Chapter 3
Buttercup spent the rest of the week complaining long and loud about Butch, but in spite of her too-vehement protests, she was actually glowing. Seemed she was always finding some reason why she had to linger behind at school, or go in early. That's right, Buttercup actually getting up and out of bed without Blossom hauling her out by her hair. Tell me that doesn't mean something right there. You can't, can you?
The following weekend she came to my room and sat on my bed. She told me that she felt she just had to talk to someone, and there was no way she could tell Blossom. She confessed that she and Butch had been intimate (my words - hers left a lot less to the imagination). I wasn't surprised. Of all of us, somehow I'd always known she'd be the first. Geez, I make it sound like she got her driver's license or something. Not that we really NEED to drive, considering the fact that we can fly, but, still... The point is, I am making it sound like it was nothing. I guess I wasn't overly concerned because, although Butch trampled all over my heart without a second thought, I knew that he wouldn't do that to Buttercup. Knowing that...even if he did, she'd make sure he limped for a week. Take that however you like.
So as she confessed this Big, No-Turning-Back, Life-Changing Event (can't you just HEAR the capital letters in that?), I smiled and nodded at all the appropriate places, added a couple of girlish squeals and even threw in some sisterly bonding hugs. Truth? Those I didn't have to fake. I was flattered that Buttercup felt she could confide in me, and I really do love my sister. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but even though it still feels like my heart is bleeding, I really am happy for her. Yeah, I know, I had my closure and all that, but that doesn't mean that I am magically over my broken heart.
I don't fully agree with their jumping into the more physical aspect of their relationship so soon, but I think that it might be okay for them. It never was just THAT between the two of them, even if it has been...tangible. Yes, that's the word. Even if their attraction was tangible, it wasn't the only thing they felt for each other. I don't doubt that for a second. As I've said before, I'm pretty good at reading emotions, and the two of them are chock full of them.
I know I said that Buttercup and Blossom were closer to each other than I was to either of them, but then something like this happens, and I realize that maybe it's not a matter of how close we are to each other, but more...how do I explain this. It's like we relate to each other on different levels. Buttercup would never in a million years feel comfortable talking to Blossom about this. I wonder if I should have asked Buttercup if they taken appropriate precautions.
I wonder if Butch told Brick or Boomer about what happened.
~~~~~~~
"I don't know who they think they are fooling, really I don't. Buttercup and Butch have always seemed obvious to me, but now that they've actually admitted their mutual attraction for each other, and acted on it, I don't think anyone could miss it.
"They actually HOLD HANDS now. Buttercup and Butch! Except they are trying to hide it. But the only way to do that is to walk next to each other, fairly closely, so that their hands are hidden among sleeves and partly shielded by their bodies. Yeah, you might not notice the handholding, I'll give them that, but there is no way you could miss that closeness. They used to go out of their way to keep distance between them, and now you're lucky to see light -"
"Who are you talking, to Bubbles?"
Bubbles' eyes went wide with panic as she heard Blossom's voice outside her bedroom, and she managed to stuff the bear under the pillow before her sister's head peeked in the open doorway.
"Oh, hey," she chirped at the redhead, who took that as an invitation to enter and sat down on the edge of Bubbles' bed, leaning against the pillows. Bubbles' struggled to keep her expression calm and her eyes on her sister.
"I thought you were at the library," Bubbles said.
Blossom waved her hand in the air dismissively. "The internet is a much better resource for the topic of our debate," she scoffed. "I don't know why I thought I might find something there."
"I thought Brick was doing the online research?"
"No, he was going to check out the -" Blossom stopped and narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Who were you talking to when I got home?"
~~~~~~~~
Blossom is good. She doesn't react immediately. It's part of what makes her such a good strategist. She didn't look guilty when she started to tell me what Brick was supposed to be doing, even though it's quite possible she knew that *I* knew that Brick was in charge of the library research.
This debate was going to be different. Brick and Blossom were going up against another couple. Usually they were on opposing teams, and I actually had stayed after school to watch a few of their practice sessions on occasion. Of course, the fact that Butch had detention on those very same days was entirely coincidental, ha!
I know that I've been stuck on writing about the whole Butch-and-Buttercup thing, with good reason, but the reason I haven't said much about Brick and Blossom is because there really hasn't been much to say.
They were not just more subtle around each other, I am starting to think they are actually clueless about how they feel.
Butch and Buttercup were never ignorant of their feelings for each other. Not ever. They denied it like hell, though. They went out of their way to try to convince themselves that they didn't feel that way. I had hoped that, during that time of exploring outside interests, Butch would discover that he actually had feelings for me, basically ditching the whole 'soul mates' theory.
I know, I know, but love isn't SUPPOSED to make sense, which is why I had held onto that hope that things would change, and that suddenly all the things he felt for Buttercup would magically be directed at me, who, I was sure, was certainly more deserving of affection. What? It's true. Maybe not more deserving, perhaps, but definitely one who would be more comfortable on the receiving end of that type of affection.
The way that Blossom has been acting, I wonder if maybe Boomer's hope has gotten a recharge.
I thought for sure that, after that little moment of contact during their chess game, that Blossom had that sense of 'knowing.' It makes me want to laugh, though, because for someone as smart as she is, she is awfully unsure of what she is feeling, or if she really feels anything at all. I'm not sure about Brick, because I haven't seen him since that night. I'll bet I could tell a lot better if I saw the two of them together.
I do, though, know darn well that Brick was the one who was assigned to do the library research, and I know that that's why Blossom went there. I don't think SHE knew that's why she had gone there. When I asked her about it, I'm sure she started to tell me that Brick had been given library duty, not internet research. As soon as she started to voice that, though, she realized what she was going to say.
I'm not sure yet if she was more disturbed because, up until I'd posed the question, she'd managed to convince herself that SHE had the library assignment, or because she knew all along that Brick was going to be there, but hadn't consciously intended to see him there. That's why she decided to avoid the issue by changing the subject.
It worked, too. I am sure I blushed, because I could feel my face get hot.
~~~~~~~~
"What?"
"Who were you talking to?"
"No one." At Blossom's look of disbelief, Bubbles hurriedly added, "I mean, I was just practicing a speech I have to give in English lit." She winced internally at the hastily given excuse. She knew what was coming next.
"You're taking English lit?"
Bubbles placed her hand over her face and rubbed her temples. "Yes."
Blossom noted the weary gesture with some concern. "Do you want some help with it?"
"What? No, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? I took that class last year. Which book did you select, and what stance are you defending?"
It was true that Bubbles had a speech to prepare, but she didn't have to so for another three weeks, and therefore she hadn't yet chosen a book. Fortunately Blossom decided to list the various novels that she'd studied the previous year, along with the viewpoints she'd presented in class. Bubbles just nodded mutely, relieved that she was saved from actually having to answer. She was pretty sure that she was not going to select any of the books that Blossom mentioned, for fear of being unfavorably compared to her sister should her own standpoint not measure up to the teacher's expectations. It happened enough as it was. Buttercup had often complained about the unfairness of it all, ever since Blossom had started taking advanced courses. She had also complained when they were in the same classes for the same reason. Bubbles didn't care for the comparisons, either, but she never took it personally like Buttercup did.
Finally Blossom stopped to take a breath, and noticed that Bubbles seemed a bit overwhelmed.
"Are you OK, Bubbles?"
"Yeah, fine. Just tired, I guess."
"Well, it's no wonder. Honestly, Bubbles, these pillows are incredibly lumpy," she said, turning and punching them to illustrate her point, then frowning ever so slightly. "Hey, what's this?" She started to slide her hand under the pillow, but Bubbles was quicker. In a flash of blue, she had grabbed the pillows and the item hidden between them and returned to her side of the bed. Blossom raised an eyebrow at her.
"I happen to LIKE these pillows," Bubbles defended.
~~~~~~~~~
Response to reviewers:
Hairy Gregory - the part about Blossom snapping her fingers actually took place in one of the episodes, and I remember wondering just how she could do that without fingers of some sort. You're right, they do tend to magically have fingers in most stories, although I did read one in which they did not. However, for purposes of this story, I am just as guilty of granting them fingers. It's Blossom's fault for that finger snapping, I tell you! :) As for two romances blossoming at the same time, my thoughts were that "there's something in the air" - and it sounds lame and schmaltzy, but I think that it's entirely possible for someone to feel more affected, emotionally, given the environment they are in. Of course, you've read this chapter, and see that, in the absence of that same environment, things are a bit different. The road to true love was never paved smoothly, eh?
Ud the imp - I pictured Boomer's laughing as a defense mechanism as well.
Autumn Leaves - It's funny you mention that she now knows she's not the one for Butch. Too bad it's not as easy to accept something you know is true. That's all I'm going to say about that! ;)
Starship Gazer - thanks. I was worried about the narrative style, but I think that sometimes it helps to alternate between Bubbles' POV and an unbiased third person view. As long as it doesn't confuse anyone, I think I'll stick with it for a while. I think it might have worked a little better in this chapter.
Buttercup spent the rest of the week complaining long and loud about Butch, but in spite of her too-vehement protests, she was actually glowing. Seemed she was always finding some reason why she had to linger behind at school, or go in early. That's right, Buttercup actually getting up and out of bed without Blossom hauling her out by her hair. Tell me that doesn't mean something right there. You can't, can you?
The following weekend she came to my room and sat on my bed. She told me that she felt she just had to talk to someone, and there was no way she could tell Blossom. She confessed that she and Butch had been intimate (my words - hers left a lot less to the imagination). I wasn't surprised. Of all of us, somehow I'd always known she'd be the first. Geez, I make it sound like she got her driver's license or something. Not that we really NEED to drive, considering the fact that we can fly, but, still... The point is, I am making it sound like it was nothing. I guess I wasn't overly concerned because, although Butch trampled all over my heart without a second thought, I knew that he wouldn't do that to Buttercup. Knowing that...even if he did, she'd make sure he limped for a week. Take that however you like.
So as she confessed this Big, No-Turning-Back, Life-Changing Event (can't you just HEAR the capital letters in that?), I smiled and nodded at all the appropriate places, added a couple of girlish squeals and even threw in some sisterly bonding hugs. Truth? Those I didn't have to fake. I was flattered that Buttercup felt she could confide in me, and I really do love my sister. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but even though it still feels like my heart is bleeding, I really am happy for her. Yeah, I know, I had my closure and all that, but that doesn't mean that I am magically over my broken heart.
I don't fully agree with their jumping into the more physical aspect of their relationship so soon, but I think that it might be okay for them. It never was just THAT between the two of them, even if it has been...tangible. Yes, that's the word. Even if their attraction was tangible, it wasn't the only thing they felt for each other. I don't doubt that for a second. As I've said before, I'm pretty good at reading emotions, and the two of them are chock full of them.
I know I said that Buttercup and Blossom were closer to each other than I was to either of them, but then something like this happens, and I realize that maybe it's not a matter of how close we are to each other, but more...how do I explain this. It's like we relate to each other on different levels. Buttercup would never in a million years feel comfortable talking to Blossom about this. I wonder if I should have asked Buttercup if they taken appropriate precautions.
I wonder if Butch told Brick or Boomer about what happened.
~~~~~~~
"I don't know who they think they are fooling, really I don't. Buttercup and Butch have always seemed obvious to me, but now that they've actually admitted their mutual attraction for each other, and acted on it, I don't think anyone could miss it.
"They actually HOLD HANDS now. Buttercup and Butch! Except they are trying to hide it. But the only way to do that is to walk next to each other, fairly closely, so that their hands are hidden among sleeves and partly shielded by their bodies. Yeah, you might not notice the handholding, I'll give them that, but there is no way you could miss that closeness. They used to go out of their way to keep distance between them, and now you're lucky to see light -"
"Who are you talking, to Bubbles?"
Bubbles' eyes went wide with panic as she heard Blossom's voice outside her bedroom, and she managed to stuff the bear under the pillow before her sister's head peeked in the open doorway.
"Oh, hey," she chirped at the redhead, who took that as an invitation to enter and sat down on the edge of Bubbles' bed, leaning against the pillows. Bubbles' struggled to keep her expression calm and her eyes on her sister.
"I thought you were at the library," Bubbles said.
Blossom waved her hand in the air dismissively. "The internet is a much better resource for the topic of our debate," she scoffed. "I don't know why I thought I might find something there."
"I thought Brick was doing the online research?"
"No, he was going to check out the -" Blossom stopped and narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Who were you talking to when I got home?"
~~~~~~~~
Blossom is good. She doesn't react immediately. It's part of what makes her such a good strategist. She didn't look guilty when she started to tell me what Brick was supposed to be doing, even though it's quite possible she knew that *I* knew that Brick was in charge of the library research.
This debate was going to be different. Brick and Blossom were going up against another couple. Usually they were on opposing teams, and I actually had stayed after school to watch a few of their practice sessions on occasion. Of course, the fact that Butch had detention on those very same days was entirely coincidental, ha!
I know that I've been stuck on writing about the whole Butch-and-Buttercup thing, with good reason, but the reason I haven't said much about Brick and Blossom is because there really hasn't been much to say.
They were not just more subtle around each other, I am starting to think they are actually clueless about how they feel.
Butch and Buttercup were never ignorant of their feelings for each other. Not ever. They denied it like hell, though. They went out of their way to try to convince themselves that they didn't feel that way. I had hoped that, during that time of exploring outside interests, Butch would discover that he actually had feelings for me, basically ditching the whole 'soul mates' theory.
I know, I know, but love isn't SUPPOSED to make sense, which is why I had held onto that hope that things would change, and that suddenly all the things he felt for Buttercup would magically be directed at me, who, I was sure, was certainly more deserving of affection. What? It's true. Maybe not more deserving, perhaps, but definitely one who would be more comfortable on the receiving end of that type of affection.
The way that Blossom has been acting, I wonder if maybe Boomer's hope has gotten a recharge.
I thought for sure that, after that little moment of contact during their chess game, that Blossom had that sense of 'knowing.' It makes me want to laugh, though, because for someone as smart as she is, she is awfully unsure of what she is feeling, or if she really feels anything at all. I'm not sure about Brick, because I haven't seen him since that night. I'll bet I could tell a lot better if I saw the two of them together.
I do, though, know darn well that Brick was the one who was assigned to do the library research, and I know that that's why Blossom went there. I don't think SHE knew that's why she had gone there. When I asked her about it, I'm sure she started to tell me that Brick had been given library duty, not internet research. As soon as she started to voice that, though, she realized what she was going to say.
I'm not sure yet if she was more disturbed because, up until I'd posed the question, she'd managed to convince herself that SHE had the library assignment, or because she knew all along that Brick was going to be there, but hadn't consciously intended to see him there. That's why she decided to avoid the issue by changing the subject.
It worked, too. I am sure I blushed, because I could feel my face get hot.
~~~~~~~~
"What?"
"Who were you talking to?"
"No one." At Blossom's look of disbelief, Bubbles hurriedly added, "I mean, I was just practicing a speech I have to give in English lit." She winced internally at the hastily given excuse. She knew what was coming next.
"You're taking English lit?"
Bubbles placed her hand over her face and rubbed her temples. "Yes."
Blossom noted the weary gesture with some concern. "Do you want some help with it?"
"What? No, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? I took that class last year. Which book did you select, and what stance are you defending?"
It was true that Bubbles had a speech to prepare, but she didn't have to so for another three weeks, and therefore she hadn't yet chosen a book. Fortunately Blossom decided to list the various novels that she'd studied the previous year, along with the viewpoints she'd presented in class. Bubbles just nodded mutely, relieved that she was saved from actually having to answer. She was pretty sure that she was not going to select any of the books that Blossom mentioned, for fear of being unfavorably compared to her sister should her own standpoint not measure up to the teacher's expectations. It happened enough as it was. Buttercup had often complained about the unfairness of it all, ever since Blossom had started taking advanced courses. She had also complained when they were in the same classes for the same reason. Bubbles didn't care for the comparisons, either, but she never took it personally like Buttercup did.
Finally Blossom stopped to take a breath, and noticed that Bubbles seemed a bit overwhelmed.
"Are you OK, Bubbles?"
"Yeah, fine. Just tired, I guess."
"Well, it's no wonder. Honestly, Bubbles, these pillows are incredibly lumpy," she said, turning and punching them to illustrate her point, then frowning ever so slightly. "Hey, what's this?" She started to slide her hand under the pillow, but Bubbles was quicker. In a flash of blue, she had grabbed the pillows and the item hidden between them and returned to her side of the bed. Blossom raised an eyebrow at her.
"I happen to LIKE these pillows," Bubbles defended.
~~~~~~~~~
Response to reviewers:
Hairy Gregory - the part about Blossom snapping her fingers actually took place in one of the episodes, and I remember wondering just how she could do that without fingers of some sort. You're right, they do tend to magically have fingers in most stories, although I did read one in which they did not. However, for purposes of this story, I am just as guilty of granting them fingers. It's Blossom's fault for that finger snapping, I tell you! :) As for two romances blossoming at the same time, my thoughts were that "there's something in the air" - and it sounds lame and schmaltzy, but I think that it's entirely possible for someone to feel more affected, emotionally, given the environment they are in. Of course, you've read this chapter, and see that, in the absence of that same environment, things are a bit different. The road to true love was never paved smoothly, eh?
Ud the imp - I pictured Boomer's laughing as a defense mechanism as well.
Autumn Leaves - It's funny you mention that she now knows she's not the one for Butch. Too bad it's not as easy to accept something you know is true. That's all I'm going to say about that! ;)
Starship Gazer - thanks. I was worried about the narrative style, but I think that sometimes it helps to alternate between Bubbles' POV and an unbiased third person view. As long as it doesn't confuse anyone, I think I'll stick with it for a while. I think it might have worked a little better in this chapter.