Sunday, October 14th
Marceline sat in the corner booth of the little coffee shop, eating one of their strawberry deserts, stuffing her face without a care of who was watching or if people would be judging her. Bonnie envied her for that.
Apparently she would be hanging out with her friends here while Bonnie worked. Her friends still hadn't shown up and the cafe wasn't busy in the slightest. Any customer that had come in had ordered and left as soon as they paid and received their brew.
It was mostly like this around 11. People usually flocked in here during lunch breaks, though it was currently lunch break. Had she forgotten to turn the closed sign to open? No no-she remembered turning it on and slipping on the recently mopped floor. Marceline had a laughing fit for that.
Then again it was raining outside like it had for the last few days. When it rained productivity went down.
The doorbell chimed, waking Bonnie from her daze. It was Lillian. She was a regular, a picky one at that.
"Oh," She said, looking straight at the pinkette, fairly unhappy with her being there. Today she wore a bright pink blouse that fully covered her stomach, yet her shorts showed too much of her downstairs area. "Where's Brad?"
Bonnie shrugged. "I don't think he's scheduled until 4 today. Can I get something for you?" She used her customer service voice with Lillian, unmeaning to. She couldn't help it. Lillian was obnoxious and treated her as if she was of a lower status than her, a peasant.
"Medium caramel mocha, two extra shots of espresso. I have a long day ahead of me so make it quick." Before Bonnie could tell her how much, Lillian slapped a credit card on the counter between them. "Hurry it up so I can get the hell out of here..." She began to trail off, and it wasn't until she started walking off toward Marceline that she realized what was going on. "I mean, take your time."
Lillian galloped over to the musician, who was finishing up her sweets. Whipped cream was smeared on her chin and on the tip of her nose, unnoticed by the happily distracted rocker.
Well, that was until Lillian swiped the cream off her nose with her finger, proceeding to stick it in her mouth. "Hey sexy thaaang," Marceline looked up, wiping the rest of her face with a napkin, then settling on a glare. "I have a seat with your name on it." Lillian pointed to her face and laughed as if it was clever. Marceline gave a deadpan expression, not sharing the same opinion.
Bonnie snickered to herself as she made the coffee. Lillian's attempts were never going to woo a classy girl like Marceline. Well, maybe not classy, but Lillian could never be with her. They were people from separate worlds, with two different realities, possibilities and backgrounds. Also, Marceline hated her, so that really put a dent into her plans to be with her.
"Lillian, I've told you-"
"Told me you want to be with me! Alas, we can't because of your tragic love life..." Marceline went quiet, forcing Bonnie to look over at the two of them. "I know all about what happened to you and Ash. I know you'll always love him and that's okay. I know all you want to do is wrap your arms around me and take me away."
Lillian was a dreamer, a fake, a drama queen, and above all a spoiled brat. Usually, when she wanted something, she got it. Marceline seemed to be the only thing she couldn't get.
"Maybe not now," She continued. "One day though-"
"Lillian?" Marceline piped up.
"Yes, darling?"
"Shut the fuck up."
Lillian ignored her obvious threat to leave and instead invited herself closer, saying: "You have such a way with words."
Marceline scooted her chair further away from her. "You're fucking delusional."
Marceline was obviously uncomfortable, with the closeness of Lillian's face to her own, getting dangerously close.
"Medium caramel mocha double shot." She called, in just the nick of time.
Lillian glanced over like a distracted enemy in some video game. It was almost as if Bonnie could see the red exclamation point appear right above her head. She made her way toward the counter, grabbed her drink and sipped it. She always tested her drinks to make sure it was perfection. Bonnie made sure everything she did was perfection, so there were no worries in her mind about having to remake it.
When it checked out she looked over at Marceline and blew a kiss. "See you at home sugar lips." She yelled as she walked out the door.
Bonnie felt queasy.
"Fucking hell." Marceline sighed, cleaning up her plate. "She'll never give it up."
"Why don't you tell her you're with someone? I mean, it may not be true, but it's not like she'll ever know that." Bonnie couldn't believe that came out of her mouth.
Marceline only shook her head. "She would spread a rumor about how I'm cheating on her or some stupid bullshit like that. I don't want to ruin my flawless reputation." Bonnie could practically see Marceline's rolling her eyes, even as she was faced away from her. "I still have a lot of people I want to hook up with."
It was meant to be a joke, but Bonnie looked too far into it. She tended to do that more than she wanted to.
Marceline hadn't admitted she was gay but gave several implications that she was. Making jokes here and there, slipping it into everyday conversations. The other night Marshal had told her of a few stories where Marceline had night lasting relationships with girls. Claiming she had never 'went far enough', in his opinion.
She didn't like the thought of not knowing her friends as much as she thought she did.
Speaking of which, Bonnibel couldn't help but catch what Lillian said about that Ash character. She didn't know who he was. In fact, she had never heard his name before. Why hadn't Marceline brought that up?
"Marceline," The rocker looked up from her phone. "Who's Ash?"
Marceline raised an eyebrow. "A guy I dated forever ago." She stood and walked her plate over to Bonnie. "Now I can move on to cuter, more applicable girls." She leaned on the counter between them, winking.
Bonnie didn't realize she was looking straight at her when she was saying this. Marceline only hoped that Bonnie would read into her words like Bonnie was reading into her past.
"Marceline,"
"Hm?" She had a sparkle in her dilated eyes.
"Are you gay?"
Obviously thrown off, Marceline took to laughing at her question. "Okay, I have to know what makes you ask that?"
"You make jokes a lot."
"So just because I joke, means I'm gay?" She chuckled. "Straights can't be fun. That the rules. Having fun is a choice." She tried her hardest to imitate a nasally voiced white suburban mom.
"It was just a question. Don't be an ass."
Marceline gasped. "How rude. Maybe I won't return to this establishment." She crossed her arms and faced away from her friend.
Bonnie hit her arm, grabbing her attention. "Seriously, are you?"
"The fact that you thought I was ever straight leaves a wound right here." She pointed at her heart and scoffed.
"But Ash...?"
"Was a mistake." Her voice turned serious, letting go of her fun side for the sake of pleasing Bonnie's urge to continue analyzing her. "I just like who I like."
When Bonnie nodded, the door chimed. An unfamiliar character strolled toward the counter.
"Have fun with Keila and them, I'll be off by 4."
"I don't think they're coming, just whip me up another strawberry whatever and put it on my tab, sweetheart." Marceline winked again and made a clicking noise with her mouth.
Bonnie rolled her eyes and turned to the next customer, greeting them with the warmest and most genuine smile that she could muster. "Good afternoon, sir, what can I get you?"
"Something cold and vanilla, surprise me."
"Any size in particular?"
"Small." Bonnie nodded and punched in the correct keys. "It's usually busier than this." Bonnie didn't mind small talk with strangers, she found it quite enjoyable actually. It meant she could gather more information on how people acted.
"It usually slow on rainy days. Just me and my manager in the back." She told him the amount he owed and he gladly handed over his money, leaving her a nice tip before collecting his drink and leaving.
"Jake," Bonnie called, opening the door to the kitchen. He popped up from behind the stove, broom in hand. "I'm going on break."
Bonnie came from around the cashier counter and sat by Marceline, leaning her head against her friend's shoulder. She tried to ignore the electrifying feeling when their hands brushed against each other under the table.
"What do you have planned for today, Ms. Abadeer?"
The musician shrugged, immediately forgetting the Bonnie was leaning on her. "Oh-uh sorry. I guess we'll do whatever comes to mind."
I just want to be with you. Away from anyone else.
Marceline's phone buzzed and she didn't hesitate to pick it up.
"What!" There was a long pause where Bonnie just watched her. "I have to go," Marceline announced, standing up and forcing Bonnie off her. "The most amazing thing just happened. I'll be back around 4, promise and we'll do whatever then, yeah?"
Bonnie gave a nod before letting Marceline run out of the cafe. I just took my break too...
"You seriously left me for Pokemon?"
The duo sat by the blazing fire outside of Petrikov's residence. Rocks served as an outer ring, supposedly to block the bonfire from spreading if the embers hit the ground. Marceline never understood that. She always drenched the surrounding area in water for extra precaution anyways. You really had to be careful with how dangerous the wildfires got.
Marceline set out lawn chairs around the fire with a good enough distance to feel the heat, but not the flame itself.
One of Marceline's blankets draped over Bonnie's shoulders, hot chocolate clasped tightly in her hands. The musician was hardly bothered by the weather but dearly wanted to scoot closer to Bonnie for warmth. She could practically feel it from where she sat.
"Correction, my friends left me for Pokemon and I joined them." The rocker took a drink from her glass of wine-or Simon's wine, offering it to Bonnie, who refused.
The fire crackled, snapping and breaking down the wood beneath it. It filled the silence.
"Why hadn't you mentioned Ash before?"
Again with this?
"Because he's not a part of my life and I don't like to bring up the past." Another sip was taken to distract her oncoming thoughts. She didn't bring it up because the topic didn't matter to her anymore. They were done, she wanted to escape the consequences.
"I never would have thought Simon would be okay with you drinking in front of him." She gestured to her glass.
"It's different from Marshal because it's a bad habit of his. I don't usually drink often. I thought, 'well, it's a calm night and I light buzz would be nice.' Especially with you asking personal questions like that."
Bonnie shut herself up, feeling awful for making her friend feel invaded of her personal life.
The crackling and cricket chirps were deafening, lasting more than a few moments as Marceline finished off her drink. Bonnie knew well that a full glass would do more than a light buzz, but let Marceline cope and believe that little white lie.
"18 months," The rocker knew she didn't have to continue, yet she did. "We met in high school my junior year and didn't start dating until the end of my senior year. He really was a good guy. I mean, to be fair, he had that 'men are better' mentality. I kind of overlooked it because I thought he was joking." She took a moment to continue. "I knew he had a problem." She sighed shaking her head.
Bonnie then stood, forced Marceline over on her chair and laid herself into her friend's side, wrapping the blanket around them both. The scent of wine and strawberries filled the air around her.
"Uh...Bonnie..."
"Please continue."
The air was silent and Bonnie almost contemplated moving as to not make her uncomfortable, then Marceline chimed in and wafted her anxious thoughts away.
"A few months before it ended we moved in together. I noticed little things missing here and there. I thought I was crazy, maybe a little klutzy thinking I may have left whatever it was at Simon's or something." A deep sigh escaped her lips. "One day I came home and everything was gone. I mean everything. The couch, the stereo, even the damn silverware." Bonnie clutched a fist full of her friend's shirt in her small hands. "Apparently they forced him into rehab after I left. When he got out he practically begged for me to take him back. I just...I just couldn't be with an addict. And I couldn't forgive him."
Bonnie tightened her arm around Marceline in comfort, not knowing in the slightest if it helped or not.
Her voice was barely audible. "You didn't have to-"
"That doesn't matter." Her interruption almost surprised the musician. "You needed this...to talk about it. You can't act like nothing bothers you, because it clearly does. It's a big thing, so I don't blame you."
It didn't make sense to Marceline, but she knew Bonnie was right. Somehow she knew her well enough, reading so far into every detail of what she said to know, that maybe she wasn't over the situation after all.
"Thanks Bon." She let her arm rest around the smaller girl under the blanket, rubbing her hand across her back. Bonnie shivered from the touch. Was she really that cold? Marceline thought. "Want to go inside? You're shivering." Bonnie shook her head against her chest, squeezing Marceline tighter.
"I love you, Marceline." That fire erupted in her stomach, shaking ever fiber of her being. How did she not feel how hot it was...Kiss her you idiot. Tell her. Her inner voice practically screamed at her. She ignored it, not wanting to ruin their moment.
"You too, Bon." She continued to rub her back, holding back every action she wanted to do. "I love you too."
Marceline woke up with a start, a cold sweat running down her temple. She was on the love-seat in the living room, the room void of life. She let go of a breath she didn't know she had held in.
It was that dream again.
Where was...
The kitchen light flickered off.
"Bon...?"
A head poked out of the entrance to the kitchen, that worried expression sliding across her features. No words were needed, the pinkette strolled over to Marceline, setting down her glass of water on the coffee table in front of the girl.
"It won't bother me if you want to sleep on my bed."
Bonnie flashed a smile at her. "I don't like being alone in other people's houses." That was more than understandable. "Did you want to go in there?"
"I figured you didn't want to wake up to me cuddling with you again." It was meant to be a joke, but it stung knowing that what she said could be a possible truth. Maybe Bonnie didn't like the closeness.
Thankfully she laughed, clearing Marceline's mind of hateful thoughts. "I told you yesterday that I didn't mind." She sat beside her friend, burying her face into her shoulder. "I used to cuddle with close friends back home." That made Marceline feel slightly more jealous than anything. "Hey, don't worry about that kind of thing. I would tell you if I was uncomfortable."
That smile of hers made Marceline's insides explode. She found that she liked it somewhat, more than she used to at least.
"On the plus side, you smell really good."
Marceline raised one of her eyebrow in question. "Yeah? What exactly do I smell like?"
A smile stretched across her lips. "Strawberries and sometimes tomatoes." She stated simply. "Probably because of how much of it you eat. None the less, you smell nice."
Marceline liked the sound of that.
"Let's go to bed, dork. You can smell me all you want." Marceline grabbed the blanket from the couch and headed toward her room, Bonnie following behind.
Sleep came easy to the both of them. Bonnie delighted to have yet another night of Marceline by her side. That's all she's been wanting lately. A good night sleep with Marceline's intoxicating scent invading her nose. Tonight there was still a lingering odor of the alcohol, but it was hardly noticeable now.
She just hoped Marceline couldn't feel how fast her heart was beating.
Wednesday, October 17th
"Fucking hell, you piece of shit. That was pure luck and you know it!" Marceline yelled over the table, directed toward a gloating Marshal. His mischievous smile read in big bold letters: fuck you.
"That's the game Marce, it's luck of the draw." Marshal tried to hide her uncontrollable laughter surging from deep inside of him.
"I'm gonna beat your ass, you fucking-" Bonnie cut her off from continuing, grabbing Marceline wrist and pulling her down as she tried to stand. Marceline initially shot Bonnie a glare which immediately subsided as their fingers entwined.
They were playing Risk with Marshal and Garrison who had shown up last minute to play. Marshal said that Garrison won every time they played, no matter what handicaps the other player had. Currently, he was the player with the least amount of pawns on the board.
"Sorry," Marceline muttered, letting go of Bonnie's hand to move her pawns in an organized fashion. It was now Garrison's turn. As expected by everyone except Bonnie, he laid down every card he had in his hand and pulled out close to fifty extra pawns. Within seconds he had demolished everything in the nearby area, including 3 of Bonnie's territories. She now saw how he always won the game.
After they all initially gave up, they decided on going out for dinner with Simon once he got back from meetings at the college. He worked late most nights, but always came home with a smile and an appetite for either breakfast or Chinese food. Tonight was one of his breakfast nights and IHOP happened to be his favorite restaurant.
They were seated at a table for six. Everyone asked for iced coffee except Simon who preferred a hot pot.
"I haven't seen you in a while Garrison." Simon started off a conversation. "How is your mother?"
"As of right now, fine. She's trying to work out her marriage. He keeps threatening to leave." Something about his grim expression told Simon it was a more dire circumstance than he was leading on.
Simon pulled out his wallet and handed him a card. "Tell her if she ever needs a place, to contact me. I have plenty of space in my house." Garrison gave a small smile and nodded.
"I hope you won't mind two five-year-olds running around the house."
Simon simply smiled, glancing over at the siblings amongst them. "I think I can handle it, after all, I think I managed well with these two."
They all laughed amongst themselves for the rest of the night, mostly making small talk or telling stupid and ridiculous stories of what had happened over the week. The craziest one among them was, of course, Marshal who told a long story about a crazy girl that kept trying to hook up with him. She tried sneaking into his room at night without his knowledge.
Simon left a hefty tip before leaving the establishment. Apparently he did this every time he went out to eat, claiming, "They need it more than I do." He left even more when he found out she was a single mother, almost twice the ticket amount.
"You're too good for this world, Simon," Marceline spoke up when in the car. Simon glanced at her from his rearview mirror. "I'm afraid one day God will take you and make you an angel."
"I wouldn't want to be an angel, my dear." He glanced back at the road. "They're God's slaves. He actually favors humans over angels. I would like to think he favors me." Simon wasn't a religious person, not completely at least. He had read every book he could get his hands on at least twice.
Marceline smiled genuinely, watching the scenery pass by out her window and Bonnie couldn't help but watch her.
Review time!
Unknown: Bonnie told the man who bought her a drink that she was interested in Braco.
DiddlyPanda: I'm glad you like it so much. I try to please the audience as much as I possibly can. That's actually a lie. I like cliffhangers and to procrastinate.
