Author's notes: Nothing to comment on, just that all the reviewers are wonderful! Once again, it may be a while before the final chapter is posted… It might be, oh, around Thanksgiving? So, also again, if you like this story, either put it on your faves or story alert.
"Damn it…" Buttercup muttered. "Do you have any clue how freaking expensive these dresses are?"
Elmer shrugged. They were sitting in Buttercup's room, him on the wood floor and her on the green bedspread.
"No, and I don't care," he replied.
She gave him a look, and he knew she meant business. "C'mon, lighten up. I was kidding."
Her dark eyebrows relaxed, and her pale face twisted into a sweet smile, something that it wasn't used to doing. "Eighty bucks, and for the chick who gets the solo, a hundred and fifty. I spent all of by birthday money on clothing and other crap, so I'm screwed. I think I better get a part-time job or something. Oh… I can't, I have Tango Club every afternoon!"
"Damn…!" Elmer replied. "Save up your pennies, 'cause I think Senorita Riviera had you marked from the start."
Tango Club rocked, even Elmer admitted it. Every afternoon they met, and tangoed their hearts out. Elmer loved it when he could spin her around, so he could look deep in her green eyes and just peer into the concentration behind them. It was an odd look; she seemed to be so focused, so feeling, but quick to respond to the swiftest action or movement of his hands or feet.
She seemed to be enjoying it as well; it gave her an excuse to be away from home and something to be proud of. Buttercup was also good at it; the teacher had used her countless times to demonstrate the most advanced of steps. Elmer just hoped he could keep up, but his adequate way of memorizing what he was supposed to be doing and when seemed to help him at least keep up with his partner's flair for dancing.
Buttercup sighed. "Just think- me, a dancer! I never would have thought."
Elmer drummed his fingers on the nightstand. "I'm glad you're finally happy. But when are you going to tell everyone about the whole dancing thing?"
Buttercup still hadn't told her family where exactly she was going after school. They didn't seem suspicious quite yet, but Blossom tended to notice that type of thing.
"I don't think I'm going to. Well, Bubbles will find out, but I don't really care because she keeps her mouth shut. She's doing the design for the cover of the program… I heard her mutter something at dinner last night about using impressionism to make a full-fledged painting, then take a picture of it or something… She's going to wait until closer to the show, when we can practice in our costumes," Buttercup responded, flipping through the papers that Senorita Riviera had given them.
Elmer couldn't help notice the dresses that the girls had to wear. "I think those dresses are really… well, plain. Will you guys actually be able to dance in them?"
Buttercup laughed. "They look like plain old black strapless dresses that people wear to school dances, except that they flair out when you turn. And they are eighty bucks each, which is the main drawback."
Elmer secretly hoped to see her in the dress the girl in the solo couple got to wear. One couple would get the spotlight on them pretty much the whole night of the performance, and they would be credited as the best dancers. They would also get their own number in the show. Elmer knew that Buttercup could do it, and he could probably keep in step. Fortunately, he knew that the teacher saw that she was the best dancer. Buttercup needed the spotlight more than anything, and he intended to make it happen.
The dress was gorgeous- a vivid garnet color with a brilliant skirt that would simply flutter around the soloist when she danced. The top was in a corset fashion; crisp black ribbon in crisscrosses against the same brilliant ruby red, fastening in a thin bow in the back. The waist was well defined by a black sash. There were small black ribbons across the arm part to give the illusion of sleeves.
In other words, it was the perfect dress for Buttercup- bright enough that she would definitely be seen on stage, but not too dazzling that everyone would pay attention to the dress and not her. No, it would enhance her features- make her pretty red mouth stand out, and bring out the little bit of color that was in her pale skin.
"I think you better shoot for a hundred and fifty instead of eighty, though," Elmer replied.
Buttercup smirked. How attractive her smirk was! It had all the girlish charm of her rarely seen smile, but had a sense of her true personality.
"Why? Do you think you're that good of a dancer?" she retorted.
He laughed. "Well, I gotta go," he said, looking at his watch.
Buttercup pouted. "Fine… Be that way!" But then she winked, meaning that it was all in good fun.
"See you," Elmer said.
"Bye-bye, Tango Boy…" Buttercup replied with a smile.
He said goodbye to the Utoniums in the kitchen before revving up his car. Elmer looked back at the room with green curtains and then drove home.
When Buttercup got to her locker the next day, she saw Elmer waiting for her.
"I think all of your problems are solved," Elmer told her.
"What…?" the girl trailed off as a neon pink flyer was shoved in front of her face.
! CAR WASH !
Support the Townsville High's Tango Club
This Saturday, 9 AM to 3 PM
Townsville Mall Parking Lot, Outside MexiFest
"Senorita Riviera decided that since the dresses were so expensive, we should have a fundraiser with an even split of money for whoever shows up to work," Elmer explained, leaving out the fact that he was the one who called the Spanish teacher at 10:00 PM on a school night to set up the car wash.
"Ha," Buttercup laughed as she slammed her locker door shut, "And it's right outside of the Mexican restaurant. How fitting. Well, you were right, this saves my butt."
As they walked to class, she noticed the neon flyers lining the walls, doors, bulletin boards, and lockers everywhere. "Wow, someone had fun printing those off…" she muttered.
Elmer snorted, recalling the escapade that morning of sneaking into the staff room to make copies. He set the copier to make 500 copies instead of the 50 he wanted, so the machine was out of ink. He snuck out before anyone saw him.
Buttercup put a hand in front of him to stop him from walking. "Don't ever do that again," she said, referring to the snort. "It's disgusting."
He opened the door for her to the Spanish room, and she nodded as a thank you. "And so is your sister," he replied.
Blossom was sitting on her desk, with several guys and girls surrounding her. She was wearing a pink tube top and a red and pink plaid mini skirt with red sneakers and red fishnet tights and arm warmers.
"Eww…" Buttercup whispered as she crept in, hoping that she wouldn't be noticed. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
"Hey, sis," Blossom hissed. She sat on Buttercup's desk, shoving over all the books on top of it. "Oops… I guess I better get that."
She winked at a blonde boy across the aisle, and then leaned over to pick up the books.
Elmer gasped. "Oh my frickn' god…" He leaned over to whisper to Buttercup, "Don't look, whatever you do don't look."
Blossom retrieved the books, set them back on her sister's desk, and then walked over and sat on the blonde boy's desk.
After class, Buttercup caught up with Elmer in the hallway. "What the hell happened in Spanish? You had the weirdest look on your face."
Elmer pulled her aside to the lockers. "When Blossom leaned over, it exposed… well, a bright red thong."
Buttercup burst out laughing. "What the hell is she trying to do? Trying to be the world's biggest slut?"
"Excuse me," Blossom whispered, making her way over to where the sister was. "I believe that's my locker you're blocking with your loudmouthed friend."
Buttercup stepped aside and attempted to continue her conversation, ignoring the fact that the person she was mocking was standing right beside her.
"Excuse me! I'm right here, bitch!" Blossom snapped. "So say it to my face."
"Okay," Buttercup replied. "What the hell are you trying to do?"
"Well, if you can be an individual, so can I."
"At least I'm not dressing like a whore!"
"What are you dressing like, Buttercup?"
Buttercup was wearing a black t-shirt and a red skirt that went to her knees, as well as black low top sneakers. She was attempting to stop wearing so much green. That wasn't to say she didn't like the color; she just wanted everyone to stop thinking of her as the green Powerpuff.
"I'm dressing like… like… like me. Now excuse me, I have a class to get to."
Buttercup passed by, making sure to bump into her sister's shoulder as she walked by.
Buttercup found a catch to this whole 'car wash' thing; she needed a bikini. Now, Blossom had always picked out conservative (Buttercup laughed when she thought of the new Blossom in fishnets) one-piece bathing suits or tankinis that the three girls would wear. The last time she had gone to the lake, Buttercup had felt slightly immature.
So, she decided it was time to buy herself a bikini, so she didn't make a fool of herself in front of her fellow Tango Club members.
The problem was, she was broke. In order to redeem herself (and to have help choosing a bikini that didn't make her look like a slut or look out of place where ever she went), she went to her new mother (she and Bubbles had taken to calling her 'mom', while Blossom preferred to call her by her first name) to ask for advice and money.
"Umm… Mom?" Buttercup asked after dinner once. She and Bubbles were washing dishes at the table. Blossom had a phone call in the middle of dinner, so she wasn't 'available' to clean up from dinner.
"Yes, Buttercup?" her new mother said with a smile.
"Uh, I was wondering… I need a new bathing suit, and I was wondering if you could help me pick one out… Would that be okay?" she inquired.
"Sure, sweetie. We can go out tonight, if you want."
By the end of the night, Buttercup had a green (hey, it was still her favorite color) bikini with black rhinestones on it. It was simple, but it made her actually look sixteen.
When it was time to pay, Buttercup took out her wallet (she was trying to think of what to say when her mother saw that there wasn't any money in it), but her mom stopped her and said, "Oh, it's okay, Buttercup, I got it."
Car wash, here I come, she thought.
"I keep telling myself that all she wants is attention," Buttercup told Elmer as she rung the water out of a bright yellow, peanut-shaped sponge, "but I think that showing her ass off to every person in class is crossing the line just a little bit, wouldn't you agree?"
They were at the Tango Club car wash, and it was about noon. Just about half the club had showed up to work, so it meant that each person got a little bit more money toward their costume. The girls were all in bikinis, and the boys were either in shorts or swimming trunks, and some had shirts on and some didn't.
Elmer, for one, was surprised when he saw Buttercup in a bikini. She was skinny enough, but it just surprised him. He kept his mouth shut and kept on washing the red minivan.
A silver boom box was playing the CD they would be using for the show, which was two weeks away.
"Okay," Senorita Riviera, who actually looked nice in her black one-piece swim-dress with white daisies on it, "so far, we've washed sixty-five cars, and at eight dollars and fifty cents a car that is… Okay, who's good at math?"
The Tango Club laughed. They all pointed at Elmer.
"Why's it always me?" he shouted to no one in particular. "Sixty-five cars times eight dollars and fifty cents a car means that we have $552.50, and that's not counting tips."
"And," Buttercup added with a hint of happiness in her voice, "that means that since there are six couples here, that each couple gets about ninety-three bucks each."
There were cheers from the thirteen people there.
Senorita Riviera stated, "Yes, and you have whoever plastered the school with flyers to thank for that."
Suddenly, the sound of a car horn honking could be heard. Now, normally, no one would think this would be strange at a car wash. But Buttercup did.
"I know that honk…" she whispered.
Sure enough, there was Blossom, taking the professor's car to be cleaned.
"Oh, shit…" Elmer muttered.
Blossom rolled down the window to the old station wagon. "You have go to be kidding me," she spat at Buttercup. "Tango Club? Gosh, you sicken me. Just wash the car and let me go…"
They did as they were told and then stood back. To their surprise, Blossom didn't move the car after she paid them.
"You know," Buttercup snapped at her sister, "there are other people in line."
Blossom smirked. "I know. Well, since this is the Tango Club Car Wash, shouldn't you be tangoing?"
"It's a fundraiser, not a performance," Elmer riposted, instantly at his friend's side.
"Tell you what. I'll give you an extra ten bucks if you do one dance. Please?" Blossom inquired, batting her eyelashes at Elmer.
Buttercup wasn't sure what came over her when she jumped in front of him and said, "Back off, bitch."
"Ooh… Someone's jealous. Well, are you going to dance or not?" Blossom replied.
Buttercup sighed. They could use the money. But only half of the Tango Club was there; they couldn't do a full number. Unless…
There was the solo dance, which only took one couple. Senorita Riviera had taught the whole Tango Club the dance two days before, and Buttercup had a feeling she could pull it off.
"Hold on," she spat hastily at her sister.
She ran over to her Spanish teacher. "Listen, I have a question," she asked, and then explained the situation.
"Yes, your sister, Blossom, the girl who spends more time passing notes and flirting in my class than paying attention. Well, if it teaches that girl a lesson, I'm fine with you demonstrating the solo dance. Just do it right! Although, I have faith in you," she said kindly. "I'll be watching."
Joy, Buttercup thought. I have to show Blossom that I can dance while showing Senorita Riviera the solo…
She then pulled Elmer aside. "We have to do it… or let whore-girl mock me for the rest of eternity."
Elmer opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it. He nodded. "Fine, but you owe me big time."
"Don't I know it," she replied with a wink.
They went back over to the Utonium's station wagon. "We'll do it," Buttercup told her sister matter-of-factly.
She had one of the girls set the boom box to the right song, and then stood in front of Elmer.
The sharp, tangy music began, and so did, it felt, her heart. As she moved her feet, it seemed like her heart beat to the music, as did her mind. She turned and stepped, and leaped and dipped, looking into Elmer's blue eyes. Never mind the fact that he was in jean shorts and a faded black t-shirt, while she was in a green bikini. Never mind that they were soaked through and through with icy cold, soapy water. Never mind that they were in a parking lot in front of a Mexican restaurant.
All that mattered was then and what they were doing. She didn't look to see her sister's awed faced as she mastered the most complicated combination the teacher had introduced thus far in Tango Club. As she posed for the end, she did not hear silence like she expected.
She heard roars of applause from not just Blossom, Senorita Riviera, and the Tango Club, but also from the long line of backed up cars.
Blossom threw the ten -dollar bill at her, and then pulled away.
The entire Tango Club (several people showed up later in the day, meaning that all twenty-three people were there, including the teacher) was sitting at one long table made up of several smaller ones in the restaurant. By the end of the afternoon, they had raised over a thousand dollars.
They were laughing and talking, and Buttercup felt, for once in her life that she actually fit in.
Senorita Riviera stood up. "I would like to give a toast," she said, holding up her strawberry daiquiri, "to our soloists- Buttercup Utonium and Elmer Sglue!"
Everyone cheered, but no one expected what came next. Buttercup, who was sitting next to Elmer, leaned in to kiss him, and to her surprise he kissed back.
"Well," the teacher commented, "if you two can kiss as well as you can dance, then there's a ton of passion between you two!"
Author's notes: Please review!
-Marty :-D (lucyrocks73)