Chapter 3

The last 5 minutes of school that Friday there was a buzz across campus. Andrew's end of the year bash was tonight and half the school was going. Everyone knew that Dead Roses were going to be playing tonight. They had a pretty decent following at school, half of them really liked their music while half of the others just wanted to see Elena and Rachel make out at the party. Buttercup had plans to head over to Elena's soon after school but she had to run home first. Today all three of the girls flew home together. The professor wasn't home when the girls got home, a note on their fridge told them he wouldn't be home till later tonight.

"Sweet! We're free tonight girls!" Buttercup said happily as she raced up the stairs.

"I really don't want to go to this stupid party," Blossom grouched.

"Why not?" Bubble's asked trying to be optimistic, "Brick will be there, show him on what he missed out on."

"Brick's going? Is he going with his new girlfriend?" Blossom asked now feeling her face getting warm.

"I would imagine so," Bubble's replied but put her arm around Blossom comfortingly, "Look all we got to do is make you totally hot and we'll find someone new for you. It's been too long, time for you to bounce back."

Blossom sighed and knew that she wasn't getting out of this, "Fine."

Upstairs Buttercup was packing away everything she'd need for tonight. Mitch was coming by later with the van to load up her bass and her equipment. They had a band rehearsal planned for two hours before the party starts. In the meantime, Bubble's enlisted the help of Buttercup to try to find something cool for Blossom to wear to the party, it was slim pickings from her wardrobe. So, Bubble's lent Blossom one of her black tank tops and a pair of red shorts.

"C'mon let's do your makeup," Bubble's said enthusiastically. She was always happy whenever it came to makeup or dressing up.

Buttercup opted out of it when she got a text from Mitch saying he was close by. She could hear the loud van approaching as she looked out her window as Mitch honked as she pulled up to the house.

"Let's go green!" Elena called out with Rachel sitting behind her, "I've got a girl to screw before we go to the party for good luck!"

Rachel laughed as Mitch hollered in acceptance next to them. Buttercup laughed from up in her house, as she grabbed her guitar case and everything else she needed thrown into a duffle bag. Mitch came up and grabbed the amp and said his hellos to Buttercup's sisters. She agreed to meet up later tonight with the girls and left. The next few hours flew by quickly, the band headed to Mitch's garage and ran over their set and practiced and were fully prepared for the party. Elena lived three doors down from Mitch's house and her and Rachel came up with some excuse of having to go to Elena's house with a mischievous grin.

"Man what I would give to be a fly on the wall in Elena's room right now," Mitch said as he spiked up his hair into it's usual fohawk.

"Yeah it's not as great when you have a sleepover with the two of them and get kicked out to the couch," Buttercup said recalling the number of sleepovers they've had of the years.

"Do they ever invite you into their sleepovers?" Mitch asked with a slight grin, "Really tell me everything, I won't tell anyone else."

"Oh yeah," Buttercup said sarcastically, "but only after a long, sweaty pillow fight first."

Mitch and Buttercup laughed. Her and Mitch had been friends for years but strictly platonic. They had made a deal back when they entered a bad together to keep it that way. Buttercup loved having a guy friend that she could depend on. The two of them told each other everything, Mitch even figured out the truth about Bubbles but Buttercup knew she could trust him.

"Can I ask you something?" Buttercup began to say.

"Of course," Mitch said as he loaded things into the back of the van.

"Do you think I should still leave after graduation?" Buttercup asked.

Mitch stopped loading and looked at Buttercup with a pained look on his face.

"I mean," Buttercup said feeling her stress rise just thinking about it, "with Bubble's being pregnant and the Professor losing out on money I'm just wondering if…"

Mitch sighed and went and sat next to Buttercup on the amp, "look, I know you love your sisters but we've been talking about this for two years now. Besides, Blossom's going to go away to college and the Professor will be fine…what about Boomer? Where is he in all this? Every time I see him or Bubble's they both just look miserable."

"Bubbles talked to him a few days ago after school, I don't think it went to well," Buttercup confessed.

"Did they break up?"

"I don't think so," Buttercup replied, "but they're both just… freaked out they don't know what to do."

"Yeah," Mitch agreed, "it's a shitty situation but I know Boomer really loves Bubbles. Once the shock wears off he'll come around. I think the two of them will be ok but you, I know that if you stay here to help your family you'll never leave."

"I know," Buttercup stated, "I've thought about that too."

"You're freaked out about your family I get that," Mitch began to say, "but now that we're about to graduate and go out on our own for the first time you need to think about you and what you want."

Buttercup sighed, she wished it was that easy, "Yeah…hey don't tell Elena or anything alright."

"I won't," Mitch promised.

Buttercup spent the next few minutes polishing her bass Belladonna and thinking about what to do. It felt as if there were no easy answers.

"Hey you know what else I found out that day," Buttercup said feeling her stomach churn.

"What?" Mitch asked.

"Ace is back in town," Buttercup stated honestly.

"That guy you had a crush on when you were a kid?" Mitch remembered, "where'd you see him?"

"At the Townsville graveyard," she responded.

"Is he dead?" Mitch asked nonchalantly.

"No!" Buttercup shouted, "I just saw him there."

"Did you talk to him?"

"No he seemed…busy," Buttercup replied. She had been playing the moment over in her head all week. Seeing him kneeling there, staring at the greave and him walking away. Over and over in her head like a movie.

"Buttercup and Ace sitting in a dump, K-i-s-s-i-n-g," Mitch started to teased until Buttercup playful punched him on his shoulder. A few minutes later, Elena and Rachel came strolling hand in hand back to the garage.

"Hey feeling lucky now?" Buttercup jestered as the two came back.

"Oh yeah," Rachel stated wrapping her around Elena's waist.

"Can't play without my good luck charm," Elena winked, "C'mon lets head to Andrews so we can set up."

With everything packed away in the van, they all headed to Andrew's huge house. He was the richest guy in school and threw all the best parties. His backyard was the best, they had a huge deck that looked over the whole yard which was where the band would be playing. On the west side of the yard he had a swimming pool, and a bunch of huge shady trees throughout that were hung with soft lights just as the sun was setting. Andrew was setting up a few different kegs around the yard and getting a beer pong table set up while Buttercup, Mitch, Elena and Rachel were all setting up the amps and their equipment.

Back at the Utonium home Bubbles was just about finished with Blossom's make up.

"Stop twitching," Bubbles ordered as she continued to shade Blossom's eyelids.

"I can't help it with you stabbing me in the eye," Blossom said dramatically.

"Just do this," Bubbles said raising her eye brows high to demonstrate.

Bubbles was excited for tonight; her mood has been more stable and the morning sickness had subsided. She found a flowy light blue dress in her closet that flowed off of her perfectly so that no one would notice her new curves. She just decided tonight to just ignore her…situation. She talked to Boomer a few days ago, Bubbles wasn't sure what to expect. Neither did Boomer, they were still just shocked and unsure of what to do. However, Bubbles was tired of Boomer avoiding her. If he showed up tonight she was going to confront him.

"What if Brick shows up?" Blossom said her nervousness setting in.

"If he does you need to be smiling and laughing the entire time you're at the party," Bubbles responded, "even if it's fake."

"What is he's there with her," Blossom pointed out. She and Brick had dated back over a year ago but he had cheated on her with a girl from the Soccer team.

"Who cares about Julia," Bubbles retorted, "everyone knows she'll give it up to anyone, she's a slut!"

Bubble's just thought over what she had said in realizing that that's what people were whispering about her behind her back.

"I really don't want to go to this party," Blossom confessed.

"Well too bad, because I feel like going out tonight and it's time for you to start having some fun too!" Bubbles encouraged, "We're graduating in a month, turning 18 over this summer and you're going to head to college soon."

"What are you going to do?" Blossom asked now that it had been brought up which Bubbles was not regretting, "Have you applied to any schools or are you going to join the police force?"

Bubbles felt her stomach sinking at picturing her future and in turn felt a flash of anger as she shouted out, "no talk about any of that tonight. Tonight we're having fun!"

The two girls climbed into the car that the professor had bought for all three of the girls, it was a Prius. Buttercup refused to drive it. As they drove to the bigger neighborhoods with the bigger houses they found Andrew's house. A bunch of cars were parked out in the front and judging by the noise, Buttercup and her band were already playing. Bubbles could feel her excitement growing, she also felt a pang of sadness. She missed Boomer, before all this…mess. The two of them went to Andrew's parties together all the time. She missed him.

Blossom parked the car and the two girls got out and headed towards the backyard. A few of the early party guests were already there and breaking in the kegs. Blossom grimaced at them.

"If the cops showed up here right now-," She began to say.

"They won't, at least not for another few hours," Bubbles confided, "try to loosen up a bit. Your scholarship isn't going anywhere and you might as well try to have fun before then."

Blossom shrugged, feeling out of place. Back when she and Brick were together, they hung out at the parties and went out all the time. Things were easier back then and all of Bricks friends were her friends. Except Blossom was the only one who stuck to her curfew unlike her sisters. Brick stayed at the parties even after Blossom left. She remembered the one day when she walked into school and everyone was staring at her and laughing behind her back. Apparently everyone knew that Brick was cheating on her long before she figured it out. She was the laughing stock of the school for weeks after her breakup.

"Bubbles!" a few girls called from off to their right. It was Melissa and Caitlyn, they were on the cheer team with Bubbles and her best friends. They ran up to the sisters quickly.

"Bubbles we need to talk to you," Melissa said quickly glancing at Blossom.

Bubbles could sense the urgency in their faces. She didn't want to talk to them, she could only assume what they wanted to speak to her about. But still, she figured she ought to hear what they had to say. She glanced at Blossom pleadingly.

"Oh fine, I'll go watch Buttercup," Blossom said rolling her eyes at the cheerleaders.

Melissa and Caitlyn pulled at Bubbles dragging her over to the farthest corner of the yard. A few of the other cheerleaders were at the party and as she moved through the crowd she found more eyes staring at her. Once the girls had their privacy they began to grill her.

"So?" Caitlyn questioned her.

"So what?" Bubbles said feeling annoyed.

"Did you tell your sisters? Or your dad?" Caitlyn asked.

"No," Bubbles said shuddering at thinking of the thought, "I mean Buttercup sort of figured it out but I don't want to deal with it so I'm just pretending like it never happened."

Caitlyn and Melissa gave her both the same confused look.

"Bubbles," Melissa started to say, "People are talking."

Just ignore it, Bubbles had to say to herself, "Let them talk, there's nothing to talk about."

"That's now what we've been hearing," Caitlyn continued crossing her arms, "people are saying your getting…fat."

"Look all we're saying is that the people who are here are going to talk," Melissa pointed out, "you should probably keep a low profile and maybe talk to Blossom before someone else does."

"Look can you two please stop talking about it," Bubbles stated as her anger boiled but managed to keep her voice down, "I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want to think about it tonight! I just want to have fun."

"Well you had your 'fun' and look where that got you," Melissa pointed out, "you need to go see a doctor."

"No!" Bubbles shouted before walking away from them.

Up on the deck overlooking the yard Dead Roses was rocking out. Their set for the night was their usual upbeat rock music. Music that was easy to dance or rock out too. Rachel and lots of their other dumpster friends all gathered near the deck cheering them on enthusiastically. Buttercup loved these moments, when she could just feel normal and beautiful all at once. It was like her heart was beating with Belladonna and the music. She saw Bubbles storming into the crowd, she looked upset. In the distance, she could see all the cheer bitches looking at her and whispering. If it weren't for the music she might have heard what they were saying but she couldn't.

As they came to the close of their first set, Elena spoke through the mic happily, "alright guys! We'll be back to play another set at 11! For now enjoy the prerecorded crap that Andrew has for you tonight!"

A few laughed while Elena winked at Andrew as he came up on the deck and plugged in his ipod. Buttercup placed Belladonna gently onto the stand as some hip/hop club music began playing through their amps. Buttercup liked it, she liked all kinds of music and was ready for a drink. She and the rest of the band went over to he keg, receiving high fives from fellow drunk teenagers alike as they pumped themselves a drink.

Of course Blossom was right on her tail, "Hey! No drinking!"

A few people around the keg laughed as Blossom approached.

"Yeah right, I'll get right on that mom," Buttercup replied taking a big swig of the beer.

"You know that the professor will be pissed if you come home drunk," Blossom pointed out.

Rachel being the outspoken person that she was spoke up, "If you're so worried about your daddy why don't you go home then?"

Everyone laughed, even Buttercup as she ignored the small voice in her head.

"Yeah everyone knows that ever since you got dumped you never party anymore," another bystander pointed out.

"Why so I can be a party girl like you?" Blossom threw back at the girl.

Buttercup recognized her, Trisha. She was in her math class and was a frequent of the dumpster crowd.

"At least I know how to keep a man interested," Trish replied calmly sipping her beer and arching her sculpted brow.

The other all laughed again as more people gathered around the keg waiting for drinks, while Blossom tried to hide her humiliation. The voice in the back of Buttercups mind was getting louder.

"At least I don't have to turn into a whore to keep a man," Blossom replied angrily, "and at least I can pass Biology on my first try."

"Oh god you think you and your sisters are so perfect!" Trisha yelled back getting angrier.

People were starting to stare.

"Buttercup let's go," Blossom ordered.

"You're not my mom," Buttercup replied still sipping her drink, "Stop trying to boss me around."

"You know just because you guys are the powerpuff girls doesn't make you any better than the rest of us," Trisha pointed out, "and yet you walk around school like you own the place and like you practically run this town."

This was part of the reason why Buttercup didn't want to be a powerpuff anymore, a lot of people in their school was sick of them.

"We've saved this town a million times before!" Blossom exclaimed, "If anything you should be thanking us!"

"Yeah well, we'll see how long that lasts once Bubbles gets huge and once Buttercup takes off," Trisha stated making Buttercup's stomach drop.

"What do you mean?" Blossom asked glancing over at Buttercup, "Why is Bubbles going to get huge? And where are you going?"

Buttercup was ready to just sink into a whole and her sisters pink gaze tore her down.

"Your sisters pregnant," one of Trisha's clones stated, "guess the little powerpuffs aren't so perfect after all."

Now everyone was quiet and tense, for some people gathered around the keg, this was their first time hearing this.

"Shut up Trish," Elena spoke up, "you don't know anything, I mean if you can't pass biology you probably don't even know how to get pregnant!"

A few people around them laughed breaking off the tension, Blossom still stared at Buttercup.

"Just run on home little girl, back to your books and your homework like a loser," Trish stated and looked past Blossom and noticed someone else, "Hey Brick! Hey Julia! You guys want a beer?"

Blossom looked over her shoulder and saw Brick with his jersey on and his scantily clad girlfriend hanging off of him. Brick's face fell slightly as he noticed Blossom over by the keg, Julia noticed too and started making out with Brick aggressively as Blossom watched.

Blossom felt the tears gather in the corner of her eyes, "Buttercup?"

Buttercup could feel the guilt and worry building in her stomach, Elena saw it too.

"C'mon lets get out of here," Elena said grabbing Buttercups hand and her, Rachel and Mitch all walked away from the keg.

"Oh she's crying," Trish teased as others around her laughed.

Blossom quickly took up jumping into the sky with a pink streak across the sky.