The First Lunch

When Buttercup entered her history classroom, she almost turned right around and left. Mitch Mitchelson was sitting in the back of the room.

Towards the end of the previous school year they'd developed some bad blood, to say the least. They'd been pretty decent friends to that point. They and a small circle of other people.

Then Mitch called and asked Buttercup on a date. Though she'd never had or looked for a boyfriend, she'd said "yes." A little uncertainly and surprised, certainly, but she'd agreed. Mitch had never shown an interest in her before, but one never knew. She wasn't sure if she believed all the things she heard about him, friend or no. But even if it was true he'd never treat her like that, right?

Sadly, that was not the case. He was more obnoxious than ever, and put a lot of pressure on Buttercup to... Well, to do the things Mitch later claimed they'd been doing for years. Before Buttercup supposedly had a change of heart and wanted Mitch all to herself. Mitch claimed Buttercup had never been anything more than a "fun lay" to him, despite her alleged deep-seated feelings.

Buttercup generally wasn't involved in the personal lives of her friends, aside from offhand comments and afterthought tidbits they shared with her. One of Mitch's girlfriends had hung out with them all for a while, but when they broke up she grew disgusted with all of them and left. When Mitch had called her a stuck-up bitch and a slut, Buttercup didn't pay much attention. The girl hadn't hung around them long enough for anyone else to get to know her, and Buttercup didn't get along with other girls in general.

After her experience, though, she understood that girl a whole lot better. She felt bad for her, but worse for herself. She'd lost her only friends over the whole thing, and after lies like that wasn't likely to make many more. Her sisters knew they were all lies, even to the point they never really questioned Buttercup about it. But truth had a way of dying down in a place like this when it was less interesting than the alternatives.

She was tempted to set the notebook on his desk on fire with heat vision right now. When she had confronted Mitch over his lies last year, she hadn't actually hurt him, but she had offered the friendly advice, "Mitch, when you do stuff that would make a girl shoot lasers out her eyes at you, you'd better make damned sure she can't actually shoot lasers out of her eyes at you."

She wanted to make that threat a reality, but knew better. It wouldn't do any good and would just get her in trouble. Worse, if people heard that she came back to school sleep-deprived and then straight off set Mitch's stuff on fire, they'd think she was still "heartbroken" over him.

She took a seat at the front of class for a change, once again bound to inaction.

History ended none-too-soon, and then Buttercup was free for lunch. Free to do what, she didn't know. Last semester, after Mitch, her lunch habits changed. Many times she skipped, other times she flew home to grab a quick meal. Every time, she'd spent most of the lunch period on the school's roof, solitary and brooding.

Sometimes she looked down at the other kids who spent lunch outside. Bubbles was usually one of these, flying out to get fast food for her friends and herself.

Sometimes they spotted each other. Bubbles waved when she did so, and after that first day was always waving Buttercup down to join them. She never did. But now...

Having skipped breakfast, Buttercup was starving but didn't look for anything. Instead she flew to the roof and sat, waiting. Buttercup must have missed Bubbes's departure, but she saw a streak of blue with her return. Buttercup smiled. She didn't bother waiting for an invitation; with her sister, she knew, she didn't need one.

It was just Bubbles and Mike Believe today, the latter wearing his shades. Buttercup waved at him and said, "Hi," as she gently touched down behind Bubbles.

"Hey, Buttercup," Mike greeted. Mike hardly spent time with Bubbles's other sisters, but they were all on good terms. Which is to say Buttercup didn't care and Blossom was too polite to say anything to his face.

Bubbles turned around, beaming as always. "Oh, hey! Finally going to join us?"

Buttercup shrugged. "Sure."

"I hear you and your sister really bonded this summer," Mike said as the three sat on a stone bench under a broad-topped tree, Bubbles in the middle.

"Uh, what? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was... Yeah, really fun," Buttercup said, hastening to add, "Like when we were kids."

"So how are your classes?" Bubbles asked conversationally.

"Phfft. I almost slept through most of 'em. Freaking Mitch Mitchelson's in my history class."

With casual feel of a polite cough Mike dropped a suitable unpleasant adjective for Mitch before taking a bite of his burger.

"Oh, Buttercup, you probably didn't get any breakfast, huh?" Bubbles asked.

Buttercup shook her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think to get anything for you."

"Here," Mike said, slapping his once-bitten burger in Buttercup's hand.

"Ew, no," she replied, handing it back. Mike shrugged and took it, and another bite of it. Mouth full, he offered, "Take my fries."

Bubbles handed Buttercup the to-go bag with the box of fries still in it.

"Thanks," Buttercup said.

"Hey, perfect," Blossom said, startling them. Bubbles and Buttercup turned back to see their redheaded sister coming from around the tree. Mike pointedly ignored her. Again, he wasn't really on bad terms with her, but this was probably family business.

Blossom walked in front of them before continuing. "Bubbles, Buttercup, I just got a tip from my astronomy teacher. He's waiting for confirmation from some government-funded labs, but there's a small body on a possible collision course with Earth. Nothing catastrophic, but we should get some practice in just in case we have to handle it in near-space conditions. I think Friday afternoon should be good."

Her sisters gave their consent. "Great. I'll help Professor give our suits an inspection after school. I'm going to grab some lunch now, though. I'll see you around!"

Blossom waved and left. Just like that.

Buttercup realized that things had been like that between all three of them for the last few years. They had different interests, liked different people, and since middle school those differences had gradually separated them. They still got along and, once in a while, even had fun together. They worked together, trained together, usually ate dinner together, and sometimes watched T.V. together, but they were far from the inseparable trio of their yesteryears.

Bubbles and Mike didn't seem to give it another thought, though, going right back to business as usual after Blossom's brief interjection.

"I'm heading to Mike's after school," Bubbles said.

"A feeble effort to make up for not seeing me all summer," Mike interjected.

"That's cool," Buttercup said. She hid her dejection well. Her life with her sister was what it was, after all. No sense worrying about that any more.

"You're welcome to join us. Isn't she, Mike?"

Mike hid his disappointment well, too. "Sure. Whatever."

"I'll think about it, I guess. Thanks," Buttercup said.