Chapter 10: New Home.
As they walked away from the park, the city seemed quieter, as if it was preparing for something new. Bonnie was walking ahead and Fern was behind her, wordlessly adjusting his guitar strap; however, in his mind the woman's words in the bathroom of his now former home echoed, but he tried to focus on the sound of the pink-haired young woman's footsteps, who seemed to keep a calm, confident pace.
"Hey, Bonnie" Fern spoke catching his former teacher's attention.
"Huh? What's the matter, Fern?" she asked in a calm tone of voice despite the chill of the night.
"Is it much farther to the place where I'm staying?"
"No. We only have to walk a couple more blocks, it's not too far" the pink-haired young woman. Fern nodded slowly, more to himself than to Bonnibel, despite her answer, uncertainty still invaded his chest but he could not deny that circumstances left him no other choice.
"So... do you live alone?" he asked more to fill the silence than out of true curiosity.
Bonnie turned her head slightly towards him as they continued walking.
"Yes, well. Sort of. I live in an apartment building near the school, it's convenient for work... and quieter" she replied. The boy noticed the brief pause before the last word. He did not want to probe, but something in her tone struck him curiously.
"Aren't you uncomfortable with me crashing there?" he asked, his voice sounding harsher than he intended. Bonnibel paused for a moment, looking at him with a calm but firm expression.
"It doesn't bother me. If it did, I wouldn't have offered it to you."
Fern swallowed and turned his gaze away. There was something in her way of speaking that reminded him of Marceline: direct, but without judgment.
"Thank you" he murmured, not knowing what else to say.
"You're welcome" Bonnie said, smiling slightly before resuming her walk. Once they arrived at the apartment building, Bonnie went up a staircase followed by Fern, they both started walking down a hallway which was dimly lit and had about eight doors facing each other, four on the left side and four on the right side, all of a dark brown color with different numbers "this building is owned by the school counseling, normally the teachers and council reside here" she explained as they walked, they both stopped in front of one of the last doors on the left side "this apartment has been unoccupied for a long time, Professor Petrikov used to live here but he vacated it years ago. It's nothing fancy, but you'll be more comfortable here than in the park" Bonnibel opened the door with a soft click, letting Fern in first. The place was small but cozy, warm light contrasting with the coldness of the night outside. There was a bed, a chair, a desk, a small fridge, there was one more white door that he had to assume it was the closet, a nightstand, and a glass rested on it along with a couple of pens "you can leave your guitar by the desk" she indicated as she took off her coat. Fern did as she asked, setting the guitar down carefully before sitting on the bed. His shoulders relaxed almost immediately, as if he could finally breathe after what seemed like an eternity "I'll let you stay here and just for tonight it will be free, the rent for the apartment is two hundred and fifty dollars a week plus expenses and food but, knowing what happened, I'll try to talk to the manager and the student council members to let you stay for a more affordable price"
Fern nodded slowly as he looked around the apartment. It was not much, but after a night like the one he'd had, it felt like an oasis.
"Thank you" he murmured, unsure if he should say anything else. The pink-haired woman left her coat on the chair and sat down next to him, resting her elbows on her knees.
"You don't have to thank me. We all need help at some point" she paused, looking at him straight in the eyes "although I can't help but wonder... what really happened?"
Fern looked away, staring at an undefined spot on the floor. He did not want to relive the scene in the bathroom, the woman's words, and the children's sobs.
"Just... let's just say things got complicated at home" he replied, his voice barely a whisper. Bonnie nodded, respecting his silence. She got up and went to the small fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and offered it to him.
"Here. You probably haven't had anything to eat or drink in hours."
Fern accepted the bottle, taking a long gulp before setting it down on the nightstand next to the glass.
"Thank you. Again."
"Don't worry about the money now" she added, returning to her more professional tone "I'll really try to talk to the council so you can stay here at a reasonable price. In the meantime, get some rest. You look like you need it."
Fern nodded again. As she got up to leave, he watched her, noticing how different she seemed outside of the school environment. Less stiff, more confident.
"Bonnie" he said suddenly, just before she walked out the door.
"Yes?"
"I don't know what I would've done tonight without your help" Fern said, showing for the first time a kind side no one had ever seen.
The young woman smiled softly.
"There will always be someone willing to help you, Fern. You just have to accept that help."
With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving Fern alone in the small apartment. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, he felt a spark of hope.
This apartment may not be the greatest thing, but it's better than what I had a few hours ago.
Meanwhile, that same night in another part of town, more specifically almost reaching the outskirts, Finn and Minerva were sitting at the small kitchen table they used from time to time for breakfast and dinner. The sound of silverware clattering against plates filled the small dining room, accompanied by the occasional murmur of the television turned on in the living room. Finn chewed in silence, his gaze fixed on the stew in front of him as his mom checked a couple of papers next to her plate.
"So?" she asked suddenly, not looking up from her work. It was not that she did not want to pay attention to her son, unfortunately, she had yet another night of taking medical records to fill out at home "how did it go today?"
Finn swallowed before answering with a shrug.
"Fine, I guess."
Minerva looked up from her papers for a moment, arching an eyebrow.
"That doesn't tell me much, Finn. Anything interesting? did you have any troubles?"
Finn hesitated for a moment, considering whether he should mention the Chemistry exam disaster. But he knew that would probably earn him a long lecture on the importance of studying, so he opted for a safer approach.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. Just classes and... You know, school stuff."
Minerva seemed to accept the answer, though she kept her gaze fixed on him for a second longer before returning to her papers. Finn sighed internally, grateful to avoid the questioning, he did not want to tell her how he had done on that day's Chemistry exam even though he had promised her he would. The silence soon became awkward. As he played with his spoon, a thought crossed his mind, and he remembered Phoebe's invitation.
"Hey, Mom" he began in his casual tone, though his mind was already planning how to phrase the request "do you remember there's a rock festival downtown next week?"
"Yes, I remember" Minerva said looking up again, and if I remember correctly, we agreed that we would both go together.
"Yeah, but... there was a change of plans, Phoebe invited me to go with her. And, well, I thought it might be fun... you know? Hanging out for a while."
Minerva's expression hardened slightly, laying the paper in her hands on the table.
"Did you find out if the festival is in a safe place?"
"Of course it is" the blond boy hastened to answer "it's just music, local bands playing on a stage. It's no big deal, and... Phoebe will be with me the whole time."
"Hmm..." Minerva crossed her arms, leaning slightly back in her chair "you know, I don't like the idea of you being out so late, especially if I'm not there with you..."
Finn felt a little knot in his stomach.
"It won't be too late, I promise. Besides, Phoebe can make sure nothing weird happens. She's always on top of everything."
Minerva sighed, drumming her fingers on the table as she studied him. Finally, she nodded.
"That's fine. But I want you to send me a message when you arrive and another when you get back. And if there are any problems, I want you to call me right away."
The boy smiled broadly, relieved.
"Thank you, Mom! I promise, I won't let you down."
Minerva gave a small smile, picking up her spoon again.
"I hope so, sweetie. Now, finish your dinner before it gets cold."
Finn nodded, eating again with renewed enthusiasm. For the first time all day, he felt that something exciting was about to happen. He could not have been more wrong about that thought.
Marceline pushed the front door, letting out a long sigh as she dropped her bag on the hallway floor. The case where her bass rested hung over her shoulder, and her body cried out for a shower and some quiet time.
"Well?" a man's voice echoed from the dining room, with that disinterested, critical tone she knew so well.
The long dark-haired young woman stopped in her tracks.
"What do you want now, Dad?" she asked, plopping down on the living room couch without bothering to look at him.
Hunson appeared from the kitchen, a cup of tea in his hand and a stern expression on his face.
"What do you think I want? to know if you're wasting more time with that band and the friends you have instead of thinking about your future."
Marceline gritted her teeth, how she hated that every time she came home she had the same dilemma with her father.
"My future is playing music, Dad."
Hunson snorted, setting the cup down on the table with more force than necessary.
"Please, Marcy. Music doesn't pay the bills. How many times do I have to tell you? If you really wanted something better for your life, you'd be looking for a more stable career, like your mother did."
Mentioning her mother had been a low blow. Marceline stood up, fixing her gaze on her father.
"Don't bring mom into this" she exclaimed, trying to contain her anger "she did support me, she'd be proud of who I am now."
Hunson raised his hands, feigning innocence.
"I'm just telling the truth. She always believed you were capable of great things, not wasting your time performing in abandoned cellars."
The silence that followed was tense. Marceline took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before answering.
"Thanks for the reminder, Dad" she spoke sarcastically "now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do" she grabbed her bass and her bag, heading upstairs before the man could say anything else. When she reached her bedroom, she slammed the door shut and let out a muffled scream against her wine-colored pillow. As soon as she managed to stabilize herself a little, the young woman looked at the case where she kept her bass, she got up from the bed and went to open it to take out her favorite instrument again, she opened her bag with her free hand, from it she took out a notebook covered in dark purple leather along with a black and red pen, that notebook was important to her, because she used it to write her songs. Her father had given it to her some time ago telling her to use it for useful things and she found no better use for it than to fill it with scribbles, writings, words and sometimes nonsense rhymes. She returned to her bed, sat on it with her bass resting on her lap, opened the notebook and began to flip through some pages looking for the song she was secretly working on to play at the festival, maybe if he made as little noise as possible, she could work a little and then go take a bath, she really needed to clear his mind. Without wasting any more time, she placed the strap of her bass around her shoulders and began to sing the song where she had left off "after you I understood, that time doesn't make friends. How short the love was, and how long the oblivion. I'll be your light, I'll be a disguise, a lantern that lights up as you drive by. Any butterfly, the north star, that comes alone and leaves on its own..." she hummed that verse as she ran her pen over the lines of the notebook, adjusting a rhyme that she had previously written down and that did not quite sound right. She had managed to get into a comfortable rhythm, the background noise of the argument with her father was slowly beginning to fade away "I will be the taste of a kiss in the sea, an old adage about how to forget. I will be immortal... na na na na na na na na na na na na naaa" the sound of her phone vibrating on the bedside table interrupted her concentration. Marceline sighed, putting the pen down on the notebook and reaching for the device. Fern's name flashed on the screen "what's up, Fern?" she answered, resting the phone between her ear and shoulder as she adjusted the strings of her bass.
"Nothing serious" the blond with green-dyed tips on the other end of the line replied. His voice sounded casual, almost carefree but there was something in his tone that the young woman picked up on immediately.
"If it was nothing serious, you wouldn't have called me at this time of night, what's wrong?"
Fern took a while to answer and when he did, his voice was now laden with irony.
"Remember when we went to the police station? well, I have something to tell you: they still don't have a clue where my parents are."
Marceline stopped adjusting her bass, she could not help but frown as she listened to her friend.
"Did they tell you anything else?"
"Nothing. Just the same old speech. That they're 'doing their best'" Fern let out a dry laugh "but you know what? it's okay. Maybe it's better this way"
Marceline did not answer right away. She knew Fern had a habit of minimizing how he felt, pretending he did not care about anything when he was clearly affected.
"Fern..." she began, her voice softer this time "you know you don't have to act like you don't care"
The boy on the other end of the line let out a long sigh on the other end of the phone.
"And what would I gain from that? my parents aren't going to show up just because I miss them."
Marceline pursed her lips. She wanted to say something comforting to him but she knew her friend well and knew Fern wasn't the type to accept sweet words easily.
"Well, if you need to talk or anything else... you know where to find me."
Fern made a noise that could be interpreted as a laugh or a sigh.
"Thank you, Marcy. I'm fine for now" he replied "I just wanted to... you know, talk a little bit."
"Sounds good" Marceline replied, relaxing slightly.
The line was silent for a moment before Fern let out a sigh and began speaking again.
"You should get back to whatever you were doing" he suggested "I'm sure it's more productive than listening to my dramas"
"Nah, it was nothing serious" the dark-haired woman replied pretending to be unconcerned "I was just trying to advance the song I want us to perform at the festival"
"That secret song that you never tell us about, and we don't even know the lyrics?" Fern asked on the other end of the line.
"Exactly, that's the one I'm talking about."
"Of course, mysterious as always" Fern joked, although his tone had a tinge of genuine curiosity "I hope it's at least worth all the secrecy."
"Believe me, Fern" Marceline smiled slightly, looking at the notes she had written "it's going to be worth every second."
It was not a lie what she was saying, for the young woman that song carried a great meaning, because she was writing it to a very special person for her with whom she had had a strong connection but for life's reasons they were forced to put an end to their relationship, because there came a point in which they did not agree on absolutely anything and they came to have strong discussions.
"Hey, Marcy" she snapped out of her memories as she heard Fern's voice speak back through the receiver of her phone "let's talk about something else, how are you doing, how unbearable was your dad today?"
Marceline smiled slightly, although the comment struck a chord.
"Ah, the usual. He doesn't understand anything I do, and it seems he never will. But that's okay, I guess. If he doesn't remind me, who will?"
Fern let out a short laugh.
"At least you have some stability at home" the boy on the other end of the phone commented "I don't even have electricity."
"That's because you're a mess, Fern" Marceline joked, though her tone retained a tinge of concern "and what are you going to do about the festival?"
"I'm going to rehearse like a lunatic and hope I don't have a panic attack when we're on stage" he replied in a casual tone that did not quite convince Marceline.
"I don't think you have that problem. I've seen how you play your guitar and it looks like you've got fire in your hands dude, in any case, if you have a panic attack, I will make sure that the audience thinks it's part of the show."
They both laughed, the black humor easing the tension of the conversation. Fern settled his guitar on the side of the bed in his new home, holding the phone between his shoulder and his ear.
"Do you have any new songs in mind?" he asked.
"Yes, but I'm not going to sing them if you're still so curious" Marceline joked, flipping through the pages of her notebook. The tone of the conversation became more relaxed, a mixture of trivial comments and jokes that helped the young woman disconnect from the stress of her everyday life. Without realizing it, time flew by.
Until a knock on her bedroom door interrupted the moment.
"Marcy" her father's voice could be heard on the other side "it's too late. You should turn out the lights and go to bed. Tomorrow you must come with me to do some errands"
Marceline pursed her lips, rolling her eyes even though she knew her father could not see her.
"All right, all right. I'm going to sleep" she replied, stretching out the last word in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Bed in ten minutes. And no music" Hunson added before walking away.
As soon as the man's footsteps were no longer heard, the long dark-haired young woman returned to the phone, letting out a long sigh.
"I have to hang up. Looks like I'm a seven-year-old with a curfew again."
Fern chuckled.
"Sweet dreams, princess" the boy said jokingly.
"Yeah, of course. Sleep tight, Fern."
Marceline hung up, turned off the light and flopped down on the bed. As she closed her eyes, her mind wandered over the chords of the half-finished song, with Fern's voice still echoing in her head. And speaking of that, her phone suddenly lit up, the young woman grabbed it with one hand, unlocked it seeing that she had a message from Fern:
"Sleep well, Marcy ;)"
Marceline's answer:
"Shut up already and go to sleep at once, Fern."
Fern's message:
"Okay, whatever you say, boss -_-."
Marceline let out a low chuckle, set the phone down on the nightstand and closed her eyes again. With that last light touch, the burden of the day seemed to dissipate a little more, finally allowing her to relax.
The day started gray, the light filtered through the window of a small apartment, hitting the face of a certain blond-haired boy who had gone to sleep late because he was talking on the phone with his friend and bandmate. He could hear a knock on his door, but dismissed it as insignificant and went back inside the warm blankets, or at least he wanted to until whoever was outside put a key in the lock and opened the apartment door.
"Good morning~! Rise and shine~!" a sweet, feminine voice crooned, a voice Fern had known only a couple of hours and already knew who it was. Fern, with a grimace of discomfort, lifted his head from the pillows, half-opened his eyes just enough to see Bonnibel's figure standing in the doorway, a broad smile on her face as she held a set of keys in her hand.
"Really?" the blond boy asked, his voice still hoarse from having slept so little. He began to stretch lazily under the covers. Bonnie approached him with a cup of coffee in her free hand, as she pushed the apartment door with the other.
"Sure, it's almost ten in the morning, it's too late to sleep in and you have things to do" she replied as she set the cup down on the desk "I don't want you to get too used to the luxury of rest. Besides, if you keep sleeping in until midday, you're not going to be ready to start working."
Fern's eyes widened as she heard this and he immediately got out of bed and sat up in bed, the blankets covering half of his body.
"What?!" he exclaimed in an alarmed tone of voice, indicating that he was not expecting this answer "I don't understand... w-what do you mean, work?"
"Last night I contacted the members of the student council, I wrote them an email explaining the situation we're going through in the building and that we've a new resident, in this case you" the pink-haired girl replied "they told me that they agreed to let you stay, as long as you commit yourself once or twice a week to work tutoring. That way you'll be able to get the money to pay the rent."
Fern let her words settle, as if processing what he had just heard. After a moment, he sighed deeply, with a mixture of disbelief and resignation.
"Tutoring? Seriously?" he asked, running a hand through his hair still a bit disoriented "I don't even know where to begin. And I can barely sleep, Bonnie!"
Bonnibel did not lose her composure, as if she was used to such reactions. For some reason, Fern reminded him a bit of one of her students who shared the same physical features as he did, almost as if they were siblings who had been separated at birth.
"I know, it's not ideal. But it's a way for you to stay here" Bonnie replied "besides, you don't have to be an expert. There are subjects I could help you with, and you can teach something simple, like Math or Chemistry. The idea is that you make the effort, and the rest you do at your own pace. You don't have to do it every day, but as a commitment so that you can fulfill the agreement."
Fern, although reluctant, seemed to assimilate the proposal. The idea of being tied to a schedule and teaching something was disconcerting to him, but he knew he did not have much of a choice.
"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" he said with a wry smile, feeling the burden of responsibility begin to fall on his shoulders. Bonnibel nodded, standing up as she organized a couple of papers on the desk.
"Exactly. But don't worry, Fern. I'll do everything I can to make this work, okay?"
"Okay" the blond-haired boy with green-dyed tips replied smiling slightly "by the way, Bonnie. There's something I forgot to ask you last night."
"Yes? what is it?"
"Where... uh... where's the bathroom? I need to get ready and take a shower if I want to start the day."
"Come with me, but first I need you to grab a change of clothes and some sneakers or shoes" Bonnie left the apartment, Fern hurried out of his bed, picked up everything the woman told him and walked out behind her locking the door with his foot, not bothering to put the key back on since he would be back in a while after all. They both walked down the corridor until they reached the stairs, went down them, crossed another corridor, the walls of the building with their neutral tone and the dim light coming in from the windows created a slightly desolate atmosphere. Bonnibel moved swiftly forward without hurrying too much but keeping a steady pace. Fern followed her at his own pace, noting how different the structure of the building was compared to his previous home. When they reached the stairs, they began to walk down, and Fern noticed how the building seemed to become a little warmer as they moved into the less gray areas. They crossed another corridor before the pink-haired woman stopped in front of a door that, unlike the others, had a small sign that read "Bathroom" "this is it" she added, opening the door with a slight smile.
Fern looked at it, surprised by what he saw inside.
Well, although the bathroom is not exactly luxurious, I must admit that it is quite clean and has a cozy feeling compared to the bathroom in my old home.
The tiled floor glistened from the continuous cleaning and the warm light emanating from a lamp gave a homely touch.
"It's quite... peaceful, isn't it?" Fern commented nodding with a slight smile.
"That's all you need, right?" Bonnibel replied with a friendly smile "if you need anything else, just let me know. I'd like to stay and wait for you to finish but today I've to meet with the mother of one of my students, we've a serious issue to discuss. Call me if you need anything or come and find me at the school, it's not far."
Fern nodded and gratefully went into the bathroom.
As he looked at himself in the mirror, he realized how badly he needed a shower. He stripped off the clothes he was wearing the day before feeling the new routine (albeit uncomfortable) finally starting to take shape.
Bonnie arrived at the Chemistry lab where Minerva was waiting for her, she took a deep breath as she prepared to talk to her about what was going on with Finn. She intended to help him, but she knew the conversation would not be easy. She walked in with firm steps, but when the blonde-haired woman saw her, she stood up to greet her.
"Good morning, Bonnie, is everything all right?" Minerva asked smiling briefly, though her gaze was focused on some papers on the desk.
"Everything is fine, thank you for asking" Bonnie answered "however, I called you because I need to talk to you about something serious. It's about Finn" she added without looking at her.
"What's wrong with Finn?" Minerva asked, who frowned slightly intrigued "was there a problem with the exam?"
Bonnie sat down across from her and began to talk about Finn's grades, showed her the Chemistry exam he had recently failed and commented that he was having trouble in the subject. At that, the lab door opened, and Finn rushed in, something uncharacteristic of him. Both women looked at him almost at the same time.