Townsville High

~Sorry for the long wait, but I have a big chapter for you all to read! Thanks those who reviewed, followed, favorited and PM'd. You're all angels :)~

Chapter 45 - The Night Is Young

Last Chapter - Bubbles' emotions went haywire. Love was in the air for Buttercup and Butch, and Maxine and Brody. &Skylar began to wonder where her relationship with Tyler was going, because she seemed to think he was still in love with Bubbles.

Disclaimer - I do not own Powerpuff girls, nor do I own the movies and song mentioned in this story/chapter. All I own is the OC's.

Sorry if something doesn't make sence, didn't have time to go over it. Enjoy. :)


The sunrise peaking through Buttercup's window woke her.

She tossed around in her bed for what seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes. Finally, her eyes rolled open, and she groaned at the sun piercing them. She turned to her side and stared at the pillow beside her. Her first night where she woke up without her snoring idiotic boy of a boyfriend beside her.

A tiny smile tugged at her lips before she glanced at her alarm clock. It was very, very early. Her sisters would not be awake for an hour or so. Buttercup slipped out of bed, the fabric of her green pajamas hugging her. She wandered over to the chest beside her mirror and fetched an outfit.

Pulling out a short-sleeved green shirt and black jeans, she quickly stuck them on before looking herself in the mirror and reaching over to snatch a hairbrush. For a few minutes, she painfully tamed the messy mop of raven black hair that fell carelessly to her shoulders. When it looked presentable, she through the brush away.

The buzzing of her phone was what distracted her.

She wandered over to her bed and searched around the sheets from where she had left her phone the previous night. Once she had retrieved it, she read the text, which was from Butch.

Good morning, crazy girl. Call me later or I'll just call your phone every five minutes to annoy you. Seriously though, get in touch, want to see you later. Butch.

Buttercup let out a small laugh and put her phone back down, deciding to let him sit and stew for an hour.

The irony hit her, how she and Butch were the first ones to wake, well she assumed that Butch was. Usually she and Butch had to be dragged out of bed every morning. It was even more confusing because they didn't have school today. Then again, this was Townsville, surprising things happened almost every hour.

"Better wake the sisters." Buttercup said before leaving her room.


Blossom looked down at her plate and held a prolonged sigh. She began to poke at her bacon with her fork, her head down, avoiding Bubbles' longing glares. This was getting easier for Blossom. Each morning, the urges withheld more and more. She ignored the soft sounds of her stomach groaning in distaste and continued to eat her bacon.

Beside her was Buttercup, who was stuffing her face with her food, like it was the last meal she would ever see. Sometimes Blossom and Bubbles wondered how their sister could eat so much and maintain her slim figure, perhaps it was the boxing.

Bubbles stared at Buttercup, her face scrunched in disgust at Buttercup's table manners. She looked at Blossom and they shared a smile and a head-shake at their sister's dispense. The bright smile remained on Bubbles' face when she watched Blossom eat without ease.

She was proud.

Bubbles was amazed by the progress that Blossom had made in the past week, and she had Brick to thank for that. He had been there for Blossom throughout it all. They had grown closer because of it and now Blossom looked back on her eating disorder as a simple mistake, a desperate act, but the feelings still lingered some-what.

"I need to teach you how to cook for yourselves," Bubbles said in a small voice as she brought her fork to her lips, taking another bite. "I'm getting sick of cooking for you both all the time."

Blossom smiled sympathetically at Bubbles, and Buttercup simply shrugged before greedily digging in to her breakfast.

"Don't worry, we'll learn one of these days." Blossom responded.

Buttercup finally looked up from her plate. "Oh, by the way, Ty texted me last night, he's having a movie night at his place. Are you guys in?"

Ah, movie night. It was a some-what tradition for the group. Every month or so, they would all get together for a night and watch films until they fell asleep. It hadn't happened in a while, so Tyler assumed now was better a time than any.

"Sounds great," Blossom spoke. "We haven't had a movie night in ages."

Bubbles nodded in agreement. The blonde reached for her glass of juice when Blossom found a sudden interest in her sister's hand. Bubbles raised her eyebrow at Blossom, who was staring at one of her fingers with narrow and concerned eyes.

"Bubbles, how did you get that cut on your finger?"

The blonde panicked. "I dropped a plate and cut my finger when I was picking it up. No big deal." She lied straight through her teeth. Bubbles was sly enough to hide her little melt-down from her sisters the night before. She didn't want to worry her sisters by telling them about it.

"Oh, okay." Blossom responded, missing the small sigh of relief from Bubbles' lips.

Bubbles remained quiet for the rest of breakfast as her sisters talked. She was sick of lying. Everything was finally perfect among the group again, she couldn't let anything ruin that. She made a plan. A plan to put her mind at peace and finally grieve. She was going to visit her father. For the first time in years.


Maxine caught her reflection in the mirror in front of her.

She couldn't seem to stop staring. Maxine wasn't usually a vain person that liked to look at themself in the mirror, but every day she caught knew differences. The way her hair was growing longer, and she didn't bother to cut it, and the way her eyes darkened, became more lively.

Although today they were red, puffy, dull. She had a fight with the one person that she cared about most, Tyler, and it was all that she could think about. She cared about Brick, Blossom, Bubbles, Brody..all of them, but mostly she cared about Tyler. Not just because she had to. Because he treated her like family, which was something that meant a lot to her.

A loose string was around her neck, a ring hanging from it carelessly. It was a large ring, not very fancy, just silver with a ruby red diamond. It didn't fit her vintage look. But it meant something to her. Brody had given her this ring on their first anniversary, along with a dress that she kept, although she hardly wore it anymore.

She lifted the ring and caressed the features before letting it fall back down onto her chest, the necklace holding it stung her hot skin with it's coldness. The way her navy blouse covered it, you wouldn't be able to notice it lying against her skin, which was perfect. She didn't want Brody to know that she still wore it, not on her finger anymore, but everstill wore it.

She traveled her gaze to her face, marking out the newly added glow. Her skin was paler, masking a bright undertone.

All she could think about was the fight she had with Tyler, it was taking it's tole. The whole situation was harder on everyone else than herself. The old Maxine would have told everyone to stop fighting, to smile, but now she was the one who was missing that million dollar Slater smile.

Everything was changing because of it, especially the way people saw her..

FLASHBACK;

"You're what now?" Tyler's mouth hung wide open.

The hairs on Maxine's neck rose in nervousness, and she began to twiddle her thumbs. Her eyes didn't reach his. She was eager to avoid the judgemental glares of her brother. Maxine gradually raised her head, reluctantly meeting his gaze. They stared each other down for a few seconds, neither willing to break the stare.

A half-hearted laugh sent shivers down her spine. "Oh, I get it. You're just having a laugh. Funny. Nice one, Max."

Maxine couldn't get her own words out of her head. It had token a lot to tell him, but she had. She had told him about her pregnancy. It didn't just come out like it did with Buttercup and Brody, there was word foreplay. She tried to ease him into it, trying to make him guess before she had to say it. But alas, he wasn't even ready to understand the full meaning.

There was a pregnant silence - Again, no pun intended.

"Tyler," Her voice came out more shaky than anticipated. "I'm not having a laugh. It's true, I really am..I'm pregnant." She watched as the vibrant and natural smile fell from his face and a serious look took over. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner."

More silence.

"Please, say something." She begged, her eyes lit with hope.

Tyler shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "So, you're pregnant? Is it..Brody's?"

Maxine did a double-take of his face, wondering if he had actually just asked that. She was what people would call classy, and not just because of her love for the good 'ole vintage or the fact that she's only had two boyfriends in her whole life, Brett and Brody. She was classy because she was Maxine Slater. She exuded it.

"Yes, of course it's Brody's. He's completely fine with it, by the way. He looks after me." She had to fight the beaming smile from her face. "I'm really starting to get used to being around him again. It's..really, really nice."

The smile that Maxine had failed to banish faltered as soon as she caught a glimpse of the look that crossed Tyler's own features.

"He's fine with it? Max, why are you not taking this seriously. All you seem to care about is the fact that you get to spend time with Brody. This is a baby, sis. You know, a baby! You can't seriously expect Brody to care about it. All he cares about is getting you back."

Maxine was shocked at his words. He hadn't spoken this cruelly to her since they were mortal school enemies. She wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such words any more. Tyler didn't let down, his face remained as angry as it was.

"That's not true, you're just mad that he didn't tell you." Maxine argued.

"No, I'm mad that Brody freaking McKane is filling your head with the allusion that everything's all daisies and rainbows, love! This is serious and obviously he's just happy about the fact that you're acting like a school girl with a crush because you're friends again!"

"Why are you saying these things?" Maxine gasped. "Brody is one of your best friends! How could you think that? We both know that Brody still loves me, he wouldn't use this as an excuse to get me back. That's not who he is."

Tyler rose to his feet and shook his head with a bitter look on his face. She looked up at him, watching as he cradled his head in his hands, making faces like she was a typical idiot. Tyler let out a bitter laugh before throwing his arms in the air in frustration.

"Alright, Max. Then tell me that you're not loving this? Having Brody at your beckon call? Having him in your life again. Tell me that you don't think of this as a great reason for you two to get back? Come on, Max."

Maxine looked down, taking a sudden interest in her shoes. "Yes, okay? Yes."

"Exactly," Tyler spat. "If you don't remember, he broke up with you. He ignored you and flirted with other girls in school, and you saw that. He can't just suddenly decide that he's in love with you again. It just can't work. You two can't work, hell even I saw that back when we hated each other!"

"Look, I get that you're mad, but don't be mad at Brody. This isn't his fault!" Maxine cried.

"No, it's beyond that. I'm not mad, I'm fucking furious! He's supposed to be the responsible one of the group, the oldest, the one that watches out for people, so where the hell did all that get him? Enjoy playing happy families with McKane, because it won't last and we both know it." Tyler spat before running off.

Maxine watched Tyler run up the stairs of his house in a fit of rage. She sighed deeply and pondered over everything that Tyler had said. Maybe he was right. He's the one that's supposed to be looking over her, and he does it without question, Brody might feel like he has to do this. Maxine didn't know what to think anymore.

"Fuck." Maxine cursed, throwing her head in her hands.

Maxine bit her lip uncontrollably.

His words were so mean. That was not the Tyler she loved. Although, she hated to admit that he had some-what of a point. They weren't taking this seriously. They weren't acting adult about this. Maxine wanted this, she wanted to have a reason to be around Brody again, and she couldn't help but hate herself for that.

She wanted him back.

He was always hers, he was always the guy that she loved, ever since they were younger. She liked being young and stupid with him. But that couldn't happen any more. They took one step, moving in, and it tore them apart. They just weren't ready for the responsibilities or the grown up relationship, how could they possibly handle this?

"Why can't we just move on?" Maxine asked herself.

With one last movement, she kissed the ring around her neck before walking away from the mirror.


Bubbles raised her wrist, checking her watch.

She had to be at Tyler's in an hour, that gave her plenty of time to do what she had to do. Her eyes stared ahead of her as she walked and walked. She needed some time with him, even if it was just simply sitting at his grave. She had so much to tell him.

Sometimes she just regretted that she didn't have the chance to say some of the things she wanted to tell him. That's the worst part of death, right? How you realise that every moment is special, every second and every word you share with someone is important. Because in the harshness of reality, those seconds can be ripped away before your eyes.

Bubbles slowly trecked through the thick grass and dirt of the ground, making her way to the one place she had avoided for years. She held a beautiful bouquet of blue tulips in her hands, and her baby blue bag was slung over her shoulder, matching with the sundress she was wearing. The white flat shoes she wore did nothing to adjust her height and were slowly changing colour as she walked along the dirt.

When she finally made it to her father's grave stone, she felt nothing. She went complexly numb. Bubbles didn't even care for the coldness and harsh tug of wind around her, she could barely even notice it. Her knees reached the ground as she bent down in front of John's grave.

It was a classic stone, marble and grey. It was pretty small considering back then they couldn't afford a big flashy one. But they knew that John would have wanted something easy. Bubbles shakily moved her hand towards the stone, tracing her fingers along the black indented writing.

And it wrote,

Professor John Utonium,

Beloved brother, friend and father.

Gone, but never forgotten.

Bubbles smiled as she read the last few words. The truth lay there. No one could ever forget her father. He was a brilliant and kind man, and he also brought three amazing girls into this world. That would never be forgotten.

She took in a sharp intake of air before she began to speak.

Hey, dad. It's me." She began, almost laughing in bitterness at her own words. It was like he was here with her, and she was just talking normally. She bit her lower lip painfully before continuing.

"So, I guess it's been..three years? Sorry I haven't came here in so long, I've just had a lot going on." She looked down. "Saying I miss you is such an understatment, because there isn't words to describe how much I miss you. I miss those silly movies you made me watch, I miss when you would take a day off work just to take me to the park, and I miss..oh, I miss all of it!"

Bubbles closed her eyes tightly, trying to imagine he was here with her. She thought about what Boomer said the other day, that people never really die, they're still there, we just can't see them. That brought the smile to her face. She didn't know if she could do this without Boomer and his magical words.

"I just wanted to talk to you. Um..remember when I told you about my counterpart? Yeah, well we're dating now. He's very sweet, I know you would approve," Bubbles grinned. "Oh, and I'm also in a dancing class! My teacher says I'm a natural. I still draw on the side sometimes. So, yeah, things are great."

There was a deafening silence after Bubbles spoke, not because there was no one else there, but because she didn't have the words to say next. She felt untruth in her own words. Everything was great, but she still missed her father dearly.

Bubbles looked down at the flowers in her hands. She remembered one time John got her flowers just like these, and she liked them so much that it became a ritual of sorts. She got those same flowers every week when John came home from work. The memory made Bubbles smile sadly.

"Blossom and Buttercup are doing great too. Buttercup has a boyfriend, I know, shocking, right?" She laughed. "Butch is so nice to her, he helped her show the side of herself that no one else ever has. You would diffidently approve, and Brick? He's great too. He really loves Blossom like no one ever has. He's like a brother to me and Buttercup. They're my family now, and even though no one can ever take your place, just know that I've moved on from the grief. Everything worked out in the end."

With that said, Bubbles placed the beautiful flowers down at the front of John's grave. She put two fingers to her lips and kissed them before touching the grave. A tiny but happy smile graced her lips.

"I love you, dad, and we'll meet again one day," A single tear slid down her cheek. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She reached into her baby blue bag and pulled out a pair of pink ballet shoes, the same shoes that John had given her before he died, the ones she cherished dearly. She lay the shoes beside the flowers before rising to her feet.

Bubbles took one final glance before turning on her heel and walking away, a very serene smile on her face and that missing sparkle in her bright blue eyes.

"Goodbye, dad."


The pink dress hugged Blossom's body.

As she looked down at the dress, she found a resemblance to the dresses that Bubbles wore all the time. It was made for summer. Spaghetti straps held it together while a frilly skirt made it's way to her knees. Usually Blossom didn't wear such things, but Bubbles bought it for her, to prove that she looked good even now that the purging had stopped. And she was right.

She caressed the stomach behind the dress, feeling what she had been so set to destroy. Her fingers traced the fabric, itching to find impurities in any form. Whatever she had seen before, it was fading away, it was unimportant. She placed her palm fully over her stomach. Nothing seemed to be out of place today. That was a very good sign.

"Blossom." Brick's voice entered the room.

She turned to face him, and a beautiful smile crossed her lips. "Hi."

They started to walk towards each other, stopping just as they stood one foot apart. Brick took a good glance at her. He looked at the messy dark-red hair that cascaded over her shoulders, for once not strung together in a classy bun. He then noticed the shiny red lip gloss she wore, that seemed to work well with the long-sleeved pink dress she was wearing.

The look in his eyes was something that Blossom recognised, it was the look he gave when he truly admired something.

"You look..amazing." He said softly, although the tone of surprise was missing in his voice. He wasn't shocked. To him, Blossom always looked the part.

For once, Blossom didn't feel like he was just saying it. That look of adoration in his eyes made her realise how true his words were, how he really thought she was the most beautiful girl to be in his presence.

Blossom's lips stretched into a grin.

"Thank-you," She drawled. "I must say, you look dashing today too."

She brought her hand forward and tugged at the blood red shirt he was wearing, her eyes gleamed with approval. His legs were dressed in black jeans, and his shirt was had long sleeves, still able to show of his amazingly muscular figure. He wore his snap-back hat that Blossom had given him.

Handsome was an understatement.

"Ready to go?" Brick asked, referring to Tyler's home.

"Five more minutes." She said with a smile before reaching forward, pulling him in for a kiss.

Brick chuckled before delivering. Their lips met instantly. Brick could feel her lip gloss tainting his lips but he could care less. His arms enveloped her in a warm embrace, itching to pull her closer than she already was. When Blossom broke the kiss, she noticed his lips red with gloss and laughed uncontrollably.

She brought her thumb to his lips and wiped away the excess lip gloss before grinning at him.

"I love you."

Brick grinned boyishly before leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "I love you too."

He extended his bent arm towards her like a true gentlemen, causing her to laugh before she linked her arm with his. Brick led Blossom out of the room as they made their way downstairs.


Being the last ones to arrive, Buttercup and Butch walked into Tyler's home.

It wasn't a very lavish home like Skylar's, but it wasn't exactly mediocre either. The walls were covered in blue wallpaper and the carpet in the living room was homely and soft. There was a picket fence and nice burgundy furniture filling each room, giving it some class and equality.

His home now was nothing like the home he shared with his mother when she was alive. Elizabeth's home was dingey and dust covered. He acquired this home thanks to some back-up emergency money left by his grandparents, his aunt and Elizabeth after she died. It wasn't as much as he would hope, but it was enough to get him a house when he moved out of his uncles.

Butch and Buttercup strolled inside the living room to find everyone there.

Tyler was sitting on the floor, laughing at something that Bubbles had said. The blonde duo were beside him, while Maxine was on the couch beside Skylar. Sitting on the other couch was Blossom and Brick, wrapped in each other's embrace. Finally, sitting in front of the couch was Brody.

As soon as everyone took notice of Butch and Buttercup, smiles and greetings broke out.

"Finally, you guys made it. What took so long?" Tyler asked them.

Buttercup ignored his question and tugged at Butch's arm, dragging him to sit beside Brody. She didn't want to mention that they had been outside for a while, but got so wrapped up in kissing that they took so long to come in.

See, Buttercup wasn't exactly a big fan of public displays of affection. So whatever kissing they done had to be done away from..well, anyone. Butch didn't mind. It just meant that all the time they had alone was more craved and special.

"What movie are we watching?" Boomer asked.

Instantly, Butch looked over at Buttercup with wide and excited eyes. "We should totally watch The Hunger Games."

"We've watched that six times in two days." Buttercup would usually get annoyed at his obsession for that movie, but ever since they got together properly, she had seemed to loosen up to him. She felt stings of guilt when she smacked or argued with him. She cared about him, therefore, the arguments seemed to die down.

"So? It's awesome."

Tyler laughed at the pair. "That is an awesome movie, but I've watched it too many times too. I've got Fast and Furious?"

"Cars." Was all that Bubbles needed to say.

When Bubbles and Tyler dated, they had many arguments about what they had in common. One of them was that Tyler was obsessed with cars, and Bubbles hated cars. She didn't like how they got dirty, or how they went too fast. All in all, she hated cars.

"Um..Skyfall?"

Blossom shook her head from beside Brick. "We watched that on the last movie night."

Everyone pondered their choices for a moment. Tyler had a lot of movies, but some of them had been watched too often, were too scary or were just plain bad. Brick made a mental note to bring the movies for the next movie night. Eventually, the deafening silence was broken by Tyler.

"I've got it," Tyler said, throwing his arms in the air, imagining a lightbulb over his own head. "Die Hard."

All of the girls in the room looked at him with narrow eyes, excluding Buttercup, whom along with the boys seemed delighted by the idea. Tyler took one look at the girls before realising that Die Hard was probably not going to happen. He thought for a few seconds.

"Harry Potter?"

"We have a winner." Maxine drawled before skimming through the DVD rack beside the couch and hunting for a Harry Potter movie. She picked out the last two movies and closed the rack before turning back around. Maxine leaned over, passing the DVD's to her brother.

Tyler wandered over to the large television before them and opened the DVD player before putting the first movie in. Afterwards the light went off, the popcorn was popped and everyone settled comfortably. Blossom loved movie night at Tyler's house the most, because his house was homely. It made them feel like a big family.

As the trailers before the film started began to play, everyone chatted. Maxine was talking with Skylar, she was also trying to stop herself from meeting Brody's staring eyes.

Blossom was sitting in Brick's arms, a small black blanket heating them up. She was wrapped in his arms. Blossom lay her head down on his chest and met his hand, lacing her fingers between his own, longing for the closeness.

Boomer and Bubbles were talking and laughing with Tyler, causing Skylar to glare at them occasionally. No one had any idea what they were laughing so hardly about because they were whispering like school girls. It was surprising how they could just sit and laugh with each other ever since everything that had went on between them.

Butch had his arm wrapped around Buttercup's back, which went unnoticed by everyone. Considering her hate for personal displays of affection, Buttercup chatted with him like they were friends, no kissing or unnecessary touching.

Brody caught himself staring again.

She was sat there, on the couch, looking magnificent. He wondered why he was always so amazed by Maxine. Today she looked particularly beautiful. He watched as she laughed along with Sky, her dimples beaming. The way her navy blouse clung to her body and the white vintage blazer she wore was hanging from her shoulders.

Her high-wasted dark blue shorts highlighted her gorgeous long legs, and the white heels she wore made them look even longer. She was so stunning. Brody found himself unable to look away.

Once she caught him staring, Brody refused to look away.

They stared each other down for what seemed like years until finally Skylar interrupted Maxine, causing her to turn her attention to the blue-haired girl. Brody frowned but looked away as well.


An hour later, they were still in the middle of watching the first Harry Potter movie that they had put in. Everyone was mingling as well as watching the film. Considering how long it had been since they were all together, everyone was enjoying getting to have a laugh with the whole gang.

Maxine had gotten up from her seat at some point and made her way over to Buttercup, anxious to talk to her good friend. They were sitting a bit away from the rest of the group, still in view but not in ear-shot. Maxine was biting her lower lip and twiddling her thumbs, showing Buttercup that she was anxious.

"Something you wantin' to tell me?" Buttercup asked in her some-what masculine vocals.

The brunette seemed flustered. "Well, yeah, I wanted to talk about Brody."

A chuckle escaped Buttercup's lips. "He's had his eyes on you all night."

"I know," Maxine nodded. "Look, this won't be much of a shock, but I really want to get back together with Brody."

Buttercup couldn't fight back the grin that tugged at her lips. She had been waiting ages for those two 'crazy kids' to get back together, as she and Butch put it. Buttercup noticed the longing in Maxine's eyes and raised her eyebrow.

"That's awesome, so why haven't you asked him yet? You know Brody would take you back in a heart-beat."

Maxine began to twiddle her thumbs again, making Buttercup feel uneasy.

The brunette sighed.

"If me and Brody were to get back together, I would have to fully honest with him. Look, I didn't tell anyone this, but the night after we broke up, I was so upset that I ended up kissing some random guy. I felt guilty so I didn't tell anyone. I practically moved on a day after we broke up. He wouldn't be too happy about that if he knew."

Buttercup was shocked if anything. She gaped at Maxine like a fish. "Seriously? I can't believe I'm saying this, Max, but maybe you just shouldn't tell him. I mean, it was a random guy, right? So there's no damage done. Just don't tell him, it doesn't matter."

Maxine reluctantly nodded, but something in her eyes was showing unease. "Yeah. I think I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"Why not right now?"

"I'm avoiding all things Brody right now. I told Tyler about the baby, and right now, he's not Brody's biggest fan. So I just need to stay away from him for a day until Ty can calm down." Maxine explained, eyeing Tyler to make sure he wasn't near her ex boyfriend.

Buttercup chuckled and nodded, also glancing Tyler's way. She had wondered why Tyler was being so hostile to her favorite brunette boy. Buttercup was glad however. She knew how hard it was to tell Brody, Brick and Tyler and now she had told all three.

"It'll be okay," Buttercup said comfortingly. "When it comes to couples in this group, things always work out for the better."

If only Buttercup had noticed the glares that Skylar was giving to Tyler before she had said that..


Bubbles' and Tyler's laughter filled the room.

Sky watched them with serene eyes, they weren't narrow or anticipating, they were just calm and fixed. Her face was frozen. Bubbles laughed hysterically along with Tyler. It was all Sky could hear. No one knew why they were laughing, but they were practically falling in each other's arms from laughter.

Boomer wasn't glaring like Skylar, because he trusted them, but the blue-haired girl couldn't seem to control herself. Them laughing was all that filled her ears. The jealousy was building up inside of her like fire.

She wasn't aware of how to process the jealousy without literally knocking her friend down with a car, so she went for her instincts.

"I need a drink." The blue-haired girl muttered before moving past them quickly and heading for the kitchen.

Everyone was sure that Skylar would just kick off. It was who she was; outspoken. But as Buttercup and Butch looked at her, all they could see was her staring. She wasn't scowling, ready to kick off, she was speechless. Buttercup had never seen her like that before, and she had known this girl for years.

"This isn't right, she's not doing anything." Buttercup whispered to Butch as they watched her run off into the kitchen.

Butch looked at Buttercup and saw the confusion burning in her eyes. "I know. She's speechless."

Sky ran over to the cupboards and opened the first one. She grabbed the first sign of alcohol she could see and brought the glass bottle to her lips. The fiery liquid burnt her throat, but she couldn't feel it. Sky closed her eyes tightly, fighting back frustrated tears. This wasn't her, she didn't just sit back when she was jealous, she did something about it..so why wasn't she doing anything?

Footsteps were heard behind her. Sky didn't turn around, she could see him in the reflection of the window. It wasn't who she thought it would be, because she could still hear Tyler's laughing in the other room. She spun around and glared Butch down.

"What's wrong with you?" Butch asked before leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, eyeing her cautiously. Sky narrowed her eyes at him. They had never really spoken before, so this was new for them. Sky wondered if he really cared or was just intrigued.

Sky put the bottle down and rolled her eyes. "Nothing is wrong, Butch."

Butch raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"

Silence filled the air.

"Okay, whatever, but I know you're not okay. It's about Tyler and Bubbles right? Listen, before you showed up there was this whole best friend rivalry for Bubbles, and guess who came out on top? Boomer. She loves him, she won't go for Tyler again. You have nothing to worry about."

Skylar stared at him in disbelief, her eyes tightening around the bottle in her hand.

"Who are you? Cupid?" She joked, although her face genuinely looked serious. Butch chuckled at Skylar before rolling his eyes. She reminded him of Buttercup sometimes. Mainly because she called him an idiot as much as she could.

"Just trust me, kid. There's nothing to worry about."

Skylar bit her lip. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks." She moved past him to the door but stopped before walking out and turned to him, her eyes dangerous. "Oh, and if you call me kid again, I'll beat you to death with this bottle." She threatened before leaving.

Butch chuckled. He called her kid occasionally, because she was the youngest of the group, although only a month younger than Maxine.

When the pair walked back into the living room, they were greeted with Bubbles and Tyler, who were rolling around on the floor. They were 'toy fighting' by the looks of it. Boomer was laughing on the floor, yelling for Bubbles to win. Most eyes turned to Skylar, expecting her to kick off, but alas, she simply walked past them and back to her seat on the couch.

She brought her bottle to her mouth and stared into space, trying to drown out the laugher of her boyfriend and good friend.


When the night was finally over, everyone was on their way home.

Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, rather than going home, decided to go over to their boyfriend's house. Usually it was the other way around, so the girls decided to spend a night over at the guy's house.

Buttercup was wondering if she would make it out alive. Back when her and Butch were best friend's, she barely made it out alive. His bedroom was like a portal to some sort of hell-dimension were if you took one wrong step, you would be attacked by month old plates and dirty clothes. She shuddered at the memory.

Twenty minutes into getting home, Blossom and Brick had already collapsed and were out like a light. The remaining four exchanged goodnight's before heading to Boomer and Butch's rooms.

Bubbles was admiring Boomer's room, which he had decorated since the last time she had been there. Although a smile was on her face as she looked around, Boomer had been able to tell that something was wrong. She had been having a laugh with him and Tyler, but her heart wasn't in it. Her mind was occupied.

"Are you okay? You've been a bit..well, sad, since we got here." Boomer said with concern in his soft voice.

Bubbles chewed her bottom lip and walked over to him. "I went to my dad's grave today. It was just a little overwhelming."

"You should have told me," Boomer frowned and wrapped his arms around her. "I would have came with you."

"No, it's fine. I wanted to be alone anyway. I just needed some closure. I want to dance but it's becoming a chore."

Boomer raised his brow. "A chore?"

"It's just hard to dance, you know? It started of great, but now it's just like dancing is a memory, and if I dance in front of someone else, I'm sharing that memory. I just want it to be easier." Bubbles looked down at her feet, a small pout on her lips. Boomer put his hand under her chin, raising it to look at him.

"And it will be," He smiled at her. "I'll make you a deal. I sing, you dance."

Bubbles was preparing to laugh at his joke, but the some-what serious expression and smile on his face proved that this wasn't a joke. Her eyebrow raised as she gaped at him in shock.

"You can sing?" She asked in surprise.

Boomer shrugged. His lips tugging a boyish grin. "I'm alright. Come on."

He walked over to the cupboard beside his bed, and opened one of the double doors. Seconds later - after rummaging around - he pulled out a guitar. It looked to be old, like the strings had not been drummed in some time. Bubbles watched as he made his way over to her. The blue eyes she sported held curiosity.

The blonde boy sat down on the edge of his bed.

He held his guitar in his hands and slowly began to play it, perfectly. Bubbles smiled at him as he looked down at the brown instrument, the music flowed throughout the room. Then his lips parted, and he began to sing beautifully. He sang Collide by Howie Day.

Bubbles bit her lip, these lyrics, they meant a lot to her.

The dawn is breaking,
A light shining through.
You're barely waking,
And I'm tangled up in you, yeah.

I'm open, you're closed.
Where I follow, you'll go.
I worry I won't see your face,
Light up again.

Bubbles started to dance, slowly, getting used to this. His voice was soothing, beautifully hitting each note. It wasn't something he seemed to have practice with, but he wasn't a half bad singer. Bubbles started to realise that she and Boomer had much more in common that they knew.

Her knees went weak.

It didn't seem to affect her dancing though. Bubbles moved very carefully. She wasn't fast and trying to make it perfect, she was just dancing for the fun of it, like John always encouraged her to do. Although Bubbles was having a hard time concentrating, because his voice was just so sweet and sultry, it was putting her off. She just wanted to listen.

Even the best fall down sometimes.
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme.
Out of the doubt that fills my mind,
I somehow find you and I collide.

I'm quiet you know.
You make a first impression.
I've found I'm scared to know,
I'm always on your mind.

His voice sent shivers running up and down her spine.

Never did Bubbles think that Boomer could sing like that. There was so much emotion there. She felt like they were the last two people left in the world. He sang every lyric with passion, and his eyes didn't leave her for even a second. When their eyes met, the sparks were preparing to blow the room apart.

She danced and twirled, and spun, and leaped, and smiled. Memories faded and new ones began. She wondered if John was watching, approving, maybe even laughing at how shocked she was. Suddenly she came to a halt, and just watched him.

Even the best fall down sometimes.
Even the stars refuse to shine.
Out of the back you fall in time,
I somehow find you and I collide

Don't stop here.
I lost my place.
I'm close behind.

Even the best fall down sometimes.
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme.
Out of the doubt that fills your mind,
You finally find you and I collide.

You finally find you and I collide.
You finally find you and I collide.

When he stopped, their eyes met once again.

Bubbles didn't waste any time. She ran over and discarded the guitar from his hands, placing it down beside them on the bed. She sat beside him and laced her hand with his, smiling like a kid in a candy store. He always knew how to make her feel better.

She moved so that she was sitting in front of him, practically on him. She missed the closeness.

Her hands played with his hair whilst his hands rested on her upper arms. Bubbles looked down at him, her eyes gleaming and a contagious smile tugging at her pink lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck loosely.

"I love you so much." Bubbles said urgently.

Boomer cracked a natural and easy grin. "I love you more."

"Not possible."

Their lips collided. - Yes, pun intended.


It was getting late, the sky had gone fully black.

Butch lay in his green clad bed. His eyes were gazing up at the ceiling. A small serene smile was tugging at his lips. A perfect end to a perfect day. Buttercup walked inside his room, fully dressed in her green and black starry pajama clothes. She sat down beside Butch on the bed and looked down at the lying form.

"You know, if we stay at each other's house all the time, that sort of sounds like living together to me." Buttercup said, hiding a taunting smirk.

Butch grinned from ear-to-ear, his eyes still stuck on the slightly cracked ceiling above them.

"What would be so bad about that?" Butch asked innocently.

"Everything," Buttercup said with a small laugh. She lay down beside him and propped her head on her hand, holding herself up with her elbow. "You annoy me on a daily basis. Living with you would most likely drive me insane."

"You're already insane, crazy girl." He turned his head to look at her. "I guess it's good that I have a thing for crazy girls."

Buttercup raised her eyebrow. "Girls?"

"Just one." He recovered, bracing for attack. Buttercup rolled her eyes with a one-sided smile on her lips.

Butch loved it.

He could make her jealous with just one sentence. He wondered how he had managed to 'tame the wild beast' as he liked to call it. Buttercup Utonium. He had no idea how they had made it so far without killing each other. But that's love, right? Putting up with each other no matter what.

"So, what now?" Buttercup asked quietly.

Butch's eyebrow rose in confusion. "Huh?"

"What now?" Buttercup repeated. "We go to school, hand-in-hand, acting all loved up like our siblings? Seems a bit..cliche, doesn't it?"

Their eyes locked, and Buttercup's head tilted, waiting for an answer. Butch stayed silent for a few seconds. He was studying the look on her face, the seriousness of it all. All Butch wanted was to be around her all the time, he actually started to crave her, even their little pointless arguments and fights.

Swallowing his pride, he set a smirk on his handsome face.

"It really isn't our style."

"Exactly," She grinned. "So just try to avoid the public displays of affection."

"I can't promise anything," Butch muttered before throwing his arms over her, dragging her into him. Buttercup's lips landed on his in a heated kiss that left them both reeling for more.

The intimacy was something that had scared Buttercup, she didn't want to feel anything that could damage her some day down the road, but she found herself craving it too. She needed him like air. She needed this.

Buttercup deepened the kiss, her hands making their way to his neck. His hands met her arms. The kiss struck like fireworks, leaving both of them wanting to be like this forever. Buttercup relaxed as his hands roamed her arms, and for some reason, she felt tingly at the feeling, and the parts of her arms that were missed out craved for his touch. It was pure passion.

They tore apart, allowing themselves to breathe.

"What you thinkin' about?" Butch asked her playfully.

Him.

When she was with him, she felt like she was dreaming a beautiful nightmare. But she soon realised that she wasn't dreaming. She was alive. Butch was everything she grew up to hate, everything that she wanted to despise with every single bone in her body, but he made her feel like she was alive, that she had a reason to be alive.

She was staring right into his eyes, but he could tell her mind was in a whole other room. She slid down from on top of his warm body and lay on her side, itching herself closer to him. Her hand sat on his chest, playing with his shirt.

"This," She said in a small voice. "I've never felt like this before."

Butch looked at her curiously. "Like what?"

Buttercup's lips were curved into a tiny smile as she tore away from his eyes.

"..Happy," She lay her head on his chest, avoiding his eyes that were itching to meet hers. She sighed and darted her eyes around in the dark room. "This was always just meant to be a distraction for me..but I never thought it would be so.."

There was a moments silence, before Butch's hand softly grazed her hair.

"So?"

Buttercup closed her eyes. "Perfect."

Butch smiled and brought his lips down, kissing just above her forehead. His eyes shut and his head slumped down onto hers. Their breathing slowed as they drifted to sleep. Butch felt Buttercup's hand grab his shirt, as if to see if he was still awake enough for what she was about to speak, and he responded by placing his hand over hers.

"Butch.." She slowly opened her eyes. "I really freaking love you too."

His fingers laced between hers, and Buttercup smiled expectantly, her eyes darting to the side.

"I knew it." His voice sounded weak and sleepy.

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Don't ruin it, idiot."

"Sorry..." He smirked. "I love you."

"Love you too..idiot."

With that said, Buttercup allowed herself to fall deep into sleep.


Well, she said it! Was it in character? I was nervous that I would make her out of character there. Hope not. Anyway, hope you liked it and I'm really sorry for the wait, but hopefully the length is enough to make up for it! Haha.

Important AN; Okay, so as I've said there is many mixed feelings about Mitch being in the story. Personally, I would love to write Mitch and see where I can go with his character but I won't put him in if you're all not alright with it. So I'm holding a vote, review or PM your answer.

Yes or No, it's all up to you guys! Think wisely.

Please review, it only takes a few seconds:)!

Allie Peirce