V
Bubbles hummed a sweet tune as she floated into the house, bags and bags dangling from both her arms and one hanging down her left ankle. She heard the birds singing on her way home and the song was now stuck in her head. Not that she minded. It was quite catchy and soothing.
Shutting the door loudly behind her to alert everyone she returned, Bubbles smiled as she stole a glance down into the contents of her bags. A trip to the mall was never a selfish one for the blue Powerpuff. If she ever took off to do some shopping, she'd be sure to get a few things for the Professor and her sisters. That was just Bubbles. Buttercup always made an effort to bring Bubbles something when she happens to pass by anything of interest. Like last week, Bubbles received a blue gumball because, according to Buttercup, it resembled her bubbly nature.
Even though she didn't entirely understand what it was supposed to mean, Bubbles never ate it. It's in her little box underneath her bed. That's where she kept all her special gifts, some of which were from boyfriends or even the Professor but a majority of them were from Buttercup. They were little things like a charm that evidently fell off someone's bracelet, half of an earring, and so on and so forth.
Bubbles treasured the relationship she had with her sisters. She loved them equally and reveled the most in their family Sundays because that was the one day of the week that the three of them can hang out together as a family. Blossom wouldn't be in the lab with the Professor and Buttercup wouldn't be out with her friends. It was just them and Bubbles loved and cherished every minute of it.
Nevertheless, Bubbles always knew that she cared a tiny bit more about her relationship with Buttercup than she did with Blossom. Maybe it was because, as kids, she never really got along with Buttercup. They were so different and, subsequently, always at odds with each other. Now that they're older and their sistership is better and more stable than before, Bubbles didn't want anything to ruin it. She and Buttercup were finally… sisters. But where one window opens, another closes.
She missed Blossom terribly. She missed when they would all share a bed up to their fourteenth birthdays because it was foreign to sleep in separate beds. She missed when Blossom and Buttercup would bicker because that was their thing. She missed when Blossom was so nosy and butted into everyone else's business because she felt she had to know in order to protect them. Bubbles missed when Blossom wasn't the robot she had taken to be now and was actually a sister.
Bubbles paused. Or maybe she just wasn't being fair. Blossom did need the experience to get an internship she had been looking at for a while. It was selfish of Bubbles to want her sister to throw away her hard work just to make her happy. She wouldn't want Blossom to force an ultimatum, so why would she force one on her? It was unfair and, now that she really thought of it, Blossom has been there just as much as Buttercup had. Throughout high school, she was in the stands at every game with their tough sister cheering her on while Bubbles performed with the cheer squad. Through boyfriends and breakups, Blossom was there just like Buttercup was, listening to Bubbles gush or cry or whatever she did at the time.
I'm just being silly. Bubbles concluded, ending her train of thought right then and there. Blossom was just a sister as Buttercup. She's just a little more detached than she used to be. But a sister all the same.
Nodding to herself with a new sense of accomplishment, Bubbles flew up the stairs to their room. She had bought her sisters a few things from the mall and she wanted to see how they looked in them. Blossom got yet another pencil skirt (Bubbles still can't get over the fact that that's all Blossom ever wears nowadays—pencil skirts, button-up blouses, pumps—the attire of a professional) and Buttercup had one extra leather jacket to add to her closet. Just thinking about how happy they'll be when they see her gifts in turn made her feel giddy.
She loved making people happy.
"Blossom!" She called into the hallway as she entered their room. "I brought you something." Kicking the bag on her leg onto her bed, Bubbles lowered herself to the floor and unceremoniously dumped the rest of the bags on the floor. Blossom appeared in their bedroom, arms lapping over her chest as she leaned against the doorway.
"What did you get today?" Bubbles eagerly filed through the bags and pulled out the black skirt, holding it out to Blossom.
"Look! Isn't it cute? It'd go great with that shirt you got the other day. Perfect for your meeting on Wednesday!" Blossom stared at the skirt, slowly taking it from her sister's hands. It was one of the few black pieces in her wardrobe and she'll admit that it did go well with the blouse she had bought last week and it will give her the perfect image for her interview at the hospital.
"Thank you, Bubs." Folding it in air, she placed it neatly on her bed and turned back towards Bubbles.
"Where's Buttercup? I got her a new jacket since she tore up her last one." Bubbles huffed. "I don't know why I keep buying her the same one. She always finds a way to ruin it."
Blossom mutely listened to her sister as she rambled on while removing a light, black leather jacket from one of the many bags. It was nothing special, something anyone can find without a hassle. But that wasn't what appealed to Buttercup. She just loved leather jackets ever since she watched Terminator. Her habit of wearing them when they're fighting crime (and cynically quoting said movie) tends to ruin the ones Bubbles buys for her. While Buttercup initially didn't have a problem with wearing a torn and battered leather jacket, Bubbles thought otherwise, which was why she bought another one.
"So, where is she? I want to see her wear it."
Here came the hard part.
"Buttercup's not here." Bubbles looked at her sister questioningly and shrugged, tossing the jacket onto her bed.
"Oh well, I can just wait until dinner I guess." Bubbles murmured, feeling a little disappointed that Buttercup left while she was out.
Blossom furrowed her eyebrows a little. "No. She's gone."
"Okay…? Buttercup is always gone. So?"
Christ, the blonde certainly acted her hair color sometimes. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Blossom sighed loudly. "I mean she left. Like, all her stuff is gone. Gone." As she said that, Blossom couldn't help but think of the many ways she could've approached this subject. She sounded and felt like a complete bitch.
Bubbles frowned. "That's not funny, Blossom." She reprimanded.
"I'm not joking."
The blue sister eyed Blossom warily as she slowly approached Buttercup's dresser. Pulling them open, she stared blankly down at the empty spaces, letting the sight before her sink in. Blossom watched as she stood stiff against the drawers and didn't bat a lash when Bubbles spontaneously slammed them all shut, emitting loud bangs into the room. "Where is she?" Bubbles asked, eyebrows knitted together in a confused fury.
"She's living with Kat now."
"Well, why is she living with Kat? Why isn't she living here? With us?"
"Because she's tired of our life."
Bubbles' eyes began brimming with tears and she furiously rubbed them away. "Did the Professor do this? Did he kick her out? I never thought he would—"
"She left on her own."
There was a brief silence and Bubbles' eyes widened in realization. "You didn't stop her." Came her accusatory response. "You didn't stop Buttercup from leaving?" Blossom tightened her jaw. No, she didn't stop her. But honestly, what could she have done in a battle that wasn't hers to fight? If Buttercup wanted to leave, then let her leave. "How could you? She's… she's our sister! She should be here with us!"
"She doesn't want to be with us, Bubbles!"
Bubbles shook her head defiantly. "Yes she does! She loves us! She should be here!"
"She and the Professor already talked it out."
"And where were you, Blossom? Where were you when Buttercup left?"
Blossom didn't answer. She didn't have an answer.
"You let her leave. You let her leave us!" Bubbles wasn't sure where this blind fury was coming from. She was certain it was pent up from months and months of neglect from Blossom. Had this been a different situation, she was sure she would've been bawling while everyone around her yelled. No. It felt good to yell. It felt good to finally get some weight off her chest.
"The Professor—"
"When are you going to stop being a suck up and start being a sister?!" Blossom visibly flinched. Bubbles grabbed the discarded leather jacket and pulled it over her shoulders, all the while maintaining eye contact with her seemingly aloof sister. "I'm going to find her. I'm going to make things better."
"Bubbles," Blossom started, but the bedroom door slammed, signifying that Bubbles had left.
The fire haired leader sat on her respective bed, mulling over the argument that had just taken place. The more she thought about what Bubbles had said, the more it started to hurt and Buttercup's words rang loudly in her head.
I haven't changed… have I? I'm still their sister. I'm just more focused on my future… too focused.
It hit her right then and, for the first time, she wasn't sure what to do.
"So nice of you darlings to visit little old me in the hospital." Ricky said cheekily, the left side of his head bandaged with white wraps. I rolled my eyes while Kat ravaged another bowl of pudding. Fat ass.
"I came for the food." She corrected her, mouth full. I looked at her in disgust.
"Fucking pig," I grumbled.
"Beautiful, ain't she?" Ricky swooned, putting a hand to his chest mockingly. "I might ask her to marry me."
Kat paused and looked at him thoughtfully. "With cash like yours, I might say yes."
He chuckled in good nature and turned towards me. "So? What are you doing here, BC? Sorry to say, but I'm going to be out of commission for a while." He winked slyly at me and Kat choked on her pudding.
"I fuckin' knew it!" She declared, shoving her spoon in my face. "You two did it!"
Ricky eyed her strangely. "What's she on? I want some."
"She thinks we fucked." He looked taken aback and laughed loudly.
"Ho, ho. I wish!" He patted my cheek obnoxiously and I resisted the urge to pat him back twice as hard. The guy was in a hospital bed. "See, BC wouldn't let me—ahem—'park the car'."
"Of all the fucking analogies ever."
"But, lucky me, the chimney was open for business."
It took her a while. "You… sucked him off?" Kat asked incredulously, a slow creepy smile ripping her face.
I rubbed my temples and refused to dignify her with a response. "I bet you could literally taste the dough from his parents' bank account."
"Are you done?"
Kat grinned widely and shoved another spoonful of chocolate pudding in her mouth.
I turned back to Ricky. "Do you remember what happened last night?"
"Not really. But considering I'm in the hospital, it must've been one helluva night." He leaned back against his pillows and smiled cockily at me. "Y'know, if you wanna go down tonight, I could always—"
"Stop." I held up my hand and ignored Kat sniggering behind me. "Ace spiked our drink."
He looked confused. "What drink? You mean the one from Kat's cooler?"
"What?"
"Wasn't it just an after taste?" Ricky smacked his lips together, as if trying to replicated the taste of Kat's alcohol.
"You bitches touched my beer?"
We both tuned her out. "He put GHB in it."
Ricky looked torn. He thought he had Ace figured out from the couple hours he spent with him and his gang. I sort of felt bad when hurt and betrayal flittered his eyes. "I thought we were cool though?"
"That's Ace. He'll pretend to like you only to stab you right in the back." I felt my stomach churn just thinking about him. "It's always a game to him. 'Who can I fuck with next?' It's how he is." Ricky ran his hand through his mass of dark curls, careful to avoid the bandages.
"Well that's disappointing." He murmured.
"I could've told you he was like that."
"I guess I never really gave you a chance to." He shrugged, trying to play it off as if he wasn't bothered. But I knew him better than that. "Wait, what happened to you then? You drank some too."
"I remember going upstairs to the bathroom to wake up. I was a mess after that beer. Mitch says Arturo put something in it and gave it to Ace. I think he followed me up."
"Yep." Kat said distractedly as she watched her pudding fall off her spoon, all joking aside. "Saw him walk up. Didn't know what was goin' up until I heard you scream."
"Did he…?"
Kat frowned at Ricky. "No. She kicked him off for the most part. Somebody saved her before I got a chance to."
I furrowed my brows. I do the saving. They just helped me out.
"Who was it?"
Kat shrugged. "Dunno. Looked like you knew him, though. He carried you out to Mitch and you kept sayin' shit to him. 'Why are you here? Where are your brothers?' Ya wouldn't let him go either."
That didn't really help me out much. "Called him Boomer." I immediately snapped my head towards Kat, who had taken to flinging leftover pudding into the trashcan by the spoon. "I'unno about you, Ricks. But I've never heard of a Boomer in Townsville."
Because we ran him out. Years ago.
My phone started blaring from my pocket and I checked the caller ID. Bubbles.
"Visiting hours are over." A nurse called from the door.
"They got a few more minutes." Ricky insisted. The nurse glared heatedly at all of us.
"Visiting hours… are over." Kat clicked her tongue in annoyance but stood to her feet anyway. Purposely tipping over her pudding, letting it plop down onto the clean floor, she grinned.
"Alright, lady. We don't want no trouble." She kicked my foot. "Leggo, Butterbutt." I shot her an unimpressed scowl but followed her out anyway.
"Bye, my darlings!" We responded by flipping him off in unison. He chuckled after us.
My ringtone went off again as we were walking out of the hospital. Kat sighed loudly, "Are you going to answer that or am I going to get a new roommate?"
I pressed the phone to my ear. "What is it Bubbles?"
"Buttercup! I-I heard what happened. Are you okay?" She sounded like she's been crying. Leave it to Bubbles.
"I'm fine. The Professor and I agreed I should just stay with Kat."
"Whaddup, girl!" Kat yelled into my phone.
Bubbles sniffled. "I never wanted you to leave." I heard the wind whistling through the speaker. She must be flying.
"I know, Bubs. But it was my choice. I didn't mean to upset you."
"Well you did." At this moment, she would be pouting. I smiled a little.
"You'll see me in school. I'll be over every Sunday."
"EVERY Sunday?"
"Yes."
"And you'll walk with us to class?"
I laughed. "Yeah, I promise."
"Okay. Okay, I guess that's fine. But I yelled at Blossom… I need to go apologize." I was mildly impressed. No wonder her voice sounded so scratchy.
"You yelled at her?"
"I was upset! You were gone and she didn't even look like she cared!"
That stung a little, but I like to think I knew her better than Bubbles did. She did care that I was gone. But she understood that it wasn't like I left on bad terms. Me and the Professor were cool. I was still a part of the family.
"She does, Bubs. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay."
"Alright. I trust you, Buttercup. If you ever need any rescuing, I'm always here." I scoffed.
"I do the rescuing. But I'll call you if I need help."
Suddenly, a bright blob caught my eye. I quickly turned my attention to the other side of the street.
There he was.
I knew that obnoxious blonde hair anywhere. It belonged on two people. My sister and…
"Here, Bubbles. Talk to Kat."
"W-what? Butter—" I shoved my phone to Kat, who fumbled it around in her hands. Without a word to either of them, I stormed through the street, ignoring the honking horns and screeching tires.
He saw me coming but didn't make a sudden move. I gripped the collars of his shirt and pushed him back into an alleyway.
Slamming him against the brick wall, I glared heatedly into the eyes near identical to my sister's. "Boomer," I growled out. He didn't flinch but I saw uneasiness in his stare. "Where. Are. Your. Brothers?"
Copyright © 2013 by scorpialin
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permissions of scorpialin. Copyright infringement not intended.