Marceline was uncomfortable. That was a nice way of putting it. When Marshall had offered up their place for everyone meet up to study, Marceline didn't know they would be in the presence of this many people. She expected Bubblegum and Gumball along with Rowtag and Serafina. But she wasn't aware that Finn would be accompanying Fionna and sure didn't know that they were going to invite this other girl LSP, as she was called, to join them as well. She was, according to Fionna, a friend of Bubblegum. However Marceline couldn't see how the two of them became friends.
LSP was loud and gossiped the whole time she was here. That or make comments about how the apartment was much smaller then the usual study areas. Or she would go off about this Brad guy and so on. Marceline found it annoying.
"So you two live her by yourselves?" Fionna asked Marshall as they seemingly took a break from looking at the textbooks sprawled across the living room floor. Since the two didn't seem to have a table big enough they decided that they would all work on the floor in the living area.
"Yeah, just us. It's kinda nice." Marshall stated, "Ya know, not having to deal with other people."
"Have you two always been on your own?" Fionna asked carefully unsure whether or not it was a sore subject for the two twins.
"Naw, we used to live in a few foster homes. We got moved around a lot."
Marceline was a little surprised at how open Marshall was being, but he did always seem to be a little more open about certain things were Marceline would rather avoid it all together.
"Finn and I were moved around a little too before we got adopted," Fionna stated, "Finn was too young to remember living in the orphanage."
"Naw man, I can't remember at all what that place was like." Finn agreed finally looking away from his math textbook to join in the conversation.
"So you guys play music and stuff?" Fionna asked redirecting the conversation. Soon everyone was engaged in different conversations. Everyone but Bubblegum, who saw still typing away at her Macbook beside Marceline, thin framed pink glasses on her eyes and a focused look on her face. Marceline moved her own reading glasses off her eyes and looked over at the pink haired teen.
"Focused much?"
The pink haired girl stopped her typing and glanced over at the black haired teen. "I have a paper to finish."
Did it get like 20 degrees colder in here? Marceline thought lightly as she turned back to Finn who was telling a story about how he saved the frogs from the science classes. Bubblegum seemed to be so much colder then before Marceline had gotten into that stupid fight. But then someone else would turn to talk to her and she would warm up almost instantly. Especially when she talked to LSP.
"So is pink your natural hair color Gummy?"
"I told you to stop calling me that!" Bubba stated as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before brushing aside the nickname the Marshall had become too used to using for him. "And no, my natural hair color is blonde, I dyed it around the same time Bonnibel did and it just stayed that way. I continued to dye it."
"I guess that's kinda badass." Marshall stated with a tilt of the head, "Why pink?"
"For breast cancer." Gumball started as Marceline picked her head up at the sound of his voice.
"I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 14. I survived and after I finished treatment I decided to dye my hair pink. Gumball did it with me. I remember he used to get beat up at school because he was the only guy with pink hair. But then when everyone realized what it was for, he became a hero."
"BB was like, totally cool. She didn't loose her hair like other people do when they get cancer and stuff. I told her that if she lost her hair she could totally have some of mine, that is if she didn't mind purple, but who would mind? It's totally a lumpin' hot color."
"LSP talked both of them into dying their hair." Rowtag commented, "She actually dyed it for them."
"That's totally badass!" Marshall stated with awe. Marceline turned back to Bubblegum, who had gone back to her work on the computer. How did she do that? Marceline wondered as she watched the girl type like the conversation was something much lighter then cancer.
"So you're cancer free now?" Marceline asked, voice on the softer side. Bonnibel stopped typing and looked over at the paler girl, a smile formed as she noticed the look of genuine concern on her face.
"Yes, three years cancer free." Marceline smiled at the other girl's words. It was really cool to think about. This egghead, as Marceline dubbed her, surviving something that dangerous. It wasn't every day you met a cancer surviver.
"So what's for dinner?" Marshall asked his twin from his spot on the floor.
"Whatever your making, it's your turn."
"What?"
"I cooked last night, remember?" Marceline raised an eyebrow at her brother, "That and you're the one who invited everyone. Be a good host."
"But Marcy" Marshall whined lightly making the older twin's shoulders slump. "I cooked breakfast and made lunch both days, technically I cooked more meals then you did."
Marceline huffed and stood up from her spot, catching the amused glances of Fionna and Rowtag as the two twins bickered. "Fine, I'll do it. But for future reference your not impressing anyone by not cooking for them."
Marshall glared warning his twin not to say anything about his obvious crush on Fionna. Marceline only shrugged it off and went into the kitchen to start dinner for the full house. It wouldn't take too long, Marceline was thinking that soup would fill the lot of people and she already had most of the ingredients ready.
The tile of the kitchen was cold under her bare feet as she walked into the quiet room, setting a pot on the stove and taking out all the ingredients for her asian chicken soup. It was a nice dish to have on a cool November evening. Surely that would satisfy everyone.
Marceline could hear LSP talking about Brad again, god did this girl's voice carry. Marceline shook her head as she started boiling the broth.
"So what instruments do you play Marshall?"
"All the cool ones, guitar, drums, banjo, saxophone, cello," Marshall listed, "And I sing."
"I didn't think banjo counted as a cool instrument." Rowtag stated as Marshall shot him a look, which the red-head returned.
"I make it cool" Marshall grinned as Rowtag just brushed it off.
"What about you Marceline" Finn called from the other room to the black haired girl in the kitchen.
"I play bass, piano, violin, ukulele, and flute," Marceline called from the kitchen.
"Marcy can sing too. And she can play drums, I taught her in exchange for her teaching me violin." Marshall added knowing his twin was too preoccupied cooking to remember to add it in like he did.
"How did you learn so many instruments?" Serafina asked looking up from her notebook.
"Music just came naturally to us." Marshall shrugged, "Instruments we just picked up and learned. It was easy for us."
"Something smells good." Gumball commented a bit surprised, "I suspect your sister can cook well."
"We kinda had to learn. Marcy's been cooking for as long as I can remember." Marshall stated rubbing the back of his head.
It was true, even when they still lived with their father Marceline was forced to cook. Their mom wasn't there anymore and someone had to cook dinner. She remembers being beaten every time she didn't cook up to her father's standards or when he was all around too drunk to taste the food to begin with. Marshall had started helping her in an attempt to keep her from being beaten, however it never seemed to prevent their father from chasing her down and whipping her with his belt.
Marceline pushed the thought aside as she fished enough bowls for everyone out of the cabinet.
"Want some help Marcy?" Marceline turned at the voice to see Finn standing their with his usual heroic smile on his face. Through the doorway she could see Marshall and Rowtag move the coffee table back into place, creating a space for them to eat in the living room, Bubblegum placed her laptop back in the case and aided the others in cleaning up to prepare for dinner.
"Sure kiddo," Marceline smiled as she filled the bowls with soup and placed them on the counter top.
"I'll take everything to the table before dad gets there." Leroy stated as he walked over to the stove where Marceline was working.
"Huh?"
"I said I'll take everything to the table." Finn repeated with two bowls in his hands as Marceline shook her head.
"Right, OK" Marceline grumbled lightly as Finn smiled and continued his job taking the food to the coffee table for everyone.
END NOTES
Sorry for the late update guys! My computer crashed a year ago so I've been using my mom's. However last weekend I got a new computer and have been getting used to working it. Hopefully that means that I'll update more often!
School is also around the corner so updates may be a little slower because of that.
As always that you for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I really wanted to make sure you guys got an update before school and work and shit happened. Hope it was worth the wait!
-HinoReiFan
