I couldn't handle it anymore. My head was getting so clustered with thoughts of PB, thoughts of Simon, that I was starting to fail classes. I was going back to my old self. And quite frankly, I wasn't sure if I cared that much. PB noticed the dip in my grades and immediately thought it was her duty to tutor me; which, it wasn't, however I did appreciate it. "Okay, deal is, if you get the answer right, you get a strawberry. Got it?" I nod in confirmation. "Okay. 2 plus 2?" "46." I deadpan. She laughs and feeds me a strawberry anyways, "Okay, here's a harder one: If x minus y is 5, what is x minus 2y?" I frown and rub my temples. "I don't.. I don't know." I say. "Come on, Marcy. You can do it." I close my eyes, "I can't.. I can't.. Glob dammit!" I shout, throwing the math textbook away from me. "Hey. Hey, it's okay. It's okay. Calm down." PB says, rubbing my back. "It's not okay. It's-" I let out a sob and PB wraps her arms around me, pulling me close to her. "Shh, it's okay, Marcy sweetie. It's okay. You're going to be okay. It's okay." She's holding me and we're rocking in unison, she places a kiss on the top of my head and pulls me up onto her bed, laying me down and tucking me in. She climbs in next to me and cuddles me, stroking my hair slowly. "What's wrong, Marcy? You've been acting out of whack for weeks now." I sniffle before replying, "I guess I just have stuff on my mind, y'know?" We sit in silence for several minutes before she finally asks me the question I've been dreading to answer, "Why does Hambo mean so much to you?" I inhale and exhale slowly, closing my eyes, hoping to be able to fall deeper and deeper into the cushions of her bed. "As you, uh, as you know, my dad hasn't really been there for me. I mean, yeah. Uh, anyways, while I was on the streets, this guy, Simon, he took me in. He hid me away from all the scary people; he protected me. I just- I couldn't protect him. I- uh, anyways, Hambo. Hambo, was a gift from Simon. When we first met. I was out on the streets, hiding away in some alley, some stuff was going on around me, and Simon found me. He gave me Hambo to cheer me up and it was like all my fears were just... They were just gone. Simon was the one person on this planet that loved me. I'm pretty sure he still is." I say, my breath hitching. I feel PB shake her head, "That's not true, Marcy. I do. I love you. What happened to Simon?"
I open my eyes to look at her before quickly closing them again, "He lost it. He went crazy. Some days he'd be great, then a second later, he's acting out, saying weird stuff. One day he just... He kind of stayed weird." Bubblegum's grip on me tightened and I rested my head against her, trying to calm myself down.
What the hell are you doing, Marcy? Crying like this? Calm the hell down!
"Thanks." I say, my breath steadying. "What for, honey?" Bonnie whispers into my hair. I close my eyes again, "For caring." That was the last thing I remembered before falling into a deep and peaceful sleep in my bestfriend's arms.
I woke up the next morning, not in my own bedroom, but in PB's.
What the hell happened- Oh. Ugh. I rub my forehead. The memories of last came flooding in and it felt like a huge wave had just came crashing down on me. I rub my eyes. They were still sore from the crying. "Good morning sleepy head!" PB says, walking in with a tray of pancakes. "Oh, no, Bonnie. You need to stop spoiling me." She sighs and places the tray down next to me, "Shut up and eat you cute little butt." I raise my eyebrow, "Cute? Are you coming onto me, Princess?" Her cheeks go red and I smile. Oh, Princess. If only you knew.