Hey guys, sorry for the late update. A lot of stuff going on plus I don't know adults with children, I have no idea what their interactions are supposed to be like.
Chapter 7: "It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It's our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless." - L.R. Knost
Blossom wanted to make something remotely special for Jacquotte's 12th birthday. They were about to move out of the suburbia house to a city flat near her office, so she figured a small surprise party with and neighbors would be a good idea. Jacque wasn't sociable but some classmates lived nearby, maybe it would help her create bonds.
Truth be told, she was glad they were moving. Blossom bought the quaint bungalow at an incredibly low price. When she heard about it, Buttercup joked, "that's how every single horror movie starts." Now joke's on her: whenever she stayed for the night, the brunette also heard weird nocturnal noises, whispers and witnessed Jacquotte "seeing" an invisible red man. Not to mention the cold spots.
"Thank goodness you're leaving this Amytiville-ass house. I don't know how you stayed so long."
"Buttercup, don't tell me you are scared of ghosts."
"Of course I am scared of ghosts, I can't punch a ghost!"
"Buttercup... Ok, fair."
"Anyway, how's the birthday arrangements going?"
"Almost ready. A neighbor will come over to help me in an hour or so."
"...what do you need help for?"
"Balloons."
"B... Aaaah, ice breath. I see!" Buttercup exclaimed, "You should've told me, I can get it done within seconds."
"Oh no..." Blossom gently turned down, "Don't worry. It came up during a conversation, they offered to help."
"...they did, huh? Is it a dad?"
"Yes... I mean, I met Jim and Angela the day we moved." Blossom explained, "Why?"
Buttercup clicked her tongue, "I don't trust married men with kids and stable jobs."
"Buttercup-"
"And you're blind to creeps!"
There we go.
Sometimes Blossom wondered if this was true or it was just something Brick used to say out of spite for her Hooter's job and somehow it found its way to Buttercup.
"What's your name?"
The green boy gaped at her blonde, high pigtails, his pupils following her bouncing curls.
The little girl grimaced down at her shoes. She wanted to go barefoot, like Moana, but 'Mama' insisted she wore blue shoes, like Princess Frozen. The girl corrected 'mama' yet again: the princess's name was Elsa, not Frozen. Frozen was the movie's name with Elsa and Anna and Olaf, and... As always, the woman dragged her by the arm before she could finish.
She had seen the boy all alone and decided to be friends, like Moana and Maui.
"Help me?"
The answer broke off his attention. He said nothing and silently stared at her.
The little girl pointed at the ribbon in her shoes, "I don't wanna wear them, like Moana."
The boy blinked confusedly, and opened his mouth as if to say something.
"Broccoli, what you doing?"
They looked up to see two big girls staring at them.
"Broccoli?" Jacquotte eyed her friend.
"Do you know his name? Broccoli is fitting, look at him." Michelle smiled, gesturing at the little boy.
"Whatever." The redhead rolled her eyes, "Gotta go. No-Mo'-MILF mission."
Michelle nodder, "K. I'll hang out with these cool kids while you're at it." She said, jamming a finger at the six-year olds, "Teach 'em a thing or two."
"Knock yourself out."
Michelle watched her friend leave, "I will!" She turned around, "So... y'all want to eat candy and learn new words?"
Jacquotte walked past adults, trying to not float because God forbid she used her powers to make life easier.
Adults weren't much different from schoolyard kids: boys on one side, girls on another. A few mixed, here and there. She just needed to find the boys' side, make them aware of Brick's terrifying existence, thus scaring them into not being gross about Blossom.
"HEY KIDDO!" A yell burst out from the crowd.
"Hi... Oh, ew!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth, "Can you smoke inside?"
Butch looked at the two cigarettes between his fingers, and shrugged, "Probably? Don't care. When did you start following rules?"
Jacquotte rolled her eyes, "Touché."
"No, but-" He took a long drag of both cigarettes at the same time, "Y, you... you good? Having fun? H, hanging with other kids, right...? Right!?"
Jacquotte squinted, "Uncle Butch... What is going on?"
Butch nearly jumped, stammering as he patted his pockets in search of nicotine, "Wh, wh- what do you mean... Jacquo... Jacque? I, I'm fine. Everything's fine!"
Jacquotte stared into his eyes, "I have never seen someone look this stressed, and my mom's a lawyer."
"What? Pft, stressed!?" Butch buzzed his lips, "Stressed, who says I'm stressed?"
"You are literally smoking two cigarettes at the same time."
Butch glanced down for a brief moment, and sighed, "Yeah. Look..." He bent down to Jacque's eye level, "I, I'mma tell you w... something. You can't tell anyone, k? You gotta swear over Blossom's dead body you ain't not gonna snitch on me, and you can-fucking-not tell Buttercup I told you this, k?"
The man watched his niece go from looking intrigued to... bored?
"You lost the boy, didn't ya?"
"BUTTERCUP WAS THE ONE THAT SEMI-ADOPTED HIM!"
Jacquotte gave him a look, indifferent to curious bystanders. She could say Michelle was taking care of 'Broccoli', but...
"Sorry, I didn't see 'im."
...where's the fun in that?
Butch took another cigarette from his pocket, "Fuckin' goddamn idea, being buddies with a child cuz he thinks I'm cool..."
"Good luck, uncle Butch." Jacquotte simply walked away, "Now where were we..."
As Jacquotte walked into the crowd, her eyes caught a group of fathers and their sons hanging by a leather couch. She did try to think of an escape plan, but a bald, beady-eyed man started waving at her.
"Jackeline! Hi! Hiya! Hello there!"
Fuck.
Jacquotte faked a grin as she approached him, "Hey, Mister Sullivan..." She muttered, ignoring the boys subtly elbowing each other.
"Jack!" A taller, muscular man in a tight polo shirt stood up. "What a pleasure to see y... Hm, Jimmy, she's in your class, ri- Right. Yeah.' He turned to the girl, "So, good to see you! Wh, hum, your mom. How's your mom? Did she bring you? Is she..."
A man sat on the couch raised a thick eyebrow, "Jack? You do look familiar.. "
Sullivan answered the question with a smirk, "She's Blossom Utonium's daughter."
The man furrowed his thick brows for a brief moment, before raising them expressively, "Oh, Blossom? That Blossom...? From Believe's barbecue...?" He made a vague hourglass gesture.
The boys snickered, while polo shirt turned back to her, "So, where is Blossom? Huh. Your mom. Did she come with or did you come with your aunt? And Mike. Your aunt and Mike."
Beady-eyes murmured to the rest of the group, "Auntie is a married ten."
Carl Thompson's dad pointed his chin in Jacquotte's direction, "What about...?"
Beady-eyes chuckled dismissively, "Single mother. You know the type." He muttered with the corner of his mouth, without realizing Jacquotte had super hearing.
The teenage girl gritted her teeth, fists turning into balls.
Jacquotte's super-hearing picked up murmurs.
"Daddy issues. That's why she's problematic."
"Some women just don't respect themselves. They'll go to bed with anyone."
"Tell me about it, Cheryl nagged me for a week after Believe's barbecue-."
Jacquotte had a fierce stare on, she was nearly shaking, yearning to plant a fist on their faces.
Mister Sullivan, who lacked any self-preservation instinct, approached her, "Jackeline, are you alright?"
Jacquotte looked up, making him take a step back. The little man frowned, as she started flexing her fists.
Oh, she was so going to blast a massive, huge, burning fireball, and-
Snap out of it with a blink of an eye.
...Wait, what?
She eyed the hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, Jacque. You good?"
Sullivan looked up, and up, and up, "M, may I help you?"
Brick grinned at Jacquotte, "Just checking. I remember being thirteen."
The man gazed at her, knowingly. Oh he knew-knew. Jacquotte couldn't help but feel take back.
Brick knew she was about to burn this place down, but it wasn't a Blossom's "what do you think you're doing, Missy?" look, it was more of a "been there, done that, not worth it" look.
Polo shirt stared at Brick, "Huh, hey. Sorry, don't think we've been introduced..." He extended a hand.
Brick took a sip of scotch before firmly taking Polo's hand (cool-ass move, real James Bond shit), "I'm Brick, Jacquotte's father."
Jacquotte smirked.
Let the jaws hit the floor.
Oh, how delicious it was to watch the boys gawk at Brick. 'Jacque has no dad! Single moms are all strippers!' Well, they can all suck it, because her dad could beat all of their dads anytime.
Brick grinned awkwardly, "Jacque..." He whispered through his teeth, "'The fuck they doin'?"
Jacquotte smirked, "Regretting everything they've ever said about my mom."
The man was confused for a moment, but quickly understood what she meant when he saw the boys exchanging glances as if they've caught doing something they shouldn't. For the record, their dads didn't look any less guilty.
The man in polo smiled, showing off his obvious veneers as he patted Brick's shoulder, "Wow! How come we've never met before? Look at those muscles! Wow, damn. You're like a rock, man."
Brick furrowed his brows, wondering if he was being hit on or something, "...Thanks. Huh, what's your name again-"
"Bet this guy's hitting the gym every day!" Polo Veneers turned to the group with a smile.
Brick swallowed, "Gym?" He chuckled nervously thinking of all the mob traitors and rivals he'd beat to a pulp, "I... I'm more of a home workout, bodyweight guy."
It's still bodyweight if it's someone else's body, right?
"Oh, you're lucky!" The beady-eyed man sighed, "Sandra made me sell our treadmill last month!"
"Oh, come on, Sullivan!" Polo laughed, "It's not like your olive-shaped body has been exercising at all!"
Sullivan scowled, bringing a hand to his belly, "I have arthritis! I can't just go around joining any fad workout, from Pilates to Crossfit, like you!" He retorted, pointing a finger at the man in polo, eliciting laughter from the group.
Brick grinned. Suddenly... the former leader of the infamous RowdyRuff Boys, a partner to the mob to this day was doing... small talk.
He sighed.
Could be worse.
"Excuse me, sir?"
"Oh no..." Jacquotte growled, slapping her forehead, "What do you want?"
Brick turned around, then down, to see a boy, almost the same height as Jacque, in a suit, with a bow tie and everything.
The boy stuck his nose up in the air, "Why, as a host, it is my duty to make acquaintance-"
"Oh, hi... Chance! Chance Morebucks!" Sullivan greeted the boy with a pat in the back, which was welcomed by Chance with a side eye.
"It's a pleasure to see you too, Mister Sullivan." He replied, quietly.
Brick blinked, "Chance... Morebucks?"
"Chance Edward Morebucks-Harrington, son of Sir Daffyd from Essex, fifty-sixth in line for the English throne..." The Little Mister smiled politely, offering a steady hand shake, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir."
Buttercup tried to look normal walking past people at the corny Art Déco salon. Her eyes spotted an orange head at the bar, and Blossom glanced back at the bottle shelves mirrors. Buttercup smiled nervously as she walked up to the bar.
She would never hear the end of it if Bubbles or Blossom found out she'd lost a whole kid.
"Hey, sis! Good sis, big sis!"
The redhead raised an eyebrow, "Buttercup...? Are you drunk?"
The woman chuckled, "Haha not yet! Good one. Love the sense of humor, Bloss." She glanced at the bartender, "Hey. A double scotch on the rocks, please."
"Buttercup, are you..." The redhead paused, sniffing the air, "Have you been smoking?"
"What!? Noo, no way, Bloss!" Buttercup choked, "Have you?"
Blossom swallowed, "Me? No! Absolutely not!" She exclaimed with a sip of martini, "Are you having fun?"
Buttercup shrugged, "As much as I can..." She murmured, gesturing vaguely.
Blossom scowled, "That's rude! The parents can be very friendly if you give them a chance." She said over a sip, "Plus, it's an opportunity to meet new-!"
"Morebucks' snob friends, and judgemental parents...?"
"Your drink, ma'am." The bartender handed the brunette a scotch.
Buttercup grinned charmingly, "Thank you-" Nope. Stop. Need to find silent lost child, "Thanks!" She smiled, awkwardly raising the glass before turning back to Blossom.
"You? Turning down a flirt? That's a first." Blossom teased as they walked away
"Don't wanna get her in trouble." Buttercup muttered, peering over her shoulder, "Poor woman must get so much bullshit."
Blossom exhaled, "True."
Buttercup elbowed her sister, "You would know, right!?"
"What!? Wh, what do you mean!?"
"Underpaid waitresses harassed on the job...? Lawsuit?"
Blossom closed her eyes with a sigh, "Oh, yes. That. Well... Yes, I've seen cases, but they usually don't..." She shook her head, "Nevermind. But you know, I think she's flirting back."
Buttercup glanced back to see the woman smile with a wink.
"I mean, if you're not going to make any friends, and Butch is handling... Ace's... son? Nephew?" Blossom paused, "You don't know his name, do you?"
Buttercup shrugged, "He won't tell me."
Blossom squinted, "Buttercup, there are documents-"
"I want to have a 1-on-1 with him. I want him to trust me enough to tell me his name."
"Buttercup, he's six. You're trying to bond with him the same way you bond with police officers."
"So...? They're all guys!" Buttercup groaned as she looked around, discreetly trying to spot the kid again, preferably with Butch. The least the motherfucker could do was finding the boy.
"Oh my God...!"
Buttercup looked over to see Blossom sharply turn 180 degrees around with a loud gasp.
"Huh, wh-"
"No, no, no. Don't turn around. Don't turn around." Blossom whispered, glancing at her from the side of her eye, "I can't turn around, let's just, talk like that."
"Blossom...? You know, bummer, but if you are on drugs, I'm legally obligated to-"
"I SAW ETHAN!" Blossom hissed, exasperated.
Buttercup slowly turned her head to the sides, raising an eyebrow, "E... E-than? ...Ethan!?" She gasped, "Ethan from Pennsylvania!? Ethan, your-"
"Yes..." Blossom growled, throwing the brunette a dirty look, "Yes! That one."
Buttercup glanced at Blossom, at the dry martini, and then back at Blossom, "You're drunk." She scoffed, drinking a sip of her scotch. Despite Blossom's angry look, Buttercup giggled, "Come on, Ethan? What are the chances Ethan would be here, of all places in the world? C'mon, don't be- OH MY GOD, BLOSSOM!" The brunette's face instantly fell as she looked through the salon's large glass tampered door, "HOLY SHIT! THAT'S ETHAN!"
The redhead cringed, trying to not think of her reddening face or the staring bystanders.
"Buttercup..." She hissed.
"Holy fuckin' shit! Your college boyfriend is here!" The brunette shouted in outrage.
Blossom downed her martini in one big gulp. Their luck was that Ethan was outside on a call. He wouldn't hear or see them as far as human eyes and ears allowed.
This was a crowded party, with parents, 1%-ers, kids, teens, not to mention the staff, all in an immense salon, with an even bigger garden outside. Ethan being there didn't mean they'd bump into each other or-
"And it's like, anyone can spot you in a crowd, or miles and miles away!"
"Buttercup!" She hissed, "Stop!"
"What! You have bright, shiny orange hair-"
"Oh, please-"
"Oh, boo..." A mischievous voice cooed behind them. The sisters turned around to see Princess, in all her smug glory, "Poor Blossy... Can't afford Clairol? Such an unfortunate, parking cone hair color."
Both sisters stared at her in silent, for a long while.
The heiress blinked from one sister to another, "What!? What ya looking at!?"
Buttercup squinted, "Dude, you two got the same hair."
"What!? No! M, my hair is auburn!" Princess hissed, patting her curls, "My hair is a lovely deep copper light brown shade!"
The brunette squinted, "...brown? Since when-?" She pointed to the top of Princess's head, "That's orange. A less orangey orange, but still-"
"It's not!"
Buttercup insisted, "Princess, if I grab a clementine right now and-"
"No!" The heiress barked, "Shut up! No fruits of any sort. I am normal."
"Normal people don't do something like this!" Blossom angrily cut them off, putting her empty glass at a passing server's tray while picking up a full glass from a different one.
Buttercup blinked, "Do wh- Oh, Ethan! Right."
"This is low Princess, even for you!" The redhead hissed, taking a long sip of whatever drink she had taken (deciding it was too weak).
Princess chuckled, "What? Ethan...? Oh, Ethan Hawthorne Black is an old family friend. He will be running for senate soon... I mean, of course, given his fami-"
"You know exactly what you did!" Blossom threw an accusatory finger inches away from Princess's face.
The heiress smirked, "Sweetie. I think you had too much to drink. Let's not embarrass ourselves, shall we?"
Blossom stopped, looking around at the bystanders' judgemental stares. The woman swallowed and tilted her chin up, staring down at Princess.
The other woman wiggled her fingers with a smirk, "Have fun! Don't be scared to mingle, we are all friends here."
The boy, who although silent, looked genuinely happy, making all kinds of 'yummy' sounds. Elizabeth looked down at the drink and, well, a little, tiny sip-
GASP!
Michelle raised her brows, "Elizabeth? You ok?"
Elizabeth's jaw dropped, "This... is so... good..." She breathed out, taking a big gulp of the drink, and further announcing, "I love sugar!"
Michelle's grin grew wider, "Me too. Come on, I'll show you the candy table-"
"Thank fuckin' God!"
Liz glared, "Hey! You said a bad word."
Butch let out the breath he was holding as he reached for Broccoli, "Trust me kid, that's the least bad thing I've done in a good while."
Michelle seized the man up and down, "Was he lost or something?"
"Huh, nooo..." Butch took a deep breath, holding Brocoli his arms, "It's just..." He swallowed, staring at Michelle's skeptical expression, "Ok! Fine! Buttercup lost him and I thought he was eaten by coyotes."
"Coyotes!?" Elizabeth gasped, turning to Michelle.
"Yup, you heard right, kid." She nodded, knowing damn well there has never been a coyote sight in entire state, "...these are magical coyotes."
Butch, Brocoli and Elizabeth, gaped at her.
"M, magical?" The little girl blinked.
Michelle nodded again, "They don't eat kids that say bad words!"
The girl gulped, "S, so what do we do? I don't wanna be eaten!"
Elizabeth grinned at Butch, who only took a moment to realize what that meant, "Ohh... Um, you're lucky, little girl!"
"My name is Elizabeth Maldovia von-"
"I''m actually an expert in keeping magical coyotes away! It's a spell: repeat after me..."
Jacquotte marched into the large gardens outside the salon, looking for an isolated spot.
"Excuse me! Jacquotte!" Chance was nearly out of breath as he chased her, "Oh my, you are too fast!"
A hiking trail into the woods got her attention. He was a wuss, he wouldn't follow her there. She would be free to blow off steam. It wasn't wildfire season, but it was an excuse.
Surprisingly, as she stomped on crunchy leaves, cracking wood sticks with firm steps, a puffing breath followed behind, making clumsy, similar sounds.
"Jacquotte? I, I would turn around if I were you!" Chance panted, "I, father owns this property... He and grandfather us... use it to hunt... not even they go into the-!"
Jacquotte turned around sharply, "What the fuck do you want!?"
Chance fell on his butt with a thud, "Hey!" He protested with a scowl, "You are the one on my property!"
"You are the one all up my business!" Jacquotte bellowed, "Can you leave me the fuck alone for one minute?"
"Why, I never-" Chance grunted, standing up, "Gosh! Mind your manners, would you? Your language is deplorable."
Jacquotte squeezed her eyes shut with a growl, "I'm telling you Chance boy, I'll murder you if you don't stay the fuck away."
Yes, Brick made those dumb men shut up, and it was awesome to see them scared to death, but it did not dissipate Jacque's desire to destroy some-thing. Right now, Chance Harrington looked like the perfect target.
The boy scowled, wiping leave crunches off his yellow cardigan, "You are looking to start a wildfire!"
Jacquotte narrowed her eyes, "And what about it?"
Chance puffed up his chest as he walked up, leaving little space in-between them, "Well, you can't!"
Anger boiled inside her, and Chance hated to admit it, but her red-colored glare was getting scarier by the second... which was awesome.
Being born so wealthy and privileged had its good and bad side. For example, he'd never faced any sort of difficulties or discomfort in 13 years, which made life so, so boring. That's how privileged he was. Facing Michelle was thrilling, the biggest high he'd have in all of his sheltered life, probably.
He stood his ground, terrifyingly reminding himself: not only he didn't have powers, he was embarrassingly still a couple of inches shorter than her... Nevermind, Mama said his growth spurt should hit anytime, and make him hopefully as tall as the other boys.
Within a second, Chance was lifted by the collar.
"Oh my... God-!"
Jacquotte growled, shooting up above the ground, to the point they almost reached the property's tall pine trees. She held Chance by the collar, glaring into his eyes.
Do you want to die?" Jacquotte growled.
Chance swallowed, grabbing her hands, "Jacque...?" The girl's eyes were the hardest they'd ever been, her glare was worsening... And... W... Were her eyes glowing? "Jacque?" He swallowed dry, squeezing her hands, "Jacque...? Jacque!" Chance began shaking her hands, "Jacquotte! Jacquotte!!"
Finally, the girl squeezed her eyes shut, as if waking up from the trance. When she opened them again, they were no longer glowing. She blinked confusedly at him.
"Wow..." He sighed, softening his hold, "You really scared me this time."
Jacquotte blankly stared at Chance in silence, then at his hands. She breathed out, wondering how Chance Harrington got such soft hands. She'd never noticed, but again, they'd never...
Wait.
The girl widened her eyes in realization, feeling her face warm up with a gulp.
Despite his risky position, Chance cocked his head, "Are you... blushing?"
"No!" She shouted as she turned around, panting, "No, I'm not!"
Jacquotte Utonium had blushed while holding hands with a boy for the first time. And this boy was Chance Morebucks-Harrington.
It was mortifying.
Chance was silent for a minute, and he didn't walk back to the party either, since Jacquotte hadn't heard him stepping away. She gritted her teeth. The little prick was going to make this more awkward, wasn't he?
"Jacquotte..."
Of course he was going to.
The girl pinched the bridge of her nose, "I said I'm not b, blush- my face is... I'm all red, dumbass. Now, leave before I really scare you again."
"...I can't."
"Yeah, 'cuz you're a nosy pain in the neck!"
"No..." Chance's voice was small, "Not that."
Jacquotte crossed her arms, looking back at him, "Then what is it?"
Chance was pale, as he briefly looked down, and then back at her. Jacquotte looked down, noting the ground was still a couple of yards below them. She blinked once. Twice. Another time.
The ground was below... them.
Her eyes almost popped out.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
Woosh!
Jacquotte squeezed her eyes shut as Chance hit the ground. The little prick didn't even have the chance to yell. How bad had she hurt him this time?
She slowly opened an eye, "...Chance?"
No sound.
Her heart froze as she looked down at Chance's limp form. Carefully, she floated down, gawking at him.
"Chance...?"
No movement, no response.
Jacquotte felt her stomach turn, bringing her hands to her head, "Oh no, no no no..."
She'd done it, she'd finally killed the motherfucker. Blossom was going to be so mad... And Jacquotte was going to juvie, spiral into a life of crime, yadda yadda, but that's besides the point.
Jacquotte could do with a lifetime in the American prison system, but just thinking about her mom when she was mad sent chills down her spine.
When she began thinking of ways to get rid of a body, she heard coughing.
"Chance?"
"Hi... Hi. I'm fine..." Chance grunted, "I'm fine. I, I fell on..." He froze at the sound, "Oh no! No! Noo! Darn it!"
Jacquotte looked him up and down, "What? What!?"
Great, the prick had broken a vertebrae, and was crippled for life. This was even worse, Jacque might as well kill him and get rid of all evidence-
"My cardigan is ruined! Ruined! This is absolutely unacceptable- Ouch! Hey!" Chance held the back of his head, where Jacque had landed a swift but painful slap, "What was this for!?"
"For being an ass! I thought you were fucked up!"
"Hey! You were the one that held me up in the air with your mind. This is your fault." Chance stated, "Since when can you do this, anyway?"
Jacquotte shrugged, "...since now, I guess." She muttered, crossing her arms.
Chance smiled, "Well, looks like a swell new power to have!"
Jacquotte shook her head, "My parents don't have this kind of power... they can't... Grandpa said I would have their powers. I don't even know what happened."
"Why, ask your mom. Miss Utonium's heroic deeds are impressive, I bet she has seen it all, and knows it all too!"
"No. This was weird. I will... I will figure it out on my own... And you ain't gonna say shit to anyone!"
The boy sighed as he stood up, "Wow, back to your usual vernacular, I see."
Jacquotte scowled, though not as menacingly, "Chance..."
"Ok, ok." Chance defensively raised his hands, "Not that this matters. No one will believe me if I say we held hands, you started blushing, and hung me up in the air."
"You do understand I was this close to murdering you, don't you?'
The boy grinned triumphantly, leave crunches stuck on his cardigan and khaki pants, "Yet, here I am!"
The salon had a large balcony at the back, to the estate's garden, and the forest behind it. It was relaxing, away from the chatting that happened to get increasingly louder.
Blossom's drinking (and other unhealthy habits) came from a place of needing to manage anxiety, stress, insomnia, etc. So, she was glad to have found the mahogany balcony.
Oh yes, and running away from her college ex-boyfriend.
"Another one?"
Brick's hand appeared in front of her, holding a cigarette between two fingers. Blossom, rolled her eyes, slapping it away.
"If you want to smoke, go somewhere in the woods. There are kids nearby!" She ordered, leaning on her elbows, over the balcony.
Brick grinned, and did the same, "Plus, Buttercup might walk in anytime!"
Blossom groaned, "I should've never told you that. Your mental age is 14."
"Look who's talking!" Brick snarled, "Look at you! This is just like high school."
"...I beg your pardon?" Blossom slowly turned her head around to stare at him.
Brick leaned on his side with a smirk, "Yeah! You having lunch outside the cafeteria, with the healthy meal you made yourself, reading thick books nobody had ever heard of. All like, 'I'm too good! I'm Blossom, I'm better than everyone else.'" Brick mocked, femininely tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
Blossom sighed, "I'm not even going to award you with a response." She said, flipping a hair over her shoulder before signaling to a nearby waiter, "How bored are you that you have to come bug me over high school?"
The man laughed, "Not much, can you believe it!?" He exclaimed, grabbing a drink from the same waiter that brought Blossom's. He scrunched his nose, analyzing the colorful drink, "I don't even know whatever this is."
"Have you never seen a cosmopolitan before?"
"Girly drink." Brick shrugged, taking a sip whilst Blossom rolled her eyes, "Apparently it's the favorite from a whole lotta women here."
Blossom raised an eyebrow, "Really? How would you know that?"
"Dad talk." Brick stated, jamming a thumb in the salon's direction, "James' wife can't sleep without one, and Rickie's can't sleep without one."
Blossom raised an eyebrow, "Oh, James and Rickie? You met them?"
Typical. Brick, a people's magnet while being simultaneously antisocial.
The man nodded with another sip, "Yes. They aren't ready to admit they are married to alcoholics, though."
True.
"How did you meet...?"
"They were grouped together with Raul, Samberg, some guy with veneers. Then a handful of other people joined and I had to get away... "
Oh, so... Brick had acquainted a handful of people in just a few hours.
Good for him.
The redhead glanced inside the salon through the glass doors, "Do you mean those guys?" She pointed discreetly.
Brick nodded, "They consumed my entire knowledge about The Superbowl. Almost killed me when I said I'm a soccer fan... Veneers dude is a wrestling fan. I didn't even know those existed."
Blossom drank the rest of her Cosmopolitan, "Excuse me. Can I have a marguerita with no lemon juice, please?" The waiter stopped in his tracks, with a questioning look. Blossom nodded in confirmation, "Just replace it with tequila. Thank you."
Brick muttered, amusedly watching the startled waiter walk away, "I bet that's the first time he'd ever heard someone order this."
"He's a waiter for the Morebucks. He'd seen worse."
Brick never volunteered to a single school event and surely didn't spend the last 13 years forcing himself to watch 'The View' just to have a topic in common with parents and neighbors. Brick is a natural people's magnet because everyone loves a tall, good-looking man with a god complex.
"True." He nodded, amused, "Oh shit, brace yourself. Fuckin' veneers and his wife are coming in our direction."
"Are they?" Blossom sighed
Asshole.
"You think they gonna invite us to some weird swing stuff?"
He doesn't even have that much charisma, and that wasn't even this funny-
Blossom pressed the back of her hand on her mouth. That was not a laugh, it was a snort. She slightly turned her head, "He kind of looks the part, don't you think?"
"Shit, that's true!" Brick threw his head back with a wholehearted laughter. Blossom smiled proudly. That was a real laugh. "Wife look kinda freaky with the weird eyes- Hey, man!"
Blossom turned around with a smile. Coincidentally, her drink arrived at the same time, "Thank you!" She mouthed to the waiter.
"Brick! I have to introduce you to my wife, Jennifer." Veneers said, gesturing at his weird-eyed wife.
"You had to, huh?" Brick smiled, throwing a quick glance at Blossom, who grinned over a sip
The red-headed woman nearly sighed over her beverage, and the perfect ratio of numbing juice it had.
Jennifer grinned, "My husband said you are a businessman as well!"
"Yes, I- Blo, Miss Utonium!" Veneers smiled widely at the woman "Dear, you remember... Miss Utonium? Right? Her daughter, Jack, she's in the same class-"
Jennifer smiled firmly at her husband, "I know, darling." She then stared at Blossom, seizing the woman up and down with the same rigid smile, "Good to see you again, Miss Utonium.
Blossom forced a smile, "It's nice to see you too-"
"If it depended on your ex-wife, all businesses in the state would be going broke!" Jennifer laughed.
Brick, blinked in confusion as he looked at Blossom, who grinned at the woman, "Well. It was not like that-"
"That boy's family did go to your office." Jennifer stated.
Veneers touched his wife's shoulder, "Sweetie... It was settled, nobody needed to lawyer up."
Brick raised an eyebrow, "Settled?" He asked, glancing at Blossom, "What does it mean?"
The woman almost envied his cluelessness.
The case in question pertained to Jennifer's local coffee shop chain making teenagers work late evening shifts. When pressured, Jennifer blew up, retorting she worked 12 hours in her mom's restaurant at eleven, and she turned out fine. The matter was eventually settled amicably.
The woman sighed and slightly shook her head, "Excuse me?" She motioned to the waiter, waving her empty glass, "Can I have another one? No juice or liqueur." The waiter opened his mouth, "Yes, replace them, please." She answered his unspoken question.
The waiter sighed and raised his eyebrows understandingly, "Yes, Ma'am."
"Thank you."
Jennifer gently placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, "Sam also runs a local business. And apparently, so do you... Brick?"
The man blinked, "I... own bars."
"Oh " Jennifer immediately recoiled her hand, "Bars? Hum, that's different."
Veneers cleared his throat, "Brick owns Barcelona 76, Jen."
As soon as Sam said that, Jennifer gaped like a fish, and even Blossom turned to him, with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, Sam. Good memory, man." Brick complimented, "We inaugurated Barcelona Rooftop a few months ago, though. Have you been there yet?" He grinned before throwing his counterpart a look and murmuring, "I told you I have places that'd put Morebucks to shame."
As a response, Blossom threw him a look, discreetly rolling her eyes.
"Well, that's just great!" Jennifer clapped her hands, "It's a relief to meet someone who knows the struggles and challenges of business owners like us."
Brick nodded with a forceful smile as Jennifer's mouth kept vigorously opening and closing, opening and closing, opening and closing whilst making sounds nonstop.
Blossom murmured so quietly only he could hear, "I am going after that waiter."
A single tear dropped down his forehead.
"Order one for me." He murmured, gritting his teeth through a grin. From his peripheral vision, he saw the woman throw him a stern look. He swallowed, "Please...?" Her gaze softened somewhat but she still stared at him. "I shared my nicotine with you!"
"Fine!" Blossom answered, quietly excusing herself with a grin.
The peace she felt once she entered the salon, away from Jennifer's voice, made her empathize with Brick. Asshole or not, he was behaving much better than she expected - or remembered. A decade ago or so he'd have made Jennifer cry within minutes of interaction.
Blossom took her sweet time getting two "opposite virgin margueritas" and walking back to the balcony, observing her surroundings the entire time. She didn't see Jacquotte, but there were no signs of fire or traumatized kids either, which meant Jacque was doing great so far.
Was Blossom also taking her sweet time to maximize Brick's suffering in Jennifer's hands? Now, would she even do that.
When she returned, another couple had joined, and the robotic conversation somehow had gotten louder. Brick almost jumped out of joy when he saw her, "Holy fuckin' shit, did you cross the border for the Tequila or what?" He murmured, reaching for a drink.
Blossom raised a smug eyebrow, holding the drink back, "Ah-ah. Magic word?" Instead of a glare, the woman got a blank, distant stare, as if he was playing something in his mind, "...Brick?"
The man blinked, and hissed, "Ah yeah, sorry... huh..." He closed his eyes, "Got distracted- huh..." He opened his eyes, "Please? Thank you...? What else?"
The woman decided to let him have his numbing juice, "Nevermind. What did I miss?" She asked, discreetly joining the group.
Like clockwork, a woman standing next to Jennifer called, "Excuse me... Blossom?" She put a hand in the shoulder of the man standing by her side. Blossom's eyes grew wide, "This is Ethan Hawthorne... He's a strong senate ally to our dear Senator Corelle, from Townsville."
Ethan grinned at Blossom, "A familiar face. Finally!" Blossom froze as the group went silent, and Brick looked at her, questioningly. "Samantha, if you'd told me you were going to introduce me to Blossom Utonium, I'd have felt much more at home!"
The group looked back at her, expectant. Blossom swallowed a big gulp of her drink, and just laughed nervously, turning a previously chatty atmosphere awkward.
Amidst the silence, Brick blinked at them, "Yeah. The Powerpuff girls." He stated with a sip, "Saving the world before bedtime, am I right?"
Ethan chuckled with a head shake, "I'm not from Townsville, never heard of the Powerpuff girls until I was twenty-one. We met in Blossom's first month of college." The man announced, making Blossom's face turn cherry red. The smug pride, in his voice was tangible, "Well, first month, first drink, first boyfriend... first everything."
Now the awkward atmosphere received a topping of secondhand embarrassment as the full grown adults set their eyes on Blossom, as if sex was utterly scandalous to people in their mid-thirties, most of them with kids.
Ethan seemed unphased as he turned to Brick, "Oh, I'm sorry. You are...?" He extended a hand with a polite a smile.
For a second, Brick looked like he was going to snap the politician's neck, but quickly, it dissolved into a amirk. He firmly shook Ethan's hand.
"Brick Jojo. Second boyfriend, first orgasm."
Jacquotte just couldn't get enough of it.
Since the altercation with Chance, the boy finally left her alone to pounder.
From the get-go, Jacque decided she was going to move a rock using her mind. She couldn't simply walk back there, all willy-nilly, and pretend everything's fine, not knowing the full extension of her new power. A rock that fit the palm of her hand was a good start.
At first, she tried using force: balling her fists, clenching all the muscles in her body, fixating a strong glare in the rock, in hopes it would move. The most eventful result she got was letting out a fart she didn't know was there.
After many attempts, she revisited the altercation with Chance step by step, and realized what activated her power: she was really fucking angry. Once the realization set in, she looked back at the rock, and thought back to all the moments she wanted to go berserk, set the world ablaze, incite chaos, hurt people.
It worked.
Now, she must've spent the last hour or so staring at the rock floating in front of her face. She'd made fly up, down, to the sides, but couldn't get enough of watching it float in front of her own eyes.
Like, she had done it. She'd fucking done it all by herself. Or so she thought.
"Enjoying your little birthday gift I see..."
She abruptly turned around. The rock fell back on the floor, and there was nobody else in the woods as far as she could see.
"Who's there?" She looked from side to side, "Who the fuck's there!?"
She heard tongue clicks, "Is that how you greet your childhood friend...? Well, it's not like manners have ever been in your DNA. Half of it, at least."
The girl's jaw dropped, "RED MAN!?" she bellowed, incredulously.
The voice cackled, "Took you long enough."
The figure materialized before her eyes, just like in her childhood memories.
Jacquotte turned around, squeezing her eyes shut, "No! No, no, no. That's... that's not good. Imaginary friend at four is creativity; imaginary friend at thirteen is psychosis. No. Nope, nope, nope."
Jacquotte sensed the form floating in the air until it was standing in front of her.
The being giggled, "Sweetie, I'm not your imaginary friend..."
With a low growl, Jacquotte opened her eyes to falte at the creature, "Yeah? Well, and I'm not psychotic, so what the fuck does that make you?"
The tall creature smirked, brushing a strand of her hair off the girl's face with that weird, creepy "hand" Jacquotte hated since she was a toddler, "Sweetie..." He giggled, "Since the beginning of the times, people from around the world tried to figure it out: who am I? What am I? How come is it even possible for something as treacherous as me to exist. They created myths, theories, but all failed miserably. I'm omnipotent, omnipresent, the materialization of all that's evil and chaotic in in the billion-years universe you find yourself in right now..." The creature sighed, "But you can call me grandpa, if you want!"
na: not the last we see of Ethan!