Townsville High
~Back with another chapter. Thanks for all who are still reading :)~
Chapter 47 - I Dream You're Still Here
Last Chapter - Butch and Buttercup grew closer. Tyler and Brody had a falling out. Blossom shared a moment with Skylar, which turned out to be a good-bye in disguise as she left Townsville an hour later. And Bubbles worried for Boomer when noticing that his stitches from the crash hadn't healed fully yet and looked worse than ever before.
AN;
So, I just wanted to thank everyone for sticking by this story, for waiting patiently when it took me a while to post chapters, and being so kind and helpful throughout. I'm not sure how many more chapters this story will have because I still have so many new ideas to put forth and to me it feels like the really good stuff is just starting. So we'll see what happens.
A special thank-you to - Jeannette, tomboygreengurl, River WolfGirl, Cornelia'Red, Kimberly Klare, Samkitty14, fireswag121, cococandy21, Amaya-Touketsu, PPGXRRB 4EVA, and RoseQuartz1.
Guys up there ^ You've all been angels. Whenever I was feeling rough about the story, thinking that I could have done better, you're reviews, tips, advice, it all made my doubts fade, and you all manage to put the smile on my face. Thanks guys :)
BcXbu - Hi. I put up everything for the Puff's and Ruff's on my profile. Go check it out. Secondly, Buttercup is acting like that because she's Buttercup. Too many writers make her all sappy but I try hard to keep in character. And actually, she did say 'I love you' first two chapters ago. Mitch will be like a big brother to them all, I don't have any ideas for romance, and if I did, it wouldn't be with any of the Puffs. I'm not bringing Robin in because the main reason I writ Sky out was because I already have too many characters to write, plus I had nothing left for Sky's character. She might come back, but it wouldn't be for a while. Finally, I writ like seven words about the guy, I didn't realise that was a lot haha? Thanks for reading :)
Now, on with the story..
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo
Previously..
"Tyler, she's gone."
"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Tyler asked nervously, his eyes growing with worry. Blossom swallowed the lump in her throat and bit her bottom lip so hard that she could taste coppery blood filling her mouth. She let out a deep breath and looked back up at Tyler with weary eyes.
"I went in to check on her, she was acting weird earlier and she told me that she would see me later, so I came over. It's empty, Tyler. It's all gone. Skylar..she's gone."
Silence.
"No..she can't be gone. This is a mistake."
Blossom shook her head sadly. "This is no mistake. Skylar is gone..she's left Townsville."
Tyler's eyes widened in shock.
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo
One Week Later..
Blossom began to lose track of how long she had been staring at her phone.
Her futile attempts to get in touch with Tyler was taking its toll. She couldn't get his face out of her head. The way his lip quivered and his eyes dulled when she delivered the news. It was like punching someone in the stomach. Blossom was never close to Tyler, and she never had trouble giving someone bad news, but something about the way he carried himself away without saying another word struck something in her.
She couldn't quite get over it. A whole week, and the aftermath was still lingering around. Blossom felt sick to her stomach at the thought of Tyler. She had gotten her good-bye from Skylar, albeit she wasn't aware it was a good-bye, but Tyler? All he got was abandoned. He was sent no clarity, and Blossom couldn't accept that.
As she looked down at her phone, her finger reluctantly clicked the 'send' button. Six texts? Maybe more? She had lost count. They all said the same thing any way. She begged. Just for a little sliver of her own clarity, to know that he was alright. If he was anything like Skylar, he would end up drinking his sorrow away.
Her eyes were finally dragged away from her mobile when she heard Bubbles' angelic and steady voice fill her ears. She looked up to look at her sister, who was perched on the couch, her legs crossed and her overly expensive magazine in hand.
"Excuse me?" Blossom mumbled, unsure of what Bubbles had said.
A ghostly smile traced across her lips. "I just asked who you were texting."
Although her friendly tone struck intrigument, it also screamed suspicion. Bubbles was no fool. She could tell that she was either trying to text Skylar, which was always just a fruitless attempt, or Tyler, who had fallen of the face of the earth.
"No one."
Bubbles' glare lingered for a moment before she looked back down to continue her reading. Blossom thanked the heavens for the silence once more. She placed her phone on the right arm of the soft red velvet armchair she was sat on. Her eyes scanned over to the only source of heat around, the roaring fire.
Her eyes glued to the fire-place. Watching as the fire sparked and burnt. The flames glistened in the dull ache of darkness that surrounded the living room.
A rush of warmth over-took her body as she thought of it. It was refreshing, considering it was a strangely cold day. Even now, she was wrapped up in a cozy red blanket, and still couldn't get enough of the heat radiating from the fire-place.
No matter how hard she tried, she worried for her friend.
Tyler wasn't the type of guy to just ignore everyone. He hadn't answered anyone's calls, not even Maxine. It scared her. He looked so upset the last time she saw him. Luckily, she knew he hadn't run off, she knew that he was in his house. Many of them had went round and tried to get him to come to the door, but he never did, and the door was always bolted shut. Blossom had peered through the window and saw him asleep on his couch, so that was a relief indeed.
She had to let him grieve for now. It wasn't going to be easy for him, but if he wanted to be alone, Blossom had to respect that.
Just then, Blossom heard Bubbles speak again.
"No one has told me," Bubbles started, her fingers tightly gripping the magazine in her hand. She finally looked up from it to glance at her sister. Her gaze held for only moments until she looked back down to observe the beautiful people that the magazine enclosed. "Why she left. No one's talking about it. You're her best friend. You should know. Why did she leave?"
Although her voice was laced with boredom, Blossom felt it forced. If she listened to the undertone, she could tell that Bubbles was genuinely worried. She was frustrated by her lack of knowledge. Blossom could read Bubbles like an open book these days.
"Huh?"
Bubbles glanced back up at Blossom before looking towards the window. The rain was rushing down the sides of the window, leaving droplets to fall. It felt calming. Bubbles turned away quickly. She met Blossom's eyes once more, her mind stuck on the rain outside, annoyed that it was all she could hear.
"Why did Sky leave Townsville, Blossom." She wasn't asking any more.
Blossom cleared her throat and broke the intense staring match. She looked down at the glass of cranberry juice in her hands and a wash of sadness struck. Sky's favorite drink was always cranberry juice, with whiskey mixed in of course. Blossom once thought that Sky could make it big as a bartender. She had a knack for mixing two very different things together and making it better than the real deal.
"Her mother wanted to move again." Blossom responded bluntly, but Bubbles did not seem assured.
She watched as Bubbles slammed her magazine on the oak living room table in frustration. Her blonde hair trashed wildly at the sudden movement.
"Don't give me that. If it was that simple, then Tyler wouldn't be..just the way he is now. You wouldn't be acting the way you are since she left. Just give me the truth, that's what we're all about, we don't keep things from each other. Please, just tell me why she left us." Bubbles pleaded, her eyes alight and begging.
There was a pregnant silence.
"Because of you."
Bubbles looked down at the ground, her eyes unreadable. Blossom had expected even a little flicker of surprise to show, but she did not seem surprised or shocked in the slightest. In fact, she looked like she had been told something she already knew all too well.
"Yeah," Bubbles muttered in a small voice. "I get that. She never did trust me around him, did she?"
"She did trust you around him, Bubbles. She just..she didn't trust him around you."
"What do you mean?" Bubbles asked slowly. A long silence filled the air. Blossom sucked in a breath and gathered the words in her mind. She saw no reason in being subtle any more. If Bubbles wanted the truth, that's what she was going to get.
"Tyler," Blossom paused to take a long breath. "He's still in love with you."
Bubbles almost gaped.
"No.." Bubbles said in a hushed voice. "No, he's not. Okay? He's not."
"He didn't exactly say that he wasn't when Skylar came out with it and asked him." Blossom spoke, her tone gentler than before.
Blossom studied her sister. Searching for anything. Bubbles was always an open book, she wore her heart on her sleeve and her emotions always played in her eyes, but this time, there was nothing. No vulnerability, pain, emotion. Nothing. It was like Bubbles had been replaced by a ghost.
"Whatever you think," Bubbles drawled. "Is wrong. Tyler is over me, he has been for a while now. And plus, if he was in love with me and not Sky then why has he literally barricaded himself in his house? Hmm?"
"Are you saying you can't love two people at once?"
Blossom met Bubbles' hard stare with as much determination as she herself exuded. Neither was backing down until the other admitted they were wrong. Bubbles' bright blue eyes softened at Blossom's question. She had a very good point that also hit home, considering Bubbles had near enough been in love with Tyler the same time she realised her love for Boomer.
"Is Buttercup up yet?" Bubbles asked, desperate to change the conversation.
"No," Blossom's head shook. "She was up late last night watching movies with Butch. I'm guessing they'll sleep in till noon."
"Okay."
Bubbles response was some-what blunt. She reached forward and picked her magazine back up, glueing her eyes to the first page she flipped it open to. Bubbles could feel Blossom's stare burn into her, but she ignored it and continued to read. She found that little voice in her head stumbling over the words she was reading, as all she could think about was what Blossom had just told her.
Tyler was still in love with her, and she couldn't understand why.
"I'm sorry," Blossom cut into her sister's thoughts. "It's not your fault that she left. Sky is just a complex person, she never felt like she belonged with us, we can't judge that. She was keeping so much from us, she didn't trust us to not turn on her. But if she's happy, gone, then we just all have to accept that."
"I have accepted it. She always makes a habit of dropping into our lives and running back out. I was prepared to deal with her leaving without a good-bye. It's you that hasn't accepted it." Bubbles' replied, a little harsher than intended.
Blossom let out a tiny scoff. "I haven't fully accepted it because I was the last person she saw before she left. She had already made up her mind to leave and I couldn't notice that. I could have stopped her, if only I knew. How would you feel if Maxine just took off and you were left without a best friend?"
In that instant, Bubbles was off the couch and raised to her feet, looming over the table. Her eyes locked fiercely on Blossom's. That infuriated look was on the blonde's face.
"I would deal with it," Bubbles spat. "Because Max isn't my best friend. All of you are. Every single one. You left Skylar to move back here, remember that? Then something happened and it changed her. We couldn't stop that and we couldn't stop her leaving either. So just stop blaming yourself, and start moving on. I know I have."
With that said and done, Bubbles forcefully moved towards the stairs. Blossom just watched her go. She was speechless. When she mentioned that she could read Bubbles like an open book, she forgot that it was vise versa. Just before heading up the stairs, Bubbles whipped around, her gorgeous locks of curly blonde hair swirling.
"Oh, and if you're thinking of asking me to go over to Tyler's and ask him to move on too, don't. If what you're saying is true, and he's in love with me, and it really was because of that Skylar left..then I'm done with his games. He can't just wake up and decide he's not over me. It's not fair on me, on you, and it's not fair on Boomer."
Blossom watched with her mouth clamped shut as Bubbles ran up the stairs. She waited for a few seconds until she heard the slam of a door. Blossom looked down at her phone. It wasn't blinking with a new message. She sighed harshly before biting her nails.
Neither realised that Sky leaving would hit home so bad.
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo
Maxine chewed her bottom lip as she glanced down at the now-visable bump.
There was no sense trying to hide it any longer, so she came clean to everyone. She told Blossom first, who seemed very shocked, but also giddy with excitement. She grilled Maxine about Brody's involvement and they talked about it for hours on end. It appeared to be the only thing that distracted them from worrying about Tyler.
Next she told Bubbles. Oh, what a chat that was. There was ear-shattering squeals and several congratulations in the space of thirty seconds. Bubbles let out a few very unsly hints about what she was going to call it, mentioning at least five times how unique and awesome the name Bubbles is. Maxine just laughed it off.
Then there was Butch and Boomer. She told them at the same time. While Boomer seemed mildly surprised, Butch seemed like he knew. Of course, if you had caught one peek at her stomach behind the loose-fitting blouses that she wore, then you would notice it easily. Nevertheless, Boomer seemed to be the most supportive. They talked for a long time, they consoled Maxine and afterwards she regretted not telling them sooner.
She really did have everyone's support, apart from her own brother's of course.
"Maxine, are you in?" Her ears pricked as Mellisa's voice followed behind the slam of the front door.
The brunette didn't reply. Instead she made a move for the door and stepped downstairs to find Mellisa. When she found her, she noted the several shopping bags that Mellisa was attempting to carry by herself and swooped in to take a few off her hands. Mellisa smiled in thanks before struggling over to the table and placing down her remaining bags.
"Did you buy the whole shop?" Maxine joked as she rummaged through the bags eagerly.
Mellisa chuckled and shook her head. "I just wanted to pick up a few things."
If she wasn't so intrigued by what was in the bags, Maxine would have laughed after her statement. A few things was considered a bag or two, not eight. Maxine raised her eyebrow as she yanked out a small blue shirt - way too small for Maxine to fit into - and it appeared to be a onesie.
"You didn't."
Mellisa's face lit up with a smile. "I couldn't resist. It just looked so cute."
"This is a male onsie for a baby. I'm not even sure if it is a boy yet. It could just as easily be a girl. Fifty percent chance, in fact." Maxine stated matter-of-factly. She observed the onesie and a smile crossed her lips.
It was indeed very adorable. Across the middle were the words, "I love my mummy." in white letters. Maxine wondered how it was possible that something could actually fit into something so small and fragile. It almost brought tears to her eyes, but it didn't. Maxine knew better than to turn into a blubbering idiot at the first sign of baby clothes.
"I also got female clothes, so we're set. I just wanted to show you that I support your decision. I know that I didn't exactly have the best reaction to the news, and neither did Faye." Maxine cringed at the sound of Brody's mother, who had been less than pleasant since finding out about the baby.
"That's alright," She told Mellisa. "It was a shock. I'm sure if Ethan was still around, he would have grounded me until I was twenty five." This time, Mellisa cringed at the sound of her ex husband.
Mellisa reached into the bag closest to her and began to pull out all types of baby clothes, each one as adorable as the next.
"Have you thought of names?"
Maxine rolled her eyes. "No, and why do people keep asking me that? I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl. I shouldn't be naming it already."
"It can't hurt to have a think about it, honey. I sort of assumed you would want to name it after Elizabeth if she was a girl. You know, your real mother?"
There was a deadly silence.
Maxine had most certainly had enough of hearing that name, she didn't want to hear it for the rest of her life. Elizabeth was the main reason she was going through with this. She could feel a strong connection to her little one already, and she wondered if Elizabeth felt the same, then how could she give her up? No, Maxine definitely didn't want to name her child after her mother.
"Elizabeth is not my mother. She's just a woman that left Tyler and I. You're my mother, Mellisa, no matter what my birth certificate sais," Maxine stated, earning a happy smile from Mellisa. "Any way, I was actually thinking of names earlier, a couple just seemed to cross my mind."
"Oh, what is it?"
The brunette looked down at the onsie in her hand. "Well, if it's a boy, I was thinking of naming him Jay. It would be a real kick-in-the-teeth to Tyler because it's half of his name, but because of that..I guess it means something. I don't want it to be just a name, you know? It has to be special."
Mellisa smiled brightly. "Yes, that makes sence. What if it's a girl?"
"Lola," Maxine replied, no hesitation. "After Brody's aunt. I remember we used to go over to his aunt Lola's every weekend and hang out with her. She was like one of our best friends. Always laughing and having a good time. Then she died of cancer a year ago. I must have told you about it, or Faye would have told you, but any way, I think it would mean a lot to Brody."
The thought of Lola put a smile to Maxine's face. She was only in her early twenties when they first met. She was so full of life and spirit. Maxine was devastated when she suddenly died of a horrible cancer in her thirties. She couldn't believe it. If she was to have a daughter, the name Lola would mean so much to her and all of Brody's family.
"That's sweet," Mellisa beamed. "Lola McKane."
Maxine's head wiped around to glare at Mellisa. "Lola Slater. Why should it take Brody's last name? We're not married and there's practically no chance we ever will be."
"You never know."
"Yes, I do know. Brody and I might have a chance to get back together, but if we do, we're taking it slow. I mean, we've already lived together for months and I'm pregnant. I think we moved a little too fast, don't you?"
Mellisa finished unpacking everything from the shopping bags and turned to Maxine.
"Do you really think you'll get back together?"
"Maybe," She replied in a small voice. "I guess things are just complicated.."
FLASHBACK;
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."
She hadn't been able to talk to him the next night, all because of Tyler. The feelings of guilt still lingered. All she could remember from the night after their break up was a club, a lot of alcohol, and some guy. She couldn't remember him, but she appears to remember blonde hair. She remembered kissing this random guy. She remembered his first name. But most importantly, she remembered feeling guilty.
It wasn't a big deal in Buttercup's book, but it was to Maxine. For weeks, girls literally threw themselves at Brody and he did nothing. He told her that he wasn't going to move on that fast, because he still loved her and it was the respectful thing to do. But if he knew that Maxine didn't even wait 24 hours before kissing some guy she didn't even know, he probably wouldn't be too happy.
"Are you alright?" Mellisa asked, noticing the distant and cold look on Maxine's face. The brunette pulled out of her daze and looked at her mother. She gave Mellisa a slight nod before moving past her to run up the stairs.
As soon as she got to her room, she collapsed on her bed and groaned.
"Idiot, idiot, idiot." She muttered over and over.
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo
Bubbles waited until she heard Blossom going to the bathroom until she left her room.
She wasn't in the mood for another heated debate. Quietly, she snuck downstairs and grabbed her dark blue pull-over hoodie before pushing it over her head. It matched well with the skinny blue jeans and dark blue boots she was wearing. Bubbles ducked out of the house and slowly closed the door.
As she made her way to meet Boomer, she thought about how he had been the last week.
He was getting weaker. One time, a few days back, he was helping Bubbles move her bed. She had wanted to change her room up a bit. By the time the bed was lifted, he let out a horrifying hiss of pain and only barely managed to move it. Bubbles often waited until he fell asleep and snuck to the floor where he always slept, just to slyly check it out.
It was really bad. His stitches. They were a bad shade of blue and purple. She just wanted to know why they weren't healing, what was wrong? Maybe he was worse off than her after the accident, and the scar would take a very long time to be fully healed and pain-free. That thought terrified Bubbles to no end.
When Bubbles finally arrived at the park, she found him sitting on the bench. She smiled from afar and walked over to him. Her curly blonde hair was flying behind her with the breeze.
He looked handsome today, she noted. His top half was covered by a baby blue muscle shirt, with a blue and white basketball jacket covering his arms. Blue-grey jeans covered his legs and his outfit was topped off with white sneakers. Bubbles had never seen him look so nice.
Boomer finally took notice of her and rose to his feet, walking forward to meet her half way.
"Hey, pretty girl." Boomer greeted his girlfriend with a kiss on the cheek.
Bubbles felt her cheeks turn a rosy crimson colour. She almost laughed. All these months, and he could still make her blush, he still swept her off of her feet and took her breath away.
"Hello, boyfriend." Bubbles chirped happily.
Boomer smiled and wrapped his arms around her to give her a hug, only to wince at the hiss of his stomach. He had hoped that the noise of pain coming from his lips was silent, but Bubbles apparently heard it, because she pulled away. When he looked down, her eyes didn't meet his, they were glued to his stomach.
Bubbles reached her hand out slowly, and then felt her wrist being seized. Boomer's hand clasped her wrist instinctively. Her eyes traveled to meet his. Bubbles raised her other hand and put it on his tenderly. As soon as he released her hand, she reached back out and lifted his shirt a little. She looked down at the scar across his stomach and swallowed a harsh lump in her throat.
She brushed her fingers across the length of the scar delicately, as if she was handling expensive china. A rough hiss ran through the air, causing Bubbles to immediately push her hand back. Her eyes didn't leave the mark. It looked so frail, the only thing that weakened him, the only imperfection.
It was a reminder of his own foolishness that night. A reminder that he endangered both of their lives and a reminded of his own insanity. But all Bubbles saw was a scar that shouldn't be there. Scars don't exactly fade away, but this looked new. She knew that it wasn't, because it was in the exact place that the scar from the car crash was, which meant something was keeping it from healing.
"I don't get it," Bubbles spoke lightly. Her head slanted as she gazed upon the brutal red line, covered from head-to-toe with ugly pink stitches. "Why are you still healing? I've lost count of how long the accident was. I mean, the way I saw it, I was worse off in that crash. I needed the transplant. So..how are you still recovering from it?"
There was a painful silence, causing Bubbles to look back up at him, her question lingering in her eyes. She stared him down. Today was not a day for this, not after her argument with Blossom, she wasn't going to back down until she had the truth.
"Boomer?"
His eyes pulled away from hers as he yanked down the hem of his shirt to cover his scar once more.
"I haven't been completely honest with you," Boomer said in a small voice. "It's been painful for a while now, before you noticed it last week. I have no clue what it is. I just woke up and it was like this..all purple and gross looking. But it'll heal. Yours did."
Bubbles sighed at the memory of her own scar. It was an ugly pink line, bigger than Boomer's. After about three months, it healed but you could still notice it up close. She had another scar higher up from her kidney transplant, but that was a scar she never showed anyone. Boomer had told her that his healed long ago, so this did come as a shock.
"It's okay. Just go to the doctors and find out what's up. You must have damaged it somehow, I have no idea either. This kind of thing doesn't happen every day, you know?" Bubbles said in confusion. Scars don't just randomly get bruised and painful. This was insanity.
"I'll go this week, okay?"
Bubbles nodded with a small smile on her face. She reached forward and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. As she felt his fingers intertwine with her own, she suddenly remembered what Blossom had said. Bubbles was fishing for answers, and Boomer had been honest with her, but she was keeping something from him.
She hadn't told him that his best friend of four years was still in love with her. But she couldn't tell him. No. Then they would fall out, and everything would get messed up again. Tyler didn't need anyone being angry at him right now, and Boomer didn't need to know the truth.
So she kept quiet. Whether she would come to regret it or not, well, she wouldn't know that yet.
The sun shone through Buttercup's window, causing her to be pulled from her peaceful slumber.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly as they adjusted to the bright sun shining outside. She stretched her arms out over her head and let out a sleepy yawn. When she relaxed back into her bed, she felt Butch move slightly beside her. She almost forgot that he fell asleep watching a movie with her.
For the past week, they had been inseparable. Buttercup had called Butch over the night before. They stayed up for most of the night, just watching their faveorite movies, debating about which one was the best. Although usually their arguments ended with someone almost flying out of the window, this time they just agreed to disagree. It was strange to both of them.
Buttercup watched as Butch began to lightly snore again, the sun poking through the window having no effect on his sleeping form. She smiled as she lay beside him on her side. The thick smell of leather and mint graced her, added with just a little brush of Paco Rebanne aftershave. She found it rather comforting. Not that she knew why, of course, maybe it was because being around Butch gave her a feeling of safety.
Buttercup lay her head on the crook of his neck, craving the intimacy. Even just lying with him on a cold night, or a warm morning, Buttercup began to find joy in it.
For someone who spent most of her life fighting off all forms of affection with an iron stick, she found it oddly satisfying to finally find the one person that she felt comfortable with. Her sisters and friends back in Citysville thought she would never find anyone who she wanted to be deep and loving with, that was until she found Butch again.
Buttercup leaned close to Butch and pressed her lips against his in an attempt to wake him up. After a moment, she felt his lips move against her and she smiled against them. Eventually she pulled away and looked down at him as his eyes opened slowly.
"Hmm, good morning." Butch mumbled in a gruff voice.
Buttercup sat up beside him, her back resting against the head-board. Butch let out a yawn before sitting up beside her. His eyes were half-open and his hair was a mess from tossing and turning all night. Buttercup almost rolled her eyes. He always did look a state in the morning.
"What's on the agenda for today?"
Butch pondered her question for a few moments. The past week they had planned their days out, although they usually ended up back at one of their houses, watching their favorite films and stuffing their faces with junk food. They didn't mind that though. Their siblings could go out on dates to romantic places, and they would just do what they did best, laze about.
"I was thinking the skate park," Butch declared. "You know, a reminder of the most un-cliche first date we ever had."
He smirked as Buttercup's eyes rolled.
"Don't remind me about that. But okay, the skatepark it is. Don't be too upset when my fantastic skateboarding skills outshine your mediocre skateboarding skills." Buttercup responded with a slight teasing pout.
"Oh, it's on." Butch chuckled before snaking his arms around her waist and dragging her off of the bed. They landed on the floor painfully but continued to laugh. Usually, Buttercup would have stabbed him with a blunt pencil for pulling her off of the bed, but recently they had grown so close that their fights were just an occasional occurence.
Buttercup untangled herself from Butch's arms and sat in front of him. Her legs crossed and her arms lay on her legs. She watched as he did the same.
"Do you miss her?" Butch suddenly asked causing Buttercup to tense.
"Of course I do. I guess things just change."
Butch nodded. "I don't like change."
"Neither do I."
They just stared at one another for a moment. Buttercup bit her lower lip, her thoughts back to her friend. It had been an eventful week for the whole group. Buttercup and Butch had managed to keep themselves busy from thinking about it by going out every night and just having fun. But the thoughts of her still lingered. Butch remembered when he spoke to Sky, trying to assure her that everything was okay, and then she was just gone the next day. It wasn't fair.
"So, you ready to get humiliated at the skatepark?" Butch asked with a small smirk.
Buttercup crossed her arms. "I've beat you up before, I'll do it again. We both know that I'm the most awesome one out of both of us."
Butch scoffed. "Whatever you want to believe, Sunshine."
She hadn't heart that nickname in a long time.
Feeling the rage from his last comment, she pushed her foot forward and kicked him in the ribs. It wasn't forceful but still looked some-what painful. Buttercup smirked triumphantly as Butch groaned and doubled over. When he didn't immediately resurface, Buttercup felt nervous.
"You alright?" Buttercup leaned towards him. "I didn't mean to kick you that hard-"
Buttercup was instantly caught of guard as Butch leaned forward and kissed her. Who said romance was dead? Buttercup was angry at him catching her of guard but still kissed him back any way. She eased into it and placed her hands on his shoulders. Seconds later, Butch pulled away, being the one to smirk triumphantly. He knew exactly how to make her serene and not so..punchy.
"I hate you." She muttered.
Butch's lips stretched into a boyish grin. "Of course you do."
He braced for attack once more but it never came. He stared at her with narrow eyes. Had someone replaced his insane and aggressive girlfriend? He decided to enjoy it while it lasted and pulled her in for another intense kiss. When they broke the kiss moments later, Buttercup remained where she was, hanging her head in front of him.
"Butch, you are callous, idiotic, immature-"
Butch cut her off. "Skip to the good stuff." He said with a small smile.
"-But I love you." She finished. Butch grinned at her which she returned. They sat there for a while, cross legged, in front of each other. Butch's arms on her upper shoulders and her arms around his waist.
"I love you too, crazy girl." Butch said before kissing her twice on the lips.
The phone buzzing was what brought Tyler back to reality.
His eyes searched his coffee table for his phone. He looked past all the alcohol bottles and eventually found the source of the buzzing. It was Blossom calling. Again. He groaned and picked up the phone before hurling it to the other side of the living room.
Every night he dreamed that she was still here. He would wake up and turn to his side, hoping to see her there, not a ghost of where she once lay. But dreams were just dreams, and he knew that she wasn't going to be here again.
Tyler sat forward, his arm reaching out to grab a bottle. The hairs on his arms stood up from the cold. He forgot to pay the heating bill, or anything else for that matter. He clutched the end of his rolled up sleeve and yanked it down, shielding the brisk air. Just as his finger tips neared the bottle neck, he plunged forward and knocked it off of the table.
"Shit." He muttered as he slouched to the ground to retrieve the bottle before all inside was gone. He had plenty more to chose from, but even he knew that it wouldn't last, and this was his last bottle of whiskey.
Ah, whiskey. It reminded him of his Skylar. Well, just Skylar, no longer his. She never really was his to begin with. They had a relationship that resembled Butch and Buttercup's in every way, the only minor difference; Butch and Buttercup had made it, him and Sky had not.
Just as his hands grabbed the bottle, saving at least a quarter of it, he noticed something that caught his eye. A piece of folded up lined paper, stuck to the bottom of the table, meant for him to find.
His eyebrow raised as he held the paper in his hand. He removed the small strip of tape that had kept it safely secure to the table and then unfolded it. His vision was blurry, but he could still make out the words.
Tyler,
If you're anything like me, then you found this because you dropped some sort of alcohol. Anyway, I snuck in before school finished to hide this here. I didn't know how to say good-bye to you, so this will have to do.
You know when I first met you, and every party or night out, you would come over and talk to me? I always wondered why. Then you told me that it was because you knew what it was like to be the new kid. You made me feel at home here. That's what I'll miss the most. Home isn't home without a friend like you.
For weeks I tried to get you to back off. I didn't want you to get involved with a girl like me. I'm not the girl for you, and I don't think you're the guy for me. We need someone who we can really trust and be honest with. I can't just come into this town and force you to deal with my problems.
The truth is, until I can find out who I am, I can't expect you to. God, I miss you already. Just..do one thing for me? Find someone better than me. I know that you're not the best with relationships - no offence - but there is a girl out there for you. One who is beautiful, and amazing, and bright..I'm not talking about myself, by the way.
I sometimes forget how funny I am.
Anyway, I'm sorry for how I left things. Tell Blossom that I'm sorry for running out like this. I really did want to be the girl for you, I wanted to be the girl who could fit in to this place, but I never did. So, this is good-bye.
Stay strong, love. Oh, and drink a glass for me, you know I always did hate to see perfectly good alcohol go to waste.
I'll always love you, Tyler-Jay Cairns.
Skylar Anderson xoxo
In that moment, everything just stopped.
Tyler couldn't speak, he couldn't hear or feel anything. Was this it? His good-bye? He didn't even get a word in. He didn't get to tell her how much he loved her or how he would miss her. She would never know that he understood why she was gone. That was what hurt the most, he got his good-bye but she didn't get hers.
Now, he just had to move on.
Tyler reached for the warm bottle of whiskey and began to pour it into a short crystal glass. He filled it right to the brim, just like Skylar used to, and brought it carefully to his lips, taking a small sip. He looked at it and so many memories flooded his mind. He nodded, forcing the smile onto his face, picturing Skylar.
He pictured the first time he had seen her. Perched on top of their usual bench like a Queen B. Her blue hair was playing with the wind and her lips were set in a mischievous pout that soon turned into a demanding smirk. Her eyes, you could get lost in them, and her outfit brought out her beautiful figure. When his eyes first met his..boom. Sparks. Fireworks. Explosions.
"To Sky." He mumbled to himself as he raised the glass. He smiled lightly before bringing the glass to his lips, drinking it all in one go..just like she used to. He sighed and slammed the glass back on the table before biting his lip nervously. How was he going to get by without her? Well, that was something he had to figure out.
Then something occurred to him. "..She used my full name." He rolled his eyes. "Cheeky, love. Real nice."
He rose to his feet and wandered into his bedroom to sleep of his drunk haze, not caring that it was the middle of the day. To be honest, Tyler was only 80 percent sure that this was even happening. He laughed as he collapsed onto the bed, hoping once more that this was a drunken dream, and he would wake up with that cheeky and one-of-a-kind girl beside him.
There was a soft knock at the door before it opened.
Blossom lifted her head from the book she was reading to see Brick walking in and closing the door behind him. She smiled brightly as he made his way over to her. She was still curled up with her blanket on the armchair. Bubbles had been sitting in her room for a while, silently refusing to come back down, thinking about Tyler and Sky no less.
Brick approached Blossom and sat down on the arm of the red armchair she was sat on. His arm made it's way around the back of the chair. He leaned down and delivered a soft kiss on her lips. Blossom detached one hand from her book and placed it on his chest, delivering his kiss with just as much softness and sweetness.
"How are you doing?" Brick asked her once breaking the kiss.
Blossom set a serene smile on her face as she clutched both hands over her thick black book.
"Good. I just had a fight with Bubbles, she won't come downstairs."
Brick frowned. "You told her, didn't you?"
It took a second for Blossom to register his question. She almost forgot that she had told Brick about Tyler's feelings just after Sky left. He had so many questions and Blossom just had to tell someone. So she told him. He didn't seem very shocked, but he also knew that if Bubbles found out, that he would have to deal with Boomer finding out, and then the whole 'best friend rivalry' thing would be back on.
"I had to tell her," Blossom replied. "She wouldn't stop asking. It'll be okay, thought. She's just confused. I'll give it a day, tops, and then she'll come down like nothing ever happened." She said, more to assure herself than to assure Brick.
Brick nodded and leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"You're a good sister."
That brought the grin back to Blossom's face. She looked up at him with adoration in her sapphire pink eyes. Brick rested his hand on the side of her face before delicately pushing strands of red hair behind her ear. Blossom blushed as his fingers brushed against her cheek.
"Thanks." Blossom muttered as she lay her head on his chest.
She pushed some of her blanket over Brick and lay in silence, enjoying the warmth and comfort from sitting in his arms. She soon closed her eyes and attempted to forget about all that had went on this week, all of the arguments and the worrying. She just rid it all from her mind. Unfortunately, not everyone had that luxury.
The sun was shining brightly, which was a relief considering Buttercup was worried it would be raining by the time she and Butch had gotten to the skatepark. They had been there for an hour, sticking to the back ramps, before they decided to head over to the bigger ones.
"So, who's the better skater now? I mean, I was definitely better than you." Butch gloated as he rode his skateboard past Buttercup, who was walking. He was holding her skateboard, considering she would have forced him to anyway. Buttercup turned to look at him as he skated beside her. She rolled her eyes and continued to walk.
"We both know that I was better."
Butch narrowed his eyes. "Nope."
"Shut up, you insufferable idiot!" Buttercup groaned at Butch, causing him to simply smirk. Her face went red with anger. Butch just loved to get on her wrong side and watch her do nothing about it. That was love, Buttercup style. No more hitting or pointless arguments. Still, she could call him an idiot as much as she liked.
"God, you'll never change, Utonium."
Buttercup froze.
Her head whipped around quickly. Buttercup could recognize that voice anywhere. She scanned the area for what seemed like hours until she found her gaze reverted back to Butch, who was looking around with a raised eyebrow. Buttercup frantically searched around for the voice.
"Don't strain your neck, Lovely." Buttercup's eyes grew dangerously wide. Only one person had ever called her that name before. This couldn't be real, she thought. Then she heard the voice again. "Up here."
Both Buttercup and Butch looked up to the top ramp and saw him sitting on top. Mitch Mitchelson. In the flesh. Buttercup was so overwhelmed that she forgot to breathe. Eventually she caught her breath just in time as Mitch leaped down and approached her.
Her whole body went rigid as her best friend stood in front of her. Time stood still. She looked him in the eye and it had appeared that nothing had changed. His hair was still a mop of luxurious brunette, and his eyes were still a deep hazel colour. His body was still slim yet some-what muscular and he was still so much taller than her, the same height as Butch if not taller.
She remembered the first time they had met, at this very skatepark. They were just little kids. They bonded instantly. It was one of the most memorable days of her young life.
"Mitch?" Buttercup's voice was shaky and weak, something that she wanted to take back instantly.
He most certainly hadn't changed, although his dress sense was a little tweaked. He had on a smart-looking, checkered, black and red shirt. Also black skinny jeans and red sneakers. If he had on black thick-rimmed glasses, he would considered the picture of 'Geek Chic' but in the very cute way. Buttercup almost didn't recognise him.
For a second she forgot that Butch was standing there. He watched Mitch with curious eyes, just the same as Buttercup. There was a moments silence until Mitch made a groaning noise as Buttercup crushed him with a bone-breaking hug. He chuckled and hugged her back.
"Hello, lovely. Long time no see." He said with a boyish grin on his face.
Buttercup broke the hug and finally smiled back at him, unaware of what to say or do. There were so many questions that she wanted to ask, and not enough time or breath to ask each one.
"I can't believe you're here."
Smack.
Mitch groaned and raised a hand to his now red face, a sore Buttercup-shaped hand mark lingering.
"What was that for?" He asked urgently.
Buttercup crossed her arms. "Where the hell have you been, Mitch? I've been back in Townsville for months and I haven't heard a word from you. Butch said you randomly disappeared! Where have you been all this time!?"
"I've been occupied." Mitch let out a low chuckle. "Butch, man," He turned his attention to another old friend. "It's been a while, how you been keeping?"
"Can't complain." Butch replied casually with a smile.
Buttercup looked between them and her face went alight in rage. "Mitch! What do you mean, you've been occupied? You couldn't have picked up the phone?"
"Look, I've been back in town for a while, I've just been busy. Me, my mom and my brothers moved to Spain a while back. She said something about wanting to explore and get out of this place. I didn't have enough time for a tearful good-bye, so we just took off. Oh, and I didn't call you because I lost your number a very long time ago."
Buttercup's raged expression softened at his explanation. She sighed at his carelessness.
"So what are you doing back here then?"
Mitch's lips curved into a smile. "Well, we decided to move back, of course. I've been setting up the new house for the past few weeks, there was a lot to sort out. I was just down here to take a break from reconstruction and then I saw you and Butchy boy over here."
Butch and Buttercup shared a glance with wide eyes. Buttercup almost forgot how alike she and Mitch were. They even used the same nick-names for Butch. None of it seemed real, but Buttercup wasn't willing to believe any of this was a dream. She laughed aloud in joy.
"This is perfect," She beamed. "You have to come over to the house."
Mitch's face lit up. "Are Blossom and Bubbles in? God, I missed them. Not as much as you, of course, Lovely."
"Come on then, idiot." She laughed and dragged Mitch by the arm.
Tyler lay in his bed awake.
He couldn't seem to rid his mind of her. No matter how hard he tried. He got his clarity, he got his good-bye, but it wasn't good enough. Nothing was good enough any more. He missed her dearly. The way she laughed and smiled, her sarcastic comments and vividly rough interpretation of life.
Skylar wasn't like any other girl he had ever known. She was the little rich girl, the one with all the problems, who just strived for a normal life with normal friends. He wondered how she was carrying herself now. If she missed him and dreamt that he was with her like he did.
Every single night since she had left, he dreamed that she was still with him.
He listened to one particular song, over and over, feeling the lyrics fitted him. Sky always did love how sometimes you would find a song that described every emotion she held. He shared that aspect.
Musing through memories,
Losing my grip in the grey.
Numbing the senses,
I feel you slipping away.
Fighting to hold on,
Clinging to just one more day.
Love turns to ashes,
With all that I wish could say..
I'd die to be where you are.
I tried to be where you are.
Every night, I dream you still here.
The ghost by my side, so perfect, so clear.
When I awake, you disappear,
Back to the shadows,
With all I hold dear..
With all I hold dear..
I dream you're still here..
Hidden companion,
Phantom be still in my heart.
Make me a promise that,
Time won't erase us.
That we were not lost from the start.
I'd die to be where you are.
I tried to be where you are.
I dream you're still here,
Ever slightly out of reach.
I dream you're still here,
But it breaks so easily.
I try to protect you,
I can't let you fade.
I feel you slipping..
I feel you slipping away..
He could hear the lyrics in his head all the time. Even in his drunken haze's, when he couldn't even remember where he was, he heard the words swirling around in his head. This was one of Sky's favored songs. He wondered if she listened to it, where ever she was, and found herself feeling the lyrics with every passing moment.
Tyler looked to his side, feeling no comfort in the empty space beside him.
If only he could talk to her, tell her how sorry he was for not being honest with her. He hated to admit that his feelings for Bubbles never did fade away like he had said, but his feelings for Skylar were stronger and still on-going. There was hope for them and there would never be hope for him and Bubbles again.
Deciding he needed to hear her voice, he snatched up his phone from the cabinet beside his bed.
He knew that she wouldn't answer, and had probably changed her number, but he still had to hear her voice and hope she was listening back. Tyler pressed the phone to his ear and waited..and waited..and then he heard her angelic and sarcastic voice.
".. ..This is Sky. I can't come to the phone right now. I'm probably in some horrid club with a drink in hand, so don't expect a reply until tomorrow. Here comes the beep, you know what to do..."
Tyler smiled at the sound of her voice. God, she was unbelievable. He needed to say something, to pray that she could hear it, even though he knew that she wouldn't reply.
"Sky, it's Tyler. You probably got a new phone or something, but if you can hear this, I just wanted to say something. I got your little note. Cute. I still haven't forgiven you for using my full name, love, that was a bad call."
He let out a soft chuckle before his smile faded to grey.
"I really miss you. I didn't think it would hurt this much, but it does. Though I get why you left, it still hurts. You just wanted to do what was right, something I never expected from you. You've really changed from the girl I met, Sky. She was rude and callous, and wouldn't even think of doing the right thing. Now? You're just..amazing. It was a real pleasure getting to know you, being able to call you my girlfriend and to spend all my time with you."
Tyler bit his lip.
"Any way, I just wanted to let you know that. By the way, you said in the letter that you really wanted to be the girl for me, well you are, you were. We're both as messed up as each other. I guess that made it special. Oh, one more thing, I'll always love you too, Skylar Anderson. Never forget that. Good-bye, love."
He hung up the phone and held back a grunt or a sob. He knew that he would never see her again. He knew that she had too much pride to waltz back like she never left, not any more. But he got his clarity. He got his good-bye, and that would just have to do.
Tyler turned around and faced the empty spot beside him. He would dream of her again tonight. She would dream of him too. But this was for the best, and now, Tyler could finally move on. To what? No one knew that. Not yet, any way.
"Home sweet home." Buttercup said as she pushed through the door and stepped into the empty living room. Her eyes scanned for Blossom and Bubbles, but couldn't see them. Must be upstairs, Buttercup thought. She wandered over to the couch as Butch closed the door behind him and Mitch.
"This place looks different." Mitch observed.
Buttercup smiled at him as she sat down on the couch. Butch followed and sat down beside her. Buttercup's back was against the arm of the couch, her legs resting over Butch's. Mitch looked around, admiring how different it all looked since the last time he was here.
Everyone's heads whipped to the stairs as they heard two people coming downstairs. Two red head's bobbed down. Mitch smiled at the sight of Blossom and Brick. He hadn't seen them in such a long time. As soon as Blossom caught his eyes, she done a double-take to make sure it was actually him.
"Hey Buttercup," Brick said, distantly. "Oh, hey Mitch," Seconds later, Brick whipped back around to Mitch with wide eyes. "Mitch!?"
The brunette smiled at Brick before stepping forward and giving him a 'macho guy handshake', as Buttercup called it. Mitch then turned to Blossom who was stood perfectly still. She felt a small smile cross her lips before she moved forward and captured him in a tight friendly hug.
"I can't believe you're here," Blossom said before breaking the hug. "Have you moved back?"
Mitch grinned at her. "Yeah. I've been back for a while but there was reconstruction to be done at our new house and everything. I was just out for a break when I saw these two." Mitch replied, pointing over to Buttercup and Butch.
"I'm glad you're back." Blossom said happily.
Buttercup relaxed on the couch and turned to face Blossom. "Where's Bubbles and Boomer then?"
"Well I went to check on her and she wasn't in her room. They must be out, I'm sure they'll be back later." Blossom responded. Buttercup nodded before relaxing on the couch again. Blossom and Brick moved forward to sit on the chair beside the fireplace.
"I need a drink." Mitch said before wandering into the kitchen.
There was a knock at the door. Buttercup jumped up from her seat and rushed to get it. When she opened the door, she found Maxine standing there. Her dark brunette hair was up in a high bun, allowing strands to fall carelessly. Although the weather was switching from hot to cold, she still bravely wore a loose vintage red polka-dot dress. Of course, she had to alter it considering her stomach was now bulging with a bump.
"You look awesome Max," Buttercup complimented, eyeing her many spiky wrist bands and black boots with adoration. "Oh, come in, there's someone I want you to meet."
Maxine raised her eyebrow in intriguement as Buttercup dragged her in the house by her arm. She almost stumbled over her own two feet. Buttercup led her into the kitchen where Mitch was. He was just turning the tap of and taking a sip of his water when he lay eyes on Buttercup and Maxine.
"Max, this is-"
The brunette cut her off. "Mitch!?"
With wide, unblinking eyes, Mitch spat out the water in his mouth and gaped at Maxine. There was a deadly muteness until Buttercup finally spoke up, a surprised smile on her face.
"Oh, so you two know each other then?" Buttercup asked them.
Mitch crossed his arms and leaned against the sink, nonchalantly. "You could say that."
Buttercup raised her eyebrow at what Mitch had said, but before she could ask what he meant, Maxine instantly grabbed Buttercup's arm and pulled her back to the door, her lips hovering over Buttercup's ear as she began to whisper something urgently.
"Buttercup, that's the guy that I kissed less than a day after Brody and I broke up!" She hissed before pulling away. Buttercup's eyes grew dangerously wide. They both peered back into the kitchen to see Mitch watching them with a raised brow.
They both walked back in and stared at Mitch, who was casually smiling.
"So, that's new." Mitch said as he glanced at Maxine's stomach. She looked down at her bump before looking back at him. Their eyes locked for a moment before Buttercup laughed nervously.
"Well, at least we don't need to do the whole introduction thing, right?"
Both Maxine and Mitch glanced at Buttercup with dull, unamused eyes. Buttercup carefully stepped out of the room, feeling the tension from miles away. As soon as she was gone, Maxine turned to Mitch with fierce eyes.
"So, you're friends with Buttercup?" She asked.
"Best friends." He corrected with a handsome smile.
Maxine sighed. "Well, do me a favour, don't tell anyone about that kiss a few months ago." She was still in shock. Never did she think she would be able to recognise him, but she did, the second she saw him. It wasn't just a kiss, it went on for a while and there was a lot of drunk talking too. She remembered practically nothing about him, but she remembered the night.
"Let me guess," Mitch drawled as he stepped forward. "You have a chance to get back together with that guy you were talking about that night, and if he finds out that you moved on not even a day after the break up, he'll be mad?"
"Yes." Maxine hissed.
Mitch smiled at her. "Don't worry, I won't tell him. I am a decent guy, you know."
"Whatever." Maxine muttered before walking away to join Buttercup in the living room. Mitch smiled as he watched her go. He did mean what he said, he wasn't going to tell Brody about the kiss, but it would be funny to get on her nerves about it.
Mitch chuckled to himself before walking out of the kitchen to join everyone.
So, okay, wow!
I know, it's so long, I can't feel my fingers. I've been writing non-stop because I was so excited for this chapter! Sorry if some of it is rushed, but like I said, I was just too excited!
Mitch will be a main character from now on, and he already has a plot twist of his own! Lucky him. As I've said, there will be NO romance between him and Buttercup, Bubbles or Blossom. That's just..wrong. So don't worry. I can't wait to write more of Mitch and see where I can go with his character, I hope I do alright ;)
(An; By the way, the song that Tyler was listening to is 'Still here' by Digital Daggers. I don't own it.)
Please review, it only takes a few seconds:)!
Allie Peirce
