Hey everyone! I apologize for the lateness of this update... ^.^; Motivation has been a bit low, but at least finals are over, yeah?
Anyway, here it is!
~Infinity Guitars
When Opposites Attract - Chapter 7
"Flakyyy, try this dress on!"
"I dunno... it doesn't l-look like a dress I would wear."
"Well of course it isn't! It came from my closet!"
I was in Giggles' overly pink room, trying on every single thing she threw at me. She had a massive closet, filled with every sort of clothing item known to man, and yet we had barely scraped the surface of the inventory. I already had changed a multitude of times, always returning to the comfort of her bed in between outfits while she rummaged for something else I just had to try on. I spent most of that time sinking into the sea of pillows on her mattress, sorta hoping that they would swallow me and I wouldn't have to worry about clothes anymore. It never happened.
God, help me.
Giggles pouted, and thrust the dress into my arms.
"Try it on! Please?"
"Fine..." I mumbled dejectedly, making a signal so she would turn the other way.
I slipped out of my clothes, and pulled the dress over my head, struggling for a moment before I got it on past all my hair. There were sparkles... everywhere. It was terrifying how girly it was. I felt like I had changed into Giggles for a moment. The one thing I liked about the dress was its color; white. And maybe the fact that it had long sleeves was a plus. And although the dress had an open back, it also came with a choker that kinda cancelled it out- and my hair was long enough to cover any skin that might've been showing. So maybe it wasn't that bad of a dress after all. But I wouldn't be admitting that to Giggles anytime soon- she'd never let me hear the end of it.
"Alright... how bad do I look?"
Giggles turned around, and squealed in delight.
"You look adorable! Keep the dress!"
"W-what? I couldn't"-
"Too bad! It's perfect for you, Flaky- I'm so happy you can fit into my stuff!" She smiled, clapping her hands together. "You'll definitely be the center of attention at your welcoming party!"
Oh, right. The welcoming party. Giggles decided to throw one for me at my house. It was supposed to be a surprise, but the girl couldn't keep a secret for her life. That and I thought it was more of a last minute decision, especially considering last week's events. I knew Giggles meant well, and she really had proven to be nice- but she became a lot more nicer after Petunia treated me the way she had- and I didn't even know that was possible. It comforted me a little, though, to know the lengths she would go for people she considered to be friends.
"A-are you sure, Giggles? It's a little too late for a welcoming party, d-don't you think?"
"Not at all! Besides, I haven't thrown a party in ages! I can't imagine how the people here survived so long!"
"How long ago was the last one...?"
The pink-haired girl shrugged, walking out of her room and into her bathroom across the hall.
"Mm. Two weeks ago."
I groaned, and examined my reflection in the mirror. The dress was established to be pretty, sure, but I wasn't sure if I was pretty enough for it. A wild-haired, extremely nervous girl shouldn't wear a dress as... noticeable as this one was. I was already going to be at the center of attention according to Giggles, I didn't want even more attention because of what I was wearing. I had always been used to being off on the sidelines, and I didn't mind it at all. In fact, I preferred it. I was known for being quiet in my old town and school, and I made sure to keep it that way, up until the day I moved to Happy Tree. Now that I was here, however, it seemed like I was in the middle of a lot of commotion. I wondered if it was because there hadn't been a new resident here for a while. People were always curious about newcomers, it seemed.
Giggles popped back into the room, holding a huge makeup case and multiple hair-styling tools like it was a sword and shield. For a moment, I was worried for my own safety.
"Oh calm down, Flaky! When I'm done, you'll look even more adorable!"
"B-but, I-"- Giggles interrupted my stammering and tugged me over.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry..." she said not-so-apologetically, trying and failing to yank a huge brush through my hair. I winced every few seconds, trying not to yelp anymore for her sake. It was a few painful moments before Giggles pouted and lowered the brush, examining my curls up close.
"You know... I think your hair's fine like that."
I rolled my eyes in response, before she cracked open the makeup case instead. I had little experience with anything she was pulling out of the box; most of my cosmetic arsenal was limited to lip gloss and mascara.
"I-is this necessary?"
"Are your questions necessary? Trust me and hold still already!"
Giggles held me in place with that surprising strength of hers, and managed to fix me up with only one hand. I wasn't sure how much time went by until she was finished, but after a while of me alternating between keeping my eyes squeezed shut or cracked open, eventually she released me.
"There! Look at yourself!" she smiled, turning me to the mirror.
I gaped at the reflection staring back at me. I looked like myself, just... different. Enhanced. My hair was as neat as it was ever going to get, my eyelashes were two times longer, my eyes looked even bigger with the help of a neat cats eye, and my lips seemed plumper than usual, a very pigmented and glossy red covering my mouth. I also glittered whenever I moved and the light hit me in the right spot... was this everyone's definition of pretty? How did people find the time to do this every morning? I was lucky if i managed to get a comb through my hair, usually settling for tying it back in a ponytail.
"...You didn't put blush on me?" I asked quietly.
"Oh, you don't need blush! I figured you'd get embarrassed or something and it'd happen naturally!" Giggles explained.
Right. Of course.
"Now wait for me! I'll only be a moment." she said, before closing her bedroom door.
I sighed, carefully walking down the stairs in the shoes she'd forced me to put on, unused to the extra inch of height they gave me. I wasn't exactly sure what "a moment" was to Giggles, but I had a hunch it was around half an hour. Settling into one of her extremely cushioned loveseats, I barely had time to relax before she came bolting down the stairs, already changed and made up. Her outfit was a light green two-piece set, complete with pastel pink trim and buttons adorning the shorts. I blinked in surprise, and she tugged me out the door.
"How did you get ready s-so quickly?"
"Um, I always get ready quickly? It's a habit. Besides, Giggles Chipmunk is never late for a party." She said matter-of-factly, ushering me across the street to my house and shushing me before I could respond.
I exhaled quietly, tensing up a little before opening the door. It was pitch black inside my house, all the lights were shut off. My pulse quickened as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and Giggles quickly nudged me forward in encouragement. I took a step inside, angling myself so I could make a quick escape if I needed to. I hated surprises, and I hoped if I could just get through this one, everyone else would know not to put me through something like it again.
"H-hello...?" I squeaked.
"SURPISE!"
Everyone popped out of their hiding places as Giggles snapped on the lights. I jumped in place, even screamed, despite knowing exactly what to expect. They didn't seem surprised that I was scared, however, and I turned red in embarrassment, biting my lip to stifle myself.
Music quickly started playing from my stereo that sat upon a shelf, and people placed their gifts on and around the coffee table in the center of the room. Then I realized, with growing discomfort, that my house was packed with most of the residents of Happy Tree. I tried to keep up with small talk for a few minutes, politely greeting everyone that crossed my path. All the while I gradually edged towards the kitchen, figuring it would be less crowded in the smaller space- that and the smell of various party foods was starting to make my stomach growl.
To my surprise, Petunia was by the large punch bowl on the island. I knew she was going to be here; Giggles told me beforehand, and Petunia made good on her promise to apologize when I returned to school. We were supposed to be on good terms again, but it still felt a little odd to see her after what happened. I tried to put those thoughts behind me, however, and I awkwardly sidled over to her. Apparently DB (Disco Bear) had been with her the entire time, obviously hitting on her from the looks of it, much to her chagrin as Handy was off mingling with the other guests. Petunia huffed and blew the bangs from her eyes, although when she saw me, her expression lightened into one of relief- and one of happiness? It made me feel a little more at ease.
"Um, hey..."
"And who is this?" DB interrupted, his eyes roaming over me without hesitation. I self-consciously tugged at the dress, looking away.
"DB, this is Flaky." Petunia said, sounding very tired of talking to him and not making any point to hide it.
His lack of response and blank expression made my face turn bright red in irritation.
"You know; the one who this welcome party is for?" she continued. "You're kind of standing in her kitchen?"
DB adjusted his bright orange afro with a pick comb he obtained from who knows where, and he flashed what looked like a trademark smile at her, completely ignoring me.
"Oh, yeah, sure. As I was saying"-
Suddenly DB stumbled forward, and the drink in his hand splashed all over the dress. I gasped, lifting my arms and wiping the fluid away, but it was too late- the white fabric was no match for the punch- who knew if this stain was ever coming out? Petunia's eyes widened as my lips parted with nothing to say. Splendid looked up, smiling brightly after colliding with the flirtatious boy. He obviously didn't notice almost knocking somebody over.
"Hey, Flaky! Nice party, sorry I was running late. Duty calls, y'know?" He held a gift wrapped in blue paper, but at that moment I didn't care what it was. Petunia shot Splendid and DB an icy look, only confusing them both.
"What did I do?" they asked in unison.
Suddenly, everything was too much to handle. I looked like a recent murder victim with the bright red stain right on the front of my- Giggles' dress, and I didn't see myself looking any better in the next few minutes with tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I swallowed quickly, slipping past the others and ripping some paper towels from the counter on my way out.
"I-I'm going outside f-for s-some air..." I stammered, keeping my eyes on the ground and walking out the back door. I made sure to close it with a bit of force, showing that I didn't want to be followed and interrogated on my sudden exit; I just wanted to be alone.
The backyard, I discovered, was shrouded in darkness- save for the light that shone through the kitchen window. It was too late for me to return and switch the back lights on, so I headed for one of the few things I could see; a stone bench that was nestled delicately between some trees, partially illuminated by the light coming from my house. I sat down, looking at the tiny Koi pond in front of me. My reflection wavered against the surface of the water, getting disturbed every so often by a passing fish. A droplet of water fell into the pond. I glanced skyward, searching for storm clouds on the horizon, only to come to the realization that I was crying. I didn't attempt to wipe my tears away, however. I shut my eyes and allowed the rivulets to flow down my face, some teardrops occasionally landing on my lap or ending up in the pond.
"The life of the party shouldn't cry, you know."
My head snapped up, eyes quickly moving to wherever I thought the voice came from, but I was met with nothing but darkness. At least until I sensed movement in the distance, and a figure came into view, eventually peeling away from the shadows and stopping right before me. Flippy. My pulse immediately skipped into overdrive, and I became hyperaware of my heart in my chest. He stood there, holding a present neatly wrapped with green paper. Despite what he said in greeting, he sounded quite forlorn. He didn't bother to hide it with a fake smile plastered on his face. I liked that about him...
The one who attacked me earlier.
He must have seen the realization in my eyes, because he took a step back.
"I'm sorry."
I was held in place with those words, still sitting a few good paces away from the back door, from safety, but I didn't move. I wasn't sure if I wanted to move.
"You're sorry...?" I parroted quietly. "Do you e-even know what you did? Y-you-"
My voice got caught in my throat, the anxiety of remembering that event making me clam up. It wasn't as if Flippy did any physical damage- but he did threaten me. And he did scare me to no end. At least in that instance... now, although his presence made me nervous, I could tell that he wasn't in the same state as before, when his eyes were impossibly bright and his skin was ice cold. I didn't even know how to properly describe what happened. Especially when his actions switched so drastically, his once harsh touch turning delicate, his lips pressed to mine. My cheeks began to flush at the memory alone. Even if he was acting differently then, it was still dangerous. Maybe even more.
"Please- let me explain... I mean, if somebody hasn't already."
I waited, hesitantly standing to my feet. I didn't move for the door, but I angled myself towards it, showing that he had only but so much of my time. My hands tingled by my sides, and I fiddled with the hem of my dress, trying to keep myself busy and distracted so I didn't get too scared to even listen to him. He paused for a moment, and I witnessed him struggle with words before he spoke.
"...It's obvious somebody already did, then." he said dryly, fingering the dog tags that hung from his neck. They glinted in the light where he stood. Then I noticed Flippy's shadow extending across the backyard, tall and foreboding.
I simply nodded as a response, keeping my eyes glued to the stretch of grass that was covered in darkness from where Flippy's figure interrupted the light.
"What did they say? That I'm an ex con? A mobster's son? A murderer on the run?" he continued, laughing bitterly to himself like there was any humor in the situation. "That I would kill you if you looked at me the wrong way?"
The last word hung in the air, before it stilled into a deafening silence. He exhaled sharply, and I looked up, seeing an array of emotions burning behind his dark emerald eyes. It was obvious that this was opening up old wounds, no doubt. I wasn't going to press on about the specifics. A tiny voice in the back of my head made note of what Cuddles told me the other day; if he were reminded of the war, it was like he got transported back there. I didn't want to do anything to send him back to that state of mind. Especially when we were alone.
"They s-s-said... you were i-in a war... t-that you have PTSD..." I murmured. It was barely a whisper, but I knew he heard it loud and clear.
We locked eyes for what felt like a lifetime, not speaking. Flippy seemed so... closed off at that moment, it was like I was a complete stranger to him. There was something in his expression that I couldn't read- I felt as if that were happening to me a lot lately; it seemed as if everyone in this town knew something that I didn't. Something big. Something that they wanted to keep hidden away from me. Flippy clicked his tongue in distaste at what I said.
"That's the least of your worries."
"How i-is that the least of-"
"Have they seriously not told you anything?" He interrupted, his voice incredulous. "Despite what they might've said, I'm not the most dangerous thing in Happy Tree. There's something out there that's much, much worse."
I froze, letting what he told me sink in for a moment. Something worse than him? What was he talking about? The confusion was plain on my face as I tried to think about any possibilities of something more dangerous. For some reason I knew he wasn't lying to me- and that alone made the unease coil tighter in my stomach. My mother had never mentioned Happy Tree being dangerous- but she also hardly ever mentioned Happy Tree in general, except to tell me that she grew up there, and that she couldn't wait to move away once she had graduated. I didn't even know she still owned the house here until she died and left everything to me. Maybe there was a reason she kept her childhood veiled in mystery.
"T-they told me I-I couldn't handle learning the truth..." I began tentatively. Flippy didn't look surprised. "What... what is so bad that I-I can't hear about it?"
"There's a reason the people here never leave, Flaky. There's a reason they like the status quo. There's a reason that newcomers get watched so closely-" he began, before suddenly he shut his eyes, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have come here. I promise I'll leave you alone from now on."
"W-what...?" No, he couldn't do this now. Not when I was finally about to get some clarity here.
"I have to go." he said, handing me his gift before I could protest. "I don't expect you to forgive me, Flaky. I understand if you don't. It's safer if you don't." he turned to leave.
"Wait"- my voice cracked, and was lost in the noise of the party inside as the back door swung open. I whirled around, frantic, to see Giggles standing in the doorway. She was armed with a wet washcloth, looking concerned but also relieved that she found me, quickly descending the back stairs and rushing over to me. "Flaky! I heard that pig DB spilled his drink all over your dress..." She drew a breath when she saw the state of the fabric, the fruit punch no doubt long settled in. "Ugh, come here." I stumbled closer as Giggles yanked me over, hurriedly dabbing at the stain with the cloth. I was so confused. Did she not notice Flippy? Was she just ignoring him? I strained to look over my shoulder, only to be met with nothing but the darkness of an otherwise empty backyard. He was gone.
"What're you looking at?" Giggles asked, glancing up from my dress.
"...nothing." I said, not even trying to hide the dejected tone in my voice. For once, Giggles didn't pry.
I looked down at the gift, running a hand across the wrapping paper. The tag read "Welcome to Happy Tree" in neat, concise script. Despite this, despite my house being packed with new friends... I didn't feel welcome at all.