All of your reviews make me want to write so fast now. Thank you. Those are wonderful reviews. I also want to thank those who followed and favorite this story. XD
Thank you Kinder, Max and of course Guests. You're welcome. :) One of you said that you couldn't wait for the real revelations... me too. I'm so excited... there will be so many- Okay, I'll cut myself now don't want to spoil you- Anyway, it'll be a long run. :)
PS. I tried a different kind of introduction this time. I always wanted to try this kind of intro... but I think it's not good enough. Awww.
Warning: (I hate my warning last chapter) Can somebody explain to me how warnings work? Oh... no warning this time.
Chapter the Eighth
A breeze of air gently wafted through the park scene. At a distance, you could make out that there were two girls sitting on one of the benches lined through the park. As the wind blows gently through, leaves and twigs on the ground slightly moved. The swing that was just around the corner swayed a little bit to this and a ball, probably left by a kid not far from away from the girls, rolled over in their direction until it bumped at one of the girl's sneaker shoes.
Bonnibel Becket looked down when she felt something collided with her shoes. She saw that there was a small red ball that rolled over her. She thought over whether to pick it up or just kick it away from her. Her subconscious mind, the rational part, kept telling her to just take it and place it inside the sandbox so the kids could still play with it. Unfortunately, her body wouldn't comply. Well actually, it was more like 'she couldn't' anymore.
I think I really pushed my body to its limits this time around.
She kept looking down on her feet, at the ball. There had been so many things occupying her mind right now. Things she couldn't understand and didn't have a solution to solve to. She wanted to push her mind way out of this. If only she could be just like a certain vampire right now, looking all that not-caring-the-world type of girl she was so good at.
Suddenly, she heard a slurping sound coming from the girl beside her and didn't realize that she winced at that. Goosebumps appeared on her arms. She knew that Marceline was only drinking the red of whatever she find satisfying in those plastic bags she and her carried from the store.
Earlier when they both went inside the store (and after Bonnibel paid the cashier boy), Marceline argued with her that she wanted the 'things she'll be having' in plastic bags and not in paper bags. Bonnibel then argued back that she shouldn't have since that will cause not a just a problem to the cashier boy but to the Mother Nature as well. Of course, Marceline didn't listen to her and just confronted the guy to put 'her things' in another plastic bag.
As to the reason why they were both in the park-slash-playground-for-kids, well, that was because Marceline decided to start munching her reds since she didn't want another out-of-control scene. She also said that the reason why she was in this part of the city was to find, in Marceline's word, 'dinner'. Bonnibel then remembered the nearby park she passed through on her way to the store and so suggested it and they ended up here on one of the benches, sitting.
Looking at the girl beside her, Bonnibel shivered with fear yet never hid her fascination at staring the way Marceline eats. A little while ago, she admits that she was clearly scared when the vampire started sipping the red out of that apple. It was just so 'not normal'.
In the back of her mind, she pictured Marceline doing that to a person, not just an apple; Marceline's elongated fangs piercing through the skin; Marceline slowly sipping the blood out of a human; Marceline draining the life out of a person. That were the pictures her mind was projecting and that pictures clearly made Bonnibel's hairs stood up earlier. Now, she couldn't help but stare at this vampire too much.
Marceline was currently aiming to throw the colorless apple she had just sucked in the trash bin nearby. By luck, it made it inside. She was about to eat another apple when Marceline saw that princess was staring at her. She looked down. She didn't like it when people started to stare at the way she eats. Sure, it was different but that was because she was a vampire. A vampire that only eats shades of red.
"Hey princess, staring is impolite you know" Marceline said, still looking down. She knew that her ears were red at the tip but she ignored it.
Bonnibel blinked. She looked at Marceline. She saw that Marceline was looking at the ground, an apple in the left hand and face flushed red.She was saying something. What did she say?
She said you're staring. "Oh, sorry." She touched her temples. Her head was starting to ache now. She never stayed up this late for all she knew. Her mind couldn't process what her eyes were seeing anymore. It didn't even strike to her that Marceline was looking down, an obvious sign of embarrassment showing through her face. But she said something about her being a princess and that was what Bonnibel took notice to. "And don't you dare call me princess," she warned.
Marceline looked at Bonnibel with wide eyes. She just shook her head and let her back completely fall on the bench. "Sorry, Princess-" She emphasised the -ss in the word, hissing it in the direction of the pnk-haired girl. "-but I don't know your name, Princess" She said again, clearly annoying the hell out of Bonnibel.
That struck Bonnibel's nerve. "I hate to say this to you but you don't have to lie in front of my face. Because you're already caught, Marceline. And you're just throwing more gasoline to the flame. S-so, please stop lying, stop playing innocent, and stop it with the stupid nicknames. And it's not very funny anymore. And-"
She stopped to breath in some air. "-and-"
She cut her sentence off when she saw that Marceline was busy with rummaging the shopping bags, not even listening to her. She raised one of her eyebrows in anger. "Hey! You know what? If you're not listening to-"
She was interrupted in the middle of her ranting when Marceline shoved a bottle of red iced tea in front of her very face. "Here. Drink this. It's obvious you're so tired."
Bonnibel got creases on her forehead just by thinking if her eyes really saw what she had just seen. Was she just seeing things or was it really Marceline who offered her a drink? Clearly, Bonnibel Becket was so tired that she didn't realize that she already grabbed the bottle.
When Bonnibel accepted the iced tea, Marceline went back in rummaging around the bag. It was evident that she was looking for something and Bonnibel couldn't help but be confused until she brought out a small pack of candies. She gave also it to Bonnibel.
"Candy helps... Sugar I mean. Right? For you?" She said as she slumped down across her seat like nothing ever happened.
Bonnibel looked down at her hands. One was holding a bottled iced tea while the other was holding a very small pack of candy. She looked at Marceline eating the red out of an apple. She nodded as an answer for Marceline's question. "Now I feel bad" she said as she shook her head in dismay to herself. Her anger was now slowly subsiding.
"Don't be. You already helped me." And in a soft and quite voice, she added, "so much" that Bonnibel quite almost didn't hear it. Almost.
Bonnibel just nodded, having no reply to the things Marceline already said and offered. She started opening the cap of the bottle but found it hard to. She tried and tried but it was hopeless. It was stuck or maybe Bonnibel was just so weak she couldn't open it.
Marceline seeing the girl having difficulty snatched the bottle from Bonnibel's hand. "Jeez. Let me help you with that." Already holding it in her own hands, Marceline easily twisted the cap like it was nothing, threw it at the pink-haired girl and went back in eating - but more like sipping- her apple.
Bonnibel looked down at the hands that were gripping the bottle of iced tea. Slowly, she took a sip from it, savouring the taste on her tongue. When she found out that she couldn't get enough of the taste that was already clinging at the back of her throat, she took another drink, this time drinking for a longer time.
She took a deep breath and looked beside her, at Marceline. "You said my name earlier. That's why..."
Marceline got confused. "Earlier? When?"
"When you collapse on the sidewalk. I helped you and I heard you said my name."
"Huh? I said your name? But I don't even know you."
Shaking her head, Bonnibel tried to explain, "Two months ago, you barged into my room." She felt her face redden when she remembered the distasteful incident but she ignored this, "anyway, that time, you knew me." She looked at Marceline's deep red eyes. "By my first name. The same name you said quite earlier. And let me tell you that nobody knows my first name anymore... Well, only a few people know it."
Marceline was dumbfounded. As far as she knew, this was the first time she met this person. Unless... Marceline thought at the back of her mind.
"I was really surprised that night." Really surprised. Bonnnibel thought, looking away. Well, who shouldn't be surprised?
"Wait, can you please tell me the whole story? I'm a little bit confused here, you know? And how do people doesn't know you. That's-" Marceline tried to find the right term but she couldn't and just said, "impossible."
Bonnibel sighed deeply. It was much better if she didn't have to recall that night. Much better.
"I guess it's not that good to tell you the story yet. I admit that I'm a little tired right now and buzzed so... no. Not a good time," Bonnibel said, shaking her head defiantly.
Marceline slowly nodded her head, understanding what the girl was saying. Her hunger was now gone since she had been eating quite a time now. But even though her curiosity was ticking she let the girl bid her time when to tell the story to her. There is just one thing Marceline wanted to know.
"What's your name-"
"Aren't you listening to me? I don't want people calling me by my first name."
"Okay, sorry. I was supposed to add other lines there. Like really, I don't know who you are and it's much better if I call with an actual name rather than the princess you clearly hate for some reason. Right? I just want to know who you are and what did I do. But all I want to know right now is your name. The story can wait."
For the nth time, Bonnibel looked again at Marceline's eyes. She was thinking that maybe looking at a vampire's eyes may get you in a lot of trouble since they have many peculiar and unknown abilities, like hypnotism. But for that moment, she slowly let the thoughts go away and looked at the honest eyes she was drowning into.
Bonnibel was quite good at looking behind a person's eye, breaking down the person in who he is, if he is truly lying or not. Maybe all the years and experience in the world of politics shape her up to become this kind of person. Bonnibel didn't know anymore. Maybe her parents taught her how to be. Or maybe she just became this kind of girl, just like that. Poof! Bonnibel didn't know how she knew.
But she knew that the crimson eyes she had been staring at was saying the truth and now it wants it, needing it, the truth. It was the gleam that caught her eyes, like begging her to say it already. Yes, there was a playful gleam at the corner of her red eyes but all in all, Marceline looked confused to Bonnibel. Why? She didn't know.
Bonnibel just shrugged because of all the things she knew better, Marceline was suspicious. Of course, Marceline looked like an honest person in her eyes but that just makes it all more suspicious. Really really suspicious... and mysterious. And so she tried not telling the whole truth but also tried not to lie. Okay, Bon. Just tell her your nickname.
"Bubblegum," She simply said. "My friends call me Bubblegum." Bonnibel admitted.
"Your name's Bubblegum?" She stifled a laugh but Bonnibel caught it.
"What?"
Marceline scoffed, as if caught between a laugh. "Nothing," she said, bringing her hands up in defence. "Nothing at all" But she saw that Bonnibel wouldn't let her go that easily. Scratching the back of her head she said, "Err. It's just funny that your name's Bubblegum because you know you're a-" She looked at Bubblegum and gestured her hands all over her "a bubblegum, obviously"
Bonnibel squinted her eyes at her, thinking of a reason how Marceline knew she was part bubblegum.
It's her sense of smell of course. She obviously caught up my smell and knew it... and that made her think about those candies which could really help me to regain my senses and strength.
"How funny you said that," Bonnibel said afterwards. "My friends started calling me that name when they knew I was part bubblegum." (Actually, her friends knew it from the start since she's royalty)
"Mmm. Ah, okay." Marceline ended easily, letting it go since she was busy with all the food she got. Not later on, there was an empty silence in the air; the only exception was the occasional eating of the soft candy from the mayor and slurping noises from the vampire. Well, not until Marceline broke it.
"By the way, you only have 19 questions left" Marceline smirked.
Bonnibel snapped her head so quickly that she forgotten that her neck was still in pain before.
Ouch. That was the second time for the night. She thought before she realized that the time was past midnight and that means it was a new day. First sprain in a new day... but first things first. 19 questions? Ha! As if.
"How come?!" She said while stroking the back of her neck as if to ease the pain.
"Do you really want me to answer that? Truthfully?" Marceline smirked again.
"No! I mean, I didn't ask a quest- Oh!" Bonnibel then remembered the "What?" question from before. "Wait, let me clear this out. That's not one of the 20 questions."
"Well, that's a question and we had a deal." Marceline shrugged, now sucking the red out of a red licorice.
"Yes, we had a deal but I should be the one to notify what will be the 20 questions. Not you. Also, you asked me questions before I ask you. So I guess that just makes it all equal. And Marceline," she looked at her with furious eyes, "don't you start with me. Again"
Marceline gulped. Geez. She's so freaking scary. She then raised her hands in front of her in a defensive stance. And so bossy. Yup, really bossy. She agreed with her subconscious thoughts.
"Wait up, Bubblegum," her hands still infront of her for protection just in case Bubblegum would start throwing her the soft candies in which she doubted she would. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That was really a bad joke."
Well, Marceline was really hoping to end up the deal quick so she could dig up her memories faster. She came to Ooo clearly for that reason although; she now had an idea where to start. Thanks to Bonnibel.
Luckily for her, Bonnibel just waved this away like it was nothing. "No, it's okay. Just let me deal with the questions. Okay?" She said in a calm and steady voice like she always had to deal with stuff like this and now you could say that she's an expert.
Marceline couldn't help but sigh in relief when she heard that. She nodded and agreed with Bonnibel's deal.
Might as well follow what she wanted.
She looked closely at Bubblegum. She saw that Bubblegum was eating one of those pre-packaged candies she herself offered to her while the bottle she was drinking earlier was now half empty and sitting on the other side of the bench.
They easily fell back to what they were doing before; Marceline sucking the red out of... was that erasers? Bonnibel wasn't so sure. She didn't know what she was putting inside of the basket that time. As long as the things were red, Bonnibel quickly put it in the basket.
Of course there was Bonnibel who was currently eating the last soft candy in the bag. It was a small pack; only ten pieces of candies were packed inside and it was also not the usual hard candy the kids on streets always munching but the spongy kind of type that was filled with strawberry fillings. (Red remember?) The blue cap that was on her head earlier was also now gone, now resting on her lap.
Suddenly, one of the girls broke the silence but this time around it was not Marceline.
"By the way you're banned in this city." Bonnibel declared.
Marceline choked on her food just by hearing that. She coughed erratically. What the glob?! Is that her way of breaking the silence?! And hey! I'm banned?! She gulped down the rest of the red fearing that she would throw up because of the red that got stuck at the back of her throat.
She looked at the Bubblegum who was already facing her with a devious smirk showing on her face.
"What?" Marceline asked. Maybe she just heard it wrong or something though she doubted that.
"You're banned in the city, Marceline" Bonnibel said with a smirk.
Silence. The facts wouldn't still sink in at Marceline's head.
Me? Banned?... Marceline widen her eyes, now realizing other terms for the said word. Prohibit. Forbid. Cast out... Is she trying to counter what I had done before?
"Aren't you going to ask me why?"
Marceline shook her head. "No. Aren't you gonna say 'I'm kidding' or something?" she said, desperation lacing through her voice.
Bonnibel laughed. She stood up and went to the nearest garbage can and dropped the bottle and candy wrappers. When all was done, she went back to her seat.
Marceline shook her head with disbelief. She couldn't understand this girl.
One time, she was worried, acting like the good citizen everybody needs. But then she became angry without reason. And then she helped me... so many times, I thought that she really cared and became worried for... about me. And then she became angry. Again. And then she cooled down. And then now, she's- she's being... Augh!
Marceline wanted to scream so much but she contained it to herself. It was a really really really good thing that she had eaten already or it would very lead to the very worst case scenario everyone feared of.
On the other hand, Bonnibel was amused. Very amused. She wanted to laugh at how fast Marceline's face changed but she wanted to show her that she was not kidding. So, she tried to become serious.
"Marceline, I'm not kidding anymore." She looked at the vampire's face. She saw that there was a dripping red spilling down her chin. She shivered again as she remembered the past recollections her mind pictured. She pushed these all away and tried to make Marceline understand her situation.
"I don't understand." She looked away from a distance. "If I'm banned then why I'm in here? Your police should've alerted everyone."
Bonnibel sighed. "I don't know why... or how but" She shook her head. How can I say to her that I'm the one who inflicted the banishment? Dangglobbit!
"Wait, is that why you covered me up when we went inside the store?" Marceline said, looking at Bonnibel while touching the hood of her jacket behind her head which she removed quite a bit earlier.
Hmm. That's good. She caught up easily to me. "Yes." She simply answered.
Marceline waited if Bonnibel would explain more but she didn't open her mouth anymore. Finally, Marceline had enough.
"That's all? Bubblegum?"
Bonnibel bopped her head and sighed. "Don't worry. It's just a mistake."
"Mistake? My banishment?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"You were mistakenly judged... by the Mayor."
The Mayor? "Since when? And huh?"
Bonnibel's mouth curved into a smile like she was smiling at Marceline's funny remark. "Since two months ago."
"Woah, woah. Is this connected with what I've done to you? Uhm. That two months ago?
Bonnibel sighed. She had been doing that lately, sighing and overthinking. "Yes, but like I said before, I'm not telling you what happened yet. I'm slightly tired."
Marceline was confused but she nodded and accepted the facts just like that. She was about to ask another question when an alarm beeped off and rang out in the silence of the park.
"Ah. Sorry. That must be my alarm." Bubblegum clicked something on her wristwatch and the beeping died off easily.
"You set up an alarm? For what?" The question she was about to ask now forgotten.
Bubblegum waved her hand. "Oh, nothing really. Just to remind me of the time."
"What time is it now?"
"15 minutes before 1AM"
"You mean 12:45?" Marceline corrected, raising one of her eyebrows because who tells the time like that?
"It's both the same." Bonnibel said, rolling her eyes.
Marceline shook her head. "Well-" She stood up from her position and brushed away some invisible crumbs off her pants. "-I guess it's getting late for you now, Bubblegum."
Bonnibel laughed. "Basically it's getting early now, Marceline." She heard that Marceline laughed with her, engulfing the silence with both of their laughs. She shook her head and just looked up above them as if that action would completely make the sun go up. "I'd better get home."
Marceline frowned at that. She didn't want this girl to leave her. Just by thinking of that made her lonely and sad. At least if there she was, beside her, Marceline had someone to talk to. But as much as she wanted this, she kept this all through herself. And now, she wanted to punch herself by thinking of those ridiculous and selfish thoughts. She shook her head away from these thoughts.
"Sorry. You were supposed to go home right?"
"Yes. Right before you said that wonderful deal we made"
"Ah. Yeah." Marceline recalled, scratching the back of her head.
"About that..."
Marceline looked at her.
"How did you know I was doing experiments? Do I really look like that kind of scientist?"
Hmmm. Now, that I think of that... "I don't."
Bubblegum looked at her with unbelieving eyes. "Huh?"
Actually, Marceline didn't know how she knew that. It's like her mouth automatically speak itself. So now, she didn't know how to explain to this young girl how she didn't know...
Okay, my mind just blew off. Marceline thought.
"You see-" Marceline started slow and then she sat down on the bench. "I really don't know. And for the second question the answer is no. You don't look that kind of scientist. Though I don't know what kind of scientist you're talking about."
"You don't know I do experiments?"
"Yup. I don't know. I-it's like my mind automatically shut down and then let my mouth do the work. And let me remind you that my mind was still fuzzy that time so... Jeez, I sound like an idiot aren't I?"
Bonnibel laughed. "No, you don't sound like that. Believe it or not sometimes I'm like that. Mind shut down. Body works. Those kinds of things." Bonnibel shook her head. "Especially when I'm tired from all the works I have."
Marceline smiled. Bubblegum's laugh was still ringing in her ears and she admits that she rather liked the sound of that. "Hey Bubblegum."
"Hmm." Bonnibel didn't know why she was still sitting on the bench, talking with the vampire. She was supposed to go home. What the glob happened to my 'I'd better go home' now?
"What do you mean by 'kind of scientist' earlier?"
"Oh that. Well, there was a time - a long time ago - when people called me a mad scientist. I was- I don't know- I devoted myself in science. Just science. You could say I was mmm... long story short, people don't like me because I look like, well, mad."
Marceline raised her eyebrows. Wow! "But that was a long time ago right."
Bonnibel nodded. "Yeah."
"So, you thought that I thought that you were a mad scientist."
Bonnibel kept silent. Marceline just hit a nerve.
"Sorry." Marceline apologized.
"No. It's okay" Bonnibel said. She was quite surprised to herself because she was really fine. Marceline's remark didn't really bother her at all.
Marceline remembered the 'a long time ago' "So... you're not 18?"
Bonnibel burst into a laugh. "Do I look 18 to you?"
"Uhm. You really really REALLY look like you're 18 although the way you speak is like... an adult."
"Pretty impressive. I bet I'm older than you."
Marceline scoffed. "No. No. Don't you bet at a vampire's age, Bubblegum. I'm older than I look."
Bonnibel agreed with what Marceline said. She knew that vampires were immortal, living a thousand years older. She then looked at Marceline more closely. Yeah, she looked like a normal teenager. "You look like an 18-year-old teenager. But you sound like a kid."
"Hey! I'm wise for a vampire you know."
Bonnibel laughed, shaking her head. Marceline smiled.
I didn't even know what's funny about what I said but I could get used to this. Marceline thought.
"Yeah 'cause you're really a wise vampire."
"Fine. Fine. I'll admit I'm not that wise for a vampire. But I'm awesome and way cooler than others."
Bonnibel smiled. "It's getting... early now. I'd better go home."
"You already said that earlier."
Bonnibel only smiled for a reply.
"You know, you don't look like a scientist. You're more like a college student sneaking out in the middle of the night." Marceline laughed. "Because you are clearly one." She smirk that teasing smirk.
Bonnibel felt her face blushed. "Hey! I-I'm not... Urgh."
"What? Can't admit it?"
"This is not sneaking out." Bonnibel gestured with her hands.
"Sure"
"... I am not a college student-" Bonnibel pouted. "-that's sneaking out in the middle of the night."
Marceline smiled again, clearly amused at Bonnibel's pouting. "I know. It's obvious you're not just a student sneaking around. You are a-" She stopped because she didn't know what Bonnibel is.
Now, Bonnibel was intrigued. "I'm a?"
I think you're a doctor who killed a patient and now running away from the hospital. Pssh. Kidding. Maybe she's a lawyer or a teacher or something along the lines.
Marceline looked closely than ever. Bubblegum's clothes were normal. It doesn't say what her profession was though by the way she talked and walked it was obvious she was the kind of office girl. So, a CEO or something... But she's so young! Or wait... Maybe she's a doctor, wait I already said that... Ah! She's only med student. Yes, that's it... Augh. Why am I exhausting myself all over this?
"Well?" Bonnibel asked.
Before Marceline could say any of her ideas, her mouth took control over.
"You're a princess."
05/21/16