could remember, which was only about five-
-Even so, none of them had ever really acted that badly. Perhaps only on their bad days, usually when they'd snuck some candy or caffeinated soda. Those were the days when they really got on the professor's nerves, because they had always been naturally hyper without the aid of artificial stimulants.
"Professor! Oh, do you think I could have some cake?" Bubbles cried loudly as she sat down on a particularly squishy chair. Blossom watched her calmly, wondering at the same time why Bubbles had never really grown up. On the outside she had certainly matured, but Bubbles frequently still acted like a young girl, at least she did around the family.
Blossom had been in a few classes with her sisters the previous school year, and Bubbles had always been fairly quiet in school. Perhaps that had been a good thing, because if she'd acted like she did at home that would have turned lots of people off. Bubbles did have friends, but nothing nearly as close as her relationship with her sisters, and at least Blossom had never heard them complaining.
"Well. I don't know. That's a bit too much sugar for you. Why don't you just have what you always do?" the professor said, partially distracted by a little brown haired girl who had just whizzed past his seat, closely followed by a blonde-haired boy who was screaming and crying very loudly.
Bubbles didn't say anything after that, she just nodded quietly and pursed her lips very sweetly to show that she understood. Buttercup was watching the other people in the café with mild interest.
"Do you want something sweetheart?" the professor said very lightly to Buttercup, keeping his voice low so that nobody else would hear. Buttercup was usually embarrassed easily by terms of endearment, and the professor knew this. She shook her head, watching a group of kids over by the arcade with a cool satisfaction.
Blossom looked over at them, and recognized them as classmates from school. She thought about going over to them for a split second, but then thought better of it when she noticed Buttercup's expression of utmost disgust.
Plus, it was a group of teenage boys acting incredibly immature over some video game called Mortal Kombat, screaming in delight, as heads were lobed off in gushes of pixilated blood.
Blech. They don't know a thing about organized fighting.
Bubbles stood very quickly to go order what she wanted, and she disappeared for a few minutes. Buttercup stood a few seconds after and disappeared down a small hall that led to the bathroom, leaving Blossom and Professor Utonium alone.
"Don't you want anything Blossom?" he asked her casually after a few seconds. Blossom had been deeply into her mind wanderings when he spoke. A little red-haired girl was tugging on her mother's sleeve behind Bubbles at the counter, and Bubbles looked back at them questioningly as if she was supposed to do something about it.
Blossom had started thinking about everything that had been bothering her and barely noticed that the professor had asked her a question. "Blossom?"
"Oh-wha? Sorry professor, I was just thinking about school. No, I don't think I want anything. I'm not in the greatest of shape anymore," Blossom said lightly, knowing full well that it wasn't what she was thinking of, despite some of the truth in her statement.
"Oh nonsense, that's silly. I think you look perfectly fine," the professor said, and Blossom could tell he was a bit uncomfortable saying it. Not because he didn't mean it, but because it was a sensitive subject, especially for dads. Blossom smiled wearily, her mind back on the question of their origins, and the fact that she still had some research to do. Bubbles came back at that moment, holding a fizzing soda in her hands.
"Oh, well, I'm certainly not a toothpick."
"What?!" Bubbles blurted very suddenly, and Blossom gave her a disapproving look. The professor clicked his tongue in disgust.
"Oh be quiet. You're perfectly fine, and I don't want to hear another word like that come out of your mouth. Besides, all those girls in Hollywood need to eat something. Blossy, there's too much in life to enjoy, so stop worrying about your weight," he said very smartly, as if Blossom complained about it daily, which she didn't.
Blossom just nodded in response, eyeing Bubbles carefully. Bubbles wasn't paying attention anymore. Instead she was deeply involved in the ice cream that was in her soda, swirling it around carefully with her spoon.
"So, your schedule confirmations came the other day. For next year I mean," said the professor, folding his hands and laying them on the table in front of him. "So did your report cards." Bubbles looked up very quickly as if expected the professor to say something bad, but he didn't.
"Oh did they?" Blossom said very half-heartedly. She watched the little kids playing, and thought about her and her sister's true origins again, about the fact that they couldn't remember anything before they were five because they'd never lived those years. It seemed like they'd missed so much time. for some reason, and the professor wouldn't tell them how or why. They'd, or Blossom, would have to find out on her own.
"Straight A's again, but I would expect no less from you Blossom. I'm very proud. You too Bubbles, very good grades. You girls are really going somewhere." he said and he touched Blossom's shoulder. She turned to look at him, not realizing what sort of expression was on her face, and the professor suddenly looked alarmed. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she said quickly, trying to smile. "I'm just worried about next year is all. I assume Buttercup didn't pass all her classes?"
"Well, she failed math, but that was expected. She always complained about the math teacher. Didn't you two have the same teacher?" asked the professor.
"Yes, but she was in a lower level of math than I was. Her and Bubbles were in the same period I think, right?" Blossom said, turning to Bubbles who was looking at her. She nodded. "We didn't have too great of a teacher. I did struggle in that class."
"But you still got an A. I got a B," Bubbles said glumly as if a B was something to be ashamed of.
"That's still a terrific grade, don't forget that. I just think Buttercup had more problems than you did. She just sort of. gave up I think," Blossom said, suddenly aware that Buttercup had been absent for a long time.
"So, how does your schedule look next year?" the professor asked, eager to change the subject to something other than failed math classes. Blossom thought very carefully.
"Well, I had to sign up for health because I missed it last year. I also still need to see if I can get that last P.E. class waived. It's not like we really need it," Blossom snorted in disgust. None of them had ever needed help with physical activities. "I'm also taking honors English and history again. That's gonna' be a bit difficult, but after AP classes last year I think I'm more than prepared."
"Um, I'm taking Spanish again," Bubbles said timidly, trying to get her own word in. Bubbles had been taking Spanish since junior high, so she'd gotten to be fairly fluent.
"That's very good Bubbles. oh and I'm taking wilderness survival, as if that isn't the most useless class in the world," Blossom said quickly.
"You never know when you might need to escape from a raging grizzly bear!" Bubbles said thickly, as if angered by the fact that Blossom had almost ignored her.
"Oh Bubbles, don't act this way, please." Blossom moaned, realizing her mistake. She really didn't need any more arguments, because after all the fights she'd had with Buttercup the past week, Blossom felt she was set for the whole year. Bubbles didn't really make any motion to show that she'd heard, but she turned to the professor.
"I'm doing art this year!"
"Oh, that's very good. That would be a class I could see you taking," the professor said finally, after a long silence. He began to aimlessly drum his fingers on the table and looked around as if he was searching for Buttercup
"Uh huh, and I wanted to take an advanced class, but they don't offer that sort of thing-" Bubbles began to talk very quickly and passionately about her art classes but Blossom had lost interest ages ago. Buttercup had been gone an awfully long time, and Blossom had suddenly felt this dark feeling come over her like a rising sensation of dread.
"Um, I'm going to go make sure she's okay," Blossom said swiftly, interrupting Bubbles long speech about colored pencils. They both looked at her and nodded, then Bubbles was off again about color combinations and pencil strokes.
Blossom got up and walked quickly in the direction Buttercup had gone, carefully avoiding the gaze of all the boys who were still shrieking at the video game machines. One of them looked over at her casually and his eyes widened very quickly when he saw her.
"Hi Blossom," he said quietly, but the other boys heard him anyway and turned to look. Simultaneously they all started sniggering with barely controlled laughter.
"Hi," she blurted quickly, because she recognized him as the boy who had sat behind her in AP Bio. She'd suspected for a long time he'd had a thing for her, and it was only confirmed by the reaction of his cronies. Blossom felt her face get really warm and she smiled shyly, and then ran off down the hallway in search of her sister. Behind her she could hear the boys saying obscene things to their friends, which most likely involved her.
She ran to the bathroom, and burst in, for some reason expecting to see Buttercup lying on the floor bleeding to death, but she wasn't. In fact it was worse. She was against the far wall, sitting on the floor with her knees up, her face in her hands as if she was trying to hide herself. She looked very small and vulnerable, alone like that, and Blossom felt a rush of maternal instincts swell inside her as she moved towards her sister quickly.
"Buttercup?" she asked quickly, crouching down in front of her sister. Blossom touched her shoulders and was surprised to find Buttercup very warm and trembling. She looked up quickly; saw Blossom, and quickly hid her face again so that she wouldn't reveal what Blossom already knew. Buttercup was doing something that she barely ever did. She was crying.
"What's the matter? Is it the professor? Oh Buttercup, why don't you just talk to him?" Blossom cried helplessly. Buttercup didn't respond, but she shook her head fiercely, and with a huge sniffle fell into quiet sobs once more. "Buttercup, I know why you're upset, and maybe if you would just sit and talk with him-"
"I'm not upset!"
"Oh please, you're scrunched up in a corner crying your eyes out, and you have the audacity to tell me you aren't upset. I wasn't born yesterday you know-"
But Buttercup's head had shot up when Blossom had said this and she looked at her angrily. Blossom was expecting her to say something, but beat her to it. "Look, I know he's not telling us what we have a right to know, but I think you're being unreasonable. I saw what you saw, and I'm going to try and find some things out first-"
"That isn't the problem," Buttercup said. She was trying really hard to keep her voice even, but it was difficult because her voice kept jumping with hiccupping gasps.
"Well, then what is it?"
"I.I."
But Buttercup had lost her will to speak, because at that moment a woman had walked into the bathroom. She looked at the both of them questioningly, and then walked into a bathroom stall and shut the door. Blossom pulled her sister up and pulled her out of the bathroom.
"Pull yourself together alright? At least for tonight. I suppose you don't have to speak to him, but don't be such a brat either. I'm going to look up this Medicom business and see what I can find. Maybe once we know a little more. than we can ask him, alright?"
Buttercup didn't say anything, but she looked into Blossom's eyes very carefully. Blossom didn't know whether or not she was getting through to her sister, but Blossom did see something in Buttercup, which she rarely showed; fear. Blossom felt a strong urge to hug her, but thought better of it, knowing that Buttercup didn't like being hugged. She thought it was childish.
"I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is best for us."
"But he still lied. I can't find it in myself to trust him anymore. Something happened and he felt obligated to take us in. He never really wanted us."
"Buttercup, I'm sure there's more to it than that."
Blossom suddenly really wanted to know everything.
But now was not the time.
She'd go to the library tomorrow, she would look up anything she could find about the company, see if there was anything about past genetic research (which was unlikely) and just see if she could put the pieces together.
"Blossom, when I was in the bathroom I saw him," Buttercup blurted. Blossom was puzzled. Buttercup was clearly fighting back a new string of tears that threatened to come.
"Hmm? Him who? Boys aren't supposed to be in the bathroom. I didn't see anybody-"
"No. HIM."
"WHAT?!"
But Buttercup had turned away very quickly and was walking back to the table. Blossom was left puzzled. The lady had come out of the bathroom and stopped next to Blossom.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Yes everything's fine." Blossom said. The woman walked away, satisfied, and disappeared around the corner. ".I think."