Chapter 17 - Bonnie (Originally Published: 27 November 2015)
"I need to talk to you. Meet me at the wall, please."
Bonnie twisted her keys and pulled them from the ignition. The sudden dying down of a background noise she'd become accustomed to made the quietude that followed seem louder.
She looked at the message again. It was an odd text to receive so early in the morning, especially from Finn. Things just hadn't been the same between the two of them since his falling out with Marceline. Still, she considered him a good friend, and she wasn't going to ignore his request just because he was being stubborn. Admittedly, she understood his reluctance to forgive Marceline. She just wished he would take the time to understand her perspective.
Bonnie grabbed her backpack from the passenger seat and pulled her arms through it. She wasn't sure how long this thing with Finn was going to take, and she didn't want to end up having to rush back to the car park just to grab her things.
The sky was gradually metamorphosing as she walked towards the back of the school. Beautiful hues stretched across the twilight, parading before the sun on its ascension. There was a different atmosphere about today - as if suddenly, overnight, everything had changed. Perhaps everything had been slowly changing for a long time, and she was only now beginning to notice its cumulative effect on her world. She wished she could step away from her busy life to stop and relax, maybe figure out what exactly had created this new ubiquitous feeling of novelty, however, she knew that whatever it was would likely be too small to place.
The designated meeting spot was a retaining wall overlooking the walkway leading to the school greenhouse. She'd been to the little building on several occasions during her formative science classes, but the wall itself she'd only been to once before - to meet with Finn when he'd wanted to ask her out on a date.
The younger Mertens boy was sitting at the wall's highest point, his feet dangling over the edge. He hadn't acknowledged her yet, his mind seemingly more intent on staring out over the quiet path, yet she sensed that he was aware of her presence. She climbed the grassy hill and sat next to him, kicking her legs over the edge alongside his.
Reaching to his other side, Finn procured a cardboard cup for her. Steam billowed out from the small opening in the lid, and Bonnie could feel the warmth radiating off of it as she took it from him. It felt almost a distant memory that they'd used to share a coffee together every morning. So much had happened in the short few months that they'd been back to school. He materialised a cup of his own, and they sat together in silence for a time, merely taking in one another's presence.
"I know you didn't come over on Halloween for me, but I'm glad you did," he finally said. "It was nice to see you."
Bonnie smiled warmly. "It was nice to see you as well, Finn."
He seemed relieved to hear that. "Also, I'm sorry for the way I've treated Marceline. I still can't forgive her for what she did to Jake, but she's your friend. It was selfish of me to be so mean to her. You don't deserve that."
Neither does Marceline, she thought. Bonnie didn't want to start any arguments though. "What brought on this change of heart?"
"Honestly? Seeing you and Bongo together last weekend." Finn shrugged. "It's obvious he really likes you, and I can tell you like him too. I'm not happy about it, but I know that if you guys get together I'm going to end up seeing Marceline more than I'd like to. It's easier to be civil. Fighting is just too draining, and I'm not that bull-headed." Finn tapped the lid of his cup. His fingernail made a dull, hollow click every time it made contact with the plastic. "I've been doing quite a bit of thinking lately. Not just about that," he clarified, abruptly. "Just... I thought I was finally starting to get it figured out, you know? For the past two years I've been pining after this girl who had no idea that I even existed. And then, one day I realised that memories are more important to me than having a girlfriend. I know that seems like a dumb thing to get worked up over, but I do it all the time.
"Anyway, just sorting that out changed so much for me. I stopped worrying so much about how she saw me. It was so liberating to not care anymore. Instead of feeling stupid and sad, I got to get closer to Bea, and Jake, and my parents. I had more head space to actually pay attention in class. I even started considering that maybe… there was potentially someone else that I might want to be with."
Bonnie was unaware that Finn had even been interested in anyone, but despite her growing curiosity, she waited for him to continue.
"I thought I was ready to get over this dumb crush, but that didn't last long. She asked me to go to coffee with her, and she told me she liked me too. She was just too shy to ever say anything." Finn threw one arm up in the air, holding his coffee steady with the other. "Now that I couldn't care less about being in a relationship, she wants me. I was excited at first, but now I'm even more confused about my feelings. I'm torn between two people and I can't decide which one is better for me. I'm not even sure if one of them likes me back or if it's just wishful thinking."
Bonnie rubbed his back. "It's okay to not have everything figured out. Just hang in there, Finn. You just need some time to think through things. At least, do that before you make any big decisions." Curiosity got the best of her, and she had to ask. "So, who is this mystery girl that you've been getting coffee with?"
"Phoebe Edan," he said, quietly.
Bonnie was taken aback. She felt a lot of different emotions at the admission, none of them the anger or disgust she expected herself to feel. She was happy for Finn - that he'd finally gotten the attention he sought, worried for his confusion in the matter, and… relieved. She was relieved that Phoebe showed an interest in Finn, because it meant that there was nothing going on between her and Marceline. When the shock abated, her thoughts turned to other things. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You hate Phoebe."
That was fair, but Bonnie felt bad for making her friend feel that he couldn't talk to her about it. "Well, that's in the past. From now on, you're allowed to talk to me about anything. It doesn't matter how I feel about the situation. I want you to be happy, Finn, and if that means being with someone I absolutely loathe, I will put aside my own feelings to give you the best advice I can. Or even just listen. Okay?"
Finn smiled faintly. "Thanks, Bonnie. I've missed my friend."
"And I've missed you too." She rested her head on his shoulder. "We're going to be all right."
She noticed that Finn was wearing grey sports shorts that morning. It was chilly out, and Bonnie wondered how he managed to keep from shivering, but he didn't seem bothered by the ever-decreasing temperatures. He just sat there quietly, both of them mulling over everything that had been happening lately.
Bonnie finished her coffee by the time Finn spoke up again. "Would you ever date your best friend?"
She chuckled. "Well, Marceline's my best friend. So, no."
"No, I know. I mean, do you think it's a bad idea?"
Bonnie tapped her chin, considering the thought. "I think there's a certain amount of best-friendliness required in having a lasting relationship. Whoever you plan on spending your time with has to know you better than anyone else does, or at least they have to be able to understand you well enough. You need to be able to communicate with the person about intimate details that might be uncomfortable to talk about with anyone else. And you need to be able to understand each other's silence."
Finn nodded slowly. "But what if things end badly and you lose your best friend? I know someone who said that happened to them."
Bonnie's eyes drifted down, away from him. She and Marceline didn't have those kinds of feelings for each other, to be sure, but she knew how painful it was to lose her best friend. "That's a risk in any relationship, Finn. You just have to hope for the best. If you're already compatible with them, there's at least a chance that it won't end badly." She set her now empty cup down next to her. "Is this about Bea?"
"Yeah… A couple of weeks ago, they kissed me on the cheek. It was just kind of random, but after it happened I started feeling all kinds of different things. I'm confused, and I can't tell if I'm starting to catch feelings because of the kiss, or if maybe I really do like them. And what about the gender thing? Does that make me kind of gay if I like Bea?"
"I don't really know," Bonnie said. "Either way, Bea doesn't define themself by labels. Why should you? We can't help who we like, Finn."
He gnawed at the dry skin on his lip. "Yeah. You're right."
"And as for that other thing…" Bonnie took his face in her hands, holding him still so that he wouldn't turn his head into her, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Anything?"
Finn looked at her, a barrage of emotions flashing over his face - surprise, then contemplation, and finally realisation. "No. I didn't feel anything at all." He smiled. "Thanks, Bonnie. That doesn't really tell me what to do, but at least I know these feelings are real."
"Anytime, Finn," she said. "Do you want to go inside now? It's rather cold out today."
"Nah, I'm fine. You go ahead." He reached an arm around her, giving her a tight squeeze. "I really missed you, Bonnie. Thanks for meeting me."
When Bonnie returned to the car park, she saw that the vehicles of her other friends had arrived. They had all gone inside where it was warm, but she knew where to find them. Walking through the front doors, she noticed that her body had gone numb in the cold. The heat that blanketed the air left a stinging twinge on the tips of her ears and fingers. She pulled her sleeves over her hands, hoping to warm them faster by doing so. The first stop on her itinerary was a cold room no matter the time of year, and she wanted to absorb all the heat possible on the way there without dallying away the precious pre-class minutes.
She pulled open the heavy auditorium door. There were enough people in the room that she had to make a real effort to look around for who she'd come for. However, Marceline was nowhere in sight. Neither were any of the people who frequently kept her company.
"You look lost," came a voice from within the sound booth next to her. Phoebe Edan was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Bonnie was used to seeing her with an intimidating scowl, but when those cold eyes were turned on her it felt like they'd burned holes into her.
"I was just looking for my friends. Are they not here?"
Phoebe stared directly into her eyes, unblinking. There was an underlying hostility to the action. "I don't know where Marceline is."
"What about Keila or Bongo?" Bonnie asked, stubbornly staring back. She didn't want to back down, but Bonnie was losing this battle and they both knew it.
"Gymnasium."
Bonnie's cheeks pulled back in a polite smile. Without bothering with any further courtesies, she left Phoebe in search of her other friends.
Bongo, Guy, and Keila were seated on the bleachers in the gym when she found them. Surprisingly, Marceline was not with them.
"Hey Bonnie," Bongo said, cheerily. He stood up to greet her with a hug, and she couldn't help but notice the subtly pleasing smell of his cologne.
"Where's Marceline?" she asked, hoping that someone would know.
Keila clicked her tongue, looking around the room as if she were about to divulge the plans for a bank heist. "We figured she'd be with you. Marceline hasn't hung out with Guy and I since Halloween. Bongo's the only one she'll talk to, and he doesn't want to get involved."
"Marceline's kind of hard to talk to when she's mad," Bongo said, apologetically.
Bonnie's eyebrows knitted together. Since Halloween? She's mad?
Now that she'd thought about it, she supposed there was something a bit off about this school week. Bonnie and Marceline had been meeting between classes and before school every day, and she hadn't been acting any differently around her - but she couldn't think of a recent time when she'd seen Marceline and her other friends together. Until Keila mentioned it, Bonnie just assumed that everything had been going about as usual.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You remember Ash, I'm sure." Keila waved a hand, gesturing as she spoke. "He's sort of instilled this fear in her mind that no one is ever going to love her. She's got all these walls up because of that, and if you can somehow get past that she's kind of sensitive, like. I said some stuff I didn't mean, and she sort of mistook it to be about the thing she's afraid of." Keila shook her head. "It's bloody moronic, but now she doesn't want anything to do with us."
"I was innocent, yeah? She won't talk to me or Pheebs right now," Guy said.
That certainly explained the way Phoebe had reacted to her only moments before. Bonnie looked at Bongo quizzically. "She talks to you."
"I was with you when it happened. Besides, I'm the one driving her to and from school every day," he said in his soft voice.
"I'm guessing since you didn't know about it, she hasn't said anything about me," Keila grumbled.
"No. I'm sorry." Bonnie pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'm going to talk to her about it though. Maybe she'll listen if I try to explain it was just a big misunderstanding."
Keila looked like she might protest, but Bonnie was already walking away.
Putting the phone to her ear, she was greeted with an immediate answer. "Hey Bonnibel."
"Where are you? I can't find you anywhere."
"I'm in the library doing homework."
Bonnie barely tried to restrain the loud laugh that accompanied the jape. "Where are you really?"
"In the library. Doing homework."
"Oh." She felt like an idiot for laughing. "I never thought I'd hear that coming from you."
"I know, it's okay. Can you come help me though? I don't really understand this, and the librarian is looking at me like she's about to claw my eyes out."
"I'll be right there," Bonnie said, and she hung up, spinning on her heel. She'd been walking in the opposite direction, assuming at first that there was no way she'd find her friend around that particular area of the building.
She was glad that she'd gotten to school early. All this walking around would have made her day more stressful otherwise.
The aroma of old books wafted through the air as she entered through the glass doors. Volumes of old books lined the walls in tidy oaken shelves, welcoming the scarce spattering of visitors. Bonnie had donated several boxes of books to the library in her time at the school, so the librarian knew her well. They exchanged a friendly glance and nod as Bonnie passed the circular desk.
The familiar head of long black hair was easily located amidst the few other students seated nearby. Its owner was concentrating, evident by her tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth. Bonnie observed as she read a passage in the book - her index finger sliding across the page, underlining the words - before she'd turn her focus to her notebook - where she'd quickly jot down her notes in a sloppy chicken scratch that was completely illegible to anyone else who tried to read it. Professor Carson made Marceline type up her science homework on a computer to print out, and she wondered if it was the same for her other teachers.
"You're cute when you study," Bonnie said, breaking Marceline's train of thought.
Trying unsuccessfully to hide the flush spreading across her cheeks, Marceline tucked her chin in and stared down at the chair next to her as she pulled it back for Bonnie. "Did you just get to school?"
"No," Bonnie said, taking the seat. "Finn had to talk to me about something important… He apologised to me for being such a jerk to you."
Marceline set her pencil down. "Oh. Does that mean he wants to be friends again?"
"I think he's going to need a little more time for that, but it's a step in the right direction." She rested her head on her hand, trying to decipher the wild hieroglyphics that made up Marceline's handwriting. "So, homework?"
"I'm still catching up on everything I missed during that week I was suspended. Er… I mean, I've caught up on that, but it put me behind in everything else." Marceline rubbed her temples. "Literature is the worst. How am I supposed to list adjectives to describe the Victorian period when I don't even know what an adjective is?"
Bonnie chuckled. "How have you gotten this far in school without knowing what an adjective is?" Marceline looked at her pointedly, so she added, "An adjective modifies a noun. You know, like in Mad Libs?"
"I only ever just made up stuff I thought would be funny for those."
"Like what?"
Marceline shrugged, then with all seriousness, she said, "The poop penis farted boobily."
Bonnie rolled her eyes, trying to hide a smile. She should have guessed that Marceline would come up with something immature and gross.
"Do you maybe want to do something with me tonight?" Marceline asked, changing the subject.
"I can't. I'm sorry. I've already got plans." Bonnie chewed her lip. "I would love to see you this weekend though."
The obvious disappointment written across Marceline's face was heartbreaking. Bonnie scooted her chair closer, and put her head down on her own folded arms, looking up at her. "We can spend the whole weekend together. How does that sound?"
Marceline nodded, smiling weakly. She really wanted to do something with me tonight.
Bonnie considered cancelling her plans with Bongo, but she knew that Marceline would be fine. Thinking of her date with the boy made her nervous. However, she couldn't let guilt or anticipation guide her actions. She'd come here for a reason. "I haven't seen you with Keila lately. Are you two okay?" Bonnie asked, choosing her words carefully.
"We're fine." There was a bite to the words, warning her that she was treading on thin ice.
Bonnie reached a hand out to take Marceline's, but she flinched away. "What's wrong, Marceline? I've known you for seventeen years. I can tell when something's on your mind."
Marceline watched Bonnie until she could no longer retain eye contact. "Alright, fine. We just got into a fight. That's all." She slumped down in her chair. "Actually, it's really stupid. I was just being stubborn and I acted ridiculous. Right now I'm just more mad at myself for being so dumb, and I'm too embarrassed to show my face around them."
"I think that they'll forgive you. They're your friends, Marceline. You don't even have to say sorry right away. I think they'll be happy if you just talk to them. Go on as if nothing's happened." Outside the library, the muted shriek of the school bell rang.
"I'll think about it," Marceline said, gathering her things.
Bonnie normally enjoyed the sense of purpose that helping her friends brought, but it was more welcome today when her date with Bongo was so close. She was nervous, of course, but she also felt guilty. Keila had all but forbidden her from telling Marceline - the one person Bonnie actually wanted to talk to about the date. She and Bongo had talked about it at Finn and Jake's Halloween party, and all their friends were agreed on keeping the whole ordeal a secret from Marceline. It was a right dodgy thing to do, but to her surprise none of her friends asked any questions. They just all blindly agreed to the odd request with no need for explanation. She and Bongo both found that to be rather odd, but it was nice to have their support.
Bonnie stopped outside of her maths class and gave Marceline a farewell hug before going inside to take her seat by Aeryn.
"When is your date tonight?" her friend asked, bouncing happily in her seat.
Bonnie laughed. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Aeryn was more excited for the event than she was. "We're going to meet at the park around six o'clock." Bonnie covered her mouth as a yawn escaped her. It was still morning and her day had already been more eventful than usual, not to mention the sleep she'd sacrificed the night before to study for an exam she had later that day. "Are you and Jake doing anything tonight?"
Aeryn hid her face behind her hands. "He asked me to come over for supper. We're going to have our own fireworks show since his parents are going to dinner at a restaurant."
"Isn't that going to be a bit awkward with Finn around?"
Aeryn shook her head, still looking at Bonnie through splayed fingers. "He's going to his friend Ashley's house after school. Jake thinks they're dating since the two of them are always talking or hanging out."
Something about that didn't seem right. Bonnie furrowed her brow. "I didn't know Finn had a friend called Ashley. Did he not invite her to come to the Halloween thing?"
"You know how Finn is. He's too embarrassed to talk about girls with anyone. Even Jake."
She nodded slowly. "You're probably right."
There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but Bonnie knew that the only reason it concerned her was because Finn hadn't mentioned it when they spoke that morning. She supposed that it wasn't an important detail in his life - everyone makes new friends. Only, it seemed that they'd gotten closer that morning, and why wouldn't he tell her about a new friend during the exchange?
However persistently badgering the thought was at first, it was quickly abandoned and replaced with mathematical equations. By the end of class, the cramming of numbers, as well as the returning nervousness of upcoming activities had completely pushed the thought of 'Ashley' out of Bonnie's mind.
"Would you like to come over this evening before you meet with Bongo?" Aeryn asked as they walked out of the classroom.
Bonnie said that she would, quickly changing the subject. Marceline had been walking her to her classes every day, and she didn't want the topic to be overheard. Whatever the reason was for Keila's worries, it was probably a good one, and though Bonnie didn't understand it, it was too late to let Marceline know now. She would be more hurt that no one had told her. Bonnie wished that she'd ignored Keila's request.
The hood of Bonnie's shirt jerked twice, not hard, merely enough to get her attention. She knew that Keila probably wanted to give her something, and that if she turned around she'd get scolded by their teacher. Bonnie reached her hand back, expectantly, and a folded scrap of paper was pushed into her hand.
She waited until Ms. Pearl turned her back to open the sheet. The two of them had gotten into trouble quite a bit for their note passing. They still did it, only now they were more cautious than ever.
"Hey, thanks for talking to Marce. I don't know what you said, but it worked. She came up to us at lunch."
Bonnie smiled. She was proud of Marceline for trying, although something had been bothering her about the fight they'd had. She had a feeling that Keila wouldn't tell her the truth right away if she asked blatantly, so she worded it carefully, beating around the bush about what she really wanted to know. "Are you guys not friends with Phoebe and Leslie anymore? I saw them in the cafeteria today at lunch." Ms. Pearl was still writing something on the whiteboard in the front of the room, so Bonnie quickly reached back and dropped the paper on the desk behind her.
When Keila handed the paper back, it read, "Bleh. I was never friends with them. The boys are friends with Phoebe, and no one really ever liked Leslie. She just follows Phoebe around everywhere. Anyway, Marce and Phoebe aren't talking either now. So that's done, I guess."
Bonnie folded up the paper and put it into her pocket. That answered the first half of her question - Phoebe was there. Whatever had happened between Marceline and Keila had pushed the other girl away as well.
Ms. Pearl's lecture faded from the foreground of Bonnie's mind. Her eyes unfocused, a million different scenarios racing through her head. She stared ahead of her, not really paying attention to anything at all, until something significant moved in the corner of her vision, and Bonnie's eyes readjusted to see what it was.
Phoebe turned around in her seat to talk to Leslie about something, whispering so quietly that Bonnie had to wonder if she was not just mouthing words. Either way, Bonnie was certain the two gossipers were skilled at communicating discreetly. If she had not already been looking in their direction, she was certain she'd never have noticed they were talking.
She wondered what it was about Phoebe that made so many people fall in love with her. The girl with the fiery red hair and piercing blue stare was attractive, yes. She was popular, rich, and unattainable… but that couldn't be it, could it?
The other girl caught her staring, and Bonnie had to quickly look away to avoid the embarrassment that came with being caught gaping at someone. Curiosity had won her over however. She hoped that Phoebe had turned around again, but when she looked back the girl was still staring.
For the rest of the class period, Bonnie dared not even move her eyes from her textbook. She'd stared at the same page for so long that the words had become incomprehensible, nothing but patterns of ink on paper. When the bell rang, Bonnie had to restrain the urge to see if Phoebe had left the room yet.
It didn't matter, she told herself, because she had other things to worry about. Like what had happened on Halloween. Turning around in her seat, she waited for Keila to notice her.
"I was wondering," Bonnie began, "what-" What brought on the topic of Marceline's love life? Bonnie, you can do better than that. It's too obvious that you suspect something is up and too vague to get the answer you're looking for.
"Yes?" Keila asked, chuckling.
Think. Think. Think… Got it. "What do you think of Phoebe and Finn dating?"
Keila's eyes went wide for a moment from the initial shock. They darted back and forth, looking anywhere but at her. She gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing. "I fucking knew it," she muttered.
Bonnie cleared her throat. The reaction was not a good sign, but she had to see how this conversation panned out before jumping to any conclusions. "Is everything all right?"
Keila nodded slowly, pursing her lips. "What do you mean?" she asked, sceptically. "Are Finn and Phoebe a thing then?"
Bonnie was so upset that she didn't care in that moment what kind of repercussions her actions could bring her. There was something she'd been left in the dark about, and she was determined to figure out what that was. "He told me this morning that she admitted she fancied him. Why? Is there any reason Finn and Phoebe shouldn't be together?"
Keila licked her lips. "There are a lot of reasons that they shouldn't be together. Phoebe's rubbish for one. I've been trying to figure out what she's up to for a while now, but she's untouchable. I can't find any dirt on her."
"What she's up to?" Bonnie asked, lost in her own web of thoughts.
"I mean, obviously she's up to something. She's not the type of person who would hang out with punks like us. Why would she start now? What does Marceline have that she wants? Is it for the drama that she can start? Or is she just taking advantage of someone who doesn't know any better?" Keila ran a hand through her hair. "I don't trust her, Bonnie. I care too much about Marce."
"I know." She drummed her fingers against Keila's desk. "I think this is one of those things that we should keep our mouths shut about until we know more. What do you reckon?"
Keila crossed her arms. "I'm with you on that one, Bon."
Whatever she'd been anxious about before had become irrelevant now. Phoebe might be planning to hurt Marceline, and Bonnie wasn't about to let that happen.
Why, though, did Bonnie get so tremendously upset when she thought that maybe Marceline and Phoebe were interested in each other?
Because she's your best friend, and you hate Phoebe.
Finally acknowledging the reason behind her trepidation didn't help. The thought had been a monster hiding in the depths of her mind, but now that it had surfaced, its grotesque image made her ill.
What made her feel worse was that she couldn't figure out why she was so supportive of Finn being with Phoebe, yet the opposite when it came to Marceline. Was she a bad friend that cared less about him? Or... was it something else entirely?
Kiosks had been set up along the pavement by some of the local businesses, each of them selling refreshments - toffee apples, hot cider, bonfire roasted potatoes. Bonnie loved seasonal treats. There was something magical about the annual delicacies that always made autumn the most anticipated time of year. When Bonnie had voiced her thoughts on the matter, Bongo left her standing by herself to fetch them both something to eat. She would have gladly gone with him, but he was so excited that he'd dashed off before she'd gotten the chance to follow.
Bonnie hugged herself to keep warm as she waited for his return, observing her surroundings. The amount of people that gathered to see the fireworks always seemed so surreal. There were hundreds of others in the park, many of them sitting on blankets brought from home, socialising with one another. Bonnie wondered if she knew any of them. The many faces blended into one another, separate individuals blurred into one big group, one concept - all the same.
"Here you go," Bongo said, walking slowly back to her. He looked almost robotic in a way, his arms were held out in front of him as stiff as branches on a tree, carefully carrying the two overfilled plastic cups of hot cider.
She took one of the drinks and tentatively sipped at the steaming liquid, draining the cup to make it safer to walk around with. The warmth spreading to her bones made her feel much better on this cold November night.
Bongo took a big gulp of his, cringing at first, but then making a satisfied groaning sound when he swallowed. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a toffee apple that had been wrapped in crinkly plastic wrap and fastened with a little orange bow. He grinned from ear to ear as he handed it to her.
"Thank you," she said. "Do you want to walk around for a bit before the show starts?"
"Yeah. Of course." Bongo sipped more cautiously at his drink this time, following Bonnie as she weaved between the crowds of people.
When she turned around he was a little ways behind her, politely apologising when he walked in front of anybody - which happened quite frequently. Taking his hand in hers, she dragged him along. The pair walked out to the pavement to circle around the area.
"Did you not want an apple?" Bonnie asked, realising that Bongo had only come back with one.
He shrugged. "I never finish a whole one. They're too sweet for me, usually. I still like them though, it'd just be a waste to throw it away."
Bonnie stopped walking and handed her drink to Bongo to hold. She untied the bow keeping the plastic wrap around her toffee apple and peeled it off. "Here," she said, holding it up to his face. "We can share."
He looked at her, as if trying to decide if she was being serious, and then leaned down to take a big bite out of the side of the apple. She giggled at how silly he looked chewing and smiling at the same time, and then took a chunk out of the other side.
"So, Mr. Roland, can you tell me why you're in sports and not in the school band?"
He tilted his head, the corner of his mouth drawing back in a small smile. "Where did that come from?"
"Your hands are incredibly calloused," she said, taking his in hers once again. "That's what made me think of it."
"Oh." He hummed a terse note. "Well, my father wanted me to join the rugby team. I watch sports on the telly with him sometimes anyway, he just thinks it's important for me to 'toughen up'. Boys aren't supposed to be sensitive, he says."
Bonnie nodded slowly. It wasn't something she agreed with. She believed it was that kind of mindset that made it hard for some people to learn to cope with their emotions. "Are you close with your father?"
He didn't answer right away. "We get on well enough, and I love him - he's my father. We're just too different."
"How so?"
"He wants me to run the family business when I'm older. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not really entrepreneur material. I just want to cook good food and play drums."
Bonnie squeezed his hand. "You can do whatever you want to do, it's your life. I think it's wonderful of you to be so in touch with yourself. Some people take their entire lives to realise what it is that gives them purpose."
That made him smile. "What about you? Are you close with your parents?"
"I'm close to both of them, yes. Much more so with my mum though. I tell her everything." Bonnie took another bite of her apple, and offered him one as well - which he gladly took. "I would love to try your cooking sometime. What's your favourite thing to make?" she asked, now thinking about food.
Bongo thought about it for a moment. "Scones, definitely. We could make them together. It'll be fun."
Bonnie rather liked that idea. Really, she enjoyed the thought of spending more time with him in general - no matter what they did. He was such a delight to be around that she didn't mind the freezing cold wind blowing over them. It was worth suffering through the weather in order to talk to him.
Her thoughts turned back to Marceline, and how she'd want to eventually hang out as a group once their relationship had been established. Maybe if Marceline had a girlfriend of her own, they could go on double dates.
Drinks now finished, they stopped to throw their rubbish away in a nearby bin. Some small motion caught Bongo's eye.
"Is that…?" He lifted a hand to point out a cat sitting next to the bridge above one of Whitewater's many rivers.
It could have been any similar-looking stray, of course, but something about this feline's presence told her that this was the same one that Bongo had befriended.
It seemed to recognise them as well, trotting over to rub against both of their legs. The cat butted its head against Bongo, purring happily when he squatted down to pet it. He talked to the cat, asking about its day as if it were able to respond.
Without warning, the cat darted towards the middle of the bridge and stopped. The couple followed the restless feline so that Bongo could pat its head again.
Bonnie was about to kneel down as well when an unexpected explosion echoed in the sky. Startled, she looked up in time to see little red stars spreading across the night.
She watched in awe, for a moment forgetting everything else around her entirely, until she felt the presence of the boy standing next to her. He scooted closer, and Bonnie was thankful for the warmth he provided. They both watched as the sky burst in different sparkling shades, sometimes following each other in patterns, and more oft than not changing into many different hues and shapes.
"The fireworks are really pretty," Bongo observed.
Bonnie agreed that they were. She glanced up at him, smiling at the bit of sticky sweetness on the corner of his mouth. Reaching up, she wiped it away, drawing his attention to her. "You had a bit of toffee on you," she mumbled, mesmerised by the way the fireworks reflected in his pale blue eyes. She could tell that he wanted to kiss her, but Bongo was too shy to make the first move.
With the booming of the spectacle going on in the distance, and the bursts of colourful light, it just felt like the right thing to do. Bonnie stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the lips.
He'd been expecting it; clumsily, he kissed her back.