Author's Note: The end is coming soon…beware…
Disclaimer: I don't own FOP, okay? Yeesh.
Chapter Ten: To Tell the Truth
Timmy stumbles backward, aghast. He cannot swallow and the bile in his throat surfaces. And, although he'd love to do or say something, he cannot. There is nothing to say…
So, like a deer caught in the headlights, he watches Trixie and Veronica make out. Unfortunately, they begin to do more than make out and, still frozen, he watches them make love. At this point, his knees collapse on him and he falls to the ground.
For what feels like an eternity, he hears his girlfriend, his lover, the girl he thought he was going to have little Turners with, scream in ecstasy while her female friend pleases her. He's so stunned, it takes him a few minutes to realize he's been holding his breath and he'll pass out if he doesn't exhale soon. But, right now, that scarcely seems important.
Finally, they finish- Timmy collapses on the asphalt, not ten feet away from where Trixie's car is. If he had one term to describe his feelings right now, it'd be like having his heart wrenched from his still living body, trampled upon, chewed up and spat out, and then barbequed. He blacks out.
-----
Two weeks pass and he still hasn't spoken to her. He won't return her calls, won't respond if she touches him, and pretty much ignores her existence. He wants the anguish to vanish, but it won't. Not even magic can wish it away…
Not that he's tried, mind you. He isn't speaking to either of his godparents right now, especially Wanda. Once in a while, he'll talk nonchalantly to Cosmo, but he can't stand his godmother. If possible, her actions have hurt him more than Trixie's ever could.
A.J. keeps pointing out something about Tootie's situation, but, right now, he could clearly care less. Tootie and all women could jump off a cliff for hurting him so much.
Meanwhile, though, Tootie hasn't showed up for school since Timmy saw Trixie having sex in the back of her car. Rumors are a flurry about her, but he pays them no mind. Wherever she is, at least she's not bothering him.
Standing outside the band room, though, waiting for the kids to get out so he can talk to Chester, he realizes she hasn't been bothering him lately. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd swear she's trying to fade away into oblivion.
This isn't a recent phenomenon, either. Ever since they entered high school, Tootie's been morose and distant. She's grown paler, lost weight, and sometimes, when he really thinks about it, she looks as though she's about to pass out. In fact, one time, he recalls catching her because she did stumble and collapse.
No one's visited her house in years. He hasn't seen her parents since she entered high school, either. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was Vicky and her…no, wait. If he really strained his memory, he could recall Vicky and Ricky wedding…
Appearing before him were pink and green posters, the former frowning lightly. Once again, she mentions Tootie- why was everyone so worried about her? What's the worst that could happen?
-----
"Harder, faster, slave!" Vicky barks, home until ten o'clock, her first class. Tootie moans- scrubbing the mildew off the old, hundred year tub is hard work. Damn garage sales.
"I don't pay you to gripe- in fact; I don't pay you at all! Get working or else!" Grinning maliciously, she kicks her in the back, right in the kidneys. Tootie, already weakened from lack of sleep, overexertion, and starvation, nearly falls in.
Yes, starvation. She hasn't eaten in three days, slept in a week, or had a break in two. Every day, she collapses and, every day, it's only sheer luck that she hasn't died. She wants to…
Wanda hasn't come to visit her again. Briefly, she wonders if she just forgot or she doesn't care. In either case, good riddance. She never really believed in magic anyway.
The sponge falls from her grasp and she leans in to retrieve it only to lose her balance. Ricky catches her around the waist and presses her against him. Damn it, if she weren't so weak, exhausted, weary, and hungry, she'd be able to figure out what he wanted with her.
"You know, slave, maybe I was a tad judgmental before. You aren't that ugly, even if your dear Timmy won't find you attractive. Don't worry, I'll break you in." Grinning like a jackal, he throws her on the couch and she can only gaze at him with heavy lidded eyes as he slips his hand beneath her skirt.
Just as he's about to cope a feel, Vicky walks in and screams. By now, Tootie's close to passing out and she barely notices. Hell, if she joined in, she'd think the same thing. Just let it be over with, let him have his fun and-
"STOP!" Vicky screeches and throws him off her. Ricky lands hard on his rear, but, before he can strike back at her, Vicky scoops her sister up and runs up the stairs. She even snarls something to her children, as though she cares about them.
Placing her down on her old bed, she proceeds to pace. Tootie whispers urgently for Wanda, who appears not to be listening. What a surprise…
"How dare he try that!" Every angry word causes Vicky to lash out at her environment, and, oddly enough, start idly cleaning up her children's room. Unintentionally, she's helping her out. If she weren't about to pass out, she'd be grateful.
"With my bratty little sister who doesn't even deserve to bear my former last name! What, I'm not good enough for him?!" Pivoting, she glares at her and sinks a fist into her stomach. Tootie moans and her vision begins to darken.
"He has to try to fuck around with my stupid, selfish slave!" Now, she pounds as hard as she can everywhere she can. Tootie passes out…
-----
Suddenly, in the midst of Chemistry, Wanda, as a pencil, whimpers. Tears form in her eyes and she glances urgently up at Timmy. What does she want now?
Cosmo, an eraser, notices her reaction immediately. And, quickly than Timmy can say "Crash Nebula", he rubs against her and inquires about her concern. She is, after all, his wife.
"Tootie…Cosmo, we have to go help her now!" Tears flow freely- she can no longer conceal her anxiety. Regardless of whether Timmy or Cosmo know she's been working as a vigilante, now is not the time for discussion.
"Damn it, Wanda, I'm in the middle of class-" Timmy snaps, in no mood for another tale of Tootie trouble.
"To hell with it!" Wanda retorts and their mouths fall agape. Did Wanda just curse and tell Timmy class was not important?
"There are more important things in this world than class and education! If you don't get over to Tootie right now, Vicky's going to end up burying her because she'll beat her to death. She's in no condition to fight back and….and…I've been neglecting her because of you."
The whole story unfolded before them- how she'd snuck out to take care of her, Tootie's whole situation at home, everything she'd gone through and more. And now, what she'd seen in her wand…
Timmy's only reaction is complete and utter shock. Here he is, moping and bitching about his ex-girlfriend, when Tootie is in a life or death situation! God, and he hadn't even listened to A.J. and Wanda because he thought they were lying.
Grabbing his bag, he excuses himself and runs out the door. He only hopes he isn't too late…
-----
Almost mechanically, Vicky
beats her sister. For over an hour, she pummels her senseless, fortunately
breaking no bones…yet. It's only a matter of time before she grows weary of
pounding the flesh and break something crucial…like her neck.
Ricky came in before, but she took care of him. Now he's battered and bruised on the floor and only moans every once in a while. She knew she should have picked a better husband.
And what really bothers her is that Tootie all but begged her to go out with him. Well, perhaps just "get out of the house and leave me alone" wasn't what a normal person would say to their beautiful and wise older sister, but that's what she muttered under her breath. Therefore, she urged her to go and ruin her life.
Finally, she pauses before her chest. If she punches her in such a way, she can break through her rib cage and really cause some damage. But is she that evil? Can she kill her sister?
Her fist poised above her chest, she lunges only to discover there is a hand holding her back. Glowering, she turns to whomever it is, to tell him or her off, and discovers it's none other than her former charge, Timmy Turner. He shoves her to the side to examine Tootie.
But if he thinks he's going to scrutinize her in solitude, he's got something else coming. Vicky tackles him hard to the floor and slams his head into a nearby toy chest. She wants him out of here, damn it!
Timmy elbows her hard in the face, causing her to fall backwards with a broken nose. She grabs him by the neck, ready to strangle him if need be, but he's already kicking her in the chest. She loses her grip and he takes the initiative, hitting her in the back of the neck in the precise place where she would be knocked unconscious.
Well, that was easier than anticipated…now for Tootie.
God…he hasn't realized how, even with the bruises, beautiful she is. Her braces are long gone and her hair flows down, like a river. Tenderly, he strokes it, and leans in…
And, before he knows it, he kisses her…