A/N: I must apologise again for the long wait between chapters. Believe me, finding stability and finding the time to work towards my creative endeavours are at the very top of my list. That is, however, not what I am interrupting this story to say.

As many of the original readers of Be Nice to Me will know, the story was taken down abruptly. I was dealing with a lot of stress because I had put all of my self-worth into telling this tale and the validation I had received from people who enjoyed reading it. Because of that, the negativity that came from the (frankly outnumbered) people who hated me or what I was doing really got to me. I found myself in a treacherous internal battle of working too hard to create new chapters for that small bit of validation and hating myself and this story because of the few incessant people harassing me. Anyway, all of the chapters that had been published from this point forward were rushed and lacking in quality for my own standards—even back then.

I can't say that I've had much practise writing since these chapters came out, but I want to go back and improve upon the story by rewriting the twelve chapters that come after this one. And after that, I will be writing new chapters anyway. I don't feel as though this will be a huge blow to the folks who enjoyed the original story because—aside from being eight years removed from it—the following chapters were frankly pandering rubbish. The below chapter has had some minor changes, but remains mostly unaltered. I do hope that I will be able to deliver the next chapter in a timely fashion, as I believe I still derive some amount of validation from the handful of folks who still seem to enjoy this story, including a couple of new fans. Even though my life is hectic at the moment and I'm still trying to learn to deal with a debilitating amount of grief, my goal is to finish this story by the end of the year. Whether that will happen is unknown, because I want to let the story tell itself rather than me pushing it to the finish line.

Which leads me to one last note: some of you are aware, and I've alluded to this countless times before, but for the new readers who may have missed when I'd mentioned it—it remains worth saying that much of this story comes from real life events. While all of these characters exist in a universe of their own, they are applied to the personalities and stories of people who have mattered a great deal in my life. I still maintain contact with a good deal of these people, though some have passed on from my life in one way or another. And I feel that I owe it to all of these people who matter to me, and who have helped to build the foundation of my life, to end this story with as many happy endings as I possibly can. Though, what that means for these characters may not always be what they initially wanted.

Lastly, (for real this time) I was intending to place this note later in the story, but since I really hate interjecting with author's notes I'll say it now: there will be four or five epilogue chapters in Be Nice to Me in order to wrap things up once and for all. So once you reach the story's "end," don't forget there's a bit more to come.

Thank you all for your support, your continued support, and the lovely notes you guys leave me in the form of reviews. I am incredibly thankful for those of you who constantly remind me that someone still wants to hear this story. I hope you all will enjoy what's to come.

-Cyr

Chapter 41 - Marceline (Originally Published: 3 June 2016)

"Marceline?" Simon called, his voice accompanied by a knock.

She was already awake, staring listlessly up at her ceiling. The peace of a simple knock was welcome, and though Marceline wasn't one to complain, she found it a bit odd that he hadn't tried to wake her with his usual clanging saucepan routine.

She hadn't been able to sleep the night before. For whatever reason, starting a new school term made her feel anxious. It felt as though there were a warning lurking in the corner of her eye, but whenever she tried to turn her head to see it, the omen would follow her gaze—staying forever just out of sight, waiting for its début.

Marceline pulled her blanket up to her neck, shielding her bra from the potential awkwardness of her guardian busting in and seeing her in the frilly garment. "I'm awake."

After a beat, he said, "Are you dressed?"

"I'm covered. Why?" As much as she loved Simon, she really hoped he would go away. With the nervousness of school and the lingering guilt of what had happened over holiday break both on the forefront of her mind, she just wanted to be alone for now.

He cleared his throat, hesitating for a moment. Although he was on the other side of the door, there was something in his demeanour that concerned her. "There's… someone here to see you."

Curious, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table - 7:00AM. "Okay. Just send them in." Her first thought was that it would be Phoebe paying her an impromptu visit to check up on her and make sure she was feeling well.

Thinking about her girlfriend gave her a sense of happy anticipation for that head of red hair popping into view. However, as she watched the entrance for a familiar face, she noticed a different shade of red entirely, and that happy anticipation morphed into terrible despair and guilt.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Bonnie said, her words feeling sturdy, maybe even overly rehearsed. She stepped into the room completely, and closed the door behind her. "I know you don't want to see me right now. And I'm sure if Phoebe had been here, I would be dead where I stand… but that was a risk I had to take. What I have to say is really important to me, and I just… I just need you to hear me out." She wrung her hands together; her eyes nervously darting around the room, landing on anything other than Marceline.

"I'm listening, Bonnibel," she said, knowing that she should have been angry with the other girl. Instead of despising her for bringing conflict into her own relationship, Marceline felt that she was the one entirely culpable for the kiss that came too late.

Bonnie looked down at her hands, staring intently, as if someone had written her a script and somehow pasted it into her palms for only her eyes to see. After taking a moment to breathe in and out, she looked back up at Marceline, her eyes glazed over. "I suppose I should start this off with an apology... I'm sorry I kissed you." She sighed. "I was drunk and stupid and I shouldn't have done that. I feel terrible for it." Her eyes seemed to focus then, bearing Marceline's own gaze with fearless contact. "I've tried to tell Phoebe that I'm sorry as well, but-" She closed her eyes, breaking the illusion of bravery that she'd held up. "She's right not to believe me. She's right about a lot of things."

Marceline hadn't realised that the two of them had spoken on the matter, but she did have a feeling that Phoebe already knew what happened. The confirmation made her feel sick, and all the more reprehensible for her inaction. "Is that everything then?" she asked, choking on the words. Phoebe hadn't given her any reason to believe that she hated Marceline, and yet the mere thought of her girlfriend knowing that she had been kissed by another woman sent her into a panic.

"Not entirely." Bonnie watched her for a moment before looking back down at her hands again. "I want to rebuild our friendship. More than anything in the world… We used to be so close as kids, and for some reason, when you came back to Whitewater everything changed. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if you're sick of us always fighting and reconciling, but… Can't we just-" she waved her hands, gesturing vaguely, "fix this? I had a lot of fun with you when we were out in the snow, before I messed everything up with that kiss. It was like we were little again, and it was the happiest I've been in a long time. I feel so bad for messing this up, but… is there any way that we can just go back and pretend that none of this ever happened?"

"I-I don't know," Marceline said truthfully. Her emotions were in disarray. Mixed between the guilt of hurting Phoebe and the desperation to keep Bonnie in her life—the one constant desire that had been prevalent in her life for all these years. To be fair, she had greatly enjoyed their time together as well, but… "Phoebe won't be okay with it. She's one to hold grudges."

Bonnie stood there for a moment, unmoving. The glistening sparkle of wetness shone in her eyes, but she blinked it away. Finally, she nodded. "I understand." She reached behind her for the doorknob, but then her expression suddenly changed to one of hope. "Maybe we could hang out as a group more often this term? I can prove to both you and Phoebe that the kiss was a one time mistake."

Mistake. There was a hollow bitterness in Marceline's chest. Of course she didn't want to hurt Phoebe. Of course she had locked away her feelings for Bonnie, content to learn how to be loved by another person. Yet, the word felt like a slap in the face. I guess Ash was right. I'm so flawed and disgusting that I'm… unlovable. I don't know how Phoebe can even stand to touch me. She's a saint. She's everything. Maybe we're just two broken puzzle pieces who only fit into each other. She clenched her jaw, trying to ward off any insight into her internal monologue from the one person who had known her the longest. She didn't want to let Bonnie in. She didn't want Bonnie to know that the comment had hurt her self-esteem. She truly held deep, romantic feelings for Phoebe, yet the remark had hurt her all the same. Which only served to make Marceline feel even more guilty for what had happened. Was it really just a dumb, drunken mistake? Was Marceline that undesirable?

"What happened the other night... that can never happen again… Okay?" She wasn't sure how to feel right now. Her friendship with Bonnie had been so important to her for so long, and she definitely wanted that back, but… it wouldn't be wise for either of them. That doesn't mean I want it any less.

Bonnie nodded quickly, a hopeful glint in her eye. "Of course. And it won't." She slid her hands into her back pockets, her stance more relaxed now. A small smile began to creep out from the corners of her lips. If she was trying to hide her relief, it wasn't working. "So, does that mean we can start hanging out again? Because I have the most fun when I'm with you."

"Sure, we can hang out sometime." Marceline chewed the inside of her cheek. "But only when everyone else is around. Phoebe's been through too much. I don't want to hurt her any more than I already have. So everyone else has to be there too." For a split second, Bonnie looked disappointed. But it was gone so quickly that Marceline had convinced herself she was seeing what she wanted to see. Or, at the very least, something to undo the hurtful word she'd said before.

"Of course," Bonnie said, nodding. She was smiling again. "I'll do whatever it takes to make things up to you and Phoebe."

Marceline felt empty. Or maybe she was just so overwhelmed with everything at once that she couldn't discern how she felt. "Well, that's good enough for me."

"I'm just happy you're not opposed to us speaking still." Bonnie rubbed her arm, chuckling sheepishly. Her previous show of confidence had dwindled. "I should probably let you get ready for school then." She hesitated, not really moving to leave nor making any attempts to conversate. Marceline could practically see the light bulb going off in her head before she reached into her pocket to pull out a folded sheet of paper. "Do you have your new school schedule nearby? I've been wondering if we have any classes together."

Marceline reached over to grab the envelope off of her bedside table, when suddenly the cold air hit her skin. It was an alarming reminder that she had previously been taking great care to hide under her blanket. Embarrassed, she quickly settled back down under the covers. If she looked at Bonnie now, things might be awkward, but curiosity was a foul demon. When she glanced up, Bonnie's eyes caught her own, before shifting away quickly. The redness that creeped over the other girl's cheeks, drowning her freckles, confirmed what Marceline had just realised; that Bonnie had snuck a peek while she was just in her bra. She attempted to shrug off the awkward atmosphere by pretending she hadn't noticed. She focused all of her attention to her fingers on the envelope, and the soft sound the paper made as she removed her class list.

Marceline tossed the letter that came with each schedule, welcoming the students back to "another blissful year at Whitewater High School," and unfolded the other paper. Two days earlier, she'd nearly ripped it in half when she realised that she and Phoebe didn't have a single class together this term. Whoever had been in charge of the arduous task of crafting the students' schedules hadn't approved Marceline's request to switch her elective from music to theatre. Oh well, there was no guarantee that we would have gotten the same theatre class either. Phoebe's in all advanced classes. She read off the chart aloud, "I've got science first, then music, history, literature, gym, and finally maths."

Bonnie's eyes lit up. "We've got gym together!"

That youthful joy made Marceline laugh, and the two of them, for what seemed like the first time in a long time, shared a pleasant moment of genuine, sober happiness together. Unfortunately, that mirth quickly dissipated as Marceline became painfully aware that having gym together meant that they would be undressing in front of each other often. Whose eyes did Marceline fear would wander? Bonnie's... or subconsciously, her own?

Bonnie seemed to come to the same realisation, because she quickly looked away again. "I guess I should stop at Finn and Jake's house then. At least then I could say that I had a reason to come all the way out here."

Marceline gave her a curt nod. "Have a good day, Bonnibel," she said, her voice hoarse.

"You too." She opened the door again, but lingered in the doorway for another moment, waiting for something, although what, Marceline didn't know. Eventually, Bonnie let out a long sigh. "I know it doesn't change anything, but I really meant what I said to you that night." With that, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Marceline's conscience torn in every single direction.

She could have cursed Bonnie then. She could have screamed at her for making things harder and more confusing, for not meaning what she'd said when she'd called it a mistake. Instead, Marceline just curled up and began to panic. She was hyperventilating before Bonnie even exited the front door.

Marceline hiked up her backpack, craning her neck to stare at the brick building in front of her. It was a new year, a new term, and her life was taking new turns. She only wished that she could say she was excited for any of it.

"Are you okay?" Phoebe asked, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. She was just as unenthused to come back to school as Marceline was, although for different reasons.

There was no doubt in either of their minds that the incident that had happened at the end of the last school term was still prominent in everyone's minds. Rumours would be circulating like wildfire, burning every positive opinion in their paths until they'd spread through the whole campus. To them, it felt like so long ago that Phoebe had been admitted to the hospital. Yet, since this was her first day back at school, it would be fresh in everyone's minds. And who knew where any of the past year's allegiances now lay? Marceline wasn't sure if she could comprehend the loneliness Phoebe was feeling now. All she could do was step up her game and remind her that she was there.

"I'm fine," Marceline mumbled. "Just ready to get this day over with." She wished she could bear some of the anxieties her girlfriend was facing. "Hey, if you get through this day, we can celebrate by going to dinner together. My treat."

Phoebe nodded, and to her surprise, she led the way into the school, walking with her head held high in spite of the stares and whispers that orbited them. As the pair entered the vestibule, the chattering of students died down. All eyes were on them; the quiet seemed to speak volumes of the opinions that had been disfigured in their absence.

"Ignore them," Marceline whispered. "They don't have anything better to do with their lives than to pry into other people's." She just wanted to get Phoebe to her classroom. There was no way she could protect her girlfriend from the barrage of piercing glares that she would face in her own classes, but it had to be better than this. At least in her classes, she wouldn't be victim to the relentless words that they heard in their wake. Marceline gave the slender fingers in her grasp a tiny, reassuring squeeze. A few paces later, she felt the barest of return squeezes; Phoebe's hand was beginning to feel cold and clammy.

Like a sea with parting waves, the clamour of conversation continued to fade as they swept through the hallway. She could only imagine how hard it had been for Phoebe to keep her regal posture through all of it. Knowing the private fears that plagued her girlfriend only angered her. How could these people be so inconsiderate of someone else's feelings? Did they even realise how hard it must have been for Phoebe to get out of bed that day?

"Today's going to be a good day," Marceline promised. "Don't let anybody make you think otherwise. They're not worth your time." Phoebe continued to not respond, though Marceline knew that she was hearing every word. The pair rounded a corner, taking long strides to get to Miss Pearl's history class. Thankfully, the teacher wasn't standing outside this time; things had gotten awkward before due to her presence. "I'll see you between classes, so it's not like we'll be away from each other for very long. It's going to be okay."

Phoebe smiled up at her, but there was a lacklustre glow to her eyes. It was clear that she was only putting on a mask of strength, a disguise to hide how dead she felt inside. "I hope you're right." She inhaled deeply before standing up on her tiptoes to kiss her. "I'll see you after class."

Marceline left a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Cheers," she whispered. "I'll come and get you as soon as I get out. So hang in there for me." Her class was on the other side of the school, and she would have to rush if she was ever going to get there in time. It's okay. Anything to keep her happy.

She turned to run off to class, and nearly barrelled into another student walking to Phoebe's history class. "Sorry- … Bonnibel?" Her eyes were wide. They'd only seen each other earlier that day, but the sharp contrast between Bonnie's earlier cheerful expression and the way she looked now made Marceline's anxieties surge even more. It was, perhaps, seeing the two girls together that made Bonnie's eyes water.

"You're going to be late for class, Marceline," Phoebe said, jolting her into action. She couldn't fuck this up. Not again.

Without another word to either of them, Marceline darted around Bonnie and ran through the hallway, pushing through the other students in order to escape the sudden fear she felt. She didn't want Phoebe to hurt even more. Was she already deconstructing the split second interaction they'd had? I won't hurt you again, Phoebe. Please don't be afraid. Please don't get sad again. She bit her tongue, fighting back the bile rising in her throat.

Marceline stopped outside of Professor Carson's room to settle her nerves, leaning against the wall. She let her head fall back with a soft thud. Just breathe, she told herself, closing her eyes to focus on memories of her friends to cheer her up. Memories of her shenanigans with Guy and Bongo surfaced in her mind, reminding her of their misadventures in primary school. It was hard not to smile then, and after a few moments, she felt more relaxed - if only slightly.

She finally slipped into the room, surprised to see that at some point over holiday break, Professor Carson had remodelled his classroom. Where desks had once been, there were now tables for his students to sit at in groups of two. The room had stayed mostly the same otherwise. She smiled when she realised that she had class with two of her friends.

Marceline took a seat at the table in front of Guy and Jake, curious about the other person that had already been seated there: a blonde girl that appeared vaguely familiar. This was probably to be her lab partner for the rest of the term, if she had to guess the reason for the tables.

"Hell yeah! I get to have Dad's class with Marce and this bloke," Guy punched Jake playfully in the arm, although from the sound of skin on skin contact, she didn't imagine it felt as friendly as he'd meant for it to be. "It's going to be a great year."

Guy's outburst drew the attention of the girl sitting next to Marceline. She had previously been absorbed in her cell phone, but when she looked up, Marceline recognised her instantly.

"Mystery girl," she muttered under her breath.

The other girl laughed out loud, confusion written on her face despite this. "What?" she said, when the giggling died down.

"You worked in the front office last term, didn't you? I met you when Earle called me in. I'm-"

"Marceline. I remember." The girl smiled, cute dimples blossoming in her cheeks. She held her hand out to shake. "I'm Fionna."

Marceline politely took her hand, ignoring Guy's jeers and whistles. This hadn't been the first time that Fionna had recognised her by name, and although she really wanted to ask how the other girl had known her when they'd only ever spoken to each other once, she decided that it would be best left for another time. Or, at least, when their meeting wasn't so fresh and a demand for proof on how Fionna knew her wouldn't be so awkward. "Hey, are you any good at science?"

Fionna's brow furrowed. "No, why?"

"Shit. I'm not either." Marceline looked around the room. "It looks like we're probably going to end up being science partners with the way this room is set up now."

"I guess we're going to have to cheat off of someone else," Fionna grinned. "The question is, who?" She turned in her seat to look at the boys behind them. "Are either of you good students?" Guy's answer was a derisive snort, but Jake nodded. "I guess we have our answer," she said, turning back to Marceline.

Cheeky. "Wow. My kind of woman." She'd meant it as a joke, but the smirk that split the other girl's face in half warned her of incoming trouble. Thankfully, her phone dinged from its spot on her leg, giving Marceline an excuse to momentarily break away from the conversation.

She dug the device out of her pocket and turned the ringer on silent, then she checked the new message.

Bongo Roland - now: Hey Marce. I'm sorry to bother you, but can I ask you a question?

"Sure. What is it?" Marceline sent her reply and set the phone on her lap again. Guy's dad was talking to the class now, rambling on about how his students sitting together was similar to covalent bonds or something, but he likely wouldn't try to take her phone. They were in the back of the room, and with the mumble of students talking over their teacher, her phone vibrating atop the fabric of her jeans would just fade into the abyss.

She turned back to Fionna. "So, if you don't do your work, then how are you in this class? Aren't you an underclassman?"

"Weren't you held back?" she shot back, without missing a beat.

Ouch. Cheeky indeed. Marceline wondered how she'd known that as well, but she had a feeling she knew this one—Earle had probably ranted and raved about his least favourite student before, and if Fionna had already known her name, it wasn't a stretch to say she knew that too. "Yeah, but I'm dumb as hell."

"I'm not that academically smart either," Fionna said. "Sorry about that. My sister and I argue all the time. I'm used to firing back comments before I think about what effect they might have on someone." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "To answer your question, I did really well on all my classes last year. They were easy though, and when I had science homework, which really is my worst subject, I just made a friend do it for me."

Marceline's phone vibrated, alerting her to Bongo's reply. "Sorry. Give me a second." She looked down at the device, and from the message preview on her lock screen, she could already feel an unremitting aching in the core of her body.

"Have you noticed Bonnie acting strangely lately?" his message read. "She's been really distant to me since we got back from the new year's party."

"I haven't really spoken to her," Marceline sent back. It wasn't necessarily a lie, with the exception of this morning, but what was she supposed to say? 'Oh, yeah, it's probably because your girlfriend kissed me, and then proceeded to admit her feelings for me'?

No, that would just be rude.

"Bad text?" Fionna asked, twirling a strand of blonde hair between her fingers. When she saw the confusion on Marceline's face, she added, "You look like either you're concentrating entirely too hard, or it's something bad. So, which is it?"

It was none of her business, really… but Marceline had been holding all of her cards close to her chest, afraid to open up to anyone about them because everyone she knew was entirely too close to the situation. She glanced back to see if Guy was paying attention, but he was somehow already asleep. What a great way to start off the new year, mate. Jake wasn't paying attention to their conversation either, and while he wasn't taking notes, he appeared to be in his own little world right now. Daydreaming, probably. Marceline turned back to Fionna. "I'm just having relationship problems," she said, wincing at her choice of words. It felt as though she'd somehow wronged Phoebe yet again. "What I mean to say is that I'm having friendship problems, I guess. My relationship is going well," she said, backtracking to explain things better. Although, the proclamation wasn't entirely true either. While she and Phoebe were perfectly fine, Marceline's heart was warring inside of her, fighting off the opposing thoughts in her brain. One of her internal forces wanted desperately to champion her girlfriend, while the other chanted hexes about the guilt she felt she deserved. Both of these teams pulled her in opposite directions, a mental tug-of-war where both sides were jumbled and clamouring to be heard over each other, creating an inescapable chaos within. She let go of a breath. "What would you do if one of your best friends cheated on another one of your best friends? And you were literally caught in the middle of it, but you didn't want to make things worse by admitting it happened?"

"Probably nothing." Fionna shrugged, nonchalantly, but her eyes darted off to the side quickly, as if a recent memory came to mind. "It's probably better to just stay out of the other person's business. If you tell your friend, they're only going to be upset and, let's face it, they're probably going to deny it and push you away. Confronting the situation will only end terribly."

Marceline nodded slowly, mentally applying this logic to her own situation. "And what if it just happens to be your business as well?"

Fionna's lips curved up in a smile. "So when you said you were literally caught in the middle, you meant that they cheated with you? That certainly changes things."

Marceline turned her head slightly to try to subtly glance behind them and see if either of the boys had heard her. Guy was still asleep, and Jake was now drawing on his syllabus paper with both hands, trying to mirror the picture with either side of his body. They surely hadn't heard, or if they did, they were rather convincing actors. "Keep that between us, okay? We're all friends and I don't want anyone to see her differently because of it. I also really, really don't want this getting back around to my girlfriend. She already knows, but she's been through enough already without this coming back to haunt her."

"I won't say a word. You can trust me." Fionna lowered her voice. "So, did you return the kiss? Is Bonnie a good kisser?"

Marceline's jaw went slack. "How did you know?!" she hissed. Jake looked up at them, only for a moment, before turning his attention back to his work. She was paranoid that he'd caught on to their conversation, but surely he would have reacted to that.

"It's not hard to figure out with all the information you've given me. I know that stereotype about blondes has some merit, but that's not always the case." She giggled. "Also, I've seen the two of you interact. Sometimes I'll pass you both in the hallway and you'll be having a chat, and other times when I see you lot, you look like you're actively trying to avoid each other."

Marceline chewed her lip. Was it really that obvious? To a total stranger? She'd never liked people knowing the sensitive details of her life, but apparently that hadn't stopped them from finding out. Here goes nothing… "So, how do you know us? When I first met you in the office last term, you already knew my name."

Fionna laughed, but something about it made Marceline uncomfortable. There was nothing particularly malicious about it, but it held a dark implication that said she knew more than anyone else. "That's easy. You could say that I know you all from a distance," she said, tilting her head to the side. "After all, Leslie is my half-sister."