Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Saturday 4^th January 2014

The chamomile tea wasn’t helping her relax one bit. In all honesty, Bonnibel was terrified; so terrified that she had sat in the same position for around a half hour, and all of the warmth from the red cup in her hands had slowly faded until her drink was a dissatisfying lukewarm. She wasn’t listening to her parents’ remarks over how easily she’d settle into her new school – she was too focused on worrying about the other kids.

For most of her life, she'd been ignored by other people her age; Bonnie had never fit in, and she knew it wouldn't be any different here. Her parents just didn't understand that - all they were doing was giving her false hope.

She leant back on the uncomfortable wicker chair she was perched on in her father’s new office of their new house, her blue eyes darting around the room. It was as boring as any usual office, somehow much more boring than the one back in New York – it was just a simple desk and chair, with her father’s computer in the middle. She missed the many bookcases hung up on the walls and the calm blue shade of the wallpaper; his old office was much better than the drab room she was in now. Of course, he would decorate, but it wouldn't be the same.

It would never be home.

“Bonnibel, are you even listening to us?” Her mother asked, an impatient glare directed her daughter’s way.

Bonnibel’s gaze shot towards her mother whom she much resembled – minus the pink shade that Bonnibel had dyed her hair. “Of course.”

“What did I just say?” Her mother challenged, raising a competitive eyebrow and sending Bonnibel a smirk.

Bonnibel exhaled. “Fine, I wasn’t listening. I just want to be by myself for a little while.”

Her father spoke up, and he was much more calming than her mother; he'd always had that effect. Bonnie's Mom had always been slightly high strung, although at times she was incredibly understanding - she just didn't get that her daughter didn't fit in. Bonnie was like a jigsaw piece in the wrong box. “We know that you didn’t particularly want to move here, but I can promise you that you’ll be okay at the new school. I know that your biggest worry is making new friends, and I can assure you that everyone will be all over you the second you walk into that school.”

Bonnibel scoffed, but she saw the genuine smile on her father’s face and managed to force one back. “I’ll try to make friends.” Lie.

“Thank you.” Her father smiled. “You can go to your room if you’d like. You have a big day tomorrow.”

She nodded. “Yeah…I’m going to go to bed early. Don’t wake me up for dinner. I need to sleep off my nerves.”

Her parents dismissed her, and she walked through the dark, unfamiliar house they now resided in and into what was now her bedroom. She sighed, flopping down on her warm, familiar bed – the only thing in these new surroundings that could actually give her a sense of home. The rest of her room was dull. The walls were painted a soulless grey, and she hadn’t gotten around to sticking up her old posters yet; her favourite one was of the periodic table. Her desk that was worn from years of use was shoved into a corner and was disorganised; anything that could be thrown out of her suitcase was temporarily residing on there - her pet rat, Science, wasn't too pleased with all of the junk surrounding his cage. The room itself was messy; there were cardboard boxes lying on the white carpet, with clothes strewn around. Moving could never be organised, Bonnibel decided.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself back home in New York – she knew where everything was there. She could almost smell the hot-dog stands and hear the cabs zooming past her. She missed her sense of direction - everything here seemed upside down.

She was cut off from her daydream by her mother bursting into her room with yet another box. How many of these things were there? “Put this away somewhere.”

Bonnibel sighed, staring up at the white ceiling, ignoring her mother’s comment. “I’m really scared, Mom.”

“I know, but you’ll be fine. Just wait a week – then you’ll be laughing and wondering what you were scared of!” Her mother assured, kissing her on the forehead.

Bonnibel watched as her mother fumbled about with the latest addition to the pile of moving boxes in Bonnibel’s room. She was momentarily amused by her mom nearly tripping over a stray wire from her TV which hadn’t been set up yet, but feelings of melancholy consumed her once again. “You know I’ve never had any friends, right?”

Her mom leant down and placed the box labelled ‘Bonnibel’s clothes' by her desk, huffing as she stood up. “That’s because you never tried to make any, Bonnibel. Every time we’d ask, you’d talk about how much you needed to study. Don’t get me wrong – we love how good your grades are – but it would be nice to see you having fun.”

“I have fun when I study, Mom.” Bonnibel reasoned. “And I do have one friend.”

“Your pet rat doesn’t count.” Her mother motioned to the cage on the left hand side of Bonnibel’s desk, where her rat, Science, was currently trying to ignore the clutter surrounding him and take a nap.

Bonnibel sighed. “I told you I’d try here. If I’m unsuccessful then I’ll throw myself into my schoolwork. It really doesn’t bother me too much if I don’t make friends. I just don’t want to get bullied or anything.”

“You won’t be.” Her mother assured, sitting down on Bonnibel’s pink bedspread. “The kids should be nice.”

Bonnibel let out a harsh laugh. “When are teenagers ever nice, Mom?”

Her mother chuckled a little, and Bonnibel finally looked to her to see her Mom smiling back at her with warm blue eyes much like her own. “You’ve got a point, there.”

“Exactly.” Bonnibel bobbed her head, a smile of her own creeping onto her face.

Her Mom touched a gentle hand to her shoulder. “I can promise you that you’ll be fine. You always have been right?”

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah.”

Her mother stood up and stretched, before turning back to Bonnibel with a stern look. “Unpack these boxes. You don’t want to be doing it all tomorrow, do you?”

Bonnibel laughed and moved a strand of her pink hair from her face. “Okay, Mom. Goodnight.”

“Night.” Her mother called as she bustled out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Bonnibel alone with her thoughts.

Bonnibel almost immediately flopped back on her bed with a loud sigh, eyeing the growing pile of boxes and groaning. She just couldn’t be bothered to unpack; it’s not like she even wanted to move in the first place. Bonnibel didn’t know how she was going to adjust from the change of setting. She’d lived in the hectic city of New York for her entire life; now she was in the much smaller town of Glassrock, Minnesota - which she hadn't even known had existed just few months prior. Her Mom had been offered a job transfer, and her parents had decided it would be a good idea to get away from all of the stress of living in a big city. She didn’t exactly like their idea to move, but it’s not like she had a choice in the matter. She hadn’t even left anyone or anything behind in New York.

You know, aside from her home and every sense of familiarity she had.

Sunday 5^th January 2014

Bonnibel had always hated waking up. She hated how disoriented she felt and how her eyesight was blurry and how her senses seemed jumbled. It made her feel vulnerable, and that was one thing she didn’t like. Vulnerability was weakness.

Bonnibel especially hated waking up knowing that she had a lot of unpacking to do.

She groaned and shuffled about in her bed until her fingers touched her cold phone that had been left to charge overnight. Her fingers wrapped around it and she unlocked it, her eyes squinted from the bright light of her screen. 9:36AM. No notifications.

She didn’t know what she was expecting.

She locked her phone and sat up, her pink hair a tangled mess. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, sticking one leg over the edge of her bed, proceeding to quickly hide it back under the duvet. Her new bedroom was freezing. She wrapped her duvet around her body and swung her bare legs over the edge of her bed, standing up. She walked across her room – still wrapped up in her pink blanket – and fished through the many cardboard boxes until she found her favourite purple sweater. She tugged it on, and continued searching though the boxes until she found a pair of grey sweatpants. She pulled them on, thankful that they were both warm and comfy. She threw her duvet back onto her bed, not bothering to make it as she usually would, and emptied the three boxes of clothes she found. She walked over to her wardrobe which had been pushed against a wall adjacent to the window, opening the doors. She frowned; there were no hangers for her clothes. “Mom!”

Her mother appeared within minutes, opening her bedroom door a crack and peeking her head around the corner. “Yes?”

“I don’t have any hangers for my clothes.”

“There’s a box of them downstairs.” Her mother told her, nodding her head towards the landing outside Bonnibel’s room.

Bonnibel sighed and followed her mother through her bedroom door and down the creaky stairs to the living room, which was in the same state as Bonnibel’s room, multiplied by about 1000. There were boxes everywhere. Somebody had cleared a pathway so they could navigate through the living room, albeit not a very good one, as Bonnibel nearly tripped over one or two stray boxes a few times.

Her Mom thrust a box into her hands. “There. That should be enough.”

Bonnibel nodded and stumbled out of the room, desperately trying not to fall over a box she couldn’t see due to her vision being cut off by the box in her arms. She somehow managed to escape from the cluttered living room unscathed and slowly made her way up the stairs, dumping the box at the top of them. She pushed the box against the back wall of the landing and grabbed a handful of hangers, entering her room.

The trivial yet tiring task of hanging up all of her clothes took quicker than expected, and Bonnibel was soon unpacking random things she couldn’t even remember owning and shoving them into the closest drawer until her room was filled with empty boxes. She checked the time on her phone. 13:17PM. She was pleased with how quickly she’d managed to unpack everything.

She wasn’t pleased with how she had nothing else to do for the day. She didn’t enjoy being unproductive and lazy; she always ended up wrapped up in her own thoughts and anxieties - namely about school the next day - which ended up overpowering her and then she’d be upset and in a bad mood until she went to bed that night. Bonnibel considered conducting a science experiment, until she realised that she’d packed all of her science stuff away and she really could not be bothered in getting everything out. Her TV had not been hooked up yet, same with the internet connection.

She dug around in the backpack she’d taken with her in the car on the drive here, pulling out her book; Jurassic Park. She’d seen the film when she was just eight years old, and she’d only just gotten her hands on the book. The science behind it fascinated her. When she was younger, she marvelled in the thought of dinosaurs being brought back to life by science. Of course, she’d realised it would be impossible pretty quickly, but the concept of the book still captivated her.

Reading her book managed to pass some time, and she had finished it by 6:30PM when her mother called her down for dinner. The book was much more detailed than the film – especially in the science aspect – so she concluded that she preferred the book.

Dinner with her parents was as it always was back in New York – dull. They chatted with her about recent events, how she was coping with the moving, if she was excited for school the next day. Honestly, it was tiring. Bonnibel didn’t want to talk about school. She knew that she wouldn’t fit in with the other students. She never has.

After dinner, she decided to take a shower and go to bed early to be well rested for the next day. She got into bed at 8PM.

She didn’t sleep until 11.

Chapter Text

Monday 6^th January 2014

Both of her parents drove her to school the next day. It was comforting for Bonnibel; at least they cared about her. The drive itself, however, was far from comforting. It seemed agonisingly long for a such a small town, and her nerves didn't exactly help the journey be any less torturous.

When she first got out of the car, she didn’t know what to think of the school. It was quiet compared to her old school back in New York, but still alive with the buzz of chatter from passing students - she overheard conversations about presents people had been given over the Christmas break, if people had been to see all of these different movies which Bonnie was sure probably weren't that interesting.

The hum of the car reminded her that she still needed to dismiss her parents, so Bonnibel turned back to the car and feigned a smile. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“We’ll pick you up here at 3. Remember to go to the main office to get your schedule. Have fun!” Her mother grinned.

Bonnibel kept up a happy façade until her parents had driven down the road and were out of sight. Then, her smile dropped, and she let out a groan which was accompanied by her condensed breath, reminding her of the times when she was a child and she’d pretend she was a fire breathing dragon, chasing her Dad around Central Park.

She wished she could be there now.

After loitering outside for a few moments, she decided that staring apprehensively at the dull grey school buildings wouldn't help her calm down. Taking in a deep breath, she pushed open the two double doors at the front of her school and took a shy glance around the hallway she was in. Grey lockers lined the halls, and cliques of friends strutted past, chattering to one another - again, with stupid, trivial conversations about music or TV shows. There were stupid ‘believe in yourself’ posters every 5 feet, which Bonnibel was certain that nobody even took a second glance at. The school was hopelessly drab, and Bonnibel already disliked it; even though she was alone back at her old school, she much preferred it to this dump.

Bonnibel knew she wouldn’t be invited to join any of the friend groups strolling past her. In all honesty, Bonnibel didn’t see herself as a teenager. Sure, she was 17, but Bonnibel didn’t feel like a 17 year old, or at least, a normal one. She never fit in with other kids her age because she was much too interested in science for it to be healthy for a girl her age. Many of her parents’ friends had said they’d never heard of a teenager conducting science experiments in their free time.

Unless Bonnibel found a person her age that enjoyed science as much as she did, she didn’t see herself hanging out with anyone or making any friends.

Bonnibel watched her fellow students as she walked past, successfully finding the main office with help from her map. She smiled at the lady on the desk as politely as she could; she'd been brought up to be well mannered. “Hi, I’m a new student -”

“Ah, Bonnibel, is it?” The woman smiled. “I have your schedule right here. Am I safe to assume you already have a map of the school?”

Bonnibel nodded, holding it up to confirm its existence. “Yeah.”

“Okay. You can make your way to your first lesson.” The lady replied. “Have a nice day.”

Bonnibel walked out of the main office and leant against a wall, unfolding the crisp sheet of paper the woman had given her. She found the list of her lessons for the day and scanned it over.

Monday

•          9AM - 10:40AM: Physics (Double Period)
•          11AM - 12:40PM: History (Double Period)
•          12:40PM - 1:30PM: Lunch
•          1:30PM - 2:20PM: English Literature
•          2:20PM - 3:10PM: Chemistry

She smiled when she realised her first lesson was Physics. She’d always had a love for science; it just fascinated her. She found the room number on her map and searched for the quickest route, speed-walking through the halls to get there early; she wanted to make a good impression on her teacher. She pushed open the blue door which was marked identical to the room number on her schedule, and confidently strode into the classroom. She smiled at the teacher – a relatively old man with long white hair and a white beard. “Hi, I’m Bonnibel. I’m a new student.”

“Oh, someone mentioned something about that.” The man smiled. “I’m Mr Petrikov. I’m your teacher for all of your sciences.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Bonnibel grinned.

“You too.” He replied. “You can take a seat wherever. I have no seating plan in my classes.”

Bonnibel nodded and walked over to a seat in the middle of the class. She shrugged her pink backpack off her shoulders and pulled her notebook out, resting it on the table. She grabbed her pen and placed it on the desk, zipping her backpack back up and tucking it underneath the table.

She was about to talk to Mr Petrikov again, but a pale boy with messy black hair jogged into the room. “Simon,” Bonnibel looked him over as she watched his attempt to bring his breathing back to normal. He was dressed in a red plaid shirt and ripped skinny jeans and looked like he’d just run a marathon, “Look, Marceline is probably going to be late.”

Mr Petrikov frowned. “And why is that?”

“Well, I woke up late and I was halfway here until I realised I forgot to wake her up.”

“You’re an idiot, you know.” Mr Petrikov stated. “Call her and apologise before she gets here and rips your head off.”

The boy nodded and turned to run out, noticing Bonnibel. “Hey…who’s this?”

“This is Bonnibel, she’s new today.” Mr Petrikov introduced her, smiling.

“I’m Marshall.” The boy grinned.

Bonnibel attempted a smile, but she knew this was the type of person her parents wouldn’t want her to get to know when she smelt cigarette smoke on his clothes as he approached her; he was probably nothing more than a lazy stoner. “So where’d you move from?”

“New York.” Bonnibel replied; she tried to be polite to the boy, although she really didn't want to give him any ideas.

“Whoa, a city girl.” Marshall winked at her. “Must’ve been pretty wild there. Got a boyfriend waiting back there for you?”

Bonnibel frowned. “No. Why?”

She could see the little twinkle in his emerald green eyes when she said that. “In that case -,” Marshall began, but Mr Petrikov cut him off.

“Marshall, knock it off with the flirting and call your sister.”

Bonnibel was interested. Sister, huh? As soon as Marshall left the room, she turned to Mr Petrikov. “He has a sister?”

“Oh, yes.” Mr Petrikov nodded. “Marceline. She’s very talented when it comes to music, but she can be a little...abrasive.”

“How do you know both of them?” Bonnibel questioned, unsure if she was overstepping any boundaries.

“Oh, I’ve been looking after the two of them since they were little.”

Bonnibel was about to ask why, but the bell rang and she prepared herself for the rest of the class coming in. She knew that nobody would talk to her, but the thought of stammering over her words or embarrassing herself terrified her; for a person who tried to seem confident and relaxed, she did get nervous when people talked to her unexpectedly. She tried to make herself seem unapproachable by looking down at her notebook and pretending that she was much more interested in whatever she was doing than a petty conversation with one of her new classmates.

It didn’t work.

“Hi, I’m Lady!”

Bonnibel looked up and batted her pink hair from her face. She examined the girl who had just sat down on the desk next to her. She had blonde hair which flowed down to her ribs and shone like a model’s when hit by the light. The girl had the bluest eyes Bonnibel had ever seen and she was quite honestly entranced by them; and most importantly, she had the widest smile Bonnibel had ever seen on her face. “I’m Bonnibel.”

“You’re new today, right?” Lady asked, shooting Bonnie a warm smile.

“Yeah. I just moved here from New York.” Bonnibel smiled back at the girl. She seemed nice; maybe making friends wouldn’t be so hard.

“That’s so cool! I’ve never been to New York but it looks beautiful around Christmas time.” Lady excitedly announced. Bonnibel didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone grin as wide as Lady was at that moment - Bonnie assumed Lady was trying to make herself look more approachable.

Bonnibel looked down, a sad smile forming on her face. “Yeah, it is.”

Lady wasn’t put off by Bonnibel’s sudden change of mood. “I take it you miss it?”

Bonnibel chuckled a little, looking back up at Lady. “Yeah, I do. It was my home, you know?”

“Yeah. Well, you can always make a home out of this place, too.” Lady was incredibly optimistic, and Bonnibel found comfort in this. “Do you want to talk about something else?”

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay!” Lady had many topics to converse about, apparently. “Who’s your favourite band? Also, is it cool if I call you Bubblegum? You know, because of your hair, and it's written here.” Lady tapped on the front cover of Bonnie's notebook.

“Yeah, sure. I don’t really listen to much music, but I do have a liking for Ed Sheeran.” Bonnibel mused. “Mostly for the music. I can’t relate to many songs but the acoustic tone is calming.”

Lady smiled. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool. My favourite artist is probably Taylor Swift.”

“She’s cool. I like her slower songs.”

“See, I’m the opposite. I like jamming to fun songs like 22, you know?” Lady explained. “It makes me a whole load more optimistic.”

Lady asked Bonnibel a series of questions about her interests and favourite things, and when the bell rang, she announced something that Bonnibel never thought anybody her age would ever say to her. “You’re hanging with me. Come on, I’ll take you to meet my other friends.”

Bonnibel was stunned and didn’t have a chance to reply before Lady had grabbed onto the sleeve of her pink cardigan and was pulling her out of the classroom. Lady kept hold of Bubblegum’s cardigan as the two of them wove through the crowds of students filing through the halls, and held onto her until they walked through two double-doors at the end of a hall. “We sit outside at breaks and lunch.”

Bonnibel nodded and followed Lady over to a hill of grass where a group of about 5 or 6 kids were sat talking to one another. Admittedly, Bonnibel was pretty nervous. She may have managed to talk to Lady, but that still didn’t mean she was used to socialising just yet. “Guys, this is Bonnibel. Bonnibel, this is Finn, Jake, Fionna, Cake and Gumball.”

Bonnibel didn’t question any of the nicknames and smiled. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you guys.”

She sat down in between Lady and the blond boy wearing an animal hat who Lady had introduced as Finn. The boy’s face flushed, and Bonnibel noticed he seemed a little nervous around her. She was about to talk to him, but the boy Lady had introduced as Jake talked to her first.

“So where’d you move from?”

“New York.”

“You miss it?”

“Yeah.”

“Talked to anyone else here yet?”

“This guy called Marshall tried to flirt with me this morning.” This seemed to elicit a collective gasp within the group.

“Marshall as in Marshall Lee Abadeer?” A redheaded boy - Bonnie thought his name was something like Gumball - asked her with wide eyes.

Bubblegum frowned. “I don’t know. He only told me his first name.”

“Don’t get mixed up with him, Bonnibel.” Finn warned, his cheeks flushed red. “Him and his sister are like, the biggest troublemakers in school!”

“Why, what do they do?”

“Marshall’s a huge player. He even flirts with Gumball, for crying out loud!” Fionna exclaimed, as Gumball went bright red. “Marceline is pretty much a bitch to everyone. They both stand out the front of school smoking.”

“Marceline gives me the creeps.” Jake stated. “It’s unnatural for someone to have red eyes.”

This fascinated Bonnie. “She had red eyes? Do you know why?”

“I think it’s because that freak is a god damn vampire or something.” A nasally voice coming towards them stated.

Everyone looked up, and the rest of the group smiled at a blonde girl dressed in mostly purple. “Hey LSP.”

Bonnie frowned, leaning towards Finn. “LSP?”

“We just call her by her initials. Just roll with it.” Finn blushed.

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks, Finn.”

“Why are we talking about creepy Abadeer anyway?” LSP frowned, sitting down next to Fionna. “I hate her.”

“Bubblegum talked to Marshall this morning.” Cake stated.

Bonnibel smiled at LSP, who looked her over. Bonnie couldn't help but feel a little nervous under LSP's judgemental stare; popular teenage girls like LSP intimidated her. “Are you new?”

“Yeah.”

“Figured.” LSP replied. “You’re not friends with those two creeps, are you?”

“No, I don’t plan on it.” Bonnibel replied.

“Good.”

“So what’s this about you thinking they’re vampires?” Cake laughed.

“Well they’re both super pale and Marceline has red eyes!” LSP defended. “It’s possible.”

“You’re delusional.” Fionna laughed, just as the bell rang signalling their next class.

Lady turned and smiled at Bonnibel. “What class do you have next?”

Bonnibel fumbled with her bag, pulling out her schedule. “Uh…History.”

Lady nodded and leant forward to see the rest of the group. “Anyone have History next?”

LSP spoke up. “I do, but I’m ditching to hang out with Brad.”

Lady turned back to Bonnibel and smiled sadly. “I’ll show you the way.”

The two walked in an oddly comfortable silence and Lady dropped Bonnibel off at History. “I’ll meet you here at lunch.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Lady.”

Lady swiftly walked down the hall, and Bonnibel watched after her until she was out of sight. Then, she took a deep breath, and opened the door to her History class, where all of her classmates were already sat down, writing the title that was on the board. All eyes turned to Bonnibel as she scanned the room for a seat. Her new teacher smiled. “You must be Bonnibel.”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

The teacher went to call for the class’ attention, until he realised he didn’t have to. “Class, this is Bonnibel. She’s new here today. Everyone be nice.”

She scanned the room. All of the desks were in pairs, and there was only one available seat that she could see at the back. Bonnibel nervously did the walk of shame past all of her new classmates and sat down next to a girl with messy jet black hair which fell all the way to her hips, spilling off of the chair she was sat in. Bonnibel examined the girl. She was very pale, skinny and looked to be pretty tall - taller than Bonnie, at least. She was dressed in a grey tank top and black skinny jeans, and a black hoodie was thrown over the back of the girl’s chair. Bonnibel smiled; from behind, the girl was quite beautiful. The girl was scribbling in her notebook and didn’t seem to notice the new presence beside her.

Bonnibel turned her attention to the teacher who was addressing the class, and was caught up with the work pretty quickly. The teacher passed around worksheets, before coming over to Bonnibel. “This will be your seat from now on; I’ve already marked it on my seating plan. Most homework is individual, but for big assignments, you’ll work with the person sitting next to you. For you, that’s Marceline.”

Bonnibel’s eyes widened. Marceline, as in Marshall’s sister?

She didn’t have to ask when the girl’s head snapped up and Bonnibel was being glared at with two blood red eyes. Bonnibel gulped, and Marceline went back to whatever she was doing in her notebook. The second their teacher left, Marceline looked up and scowled at Bonnibel. “I don’t like you.”

Bonnibel gulped; this Marceline girl was as intimidating as her new friends had said. “Okay…”

“We’re not friends, and we never will be.” Marceline continued; she held her glare and Bonnie knew that if looks could kill, she'd be dead. “I don’t care if we have to work on projects together or whatever. I’m not your friend. I don’t like you. Don’t talk to me.”

Bonnibel nodded, admittedly a little frightened. “Understood.”

They didn’t talk again all lesson, but it was clear that Bonnibel was now terrified of Marceline. She was confused that although Marceline seemed to be like her brother; a troublemaker, slacker and one of those kids that ends up dropping out of high school to smoke all day, Bonnibel noticed how the girl flew through most of the work in class, and how instead of the smell of cigarette smoke on her clothes, there was a faint smell of strawberries emitting from her.

The second Bonnibel heard the bell ring, she jumped up and packed her things away as quickly as she could, eager to get away from the terrifying girl next to her, sprinting out of the classroom and straight into Lady. “In a rush, huh?”

Bonnibel nodded. “You were right; Marceline is terrifying.”

Lady laughed. “She’s in your class?”

“Yeah. I have to sit next to her.” Bonnibel replied. “She told me she doesn’t like me and basically glared at me all of class.”

“Yeah, don’t take it personally. She’s just like that.” Lady stated. “You coming to the cafeteria? Or do you have a packed lunch?”

Bonnibel nodded. “I have my own lunch. I’ll meet you outside; I just have to go to the bathroom.”

Lady nodded, and the two friends went their separate ways – Lady to the cafeteria, and Bonnibel to the girl’s bathrooms. It took Bonnibel about ten minutes to arrive and meet her new friends outside. She would’ve been quicker if she hadn’t have run into Marshall on her way there. “Yo, new girl!”

She turned and saw him, sighing; after what she'd been told, she had her heart set on avoiding Marshall and his sister. “Hi, Marshall.”

He smiled, walking over to her and following her down the grey hallway. “Made any new friends yet? You know, besides me.”

She frowned. He thought they were friends? “Yes, actually. Your sister isn’t one of them.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, she’s pretty grumpy. I’ll make her give you a break.”

“Thanks, Marshall.” Bonnibel smiled a little.

“Marsh, where the fuck were you?”

Bonnibel’s gaze directed onto the voice, and she saw a very angry Marceline coming their way, so she decided that was her cue to leave. “I’m going to go. I’ll see you around, Marshall.”

“Later, Bonnibel.” He winked at her, which made her feel rather uncomfortable, but she shrugged it off and ran down the hall before Marceline could say anything to her.

She headed through school and outside, meeting up with her new friends. Lady was already there, eating the sandwich she bought from the cafeteria. “What took you so long?”

“Oh, Marshall started talking to me.” Bonnibel replied.

“Didn’t we tell you not to make friends with the Abadeer twins?” Jake asked through eating a cupcake.

“I only made friends with one of them.” Bonnibel defended. “It’s not like I intended to.”

“Bubblegum is scared of Marceline.” Lady explained. “She has to sit with her in History.”

LSP sighed. “Now I feel bad. If I hadn’t ditched you’d have had me to sit with.”

“You can always move next lesson.” Finn suggested, his cheeks flushed. Bonnibel wondered if he was blushing or if he’d just been running around.

“I can’t, the teacher put me on the seating plan there.” Bonnibel said. “I’m just going to put up with it.”

“That bites.” Jake stated. “At least you don’t have to talk to her.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah.”

Lady laughed. “Anyways, how’re you liking school so far, Bonnibel?”

That was the exact same question her Mom asked her on the way home.

She thought. Her first day wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

“I made some cool friends.” Bonnibel smiled, and she saw her Mom’s face light up. “A girl called Lady introduced me to all of her friends, Finn, Jake, Gumball, Cake and Fionna, and I met a guy called Marshall as well.”

“See, I knew you’d make friends!” Her Mom smiled. “I’m proud of you.”

Bonnibel smiled. She had a pretty good first day. Sure, she already had someone who disliked her, but apparently Marceline disliked everyone, so Bonnibel could live with that, and it’s not like Marceline was a nice person or anything.

At least, that’s what she tried to convince herself on the drive home.

Chapter Text

Friday 10^th January 2014.

Bonnibel thought she’d had a quite successful first week at school. She’d hung around with Finn, Jake, Lady, Gumball, Cake and Fionna at all of her breaks and she’d managed to avoid Marshall after she saw him outside smoking on the Tuesday.

She’d seen Marceline once within the week, in History. Other than that, the intimidating girl may as well have not even gone to the same school as Bonnibel, as she always seemed to disappear through the day.

She only ever saw Marceline on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the days she had History. Of course, Bonnibel never talked to the angry girl. Bonnibel did her best to ignore Marceline, but she did enjoy the sweet strawberry scent emitting from the girl. It was much nicer than the smell of smoke on her brother. Bonnibel was tempted to ask Marceline what perfume she used, but she felt like talking to her would get her punched in the face, so she refrained from it.

She was surprised when Marceline talked to her in History that Friday.

“Yo, Bonnibutt.”

“Marceline, that’s rather distasteful.” Bonnibel chided, before she realised who she was talking to and her eyes widened.

Why did I say that, why did I say that? Do I want to die? I'm so stupid! Bonnie inwardly cursed.

Marceline glared at her, her blood red eyes burning into Bonnibel’s blue ones. “What’d you get for question 9?”

“Do it yourself.” Honestly, Bonnibel was terrified that Marceline was going to kill her for being stubborn.

“I have. I put Stalin.” Marceline said. “I just want to know if that’s right or not.”

“Oh.” Bonnibel gulped and looked down at her paper. “You’re right.”

Marceline nodded and looked down at her paper, and Bonnibel felt relieved, but after a few seconds she looked back up at Bonnibel and glared. “Oh, and talk to me like that again and I’ll rip your head off and use it as a basketball.”

Yep, there it is, Bonnibel thought. “Sorry.”

Bonnibel told Lady about her encounter when she met her friends outside at break.

“I can’t believe you made it out of that alive.” Lady joked.

Bonnibel found herself chuckling as she sat down on the crisp, frosty grass. “Yeah, I know.”

“Hey, Bubblegum!” She turned to see Finn waving at her on his way over.

“Hi, Finn.” She smiled at him.

“You should come and hang out with us at the weekend!” Finn exclaimed. “Every Saturday we have a movie day.”

Bonnibel was about to decline, but Gumball spoke up. “Yeah, you should come. We’re watching the entire High School Musical box set. It’s going to be hilarious.”

“I really shouldn’t, I do have a lot of studying to do -,” Bonnibel tried to explain, but Cake cut her off.

“Don’t be a nerd, Bubblegum.”

Jake laughed. “Yeah, you nerd!”

Bonnibel sighed. “Fine, I guess I can come for an hour or so.”

“It’s at mine this week.” Lady said. “I’ll get your phone number and then I’ll text you my address.”

Bonnibel smiled and gave Lady her phone so the two could exchange numbers. Finn blushed and passed his phone to Bubblegum. “You can put your number in my phone if you want.”

“Okay.” Bonnibel took his phone and typed her number in, and ended up doing that for everyone else.

She was happy; she’d never had friends before, and although this was a new experience for her, she was genuinely loving every minute.

Saturday 11^th January 2014.

Bonnibel arrived at Lady’s house when the rest of the group were already there and were getting junk food – such as popcorn and numerous types of candy – prepared so they could stuff their faces during the movie.

Lady’s house was very big, and Bonnibel was pretty intimidated by the sheer size of the house. It was incredibly prestigious and Bonnibel was almost certain she’d gotten the wrong address, because she could’ve sworn it was a mansion she was stood outside.

Bonnibel tried looking for the bell on the black door, and when she couldn’t find it, she settled on the cold knocker. Lady was the one to answer. “Bubblegum, hey!”

“Hi, Lady.”

“We’re all in the kitchen making popcorn.” Lady led Bonnibel through her gigantic house – which Bonnibel was grateful for as she was sure she’d end up getting lost – all the way into the huge kitchen where the rest of their friends were making as much noise as possible as the popcorn was in the microwave.

“Guys, Bubblegum is here!”

They all greeted her and Finn even came over and gave her a hug. “Hi, Bubblegum.”

“Hey Finn.” Bonnibel smiled; Finn really was sweet.

Gumball passed her a few packets of ‘fun-sized’ chocolate bars. “Would you mind taking these up to Lady’s room? Jake’s going up there with one of the popcorn bowls so he’ll show you the way.”

“C’mon, Bubblegum.” Jake beckoned her towards the door, and she followed him through Lady’s huge house and up the stairs onto the landing. He walked her towards the door at the end of the landing and opened it to reveal a huge bedroom. Bonnibel was amazed; Lady had a queen sized bed with a pink canopy that Bonnibel took a liking to. Her walls were white and there were posters of boybands and pop singers over them. Lady’s room was organised, much like Bonnibel’s; everything had its place. There wasn’t a speck of dust on anything.

Bonnibel sat herself down on Lady’s bed, placing the packets of chocolate in her arms on the floor by Jake’s popcorn bowl. She stayed on the edge of the bed, unsure if she should make herself comfortable or if she and Jake would be going back downstairs. He answered that question before she could even ask it. “They’ll be up in like 5 minutes. We can pick out the first DVD.”

“What happened to watching all of the High School Musical movies?” Bonnibel chuckled.

“Cake vetoed that.” Jake stated. “She said it was too ‘immature’ or whatever.”

Bonnibel laughed. “It would’ve been pretty funny watching you guys sing along to all of the songs.”

“Yeah…” Jake changed the subject. “So what’s with you being BFFs with Marceline Abadeer, huh?”

Bonnibel laughed. “I wouldn’t call us BFFs. She doesn’t like me.”

“Clearly she does.” Jake exclaimed. “Lady told me about what happened yesterday and her not killing you when you talked back to her. If I did that she’d punch me!”

“She threatened to kill me.” Bonnibel defended. “She definitely does not like me.”

Jake was about to argue with her, but everybody else came into the room with more food and placed it on Lady’s rug where the rest of it was. “Guys, what’re we watching?”

“We should watch something scary.” Cake suggested. “Like, Nightmare on Elm Street or something.”

“No way.” Finn mumbled, looking down and blushing. “I hate scary movies, unless they’re stupid. What about an adventure movie?”

“Comedy.” Jake stated.

“I’m with Jake.” Lady said.

“Same.” Gumball replied.

Fionna nodded. “Definitely a comedy.”

They all turned to look at Bonnibel. Lady smiled. “It’s up to you, Bubblegum.”

Bonnibel frowned. “Comedy, I guess.”

Finn blushed, nodding. “Yeah, comedy. Good call, Bubblegum.”

“You literally just said adventure movie.” Jake scoffed. “Does somebody have a little crush on Bubblegum?”

Bonnibel frowned, although it did seem to make sense. Finn was always blushing around her, and he went out of his way to talk to her as much as he could. She thought it was cute, but she wouldn’t date Finn. He was two years younger than her and he wasn’t exactly her type.

Finn was bright red. “I do not! You’re full of it, Jake.”

Fionna laughed. “It’s pretty obvious, Finn.”

“Shut up.” Finn shouted. “I don’t like Bubblegum like that.”

“Finn, stop lying.” Jake laughed.

“It’s okay, Finn.” Bonnibel cut in. “If you do, I don’t mind.”

Finn smiled. “Would you go on a date with me sometime?”

Bonnibel froze. She didn’t know how to let Finn down easy; sure, she'd been asked out before, but she never had an interest or a friendship with the other people she'd rejected. She really didn't want to make things awkward with Finn, and the only person Bonnibel had ever asked out herself didn’t take it very well. “Actually, I don’t date. Sorry, Finn.”

Finn frowned. “Why not?”

She was aware of everyone’s eyes on her. “It would interfere with my studies.”

Jake snorted. “You’re such a nerd, Bubblegum.”

Finn nervously laughed. “Yeah, nerd!”

Lady changed the subject by holding up her Bridesmaids DVD. “How about we watch this?”

Everyone seemed to agree aside from a reluctant Jake who murmured something about how annoyed he was by the amount of chick-flicks they watched on movie day, but he didn’t complain while the movie was on.

Bonnibel was surprised by how quiet the group was while watching the movie. She expected everyone to be loud and talk over it about whatever gossip was going on, but apparently that only happened when LSP was there, which she wasn’t as she was hanging out with her sometimes best friend Melissa and her on-again off-again boyfriend Brad.

Bonnibel was also pretty shocked when she saw Jake and Lady cuddle up together, and everyone laughed at her wide-eyed expression when they kissed.

“They’ve been dating for like two years.” Fionna told her through her giggles. “They don’t really act like it, though.”

Bonnibel nodded. “They’re cute together.”

When the movie ended, Bonnibel stood up from her spot on Lady’s bed. “I’m going to go.”

“Aw, Bubblegum! Stay for one more movie!” Finn exclaimed.

Bonnibel shook her head. “I really should go do homework.”

“If you don’t want to watch another movie, then we can go for a walk or something.” Lady offered. “We don’t have to watch movies.”

“Actually, I quite like the idea of a walk.” Fionna stated.

Bonnibel smiled. “I guess I could stay for a little bit.”

“We’ll show you around town.” Jake grinned. “It’ll be fun.”

They did just that.

The town was much smaller than Bonnibel had originally thought, which was surprising as she already knew it was tiny. Her friends walked her through several neighbourhoods where the houses were identical. They were all the same size and colour and reminded Bonnibel of a stereotypical American neighbourhood from some dumb 60’s movie. The sidewalk was wet and the grass was frosty, and her friends’ breath was coming out in white clouds and their cheeks were red from the cold. Everyone was wrapped up in oversized sweaters and coats, and Finn had lent Bonnibel his backup white beanie.

They got to the centre of town, and Lady was determined to show Bonnibel the town mall, which was miniscule in comparison to the one Bubblegum’s mother always insisted on taking her to in New York. “This is where LSP, Cake and I spend our weekends. You’ll have to come shopping with us one day.”

Bonnibel chuckled a little. “I’m not really the shopping type.”

Fionna grinned. “Same here. Don’t worry, they drag me out too; you can be my co-complainer. Maybe we can leave early that way.”

Bonnibel smiled. “I guess I could go for an hour every once and a while.”

Lady’s face broke out into a smile. “Awesome! We’ll take you to all of the best shops, and by the end of the day, you’ll love it!”

“That’s what you told me.” Fionna rolled her eyes.

Cake laughed. “You’ll always hate shopping, we can’t change that. You’re just a grump.”

“I’d much rather be hanging out with Finn and Jake and playing video games.” Fionna stated.

Finn grinned. “Yeah! Video games are awesome.”

“I kick your butt every time, though.” Jake laughed.

“Yeah, and I kick yours.” Fionna finished, nudging Jake with her elbow. “You both suck!”

Gumball laughed. “I just stick with studying.”

Bonnibel’s eyes widened for a second, and then a smile settled across her face. “Hey, me too!”

“If you want I can show you the library one night and show you the best study books.” Gumball offered.

Bonnibel saw Finn glaring at his strawberry-blond friend. “Sure, that’d be cool.”

Finn changed the subject before Gumball could make him any more jealous. “We should all go see that new Paranormal Activity movie down at the movie theatre! I want to see if it’s as hilarious as the first 4.”

Lady chuckled as she lead the group down a new street that had stores lined down both sides, each one advertising different things. “Like you’d be let into that. It’s R rated.”

“Yeah!” Jake laughed, taking hold of Lady’s hand. “You look like you’re twelve, dude.”

Finn’s cheeks flushed. “I do not!”

Cake laughed. “We’d have to let you into some kid area while we all go in. Like a ball pit or something.”

The group burst out laughing, and Fionna was the one to finally calm down. “Real talk; who actually wants to go to this? I’m up for it.”

Cake shrugged. “I’ll go if you’re all down.”

Gumball nodded. “Yeah, same.”

Jake grinned. “Hell yeah! Lady, what about you?”

Lady shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

“I want to go!” Finn chimed in. “What about you, Bubblegum?”

Bonnibel felt everyone’s eyes on her. “I don’t know, guys. I’m not big on horror movies. Even the bad ones scare me.”

Finn raised a fist in the air. “I’d protect you!”

“I think I’ll sit this one out.” Bonnibel concluded.

Lady smiled. “That’s fine. You’ll still come to movie day next week though, right?”

Bonnibel shrugged. “I’ll let you know.”

Jake frowned when he realised where they were. “You guys do realise we’re headed towards the bad side of town, right?”

Gumball frowned. “Why are we going here?”

Everyone turned to Lady and there was a concerned mutter within the group. Bonnibel stuffed her hands inside her coat pockets and looked up at Lady as the girl explained herself. “I want to show Bonnibel where to avoid.”

“I wouldn’t mind it if we were in a car, but I feel like we’re going to get stabbed or something.” Fionna muttered as the group neared a block of run-down apartment buildings.

“God, I hate the stoner house.” Jake stated, a tremble in his voice as the group turned a corner and walked parallel to the dirty building which had graffiti all over it.

They were just nearing the end of the street – and Bonnibel could feel how tense everyone was – when they heard a “Hey, Bonnibel!” from behind them. The entire group spun around to see Marshall running towards them, waving his hand.

Bonnibel was confused, but forced a smile. “Hi, Marshall.”

“Getting a tour, I see.” Marshall commented.

“Yeah…” Bonnibel nodded. “What’re you doing here?”

“Oh, I’m -,” He was cut off by someone shouting.

“Marshall, get your tits back here.”

“Chill, Marce.” Marshall shouted back. “Don’t you want to talk to Bonnibel?”

Bonnibel squinted and saw Marceline stood with three other people who looked to be in their twenties and all had tattoos and piercings. She swore she could see Marceline scowling at her. “Of course I don’t.”

Marshall rolled his eyes and turned back to Bonnibel. “I’m just here with my friends and sister.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Cool.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” Marshall asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Oh!” Bonnibel’s eyes widened and she turned to her friends – who all looked pretty freaked out –, pointing out each one as she said their names. “This is Finn, Jake, Lady, Gumball, Fionna and Cake.”

Marshall smirked at Fionna. “Hey there. We’ve been at school together for 3 years and we still haven’t talked?”

Fionna glared at him. “That’s because you’re an asshole.”

“Can’t say I disagree with you there, blondie.” A new voice spoke up.

Bonnibel turned to see Marceline stood right behind her with an eyebrow raised. Marshall laughed at her. “Good one. I thought you weren’t coming over?”

“Yeah, well Guy and Keila started smoking and you know how I feel about that.” Marceline shrugged, flicking a stray strand of her inky black hair from her eyes.

“You smoke.” Jake stated, his attempt at sounding brave failing due to a tremble in his voice.

“For your information, dumbass,” Marceline spat, her voice filled with venom and menace. “I don’t. Never have, never will.”

Bonnibel smiled at this, and she caught Lady frowning at her with an eyebrow raised. She ignored the blonde girl and looked Marceline over, finding herself smiling even wider at the dark haired girl’s outfit. Marceline was wearing an oversized dark grey sweater with a red cat’s face in the centre, and black skinny jeans. Her midnight black hair was unkempt and messy and seemed to have a life of its own, but still managed to look soft, and for a moment, Bonnibel wanted to reach out and touch it.

Jake gulped and looked anywhere but Marceline, gripping onto Lady’s hand tighter. “Sorry.”

Bonnibel decided to speak up and distract Marceline’s attention from Jake. “Hi, Marceline. Did you do the History homework?”

“Fuck, we had homework?” Bonnibel saw Marceline’s eyes widen considerably, and she found herself chuckling.

“Not really. I just wanted to make conversation.”

“And apparently give me a fucking heart attack.”

Bonnibel giggled, and all of her friends stared at her with wide eyes. “You’re funny, Marceline.”

“Whatever.” Marceline rolled her eyes and then turned to her brother. “I’m going into Keila’s. If you don’t get your butt inside and practise with us, I’ll mount it on a wall.”

Bubblegum watched as Marceline stalked off over to her friends, and didn’t take her eyes off the girl until she disappeared into one of the apartment buildings that Jake had earlier described as ‘stoner house’.

Marshall chuckled. “I guess that’s my cue to leave. I’ll see you around, Bonnibel.”

“Bye.”

Lady waited until Marshall was out of sight and her and Bubblegum had walked ahead of the group to interrogate her. “How do you talk to her like that?”

“What do you mean?” Bubblegum frowned.

“You just say whatever you want to her and she doesn’t kill you!” Lady exclaimed. “Maybe she’s taken a liking to you.”

“Maybe Marshall just told her to give me a break like he said he would.” Bonnibel countered.

Lady sighed, her breath coming out like a puff of smoke. “I guess.”

They walked Bonnibel home, and the pink haired girl got hugs from all of her friends before she walked up her slippery driveway and onto her front porch. She watched as her friends disappeared down the street before opening the door and entering her house, sighing in content as she shook off her shoes and discarded her coat.

Maybe living here wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.

Chapter Text

Monday 12^th January 2014.

Bonnibel was stunned when Marshall came over to her in Physics that morning and asked her to tutor him in science.

“What?”

“I heard Simon grading your work from last week and he was talking to himself and saying how it was really good and better than anyone else in the class and later on he came into my room and told me I needed a tutor so I picked you.” Marshall explained.

“Can’t Mr Petrikov tutor you?”

Marshall laughed. “No, we tried that. Even Marceline tried tutoring me and she ended up throwing a book at my head.”

“Sounds like that went well.” Bonnibel joked. “I guess I could try tutoring you.”

“Thank you.” He grinned. “You’re a lifesaver, Bonnibel.”

She smiled back at him. “You’re welcome.”

“Meet me in the parking lot after school today and we can go to mine and study.” He said, walking off to his seat on the other side of the classroom as the rest of the class began filing in.

Bonnibel wasn’t sure how she felt about Marshall. Sure, he thought they were friends and Bonnibel was nice to him, but she knew he wasn’t the type of person she should be hanging around with. It was the same with Marceline, but Bonnibel did have a small soft spot for the female Abadeer – although that didn’t change the fact that she was pretty intimidated by her. Marceline didn’t do as many bad things as Marshall from what she’d gathered, but she’d seen some of their friends who all looked like drug addicts and she knew that in a few years that Marshall and Marceline would be like them too.

She sat with Lady and everyone at break, and Gumball asked her when she wanted to check out the library.

“I can’t tonight, but tomorrow would be good.” Bonnibel smiled.

He grinned. “Excellent.”

Finn sat in between the two and looked at Bubblegum. “If you want, we could hang out while they all go see Paranormal Activity.”

Bonnibel shrugged. “I don’t know. I was planning on studying all weekend.”

“You said you’d come to movie day!” Fionna exclaimed.

“I said I’d think about it.” Bonnibel laughed. “I don’t know, spending time with friends isn’t something I’m used to.”

Lady smiled. “Well, get used to it. We like hanging with you.”

Jake nodded. “You’re pretty awesome.”

Bonnibel felt a smile spread across her face that she just couldn’t contain. “I like you guys too.”

Cake grinned. “So you’ll come to movie day?”

Bonnibel laughed. “I guess so.”

History with Marceline wasn’t as bad as she’d expected. It was just a research lesson, and the teacher had allowed them to put their earphones in if they were working individually, so obviously Marceline had hers in hand and was listening to music before the teacher had finished his sentence.

Bonnibel dove her hand into her bag and searched around for some earphones, but typically that was the one day she’d left them at home. She did what she thought was the stupidest decision she could make; she asked Marceline if she had any spares. Obviously, due to the loud music she was listening to, Marceline couldn’t hear her, so Bonnibel tapped the girl on the shoulder. She took note of how Marceline flinched a little before composing herself and scowling up at Bonnibel. “Yes?”

“You don’t have any spare earphones, do you?” Bonnibel asked.

Marceline seemed pretty annoyed that Bonnibel was interrupting her music. “No, why?”

“Oh…it’s just, I forgot mine.” Bonnibel explained. “I just wanted to see if you had any spares.”

“Oh. Okay.” Marceline shrugged and put the earphone she’d taken out back into her ear.

Bonnibel sighed and went back to looking through the textbook on the table, and didn’t realise that Marceline was staring at her with an impatient glare until the girl kicked her under the table. “Ouch, what was that for?”

Bonnibel looked up at Marceline to see the pale girl holding out one of her earphones. Bonnibel frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I don’t really give a fuck either way, princess.” Marceline snapped.

Bonnibel didn’t like the way Marceline was looking at her; it made her feel inferior and vulnerable, two things Bonnibel hated, but she took the earphone from Marceline. “Thanks.”

Marceline just glared at her for a second before looking away and flicking through her textbook.

Bonnibel put the earphone in and was immediately hit by deafeningly loud rock music. She cringed a little; maybe the next song would be better.

It was. It was Bonnibel’s type of music; slow, relaxed and calming. Bonnibel was surprised by this. She didn’t expect Marceline to like this sort of music. She noticed the girl’s black iPhone on the table between them and pressed the button to bring up her lock screen. She saw Marceline watching her.

Bonnibel read the name of the song and the artist on the screen. Clairvoyant by The Story So Far. She nodded to herself and wrote the name down in the corner of her notepad so she could listen to their other songs later.

She looked back to Marceline. She was being watched by the girl, who had a quizzical look in her crimson eyes. “What were you doing?”

“Just getting the name of the artist so I can listen to more of their songs.” Bonnibel shrugged.

“Their other songs are all rock. This was just a one off acoustic thing.” Marceline stated. “So if you’re looking for that, you’re out of luck.”

Bonnibel didn’t care. “I like that song, so I wrote it down.”

Marceline frowned but didn’t reply, instead going back to her work.

They didn’t talk for the rest of the lesson, but Marceline did express her contempt when she saw Bonnibel with Marshall in the parking lot. “You have got to be fucking kidding me. This one, Marshall? Really? This little pink princess? God, I thought you had taste.”

Marshall raised an eyebrow. “We’re not dating, Marce. She’s my science tutor.”

Marceline looked between Bonnibel and Marshall for a second, before her crimson gaze landed on Bonnibel. “Good luck.”

Bonnibel smiled a little. “Thanks, Marceline.”

Marshall pouted. “I’m not as bad as she makes out.”

Marceline and Marshall started walking through the freezing parking lot, and Bonnibel followed the two of them. Marshall pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket, pulling one out and lighting it. He turned to Bonnibel as he took a drag and breathed it back out. “You want one?”

Bonnibel was horrified. Marceline noticed and glared at her brother, disgusted. “Don’t be a dick, Marshall.”

Marshall frowned. “What did I do?”

Marceline eyed the cigarette between his teeth. “You know. Don’t offer people cigarettes who clearly don’t smoke.”

“How am I supposed to know who smokes and who doesn’t?”

“Look at her, Marsh.”

He sighed. “Whatever.”

Bonnibel stayed silent until they stopped by a red car that was slightly battered up and had small dents in it. “Who’s is this?”

“Mine, idiot.” Marceline rolled her eyes, jumping in the driver’s seat.

Marshall went to get in the passenger side, and Marceline glared at him. “Nope. Stay out there until you’ve finished with your stupid cigarette.”

Bonnibel didn’t know whether or not to get in the back or sit in the front with Marceline or just wait until Marshall got in. He frowned at her. “Aren’t you going to get in the car?”

Bonnibel looked up to Marceline, who shrugged and patted the passenger seat. “Get in, I don’t bite.” She flashed her unusually sharp canines at Bonnibel, who gulped a little before getting into the car.

Marceline watched Bonnibel for a minute before showing an inch of a smile, then returning to her usual scowl. She didn’t say a word until Marshall jumped into the back of the car. “Will there be any more surprises on the way home,” Marceline jabbed her thumb Bonnibel’s way, “Or is pinkie over here the only one?”

Marshall rolled his eyes. “Just take us home.”

The engine jolted to life, and Marceline began reversing out of the parking space. The car was silent until they were finally driving down the road and away from the school, where crowds of students had already begun thinning out.

“So Bonnibel, why’d you move here?” Marshall asked her.

“My parents wanted to get away from the city and I didn’t exactly have any say in the matter.” Bonnibel shrugged. She saw Marceline’s crimson gaze was half directed on her and half on the road.

“Don’t you like it here?” Marshall questioned.

“I do, I just…I don’t know. It’s different.” Bonnibel sighed. “I’ve never really had friends before, and here I have a lot. It’s weird.”

“You never had friends?”

Bonnibel looked over to Marceline, who was frowning. “Yeah. Why?”

“You’re one of those annoying optimistic kids who tries to be friends with everyone.” Marceline stated. “Like your friend. The one that likes rainbows.”

“Lady?” Bonnibel questioned.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Marceline deadpanned, keeping her crimson gaze directed at the road.

“What’re you getting at here?” Bonnibel frowned.

“How did you possibly have had no friends?”

“I just didn’t make any.” Bonnibel replied. “Nobody tried talking to me and I didn’t try with anyone else. I focused on my schoolwork.”

“Nerd.” Marshall chimed in. “Do you just study in your free time?”

“Yes, actually.” Bonnibel confirmed. “I like learning.”

“You’re definitely going to help me get an A.” Marshall grinned, before glaring at the back of his sister’s head. “Unlike Marceline.”

“I tried.”

“You threw a book at me.”

“You were being a moron.” Marceline countered, casually shrugging her shoulders. “It was your own fault.”

“I asked you one question!” Marshall exclaimed.

“It was a stupid question.”

Bonnibel found herself giggling at the two siblings arguing, until Marceline snapped at her. “Shut up with your stupid laughing. God, you’re so annoying.”

Bonnibel gulped a little, and decided to stay silent for the rest of the rather awkward car ride. She was thankful that Marceline put on some music, even though it was loud rock music that Bonnibel didn’t take a liking to. When they finally pulled up on a driveway, Bonnibel was quick in getting out of the car and sticking closer to Marshall.

She looked up at the house she was at. It was one of the houses that looked the same as every other house on the block; medium in size, two floors, built in red brick and as stereotypical as it could be.

She followed Marshall and Marceline onto the creaky front porch, and waited until Marceline unlocked the front door, before making her way inside. She saw both Marshall and Marceline taking their shoes off, so Bonnibel did the same, leaving them by the door.

She was surprised when she heard a shrill yapping coming from upstairs, and a little white poodle came running down and jumped up at Marceline. She picked the dog up, and disappeared up the blue carpeted stairs without so much as a goodbye, her footsteps fading until finally, they heard a door open and slam. Marshall opened the door to their right. “We’ll study in the living room. Don’t worry about Marceline; she’ll probably be upstairs for the rest of the night.”

Bonnibel nodded and followed Marshall into their sitting room. “You have a dog.”

“Yeah, that’s Marceline’s. He’s called Schwabl.” Marshall explained as Bonnibel examined the sitting room. It was relatively tidy. There was a dog basket in the corner by the TV, and a coffee table positioned in the centre of the room with coasters strewn across it. There were pictures on the mantel of Simon and Marceline and Marshall when they were little. Marshall hadn’t changed much, but Marceline had. In the pictures, she was holding a red plush toy that looked something like a monkey, and her black hair was just past her ears. She was wearing a red dress down to her knees and little black dress shoes; a high contrast to the Converse and skinny jeans she wore every time Bonnibel had seen her.

Bonnibel found herself smiling at the picture, taking a seat on the edge of their white couch. She shrugged her backpack from her shoulders and moved it to her lap, unzipping it and pulling her books out. “We can do Physics or Chemistry, because I don’t have my Biology books with me.”

“Cool. I suck at both of them so really it’s up to you what we do.” Marshall shrugged.

“Chemistry is my best, so we can go with that.” Bonnibel smiled, flicking through her Chemistry workbook and opening her textbook onto the correct page. “Okay, so this is the stuff we were doing in class.”

She talked him through the work, until eventually he could balance a few equations and answer most of the questions from class correctly. “Whoa, Bonnibel! You might be a better teacher than Simon!”

“I better not have heard what I thought I did!” Mr Petrikov chuckled as he walked into the room, setting his briefcase down by the coffee table in the middle of the room. He sat down on the second couch, which was adjacent to the one that Bonnibel and Marshall were on. “What brings you here, Bonnibel?”

“Marshall wanted me to tutor him.” Bonnibel replied.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” He asked, warmly smiling at her.

She looked to Marshall, who was nodding. “I guess I could.”

“Luckily you won’t have to endure my cooking; it’s pizza night.” Mr Petrikov smiled.

Marshall grinned. “I love pizza night. Every Monday we have pizza and play video games. Marceline always wins, though.”

Bonnibel frowned a little. Marceline wouldn’t be too happy she was imposing on her evening. “On second thought -,”

“Just because she’s going to be a grump doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay.” Marshall interrupted her. “Come on! You deserve it from all your hard work.”

Bonnibel sighed. “Okay, I’ll stay.”

Bonnibel quickly texted her Mom to tell her she wouldn’t be home for dinner, and she and Marshall got back to studying while Simon ordered the pizzas. They were only interrupted once before the pizza came, when Marceline stuck her head round the door. “Marsh, is it cool if I borrow one of your guitars?”

He frowned. “What for?”

“I haven’t practised my six-string for a while and I went to go do it and my high E string broke and I don’t have any spares.” Marceline shrugged.

“I guess you could borrow it for a little.” Marshall replied.

Marceline smiled, a sight Bonnibel had never seen before. Bonnibel was stunned at how beautiful Marceline looked, and it made a smile of her own appear. “Thanks, dude.”

She was back upstairs as quickly as she’d arrived.

Bonnibel tried to focus on teaching Marshall some Chemistry, but she could hear Marceline playing guitar upstairs, and was much too distracted by that. What Simon had told her on her first day was true; Marceline was really talented. She realised she’d trailed off what she was saying by listening to the soft guitar playing from upstairs, and she snapped out of her little daydream and looked up at Marshall. “I’m sorry, I just started thinking and -,”

“It’s cool.” He interrupted. “If you want, we can ditch the studying for today and put on the TV until the pizzas come.”

Bonnibel smiled. “I like that idea.”

Marshall switched the TV onto a random channel that the Big Bang Theory was playing on, smirking up at Bonnibel as he laid back on the couch. “What? It’s science.”

Bonnibel chuckled. “I guess you’re right there.”

They were about halfway through the episode when Simon walked in with pizzas in hand, followed by Marceline – who had two or three video games in her hands – and Schwabl trailing at her feet. Marceline put the video games on the coffee table, and Bonnibel read front of the top case; Mario Kart. Bonnibel smiled a little. Her family always got super competitive when it came to games, especially Mario Kart.

Simon handed round the pizzas, and sat down on the same couch Marceline had flopped back on, adjacent to the one Bonnibel and Marshall were on.

“I’m going to Keila’s after I’ve eaten.” Marceline announced.

Simon’s eyes widened in surprise. “But you love pizza night!”

Marceline shrugged. “She got a new guitar and wants me to go over to jam. Besides, I already put my bass in my car.”

Simon sighed. “Be back before 10.”

“I will.” Marceline replied, taking a bite of her pizza.

Bonnibel wondered if Marceline was going out because of her, and she didn’t want her missing out on anything. She was about to say something, but Marshall spoke up first. “What guitar did she get?”

“A cherry red Gibson Les Paul. It’s pretty rad.” Marceline replied. “She said she’s going to let me play it, and I can’t pass that up. Keila doesn’t let anyone touch her guitars.”

Marshall frowned. “I want to go. Why didn’t she tell me?”

“She texted me about it and then said she was going to tell you but I told her you had,” Marceline glanced over at Bonnibel, “Company.”

Marshall sighed. “Well, tell her I said hey.”

“Sure.”

“Are Guy and Bongo going over too?” Marshall questioned.

“Nah.” Marceline responded, picking up a second slice of pizza. “Just me. We’re not doing anything band related, we’re just going to fuck about.”

“Marceline.” Simon scolded. “Language.”

“Geez, chill.” Marceline held her hands up in defence. “It’s just a word.”

Simon occupied Bonnibel by asking her questions she’d been asked a thousand times since moving here, but she put on a smile and answered. Marceline ignored Bonnibel’s presence and talked to Marshall about music and their band which Bonnibel discovered were named the ‘Scream Queens’.

Bonnibel ignored Marceline until she stood up with her empty pizza box in hand and walked out of the room into where Bonnibel presumed was the kitchen. Marceline was back in the room within a minute with a can of Pepsi in one hand and car keys in the other. “I’ll be back by ten.”

“Okay, have fun.” Simon smiled at her.

She strolled out of the room and they heard the front door open and close and her car jolt to life outside.

Simon broke the silence in the room. “Well, let’s get the game set up.”

Marshall grinned. “I might actually have a chance of winning now that Marceline’s gone.”

Marshall got the Wii set up and passed around controllers, starting up the game. Bonnibel watched as he synchronised two extra Wii remotes and chucked one to Simon and nearly hitting Bonnibel right in the face with the other. “Oops. Sorry.”

Bonnibel laughed, picking up the smooth white controller. “It’s fine. I ducked.”

Marshall gave himself the main controller, and he flicked through the less important screens until he arrived at the character page. “Pick your characters!”

Bonnibel went with Princess Peach, Simon selected Yoshi, and Marshall was Luigi. Marshall then quickly skipped the next few pages until he arrived at the one listing all of the races, picking a random one. Simon frowned. “You picked the one I’m bad at!”

“Exactly!” Marshall exclaimed. “I want to win, and Marceline’s not here so I actually have a chance!”

Bonnibel laughed a little. “Isn’t that a form of cheating or something?”

“No, I’m just using his weaknesses against him.”

“Very fair.” A sarcastic drawl from the doorway stated.

They all looked up to see Marceline casually leaning against the white door frame. Simon smiled. “Marcy, you’re back.”

“Dammit, now I definitely won’t win.” Marshall cursed, slamming his controller on the floor with great force.

“Relax, dumbass.” Marceline rolled her eyes. “I just forgot my amp. You can have your little victory today but next week you’re going to get your butt kicked.”

Marshall frowned. “What makes you think you’ll win against me next week, huh?”

“Because you suck.”

“You suck.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

“Guys, knock it off.” Simon intervened. “We have company.”

Marceline rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the door frame, standing properly. “Have fun, nerds.”

“Be back by ten, Marcy.”

“I know, I know.” She waved Simon off and turned around, shutting the living room door and cutting off Bonnibel’s view of her.

She turned back to the TV to see that Marshall had started the race before her and Simon had turned around, and was cackling as he raced ahead of everyone. Bonnibel quickly gripped her controller and set off in an attempt to catch him up, and Simon was frowning. “Wait, how do I go again?”

Marshall waited until he was way ahead of everyone else to reply. “Hold down 2.”

Bonnibel didn’t let Marshall get too cocky and overtook him in the last second of their final lap, to which he cursed and threw his controller down. “Fuck! I can’t believe you did that!”

Bonnibel smirked. “Did I not mention that I have this game?”

“No, you didn’t!” Marshall exclaimed, his voice reaching a higher octave due to his annoyance. “Damn, I’ll never win this game.”

“You’re good at Guitar Hero.” Simon pointed out.

“Marceline’s better.”

“True.”

Marshall glared at Simon, who shrugged in response. “Didn’t you want me to be honest with you?”

Bonnibel ended up winning the game, and the game after that, and the game after that, and all of the rematches Marshall demanded, to his contempt. Simon was pretty amused at Marshall’s downfall but left the room with the empty pizza boxes when Marshall refused to get up from lying in the centre of the carpet by the TV. The boy was groaning and almost sounded as though he was in pain.

“You’re a bit of a sore loser.”

“I wanted to win.” Marshall complained. “I always lose.”

Bonnibel shrugged. “It’s not my fault I’m good at it.”

“You couldn’t have let me win?”

“Ah, no.” Bonnibel shook her head, her pink bangs moving from her eyes. “See, because you were talking about how you were going to win, it made it much more satisfactory to beat you.”

Marshall sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “I have to go for a smoke. I’ll be two minutes.”

Bonnibel nodded and watched him as he stood up and walked outside. She got herself as comfortable as possible on the couch and was sat in silence until Simon walked in. “What time are you wanting to go?”

“I don’t mind.” Bonnibel replied. “Hopefully around 8.”

“You’ll have to wait until Marceline is back; my car is in the garage for a couple of days to get serviced so she’ll be your ride unless your parents can pick you up.” Simon explained.

Bonnibel tensed a little at that. She knew Marceline wouldn’t like being her chauffeur. “I can text my parents now.”

She sent her Mom a quick text asking if they could pick her up, and her heart sunk at her Mom’s reply, which told her that they had gone out for a meal and wouldn’t be back until at least 10:30. Bonnibel checked the time on her phone. 7:16PM. They’d been playing Mario Kart for a good couple of hours.

“What did your parents say?” Simon asked.

“They can’t pick me up.” Bonnibel sighed. “Are you sure Marceline won’t kill me?”

Simon laughed. “I’m sure. She acts tougher than she is.”

“Can Marshall drive me?”

“If he did it’d be illegal.” Simon chuckled. “He hasn’t passed his driving test yet. I’ll text Marcy in a little and tell her.”

“I can walk.” Bonnibel offered. Anything to not be alone in a car with Marceline.

“It’s fine, Marcy will give you a ride. Besides, it’s dark out now.” Simon replied. “And we don’t want you getting lost out in the cold.”

Bonnibel sighed in defeat. “I have a feeling she won’t like this.”

“I’ll call her in a bit and tell her.” Simon said.

He didn’t need to. Marceline came in about ten minutes after their conversation, flopping down on the couch adjacent to Bonnibel’s with a red bass shaped like a terrifying axe slung over her. She played a couple of notes before speaking up. “That guitar was rad.”

Simon smiled. “Glad you had fun with your friend. What else did you guys do?”

“We went to Walmart for milk and ended up buying a load of ice cream and binge eating it.” Marceline shrugged. “It was fun at the time but now I kind of want to puke.”

Simon laughed a little. “Hopefully you won’t get carsick.”

Marceline frowned. “Why would I be driving?”

“I need you to drive Bonnibel home.”

Marceline stood up, leaving her bass on the couch, her arms folded across her chest and a scowl on her face. “No way.”

“It would be a really big favour -,” Simon began, but Marceline was having none of it.

“No. I’m not driving her home.” She snapped. Bonnibel noticed the rage in the girl’s crimson eyes, and it made her want to curl up in a ball and hide away from the girl. If looks could kill, Bonnibel would be dead.

“Marcy, please.” Simon sighed. “I’ll give you ten bucks.”

Marceline seemingly calmed down. “Keep talking.”

“If you drive Bonnibel home I’ll give you ten bucks and we’ll have your favourite meal tomorrow for dinner.” Simon wagered.

Bonnibel saw that Marceline was considering it. “Can I go to that gig on Friday?”

Simon looked conflicted, and eventually he sighed. “Yes, fine.”

Marceline showed an inch of a smile. “Rad.” She then turned to Bonnibel and scowled. “Come on, pinkie. We haven’t got all night.”

Bonnibel stood up and followed Marceline out of the living room and onto the downstairs landing, where Schwabl was sat on the stairs wagging his tail, and an amp and wires were pushed in the corner. Bonnibel grabbed her shoes – pink Converse – and sat down on the bottom step next to Schwabl who barked at her. “I think he wants something.”

“Yeah, a walk.” Marceline rolled her eyes at Bonnibel, before looking down at the excitable poodle. “Later, okay?”

Bonnibel tied her shoes as quickly as she could so Marceline wouldn’t lose patience with her, and followed the dark haired girl outside and towards the car, where Marshall was stood at the bottom of the driveway talking to a guy with fairly long, messy, sandy coloured hair and stubble. He was dressed in ripped jeans and a grey t-shirt which hung loosely off his frame, and he had numerous tattoos on his arms as well as a lip piercing. Bonnibel already didn’t like this person.

“Oh, hey Guy.” Marceline nodded to him.

He smiled. “Sup, Marce? Who’s the nerd?”

“Some chick Marshall picked up.” Marceline shrugged.

Guy winked at Bonnibel. “Hey there.”

Bonnibel ignored him and got into Marceline’s car, closing the door behind her and blocking any attempts at conversation. She definitely didn’t want to be mixed up with Marshall’s friends. Initially, she didn’t want to be mixed with Marshall, but here, she drew the line. She stared down at the floor until she was startled by a knock on the window. She looked up and saw Marshall grinning at her. She opened the door a little.

“Later, Bonnibel. Same time next week?”

“I guess.”

“Okay, cool.” He smiled, stamping out his cigarette and walking back inside.

Marceline opened the door to the driver’s side and hopped in, starting up the car. “Where am I dropping you off?”

Bonnibel gave Marceline her address, and the paler girl nodded and pulled out of the driveway.

The ride was awkward and tense, there was no denying that. Neither of the two wanted to be in the other’s company, and Bonnibel was incredibly thankful when Marceline asked her if she wanted music on.

“Yes,” Bonnibel nodded, “But not rock.”

“No music, then.”

“Don’t you have anything acoustic?” Bonnibel asked. “Like, Ed Sheeran or something?”

Marceline kept her eyes on the road but dug around in a side pocket of the car until she found a specific album. “Here. One of the bands I used to like did an acoustic EP. Put that on.”

Bonnibel did as she said, and was surprised by the calming music. “You said you used to like this band?”

“Yeah, I saw them live and they sucked, and the new album they brought out was just…no. I don’t mind their acoustic stuff though.”

“I like it.” Bonnibel concluded. “What’re they called?”

“Sleeping With Sirens.”

Bonnibel nodded and kept the name in her head, before resting against the cold window and closing her eyes. Ignoring Marceline, Bonnibel found herself rather relaxed, and didn’t even notice the car pulling up by her house until she hear Marceline mutter something along the lines of “She fell asleep? You have got to be kidding me.”

Bonnibel opened her eyes a little to see an annoyed Marceline. “I’m awake.”

“Great.” Marceline sarcastically retorted. “Now get out of my car.”

Bonnibel leant down and grabbed her backpack from where she’d left it on the floor, opening the car door. She turned to Marceline. “Thanks for the ride.”

Marceline shrugged. “Whatever.”

Bonnibel climbed out of the car and shut the door, walking into her house. When she turned to lock the door, she saw that Marceline’s car was still there. She smiled; Marceline had waited for her to get in safe.

Inside her car, Marceline was changing the CD and muttering about what an annoyance Bonnibel was.

Chapter Text

Tuesday 13^th January 2014

“You’re tutoring that asshole?” Fionna cried from her spot on the grass. “What has he ever done for you?”

Bonnibel shrugged. “He’s nice enough, I didn’t see why not. We had fun, anyway.”

“Bubblegum, didn’t we tell you he’s bad news?” Cake frowned. “We don’t want you ending up like him.”

LSP scoffed. “You guys! Marceline’s worse! She was smirking at me this morning and it creeped me the hell out.”

Bonnibel frowned. “Where?”

“In English.” LSP stated. “I looked up at she was looking at me weird and it freaked me out. Maybe she’s figuring out where to suck my blood from or something.”

Finn laughed. “You still think they’re vampires?”

“They are.” LSP insisted.

Lady rolled her eyes. “Enough about Bubblegum’s new best friends! We need to decide what we’re doing for movie day.”

Jake shrugged. “We can go to mine or Finn’s if you guys want.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and then Lady turned to Bubblegum. “So when do we get to meet your parents, huh?”

Bonnibel chuckled a little. “I don’t think on a movie day would be a good idea. They’re not even used to me having one friend, let alone seven.”

Gumball nodded. “One at a time, then?”

Bonnibel shrugged. “Maybe. I’ll talk to them about it and let you guys know later this week. If I ask they might let us just have a pizza party or something.”

Fionna nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

Bonnibel decided to go to her next class early, and was caught up to by Gumball on her way there. “Are we still on for the library tonight?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He grinned. “Awesome. I’ll wait for you at the end of the day by your last class. What is it?”

“English Literature.” She replied.

He nodded. “Cool.”

At lunch, Bonnibel and Lady ran into Marshall and Marceline. She tried to get away unnoticed, but Marshall spotted her. “Hey, Bonnibel!”

She turned just in time to see Marceline scowl and roll her eyes. Bonnibel looked to Lady for a second, who was pretty terrified, before turning back to Marshall who was walking over and dragging Marceline along by her wrist. “Hi Marshall. Hey Marceline.”

Marceline grunted in response and crossed her arms, looking anywhere but Bonnibel and Lady.

Marshall smiled. “So can you tutor me next Monday?”

“I guess.” Bonnibel responded. “I don’t have anywhere else to be so I don’t see why not.”

Marshall looked to Lady. “You’re going to have to remind me on your name.”

Lady frowned. “Why?”

“We’re friends! Any friend of Bonnibel’s is a friend of ours, right Marce?”

“No.” Marceline stated.

Marshall shot her a glare, but then turned back to Lady and smiled. “She’s just grumpy.”

Bonnibel heard Marceline scoff, and Lady mumbled her name to Marshall, who nodded. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. Sorry about miss grumpy over here, she just got out of the wrong side of the bed.”

“Every day?” Bonnibel blurted out, earning her a hard glare from Marceline.

Marshall laughed. “True.”

“Listen,” Marceline kept her glare on Bonnibel. “I don’t care if you’re friends with my brother. I’ll beat you up if you fuck me off, so watch your step. You’re incredibly close to getting your fucking jaw broken, so I’d shut the fuck up and stay the fuck away from me if I were you.”

With that, she yanked her arm from Marshall’s hold and stormed down the hallway, shoving down some unsuspecting freshmen in her rage.

“Geez, she really did get out of the wrong side of the bed today.” Marshall commented, watching after her until she disappeared. “Ignore her, okay?”

Bonnibel gulped a little, feeling rather shaken from what Marceline had just said. “I need to go do something. I’ll see you around, Marshall.”

She grabbed Lady by the arm and pulled her through the school until she arrived at her History classroom.

Lady was confused. “What’re we doing here?”

“I have to talk to my teacher about the seating plan.” Bonnibel explained. “You can stay here if you want.”

Lady shrugged. “I’ll meet you outside.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Okay. I’ll be five minutes.”

She entered her History classroom to see her teacher grading classwork, and she awkwardly announced her presence. “Uh…hey.”

He looked up and smiled. “Bonnibel. What can I do for you?”

“Can I talk to you about the seating?” She asked.

He frowned. “Why? Is there a problem?”

“I was just wondering if I’d be able to change seats.” Bonnibel stated.

Her teacher shook his head, and Bonnibel sighed. “I don’t let people change seats. If I let one person, everyone would want to.”

She nodded and headed towards the door. “Okay…thank you anyway.”

She walked out of the classroom to find Lady gone and the hallway practically deserted, so she headed to meet her friends outside. The second she sat down on the grass, Lady moved next to her. “What happened?”

“I asked him if I could change seats and he said no.” Bonnibel replied. “I’m stuck with Marceline.”

LSP shrugged. “I’m sat in front of you, I’ll just talk to you.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks.”

Lunch was uninteresting aside from Bonnibel’s encounter with Marceline, and she found herself wishing that their lunch break was shorter so she could get to class and distract herself. She tried to tell herself she didn’t care about Marceline and what she thought. She knew that she shouldn’t care, but for some reason she did. Bonnibel thought that there was more to Marceline than the paler girl let on, and Bonnibel wanted to find out.

During her last lesson of the day, Bonnibel couldn’t stop thinking about how much she wanted to go home and go to sleep, but she remembered that she was meant to be seeing Gumball after school. Even though initially she didn’t want to go, she was glad she did.

Gumball met Bubblegum outside the classroom, and the first thing he did was smile and ask if he could carry her books. Bubblegum was surprised. “Uh, no. I can handle them.”

“You sure?” He asked.

She frowned and nodded. “I’m sure.”

“So how’re you liking living here?” Gumball questioned, a gentle smile rested on his lips.

Bonnibel couldn’t help but groan. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that question in the past week?”

He laughed. “A lot, I take it.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Most of the time I just smile and nod and hope I don’t look like I’m internally sobbing.”

Gumball chuckled a little. “Seriously though; do you like it here?”

“It’s better than I thought.” She admitted. “But it’s a lot different from what I’m used to.”

“Too small for you, huh?”

“No, actually.” Bonnibel responded. “I was mostly by myself in New York and here I have you guys who always want to hang out. It’s strange not being in my usual routine of going to school, hiding in the library and then going home.”

Gumball laughed. “I might not show you the library if you’re going to use it to get away from us.”

“At least you’ll know where I am if I disappear.”

“True, true.” He replied, “Just round here.”

He put a hand on her back as the two of them turned the corner, and Bonnibel was about to question him about it, but he let go the second the library was in view. He pushed open the door for her, and the two of them walked inside. The school library wasn’t what Bonnibel was expecting; she honestly thought it’d be a darkened room the size of a cupboard, but it was actually rather spacious. The books were organised in an alphabetical order and not one was misplaced, and there were sets of white round tables dotted about in the back. Gumball walked Bonnibel over to the non-fiction books and to the Biology section. He pulled out a certain book that had an image of a cell on the front. “This is the best book for science. It has everything you need to know for finals. They have Chemistry and Physics ones, too.”

Bonnibel nodded, but was rather occupied by other thoughts. “Hey, Gumball?”

“Yes?”

“This isn’t a date, is it?”

He was shocked, his mouth gaped open and his eyes wide. “Bubblegum, I’m gay.”

Bonnibel found herself smiling. “You are?”

“I thought you knew that!” He exclaimed. “Everyone does.”

“Oh.” She chuckled. “I didn’t know.”

He wasn’t shocked anymore, and was instead laughing. “You thought this was a date!”

“I didn’t, I was just wondering!” Bonnibel defended. “I just didn’t want to let two of my new friends down.”

Gumball couldn’t stop laughing. “This is hilarious.”

“Shut up!” Bonnibel commanded, looking around for angry librarians out to get them because of the noise her friend was making. “Do you want to get kicked out?”

“I don’t care, this is too funny.”

“Seriously!” Bonnibel snapped in a hushed whisper. “We’re going to get kicked out!”

He pulled himself together the second he heard footsteps coming their way, and pretended as though he’d been looking through the books when an elderly lady peeked round the bookshelf and glared at the two of them. Bonnibel avoided eye contacted and pretended to be invested in a science book while Gumball shot the woman a nervous smile. “Sorry.”

The second she left, he smirked. “You thought this was a date.”

Bonnibel hit him with the book in her hands.

He walked her home, and almost the second she got in, her Mom walked out of the sitting room and grinned at her almost manically. “When do I get to meet your friends?”

Bonnibel shrugged. “Can they come over on Friday for a pizza night?”

“Definitely.” Her Mom nodded. “How many friends have you made?”

“Uh…” Bonnibel reeled them off, counting on her fingers. “Jake, Lady, Finn, Gumball, Cake, Fionna, LSP, and I guess Marshall. Eight.”

“I’m so proud of you.”

Bonnibel blushed. “It’s no big deal, Mom.”

Friday 16^th January 2014.

“Hey.”

Bonnibel was doing her History work and ignoring Marceline as the pale girl had commanded, and was incredibly surprised when Marceline started talking to her. Bonnibel looked up at her to see Marceline’s crimson gaze directed on her.

“Uh…hi?” Bonnibel frowned, stopping herself from smiling when she saw that Marceline was wearing the jumper with the cat on it that Bonnibel thought she looked adorable in.

“Uh…I’m sorry for snapping at you the other day.” Marceline started, shuffling away from Bonnibel on her seat.

Bonnibel’s eyes widened. “You’re apologising?”

Marceline looked at her feet. “Yeah.”

“Is Marshall making you?” Bonnibel asked, an eyebrow raised.

“No.” Marceline said, “He’s not. I just felt kind of bad, okay?”

Bonnibel smiled. “Well, apology accepted.”

“This doesn’t make us friends.” Marceline added. “I still don’t like you.”

Bonnibel’s smile faltered a little, but she composed herself. “I know.”

“And don’t go telling people about this.”

“I won’t.” Bonnibel assured, “But thanks for apologising,” She went to put a hand on Marceline’s shoulder.

The dark haired girl ducked away and shook her head. Bonnibel saw her body tense up. “Don’t try that again.”

Bonnibel gulped, nodding. “Okay. Sorry.”

Marceline then went back to ignoring Bonnibel, and Bonnibel hesitated for a second, watching as Marceline ran a hand through her black hair that looked so soft and let out a sigh. Bonnibel wasn’t sure if it was a sigh of relief or annoyance, and she wasn’t going to question it. She was just happy that Marceline had apologised for what she’d said the other day.

Bonnibel managed to tear her eyes away from Marceline for the last few minutes of class, completing the work and packing her things away the second the bell rung. LSP spun around in her chair. “Are we all coming to yours tonight?”

“Yeah, we’re having pizza.” Bonnibel stated. “My parents are buying.”

LSP sighed. “That sucks! I’m going to Brad’s tonight. I’ll come over some other time.”

Bonnibel nodded and watched after LSP until she was out of the classroom, continuing packing away her things. She heard a snicker and looked up to see Marceline smirking at her. “What?”

“You’re friends with her?” Marceline asked, holding back laughter.

“Yes, why?”

Marceline just snickered and slung her black backpack over one shoulder, sauntering out of the classroom.

Bonnibel was the last to leave, as usual, and met Lady outside the classroom where Marshall was clearly terrifying the girl and Marceline was leant against the wall rolling her eyes at them. “Hey Lady.”

Lady looked over at Bonnibel and relief fell across her face. “Hey! Are we setting off to yours now?”

“Yeah.” Bonnibel nodded. “Hey Marshall.”

“Sup, Bonnibel. I was just chatting with your friend here.” Marshall stated. “Hopefully my sister here hasn’t been giving you any trouble.”

Bonnibel let a small smile spread across her face. “Oh, she hasn’t.”

Marceline sighed. “Can we go? I want to go home and sleep.”

“No, I want to chat with Bonnibel.” Marshall replied.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “If you don’t get your butt out to the parking lot, I’ll drive off without you.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Watch me.”

“Fine.” Marshall sighed, shooting a smile at Bonnibel and Lady. “I’ll see you girls on Monday. Bye.”

“Bye.” Lady mumbled.

“Bye Marshall.” Bonnibel smiled as he walked away from the two of them, following Marceline. “Bye Marceline.”

She saw the dark haired girl stop in her tracks for a second, before she turned around with a small frown on her face. “Later.”

Lady grabbed onto Bonnibel’s arm and pulled her in the opposite direction. “Didn’t she like, threaten you with death if you annoyed her?”

Bonnibel chuckled a little. “Yeah.”

“Then why are you annoying her? Do you want to die?” Lady frowned as the two of them neared the school’s main exit.

“You can’t tell anyone if I explain.”

Lady nodded. “This conversation never happened.”

“She apologised today.” Bonnibel revealed, unable to control the huge grin on her face.

Lady stopped in her tracks. “What? Are you sure you didn’t hallucinate that?”

“I’m sure.” Bonnibel laughed. “She apologised.”

“You’re telling me,” Lady stood with her eyes wide, accusingly pointing a finger at Bonnibel, “That Marceline of all people apologised to you?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s weird.” Lady concluded. “She doesn’t do that.”

Bonnibel shrugged as they pushed open the red double-doors of the school. “Well, she did. Anyways, everyone else is coming over tonight at like 5, so we’ll be by ourselves for an hour and a bit.”

Lady smiled. “That’s cool. I can fill you in on all of the gossip at school.”

“I thought LSP was the gossiper.” Bonnibel laughed, raising an eyebrow.

“She is, she just tells me everything that’s going on.”

“Well, I don’t like rumours. I’m not really much of a gossiper.” Bonnibel responded, noticing her parents’ car pulled up in front of the school. She nodded her head towards it. “Just over here.”

Lady nodded. “LSP is the biggest rumour starter you’ll ever meet. Don’t ever tell her anything you want keeping a secret.”

“I bet she’s started one of those incredibly stupid rumours which is completely illogical yet everyone believes it.” Bonnibel stated.

“Yes, actually.” Lady laughed. “Some people actually believe her theory that Marshall and Marceline are vampires.”

Bonnibel couldn’t contain her laughter. “You have got to be kidding me! Seriously?”

“Yeah, but they are her other group of friends who are all kind of…you know.” Lady shrugged. “Like her, basically.”

Bonnibel bit her lip to contain a smile and shook her head as she pulled open the car door. “Here.”

Lady climbed in before her and shuffled over to the other side, and Bonnibel sat down and closed the door, doing up her seatbelt. Bonnibel’s Mom was the first to speak up. “Hello there!”

Bonnibel was completely ignored as her Mom smiled at Lady from the driver’s seat. Lady smiled back. “Hi! I’m Lady. It’s nice to meet you.”

After all formalities were aside, Bonnibel was finally back on her Mom’s radar. “So, what time are your other friends coming over?”

“Around 5.” Bonnibel replied.

“You didn’t invite Marshall, did you?” Lady asked, her eyes wide.

“No, I figured it’d make things kind of awkward for you guys.” Bonnibel shrugged.

Her Mom intervened. “What? You didn’t invite one of your new friends? But I want to meet all of them.”

“Another time, okay Mom?” Bonnibel sighed.

Her Mom sighed and pulled the car away from the curb.

The second Bonnibel and Lady got to Bonnibel’s house, they disappeared up into Bonnibel’s bedroom, which she still hadn’t gotten around to decorating. “Sorry, I know it’s pretty dull -,”

“No, it’s cool.” Lady replied. “Honestly, I was expecting some huge science lab or something.”

Bonnibel laughed. “That would be awesome.”

“Typical.” Lady rolled her eyes. “I hate science. It’s so boring.”

“It’s fascinating!” Bonnibel countered. “I much prefer doing experiments than going out to weird parties.”

“Good, because we don’t get invited to any.” Lady laughed. “The only thing close to a party that we have is when we all hang out near Halloween and Christmas and just chill. It bugs LSP that we don’t go to parties.”

“I’ve never understood what’s so great about going out and getting drunk. What’s the point in going somewhere if you’re going to get so drunk you won’t remember it in the morning?” Bonnibel pointed out.

Lady shrugged. “I don’t know. Jake told me it makes things more fun.”

“Jake’s been drunk?” Bonnibel asked.

“Yeah, it was actually pretty funny. He ran around singing all night.” Lady laughed.

They talked about nothing in particular for the hour they were alone and put on some random pop songs from Lady’s phone on as background music until everyone began arriving.

Bonnibel was surprised that her Mom didn’t come up and annoy her friends that much. They were mostly left by themselves, and her friends all hit it off really well with both of her parents. Bonnibel was certain her parents liked all of them, which made her pretty happy.

She was surprised by how much fun she had with everyone. She had usually thought of socialising as a trivial task, but she actually enjoyed her time with Lady and everyone. She’d grown much closer to Gumball since finding out that he was gay, and they got along extremely well and had a lot in common. She was surprised when he asked her if she’d invited Marshall.

“No, why?”

She was extremely shocked when she saw a light blush on his cheeks. “No reason, I just wondered.”

They didn’t talk about anything specific all night, and mostly just messed about and acted like dorks. Everyone teased Finn, Cake and Lady told Bonnibel about the town and the people she should stay away from – Marceline and her friend Keila were on the list – and Bonnibel was pretty happy with herself for the night.

Although she did lay down with a sigh of relief when she was finally alone.

She’d always been an introvert.

Chapter Text

Monday 20^th January 2014.

Bonnibel felt guilty when she woke up that Monday. She hadn’t gone to movie day on the Saturday and she still felt bad for blowing her friends off, but she really wasn’t feeling up to socialising. She was still tired out from Friday. So, she’d texted Lady and told her that she wouldn’t be coming. Obviously, Lady notified the entire group who sent her a lot of texts telling her to come. She refused. She really did have homework to do.

She arrived at school early and walked around looking for one of her friends. This is where she met Ricardio.

He was a short, chubby boy whose cheeks were flushed. He had beady brown eyes that were downright creepy, and a somewhat sinister look to him. Bonnibel was extremely confused when he walked over to her and grabbed her hand. “Hello there. I’ve never met you before. I’m Ricardio. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Bonnibel cringed at his voice; to her, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “I’m Bonnibel.”

“What’s a pretty young woman such as yourself doing all alone? Surely you don’t want company.” Ricardio asked, a smirk which Bonnibel decided was meant to look attractive plastered on his face.

“Actually, I was just going to meet someone.” Bonnibel lied. She didn’t like the look of this guy.

“I’ll keep you company until you meet them.” Ricardio stated, a rather sinister grin on his face.

“That’s really not necessary, I’m having a chat with my science teacher and his classroom is just around the corner.” Bonnibel was spewing out lie after lie, but this guy was really creeping her out.

He smiled. “Okay. Until next time, Bonnibel.”

Bonnibel forced a smile back and fast-walked away from the boy. When she was around the corner and out of his sight, she sprinted to Mr Petrikov’s classroom and quickly ducked inside. When she turned, Mr Petrikov, Marshall and Marceline were all staring at her. “Uh…hi.”

“You’re here early.” Marshall observed. “And you look like you just sprinted to school.”

“Some creepy guy was following me.” Bonnibel replied. “So I decided to come here.”

Marshall nodded. “Are you still coming over tonight?”

Bonnibel smiled. “Yeah. What do you want to go over?”

“Whatever I don’t get in class today. I’ll write stuff down that I don’t understand and then you can help me with it later.” Marshall stated.

“Okay.” Bonnibel nodded, walking over to her usual seat in class and sitting down, placing her backpack on the table.

Mr Petrikov smiled at her from where he was stood leaning against the board at the front of class. “Will you be staying for pizza?”

“Oh, no.” Bonnibel shook her head. “I couldn’t intrude for a second time -,”

“You’re not intruding.” Simon assured. “I promise.”

Bonnibel took a quick glance over at Marceline, who was slouched in Simon’s chair behind his desk. One of her black skinny jean clad legs was slung over the arm of the chair, and she was rested against the opposite one. The other leg was dangling down at the front of the chair and she was too busy texting to pay any attention to Bonnibel. “I guess I could stay.”

Marshall grinned, turning his attention to his sister. “Yo, Marce!”

She looked up from her phone. “What?”

“Are you okay with driving me and Bonnibel to ours?” Marshall asked.

Marceline glanced over at Bonnibel for a second and sighed. “Do I have a choice in the matter?”

“Not really.” Marshall said.

Marceline just rolled her eyes and went back to her phone.

Simon smiled at Bonnibel. “Thank you for tutoring him, by the way. I know it’s a nightmare, but -,”

“I don’t think it’s a nightmare.” Bonnibel interrupted. “He’s not as bad as you guys make out.”

“Told you.” Marshall grinned.

Marceline spoke up, not looking up from her phone. “She’s probably lying to protect your feelings.”

“Bitch.”

“Fucking jerk.”

“Marceline!” Simon scolded. “What have I told you about that language?”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Chill, Simon.”

He sighed. “Don’t do it again.”

They were silent for a moment until Marceline spoke up again as she was standing up. “I’m going to go to English.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at break, Marcy.” Simon smiled.

She nodded and walked over to him, giving him a hug. Bonnibel frowned. From what she’d gathered, Marceline disliked physical contact. “Yeah, see you at break.” She let go, looking over to Marshall. “Later, Marsh.”

He nodded back. “Bye.”

Bonnibel saw Marceline’s eyes flash to her for a second, but the pale girl didn’t say anything and walked out of the room.

Bonnibel had another run in with Ricardio at break. She was walking down the hallway heading to class early and wasn’t really thinking about anything until she heard him.

“Hello, Bonnibel.”

She sighed and turned around. “Hi.”

“You don’t seem to be with any of your friends.” He analysed, stepping closer to her.

She took a step back. “Uh, actually…I’m just going to meet them.”

He walked forwards. “Would you like an escort?”

Every step he took, she would go backwards. That was, until she hit a locker. “Uh, I’m good.”

He smiled, his body pressing against hers. “So, I was meaning to ask you something earlier but I didn’t get round to it.”

She gulped. “Yeah?”

“Would you like to go on a date with me?”

“No.” Bonnibel replied. “I don’t date.”

The bell rang, and she saw it as her ticket to get out of there. She tried to duck away from him but he placed an arm in her way, blocking her in. “Why not?”

“Because I just don’t.” Bonnibel replied. “Can I -,”

“Why won’t you date me? I’m a nice guy.” He argued.

Bonnibel shook her head. “It’s not that you’re not nice, I just don’t date.”

“Maybe this’ll change your mind.” Ricardio stated, and Bonnibel screwed her eyes shut as she saw him lean in and moved her head away. She didn’t want her first kiss to be like this.

She felt him being pulled off her just at the last second, and she opened her eyes to see Marceline punch him. She cringed when she heard a crack and saw blood coming from his nose.

Marceline glared at him, and not in her usual way. This one was even scarier, filled with hatred and menace. “If you fucking touch her again, you won’t get off as easy as that. Actually, if you fucking touch any girl without her motherfucking permission ever again, I will fucking kill you. Got that?”

He nodded his head, scrambling backwards in an effort to get away from Marceline. Bonnibel stayed against the locker in shock. “Now, fucking apologise to her.”

He gulped. “Sorry.” It came out in a mumble.

Marceline glared. “Get the fuck out of here.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He got up and ran. The second he was around the corner, Marceline turned to Bonnibel. “Are you okay?”

Bonnibel didn’t reply, and stayed close against the lockers.

“Relax, I’m not going to hurt you.” Marceline assured, stepping closer to her.

Bonnibel gulped. “We’re going to be late for class.”

Marceline sighed. “Really? That’s really your biggest concern?”

Bonnibel frowned. “Why’d you help me? You don’t like me.”

“As much as that last statement is true, why wouldn’t I? God, I’m not heartless.” Marceline stated, rolling her eyes.

Bonnibel nodded, sinking down to a sitting position against the lockers. She looked to her hands; she was shaking. “Can you maybe get one of my friends?”

“They’ll all be in class, genius.”

Bonnibel rested her head against her knees and hid herself from Marceline. She willed herself not to cry. It didn’t work. She was sat, silently sobbing until she felt somebody sit down beside her. “Uh…don’t cry.”

Bonnibel looked up to see Marceline sat next to her, looking extremely uncomfortable. “You don’t have to comfort me.”

“Yes, I do.” Marceline replied.

“Why?”

“I just do, okay?”

With that, Bonnibel launched herself into Marceline’s arms, and she didn’t move when she felt the pale girl tense up. She clung onto Marceline’s grey ‘no smoking’ shirt, and sobbed into the girl’s shoulder, inhaling the comforting smell of strawberries on Marceline’s tense skin. She took the opportunity to touch Marceline’s hair – which was insanely soft, as Bonnibel had predicted – and she stayed in Marceline’s arms until she’d cried herself dry. Then, Marceline shoved Bonnibel off her. “Don’t do that again.”

Bonnibel nodded, rubbing her eyes. “Sorry…but thank you.”

Marceline’s crimson eyes scanned Bonnibel over for a second, before she sighed. “You’re welcome. Now come on, we’re like, ten minutes late to History.”

Bonnibel nodded and stood up, trailing behind Marceline all the way to their class. “Seriously though, why’d you help me?”

“Do I need a fucking reason?” Marceline snapped. “I just did, okay? Isn’t that enough for you?”

Bonnibel gulped. “Sorry. Thanks for comforting me and everything.”

Marceline just shrugged and pushed open the door to the classroom, looking up at the teacher. “Sorry we’re late.”

He sighed. “Take a seat and I’ll go over everything with you guys once I’ve finished addressing the class.”

They sat down at their desk in the back, and LSP shot Bonnibel a look as she walked past. Bonnibel just smiled back and took her regular seat, unpacking all of her stuff for the lesson.

She was silent until Marceline spoke up. “I still don’t like you, you know.”

Bonnibel frowned when she felt saddened at that. “I know, Marceline.”

Bonnibel was confused when she and Marshall walked back to Marshall’s house that night. “Why’re we walking? I thought Marceline was going to give us a ride?”

“She puked and got sent home.” Marshall shrugged. “I don’t know how she is. She drove herself home halfway through lunch.”

Bonnibel was confused as to why she felt concern. “Do you know why it happened?”

“Nah.” Marshall shrugged. “My best guess is that she faked it to go hang out with Keila.”

He was wrong.

They walked into the front room to see a very sick looking Marceline curled up on the couch under a blanket. She was asleep, a sight which Bonnibel found quite adorable.

“She probably won’t wake up.” Marshall assured Bonnibel as they sat down on the other couch.

Bonnibel nodded, pulling her books out of her backpack, before turning to Marshall. “Why doesn’t she like me?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“She’s always telling me she doesn’t like me and I just wondered if you knew why.” Bonnibel explained.

“Oh…she just doesn’t like people.” Marshall shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nothing personal.”

Bonnibel sighed. “Anyways, what didn’t you understand in class today?”

He passed her a list on a piece of paper ripped from his notebook. “There’s quite a lot.”

Bonnibel looked it over, looking up at him with an eyebrow raised. “Marshall, this is everything we did in class.”

He let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah…I didn’t exactly get anything.”

She nodded. “Right, okay…uh…let’s start with these equations.”

She was in the middle of talking him through balancing different formulas, when he cut her off and looked up at her. “Marceline told me what happened today.”

“What?”

“With that guy.” He clarified. “She was really pissed off.”

“Because I hugged her? Oh God, I didn’t -,” Bonnibel exclaimed.

He cut her off. “No, no! She was mad at him! She was going to go beat him up but this happened,” He stated, gesturing over at the sick, sleeping Marceline on the other couch. “Why’d you think she’d be mad because you hugged her of all things?”

Bonnibel blushed a little. “Well, she told me not to touch her but I was freaking out and I just hugged her.”

Marshall shrugged. “But yeah, she had this huge ass rant about how he was a fucking douche or something and then said she was going to make it her personal mission to make sure he can never reproduce.”

“Why does she care? She said she doesn’t like me.” Bonnibel replied.

“She hates guys like that. I think it’s because of Ash.” Marshall shrugged.

“Ash?”

“Her ex-boyfriend.” Marshall explained. “They dated for like half a year until -,”

“Hey, guys!” Mr Petrikov walked into the room and immediately walked over to Marceline, sitting down on the edge of the couch and stroking a hand through her hair. “Hey, Marcy. How’re you doing?”

She opened her eyes a little, mumbling. “I feel a bit better.”

“Good. Do you think you’ll be well enough to have pizza and kick Marshall’s butt?”

“Hey!” Marshall exclaimed. “Not cool, Simon.”

Marceline laughed a little, which was music to Bonnibel’s ears. “I think I’m okay to do some butt-kicking.”

“And pizza?”

“And pizza.” Marceline confirmed, sitting herself up, still wrapped in her blanket. Her eyes fell on Bonnibel, who was surprised when Marceline actually spoke to her. “Are you okay?”

Simon looked between the girls and smiled to himself, before turning to Marceline. “Do you want me to make you some tea?”

“Sure.”

“Okay.” He walked out of the room to leave Bonnibel and Marceline to their conversation.

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah, I’m feeling okay. Thanks for earlier.”

“No problem. Prepare to get your ass kicked, princess.” Marceline stated.

Bonnibel smiled. “What makes you so confident? I might win, you know.”

Marshall nodded. “She beat me last week.”

“A blind penguin with no limbs could beat you, Marshall.” Marceline stated. “But you’re good, huh?”

Bonnibel shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess.”

Marceline nodded, and Marshall stood up. “I’m going for a smoke. I’ll be five minutes.”

The second he was gone, Marceline spoke up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“You’re concerned about me?” Bonnibel frowned, an eyebrow raised.

Marceline threw her blanket aside and sat with her knees tucked up to her chest. “No. I’m just checking.”

Bonnibel nodded, looking down at the floor. “Why do you hate me so much?”

Marceline was confused at the sad tone to Bonnibel’s voice. “What?”

“You really hate me, and I just want to know why. What did I do?” Bonnibel asked, her blue eyes locking with Marceline’s red ones.

Marceline stared into Bonnibel’s innocent eyes for a while, before sighing. “Look, don’t take it personally, princess. I don’t like anyone.”

“Why?”

“Because people are fucking assholes.”

“Not everyone is bad. Most people are good, actually.” Bonnibel argued.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

Bonnibel sighed, and was about to continue talking to Marceline, but Simon walked in, sitting next to the dark haired girl on the sofa, placing a mug of tea on the coffee table. “I’m ordering the pizzas in a little while, so we’ll just put a movie on until we decide on the video game we’re going to play. I vote Wii Sports.”

“That’s because it’s the only thing you’re not bad at, Simon.” Marceline rolled her eyes.

Simon laughed, lightly shoving her. “Very funny, Marcy. I need a word with you in the kitchen, actually.”

Marceline sighed, standing up and following him out of the room. “What have I done now?”

Bonnibel was left by herself and could half hear Simon and Marceline talking in the other room, but wasn’t paying much attention until she heard them say her name. She frowned, and tried her best to hear what they were talking about.

“Marcy, I want you to give her a chance.” Simon sighed. “Bonnibel’s a really nice girl, and I can tell you don’t hate her.”

Bonnibel presumed Marceline was probably scowling. “No, Simon. I don’t need her. I have plenty of friends.”

“None your own age.” Simon countered.

“I don’t need any friends my own age. I’m perfectly fine.” Marceline snapped. “I have Keila, Guy and Bongo. Besides, Marshall’s my age.”

“He’s your brother.”

“Am I not allowed to be friends with my brother?” Marceline frowned.

Simon sighed. “Please just give her a chance? At least be civil with her? I think she likes you.”

Bonnibel frowned. She didn’t like Marceline, did she? Marceline wasn’t even nice. Then again, she was sweet in helping her earlier when she had no obligation to.

Marceline sighed. “I’ll be civil, okay?”

“Thank you, Marcy. Sit next to her when we go back in, okay?” Simon asked.

Marceline huffed. “Fine, but if I puke on her it’s your fault.”

Simon laughed, and Bonnibel looked to the ground as they walked back into the room. As she’d promised, Marceline sat on the sofa next to Bonnibel, leaning forward and grabbing her tea from the table. Marshall walked back into the room as Simon was turning the TV on, and he immediately went and sat next to him and stole the remote. “I get to pick.”

Simon rolled his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be studying?”

“I have studied.” Marshall replied. “Now, I get to chill.”

Bonnibel shuffled about on her seat, feeling uncomfortable. She felt rather out of place, and she nearly jumped out of her seat when Marceline turned to her with a scowl on her face. “So, princess,” She paused in thought for a moment, thinking of something to ask Bonnibel, “What kind of music are you into?”

“I don’t really listen to much music.” Bonnibel replied.

Marceline’s eyes widened and she calmly leaned forward and placed her drink on the coffee table, before looking back at Bonnibel as if she’d just said the most unholy thing in the world. “You don’t listen to music? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Marceline! Language!” Simon scolded.

“She doesn’t listen to music, Simon! This girl is fucked up!” Marceline reasoned.

“Stop with the swearing!” Simon replied.

“Seriously though!” Marceline exclaimed. “She doesn’t like music! What’s up with that?!”

Bonnibel frowned. “What’s wrong with not liking music?”

“Everything!” Marceline exclaimed. “Music is like, the best thing on the planet.”

“I like acoustic things.” Bonnibel replied. “But that’s about it.”

“Marshall, we need to educate this girl.”

Marshall was too interested in his show to pay much attention to Marceline. “Mhm, you do that.”

Marceline sighed and leant back in her seat. “You’re weird, princess.”

“Stop calling me princess.” Bonnibel mumbled.

“Hm, okay.” Marceline put her hand to her chin and looked up in thought. “How about fuckhead?”

“Marceline -,” Simon began.

“Yeah, yeah,” She cut him off. “No swearing, got it.”

“How about you just call me Bonnibel?” Bonnibel suggested, keeping her distance from the pale girl. She didn’t want Marceline punching her for her lack of interest in music.

Marceline let out a sigh and a pained expression crossed her face. “How very unoriginal. I guess I could.”

“Thank you.” Bonnibel smiled, as Simon stood up.

“I’m going to order the pizzas. What do you guys want?”

“Same as usual.” Marshall replied, not taking his eyes from the TV screen.

“Pepperoni.” Marceline stated, grabbing her phone from the coffee table as it vibrated against the hard surface.

Bonnibel smiled. “Just a plain cheese for me, thank you.”

He nodded and walked off into the kitchen. Bonnibel couldn’t help but look over Marceline’s shoulder at her texts. She was texting her friend that she went to see last week, Keila.

Keila (5:54PM): Sup, wanna come over?

Marceline (5:54PM): yes but I probably won’t be able to

Marceline (5:55PM): nerd is here again

Keila (5:55PM): Oh I see

Marceline (5:55PM): yeah

Marceline (5:56PM): simon’s making me be nice to her so we’ll become bffs and ride off into the sunset on a magical flying pony together

Keila (5:57PM): I can tell by the sarcasm that you don’t see a potential friendship there then

Marceline (5:57PM): haha, nope

Marceline (5:57PM): she doesn’t even like music, Keila

Keila (5:58PM): You’re kidding

Marceline (5:58PM): nope, she actually said that

Keila (5:59PM): Maybe you could see if you have anything in common

Keila (5:59PM): It would be cool if you made another friend

Marceline (6:00PM): I just don’t see us being friends

Marceline (6:00PM): she’s like all pink and stuff and she’s a fucking nerd

Keila (6:01PM): Opposites attract?

Marceline (6:01PM): hahahaha no

Keila (6:03PM): I have to go, I’m gonna go and bug Guy for a bit

Marceline (6:03PM): later dude

Keila (6:03PM): Play nice with the nerd

Marceline (6:04PM): yeah yeah whatever

Bonnibel tried not to be disheartened and looked away when she saw Marceline lock her phone. She awkwardly played with her fingers for a while until the pale girl next to her finally spoke up.

“Okay, dork.” Marceline began, “I’m going to educate you on good music.”

Bonnibel looked up to see Marceline untangling her earphones. “You really don’t have to -,”

“Apparently, I do.” Marceline interrupted. “You don’t listen to music? What’s up with that?”

“I just don’t. There’s not really any specific artists I like other than Ed Sheeran.” Bonnibel shrugged.

Marceline thought to herself for a second. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool, but you still need educating.”

Bonnibel watched as Marceline plugged her earphones in and passed her phone to Bonnibel where it was unlocked on the ‘genres’ page. “Do you want me to pick any genre?”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded.

Bonnibel scrolled through all the genres on Marceline’s phone, and 90% of them were all some form of rock music. Bonnibel ended up settling for the ‘acoustic’ one. She passed the phone back to Marceline who rolled her eyes and muttered something along the lines of ‘typical’. She shuffled a little closer to Bonnibel and passed her an earphone. “Put this in.”

Bonnibel complied. “Are you going to show me some artists?”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded. “Okay. First band is one that’s actually split up now but they’re still pretty rad. A Rocket To The Moon. Most of their songs are acoustic and chill so this is probably your kind of thing.”

Marceline played her one of their songs, which Bonnibel did find rather calming. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore where she was and who she was with, and she just relaxed. When she reopened her eyes, she saw Marceline staring at her. Bonnibel smiled a little. “I liked it.”

“I could tell, nerd.”

“I’m not a nerd.”

“Yeah, and I’m not called Marceline.” Marceline sarcastically responded. “Now pick another genre.”

They did this several more times until they got to one of Marceline’s favourite bands, when Marceline took the earphone Bonnibel was using and sat and quietly sung along to the band’s music. Bonnibel was honestly shocked by how beautiful Marceline’s singing voice was. It was nothing like the girl’s speaking voice which was husky; Marceline’s singing voice was as soft as silk. Bonnibel found herself entranced by Marceline’s singing, and didn’t even realise the girl had stopped until Marceline snapped at her. “What the fuck are you looking at?”

Bonnibel gulped. “Uh…you’re a really good singer.”

Marceline’s eyes softened. “Thanks.”

Bonnibel smiled at the intimidating girl. “You’re welcome.”

Marceline showed the smallest ghost of a smile, before reaching over to the other couch and grabbing her blanket, wrapping herself up in it and turning back to Bonnibel. “So…what do you like to do for fun?”

“Science experiments.”

Marceline turned her nose up at this, and Bonnibel frowned. “You do science in your free time?”

“Yes,” Bonnibel confirmed, “It’s fascinating.”

“Boring.” Marceline countered. “You should get out more.”

“I don’t like socialising much.” Bonnibel replied. “I’m introverted.”

“Same here, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like seeing my friends.” Marceline put her earphones back in and turned away, effectively ending their conversations.

“You’re impossible.” Bonnibel mumbled to herself.

Marshall laughed, finally looking up from the TV. “She’s cool once you get to know her.”

“Why is she so hostile to everyone?” Bonnibel asked.

“I don’t think I’m supposed to tell you that.” Marshall replied. “But she was never like this as a kid. She was always super happy, and even after we started living with Simon she was nice to everyone that would come over and she was always happy, but then something happened and now she’s like this.”

Bonnibel looked over at Marceline who was in her own little music induced daydream. “She’s difficult.”

“Yeah, she can be.” Marshall nodded. “But she’s the best friend you’ll ever have.”

Bonnibel frowned. “How so?”

“Well, she’ll beat up anyone that hurts you, she’s scarily good at comforting people, and she’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.” Marshall stated. “She may be frustrating at times, but it’s worth it. If you want to be friends with her, just try.”

“I don’t know if I do. She kind of scares me a little.” Bonnibel replied. “I feel like she’d hurt me or something.”

Marshall laughed a little. “Nah, she wouldn’t hurt a friend.”

Bonnibel looked over to Marceline who was still listening to her music and staring at nothing in particular, tapping her bare foot against the carpet. “She’s really into her music.”

“We both are.” Marshall stated. “It’s weird that you don’t listen to music.”

Bonnibel shrugged. “It’s just never something I took an interest in.”

“Yet you took an interest in science?” Marshall frowned. Bonnibel shot him a half-hearted glare, and he laughed. “Hey, I’m not making fun of you or anything, it’s just a little…” He paused to try to think of the right word.

Luckily, Marceline could help. “Fucking weird?”

Bonnibel turned to the girl who was pulling out one of her earphones. Marshall nodded to her. “Yeah, basically.”

Bonnibel shrugged. “I like it. Recently, I conducted an experiment on -,”

“Okay, all I can hear when this girl talks is nerd junk.” Marceline replied, rolling her eyes. “It’s fucking annoying.”

Bonnibel frowned. “I just like different things.”

“Whatever, nerd.”

“Punk.” Bonnibel shot back.

“I take that as a compliment.”

“Drug addict.” Bonnibel countered. She felt bad when she saw Marceline tense up, and she felt a wave of terror hit her when the girl looked at her in a rage.

“What did you just call me?”

“Nothing.” Bonnibel gulped, cringing at the little crack in her voice. She saw Marceline’s hands ball into fists, and she scrambled as far away from the girl as she could, spewing out apology after apology. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry! Please don’t hurt me.”

“You’d better fucking hope I don’t, princess.”

Marshall jumped in between the two girls, grabbing hold of his sister’s wrists. “Don’t do anything stupid, Marce.”

“I wouldn’t be doing anything stupid. I’d just be killing princess over here.”

“I think that classes as stupid.” Marshall calmly stated. “Promise me you won’t hurt her.”

Marceline glared at him for a minute, and Bonnibel saw the pale girl visibly relax. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“She apologised.” Marshall pointed out.

Bonnibel nodded. “I really am sorry -,”

“Can it, princess.” Marceline snapped, shooting her a hard glare.

Marshall slowly released her arms. “You won’t hurt her?”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Marceline confirmed.

Marshall nodded and slowly made his way back over to his couch, not taking his eyes off of the two girls in case Marceline decided to jump Bonnibel.

Bonnibel stayed as far away from the intimidating girl as she could. She was terrified. Marceline noticed. “Look, I promised I wouldn’t hurt you, so you don’t have to sit on the edge of the couch like that. Seriously, you look like you’re going to fall off it.”

Bonnibel frowned. “I don’t trust you.”

“Likewise, princess.”

“Don’t call me princess.”

“Don’t call me a drug addict.” Marceline countered.

“I apologised.” Bonnibel mumbled. “And I am sorry.”

“I know.” Marceline muttered. “Which is why I won’t punch you.”

Bonnibel shuffled back on the couch and made herself comfortable, but still stayed at a respectable distance from Marceline. She busied herself with adjusting her hoodie which had ridden up slightly, and looked anywhere but the pale girl who was watching TV. She was relieved when Simon walked into the room with pizzas, passing them around to everyone. He slid a DVD into the player and sat down on the couch next to Marshall.

“What’re we watching?” Marshall asked through a mouthful of pizza.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Simon scolded. “We’re watching Peter Pan.”

Bonnibel saw Marceline smile, a sight that made her stomach feel weird. Marceline really was beautiful, especially when she did that.

Marshall turned to Bonnibel and smiled. “So, you’ve been getting a lot of male attention since you started at our school. Been on any dates yet?”

Bonnibel blushed. “No. I don’t date.”

“Good move.” Marceline commented. “Guys are dicks.”

Simon didn’t even bother scolding her for her choice of word. “Just because you had a bad experience doesn’t mean you shouldn’t date.”

Marceline shrugged. “Everyone’s a dick. I can’t stand people. They suck.”

Simon chuckled. “Your brother and I are people. Your friends are people.”

“Cool people, Simon.” Marceline specified. “You guys are the rare cool people.”

Marshall grinned. “Fuck yeah, I’m cool.”

“You two need to stop with your swearing.” Simon stated. “We have a guest.”

Marceline shrugged. “Half of the time I don’t realise I’m doing it. I only really say fuck, anyways.”

“That’s the worst one!” Simon exclaimed.

“No, it’s not.” Marceline shrugged. “The worst one is the one I won’t even say.”

Marshall laughed. “I’ll say it if you want.”

“No, don’t.” Simon stated. “That’s enough swearing for one night.”

Marshall shrugged and turned to Bonnibel. “So you really don’t date?”

“Really.” Bonnibel confirmed. “I just don’t see the point. I’m not really attracted to anyone right now.”

“I bet you’ve daydreamed over a guy before.” Marshall teased.

Bonnibel nervously chuckled. “No, I haven’t. I’ve never liked a guy before.”

“You’ve never liked a guy before?” Marshall frowned. “You’ve never had a crush? Come on! Even Marceline has had a crush on someone.”

“Why’s that so surprising?” Marceline asked, an eyebrow raised and a small smirk on her face. “I have emotions.”

“You don’t act like it.”

“And crush? What are you, twelve?” Marceline scoffed.

Marshall rolled his eyes and turned back to Bonnibel. “You have to have liked someone a little.”

Bonnibel shook her head. She knew she’d had one major crush in her life, but she wasn’t going to talk to Marshall about that, especially with Marceline in the room. “Nope, I’ve never had romantic feelings for anyone before.”

“Seriously? That’s weird.” Marshall exclaimed. “Marce, isn’t that weird?”

“Eh, not really.”

“You’ve liked someone before.” Marshall pointed out.

Marceline frowned. “So? I didn’t even like him that much, to be honest.”

“Yeah, I know, but you did like him a little.”

Marceline thought for a minute. “I liked the idea of him.”

Marshall frowned. “What do you mean?”

Marceline’s gaze flicked to Bonnibel and she shook her head. “I’m not explaining that around princess over here.”

“I told you to stop calling me that.” Bonnibel replied. “And you can say whatever you want. I’m not going to go around school announcing that the terrifying Marceline Abadeer has feelings.”

Marceline stared at her for a second, before saying something Bonnibel never thought she’d hear. “I like your vibe, dude.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks.”

Marshall looked at Marceline expectantly. “Well? Will you explain?”

“Basically, I liked the idea of being in a relationship and all that junk. I just didn’t really like him.” Marceline elaborated. “I mean, he was basically king of the douchebags.”

Marshall laughed. “Word.”

Bonnibel shuffled a little closer to Marceline. “Marceline?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever actually liked a person and not just the idea of them?” Bonnibel asked.

Marceline thought for a second. “Uh…nope. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m not exactly a people person.”

Bonnibel giggled a little. “I figured.”

Simon finally inputted into the conversation, tearing his eyes away from the Disney movie on the TV. “You were a people person.”

“I was like, five.” Marceline argued. “Things change, Simon.”

“You were fourteen.”

“Same thing.”

Simon chuckled. “Five and fourteen? Of course, Marcy.”

“Shut up, Simon.” Bonnibel saw the grin on Marceline’s face, and she found herself smiling at how happy Marceline seemed to be.

Once they’d finished their pizza – and Simon had finished his movie – Marceline grabbed the Guitar Hero disk and put it in the Wii. Marshall sighed. “I give up already; you’ll definitely win, unless Bonnibel’s a secret Guitar Hero master.”

Bonnibel laughed, shaking her head. “I’ve never played before.”

“Don’t play with Marceline; she’ll make you play on expert and crush you.” Marshall warned.

Marceline cackled. “He’s not lying.”

“I think I’ll play against Simon and let you two battle it out.” Bonnibel said.

It was hilarious watching Marshall and Marceline play video games. They were both very competitive and even started hitting each other in the middle of the game to distract one another. They were shouting so loud that Bonnibel couldn’t hear the music on the TV. Simon tried to intervene and stop the two from swearing as excessively as they were, and ended up drowned out by Marceline repeatedly shouting the word fuck.

Bonnibel sat on the couch giggling for the most part while the twins were sat on the floor in front of the TV yelling at each other. Simon tried apologising for their behaviour, and Bonnibel just laughed. “This is too funny!”

Simon finally stopped the game when Marceline kicked Marshall in the head when he started to beat her. He walked right over to the TV and switched it off in the middle of the song, to Marshall’s disappointment. “Simon! I was winning!”

“We all know that wouldn’t last long, Marshall.”

Marceline cackled. “Yeah, you suck!”

“Marcy, be nice to your brother.” Simon commanded.

“No, he’s a jerk.”

“How old are you two, five?”

“You didn’t even know us when we were five.” Marshall pointed out.

Bonnibel let out a little giggle, and Marceline sat back down on the sofa next to her. “What’s so funny, princess?”

“You guys,” Bonnibel chuckled, “And what did I say about the princess thing?”

“Sorry, Your Majesty.” Marceline teased.

Bonnibel grumbled a little. “You’re impossible.”

“Chill, princess.”

“Stop calling me that.” Bonnibel ordered.

“Okay, fuckhead.”

“Marceline!” Bonnibel exclaimed.

“What do you desire, your highness?”

“Shut up, Marceline.” Bonnibel grumbled, looking up.

Marceline had a smirk on her face. “Calm down, princess.”

Bonnibel glared at her. “I told you, stop.”

Marceline cackled. “Make me, princess.”

Simon rolled his eyes. “That’s enough tormenting for tonight, Marcy.”

Bonnibel got an idea. “Yeah, Marcy.”

“Fuck you, princess.” Marceline scowled. “I’m going to take a nap, I feel a little sick again.”

Simon frowned. “You need to take Bonnibel home.”

“Since when?” Marceline questioned. “Your car’s fine.”

“I’ll give you ten bucks.” Simon wagered.

Marceline smiled a little. “Deal. I’m still taking a nap, though.”

She walked off before Simon could argue. He sighed to himself, before turning to Bonnibel. “Just go up and get her when you want to leave.”

“Are you sure she won’t kill me if I wake her up?”

Simon laughed. “I’m sure.”

Bonnibel waited at least a half hour and played some Mario Kart with Simon and Marshall before announcing she’d like to head home to get her homework done. Simon nodded. “To get to Marcy’s room, just go up the stairs and turn left, and it’s the first door you’ll see.”

Bonnibel nodded, following Simon’s directions and walking up the stairs, knocking on the door she presumed was Marceline’s. She merely got a grunt in response, so she walked in to see Marceline still laying on her bed, half in the covers, and half out of them in the pyjamas she’d been wearing all night; grey sweatpants and a lighter grey tank top. The girl was half awake and clutching the stuffed toy she’d seen in the pictures downstairs that was some sort of pink monkey that looked pretty well used. Bonnibel smiled to herself and gently shook Marceline in an attempt to wake the girl.

“Uh…wake up, Marceline.”

“Fuck off, princess.”

She saw Marceline subtly shove the toy under her blankets and out of sight. “Marceline, Simon said that -,”

“Yeah, yeah. I know what Simon said.” Marceline snapped. “Give me a break.”

Bonnibel frowned. “Do you want me to wait downstairs for you to get dressed?”

“I’ll just drive you as I am. I don’t care.” Marceline shrugged.

Bonnibel nodded, looking around the room as Marceline sat up. Marceline’s bedroom was surprisingly tidy; there was nothing on the black carpet aside from two stray socks, her guitars were neatly lined up on a guitar rack, and her dresser wasn’t at all cluttered. It was the opposite of what Bonnibel was expecting, minus the posters of various bands covering every inch of the grey walls.

Bonnibel watched as Marceline stood up and grabbed a maroon hoodie from the back of the desk hair positioned by her dresser, pulling it on. Bonnibel attempted a smile. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be, princess.”

Bonnibel sighed. Clearly, Marceline wasn’t planning on calling her by anything other than princess for a while.

The drive home was less awkward than it was last week, but the air was still thick between the two girls. Marceline didn’t bother talking to Bonnibel, and instead blocked any attempts at conversation by putting on her rock music so loud she couldn’t hear Bonnibel over it.

As they pulled up outside Bonnibel’s house, Marceline stopped the girl before she could leave. “Hey, princess.”

Bonnibel frowned. “What?”

“I still don’t like you.” Marceline stated. “Nothing that happened tonight makes us friends. Simon was making me be nice to you.”

Bonnibel already knew Simon was making the girl be civil, but she’d at least hoped Marceline had stopped hating her. That didn’t stop her from being confused at the sinking feeling in her stomach. “Oh.”

Marceline frowned. “So don’t go thinking that we’re friends or anything, because we’re not.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Understood.”

“Now get the fuck out of my car.”

Bonnibel obliged, and walked up to her porch feeling oddly weighed down. She frowned. She didn’t like Marceline, right? She didn’t want to be Marceline’s friend. Marceline was nothing but a lazy punk that would just drag Bonnibel down. Bonnibel refused to associate herself with people like that.

She didn’t want to be Marceline’s friend at all.

She hated the fact that she knew she was lying to herself.

Chapter Text

Wednesday 22^nd January 2014

To say Bonnibel was angry would be an understatement. The usually perky girl was incredibly annoyed by her apparent new friend Ricardio.

He hadn’t left her alone since Marceline hit him. He’d realised that Marceline was never around to protect Bonnibel and that the two of them weren’t actually friends, so he ignored the pale girl’s warning and continued to ask Bonnibel out.

He followed her around enough to know at least half of her schedule, so usually, when she walked out of certain classes, he was there. Luckily, most of the time she was with one of her friends, who told him to screw off when Bonnibel was too polite to. He was never intimidated by them.

He honestly gave Bonnibel the creeps.

Bonnibel’s friends weren’t too pleased with her, either. That was because she’d invited Marshall to spend break with them. She’d decided to get closer to him, since they would be seeing a lot of one another with the tutoring. She found herself giggling as the carefree looks on her friends’ faces were replaced by looks of shock as she walked towards them with Marshall.

She smiled at them. “Hi, guys. This is Marshall. I invited him to spend break with us.”

Lady shot him a weak smile. “Hi.”

Bonnibel caught a pink blush rise on Gumball’s cheeks, which grew even redder when he noticed her looking at him. She shot a knowing smile his way. Gumball cleared his throat and looked up at Marshall. “Nice to meet you.”

Marshall just nodded in acknowledgement and turned to Fionna, smirking. “Hey, Fionna.”

Bonnibel saw Gumball look dejectedly at his feet and went to sit next to him as Marshall squeezed himself between Fionna and Cake, wrapping an arm around Fionna. Cake glared at him. “Hell no, boy.”

Bonnibel smiled at Gumball. “You like him, don’t you?”

He nodded, sighing. “Yeah. I don’t know why. He’s the biggest douche in the school.”

“He’s not that bad.” Bonnibel laughed.

“How did you even make friends with him and Marceline? Don’t they hate everyone?” Gumball whispered. “I’ve been trying to make friends with Marshall for years.”

Bonnibel chuckled. “It’s just Marceline that hates everyone, and we’re not friends. I only talked to Marshall because he kept bugging me.”

“That’s how he flirts.” Gumball responded, nodding towards Marshall who was busy messing up Fionna’s hair.

Bonnibel put an arm around Gumball. “Do you know if he likes guys?”

Gumball sighed. “I doubt it.”

“I’ll find out for you.”

“What’re you going to do, ask him? That won’t be weird at all.” Gumball sarcastically replied.

Bubblegum shrugged. “Maybe I’ll ask Marceline.”

Gumball’s eyes widened. “Please don’t.”

“I have History with her 4^th period. Maybe I’ll ask her then.” Bonnibel shrugged.

“If you ask her I will never talk to you again.” Gumball stated.

Bonnibel laughed. “She’s not that bad. Besides, she’d probably know.”

“Please don’t get Marceline involved in this.” Gumball begged.

“I wouldn’t tell her you wanted to know. I’d just ask.” Bonnibel said. “Wouldn’t you like to know if he likes guys?”

“Well yeah, but -,”

“But nothing.” Bonnibel stated. “I’ll ask Marceline.”

Gumball sighed. “Please be subtle about it.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Of course.”

She wasn’t subtle about it at all. She walked into History and sat down next to Marceline, tapping the girl on the shoulder. She gulped a little when Marceline jumped back on her seat, looking up at Bonnibel with a glare. “Didn’t I tell you not to touch me?”

“Sorry. I just -,”

“You were just ignoring what I told you and touching me without my permission.” Marceline interrupted, staring Bonnibel down.

“I’m sorry, I just needed to ask you a question.” Bonnibel explained. “It’s about Marshall.”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Because I was told not to.” Bonnibel stated.

Marceline frowned, flicking a stray strand of her midnight black hair from her face. “Okay, what?”

“I’m asking for a friend.” Bonnibel said. “He told me not to ask Marshall.”

Marceline leant back on her chair, resting her arm against the back of it. “Well, shoot.”

“Does Marshall like guys?” Bonnibel asked.

“Marshall? He’ll fuck anything with a pulse.”

“Marceline! That’s very distasteful.” Bonnibel exclaimed.

“I’m just telling it how it is, princess.” Marceline shrugged.

“Stop calling me princess, Marcy.”

“Well played, nerd.” Bonnibel was sure she saw a ghost of a smile on Marceline’s face.

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks.”

“Why’d your friend want to know if Marshall likes guys, anyway?” Marceline asked.

“I’m not supposed to say.” Bonnibel stated.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “You have to tell me, you’ve got me involved, nerd.”

“I really shouldn’t -,”

“Think about it,” Marceline interrupted. “Who am I going to tell?”

“Uh, Marshall?” Bonnibel stated as if it was obvious.

“We don’t talk about junk like secrets or whatever. Mostly we just insult each other.” Marceline explained. “I don’t talk to anyone else here, and it’s not like I’m going to tell any of my other friends.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m interested.”

“My friend likes him.” Bonnibel said.

“The gay one?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. Why doesn’t he just tell my brother?” Marceline frowned. “It couldn’t hurt.”

“He’s too scared.” Bonnibel replied.

“Do you want me to tell him?”

“No!” Bonnibel exclaimed. “I wasn’t even supposed to tell you. Gumball is going to kill me.”

Marceline laughed. “Gumball? Are your friends part of a fucking cartoon or something?”

Bonnibel sighed. “You shouldn’t swear, you know. And don’t make fun of my friends! Aren’t your friends all like thirty and unemployed?”

“They graduated last year, princess. They’re all nineteen.” Marceline snapped. “Not to mention, they all have jobs.”

“Well -,”

Marceline cut her off. “You know, you’re really judgemental. You haven’t even met my friends and yet you seem to think they’re drug addicts or something? You even accused me of being a drug addict, when you don’t even know me. Maybe you should pull your head out of your own ass and not judge people on what they look like.”

“Sorry.” Bonnibel mumbled. “You made fun of my friends so I made fun of yours.”

“Whatever.” Marceline snapped.

They were sat in silence until Bonnibel finally snapped. “I don’t get you. One minute you’re being at least a little bit nice to me, and the next you’re insulting me. Will you just make up your mind? Being nice wouldn’t kill you.”

“Nobody gets me, princess.”

“Will you please just stick to being at least a little nice to me?” Bonnibel asked.

“Will you pull your head out of your own ass and stop being such a judgemental, self-centred bitch?” Marceline countered.

Bonnibel let out a sigh. She didn’t think she was full of herself at all. “Fine.”

“Alright then.”

“What happened to you ‘liking my vibe’ anyways?” Bonnibel asked.

“Yeah, your vibe. Not you.” Marceline stated. “I like how you don’t care about gossip and junk.”

“I don’t understand your slang.” Bonnibel stated.

“That’s because you’re a fucking dork.”

“Stop swearing.”

“Oh, sorry princess! Have I offended thee with my incessant cursing? What else do you request from me while we’re on the topic, your highness?” Marceline responded in the most sarcastic tone the girl could muster.

“Shut up.” Bonnibel muttered, her cheeks turning a light pink. “Truce?”

Marceline chuckled, and Bonnibel was surprised by how genuine her laugh was. “Alright, fine.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Good.”

Marceline exhaled, thumbs playing with her grey ‘no smoking’ shirt. “That guy isn’t still bugging you, is he?”

Bonnibel frowned. “Why do you care?”

“Because,” Marceline shrugged, “I hate guys like that. Any excuse to punch them is good enough for me.”

Bonnibel couldn’t stop the little laugh that Marceline’s comment elicited. “Well, he is.”

“Okay,” Marceline nodded. “If you need me, I’m usually in either Simon’s classroom or the music room.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Okay. Thanks, Marceline.”

“No problem, Bonnibel.”

Bonnibel couldn’t contain her smile. Marceline hadn’t called her princess. For some reason unknown to Bonnibel, that meant a lot.

At lunch, Bonnibel utilised her new defence against Ricardio. He was waiting outside History for her, and Bonnibel walked straight back in the classroom the second she saw him and called for Marceline, who was untangling her earphones.

“What?”

“Ricardio.”

She saw Marceline grind her teeth, and she saw the other girl tense up. “I’m going to kill that kid.”

As Bonnibel walked back out of the classroom, Ricardio smiled at her. She tried not to laugh when his face paled at the anger on Marceline’s face. “You just don’t listen, do you?”

Ricardio tried to be brave. “You’re not even friends with her.”

Marceline’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, really?”

Ricardio held up a glare. “Yeah.”

Bonnibel froze when Marceline slung an arm around her shoulder. “You’re right. We’re best friends, aren’t we, Bonnie?”

Bonnibel tried to relax in Marceline’s tense grip and nodded. “Yeah.”

Marceline shot Ricardio a fake smile. “Touch her, and die.”

Bonnibel was surprised that was all it took for him to leave, and the next think she knew, Marceline was walking her down the hallway with an arm still slung around her shoulder. As they turned the corner, Bonnibel saw Lady searching in her locker and smiled. “Hey, Lady!”

Lady turned around before Marceline pulled her arm from around Bonnibel and stepped away from her. Bonnibel laughed as Lady’s blue eyes widened. “Hi, Bubblegum. You’ve made more new friends, huh?”

Bonnibel decided to tease Marceline. “Oh yeah. We’re best friends, aren’t we Marceline?”

“Oh, shut up. You know I just said that to save you from that douchebag.” Marceline rolled her eyes, but Bonnibel swore she saw the girl’s pale cheeks flush a light pink.

“But we’re best friends.” Bonnibel objected, a smirk similar to Marceline’s on her face.

“You want me to call off the truce?”

“Fine, you win.” Bonnibel grumbled. “Grumpy butt.”

“Grumpy butt? Wow, I’m so offended.” Marceline sarcastically shot back.

“Punk.”

“Compliment.” Marceline reminded her.

Bonnibel rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

Marceline winked, setting off down the hall. “That’s the point, nerd. Splitsville, dorks.”

“Bye, Marceline.”

Lady gripped onto Bonnibel’s arm and pulled her in the opposite direction. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know.” Bonnibel chuckled. “She’s being civil with me.”

“Marceline isn’t civil with anyone.”

“She is now.”

“But -,”

“Can we just drop it? I’m positive there are more interesting things to talk about.” Bonnibel stated.

Lady sighed. “It’s just weird. Marceline never lets anyone talk to her.”

“Didn’t I just ask you to drop it?”

“Fine.” Lady muttered, a disheartened expression on her face.

When Bonnibel and Lady arrived at their usual spot, they were surprised to see that Marshall had shown up again. They weren’t surprised to see he was bugging Fionna and stealing her food when she wasn’t looking.

Bonnibel made her way over to Gumball and sat down. “I asked Marceline.”

“What’d she say?”

“She said he’ll…have intercourse…with anything with a pulse.” Bonnibel said.

“You didn’t tell her why you wanted to know, did you?”

“Uh…no.”

“You did.” Gumball sighed, slapping a hand to his face. “She’ll tell him!”

“She said she wouldn’t. I made sure.” Bonnibel assured.

“And you trust her?”

“Not particularly, no, but -,”

“She’s going to tell him and everything will be ruined.” Gumball interrupted. “Oh, God.”

“She won’t. She did say that she wouldn’t tell anyone.” Bonnibel promised. “And I believe her. Think about it; who is she going to tell?”

“Uh, Marshall?”

“She told me that all they do is insult each other. I don’t see how this would come up there.” Bonnibel stated. “I think you should ask him out.”

Gumball sighed and shook his head. “No. He likes Fionna. He doesn’t care about me.”

Bonnibel thought for a minute, before turning to Marshall who was playing with Fionna’s hair, much to the blonde’s annoyance. “Hey, Marshall!”

Gumball’s eyes widened and he grabbed Bonnibel’s arm. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Trust me.” Bonnibel whispered to him.

Marshall grinned. “What’s up, Bonnibel?”

“Would you want to hang out with me and Gumball this weekend?” Bonnibel asked.

“Sure, dude. What day?” He asked.

“Sunday.” Bonnibel smiled.

“Cool. Text me your address and I’ll come over.” Marshall stated, before turning back to Fionna who glared at him.

Bonnibel smiled at Gumball. “There. I’ll say that something came up and then you two will be alone.”

“You’re a genius.” He grinned, throwing his arms around her in a hug.

Bonnibel was late to class. This was a first for her. She’d gone to the bathroom, thinking she had enough time, and now she was running three minutes late, and counting. She was sprinting to class, when she ran into someone.

She felt their body tense up, and she was slammed against the cold grey lockers. She was terrified, but looked up at her assailant. Marceline.

“Hi, Marceline.”

She felt the other girl’s grip loosen and saw Marceline’s red eyes soften. “Bonnibel.”

“I’m sorry for running into you.” Bonnibel tried her best to stay calm. “I’m just going to be late for class and I’ve been told that the teacher locks you out if you’re late.”

Marceline let go of Bonnibel’s purple jacket. “You’d better run, then.”

Bonnibel shot a grateful smile to Marceline as she ran down the hall, making it to her English class just in time, taking her seat next to Lady. “You nearly got locked out! What took you?”

“I lost track of time and I ran into Marceline on the way here – literally.”

Lady’s eyes widened. “And she didn’t kill you?”

Bonnibel smiled a little. “She looked like she was going to, but I apologised and she let me go.”

Lady was shocked. “That’s not like her. One time Finn literally brushed past her in the hall and she shoved him over.”

Bonnibel frowned, and the rest of the lesson, she couldn’t stop thinking about Marceline and how complicated she could be.

Chapter Text

Friday 24^th January 2014.

When Marceline woke up, she shuffled further under her covers and tried to go back to sleep when she realised it was a Friday. She hated any day she was required to go to school. She envied Guy, Keila and Bongo and how they’d graduated. She still had a year and half left.

She clung onto Hambo tighter, and tried to get comfortable. Simon wouldn’t care if she missed a day of school, right? Besides, she could always just say that Marshall didn’t wake her up or something.

She sighed and sat up, her duvet under her chin. She knew Simon would be disappointed in her if she started skipping school again. Swinging her pale legs over the side of her bed, she shivered at how cold her room was, but dragged herself out of bed and ran a hand through her hair which had become a tangled mess overnight. She grabbed her phone from where it was left to charge on her bedside table, checking to see if she had any notifications, which she usually didn’t unless Keila got drunk and decided 3am was a good time to annoy her. She was surprised when there was two missed calls, one text and a Facebook notification. She frowned at the last one; nobody she was friends with bothered with Facebook, so she had no idea who that would be. Both missed calls and the text were from Keila, and Marceline couldn’t help but laugh when she read it.

Keila (4:17AM) Luv u marmalade

She chuckled. That was definitely a drunken text. She replied to it and hoped that even in her drunken state, Keila had managed to put her phone on silent.

Marceline (7:05AM): you fucking dork

Marceline (7:05AM): love you too though, get some aspirin for the headache you’ll definitely have

She checked her Facebook to see that princess had sent her a friend request. She frowned. Didn’t she tell the kid not to bug her? She really didn’t know how she felt about Bonnibel. She was surprisingly nice to her, and she didn’t know if she liked that or not. She had to admit, kids in her grade actually being nice to her wasn’t something she was used to. Most people were afraid of her, not that she cared. She didn’t want to get close to anyone else; it made it easier for them to hurt her.

She sighed in defeat, accepting the friend request, putting her phone down on her bed, before looking down at Hambo who was still in her arms. “At least she’s not totally lame, right, bud?”

She smiled down at the stuffed toy before gently placing him on her pillow and standing up, knocking her warm duvet from her lap. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching out her arms and cracking her knuckles. She looked over to her bass in temptation, sighing to herself when she noticed the time. She’d only just have time to get ready and have breakfast before she’d have to set off for school.

She walked over to her bedroom window and looked over the street which was deserted. She smiled; Simon’s car was still here. She walked out of the room and downstairs to see him putting things into a bag for his classes, while Schwabl watched from his basket. “Hey, Simon.”

“Morning, Marcy. Did you sleep okay?” He shot her a gentle smile that reminded her of when she first met him as a scared seven year old.

She grinned. “Always do when I have Hambo around.”

“Good. Have you talked to Bonnibel this week?” Simon asked.

“Why do you want me to make friends with her?” Marceline questioned.

“She’s a good kid, and it’d be good for you to make more friends. Besides, she doesn’t seem fooled by the whole tough façade you put on.” Simon shrugged.

Marceline scoffed, a small smile on her lips. “What tough façade? I’m naturally macho, Simon.”

He laughed. “You sleep with a teddy bear, Marcy.”

“Shut up, Simon.”

“Talk to Bonnibel, okay?”

“Will you pay me?”

“No! I’m not going to pay you to make friends, Marcy.” Simon laughed.

She sighed. “Meanie.”

He rolled his eyes. “How old are you, seven? I remember meanie was your go-to insult then.”

“You were the one who told me not to swear and it’s the first thing that came to mind, okay?”

He smiled. “I’m going to set off to school. I’ll see you guys when you get there.”

Marceline nodded. “Yeah. See you in a bit.”

He hugged her when he stood, and Marceline relaxed into the comforting hold. “Don’t forget to wake your brother up.”

“I won’t.” She let go of him, watching as he walked out of the living room. She heard his car start outside, and she let out a sigh and traipsed into the kitchen, pouring herself a bowl of Lucky Charms. She ate them as quickly as she could, trying not to think about school, before placing the bowl in the sink and heading upstairs, pushing open the door to Marshall’s room. She flicked the light on, and looked around his messy room, turning her nose up in disgust. “Geez, dude. Tidy up in here.”

“What are you, my Mom?” Marshall groaned from his spot on the bed, his left eye open a crack.

“Might as well be.” Marceline shrugged. “You don’t do anything for yourself. Get up.”

She walked into her own room at that, pulling her closet open and grabbing a pair of black skinny jeans and a t-shirt advertising one of her favourite bands. She quickly changed from her pyjamas into her clothes and began working on the mess that was her hair when her phone started ringing. She picked it up from her bed, looking at the caller ID. Keila. She answered. “Sup, Keila?”

“I have a headache.” The other girl complained. “Help me, Marmalade.”

“Will you ever stop calling me that?” Marceline questioned.

“No. It has been your nickname since we met, there’s no going back now.” Keila replied. “Seriously though, come over. I need you to help me get over this hangover.”

“Can’t. Unlike some lucky people in our band, I have to go to school.” Marceline shot back.

“Just say you overslept. Simon won’t know.”

“Yeah, he will. He was here this morning when I got up. I’ll come over later, okay?” Marceline stated.

Keila groaned. “Ugh, fine. Don’t invite the guys, though. Just us.”

“Sure.” Marceline stated.

“Have fun at school.” Keila tried to sound enthusiastic.

“Likely.” Marceline scoffed. “I hate school, you know that. It sucks now that you guys graduated.”

“It sucked before.” Keila reminded her.

“True. It sucks harder. They won’t even let me wear my nose ring anymore.” Marceline corrected herself. “Feel better later, man.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Keila sighed. “I’m never getting drunk again.”

“You said that a week ago.”

“Shut up.” Keila laughed. “God, my head hurts.”

“Get some aspirin and water and you’ll be fine.” Marceline replied.

“Thanks.” Keila said. “I’ll see you when you finish school?”

“Yeah.” Marceline replied. “I’m going to finish getting ready. Bye.”

“Bye.” Keila mumbled. “Love you, Marmalade.”

“Love you too, Keila.”

Marceline hung up and put her phone down on her bedside table. She smiled a little. Her best friend always managed to make her do that. She went back to brushing her hair until she had finally brushed out all of the tangles, walking downstairs and putting the right books in her backpack and pulling on a pair of Vans. Then, she walked into the living room and flopped herself down on the couch, flicking on the TV and searching through the channels – nothing good was on on a morning – and waited for Marshall to come downstairs.

For some reason, princess came to mind. Why? Marceline had no idea. She just didn’t understand why Simon wanted them to be friends so much. She had plenty of friends already, just none at school, and she was fine with that. She had her music to keep her company. Although, there was no denying that Bonnibel wasn’t actually that bad. Marceline could tolerate the girl’s presence for more than one minute without wanting to punch her, so she figured maybe talking to her wouldn’t be so bad.

Marshall burst into the living room when she was watching a very stupid infomercial on Snuggies. “You ready?”

Marceline nodded, switching off the TV. “Yeah. We’re kind of early, so we can just go and hang out in Simon’s room until class starts.”

“Don’t you have him first, anyway?” Marshall frowned.

“Nope. I have Literature. I have Simon after break for an hour.” Marceline shrugged.

Marshall nodded. “Cool. Hey, you want to hang out with me and Bonnibel on Sunday?”

Marceline scoffed. “Yeah, I’d love to hang out with you and your pet nerd.”

He smirked a little. “I know you like her, Marce.”

“I don’t like her.”

“Liar.” Marshall replied. “Tell me how you really feel.”

“I’m neutral.” Marceline admitted. “I don’t like her, but I don’t dislike her.”

Marshall grinned. “Really? That’s awesome. Seriously, hang out with us on Sunday. She’s bringing a friend who is a guy, maybe you can do some smoochin’.”

“Fuck off, Marshall. Besides, that dude’s gay.”

“Whoa, what?” Marshall frowned.

“Mhm.”

“Hm.” Marshall shrugged. “That’s cool, I don’t judge.”

“Anyways, let’s go.” Marceline replied, motioning towards the door.

He nodded, and the two walked outside and into Marceline’s car.

Marceline didn’t know how she felt when she walked into Simon’s classroom and Bonnibel was stood talking to him. She sighed, walking past them and sitting down in Simon’s desk chair, getting herself comfortable. Marshall perched on the edge of Simon’s desk. “Hey, Bonnibel.”

She smiled. “Hi, Marshall. Marceline.”

Marceline looked up. “Hey.”

“Did you do the History homework?”

“You’d better be joking right now.” Marceline said.

Bonnibel chuckled a little. “Nope, sorry.”

“I didn’t even know we had homework.” Marceline sighed and slapped a hand to her forehead.

Bonnibel approached her, pulling a sheet out of her pink backpack. “Here. You can copy this if you’d like.”

“Why are you helping me?” Marceline frowned. She was uncertain as to whether Bonnibel wanted something from her or if she was just being genuinely nice. Probably the former. Nobody was ever nice to Marceline.

“I owe you for helping me with Ricardio. He hasn’t talked to me since you threatened him the other day.” Bonnibel smiled, holding the sheet out.

Marceline took it and scanned it over. There was a set of about six questions, which Bonnibel had answered in huge paragraphs. “Is it cool if I borrow this to get the questions or whatever? I’ll answer them myself at lunch.”

Bonnibel nodded. “That’s fine.”

“I’ll get it back to you at the end of lunch or in class or whatever.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Okay.”

“Thanks for this, dude.”

“You’re welcome.” Bonnibel replied. “Honestly, you can copy all of my homework in exchange for getting rid of Ricardio.”

Marceline smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Marshall frowned. “That guy was still bugging you?”

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah, but Marceline got rid of him.”

“If he bugs you again, let me know.” Marceline said. “I hate guys like that.”

Simon frowned. “What happened?”

“This boy wouldn’t stop harassing me and asking me out, so Marceline basically threatened him with his life.” Bonnibel chuckled.

Simon smiled. “I told her to stop being so mean, but she doesn’t listen.”

Marceline spun around on Simon’s chair, laughing a little. “What, you want me to go over to the guy and gently pat him on the head and ask him to leave her alone all polite and stuff? Like he’d listen to that. Guys don’t listen to anything until you threaten to shoot them in the dick or something.”

Marshall cringed. “Painful.”

Bonnibel found herself laughing at Marshall’s reaction, but decided to change the subject for him. “Are you still hanging out with me and Gumball on Sunday?”

“Sure.” Marshall nodded.

“Okay. I might not be able to come, after all.” Bonnibel said.

Marshall pouted like a little kid who’d just been told off. “Aw! Why not?”

Bonnibel floundered. “Uh…um…” She looked around the room for something that might trigger an excuse, and eventually her eyes fell on Marceline. “Marceline and I are meeting up. She’s going to help me get caught up in History.”

Simon looked pleased at this, and Marceline stopped spinning around in Simon’s chair and looked up at Bonnibel, an eyebrow quirked up in confusion. “I am?” Bonnibel’s eyes widened and she looked at Marceline, pleading the girl to play along. Marceline caught on. “I am. Yeah.”

Marshall frowned. “Really?”

Marceline nodded. “Yep.”

He shrugged. “Oh. It’s cool you’re making friends, sis.”

Marceline bit her lip, holding back laughter. “Yeah, totally.”

“Anyways, I’m going to head to class. Later guys.” With that, he walked out of the room.

The second the door shut behind him, Marceline burst out laughing, so much that there were tears in her eyes. “Oh my god, how did he not figure out that was a lie? Fuck, how stupid can someone be!?”

“Marceline, be nice to your brother.” Simon chastised her.

She wasn’t listening. “You can tell I’m the oldest. I’m the alpha twin in every aspect.”

Bonnibel laughed. “Alpha twin?”

“Yeah,” Marceline said, “Like, I’m older and therefore wiser, and I’m smarter and stuff. I’m also cooler.”

Bonnibel smiled a little. “Well, I’m going to go to my class. Have fun being the alpha twin, Marceline.”

Marceline nodded. “I think I’m going to head off too.”

“Why don’t you guys walk together?” Simon suggested.

Marceline sighed, but didn’t object as Bonnibel expected she would. “What’ve you got now?”

“Um…English Language.” Bonnibel stated.

“Cool. We’re going the same way. I have English Literature.” Marceline replied, standing up and grabbing her black backpack and the homework sheet Bonnibel had given her.

Bonnibel frowned. “I thought only the smart people were allowed to do English Literature?” She blurted out.

Marceline looked up, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, and I’m smart. Get used to it, princess.”

“Stop it with the princess, Marcy.” Bonnibel countered.

“You’re no fun.” Marceline grumbled, making her way to the door, pulling it open.

“I am fun.” Bonnibel insisted. “I just don’t find being called ‘princess’ enjoyable.”

Marceline walked out of the classroom, Bonnibel following closely behind. “Yeah, you like doing freaky ass science experiments.”

“They’re not freaky.” Bonnibel replied. “Recently I conducted an experiment on -,”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marceline interrupted. “I’m already tired enough, I don’t need to be falling back to sleep already.”

Bonnibel gave Marceline a gentle smack on the arm. “Shut up.” She then realised what she’d just done. “Oh, god. I’m sorry. I forgot about your no touching rule, and I’m really sorry -,”

“Dude -,”

“Seriously, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Bonnibel rambled. “Please don’t hurt me or anything.”

“Dude, chill -,”

“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you? My friends warned me not to make you mad.” Bonnibel continued.

Marceline realised the girl wasn’t listening to her, and she raised her voice and grabbed Bonnibel by her shoulders. “Bonnibel!”

Bonnibel gulped. “What?”

“I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t care if you touch me, okay? It’s fine.”

Then, Bonnibel did something incredibly unexpected. She pulled Marceline in for a tight hug.

And Marceline liked it.

“It was weird, Keila.” Marceline sighed as she sat down on Keila’s couch. “You know how I don’t like people that I’m not comfortable with touching me.”

“Yeah.” Keila nodded. “I don’t know, man. Maybe you just feel protective over her or something. Didn’t you say she’s kind of innocent or whatever?”

“Maybe.” Marceline bit down on her lip and leant back, getting herself comfortable. “I don’t want to like her.”

“Why not?” Keila questioned, sitting down and putting an arm around Marceline.

“It’d make it easier for her to hurt me.” Marceline sighed. “You know, she’s friends with the girl that always used to spread rumours about us.”

“Ah. You’re wary because of that.” Keila smiled.

Marceline nodded. “I’m just saying, maybe LSP is making her be nice to me so they can do stuff to me or whatever.”

“Or she could actually just be nice.” Keila suggested, wrapping her arms around Marceline in a hug. “Not everyone is some sort of evil agent out to get you, Marmalade.”

Marceline sighed and rested her head on Keila’s shoulder. “I know.”

“You made friends with me just fine.” Keila reminded her.

“I was five and you pitied me.” Marceline rolled her eyes at the older girl.

Keila laughed. “And look where my pity got me. I’m glad that five year old you was a little butterfingers, though. If you hadn’t have spilt marmalade all over me then we’d probably have never talked.”

“And the best guitarist on the planet wouldn’t be in my band.” Marceline finished, a smile creeping onto her face.

Keila gave Marceline one last squeeze before letting go of her. “Come on, let’s play some music or something.”

Marceline sighed. “I don’t know, I’m not really feeling it.”

“I’ll let you play on my Gibson.”

“You know, suddenly I’m feeling quite musical.” Marceline stood up, smirking.

“Wow, I wonder how that happened.” Keila laughed, and the two of them walked into a different room where their band usually practiced.

It was a spacious room; originally it’d been a second bedroom, but Keila rarely had house guests and Bongo’s parents were starting to get annoyed with how loud they were playing. Keila had moved out the second she’d turned 18, and got rid of her guest bed and kept the room as a band room. There were a few of Keila’s many guitars hung on the white walls, and there was a drum kit opposite the door. Three microphones were set up – for Marshall, Keila and Marceline – and there was a black couch in the corner adjacent to the door. Most of Keila’s guitars were organised on guitar racks which were near Bongo’s drum kit. They were ordered in brands; Gibson, Epiphone, Fender and Taylor. Keila passed Marceline her newest purchase; a cherry red Gibson Les Paul. “Be careful with my precious.”

Marceline laughed. “You know I will be.”

“True, which is why I only let you play my guitars when the guys aren’t here. They’d probably attempt to smash one to try and be ‘punk rock’ or something.” Keila laughed.

Marceline walked over to the couch and sat down, strumming a few chords on the guitar. “It sounds really good unplugged.”

“It’s awesome when you plug it in and put a bit of distortion on it.” Keila said. “I’m going to play my Fender.”

“The Strat?”

“Nah, the Telecaster.” Keila stated. “I changed the strings on it the other day, and on my Fender acoustic.”

“Does your Epiphone SG still have a broken E string?” Marceline asked.

“Yeah, I keep saying I’m going to restring it, but I always forget. Got other things to do, you know?”

“Like getting drunk and ringing me at 3am?”

“Shut up, Marmalade.”

Marceline chuckled a little and strummed the introduction to ‘I Swear This Time I Mean It’ by Mayday Parade, before sighing and putting the guitar down. “Yeah, I really have too much on my mind to play.”

“We could go for a drive, if you want.” Keila offered, grabbing her guitar and placing it back in the rack.

“Yeah, that’d be cool.” Marceline nodded. “Do you want me to drive?”

“Nah, we’ll take my car.” Keila smiled. “We can go up to the cliff, if you want.”

Marceline grinned. “Yeah. I like it up there.”

The cliff was the one place Marceline didn’t mind in the town. It took around ten minutes to get up there from Keila’s apartment by car. There wasn’t a road up to the top; you’d have to park at the bottom and walk up, but when you’d get there, it’d be worth it. The entire town could be seen from up there; you could even see other towns. It was exceptionally beautiful at night, when everything was lit up in different colours and the town became a sea of lights.

By the time Marceline and Keila had walked up, it was 5pm and just getting dark. They took a seat on the single cold bench and looked out towards their hometown, their breath coming out in puffs of smoke. Keila pulled out a packet of cigarettes and put one between her teeth. Marceline grabbed it and threw it as far as she could. “You said you’d quit.”

Keila sighed and looked down and the pack, before hurling it off of the cliff. “I will.”

Marceline hugged her. “Good.”

“It’s cute how you care about my health, Marmalade.” Keila replied.

“Shut up. I just don’t want you dying any earlier, okay?” Marceline gave Keila a light smack on the upper arm.

“Yeah, yeah.” Keila smiled. “I’m glad you don’t do it, you know? It’s a bad habit. Kind of like how you bite your nails.”

Marceline looked down to her fingernails, which she had bitten down as far as she could. “Yeah, I get it. I just hate smoking.”

“So much that you have a t-shirt.” Keila finished. “It’d be ironic if you wore it and started smoking.”

“Good thing I don’t plan on smoking any time soon.”

“Good.” Keila nodded.

“How’s work?” Marceline asked.

“Boring, as usual. Still waiting on you to write that hit single.” Keila joked, gently nudging Marceline.

“I’m working on it, I promise.” Marceline laughed.

“How’s school going, though?” Keila asked. “Grades, I mean. Not how much you hate socialising.”

Marceline chuckled a little. “They’re good, I guess.”

“What’re you getting?”

“Bs in all the sciences and math and As in everything else.” Marceline shrugged.

Keila grinned. “That’s awesome. I bet Simon was proud.”

“Yeah.”

“Your Mom would’ve been, too.”

Marceline gulped, nodding. “Yeah.”

Keila smiled. “Do you want to crash at mine tonight?”

Marceline shook her head. “Nah. I need my own bed. You can stay over if you want.”

“Fuck yeah, your bed is the most comfortable thing ever.”

“Remember that time you started a story with ‘I was in Marmalade’s bed’.” Marceline laughed. “And everyone was like ‘what the fuck’?”

Keila grinned. “Yeah, that was pretty funny,” She threw an arm around Marceline’s shoulders. “Shall we go to mine and I’ll get my stuff to stay at yours?”

“Yeah, sure.” Marceline nodded.

Keila stood up and held out a hand, pulling Marceline up from the bench they were sat on. Marceline shot her a grateful smile and the two walked away from the cliff’s edge and towards Keila’s car.

As they descended from the cliff’s edge, Keila slung an arm around Marceline’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “I love you, okay?”

“Love you too, dork.” Marceline smiled, shrugging Keila’s arm off her. “Race you to the car!”

She’d shot off down the hill before Keila could process what she’d just said, and the older girl chuckled before chasing after her.

They arrived at Marceline’s house and said a quick hello to Simon who was sat in the living room watching a science show. Marshall had apparently gone out with Guy and Bongo. Marceline gave Simon a quick hug and went upstairs with Keila, collapsing on her bed. “I vote we get in our pyjamas now.”

“I second that.” Keila grinned.

Neither of them bothered going into a separate room to get changed; they’d changed in front of one another so many times in the past twelve years that it didn’t bother either of them. Once they’d gotten changed, the two of them laid down on Marceline’s bed, and Marceline turned on her TV. “What do you want to watch?”

“Shaun of the Dead.”

“Specific.” Marceline commented, standing up and opening up her DVD drawer.

Keila shifted on her bed, producing Hambo from behind her back. “I think I sat on Hambo.”

Marceline smiled a little. “That’s cool, man.”

“Remember when you used to carry him around 24/7. You literally brought him to school.” Keila teased, smirking.

“Shut up.” Marceline’s cheeks flushed as she looked through her DVDs.

“You were cute. What happened?”

“I got cuter.”

“Well played, Abadeer.”

Marceline grinned. “Not going to lie, I do sometimes wish it was socially acceptable for me to take him to school.”

Keila laughed. “Aw, Marmalade! I’ll admit, it was one of the reasons I pitied you when you were a little loner kindergarten.”

“I wasn’t a loner.”

“Even Marshall didn’t talk to you, and he’s your twin brother.” Keila pointed out.

“Shut up.” Marceline mumbled, grabbing the right DVD and walking over to her TV, putting it in the player and walking back over to her bed, lying down next to Keila. “I had Hambo.”

“A teddy bear.” Keila laughed.

“Why were you even nice to me then? I was so fucking weird.”

“Because I realised you had no friends and I felt bad because I’d shouted at you.” Keila shrugged. “I was actually only going to be nice to you until you made friends your own age but that never happened and you grew on me.”

Marceline scoffed. “And that’s why you want me to make friends with Bonnibel! You want to get rid of me.”

Keila lightly slapped Marceline in the arm. “Shut up, you know I love you.”

Marceline smirked. “You’d better do.”

That night, Marceline went to sleep with a smile on her face.

Chapter Text

Monday 27^th January 2014

On Friday, Bonnibel found out that German was an available class at her new school. She was overjoyed. She’d excelled in German back in New York, and it was her favourite class, so as soon as she found out that she could take it, she went to the office to request a timetable change. It took up half of her lunchtime, but she managed to drop Art – which she had taken up because there was nothing else – and replace it with German. Her timetable had changed about a little bit, but it was nothing she couldn’t get used to. Her English Literature was where she previously had English Language, and Literature was where Art had been. German took up her old Literature spot.

She still got confused when she went to school on Monday.

She knew she had German after lunch, and when she checked her timetable at break, she realised she had absolutely no idea where the German room was. She had stopped using her map after her first week; she hadn’t thought about the possibility of switching classes, and had thrown it in the garbage once she’d become comfortable with her surroundings. She’d asked her friends, and none of them had any clue, either. She even asked Marceline when she sat down in History.

“You don’t know where this room is, do you?” She spread her new timetable out on the desk between her and Marceline, who was pulling her notebook out of her backpack.

Marceline scanned over Bonnibel’s timetable, following the other girl’s finger. She took the wire of her left earphone from her mouth which she’d been chewing, finally sending Bonnibel a small nod. “Yeah. I know where it is.”

“Could you show me?” Bonnibel questioned, folding up her timetable and placing it neatly in the front pocket of her pink backpack. “I’d really appreciate it.”

“I guess,” Marceline shrugged. “Also, we have Language and Literature together.”

“You were creeping on my schedule?” Bonnibel chuckled, shooting Marceline a small smile.

“I was curious.” Marceline replied, running a hand through her messy black hair.

Bonnibel’s eyes fixed on Marceline’s left wrist, which was almost completely covered with brightly coloured bracelets; probably the only time Marceline would ever wear any colour other than black or grey, Bonnibel guessed. “You have a lot of bracelets.”

Marceline’s eyebrows arched, and she followed Bonnibel’s gaze, examining her arm as if she didn’t realise they were there. “Oh…yeah, I guess. They’re mostly just Warped Tour wristbands – I go every year – and band merch.”

“Warped Tour?” Bonnibel felt a frown settle across her face. “What’s that?”

“It’s a huge tour of like thirty different bands and artists. It’s pretty rad.” Marceline shrugged. “People say it’s like a summer camp for bands.”

“It sounds like fun.” Bonnibel commented.

“It is.” Marceline assured, circling one of the wristbands with her forefinger. “I’ve been every year since 2010. 2012 was my favourite year, probably.”

Bonnibel smiled. “I take it you’re going this year?”

Marceline nodded, her side-bangs falling into her eyes. “Yeah.”

Bonnibel watched as Marceline ran a hand through her hair. “So, you’ll walk me to my German class at the end of lunch.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Marceline played with the hem of her t-shirt, before meeting Bonnibel’s blue eyes. “Where shall I meet you?”

Bonnibel shrugged. “I don’t mind. I’ll come to Simon’s classroom if you want.”

Marceline nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Thank you in advance, by the way.”

Marceline didn’t reply, and instead began scribbling in her notebook, positioning herself so Bonnibel couldn’t see what she was writing. Bonnibel watched the girl for a while, but eventually turned her attention to the lesson.

“You’re a real pain in my ass, princess.” Marceline complained as Bonnibel insisted on stopping off at the cafeteria to buy a snack.

“Back at you, Marcy.” Bonnibel stated. “Especially when you call me princess.”

“Will you stop fucking calling me Marcy? It’s not cool, man.” Marceline sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“Stop calling me princess and we have a deal.”

“Fine, whatever.” Marceline huffed. “We’re not stopping at the cafeteria, though.”

“If I drag you, you might have to.” Bonnibel stated, gripping onto Marceline’s wrist and pulling her along.

Marceline groaned, but didn’t complain as Bonnibel pulled her through the double doors to the cafeteria. “You’re too much, nerd.”

Bonnibel kept a tight grip on Marceline’s arm as she dragged her through the cafeteria. “Don’t act like you can’t tolerate it.”

“Fuck off.” Marceline muttered, yanking her arm from Bonnibel’s grip. “I’m not going to escape, you know. You don’t need to keep me on a leash.”

“Promise?”

Marceline huffed. “I promise. Just hurry the fuck up and buy whatever you’re buying.”

“Is there any need for that language?” Bonnibel chided, picking up an apple and delving in her backpack for her money.

“Is there any need for your face?” Marceline shot back.

“Good one.” Bonnibel laughed, paying for her apple and walking out of the cafeteria and almost straight into Lady and LSP. She noticed Marceline tense up. “Hey guys.”

LSP eyed Marceline as if she was some sort of rabid animal ready to attack. “Hi, Bubblegum.”

Lady tried her best to ignore the pale girl stood biting at her fingernails. “Bonnibel.”

“Why aren’t you guys outside?” Bonnibel questioned.

Lady smiled. “LSP wanted me to wait with her for Brad.”

Bonnibel nodded. “I see,”

“So, what’re you two doing?” Lady asked.

“Oh, Marceline’s showing me the way to German.” Bonnibel turned to the other girl with a smile. “Right?”

Marceline looked up, eyebrows arched. “What? Oh, yeah.”

“I didn’t know you two were friends.” Lady said, a tone of disapproval in her voice.

“We’re not.” Marceline was quick to reply.

“Yeah, we’re best friends.”

“Will you ever drop that?”

“Probably not.” Bonnibel grinned, before tugging Marceline’s sleeve. “Come on, let’s go.”

Marceline nodded and led Bonnibel through the school, all the way to the German room, which was hidden away at the end of a corridor. “Here.”

“Thanks. How do you know where it is, anyway?” Bonnibel questioned.

Marceline shrugged. “Keila used to do it.”

“Oh, that’s really cool.” Bonnibel lingered in the doorway for a minute.

“Aren’t you going to go in? You’re early, but you might as well.” Marceline frowned.

Bonnibel stared at Marceline with an unreadable expression. “Yeah, it’s just…,”

“Spit it out, nerd.”

“Thanks for everything.” Bonnibel mumbled, refusing to meet Marceline’s crimson gaze. “You don’t even know me all that well and you’ve helped me a lot.”

Marceline frowned. “I haven’t done anything.”

Bonnibel wrapped her arms around Marceline’s middle and hugged her, nestling her face into the girl’s pale neck, inhaling the strong scent of strawberries. Marceline didn’t hug back. “You have. You saved me from Ricardio, you taught me about music, and you helped me today. So, thanks. If there’s anything I can do in return, please let me know.”

“You can get off me, for starters.”

Bonnibel quickly retreated her arms and moved away from the pale girl. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Marceline waved a hand dismissively. “You know what you can do for me?”

“What?” Bonnibel’s smile was eager; she was anxious to repay Marceline for everything.

“Stay the fuck away from me.”

Bonnibel felt her stomach drop, and her jaw went along with it. “What? But I thought -,”

“We’re not friends, princess. We never will be.” Marceline stated. “I told you that.”

“But -,”

“No. I’m going. Don’t talk to me again, got it?”

Bonnibel didn’t have a chance to reply. Marceline was already walking back in the direction they came in.

“Marshall, why did Marceline tell me to leave her alone?”

“She’s scared of you.”

“Marceline?”

“Yep.” Marshall nodded. “She actually kind of likes you so typically she’s avoiding you. She’s weird.”

“Can I make her stop avoiding me?”

“Probably not.” He stated, before placing the Chemistry book he was holding on Bonnibel’s lap. “So, this is what I really didn’t get in class,”

Bonnibel tuned out. Marceline liked her? She couldn’t help but feel overjoyed at that new information. All Bonnibel had to do was make Marceline talk to her again, and they maybe had a shot at becoming friends.

“Are you even listening to me?” Marshall chuckled, leaning back on the couch.

“Is it that obvious?” Bonnibel retorted, eyebrow quirked up.

“What’re you thinking about?” Marshall asked.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Marceline’s really getting to you, huh?” Marshall let out a sigh, standing up from the soft couch and stretching. “I’ll go talk to her.”

“Please don’t.” Bonnibel grabbed onto his arm and pulled him down. “I need to do the talking.”

“You know where her room is.”

“I didn’t mean now!” Bonnibel exclaimed, flicking through the pages in the textbook she was holding. “I have to tutor you.”

“You clearly have too much on your mind to do that. Go talk to her. She won’t bite.” Marshall assured.

Bonnibel stood up and sighed. “I’m doing this purely to clear my mind, got it?”

He rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

Bonnibel left the room and made her way up the stairs, which creaked slightly under her weight. She remembered the directions to Marceline’s room, and she stood in front of the white bedroom door for a few minutes, contemplating her next move. She listened to check if Marceline was actually in her room, letting out a low chuckle upon hearing the noises of a video game and Marceline frequently using words such as ‘motherfucker’. She finally plucked up the courage to knock on Marceline’s bedroom door.

“Come in.” Was said from inside, so Bonnibel gently pushed open the door to see Marceline sprawled out on her bed on her stomach, playing a game that looked to be something like Grand Theft Auto.

The game paused, and two crimson eyes fell on Bonnibel. “What do you want?”

“To talk.” Bonnibel awkwardly lingered in the doorway.

“You can sit down, if you want.” Marceline motioned to her bed. “But close the door first.”

Bonnibel pushed the door closed and nervously made her way over to Marceline. She awkwardly perched herself on the edge of the other girl’s bed. “So…”

“What do you want, princess?”

“You like me?”

Marceline frowned. “No. Who said that?”

“Marshall.”

“Well, he’s lying.” Marceline finished, laying back down on her stomach and unpausing her game. “If that’s all you’re here to talk about, you can go.”

“He said that you actually like me and that you’re scared so you’re avoiding me and that’s why you told me to leave you alone,” Bonnibel continued, tugging on the hem of her shirt. “And that makes no sense.”

“I don’t like you,” Marceline stated.

Bonnibel felt an odd sinking feeling in her stomach. “Oh.”

“But,” Marceline began, “I don’t dislike you.”

“You’re neutral.” Bonnibel concluded.

“Yeah.”

Bonnibel smiled. “That’s great.”

“Why, exactly?”

“Because you might end up liking me.”

Marceline snorted and paused her game. “If you think we’re going to be best friends and ride off into the sunset on a magical flying pony, you’ve got another thing coming. Just because I can tolerate you doesn’t mean there’s any chance of a friendship.”

Bonnibel sighed.

“Sorry to disappoint, nerd.”

“You’re difficult.” Bonnibel evaluated.

Marceline’s game was resumed. “And? Shouldn’t you be tutoring my dumbass of a brother?”

“Yes. I’ll be getting back to that now.” Bonnibel stated. “And don’t be mean to your brother.”

As Bonnibel walked towards Marceline’s door, she heard a cackle. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

Bonnibel walked out of the door, pausing before shutting it behind her. “Do I still have to leave you alone?”

Marceline let out a long sigh, sitting up on her bed. “I guess not.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Good. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Whatever, nerd.”

“A simple goodbye would be nice.”

“You not existing would be nice.”

It was pretty obvious that upset Bonnibel, as the pink haired girl inhaled sharply. “Right. Okay. I’ll go. Bye.”

“Hey, wait.”

Bonnibel sighed. “What?”

“Sorry. You not existing would actually be kinda lame.”

Bonnibel looked at Marceline in surprise. “You really mean that?”

“Yeah.” Marceline mumbled, before the usual scowl returned to her face, spinning around and unpausing her game. “Now get out of my room.”

Bonnibel tiptoed back over to Marceline’s bed and wrapped her arms around Marceline’s middle, making the other girl jump. The pause screen flashed on the TV again. “Thanks, Marceline.”

“You really have to chill with the hugging.”

Bonnibel gave Marceline one last squeeze. “Or you need to get used to the hugging.”

Marceline sighed. “You’re really something, princess.”

“What did I say about that nickname?”

“My sincerest apologies, your Majesty.” Marceline mocked.

Bonnibel gently smacked the other girl’s arm. “Shut up. I’m going to go back downstairs. I’ll see you if you come down.”

“Whatever, dork.” Marceline shifted so she was lying on her stomach, unpausing her game and ignoring Bonnibel, who walked away from the other girl and slipped out of the room, heading back downstairs to Marshall who’d abandoned the studying and started watching TV.

He smiled when he saw her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. She was actually kind of nice to me.” Bonnibel said, a slight smile playing at her lips.

“She’s not good at talking to other people.” Marshall laughed. “But she is somehow able to have a full conversation with Schwabl.”

Bonnibel looked down at the white poodle who was napping in his basket. “Cute.”

“Oh, by the way,” Marshall’s face lit up, “My friend Guy’s parents are out of town so he’s having a party this Friday and he said I can invite whoever I want, so you can come, if you want. Bring Gumball too, he’s awesome. Fuck it, bring all your friends.”

“A party? Parties aren’t really my scene.” Bonnibel started, a small blush on her cheeks.

“I kind of figured, but it’ll be fine. Just stick with your friends.” Marshall shrugged. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Bonnibel sighed. “I guess I could go for maybe an hour.”

“Awesome!” Marshall grinned. “I’ll text you the address. What’s your number?”

Bonnibel recited her phone number from memory, and Marshall quickly typed it into his phone. “It won’t be too wild, will it?”

He chuckled, shrugging. “Course not. It’ll be fine. You’ll have fun.”

Bonnibel sighed to herself. She wished she could believe him.

Chapter Text

Friday 31^st January 2014

Bonnibel had known Marshall was just lying to her when he said the party wouldn’t be too wild.

She was surrounded by drunken idiots. The room was hazy; the effect of a lot of people smoking suspicious looking cigarettes, and the music was so loud it made it impossible for Bonnibel to gather her thoughts and think of a sensible way out of this.

Her friends were out of the question. Everyone except herself and Lady were at least tipsy, and Bonnibel didn’t have a driver’s licence and Lady didn’t have access to a car and wouldn’t leave Jake to do anything stupid. She was stranded unless she found somebody to help her out of this situation.

She’d known she would dislike parties ever since she started high school. Actually having gone to one, she decided she hated parties.

She was aimlessly wandering around the unfamiliar house, when she collided with a very drunk girl. “Sorry, I wasn’t looking, I -,”

“No problem, man. It’s all good.” The girl slurred, wobbling about a bit on the spot.

Bonnibel got a good look at the girl. She had tight curls which were pulled back into some sort of bun that Bonnibel hadn’t seen done before. She had a silver nose ring in her right nostril, which at first was rather off-putting for Bonnibel. The girl’s olive skin was flawless, and she had two hazel eyes that, underneath the influence of the alcohol, looked kind and caring. Bonnibel decided to introduce herself. “Hi. I’m Bonnibel.”

“You’re Bonnibel!” The girl exclaimed, holding her cup which was filled with a questionable substance up in the air, as if she was performing a toast. “Marmalade told me ‘bout you!”

Bonnibel frowned. “Marmalade? I’m afraid I don’t know anybody called Marmalade.”

The girl ignored Bonnibel’s statement. “I’m Keila,” She hiccupped.

“You’re Marceline’s friend, right?” Bonnibel questioned.

Keila threw a drunken arm around Bonnibel’s shoulders and attempted to walk down the hallway they were in. Keila staggered over, and Bonnibel quickly held the older girl up. “Thanks! I lost Marmalade, see.”

Bonnibel forced a smile and nodded, rather confused by the other girl’s statement. “Yeah. Do you need help finding your marmalade?”

“Yeah! I think she went to Guy’s room.” Keila slurred, almost tripping over a cable for the telephone that had been knocked onto the floor in the middle of the hallway.

“Is that upstairs?” Bonnibel asked.

Keila giggled. “Duh! Who has a bedroom downstairs? That’s backwards, yo.”

Bonnibel assisted Keila towards the rather steep flight of stairs, knowing it would be a terrible task to get her up there. “Are you sure you need to go up there?”

“Yeah!” Keila hiccupped. “Marmalade is up there!”

Bonnibel frowned. “Okay…let’s go.”

It was hard getting Keila up the stairs; the older girl tripped up on most of them and nearly pulled Bonnibel down the entire flight when they got to the top. Keila let go of Bonnibel and went staggering over to a door, colliding with it.

“Ouch.” Keila rubbed her head and pouted like a little kid, and Bonnibel jogged over to the other girl and attempted to help her up.

Eventually, she managed to help Keila get to her destination, and the older girl ran off the second the room door was opened crying, “Marmalade!” with a stupid grin on her face.

Bonnibel was confused as to why the girl was so obsessed with marmalade. She figured she’d just ask Marceline when she next saw her. She was walking back towards the staircase when she heard a second voice from inside the room, one that sounded familiar.

“Fuck, you’re hammered.”

Bonnibel peered around the door to see Keila hugging Marceline, who was sat on a bed holding a guitar. Keila shot Bonnibel a toothy grin and pointed towards her. “She helped me up here.”

Marceline followed Keila’s finger until her crimson eyes met with Bonnibel’s blue ones. “Oh.”

“She’s really nice, Marmalade. You should make friends with her.” Keila advised.

Bonnibel snickered a little. It was Marceline Keila had been referring to the entire time? Marceline sighed. “I know she’s nice. Now shut up, you’re being weird.”

“But Marmalade -,”

“Nope. I’m going to drive you home in a minute, okay?” Marceline said, leaning away from Keila and placing the guitar in her arms against the wall.

Keila pouted. “But I want to party.”

“You’ve partied. Do you want to stay over at mine tonight?” Marceline questioned, before turning to Bonnibel. “Hey, you wouldn’t mind getting a glass of water for her, would you?”

Bonnibel shook her head. “No. I’ll be right back.”

She slipped out of the room and jogged down the stairs, pushing through crowds of people and making her way into the kitchen. She had to search through the wooden cupboards until she eventually found a glass, pouring tap water into in and slipping back upstairs. Bonnibel entered the room and sat down on Keila’s right, passing her the glass. Keila smiled. “Thanks, but I’m not thirsty.”

Marceline sighed. “Drink it.”

“No.”

“You’ll regret it in the morning.” Marceline warned.

Keila let out a long sigh, quickly downing the water. “There. Can I go and party now?”

“No, I’m going to take you home.” Marceline said.

“To your house?”

“To my house.” Marceline confirmed, before her eyes landed on Bonnibel. “You want a ride?”

Bonnibel’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? I really don’t want to be a burden on you.”

Marceline shrugged. “It’s fine. I owe you for taking care of this mess right here,” She jabbed her thumb in Keila’s direction.

“Okay. Thanks.” Bonnibel smiled.

Marceline nodded. “It’s cool.”

Marceline stood up, and for the first time, Bonnibel noticed the nose ring in Marceline’s left nostril. “I didn’t realise you had your nose pierced.”

“Oh, yeah.” Marceline replied in the midst of helping Keila up from where she was sat on the bed. “I’m not allowed to wear it in school. Apparently my inappropriate face jewellery is distracting and thug-like.”

“The school said that to you?”

“Yep, first day of this year. Funny though, because in sophomore year they were perfectly fine with it.” Marceline rolled her eyes, scoffing. “Fucking dickheads.”

Bonnibel didn’t comment, but was honestly shocked with how she thought the piercing suited Marceline. Usually she would find that sort of thing terrifying and would steer clear from anyone who had one. “It suits you.”

“Oh…thanks.”

Marceline and Bonnibel half walked, half carried Keila to Marceline’s car, laying her down in the backseat. The drive to Marceline’s house was mostly silent aside from the occasional groan from Keila in the back, and they’d pulled up in front of the house in no time. “I’m just going to take her inside and put her to bed.”

“I can help, if you want.” Bonnibel offered.

Marceline frowned a little, but shrugged. “I guess, if you’re cool with that.”

They said a quick hello to Simon who was watching some sort of game show with Schwabl cuddled next to him on the couch, and then walked Keila upstairs and into Marceline’s bedroom. Marceline chucked a t-shirt and some pyjama shorts at her. “Put those on. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Where are you going?” Keila mumbled.

“I have to take Bonnibel home.”

“Okay. Have fun Marmalade.”

“Whatever.” Marceline then turned to Bonnibel and frowned. “You really need to change your shirt.”

Bonnibel looked down at her t-shirt. It was pink, as were most of her clothes, but there didn’t seem to be any stains on it or anything. “Why?”

“You can smell pot on that from a mile away.” Marceline stated.

Bonnibel gasped, sniffing her shirt. It smelt just like the smoke at the party. “Oh, no! I told my parents I was going to Lady’s for a bit. They’re going to kill me!”

“Dude, chill.” Marceline dug around in her t-shirt drawer, pulling out a shirt and tossing it to Bonnibel. “Just wear this.”

Bonnibel examined the shirt. It was black, and had a rather…intriguing graphic of some sort of dead marshmallows impaled on sticks, with a yellow snake slithering in between them. It wasn’t exactly her style; her parents would definitely question it. “Won’t my parents notice something?”

“Just tell them you spilt something on your other shirt and had to borrow one.” Marceline shrugged. “It’ll be fine, dude. Spray yourself with some deodorant and change shirts and you should be fine.”

Bonnibel nodded, quickly jogging into the bathroom and locking the door. She tugged off her other t-shirt and pulled on Marceline’s. The scent hit her like a ton of bricks. The t-shirt had a beautiful aroma that was a mixture of strawberries – Marceline’s perfume – and a beautiful scent that reminded her of all the wonders in life. It reminded her of watching sunsets, walking on cold winter nights and getting lost on purpose just for the fun of it. It was intoxicating. It was so Marceline.

She shook her head and snapped herself out of her trance, allowing herself to sniff the t-shirt one last time before walking back into Marceline’s room, where the girl was waiting on her bed for her. She was thrown a bottle of perfume. “Use that and just leave your other shirt here. I’ll try get it back to you for Monday.”

Bonnibel did as Marceline said, and then the other girl stood up. “Alright, let’s get you home. Keila, try not to hurt yourself while I’m gone.”

She got a grunt in response.

Bonnibel trailed after Marceline until they got to her car. Bonnibel climbed into the passenger seat, a question nagging at her mind. “Marceline? Why does Keila call you Marmalade?”

This elicited a light-hearted chuckle from the dark haired girl, a sound that was music to Bonnibel’s ears. “It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got the time.”

“I was like, five,” Marceline began, a small smile tugging at her lips, “And Keila was seven. Our elementary school had this breakfast club thing, and basically you could go and get free breakfast, so my parents would always drop me and Marshall off there. I was pretty much a total loser. Like, my only friend was a fucking teddy bear.”

Bonnibel cooed. “Aw, Marceline!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marceline rolled her eyes, “Anyways, one day I was eating toast and I decided I wanted some marmalade on it, so I walked over and grabbed the huge pot of it, and as I was walking back over to where I was sat, I tripped and spilt it all over Keila. She got mad and yelled at me and me being an over emotional little idiot I started crying, and then she felt really bad and pitied me. Twelve years later, here we are.”

“And she still calls you Marmalade?” Bonnibel laughed. “That’s so cute!”

“She told me she’s never going to stop calling me it no matter what.” Marceline replied. “She’s actually only called me Marceline once, and it was the day we met.”

“That’s a really cute story.” Bonnibel smiled. “How did you meet your other bandmates?”

“Marshall and I met them through Keila when we were in sixth grade and they were in eighth. We didn’t actually start a band until we were in freshman year and they were in their junior year.” Marceline explained. “Guy didn’t join the band for another few months, though. He plays keyboard.”

“What do you play?”

“I play bass and sing.”

“That’s amazing!” Bonnibel exclaimed. “It must take a lot of concentration to play both at the same time, and at such a speed. You’re a rock band, I assume, so there must be a lot of fast songs. I could never do that. My Dad tried to teach me guitar once, but I was really terrible. It’s so impressive that you can do that. Do you play any other instruments?”

Marceline looked as if that was a lot of information to process, which it probably was. “Uh…not in the band, but yeah.”

“What else do you play?”

“Guitar, violin, piano, keyboard, ukulele and banjo.” Marceline listed, Bonnibel’s eyes widening more considerably as the other girl went on.

“That’s amazing!” Bonnibel gasped, “Did they all take a while to learn?”

“Not really. Give me a couple of hours and I can usually play pretty fluently. Depends on the instrument, really. Like, I learnt guitar before bass, and bass is just the four lowest strings of the guitar, so that was pretty easy.”

“Easy?” Bonnibel exclaimed. “I couldn’t even play a note on guitar. It hurt my fingers too much.”

“Yeah, your fingers get all calloused after a while. The fingers on my left hand – the hand that presses on the strings – are.”

“Interesting.” Bonnibel mused. “Did it not hurt to get them like that?”

“Oh, yeah.” Marceline nodded, “But I was eight and I believed Simon when he promised it’d get better.”

“Simon plays guitar?”

“No.” Marceline stated. “He does play drums though.”

“Can you?” Bonnibel questioned.

Marceline laughed. A real laugh that took Bonnibel by surprise. “No, I’m really bad at playing drums. I’ve tried like twice. I can’t focus on doing like twenty different things at once.”

“Maybe if you practised you might get better.” Bonnibel suggested.

“Nah, percussion isn’t really my thing.” Marceline dismissed her. “You said your Dad plays guitar?”

Bonnibel was surprised that Marceline was actually making an effort to keep the conversation going. “Yeah, he’s played for a couple of years. He decided to learn and then he told me he’d teach me and that didn’t go very well. He has an acoustic guitar at our house. It’s in his office, usually.”

“What brand?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t looked or anything.” Bonnibel shrugged. “I wouldn’t be able to tell, probably.”

“It’s usually written on the head of the guitar.” Marceline told her.

Bonnibel nodded. “What type of guitars do you have?”

“I have four electrics and 3 acoustics. The first electric I got was a really cheap Epiphone, one is an ESP, one is a Fender and the other – my favourite – is a Gibson. I got a Fender acoustic for Christmas last year and it’s definitely my favourite of my acoustics, and then one of the others is an Epiphone and the other is the first guitar I ever got and it cost me like $20 and it’s too small for me now because it’s only like a half sized one but I won’t ever get rid of it because I learnt to play on it.” Marceline explained.

“Cool,” Bonnibel responded, although she didn’t quite understand which brand of guitar Marceline mentioned was good and she didn’t really know how to respond.

“You didn’t understand any of that, did you?” Marceline questioned, a smirk on her face.

“No, I didn’t.” Bonnibel smiled, as the car pulled up in front of her house. “Thanks for the ride and the shirt.”

“No problem. Don’t worry about getting that shirt back to me. I don’t really wear it.” Marceline shrugged. “Besides, you seemed like you wanted to get out of that party. Not your scene, huh?”

“Not at all.” Bonnibel chuckled. “Thanks for everything.”

“Don’t worry about it, man.” Marceline shrugged. “You’re just lucky I was appointed Keila’s driver.”

“Otherwise you would’ve been as bad as her?” Bonnibel finished.

Marceline nodded. “Yeah, probably.”

“Well, thanks.” Bonnibel smiled, and leaned over to give Marceline a quick hug.

Marceline held Bonnibel at arm’s length. “Yeah…no hugging.”

“Why?”

“I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like hugs?” Bonnibel exclaimed as if it was some sort of crime.

“I do like hugs, just not when the person giving me them isn’t my friend.”

“Please?” Bonnibel pouted.

Marceline examined Bonnibel for a second, before she let out a heavy sigh. “Fine.”

Bonnibel wrapped her arms around Marceline’s tense, skinny form, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Thanks for everything. Drive safe.”

“Will do, dork.” Marceline rolled her eyes, pulling Bonnibel’s arms from around her. “Now get out of my car.”

Bonnibel slowly climbed out of the car. “Bye, Marceline.”

“Later, dork.”

Bonnibel walked up her driveway and into her welcoming, warm house. Her mother arrived from the living room the second she heard the front door shut. “Did you have fun with your friends?”

Bonnibel nervously watched as her Mom examined her shirt. “Yeah.”

“What’s with the outfit change, Bonnibel?”

“I spilt some Pepsi on my other shirt so I borrowed one from a friend. She’s going to get it back to me at school on Monday.”

Her Mom seemed to buy it. “Okay. Are you going up to bed now?”

Bonnibel checked her watch. 10:30PM. “Yeah. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She jogged upstairs before her Mom could ask her what she’d done with her friends and stripped from the blue jeans she was wearing. She pulled on a comfortable pair of pink pyjama shorts, and she didn’t take the shirt Marceline had given her off, and snuggled down in her bed. She put her phone on charge and quickly went on Facebook, sending Marceline a message.

Bonnibel (10:31PM): My parents believed the story. Thanks again. :)

She didn’t expect Marceline to reply, but she did.

Marceline (10:32PM): good to know

Bonnibel (10:32PM): Have a good night with Keila.

Marceline (10:34PM): yeah yeah

Marceline (10:34PM): sweet dreams, princess

Bonnibel (10:34PM): Without the sarcastic monotone you seem to have mastered, that just sounds like a loving gesture ;)

Marceline (10:37PM): fuck off

Bonnibel laughed, locking her phone and rolling over in her bed. She heard it vibrate, and she quickly rolled back over and read the message.

Marceline (10:38PM): just kidding don’t fuck off

She smiled. That was sweet, coming from Marceline. She looked down at her shirt and smiled even wider, taking in the scent of the soft cotton, and thought about how nice Marceline had been tonight. It was almost comforting.

“Don’t worry about getting that shirt back to me.”

Oh, don’t worry, Marceline, Bonnibel thought, I won’t.

Chapter Text

Friday 7^th February 2014

It was Lady’s seventeenth birthday, and all of Bonnibel’s friends were upbeat for the whole day. Bonnibel hadn’t been told about the day, so she didn’t get Lady anything, but she did wish her friend a happy birthday and promised her that she’d buy something for her as soon as she could. Obviously, Lady had told her not to worry about it.

Bonnibel had grown closer with most of the group – Gumball especially. He was the only one of her friends she saw on a weekend, and they got together to study in the library every so often. LSP had accused her of having a crush on him, and Bonnibel was ridiculously amused by that statement. He really wasn’t Bonnibel’s type.

Marshall had been getting a lot closer with her friends, too. He and Gumball had hit it off pretty well, and although Finn and Jake were both still intimidated by him, they were warming up to him. Marshall had developed a small friendship with Lady, and everyone was surprised when he came into school and handed Lady a card with his signature smirk on his face, earning him a glare from Jake. Everyone was pretty shocked that he knew it was Lady’s birthday and she even gave Marshall a hug.

Everyone was even more shocked when he offered to hold the party at his place that night.

“Uh…I think we were just planning on celebrating on movie day tomorrow.” Finn murmured.

Jake frowned. “Won’t your creepy sister be at your house, anyway?”

“Marceline? Nah, she doesn’t really leave her room.” Marshall shrugged. “Besides, Simon will be out so we’ll basically have the house to ourselves.”

Lady smiled. “I think that’s a great idea.”

LSP scoffed. “I’m not going if Marceline is going to be there.”

“She won’t be.” Marshall assured. “She’ll lock herself in her bedroom and ignore all of us.”

LSP clearly wasn’t believing him. “We were going to have a slumber party at my house anyways. Just the girls.”

“We can do that, too.” Marshall said. “Simon doesn’t mind if I have girls sleep over. My band has sleepovers all the time. 3 guys, 2 girls. It doesn’t matter, I swear. Who’s in?”

“I’ll come.” Gumball hastily replied. Bonnibel giggled at the pink blush on his cheeks.

Fionna scowled at Marshall. “Ugh, I guess I will too.”

Cake frowned at Fionna. “I’ll go as your bodyguard.”

Lady smiled. “Jake and I will go.”

Jake frowned. “Um, I don’t think so.”

Lady scowled at him. “You’re coming. Finn?”

“I’ll go if Bubblegum’s going.” Finn said, directing his gaze to her. “She can stop Marceline if she tries to kill any of us.”

“I don’t get why you guys think I have some sort of control over her.” Bonnibel frowned. “We’re not even friends.”

Marshall scoffed. “Yeah, right. You coming or what?”

Bonnibel sighed. “I guess so.”

Marshall grinned. “Awesome.”

Finn looked to LSP. “Well? You’re the only one that’s not said they’re coming?”

“Whatever. I guess.” LSP stated, obnoxiously flicking her blonde hair from her face. She turned to Marshall and glared. “But if your creepy vampire sister does anything, I’m outta there.”

Marshall snickered a little. “Vampire? Okay, I’ll make sure my sister doesn’t suck your blood.” Bonnibel cringed at his sarcastic tone, and knew LSP wasn’t too happy about it.

“Freak. There’s something wrong with both of you, and I know it.” LSP glared.

Marshall laughed a little. “Whatever, dude. Marceline doesn’t care what you think, and neither do I.”

Marceline wasn’t too happy with the news her brother brought home that day. “You invited those fucking idiots round? I’m sorry, but are you high? No.”

“Bonnibel will be here.” Marshall commented.

Marceline raised an eyebrow. “And why should I give a fuck?”

“Because you like her.”

“I tolerate her.”

“Which is code for you like her.”

“Fuck off.” Marceline snapped. “Tell your stupid new friends to fuck off, too.”

“They’ll be here in half an hour. Be nice.” Marshall stated.

Marceline sighed. “You really think I’m going to listen to you? You’ve known me for seventeen years and you still think I’m going to do anything you say? You really are a fucking idiot.”

“You’ve been like, ten times bitchier lately.” Marshall exclaimed. “Would you knock it off?”

“And you’ve been ten times more annoying.” Marceline shot back. “Whatever. Just tell your friends to keep it down.”

With that, she slammed her bedroom door on him and flopped down on her bed, letting out a long sigh. She knew it’d be a long night.

Bonnibel was actually having fun.

She’d arrived at Marshall’s house, and her friends were all already there, blasting music as loud as possible and messing around in the front room. They’d soon stopped that, and turned to watching stupid R rated comedy movies and Marshall decided they should order pizza.

“Yo, Bonnibel?”

She looked up to see Marshall smiling at her. “Yes?”

“Can you go upstairs and ask Marceline if she wants anything from the pizza place?”

Bonnibel nodded and stood up. “Okay.”

She went upstairs to Marceline’s room, and paused outside the bedroom door when she heard the soft strumming of a guitar. She smiled. It was incredibly relaxing.

When she knocked on the door, the strumming ceased. “If it’s Marshall out there, you can come in. If it’s any of his new nerd friends, fuck off.”

Bonnibel gulped. “It’s me.”

“Princess?” Marceline’s tone was quizzical.

“I told you not to call me that.” Bonnibel sighed. “I’ll go, it’s fine.”

She started walking towards the stairs, when she heard the door open behind her. She turned to see Marceline stood leaning against the door frame, Schwabl sat on her bed wagging his tail. “What do you want?”

“Marshall wanted to know if you wanted anything from the pizza place.”

“Uh…yeah. Pepperoni pizza.”

“Okay.” Bonnibel nodded. “I’ll let him know.”

“Cool.”

There was a rather awkward silence, and Bonnibel looked Marceline over. She had her nose ring in, and she was wearing a black Buffy the Vampire Slayer t-shirt. Bonnibel almost laughed. Rather ironic, if LSP’s suspicions were correct, which they clearly weren’t.

It was Bonnibel who broke the silence. “You’re really good at playing guitar.”

“Thanks.”

Bonnibel stared into the other girl’s crimson eyes for a second, before looking down and fiddling with her fingers. “Uh…I’m going to…” She pointed towards the stairs, quickly making her way down. She was about halfway when Marceline called her.

“Hey, nerd.”

Bonnibel paused, and looked in Marceline’s direction. “Yes?”

“Tell your friends to keep fucking quiet. It’s fucking annoying.”

Bonnibel noticed how pissed off Marceline looked, so she nodded and went to walk away, her palms sweating. She felt so awkward and out of place around the usually angry girl.

“And,” Marceline started. “If there’s going to be any cake, let me know. Maybe I’ll crash your little party for five minutes.”

Bonnibel nodded a second time and made her way back down the stairs, sitting down on the sofa. She thought for a minute. Did Marceline just scare her? Bonnibel hadn’t felt like that around Marceline since she met her.

Finn noticed Bonnibel was acting a little odd, and shuffled up next to her. “Are you okay, Bubblegum?”

She frowned at the blush on his cheeks. Didn’t she tell him not to think about her in that way? “I’m fine, Finn.”

“What did Marceline do to you?”

“She didn’t do anything.” Bonnibel insisted, directing her gaze away from the nervous boy next to her and turning to Marshall. “Marceline said she’ll have a pepperoni pizza.”

“Okay, cool.” Marshall nodded, going to put his arm around Fionna, who smacked him away.

Gumball settled down next to Bonnibel. He glanced at Finn, who was busy watching Jake and Lady battle it out at Mario Kart, before leaning down and whispering to her. “I need to talk to you.”

“Is it about Marshall?” She murmured back.

He nodded, and she followed him out into the hallway. He shut the door behind them and quickly checked in case anybody was listening, before talking. “It’s really bugging me how he’s flirting with Fionna. I think she’s starting to like it, too.”

“Just tell him how you feel, dumbass.”

Bonnibel and Gumball both looked up in surprise as Marceline walked down the stairs. Bonnibel frowned. “What’re you doing here?”

“Answering the door. Keila’s here.” Marceline nodded towards the front door, where through the translucent glass Bonnibel could see the faint outline of a person. “But yeah, if you like Marshall just tell him.”

“I can’t.” Gumball mumbled.

“Why not?” Marceline raised her eyebrows as she unlocked the door.

Gumball just stared back at her and didn’t respond. Bonnibel shot him a warm smile. “Yeah, why not?”

Gumball frowned at Marceline, before turning back to Bonnibel. “Can we go somewhere else? She scares me.”

Marceline snickered as she pulled open the front door. Keila quickly stepped inside and attacked Marceline in a hug. “Hey, Marmalade!”

“Hey.” Bonnibel was shocked when Marceline actually smiled at Keila and hugged the older girl back almost as tight. “Do you want me to tell Marsh to order you a pizza?”

“Yeah!” Keila grinned as she finally released Marceline and kicked her shoes off. “Actually, I woke up craving meat feast pizza this morning.”

“And I needed to know that because?” Marceline teased, an eyebrow quirked up in amusement.

“Because you’re my best friend and that was important information.” Keila responded, before she finally laid her hazel eyes on Bonnibel. “Hi!”

Bonnibel frowned. She really didn’t expect Keila to talk to her. “Uh…hello.”

“Don’t bother with her, Keila. She doesn’t associate herself with drug addicts like us.” Marceline stated. Bonnibel’s eyes widened and she looked up, only to see a smirk on Marceline’s face. “Chill out, princess. I’m only teasing you.”

Keila rolled her eyes. “Marmalade, you’re so immature sometimes.”

“Where’s the fun in being mature?” Marceline challenged.

“True.” Keila smiled, before turning her attention back onto Bonnibel. “Thanks for helping me out the other night at the party. I owe you one.”

“You really don’t owe me anything.” Bonnibel assured. “I was just trying to be nice.”

Keila smiled at her. “Well, thanks anyways. You’re pretty cool. Maybe you could get this one,” She nudged Marceline with her elbow, “To stop being such a grouch.”

“You’re asking me to achieve the impossible?” Bonnibel joked, before she realised what she just said and looked up at Marceline, expecting an angry glare.

Marceline was looking right at her with a playful smirk on her face. “Can’t argue with you there, princess.” Marceline then directed her gaze to Keila and nodded towards the stairs. “Come on. We have cookies and Disney movies waiting for us.”

Keila grinned. “Fuck yeah!” She shot a warm smile to Bonnibel as she headed for the stairs. “It was nice to meet you sober.”

Bonnibel smiled. “You too.”

Keila got halfway up the stairs before she realised Marceline wasn’t following her. “Marmalade, what’re you doing?”

“I’ll be up in a minute, I just have to ask Marshall to get you your pizza.” Marceline replied.

Keila nodded. “Cool. I’ll be in your room. Don’t kill me if I eat all the cookies.”

“If you managed to eat six packets of Oreos and two packets of Chips Ahoy in like two minutes, I’d be pretty impressed.” Marceline shouted after Keila as the older girl disappeared up the stairs. “But that’s not me giving you permission to eat everything.”

Gumball – who had been stood as silent as possible the entire time – finally spoke up. “Why do you want me to tell Marshall how I feel?”

“Because Marshall’s a fucking asshole and I think you’d be good for him.” Marceline shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like you’ve got anything to lose. You guys aren’t really anything more than acquaintances, so it’s not like you’d be losing your best friend or anything. Better to get it over with now than wait until you guys get super close.”

Bonnibel was amazed. “That’s actually really good advice.”

“Glad to know I reached your high standards, princess.”

Bonnibel didn’t comment on that statement, and instead turned to Gumball. “I agree with Marceline. Wow…that’s something I never thought I’d say.”

“Don’t get sassy.” Marceline shot back. “I’m the sass queen.”

Bonnibel laughed. “You tell yourself that.”

“Fuck off, princess.”

Gumball interrupted before the bickering could continue. “I’m not going to tell him. I’m just going to try and get over it. Can we leave now?”

Bonnibel shrugged. “Sure.”

Marceline sighed. “Tell Marshall to order Keila a meat feast.”

“Tell him yourself.” Bonnibel shot back.

“Really?” Marceline rolled her eyes and exhaled. “You’re really going to make me be in a room with like ten of the most annoying people in school?”

“Those annoying people are my friends.” Bonnibel snapped.

“Whoa, princess just got snappy.” Marceline sardonically announced as Bonnibel pushed open the living room door.

“Shut up, Marceline.” Bonnibel sighed as she went and sat down on the sofa next to Finn. Gumball sat down on her free side, clearly conflicted about what to do about Marshall.

Marceline stayed leaning against the door frame. “Yo, Marsh. Keila’s here, she wants a meat feast pizza.”

“Cool. Tell her I said hey.” Marshall replied.

LSP scoffed from where she was sat. “What are you doing here?”

Marceline raised her eyebrows. “Uh…I live here?”

LSP scoffed again. “Whatever.”

Marceline frowned, but rolled her eyes and shook her head, pushing herself from the door frame. “Later, dorks.”

With that, she was gone.

Bonnibel was the only one awake, so she decided to go into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

She was just pulling a glass out of the cupboard when she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“You kept the shirt I gave you?”

She wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake; it was past midnight. Typically, Marceline had to be the one to walk in on her when she was wearing nothing but the rock t-shirt Marceline had given her and a pair of skimpy pink pyjama shorts. “Um…yeah. I wear it a lot.”

Marceline frowned. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” Bonnibel felt a blush rise onto her cheeks. “It’s really comfortable.”

Marceline showed an inch of a smile, and Bonnibel couldn’t help but grin. “You’re strange, princess. One minute you don’t like me and the next, you’re wearing the shirt I gave you.”

“I’ve never not liked you.” Bonnibel replied. “I used to be afraid of you, but I didn’t dislike you.”

“Used to be afraid of me? What did I possibly do to change that?” Marceline hopped up onto the counter and opened a cupboard door, grabbing a box of Pop Tarts.

“I think you’re secretly a big teddy bear behind the whole ‘I’m going to kill you all’ persona.” Bonnibel replied. “I’m good at reading people.”

Marceline raised a quizzical eyebrow as she put a single Pop Tart in the toaster. “Really?”

“Yes.” Bonnibel stated. “I think you’re not actually as scary as you seem.”

Marceline shrugged. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to find that out for yourself.”

“Is this an invitation to be friends with you?” Bonnibel teased, walking towards the sink and turning the tap on, filling her cup up with water.

Marceline snickered. “Not in the slightest.”

Bonnibel took a sip from her water. “I like you, Marceline.”

That took Marceline by surprise. “Wait, what?”

“I like you.”

“Are you kidding?” Marceline frowned.

“No.” Bonnibel took another sip from her drink, frowning at it. “I’d much prefer chamomile tea, but I doubt you have any.”

Marceline was too perplexed by how casually Bonnibel had changed the subject to respond. Instead, she reached over and opened another cupboard, throwing a box to Bonnibel. “Here.”

Bonnibel read the label. “Chamomile tea? You like this stuff?”

“Nah, it’s Simon’s. I don’t know how you can drink that stuff, it tastes like cat sick.” Marceline scrunched up her nose in disgust. “Green tea is better.”

“You drink green tea?” Bonnibel frowned as she placed the box on the counter.

“I can be civilised. I don’t just live off soda and beer.” Marceline shrugged. “I actually live off strawberry milkshakes.”

Bonnibel chuckled. “That explains why you always smell like strawberries.” She saw Marceline smirk, and her eyes widened. “Not that I sniff you or anything. I’m not weird, I don’t…I have no idea how to make that sound any less creepy than it did.”

Marceline let out a light hearted laugh. “Yeah, quit while you’re ahead.”

There was an oddly comfortable silence which was broken by the toaster popping up Marceline’s Pop Tart and the dark haired girl nearly falling off the counter. “Fuck, that scared me. Fucking toaster.”

Marceline quickly pulled the Pop Tart out and put it on a plate. Bonnibel frowned. “I don’t get you.”

“What?”

“I don’t understand how sometimes we can have such casual conversations like this, and other times you’re doing your best to push my buttons.” Bonnibel explained.

“It’s entertaining to annoy you.” Marceline shrugged. “You get pretty irritated really easily.”

“I do not.” Bonnibel scoffed, folding her arms.

“Exhibit A.”

Bonnibel scowled, but found it unable to hold and ended up attempting to hide the grin from her face. She decided to change the subject. “Is Keila still here?”

“Yeah, she’s upstairs. She’s hyped up on energy drinks.” Marceline replied. “She wants to pull an all-nighter but me being the human embodiment of a fucking sloth is 100% against that. I’ll be cranky in the morning.”

“You’re always cranky.” Bonnibel shot back.

“Not always.” Marceline responded. “Just like…99.9% of the time. Sleep deprivation definitely won’t help.”

“So what did you and Keila do tonight?” Bonnibel asked.

“Talked, watched dumb movies, ate a little bit too much, played guitar. The usual.” Marceline shrugged. “We’re playing video games right now.”

“What movies did you watch?” Bonnibel persisted.

“Wreck It Ralph, Bolt, Cars and Finding Nemo.” Marceline replied. “It was fun.”

“I wouldn’t imagine you two watching children’s films.” Bonnibel commented, a small smile on her face.

Marceline shrugged, picking up her plate with the Pop Tart on. “They’re good. Anyways, I’m going back upstairs. Have fun with your dork squad.”

“They’re all asleep.” Bonnibel stated as Marceline headed for the door.

Marceline paused. “Oh. Even Marshall? That’s surprising. Usually he’s still up.”

“Yeah, they’re all asleep. I thought you’d be, too.” Bonnibel shrugged. “Is Simon still out?”

“Yeah, he’s spending the night at Betty’s.”

“Betty?”

“His girlfriend. You know Miss Grof, our English teacher?” Marceline replied. “They’ve been dating for like two years. It was funny, when he first brought her home we were in freshman year and she saw me and Marshall and the look on her face was hilarious. She was horrified.”

“She doesn’t like you guys?” Bonnibel frowned.

“Oh, she likes us now.” Marceline shrugged. “We were in our rebellious phase at that point in time.”

“Ah, I see.” Bonnibel nodded.

“Well, I’m going. Night.” Marceline pulled open the kitchen door and started making her way back towards the stairs, before she stopped and turned back to Bonnibel, letting out a long sigh. “If you wanted to come with, I guess that wouldn’t be totally lame.”

Bonnibel’s face broke out into a grin. She’d been hoping Marceline would say that. “Yeah, sure.”

She followed the dark haired girl upstairs and into her bedroom, where Keila was laid out on Marceline’s bed. “Marmalade, you brought company!”

“I did.” Marceline nodded. “Be nice.”

“I’m always nice.” Keila shot back. “You on the other hand -,”

“Yeah, yeah.” Marceline waved her off, sitting down next to her on the bed. “Anyways, I’m putting the game back on.”

Marceline grabbed a remote control and unpaused Mario Kart which she and Keila had been playing, frowning when she saw she was in last place. Keila smirked. “Guess you’re not as good as you thought.”

“You fucking played the game while I was downstairs so you could overtake me!” Marceline exclaimed. “Nope, that is not allowed.”

Bonnibel watched from the doorway as Marceline leapt onto Keila and grabbed the girl’s remote control, throwing it to the other side of the room. Marceline then sat on her until she’d overtaken Keila’s character in the game, before she clambered off her and sat back down. Keila jumped up and grabbed her remote, elbowing Marceline as she sat back down. “Bitch.”

“Consider us even.” Marceline smirked. “You got what you deserved.”

“You’re mean when we play video games.” Keila pouted, resting her head on Marceline’s shoulder. “I like normal Marmalade better.”

“And I like it when you’re not a cheating bitch.” Marceline teased.

Bonnibel sat down next to Marceline on the bed, watching the two girls racing each other on the screen. Marceline was first, but Keila was a close second, and the two of them kept bashing into each other and attempting to knock the other off the track. Both of them were swearing at one another and hitting each other whenever they got a chance.

Marceline ended up winning, and Keila fell backwards on the bed and groaned. “Marmalade! You always win.”

“That’s because I’m fucking awesome.” Marceline shrugged, setting her remote down on the floor. “I’m getting pretty tired, so -,”

Keila cut her off. “Nope, don’t you wimp out on our all-nighter again.”

“But Keila!” Marceline whined. “I’m tired.”

Keila scoffed. “You’re always tired.”

“Fine.” Marceline huffed picking up her Pop Tart from her bedside table and taking a bite. “I’ll stay awake for like an hour. Then I’m going to sleep.”

Keila grinned, wrapping her arms around Marceline’s middle. “Thank you. I know I’ll find a way to convince you to stay awake.”

“Buy me a new guitar and I’ll stay awake as long as you want.”

“You have like ten guitars. I’ll get you a new ukulele. They only cost like $40 at most.” Keila replied.

“I don’t have ten guitars.” Marceline responded, rolling her eyes. “And I found a Fender ukulele for like $80.”

“Fender do ukuleles?” Keila frowned.

Marceline nodded. “Yep. I’m actually tempted to buy it but I’m saving up for a new bass.”

Keila smiled. “What type?”

“Gibson.”

“Awesome.” Keila grinned, before turning to Bonnibel. “I’m sorry, this probably makes no sense to you.”

“It really doesn’t.” Bonnibel chuckled. “But I don’t mind. You guys talk about what you want.”

Keila shook her head. “Nah. I think Marmalade and I should get to know you.”

Marceline and Keila exchanged a glance, and then in perfect synchronisation, the two looked straight at Bonnibel and nodded. “Twenty questions.” They both stated.

Keila shot Bonnibel a warm smile. “How long have you lived here?”

“Um…around a month now.” Bonnibel responded.

“Where’d you move from?” Marceline asked, an eyebrow raised.

“New York.”

“Hey, we’ve been there!” Keila exclaimed, looking at Marceline with a grin. “We went to go shopping and go to a gig and we got lost.”

“We got the wrong train on the subway and ended up on the wrong side of the city, and then Keila tried figuring out where we were and so she suggested we walk -,” Marceline continued, biting back a laugh.

“And I ended up walking us out of New York City and into some random town and we were both super confused and eventually we had to call my uncle who we were staying with to come and get us.” Keila explained.

Marceline raised her eyebrows and grinned. “Really? Let’s not forget that someone started crying and thought we were going to die on the streets and tried to get me to call the cops."

Keila smacked Marceline’s upper arm and laughed. “Shut up! You were worried too.”

“You didn’t see me being all,” Marceline placed a hand on her heart and dramatically looked into the distance, “Oh no, we’re going to die, if you survive and I die then tell my parents I love them!”

Keila blushed and looked anywhere but Marceline. “I didn’t say all of that.”

Marceline laughed, a real laugh that was music to Bonnibel’s ears. Bonnibel bit back a smile at both the story and at how happy Marceline was. “Yeah, you did! You were getting overly emotional and I was just there like what the fuck is happening? Let’s not forget that you’re the older one so you were supposed to be the one holding it together.”

“It was a traumatic experience!” Keila defended. “And it was winter and I forgot my coat. I could’ve gotten hypothermia or something.”

“So that’s your excuse for being a giant wimp?” Marceline questioned, laughing.

“Yes.” Keila crossed her arms and shot Marceline a sharp nod.

“Wow.” Marceline bit her lip and leant back on the bed, laying down and resting her head on the pillow. “Anyways, princess.”

“Stop calling me princess.” Bonnibel sighed, although she couldn’t hide the small smile on her face.

“Think of it as a loving nickname that represents the joy I feel every time your name is so much as mentioned.” Marceline sarcastically shot back.

“I’d appreciate a little less sarcasm.” Bonnibel replied. “And I’d rather you called me Bonnibel.”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Fine, Bonnibel. What’s your favourite colour?”

“Such a creative question, Marmalade.” Keila teased.

“Shut up, wimp.” Marceline replied, turning back to Bonnibel. “Let me guess, your favourite colour is pink.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Yes. And yours is black.”

“Incorrect.” Marceline stated. “My favourite colour is red.”

“That’s actually surprising.” Bonnibel commented.

Keila laughed. “I know, right. She literally wears black every day.”

“Only black jeans.” Marceline defended. “I don’t wear all black every day. Mostly just black and grey.”

“You’re so colourful.” Bonnibel teased.

“I tried to make her wear a purple dress but she refused because it wasn’t ‘punk rock’ enough.” Keila laughed.

“That was two years ago.” Marceline exclaimed. “You can’t bring that up!”

“You brought up my New York fiasco.” Keila shot back. “I’m just returning the favour.”

“Bitch.” Marceline cursed. “I’m leaving the band if you don’t stop.”

Keila rolled her eyes and looked to Bonnibel. “Singers, eh?”

“Yo, I could make a band and play everything all by myself.”

“Except for drums.”

“We don’t talk about my lack of drumming talent.”

“We do now.”

Marceline laughed. “Shut up.”

Keila smiled, before her eyes widened and she stood up. “We should go explore. You know, like we did that one time a few years back.”

“I guess. It’s not like we’re in pyjamas or anything.” Marceline shrugged. “Yeah, let’s go for a walk.”

Bonnibel looked down at her pyjamas, and had decided she’d sit this walk out when Marceline threw a pair of skinny jeans at her. They weren’t black, which Bonnibel was thankful for. “You want me to come?”

“I guess. Why not?” Marceline shrugged.

Keila smiled. “Aw, look at you being nice.”

“Fuck off, Keila.”

“Oh, but you’d miss me.”

“True.”

“You two are cute.” Bonnibel smiled.

Keila grinned. “When she’s not being a grump, she’s actually cool.”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “I’m not grumpy that often. Just at school and around annoying people.”

“Is that you indirectly calling me annoying?” Bonnibel questioned. “Considering you’re always grumpy when I try to talk to you.”

“If you were annoying me, I’d tell you.” Marceline shrugged. “Or I’d just punch you.”

“Marmalade, you couldn’t throw a punch to save your life.” Keila laughed. “Unless you’re angry.”

Bonnibel grinned in triumph. “I knew you were secretly a big marshmallow.”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Whatever, let’s just go. I’m not feeling how much of a stupid heart to heart this is becoming.”

“You’re capable of having heartfelt conversations?” Bonnibel mock gasped. “I never would’ve guessed.”

Keila laughed. “Nice.”

Marceline sighed. “Princess is attempting to sass up the sass queen. That won’t work. I will release the kraken if you don’t stop.”

“Remember when we went to the park and went on that little boat ride on the river and you were just yelling to release the kraken the entire time?” Keila laughed. “And there were loads of old couples wondering what you were on.”

“I was on everything.” Marceline joked. “According to Bonnibel over here I’m a drug addict.”

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” Bonnibel sighed. “I apologised! I judged you without knowing you and I’m sorry.”

“Chill, dude,” Marceline laughed. “I’m just messing with you.”

Keila smiled. “Aw, you guys are bonding.”

“We aren’t.” Marceline shot back. “I’m only being civil.”

“You like her, Marmalade.” Keila grinned. “I can tell. I know you better than anyone.”

“I tolerate her.”

“You like her.” Keila teased, playfully nudging Marceline in the ribs with her elbow.

Bonnibel smiled. “I like her, but she’s just being stubborn.”

“Whatever, fine.” Marceline huffed. “You’re not that horrible to be around, okay? God.”

Bonnibel grinned. She high-fived Keila, and then proceeded to wrap her arms around Marceline in a hug. Bonnibel buried her face into Marceline’s shoulder, inhaling the strawberry scent. “Can we be friends, then?”

“I’ll have to think about that one.” Marceline stated. Bonnibel gave Marceline’s rigid body one last squeeze before letting go.

“Okay.” Bonnibel nodded, looking at the jeans on her lap. “Can I go somewhere to put these on?”

Marceline nodded. “Yeah. Bathroom. You know where it is.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks.”

She stood from the soft bed, walking towards the door, when Marceline stopped her. “Wait. You didn’t ask why.”

Bonnibel frowned. “Why, what?”

“Why I have to think about being friends with you.”

“Well, we’re not friends. You don’t trust me, therefore you won’t tell me.” Bonnibel shrugged. “It’s not that hard to figure out that you probably only trust Keila.”

Marceline stared at Bonnibel with a calculating look, before finally nodding. “You actually are good at reading people.”

“Thanks.” Bonnibel smiled, before slipping out of the door and into the bathroom, turning the lights on.

She stared at the jeans. They were blue; a colour of clothing Bonnibel didn’t expect Marceline to own. They were also super skinny jeans. Bonnibel had struggles getting her own jeans on, and they weren’t even that tight compared to the jeans Marceline wore. Bonnibel took her time thinking of a method to get them on, eventually settling on sitting on the edge of the bath and pulling until they were nearly up to her hips, and then standing and jumping up until they were finally on. Bonnibel quickly did the button up and then made her way back into Marceline’s room, where Marceline and Keila were in mid-conversation about bands they liked.

“No way, man. We Are The In Crowd are much better than VersaEmerge.” Marceline stated. “The whole male/female vocal dynamic is rad.”

“You’re just saying that because you have a crush on like three people in We Are The In Crowd.” Keila exclaimed, shooting a smile at Bonnibel as she walked back in the room.

“I do not. I only have like a tiny crush on Cameron.”

“And Jordan.” Keila stated. “Let’s not forget about the Tay Jardine drunken rant you had.”

“Tay is pretty fucking hot, not going to lie.” Marceline shrugged. Bonnibel frowned. Marceline liked girls?

“Exactly, so you’re biased. Debate over.” Keila concluded, standing up. “Let’s roll.”

Marceline groaned. “Fine. Where are you planning to take us to on this midnight stroll?”

“Wherever. We could go to McDonald’s.” Keila suggested.

Marceline grinned. “Fuck yeah. I’m bringing cash. We’re not going to the store, though.”

Keila frowned. “Why not?”

“Well, I went to the store the other day to pick up milk for Simon and I go to pay and guess who the new fucking cashier is.” Marceline began. “Ash.”

“He didn’t talk to you, did he?” Keila frowned.

“Yeah. I had to go home and take a shower because I felt so gross.”

Bonnibel frowned. “Who’s Ash?”

“My ex.” Marceline stated. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Is he the one that was nineteen?” Bonnibel asked.

Marceline glared at her, and Bonnibel gulped when she realised just how angry Marceline actually was. “What do you know about that?”

“My friends just told me that you dated someone that was nineteen.” Bonnibel held her hands up in defence.

“Your friends are fucking idiots.”

“Okay.” Bonnibel responded. “I’m not going to argue in case you hit me.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you.” Marceline murmured, just loud enough for Bonnibel to catch it.

Keila noticed the tension in the room and put an arm around Marceline’s shoulders. “Anyways, let’s go.”

“I’m taking my skateboard.” Marceline stated.

Keila pouted. “We’re going for a walk. The whole point is that you don’t use any vehicles.”

“I wouldn’t call a skateboard a vehicle.” Marceline smirked in amusement.

“Shut up, you know what I mean.” Keila rolled her eyes. “Why do you need to take your skateboard anyways?”

“Because I’m too fucking lazy to walk.”

“Fine, you can take your skateboard.” Keila allowed.

“Thanks, Mom.” Marceline mock saluted Keila, pushing past her and heading down the stairs.

Keila swiftly walked over to Bonnibel and shot her a warm smile. “I’m sorry about her. Certain things set her off, just try not to mention her ex around her and you’re good.”

“Anything else I should know of?” Bonnibel asked.

“Not that I can think of from the top of my head. I’ll let you know.” Keila smiled, before grabbing onto Bonnibel’s wrist. “Come on, I want to go for our walk. Also, don’t get offended when she’s all sarcastic. That’s just her sense of humour.”

“I figured.” Bonnibel replied as Keila pulled her down the stairs.

Both Keila and Bonnibel quickly found their shoes and pulled them on, and then Keila beckoned Bonnibel towards the kitchen in the hope that Marceline – who had disappeared – would be in there. She wasn’t.

They eventually found her in the living room, leaning over Marshall. Keila cleared her throat to get Marceline’s attention. Schwabl – who had come down earlier that evening and had been fussed over by all of Bonnibel’s friends – let out a half-hearted growl from where he was laid in his basket.

Marceline looked up sheepishly, a pen in hand. “I couldn’t resist. It was too easy.”

Keila walked over and took one look at Marshall, letting out a snort of laughter when she realised Marceline had taken the opportunity to draw the classic glasses and moustache on her brother’s face. Keila gave Marceline a high five, taking the pen from the other girl’s hand. “I’m going to take this before this spirals out of control and you end up drawing on everyone here.”

“Can I draw on her?” Marceline nodded towards LSP.

Keila bit on her lip in thought, before finally nodding and holding out the pen in Marceline’s direction. “Fine, but make it quick.”

Marceline grinned. “Rad.”

Bonnibel held back laughter. “She’ll kill you.”

“Her?” Marceline laughed. “Yeah, right. Besides, I’ll just put the blame on someone else.”

“Who?”

Marceline looked around the room, nodding at Finn. “Maybe him.”

“Come on, Finn’s a sweet kid.” Bonnibel argued. “Why not blame it on Marshall?”

“Yeah, he drew on his own face.” Marceline rolled her eyes, before putting the pen back where she’d found it. “Anyways, let’s get out of here.”

The three of them quickly slipped out of the room and into the hallway, where Marceline had left her skateboard. She threw Keila the house keys. “Here. I have to put my shoes on, unlock the door for me.”

Keila nodded, and Marceline grabbed a pair of black Vans and pulled them on. Then, she picked up her skateboard and walked outside, where Keila and Bonnibel were waiting for her. She locked the front door, and then the three of them walked down the driveway and into the cold night. The second they were on the sidewalk, Marceline threw her skateboard down and jumped on. She kept slow next to Keila and Bonnibel.

Bonnibel immediately started shivering. She internally smacked herself when she realised she’d forgotten her jacket.

“Are you cold?” Keila frowned.

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah, I forgot my coat.”

Marceline slipped hers off and passed it to Bonnibel. “Here. I have a hoodie, I’ll be fine.”

Bonnibel frowned at Marceline’s random act of kindness, slipping the coat on. “Thanks.”

Bonnibel then turned to her other companion. She had decided to get to know Keila. Although Bonnibel’s initial impression was that Keila was a lazy alcoholic, she had realised that she was quick to judge the older girl and that Keila was actually a really nice person.

“When did you graduate from school?”

“Last June.” Keila stated. “I actually kind of miss it, but I’ve got a pretty sweet gig down at the music store. I like working there and the pay is pretty good, even though I’m still waiting on Marmalade to write a hit single.”

“Marceline writes your band’s songs?” Bonnibel asked, an amazed smile across her face.

“Yep, she’s the genius behind it all.” Keila grinned. “Well, she’s the genius, period.”

Bonnibel turned to Marceline. “You write lyrics and music?”

Marceline – who was quietly skating alongside them – nodded. “Yeah. Sometimes Keila helps.”

“Only with the music.” Keila pitched in. “I can’t write lyrics but then Marmalade shows up with full songs with all these metaphors and stuff in. It’s pretty awesome.”

Marceline shrugged. “I just write whatever comes to mind and then make it better later.”

“That’s really cool.” Bonnibel smiled. “You’re really interesting, Marceline.”

“I’m really not.” Marceline insisted. “You just think that because it’s something you haven’t learned how to do. Like how I don’t know how to be a badass mad scientist like you.”

Bonnibel was shocked by the compliment, and didn’t have time to thank Marceline before Keila jumped back into the conversation. “You’re a scientist? That’s cool.”

“It’s not. Certain things interest me, like the laws of physics.” Bonnibel shrugged. “I enjoy exploring different variables and their effects and reading up on different theories. It’s just interesting to me.”

“I actually didn’t hate science in school.” Keila commented. “I mean, it wasn’t my favourite thing, but I could bear it.”

Marceline shrugged. “I just take a nap in class and then use my puppy dog eyes to get Simon to do the work for me.”

“Isn’t that some form of cheating?” Bonnibel frowned.

“Probably.” Marceline shrugged. “All of the sciences are my lowest grades and I don’t really care, to be honest.”

“I’ll tutor you if you’re failing.” Bonnibel offered.

Marceline raised her eyebrows, kicking her foot against the ground to speed her skateboard up. “Did I say I was failing?”

“What’re you getting?”

“Bs.”

“Really?”

“I’m actually kind of offended by how shocked you sound.” Marceline stated.

“A B is your lowest grade?” Bonnibel asked in amazement.

“Yeah. Bs in science and math, As in everything else.” Marceline shrugged.

Bonnibel’s eyes widened. “Wow. I didn’t expect that.”

“Like I said, she’s the genius.” Keila smiled. “So I take it you want to be a scientist when you’re older?”

“Something in science, yes.” Bonnibel nodded. “Recently I’ve been leaning towards becoming a doctor.”

“That’s pretty hardcore.” Marceline said.

“It is?”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded. “Doctors literally bring people back from the dead sometimes.”

Bonnibel shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve always thought about being a doctor but there are other things I’d like to do too. What about you guys? What do you want to do when you’re older?”

They exchanged glances. Keila grinned. “I think I speak for the both of us when I say music.”

Marceline nodded. “Yeah. If it’s not playing it, I want to write and produce it.”

“Creative.” Bonnibel commented. She could really picture Marceline doing that.

Marceline just shrugged and continued skating alongside her. Keila pulled her phone out. “I’m going to tweet about our adventure.”

“Keila, nobody cares.” Marceline teased.

“You always tweet me back.”

“Because you’d look like a fucking loner if I didn’t.”

“Sometimes you tweet me first.”

“Somebody has to laugh at your dumb jokes.”

Keila typed out some random tweet and then put her phone on camera, directing it towards herself and Bonnibel. “Marmalade, get over here!”

Marceline laughed, skating faster. “Catch me.”

Keila shot off down the road after Marceline, shouting. “Get back here!”

Marceline skated around Keila in a circle before heading further down the road. “Nope.”

“Marmalade!” Keila huffed, chasing after her until the two were merely specks to Bonnibel.

The pink haired girl felt uncomfortable. Should she follow them, or just wait for them to come back? Maybe they’d meant to ditch her all along. Bonnibel stood in the cold for what felt to her like hours, but was in fact only a minute or two when she saw what looked to be Marceline skating towards her. When she squinted, she realised it was both Marceline and Keila on Marceline’s skateboard. Bonnibel tried to hold back laughter when the two dramatically skated past her posed like Jack and Rose from Titanic – Keila with her arms around Marceline’s middle and Marceline with her arms outstretched – playing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ from one of their phones. Keila jumped off when they got to Bonnibel, and Marceline stopped her skateboard and bit on her lip.

Bonnibel smiled. “You two are hilarious.”

Keila pretended to brush something off her shoulders. “Well, if you say so.”

Marceline rolled her eyes and flicked her skateboard up with her foot, catching it with her left hand. “Are we going to McDonald’s or what?”

“Yeah. If you want, I can just go in and order for us all.” Keila offered.

Marceline shrugged. “The less interaction with other people the better. Sure.”

“You’re so antisocial.” Bonnibel commented.

“I’d say the same to you. Marshall was complaining about how you never leave the house.” Marceline shrugged. “Don’t be so hypocritical, princess.”

“Sorry, Marcy.”

“Fuck you.”

“You say that at least once every time we talk.” Bonnibel pointed out.

“In case you didn’t notice, fuck is my favourite word.” Marceline shrugged. “It’s a good word to use because you can fucking put it anywhere in a fucking sentence and it still makes fucking sense.”

Bonnibel frowned. “It’s not ladylike to swear.”

“Ladylike my ass.”

“Neither is that.” Bonnibel added.

Marceline gritted her teeth. “I really want to strangle you sometimes.”

Bonnibel gulped. “Sorry.”

Marceline noticed how scared Bonnibel looked at dropped the glare she was aiming at her. “Whoa, chill. I wouldn’t. You know that.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Sometimes I forget when you’re threatening my life.”

“I don’t appreciate the sass.”

Keila jumped in the middle of the two and threw an arm around Marceline’s shoulder, quickly bringing her camera up and snapping a photo before both Marceline and Bonnibel could register what was happening. “I got you!”

Marceline sighed. “God dammit.”

Keila grinned. “I win.”

“For once.” Marceline added.

“Shut up.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Keila stated. “I’m older so you have to do what I say.”

“You’re acting like a five year old.” Marceline rolled her eyes, turning to Bonnibel. “This is what I have to deal with on a daily basis. Pity me.”

Keila gently shoved Marceline. “You’re no picnic either.”

The conversation all the way to McDonald’s was mostly just friendly bickering between Marceline and Keila, Bonnibel occasionally pitching in to back up a point one of them was making. She was surprised how comfortable the two of them were making her feel; although, she did feel a little tense when Keila left her alone with Marceline to go buy the three of them some fries.

Marceline and Bonnibel were stood in an uncomfortable silence until Marceline finally spoke up. “Hey, you should try skateboarding.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Bonnibel stated. “I might fall and ruin your jeans.”

“I never wear those anyway.” Marceline shrugged. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“I don’t want to hurt myself.”

“I won’t let that happen.” Marceline assured. “It’s like 1AM, we have an empty parking lot. You’ll be fine, dude.”

Bonnibel let out a long sigh. “Fine, but only for five minutes.”

Marceline nodded. “Cool.”

Marceline carried her skateboard over to a clear space in the parking lot, setting it down. Bonnibel stared apprehensively. “I’m not sure about this.”

“Get on.” Marceline rolled her eyes, and Bonnibel quickly did as she said.

The skateboard lurched forwards and Bonnibel let out a yelp and shut her eyes, expecting the next thing to happen to be her colliding with the ground. Instead, she felt a pair of strong arms hold her up. “Geez, Bonnibel. Try not to fall off before you’ve even started going.”

“It moved!” Bonnibel defended.

“It moved a fucking millimetre.”

“If we’re going to do this, please stop swearing. It’s making me rather anxious.” Bonnibel mumbled.

Marceline huffed, her breath coming out in a puff of smoke in the cold air. “Fine. Use one of your feet to get going and push yourself.”

Bonnibel frowned and looked into Marceline’s eyes, now level with her own due to the extra height of the skateboard. “I don’t know about this.”

“You’ll be fine, I promise.” Marceline assured.

“Will you hold my hand?”

“Oh my fucking God.” Marceline cursed and slapped a hand to her face, staring at Bonnibel through her fingers. “What are you, three?”

“Please?” Bonnibel asked. “I swear this thing is a deathtrap.”

Marceline grabbed hold of Bonnibel’s upper arm. “I won’t hold your fucking hand. This is as much as you’re getting.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Thank you.”

“Now kick off from the ground.”

Bonnibel did as Marceline said, nearly toppling off the board. She was grateful for the other girl holding onto the coat she was wearing, because Bonnibel would definitely have fallen off by now. “Thanks for holding onto me.”

“Get sappy and I’ll let go.”

“I bet you secretly love it.” Bonnibel teased.

Marceline let go of Bonnibel’s arm, and the shorter girl let out a yelp as she lost her balance and nearly fell off the board. Marceline caught her. “I wouldn’t tease the girl helping you not get a scraped knee if I were you.”

Bonnibel could feel her heart beating ten times as fast. “That was terrifying. I thought you were going to let me fall.”

“You want to know a secret?” Marceline questioned. “I don’t hurt people unless they’re serious assholes. You’re not on that list.”

Bonnibel smiled. “So you wouldn’t hurt me?”

“Nope, but don’t go spreading that around. I don’t need your friends annoying the fuck out of me like you seem to enjoy doing.” Marceline said. “Now get off my skateboard.”

Bonnibel stepped off the board, relieved. “Thanks, Marceline. You’re really sweet, even if you don’t want people to think you are.”

“Fuck, I can’t even threaten to punch you now.”

Bonnibel smiled. “They were empty threats anyway.”

Keila came back and passed Bonnibel and Marceline some medium fries. “Don’t worry about paying me back, guys. My gift to you for a kickass evening.”

“Being your best friend has its pros.” Marceline grinned, grabbing a handful of fries.

Keila shrugged. “I know, I’m awesome.”

Bonnibel smiled at the older girl. “Thanks for this, Keila.”

“No problem, dude. You’re pretty rad.” Keila grinned back.

“I’ve never been called rad before.” Bonnibel commented.

“I can tell.” Marceline mumbled through a mouthful of fries.

“Marmalade.” Keila scolded. “Be nice to my new friend.”

“Whatever.”

The walk back to Marceline’s house was mostly filled with a comfortable silence between the three, something Bonnibel never thought she’d experience around Marceline. She watched Marceline a lot on the way back, the way she silently watched as the world went by, the way her black hair cascaded down her back in a soft wave, and the way she didn’t seem to have a care in the world. It was enthralling how Marceline could be so mysterious.

When they got back to Marceline’s house, Keila headed straight upstairs and flopped down on Marceline’s bed, finally tired out. Bonnibel went into the bathroom and quickly stripped from the jeans she was wearing to reveal her pyjama shorts underneath, and stopped Marceline before she disappeared into her room. “Hey, wait. I wanted to give you these back.”

Marceline took the jeans. “Thanks.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks for tonight, by the way. I had fun.”

“Same. You’re weirdly good company.” Marceline stated. “But we’re still not friends.”

“I figured.” Bonnibel replied. “Let me know when you want to be, though.”

“Who says I’ll want to be your friend?”

“Fine. If you want to be.” Bonnibel corrected herself. “Have a good night, Marceline.”

Bonnibel turned and headed for the stairs, not expecting Marceline to respond.

“You too, nerd.”

Chapter Text

Saturday 15^th February 2014

Marceline had heard through Marshall that Bonnibel’s friends were throwing a party.

She didn’t know why she decided to go to the party the nerds were throwing. She told herself it was just to make fun of how stupid it was, but she knew there was another reason.

She wanted to hate the excitable, bubbly pink-haired girl, but she just couldn’t. For some stupid reason, she actually liked Bonnibel’s company.

And that terrified her.

She eventually found the pink-haired dork after asking her friends, whose names she always got muddled up. She had a habit of referring to people with nicknames she gave them in her head. The boy who always wore the bear hat, who Marceline had creatively nicknamed ‘Hatboy’ refused to tell her if Bonnibel was even at the party. Thankfully, Bonnibel’s other friend who always had one item of rainbow clothing on – Marceline had nicknamed her ‘Rainbow’ – pulled her away from Finn and told her that Bonnibel was definitely at the party and should be around somewhere.

Marceline didn’t have to look far. She was making her way through the hallway of whoever’s house she was in, and she felt someone grab hold of her from behind, their arms snaking around her middle. She turned with a frown on her face, only to see Bonnibel smiling up at her. Marceline frowned even more. Something was off about her.

She knew the second Bonnibel let go of her and nearly toppled over.

Bonnibel was drunk.

“Hey, Marceline!” Bonnibel slurred, drawing out each vowel in the sentence.

Marceline quickly caught Bonnibel as she staggered even closer to her. “You’re drunk.”

Bonnibel scoffed. “Psh. I only had like…six beers? I’m not drunk.”

“My point exactly. You’re really fucking drunk.” Marceline observed as Bonnibel staggered around.

Bonnibel smiled and took a few attempts at grabbing hold of Marceline’s arm. It took her a while before she finally linked arms with Marceline and stepped as close to the dark haired girl as she could, wobbling about a little on the spot. “I’m glad you came.”

“Yeah, me too. I need to get you out of here.” Marceline stated, attempting to walk Bonnibel down the hallway they were in.

Bonnibel was being difficult. She stopped walking and held onto Marceline, pouting. “Why? You said we’re not friends.”

“Well, we are.” Marceline stated. “Just don’t remember that when you’re sober.”

Bonnibel grinned and held her hands up in the air, nearly falling backwards. Marceline quickly caught her. “Yay. Marcy’s my friend.”

“What did I say about that nickname?”

Bonnibel pouted. “It’s cute.”

Marceline just rolled her eyes and slowly escorted Bonnibel towards the front door, running into the friend from before. The girl frowned. “Is Bubblegum drunk?”

Marceline raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

Bonnibel smiled, and tried to give her friend a hug. “Lady! This is a great party.”

Lady, Marceline thought, I should remember that. “Look, I’m going to get her home.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Her parents don’t seem the type to approve of underage drinking.” Lady explained.

“Fine, I’ll just take her somewhere quiet.” Marceline stated, looking towards the drunk girl hanging from her arm.

Lady frowned. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“So you want her to stay here and get even more drunk? I even think I saw that Ricardio dude walking around. I’m getting her out of here.” Marceline explained. “I won’t take her home. I’ll take her back to my place.”

Lady eyed her sceptically. “I don’t think she’d like it if I let her go with you.”

“Dude, I won’t fucking eat her or anything. If it makes you feel any better, Simon is home. You have a witness.” Marceline argued as Bonnibel played with her dark hair.

“Simon?”

“Mr Petrikov, whatever you want to call him.”

“You live with him?”

“Since I was 7, yeah.” Marceline stated. “Anyway, off topic. I’m getting her out of here.”

Lady sighed in defeat. “Fine. Just promise me you’ll take care of her.”

“I promise.” Marceline assured.

Bonnibel grabbed Marceline’s left hand and began fiddling with it. “Your hand is warm.”

Marceline found it hard not to laugh at the drunken girl clinging onto her, helping her out of the door. Bonnibel nearly tripped numerous times on the walk to Marceline’s car, and getting her to sit down was an even harder task.

In all honesty, Marceline couldn’t believe that Bonnibel of all people was drunk.

Bonnibel kept trying to play with all of the buttons in the car and move things about on the drive back to Marceline’s house, and Marceline was seriously considering tying her hands down. Eventually, Marceline got Bonnibel to calm down by putting an Ed Sheeran CD on. Bonnibel sat with her head against the window and an odd smile on her face for most of the ride. Occasionally, she reached over and grabbed Marceline’s hand, giggled, and let go again.

Marceline successfully managed to get Bonnibel into the house in good time, saying hello to Simon and Betty who were in the living room watching a movie.

She tried keeping Bonnibel hidden, but typically, she shouted “Hi, Simon,” at the top of her lungs and caught his attention.

“Is that Bonnibel out there?”

“Yeah, she got totally hammered and so I got her out of the party.” Marceline shrugged. “I don’t think she’s ever been drunk before.”

Betty frowned. “Bonnibel from your English class?”

“Yup.” Marceline nodded.

“Hm. I wouldn’t have thought you two would be friends.”

Marceline shrugged, looking towards an excitable Bonnibel who had taken to examining all of the shoes left by the doorway. “Yeah, she’s pretty cool.”

Simon grinned. “I knew you liked her.”

“Shut up.” Marceline rolled her eyes, biting back a grin. “I’m going to take her upstairs and make her get some sleep.”

“Get her a glass of water and an ibuprofen or something.” Betty advised.

Marceline nodded. “I’m on it.”

Marceline made her way back over to Bonnibel, who grinned. “Marcy,” She slurred, “Why are we here?”

“Your friend told me your parents wouldn’t like it if you were drunk, and I didn’t want you to get in any trouble.” Marceline explained, putting an arm around Bonnibel as she walked her up the stairs.

Bonnibel smiled lazily. “You’re sweet.”

“Thanks.” Marceline frowned, as she kicked her bedroom door open and helped Bonnibel towards the bed. “I think.”

Bonnibel flopped down onto Marceline’s bed, grabbing something from under the covers. Marceline froze. Bonnibel was holding onto Hambo.

Marceline gulped. “That’s not mine, I’m just holding it for a friend.”

Bonnibel cackled. “Marcy has a teddy bear.”

Marceline pried Hambo from Bonnibel’s grip and placed him on her dresser. “No, I don’t. I’m going to go get you a glass of water, and I want you to drink it before you sleep, okay?”

Bonnibel nodded, grabbing hold of Marceline’s hand and smiling. “You’re the best, Marceline. I like you. Let’s talk and gossip and tell each other secrets. Isn’t that what friends do?”

“Yeah...no. Not when you’re in this state, Bonnie.”

“Bonnie?”

Marceline blushed and bit her lip. “Yeah. Bonnie.”

“I like it. The girl I used to like called me that. She hates me because I’m gay.”

Marceline frowned. “You’re gay?”

Bonnibel’s eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously, her pink locks falling in her eyes. “No. Well, I am, but you’re not supposed to know that.”

“Chill out, Bonnie. I’m going to get you a glass of water, and then I’ll be back.”

“Promise you’ll come back?” Bonnibel pleaded.

“I promise.” Marceline assured as she slipped out of the door and jogged downstairs.

She filled up a glass of water for Bonnibel, heading back upstairs where she found Bonnibel plucking the strings on her bass. Bonnibel smiled when Marceline walked in the room. “Look, I’m a musician!”

Marceline sighed, holding back the amused grin that was fighting to be seen. “Come here.”

Bonnibel staggered over to the bed, flopping down on the soft surface. She sat up, and Marceline passed her the glass of water. “Drink that. It’ll cushion the blow of the huge ass hangover you’ll have.”

Bonnibel obediently drank the water, passing the empty cup back to Marceline, nearly dropping it as she did. “Thanks.”

Marceline examined Bonnibel. She was clothed in a rather frilly pink dress with a pink cardigan on top of it. Marceline sighed. She couldn’t put her in bed like that. She dug around in her drawers, finding a pair of grey sweatpants and a t-shirt advertising a band she didn’t even like that much anymore. She passed them to Bonnibel. “Here. Wear these and then get into bed and go to sleep.”

Bonnibel nodded and fumbled about trying to find the zipper on her dress which was hidden underneath her cardigan. Eventually, Marceline got tired of watching Bonnibel and stood up, assisting the girl in taking her cardigan off and unzipping the dress. Then, Marceline looked away as Bonnibel changed into the pyjamas, and stayed facing away from Bonnibel until she heard a small thud.

She turned to see that Bonnibel had fallen on the floor with the sweatpants halfway up her legs. The pink haired girl giggled. “Oops.”

Marceline rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh, leaning down and helping Bonnibel to her feet. Bonnibel managed to pull up the sweatpants and manoeuvre her way into Marceline’s bed, resting her head down on the pillow.

Marceline was about to leave the room, when she heard a small mumble from Bonnibel. “Marceline.”

Marceline turned. “Yeah?”

“Stay with me.” Bonnibel murmured.

Marceline froze. “Uh…I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Bonnibel pouted.

“I don’t think you’d want me to if you were sober.”

“I would. Besides, I’m completely sober.” Bonnibel slurred, shuffling over in Marceline’s bed and lazily patting the spot next to her. “Please?”

Marceline sighed. “Fine.”

She quickly changed into her pyjamas – completely aware of Bonnibel watching her the entire time – and tentatively climbed into her bed. Bonnibel smiled, grabbing hold of Marceline’s hand and playing with her fingers. “Thank you.”

“Uh…you’re welcome, I guess.”

Bonnibel shuffled closer to Marceline and smiled, burying her head into Marceline’s neck. “You smell good. I sniff your shirt when I go to sleep sometimes.”

Marceline couldn’t help but let out a snicker at that. “Why, exactly?”

“Because it smells like you.” Bonnibel breathed. “I like it.”

“You really need to sleep off the alcohol.” Marceline said. “You’re saying weird things.”

“Okay.” Bonnibel yawned and wriggled closer to Marceline. “Night.”

Marceline awkwardly put an arm around Bonnibel. “Goodnight.”

It wasn’t long before Bonnibel was letting out soft little snores, and Marceline stealthily shuffled away from Bonnibel and climbed out of the bed. As much as she’d love to see the horror on Bonnibel’s face waking up next to her, she decided she’d just let Bonnibel get a peaceful night’s sleep.

Marceline grabbed Bonnibel’s clothes which were strewn about on the floor and attempted to fold them into a neat pile, placing them on the desk chair she usually used as a dumping ground for worn clothes. Bonnibel’s phone fell out of the pocket in the cardigan, and Marceline decided it’d probably be a good idea to text Bonnibel’s parents and let them know where she was. Luckily, Bonnibel didn’t have a password for her phone, and Marceline easily found the text conversation with Bonnibel’s Mom. Mirroring Bonnibel’s texting style, she typed out a message.

I’m staying over at a friend’s house tonight. See you tomorrow.

Then, she locked Bonnibel’s phone and placed it on the bedside table.

Marceline checked the time on her own phone. 10PM. Might as well get an early night.

She grabbed Hambo from her dresser and picked up her bass in her other hand, heading into the guest bedroom and sitting down on the cold sheets. She set Hambo on the pillow, pulling her bass onto her lap and plucking a few notes. Marceline let out a long sigh, falling back on the soft surface of the bed. She decided she wasn’t in the mood to play bass, so she leant her guitar against the wall and snuggled under the blankets of the bed, cuddling Hambo close to her chest. She shut her eyes, and the last thing that went through her mind was of the pink-haired girl that was currently asleep in her bed.

Sunday 16^th February 2014

Bonnibel woke up with Marceline’s scent surrounding her and a pounding headache.

Her focus was first on the blunt throbbing in her head. It was the first thing she could register as she woke up in a groggy, jumbled mess. She put a hand to her head and blinked hard, before she realised where she was.

Why the hell was she in Marceline’s room?

She looked over to the alarm clock on the bedside table that was incredibly dusty and looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. 12:36PM. Bonnibel frowned. She never slept in this late.

She desperately tried to remember what could have happened the night before, but all she could conjure up were dream-like, hazy memories of her grabbing several different bottles of beer.

She really hoped she hadn’t said or done anything stupid, especially around Marceline. She’d never live that down.

The space in the bed beside her was cold and didn’t look like it had been slept on. Bonnibel frowned. If she was here, where had Marceline gone? Bonnibel hoped that she hadn’t kicked Marceline out of her own bed.

She finally sat up and stretched, ignoring the pounding in her head. She looked towards the door, which was half open. Should she go downstairs?

She didn’t have to.

Marceline popped her head around the door to see an awake – albeit dazed and groggy – Bonnibel sat up in her bed. “Good, you’re up.”

Bonnibel frowned. “Marceline? What happened?” Marceline didn’t have chance to reply, as Bonnibel was already freaking out. “Oh, God! My parents! They’re going to be really worried about me.”

“Chillax, dude. I sent a text to your folks last night when you were passed out.”

“I passed out?” Bonnibel exclaimed, eyes widening. “What was I doing?”

“I’ll tell you the full story once you drink this water and take this.” Marceline said, producing a glass of water and an aspirin from behind her back as she walked into the room. The dark haired girl sat on the bed beside Bonnibel, passing the glass over.

Bonnibel gratefully took the pill and downed the water, placing the empty glass on the bedside table. She picked up her phone and unlocked it onto a text conversation with her Mom. She smirked when she read the text Marceline sent. “Spending the night at a friend’s, huh?”

“Yeah,” Bonnibel was amazed Marceline didn’t argue, “Anyways, you want to know what you did or would you rather forget?”

“I want to know,” Bonnibel stated, “Unless it’s completely stupid and I’ll want to crawl in a ditch and die of embarrassment later.”

“You weren’t that bad.” Marceline said. “I actually think drunk Bonnie is pretty rad.”

“Bonnie?”

“Fuck.” Marceline cursed, looking down at her feet, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck. “Yeah, that’s what I call you in my head. Nickname. I usually give people dumb nicknames -,” She cut herself off. “Anyways, you don’t need to know this.”

Bonnibel found Marceline’s awkward rambling rather cute. “I like it. It’s better than princess. Call me it more often.”

“Princess was the original nickname.” Marceline admitted. “But when I started to like you it changed to Bonnie. Anyway, back to your drunken mishaps,”

“Whoa, whoa,” Bonnibel cut in, smirking. “When did you start to like me?”

“Story for another day.” Marceline dismissed her. “Basically, last night you were drunk as fuck. I don’t know how you got drunk, but you were.”

“Why were you at my friends’ party, anyway? You don’t like them.” Bonnibel frowned.

“Marshall’s designated driver.” Marceline lied. She definitely wasn’t admitting to Bonnibel that she went because of her. “Do you want to know what you did while you were drunk or not?”

“Yes.”

“Then quit interrupting me. Save all questions until the end.” Marceline ordered. “Anyways, you came staggering over to me and started hugging me, and I realised you were drunk and so I was going to take you back to your house, but your friend,” Marceline paused in thought, “Lady, I think she’s called -,”

“What do you call her in your head?”

“That’s not important.” Marceline rolled her eyes, “Yeah, anyway, she was being super protective over you – I think she thought I’d suck out your soul or something, I don’t fucking know – but she basically told me not to take you home or your folks would flip, so I brought you back here. You were all giggly and weird. It was quite funny.”

“Glad you found amusement in me embarrassing myself.” Bonnibel muttered.

Marceline chuckled. “As always.”

“Did I say any dumb stuff?” Bonnibel pressed.

“Uh…” Marceline paused in thought, before snickering a little. “You told me you liked sniffing the shirt I gave you because you think it smells nice.”

Bonnibel flushed bright red. “I’m such an idiot. I probably creeped you out, didn’t I? I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine, dude. It was actually pretty funny.” Marceline said. “You messed around with my bass and announced you were a musician, you made fun of me,”

“Why did I make fun of you?” Bonnibel frowned.

“No reason.” Marceline bit on her lip. She definitely wasn’t telling Bonnibel she still slept with a teddy bear. “You tried to cuddle me.”

Bonnibel slapped a hand to her face and blushed a deeper scarlet. “I am so embarrassing.”

Then, Marceline said something that made Bonnibel’s stomach drop.

“You told me you’re gay.” Marceline noticed the effect it had on Bonnibel. The usual smile was replaced by a look of horror, and her entire body had gone rigid. “Whoa, dude. Chill. It’s fine, man. I won’t tell anyone.”

Bonnibel felt the tears rolling down her cheeks, and she put her head in her hands. “I might as well just move back to New York.”

“I take it they were harsh about it there, huh?” Marceline questioned, before realising Bonnibel probably didn’t want to talk about it. “Uh, Bonnie?”

Bonnibel gulped and finally looked Marceline straight in her crimson eyes, her own vision blurred due to the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Yes?”

“Do you want a hug?”

Marceline didn’t need an answer; Bonnibel launched herself into Marceline’s arms, burying her head in the taller girl’s shoulder, inhaling the comforting scent. For once, Marceline hugged her back, albeit a little awkwardly, but it was soothing all the same. Bonnibel clung onto her for what felt like hours, until she finally found the courage to sit up and ask Marceline a question that had been bothering her since Marceline told her she knew. “You don’t care?”

“About you being gay? Of course not. I do care about how you got your snot on my favourite shirt, though.”

Bonnibel let out a watery laugh, looking down at Marceline’s ‘no smoking’ shirt, which had a wet patch in the shoulder. “Sorry.”

“Don’t sweat it, Bonnie.” Marceline waved a hand in dismissal. “Does anyone else know?”

“The only people that know are my parents and you.” Bonnibel responded. “And the people I used to go to school with in New York.”

Marceline didn’t question what happened there; she knew Bonnibel probably wouldn’t want to talk about it. “Cool. Well, I won’t tell anyone.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks, Marceline. I should think of a nickname for you.”

“Please don’t go with the generic, completely overused -,”

“Marcy.”

“There it is.” Marceline sighed, rolling her eyes. “Dude, be creative.”

“Uh…” Bonnibel looked up in thought. “I’ve got nothing.”

“You’ll think of something.” Marceline assured, standing up from where she was sat on the bed. “You’re probably hungry, so we can get you some breakfast and then I’ll take you home.”

Bonnibel nodded, although she wasn’t happy with the last part of that plan. She’d rather spend the day with Marceline, not that she’d admit that. She decided to open up a new conversational topic as her and Marceline were walking down the stairs. “So, what do you call my friends in your head?”

“Uh…I don’t know, a bunch of stuff.”

“What’s Lady called?”

“Rainbows.” Marceline shrugged. She held her hands up in defence at Bonnibel’s judgemental glance. “What? She always wears rainbow.”

“Finn?”

“Which one is that again?” Marceline asked as they entered the kitchen.

“He always wears that white bear hat -,”

“Hatboy.”

“Really? And you tell me to be creative?” Bonnibel laughed.

“If you’re going to make fun of the nicknames, I won’t tell you them.” Marceline shrugged as she hopped up on the counter. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“It’s nearly 1PM.” Bonnibel pointed out. “I’d hardly call it breakfast.”

“That’s usually my breakfast time.” Marceline countered. “So what do you want?”

“Anything.”

“That really narrows it down, thanks.” Marceline sarcastically shot back, rolling her eyes.

Bonnibel sighed. She really didn’t think that sarcasm was necessary.

“What have you got in?” Bonnibel asked.

“Cereal, Pop Tarts, I can make you toast.” Marceline listed. “I don’t know. All sorts. I’m going to have some ice cream.”

“For breakfast?” Bonnibel raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Marceline nonchalantly shrugged. “Why the fuck not?”

Bonnibel chuckled as Marceline jumped off the counter and rummaged around in the freezer. “Hey, Marceline?”

“Yeah?”

“Seriously, when did you start to like me?” Bonnibel asked, bringing up the question Marceline had been dodging in their earlier conversation.

Marceline pulled out a tub of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream, setting it on the counter and closing the freezer. She grabbed a spoon from a drawer, before finally glancing up at Bonnibel. “Guess.”

“Um…” Bonnibel thought hard, chewing down on her bottom lip. “Last night?”

“Nope.”

“Today.”

“Nope.”

“Will you just tell me?” Bonnibel sighed.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “But that wouldn’t be as fun.”

“Please?”

“Fine.” Marceline sighed. “I started liking you when we went to McDonald’s with Keila.”

“Really? I thought you still hated me then.” Bonnibel frowned.

“I’ve never hated you. I don’t really hate anyone.” Marceline stated, prising the lid from the ice cream and driving her spoon into it.

“You sure act like it.”

Marceline just shrugged in response, hitting the frozen ice cream with the spoon. “Damn it, it’s hard.”

“That usually happens when you freeze things.” Bonnibel teased.

Marceline just rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Mrs Scientist. Hey, that can be your new nickname!”

“Stick with Bonnie.” Bonnibel hurriedly replied. “What are some other nicknames you have for people?”

“Uh…your friend that’s really hairy is called Wolverine.”

“Jake?” Bonnibel questioned. “I think he’d be pleased with that. What’s LSP?”

“I don’t actually have one for her. The only word that springs to mind when you mention her is annoying.” Marceline shrugged.

“Can I ask you something?” Bonnibel asked, carefully approaching Marceline who had sat herself back on the counter, eagerly awaiting the moment her ice cream softened up enough for her to eat it.

“Sure.”

“Why does she hate you so much?” Bonnibel frowned. “LSP, I mean.”

Marceline thought for a minute, frowning down at the spoon in her hands. Eventually, she looked back up at Bonnibel. “I have absolutely no idea.”

“You don’t know?”

“Nope.” Marceline replied, attempting to stab the ice cream with her spoon. “She was always kind of mean to me back in kindergarten when I was weird and had no friends. Maybe I stepped on her Barbie or something.”

“Maybe I’ll ask her.” Bonnibel mused.

“If you do, tell me what she says.” Marceline responded, finally shovelling a huge spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She patted the counter beside her. “Grab a spoon and pull up a counter.”

Bonnibel smiled, opening the drawer she saw Marceline get her spoon out of, grabbing one for herself. Then, she jumped and sat herself on the counter next to Marceline, getting a spoonful of ice cream and eating it. “This is good.”

“Yup.”

They were sat in a comfortable silence – well, comfortable for Bonnibel, Marceline just felt awkward – until Bonnibel finally spoke up. “So…we’re friends now?”

“Uh…I mean…I – If you...uh…” Marceline awkwardly fumbled over her words. “I don’t…uh…”

Bonnibel giggled. She found Marceline’s inability to find words to respond to easy questions rather adorable. “Is that a yes?”

Marceline didn’t bother trying to speak, knowing that she’d just make a mess of what she wanted to say. She simply nodded in response to Bonnibel’s question, refusing to meet Bonnibel’s gaze.

Bonnibel grinned, wrapping her arms around Marceline’s waist in a gentle hug. “Awesome.”

“Uh…so…what exactly do we do now?” Marceline asked, looking up at Bonnibel.

Bonnibel stared into the girl’s unusual yet entrancing crimson eyes. “I don’t really know. I’m not exactly very experienced in the field of socialising.”

“It’s probably easier when you’re not trying to make friends with a socially awkward person.” Marceline stated. “I’m sorry in advance.”

“You’re socially awkward? You always seem so…cool.” Bonnibel exclaimed, mouth agape.

Marceline actually laughed; one of those rare, real laughs that made Bonnibel’s stomach do a flip. “Me? Cool? I think you have me mixed up with someone else.”

“You do.” Bonnibel continued. “You’re so aloof and mysterious.”

Marceline laughed even harder at that. “Seriously? Whoa. News to me. Keila always tells me I look like fucking nerd.”

Bonnibel decided that Marceline looked beautiful when she was happy. “To me, you came across as this effortlessly cool person. I don’t know.”

“I don’t know what made you think that, dude.”

“Maybe it’s because you use words like dude and rad.” Bonnibel suggested. “And you can play all these different instruments and it’s just really cool and fascinating to me.”

“I’ll teach you to play if you want.” Marceline offered. “Then you can be ‘aloof and mysterious’, too.”

Bonnibel chuckled, taking another spoonful of the ice cream. “I already know I have the musical talent of a walrus.”

“Well, then I’ll teach you to have the musical talent of a walrus that can play an instrument.” Marceline shrugged. “I’ll teach you anything you want.”

“Which instruments won’t hurt my fingers?” Bonnibel asked.

“None, if you practise.” Marceline replied. “My ukulele has nylon strings and they don’t hurt your fingers that much as far as I know. My fingers were already calloused when I started playing that. Piano and keyboard won’t do anything to your fingers, though.”

“Which is harder?” Bonnibel asked.

“I’d say piano. Ukulele was super easy, though.” Marceline said.

“I’ll go with ukulele, then.” Bonnibel decided. “You’ll seriously teach me how to play?”

“Sure. It might be a good bonding experience or something.” Marceline shrugged. “It might be funny.”

“You seem like the type to lose your patience really quick, though.”

“Nah, I’m pretty chill.” Marceline stated. “It’s mostly just because I’m too lazy to do much. Shouting and arguing is too much effort.”

“Have you ever argued with Keila?” Bonnibel asked.

Marceline laughed. “Yeah, one time when we were in middle school. I ate all her ice cream, she got mad, I laughed at her, she laughed at me and we were all good.”

“You guys have never had a real fight?”

“Nope. We pretty much agree on everything.” Marceline said. “You know, unless you count our endless debates over which bands are better.”

“You guys talk about music a lot.” Bonnibel pointed out. “It’s confusing.”

“I’m surprised Marshall hasn’t taught you any of the music-talk we use or showed you any good bands.” Marceline frowned. “Although let’s not lie, the alpha twin over here,” She pointed to herself, “clearly has the better music taste.”

Bonnibel laughed. “But don’t you guys listen to the same type of music? Rock?”

“I listen to all sorts.” Marceline stated. “But mostly rock, yes. Marshall’s only really into rock.”

“What other stuff do you like?” Bonnibel pressed.

“Hm…acoustic stuff, I like some electronic, I’ll very occasionally like a song in the charts but that’s pretty rare, and country if you still count Taylor Swift as country.” Marceline listed. “But I’m into mostly rock and its subgenres.”

“You like Taylor Swift?” Bonnibel chuckled. “Never would’ve thought that.”

“She’s a not-so-guilty pleasure of mine.” Marceline admitted.

Bonnibel was about to ask another question about Marceline’s music taste, but Simon walked into the kitchen with two empty mugs. “Morning, Bonnibel! How’s that hangover?”

Bonnibel’s eyes widened. “You didn’t see me drunk, did you?”

“No, Betty and I heard you, however.” Simon chuckled. “It’s fine. You weren’t too bad. I’ve seen much worse with this one.” He nodded towards Marceline.

Marceline awkwardly scratched the back of her neck. “Yeah…we don’t talk about things like that when I’m attempting to make new friends.”

Simon beamed. “I told you Bonnibel was nice.”

“Shush.” Marceline hushed him, jumping off the counter and grabbing the nearly melted tub of ice cream. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go upstairs before you try to embarrass me.”

“Marcy, I’m basically your Dad, I’m going to be an embarrassment at times.” Simon joked.

Marceline leant down and put the ice cream back in the freezer, shutting the door. “Come on, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel slid off the counter and followed Marceline upstairs and back into her bedroom. Almost automatically, Marceline grabbed her TV remote and switched the TV on. “Anything you want to watch, or do you just want me to pick?”

“You can pick. I don’t watch much TV.” Bonnibel shrugged, sitting down on Marceline’s soft bed. “I’m sorry for stealing your bed, by the way. It was very comfortable, though.”

“It’s fine, dude.”

“Why didn’t you stay in with me? I wouldn’t have minded.” Bonnibel questioned.

Marceline avoided the question. “Why did you even get drunk in the first place? You never seemed the type to do that to me.”

“I don’t know. I decided I’d have one beer to be a social drinker, and I’d never had it before. It tasted quite nice, and so I kept going back for more. I guess that’s how I ended up how I was.” Bonnibel said. “I’m never going to do it again, though. My head hurts.”

Marceline sat down on the bed next to her. “Yeah, that’ll happen.”

Bonnibel rested back against the pillows and outstretched her legs. Marceline mirrored her actions and flicked through the TV guide, searching for something decent for the two of them to watch. Bonnibel looked down at Marceline’s feet, frowning when she saw Marceline was wearing mismatched socks. “Marceline, your socks are mismatched.”

“Yeah, I do that.” Marceline shrugged. “Always have.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just do.” Marceline said.

Bonnibel hummed in acknowledgement and the two fell into a comfortable silence as Marceline found some dumb comedy movie to watch. “Marceline?”

“Yeah?”

“When’s your birthday?” Bonnibel asked.

“Why, exactly?”

“I just want to know if I’ve missed it or not. I didn’t know Lady’s so I didn’t have a chance to get her anything.” Bonnibel said. “I need to know yours and Marshall’s so I don’t miss it.”

Marceline didn’t move her gaze from the TV. “I was born on October 31^st.”

“Halloween.”

“Yup.” Marceline nodded. “Maybe that’s why your friend thinks I’m a vampire.”

“How do you know about that?” Bonnibel laughed.

“Someone literally came over to me and asked me and then they told me she started it.” Marceline shrugged. “Please tell me it’s meant to be an insult and she doesn’t actually think I’m a vampire?”

“I think she believes her theory that you’re a vampire.” Bonnibel chuckled.

Marceline slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh my fucking God. Really?”

“Yeah. She says it’s because of your eyes and because you’re so pale.”

Marceline looked up in thought, before a devilish smirk crossed her face. “I could think of a good prank here.”

“Please tell me you’re not going to do something stupid.”

“I’m not going to do something stupid.” Marceline replied. “I’m going to do something funny.”

Bonnibel didn’t want to think about what that meant, and decided to change the subject. “So yours and Marshall’s birthday is on Halloween?”

“Nope. Mine is. His is the day after.” Marceline said.

Bonnibel frowned. “But you’re twins.”

“I was born four minutes to midnight. He was born five minutes after midnight.” Marceline explained. “His birthday is November 1^st.”

“Ah, I see.” Bonnibel nodded. “So you’re only just born on Halloween.”

“Yup.” Marceline nodded. “When we used to go trick or treating my Mom would make us wear a themed costume. We brought in twice the candy.”

“That’s cute.” Bonnibel smiled, although she couldn’t help but wonder about what Marceline had just said. Her Mom. Bonnibel knew she shouldn’t ask, and she bit back the question she was dying to know the answer to. Where were Marceline’s parents?

“If you want, I can take you home now. You still need to get dressed, but I can lend you some clothes.” Marceline offered.

“It’s fine, I’ll just re-wear what I wore last night.” Bonnibel said. “It’s not like I’ll be wearing them for too long; I’ll be getting into pyjamas once I get home.”

Marceline nodded, pointing towards the desk chair she rarely ever sat on. “Your clothes are over there on that chair.”

Bonnibel chuckled. “I know. They stick out like a sore thumb next to all those blacks and greys.”

Marceline just rolled her eyes in response, turning back to the TV as Bonnibel climbed off the bed and grabbed her clothes, heading into the bathroom to change.

As she was changing, Bonnibel couldn’t help but think about Marceline’s parents. She knew she shouldn’t and that it was none of her business, but she really was curious as to why Marshall and Marceline lived with Simon.

Maybe she’d ask, if her and Marceline ever got close enough.

It didn’t take Bonnibel long to change her clothes, and she carefully folded the pyjamas Marceline had given her into a neat pile, before walking out from the bathroom and across the hallway. She froze outside Marceline’s bedroom door when she heard the angelic voice from inside.

Marceline was singing.

Bonnibel didn’t recognise the song, and she didn’t care. All she was thinking about was the beautiful singing voice from inside the room. Marceline wasn’t even singing properly, she was just singing to herself as she played about on her phone, but Bonnibel still thought it was phenomenal.

Bonnibel lingered outside the half open door and listened to the beautiful voice.

“Thanks to you, I’m not myself,
I’m all strung out, that much is clear.
And I’ll spend my whole lifetime with your lifeline wrapped around my throat.”

Bonnibel made herself known and walked into the room, setting the folded pyjamas on next to Marceline on her bed. She smiled at the other girl, who was texting someone – probably Keila. “You have a really nice singing voice.”

“Thanks, Bonnie.” Marceline replied, standing up. “Alright, let’s get you home.”

The drive to Bonnibel’s house was unusually quick, and Bonnibel found herself upset when Marceline’s car pulled up outside her house.

Bonnibel smiled at Marceline. “Thanks for everything, Marceline.”

“Don’t sweat it, Bonnie.” Marceline shrugged. “It was no problem.”

Bonnibel opened the car door and stepped out. “I’ll see you at school.”

“Yeah. I’ll wait for you to get in.” Marceline nodded towards Bonnibel’s front door.

Bonnibel smiled. “Thanks.”

Bonnibel closed the car door and walked up her driveway, opening the front door which had been left unlocked. She turned and waved goodbye to Marceline, shutting the door and shouting up to her parents. “Guys, I’m home!”

Her Mom came out of the living room. “Did you have fun with your friends?”

Bonnibel nodded. She wasn’t going to tell her parents that she got drunk. They’d kill her. “Yeah. I had a good night.”

“Whose house did you stay at?” Her Mom pressed.

Bonnibel tried not to roll her eyes. Her Mom had always been really protective over her. “Marceline’s.”

A frown was what she got in response. “Marceline? You’ve never mentioned her before.”

“Yeah, she’s a new friend.” Bonnibel said.

“Do you like her?”

“Mom!” Bonnibel exclaimed. “Not like that!”

“You should invite her over for dinner some time.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah, okay. Later.”

Her Mom didn’t reply, and Bonnibel took that as her chance to escape, quickly heading up to her room before her Mom could ask her any more questions about Marceline. She pulled out her phone once she sat down on her bed, sending a quick Facebook message to Marceline.

Bonnibel (2:37PM): My Mom didn’t seem to suspect I’d been drunk. Thanks again.

It took Marceline a few minutes to reply; Bonnibel assumed she’d been driving home.

Marceline (2:45PM): no prob, man

Marceline (2:45PM): now take a nap, your head is probably killing

Bonnibel (2:46PM): Aye, aye, Captain. ;)

Marceline (2:48PM): that could be your nickname for me

Bonnibel (2:49PM): Ah, but that would imply you had some sort of power over me.

Marceline (2:49PM): ah, but what if I do?

Marceline (2:49PM): what if secretly I’m the queen of everything

Bonnibel (2:50PM): You’re less awkward over text.

Bonnibel (2:50PM): Not that your awkwardness isn’t absolutely adorable. :)

Marceline (2:51PM): good to know, now take your nap

Marceline (2:51PM): and don’t call me adorable

Bonnibel (2:52PM): Sure, ‘Queen of Everything’. ;)

Marceline didn’t reply after that, and Bonnibel found herself thinking about the dark haired girl as she changed into her pyjamas – Marceline’s rock shirt and a pair of pink pyjama shorts. She sniffed the shirt; Marceline’s scent was fading. Bonnibel settled down under her pink duvet and closed her eyes; she was going to sleep her hangover off. Admittedly, she was hoping that maybe when she woke up, she could talk to Marceline over Facebook.

Bonnibel woke up from her nap a few hours later and checked her phone to see a Facebook message from Marceline.

Marceline’s message read, ‘text me, I hate facebook’ and had her number next to it.

Bonnibel grinned.

She was definitely texting her.

Chapter Text

Friday 21^st February 2014

The first thing Bonnibel noticed when her alarm woke her up at 7AM that morning was that it had snowed overnight.

Bonnibel didn’t really know how she felt about that; sometimes she liked the snow, and other times she didn’t. She didn’t like how after a few days, it became an annoying slush which soaked her feet and ruined her shoes, but she did like how it made everything look so snug and wintery. She enjoyed going out into the back yard and building a snowman with her parents. She liked walking the streets and being the first to step on it and hearing the satisfying crunch as it flattened under her feet.

After staring out of her window at the sun which was just rising and looking out at the orange tinted sky, she headed downstairs for breakfast to see her Dad in the kitchen with his morning coffee. “Morning.”

He smiled. “Good morning, Bonnibel. Did you sleep okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“School is cancelled today, so you can go and get another few hours if you’d like.” He replied.

“School was cancelled?” She frowned. She couldn’t help but be a little upset by that. She liked school; she loved learning new things and she didn’t like spending days in bed when she could be being productive. “I take it it’s closed because of the snow?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “You could always do your homework if you don’t want another few hours sleep.”

“I did it all last night.” Bonnibel said. She could always do an experiment, but she had nothing she would like to research and she couldn’t be bothered getting her lab equipment out.

“Why don’t you call one of your friends and invite them round?” He suggested.

“They’ll all be going back to bed.” Bonnibel stated. “Is Mom working from home today?”

“Yeah.” Her Dad nodded. “She should be waking up soon.”

Bonnie nodded. “Okay. I’m going to make myself a cup of chamomile tea and then go upstairs and read. Maybe I’ll call Lady later on.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” He smiled.

As Bonnie was stood waiting for the water to boil, her Dad spoke up again. “How are you settling in here? I know you were reluctant to leave New York.”

She smiled. “I like it a lot. I have great friends and I’m confident that they’ll be accepting when I tell them about…you know.”

“You haven’t said anything yet?” He looked surprised.

“Of course I haven’t. After what happened back home I’m not telling another soul until I’m sure they won’t freak out at me.” Bonnibel said, before she hesitated. “I did tell someone by accident, however.”

“How do you accidentally tell someone you’re gay?” Her Dad laughed. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re really as smart as you let on.”

Bonnibel laughed, gently smacking his arm as she walked past him for a mug. “It just slipped out.”

“How did they take it?” He asked, as Bonnie was pouring the water into the cup and onto the teabag.

“She took it really well. I cried on her a little bit because I wasn’t ready to actually tell anyone, and she was super sweet about it.” Bonnie smiled.

“Was it Lady?” He asked.

“No.” Bonnibel said. “It was Marceline. You haven’t met her but she’s really cool.”

“Why didn’t you invite her round with all your other friends?” He pressed.

“We weren’t friends then,” Bonnibel said as she carefully lifted the teabag form her cup with a spoon and threw it in the trash. “But we are now.”

“Oh.” He nodded as she made her way to the door. “Well, have a nice day. I’m going to head to work.”

“See you, Dad.” Bonnibel called as she made her way back upstairs and into her bedroom, placing her mug down on her tidy bedside table. She picked up her phone out of habit to see no notifications, as usual.

Sighing, Bonnibel put her phone down and walked over to her alphabetically organised bookshelf, looking through her books. Nothing stuck out to her, so Bonnie snuggled back down in her bed and rested her head on the soft pillow. She grabbed her phone again and went into her text messages, thumb hovering above the conversation with Marceline. She thought for a moment, typing out a message.

Bonnibel (7:45AM): Hey, Marceline. School is closed today because of the snow and I was wondering if you would want to hang out. :)

She hoped the text didn’t look too pushy or desperate, locking her phone and placing it on her bedside table, picking up her mug of tea. She took small sips from the hot drink, her legs still wrapped up in her pink duvet, not expecting Marceline to text back as it was still pretty early. Marceline surprised her when her phone vibrated.

Marceline (7:47AM): okay dude but let me get a little bit of sleep first

Bonnibel (7:47AM): That’s fine. Come round whenever you like.

Marceline (7:48AM): 10:30 good for you?

Bonnibel (7:48AM): That’s fine. I’ll see you then.

Bonnibel settled down in her bed and smiled. She’d made plans for the day, so she wasn’t going to be sat around doing nothing. All she had to do now was pass the time.

7:30AM. She had 3 hours to kill.

She might as well follow Marceline’s lead and get an extra bit of sleep.

Bonnie woke up a second time at 9:47AM, and got up to get a quick shower and get herself ready for Marceline to come. She was dressed and ready in good time, and went downstairs to make herself breakfast; toast and yet another cup of chamomile tea. When she got back into her room after breakfast, she had two texts from Marceline.

Marceline (10:33AM): yo I’m walking round to yours now

Marceline (10:33AM): what joys do you have in store for me today

Bonnibel smiled, texting back.

Bonnibel (10:41AM): Anything you want to do. We’ll have fun, don’t worry.

Marceline (10:42AM): kinda hoping you’d come up with the ideas here tbh I literally haven’t made friends and bonded with another human since I was like five and even then that happened because I’m fucking clumsy and awkward

Bonnibel (10:42AM): If you want to make friends, just be yourself. That’s what my parents always told me as a kid.

Marceline (10:42AM): so you want me to be awkward and throw marmalade all over you

Bonnibel (10:43AM): You could try that if you like. ;)

Marceline (10:43AM): the wink face makes that text look really sexual

Marceline (10:44AM): mm yeah babe try that mmmmmmmmm ;)

Bonnibel (10:44AM): You’re a very distasteful individual, you know.

Marceline (10:45AM): thanks, I try

Bonnibel (10:45AM): I really don’t know how to respond to you taking an insult as a compliment.

Marceline (10:45AM): maybe you should stop sending me sexual wink face texts and then calling ME the ‘distasteful’ one

Bonnibel (10:46AM): They weren’t intended to be sexual, you big jerk.

Bonnibel (10:46AM): Unless you want them to be. ;)

Marceline (10:48AM): gosh quit trying to seduce me, fuckass

Bonnie laughed out loud at Marceline’s response, feeling a little bit stupid when she did. Luckily, her Mom wasn’t in the room to get involved and ask dumb questions about who she was texting.

Bonnibel (10:48AM): Bonding at its finest.

Marceline (10:50AM): you were the one that told me to be myself

Marceline (10:50AM): I’m outside by the way

Bonnibel (10:51AM): Okay, I’ll come and open the door.

Bonnibel walked towards the front door and unlocked it with the spare key, shooting Marceline a warm smile as she opened the door. “Hey.”

Marceline had her hands stuffed in the pockets of a black leather jacket, the hood of the jumper she was wearing underneath covering her ears. She quickly stepped inside. “I’m freezing my fucking tits off.”

“That was a lovely welcome.” Bonnibel joked, as Marceline kicked her shoes off.

“I should’ve walked here wrapped in my duvet or something.” Marceline stated, finally looking to Bonnibel. “Hey, Bonnie.”

“Why didn’t you drive?” Bonnibel questioned. “You have a car.”

“I couldn’t find my keys.” Marceline shrugged, “And I need the exercise. I’ve eaten like three McDonald’s meals this week.”

“Simon let you do that?” Bonnibel asked. Her parents barely let her have one McDonald’s a month.

“No.” Marceline said. “But what he doesn’t know won’t kill him. What are we doing today, anyways?”

“What do you want to do?” Bonnie asked. “We could go upstairs and watch a movie, if you want.”

“That’s cool with me, dude.” Marceline replied.

Bonnibel smiled, walking towards the stairs. “Follow me. If you don’t want to be harassed by my Mom, I’d keep pretty quiet.”

Marceline nodded, following Bonnibel up the stairs and into her bedroom, sitting down on her bed. She tucked her knees to her chest and looked up at Bonnie with an innocent expression which made Bonnibel want to hug her as tight as she could. “What movies have you got?”

“All sorts. If you don’t like any of my DVDs we can stream something online.” Bonnibel said.

“Ooh,” Marceline wiggled her eyebrows. “Illegal streaming, I like it.”

“Shut up.” Bonnibel rolled her eyes, biting back a small grin. “I don’t do it that often.”

“Dude, I streamed the entire season six of Buffy last night illegally. It’s no biggie.” Marceline assured. “I just didn’t expect little miss princess to do that.”

“I thought we were over that dumb nickname.” Bonnibel laughed.

Marceline mock gasped. “My nicknames are dumb, are they? I’m offended. Gosh, I can’t believe I even considered being friends with you.”

Bonnie sat down on her bed next to Marceline and elbowed the other girl. “Shut up. Your nicknames are awesome and extremely creative.”

“Heck yeah they are.” Marceline nodded, before letting out a light chuckle. “Nah, they’re dumb. I’m really bad at thinking of them. I literally just go with the first thing that comes to mind. Speaking of which, how are your friends Rainbow, Hatboy and Wolverine doing?”

“Hearing you use them in casual conversation is pretty funny, not going to lie.” Bonnie laughed. “If you had to give yourself a nickname, what would it be?”

Marceline leant her head back against the wall and bit on her lip in thought, a sight which Bonnibel found adorable. “Uh…I don’t know…hm…Super Cool Punk Rock Mega Awesome Rad Dude.” Marceline stated, chuckling. Bonnie giggled. “Nah, man. I don’t know. Probably like Awkward Dumbass or something.”

“You’re not that awkward.” Bonnibel assured.

“Really? ‘Cause I feel pretty awkward.” Marceline said, resting her head on her knees. “I don’t know, man. Fuck.”

“Why do you feel awkward?” Bonnie asked, tentatively placing a hand on Marceline’s shoulder.

“I don’t know, dude.” Marceline sighed. “I just do. I’m really not used to talking to like…people, I guess. I just…ugh. I’m sorry, man.”

Bonnibel shot her a warm smile. “Well, you don’t have to feel awkward around me. We’re friends.”

Marceline nodded, and sent a genuine smile Bonnibel’s way. It was infectious. Bonnibel couldn’t help but grin back. “Yeah…thanks, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel gave her a reassuring squeeze. “No problem, Marceline.”

“So…” Marceline trailed off, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck.

Bonnie smiled. “If you want, I can do all the question asking.”

“That’d be good.” Marceline nodded. “Thanks.”

“Okay.” Bonnibel nodded. She tried to think up a good question, her eyes falling on Marceline’s nose ring. “When did you get your nose pierced?”

“I was fifteen. I wanted to do it the year before, but my Dad told me I wasn’t allowed. I did it anyway.” Marceline shrugged.

Bonnie was itching to ask about Marceline’s Dad, but she knew she’d definitely be overstepping some boundaries. “Did it hurt?”

“Mm…” Marceline looked up in thought before nodding. “I guess, a little. I don’t really remember. It was two years ago, man.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Well, it looks good on you.”

“Thanks, dude.” Marceline flashed a small smile. “Why’d you dye your hair pink?”

Bonnibel beamed; Marceline was actually asking her questions, too. “Well, I figured that every teenager has a streak of rebellion at some point, and I like the colour pink, so I decided I’d dye my hair. I was fourteen at the time, and I just kept it.”

“Oh. Cool. It really suits you.” Marceline replied.

There was a slightly awkward silence, and Bonnie decided to break it before it became overbearing. “Have you written any new songs lately?”

Marceline laughed. “Oh, yeah. I wrote one at like 3AM a few nights ago and when I woke up and read over it, I wondered if I was drunk when I wrote it. One of the lyrics was something like, ‘Oreos fill my heart with joy,’.”

“I’d buy that on iTunes.” Bonnie laughed. “You’re a lyrical inspiration.”

Marceline chuckled. “Some of my lyrics actually aren’t half bad. Others are weird and I was probably drunk or super sleepy when I wrote them.”

“I bet the sober lyrics are great.” Bonnie smiled. “You still need to teach me how to play ukulele.”

“I would’ve brought one if you mentioned it over text.” Marceline replied. “I’ll teach you some other time.”

“You can check out my Dad’s guitar if you want.” Bonnibel offered.

Marceline’s face lit up. “Seriously? Dude, that’d be rad.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Wait here, I’ll go get it.”

She slipped out of the room and into her Dad’s office, where his guitar was left adjacent to the bookcase. She picked it up, the instrument cold to the touch, and carried it back to Marceline, who held out her hands and made a grabbing motion with her fingers when the guitar was in sight. Marceline grinned like a little kid when the guitar was passed to her. She gently strummed a chord and picked a few notes with her fingers. “This is a really good guitar. Fender. I have a thing for Fenders.”

“Why?” Bonnie asked.

Marceline shrugged. “They just have a really nice sound. My ukulele is by Fender, actually.”

“You should play something for me.” Bonnibel said.

Marceline frowned. “Why?”

“I want to hear you play.” Bonnie explained, sitting back down on the bed. “I think you’re really talented already and so far I’ve only heard you play through a door.”

“I don’t know, Bonnie.” Marceline sighed. “No. Not yet.”

“Why not? I’m not asking for a full-fledged performance. I just want to hear you play the guitar.” Bonnibel assured.

“What if I fuck up?”

“I doubt you’ll mess up. Play.” Bonnie nodded towards the guitar, nudging Marceline. “You don’t need to sing or anything.”

“I don’t really feel comfortable enough to -,” Marceline started.

Bonnie cut her off. “Okay. Don’t worry about it. Another time.”

“I was going to say that I don’t feel comfortable enough to sing, but I’ll play you a couple of chords.” Marceline rolled her eyes.

Bonnibel’s face brightened. “Oh! Great!”

“Pick some chords.”

“I don’t know any chords.”

“Pick four letters from the start of the alphabet.” Marceline said. “Up to G. I won’t bring sharps into this.”

“Uh…A, C, E and G.” Bonnibel listed.

Marceline nodded, softly strumming out a small sequence from the chords Bonnibel picked. Bonnie smiled in content as Marceline played. She really was talented. Marceline strummed each chord four times, and when she finished, she looked up at Bonnibel and smiled that real smile that never failed to amaze Bonnie. “Happy?”

“Very.” Bonnibel smiled. “Maybe some time you’ll sing for me.”

“Maybe.” Marceline shrugged, plucking a few notes on the guitar. “In the future.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Yeah. I look forward to it.”

“Damn. I need to practise, then.” Marceline chuckled, setting the guitar down on the bed. “I don’t want to disappoint.”

“You’re forgetting I have the musical talent of a tone deaf walrus. I’m impressed if people can play two or three chords. You play like ten different instruments and sing and write songs. I highly doubt you’ll disappoint me.” Bonnie chuckled.

“I don’t play ten instruments. I only play…” She paused and counted, tallying them up with her fingers. “Seven.”

“That’s still a lot.” Bonnibel crossed her arms.

Marceline shrugged and shuffled about, getting herself comfortable. Bonnibel watched as Marceline ran a hand through her side-bangs and pushed them from her eyes, before her fingers diverted to fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. Bonnie smiled to herself, feeling rather relaxed. Well, until Marceline noticed the shirt she gave Bonnibel on the pink pillow closest to them. “You really do sleep in it.”

Bonnibel blushed. “All the time.”

“Why?”

“It’s comfortable. I like it.”

“That’s not what you told me when you were hammered.” Marceline snickered.

Bonnibel gave Marceline a playful elbow. “Shut up. Apparently I blurt out secrets when I’m drunk. I’m never having alcohol again.”

“Keila says that every time she gets drunk.”

“Well, I’ve only been drunk the one time and I’m certain I won’t be doing that again. The headache killed me.” Bonnibel said. “Have you ever been drunk?”

Marceline’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you think?”

“I think you have.”

“Correct.”

Bonnie smiled. “When did you first get drunk?”

“At a party when I was fourteen.” Marceline shrugged. “It was weird. I mean, I used to be kind of like you before I started actually leaving the house.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was a giant nerd.”

Bonnibel scoffed. “I’m not that much of a nerd.”

“You’re literally the nerd queen.” Marceline laughed. “Former dork Marceline would have bowed down to you.”

Bonnibel elbowed Marceline in the ribs. “I am not the nerd queen. I’m sure that there’s somebody out there who is even worse than me. What were you like, anyways?”

“Well, I was getting As in literally everything, and I stayed in all the time studying, I wore glasses -,”

“You need glasses?” Bonnie cooed. “Aw, that’s adorable!”

“I don’t even have bad eyesight. I’m just a little short-sighted and I never wear them anyways.” Marceline said. “And don’t call me adorable. It’s weird.”

Bonnibel held up her hands in defence. “Sorry. Continue your description of your former self.”

“Well…I was a little chubby, but in my defence I did have a weak spot for Twizzlers.” Marceline stated. “And I was always super short for my age. By short, I mean there was a point in time where LSP was taller than me.”

Bonnibel giggled. “You’re painting a really pretty picture here, Marceline.”

Marceline slapped a hand to her forehead. “God, I hate myself. I literally want to go back in time and punch myself in the face.”

“If it means anything, we probably would have been friends back then.”

“I was friends with everybody back then.” Bonnibel wasn’t sure if she should ask what changed, but Marceline continued talking. “Just try and imagine past me drunk. Terrifying, isn’t it?”

Bonnie laughed at the mental image. “More hilarious than terrifying.”

“God, I was such a nerd.” Marceline said, before shaking her head.

“Would you tell me if I asked what changed?”

“With what?”

“You.” Bonnie said. “You used to be like that and now you’re like this.”

“I got into bands, got a piercing and started wearing skinny jeans.” Marceline frowned. “And I got thinner. That’s pretty much it.”

“Are you implying that secretly you’re still a nerd and you just dress like a hardcore punk?” Bonnibel teased.

Marceline shrugged, picking at her bitten-down fingernails. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re secretly a big dork, Abadeer.”

“Damn. You’ve figured out my big secret.” Marceline bit back a grin, sitting up. “Are we going to watch a movie or what?”

Bonnie smiled. “Sure. You pick.”

“Anything Disney is cool with me.” Marceline shrugged.

Bonnibel froze as she was sitting up. “Did that sentence seriously just come out of your mouth?”

Marceline rolled her eyes and bit back a grin. “What? I like Disney movies.”

Bonnibel laughed, sitting up and heading over to her DVD drawer, searching through for some Disney movies, chucking the cases on the bed as she found them. “Luckily for you, I have quite a few Disney films.”

Marceline leaned forward and examined the DVDs, picking one up. “Lion King. Fuck yeah.”

Bonnie nodded, packing away the other DVDs and taking the Lion King disk from Marceline, putting it in her player and starting it up, settling back down next to Marceline. Bonnie smiled. “If you’d have told me I’d be watching The Lion King with you in the near future when I’d first met you, I’d have laughed.”

Marceline smirked. “What? Aloof and mysterious people can like Disney movies too.”

Bonnie laughed. “As much as you laugh at the concept, you really did come off as mysterious.”

“Really? Most people just say I’m scary.”

“Well, that too.” Bonnie admitted.

Marceline scoffed. “That was the part where you were supposed to say, ‘aw, you’re not scary’. Thanks for coming through, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel wrapped her arms around Marceline in a hug. “Aw, you know I don’t think you’re scary. I never really bought that act.”

“Act? Dude, I’m tough.”

“You tell yourself that, miss ‘I like watching Disney movies in my free time,’.” Bonnibel laughed. “You’re a softie and you know it.”

“Are you saying you think you could take me in a fight?” Marceline raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure I’d kick your ass.”

“In your dreams.” Bonnie teased, even though she knew if she was in an actual fight with Marceline, Marceline would definitely win.

Marceline smiled. “You know I’d never hurt you, Bonnie. You’d probably win because I wouldn’t do anything.”

Bonnibel grinned. “You’re the best, you know.”

“I try.”

Bonnibel really was happy she’d invited Marceline over. She’d had the most fun she’d had since moving, and she really didn’t want it to end. After they’d finished watching a few movies, Bonnie had suggested that the two of them should go outside and have some fun in the snow. Marceline had then launched into an anecdote on the way outside about how her and Marshall used to build igloos as kids and it was one of the only times they ever got along. Bonnibel then decided that that’s what the two of them should do rather than build the classic snowman.

Marceline – being the troublemaker she is – distracted Bonnie’s focus from the igloo they were building by throwing a snowball straight at her. When Bonnibel turned to her with a scowl, Marceline smirked. “What? I thought you wanted to have fun.”

Bonnie chuckled. “Oh, it’s on.”

“You’re going down.” Marceline said, throwing another snowball which hit Bonnibel’s shoulder.

Bonnibel scooped up a handful of snow, throwing it at Marceline. Marceline dodged out of the way. Bonnie huffed. “You can’t do that!”

“It’s a snowball fight, Bonnie. There aren’t really any rules.” Marceline replied, hitting Bonnibel with yet another snowball.

It turned into a full-blown snowball war, Bonnie chasing Marceline around the back yard incredibly determined to actually hit her with a snowball, which she failed to do most of the time she threw one.

Bonnibel was the one to call a truce, when Marceline snuck up behind her and put snow down the back of her jumper. Then, when Marceline was off guard, Bonnibel tripped her up so she fell in the pile of snow that was at one point their igloo.

“Bonnie! Not cool, dude!” Marceline exclaimed as she sat up. “You called a truce!”

“That was perfectly justified; you kept getting me with snowballs.” Bonnibel stated, holding out a hand to help Marceline up. “Come on.”

Bonnie pulled Marceline up by the other girl’s cold hand. Marceline brushed snow from her clothes. “Dude, you’re brutal.”

Bonnibel smiled. “I’d say I won that snowball fight.”

“By cheating.” Marceline added. “You cheated. Got me off guard.”

“I still won.” Bonnibel muttered. “Do you want to go inside?”

“Yeah. It’s fucking freezing out here.”

“You’d better not use that word around my Mom if you meet her.” Bonnie warned, smiling. “She’s one of those people that hates swearing.”

“I can usually hold it back around adults.” Marceline said. “People my age? Nope.”

Bonnibel pushed open the back door to her house, stepping aside for Marceline to go in. “You never hold it back around Simon.”

“I try to, but sometimes the occasional bad word will slip out.” Marceline replied as she slipped inside.

Bonnibel followed her in. “He doesn’t like it when you swear, does he?”

“Nah. He still sees me as an innocent little seven year old most of the time.”

“You? Innocent?” Bonnie frowned, closing the door. “Next joke, please.”

Marceline laughed. “Funny.”

Bonnibel grabbed Marceline’s wrist and pulled her along. “Come on, let’s go to my room.”

Marceline rolled her eyes, but let Bonnie pull her upstairs. She sat down on Bonnibel’s bed, her back against the wall. Bonnibel grabbed her phone and checked for notifications, surprised to see she had a text from Lady.

Lady (3:13PM): We’re coming round to get you in a bit because we’re all hanging out, I don’t care how much studying you want to do

Bonnie frowned at the text, looking over to Marceline, who smirked. “Texting your girlfriend, huh?”

Bonnie blushed, picking up a pillow and throwing it Marceline’s way. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Lady just texted me.”

Marceline nodded. “If you want to hang out with your friends, just tell me. I’ll go.”

“No!” Bonnie replied, much too quickly. “Stay. I’m going to tell her I’m busy.”

“Dude, you don’t have to do that for me.”

“I like spending time with you and I know you don’t like them. It’s fine. I’d rather be with you.” Bonnibel said.

“You’d rather be with me?” Marceline repeated.

Bonnibel looked up and was surprised by the look of shock on Marceline’s face. She smiled. “Well…you’re fun to be around.”

Marceline smiled and looked at her feet, and Bonnie was sure she saw a light blush on Marceline’s cheeks. “Thanks, Bonnie. You’re pretty rad, too.”

Bonnibel grinned, before typing out a text to Lady on her phone.

Bonnibel (3:56PM): Sorry, I’m busy. I’ll hang out with you guys some other time.

Lady texted back quickly.

Lady (3:57PM): You always say that though, we’re already on our way anyway

Bonnibel (3:57PM): I’m with a friend.

Lady (3:58PM): A New York friend? Can we meet them?

Bonnibel (3:59PM): They’re not from New York. You already know her.

Lady (3:59PM): Well who is it?

Bonnibel (4:00PM): Marceline.

Lady (4:00PM): Now I know you’re lying

Bonnibel didn’t bother texting back. If Lady didn’t believe her, she’d see for herself when she came over. “Well, Lady’s adamant on coming over. Sorry.”

“It’s cool, dude. I’ll leave you to your friends.” Marceline replied, and went to sit up.

Bonnibel shook her head. “Don’t go. You don’t need to leave because of them. I told her you’re here and she doesn’t believe me, so it’s her fault.”

“I don’t know, man.” Marceline muttered. “Your friends kind of hate me and stuff.”

“They don’t hate you!” Bonnie assured. “They’re just…afraid of you.”

Marceline shrugged. “Either way, I don’t want to intrude on your nerd fest. I’ll go and see Keila or something. It’s fine, dude. I swear.”

Bonnibel sighed. “Fine. I’m sorry about them crashing our day.”

Marceline smiled. “It’s okay, Bonnie. Really. We’ll hang out again some other time.”

“Okay. I’ll walk you downstairs.”

Bonnie waited for Marceline to tie her shoelaces up and get her coat on, before unlocking the front door. Marceline was about to leave, when Bonnibel grabbed onto the sleeve of Marceline’s leather jacket. “You’re not leaving without a hug.”

Marceline let out a small laugh. “Whatever you say, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel wrapped her arms around Marceline’s middle and nestled her face into Marceline’s shoulder. She couldn’t contain her grin when Marceline gave her a gentle squeeze back. She looked up to see her Mom stood at the top of the stairs with an eyebrow raised, and she quickly let go of Marceline and smiled. “I’ll see you at school.”

“Yeah. See you on Monday, Bonnie.” Marceline said as Bonnibel unlocked the front door for her.

Marceline shot Bonnibel one last smile before making her way out of Bonnibel’s house.

As Bonnie watched Marceline walk down the driveway, she couldn’t help but be annoyed at Lady for cutting her time with Marceline short.

Chapter Text

Wednesday 26^th February 2014

“Hey, Bubblegum.” Lady said as she was walking Bonnie to History. “Do you want to come over to mine and have a sleepover on Friday? It’ll be fun, I swear.”

Bonnibel smiled; she hadn’t been invited to a proper sleepover for a while. “Sure.”

Lady frowned. “Really? I thought I’d have to do much more convincing to get you to come.”

Bonnie laughed. “No, I actually quite like the idea. It’ll be fun.”

They arrived outside of Bonnibel’s classroom, and Lady pulled her in for a tight hug. “Awesome. I’ll talk to you about it later. See you at lunch.”

Bonnibel smiled to her as she walked down the hallway, entering her classroom and taking her usual seat next to Marceline, who looked incredibly tired. “Hey, Marceline. You look like you haven’t slept for a week.”

“Something like that.” Marceline mumbled. “You wouldn’t mind if I took a nap, would you?”

“You can’t take naps in class!” Bonnie exclaimed. “Class time is learning time.”

“You’re such a nerd.” Marceline muttered, sitting back and rubbing her eyes.

“Didn’t you sleep last night?” Bonnie frowned.

“No.” Marceline sighed.

“Why not?” Bonnibel asked, putting a comforting hand on Marceline’s shoulder.

“It’s kind of personal.” Marceline said. “Don’t worry about me, Bonnie.”

“You can trust me.”

Marceline stared at her for a second, finally letting out a small sigh. “I had a bad dream.”

Bonnie shot her a reassuring smile. “What about?”

“That’s really personal.”

“Sorry.” Bonnibel apologised. “You know you can talk to me if you ever need anything.”

“I can?” Marceline frowned.

“Of course you can.” Bonnibel smiled. “We’re friends. You can tell me anything, I promise. I care about you.”

“I…I didn’t think that…” Marceline trailed off, staring down at her feet. “You care about me?”

Bonnibel felt her heart break at how small Marceline sounded. She couldn’t believe that Marceline was shocked to learn Bonnibel cared about her. “Of course I do.”

“You’re…thanks, Bonnie.”

“Are you going to tell me about your dreams?” Bonnibel questioned.

Marceline shook her head. “Not yet. That’s a bit too intense.”

Bonnie smiled. “Okay. Baby steps. If you ever need me you can text me.”

“Thanks.” Marceline muttered. “Can we talk about something else?”

Bonnie smiled, gesturing towards the front of class. “How about we talk about the work?”

“As much as I hate to admit it, we should probably pay more attention in this lesson.” Marceline said. “Even though it’s pretty boring sometimes.”

“History can be interesting.”

“Since when?”

“The dawn of time.” Bonnibel replied. “Don’t you think it’s fun to learn about things that happened in the past?”

“If it involves dinosaurs, then yes.” Marceline stated. “But if it involves British politics, then no.”

“What’s so bad about British politics?” Bonnie asked.

“It’s so boring I can literally feel myself falling asleep during it.” Marceline sighed. “I’m just glad I live here so we don’t have to focus on it as a main topic. If I still lived in England I’d be fucked.”

“You used to live in England?” Bonnie frowned, surprised.

“Yeah. Moved here when I was like four.”

Bonnibel was interested. “Whoa. That’s really cool. Why did you move here?”

“It’s a long story.” Marceline said. “Basically, my Dad met my Mom when he went to England for a business trip and then he moved there but then he had to move back because of work.”

“I bet you can do a really good English accent.” Bonnie smiled. She really wanted to ask about Marceline’s parents, but she tried her best to change the subject before her nosiness got the better of her.

“Maybe I can, maybe I can’t.” Marceline wiggled her eyebrows and smirked. “You’ll just have to find out.”

“You seem to like being mysterious.”

Marceline chuckled. “Don’t forget aloof.”

“Shut up.”

Admittedly, Marceline felt better after talking to Bonnibel, but that didn’t stop her from turning up on Keila’s doorstep straight after school. Of course, Keila was her usual, happy self and didn’t notice anything was bothering Marceline until she noticed the dark shadows under Marceline’s eyes and how Marceline seemed to be drifting off to sleep hallway through Keila’s very interesting story about a party she’d attended a few nights ago. She trailed off in the middle of her story. “You had another bad dream last night, didn’t you?”

Marceline nodded. “Yeah.”

“You need to tell Simon they’re happening again.” Keila stated. She really did worry about Marceline; the two girls were very close, and Keila viewed Marceline almost like a sister.

Marceline didn’t want Keila to worry. “It was just a one-time thing. I misplaced Hambo.”

“Do you know where he is now?” Keila pressed, taking one of Marceline’s cold hands in hers.

Marceline shrugged. “Somewhere in the house.”

“Find him. The second you get home, I want you to look for him.” Keila instructed, gently squeezing Marceline’s hand. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Marceline murmured. “Can I take a nap?”

“You always have a nightmare when you don’t have Hambo.” Keila said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Do you want to watch a movie to get your mind off things?”

Marceline nodded, and Keila pulled her in for a hug. “If you get another nightmare, I’m telling Simon.”

“Don’t.” Marceline replied, a little too quickly for Keila’s liking. “I don’t want him to worry.”

“What was your dream about?” Keila asked.

“My Mom.” Marceline mumbled.

Keila didn’t have to ask anything else. She knew the rest of the dream pretty well, as Marceline had recounted it to her multiple times. “Okay. We’ll watch some stupid movie and I’ll order pizza and we’ll just try to get it out of your mind.”

Marceline shot Keila a weak smile. “Yeah. Thanks. You’re the best.”

Keila smiled back, standing up. “I’ve been told. Have you told anyone else about your dream?”

“Bonnie knows.”

Keila couldn’t stop the surprised look from forming. “You told her about everything?”

Marceline shook her head. “No. She just knows I had a bad dream.”

“Are you ever going to tell her about everything?” Keila asked.

Marceline shrugged. “Maybe, if she asks. I don’t know. She needs to reach a higher level of friendship before she can unlock my tragic backstory.”

Keila rolled her eyes. “Did you just talk about life like it’s a video game? You’re ridiculous.”

Marceline chuckled. “Coming from you? You’re the one that’s hyper 24/7. You really need to chill with the caffeine, man.”

Keila noticed that she was taking Marceline’s mind off her dream and that Marceline was cheering up. “I need something now that I’ve quit smoking. Coffee is all I’ve got.”

Marceline smiled. “I’m glad you quit, you know. I don’t want to lose you earlier.”

“You really need to stop worrying about me. I’m tough, you know. I’m like, the Batman to your Robin.” Keila said.

“Okay, I am not Robin.” Marceline defended. “Robin wishes he was me.”

“In your dreams, Marmalade.” Keila teased.

Bonnibel just couldn’t focus on her homework. Usually, she had it all done in an hour, but the thought of Marceline being upset was at the back of her mind and knocking her concentration. She decided to send Marceline a text just to see if she was okay.

Bonnibel (5:54PM): Hi, Marceline. I was just wondering if you were okay, you still seemed kind of upset at school. :)

Marceline was quick to reply, to Bonnibel’s relief.

Marceline (5:55PM): cute

Marceline (5:55PM): i’m perfectly fine, i’m at keila’s and we’re just watching a movie

Bonnibel smiled to herself when she replied.

Bonnibel (5:55PM): Good to know. Text me if you need anything.

Marceline (5:56PM): will do, princess ;)

Bonnie tried to stifle the small smile tugging at her lips. She was no longer annoyed by Marceline’s silly nicknames, although she much preferred it when Marceline called her ‘Bonnie’.

Bonnibel (5:56PM): What did I tell you about that stupid nickname?

Marceline (5:56PM): omg sorry your majesty didn’t mean to offend

Bonnie was happy that Marceline was acting like her usual, sarcastic self. She felt much more confident knowing that Marceline was okay, and suddenly she remembered her homework.

Bonnibel (5:57PM): You’re so frustrating at times. I have to go and do my homework now, have fun with Keila.

Marceline (5:57PM): later dude

Bonnibel locked her phone and placed it on her desk. She’d just picked up her pen when it vibrated again. She smiled when she saw the name on the screen. Another text from Marceline.

Marceline (6:00PM): so hey if you wanted to hang out at the weekend that’d be cool I guess

Bonnie’s smile was hard to contain at this point. Marceline had actually asked to hang out with her.

Bonnibel (6:00PM): Of course! What do you have in mind?

Marceline (6:01PM): well nothing specific but you know there are thousands of possibilities

Bonnibel (6:01PM): I look forward to seeing what you come up with. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.

Marceline (6:02PM): bye, nerd

Bonnie put her phone down and continued on with her homework, which she was finding much easier now that she had confirmed Marceline was feeling better. She couldn’t help but worry about Marceline; she’d seen little flashes of her soft side, and Bonnie had figured out that Marceline was the type of person to close herself off rather than let out her emotions, which Bonnie knew wasn’t good.

Once Bonnibel had finished her homework, she went downstairs and made herself a cup of chamomile tea. Then, she settled upstairs with a book until she finally went off to sleep.

Friday 28^th February 2014

Bonnie was at Lady’s house, grazing on candy and talking to Lady about how she felt in the town now that she’d settled in.

“I really like it here, you know,” Bonnie said as she got herself comfortable where she was sat on Lady’s bed. “I’ve made a whole load of friends and I’m just glad that you guys are so great.”

Lady smiled. “You’re awesome, too. We won’t let Marceline harass you anymore, either.”

“If anyone is doing the harassment, it’s me.” Bonnibel laughed. “But Marceline doesn’t seem to mind. She’s warmed up to me a lot, actually. We’re hanging out tomorrow.”

“Wait, what?” Lady exclaimed, nearly dropping the candy bar she was unwrapping. “You weren’t kidding when you said you guys are friends? But…that’s weird. You guys are like, complete opposites.”

“Believe it or not, she’s actually kind of a dork.” Bonnie smiled, thinking about how cute Marceline was when the two of them were watching Disney movies together. Marceline had kept on pointing out certain things, or making remarks about how much she loved certain films. She was acting like a big kid, and Bonnie thought it was adorable. “She’s cool.”

“Since when did she let people talk to her?” Lady gawped at Bonnie as if she’d just won the Olympics. “That’s like, a miracle.”

Bonnie just shrugged, taking a bite from her chocolate bar. “You’ve just got to be persistent. I think once you let her know you’re not going away any time soon, she figures she might as well be your friend.”

Lady frowned. “I don’t know. She seems pretty scary to me.”

“No, she’s really nice. You should talk to her.” Bonnie said.

“I’m not talking to her without you waiting to defend my life if she decides to punch me.” Lady responded.

“She’s literally the weakest person on the planet. She tried moving her bed the other day because her phone fell down the side and she couldn’t, and then I did it pretty easily.” Bonnibel assured. “Just don’t tell people that. She doesn’t really like people talking to her, but I think you’d get away with it.”

Lady looked apprehensive. “Are you sure I should make friends with her? I mean, she always came off as the type of person I usually avoid. You know, thuggish.”

“Yeah!” Bonnie exclaimed. “She’s really cool, trust me. You always thought the same about Marshall and now you guys are friends.”

“Fair point.” Lady said. “Fine, I’ll try.”

Bonnie hugged her. “You’re the greatest.”

“If,” Lady began, “You answer me a question.”

Bonnie quickly nodded. “Anything.”

“Are you gay?”

Bonnibel froze. She felt the exact same way she felt when Marceline told her she’d let it slip that night when she was drunk. “I…how…what makes you, um, think that?”

“Well, when we were buying snacks you stared at some girl’s butt,” Lady said, “And I’ve seen you checking girls out before. It’s no big deal if you are, I just want you to be yourself around me. You don’t need to hide it.”

“I…” Bonnibel couldn’t find words. Lady was being amazing. “You’re the best. Thanks.”

Lady smiled. “Well, you’re my friend. I want you to be honest with me.”

“I’m gay.” Bonnie said, surprised by how easily it came out.

“Okay.” Lady nodded. “So, what do you want for dinner? McDonalds or pizza?”

Bonnibel was in a state of shock at how casually Lady had just accepted everything. “You really don’t care?”

“Of course I don’t.” Lady laughed. “I doubt anyone else will, either. Have you told anyone else?”

“Marceline knows. I accidentally told her when I was drunk. She was really nice about it and comforted me when I got upset.” Bonnie said. “And she gave me ice cream.”

“This is Marceline Abadeer we’re talking about, right?” Lady frowned.

“Yes.” Bonnibel rolled her eyes. “She’s really nice, I swear. You have to talk to her at school on Monday.”

“Will you be there?”

“Yeah.” Bonnie nodded. “I’ll introduce you guys.”

“Okay.” Lady said. “Promise she won’t get violent?”

“I don’t get why people think she’s so scary.” Bonnie laughed. “Seriously, she’s really cool.”

“Maybe because she walks around giving people death glares all day.” Lady muttered.

Bonnibel rolled her eyes and lightly shoved her. “Don’t be mean.”

Lady just shrugged. “Seriously, though. What do you want for dinner, McDonald’s or pizza?”

“Pizza. I don’t want to go out.” Bonnibel said, pulling out her phone. “Just get it delivered.”

Lady nodded. “Cool. Who’re you texting?”

“Nobody,” Bonnie laughed, hiding her phone from view as she went onto the conversation with Marceline.

“Ooh,” Lady teased, wiggling her eyebrows. “Is it your girlfriend?”

Bonnie burst out laughing. “No, she’s just a friend. Now go and order the pizza.”

“What do you want?”

“Plain cheese, please.” Bonnie requested.

Lady nodded and headed out of the room. Bonnie turned to her phone and typed out a text to Marceline while she didn’t have Lady’s prying eyes looking over her shoulder.

Bonnibel (7:01PM): I told my friend she could be friends with you so you have to be nice.

Marceline texted back quickly.

Marceline (7:02PM): that depends on which friend it is

Bonnibel (7:02PM): Lady. Or, as you call her, Rainbow.

Marceline (7:03PM): hm let me think about it

Bonnibel (7:03PM): Will you be nice or do I have to buy you food as an incentive?

Marceline (7:03PM): i’ll be nice but i’m 100% totes holding you to the food offering

Bonnibel (7:03PM): Did you just say totes?

Marceline (7:04PM): ironically

Bonnibel (7:04PM): Right…

Bonnibel (7:05PM): So, you’re going to be nice?

Marceline (7:05PM): yeah

Marceline (7:06PM): aka me keeping my sarcasm to a minimum

Bonnibel (7:06PM): Good. Thanks. :)

Marceline didn’t text Bonnibel back, so Bonnie locked her phone and waited for Lady to come back from ordering the pizza. Unfortunately, Bonnibel’s phone vibrated when Lady sat back down next to her, and Lady watched over her shoulder as she read the text.

Marceline (7:08PM): so like we’re still hanging out tomorrow right

Bonnibel was aware of Lady watching her as she texted back.

Bonnibel (7:08PM): Yep. Am I coming to your house?

Marceline (7:09PM): yeah because reasons

Bonnibel (7:09PM): Reasons such as?

Marceline (7:09PM): top secret reasons

Bonnibel (7:10PM): Can I stay the night? If that’s okay, I mean.

Marceline (7:10PM): idk man that’s like level 5 friendship and we’re on like level 3

Bonnibel laughed at that, whereas Lady just frowned.

Bonnibel (7:11PM): Well, if I stayed over, maybe we could move up to level 5?

Marceline (7:12PM): you can’t just skip level 4 that level is fucking sacred man

Bonnibel (7:12PM): You’re such a dork. ;)

Marceline (7:12PM): playful insults is a level 4 thing

Bonnibel (7:12PM): You’ve been playfully insulting me since we met.

Marceline (7:13PM): those were just insults

Marceline (7:13PM): sorry about that by the way

Bonnibel (7:14PM): You’re forgiven if we can move up to level 5.

Marceline (7:15PM): you’ll have to share a bed with me and my cold feet

Bonnibel (7:15PM): I think I’ll live.

Marceline (7:16PM): …fine you can stay over but don’t make fun of me

Bonnibel (7:16PM): Why would I make fun of you?

Marceline (7:17PM): you’ll see

Bonnibel frowned, but didn’t bother texting back as she was painfully aware of Lady reading her texts. Bonnibel looked up to her, and Lady looked in the opposite direction quickly, as if she had been looking that way the entire time. “I know you read my texts.”

Lady scoffed. “Did not.”

“She said she’d be nice to you, by the way.” Bonnibel added.

Lady seemed reassured by this. “Really? That makes the thought of talking to her a little less terrifying.”

Bonnibel just rolled her eyes. “Is the pizza ordered?”

“Yep.” Lady smiled.

“Cool. I’ll give you the money for mine.” Bonnie said.

Lady shook her head. “No. You’re my guest, you’re not doing that. I’m buying.”

“Lady -,”

“I’m not letting you pay, and that’s final.” Lady crossed her arms and shot Bonnie a look which roughly translated to ‘my foot is down’, so Bonnie accepted that she probably wouldn’t change Lady’s mind. “Pick a movie or something, we can put that on in the background and just talk.”

“Sure.” Bonnie nodded, “Put any movie on.”

Lady grabbed a random DVD from her shelf and put it in the player. Bonnie didn’t bother asking what movie it was, as she doubted that either of them would pay any attention to it.

Once Lady had put the DVD on, she sat back down next to Bonnibel and smiled. “So…seen any cute girls?”

“Oh my God,” Bonnibel laughed, hiding her face in her hands and trying not to roll her eyes. “That’s why you wanted to know, isn’t it?”

“I’m just curious.” Lady shrugged, “I like talking about this stuff with my friends. You know about me and Jake.”

“All I know is that you guys are together. I don’t know any other details about your love life.” Bonnibel pointed out.

“Well,” Lady started, “We began dating two years ago when -,”

Bonnibel interrupted before Lady could get carried away. “That wasn’t me asking about your love life, either. I’m not one for gossip.”

Lady pouted. “I just want to do friend things with you. I like talking to you about stuff.”

“Well, I haven’t seen anyone that I’m attracted to.” Bonnibel said. “Happy?”

“Not at all.” Lady rolled her eyes. “Come on. You’ve got to have seen someone that you find remotely attractive.”

“There are lots of pretty girls around, but none that I would pursue a relationship with.” Bonnie explained. “But you never know what could happen. Someone may come along in the near future.”

Lady smiled. “You’re one of those people that doesn’t really get crushes, aren’t you?”

“You think?” Bonnie replied. “I had a bad experience once, and I don’t really like the idea of it happening again.”

“What happened?” Lady asked.

“A straight-girl crush gone wrong.” Bonnie sighed. “She was a really good friend of mine.”

“Was? I take it that didn’t go down very well, then.” Lady said. She put an arm around Bonnibel. “That must’ve been hard on you.”

Bonnie nodded, trying not to think about the day she lost her best friend. “Yeah. Why do you think I get so scared when people figure out I like girls?”

Lady gave Bonnie a squeeze, before letting go. “I can promise you that nobody here will be mean about it. I mean, look at Gumball. He came out almost a year ago and he’s much happier. We all already knew, though. His crush on Marshall is pretty obvious.”

“You all know about that?” Bonnie laughed. “Wow.”

“I think even Marshall knows about it. Marceline definitely does.” Lady said.

“Yeah, I told her.” Bonnie explained. “Gumball wanted me to ask her if Marshall likes guys and she kept asking why I wanted to know. She promised she wouldn’t tell.”

“I think it’s funny how Gumball thinks it’s this big secret he’s got.” Lady chuckled. “He stares at Marshall’s butt like there’s no tomorrow. He’s as good as hiding it as Finn is at hiding his crush on you.”

“He doesn’t still like me, does he?” Bonnie groaned. “I don’t want to let him down.”

“Tell him you like girls.” Lady shrugged. “Problem solved. He’ll get over it. He gets crushes like this a lot.”

“I just don’t want to hurt him.” Bonnibel said. “He’s a really nice kid.”

Lady smiled. “I know.”

Bonnie lay awake that night; in all honesty, she was rather nervous for tomorrow. She was going to be spending the night with Marceline. She wondered if they’d stay up talking or if they’d spend the time in comfortable silence. She couldn’t help but wonder why Marceline asked her not to make fun of her. What could she possibly do that Bonnibel would make fun of her for?

Bonnibel couldn’t help but be excited to spend time with Marceline. She did really enjoy her company, something she didn’t think she’d ever do when she first met Marceline.

It just goes to show that first impressions aren’t everything.

Chapter Text

Saturday 1^st March 2014

When Bonnibel arrived at Marceline’s the next day, she had to admit that she was rather nervous. She waited on the doorstep for Marceline to come and let her in, momentarily surprised when Miss Grof, her English teacher, opened the door.

Bonnibel politely smiled. “Hi, Miss Grof. I’m here to see Marceline.”

Miss Grof warmly smiled back, stepping aside to let Bonnibel in. “She’s in her room, as usual. And call me Betty outside of school, Bonnibel.”

“Thanks, Betty.” Bonnibel replied as she pulled her shoes off and headed towards the stairs.

Bonnibel walked upstairs and knocked on Marceline’s door, although she wasn’t sure if Marceline could hear her, as Bonnibel could hear Marceline’s loud rock music from outside. Eventually, Bonnibel pushed the door open and walked in, smiling at Marceline who was laying on her bed with her laptop on her stomach and was reading a book.

“Hi, Marceline.”

“Oh, hey. When did you get here?” Marceline shouted over the music she was playing from her computer.

Bonnibel sat down next to Marceline. “Just now. What’re you doing?”

“Nothing, really. I was watching Buffy, but then I figured you’d be turning up so I started listening to music and read a couple of chapters of my book.” Marceline shrugged, placing her bookmark in her book and putting it on her bedside table. “Pretty boring day so far, I guess.”

Bonnie smiled. “Hopefully I’ll make it less boring.”

“You probably will.” Marceline stated. “You know, unless you start talking about science or your other nerd activities.”

“Nerd activities?” Bonnibel laughed. “I think we both know you participate in some nerd activities yourself.”

“Oh yeah?” Marceline raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Like what?”

“Well, you’re a total nerd when it comes to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all those other TV shows you watch religiously, and your bookcase is probably bigger than mine.” Bonnie said. “Isn’t it a nerd trait to read or something?”

Marceline just rolled her eyes. “You are ridiculous, Bonnie. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I totally spend my weekends out with my friends getting hammered.”

“Clearly. You’re still in your pyjamas and it’s nearly 4PM.” Bonnie said. “So unless you just got in and got changed, you’ve probably not left this house since school yesterday.”

Marceline stared at her for a second. “You got all that from me wearing my pyjamas? You’re too smart for me.”

“I distinctly remember you getting an A on your History homework, when I only got a B. You’re pretty smart yourself.”

“Half of the time I don’t even do my History homework. Or homework in general.” Marceline muttered.

Bonnibel smacked her arm. “Marceline! Homework isn’t optional.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” Marceline sarcastically shot back. “Come on, Bonnie. I have better things to do.”

“Like what? Sitting in your pyjamas and listening to death metal?” Bonnibel exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

Marceline laughed, a real laugh which Bonnibel tried not to smile at. “Okay, death metal? This is nowhere near death metal. It’s All Time Low. They’re about as death metal as you. I don’t even listen to death metal.”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes. “Whatever, you should still do your homework.”

“Not likely, princess.”

“I thought we were over that dumb nickname.” Bonnie muttered, shooting Marceline her best glare.

Marceline snickered. “If that look is meant to intimidate me, it’s not working very well. Sorry, Bonnie. You’re a little too pink to pull off the death glare.”

“Stop making fun of me, you meanie.” Bonnie sighed.

“Meanie? You’re really terrible at insulting people, you know.”

“Yeah, well you’re really terrible at…” Bonnibel paused in thought, “Doing your homework.”

“That’s the best you can come up with?” Marceline challenged, smirking. “Wow, Bonnie. I expected more from you.”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Marcy.”

“You do realise that only annoys me when someone I don’t like calls me it, right?” Marceline asked. “Last time I checked, I like you.”

“Wait…I can call you Marcy if I want?” Bonnie frowned, inwardly overjoyed at how Marceline said she liked her; she couldn’t help being happy when she was reassured of that.

“I guess. I don’t really care either way, Bonnie.” Marceline said. “Call me whatever you want.”

“Oh.” Bonnie smiled. “Okay. Marcy it is, then.”

Marceline just rolled her eyes in response and pulled her laptop closer to her. “I’m not going to get dressed, by the way. It’s a sweatpants day.”

Bonnibel looked over Marceline’s pyjamas. She was wearing grey sweatpants which Bonnie had to admit looked extremely comfortable, and a black t-shirt advertising a band Bonnibel had never heard of. “You don’t need to get dressed for me. It’s not like we’re going anywhere.”

“I might put on some skinny jeans later and we can walk to the store and buy food, but I already have three bags of Twizzlers in my bedside drawer.” Marceline said. “I did have four, but I got hungry.”

“You ate a full bag of Twizzlers by yourself?” Bonnie questioned.

“Yeah.” Marceline replied. “Your point?”

“My point is that it’s bad for you.” Bonnie said.

Marceline just shrugged. “They taste good. Like I told you, I have a weakness for Twizzlers.”

“Any other weaknesses I should know of so I can bribe you with them in the future?” Bonnie teased.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Like I would disclose that obviously secret and confidential information with you, Bonnie. You literally just said you’re going to use it against me.”

“I guess if I want you to hang out with me or my friends I’ll have to lure you there with Twizzlers, then.” Bonnie shrugged.

“Thanks for telling me your diabolical plan to trap me with the world’s most annoying group of people.”

“My friends aren’t annoying.” Bonnie replied. “They’re all happy and they like to have fun. You on the other hand enjoy brooding by yourself. I want to change that.”

“I don’t brood.” Marceline defended. “I read my books when I’m up here and listen to my jams.”

“I’m sure you could live a day without listening to your jams.” Bonnibel said.

Marceline’s eyebrows shot up, and she let out a mock gasp. “You did not just say that. I listen to music pretty much 24/7. Even if I look like I’m not, I probably am. Music is rad, man.”

“Show me some bands, then.”

“I’ll take you to a fucking gig one day.”

“Was there any need for that language?” Bonnie chided. “It’s not ladylike.”

“I think you and I both know I’m nowhere near the definition of ladylike.” Marceline replied. “If you didn’t by now I’d be wondering what the hell you’d done with the real Bonnie, because you’d obviously be an evil clone.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t disagree. “True. I would be worried for anyone who thought you were ladylike.”

“Most people’s expectations for me fly out of the window within ten seconds of actually talking to me. I like laughing at people’s faces when I swear. For some reason, people really don’t like the word fuck. I got told off by some old woman at the store for swearing when I dropped a bag of chips.” Marceline said. “She was all like ‘there are children around!’. I was so tempted to reply with something like ‘the children can fuck off’. I didn’t, though.”

“It’s bad language, and that’s why people don’t like it. If I so much as said the word crap in front of my Mom, she’d wash my mouth out with a bar of soap.” Bonnie said.

“No swearing around your Mom, then. You know, if I ever meet her.” Marceline muttered. “I’ll pretend to be all preppy and cheerleader-y and maybe she’ll like me.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Marcy, my Mom will like you. And if she doesn’t, I’ll make her.”

“With your persistence, I don’t doubt you’ll fail.” Marceline muttered.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well…when I told you to leave me alone you didn’t and you kept annoying me until eventually I just decided to put up with it.”

Bonnie gave Marceline a gentle smack on her arm. “You like me really.”

Marceline let out a long sigh before answering. “Sadly.”

Bonnie knew that the warm smile tugging at Marceline’s lips meant she really wasn’t all that sad about it.

After a lot of coaxing and Bonnibel promising to buy Marceline a bag of Twizzlers, Marceline finally got out of bed and changed into some black skinny jeans and a grey t-shirt advertising Fall Out Boy, a band Bonnie had heard her mention before. Marceline brushed her hair and perched a black beanie on her head, which Bonnibel thought suited her very much.

“What do you want to do, then?”

Bonnie snapped out of her trance of admiring Marceline. “Um…I really don’t mind. We could go for a walk?”

“Where?” Marceline asked.

“We could go to the store like you said…” Bonnie trailed off. “Then come back here or go for a walk somewhere else.”

Marceline shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll take my card. I’ll get some cash out before we go in.”

Bonnie nodded. “Okay. I would pay for everything -,”

“Nope.” Marceline cut her off. “No way are you paying for anything. Well…I’ll give you the money and you can pay at the cash register.”

“Why? The less social interaction the better for you, huh.”

Marceline paused for a second, before shrugging. “Sure. Yeah. That’s why.”

Bonnie raised an eyebrow but didn’t question Marceline’s strange behaviour. She figured Marceline would tell her when she’s ready. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Marceline didn’t take her skateboard with them, which surprised Bonnie. She figured Marceline would. Bonnie was rather pleased when Marceline slipped on a leather jacket on the way out. Bonnie really thought that suited her. They were quiet as they headed out of the front door, and Bonnie decided to start conversation; she just didn’t know what about. “So…how about that essay we got in Literature?”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Really? You really want to talk about school?”

Bonnie felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. “I didn’t know what else to talk about.”

Marceline shrugged. “I don’t know, man. Tell me stuff that you like to do.”

“Well…I won’t bore you with the details of my science experiments -,”

“If that’s what you want to talk about, then go for it.” Marceline said.

Bonnie shook her head. “No. That would make it a one-sided conversation, and I want you to be involved.”

“Aren’t you sweet?” Marceline sarcastically replied, before shaking her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be sarcastic. It just happens sometimes. I don’t think and then I start talking and then I end up rambling and goddammit I’m doing it right now aren’t I? Fuck. I just don’t fucking shut up, do I? Damn.”

Bonnie took a few seconds to process this information. “I’ll be sure to cut you off next time,” She sent Marceline a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I think your awkwardness is cute.”

Marceline scoffed. “I’m not cute.”

“Whatever you say, Marceline.”

“Seriously. I’m not cute.” Marceline repeated. “Really. I’m a big scary…person.”

“You’re like…a cookie. Sometimes you have to get through the tough outside to get to the gooey middle.” Bonnie mused.

“Nice metaphor, Bonnie.” Marceline rolled her eyes. “You’re just backing up my theory of you being a giant nerd.”

“Shut up.” Bonnibel said. “I’m being serious.”

“Since when do cookies have tough outsides, anyway?” Marceline raised her eyebrows, trying to hold back her laughter.

“You know what I mean! Like, crunchy or something.” Bonnie explained. “It doesn’t matter, you get the point.”

Marceline chuckled. “You’re…really something, Bonnie.”

“A good something?”

“Yeah.” Bonnie couldn’t help but smile at that; Marceline was, and it really was hard not to smile when Marceline did.

“Thanks, Marceline.”

When they got to the store, Marceline kept by the plan and got some money from the ATM, passing it straight to Bonnibel. “Here. You’re the treasurer of this trip.”

“The treasurer.” Bonnie repeated. “Fancy. What’s your title?”

“Uh...” Marceline thought for a moment, biting down on her lip in thought. Bonnie tried not to call her cute again. “I’m the president. Of the world.”

Bonnie laughed. “President of the world? How extravagant.”

“Yeah, well.” Marceline shrugged. “I clearly have the social skills for that job.”

“Clearly,” Bonnie chuckled, “You’re really the humanitarian.”

Marceline gently elbowed Bonnie in the side. “Nice sarcasm, dork.”

“I learnt from the best.” Bonnie smiled.

Marceline was about to reply as they were on their way into the store, but she saw something and immediately left Bonnie’s side. Bonnie frowned, watching after Marceline until she realised that Marceline had run off to go and pet a puppy.

Marceline. Bonnie tried not to laugh as she walked over to Marceline who was crouched down, petting a dog which was tied up outside the store while its owner was somewhere inside.

“Seriously? You ran away to go and play with a puppy? You softie.” Bonnie teased.

“What?” Marceline frowned. “It’s cute.”

“You’re really not helping yourself, you know. You claim you’re not cute and you do this.” Bonnie smirked. “You need to make up your mind.”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “A serial killer could pet a puppy. Does that make them cute?”

“Are you saying you’re a serial killer?”

Marceline laughed, standing back up and fixing her beanie. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

As they walked into the shop, Bonnie frowned. “Wait. You didn’t deny being a serial killer.”

“Bonnie, I’m not a serial killer.” Marceline rolled her eyes. “Anyways, what candy do you like? You can buy whatever. Go nuts with my cash.”

“You literally got out $50. Why do you have so much money?” Bonnie questioned. “And why do you seem so chilled out about spending it? I save every penny I get.”

Marceline just shrugged. “My Dad. He’s like, rich or whatever and gives me loads of money.”

Bonnibel froze. Marceline’s Dad. Should she ask about him? Bonnie mentally debated with herself. If she asked about Marceline’s parents, would Marceline actually tell her? Bonnie decided against asking for the moment. “Oh. Well, you don’t need to buy me anything.”

Marceline shook her head. “I’m going to buy you something. Pick anything. Just not like, a flat screen TV. I can’t afford that.”

Bonnie laughed, before letting out a mock sigh. “Damn, that’s my first choice down the drain.”

Marceline grinned, but got in an eye roll. “You are unbelievable.”

They made their way to the candy aisle, and Marceline immediately grabbed a bag of Twizzlers. Bonnie tried not to roll her eyes. “Really? You said you have 3 bags at home.”

Marceline looked sheepish. “Even numbers are good luck?”

Bonnie laughed at Marceline’s dumb excuse. “You’re an idiot.”

When they were eventually finished going up and down the aisles and picking up unhealthy junk food, they made their way to the checkout. Bonnie was happy they’d got a basket to carry their food in, because Marceline told Bonnibel she’d wait outside while Bonnie paid.

“Why? Talking to people isn’t that bad.” Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Come on. Be sociable.”

Marceline shook her head. “You don’t get it. See the guy on the cash register? My ex. I can’t be held accountable for my actions if he talks to me. I’ll probably end up hitting him or something.”

It took Bonnie a little while to process that information. “I take it that didn’t end on good terms, then.”

“You don’t know the half of it. I’m leaving before he sees me.”

Before Bonnie could reply, Marceline had left the store and she was by herself. So, Bonnie hauled the shopping basket over to the checkout and waited for the boy to scan her items. She didn’t expect him to make conversation.

“That’s a lot of food. You having a party?”

Bonnie frowned. “No. My friend and I are having a sleepover.”

He nodded and began scanning the items, and Bonnie caught a glimpse of his nametag. Ash. She instantly recognised the name. She looked the boy over. In all honesty, he was rather scary. He looked to be in his twenties, and he had white hair which was styled in some sort of flat mohawk which Bonnibel had never seen on anyone else. He had a lip piercing which Bonnie was sure he probably shouldn’t be wearing at work.

“That’ll be $29.40.” He said.

Bonnie handed him the money and he gave her the change. “Thank you.”

Bonnie picked up her bags and was about to leave, but he called her back. “Hey, can I get your number? You’re hot.”

Bonnie just kept walking. If Marceline avoided that guy, she was definitely going to.

Bonnie found Marceline stood against the wall of the store outside. Her phone was out; Bonnie assumed she was texting Keila. “Hey.”

Marceline looked up, and Bonnie felt a little warmth in her chest at the way Marceline immediately smiled when she saw her. “Hey. You okay?”

“Yeah.” Bonnie dug around in her pocket and pulled out the rest of Marceline’s money, tucking it into the pocket of Marceline’s leather jacket. “Your change.”

Marceline nodded, holding out her hand for one of the shopping bags in Bonnie’s hand. “Pass me one of those.”

Bonnie shook her head. “I’m fine with carrying both.”

“And I’m not fine with you carrying both. Give me one, you dork.”

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you can handle carrying one? They’re pretty heavy. You might break an arm.”

Marceline elbowed Bonnie in the side. “Shut up. I’m not that weak.”

“You sure about that?” Bonnie teased.

Marceline sighed. “Suit yourself. Carry the bags, do all the manual labour. If you regret it, I won’t help you.”

“That’s fine.” Bonnie assured. “I can handle it.”

“Alright.” Marceline went back to her phone.

Bonnie couldn’t help but be a little nosy. “Who’re you texting?”

“Keila.”

“What about?” Bonnie asked.

“Secret stuff.” Marceline replied. “That only cool people can know about.”

“Are you implying that I’m not cool?” Bonnie questioned, getting on her tiptoes and looking at Marceline’s phone over her shoulder.

Marceline chuckled at Bonnie’s attempt to look at her phone. “You’re so short, Bonnie. How tall are you, 4ft?”

“Shut up! It’s not my fault you’re like freaking Mount Everest or something.” Bonnie exclaimed. She always got exasperated when people made fun of her height. “And I’m 5’3, thank you very much.”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Mount Everest? You sure you haven’t got me confused with Marshall? I know we’re twins, but I swear we’re not identical.”

“You’re really tall, though.” Bonnie pouted. “If you make fun of me for my height, I’ll make fun of you.”

“I’m only 5’7.”

“Only?” Bonnie exclaimed. “You’re saying that like that’s short.”

“Well, it’s not that tall.” Marceline shrugged. “Dude, chill. God, why do short people claim I’m like a giant or something? Keila does the same thing as you.”

Bonnie let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re tall, okay? You’ve got 4 inches on me.”

Marceline just shrugged. “That’s not -,”

“Don’t argue with me or you’ll feel my wrath.” Bonnie interrupted.

Marceline laughed. “I’d have a head start, though. You’d need to go get your ladder.”

Bonnie lightly punched Marceline’s upper arm. “That was uncalled for.”

Marceline smiled. “You’re really easy to wind up. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Please don’t.” Bonnie quickly replied.

“What? Sorry, can’t hear you from all the way down there.” Marceline smirked.

“I’m not afraid to hit you with one of these bags.” Bonnibel nodded down to the two shopping bags she was holding in her left hand.

Marceline held up her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Truce. I’ll stop making fun of your height if you stop threatening to abuse me.”

Bonnie smiled. “Okay, truce.”

When they got back to Marceline’s, they headed straight up to Marceline’s room and proceeded to eat most of the things they’d bought. When Bonnie was halfway through a chocolate bar, she got a text from Finn.

Finn (5:55PM): Hi Bubblegum! We’re all hanging out right now and you should come over

Finn (5:55PM): We’re at Gumball’s

Bonnibel (5:56PM): Sorry, Finn. I’m with a friend.

Marceline noticed her typing. “Who’re you texting? A secret girlfriend?”

Bonnie blushed. “No. It’s Finn.”

Marceline went back to her laptop. “You know he has a crush on you, right? It’s probably the most obvious thing ever.”

“Yeah. I think it’s cute, but it’ll never happen.”

“Because you like girls.”

“Pretty much.” Bonnie chuckled. “Thanks for not having a problem with that, by the way. All the people I’ve told aside from my parents have.”

“Well, then those people are assholes and they clearly didn’t deserve you in the first place.”

Bonnie wrapped her arms around Marceline’s waist and pulled her in for a hug. “You’re amazing.”

That’s debatable, Marceline thought as she hugged Bonnie back. “Thanks. You’re pretty rad too.”

They settled down to watch a few movies after that, and Bonnie didn’t know why she let Marceline put A Nightmare On Elm Street on. Bonnie knew it would scare her; she’d never been good with horror movies, but she told Marceline it was fine. She didn’t want to seem like a loser. Bonnie knew it was stupid, and she knew Marceline probably wouldn’t care if she didn’t want to watch the movie, but Bonnie felt the need to impress Marceline. She’d wanted to be her friend for a while, and now they were actually having a sleepover; Bonnibel didn’t want to ruin it.

They were fifteen minutes into the movie, and Bonnie knew something scary would be happening soon. They were sitting in the dark – which made it all the more terrifying for Bonnibel – and Bonnie knew Marceline wasn’t scared at all.

When the first jump-scare happened, Bonnie jumped towards Marceline and clung on, hiding her face in Marceline’s neck and inhaling her comforting scent. “Hey, Bonnie. You okay there?”

“Yeah.” Bonnie murmured, her face still hidden in Marceline’s neck. “I’m fine.”

“You’re scared, aren’t you?” Marceline chuckled. “If you didn’t want to watch the movie, we wouldn’t have.”

“I don’t like scary movies.” Bonnie muttered into Marceline’s collar. “I’m sorry.”

“What’re you apologising for, you idiot?” Marceline laughed. “We’ll watch some dumb comedy movie and then go to sleep. Deal?”

Bonnie nodded, finally looking up to see Marceline watching her with an amused smirk. “Deal.”

Marceline turned her TV off, effectively cutting off the scary movie. Bonnie gave a sigh of relief. “God, I really didn’t want to watch that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that when I asked, then?”

“Because I’m an idiot.” Bonnie sighed.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Come on, Bonnie. What’s the real reason?”

“It’s really lame.” Bonnie murmured. “But I didn’t want you to think I was a wimp.”

Marceline laughed. “Really? Bonnie, why the hell do you care what I think? I walked into a door and apologised to it last night.”

Bonnie chuckled. That little anecdote did cheer her up a little. “I don’t know…you just give off this whole ‘too cool’ sense. I wanted to impress you.”

Marceline laughed even harder. “You’re such a fucking dork.”

Bonnie flushed. “Shut up.”

They didn’t end up watching another movie, as Bonnibel announced she was feeling tired and was ready to get into bed. They got into their pyjamas – Bonnibel changed in the bathroom – and then Bonnie got herself comfortable in Marceline’s soft double bed. Marceline awkwardly sat down on the edge of the bed. “So…uh…you know I made you promise not to make fun of me?”

Bonnie remembered. “Oh, yeah! What was that about, anyway?”

“Uh…okay, so it’s kind of dorky, but I like…” Marceline bit down on her lip. “I sleep with a teddy bear, okay?”

Bonnie’s face broke out into a grin. She’d seen this teddy bear before. “Aw, Marceline. That’s so cute.”

“Stop calling me cute.”

Bonnie smiled. “Fine. It’s sweet, though.”

“You promised you wouldn’t make fun of me.” Marceline muttered.

“I’m not.” Bonnie defended. “I swear. If it helps you sleep, then I won’t make fun of you for it.”

Marceline finally met Bonnibel’s gaze and smiled. Bonnie decided not to bring up the slight pink in Marceline’s cheeks. “Thanks, Bonnie. You’re rad.”

“Thanks.” Bonnie smiled, patting the bed next to her. “Come on.”

Marceline shuffled under the covers and Bonnie caught a glimpse of the plush toy in her arms and smiled. “So…goodnight, I guess.”

Bonnie grinned. “Goodnight, Marceline.”

Bonnie fell asleep pretty quickly; she was used to having early nights. Marceline, on the other hand, was awake for what felt like hours, wondering how the hell someone as amazing as Bonnie wanted to be her friend.

Chapter Text

Monday 3^rd March 2014

Bonnibel was pleasantly surprised by Marceline on Monday. Usually, the two didn’t talk in school aside from when they goofed off from work in lessons they shared, to Bonnie’s disappointment. She really did enjoy Marceline’s company. So, when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder when she was getting books out of her locker, she really didn’t expect to turn around to see Marceline.

Bonnie immediately smiled at the sight of her. “Hey, Marceline. How are you?”

Marceline had an internal debate about how she could answer that question. In all honesty, Marceline never really felt all that good, but she definitely wasn’t about to tell Bonnie that. “I’m good. You?”

“Tired. I just had double Physics with Simon. We were covering wavelengths and although I enjoy science, I’ve been over it a hundred times myself and I find it rather boring repeating things I’ve already learnt.” Bonnie rambled. “And I didn’t get a very good night’s sleep last night. I was up all night finishing up an experiment on photons in plants, but I won’t bore you with the details. Any particular reason you wanted to talk to me?”

Marceline blinked at her; that was a lot of information for her to process, especially on a morning. “Um…sucks you didn’t get that much sleep…and no, not really. I guess I just wanted company.”

Bonnie beamed, grabbing her books for her next class – History – from her locker and put her Physics books back in. Bonnie shut her locker and turned back on Marceline. “Well, luckily for you I enjoy spending time with you. Let’s walk.”

“Okay.” Marceline nodded, allowing Bonnie to lead the way. “Where exactly are we going?”

“To my friends.” Bonnie smiled. “We sit outside.”

Marceline froze in the middle of the hallway. “No way.”

Bonnie sighed and looked Marceline up and down. She couldn’t understand what Marceline had against her friends. As Bonnie studied Marceline, she realised that the dark haired girl was rather tense. Bonnie gently put an arm around Marceline and tried to walk her down the hallway. “Hey. My friends are nice. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine.”

Marceline wouldn’t budge. “No. I can’t, I’m sorry. I can’t deal with that.”

“With what?” Bonnie asked. It was evident Marceline was terrified of the idea of hanging out with Bonnibel’s friends.

Marceline shook her head and tried to relax. “It doesn’t matter. Can we just…not go there?”

Bonnie shot Marceline a reassuring smile. “Of course. Where do you want to go?”

“Simon’s room? Or straight to History? I don’t know.” Marceline shrugged. Bonnie could tell she was still rather tense, so she figured taking Marceline to Simon would help.

“I think we should go to Simon.” Bonnie suggested, escorting Marceline towards Simon’s classroom which they weren’t that far from.

When they entered the room, Simon immediately shot up from his chair and walked over to Marceline. “Marcy, are you okay? You look kind of pale. You haven’t had a -,”

“I’m fine.” Marceline was quick to cut him off and shot him a look which Bonnie couldn’t read. “But if you have any cookies I’d feel even better and I’m sure Bonnie would too.”

Simon chuckled, heading over to his desk drawer and rummaging around in it for something. “I bought you some Oreos on the way here his morning.”

He tossed the packet over to Marceline, who caught it and grinned. “Sweet. Thanks.”

“Don’t eat them all at once.”

Marceline smirked, opening up the packet and offering a cookie to Bonnie, who took one. “It’s cute that you think I’m going to listen to that.”

Simon smiled. “I remember back when you were younger you’d actually listen to me. What a wonderful time.”

“I was a dumbass when I was younger.” Marceline said.

“Was?” Simon teased.

Marceline mock gasped. “Simon! You’re supposed to be nice to me. Damn.”

Bonnie smiled at the exchange. She really did think Marceline was adorable. Once Bonnie had eaten her Oreo, she tugged on the sleeve of Marceline’s grey hoodie. “Come on, we should go to History.”

Marceline sighed. “Do we have to? I’d rather not waste an hour and a half of my life learning about the history of politics, thanks.”

“If you’re thinking about skipping class, I’ll drag you there.” Bonnie threatened. “I swear.”

Marceline rolled her eyes, but judging by the look on Bonnie’s face, the pink haired girl wasn’t kidding. “Don’t be ridiculous, I haven’t skipped class since freshman year.”

Bonnie frowned. “You say that like it’s an accomplishment. I’ve never skipped class in my life.”

“Trust me, if you knew me in freshman year you’d get it.” Marceline said, before nudging Bonnie towards the door. “Let’s go.”

Bonnie smiled as Marceline held the door open for her. “Thanks, Marceline.”

Marceline nodded in acknowledgement and said goodbye to Simon. As soon as they were out of Simon’s classroom and down the hallway, Marceline spoke up. “So…what did you do yesterday?”

“Well, the experiment I told you about before,” Bonnie thought, “I finished the book I was reading, so now I have nothing to read until I can get out to the bookstore.”

“What were you reading?”

“It was a book about Einstein.” Bonnie said. “Nothing you’d be interested in. But, if you have any book recommendations for me, I’d be happy to check them out.”

“Well…my favourite series is called The Maze Runner. It’s like, futuristic.” Marceline explained. “The main character, Thomas, wakes up in this weird place called The Glade which is surrounded by this giant maze and they’ve got to find a way out of it, but the maze is filled with these monsters called Grievers. It’s really cool.”

Bonnie smiled. “Sounds interesting. I’ll buy that when I’m out next.”

“You can just borrow mine, if you want.”

“Thanks, Marceline.” Bonnie grinned as Marceline held open the door to the History classroom for her. Bonnie slipped into the History room and headed towards their usual desk, realising how much she actually enjoyed talking to Marceline. Conversation always seemed to come so easily. As Marceline sat down next to her, Bonnie decided to invite her over. “Hey, would you want to come round to my house at the weekend? We could hang out, watch a couple of movies. Anything, really.”

Marceline shrugged. “That depends. Would your friends be there?”

“Nope. Unless you want me to invite them.” Bonnie said. “Which I doubt you do.”

“You can invite whoever you want, Bonnie.” Marceline assured. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll be happy about it. There would probably be a lot of sarcasm.”

Bonnibel laughed. “I think I’ll keep it to just the two of us. Maybe Lady, if she keeps her promise of talking to you. And if you keep your promise on being nice.”

“I promise I’ll be nice.” Marceline rolled her eyes, before holding out the packet of Oreos to Bonnie. “Oreo?”

Bonnie took one. “Thanks. So, you’ll come over on Saturday?”

Marceline froze. “Fuck, I can’t. I have band practice. I can come on Sunday, though.”

“That’s fine. Also, be prepared to meet my parents.”

“Fuck, I forgot you had parents.” Marceline sighed. She really didn’t want to meet Bonnie’s parents just yet. Things like that made her nervous. “I guess I’ll just have to deal with it, won’t I?”

“They’ll like you, don’t worry. Just mention how good your grades are and my Mom will probably want to adopt you.” Bonnie joked, before realising that may be a sore spot for Marceline, considering she doesn’t live with her parents.

“Noted.” Bonnie’s comment seemingly didn’t faze Marceline at all. “Should I mention my music to your Dad? You said he played guitar.”

“Oh, yes.” Bonnie nodded. “He’d be very interested in that, especially because you play like, twenty different instruments.”

“Seven.” Marceline corrected. “Drums not included in that. Bongo tried to make me play them like two weeks ago and I ended up sniffing the drumsticks for like ten minutes. They smelt really good. Like, when you get a new book and you sniff the inside.”

“I don’t sniff books.”

“Well, you’re weird.”

“I think you’re the weird one.” Bonnie chuckled. She did find it adorable when Marceline rambled. “Anyways, have you written any new songs lately?”

Marceline laughed and tried to hold back a smile. “I literally wrote one about doughnuts at like 3AM on Friday night. Wild weekend or what?”

“Are all your songs about food?”

“Pretty much.” Marceline chuckled. “No, not really. Some of them are okay, I guess.”

“What are those ones about?”

“Life.”

“Really?” Bonnie questioned. She found this topic quite intriguing. “What aspects of it?”

“You do realise that’s what I say when I don’t want to answer, right?” Marceline chuckled, eyebrows raised. “But, I don’t know. I write songs about what I’m feeling. Emotions, I mean. They’re usually either really depressing or are about wanting to hit something. I can’t write happy songs.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m too busy doing the thing that makes me happy to write about it.”

Bonnie smiled. “Hopefully you’re too busy to write songs most of the time, then.”

Marceline didn’t reply, because honestly, how could one person physically be so amazing? Bonnie was such a sweetheart to everyone she met, no matter how much of a douche they were, and Marceline just hoped that nothing would fuck that up for her.

“So…” Bonnie spoke up, cutting Marceline’s train of thought off. “Sunday.”

“I thought we worked that out five minutes ago?”

Bonnie just shrugged. “Well, I didn’t know what to say. If you want to watch some movies, bring a couple of DVDs round.”

“Okay,” Marceline nodded, “I’ve got all the Harry Potters, Star Wars -,”

“I’ve never seen Star Wars.” Bonnie cut Marceline off. “Bring those.”

“Hold on…you’ve never seen Star Wars? What the fuck have you being doing with your life, Bonnie?” Marceline exclaimed. “That’s just odd. I grew up on Star Wars. Marshall and I used to have lightsaber fights as kids.”

“Well, bring them over. Educate me.” Bonnie smiled.

“You bet your ass I’ll fucking educate you. I’ll make you have a lightsaber fight with me.”

“You’re a really big dork for someone who acts all cool and sarcastic, you know.” Bonnie pointed out.

“…Shut up.”

Bonnie was prepared for a very social weekend. As she sat down with her friends at lunch, Jake and Fionna had taken her aside and explained plans for a surprise birthday party on Friday for Finn. They’d told her that it was his 16^th birthday, and that he’d wanted a big party every year, but his Dad had always said no. So, they’d been planning this party for the past few months.

Bonnie promised she wouldn’t let anything slip, and Fionna made her swear she’d make an appearance and not be a ‘social recluse’, a comment which made Bonnibel laugh. Bonnie assured her she would come, but only for an hour or two, because parties really weren’t her thing.

Bonnie went over to Gumball after that, sitting down next to him as he was quickly typing out a text to someone. She smiled. “Who’re you talking to?”

“Marshall.”

“Aw, you’re in love.” Bonnie teased.

His face flushed a bright pink which nearly matched Bonnie’s hair. “Shut up.”

“It’s cute!” Bonnie exclaimed. “Any updates on that field, while we’re on the subject?”

“I don’t know. We’re getting closer.” Gumball shrugged casually, but his face wasn’t getting any less red. “He invited me to his band practice on Saturday, but I don’t know if I want to go. His friends seem scary.”

“If you do go, at least talk to Keila. She’s really nice. We’re sort of friends, I think.” Bonnie said.

“I don’t think I’m going to go. I’m going to come to movie day instead.” Gumball decided. “Maybe I’ll invite Marshall. I invited him to Finn’s party. Are you coming to movie day?”

“With Finn’s party on Friday and meeting up with Marceline on Sunday, I think I’ll keep Saturday as a homework day.” Bonnie said. “I have to have some time to do some science.”

“Good call.” Gumball smiled. “What’re you doing with Marceline?”

“We’re going to watch Star Wars. I’ve never seen it.” Bonnie explained. “She was annoyed I hadn’t seen it. It was funny.”

“So you two are friends now?”

“Yeah.” Bonnie nodded. “She’s really cool and I like hanging out with her. I was with her at break, actually.”

“I think we all knew it’d eventually happen. We still don’t know why you wanted to be her friend in the first place.”

Bonnie smiled. “Well, I figured the whole sarcastic, disaffected act she puts on was, well, an act. And I was right.”

Gumball just shrugged. “Well, okay. So, you’re definitely coming to Finn’s party?”

“Yeah. Do you know if it’s going to be crowded at all?” Bonnibel asked.

“I think so. Jake has invited as many people as he can, and they’ll probably invite more people. Finn wanted a big party, anyway.” Gumball explained.

“Okay.” Bonnie nodded. She really didn’t like big parties, but she’d promised she’d go and she was going to stick to that.

She really hoped she wouldn’t end up drunk again.

Friday 7^th March 2014

“I can’t wait to see his face when he sees the party.”

“Me too. He’s going to love it.”

“I wonder if he’s suspecting anything.”

“Of course he’s not. Jake has kept this a secret for a month.”

Bonnie was sat with her friends and some other people she wasn’t quite familiar with. There were a lot of people there, actually, but the more the merrier for Finn.

They were all waiting for Jake to come in and tell them Finn was coming, so they could all jump out and surprise him. A lot of people were only there for the party, and most of them we’re rather restless in waiting for Finn to come.

Bonnie sat and talked to Gumball for a while.

“I still can’t believe Marshall came.” Gumball smiled. “Apparently, he’s the one who hooked Jake up with the alcohol.”

“There’s actually going to be alcohol?” Bonnie questioned.

“Of course there’ll be alcohol.” Marshall said as he sat down next to Gumball. “It’s not a party if there isn’t.”

Bonnie shuffled uncomfortably. “I’m not sure if I want to be around alcohol. Last time I was, there were some bad consequences.”

“Just don’t drink any.” Gumball said. “You don’t have to.”

“Yeah.” Marshall added. “By the way, I couldn’t get Marceline to come. Sorry, Bubblegum.”

“It’s fine, I didn’t think she would want to. Not really her scene, huh?” Bonnibel half-heartedly replied. She was honestly much more worried about the fact there would be alcohol.

“She likes parties, but I guess she just thought that a party with these guys is more like sitting around drinking juice-boxes and watching cartoons.” Marshall shrugged. “I tried convincing her, but it didn’t work.”

Fionna walked over to them. “Hey, guys,” Bonnie noticed how she scowled at Marshall, “Finn is going to be here in like, five minutes, so we’re all getting into position now.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Thanks for letting us know.”

The five minutes crouched down behind a couch really weren’t the most comfortable five minutes of her life, and Bonnie was relieved when Finn finally arrived and everyone jumped up and yelled, “Surprise!”

At the start of the party, it honestly wasn’t that bad. The person who Marshall had trusted with the alcohol hadn’t arrived yet, and mostly, Bonnie just walked around and chatted with her friends and helped Finn open up some of his presents.

When the alcohol was brought out, Bonnie started to have less fun and more worries.

She really didn’t know what to do. She was standing around, watching her drunken friends messing about playing drinking games and getting themselves progressively more drunk.

What really made Bonnibel annoyed was the fact that Ricardio was there. She’d not seen him at the start of the party. He was drunk, and Bonnie hoped he wouldn’t notice her. She couldn’t handle a sober Ricardio, and she didn’t have Marceline here to help her.

She kept an eye on him as she watched everyone else. Finn had traded his bear hat for a party hat, and – to Bonnie’s surprise – had gone a little overboard with alcohol and was staggering around. The wide smile hadn’t left his face since everyone had jumped out and surprised him.

Lady was the only other one of Bonnibel’s friends that wasn’t drunk, but she might as well have been. They were all being loud – although Bonnie couldn’t hear what any of them were saying over the pounding pop music that was playing.

Finn came staggering over to her, still grinning. “Hey, Bubblegum! Thanks for coming to my party!”

His words were slurred and Bonnibel knew he’d have a pounding headache in the morning. “No problem, Finn.”

“Come play games with us! We’re going to play this thing Marshall told us about.”

“I’ll pass on that. I’m getting pretty tired.” Bonnie said.

Finn just shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Bonnie watched as he staggered away and headed back to where everyone else was.

Bonnibel wanted to go home, but it was quite late and she really didn’t want to be walking back. She contemplated calling her parents, but if they came across this huge party, they’d probably ground her for a month.

As Bonnie scrolled through her phone, her thumb hovered over Marceline’s contact name. Should she ask Marceline to pick her up? Or would Marceline be at a party somewhere, hanging out with her bandmates? Eventually, she hit call, and decided it couldn’t hurt if she tried.

On the second ring, Marceline picked up. “Hello?”

“Hey, Marceline. Are you busy?”

“Not really. Why?” Marceline asked.

“Could you maybe pick me up from Jake’s house, if you know where it is? They’re having this big party and I’ve had enough.” Bonnie said.

“Yeah, dude. I’ll be like, ten minutes.” Marceline said. “Keila says hi, by the way.”

“You said you weren’t busy! If you’re with Keila then stay there. I’ll just walk home or something.” Bonnie exclaimed. She didn’t want Marceline going out of her way to come and get her.

“Chill, man. We’re not really doing anything and Keila wanted to go and get pizza, so we’re coming.” Marceline said. “We’ll be there in ten.”

“Okay.” Bonnie sighed. “I’ll see you then. Thanks.”

“Bye.” Marceline hung up, and Bonnie decided she’d go wait outside after saying goodbye to her friends.

Bonnie made her way over to Lady, who had begun to get a little tipsy, and said her goodbyes. Lady frowned. “You said you’d stay for an hour.”

“I’ve stayed for two. We’ve been here since six.” Bonnie chuckled. “I’ll see you guys on Monday if I don’t see you before. Tell Finn I said happy birthday.”

Lady smiled. “Sure. Bye, Bubblegum.”

Bonnie made her way outside and away from the party, the headache that had been coming on almost immediately clearing up. Bonnie knew it was probably because of the loud music that was blaring out of the house, which Bonnie could still hear fairly clearly at the bottom of Jake’s driveway.

Marceline and Keila arrived in what Bonnie presumed was five minutes. She was thankful they were rather quick in getting there, and it was still quite cold out, and Bonnie hadn’t thought to bring her coat to Jake’s.

Bonnie climbed in the back seat and was greeted by Keila immediately. “Hi, Bonnibel. How are you?”

Bonnie smiled. “I’m good. You?”

“Great, actually. We’re getting pizza.” Keila grinned. “Pizza always makes me super happy and I’m weirdly excited.”

Marceline just rolled her eyes. “Where to, Bonnie? You can come with us and get pizza and play video games, or you can go home and be a nerd.”

Bonnie chuckled. “You want me to come with you?”

“Sure.” Marceline nodded. “I like you, you know that.”

Bonnie looked to Keila, who smiled and nodded. “You should come with. Marmalade says you’re fun, so yeah.”

“I did not say that.” Marceline replied, a little too quickly. She looked at Bonnibel. “I wasn’t talking about you. I swear.”

“She was.” Keila teased. “She -,”

“Do you want me to hit you?” Bonnie tried not to smile as Marceline’s cheeks turned a slight pink.

Keila laughed. “You’re about as strong as a goldfish.”

“Yeah? Well, you look like a fucking goldfish.”

“Nice comeback.” Keila chuckled. “And you don’t really think that.”

Marceline smiled. “Yeah, I know. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Keila said, before banging her hand on the car dashboard. “Now drive!”

“I can’t, Bonnie hasn’t made the crucial decision which will determine where we go.” Marceline replied. “Because we were too busy arguing like a fucking married couple.”

Keila turned around to Bonnibel. “Are you going to come to Marmalade’s with us or do you want to go home and be a nerd?”

“I think I’ll come with you guys.” Bonnie said. “All I would have been doing if I went home would be making myself some chamomile tea and getting into bed.”

“Chamomile tea tastes like cat sick.” Marceline said. “How can you drink that stuff?”

“I think it’s nice.” Bonnie shrugged. “But everyone’s different. Anyways, I think Keila is going to explode if you don’t drive.”

Marceline looked over to Keila, who was shooting Marceline her best glare and nodding in agreement. “Yup. You don’t want me to explode, do you?”

“I don’t think you want me to answer that question.” Marceline said, chuckling as Keila lightly shoved her in offence. “You know I’m kidding. ‘Course I don’t want you to explode.”

Marceline drove, and Keila grinned. “To the pizza!”

“So, what were you guys doing before I rudely interrupted?” Bonnie asked.

“We’re having a sleepover and playing GTA. Marmalade doesn’t even do the challenges and just goes around running people over and destroying buildings.” Keila chuckled. “She always ends up chased by the police.”

“I ended up blowing up my car before we left, though. I tried crashing through this building to get away from the cops but it turns out you can’t go through it and it crashed and then I died.” Marceline said. “We were listening to music and a really inappropriate song came on when it happened. It was such good timing.”

“Which song was it?” Bonnie asked.

Keila snorted and tried to hold back her laughter. “Highway to Hell.”

Both Marceline and Keila were in stitches at this, and Bonnibel did understand why they thought it was funny. She even let out a little laugh herself. “That is pretty inappropriate.”

Marceline just shrugged. “I figured it was rather relevant. I mean, I had just been running random civilians over.”

“True.” Keila agreed. “But yeah, now we’re just going to get pizza and then we’re going back to Marmalade’s and just chill.”

“Chilling sounds more my speed than a party.” Bonnie smiled. “I’m glad I called you guys.”

Marceline put some music on – it was rock, typically – and her and Keila sang along to every song that came. Bonnie was envious of the both of them; they both had really amazing singing voices, Marceline especially.

The music seemed to make Keila even happier than she was. “God, I can’t fucking wait until May.”

“What’s happening in May?” Bonnie asked.

“Me and Marmalade are going to see this band live. They’re one of our favourites.” Keila explained. “All Time Low.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun.” Bonnie smiled.

There was a comfortable silence in the car, filled only with Marceline humming along to the song that was playing.

After a few minutes, Marceline’s humming cut out. “Hey, Bonnie?”

“Yeah, Marceline?”

“Since when do your friends throw massive parties with alcohol?” Marceline asked. “I thought their idea of a wild night was drinking too much soda and watching TV or something.”

Bonnie shrugged. “Honestly, I think it’s Marshall that’s influenced them.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.” Marceline said. “He’s always going out to parties and stuff.”

“You do too, though.” Bonnie pointed out. She knew Marceline sometimes went out with her band and drunk a little more than she should.

“Yeah, but not that much. Only every month or so.” Marceline explained. “I don’t know, I don’t really like big groups of people.”

Bonnie smiled. “Me too.”

“You’re both so antisocial.” Keila said. “Parties are great.”

“You just like an excuse to drink.” Marceline pointed out.

Keila laughed. “Parties aren’t the only place I drink. We’re having beer when we get back to yours.”

“I’m not going to let you get drunk, though. You’re hyper enough as it is, I don’t want to have to stop you from jumping off the roof or something.” Marceline said.

“Remember that time you got drunk and tried to go down the stairs on a sled?” Keila chuckled.

Marceline cringed a little. She remembered that night really vividly. Luckily, she didn’t break anything. “Yeah. I do not recommend trying that.”

“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” Bonnie was quick to ask; she didn’t like the idea of Marceline in the emergency room with broken bones.

“Not seriously. I just sprained my wrist and it was really awkward for a week or so.” Marceline said. She thought it was sweet Bonnie had asked that. Not that she’d ever admit that.

Bonnie smiled. “Well, I’m glad you were okay.”

Yep, Marceline thought, I’m really fucking lucky that I have her.

“Hey, Marceline?” Bonnie was rested on Marceline’s bed in between Marceline and Keila, and the three of them were watching a movie that Keila had picked out and announced was her favourite movie. It was called The Heat, and so far there was a lot of swearing. Bonnie knew her Mom wouldn’t let her watch this and would probably throw a fit if she knew.

“Yup?” Marceline didn’t take her eyes off the screen, and continued chewing on a pizza crust.

“How come you decided you liked me?” Bonnie asked. “I don’t think you ever told me.”

Marceline just shrugged. “I don’t like you.”

Bonnie froze. “What?”

Marceline let out a light hearted laugh and turned to look at Bonnibel, almost shocked at the sad expression on Bonnie’s face. She shot Bonnie a mischievous grin. “Chill out, man. I’m just messing with you. Of course I like you. And to answer your question, I didn’t decide to like you. I just do.”

Bonnie let out a sigh of relief. “Good. You scared me.”

Marceline put an arm around Bonnie’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Sorry, dude.”

“Please don’t do that again. If you want to scare me, just jump up behind me like a normal person would.” Bonnie said.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Marceline replied. She moved her arm from around Bonnie and went back to watching the movie.

“So, Bonnibel,” Keila said. “I know that you’re a scientist, so can you answer me a question?”

“I can try.”

“Not this again.” Marceline groaned and leaned back on the bed, sighing. “She asked me this earlier.”

This made Bonnie even more intrigued to hear Keila’s question. “So, how come some people are born with good singing voices, and other people aren’t?”

Marceline smacked a hand to her forehead and rolled her eyes, but Bonnie saw the little smile on her face. “Oh my God, Keila.”

“Actually, that’s a rather interesting question.” Bonnibel mused. “I’ll look it up and get back to you.”

Marceline laughed. “You’re seriously going to investigate that for her?”

Bonnie nodded. “Any excuse to do a little research is enough for me.”

“Nerd.”

Bonnie chuckled. “I’m going to start counting the amount of times you call me that.”

“I’m just telling the truth here,” Marceline held her hands up in defence, “You can’t blame me for that.”

“You want truths?” Bonnie questioned, raising an eyebrow. Marceline smirked at her, as if challenging her to continue. “Fine. You’re a nerd too.”

“Let’s face it, guys,” Keila said, “We’re all in sweatpants and eating our body weights in pizza at 9PM on a Friday night. We’re all losers.”

Bonnie looked down at the comfortable grey sweatpants Marceline had let her borrow. “So, you’re saying if I take these off, I’ll no longer be a loser?”

“No, they just make it ten times worse. You’re better than me and Marmalade, though. You actually went out to a party earlier. We’ve just been sat watching TV all night.” Keila explained.

Marceline shrugged. “I have no regrets.”

“Isn’t this what you usually spend your weekends doing anyway?” Bonnie asked.

“Well, sometimes I go and hang out with Simon and Betty if they’re downstairs, and I let Schwabl in here when he comes scratching at my door.” Marceline thought. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “I know, it gets wild up in here.”

“You do leave the house on Saturdays most of the time, though.” Keila cut in. “Band practise.”

Bonnie kept forgetting Marceline and Keila were in a band, and it just reminded her that they were ten times cooler than she was.

Marceline nodded. “Yeah, true. Sundays I go back to ignoring people, but I’m seeing Bonnie this week.”

“You’re still coming over?” Bonnie smiled. She looked forward to having times like these with Marceline, when they just hung out and talked.

“Uh, yeah.” Marceline stated as if it was obvious. “I need to educate you on good movies, remember?” She turned to Keila, pointing an accusative finger at Bonnie. “Can you believe this girl has never seen Star Wars?”

Keila stared at Bonnibel as if she’d just jumped up and done a backflip. “Wait, what? But you’re like, some sort of science nerd! I always figured you’d be into that stuff.”

“I guess it just never took my interest. Alien movies aren’t really my thing.” Bonnie admitted. Her favourite type of movie was the cheesy, romantic comedies she usually watched when she went round to Lady’s.

“Marmalade, promise me you’ll make her see the light.”

“I promise, man.” Marceline said.

There was a comfortable silence, and for once, Marceline decided she’d be a good host and offer her friends drinks. “Either of you want anything to drink?”

Keila was quick to reply. “Soda.”

“Any specific type of soda?” Marceline asked.

Keila bit on her lip and creased her brow, looking as though she was deep in thought. Eventually, she made a decision. “Dr Pepper.”

“Okay.” Marceline then turned to Bonnibel. “Bonnie?”

“Uh…if you have any chamomile tea, that would be nice.” Bonnie said. “If you don’t have it, then it doesn’t matter.”

“We’ve probably got some in the cupboard. Simon drinks it a lot.” Marceline replied, shuffling off the bed and heading towards the door. “I’ll be right back.”

She slipped out of the room, leaving Bonnibel and Keila to their own devices. In all honesty, Bonnie was rather comfortable with Keila and didn’t worry about an awkward silence. She knew the older girl was quite chatty, and so they probably wouldn’t just sit in silence.

“Hey, thanks for being her friend and all.” Keila said. She nodded towards the door. “Marmalade, I mean. She actually doesn’t hate school as much now you’re around to keep her company.”

Bonnie smiled. “It’s fine. I like spending time with her. She’s funny.”

Keila grinned. “Hah, I know. We go to the mall sometimes and we play this game where we say the weirdest sentence we can think of when someone walks past us, to see if we can creep them out. It’s so funny. We get the weirdest looks from people.”

“Do you guys actually do any shopping when you go to the mall?” Bonnie chuckled. She couldn’t really imaging Marceline or Keila being into shopping.

“Sometimes when a band one of us likes brings out a new album.” Keila said. “But most of the time we just walk around making fun of people and acting like idiots.”

“Doesn’t anybody notice?”

“Most of the time they just look at us funny and it makes us laugh harder.” Keila explained. “The reactions are one of the best parts.”

“Sounds like fun.” Bonnie said. “You guys always seem like you have fun.”

“We do. We’re like, a constant party.” Keila said. “It’s even more fun when Marmalade isn’t trying to act all cool.”

Bonnie smirked a little. “Act all cool?”

“Dude, you really think she’s usually this serious? Hell no, man.” Keila laughed. “She’s a fucking dork! She gets excited over like, everything, and she’s usually laughing the majority of the time when we hang out. She just wants you to think she’s cool, dude.”

Bonnie smiled. “That’s cute.”

“What’s cute?” Marceline asked as she walked into the room, Keila’s Dr Pepper in one hand and Bonnie’s chamomile tea in the other.

Keila quickly replied. “Oh, I told her about that game we play when we go to the mall.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s always fun.” Marceline smiled and passed the two of them their drinks.

Bonnie smiled as the warm cup of chamomile tea was passed to her. “Thank you, Marceline.”

Marceline shrugged. “It’s no big deal, man.”

As they all settled back down to finish the movie they were watching, Bonnie absentmindedly rested her head on Marceline’s shoulder as she sipped on her tea. Initially, Marceline tensed up, and Bonnie saw her exchange a glance with Keila, but after a few seconds, Marceline relaxed. Bonnie was rather relieved she didn’t tell her to get off or asked her what she was doing.

Bonnie stayed like that for the rest of the film, and by the time it was finished, it was 10:30PM. Marceline stretched out her arms and cracked her knuckles, and Bonnie sat up.

“If you want, I’ll take you home now.” Marceline offered.

Bonnie nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Keila yawned. “I’m just going to stay here and get in my pyjamas. You two have fun on your little road trip.”

Marceline gave Bonnie time to change from the sweatpants Marceline loaned her back into her outfit she was wearing at the party, and then the two set off to Bonnie’s house.

“So, I’m definitely still seeing you on Sunday, right?” Bonnibel questioned as Marceline drove.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Man, Bonnie. You don’t need to keep asking. Yes.”

Bonnie smiled. “Okay. I was just making sure, you know, in case you decided you didn’t want to come over.”

“I think it’s pretty important that I do. You need to be educated in the world of good movies and music if we have time.” Marceline said. “What do you even do in your free time? You know, when you’re not busy creating the next Frankenstein?”

“Okay, 1) I’m not reanimating corpses when I do experiments and 2) I usually read.” Bonnie replied.

“Man. Sucks. You could’ve reanimated like, Kurt Cobain or something. That’d be rad.” Marceline said. “Or you could’ve made me a monster that eats people I dislike.”

“If I could do that, I probably wouldn’t.” Bonnie chuckled. “There’d only be like, three people left in the world.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Marceline laughed, but she was quick to add what came next. “Kidding, kidding. I like more than three people.”

“Really? Name ten people you like that you actually know. You can’t name band members.” Bonnie challenged.

“Y’know, I’m sure we’ve played this game before.”

“Just do it.” Bonnie rolled her eyes.

“Fine.” Marceline’s brow creased in thought, and Bonnie picked up on how she usually chewed on her bottom lip when she was thinking. “You, Keila, Guy, Bongo, Marshall, Simon, Betty…that’s 7. More than three.”

“You’re 3 down.”

“Uh…Schwabl?”

“He’s a dog, Marceline.” Bonnie chuckled.

“Yeah, well he’s my friend.” Marceline responded. “Hambo?”

“He’s a teddy bear.” Bonnie laughed even harder. “I’m asking for real people here, Marceline.”

“Okay.” Marceline thought even harder. “Question: do they have to be alive?”

“No.” Bonnie said.

“Okay, easy. My Mom.”

Bonnibel didn’t reply. Marceline’s Mom was dead? If Marceline was willing to share this information with her, would she tell her why she didn’t live with her Dad?

Marceline snapped Bonnibel out of her thoughts.

“If you let me use Hambo and Schwabl I’ll buy you candy.” Marceline bribed. “Come on, it’s a sweet deal. You let me win the game, and you get free food. It’s a win/win situation.”

Bonnie figured Marceline was changing the subject for a good reason, so she played along. “Hm, I don’t know…I’d quite like telling my friends I managed to beat you in a debate.”

Marceline’s eye widened. “Okay, you don’t want candy? I’ll buy you like…a test tube or something.”

Bonnie laughed. “It’s going to take more than a test tube to win me over, Marceline.”

“Well, name something you want and I’ll buy you it if you let me win.” Bonnie laughed even harder as Marceline pulled the car up outside Bonnie’s house and pulled her infamous puppy-dog eyes.

“Uh…how about another sleepover sometime soon?”

“Done.”

“Fine, you win. You like ten people.” Bonnie replied.

Marceline grinned. “Rad. I told you.”

“I’m holding you to that sleepover promise, though.”

“I know, I know.” Marceline rolled her eyes. “Now get out, dork. I got places to be.”

“You just want to go home and hang out with Keila, don’t you?”

“Yup, so hit the road.” Marceline pointed towards the car door. “Seriously, though. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

Bonnie smiled, opening up the car door. “Yeah. See you on Sunday.”

Marceline frowned as Bonnie unbuckled her seatbelt and made a move to leave. “Hey, wait.”

Bonnie was halfway out the car. “Yeah?”

“Give me a goddamn hug before you go.”

Bonnie grinned wider than she had all night, and shuffled back into the car to give Marceline a hug. Bonnibel buried her head into Marceline’s neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent that was much like the one on the t-shirt she still wore to bed almost every night. She felt Marceline hug her back, and Bonnibel smiled even wider, if that was possible. Marceline began to let go, and Bonnie followed her lead.

“Alright, I’ll see you later.” Marceline said.

Bonnie just couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “Yeah, bye. Thanks for rescuing me from the party.”

“Don’t thank me for that, dude.” Marceline replied as Bonnie climbed out of the car. “It’s no big deal, honestly. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“Yep. Bye.” Bonnie said, finally closing the door and heading up to her front door.

Once she was inside, she immediately jogged up to her room, ecstatic. Marceline had actually asked to hug her. Bonnie’s smile seemed permanent.

Sunday just couldn’t come quick enough.

Chapter Text

Sunday 9^th March 2014

Bonnie spent the morning tidying up her bedroom and making sure everything was impeccable for Marceline’s visit. She knew Marceline probably wouldn’t care, but Bonnie had seen how tidy Marceline’s room was, and she wanted to meet her standards.

She straightened up her bookcase made her bed three times before she was satisfied it looked good enough, and even went as far as dusting. She knew she was being a little over the top, but it was passing the time and Bonnie wanted to make her room look nice. She even tidied up Science’s cage, which was still on her desk. Her little rat didn’t seem too pleased that all of his things were being messed up, and even gave Bonnibel a small nip on the finger. She just rolled her eyes and continued to clean.

When Marceline finally did arrive, Bonnibel’s Mom was out grocery shopping, and Bonnie was honestly relieved. She knew her Dad would like Marceline, but her Mom was pretty uptight when it came to a lot of things, and Bonnie had noticed she’d pointed out piercings and tattoos in distaste, and Bonnie hadn’t thought to tell Marceline not to wear her nose ring.

Luckily, when Bonnie opened the door, Marceline wasn’t wearing it. “Hey, man.”

“Hi, Marceline. Come in, my Mom is out but my Dad is upstairs in his office.” Bonnie said.

Marceline nodded. “Okay. Can we just sneak up to your room and pretend I’m not here all day?”

“You have to meet my parents at some point.” Bonnie chuckled. She thought it was quite cute how Marceline was nervous to meet her parents. “You’re my friend, remember? My parents like to meet my friends.”

“Suddenly I’m regretting my decision to be your friend.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “No, you’re not. Let’s go up to my room.”

Bonnibel grabbed onto Marceline’s wrist and dragged the older girl upstairs and into her bedroom, sitting her down on her bed.

“I brought the DVDs.” Marceline produced 3 DVDs from seemingly nowhere. “It’s just the original trilogy. I’ll bring the others some other time, yeah?”

Bonnie nodded. “Yeah. We’ll have to watch them on my laptop; I haven’t got a DVD player.”

“Okay.” Marceline placed the DVDs on the bed in front of her, and then sat back on Bonnie’s pillows and got herself comfortable. “I’ll just let you do all the setting up and junk.”

Bonnie chuckled. “Okay. How are you, anyway?”

“Tired, as usual.”

“Sleep more.”

“I don’t think it’s possible for me to sleep more than I do.” Marceline said. “Especially because school starts so unnecessarily early.”

Bonnie just rolled her eyes. “Go to bed earlier.”

“I can’t. I have stuff to do.” Marceline shot back. “How are you, though?”

“I’m good.” Bonnie smiled. “Thank you for asking. Have you written any songs recently?”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded. “I wrote one about Simon. It was a sarcastic one. I compared him to Santa Claus and gave him a one off performance.”

Bonnie smiled. “I feel like I should’ve been there for that.”

“I’ll write you a song one day.”

“What about?”

“It’ll probably be something along the lines of; Bonnie is a fucking nerd / she does way too much studying in her free time / she should get out more / but then again saying that makes me a hypocrite / because I never leave the house too.” Marceline joked. “That’s just a first draft, though.”

“Put some music to that and you’ve made a masterpiece.”

“Tell me about it.” Marceline smiled, biting down on the nail on her index finger.

Bonnie frowned, although she was rather happy to be seeing Marceline next weekend. “You shouldn’t bite your nails, you know. It’s a really bad habit.”

“I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember.” Marceline defended, although Bonnie noticed how Marceline ceased biting at her nails. “I don’t think I’ll be stopping any time soon.”

“It’s still bad for you.” Bonnie muttered.

“Yeah? So is a lot of stuff.” Marceline said. “That doesn’t stop me, Bonnie. I’m totally a hardcore rebel.”

Bonnie laughed. “Totally.”

Marceline gently elbowed Bonnie in the side. “You say that like it’s a joke. I was being serious.”

Bonnie could tell by the small smile on Marceline’s face that she wasn’t being serious at all. Bonnie grinned, holding her hands up in defence. “I apologise. You’re the most rebellious person I’ve ever met.”

“You bet your ass I am.”

Bonnie smiled, and grabbed her laptop from her desk, where it was sat next to Science’s cage. Marceline’s gaze followed her, and Bonnie knew she’d be wondering what Bonnie was keeping in the cage. “That’s my pet rat.”

“You have a rat?” Marceline raised an eyebrow. “What’s it called?”

“His name is Science.”

She heard Marceline let out a little sigh, and there was a long pause before Marceline finally replied. “I’m trying so hard not to comment on that.”

“You’re doing well.” Bonnibel responded, walking back over to the bed and switching her laptop on. She looked over the DVDs. “Marcy, you brought 4, 5 and 6. Shouldn’t we watch the first three?”

Marceline chuckled. “Nah, these are the original ones. They made 4, 5 and 6 and then 1, 2 and 3. The original trilogy is the best, though.”

Bonnie nodded, picking up the first DVD and holding it up to Marceline. “Is this the one we’re watching first?”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded.

Bonnie got everything set up, before sitting close to Marceline and placing the laptop in between them. Bonnie rested her head on Marceline’s shoulder, which was comfortable, albeit a little bony.

They’d just begun watching the film, when Marceline pointed out a character. “That’s Princess Leia. She’s fucking badass, man. She gets shit done.”

“You like her?” Bonnie asked.

“Strong female characters keep me going, man. Why do you think I like Buffy so much?” Marceline raised an eyebrow.

Bonnie smiled. “I don’t know. I just figured you’d like the supernatural element.”

“That is one of the reasons. I feel like I’m cheating on Buffy if I watch any other supernatural show, though. It is my one true love.” Marceline joked. “Well, that and food.”

“More specifically, Twizzlers.” Bonnie added, as she pulled out a big bag of them from her bedside table, which she’d bought at the store the other night.

Bonnie found herself smiling as Marceline grinned. “Dude! Okay, I’m marrying you if you keep giving me loads of food.”

Bonnie worried herself for a moment when she realised she wouldn’t have a problem with that, but she quickly shook the thought from mind. Don’t, Bonnibel, She scolded herself, remember what happened last time. “Well, if you play me some relaxing music then I guess I won’t have a problem with that arrangement.”

“You get really awkwardly flirty sometimes.” Marceline smirked as she opened up the packet as quickly as she could. “I like it. Sassy Bonnie is one of my favourite Bonnies.”

“Which is your number one favourite?” Bonnibel asked out of curiosity.

“Oh, drunk Bonnie. Hands down.” Marceline replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. “But sassy Bonnie is a close second.”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes. “Keep your voice down when you mention the whole alcohol incident. My parents don’t know and I don’t ever want them to find out.”

Marceline mock saluted her. “Aye aye, captain. I’ll keep quiet.”

“Thank you.” Bonnie replied, resting her head back down on Marceline’s shoulder. “You’re a good friend, you know.”

“I try.” Marceline said. “I’m still terrified to meet your Mom.”

“What about my Dad?” Bonnie questioned.

“Well, at least I’ll be able to talk about music with him, but your Mom? What am I supposed to do there?” Marceline exclaimed. “What does she like?”

“She likes traditional things. You know, good manners -,”

“Well, I’m fucked.”

Bonnie sighed. “You are if you use language like that.”

“You’re always getting on me for being ‘distasteful’ or whatever, and you still like me.” Marceline pointed out. “You do still like me, right?”

“Of course.” Bonnie smiled.

“Good.” Marceline breathed out a sigh of relief. “Anyways, your Mom will hate me.”

“Just be nice and don’t swear and you’ll be fine.” Bonnie assured. She recalled Marceline telling her she could usually hold her bad language back.

“Okay.” Marceline nodded.

“She won’t ask you too many questions or anything. Probably just what you like to do in your free time.” Bonnibel added.

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Okay. Will it be believable if I say homework?”

“I don’t think you’ve done a piece of homework before in your life.” Bonnie chuckled.

“I used to do homework.” Marceline offered. “That doesn’t make it any better, does it? I don’t know, I just have better things to do with my time than answer math problems.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Bonnie challenged. “And you can’t include binge-watching Buffy on this list.”

“You make it almost impossible for me to win arguments.” Marceline chuckled. “But I write songs in my free time. And sometimes I socialise. For example, right now.”

“Sometimes?” Bonnie laughed. “An apocalypse is more likely than you socialising.”

Marceline shrugged. “I have my reasons.”

“Such as?” Bonnie pressed.

“Can we think of a safe word that we can say when the one of us asks a question that makes the other uncomfortable?” Marceline shot back, effectively changing the subject.

Bonnibel smiled, taking hold of Marceline’s hand. “Sure. You pick.”

“Uh…okay,” Marceline bit down on her lip in thought and creased her brow. “I don’t know. Can’t think of any words.”

“Say the first thing that comes to mind.” Bonnie suggested.

“Boobs.”

Bonnibel couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “Very mature, Marceline. Seriously.”

“That was serious.” Marceline said. “You told me to say the first thing that came to mind!”

“And boobs was the first thing?” Bonnie giggled. “You know, for a straight girl you sure have some pretty gay stuff on your mind.”

Marceline smirked. “Who said I was straight?”

“You’re not straight?”

“Boobs.”

Bonnie laughed. “We’re not using that as a safe word. How about...socks?”

“That is the most uncreative thing you’ve ever suggested.” Marceline mocked. “But fine, if you want to be boring.”

“I don’t see why everything has to be creative with you.” Bonnie said. “There’s nothing wrong with being a little cliché.”

Marceline shrugged. “Fair point. I just think that you should be as creative as possible. I mean, life is pretty boring and it doesn’t seem to be getting any more exciting.”

“What do you mean?” Bonnie asked.

“Well, we have to spend our entire lives working towards the future. What if the future fucking sucks, man? I mean, your childhood is supposed to be the best years of your life, but that’s sucked so far, and if it only gets worse then I don’t want to be a part of it.” Marceline explained. “I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to live, either.”

Bonnie frowned. Sure, you spent your life working for the future, but when the future became the present, it was the present you’d wanted all along. “You think life sucks? Why?”

“Socks.” Marceline rejected the question. “I just don’t think that your life is supposed to be this big fucking journey about finding yourself and junk. Like, no. It’s about creating yourself. Life should be an adventure where you can grow as a person and do a load of fun stuff that makes you happy. You shouldn’t have to work shitty jobs just to get by. It’s fucking stupid.”

“That’s awfully philosophical.” Bonnie commented.

“Yeah, well.” Marceline shrugged, running a hand through her hair and sitting back. “Sorry for getting on a rant.”

Bonnie waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. You made a good point.”

They sat in silence for the rest of the movie, Bonnie laying comfortably against Marceline, who occasionally explained things about the film to her. They got about half an hour into the second movie, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, when her Dad knocked on the door and pushed his way into the room. “I’m going out to pick your Mom up and then we’re going for lunch. We’ll be back by around 4ish.”

“Okay, Dad.” Bonnie smiled, “This is Marceline, by the way.”

Marceline shot her Dad a smile. “Hey.”

They shook hands, and her Dad already seemed to like Marceline as far as Bonnie could tell. “Ah, you’re the one she accidentally came out to.”

Marceline laughed at the memory, but thankfully didn’t mention that Bonnibel was drunk at the time. “Yeah. Good times, right Bonnie?”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes. “Shut up. I was scared you’d hate me.”

“Like I would ever hate you.” Marceline retorted, before looking back up at Bonnie’s Dad. “You have a really cool guitar, by the way.”

“You play?” Bonnie’s Dad seemed impressed. “How long?”

“Uh…since I was like 7 or 8.” Marceline said. “Yeah. I learned violin first. My Mom taught me.”

Her Dad seemed even more impressed, and Bonnie could tell he was liking her more by the second. “How many instruments to you play?”

“Seven. Mostly string instruments.” Marceline replied.

“Your Mom taught you all of them?”

Bonne couldn’t help but notice a flash of sadness in Marceline’s eyes before she answered. “No, she taught me violin. I taught myself everything else. The theory was probably the hardest part but it’s good to know if you write music as often and I do.”

Her Dad seemed incredibly impressed by this. “That’s really impressive. You must be very talented to be able to do all of that.”

Marceline bit on her lip and looked down, scratching the back of her neck. “Uh…not really, I mean – it wasn’t…”

“Marceline, shut up and accept my Dad’s compliment.” Bonnie chuckled, throwing an arm around Marceline’s shoulders.

“I’ll see you kids later,” Her Dad beamed, heading towards the door. “And Marceline? Call me Peter.”

When he left, Marceline let out an audible sigh of relief and flopped down on the bed. Bonnie grinned and patted her head. “He likes you. Definitely.”

“One down, one to go.” Marceline said, her voice muffled by Bonnie’s pink duvet. “Your Mom is like, the boss level.”

“You need to stop with the video game metaphors.” Bonnie chuckled. “Or just stop playing video games.”

Marceline gasped. “Never. I need to practice regularly if I want to keep my winning streak on pizza nights.”

“I bet I could beat you at Mario Kart.” Bonnie muttered.

“What was that? A challenge?” Marceline raised an eyebrow. “I’ll kick your ass all the way back to New York, princess.”

“Or I’ll kick your butt all the way back to…your house.” Bonnie laughed. “And I thought we were past the whole princess thing.”

“What? You don’t like my loving nicknames?” Marceline placed a hand on her heart and looked away in mock hurt, pretending to cry. “I’m deeply hurt. I feel betrayed.”

Bonnie gently shoved her. “Shut up, you dork. Let’s go downstairs and play on my Mario Kart, and we’ll see how tough you think you are then.”

Marceline broke her upset façade and smiled. “Game on, motherfucker.”

Bonnie was really glad that her Mom wasn’t in to hear the profanities that Marceline yelled during their video game session. Whenever Bonnie overtook Marceline, the older girl would loudly shout different variations of the word fuck until she managed to overtake Bonnie again. At one point, she even went as far as stealing Bonnie’s controller and throwing it halfway across the lounge.

Marceline won, and spent five minutes running around Bonnie’s living room calling her a loser.

Bonnie called her a cheater, and then the entire match started over again.

When Bonnibel won that round, Marceline sat on the couch sulking for ten minutes until Bonnie finally coaxed her back upstairs with Twizzlers and the promise that she could play on her Dad’s guitar.

Marceline was sat happily munching on Twizzlers and picking random notes of chords when Bonnie heard her parents come in.

“Well, I guess it’s time for me to climb out of the window and run away.” Marceline said.

Although Bonnie knew Marceline was only half serious, she still grabbed onto the sleeve of Marceline’s ‘no smoking’ t-shirt. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“I’m pretty sure keeping me here against my will would class as kidnapping.” Marceline rolled her eyes. “But I was only kidding.”

“You promise?”

Marceline grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Promise.”

“Okay.”

“Hey, after I meet your Mom, will you walk me home?” Marceline asked.

“You walked?” Bonnie frowned. If she could drive, she probably wouldn’t even walk to Gumball’s house, which was only just down the road from her. Marceline lived at least fifteen minutes away on foot.

“Yeah. I need the exercise. I regretted it, though. I nearly slipped on ice a few times.” Marceline said.

“It’s icy?” Bonnie exclaimed.

“Yep. I was like ‘it’s March, what the fuck’ when I was desperately clinging onto a tree for dear life.” Marceline explained. “It sucked. I just can’t wait until it gets warm again.”

“You’d think with living here for your whole life you’d be used to walking on ice by now.” Bonnie commented.

“Do I look like a professional ice skater?” Marceline shot back. “Dude, I walk on the road as much as possible. I need you to escort me back so a) I don’t fall on my ass, and b) I can hold onto you so if I fall, you can help save me.”

“Remember that time you mocked me for asking to hold your hand in case I fell off your skateboard?” Bonnie chuckled. “I don’t think I’ll help you out. I think it would be rather funny to watch you fall over.”

Marceline pouted. “But Bonnie,” She dragged out the last two vowels for as long as she could. “You like me and don’t want me to hurt myself and die.”

“I doubt you’d die from slipping on ice.” Bonnie rolled her eyes.

“You’ve jinxed it, now.”

“You’re such a dork.” Bonnie teased. “Fine, I’ll look after you.”

“Good.” Marceline smiled. “By the way, I’m sorry about all of the…raging bitchiness from before.”

Bonnie pulled Marceline in for a hug. “You had your reasons. I just want to know what they were.”

“Socks.”

“Okay.” Bonnie smiled. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“You’re the greatest.” Marceline grinned.

“I know.”

Meeting Bonnie’s Mom wasn’t half as terrifying as Marceline originally expected it to be. First of all, Marceline had braced herself for a really strict, stoic person. In reality, Bonnie’s Mom was almost as sweet as Bonnie herself. The first thing she did when she saw Marceline was give her a warm hug, and then asked her how she was, an finished her sentence with, “And please, call me Lynn.”

Marceline was as polite as possible around Bonnie’s Mom – she had to admit that conversation came a lot easier with Bonnie’s Dad. But, when Bonnibel’s Mom asked her about her music, it suddenly became a lot easier to talk. Marceline knew music; she was comfortable talking about it. It interested her, and honestly, she could go on for hours about the importance of suspended chords, but instead, she asked Bonnie’s Mom about her taste in music.

Marceline was incredibly happy with the answer.

“Oh, I like all sorts. Peter likes a lot of the classic rock style – Bruce Springsteen, Def Leppard, Guns n Roses and other things like that. I listen to whatever grabs my attention.”

“Guns n Roses are rad.” Marceline agreed. “Actually, I taught myself ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ on guitar a few months back. The riffs in it are awesome.”

“Peter mentioned you play a lot of instruments. I have to say, I was quite impressed myself. What do you play?”

“I started with violin when I was five and then moved onto guitar, then bass, then classical piano which I transferred over to keyboard, and then banjo and about half a year back I taught myself ukulele.” Marceline listed. “I actually kind of want to learn the harp.”

“You taught yourself all of that?” Marceline never really understood why people found it so impressive. Learning instruments seemed like second nature to her.

“All except for violin. My Mom taught me that.”

“She must be a very talented woman herself, then.” Bonnie’s Mom smiled. “It would be nice to meet her.”

Marceline flinched a little. Bonnie noticed and felt Marceline grip onto her hand. “Uh…she’s - she died when I was seven.”

Bonnie tried not to pull Marceline in for a big hug when she heard the small crack in her voice. She decided to change the subject. “So…we should go. Simon will want you home for dinner.”

“Yeah…yeah, he will.” Marceline nodded and smiled at Bonnie’s Mom, although Bonnie could see the sadness behind it. “It was nice to meet you, Lynn.”

“You too.”

Bonnie escorted Marceline out of the house, and once they were around the corner, she began spewing apologies. “God, I am so sorry she brought up your Mom -,”

Marceline cut her off. “Can we just…not talk about that?”

“Okay. I’m just…really sorry she upset you.” Bonnie rambled. “I hate seeing you upset, oh my God.”

Marceline shook her head and bit down on her lip. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” Bonnie continued. “She shouldn’t have said that -,”

“Hey. Bonnie. Cool your jets.” Marceline met Bonnibel’s gaze. “It’s fine. I’m fine. She didn’t know. No harm done, honest.”

“You still look upset.”

“I’m fine.” Marceline snapped. Bonnie was taken aback. Marceline hadn’t snapped at her since before they were friends. “I’m sorry,” was an automatic follow up. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just…it’s kind of a sensitive topic for me, okay?”

“Understood.” Bonnie replied.

Marceline took hold of Bonnie’s hand again and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Seriously. Calm down, dude. I’m okay. I shouldn’t have snapped at you, and I’m sorry. Let’s just forget it, okay?”

Bonnie nodded, squeezing Marceline’s cool hand back. “Yeah. Have you done our History homework?”

“Cute.” Marceline snickered. “Of course not.”

“What do you do when teachers ask for it in and you haven’t done it?” Bonnie questioned.

“Easy,” Marceline responded. “I just say I’ll bring it in next lesson and then I never do. They end up forgetting about it.”

“My parents would ground me for life if I did that.”

“They don’t really seem all that strict, to be honest.” Marceline said.

“They are.” Bonnie assured. “They just like looking cool in front of my friends. I think they realised that you’re like, ten times cooler than me on the social hierarchy and didn’t act all over-protective and junk.”

“Okay, what the fuck is a social hierarchy?” Marceline laughed. “And I’m definitely not – fuck!” Bonnie tried not to laugh as Marceline nearly slipped over on some ice and grabbed onto her for support, “Cooler than you.”

“You’re in a band. That automatically puts you pretty high on the coolness scale in my books.” Bonnie responded. “Someone like you wouldn’t have even acknowledged me back in New York.”

Marceline frowned. “I don’t get why you think I’m so cool. I’m not, man.”

“I don’t know. I guess I just never expected one of my closest friends to be in a band and have cool older friends and be all ‘punk rock’ and stuff.” Bonnie rambled.

Marceline froze. “Closest friends?”

Bonnie blushed. “Oops. I guess…yeah. I mean, you know about me liking girls, and I trust you. I like spending time with you and I actually see you outside of school.”

Marceline smiled and wrapped her arms around Bonnie in a hug. “You’re such a nerd.”

Bonnie grinned at how Marceline was opening up to her more and more and initiating contact, something that would have shocked her a few weeks ago. She really did love how close they were becoming.

“Yup,” Bonnie laughed, “And you’re one by association.”

Chapter Text

Thursday 13^th March 2014

Bonnie managed to convince Marceline to sit on her table with Lady and Gumball in English. Well…she didn’t convince her; she grabbed onto Marceline’s backpack and pulled her down into the seat next to her. “Whoa, was there any need to attack me?”

Bonnie nodded. “Yes, because you probably would have just gone off and sat by yourself.”

“I like sitting by myself. I can put my music in while I work and nobody tries to talk to me.” Marceline reasoned. “Can I leave now?”

Bonnie kept a tight grip on the sleeve of Marceline’s leather jacket. “Stay.”

Marceline sighed, her gaze flicking over to Bonnibel’s two friends who were looking rather apprehensive. “Do I have to?”

“Yes.” Bonnie confirmed. “Can I trust you not to run away if I let go of your jacket?”

Marceline let out a long sigh, although Bonnie could tell she was just pretending to be annoyed. “I guess.”

Bonnie let go of Marceline’s jacket and smiled. “Good.”

“Why do you even want me to sit with you? We always end up distracted in History.” Marceline pointed out. “And I don’t want to compromise your education, Bonnie.” Really, she just liked listening to music for an hour without being disturbed; Betty always just let her get on with her work.

“You’re ridiculous.” Bonnie rolled her eyes. “You’re staying here from now on, and I swear if you want to listen to music I won’t annoy you.”

“You don’t annoy me.” Marceline replied, a little too quickly. She realised she wasn’t just by herself with Bonnie, and put on a smirk. “Much.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Right back at you.”

Bonnibel watched as Marceline got her notebook and folder out of her backpack, and couldn’t help but admire how good Marceline looked in her leather jacket and purple Led Zeppelin t-shirt. “Are you going to get your stuff out or just keep checking me out?”

Bonnie blushed. “Uh…yeah. My stuff, I mean. I wasn’t checking you out.”

“I know. I was just kidding, dude.” Marceline rolled her eyes as she placed her backpack on the floor and leaned back on her chair. She turned to Bonnie’s friends, who had been watching the scene in surprise. They hadn’t realised how close Marceline and Bonnibel had become. Marceline nodded in acknowledgement at them. “Hey.”

Lady tried a smile. After all, she had promised Bonnibel she’d be nice to Marceline. “Hi…so…you two really are friends.”

Marceline looked to Bonnie, who was fumbling with her backpack. “Nah, not really. She’s too uncool for me.”

Bonnie overheard and gave Marceline a small smack on the arm. “Meanie.”

“Hey! I was only kidding.” Marceline rubbed her arm where Bonnibel had hit it. “Damn, Bonnie. That hurt. You need to be careful with me, I’m fragile.”

Bonnie chuckled. “Okay, Marcy. Sorry.”

Marceline looked to Lady. “If that didn’t prove it for you, yes, we are friends. She bullies me, though.”

Bonnie scoffed and looked up. “I do not. You always tease me and try to scare me.”

“That’s because it’s funny.” Marceline shot Bonnie a wide grin. “And you’re cute when you get all annoyed.”

Bonnie blushed. “I’m not cute.”

“You tell yourself that, dork.” Marceline rolled her eyes, untangling her earphones.

Bonnie frowned, taking them from her. “Hey! You said you’d be sociable.”

“And you said you won’t annoy me if I wanted to listen to music.” Marceline shot back, outstretching her hand for her earphones. “Give ‘em, come on.”

Bonnie sighed. “Just put one in, okay? I want to get to talk to you a little.”

“Okay,” Marceline nodded, plugging them into her phone and putting an earphone in one ear. She tapped around on her phone for a few seconds, picking a song, and then locked it and placed it on the desk.

Bonnie then turned to Gumball. “So, how’s it going with Operation Marshall?”

Gumball’s eyes widened. “Bubblegum! Lady is literally right next to me!”

“She already knows!” Bonnie laughed. “You’re not that good at hiding it, you know.”

“Oh, God!” Gumball’s face paled. “What if Marshall knows? That’ll ruin everything! But I can’t ask him, because then he will know and then what will I do?”

Marceline looked up from where she was sat doodling in her notebook. “You can relax, dude. He’s way too stupid and self-absorbed to figure out you like him.”

Gumball frowned at her. “That’s a relief. And don’t talk about him like that.”

Gumball’s eyes immediately widened after he realised what he said, and Bonnie figured he thought Marceline was going to hit him or something. She didn’t.

“I’m just telling the truth, man.” Marceline shrugged. “Sue me for trying to help.”

Bonnie felt Marceline grab hold of her hand under the table, and she smiled. Bonnibel gave Marceline’s cold hand a reassuring squeeze.

Lady seemed surprised that Marceline didn’t at least glare at him. “Hold on…you’re not going to hit him for talking back to you?”

Marceline looked up, and eyebrow raised in amusement. “No. Why would I?”

Lady frowned. “But…you’re supposed to be mean.”

“I am? Okay…let’s see…” Marceline bit on her lip in thought, “Oh, I know -,”

Bonnie cut in before Marceline could say anything potentially terrifying. “Marceline…you promised to be nice to my friends.”

“I promised to be nice to Lady. I said nothing about the others.” Marceline shot back. “And technically, I’m not breaking any of your rules. They’re asking me to be mean. I’m just being nice and coming through.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Just be nice, okay?”

“Okay,” Marceline said, shooting her a smile and squeezing Bonnie’s hand, before dropping it and picking up her pen again. “The things I do for you, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel chuckled. “You’re the cute one, by the way.”

Marceline laughed. “I’m really not. Trust me on that. I’m the ‘scary’ one, according to your buds here.”

“Sorry for interpreting your death glares as scary.” Lady muttered, not expecting Marceline to hear.

“I don’t think I’ve ever glared at you before. You’re okay.” Marceline replied.

Lady looked up in surprise. She really wasn’t expecting that. “I’m okay?”

“Yeah.”

Bonnie hugged Marceline before she could say anything else. She got close to Marceline’s ear, and whispered two words. “Thank you.”

“Don’t sweat it, man.” Marceline whispered back.

Lady shot Marceline a real smile, and Bonnie was incredibly happy. She’d honestly expected Marceline to act cold towards her friends. “You know…you’re okay too.”

“Seriously, thanks for being nice to my friends.” Bonnie smiled as she walked out of school with Marceline.

“Seriously, stop saying thank you.” Marceline said for what felt like the hundredth time. “They’re not that bad, I guess. And I mean, they care about you, so at least we have one thing in common.”

“That was smooth.” Bonnie teased.

Marceline just shrugged. “I’ve done better.”

“Yeah? Try some of your flirty moves on me, then.” Bonnie leaned back on the passenger door of Marceline’s car, sending her a challenging smirk.

Marceline rolled her eyes and smiled. “Are you asking me to seduce you or something? In the middle of the parking lot? Damn, Bonnie, that’s pretty hardcore.”

Bonnibel blushed. “I’m not asking you to seduce me. I just want to see some of your moves.”

Marceline raised an eyebrow. “You’re already blushing; I don’t think you need the sexual goddess that is me making you even worse.”

“Sexual goddess?” Bonnie laughed. “Wow.”

Marceline couldn’t hold back her laughter either, leaning against the car next to Bonnie. “Yeah, that was a joke. You do realise I haven’t had a date in like 3 years, right?”

“At least you’ve had a date.” Bonnie replied.

“You said you’d never had a crush on anyone.” Marceline frowned. “So I don’t know what you’re expecting.”

“Yeah, I said that when I still thought you were a demon from the gates of hell.” Bonnie said. “Of course I’ve -,”

“Hold on, demon from the gates of hell? Really?” For a second, Bonnie thought Marceline was mad, and looked up at Marceline to make amends, only to see her lightly laughing. “I don’t think I was that bad.”

Bonnie just shrugged in defence. “You threatened to kill me like three times and sent me death glares quite a lot, too.”

Marceline scratched the back of her neck and then pulled Bonnie in for a hug. “Sorry. You’re my bud now, though.”

Bonnie hugged Marceline back. “I know. You’re my friend too, and I forgive you for all the pre-friendship stuff.”

Marceline gave Bonnie one last squeeze. “Good. Anyway, back onto the conversational topic from before – who were you loving it up with back in New York then, huh?”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘loving it up’. She wasn’t really...understanding when I admitted my feelings for her.” Bonnie sighed at the memory. “It was horrible. One minute she was my best friend, and the next she hates me.”

“Well, she’s a fucking dickhead, then.”

“You went kind of British when you said the d word.” Bonnie chuckled, “It was cute.”

“Fuck off.” Marceline pushed herself off the car and walked round to the driver’s side, getting in. “You want me to drive to New York and hit her for you?”

“You can’t even snap a Twizzler in half.” Bonnie pointed out as she got in the car. “I’d rather get a hug. You’re a good hugger.”

Marceline leaned over and gave Bonnibel a tight hug. “Here, dork. And in my defence, I can snap a Twizzler in half.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Marcy.” Bonnie chuckled, as Marceline stopped hugging Bonnie and went to start the car. “I just don’t get how you’re such a weakling -,”

Marceline scoffed. “I am not a weakling.”

“Let me finish,” Bonnie rolled her eyes. “I don’t get how you’re such a weakling and yet you can throw a good punch.”

“I can only do that when I’m angry.” Marceline said. “Which isn’t often, really.”

Bonnie frowned. “How come you hit Ricardio so hard, then?”

“He made me angry.” Marceline shrugged. “By harassing you.”

“But you didn’t like me then.” Bonnie pointed out. “We weren’t friends when you stopped him.”

“Bonnie, I’ve liked you a lot longer than I admitted,” Marceline revealed, “I was just trying not to.”

“Why?”

“Socks.”

Bonnie sighed. “You’ll tell me eventually, right?”

“Eventually, yes.” Marceline told her.

Bonnie studied Marceline for a second. She couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t tell her things. She could trust Bonnie. “Why not now, then?”

“Socks.”

“Come on,” Bonnie pleaded, “At least tell me that.”

“Well, for you to be able to understand the answers to a lot of the questions you ask, you’d have to know a lot of background information which is usually traumatising to relive and I don’t really know if I can trust you with that stuff yet.” Marceline explained.

Bonnie frowned. “You can trust me, you know.”

“I know. You’re pretty rad with how you don’t care about gossip and junk and I don’t think you’d tell anyone.” Marceline replied as she backed out of the parking space they were in.

“Then why won’t you tell me now?” Bonnie asked.

“Because a lot of it is pretty…intense…and I don’t want you to judge me on it.” Marceline admitted. “It’s just a little soon for that, okay?”

“I wouldn’t judge you.” Bonnie assured. “Seriously. You know I wouldn’t.”

“Bonnie, can we just drop it?”

“Fine,” Bonnibel answered, “But will tell me, right?”

“Like I said, eventually.” Marceline confirmed as they drove away from school. “Anyway, we’re doing a coffee run and then I’ll drop you off at your house. I can give you a ride on mornings if you want.”

“I don’t have any money for coffee,” Bonnie said, “And if it’s not too much trouble, that’d be cool. My Mom has to go into work earlier now, so I’ll have to start getting the bus soon.”

“It’s on me,” Marceline replied, “And yeah, I’ll probably be round for like, 8:30? Marshall and I sometimes go earlier and stop by McDonald’s.”

“Speaking of Marshall, have you just driven off without him?” Bonnie laughed.

“Nah, he had extra math after school until 4:30. I’m not waiting another hour.” Marceline said. “It won’t kill him to walk home.”

Bonnie nodded. “Yeah, I guess. Would you want to come in and hang out with me for a bit when we get to mine?”

“I can’t. Keila and I are doing some writing tonight.” Marceline replied, and Bonnie couldn’t help but feel deflated. “Sorry, dude. Maybe some other time.”

“Am I still coming over on Saturday to sleep over?” Bonnie questioned.

“Yup,” Marceline confirmed, popping the p, “If you still want to, that is.”

“Of course I still want to.” Bonnie smiled.

“Okay, cool. Band practise is at my house this week anyways, so when you come they might still be hanging around. But I mean, you know 2/4, so it’ll be fine,” Marceline assured.

Bonnie frowned. “Keila and you?”

“No, Keila and Marshall. I wasn’t including myself in that.” Marceline rolled her eyes “Duh,”

“Well, sorry I’m not psychic.” Bonnie shot back. “It would be cool if I was, though.”

“For you,” Marceline added, “I’d be terrified if you could read my thoughts. You really don’t want to know what’s going on up here,” She tapped her temple with two fingers.

“Why don’t I want to know that?” Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, it’s just intense.” Marceline said. “A lot of stuff goes on up there.”

Bonnie just shrugged. “I bet you’re just secretly thinking about how much you want to make out with me or something.”

She looked over to Marceline to see if she’d had an effect; she hadn’t. Marceline was smirking at her, rather than blushing, which was Bonnie’s desired effect. “Look, flirty Bonnie came out to play. Sorry, dude. I don’t fuck dorks.”

Bonnie just rolled her eyes, aware of the embarrassed red hue on her cheeks. “Whatever. I know you’re straight, Marceline.”

Bonnie could’ve sworn Marceline muttered, “I’m not straight,” under her breath, but decided not to comment. “So, why do you feel the need to take me on a coffee run, anyways?”

“I like coffee, and I like you. Combine the two and that’s enough to make me happy for the night.” Marceline shrugged. “Nah, I don’t know. I just want to buy you a drink. What do you want?”

“You don’t have to buy me anything.” Bonnie insisted. “I can pay you when we get to my house.”

“Just let me buy you coffee, Bonnie,” Marceline sighed. “Please.”

“Why?”

“Socks.”

“Seriously? You can’t just use that every time I ask you a question.” Bonnie exclaimed. “I highly doubt this will involve you telling me anything you like to keep secret.”

“Well, it doesn’t,” Marceline admitted, “But it’s embarrassing.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes, “Come on, I won’t make fun of you. I swear.” Bonnie linked her pinky with Marceline’s, “See, pinky swear. That’s the most sacred of all promises.”

Marceline let out a long sigh. “I guess I just want to thank you or whatever.”

Bonnie frowned. Thank her? Thank her for what? “What do you mean?”

“For like…putting up with all of my bitchiness, I guess.” Bonnie found herself smiling at the pink blush on Marceline’s cheeks. “Just…thanks for not giving up on me, Bonnie. You’re really rad.”

“Aw, Marceline!” Bonnie couldn’t help but grin. She really did think that was sweet. “You don’t need to buy me coffee for that. You’ve thanked me enough by just being my friend and looking after me even when you weren’t.”

“Just let me do this one thing.” Marceline said. “I just want to do something nice for you.”

“Well, do you buy your other friends things?”

“I buy Keila presents sometimes.” Marceline shrugged. It was a normal thing for both her and Keila to buy something for the other when they saw something in the store that they thought one another would like. “She gets me stuff too.”

“You guys are cute.” Bonnie smiled. “I guess I could let you buy me a coffee, but I’ll buy you something some other time. Like, some guitar strings or something.”

“Dude, no.” Marceline looked at her like she’d just committed murder. “Guitar strings are hella expensive.”

“Did you just say ‘hella’?” Bonnie laughed. “Fine, I’ll get you a few guitar picks or whatever.”

“I guess that’s okay.” Marceline sighed. “But it kind of ruins the whole purpose of me buying you coffee to show my gratitude.”

“Sorry to one-up you.” Bonnie apologised. “I just wanted to pay you back.”

“Yeah, but by paying me back, it devalues the original purpose of my actions.” Marceline rambled.

Bonnie frowned. She really didn’t get what Marceline meant. “Right…well, I’ll only get you one guitar pick. Deal?”

Bonnie extended her hand, and Marceline took one hand off of the steering wheel and shook Bonnie’s. “Deal.”

“What do you want?” Marceline asked as they pulled up in the parking lot of the local Starbucks.

“Um…a Frappuccino.” Bonnie said.

“Any specific flavour?” Marceline questioned.

“Surprise me.”

Marceline brought back a strawberry Frappuccino for Bonnie – which she defended with “It was pink so you must like it.” – and a vanilla latte for herself. She placed her drink in the cup holder and pulled out of the parking lot. “Okay, let’s get you home so you can study.”

“I don’t just study, you know.” Bonnie rolled her eyes.

“Really? What else do you do, then?” Marceline raised her eyebrows as if she was challenging Bonnie. “You’re like, queen nerd.”

“And you’re like, queen punk.”

“You always seem to forget that being punk is a compliment to me.” Marceline said. “But I mean, if you’re looking to offend me, you can always call me a drug addict again.”

Bonnie sighed in exasperation. “I apologised for that. I know you don’t do drugs.”

“I know. I just think it’s funny.” Marceline smirked.

“Really? Why did you want to hit me when I called you it, then?” Bonnie frowned.

Marceline laughed. “Are you seriously asking that question?”

“Yes.” Bonnie replied. She really didn’t get what was so funny about that.

“So, you wouldn’t get offended if someone you barely knew called you a drug addict?”

That was when Bonnie got it. Her eyes widened in realisation. “Oh. Yeah…okay. I get it now. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”

“I deserved it, man. Don’t apologise.” Marceline rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t deserve me judging you -,”

Marceline cut her off quickly. “Have you not realised I’m a hypocritical bitch yet? I literally judged you straight away. I thought you were – actually, no. I’m not going into that. My point is, don’t apologise, because I bitched at you for being judgemental when I was judgemental myself.”

“What did you think I was?” Bonnie was rather curious to know, even though she knew she’d probably regret asking.

“I’m not telling you.”

“No, tell me.” Bonnie persisted. “I’ll tell you what I thought of you.”

“I don’t even want to know, Bonnie.”

“Please?”

“Ugh,” Marceline huffed. “Fine. Just remember that you asked for this.”

“Okay.”

“I thought you were a pretentious, bitchy cheerleader type that always appears nice but is actually fucking Darth Vader in disguise.” Marceline muttered.

Bonnie laughed. “Okay, first of all, Darth Vader? Really? You call me a nerd when you make Star Wars references? Secondly, cheerleader? I’m about as coordinated as a blind walrus.”

“I feel bad for walruses.” Marceline absently replied. “You make them out to be tone-deaf, uncoordinated, and generally useless.” Suddenly, she seemingly snapped out of a daydream. “Sorry. Off topic. But yeah, I didn’t know you, so what was I supposed to think? You’re a pretty teenage girl. Sorry the connotations suck.”

Bonnie grinned; Marceline had called her pretty. “You think I’m pretty?”

“You are pretty.” Marceline said. “Work it, girl. Okay, literally forget I just said that. Jesus fucking Christ. ‘Work it’? What the fuck is wrong with me?”

“Don’t forget that you just called me ‘girl’. Who are you, LSP?” Bonnie laughed.

“If you ever make that comparison again, I’ll…I’ll do something.”

Bonnie smirked. She couldn’t help but love how Marceline suddenly couldn’t think of any empty threats to shoot her way. “You can’t even threaten me anymore. It’s cute.”

“I’m not cute.” Marceline pouted, making her look even cuter, in Bonnie’s opinion. “I’ll probably just glare at you disapprovingly if you ever compare me to her again.”

“Glare at me disapprovingly.” Bonnie repeated. “Wow. I’m shaking in my boots.”

“You’re not wearing boots.”

Bonnie looked down to her pink Converse. “Don’t be a smart ass.”

“Did you just say ass?” Marceline frowned, and then her red eyes widened in fright. “Okay, who the fuck are you and what have you done with Bonnie?”

“Very funny.”

“I’m serious.” Marceline continued. “If you don’t tell me where she is I’ll beat you up until you do, you alien imposter!”

Bonnie laughed, gently hitting Marceline’s upper arm. “Shut up, you. I swear I’m not an alien imposter.”

“You’d better not be.” Marceline stated. “Because I honestly cannot be bothered to go through time and space to rescue you.”

“Really? You’d just let aliens kidnap me? Thanks, Marceline.” Bonnie chuckled.

“Well, let’s face it,” Marceline began. “You’d enjoy it. You’d be all like ‘science!’ and you’d probably become best friends with your alien captors and talk about a bunch of science stuff.”

Bonnie considered Marceline’s point. “True. I guess you’d be doing me a favour and letting me fly around in outer space. You never know, I might meet Luke Skywalker or something.”

Marceline was silent for a second, before smiling. “Maybe I’d join you for a little bit.”

“Thought so.” Bonnie smiled, sipping on her Frappuccino.

When Marceline dropped Bonnie off at home, Marceline didn’t even bother asking for a hug and just grabbed Bonnie before she left and hugged her tight. “This is compulsory, okay? You have to hug me when you leave.”

Bonnie laughed, wrapping her arms around Marceline’s skinny waist. “You know, I never would’ve thought you were such a hugger.”

“I like cuddles. Judge me.” Marceline shrugged, giving Bonnie one last squeeze before letting go. “Anyways, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow. Study for the History test, okay?” Bonnie said as she climbed out of the car.

Marceline laughed. “Yeah, okay.”

“Seriously! You need to get good grades.” Bonnie exclaimed.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you at school.”

“Yeah, bye.” Bonnie shot Marceline one last smile before shutting the car door and walking up her driveway. She’d just unlocked the front door when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She unlocked it, laughing out loud at the message as she walked into her house and shut the door.

Marceline (4:15PM): c u l8r gurl

Marceline (4:15PM): that was sarcastic if you didn’t get that

Bonnibel (4:16PM): Yeah, I realised. I’d be slightly worried if you sent that text in seriousness.

Marceline (4:16PM): wot gurl I always txt lyk dis wat u talkin about

Bonnibel laughed again, her Mom frowning at her from the top of the stairs. “Who’re you texting?”

“Marceline. She’s being a dork.” Bonnie smiled down at her phone, before texting back.

Bonnie (4:17PM): I couldn’t even understand half of that. I loved the different variations of ‘what’.

Marceline (4:18PM): good I pride myself on my wide vocabulary

Marceline (4:18PM): I would be worried if you could understand that to be honest

Bonnibel (4:19PM): I’m worried for anyone who can understand that.

Bonnie (4:19PM): Now stop texting, I don’t want you to crash your car or anything.

Marceline (4:21PM): not gonna crash my car

Bonnie (4:21PM): Well, I worry. Please stop texting because I don’t want to get a message saying you died in a car crash or something. I care about you. :)

Marceline (4:22PM): dammit you’re too nice

Marceline (4:22PM): I care about you too by the way :)

Bonnie (4:22PM): Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Marceline (4:24PM): yeah, see you then

Bonnie smiled, locking her phone and heading upstairs, passing by her Mom. “What were you guys talking about?”

“Oh, she was just typing funny to make me laugh.” Bonnie said. “It was a joke.”

She left before her Mom could question her any more about her texts with Marceline, and sat down on her bed, pulling out a book. She opened it on the page that was bookmarked, and read as much as she could, although she couldn’t help but be distracted at how happy she was. Marceline was actually opening up around her and being herself.

In all honesty, Bonnie was overjoyed. She just hoped nothing would screw this up.

Saturday 15^th March 2014

When Bonnie arrived at Marceline’s, there were a few cars in the drive and pulled up outside, and Bonnie knew that Marceline’s band practice was still going on. She wasn’t sure if she should just go back home and wait and hour or so, but she couldn’t be bothered to walk back to her house, so she just knocked on the door.

Keila was the one who opened it, shooting her the biggest grin imaginable. “Hey! I didn’t know you were coming. Marmalade didn’t say anything.”

“Is the rest of your band here?” Bonnie asked. She knew she probably should say hello, but honestly, she was rather scared to meet Marceline’s bandmates.

“Yeah, they’re upstairs.” Keila said, seeming to sense Bonnie’s nerves. “Don’t be worried. Guy and Bongo are cool. Guy might hit on you, but Bongo’s pretty quiet.”

“Should I just walk into the room and announce I like girls, then?” Bonnie asked, but then her eyes widened when she realised that she just came out unintentionally. Being out around Marceline had made her feel way too comfortable.

“Actually, that might be a good plan.” Keila smiled, grabbing Bonnie’s hand and pulling her up the stairs. “He’ll back off once you tell him you’re not interested.”

Bonnie smiled. Obviously, Keila didn’t seem to care that Bonnie liked girls. “Well, I’m not.”

Keila pulled her into Marceline’s room and then went to sit back on the bed. She grabbed the guitar in Marceline’s hands. “Give me my baby back.”

“You literally threw it at me and ran away when the doorbell rang.” Marceline stated, passing it back to the always optimistic older girl. “Don’t act like I stole it. Hey, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel smiled, sitting next to Marceline on the bed and hugging her. “Hey. How are you?”

Marceline shrugged. “I’m fine. You?”

“Happy.” Bonnie smiled. “I always try to be as optimistic as possible.”

Marceline looked from Bonnie to Keila. She saw a correlation between the two of them. “Okay, have you guys been hanging out behind my back or something?”

Keila frowned. “No?”

“You two are oddly alike.” Marceline frowned. “It’s creeping me out a little.”

Bonnie laughed. “How are we alike?”

“Well, you’re both weirdly happy all the time, you’re both smart as hell, you’re both my friends -,” Keila cut Marceline off with a small clearing of her throat. Marceline rolled her eyes. “Keila, you know you’re my best friend.”

“I know, I just like hearing you say it.” Keila smiled. “Continue.”

Marceline shot Bonnie and exasperated look, before continuing. “I don’t know, guys. You’re just alike and it’s creeping me out. Maybe I just have a weird choice in friends or something.”

“Dude,” The guy with the shaggy, sandy hair who was absently tapping the keys on a keyboard spoke up. Bonnie recognised him. “I am not like Keila.”

Keila scoffed. “Yeah, I’m better.”

“You both act like you’re five.” Marceline replied.

“So do you!” Keila exclaimed.

“Did I say that was a bad thing?” Marceline chuckled. “No. I’m just pointing out similarities.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “I’m just saying, I’m nothing like her.”

“Guy, shut the fuck up.” Keila huffed. “Stop being childish. We have company.”

Guy’s eyes landed on Bonnie then, and she couldn’t help but shuffle a little closer to Marceline. Bonnie couldn’t help but gaze at the rather intimidating lip ring he was wearing. “Well, hey there. How’s about you and me ditch these losers and -,”

“You’re literally the biggest douchebag on the planet.” Keila sighed and sat back on the bed on Marceline’s other side, plucking the strings on her guitar. “She’s not interested.”

“Oh, can you read her fucking mind?” Guy rolled his eyes. “Seriously. Who isn’t interested in me?”

“Every female on the planet.” Marceline muttered.

Keila tried to hold back her laughter, but couldn’t. “That was good, Marmalade.”

“Thanks.” Marceline smirked, before wrapping an arm around Bonnie’s shoulder. “Besides, she’s my girlfriend, dude. Back the fuck off.”

Bonnie blushed scarlet at the thought, but she wasn’t planning on objecting. If it would make Marceline’s friend back off, Bonnie was happy to go along with it. “Yeah.”

Guy sighed. “Dammit. Why are the hot ones always taken?”

Bonnie blushed even harder at that. Marceline glared at him. “Dude! Seriously, back the fuck off.”

Guy held his hands up in defence. “Sorry. Jeez.”

Marceline rolled her eyes, before turning to Bonnie and nodding towards Guy. “In case you didn’t realise, that douche is Guy, and the quiet guy sitting in the corner being antisocial as fuck is Bongo.”

Bonnie looked over at Bongo. He was pale, with a curly mop of black hair and incredibly toned biceps. Bonnie was sure he could probably snap her in half. However, the smile she was receiving from him told her he probably wouldn’t do that. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Bonnie said. “I’m Bonnibel.”

He nodded and went back to whatever he was doing on his phone. Bonnie guessed he wasn’t a talker. Marceline then captured Bonnie’s attention as she took her arm from around her and started playing a relaxing sequence of notes on her bass. Bonnie rested her head on Marceline’s shoulder. “That’s nice.”

“Thanks.”

“What song is it?” Bonnie asked.

“It’s not really a song. I’m just playing whatever comes to mind.” Marceline shrugged.

Bonnie was incredibly impressed. She could never make music that nice if she put her full focus into it; Marceline was just plucking anything and somehow it came together beautifully. “How do you do stuff like that?”

“I’m just playing scales; notes that naturally work with one another.” Marceline said. “You just put them in a random order and then you’ve got a riff or a solo. Usually we come up with songs by just messing around and playing whatever sounds right.”

Bonnie smiled. “That’s really cool.”

“Thanks.” Marceline said, squeezing Bonnie’s hand. In a hushed voice, she added, “Sorry I told him we were dating. I figured you wanted him to back off but it was the first thing that came to mind.”

“Hey, I don’t mind.” Bonnie held her hands up in defence. “Not that I like you like that, or anything, I just -,”

“Bonnie, I know. Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you like every girl you see.” Marceline cut in. “I know that. You don’t need to reaffirm that you don’t like me romantically every time you hug me or something.”

Bonnie hugged Marceline. “Thanks. You’re the greatest.”

“I wouldn’t say that, but -,” Bonnie shot her a stern look, and she sighed. “Fine, I guess I’m the greatest.”

“Damn right you are.” Bonnie grinned.

Marceline’s bandmates slowly dispersed within the next half hour, until it was just Marceline and Keila left keeping Bonnie company; Marshall had gone out with Guy and Bongo.

Keila was sat absent-mindedly strumming a chord sequence on guitar, and Bonnibel was watching as Marceline played along with it on one of her electric guitars, plucking singular notes. She was fascinated by how they both seemed so synchronised. They were listening to each chord change the other made, and Bonnie was very relaxed listening to the calming music.

Suddenly, Keila switched the chord sequence, and Marceline frowned and stopped playing. “Hey. What song is that? I recognise it.”

“Stay Awake by All Time Low.”

“Play the chorus again,” Marceline said.

When Keila restarted the chord sequence, Marceline began singing along, and Bonnie was suddenly paying full attention to every single sound. She’d only ever heard Marceline sing through doors and over the top of her favourite songs, and now she was getting the real thing.

“Stay awake, get a grip and get out your safe,
From the weight of the world just take,
A second to set things straight,”

Bonnie was mesmerised. She genuinely thought Marceline was better than most singers nowadays, and she just wanted to sit here and listen to Marceline sing for as long as she could. Marceline’s singing voice was as soft as silk, compared to her husky speaking voice.

“I’ll be fine,
Even though I’m not always right,
I can count on the sun to shine,
Dedication takes a lifetime
And dreams only last for a night.”

“What band was that?” Bonnie found herself asking. She really liked the lyrics, and she knew it’d remind her of this moment whenever she listened to it.

“All Time Low.” Keila said.

“The song’s called Stay Awake. They did an acoustic version, if that makes you like it even more.” Marceline added.

“It does.” Bonnie smiled. “You know me well, Marcy.”

Keila smiled. “Anyways, I’m going to leave you two to bond. I’ll see you later, Marmalade.”

Bonnie watched as Keila hugged Marceline tightly, before making her way out of the room and downstairs. Marceline then turned to Bonnie and smiled. “Sorry it took them like, ten years to leave. Anyways, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.” Bonnie shrugged. She honestly didn’t mind what they did, as long as it was fun.

“You don’t know? Bonnie, you’re the one who wanted a fucking sleepover in the first place.” Marceline laughed. “You have to have some idea.”

“I don’t have ideas! I’m new to this whole friend thing.” Bonnibel reminded her. “No friends in New York, remember?”

“You think I’m not new to this whole making friends thing?” Marceline shot back. “Dude, the last friend I made was Guy and we hated each other for like a month until we made friends.”

“That’s like us, then.” Bonnie replied.

“I didn’t hate you!” Marceline exclaimed. “I’d never hate you. You didn’t hate me, did you?”

Bonnie was honestly shocked by the genuine look of fear on Marceline’s face. “Of course I didn’t hate you. I mean, I thought you were scary, but everyone does, so…yeah. I don’t think you’re scary now, though. You’re basically a giant teddy bear.”

Marceline frowned, although Bonnie could see the relief washing over her. “I’m not. I’m tough.”

“Fine, you’re a giant, tough teddy bear.” Bonnie corrected her previous statement with a smirk, expecting Marceline to object. She didn’t.

“Damn straight I’m a tough teddy bear.”

Bonnie smiled. “You agree you’re a big cuddly idiot, then?”

Marceline rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the light hearted smile on her face. “Yes, but if you tell anyone I’ll bop you on the nose for gossiping.”

“You’ll ‘bop’ me?” Bonnie laughed. Marceline’s threats had gone from actually scary to downright adorable.

Marceline bit down on her lip and sighed, pulling her phone from her pocket. “Leave me alone.”

Bonnie smiled as she watched over Marceline. The taller girl was checking her reflection in her phone screen and fixing her hair up, and Bonnie couldn’t help but notice how she stuck her tongue out in concentration. “It’s not my fault your threats are ridiculous. You might as well offer to shower me in bunnies and rainbows. You’re losing your touch, Abadeer.”

“Hey! I thought you wanted me to be nice to you. I can bring the bitch mode back if you’re into it.” Marceline offered.

Bonnie chuckled. “No, thanks. I like my teddy bear how she is.”

“You are not calling me teddy bear. I won’t allow it.” Marceline crossed her arms and shook her head. “No way in hell, Bonnie.”

“You told me to think of a creative nickname.” Bonnie shrugged innocently. “I’m just doing what you asked of me.”

“If you call me that, I’ll bring back princess.”

Bonnie huffed. She really didn’t like that nickname; even though it wasn’t offensive or anything, it reminded Bonnie of when Marceline disliked her. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” Marceline smiled, and Bonnie couldn’t help but smile back. It was just natural; whenever Marceline smiled, Bonnie did. “I still want you to think of a good nickname, though.”

“Does it have to be approved by you?”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded. “I’m not going to let you call me anything that could ruin my rep.”

“What rep?”

Marceline laughed. “I honestly have no idea. I don’t really have a rep, do I?”

“Not really.” Bonnie said. “Unless the whole ‘fear me’ thing counts.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever said the phrase ‘fear me’ in seriousness in my life.” Marceline chuckled. “Can I just ask you something? How come that never fooled you?”

“The whole scary thing?” Bonnie asked. Marceline nodded. “I don’t know. Mostly it was just guesswork. I just hoped that you wouldn’t actually kick my teeth in if I kept on annoying you. At one point you almost had me believe the act, but then you apologised like the little softie you are -,”

“I’m not a softie.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bonnie didn’t believe that last statement for a second. “But you apologised and I realised you were actually really sweet even though you decided to hide it, and I guess after that I just kept annoying you until you realised you’re stuck with me.”

Marceline put an arm around Bonnibel. “I like being stuck with you.”

Bonnibel beamed. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve said to me.”

“Don’t make it weird.” Marceline rolled her eyes, but couldn’t fight back a small grin.

“Marceline? Why do you cut people out and pretend to be much scarier than you actually are?”

“Socks.”

“Yeah. I figured.” Bonnie sighed. She really wanted Marceline to open up to her, but she knew that probably wouldn’t happen for a little while.

Marceline could tell Bonnie was a little disheartened, and decided to brighten up the conversation and cheer Bonnie up. “So…seen any cute girls?”

Bonnie burst out laughing. That was the last topic she’d ever expected Marceline to lead her onto. She laughed so hard she was eventually fighting for breath. “Oh my God!” She managed to splutter out.

Marceline smiled. Her plan to cheer Bonnie up had worked. “What? Is it wrong to know what’s going on in my friend’s love life?”

“It’s just…really out of character. I just never would’ve expected you to ask that.” Bonnie was still chuckling to herself a little. “But no, I haven’t seen any cute girls yet. None that I would date, anyways.”

Marceline shrugged. “Well, if you do…talk to me about it. I’m okay with advice for someone whose life is so horribly fucked up and unorganised.”

“Your life isn’t screwed up.” Bonnie said.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Bonnie.” Marceline replied. “And a lot you don’t want to know about me.”

“I do want to know.”

“You don’t. Trust me.”

“I do.” Bonnie confirmed. “Can I ask you five questions? You can ‘socks’ them if you want, but I want to know some things about you.”

“Fine, I guess.”

“1) Why don’t you live with your Dad when he’s still around?” Bonnie asked.

“He’s a giant douche.”

“2) Why are your eyes red?”

“I literally have no idea. You’re the scientist, Bonnie. You figure it out.”

“3) Why did you stop being sociable and nice to people?”

“Because people are assholes.”

“4) Why do you still sleep with Hambo?”

“He stops me from getting nightmares.”

“5) What are those nightmares about?”

“My Mom.”

Bonnie frowned. Surely Marceline didn’t get nightmares about her Mom? What could trigger that sort of thing? “Oh. Okay.”

“Yeah.” Marceline scratched the back of her neck. “Satisfied?”

“Yes. For now.” Bonnie replied.

After a long silence, Marceline finally spoke up. “I’m going to go get my Star Wars DVDs. We didn’t finish the original trilogy. We got like, halfway through the Empire Strikes Back.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Bonnie smiled.

They didn’t really end up playing much attention to the movies. Bonnie spent her time plucking strings on Marceline’s ukulele and poking her until she finally decided to stop watching the TV and teach Bonnie something on it.

“Just teach me some chords.” Bonnie insisted. “You did say that you would.”

Marceline sighed and stood up, going into her closet and pulling out another black ukulele and passing that one to Bonnie. “Here, you get this one.”

“What’s the difference?” Bonnie asked as she passed Marceline the ukulele she was holding.

“The one I’m giving you is cheaper.” Marceline shrugged. “So if you break it, I won’t really care.”

Bonnie smiled, taking the ukulele from Marceline and plucking an open string. “Okay. Grace me with your musical knowledge.”

“Well…” Marceline thought for a second, before putting her ukulele down on the bed and shifting to sit behind Bonnibel. “Are you right or left handed?”

“Right handed.”

“Okay.” Marceline grabbed Bonnie’s left hand and put it to the frets. She positioned Bonnie’s fingers above certain places on strings, so eventually her hand was in the shape of a G chord. “Alright, press down on the strings. You’ll have to press pretty hard, but it should sound something like this,” Marceline picked up her own ukulele and played the chord with ease.

Bonnie nodded and mimicked Marceline, but it didn’t come out very well. Marceline cringed, and for a second, Bonnie was disheartened, until Marceline spoke up. “Yep, that’s out of tune. Give it.”

Bonnie passed over the ukulele and Marceline plucked each individual string and twiddled the knobs on the top of the instrument until she was satisfied. She strummed them all together and nodded, passing it back to Bonnie. “Okay. Just put your fingers like I showed you and then play. It should be in tune now.”

“You just tuned that by ear?” Bonnie asked, amazed as she repositioned her fingers.

“Yeah. It’s pretty easy to do once you’ve been – no, that finger goes there,” Marceline paused as she put Bonnie’s fingers in the right place on the strings. “Yeah. Tuning by ear gets easy once you’ve been playing for a while. You just get used to how it should sound.”

“That’s really amazing.” Bonnibel smiled. “Seriously. You’re really talented, Marceline.”

Marceline bit down on her lip and looked anywhere but Bonnie. “Thanks, I guess.”

Bonnie pressed her fingers down on the strings of the ukulele and strummed the chord. One of the notes didn’t come out properly – Bonnie hadn’t been holding it down hard enough, but overall, Marceline was quite impressed. “I told you that you weren’t tone-deaf.”

“Maybe you’re just a miracle worker.” Bonnie shot back, strumming the chord again. “What chord is this, again?”

“G.” Marceline said. “Actually, the chord shape you’re using now is the same shape as a D on guitar. You don’t care about that stuff, though.”

“No, I do! I find it quite interesting; you know, the mathematics of it all, the theory. Like, why is this shape a D on guitar but a G on ukulele?” Bonnie asked.

“You really want to know all that junk?” Marceline frowned. “Huh. When I was learning it all as a kid, I just wanted to get it over and done with so I could get onto the actual playing. It used to bore me a lot, but it’s useful to know, I guess.”

“Because it makes you a better musician?” Bonnie questioned.

“Interestingly, no.” Marceline said. “I mean, Marshall has no fucking clue what he’s doing most of the time, and he’s pretty good at guitar. It does make it easier to learn other instruments, though, because you can transfer most of it over and stuff.”

“Does Marshall play anything other than guitar?”

“Not really. He plays a little bit of bass, but that’s pretty much it.” Marceline said. “Anyways, yeah. Back to playing.”

“You never answered my question.” Bonnie pointed out. She actually was interested to know the answer to it, as dorky as that was. “About the chord shapes.”

“Oh. It’s literally just the way the notes are arranged. Because on guitar, the string order is EADGBe, and ukulele is GCAD. So the notes are in different places. That’s all.” Marceline replied. “Pretty simple, really.”

Bonnie played the chord again, although she had to check the positions of her fingers with Marceline. “Like this?”

Marceline nodded. “Yeah. You pick stuff up fast.”

“Thanks.” Bonnie smiled, as another question hit her. “Marceline?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you read music?” Bonnie asked. It had always amazed her how people could read music; it was almost like another language made up entirely of symbols.

“Can you breathe?” Marceline shot back, before she laughed. “Yeah, I can.”

“Was that hard to learn?” Bonnie asked.

“At first, but once you’ve got the basics down it gets pretty easy.” Marceline replied. She thought back to when she was younger and how she always used to complain to her Mom about reading sheet music and how she wanted to just play.

“I don’t get how you can call all these things easy.” Bonnie said. “It all seems so complicated to me.”

“Well, think of it this way; you can understand chemical equations and rules of physics and everything – I can’t do that.” Marceline said. “To you, that’s easy. To me, it’s like lifting a billion-tonne weight.”

“Oh.” Bonnie replied. “Because you’ve been doing it your whole life?”

“Yeah, pretty much. I just get it.” Marceline explained. “Like, how it’s just second nature to you to be a badass scientist.”

“I wouldn’t call myself badass.” Bonnie chuckled. “But thank you for the compliment. Now teach me another chord!”

Marceline taught Bonnie 4 chords; G, B, C and D, and by the end of the day, she could play a sequence of them in any order Marceline gave her, although she sometimes struggled holding her fingers down on the strings for long periods of time and occasionally got mixed up. Bonnie was honestly quite amazed; Marceline had managed to teach her – the most tone deaf person on the planet – a musical instrument.

When Bonnie announced her gratitude, Marceline laughed. “Dude, you can’t be tone deaf if you managed to pick that up so quickly. I mean, your level of intelligence probably helped, but Marshall plays guitar and his IQ isn’t exactly the highest. You’ve got to have some musical talent in there somewhere.”

“Thanks for the inspirational pep-talk, Marcy.”

“Any time.”

Marceline put the instruments away and straightened up her room a little, while Bonnie was in the bathroom getting changed. She quickly changed herself, trading her skinny jeans for sweatpants and her t-shirt for a softer, baggier one from – shockingly – almost 4 years ago. Then, she sat on her bed and strummed one of her favourite guitars – her black Fender acoustic, and waited patiently for Bonnie to return.

She was actually quite surprised by how much fun she had when she was hanging out with Bonnie. Honestly, when she first met Bonnibel, she didn’t think they’d ever talk, and she was fine with that. At first, at least. Then, Bonnie had started talking to Marshall and then started talking to her, and Marceline wanted nothing more than to keep her at arm’s length.

But then she realised what Bonnie was really like, and Marceline made the idiotic decision to open up to her.

So far, everything had been going good, but Marceline couldn’t deny that she was terrified of something ruining that, whether it be Bonnie’s stupid friends or Marceline fucking up. The only time she didn’t worry about that was when she was with Bonnie. They just had so much fun when they hung out, and Bonnie seemed to help her forget most of the things she was constantly thinking about.

Overall, Marceline was happy she took the risk and made friends with Bonnie. Things like that were never easy for her.

Bonnie arrived in the room dressed unsurprisingly in pink pyjamas, and sat down on the bed next to Marceline. She took one look at Marceline's attire and frowned. “No, I have something for you!”

“If it’s pink, I’m not wearing it.”

“It’s not pink.” Bonnie promised.

Marceline was surprised when Bonnie passed her the black t-shirt she’d given her that night she took her home from the party. She frowned as Bonnie passed it to her. “Uh…why are you giving this back?”

“Well, it doesn’t smell like you anymore, so I need you to wear it and then get it back to me in the morning.”

Marceline frowned at the shirt and then at Bonnie, although she was relieved that Bonnie wasn’t just giving her the shirt because she didn’t want it anymore. “Wait…why do you want it to smell like me?”

“It’s comforting. Like how you need Hambo to sleep. I like sleeping in that because it reminds me that even though a lot of people have left before, I’m pretty confident that you won’t.” Bonnie explained. “I know it’s pretty nerdy, but -,”

“Hey.” Marceline cut her off. “It’s not nerdy. I get it.” Bonnie saw her gaze flick down to the stuffed toy in her arms.

In all honesty, Marceline felt like spilling everything then and there. Everything about her past, confiding in Bonnie about every single thing that had happened to her, all because of that one statement.

“Even though a lot of people have left before,”

Bonnie knew what it was like, too. That thought comforted Marceline a lot.

Her train of thought was cut off when Bonnie spoke up. “So, what’re we going to do now?”

“I don’t know. We can play video games or something?” Marceline offered, deciding that she probably shouldn’t tell Bonnie about everything just yet. She needed time.

Bonnie shook her head. “No. You’re scary when we play video games. And you cheat.”

“I do not cheat!” Marceline exclaimed. “I just…change the odds a little bit.”

“By cheating.” Bonnie finished.

Marceline just glared at her. “I stand by my statement that I’m not a cheater. I just know how to subtly move things to my advantage.”

“Subtly? You mean by stealing my controller and throwing it around the room?”

“I…yeah.” Marceline nodded. “I really need to look up the definition of subtlety, don’t I?”

“A little bit, yeah.” Bonnie smiled “Can we just…listen to music and talk?”

“Sure. I’ll put my chilled playlist on.” Marceline fiddled about with her phone for a second, scrolling through her music library. She opened up her playlists and clicked on one labelled ‘sleep’, and set it to shuffle the songs. Then she set her phone on her bedside table and got herself comfortable, before turning to Bonnie. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Anything, to be honest.” Bonnie said. “You. Life. Other things.”

“Me?” Marceline raised an eyebrow. “What sort of stuff?”

“Anything. Like…why did you get into music?”

“I got into music because I grew up with it. I mean, my Mom was a musician, and we used to listen to music all the time. She’d play me her violin and almost every time I wouldn’t stop asking her to teach me.” Bonnie saw a sad smile appear on Marceline’s face. “On my fifth birthday, she took me down to the local music store and bought me my first violin. I was so happy. It was the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

Bonnie smiled, but felt her heart aching at the tears in Marceline’s eyes. “That’s cute.”

“I guess.” Marceline muttered, wiping her eyes. “Anyways, yeah…when did – uh…when did you get into science?”

“Well, you know how little kids are always asking ‘why’ about everything?” Bonnie asked, trying not to think about how upset Marceline seemed. Marceline nodded. “I guess I just never stopped. I’ve always liked science. I like knowing how the world works and how smaller things within it work. Being in the know is always something I’ve liked.”

“Cool.”

Bonnie noticed Marceline was still a little down, and she really didn’t want to upset her any further, so she decided to change the subject. “What band are we listening to right now? I like the song.”

Bonnie hadn’t been paying any attention whatsoever to the song, but it was the only excuse she could think of. Marceline frowned for a second, before responding. “I Hope You Know by Plug In Stereo.”

Now that Bonnie was actually listening to the song, she realised she quite liked it. “Okay, thanks.”

“I like how you’re suddenly asking me about bands. I’m turning you into a groupie.” Marceline chuckled.

Bonnie was happy Marceline seemed to be cheering up. “The only band I’d ever be a groupie of is probably yours, and I haven’t even listened to any of your songs.”

“We suck.”

“I bet you don’t.” Bonnie said. “From what I’ve heard of you and Keila playing together, I assume you’re really good, and I want to listen to you play sometime. Okay?”

“I’ll play for you soon, I promise.”

“Okay.”

“It’ll be a one-off acoustic performance just for you.” Marceline stated. “I’ll try not to suck.”

“I’ll hit you if you say you suck again.” Bonnie threatened, although they both knew she wouldn’t ever do anything like that.

“Whoa, chill. No need to beat me up, Bonnie. Jeez, you’re so violent.” Marceline teased. “You shouldn’t threaten people.”

“And that’s coming from you?” Bonnie exclaimed. “You threaten everyone!”

“Only if they talk to me.” Marceline held her hands up in defence. “And it’s not like I’d ever follow through on said threats.”

“That doesn’t make it any better.” Bonnie laughed. “I’m just glad you don’t threaten me anymore.”

Marceline smiled and pulled her in for a hug. “You know I like you.”

“I do.” Bonnie grinned. “And I like you too.”

They got under the covers of Marceline’s bed, and Bonnie suggested they play sleepover games. Typically, Marceline rolled her eyes, but she went along with it and gave a few options for them to choose from.

“Fuck, Marry, Kill; Truth or Dare…uh…we could always get drunk and play Never Have I Ever.”

“I think we’ll stick to the ones that don’t involve alcohol.” Bonnie smiled.

“Truth or Dare is pretty boring with just two people, so I guess we could play Fuck, Marry, Kill.” Marceline said, mostly to herself. “You know the rules?”

“No. As you probably guessed, I wasn’t really invited to any sleepovers back in New York due to my…preferences.” Bonnie said.

“I’m super close to driving to New York and hitting the people you used to be friends with.”

Bonnie chuckled. “Actually, I wouldn’t have a problem if you did, but I’d rather have you here with me.”

“You’re cute.” Marceline smiled. Bonnie blushed and tried to ignore the little butterflies in her stomach, mentally scolding herself. “Anyway, the rules of the game are where you list 3 people and you have to choose which you fuck, kill or marry. It’s pretty simple.”

Bonnie frowned. “I only have one problem.”

“What’s that?” Marceline asked.

“I’m asexual.”

“That’s cool, we’ll just change it to kiss, marry, kill.”

“Wait…you know what asexuality is?” Bonnie was quite shocked by this. Most people usually asked her to explain when she told them that.

“Do I look like an idiot?” Marceline raised an eyebrow. “Of course I know what it is.”

Bonnie smiled; Marceline always made her feel accepted no matter what. She decided to test the limits of Marceline’s acceptance. “Hey, Marceline? I killed a guy today, do you know how to hide a body?”

“You killed someone and didn’t call me to help? Bonnie, that’s so rude.”

Bonnie couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Marceline joined in; Bonnie’s laughter was infectious. Once they’d sobered up, Marceline turned to Bonnie. “You didn’t actually kill anyone, right?”

“Nope.”

“Alright.” Marceline shuffled further under the covers to warm herself up. Bonnie felt her grab her hand from under the covers, and she felt the rough, calloused pads of Marceline’s fingers gently tracing patterns on her skin. “Fuck the game. I’m going to go to sleep. I’m pretty tired.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.” Bonnie smiled.

“Yeah, see you in the morning.” Bonnie shuffled over to give Marceline a quick hug, which the other girl returned. When Bonnie was over on her side of the bed, Marceline gave her hand one last squeeze before letting go. “Night.”

“Goodnight.”

Bonnie wasn’t sure how long it took her to fall asleep, but she was comforted to be surrounded by Marceline’s scent.

Bonnie was shaken awake by Simon. Marceline wasn’t in the bed next to her as she was last night, and Bonnie could tell by the look on Simon’s face that something was off about him. She just couldn’t tell what, but judging by the tears in his eyes, it couldn’t be good.

Bonnie looked around the room; everything in Marceline’s room was different. It was disorganised, for one thing, and it honestly looked as though someone had gone and jumped on everything and thrown things around.

Simon finally spoke up. “Bonnibel, it’s urgent.”

Bonnie frowned, sitting up. “What’s urgent? What’s happened? Where’s Marceline?”

“Marceline is dead. She committed suicide.”

Bonnie felt as though someone had stabbed her in the chest. She couldn’t think, her body was frozen, and the only thought running through her mind was that Simon was just lying to scare her. This was just a prank. Marceline couldn’t be dead. No. There was no way.

The next thing Bonnie knew was that she was screaming her lungs out.

Almost immediately, a pair of strong arms was around her. “Hey, hey! Bonnie! You’re okay. You were just dreaming.”

Bonnie looked up, and her gaze met Marceline’s. Bonnie felt relief wash over her like a tidal wave as she took in her surroundings. She was in Marceline’s room, snuggled under the soft bed sheets. Everything was in its usual place. She couldn’t hold back a smile, and she immediately jumped up and hugged Marceline as tight as she could. “Oh, God! You’re okay!”

“Me?” Marceline’s voice was muffled in Bonnie’s shoulder. “You’re the one that had the nightmare, Bonnie.”

“You were dead.” Bonnie mumbled. “In my nightmare, I mean. I’m just so relieved you’re alright.”

Marceline chuckled. “You had a dream that I was dead and woke up screaming? Man, Bonnie.”

“It just felt so real.” Bonnie murmured. “It was horrible.”

Marceline laughed. “Well, you don’t need to worry. I’m not going anywhere any time soon.”

Bonnie nodded, finally letting go of Marceline, who rolled over onto her back and pulled the sheets up to her chin. Bonnie rested her head back on the pillow. “I can’t describe how relieved I am.”

Marceline thought for a moment, before pressing Hambo into Bonnie’s arms. “He helps, I swear.”

Bonnie looked down to the worn plush toy in her arms and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thanks, Marcy. He smells like you.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“A very good thing, trust me.” Bonnie smiled, before passing Hambo back to Marceline. “Here. You need him more than I do.”

Bonnie saw a warm smile creep its way onto Marceline’s face. “I guess. Are you okay?”

Bonnie nodded. She thought it was sweet that Marceline checked to see if she was okay after the horrible dream. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Okay,” Marceline replied. “Am I good to go back to sleep now? It’s like, 3AM.”

Bonnie nodded. “Yeah. Sorry for waking you up.”

“Hey, don’t apologise.” Marceline looked at her with a stern expression. “It’s fine. You were scared.”

Bonnie sighed. “I just…I feel bad for interrupting your sleep. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologising.” Marceline groaned as she rolled back over to her side of the bed and turned away from Bonnie.

“Okay.” Bonnie murmured. She bit down on her lip and couldn’t stop what she blurted out next. “Sorry.”

“If you apologise one more time I’ll…stare at you disapprovingly.” Marceline said, her voice muffled from the duvet.

“Intimidating threat there, Marceline.” Bonnie teased, although she was still feeling a little bit upset from her dream.

Marceline merely hummed in response, and Bonnie attempted to get comfortable again, resting her head on the pillow and trying to fall back to sleep. She couldn’t. The dream had shocked her too much for her to be able to get back to sleep.

Bonnie looked over to Marceline, who seemed to be almost asleep again. She wordlessly shuffled over and cuddled up to Marceline, not expecting her to comment. “Uh, what are you doing?”

Bonnibel jumped in surprise and shuffled back to her side of the bed, aware of how red her cheeks probably were. “I…uh…my dream is still freaking me out a little…sorry.”

“What did I tell you about apologising?” Marceline turned over and shot Bonnie a disapproving look.

Bonnie blushed. “Sorry.”

“I’ll hit you if you don’t stop saying sorry.”

“We both know you won’t really do that.”

Marceline shrugged, a serious expression on her face. “I don’t know what to tell you, man. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” She couldn’t keep the serious look on her face long, and it broke into a smile. “Yeah, you’re right. I won’t. But I’ll…do something.”

“Like what?” Bonnie asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe like…hide your book or something.” Marceline suggested.

Bonnie chuckled. “I’m sorry for waking you up again. Go back to sleep.”

“Did you seriously fucking apologise then?” Marceline raised an eyebrow. “Fuck it. I’m going to sleep. Night.”

“Wait.” Bonnie stopped Marceline and held her down so she was laid on her back in the centre of the bed. Then, she cuddled up to her side, burying her head in Marceline’s neck. “Okay, you can sleep now.”

“Um, Bonnie?” Marceline frowned “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Bonnibel felt her stomach drop, but she didn’t tell Marceline that she was upset. Instead, she simply rolled back over to her side of the bed without a word.

“Seriously, man.” Marceline continued. “I’m little spoon.”

Bonnie frowned in shock and turned around. “Wait, what? You don’t mind me cuddling you?”

“Of course not, dude. You’re all sad and junk from your nightmare.” Marceline said. “But I’m always the little spoon. I don’t care about the situation.”

Bonnie grinned and held out her arms, and Marceline shuffled over to her and allowed Bonnie to hold her. “Thanks, Marcy.”

“It’s fine.” Marceline said. “Now let me sleep, I’m tired.”

Bonnie ran her fingers though Marceline’s soft black hair. “Okay. Goodnight.”

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

“I’m sure.” Bonnie replied. She wasn’t.

Marceline nodded. “Okay. See you in the morning.”

“Night.”

Bonnie stayed awake long enough for Marceline to fall asleep again. Bonnie just watched Marceline, checking to make sure she was okay. After the terror she’d felt in her dream, she didn’t dare sleep until she was certain Marceline wasn’t going to just die right there.

She held onto Marceline like she would just disappear at any moment, running her fingers through her impossibly soft black hair. She took in Marceline’s comforting scent, and she kept Marceline as close as she possibly could, falling back to sleep with the reassurance that Marceline wasn’t going anywhere and that she was safe.

Bonnie didn’t think she’d been scared by a bad dream and woke up screaming since she was a kid. As she looked down on Marceline who was snuggled up to her, she realised she wouldn’t know what she’d do if Marceline actually did die.

Bonnie planted a subtle kiss on the top of Marceline’s head and then smiled. “I won’t ever let that happen to you. I care about you too much.”

She finally fell asleep comforted by Marceline’s warm body snuggled up next to hers.

Chapter Text

Monday 17^th March 2014

Bonnie woke up in the early hours of the morning and immediately ran to the bathroom, leaning over the toilet and emptying the contents of her stomach. She didn’t know how her parents knew, but they came running in the second after she threw up, her Mom helping her up. Bonnie still felt incredibly sick; her head was spinning, she felt like she was going to puke again and she didn’t think she’d be able to make it back to her bedroom without her Mom’s support.

Before she could process anything else, she collapsed in front of the toilet again and puked.

This went on until 6:30AM, when Bonnie was meant to get up and get herself ready to head out to school; Marceline would be coming to pick her up in two hours. Instead, she was laid in her bed with a plastic bowl for her sick next to her, her complexion paler than ever and even though she was freezing, she was sweating like an alcoholic in church. Bonnie managed to send Marceline a text, although her hands were incredibly shaky, making it hard for her to type.

Bonnibel (6:38AM): I won’t be needing a ride to school today.

She was surprised when Marceline texted back immediately.

Marceline (6:40AM): why not

Marceline (6:40AM): also thanks for waking me up because I forgot to set an alarm

Bonnie (6:41AM): No problem, I guess. I’m sick, and my parents aren’t letting me go to school. :(

Marceline (6:41AM): lucky you

Bonnibel (6:41AM): What do you mean ‘lucky me’? My attendance will be ruined!

Marceline (6:42AM): oh my fucking god man you get a day off school and you’re complaining about attendance

Marceline (6:42AM): you really are queen of the nerds

Bonnie (6:42AM): Don’t make fun of me, I’m sick! :(

Marceline (6:42AM): well it better not be something serious because I like you and I don’t want you to go dying on me now

Bonnie smiled at the text; she loved how Marceline was concerned.

Bonnibel (6:43AM): It’s very likely that I have food poisoning; my parents and I went out for a meal last night and now that I think about it, my food did taste a little funny. I’m sure I’ll be fine.

Marceline (6:44AM): okay good

Marceline (6:44AM): crisis over

Bonnibel (6:45AM): I should be back at school tomorrow, so I’ll see you then. :)

Marceline (6:45AM): okay

Bonnie locked her phone and placed it on her bedside table, snuggling further under her duvet covers. She shivered; nothing was helping her warm up. Her Mom had rung into work and was going to be staying home until lunchtime. Then, Bonnie would be left alone for an hour until her Dad got home. Bonnie really was grateful for her parents staying at home to take care of her; she was comforted that at least they’d always be a constant presence in her life, much like she hoped Marceline and all of her other friends would be.

Bonnibel spent most of her day snuggled under her pink bed sheets watching stupid sitcoms on her TV. She couldn’t be more annoyed; she enjoyed being at school and being productive and learning new things. She hated wasting a day just lying in bed, and she really wished she’d ordered something different at dinner last night – maybe that way she wouldn’t have gotten sick.

Bonnie got out of bed for a little bit on her hour alone and went to go do an experiment, but on her way to get out her lab equipment, she felt sick and had to run to the bathroom to puke again. The rest of the day, she resolved she wouldn’t get out of bed.

It was around 3:45PM when Bonnibel heard her Dad talking to someone downstairs, and then she heard light footsteps coming upstairs. Her bedroom door was pushed open and a figure stepped into view.

“You look like you just came back from the dead.”

Marceline closed Bonnie’s door behind her and took a seat on the edge of Bonnie’s bed. Bonnibel couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious; Marceline always managed to look basically flawless all the time, and Bonnie knew she looked like she just crawled out of a dumpster. “Nice to see you, too.”

“You know I’m just kidding.” Marceline rolled her eyes and pressed a few sheets of paper into Bonnie’s hands. “Here. I got your homework from all your classes today and there’s a letter in there about a History trip to England for a week in June.”

Bonnie couldn’t stop her smile from showing. “You really did all this for me? That’s so sweet, Marcy.”

Marceline just shrugged and looked down to the floor, avoiding Bonnie’s gaze; she really didn’t want Bonnibel to make such a big deal about it. “I don’t know. You were the one complaining about missing school, so I figured you’d want some work to do.”

Bonnie sat up and wrapped her arms around Marceline, cuddling up to her. “Thank you. You’re really great.”

Marceline hugged Bonnie back, although she couldn’t help but notice how warm Bonnie was. That concerned her; she’d always had a bad habit of jumping to the worst case scenario whenever something like this happened to her friends. “You’re burning up, Bonnie. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“It’s cute that you’re worried.” Bonnie chuckled, although inside she was overwhelmed with happiness; it’d been so long since somebody other than her parents had been worried about her. “But I’m sure I’ll be fine. I haven’t thrown up since around 12PM, and I’m feeling a little better.”

Marceline nodded, feeling relieved. “Okay.”

Bonnie laid back down in her bed, and shuffled over, patting the spot next to her. “Sleep with me.”

Marceline frowned, and took the opportunity to tease Bonnie. “You want me to sleep with you? Damn, Bonnie. I mean, I know I’m irresistible and all, but don’t you think that’s moving a little too fast?”

Bonnie blushed, rolling her eyes. “Shut up, you know what I mean. Just lay down.”

Marceline complied, and laid down on her side next to Bonnie. Bonnibel saw Marceline’s eyes flick down to the t-shirt she was wearing. A gentle smile settled itself on Marceline’s face. “I really like seeing you in my clothes.”

“I really like wearing your clothes.” Bonnie played with the hem of the black rock shirt she was wearing, and smiled. She could smell Marceline on it, and that comforted her. “So what did you say about a History trip?”

“Oh, yeah.” Marceline seemingly remembered something and looked through the papers she’d brought Bonnie. Finally, she found the correct one and passed it to Bonnie. “Here.”

Bonnie read over the letter.

Dear Students,

The History Department are planning a trip to England during the final week of school, June 16^th – 20^th. The full cost of the trip is $290, which covers travel, accommodation, breakfast and evening meals at the hotel and admissions to planned activities which will be booked in advance. You should also be prepared to bring spending money along with you, as you will need money to cover lunches, admissions to places of interest and other things you may want to purchase along the way.

We will depart from the main school parking lot at 11AM on Sunday 15^th June and will be getting a coach to the Minneapolis International Airport, which should take approximately 2 hours. We will be flying out at 1:30PM and should arrive in the UK at around 10PM that night. We will be picked up at the airport by coach which will be our method of transportation throughout the week.

Hotel rooms are for groups of 3 – 4, and should be organised between yourselves.

If there are any questions, feel free to ask, and if you are interested in coming on the trip, get a parent/guardian to fill out the permission slip below and hand it in with a deposit of $50 by 31^st March.

Once Bonnie had finished reading, the first thing she did was look up at Marceline and ask her a question. “Are you going?”

“I don’t know.” Marceline said. “Probably not, why?”

“You could share a room with me! We would have so much fun!” Bonnie grinned. She really wanted to go on this trip, and she thought that Marceline would enjoy it too. “Come on, Marcy. Please?”

“Uh…I’ll think about it, alright?” Marceline replied. She did want to go, but the thought of sharing a hotel room with people from her class terrified her, especially because of how she needed Hambo to sleep. “I do want to go, though.”

“Then why – wait, no. I get it.” Bonnie said, a soft smile forming on her face. “You don’t want people finding out about Hambo.”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded. That would be her worst nightmare.

“Just share a room with me.” Bonnie suggested. She definitely wouldn’t tell anyone about Hambo; she kept the secret to herself. Besides, she really wanted Marceline to come on the trip with her. “Why miss out on a trip to England for a week just because you’re worried people might find out about Hambo? Think about it, Marceline.”

“I can’t just share with you. It says rooms of 3-4.” Marceline pointed out, nodding down at the letter.

Bonnie sighed, formulating a plan in her mind. She’d decided she was going to help Marceline befriend someone like Lady, and then they would share a room. “We can room with Lady. You don’t mind her and she wouldn’t tell anyone. Please come?”

Marceline sighed. “Alright, fine. I’ll talk to Simon about it.”

Bonnie grinned, cuddling up to Marceline. “Thanks, Marcy. We’ll have fun, I promise.”

“Yeah.” Bonnie saw Marceline smile. “We will. So what have you done all day?”

“I just stayed here and watched TV. It was really boring. I’m so annoyed that I missed school.” Bonnie complained.

“You’re the only teenager on earth who would complain about missing school.” Marceline chuckled. “But if it’s any consolation, school sucked without you.”

Bonnie grinned. That was one of the nicest things Marceline had said to her. “You’re sweet. I wish I could’ve been there to stop you from being bored. In case you didn’t notice, I quite like school.”

“Yeah, didn’t realise.” Marceline rolled her eyes. In her opinion, school was one of the worst possible places to be; she didn’t get why Bonnie liked it so much. “Why do you even like school? It’s boring. I’m never going to need fucking algebra and math in my life.”

“You never know. You might need it.” Bonnie shrugged, although she knew Marceline was probably right. “I like school because I like being productive and learning new things.”

“Nerd.” Marceline teased. “And yeah, I’m totally going to go down to the store and figure out the value of x or the area of a chocolate bar. School should teach us how to like…do grown up things.”

“Grown up things?” Bonnie laughed. “How old are you, five? But I guess I do get what you mean. Most people aren’t going to choose a career path in things like mathematics. Like, the only thing you’re going to take from school in what you want to do is probably English. Music, as well, if you do that.”

Marceline looked up at Bonnie in the middle of chewing one of her fingernails. “Yeah, I do. It’s boring as fuck, though.”

Bonnie was rather surprised by this statement. “I thought it interested you.”

“Yeah, but I already know everything they’re teaching. I don’t even have to show up half of the time.” Marceline said. “I complained to the teacher and she made me take the final early to ‘teach me a lesson’ and I got an A. I just have it as a free period now, but I sometimes turn up to play some music if I get bored.”

Bonnie frowned. “So you’re pretty much skipping class? You can’t do that.”

“Imagine it like this; you know how you’re good at science and stuff? It’s like you taking a science test aimed at five year olds.” Marceline explained.

Bonnie understood. “Okay. Well, hopefully you use the free period to study.”

Marceline laughed, but stopped when she realised Bonnie was being serious. “Uh…yeah. Let’s say that I do.”

“You just sit around listening to music, don’t you?” Bonnie sighed. Sometimes it got on her nerves how little Marceline seemed to care about school.

“I write songs, actually.” Marceline corrected, although the sheepish smile told Bonnie her original accusation wasn’t far off. “But sometimes I listen to music and read.”

“Typical.” Bonnie rolled her eyes, and then pulled one hand out of the duvet she was snuggled up in and grabbed hold of Marceline’s. “Your hands are always cold.”

“Yeah, it’s because I’m a vampire, remember?” Marceline joked. She honestly found it hilarious that people would believe something so stupid. “Don’t be species-ist, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel laughed, holding Marceline’s hand between both of hers and rubbing it to warm it up. “Sorry, didn’t mean to offend you and any other vampires who may be listening in.”

Marceline smiled. “You’re such a dork.”

“Right back at you.” Bonnie grinned. “Seriously, though. You’re like, always cold.”

“Maybe because it’s always cold outside.” Marceline shrugged. “And I did just walk here.”

“Fair enough,” Bonnie replied. “Did you come here for any other reason than to give me my homework?”

“Is this you asking me to leave?”

“No!” Bonnie responded, a little too quickly. “I just want to know if you came over for anything else.”

“Well…I figured since you’d been alone all day you might want company.” Marceline said. She definitely wasn’t going to admit that she actually missed Bonnie.

Bonnie’s face broke out into a smile. “Well, I appreciate it. Movie and homemade chicken soup? I think my Mom made enough to feed the entire state.”

Marceline smiled. “Sounds like a solid plan. I’ll go get the soup and you pick a movie.”

Bonnie nodded, and as Marceline stood up to leave the room, she spoke up. “Can you pass me my laptop? We’ll just watch something on there.”

Marceline complied and grabbed Bonnie’s laptop from where it was sat on the desk. She put it on the bed next to Bonnie. “Any other requests or am I good to go?”

“You can go.” Bonnie smiled.

Marceline slipped out of the door, and Bonnie switched on her laptop and waited for it to open to her desktop. She couldn’t help but think about how nice Marceline was being. She remembered back when she was first considering attempting making friends with Marceline, and how she didn’t believe Marshall when he told her Marceline would be the best friend she’d ever have. Now, she understood what he’d been talking about.

Bonnie was glad that Marceline had come over to keep her company; she’d been incredibly bored all day and she really didn’t want to spend the day in bed all by herself.

Bonnie got a movie up on her laptop and put it aside when she heard someone coming up the stairs. Marceline entered the room holding two mugs which were presumably full of Bonnie’s Mom’s homemade chicken soup. Marceline passed one to Bonnie and then sat back on the bed. “I put them in mugs so it’d be easier to drink.” Then, she frowned and looked to Bonnie in confusion. “Eat? Do you drink or eat soup?”

Bonnie laughed. She thought that question was adorable. “Honestly, I have no idea. Probably drink, since it’s a liquid.”

Marceline just shrugged, taking a sip of the soup in her mug. She smiled. “That’s good. Simon always used to make me chicken soup when I got sick as a kid. My Mom did, too.”

Bonnie smiled, although she decided to choose her words carefully, as the sensitive topic of Marceline’s Mom had come up. “Yeah. Where did the idea that it makes you better even come from, anyway?”

Marceline shrugged. “I don’t know, dude. Maybe it actually does.”

“I guess so,” Bonnie replied. “Although it could be a placebo. People saying that it makes you better might make you think it.”

“Please tell me you’re not going to pull out your lab equipment and test the chicken soup.”

Bonnie laughed, although she did think that it might be a good topic for her next experiment. “Don’t worry, I won’t go all mad scientist on you.”

Marceline grinned. “Good. Which movie did you pick?”

Bonnie grabbed her laptop and positioned it on the bed in between her and Marceline. “I decided we should watch the first Harry Potter film, because who doesn’t like Harry Potter?”

“I actually re-read the series a few weeks back.” Marceline absently replied. “Yeah, sure. Let’s watch it. If we have time, we can watch the second one.”

Bonnie nodded, but hesitated to play the film. She looked over at Marceline, who was staring back at her expectantly. Bonnibel smiled sheepishly. “So, I know this sounds dumb, but could you come here?”

Marceline frowned quizzically, but didn’t comment and shuffled closer to Bonnibel. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, just come here.” Bonnie said. “I want a hug.”

Marceline rolled her eyes and shuffled over to Bonnie on the bed, hugging the pink haired girl. “Why didn’t you just ask me that?”

Bonnie reached over Marceline and grabbed her laptop, placing it on her stomach. She grabbed the pillow from the other side of the bed and put it behind her, propping herself up. Then, she pulled Marceline closer to her and sighed in content. “Because now I’ve got you trapped here until the movie finishes.”

She felt Marceline laugh against her. “You could’ve just asked to cuddle me, you know.”

“You would’ve thought I was weird.” Bonnie replied.

“I already think you’re weird.”

“Hey!” Bonnie elbowed Marceline in offence. “You were supposed to comfort me there. Meanie.”

“Damn, Bonnie. I try and be nice to you and I get the fucking elbow of doom to the side. Thanks.” Marceline said, shuffling under the covers next to Bonnie.

Bonnibel laughed. “Okay, first off, ‘nice’? You called me weird! Secondly, ‘elbow of doom’? Really, Marceline?”

“Well, I was trying to make you feel better. You didn’t want me to think you’re weird, but I already do, so no harm done.” Marceline explained. “My point was that if you want something from me, just ask for it. You don’t need to be all sneaky and subtle.”

Bonnie smiled. “Thanks, I guess.”

“No problem. Now shut up, the movie’s on.” Marceline smiled, getting herself comfortable and resting her head on Bonnie’s shoulder.

Bonnie felt comforted with Marceline cuddled up next to her, and spent most of the movie thinking about how long it’d been since she’d done something like this with someone. The last time she’d snuggled and watched movies with someone other than her pillow was back in New York, when she was still friends with – No, Bonnie, she cut her thoughts off, don’t think about it, you’ll just get upset. She didn’t want to compare Marceline to her either.

She looked down at the dark haired girl, who was completely engrossed in the movie. Marceline was the complete opposite of what she was. Marceline was the most accepting, understanding people Bonnie had ever met, and she didn’t think she’d ever stop being grateful for that. She knew she could trust Marceline with anything; with her other friends, she wasn’t so sure. “Hey, Marceline?”

“Mhm?”

“I accidentally came out to Keila the other day, could you maybe tell her to keep it to herself?” Bonnie asked.

“Already have,” Marceline said. “She told me she didn’t know you were gay and then I told her not to tell people. She won’t, don’t worry.”

Bonnie smiled. “Okay, good. I guess I just felt a little too comfortable around you guys.”

Marceline shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that, dude. I want you to feel comfortable.”

“You’re the best.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Marceline replied. “Kidding, kidding.”

Bonnie smiled, taking hold of Marceline’s hand and squeezing it reassuringly. “You’re pretty much my closest friend here, you know.”

“I thought Lady was.”

“Nope.” Bonnibel replied. “Well, after you. You know more about me, and I’m much more open about myself with you. I can trust you with pretty much anything.”

Marceline smiled. “Cool. Does she know you’re into girls?”

“Actually, yes. She guessed it. I probably wouldn’t have told her if she hadn’t.” Bonnie said. “It’s actually pretty terrifying admitting it to anyone; I’m always scared they’ll never want to talk to me again.”

“Like the girl back in New York that I want to punch?”

“Yeah.” Bonnie confirmed, desperate to stop from thinking about her. “Like her.”

“What did she even do to you that fucked you up so bad?” Marceline asked, aware that it was a sore topic for Bonnie. “I get that she freaked out at you, but why did it make you so scared to come out to people?”

Bonnie sighed; she was tempted to ‘socks’ the question, but decided that Marceline would find out eventually anyways. “Well, we were really close. She was my only friend; everyone else always thought I was weird. We started at the same high school and immediately hit it off – we had a lot in common. We were both really into science – we would do experiments with each other on the weekend – we both liked a lot of the same TV shows, and other stuff like that.”

“We started getting a lot closer – we were very ‘touchy feely’ I guess. We would snuggle when watching TV shows – platonically – and we held hands or linked arms sometimes. Little things, you know. I was struggling with my sexuality at this point and it’s really hard to explain what that feels like – you know, because you’re straight so you probably haven’t been through it -,”

“I’m not straight.”

Bonnie was certain she’d heard correctly. “You’re not?”

Marceline laughed. She thought Bonnie would’ve caught the hint by now. “No, I’m not. Now continue with your story.”

“But -,”

“We’ll discuss it later.” Marceline said, crossing her arms and shooting Bonnie a stern look. “Story.”

“Fine.” Bonnie replied. “So, I was confused about my sexuality and in sophomore year I finally figured out that I’m gay. Anyways, I started to feel attracted to her and eventually that developed into a crush. Like I said, we cuddled a lot and things like that; it really started to get to me. Over the summer, we spent a lot of time together, and for some reason I got it into my head that she might like me too – we would flirt back and forth, and I didn’t realise she was only doing it jokingly.”

“It was around October last year when I finally told her. I sat her down and I told her that I was gay, and she told me she didn’t agree with that. We got into an argument – we’d never argued before – and sometime during that I blurted out that I liked her.”

“She blew up at me. She called me awful things, and she shoved me away and she told me to never speak to her again. It was okay for her; she had another group of friends that she sometimes hung out with. I had nobody.”

“After that, I threw myself into my studies, and didn’t try to make any more friends. Rumours of my sexuality spread around, and eventually everybody knew about it. When my parents told me we were moving, I wasn’t too happy. I still liked her, and even though she’d completely shut me out, at least I still got to see her. I didn’t want to move because I was leaving behind my home, and I like being familiar with my surroundings. Moving was disorienting and although I hate to admit it, I missed her. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like her like that anymore. I just missed how it was before all of the complications came along. I missed having someone who I just clicked with, you know?”

“Overall, I’m glad I moved here. It helped me move on from her, and now I’m officially crush free.” Bonnie offered Marceline a weak smile. “And I met you and all my other friends.”

“Dude, that fucking sucks.” Marceline pulled Bonnie in for a hug. “Can I please go to New York and hit her? What a fucking bitch. Goddamn.”

Bonnibel relaxed in Marceline’s comforting hold. “I’d much prefer it if you stayed here with me, but the thought is nice.”

Marceline kissed Bonnie on the cheek, and Bonnibel mentally scolded herself for enjoying it. “Okay. I know I’m not good with the feelings thing, but if you ever need to talk I’m here.”

She gave Bonnibel one last squeeze before letting go, and Bonnie smiled. “Thanks, Marcy. So…you’re not straight, huh?”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Duh.”

“So…what are you?”

“I don’t know.” Marceline shrugged. “I just know I’m not straight. Think about it this way – I walk into a store, and there’s nothing specific on my shopping list. You get it?”

“I think.”

“I try not to label myself. I like who I like.” Marceline said. She’d stopped caring about her sexuality a long time ago. "But if people ask, usually I tell them I'm bi."

Bonnie smiled. “Okay. Anybody I should pretend you’re straight around?”

“My Dad, if you ever meet him.” Marceline said. “He’s pretty…conservative with his views, I guess. Basically, he’s an asshole.”

Bonnibel frowned. She’d kind of figured Marceline didn’t have a very good relationship with her Dad. “I take it you guys don’t get on?”

“That’s an understatement,” Marceline admitted. Bonnibel couldn’t help being happy that Marceline was opening up to her, “Last time he visited, he stole every single musical instrument I own and told me I need to start ‘living in the real world’ and that no child of his will do something that isn’t ‘practical’. He knows I’m smart and he pressures me, which just encourages me to be even more of a disappointment.”

“He shouldn’t be like that.” Bonnie said. She felt herself becoming more and more annoyed; she knew that Marceline deserved to have a good family. “Dads are supposed to look out for you and support you and tell you that you’re beautiful and -,”

“Your Dad tells you you’re beautiful? Mine told me I looked dead.” Marceline replied. Bonnibel decided she didn’t like Marceline’s Dad. “Dude, don’t get all torn up about it. He sucks and that’s that. I don’t care about him. I have Simon.”

“I know, but I mean…your Mom’s gone and your Dad isn’t exactly parent of the year and I just want you to be happy.” Bonnie rambled.

Marceline took hold of Bonnie’s hand. “Hey, don’t worry about it. My Mom was great, okay? And I am happy. I’ve got Simon and good friends and music. I don’t need him.”

Bonnie smiled. “Okay…as long as you’re happy, I guess.”

Marceline gave Bonnie’s hand one last squeeze before letting go. “Anyways, I’m going to head home. I have to get back before Simon orders pizzas without me.”

Bonnie couldn’t help but feel a little deflated, but she knew Marceline would have to go at some point. “Yeah, okay. Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow. I really don’t want to take another day off school.”

“Yeah. Well, you seem to be a bit better. You’re still pretty pale though – you’re almost paler than me.” Marceline said, climbing out of Bonnie’s bed and heading towards the bedroom door. She shot Bonnie a smile. “I’ll see you. Text me if you get bored or whatever.”

Bonnie nodded. “Okay. Bye, Marcy.”

“Later, dude.”

Marceline slipped out of Bonnie’s bedroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Bonnibel by herself once again.

Chapter Text

Saturday 22^nd March 2014

Bonnibel was shaken awake. Really, anything could’ve been happening; she could have been getting kidnapped or a burglary could be occurring. She couldn’t care less – she was far too tired.

Luckily, when she opened her eyes and squinted at the brightness of her bedroom lights, it was only Lady, Fionna and Cake who had disturbed her sleep. Bonnie sat up and rubbed her eyes, pushing her messy pink hair from her line of vision. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re taking you to Marshall’s house for movie day.” Lady smiled. She knew Bonnibel would probably protest and say she had work or some confusing science experiments to conduct, but she was willing to stand her ground until Bonnie gave in. “It’ll be fun, seriously.”

“I really shouldn’t,” Bonnie said. Even in her tired state, she knew that being sociable all day wouldn’t be very enjoyable – at least for her. “You guys go on without me.”

Cake rolled her eyes. “You’re coming. You always ditch us on movie day, so you’re coming. We won’t leave without you.”

Bonnie let out a long sigh; she really didn’t want to do anything other than an experiment on hydrocarbons, which she had been looking forward to conducting since Wednesday. She’d decided to set aside today for it and then maybe socialise tomorrow, but it looked like that plan had gone down the drain. “I guess I could come for a little while.”

“So…you’re coming?” Lady shot her a hopeful look, and Bonnie just sighed. “You might have fun for once, you know. There’s no harm in that.”

“Yes, I’ll come.” Bonnie confirmed. Lady was actually rather surprised by how little convincing they had to do. “But if I don’t enjoy it, I’m coming straight home to start my experiment.”

“Deal,” Fionna said. “But only because you’ll definitely enjoy it.”

Once Bonnie had gotten herself dressed and ready to leave, the five girls piled into Cake’s car and headed towards Marshall’s house. Lady hijacked the stereo and put it on a specific radio station which apparently only played one specific genre of music – auto-tuned, repetitive pop music which somehow always ended up stuck in Bonnie’s head, even though she disliked it. She knew that if Marceline was here, she’d be rolling her eyes in annoyance. “What even is this music?”

“You’ve obviously been living under a rock,” Cake replied from the driver’s seat. Bonnie saw the surprised look on her face; clearly, Cake couldn’t believe Bonnie didn’t know what was. “It’s One Direction.”

“Hopefully the direction they’re going in is off a cliff.” Bonnie muttered. She knew she’d have this stupid song stuck in her head for the rest of the day.

Lady looked at Bonnibel in astonishment; she’d never heard the usually impartial girl say something like that. “Okay, you’ve definitely been spending too much time with Marceline.”

Bonnie thought for a second. Her comment on the music did sound like something Marceline would say. Eventually, the pink haired girl just shrugged. “I guess, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Anyways, what’s the plan for today?”

“We’re going to watch some movies and then Marshall said we’re going to play video games.” Lady explained. “It should be fun. Everyone aside from LSP is going to be there and Gumball stayed over with Marshall last night.”

Immediately, a thought sprung to Bonnie’s mind and she began wondering if Marceline would join in with them. She doubted it, but she still held out hope. She just wondered if her friends would let Marceline hang out with them. “Oh. Sounds fun.”

“Yeah, it will be.” Fionna said. “As long as Marshall doesn’t annoy me.”

“Okay, we all know you’re into him.” Lady muttered.

Fionna looked utterly disgusted at the notion. “That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard. I don’t even like him in a friend way.”

Lady just shrugged. “Well, he clearly likes you.”

Bonnie really hoped that wasn’t true, for Gumball’s sake. She knew how much he liked Marshall, and if Marshall liked Fionna he’d be devastated. “I don’t think he does.”

“Thank you, Bubblegum.” Fionna seemed relieved that Bonnie was on her side.

Bonnie made a mental note to ask Marceline if she knew anything and decided she’d keep a closer eye on things, for Gumball’s sake. He was such a sweet boy, and she didn’t want him to get upset over it. “No problem.”

They arrived at Marshall’s pretty quickly, and headed towards the front door. Lady knocked, and the four girls waited until Marshall unlocked the door.

Except he didn’t. Marceline did, still clad in her pyjamas and her hair still not brushed; but she had made the effort to put her nose ring in. Bonnibel was astonished – Marceline still looked like she’d just come straight off the catwalk even though she seemingly hadn’t attempted to make herself appear attractive.

“Oh…hey, Bonnie.” Marceline sent her a warm smile – a gesture Bonnie’s friends were stunned by – which Bonnie returned. Marceline nodded in acknowledgement to Lady, Fionna and Cake; she knew Bonnie wanted her to be friendly to them. “Bonnie’s friends.”

Marceline stepped aside and let Bonnie and her friends in, Lady, Cake and Fionna slipping off their shoes and heading towards the stairs. Marceline closed the front door and then disappeared into the kitchen, presumably to make herself some breakfast. Bonnie watched after her, and sighed. She knew Marceline probably wouldn’t make any other appearances throughout the day.

Although she hated to admit it, they were very alike in that sense; they both preferred to be alone than hang out in huge groups of people. Bonnie liked hanging out with Marceline on the weekend; it was mostly kept to the two of them – although Keila sometimes made an appearance – and Bonnie liked it that way. Rather than seeing all of her friends at once, she enjoyed relaxing with just one or two people. Big groups easily tired her out.

She could hear laughter that sounded a lot like Finn’s upstairs, and she saw Fionna, Lady and Cake headed in that direction. They stopped when they realised Bonnie wasn’t following. “Hey. Aren’t you coming?”

“I’m just going to say hi to Marceline.” Bonnibel said, nodding towards the kitchen.

Lady smiled as her friends continued up the stairs. “Okay. See you upstairs.”

Bonnie nodded and headed towards the kitchen, smiling at Marceline as she spotted her sat on the kitchen counter, sipping out of a mug. “Hi.”

“Bonnie…what’re you doing in here?” Marceline frowned. “Not that I don’t enjoy your company and all, I just figured you’d be upstairs with your friends.”

“I know, but I wanted to see you.” Bonnie smiled. “I thought your band practiced on Saturdays, anyways?”

“Yeah, but Keila got called into work and Marshall is doing god knows what with you guys, so I’m just going to hang out in my pyjamas all day. Maybe write some new music or something.” Marceline said. Admittedly, she didn’t want to be alone, but she definitely wasn’t confessing that to Bonnie. “But I’m probably going to lay in bed and watch Buffy.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes, unable to wipe the smile from her face which always seemed to appear around Marceline. “Typically.”

Marceline just shrugged. “Yeah, what did you expect? I’m totally spending the entire day doing homework.”

“If that ever actually happens, there’s radical proof that miracles are real.” Bonnie said. “Either that or you’re possessed by a very studious ghost.”

“It’d probably be the latter,” Marceline chuckled. “Anyways, your friends are expecting you. Get upstairs.”

Bonnie sighed. She really couldn’t be bothered to sit through a bunch of movies she probably wouldn’t like anyways. She just wanted to do her experiments. “Do I have to?”

“I take it they forced you out of the house, then?” Marceline asked. She thought that was a little pushy, but then again, she did it to Keila sometimes. “You should’ve just told them no.”

“I was sleepy and disoriented. They took me by surprise.” Bonnie responded. “I’d rather hang out with you.”

“Literally all we do is watch movies.”

“Yeah, but it’s only the two of us, usually. I like that.” Bonnie explained. She hated jumping into hug explanations about why she disliked big groups of people; it just made her sound antisocial, which she tried her best not to be. She socialised at school, but the weekends were her only chance to get a lot of science work done. It’d always been that way; she liked routine, and didn’t want to interrupt that.

“I get it.” Bonnie was surprised by the answer; she knew Marceline was introverted, but usually everyone asked for an explanation. “Like, I get nervous around big groups of people. Particularly ones I don’t really know.”

“You get nervous around people? You always seem so confident.”

Marceline laughed. She was the complete opposite of confident the majority of the time. “Confident? I’m sorry, have you met me? I was fucking terrified of you.”

“Really? I was terrified of you.” Bonnie shot back. She didn’t recall saying anything that might make Marceline scared of her.

“Well, duh. I act like a cocky bitch so people don’t figure out I’m actually a nervous wreck.” Marceline rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world. “I keep people at arm’s length.”

“Why?”

Marceline shot her a look that said ‘really?’ before replying. “Socks.”

Bonnie sighed, although she figured that would be the answer. She was about to respond, when her friends all shouted something from upstairs and her and Marceline looked up. “I really don’t want to go up there. Can’t I just hide out in your room?”

“Tell you what,” Marceline began, hopping off the counter and placing her mug in the sink, “You hang out with your friends until…1PM, and then I’ll let you in my room and we can hang out. Deal?”

Bonnie looked at the clock. It read 10:19AM. “12PM.”

“2PM.” Marceline shot her a smirk. “The more you try and bargain with me, I’ll raise the time. You sure you want to take that chance?”

Bonnie sighed. “Fine. 1PM.”

“Yup.” Marceline headed towards the door. “See you then. Have fun with the dorks.”

Bonnie frowned, following her out and up the stairs, grabbing onto Marceline’s wrist before she could disappear into her room. “Hey. I thought I was supposed to give you a compulsory hug every time one of us said goodbye.”

Marceline rolled her eyes, but pulled Bonnie in for a hug. Bonnie felt comforted in her hold. “Happy?”

Bonnie nodded into Marceline’s shoulder. “Yeah.”

She felt Marceline letting go, and Bonnie felt a little disheartened. Bonnie shot Marceline a smile as she slowly headed towards Marshall’s room. “1PM?”

“Yes, we went over this downstairs,” Marceline rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Bonnie. For a smart person, you really don’t catch on very fast.”

“Will you come and get me, though? I feel like my friends won’t let me leave and I can’t exactly tell them I’m going to the bathroom and then never come back.” Bonnie said.

“Fine, I’ll come and get you.” Marceline replied, walking inside her room and putting a hand to the door, getting ready to close it. “Can I please go and watch Buffy now?”

Bonnie smiled. “Yeah. See you soon.”

Marceline grinned, shutting her door – but not before giving Bonnie one last goodbye. “Later, dude.”

Bonnie then turned towards Marshall’s door and took in a deep breath, pushing it open. She was greeted by the sight of Finn, Jake, Fionna and Marshall battling it out on four-player Mario Kart, while her other friends cheered them on. Gumball was cheering on Marshall, Cake was rooting for Fionna, and Lady for Jake. Bonnibel figured she might as well join in and sat down next to Finn, who had his tongue stuck out in concentration and his usual smile was replaced by a frown.

She shot him an encouraging smile – by default, she was cheering him on, as nobody else seemed to be. She saw that he was coming 7^th; Marshall was 5^th, Fionna was 1^st, and Jake was 2^nd. Bonnie tried to help by seeing if she could distract any of the other players. “Come on, Finn. You can beat them. Even I beat Marshall.”

Fionna burst out laughing at that – however her concentration on the game didn’t waver – and Marshall just scowled. “I thought that would never come up again.”

“Let’s not forget that Marceline kicks your butt every single Monday when you play against her.” Bonnie added, smirking.

Fionna seemed highly amused by the conversational topic. Marshall was becoming more distracted from the game. “Yeah, but she cheats. She kicks me.”

“There was kicking on both ends last time I witnessed you guys playing video games.” Bonnie said. “You were both attacking each other, and she still won even with your foot in her face.”

Finn smiled, but kept his eyes on the TV screen. “Thanks, Bubblegum. I’ve passed him now.”

Bonnie smiled. “No problem, Finn.”

Bonnie didn’t know why her friends called it ‘movie day’, when for the first hour, they played video games, and then went out for a walk. Bonnibel wished they’d have warned her they’d be going out, as she didn’t bring her coat. So, she went and knocked on Marceline’s door.

“If that’s Bonnie, it’s not 1PM yet.”

“I need to borrow a coat.” Bonnibel half shouted through the door, “I forgot mine.”

Marceline’s bedroom door swung open, and Marceline shot her a look, her eyebrows raised; Bonnie had forgotten her coat way too many times for Marceline not to comment. “You’re an idiot. Come on.”

Bonnie followed Marceline downstairs and through her friends who were all hurriedly pulling their shoes on – Marceline shoved past them with a roll of her eyes. Marceline opened up the under the stairs cupboard and switched the light on, turning to Bonnie. “I have a leather jacket and then some random winter coat that Simon got me one time when I complained about how cold it was. Take your pick.”

“Uh…it’s not that cold out so can I use your leather jacket?” Bonnie asked, “You know, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” Marceline ducked inside the cupboard and pulled her leather jacket off the hook it was residing on. She passed it to Bonnibel, “Here. Have fun on your walk.”

“I’ll try,” Bonnie smiled. She tugged the leather jacket on, Marceline’s familiar scent hitting her. “Thanks for letting me borrow this. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Marceline replied, “You forget your coat so much I’m starting to wonder if you actually own one.”

“I do, but it’s on the back of my bedroom door and I always forget to pick it up on my way out.” Bonnie said. “It’s pink.”

“Of course it is.” Marceline rolled her eyes. “Everything you own is pink. Like, if I looked up the dictionary definition of pink, there’d be a picture of you.”

“I don’t wear that much pink.”

Marceline scanned over Bonnie’s attire – a pink dress and cardigan. “Yeah. Totally.”

Bonnie looked down at her clothing and flushed a little, deciding to change the subject before she completely embarrassed herself. She decided to ask Marceline to join them – hopefully, she’d take Bonnie up on the offer. “You could come with us, you know. If you got dressed, that is.”

“I’ll pass.” Marceline said. She was not spending any more time with Bonnibel’s friends than she had to. Most of them were just plain irritating. Marceline felt a little guilty at the look of disappointment that flashed through Bonnibel’s eyes. “Besides, I’m busy writing music.”

“You’re actually not watching Buffy?” Bonnie asked in mock shock. “I’m surprised.”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “Shut up, dork.”

“You shut up, you big jerk.” Bonnie shot back, attempting to hold up a serious expression which eventually dissolved into a smile. “I’ll see you later. Thanks again for letting me borrow your jacket.”

Marceline slipped past Bonnie’s friends and when she was halfway up the stairs, looked down at Bonnie and smiled. “Bye.”

Bonnie watched after her and followed Marceline with her gaze until her view was cut off by Marceline closing her bedroom door. She sighed; she wished Marceline had decided to come, but she shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up in the first place – it was highly unlikely that she actually would have.

Lady called for her attention and Bonnie quickly slipped on her pink Converse before following her friends out the front door.

Marshall had shown Bonnie and her friends probably one of Bonnie’s new favourite places in the town. She didn’t think the place had a name, all she knew was that it was beautiful – it was a small woodland area near the park in Marshall’s neighbourhood; there was a shimmering lake in front of where they were all sat on an embankment. The sounds of the gentle breeze blocked out any noises from the roads nearby, and although Bonnie could see the store if she squinted into the distance, she felt completely separated from the rest of civilization. She made a mental note to come here with Marceline one day.

Typically, her friends – being a bunch of overgrown kids – suggested they play hide and seek, and Bonnie actually rather liked the idea. Her childhood was the big city of New York – she never really had a quiet place to play and be a kid.

She never really had the friends to play with, either.

Jake and Marshall offered to ‘seek’, and the two of them stood facing the lake with their eyes presumably shut as Bonnibel, Lady, Fionna, Cake, Gumball and Finn ran off to find a hiding place. Bonnie wasn’t very experienced in the game, and hid behind a tree at first. When she heard Marshall or Jake coming, she changed her location to one of the ones they’d already checked – in the bushes near the lake.

She was found by Lady, who had been uncovered by Marshall. Once she was found, she joined the seekers.

Finn was the last one to be found, hiding way up in a tree above where anybody bothered to look. When Bonnie checked her watch, she frowned in annoyance. 1:26PM; she should be with Marceline.

She ended up roped into three more games of hide and seek.

Marceline harshly strummed at the strings on her acoustic guitar – she just couldn’t find the right chord for the song she was writing. She’d tried what seemed like everything; sevens, major sevens, minor sevens, suspended chords – nothing was fitting.

She gave up. She put her guitar aside and pulled her laptop closer to her, closing the word document that contained the song lyrics; she planned on showing them to Keila next time she came over so they could work on it together. Keila would be able to help her find the right chords, which she’d scribbled down on a sheet of paper in the notebook in front of her.

Marceline opened Netflix up on her computer and went straight to Buffy. Her mouse hovered over the episode she got about halfway through last night – season 4, episode 7. She was re-watching the entire thing for the sixth time; she had nothing better to do today.

She pushed her laptop away and stood up, heading downstairs. She headed for the kitchen and rooted around in the cupboards, eventually coming across a can of Dr Pepper in the fridge. She opened it and took a sip, before looking back into the fridge for something to eat, eventually deciding she wasn’t hungry. She headed back upstairs and placed her can of soda on her bedside table.

Marceline turned back to her laptop and decided against watching Buffy – instead, she opened her iTunes and shuffled one of the most recent bands she’d gotten into; Explosions In The Sky. She really enjoyed their music. It was instrumental and just generally calming. It was especially enjoyable to listen to when reading; it didn’t distract her from the book.

She picked up her reading book – If I Stay – from her bedside table, flicking it open to the page she’d bookmarked. So far, she’d enjoyed it. Particularly all of the music references.

She’d gotten about five minutes of reading done when she heard an annoying noise from downstairs.

After about ten seconds of the noise downstairs, Marceline’s bedroom door burst open and Bonnie walked in, breathing a little heavy from sprinting up the stairs. “Hey! It’s past 2PM, I’m sorry I’m late.”

Marceline looked at the clock on her bedside table in bewilderment. She hadn’t been keeping track of time. “Oh. I didn’t realise, but yeah…I guess you can come and hang out with me now.”

Bonnie smiled, shutting the door and sitting down on Marceline’s bed, still wearing Marceline’s leather jacket. Marceline noted how good Bonnie looked – she liked seeing Bonnie in her clothes. “Good. I’m pretty tired out after all the group hanging out.”

“What movies did you guys watch?”

“None, actually.”

Marceline frowned. Either Bonnie’s friends just didn’t get round to watching any movies, or Marceline was out of touch with the slang nowadays. “Why did they call it movie day, then?”

“I think they intended to watch movies but just didn’t get round to it.” Bonnie replied, her eyes resting on the open notebook next to Marceline’s legs. She frowned – all she could see from her position was scribbles, so she shuffled closer to it. “What’s that?”

Marceline followed Bonnie’s gaze and picked up the notebook, examining the messy page. “Oh, just some music. Nothing interesting.”

Bonnie scanned over the page, reading whatever was legible. “It’s very interesting. How do you know what chords sound good together when you’re writing? Do you play your guitar while writing the music?”

Marceline blinked a little in confusion. She really didn’t get why Bonnie was so sweet; nobody really took much on an interest in stuff like this before. “I have my guitar to play the chords when I write, but I already know what chords work naturally because of the key.”

“What’s that?”

“Are you sure you want me to go into this? We’ll be here for a while.” Marceline said.

Bonnie nodded enthusiastically, shrugging off Marceline’s leather jacket and shuffling back on the bed, getting herself comfortable. “Yep. Answer my question.”

Marceline sighed, flicking to a fresh page in her notebook. “Okay. Basically, a key is a bunch of notes that work together naturally. Like, for example, the key of C.” Marceline wrote a C down on the page. “You work out what the notes in the key are by using a pattern of tones and semitones.”

“What are they?” Bonnie asked. “Tones and semitones?”

“A tone is two notes, a semitone is one.” Marceline said. “To work out they key, you use this pattern – tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone, tone.” She jotted it down on the page. “So a tone up from C is D.”

“That’s just one note.” Bonnie frowned. “Isn’t it?”

“Nope. There’s C# in between them.” Marceline said. “Anyways, you just use the pattern to work out the key.”

Marceline quickly noted down every single note in the key, seemingly without thinking about it at all. Eventually, she had a string of notes written down on the page. C, D, E, F, G, A, B and back to C. Bonnie was amazed by Marceline’s knowledge. “It’s really cool how you can just do that.”

“Been doing it practically my whole life; it’s easy for me.” Marceline shrugged Bonnie’s compliment off. “Basically, what’s written down here is a major key. There’s always a natural minor key, but we won’t go into that. You only really need the major key to figure out the chords.”

“And how do you do that?”

“Well, you’ve got to know which chords are major and which are minor. The 1^st, 4^th and 6^th chords are always major, and the 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th are minor. The 7^th chord is diminished, but we won’t go into that.” Marceline explained, before pointing to the notes written down with her pen. “Every note written here goes into at least one of the chords. The notes in C are C, E and G. You skip a note in the key every time to get the notes in the chords, if you get me. That’s basically it.”

Bonnie smiled. “Thanks for answering my question.”

“No problem, I guess.” Marceline shrugged. “What do you want to do?”

“It’s up to you.” Bonnie smiled. “Your room, your rules.”

Marceline rolled her eyes; Bonnie reminded her of how she used to be like when she was younger. “You’re literally twelve year old me.”

Bonnie laughed. “Does that mean I’m going to grow up to be a badass punk rocker?”

Unfortunately for her, Marceline was taking a sip of her Dr Pepper and nearly snorted it up her nose due to a sudden outburst of laughter which that statement elicited. She coughed through her laughs, and Bonnie patted her on the back.

“Oh my God, Bonnie,” Marceline managed to splutter out. “Badass? Yeah, right.”           

Bonnie chuckled, although she felt bad for making Marceline choke on her drink. “Well, you are pretty cool, so yeah.”

“You’ve been my friend for nearly two months – surely you’ve realised I’m not cool.” Marceline coughed a few more times, wiping her mouth with the collar of her t-shirt.

Bonnie couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of Marceline’s toned stomach as Marceline’s shirt rode up, and thought, if being a singer in a rock band does that to your body, sign me up. “Well, you’re cooler than me.”

“Not going to argue with that.” Marceline teased, smirking at Bonnie. “Hey, when I met you I figured you’d be popular and like, BFFs with LSP or something. I like you and all your dorkiness.”

Bonnie smiled. Somehow, that helped cheer her up. “Thanks, Marcy. I like you and all of your…punk rocky-ness.”

“Damn fucking straight you do.”

They ended up putting on a Disney movie – Bonnie was honestly surprised by how excessive Marceline’s collection of them was, but she didn’t comment – and they sat back and relaxed with one another. This was how Bonnie liked to hang out.

Neither of them paid much attention to the film – Marceline because she was gently finger-picking chords on her acoustic guitar, and Bonnie because she was too busy listening to Marceline playing. Bonnie became even more invested when Marceline began humming melodies along with the music she was playing, because really, how could one person be so talented?

“How’s the movie?” Marceline asked, looking up at her with a smirk. “Oh, wait. I should probably ask someone who’s actually watching it.”

Bonnie face flushed to match the colour of her hair. “Shut up. You’re distracting.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re playing music.” Bonnie pointed out, gesturing towards the acoustic guitar on Marceline’s lap. “Nice music, and it’s distracting.”

Marceline shrugged. “My room, my rules. The guitar stays. Sorry, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Play something for me.”

Marceline sighed. She didn’t want to play in front of Bonnie – what if she fucked up or if Bonnibel didn’t think she was any good? “No.”

“Come on!” Bonnie pleaded. “You don’t have to sing, just play something. Anything.”

Marceline couldn’t hold her ground against Bonnie’s puppy dog eyes. Usually, the dark haired girl was incredibly stubborn, but she just couldn’t deny those innocent blue eyes anything. “Fine. Give me a song.”

“Um…do you know any Ed Sheeran? Or Taylor Swift’s slower stuff?” Bonnie asked. “Just play anything nice and relaxing.”

“Uh…” Marceline frowned in thought, and eventually put her fingers to the strings. “I don’t have to sing?”

“Nope.” Bonnie smiled. She didn’t want to make Marceline do anything that might make her uncomfortable. “Just play.”

“Okay.” With that, Marceline began playing a familiar tune on the guitar, plucking and strumming the strings simultaneously.

Bonnie frowned in thought. She recognised the song and knew she’d heard it. When Marceline changed chords, Bonnie exclaimed the title. “Give Me Love! I didn’t know you liked Ed Sheeran.”

Marceline continued playing, but answered. “He’s okay. I just learned this song because I liked the guitar in it. I know ‘Kiss Me’ as well, but that’s because it’s the same chords as ‘A Daydream Away’ by All Time Low.”

“You’re really good at that, Marceline.” Bonnie smiled. “I mean it.”

“Thanks.” Marceline’s fingers left the strings and she placed her pick between her teeth. She moved the guitar from her lap and propped it up against the bed, putting the pick on her bedside table. Then, she turned to Bonnie. “There. No more distractions.”

Bonnie chuckled. “I actually have to watch the movie now.”

“I guess you do.” Marceline replied, sliding off the bed and downing the rest of her Dr Pepper. “Do you want anything to drink?”

Bonnie nodded. “Can I come with you?”

“Sure,” Marceline replied, and opened up her bedroom door, heading towards the stairs. Bonnie followed Marceline downstairs and watched as Marceline placed her empty Dr Pepper can on the side and then switched the kettle on. “Chamomile tea, I presume?”

“You know me well.” Bonnie smiled. “What’re you having?”

“Nothing.” Marceline said, motioning towards the empty Dr Pepper can. “I just had a drink.”

“Why did you offer to make me one, then?” Bonnie frowned. “You know, if you weren’t already going to get something?”

“Because I’m nice,” Marceline replied, “I know, shocker.”

Bonnie chuckled as Marceline sat herself on the counter next to where Bonnie was standing. Bonnibel followed her lead and sat down, smiling. “I already know you’re nice, you idiot.”

Marceline shot Bonnie a warm smile. “Yeah. In this friendship, you’re the mean one.”

“Me? Um, I don’t think so.” Bonnie shot back.

“You literally just called me an idiot. It’s the most offensive thing I’ve ever heard and I do not want to be associated with such foul language.” Marceline replied, scooting away from Bonnie on the counter, folding her arms across her chest and looking up at the ceiling with a serious expression on her face.

“Foul language?” Bonnie laughed. “This is coming from you; the girl who uses the f word at least sixty times a day.”

“I forget that’s a bad word, actually. I’ll say it in front of small children and then realise and then be like ‘oh fuck,’ and then continue to curse until eventually something that’s not a variation of ‘fuck’ comes out.” Marceline said. “It just happens. I did stop swearing once, though.”

“Whoa, what? You?” Bonnie tried to act as surprised as possible, smirking.

“Yeah. I started swearing when I got into middle school, and then one day I did it in front of Simon and he told me that my Mom hated people who swore so I stopped.” Marceline explained. “Then it started again because I realised I don’t give two fucks if people have a problem with it. Including my Mom’s ghost if she’s floating around here.”

“Huh,” Bonnie bit on her lip in thought. “If my Mom was dead and I swore, she’d come back and wash my mouth out with soap.”

“I ran into your Mom at the store.” Marceline replied. “It was a few days ago.”

“She didn’t annoy you, did she?” Bonnie asked, as a worse thought crossed her mind. “Oh, she didn’t tell you anything embarrassing at all, right?”

Marceline chuckled. “Nah, she just thanked me for coming over to keep you company for a bit on Monday and then asked me if I wanted to come over for dinner one night.”

Bonnie’s face broke out into a grin. “You should! You could stay over, too! How’s next weekend for you?”

Marceline blinked in confusion; she hadn’t been expecting the sudden outburst. “Uh…fine, I guess. Saturday night is probably best.”

“Good, I’ll let my Mom know.” Bonnie grinned. “You aren’t allergic to anything, are you? My Mom will probably be cooking something. Oh, you aren’t vegetarian or anything, right?”

“I’m allergic to garlic.”

Bonnie found it hard not to laugh. She found everything that fit into LSP’s vampire theory hilarious. “Seriously? Wow.”

“I’m joking, you know.” Marceline shot Bonnie a look. “You’re really gullible. No, I’m not allergic to anything.”

“I knew you were joking,” Bonnie lied. “That’s why I was laughing. Jokes are funny.”

“Why did you ask if I was being serious, then?”

“I was saying ‘seriously?’ to express my contempt at how bad your joke was.” Bonnie teased.

“You thought I was being serious, Bonnie. Unlike you, I’m not gullible as hell.” Marceline jumped off the counter after noticing the kettle had boiled, and grabbed Simon’s box of chamomile teabags out of the cupboard.

“I’m not gullible!” Bonnie exclaimed, exasperated. She hopped off the counter and walked over to Marceline, who was busy making her tea.

“Whatever you say, Bonnie.” Marceline didn’t sound like she believed a word of Bonnie’s protests – which she didn’t.

“Bubblegum!” Both Bonnie and Marceline spun around in confusion; Marceline rolling her eyes when she saw Finn and Jake walking into the kitchen.

Bonnie smiled. “Hey guys. What’re you doing down here?”

“Getting food. We’re watching The Amityville Horror. Want to join us?” Finn asked enthusiastically.

Bonnie cringed. She hated horror films. “I think I’ll stay with Marceline.”

She watched as Finn and Jake’s gazes flicked to Marceline and then they exchanged a look. Marceline noticed none of this, as she was too busy occupying herself with tea-making. “Bonnie, your tea’s done.”

Bonnie smiled, taking the mug of tea from Marceline. “Thanks. Are you sure you’re not going to have one?”

“Nah. I’m not thirsty.” Marceline shrugged, although Bonnie saw her gaze flick over to Finn and Jake, who were raiding the fridge. Marceline eyed them suspiciously, before eventually sighing and heading towards the kitchen door.

Bonnie quickly followed, her mug of tea in her hand. “Bye, guys.”

“Later, Bubblegum.”

“Marceline, stop!” Bonnie exclaimed through a fit of giggles. She squirmed under Marceline’s touch, desperately trying to get away from the dark haired girl.

Unfortunately for Bonnie, Marceline had discovered how ticklish she was, and wouldn’t leave her alone. Marceline smirked, tickling Bonnie’s sides and poking her for a reaction. “Don’t think so, Bonnie. Sorry.”

Bonnie squirmed away from Marceline and rolled off the bed, landing carefully on her feet. Then, she dug her fingers into Marceline’s sides, pouting when she didn’t get even a snicker. “You’re not ticklish? No fair!”

Marceline just shrugged nonchalantly as Bonnie continued trying to tickle her. “Nice try, but whatever you do won’t work.”

Bonnie sighed, collapsing back on the bed and scowling over at Marceline. “How are you not ticklish?”

“I am, but only in one place and there’s no way in hell I’m telling you that.” Marceline said.

Bonnie grabbed Marceline’s phone from where it was sat on her bedside table. “Tell me or I’ll steal your phone.”

“I could always just tickle you and I’d get it back.”

Bonnie shook her head. “Nope. Tell me so I can torture you the way you’ve been torturing me for the past ten minutes.”

“Bribing me with torture.” Marceline looked at Bonnie like she’d just said the dumbest thing in the world. “That’s totally going to convince me to give up my secrets. Nice one, Bonnie.”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes and held Marceline’s phone above her head. “Tell me and I’ll give you your phone back.”

Marceline smirked – Bonnie’s arms were held up in the air, giving Marceline the perfect opportunity. She tickled Bonnie’s sides, and the pink haired girl immediately doubled over, effectively dropping Marceline’s phone into her lap. Marceline picked up her phone and waved it in front of Bonnie. “Look at that! I got my phone back.”

Bonnie sighed. “And you know I’m ticklish. Great.”

“Aw, come on,” Marceline smiled, wrapping her arms around Bonnie in a slightly awkward hug, “If it makes you feel any better, I won’t tickle you unless a) I want to get information out of you, or b) I just want to annoy you.”

Bonnie relaxed in Marceline’s arms and looked up at the taller girl. “Thanks, I guess.”

“No problem.” Marceline smiled, “So what’s the plan for Saturday?”

“You’ll come round to my house whenever you finish band practice and then my Mom will make us dinner and then we’ll have a sleepover,” Bonnie listed, “Which will probably consist of us stuffing our faces with junk food.”

“Sounds like my kind of party.”

“Awesome,” Bonnie smiled. “Any particular food requests? Aside from Twizzlers, of course.”

Marceline chuckled. “Nah, I think I’ll be fine with that.”

“I’ll make sure to pick some up for you when I go to the store next,” Bonnie replied, although a thought came into her mind and she decided to ask Marceline a question, even though Keila had told her she probably shouldn’t bring this topic up. “Marceline, why does your ex-boyfriend hit on me whenever I go to pay for something?”

It had happened to Bonnie a few times now, and it honestly made her rather uncomfortable. She didn’t like guys and it made her feel awkward getting hit on in general. Ash had actually resorted to calling her a bitch when she ignored him the last time she went to the store.

“He hits on you?” Bonnie couldn’t help but notice how angry Marceline seemed by that. “I think I’m going to have to go hit him. I’m sorry, dude. He’s like, king douche.”

Bonnie waved Marceline off. “You don’t need to resort to violence for me. It’s fine. It just makes me feel a little weird. I don’t like it.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just tell him to fuck off and he’ll go away.” Marceline said. “Or, tell him you’re friends with me and that I haven’t broken any wrists for a while.”

“Wait, what?” Bonnie exclaimed, “Broken wrists?”

Marceline looked like she wanted to hit herself. She let out a long sigh, and couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with Bonnie. “Yeah. I got mad.”

“Were you still -,”

“Dating him? No. I’d just dumped his sorry ass.” Marceline said, quickly adding, “He provoked me, though.”

“What did he say?” Bonnie questioned.

“Something about my Mom.”

Bonnie could understand why Marceline had gotten angry, but she still didn’t think it justified breaking his wrist. “Okay.”

“You’re scared.” It was more a statement than question.

“I’m not. Trust me.” Bonnie shot Marceline a reassuring smile and cuddled up to her. “See?”

“You don’t think I’m going to lose my temper and like…kill you, or something?”

Bonnie felt her heart break at the surprise in Marceline’s voice. “Of course not. You could never hurt me, and I know that. Just like I’ll never hurt you.”

You’re way too good for me, Marceline thought, letting out a shaky breath of relief as she looked down at the pink haired girl who was smiling up at her reassuringly, I just hope you don’t ever figure that out.

Chapter Text

Saturday 29^th March 2014

“Bonnie, do we have to?” Marceline groaned as Bonnie excitedly pulled her down the stairs.

“Yes, we do. All we do is hang out indoors.” Bonnie explained, picking up Marceline’s leather jacket from where it was thrown over the banister. “You’re going to show me the town.”

“I thought your friends already did that.” Marceline pointed out; really, she just didn’t want to go outside – there were people there. “Let’s just stay in your room and play video games, yeah?”

“No,” Bonnie stated firmly, “Besides, you could use the sunlight. You’re not exactly tanned, are you?”

“First of all, it’s March. I don’t even tan in July.” Marceline replied. It was true – she always just got sunburned if she tried to get a tan, so she didn’t bother. She’d been pale her whole life. “I just don’t want to go out. Outside is boring.”

“Come on. You’ve got to like something about the outdoors.” Bonnie rolled her eyes. Bonnie decided that no matter what Marceline tried to use as an excuse, she was going to be stubborn enough to get Marceline outside.

“I like the part where I come back in.”

“Very funny,” Bonnie said, “We’re going out.”

“But Bonnie,” Marceline pulled her infamous puppy dog face, dragging out the vowels in Bonnie’s name for as long as she could to emphasise how much she didn’t want to leave the house, “I don’t like outside. Outside doesn’t have pyjamas and beds.”

“Well, we’ll go to a furniture store and you can find a bed in there.”

Marceline sighed in defeat; she knew she wouldn’t win this battle. “Fuck. Fine.”

Bonnie grinned, grabbing her coat and shoes, sitting down on the bottom step of the staircase. Marceline huffed, but followed Bonnie’s lead and tugged her leather jacket on, picking up her shoes and sitting down next to Bonnie on the step. They both laced up their shoes, and then Bonnie grabbed onto Marceline’s arm and pulled her out of the door and towards Marceline’s car. “I’m glad you drove here this time.”

“Now I’m wishing I hadn’t.” Marceline muttered, making her way to the driver’s side and climbing in. She started the car as Bonnie sat down and buckled up her seatbelt. “Where to?”

“Anywhere where there’s stores. I want to browse.” Bonnie said.

“So…the town centre, basically?” Marceline asked, trying not to complain. Most of the people at Marceline and Bonnie’s school tended to hang around by all of the stores, and Marceline really didn’t like seeing anyone from school more than she had to, unless it was Bonnie.

“Yeah.” Bonnie nodded. She could tell Marceline wasn’t very happy with this arrangement, but was grateful that Marceline didn’t argue with her. “We can go to the music store if you want.”

“Okay.” Marceline nodded. “Keila’s working today and she usually gives me discounts. Plus, I need some acoustic strings. The G broke on my Fender and that’s my favourite acoustic. I was pretty sad when it happened because I had to use my old one and the sound wasn’t as good.”

“You can play on my Dad’s guitar later, if you want.” Bonnie offered. “I like hearing you play.”

“Yeah, okay. Your Dad’s guitar is pretty cool.” Marceline said. “His strings are thinner than mine, though. I usually get elevens for acoustic, and I think his are nines or something.”

“You can get different string sizes for guitar?” Bonnie frowned. “I didn’t know that. What do you use for electric?”

“Nines.” Marceline replied. “I used to have them thinner when I was learning, though. Simon told me it’d make my fingers hurt less.”

“Wait, you said you started learning guitar when you were seven.” Bonnie stated. “I thought you still lived with your parents when you were seven.”

“Yeah…I stopped playing after…you know.” Marceline mumbled. “Simon convinced me to start playing again.”

“Ah.” Bonnie nodded in understanding. “Okay. Well, I’m glad you still play; you can serenade me if I ever get sad.”

“I could serenade you right fucking now if I wanted to.” Marceline replied, rolling her eyes. “You don’t need to be sad to get me to do that.”

“Good to know.” Bonnie smiled.

There was a silence in the car – filled only by the light music in the background – until Marceline spoke up again. “Hey, so…will drunk Bonnie ever make an appearance again?”

“Hopefully not.” Bonnibel replied. “I don’t think I can handle hangovers.”

“That sucks. I like drunk Bonnie.” Marceline lightly chuckled at the memory of Bonnibel plucking at the strings on her bass and calling herself a musician.

“Well, I don’t like her.” Bonnibel shot back. She was never getting drunk again – she hated keeping the secret from her parents and she definitely couldn’t get over another hangover.

“Hey, if it wasn’t for drunk Bonnie, we probably wouldn’t be friends.”

Bonnibel raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“Well, that was the night a let myself admit I liked you.” Marceline explained. “If you hadn’t been drunk and I hadn’t have taken you home, I wouldn’t have told you that. I’d have probably just avoided you until the end of time.”

“You do realise if you hadn’t have told me then, I’d still be annoying you?” Bonnie chuckled. “Like, I would be bugging you in History and stuff to get you to be friends with me.”

“I still don’t get why you wanted to be my friend in the first place.” Marceline stated. “I mean, I’m scary.”

“You think you’re scary. You’re not.” Bonnie explained. “You’re actually a cuddly dork who eats too much candy.”

Marceline smiled. “Thanks, Bonnie. And for the record, you can never have too much candy.”

Bonnibel chuckled. “True.”

“We have a bookstore, right?” Bonnie asked as she pulled Marceline through town, honestly not sure where she was going.

“Duh. If we didn’t I’d be pretty fucked.” Marceline rolled, her eyes, pulling her arm from Bonnie’s grip. “Come on, it’s this way.”

Bonnie followed Marceline through what felt like the entire town’s population – it seemed everyone had decided to do their shopping on the same day. She noted how good Marceline was at slipping past people without bumping into them; Bonnie, on the other hand, seemed to knock into every person they passed, and had to apologise every few seconds.

Eventually, Bonnibel reached out and grabbed onto Marceline’s hand, lacing their fingers together. She decided it was okay to do so – she didn’t want to end up lost at all, and Marceline didn’t seem to mind. It’s not like Bonnibel meant it in anything other than a platonic way.

Marceline led her away from all of the crowds and into a small, quiet store on the street corner. Bonnie looked around – although the store was small, there wasn’t a shortage of books to buy. Bonnie could see lots of books she’d heard of and read already, as well as numerous titles she wasn’t familiar with. She smiled; she knew she’d be coming back here a lot.

“Someone looks happy.” Bonnie looked up to see Marceline smirking at her; Bonnie figured she probably looked like a little kid on Christmas morning.

“I like bookstores,” Bonnie shrugged in defence, “They’re great.”

“I’m not going to disagree with you.” Marceline replied, tugging on Bonnie’s hand. “Come on, let’s look around. If you’re going to buy anything, there’s a couch in the crime section that we can read on.”

“How do you know that?” Bonnie asked. She smirked, shooting Marceline a look. “Because you’re a closet nerd, that’s why.”

“Well, I have to go somewhere when my Dad shows up.” Marceline shrugged. “It’s not my fault the owner likes me.”

Bonnie stared at Marceline, who didn’t seem affected by the strained relationship she had with her Dad. Bonnibel couldn’t understand it; she’d always been close with her parents – they were so great, that she just automatically assumed every parent was like that. “You can always come to mine when your Dad comes, you know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Marceline replied, looking down at Bonnie and shooting her a smile. Bonnie could tell it was fake. “Anyways, any particular genres you want to look at?”

Bonnie pulled her phone out from her pocket, opening her ‘notes’ app and selecting her ‘to read list’. She scrolled through the list that was much too long for her liking, and chose a trilogy of books she’d been meaning to read for a few months. “Where would Lord of the Rings be?”

“Fantasy, probably.” Marceline replied, pulling Bonnie over to the fantasy section and helped the pink haired girl search through.

Eventually, Bonnie found the books and headed over to the counter to pay, while Marceline settled herself down on the couch with a Stephen King book she’d just bought. The owner – a sweet, middle aged woman with a think Southern accent – smiled at her warmly as she gave Bonnie her change. Then, Bonnie headed over to Marceline and sat down, opening up the first book and flicking through to where the story starts.

Bonnie didn’t really focus on her book; she was more focused on Marceline, who was engrossed in her book and wasn’t paying attention to Bonnie. She thought it was adorable how Marceline chewed down on her bottom lip in concentration, her eyebrows knitted together in a frown. Whenever a revelation was made or something exciting happened, Bonnie noticed that Marceline’s red eyes would widen and Bonnie would find herself questioning how someone could possibly be so adorable yet devastatingly attractive simultaneously. She scolded herself for these thoughts, although eventually decided she didn’t mean anything by them and continued to watch as Marceline read her book.

Bonnie stayed watching Marceline read for what felt like hours, until Marceline looked up and Bonnie snapped her gaze back onto her book. She felt Marceline nudge her, and looked up, pretending as though she had been reading the entire time. “Yeah?”

“Can we go to the music store now? I need to buy my strings.” Marceline asked. “We can go and get coffee after, if you want.”

Bonnie nodded. “Yeah, okay. Show me the way.”

Marceline stood up and folded over the corner of the page she was on in her book. Then, she shut it and looked down to Bonnie. “Is it cool if I put this in your bag?”

“Yeah, sure.” Bonnie marked her place in her book and put it in the carrier bag the lady at the checkout had given her, holding it out for Marceline.

Marceline placed her book in the bag and waited as Bonnie stood up, and then the two girls headed out of the bookstore. Bonnie had no clue where she was going and just allowed Marceline to lead her through the crowds, although she did resort to gripping onto Marceline’s hand again. Marceline didn’t comment, which Bonnie was thankful for. “So, how far is the music store?”

“It’s just round there.” Marceline pointed with her free hand to a street corner opposite the two of them.

Bonnie nodded. “Alright. Where are we going to go for coffee?”

“I’ll drive us to Starbucks if you want, but there’s this cool shop a little bit further down from the music store that’s pretty good if you want to go there?” Marceline said. She was hoping that Bonnie would accept the offer – she was planning on paying for the coffees, and she knew that Starbucks was ludicrously expensive.

“That sounds nice. We’ll go there.” Bonnie smiled.

Marceline nodded, pushing open the door to the music store with her free hand and pulling Bonnie inside. She grinned when she looked to the checkout and saw Keila sat looking bored. “Sup, nerd?”

Keila looked up, her face breaking out into a huge grin. “Marmalade! I’m glad you’re here – I’m so bored. Barely anyone has come in today. Bongo stopped by to buy new drumsticks, but that was it.”

“Actually, we’re not going to be here long.” Marceline said as she headed over to the counter, Bonnie following closely behind. “I just need some strings for my acoustic and then we’re going to get coffee.”

“Oh, are you guys on a hot date?” Keila teased, chuckling at how Bonnie’s face flushed pink. “I’m kidding, you know.”

Bonnie nervously smiled. “Yeah, I’d hope you were. Either that, or there’s something Marceline’s not telling me about today.”

“I think you’re forgetting that you’re the one who dragged me outside.” Marceline stated, as she passed Keila a ten dollar bill in exchange for a pack of acoustic strings. “Don’t push the blame onto me.”

Keila smiled. “What have you guys done today?”

“We bought some books and then read for a little while and then came here.” Bonnie said. “I know; we’re very sociable people.”

“Damn, guys. Chill out,” Keila chuckled. “Your hang out sessions clearly aren’t for the faint-hearted.”

Marceline rolled her eyes as Keila passed her the change. “We aren’t any better. All we do is sit and play guitar all night.”

“True.” Keila smiled, moving from behind the counter to give Marceline a hug. “I’ll see you guys some other time. Have fun with your coffee.”

“Have fun working.” Marceline shot back. “I’ll text you later.”

“Bye, Marmalade.” Keila smiled to the two girls as they headed towards the door. “Later, Bonnibel.”

“Bye,” Bonnie shot Keila a warm smile as she exited the shop with Marceline. Bonnie liked Keila and considered the two of them friends – when she first met her, she figured she wouldn’t. Then again, she thought the same thing about Marceline, and she was one of her closest friends now.

When Marceline and Bonnibel entered the coffee shop, they found a table at the back. Marceline told Bonnie to stay put and save the table, and went off to order; a strawberry Frappuccino for Bonnie – she’d come to like them ever since Marceline had bought one for her a few weeks back – and a caramel latte for herself.

Of course, when Marceline came back with the drinks, Bonnie tried to force her money on her – she didn’t want Marceline paying for everything.

“Dude, chill the fuck out,” Marceline rolled her eyes as she sat down and pushed Bonnie’s hand – which was full of money – away from her. “I’m buying. It was barely $2.”

Bonnie pouted. “You always buy things for me. I feel like a bad friend.”

“You’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had, so shut your mouth and drink your coffee.” Marceline quickly responded. She’d decided that because she didn’t win the battle over coming out or staying at Bonnie’s house, she would be as stubborn as she possibly could here.

“You have such a way with words, Marceline,” Bonnie teased after she’d taken a sip of her drink, shooting Marceline a playful smirk. “I especially liked ‘shut your mouth’…yeah, I feel so loved.”

“You know,” Marceline paused to take a bite out of the cookie she’d bought for herself, “You mocking me would be a lot more effective if you didn’t have a coffee moustache.”

Bonnie’s eyes widened and she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her pink hoodie. “Did I get it?”

Marceline just rolled her eyes and picked up a napkin from the table, leaning across and wiping the corner of Bonnie’s mouth with it, before crumpling it up and sitting back in her chair. “There.”

“Thank you,” Bonnie smiled. “What do you want to do when we get back to mine?”

Marceline just shrugged. “Give me some options.”

Bonnie bit on her lip in thought. “We could watch a few movies or talk or bake cupcakes or -,”

“What was that last one again?” Marceline cut Bonnie off, a look of interest in her crimson eyes.

Bonnie frowned. “Bake cupcakes?”

“Yeah,” Marceline nodded, sipping on her drink. “We’ll do that.”

Bonnie grinned. She couldn’t help it; the look of excitement on Marceline’s face – which Marceline wasn’t doing very well at concealing – was impossible not to smile at. “Awesome.”

“Marceline!” Bonnie exclaimed, wiping the flour from her face.

Marceline looked at her with feigned innocence. “What? I didn’t do anything. You told me to pass you the flour.”

“Yeah, pass me the flour,” Bonnie replied, grabbing a tea towel and wiping her face with it, “Not flick it in my face.”

“You look like a ghost,” Marceline snickered. “No, screw that. You look like me.”

Bonnie dipped her fingers into the bag of flour and smeared it across Marceline’s cheek. “There, we’re even.”

Marceline scowled at Bonnie as she rubbed the flour from her cheek with the back of her hand, although the pink haired girl could tell she was fighting back a smile. “You’re insufferable.”

Bonnie smiled as she measured out 4 ounces of flour. “You don’t really think that.”

“Sadly, that’s true.” Marceline rolled her eyes as Bonnie passed her the flour that she’d measured out.

“Put that in the bowl and mix it in,” Bonnie said, “I’ll measure out and melt the butter.”

“Sure, whatever the princess desires.” Marceline shot Bonnie a smirk as she poured the flour into the mixing bowl and stirred.

Bonnie frowned, “Don’t call me that.”

Marceline cringed at the little quiver in Bonnie’s voice. “Okay. Sorry.”

Bonnie gulped and looked up, shooting Marceline a reassuring smile. “Don’t apologise. I just don’t like it when you call me that. It makes me think that you hate me again, or something.”

“I never hated you, you dumbass.”

“Yeah, calling me a dumbass is really comforting. Thanks, Marceline.” Bonnibel sarcastically shot back.

“Since when were you a sarcastic bitch? I thought that was my thing.” Marceline replied.

Bonnie shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”

Marceline’s eyes widened and she said to no-one in particular, “Call in the swat teams, everyone. The apocalypse is here.”

Bonnie chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Shut up. I’m not going to start wearing all black, piercing my face and listening to punk rock, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Phew,” Marceline feigned relief and wiped her brow, “Crisis averted.”

“One day I might turn up dressed like a punk just to see your reaction.” Bonnie mused.

“You do realise your friends would have worse reactions than me and probably never let us hang out again, right?”

“My friends don’t control me. I’ll hang out with whoever I want.” Bonnie replied. “I mean, on my first day they told me not to talk to you; clearly I’m a good listener.”

“Wait, what? Seriously?” Marceline laughed a little. “Wow. Your friends are really that scared of me?”

“Apparently so.” Bonnie replied. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t fall for your little act.”

Marceline smiled. “Yeah. I’m glad you didn’t.”

“That’s one of the sweetest things you’ve ever said to me.” Bonnie grinned. “You’re going soft, Abadeer.”

Marceline shrugged, putting an arm around Bonnie’s shoulders. “Maybe you’re influencing me.”

Bonnie laughed, resting her head on Marceline’s shoulder. She looked up at the paler girl and shot her a soft smile. “Are you saying that’s a bad thing?”

Marceline gave her a gentle squeeze. “Not at all.”

“You’ve eaten four cupcakes.” Marceline stated, looking at Bonnie in disbelief. “How are you still hungry?”

Bonnie just shrugged, wiping frosting from her upper lip. “It’s not my fault that we made the greatest cupcakes in all of creation.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Marceline rolled her eyes at the excitable pink haired girl. “I think you need to relax with the cupcakes and stuff. We’ll be having dinner soon, probably.”

“You need a cupcake.” Bonnie said, a determined look on her face. “You’ve only had half of one and you gave the rest to me.”

“I’m not hungry,” Marceline quickly responded. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine until dinner.”

Bonnie shot Marceline a doubtful look. “You haven’t eaten since you got here.”

“I’m waiting until dinner.” Marceline firmly responded. “Unlike you, I’m not going to spoil my dinner by eating twenty cupcakes.”

Bonnie smiled. “Okay. We’re having chicken, if that’s okay.”

Marceline nodded. “Yeah. That’s fine.”

Bonnie stood up from her place on the couch and stretched. “I’m going to get another cupcake.”

Marceline grabbed onto her wrist before she could walk away, and pulled Bonnie back onto the couch. The pink haired girl landed half in her seat, half on Marceline. “If you get another cupcake, you’ll burst. I don’t want that to happen.”

Bonnie smiled, shuffling off Marceline’s lap and onto her place on the couch. “Alright, I’ll slow it down.”

“Good.” Marceline smiled. “I don’t get how you managed to eat so many. Where the hell did you put them?”

Marceline poked Bonnie in the side, making the pink haired girl giggle and squirm away. “Stop it, I’m ticklish.”

Marceline continued to poke Bonnie, who ended up a flailing mess of limbs in her attempt to get Marceline to stop. She kicked at Marceline’s arms, which didn’t deter the dark haired girl. “I live with Marshall, remember? If I can still beat him at Guitar Hero when he’s kicking me, what makes you think I can’t handle this?”

Bonnie grabbed Marceline’s wrists and held them away from her. She caught her breath, chuckling a little. “Got you.”

Marceline rolled her eyes. “You got lucky.”

Bonnie kept a firm grip on Marceline’s wrists. “Maybe you just can’t handle my superior stealth and stamina.”

“Yeah, that’s likely.” Marceline laughed. “You can let go of my arms, you know. I won’t attack you. I swear.”

Bonnie eyed Marceline suspiciously. She let one of Marceline’s arms slip from her grip. “I’ll give you one hand. If you tickle me, I’ll grab it again.”

“Deal.” Marceline smiled.

Something colourful caught Bonnie’s eye – she looked down at the bracelets on Marceline’s arm, and began searching through them with her fingers. She tucked her forefinger underneath one, separating it from the rest. “I like this bracelet.”

Marceline followed Bonnie’s gaze and smiled. “Yeah. Warped Tour 2013. That was a good year.”

Bonnie flipped Marceline’s arm over and started looking through the many bracelets on the other girl’s arm. She pointed to a wristband. “You’ve mentioned this band before.”

“All Time Low?” Marceline asked. On Bonnie’s nod, she continued. “Yeah. They’re my favourite. They played Warped Tour in 2012 and it was hands down the best year.”

Bonnie let Marceline’s arm go and smiled. “Sounds like fun.”

“I’ll take you to a gig some time.” Marceline replied, linking her fingers with Bonnie’s. “But first I’ve got to get you into a band.”

“Planning on transforming me into a groupie, huh?” Bonnie laughed.

“Maybe,” Marceline smiled, “No, I wouldn’t do that to you. Whenever bands I love bring out new music I’m either weirdly happy for a week or a sobbing mess – there’s no in between.”

“A sobbing mess? Is that when you don’t like the music or something?” Bonnie asked.

Marceline shook her head. “No, that’s when the music is so good that I can’t function properly. I basically react to my bands the way your friends would react to…I don’t know, whatever’s popular nowadays.”

“I really want to see you reacting to a new All Time Low song or something.” Bonnie said. “I feel like it’d be funny.”

“There are usually a lot of tears involved. It’s not pretty.” Marceline chuckled, before she paused and looked up at Bonnibel with her puppy dog eyes.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “What do you want?”

“Can I get in my pyjamas?”

“Seriously?” Bonnie laughed, “It’s barely 6PM.”

“They’re comfortable.” Marceline replied. “I don’t know what you want me to say, man.”

“Okay, you can get in your PJs.”

“One more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Will you get in yours too?” Marceline questioned, “You know, so I don’t look like a weirdo in front of your parents.”

“But you are a weirdo.” Bonnibel teased.

“Bonnie,” Marceline pouted at her and shot her an adorable look which reminded Bonnie of a little kid begging for candy. “Please?”

“Fine.”

“I’m really sorry about how weird my parents are,” Bonnie said as her and Marceline headed back into Bonnie’s bedroom after dinner, clad in their pyjamas, “They never shut up.”

“You guys have a lot in common, then.”

Bonnie gave Marceline a gentle smack on the arm. “Jerk.”

Marceline smirked, following Bonnie inside her bedroom and making herself comfortable on Bonnie’s pink bed sheets. “You shouldn’t have given me the opportunity to make that comment.”

Bonnie closed her bedroom door with her foot and sat back on the bed next to Marceline. “True, I did give you the opening. Seriously, though – please tell me my parents weren’t too annoying.”

“They weren’t. It’s fine, man.” Marceline assured.

“Are you sure?” Bonnie pressed. “You looked a little uncomfortable.”

Marceline sighed. “It’s just – no, it’s dumb. Forget it.”

“No!” Bonnie replied, a little too quickly. She couldn’t help herself; she became eager whenever Marceline showed signs of opening up. “Tell me. I won’t judge.”

“I just don’t really know how to act around parents.” Marceline admitted. “I mean, it’s not like I have parents at home. I don’t know how they work or how to react around them.”

Bonnie felt something inside of her break, and she pulled Marceline closer to her and held onto her. “I’m so sorry. I’ll tell them to ease off a little, if you want?”

Marceline’s eyes widened and Bonnie felt her shake her head. “No. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Bonnie asked, letting go of Marceline.

Marceline met her gaze and nodded. “Yeah. And don’t worry, I like your parents.”

Bonnie smiled, taking hold of Marceline’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Yeah. They like you, too. I asked them when I got home the day you met them. They both think you’re some sort of musical prodigy or something. Actually, I agree.”

Marceline blushed, which Bonnie thought was absolutely adorable. “Well, I wouldn’t – uh…I wouldn’t call myself a -,”

“Just shut up and take the compliment, would you?” Bonnie smiled, squeezing Marceline’s hand, before letting go.

“Okay. Thanks.” Marceline quickly replied, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck. “So…what’s the plan now?”

“Movies and c – bed.” Bonnie quickly stopped herself before saying ‘cuddles’. That would’ve been embarrassing.

Clearly, she didn’t stop herself fast enough. “You were going to say something else.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Bonnie replied. She was not admitting what she was originally about to blurt out to Marceline. She’d never live that down.

“Yeah, you were.” Marceline continued. “Come on, Bonnie. Spill.”

Judging by the amused smirk on Marceline’s face, she’d figured it out. Bonnie let out a heavy sigh. “You already know, so why don’t you spare me the embarrassment?”

Marceline laughed. “You want cuddles, don’t you?”

Bonnie sighed. “That might’ve almost slipped out, and I promise I don’t mean anything by it, I just…I enjoyed it, you know? I missed snuggling with someone that wasn’t my Mom.”

Marceline chuckled – she was happy she wasn’t the awkward one for once. “You know, if you want something, all you have to do is ask.”

“What if you get creeped out by me?”

Marceline shot Bonnie a comforting smile. “Dude, that won’t happen. Besides, it’s just cuddling. It’s not like you’re asking me to like…murder someone with you or something.”

Bonnie grinned. “You’re the coolest.”

I’m really fucking not, Marceline thought. “Thanks, Bonnie.”

Bonnie put on the first DVD she found and snuggled up with Marceline, holding the pale girl close to her. She felt content with Marceline in her arms; she felt comforted.

When her Mom came in at 11:30PM to tell the two girls to shut off the TV, she found them snuggled up in Bonnie’s bed together, Marceline wrapped up in Bonnie’s arms and Bonnibel with her fingers tangled in Marceline’s jet black hair. The two girls were seemingly as close together as they possibly could be, and Bonnie’s Mom couldn’t help but smile at how content the two looked.

She tiptoed across the room and turned off Bonnibel’s TV, shooting one last look at the two girls. She smiled to herself; if Bonnibel was awake, she’d definitely be flushed red and trying to explain what her and Marceline were doing.

She’d also be feeling happier than she’d felt in a long time.

Chapter Text

Friday 4^th April 2014

The last day of school before the two week Easter break could only be accurately described by Marceline, who thought it was hectic as fuck. School closed at lunchtime, and typically the teachers whose lessons they were going to miss were parading round the school handing out extra homework just for the hell of it.

Marceline thought that was bullshit. The whole point of having a two week break was to have a fucking break, which should mean no extra homework, which Marceline didn’t plan on doing anyway. Her plans for the break were to put on her sweatpants and see how many TV shows she could finish. She didn’t plan on leaving her bedroom for the next two weeks.

Bonnie clearly didn’t agree with Marceline’s plan, because she’d sent Marceline at least five texts throughout the day, which Marceline hadn’t yet responded to.

Bonnie (7:38AM): Meet up with me in the Easter break?

Bonnie (7:43AM): We can ignore people and watch TV – I know they’re your two favourite activities. :)

Bonnie (9:01AM): Either you’ve lost your phone or you’re ignoring me.

Bonnie (10:34AM): If you ignore me I’ll just come and find you. The only places you go in school is the music room and Simon’s classroom. It’s not that hard to track you down.

Bonnie (10:41AM): Meet me by the parking lot when school finishes? Please?

Eventually, as the bell signalling the end of first break rang, Marceline texted back – usually, she had a music lesson, but since she’d already finished the class, she decided to find somewhere to sit and read. She didn’t want Bonnibel to think she was mad at her or anything; she knew Bonnie had bad experience with that in past friendships.

Marceline (10:50AM): but I want to go home and sleep

Bonnie (10:50AM): Sleep with me! :)

Bonnie (10:51AM): I just realised how that must have sounded. Sorry. :)

Marceline (10:51AM): damn you always try to seduce me man control yourself

Marceline (10:51AM): I know I’m hot but chill dude

Bonnie (10:51AM): I just laughed in class and my teacher is glaring at me. Teachers don’t glare at me. You’re a bad influence.

Marceline (10:52AM): if I’m not mistaken you texted me first

Marceline (10:52AM): and yes I’ll meet you in the parking lot

Bonnie (10:53AM): By your car?

Marceline (10:53AM): no by the president’s limo

Marceline (10:53AM): yes by my fucking car where the fuck else would we meet

Bonnie (10:54AM): There’s no need to be sarcastic, Marceline.

Marceline (10:54AM): there’s always a need to be sarcastic

Bonnie (10:54AM): I’ll see you at lunch, Marcy. :)

Marceline (10:54AM): yeah you will

Bonnie (10:55AM): Bye! :)

Somehow, Bonnie had managed to convince Marceline to not go home and take a nap – which recently had become a new after-school routine for her – and Marceline knew she’d probably be roped into watching a few movies with Bonnie or something.

Oddly enough, she didn’t seem to have a problem with that.

Bonnie sighed in content as she locked her phone and slid it in her pocket. She smiled; she enjoyed knowing she had plans with Marceline.

Lady – who was sat next to her in Math – picked up on Bonnie’s good mood. “Okay, either you just found out you won a Nobel Prize or you have a secret date. I’m betting it’s the date.”

“I don’t have a date.” Bonnie replied. “I’m just hanging out with Marceline after school for a little while.”

“That sucks!” Lady exclaimed. “I was going to invite you over to mine. Finn, Jake and everyone else are coming over to celebrate two weeks of no school. Even Marshall is going to be there.”

“Well, I asked Marceline first. Sorry.” Bonnibel apologised, although she wasn’t all that sorry. She was happy to be spending quiet time with Marceline, and she knew that if Marshall was going to be present, he’d probably bring alcohol with him.

“Bring her!” Lady quickly responded. She had no clue why she’d said that; she was aware that having Marceline over might make things awkward – especially since LSP was going to be there – but she really wanted Bonnibel to come over. “I don’t mind who you bring.”

“I doubt Marceline will want to hang out with you guys. No offence, but she doesn’t really seem to like anybody aside from you.” Bonnibel pulled her phone out and decided to send Marceline a quick text to see if she was right.

Bonnie (11:04AM): Hey, you wouldn’t want to come to my friends’ end of semester celebration, right?

Bonnie (11:04AM): And also while we’re on the topic, which of my friends do you actually like?

Once her texts had sent, she slipped her phone back into her pocket. Lady shot Bonnie a surprised frown. “Did you just say that Marceline likes me?”

Bonnie laughed. “Well, I think she does.”

Bonnie saw the small, proud smile on Lady’s face. “I feel like I’ve accomplished the impossible.”

Bonnie chuckled, although didn’t reply as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She sneakily pulled it out after making sure that their teacher was caught up in explaining the quiz that they were about to do up at the front of the room, and read Marceline’s reply.

Marceline (11:07AM): honestly I would rather set myself on fire

Marceline (11:08AM): and lady’s okay and gumball and then that blond dude who’s like twelve

Bonnie double checked that her teacher was still wrapped up in her explanation before replying.

Bonnie (11:09AM): When did you talk to Finn?

Marceline (11:09AM): the kid was at my house because him and the other guys that you hang out with were staying over with my brother

Marceline (11:09AM): they gave me a fucking headache but then in the morning I was drinking my green tea and then he comes running downstairs and he started talking to me

Bonnie (11:10AM): Please tell me you were nice?

Marceline (11:11AM): yeah I was nice

Marceline (11:11AM): he seemed a little scared at first and I was like ‘dude I’m not going to eat you or whatever chill’ and then he chilled out and we ended up having a civilised conversation about star wars until I went back upstairs and proceeded to sleep for the rest of the day

Bonnie (11:13AM): Okay, good :)

Bonnie (11:13AM): Anyways I’m going again, bye! See you at your car :)

Marceline (11:14AM): bye loser ;)

Bonnie smiled and locked her phone, shoving it into her pocket and turning back to Lady. “Well, it’s been confirmed that Marceline likes you, Gumball and Finn.”

“Well, then she can talk to us when you and her arrive at my house tonight. Yeah?” Lady replied.

“Yeah, that’s not happening. She doesn’t want to.” Bonnie said. She knew Marceline wouldn’t want to. “Marceline is like me. We don’t like big groups of people.”

Lady sighed. “Fine, but you’re coming to see me in the holidays. If you make up any excuse I’ll come over to your house and drag you out to the mall or something.”

“Okay.” Bonnie quickly replied. “No excuses. God, don’t take me to the mall. I hate malls.”

“You can’t hate malls.” Lady shot back. “It’s impossible.”

Bonnibel raised a challenging eyebrow. “They’re overcrowded and tiring. Plus, the food is always ridiculously overpriced. Like, the McDonald’s by my house in New York was much cheaper than any of the ones in major shopping places.”

“You are so lucky you got to live in New York. I wish I could go there.” Lady sighed. She’d wanted to go to New York since she’d been a little kid – there were so many places to shop. “Take me one day, yeah?”

Bonnie cringed. Although initially she didn’t want to move, having friends had changed her perspective. She wasn’t too keen on the idea of going back to New York again – too many bad memories. “Uh…yeah. One day.”

“Awesome.” Lady smiled. “Maybe after we graduate next year.”

Bonnie just nodded along; she didn’t like letting people down. “Okay.”

She hated making deals she couldn’t keep.

“You came.” Bonnie pointed out as Marceline approached her.

Marceline shrugged. “Well, I heard there was going to be a cute girl by my car. Can’t pass that up.”

Bonnibel blushed and playfully shoved Marceline. “And I’m the one always trying to be seductive?”

Marceline held her hands up in defence. “Hey, I was just trying to compliment you. Don’t beat me up about it.”

“Well, thank you.” Bonnie smiled. “And you’re rather cute yourself.”

“That’s debatable.” Marceline responded, although at the stern look on Bonnie’s face, she continued. “But thanks.”

Bonnie frowned. “It’s not debatable. If there was a list of non-debatable topics, that would be on it. You’re great.”

“Whatever you say, man.” Marceline replied, although she didn’t know what made Bonnie think that. “Anyway, where am I taking you?”

“Either your place or mine.” Bonnie said. “Either way, we’re hanging out.”

“Well, if we went to mine we’d be alone because Simon and Betty have to stay until 3PM for a staff meeting and Marshall is with your friends.” Marceline explained. “But I don’t mind.”

“We’ll go to yours.” Bonnie concluded, waiting for Marceline to unlock the car so she could get in. “Have you had lunch yet?”

“Not yet. I wasn’t planning on eating at school today.” Marceline replied as she unlocked the car and got into the driver’s seat. She looked over to Bonnie, who had climbed into the car and buckled up her seatbelt. “McDonald’s run?”

Bonnie grinned. “Awesome.”

Marceline pushed open the front door with her foot – her hands were taken up by her and Bonnie’s McDonald’s meals. She quickly headed into the front room and placed them on the coffee table, before heading back to Bonnie who was putting her and Marceline’s schoolbags down by the door.

Bonnie shut the front door, and was about to start talking, but a loud yapping prevented her from doing so. Schwabl came running down the stairs and jumped up at Marceline. The dark haired girl smiled and patted the white poodle on his head. “Hey, buddy.”

She picked him up and Bonnie could see the dog’s tail furiously whipping back and forth, and she smiled. “You know, when I met you, I never thought I’d see you cuddling a dog.”

“He’s my little puppy, of course I’m going to cuddle him.” Marceline smiled, kissing the dog on the top of his head.

Bonnie thought that Marceline was being adorable. “That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Marceline looked up at her and frowned as they made their way into the front room and sat down on the couch. Schwabl rested himself on Marceline’s lap, and the pale girl was casually stroking him as she conversed with Bonnie. “What is?”

“The hardcore punk cuddling a dog.”

Marceline laughed. “Oh my God. I’m not hardcore.”

“Well, you’re the most hardcore person I know.” Bonnie said.

“Aw, that’s sweet.” Marceline smiled. Then, her face turned serious. “You’re delusional.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “What? You’re all tough and stuff. Doesn’t that make you hardcore?”

Marceline just laughed. “You’re adorable.”

Bonnibel blushed and looked anywhere but Marceline as she leaned forward and grabbed her McDonald’s meal from the bag it was in on the coffee table. She didn’t know why she felt so shy all of a sudden – she never felt like this whenever any of her other friends complimented her. Why should it be any different with Marceline?

Bonnie looked at Marceline out of the corner of her eye, aware that her cheeks were probably as red as Mars. She did think Marceline was attractive, but all of her female friends were pretty and she didn’t get all nervous when Lady or Fionna teased her.

Bonnie felt a sense of dread wash over her. No. She couldn’t…she didn’t li –

Bonnibel, the pink haired girl stopped herself from finishing that thought, she’s just a really good friend. You just care about her, that’s all.

“So,” Marceline snapped Bonnie from her thoughts, “Any plans for the holidays?”

Bonnie vigorously shook her head. “Nope. No plans.”

“I take it you’ll be busy building a spaceship or something.” Marceline replied, “If you need any help with that, I’m here. And by help, I pretty much mean if you want it to explode. I’m no good with science. It’s confusing.”

“Once you get to grips with the basics it becomes simpler.” Bonnie responded.

Marceline waited until she’d eaten a bit of her burger before replying. “Dude, I’ve done science at school almost every day since I was like five and I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. Same with math, actually.”

“I could help you if you’d be willing to study.” Bonnie offered.

“Looks like that’s not going to happen, then.” Marceline responded, smirking. “I think you just forgot who you’re talking to. I don’t willingly study.”

Bonnie frowned. “Why not?”

“It’s boring and I always end up distracted anyways.” Marceline shrugged. “It’s pointless. Fuck school.”

“School isn’t all bad.” Bonnie reasoned. “I mean, if it wasn’t for school, you wouldn’t have met any of your friends.”

Marceline thought for a moment. Bonnie did make a good point. “Yeah. I guess.”

Bonnie smiled, grabbing hold of Marceline’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “School would be boring without you, anyways. You make History fun.”

Marceline grinned. “Thanks, Bonnie. I actually hate school a little less now that you’re around. I’m glad you didn’t stop bugging me when you moved here.”

“I’m glad too.” Bonnie smiled. “If I hadn’t kept annoying you, I would probably be at a party right now. I don’t like parties.”

“Wait, that thing your friends invited you to was a party?” Marceline frowned.

“Yeah.” Bonnie replied.

“Oh,” Marceline shrugged. “The only time I’d ever be able to endure your friends is if I was drunk or something.”

“I think Marshall is taking alcohol with him.” Bonnie said. “How does he even get that stuff?”

“He has a fake ID. He got one to buy cigarettes when he was fifteen.” Marceline explained. “I found out about it around the same time I found out about his smoking.”

Bonnie knew that Marceline didn’t approve of smoking, and she couldn’t help asking what she did next. “How did you react when you found out?”

“I didn’t give two fucks about the fake ID, but we ended up in a huge argument about the smoking. Eventually I stopped caring, but I still steal his cigarettes and dispose of them when I can.” Marceline told her. “I mean, at one point everyone in my band but me smoked. Now only Marshall and Guy do.”

“Keila used to smoke?” Bonnie asked. She didn’t expect that.

“Yeah.” Marceline said. “She hasn’t for about two months now. She’s the best. I tried not to care about her smoking but I worry a lot.”

“About Keila?”

“About everyone I care about, really.” Marceline admitted. “Keila, Simon, Marshall, Bongo, Guy.” Marceline paused, before her gaze flicked up at Bonnie and then quickly averted to her hands, which were fiddling with the hem of the red plaid shirt Marceline was wearing. “You.”

“You worry about me?” Bonnie frowned in confusion, although inwardly she felt rather happy that Marceline cared about her.

“Of course I do.” Marceline replied. “I care about you, dumbass.”

“I care about you too!” Bonnie smiled, leaning over and giving Marceline a huge hug. “You’re the coolest.”

“Nah,” Marceline replied. “That’s you.”

Bonnie just rolled her eyes and smiled. She decided to change the subject; she knew Marceline probably wouldn’t accept her compliments. “Shall we do something?”

“Will that something involve sleeping?”

“No.” Bonnie replied.

Marceline frowned. “No, then. Get out of my house.”

Bonnie shot Marceline a pout and attempted to mimic Marceline’s puppy dog eyes. “Marcy, please?” Bonnie dragged out each letter in Marceline’s name for as long as she could.

“Whoa, chill,” Marceline held her hands up in defence, “I was just kidding. No need to get all pouty about it. We can do anything.”

“Go and get your Disney movies,” Bonnie decided. “If you’ve got any popcorn, I’ll make that. Although, judging by the amount of food you’ve got left, you won’t need it.”

Bonnie looked over at Marceline’s McDonald’s meal. She’d eaten her burger, but she still had most of her fries left over and the McFlurry Bonnie had insisted on buying her was melting next to her drink. Marceline followed Bonnie’s gaze and shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m full.”

Bonnie raised an eyebrow – she found this a little worrying. From what she knew, Marceline didn’t have breakfast on a morning that often. “Really? So if I was to steal your leftover fries and eat your McFlurry, you’d be fine with it?”

“Well, I was thinking about putting the McFlurry in the freezer for later, but you can have the fries.” Marceline said, leaning over and grabbing them, holding them out to Bonnie. “Here. Take them.”

Bonnibel frowned but took the fries, grabbing a handful and eating them. “Are you sure you don’t want these?”

Marceline nodded as she leaned over to grab the McFlurry. It was Oreo flavoured – Bonnie had insisted on buying Marceline something, since Marceline had paid for both of their meals. “I’m going to put this in the freezer.”

“Okay.” Bonnie replied through a mouthful of fries.

“Do you want a drink while I’m in there?” Marceline asked.

Bonnie reached over and grabbed her Coke, which she’d gotten from McDonald’s. She gently shook it. “Nope, I’ve got enough here.”

“Okay, dude.”

By the time Marceline had gotten back, Bonnie had finished off the fries and had packed all of their empty food containers back into the McDonald’s bag. Marceline just rolled her eyes and grabbed it, walking back into the kitchen and trashing it, before sitting back down next to Bonnie.

“Are you going to get your Disney movies or what?” Bonnie asked.

“Seriously?” Marceline shot her an incredulous look. “I just sat down!”

Bonnie feigned an innocent smile. “Well…I can’t get them. I don’t know where they are.”

“You’ve been here a thousand times. Yes you do.” Marceline said.

Bonnie just looked at Marceline expectantly until the dark haired girl finally caved. Marceline made a huge show of sliding off the couch and onto the floor, letting out a loud groan as she stood up and slowly walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a box full of Disney DVDs. Marceline dumped the box on Bonnie’s lap and sat back down. “There. Happy?”

Bonnie grinned. “Very.”

“If anybody walked in on us right now, this would look extremely weird,” Marceline commented as she looked up at Bonnibel.

Currently, Marceline was laid across the couch, half on top of Bonnie while the pink haired girl had her arm around her. Bonnie just smiled down at her. “Probably.”

Marceline smiled and snuggled closer to Bonnibel, comforted by the pink haired girl’s soft breathing and her subtle chocolate scent. “I don’t care, though. You’re comfy.”

“Thanks,” Bonnie laughed, “I think that was a compliment, anyways.”

“It was.” Marceline quietly reassured her.

“I’m sorry for always asking to cuddle you, by the way,” Bonnie apologised. She didn’t want Marceline thinking she liked her – Bonnie definitely didn’t – because it would make things weird between them. “If you don’t want to, just tell me.”

“Dude, I like this cuddling arrangement as much as you,” Marceline replied. “It’s nice. Besides, it’s not like you mean it romantically.”

“Exactly.” Bonnie said, although she had to reassure herself, because really, dating Marceline wouldn’t be all that bad.

No, Bonnie.

They could walk around town together, holding hands. Bonnie would boost herself up on her tiptoes and kiss Marceline on her pale cheek.

Stop this right now, Bonnibel.

Bonnie would hold Marceline and lean down and give her kisses and –

No, no, no, Bonnie snapped herself out of her daydream, I won’t let myself think about her like that any longer. If Marceline knew what Bonnie was thinking, Bonnibel was sure she’d make a run for it right now.

Bonnie closed her eyes and bit on her lip. You don’t like Marceline. Stop thinking like this.

Bonnie let herself take a glimpse at Marceline, who was too busy watching the movie to focus on Bonnibel.

Bonnie exhaled in relief as she examined Marceline. She felt no desire to lean down and kiss her. Bonnie had just had a stupid daydream. She couldn’t help where her mind wandered to. See, you don’t want to date her. No romantic feelings there whatsoever.

When Marceline shuffled onto her side and flung a protective arm over Bonnie, the pink haired girl had to keep herself together.

I will not let myself like her like that, Bonnibel firmly told herself, I won’t ruin everything this time.

She hoped she’d be able to stop herself from liking Marceline. She refused to let herself develop more than friendly feelings for the dark haired girl next to her.

She ruined things with her best friend before. That wasn’t going to happen again.

Not if Bonnie had any say in things, anyway.

Chapter Text

Wednesday 9^th April 2014

Bonnibel had been invited to a group sleepover with Lady, Fionna, Cake and LSP at Lady’s house, and to be quite honest, she was incredibly nervous. She’d grown used to having small sleepovers with Marceline, but she didn’t think that she’d be doing the same sort of things she did with Marceline with Lady and the others.

For one, there definitely wouldn’t be snuggles.

Bonnie didn’t really know what to expect of the night ahead. She’d never been to a sleepover like this before, unless she counted the one they had at Marshall’s for Lady’s birthday. Bonnie smiled when she thought back to that night – even then, she snuck off from her friends to hang out with Marceline, and they weren’t even friends at that point.

She wondered if her friends would gossip – LSP was there, so Bonnie suspected they would – and she wondered what she’d do if they brought Marceline up. Bonnie had never been one for confrontation. Usually, when someone said something she didn’t like, Bonnie just kept quiet and glowered in the background; she didn’t like causing conflict. Bonnie decided that if LSP said something about Marceline that annoyed her, she would defend her friend. After all, Marceline was probably the best friend she had, and Bonnie wasn’t too close to LSP. She could live without her.

Bonnie walked up to Lady’s doorstep and knocked. She was almost immediately grabbed and pulled inside by Lady and Fionna, who were both grinning at her like hyenas.

“Sorry,” Lady said, “We had to pull you inside in case you decided you wanted to go home and do your science.”

Bonnie laughed, although inwardly she was wishing she could do a science experiment right now. She had to admit, knowing she had absolutely no way of predicting the night’s events made her rather nervous. She hated uncertainty. That was why she liked science; she liked being in the know. “Don’t worry. I won’t be ditching you tonight. I swear.”

Fionna smiled at her. “Good. We’re just finishing up watching a movie if you want to come upstairs. Cake and LSP are in there already.”

The three girls headed upstairs once Bonnibel took her shoes off, and they entered Lady’s bedroom to see LSP and Cake sat on the floor in front of the TV, both of them teary-eyed at some soppy romance movie.

Bonnie wasn’t going to lie; she did have a soft spot for romantic comedies, and sometimes she cried at a fair few – if Marceline ever found out she’d never live that down – but she never got in the state LSP and Cake were in. The two girls were virtually sobbing, while LSP claimed, “It’s just like me and Brad!”

Bonnie had to refrain from rolling her eyes – nothing ever worked out like it did in the movies – but she still let out a little scoff which managed to go undetected. Bonnie took a seat next to Lady on the bed, and she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She unlocked it and automatically smiled when she saw who it was.

Marceline (4:34PM): yo

Bonnie (4:34PM): Hello! How are you?

Marceline (4:36PM): I just woke up and I’m bored

Bonnie (4:37PM): You just woke up? What time did you stay up until last night?

Marceline (4:37PM): um well you see I might have lost track of time and watched a full season of ahs before I realised it was seven am

Bonnie (4:38PM): You’re literally nocturnal. No wonder LSP thinks you’re a vampire.

Marceline (4:39PM): shut up before I bite you

Bonnie (4:40PM): You wouldn’t bite me, you like me too much. :)

Bonnie smiled and locked her phone, just as Lady peered over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of her texts. “What are you and Marceline talking about, huh?”

Lady looked like she knew something Bonnie didn’t, and the pink haired girl felt a little discouraged. “Nothing. What were you thinking?”

“I bet she was getting Bubblegum to let her in so she can suck our blood.” LSP spoke up from the front of the room, where she was attempting to fix her makeup after all of the crying she’d been doing at the movie.

Bonnie just rolled her eyes and was about to reply, but her phone vibrated again and she decided to talk to Marceline instead.

Marceline (4:46PM): how’s the sleepover from hell going

For a minute, Bonnie was rather happy that Marceline had remembered her plans and cared enough to ask how she was. Bonnie had always wanted a friend like that. Marceline was just so sweet.

Bonnie (4:47PM): It could be better. I wish you were here.

Bonnie was unsure if that last part was a little too far. She didn’t want Marceline to think she liked her in any way other than platonically.

Because she didn’t.

She didn’t like Marceline.

Bonnie didn’t like how she kept having to reassure herself, but she knew the instant joy she seemed to feel whenever Marceline sent her a message and the little swarm of butterflies in her stomach at the other girl’s touch wasn’t good. She refused to ruin things again, and reassuring herself that she didn’t like Marceline like that was the only way to ensure that.

Marceline (4:48PM): that’s so mean why would you wish torture on me

Marceline (4:48PM): I’m hurt :(

Bonnie (4:49PM): My friends aren’t that bad, you know. Don’t be a grump. ;)

Marceline (4:51PM): your friends make me uncomfortable

Bonnie (4:52PM): They’re a little overwhelming, I’ll give you that. They mean well though. I think you’d actually get on with some of them if you tried to.

Bonnie (4:53PM): Not that I’m saying you have to try, you don’t. It’s up to you and everything.

Marceline (4:53PM): I know :)

Marceline (4:54PM): okay I’ll let you get back to your friends

Bonnie wanted to tell Marceline not to leave, but she decided she’d actually be sociable for the night.

Bonnie (4:54PM): Okay. Bye, Marcy. :)

Marceline (4:54PM): if you need me at all, text me because all I’ll be doing is watching tv

Bonnie (4:55PM): Okay, thanks. I’ll see you some time this week, yeah?

Marceline (4:55PM): you bet :)

Bonnie instantly regretted what she sent next.

Bonnie (4:55PM): Love you :)

Bonnie didn’t know what compelled her to send that. She might as well have just told Marceline that she was a murderer or something; she knew the dark haired girl would be freaked out by what Bonnie had sent.

Bonnie was terrified to look at Marceline’s response, but she pulled herself together and unlocked her phone, looking down at the text.

Marceline (4:56PM): love you too

Bonnie immediately felt relief surge through her. Marceline didn’t freak out at her.

That put her in a good mood for the rest of the night.

Once Bonnie’s friends had gotten bored of the romance movies, everybody got changed and sat down in a circle, as instructed by LSP. “We’re going to play sleepover games.”

Bonnie frowned. She’d never played any sleepover games before, and she didn’t really know what they entailed. She just hoped she’d get through this without revealing anything she liked to keep to herself.

“Truth or Dare.” Cake immediately replied. “It’s the best.”

The rest of the girls agreed. Bonnie kept silent; she didn’t like the sound of doing horrible dares or revealing any personal information.

“Lady, you go first.” Fionna said. “It’s your house.”

Lady looked around the circle and smirked. “LSP, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Why did you and Brad break up?”

Everyone collectively ‘oohed’; apparently LSP’s breakup with Brad – which Bonnie hadn’t even known had occurred – was very scandalous information.

“Well…he tried to do stuff with me and I was grossed out and we had an argument and he said he was too mature for me.” LSP rambled on. “What does that even mean, you guys?”

Cake comforted LSP for a few moments, before she turned around and scanned the group for who she was going to subject to a dare or a truth. “Fionna.”

Bonnie exhaled in relief. She’d been hoping nobody would choose her. She was more of a spectator for games like this.

Apparently, her friends didn’t agree with that – after Bonnie had successfully not been chosen at all, LSP broke her usual streak of asking Cake and smirked at Bonnibel. “Bubblegum, truth or dare.”

The idea of spilling any secrets to LSP mortified Bonnie – their whole school would know in a matter of minutes – so Bonnie settled on dare. “Dare, I guess.”

LSP grinned. “Give me your phone and let me prank call someone.”

Bonnibel was wary – first of all, she knew by someone, LSP probably meant Marceline and secondly, Bonnie didn’t particularly trust the other girl. Bonnie let out a deep sigh and handed over her phone. “My parents are off limits.”

LSP didn’t seem fazed by this. “I wasn’t going to call your parents.”

“You’re going to call Marceline, aren’t you?” Bonnie replied in monotone. “Don’t annoy her. She’s probably busy.”

Bonnie knew for a fact that Marceline wasn’t busy, but she really didn’t want to annoy her.

“I didn’t think of that,” LSP said, although by her tone Bonnibel could tell she had.

She saw LSP tapping about on Bonnie’s phone, and then she called someone and put it on speaker. Marceline picked up on the second ring.

“Bonnie, whatever you want please make it quick. I’m in the middle of a Buffy episode.” Marceline replied.

LSP put on a pompous, almost British accent, which was apparently supposed to sound like Bonnie. “I hate you. Never talk to me again, and by me I mean me, Bubblegum – I mean, Bonnibel.”

“I know it’s not Bonnie. I’m not an idiot.” Bonnie was pretty relieved to hear that, although she didn’t think LSP’s voice sounded anything like her own and she knew only an idiot would fall for that. “I’m going to assume you stole Bonnie’s phone.”

Bonnibel reached over and grabbed her phone from LSP’s grasp, which was countered with an annoyed glare from the other girl. “Marcy?”

“Hi, Bonnie.” Marceline replied. “I take it they stole your phone, yeah?”

“It was a dare. I got told to give them my phone so they could call whoever they like.” Bonnie responded. “Sorry to annoy you.”

“You don’t annoy me,” Bonnie noticed the emphasis on ‘you’, “Your friends, on the other hand…”

“Don’t be mean.” Bonnie chided. “I recall you saying you liked some of them.”

“Maybe I’m just a good liar,” Marceline said, “Lady’s cool, though.”­

Bonnie looked over to see Lady with a proud grin on her face. “You think I’m cool?”

“Fuck, am I on speaker?” Marceline asked.

Bonnie chuckled. Weren’t prank calls always put on speaker? “Yeah, you moron.”

“I’m hanging up on you now. Bye.” Marceline quickly answered. “And don’t call me a moron.”

With that, she was gone.

It was a while before Bonnie was chosen again in the game. She was picked by LSP for a second time, and instead of opting for another dare and have another failed attempt at LSP attempting to annoy Marceline, she chose truth – a decision she later regretted.

LSP smirked at her as if she was about to make Bonnie reveal her deepest, darkest secrets. “Who was your last boyfriend?”

Bonnie wanted to laugh. Lady actually did laugh. Bonnie couldn’t believe she’d been worried – she should’ve known LSP would ask a dumb question like this; the blonde was always trying to get gossip on other people’s love lives. “Uh, I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”

“You’ve never had a boyfriend? That’s so weird! We need to set you up with someone.” LSP exclaimed, before she proceeded to scroll through her Facebook friend list and find boys who she thought Bonnie would like.

Lady was giggling to herself in the corner, and Bonnie was just trying to end this conversational topic as quickly as she possibly could. Whenever something like this was mentioned, Bonnie always found a way to change the subject before it spiralled into something else. As LSP persisted, Bonnie grew increasingly nervous.

“What about him?” LSP held up her phone to Bonnibel and showed her a picture of some guy who was probably one of her many ex-boyfriends.

For the fifth or sixth time, Bonnibel answered, “He’s not really my type.”

LSP sighed. “Who is your type? You’re like, impossible.”

Girls are usually my type, Bonnie thought, I especially like dark hair and girls who can play instruments. But not Marceline. Nope.

Bonnibel didn’t really know how to talk her way out of this one, and she was aware of how clammy her hands had become and she could feel her face heating up.“Uh…well, you see…I judge on personality rather than looks.”

“Bubblegum, are you gay?”

The question made her feel as though someone had just taken a gun and shot her.

Bonnie froze and her gaze snapped towards Fionna, who was looking at her with an inquisitive expression. Bonnibel was struggling to find words and couldn’t think of a decent excuse. “I – what…I don’t – what are you talking about? Of course I’m not – I just…”

Bonnie couldn’t get anything out. She knew she should tell them, but she just couldn’t. Especially not with LSP in the room.

Lady put an arm around Bonnibel and smiled. “It’s okay. You can tell them, they won’t judge you.”

Bonnie felt comforted by Lady and was lulled into a sense of false security. She gulped and directed her gaze to her feet, refusing to look any of her friends in the eye. Then, she made the stupidest decision she could. “I…I’m gay. Fine. I – I like girls.”

Fionna just nodded. “Okay, that’s cool.”

Bonnie looked up in surprise. “You don’t care?”

“Of course we don’t.” Cake said, shooting Bonnie a genuine smile. Although Bonnie wasn’t really close with Cake, she did feel comforted by the gesture. “You do realise Gumball is gay too, right? He’s out and nobody has a problem with him.”

Bonnie’s face broke out into a grin, until her gaze reached LSP, who was looking at her in disgust. Bonnie blinked in confusion – Lady had said they’d be fine with it. “Uh…are you okay?”

“No.” LSP quickly responded. “That’s disgusting.”

Bonnie tensed. “What?”

Lady, Fionna and Cake were as surprised as Bonnie at LSP’s reaction. “You were fine when Gumball came out to you.”

“I don’t like lesbians.” LSP stated, glaring at Bonnie in a way that reminded her of – no. Don’t, Bonnie, she told herself, think about Marceline. Marceline’s smile. Marceline playing music. Marceline talking. Marceline. LSP continued shooting Bonnie a horrible look. “I don’t mind Gumball because he won’t come onto me or anything. She might.”

Bonnie hated how LSP was reminding her of New York. She wanted to send back a snarky comment about how she wasn’t attracted to every girl she saw – specifically LSP – but she couldn’t think straight. She was crying, she knew that. Thinking about Marceline wasn’t helping; she wasn’t hearing LSP ranting – she could hear her shouting abuse at her and telling her to get out.

Bonnie ran. She ran out of Lady’s room and down the stairs, pulling her phone out of her pocket and calling somebody. She thought she’d called her Mom, but when she heard a familiar comforting voice down the line, she was even more relieved.

“Bonnie, if this is another prank I will make you watch every episode of Buffy as punishment for interrupting me,” Then, Marceline heard the soft sobs coming from Bonnie’s side of the phone, and stopped, “Are you crying? What happened?”

“I came out – LSP and I…reminded me of New York – can’t take it and I just…she’s going to tell everyone -,” Was all Marceline got through the sobs.

“I’m coming to get you right now, okay.” Marceline said. “I’ll come and get you and take you home, alright?”

Bonnie shook her head, before she realised that Marceline couldn’t see her. “Don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay, I’ll take you to my place.” Marceline promised, “I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay? Just talk to Lady or someone in the meantime, yeah?”

Bonnie simply whimpered in response. “Okay.”

“I’m going to put you on speaker so I can keep talking to you while I drive, okay?” Marceline said.

“Yeah.” Bonnie murmured, wiping the tears which just wouldn’t stop falling from her eyes. “Tell me about your day.”

“My day? Well, I slept through most of it.” Marceline said. That elicited a watery laugh from Bonnibel. “But I watched a lot of TV and made cupcakes with Simon. That was fun. Betty came over after and literally the first thing she saw when she walked into the house was me covered in flour. It was really awkward.”

“After that I played violin for a bit and then played a few video games. I found my old Playstation 2 and spent a few hours playing The Simpsons Hit and Run. It was my favourite game as a kid. It’s literally GTA but with The Simpsons.” Marceline chuckled. “It’s great.”

Bonnie’s attention was torn away from Marceline when Lady knelt down next to her and pulled her in for a hug. “Are you okay? God, I should’ve told them to drop it. I’m such an idiot.”

“It’s okay,” Bonnie mumbled, before gesturing towards her phone, “Marceline is on the phone.”

Lady picked up the phone and spoke. “Marceline, it’s Lady.”

Bonnie couldn’t hear Marceline’s side of the conversation, but Lady eventually hung up – to Bonnie’s dismay – and sat down next to Bonnibel, passing her phone back. “She said she’s nearly here and she’s going to take you back to hers and you can stay there for the night.”

Bonnie nodded but didn’t look up. She was still crying. “I want her to be here now.”

“She’s coming as quick as she can.” Lady assured. “You don’t want her to get pulled over for speeding, do you?”

Bonnie shook her head.

Lady smiled. “Thought so. She’s really good to you. I feel bad for judging her before.”

Bonnie looked up in a quizzical manner. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I thought she was just some lazy punk who picks fights and spends all of their money on drugs, but I don’t think she’s like that at all now.” Lady explained, noticing how the change in topic seemed to be cheering Bonnie up. “She seems really nice and she obviously cares about you a lot.”

Bonnie let a small, watery smile creep its way onto her face. “She does.”

Lady sat with Bonnie in the hallway downstairs for ten minutes, just talking to her and trying to keep her mind off things. When there was a knock on the door, Lady jumped up and Bonnie watched after her. Lady opened the door and Marceline stepped inside. Bonnie beamed at the sight of her.

“Where is she?” Marceline asked. Bonnie felt a soaring sensation in her stomach – Marceline was worried about her.

Lady pointed to Bonnie, who was sat a few feet away, concealed by the staircase. “She’s over there.”

Marceline jogged over and pulled Bonnie in for a tight hug. Bonnie almost immediately felt comforted. “How’re you feeling?”

Bonnie gazed into Marceline’s gorgeous eyes and weakly smiled. “Better than I was when I called you.”

“Can you tell me what happened?” Marceline asked, sitting down next to Bonnie and taking the pink haired girl’s hand in her own.

Bonnie went through everything that happened with Marceline, watching as the dark haired girl became significantly angrier as Bonnie kept going. Bonnie knew it wasn’t good when Marceline got mad, and tried to gloss the story over with, “But it’s okay. I’m not mad or anything, I’m alright.”

Marceline stood up and looked over to Lady. “Can I go and get her stuff for her?”

“Yeah, I’ll show you where her bag is.” Lady nodded towards the stairs, and Bonnie quickly stood up and followed, gripping onto Marceline’s hand.

Marceline gave Bonnie’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I guess.” Bonnie responded. “I’m just scared. She’ll tell everyone.”

“She won’t.” Marceline quickly replied. “Don’t worry about that.”

As they entered Lady’s bedroom, LSP looked over from where she was stood and scoffed. “Oh, great. You invited two freaks.”

Marceline shot her a glare which would have terrified anyone. “I don’t care what you say about me, but if you hurt her or tell anyone she’s gay, I won’t hesitate to break your fucking neck.”

LSP’s face paled and she nodded, looking away from them. Lady passed Marceline Bonnibel’s bag, and then Marceline put an arm around Bonnie and steered her out of the room. Bonnie looked up at Marceline in amazement. “What was that?”

“Acting.” Marceline smiled and gave Bonnie a gentle squeeze as she walked her downstairs and towards the front door.

Lady quickly ran down the stairs and gave Bonnie a hug. “I’m really sorry about everything.”

“It’s fine.” Bonnie waved a hand in dismissal, before looking up at Marceline. “I’m going to go and get in the car. It’s really cold out here on the doorstep.”

Marceline passed her the keys and Bonnie headed out of the open front door after saying a quick goodbye to Lady. Marceline was about to follow Bonnibel when Lady grabbed onto her arm and stopped her. “I just wanted to thank you. For coming to get her, I mean. And I want to apologise for misjudging you. Do you think we could be friends, maybe?”

Marceline frowned. “Sure, dude.”

Lady seemed surprised that it was that simple. “Okay…and you wouldn’t really break LSP’s neck, right?”

Marceline laughed. “I wish I could, but no. I’m too weak for that – don’t go telling everyone I’m all talk, though.”

“I won’t,” Lady smiled. “Thanks again for looking after her.”

“No worries, man.” Marceline said as she headed out the door. “Later.”

“Bye.”

“If there was a friend of the year award, it’d go to you.” Bonnie said as she sat down on Marceline’s bed. She felt much better after leaving and decided she didn’t care what LSP thought; as long as she didn’t tell anyone, she was happy.

“I wouldn’t go as far to say that, but thanks, Bonnie.” Marceline replied, flopping down on the bed and smiling up at her. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah. I can see why you don’t like her, now.” Bonnie chuckled, laying back so she was next to Marceline. “I’m just glad I have you.”

“Back at you, loser.” Marceline smiled, leaning over and pressing her lips to Bonnie’s cheek. Bonnie was aware of her cheeks flushing red and she hated the butterflies which swarmed in her stomach. “You’re the best. Don’t you forget it.”

After a comfortable silence, Bonnie spoke up. “Promise me something?”

“What?”

“Just promise me that no secrets I tell you will ever effect our friendship.” Bonnie murmured. She hated how easily people left after finding things out.

“I thought that was an unspoken rule in general, but okay. I promise.” Marceline said. She shot Bonnibel a comforting smile, and then wrapped her pinky around Bonnie’s. “Pinky swear. The most sacred of all promises.”

“Did you just quote me?”

Marceline laughed. “Maybe.”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes, but couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. “Cute. Can we just relax so I can take my mind off things?”

Marceline nodded. “Of course. Anything you want.”

“Can we go for a walk?” Bonnie asked.

Marceline frowned, and looked Bonnie up and down. “You’re in your pyjamas.”

“I guess I’ll have to steal more of your clothes, then.” Bonnie responded.

Marceline shot her a smirk and pulled on the sleeve of the t-shirt Bonnie was wearing. “In case you forgot, I gave you the shirt you’re wearing.”

Bonnie looked down to the black rock t-shirt and smiled. She could smell Marceline on it from where she was sat. “I didn’t forget. Maybe I just want to add to my collection.”

“You have a collection?” Marceline shot her an incredulous look, which easily dissolved into a smile within seconds. “Have you been sneaking in and stealing all my shirts? As far as I remember, I’ve only given you that.”

“Yeah, but I temporarily borrowed some jeans, I borrowed your sweatpants twice and your leather jacket.” Bonnie explained.

“I recall. It was a bitch to get all of the Bonnie germs out.”

“Hey!” Bonnie exclaimed in mock offence, lightly shoving Marceline away from her. “You’re such a jerk.”

Marceline pouted and shot Bonnie a hurt look. “You’re such a bully.”

“I am not.” Bonnie replied. “Let’s not forget that you threatened to break my jaw.”

“Did I?” Marceline looked genuinely confused in her attempt to recall the memory, and Bonnie had to stop herself from calling her adorable. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Bonnie assured, “All pre-friendship threats are forgiven.”

“So if I threatened to hit you right now -,”

“I would laugh at you because you’re a little weakling.” Bonnie cut in, a teasing smirk on her face.

Marceline opened her mouth to object, but eventually just shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right. Anyways, where do you want to go on this walk you’re suggesting?”

“The lake place where your brother took me and my friends?” Bonnie asked. “And don’t worry, I’ll wear my own clothes.”

Marceline smiled, nodding towards her closet doors where Bonnie’s bag was set down. “Your bag is over there. I doubt you have a coat in there, because you always forget it, so you can borrow a hoodie if you want.”

Bonnie grinned. “Thanks, Marcy.”

“No worries, dude.” Marceline replied. “Now hurry up and get ready. It’s already dark out.”

They set off from Marceline’s house at around half nine, with Marceline taking her skateboard instead of walking and Bonnibel following Marceline. Although the pink haired girl knew the general direction of where they were headed, she didn’t quite remember the route they’d taken when she’d gone out with Marshall and everyone.

When they were in the middle of a seemingly deserted street, Marceline hopped off her skateboard and looked at Bonnie. “Get on.”

Bonnibel stared at the skateboard apprehensively. “No way. Remember what happened last time? I nearly hurt myself!”

“I wouldn’t let you hurt yourself.” Marceline assured. “Come on, it’ll be fun. I’ll teach you how to skate a little bit.”

Bonnie put one foot on the skateboard and looked to Marceline. “Hold my hand?”

“Yeah, sure.” Marceline grabbed hold of Bonnie’s hand as the pink haired girl shakily made her way onto the skateboard.

Bonnie nostalgically smiled at Marceline – the skateboard brought Bonnie up to Marceline’s height. “The last time you made me get on a skateboard you mocked me for asking to hold your hand and now you do it without question.”

“That’s because I like you.” Marceline said, as she started to pull Bonnie along on the skateboard. “Well, I liked you then, but -,”

“You did not like me then.” Bonnie cut in. “There is no way.”

Marceline raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? I liked you, Bonnie.”

“You didn’t! You still called me princess and swore at me and were still mean to me.” Bonnie responded.

“I was mean to you so you wouldn’t know I liked you.”

“That makes no sense.”

“You make no sense.” Marceline shot back.

“Oh, I suppose that was supposed to be an insult, was it?” Bonnie teased, smirking.

“You’re an insult.” Marceline quickly replied, before she realised what she’d just said didn’t make sense and added something else. “To humanity.”

“Okay, they’re just getting worse.” Bonnie laughed. “Why were you mean when you liked me?”

“Socks.”

Bonnie pouted and shot Marceline her puppy dog eyes. “Please tell me?”

“Fine.” Marceline let out a groan in annoyance. “I was mean to you so you’d go away so I wouldn’t have to talk to you so I’d stop liking you.”

Bonnie frowned. “Why did you want to stop liking me?”

“Okay, this is getting way too deep.” Marceline said. “I’ll tell you if you promise to not ask why.”

“Deal.”

“I didn’t want to like you because it’d make it easy for you to hurt me.”

Bonnie stared at Marceline for a second. To make someone that wary of letting people in, something horrible had to have happened to them. The thought of someone hurting Marceline killed Bonnie, and she hopped off the skateboard and pulled Marceline in for a hug. “I’d never hurt you.”

She felt Marceline smile into the sweater Bonnie had borrowed from her – which just so happened to be the cat sweater Bonnie found adorable. “I know.”

Marceline then jumped back onto her skateboard, grabbing Bonnie’s hand and pulling her on.

Bonnibel frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Walking is taking too long.” Marceline said, as she kicked off from the ground and sent the two of them down the street. “And I’m lazy.”

Bonnie smiled. “Alright.”

Marceline frowned a little; she’d suspected Bonnie to be uncomfortable on the skateboard. “You aren’t scared you’re going to fall off and die?”

Bonnie shook her head and said three words which made Marceline happier than she’d felt in a long time. “I trust you.”

Bonnie laid down on the grass by the moonlit lake, pulling Marceline down with her and looking up at the starry night sky. Bonnie kept hold of Marceline’s cold hand as she stared up at the stars. “You know, as a kid I used to think that the stars were fairies looking down on the Earth.”

Marceline let out a light chuckle. “Cute. My Mom used to tell me that it was people who’d died and gone to heaven looking down on the people they loved.”

“Yeah, my Dad told me that.” Bonnie smiled. “Your Mom sounds like she was really amazing.”

She heard Marceline inhale sharply. “Yeah. She was.”

Bonnie gave Marceline’s hand a gentle squeeze and shot the dark haired girl a reassuring smile. “What did she do? Like, her job?”

“She was a teacher. Kindergarten.” Marceline smiled. “Actually, I had her when I was in kindergarten. She always used to let me sit in the staff room with her at lunch because I had no friends.”

“What about Keila?” Bonnie asked.

“I hadn’t met her yet. I didn’t meet her until November.” Marceline said. “The 26^th, actually.”

Bonnie smiled. “My birthday.”

Marceline looked at her in surprise. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow. I met one of my best friends on the same day my other best friend celebrated her sixth birthday.” Marceline mused, before her face broke out in a grin. “Ha, I’m older than you.”

“By like, 3 weeks. Shut up.” Bonnie couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she latched onto something else Marceline had said. “Best friend?”

She could’ve sworn Marceline was blushing. “Well…I mean, if you want -,”

Bonnibel leaned over and wrapped her arms around Marceline in a very awkward attempt at a hug, as both of them were laying down on the grass. “Of course I want to be your best friend, you idiot. I’ve considered you my best friend for a few weeks now.”

“Glad we’ve got that cleared up.” Marceline muttered, shoving Bonnie off her. “You’re crushing me.”

Bonnie rolled over on the grass and shot Marceline a smile. “Sorry. Tell me more about your Mom.”

“Well…until I met Keila she was my best friend.” Marceline said. “She was always there for me when I needed her and would let me sneak into the staff room for a drink if I was upset. She was awesome.”

Bonnie grinned. “I wish my parents let me get away with stuff like that. I bet your Mom would’ve been cool with you getting your nose pierced and -,”

“Oh, no. She’d have thrown a fit.” Marceline laughed. “The whole point of doing it – aside from the fact I wanted it done, of course – was to piss off my Dad.”

“Oh. Maybe she was kind of like my parents,” Bonnie said. “Probably a little more relaxed, though. My parents treat me like a five year old, sometimes. They’re so protective.”

“What do you mean?” Marceline asked, turning over to face Bonnibel.

“Well,” Bonnie started, “My Mom always questions me when I come in about where I’ve been, what we did, why this and why that. It gets really annoying. My Dad acts as if every girl I hang out with is my next girlfriend and always tells me if he thinks they’re ‘girlfriend material’ when I bring them home. I think it’s his way of trying to be supportive but really it’s just a little bit irritating.”

Marceline bit on her lip for a second, before looking over to Bonnie and chuckling a little. “Okay, so…this is probably something I shouldn’t ask, but did he do that with me?”

Bonnie sighed and reluctantly answered. “Yeah, he said you were girlfriend material.”

Bonnie could tell Marceline was happy with that answer; Marceline couldn’t stop herself from smiling – Bonnie could see the faint dimples in Marceline’s cheeks as she tried to compose herself. “Rad. That means he likes me, then.”

“Of course my Dad likes you. He finally has someone to talk about music with.” Bonnie replied. “My Mom thought you were cool, too.”

“What is with your family and thinking I’m cool?” Marceline laughed. “I’m not.”

“Like I told you before, you’re in a band which gives you auto-coolness.” Bonnie said. “If this was New York and I’d known you since kindergarten, we definitely wouldn’t talk. You’d have thought I was a nerd.”

“I already think you’re a nerd.” Marceline replied. “Hence why I call you one all the time.”

“Okay, ‘hence’? Did we just step into a Shakespeare play?” Bonnie teased. “What happened to ‘f this and f that and whoa dude that’s f-ing rad’?”

“A+ acting, Bonnie. You win an Oscar for portraying me in a movie about my life.” Marceline sarcastically responded. “You do realise that I don’t swear that much, right?”

“You swear like your life depends on it.” Bonnie shot back. “You even told me that the f word is your favourite word.”

“It is.” Marceline replied. “You can use it whenever you like as a verb, adjective or noun. It’s great. I don’t swear as much as my brother, though.”

Bonnie smiled a little. “You two are really alike. You can tell you’re twins.”

“We’re really not alike.” Marceline argued, “For one thing, I don’t smoke and fuck everything that moves.”

Bonnie just rolled her eyes. “You have the same music taste, you both play instruments -,”

“I was first. He copied me.”

“That argument sounded like it was made by a five year old,” Bonnie shot back. “As I was saying, you both give off that ‘too cool’ vibe, you’re both in a band, you both swear, you both get drunk at parties. I bet you can even do that creepy thing those twins do in The Shining.”

“No, we can’t.” Marceline quickly replied. “That whole ‘twin telepathy’ thing? Not real. Sorry to disappoint. Either that or we can’t do it because Marshall’s brain is the size of a pea.”

“Don’t be mean to your brother. If he hadn’t have flirted with me on my first day, I wouldn’t have found out that you exist and then we probably wouldn’t be friends.” Bonnie replied. Although she didn’t admit it, she actually found the ‘twin telepathy’ myth interesting and was glad Marceline had told her that it wasn’t real.

Marceline frowned. “What do you mean you wouldn’t have found out I exist?”

“Well, when Marshall flirted with me, I was in Simon’s classroom and he came in and said that’d you were going to be late into school and I tried to ignore him but I heard the mention of ‘sister’ and became interested -,”

“I bet you got a little homosexual twinkle in your eyes and looked like you’d just found the cure to all diseases or something.” Marceline cut in, laughing.

“Homosexual twinkle?” Bonnie chuckled. “Actually, you’re not far off.”

“Oh my God.” Marceline said through her laughter. “Do I want to know?”

“I’m telling you either way,” Bonnie smiled, although she knew she was probably going to regret this. “So, I saw Marshall and I figured he’s a kind of guy girls are usually attracted to, right? I mean, you like guys, so -,”

“Dude, he’s my brother.” Marceline looked horrified at the thought, “And he’s disgusting. He never fucking cleans anything and he’s pretty relaxed with personal hygiene.”

Bonnie just rolled her eyes and continued. “Well, whatever. I figured he’d be the type of guy girls were attracted to, and then I heard sister and I may have become a little bit interested.”

Marceline was laughing even harder now. “Well, I’m sorry to have disappointed you.”

“You didn’t.” Bonnie replied. She could feel her cheeks heating up. “When I first met you I thought you were attractive.”

Marceline burst out laughing. “Dude, seriously? No fucking way, man.”

“Well, you were all cool and punk rock and mysterious and I’ve always had a thing for dark hair.” Bonnie admitted.

“Dude. That’s insane.” Marceline responded after she’d sobered up from laughing. “You’re insane.”

“I call you attractive and you call me insane? Thanks, Marceline.” Bonnie sarcastically responded, although she couldn’t help but agree with Marceline a little bit. Bonnie must be insane if she was feeling attracted to her best friend.

It wasn’t Bonnie’s fault that Marceline was so smart and funny and not to mention gorgeous. But she didn’t like Marceline.

“I have to admit, I did think you were kind of cute.” Marceline quietly replied, “I was like ‘damn she’s cute’, and then I realised that you were arriving in the seat next to me and I was like ‘fuck oh god what the fuck do I do help’, because in case you haven’t noticed I don’t really know how to talk to people.”

Bonnie smirked. “You thought I was cute?”

“Yeah. Then I thought you were a pretentious asshole.” Marceline said, but at Bonnie’s look of mock offence she elaborated, “Now, we’re back to cute.”

“See, I went from thinking you were an attractive stranger to a scary demon from the gates of hell to thinking you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.” And I’m not going to ruin that with my delusional thoughts that Marceline would ever date me, Bonnie thought, Not that I want her to date me. Because I don’t.

“Excuse me? Scary demon from the gates of hell?” Marceline said in mock offense, looking at Bonnie in disbelief, “Clearly I would be Satan. I wouldn’t be a fucking gate-watcher. I have class. If anything, I would be the queen of hell.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Bonnie chuckled.

“Damn straight,” Marceline smirked, “And you love it.”

Bonnie changed back into her pyjamas when they got back to Marceline’s house, joining Marceline under the covers of her bed once she’d finished getting ready. Bonnie automatically pulled Marceline towards her.

Marceline shot Bonnie a smirk. “Someone’s cuddly today.”

“Shut up, I had a bad experience earlier.” Bonnie murmured. “Cuddling makes me feel better.”

Marceline laughed. “I’m your Hambo.”

“I guess you are,” Bonnie said, “Speaking of which, where is he?”

Marceline pulled Hambo up from under the covers. “Here.”

Bonnie smiled. “It’s cute that you still sleep with him. I never had a teddy bear that I slept with. All I had was my childhood chemistry set.”

“Dude, that sucks. I’ll get you one and then you can join the club of losers who still need their teddy bear to get a good night’s sleep. I’m the only member at the moment.” Marceline said.

Bonnie laughed. “Go to sleep, Marcy.”

“Okay.” Marceline smiled and shut her eyes, shuffling a little closer to Bonnie. “Night, dude.”

“Goodnight.” Bonnie replied.

As Bonnie lay there, feeling content and loved, she couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of worry deep down that she may like Marceline more than platonically no matter how much she reassured herself.

She hoped she was wrong.

Chapter Text

Monday 14^th April 2014

The first thing that Bonnibel could register when she woke up was that her phone was ringing. Groggily, she rolled over and grabbed it, accepting the call even though she didn’t look to see who was calling her – usually, a move which ended up getting her into social situations with her friends. “Hello?”

“Bonnie?”

Bonnibel breathed an internal sigh of relief when she realised it was Marceline calling her. “Marceline? What’s up?”

“I’m really sorry for calling so late and waking you up but can I maybe come over to your place?” Marceline sounded as though something terrible had happened, and Bonnie was worried almost immediately.

“Of course!” Bonnibel exclaimed, “You sound upset, what happened?”

“It’s no big deal.” Marceline brushed her off, “I’ll be round as quick as I can be.”

She hung up, and Bonnie pulled the phone away from her ear, squinting at the screen which appeared extra bright in the darkness of her bedroom. It was 12:04AM. What could have happened to Marceline to make her so upset at this time of night?

Bonnie hoped she’d get an answer out of Marceline when the older girl arrived, but she knew how closed off Marceline could be.

She couldn’t help it if she worried about Marceline. Friends worried about one another. Friends cared about each other. She was Marceline’s friend, nothing more.

Not that she wanted to be anything more.

Bonnie sat up in bed and switched the lamp on her bedside table on. She knew she’d have to be quiet getting out of bed to let Marceline in – her parents would throw a fit if they knew she was up past midnight, even if it was the Easter holidays.

Bonnie switched to the front camera on her phone and frowned at her appearance. Her pink hair was knotted and tangled, and her makeup-less face revealed a zit she’d been hiding for the past week. Her blue eyes were bloodshot and she looked like she’d just come back from the dead. She couldn’t see Marceline like this.

She jumped up and searched around her room for her hairbrush, finding it under a pile of papers full of scientific research next to Science’s cage. However, the second her fingers came in contact with the object, her phone vibrated from her bed and she walked back over, seeing a text from Marceline.

Marceline (12:09AM): I’m outside.

Bonnibel headed downstairs – catching sight of her appearance again in the mirror and sighing in annoyance – and grabbed the key to unlock the front door, opening it to reveal a very distressed – albeit still gorgeous ­– Marceline standing on the front porch.

Bonnie saw that Marceline’s eyes were red – well, redder than usual – a clear sign that she’d been crying. Marceline still tried to act as if everything was fine and shot Bonnie a weak smile as she stepped inside. “Hi.”

Bonnie sent a comforting smile Marceline’s way. “Is everything okay?”

Marceline nodded as she kicked her shoes off. “Fine.”

Bonnie knew this wasn’t the case, but she didn’t want to scare Marceline off. “Okay. Do you want to go upstairs?”

“Yeah.” Marceline replied, following Bonnie as the pink haired girl headed up the stairs.

Bonnie felt Marceline’s cold hand grip onto her own, and felt a swarm of butterflies awaken in her stomach. She cursed to herself – she hated how easily she became wound up over little things Marceline did.

Why did she have to fall for her best friend again?

Fall for? No, Bonnie reassured herself, you don’t like Marceline.

Bonnibel led Marceline into her room, and the other girl sat down on her bed after setting a black electric guitar – which she’d been carrying since she’d arrived – down against Bonnie’s bedroom wall.

Bonnie sat down next to Marceline and shot her a comforting smile. “Are you going to get changed?”

Marceline just nodded in response and didn’t look up at Bonnie.

Bonnie smiled reassuringly. “Do you want to get changed in here or in the bathroom?”

Marceline responded by unbuttoning her skinny jeans and pulling them off to reveal her pale, toned legs.

Bonnie gulped and tried to compose herself. “In here then, I guess. I’ll just…”

She gestured towards her pillow, and turned around and laid face down until she felt the bed sink under Marceline’s weight. “Am I okay to turn around?”

“Yeah.”

Bonnie sat up and immediately pulled a pyjama clad Marceline into her arms. She comfortingly stroked Marceline’s incredibly soft hair – inwardly wondering how Marceline managed to make her hair so soft all the time – and rubbed comforting circles on Marceline’s back.

Marceline rested her chin on Bonnie’s shoulder. “I’m guessing you want an explanation.”

Bonnie pulled back from the hug and shot Marceline a gentle smile. “You don’t have to explain, but it would help. Honestly, I just want you to be happy.”

Marceline stared at her in amazement for a second, because how could Bonnie possibly be so sweet and caring? “I…you’re great. You deserve a reason for all this.”

Bonnie took hold of Marceline’s hand and laid back in her bed, pulling Marceline down with her. She put the blankets over the two of them, and pulled Marceline closer to her. “There. You need cuddles if you’re upset.”

Marceline let out a weak laugh. “Yeah. I guess. Usually I just snuggle with Hambo.”

Then, Marceline shot up in a realisation and Bonnie was immediately by her side. “What is it?”

“I forgot Hambo!” Marceline exclaimed, slapping a hand to her face. “I can’t go back home and get him but if I don’t I’ll have a bad dream and I can’t -,”

“Surely the dreams aren’t that bad?” Bonnie was trying to help, but she couldn’t do much without knowing what Marceline’s bad dreams were usually about. “I mean, they’re just dreams.”

“The thing I get nightmares about…it – it actually happened, alright? I don’t just wake up and feel better. Usually, I wake up and cry my eyes out because I’m forced to fucking relive my Mom’s – I mean…I just – I can’t do it, okay?” Marceline said. “I can’t.”

Bonnie hated how weak and upset Marceline sounded, and headed towards her closet, pulling out a plastic bag and passing it to Marceline. “Here.”

Marceline frowned. “What’s this?”

“It’s a present.” Bonnie explained, “I did buy it for you in return for the coffees and pretty much just everything else you did for me, and I was going to give you it on Easter, but I think you deserve it now.”

Marceline bit on her lip in confusion, but opened up the plastic bag and pulled out its contents. She looked at the gift with wide eyes. “It’s a teddy bear.”

Bonnie smiled. She’d bought a little brown teddy bear when it had caught her eye in the store. “I know it’s not much and I know it could never mean as much to you as Hambo does, but I -,”

“Don’t,” Marceline stopped her and pulled her in for a hug, “It’s perfect.”

Bonnie felt relieved that Marceline had liked it. “Good. What’re you going to name her?”

Marceline pulled away from the hug – but not after kissing Bonnie’s cheek and making the pink haired girl blush scarlet – and laughed. “I think I’m going to call her Socks.”

Bonnie laughed too, resting her head on Marceline’s shoulder. “You’re naming a teddy bear after our safe word?”

“Yeah,” Marceline said, “Because I feel safe with you.”

Bonnie blushed hard and pulled Marceline in for a hug. “I love you so much. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” Marceline said. “I love you too, nerd. Thanks for this. It’s cheered me up a lot.”

Bonnie smiled, laying back down and pulling Marceline with her. “No problem. What made you so upset in the first place?”

“My Dad came for a surprise visit.” Marceline replied. Bonnie noted how Marceline tensed up and locked her jaw. “You can imagine how that went down. He’s staying for a few days and I needed to get out of there.”

Bonnie frowned. “What happened?”

“Well, he found out that Marshall smokes, and you know what he said? ‘Boys will be boys’. Literally.” Marceline let out a bitter laugh. “If I smoked he’d kill me and dance on my fucking grave.”

“That’s it?” Bonnie hoped it was.

“That’s not even the start.” Marceline let out a long sigh. “He found out that I got a B in Math and lectured me for like an hour about how I need to ‘apply myself’ and stop being so lazy. Marshall is failing nearly everything and he just laughs it off! He acts like my fucking brother is a god or something and then gets on me for every single fucking thing. I can’t stand it.”

“Why don’t you tell him how you feel?” Bonnie asked.

“I tried to. How do you think I ended up like this?” Marceline said. “Basically, I told him that I was sick of him getting at me for not being perfect and not wanting to be a lawyer or something in business or whatever. He literally yelled at me for an hour when he found out I took music and art instead of business and law.”

“He shouldn’t be like that. I want to give your Dad a stern talking to.” Bonnie stated.

“Is that Bonnie talk for beating up my Dad? Go ahead,” Marceline replied, “But yeah, I ended up in a huge argument with him and in a nutshell, he told me that ever since my Mom died I’d never been ‘right in the head’ and no amount of therapy can fix me. I told him to go fuck himself and left.”

“That’s…I can’t believe your Dad said that to you.” Bonnie murmured in disbelief. She found it hard to imagine parents who weren’t as supportive as hers.

“Believe me, it’s not the worse he’s ever said. Besides, it’s not like he’s wrong.” Marceline shrugged.

“He’s completely wrong. You don’t need therapy. You’re not screwed up.” Bonnie firmly replied. “So don’t believe him when he says things like that, because you’re perfect to me.”

Marceline flung a protective arm over Bonnie and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Thank you. You’re too amazing for your own good, you know.”

Bonnie glanced down as Marceline shuffled closer to her. “I just don’t get why you believe your Dad when he says things you’re clearly not.”

“I…it’s complicated.” Marceline admitted. “It’s just…he isn’t wrong. I’m on fucking medication for panic disorder. I am fucked up.”

“You’re not screwed up, and if you say it one more time I’ll give you a stern talking to.” Bonnie threatened. “Mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a chemical imbalance in the brain. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you as a person. You’ve had it for a while, I take it?”

Marceline nodded. “Since my Mom died.”

“What happened to her?” Bonnie gently asked, taking Marceline’s hand in her own.

Marceline let out a harsh laugh. “Oh, I really don’t think you want to know.”

“You can trust me, you know.”

Marceline looked her up and down, as if contemplating whether or not that was true. After what felt like a lifetime for Bonnie, she finally let out a deep sigh. “Fine. You really want to know?”

Bonnie nodded. “Yeah.”

“Is that everything you want to know about?” Marceline was hoping Bonnie would say yes. “Just my Mom?”

“Well, if you’re offering, I’d like to know everything.” Bonnie said, “Why you and your Dad don’t get on, why you’re so closed off…stuff like that.”

Marceline let out a long sigh. “Someone’s asking for a lot.”

Bonnie pouted. “Please?”

“Want my life story while we’re at it?” Marceline sarcastically replied.

Bonnie knew she was stalling, and just shrugged. “Sure, why not? I did say everything.”

“Uh…that was sarcasm, but whatever,” She deeply inhaled and exhaled. “Fine. You fucking asked for it.”

Bonnie nodded. “Please begin.”

Marceline rolled her eyes at Bonnie. “Okay…well, you know that I was born on Halloween in England in 1996. I lived there until I was four, when my Dad told us that we needed to move here because of his work. Originally, I’ll admit I hated it. I mean, I know I was four, but I did actually have a few friends back in England that my Mom used to make me hang out with, and I missed them for a while. Eventually, I got over it.”

“I started school and in all honesty, I hated that too. Still do, as a matter of fact.” Bonnie allowed herself a small laugh at Marceline’s attempt at a joke. “Anyway, at first I was kind of a loner. I was really bad at making friends – I was always super quiet and stuff – and my Mom took me out one day and bought me Hambo. He was my only friend – and I know that’s super lame and stuff, but then I met Keila – you know that story – and I had her and eventually Marshall stopped being a little dickhead and started hanging out with us. I guess once I had Keila I was happier but I still didn’t really like school.”

“Most of the time I was top of the class because I was a pretentious little nerd, and I have to admit that a lot of people hated me for it. Even Keila told me to shut the fuck up a few times.” Marceline said. “As I said before, I was really bad at making friends. Anyways, fast forward to 2^nd grade. I guess I was pretty happy with everything. I mean, I had a good family and good friends, and when you’re a kid that’s enough, really. I realised my passion for music at a really young age. When I was 7, I’d been playing violin for two years – my Mom taught me – and I’d just started playing guitar.”

“May 27^th, 2004. I came home from school, and my Mom was acting strange. Marshall didn’t really seem to notice, but I realised almost straight away that she looked almost…guilty. Anyways, we got home and everything seemed normal, but when it got to bedtime, Mom insisted on tucking me in and telling me a bedtime story, something she hadn’t done since I was like, 5. She told me she loved me and turned out the lights. I couldn’t sleep, and usually when I had trouble sleeping, I’d get in with my Mom. So, that’s what I did.”

“I got out of bed and walked into my Mom’s room – I figured she’d be in there because at this point it was getting pretty late – I found her dead body. She killed herself. Overdose.” Bonnie felt a pang of hurt in her chest as she looked up and saw Marceline fighting back tears. “That’s when I had my first panic attack and a little while after that at the doctor’s I was diagnosed with panic disorder.”

“Anyway, everything pretty much started to suck after that.” Marceline began. Bonnie’s heart broke at the small crack in Marceline’s voice, and she shuffled up and wrapped her arms around the older girl. Marceline felt comforted in Bonnie’s hold. “I mean, I kept getting super bad panic attacks because of what happened, I basically never stopped crying, and my Dad wasn’t much for comfort. He’d never really been close to me or anything, and he just threw himself into work after Mom died. He used his work as a coping method, but ended up ignoring me and Marshall. One day, he told us to pack our stuff and get in the car, and he brought us here and just left.”

“You know that he comes and visits sometimes – Marshall talks to him like nothing happened. I can’t even look at him. Believe it or not, but when he’s not being an asshole he actually tries, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive him for just leaving when we were still fucked up over Mom’s death.” Marceline explained. Bonnie took hold of Marceline’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Simon helped make things better. He was almost like the Dad my real Dad wasn’t. He was there for me when I needed him most.”

“Eventually, elementary school was over and I went to middle school, which can easily be described by one word; awkward.” Marceline continued. Bonnie allowed herself a smile as she pulled Marceline closer to her. “After my Mom died, I was never really happy that often. I was still getting over it in middle school, and I was a whole lot quieter than I already was. Your friends weren’t much help.”

At Bonnie’s look of confusion, Marceline elaborated. “Apart from Lady, your female friends – particularly LSP – used to shove me around. That’s why I like it that they’re scared of me; they leave me alone.”

“LSP isn’t my friend.” Bonnie quietly replied.

Marceline nodded. “I know. She doesn’t like you for being gay. Like I told you a while ago, I have no idea why she hates me, but when I came out about being – well, even though I don’t like to label myself – bi she gave me a hard time about it and spread rumours that Keila and I were together.”

“Seriously?” Bonnie asked. “I can’t believe how immature she is.”

“Yeah,” Marceline replied, “Anyways, when I started high school, I got worse. Because my Dad knew I was smart, he started pressuring me into getting really good grades. I couldn’t handle that. The pressure from him along with starting a new school and still being pretty fucked up in general ends up getting to you one way or another.”

“Anyways, this was around the time when I started dating Ash. He was everything my Dad was against, and he seemed nice enough at first. That façade didn’t last long. He was…well, abusive. Not physically – I would’ve kicked the crap out of him sooner than I did – emotionally. We would fight, he would guilt me into doing things for him, he would insult me…it was hard, to put it lightly. We were constantly at each other’s throats. We brought out the worst in one another. It was toxic.” Bonnie held Marceline as close as she could, giving her a reassuring squeeze and stroking through her hair. “With that, along with all of the added pressure from my Dad…I snapped. I stopped caring. My grades dropped, I almost never turned up to class, I shut myself off from anyone who cared. Simon took me to a doctor, and I was diagnosed with depression.”

Bonnie felt her stomach drop, and she clung onto Marceline tighter. She couldn’t bear the thought of Marceline having to go through that.

“Eventually, I found a coping mechanism. I started going out. Parties, mostly. I would get so drunk that I wouldn’t be thinking about how much I just wanted to…just end it all, you know? Whether it be running away or taking after my Mom.” Marceline finally looked Bonnie in the eye, and Bonnie could see the tears threatening to fall. “I wouldn’t. Ever. I just want you to know that. I mean…I know first-hand what it does to people who care about you and I couldn’t do that to anyone. Not you, or Keila, or Simon. Anyone.”

Bonnie’s voice was merely a whisper when she replied. “I know.”

“Anyway…eventually, my Dad stopped caring. He figured I was just a disappointment. And I mean, I was. I am.”

Bonnie interrupted. “You’re not -,”

“Bonnie.” Marceline cut her off. “I am. To him, at least.”

Bonnie pulled Marceline in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. “You’re not to me.”

“Thanks.” Marceline murmured. “Anyways…the break-up with Ash wasn’t…it didn’t end on good terms. One night we were going to…you know…and then I realised I didn’t want to, and he got mad and tried to guilt me into it. I refused. We had an argument which went how they usually did – he would shout insults at me until I gave in. Except this time, I didn’t. That was when he hit me. I hit him back and broke up with him.”

“He didn’t leave me alone. He came over to me at school, we argued in the hallway and he told me to go kill myself like my ‘slut of a mother’. I may or may not have broken his wrist.”

“That’s understandable.” Bonnie replied, running her hand through Marceline’s hair.

“After that, I learned to keep myself closed off. I wouldn’t let anyone in; they couldn’t hurt me and fuck me up even more if I didn’t let them.” Marceline explained. “And then, you came along. At first, I really wanted to hate you. I thought that you were some pretentious, cheerleader type and I really can’t stand people like that. Then, you decided it’d be fun to harass me almost every day. You were…annoyingly persistent.”

Bonnie tried to lighten the mood by acting as if she was offended. “Meanie.”

She felt Marceline’s chest rumble with a light laughter. “You know I love you.”

“Yeah,” Bonnie smiled. “I love you too.”

“I tried my best to keep you at arm’s length, but it didn’t work.” Marceline elaborated. “Along the way, I learned that you were honestly one of the nicest people ever, and eventually I just thought fuck it. If I’m going to get hurt, it’d be worth it. And it has been.”

Bonnie hugged her tighter. “I really love you. You’re my best friend, you know. Not Lady or anyone else. Just you.” Also, I may or may not like you slightly more than I should.

Marceline sat up and hugged Bonnie back. “I know. I love you too.”

In all honesty, Marceline felt better after admitting everything to Bonnibel. She wasn’t hiding anything any longer, and she knew Bonnie hadn’t judged her at all.

They sat in a comfortable silence – the two of them just dwelling on things that had been said, when a worry struck Bonnie and she spoke up. “Marceline? You’re not still…like…depressed or anything, right?”

She felt Marceline chuckle against her. “It’s cute you’re worried. And yeah…I’m better. I mean, I have bad days, but I’m okay.”

“You’ve never hurt yourself or anything because of it, right?” Bonnie persisted, looking down at Marceline’s bracelet clad wrist.

Marceline shook her head. “No. I never did that.”

Bonnie smiled. “Okay. Just making sure. And if you ever need anything -,”

“I can text you.” Marceline finished. “I know, dude. You tell me a lot.”

Bonnie took hold of Marceline’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Just promise me you will.”

Marceline squeezed Bonnie’s hand in reassurance, before dropping it. “I will.”

A few minutes later, Bonnie heard her phone vibrate from her bedside table. She unlocked it and automatically grinned at the message.

Marceline (12:43AM): I need something................snuggles

Bonnie looked up from her phone to see Marceline shooting her a mischievous smirk. She nonchalantly shrugged. “You said to text if I needed anything.”

Chapter Text

Sunday 20^th April 2014

Marceline knelt down on the grass. It was wet with dew, soaking the knees of the skinny jeans she was wearing. Marceline exhaled – her hands shook as she put each individual flower from the bunch she was holding by the stone. She admired them; carnations – they’d always been her favourite. Marceline made sure every single flower was perfect – everything needed to be perfect for her Mom.

She evened out the sides – she couldn’t stand it when her brother only put flowers on one side of the grave. Not that he ever came up here that often.

Once she had finished arranging the flowers, her unsteady hands came to a stop and rested on her thighs as she stared at the grave. She took in a shaky breath and allowed herself a small, watery smile. “Happy Birthday, Mom.”

Marceline sighed, running a hand through her black hair. “I…I haven’t been up here for a while, and I’m sorry. Things have been kind of crazy. Dad’s still an asshole, in case you were wondering.”

Marceline allowed herself a shaky laugh, and sniffled. “I made a new friend. I know, me. Shocker. Her name is Bonnie. Well, Bonnibel, but I call her Bonnie. She’s amazing. She actually listens to me and thinks I’m good at playing music and she’s so smart and I – I think you would’ve liked her. She’s understanding, like you were. Even though she wants to be a doctor, I think she’d be a good teacher – she’s so caring and she doesn’t patronise people and I think she’s awesome.”

“I miss you so much. Every time Dad comes to visit I feel so fuck – I mean, so horrible when I wish it’d been him. I know I shouldn’t think things like that and I try not to, really. As much as he hates me, I do love him. I mean, he’s my Dad, right?” Marceline let out a bitter laugh and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. “I just feel like I wouldn’t be so screwed up if you were here. You never pushed me too hard or pressured me or yelled at me for getting a B and then excused Marshall for every little thing just because he’s a boy. You were my best friend. Even before Keila.”

“I...I want you back, Mom.” Marceline murmured. She was now rubbing at her eyes almost violently in an effort to stop the tears. “I want to hang out with you on Sundays like we used to and I want to play music with you and I want to be able to actually get you a real present for your birthday and not just put flowers on your goddamn grave and I want you to meet Bonnie so badly.”

“I hope you can hear me, wherever you are.” Marceline’s body was softly shaking with sobs, and she’d given up on trying to hold them back. “I love you, Mom. Happy Birthday. I’ll come back and talk soon. I promise.”

Marceline unsteadily rose to her feet, and looked down at her Mom’s grave once more. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie and then forced herself to walk away, sitting down in the driver’s seat of her car and breaking down into tears.

Marceline headed towards the freezers in the store, planning on buying some Ben & Jerry’s to make her feel better. But, the universe didn’t seem to agree, and Marceline just so happened to run into the one person who could make her feel much better than ice-cream could.

Bonnie.

Marceline automatically noticed Bonnie as she was looking through the candy aisle. Marceline smiled to herself – Bonnie was wearing the shirt Marceline had given her along with a pair of pink sweatpants, and had clearly not brushed her hair yet. Marceline thought she looked adorable.

The dark haired girl headed over to Bonnie, who seemed torn between a caramel bar and a regular chocolate bar. Marceline smirked, wrapping her arms around Bonnie’s waist and putting on a fake British accent. “Well, hello. Aren’t you cute?”

Bonnibel jumped away, and a look of relief crossed her face. “I thought you were some random attacker! Couldn’t you just say hello?”

Marceline just shrugged. “I was being original.”

Bonnie noticed how Marceline looked like she’d been crying, but decided it’d be better if she didn’t bring anything up. “What are you doing here?”

Marceline noticed how Bonnibel began trying to detangle her hair with her fingers and smiled. “Just stopping by to get some ice cream. You?”

“I needed to refuel after doing an experiment.” Bonnie explained. “Chocolate usually helps.”

“You wore that to do an experiment?” Marceline raised an eyebrow.

Bonnie seemed to notice that she was wearing Marceline’s shirt and blushed. “Oh…yeah. And my lab coat.”

“You have a lab coat.” Marceline repeated, rolling her eyes. “Of course.”

“What did you expect?” Bonnibel shrugged. “Anyways, what are your plans for today?”

“I’m going to go home and sleep, probably.” Marceline replied. “You?”

“Well…I was just going to go home and read my book – you know, since I finished my experiment – but would you maybe want to come and hang out? We could watch a movie or something.” Bonnie offered.

Marceline thought for a moment. Hanging out with Bonnie was bound to be much more fun than just sitting around the house all day. “Sure.”

Bonnie’s smile almost looked relieved. “Awesome. Just let me pay for this and we can head back to mine. Did you drive here?”

“Yeah.” Marceline nodded. “I can get us back to your place.”

Bonnie took hold of Marceline’s hand and decided she’d buy the caramel chocolate bar. As they headed towards the cash register, Bonnie paused. “You didn’t want to buy anything, did you?”

Although Marceline was a little hungry – she hadn’t eaten since her breakfast of Oreos and chocolate milk – she shook her head. “Nah, I’m good. Let’s go.”

“Okay,” Bonnie smiled, tugging her towards the cash registers.

Marceline froze when she saw who was behind the counter. Ash. “Fucking hell. No. Not that asshole.”

Bonnibel immediately understood. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll be right there to talk you down if he says anything to you. I promise.”

“Can’t I just wait outside?” Marceline pleaded. She really didn’t want to deal with Ash. Not today. “Please?”

“You can’t hide from him forever.” Bonnibel replied. “Face your fears.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Marceline snapped, her expression softening at the hurt look on Bonnie’s face. “And if you want me to face my fears, can’t you just make me touch a spider or something?”

“It’ll be fine, Marceline. I swear,” Bonnie assured.

Marceline sighed, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to convince Bonnibel to let her wait outside. Bonnie pulled her along until finally, they were in front of Ash. Marceline wanted to punch the smug grin off his face.

“Well, look who’s here,” He smirked, “Are you buying a present for your Mom?”

“Shut the fuck up.” Marceline snapped. Bonnibel gulped as Marceline’s grip on her hand became tighter.

Ash scanned Bonnie’s chocolate bar. “Sorry, I forgot she killed herself. Hopefully you’ll follow in her footsteps.”

“I don’t know about me but I fucking hope you do.” Marceline glared at him as Bonnie passed her money over. “There’s this new drink you should try. It’s called bleach.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“You know, I always wondered why you were such a dick,” Marceline replied, “Then I realised you need to compensate with your personality because your actual dick is microscopic.”

With that, she stalked off, leaving Bonnibel to quickly snatch her change from Ash and take her chocolate bar before running after Marceline.

She found Marceline kicking the wall at the front of the store as hard as she possibly could and saying as many different variations of the word ‘fuck’ she could think of. Bonnibel quickly pulled Marceline into a hug. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry. Next time you can wait outside.”

“Or I could go in there and kill him and there wouldn’t be a next time.”

“You wouldn’t do that.” Bonnibel said, “And you know it.”

“Oh, yeah? Try me.” Marceline leaned back against the wall and sighed. “It’s just…I’m already fucked up enough today.”

“Is that why you were crying?” Bonnie asked. She knew this was probably moving onto a more sensitive topic for Marceline, so Bonnie decided to tread carefully.

Marceline nodded. Bonnie was surprised Marceline didn’t question how she knew. “Yeah. It…it’s my Mom’s birthday and I went up to put flowers on her grave and I’m just…not at my best, I guess.”

Bonnibel smiled. “Well, we’ll go back to my place and watch a few movies and I’ll do my best to cheer you up.”

“You’re unbelievably awesome.” Marceline murmured, looking up at Bonnibel and shooting her a weak smile. “Sure. Let’s go.”

“I can’t believe you made me do that,” Marceline said, staring down at Bonnie who was arranging the pillows in their newly constructed blanket fort in Bonnie’s lounge, “I haven’t built a blanket fort since I was like five.”

“Then this was a much needed activity,” Bonnie replied, placing a pillow next to her and patting it. “Come on. Sit. And bring the last blanket, we can sit under it and warm ourselves up.”

“I hope your parents are cool with us dismantling your living room to make a fort.” Marceline said as she unfolded the last blanket and sat down next to Bonnie, draping it over the two of them.

It was true – Bonnie had decided the only way to make the perfect fort was to move one of the couches to a certain angle so the blankets would be at a good height. Or at least, that’s what Marceline thought Bonnie said. Most of the time Bonnibel had been using long words Marceline usually avoided as she associated them with things like Physics and Math. Marceline had just gone along with whatever Bonnibel had said.

“They were cool with it when I was a kid, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t be cool with it now.” Bonnie offered. “Besides, it’s not like we won’t put everything back the way it was.”

“Okay, but if they get pissed I’m blaming you.” Marceline replied. “I don’t want your weird fort plans to affect my credibility with your parents.”

Bonnie just shrugged as she grabbed the TV remote and unpaused Star Wars Episode I; The Phantom Menace. Marceline had insisted they stop off at her place on their way back from the store so she could pick up her DVDs of the recent Star Wars trilogy and was forcing Bonnie to watch, not that the pink haired girl was complaining – she liked spending time with Marceline.

It was embarrassing, really. Bonnie had been so nervous asking Marceline to come over – she’d never been like that before – and was sure Marceline could probably tell she was freaking out on the inside. Bonnie didn’t understand it; she’d never gotten nervous asking Marceline to hang out before.

“They won’t get annoyed. They actually relax when you’re around.” Bonnie replied, “I don’t really know why.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m so mysterious and aloof.”

“You are so annoying.” Bonnibel replied, gently elbowing Marceline in the ribs. “Jerk.”

Marceline held her hands up in defence. “You were the one who said I was aloof and mysterious. It’s not my fault I found that hilariously funny.”

“You could at least stop bringing it up,” Bonnibel blushed – she hated how her embarrassment was so clear, “It’s embarrassing.”

Marceline grabbed hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Bonnie blushed even harder and felt her stomach flip, inwardly scolding herself. “It’s funny. Lighten up, Bonnie. You can make fun of me all you want.”

“Really?” Bonnie looked up, an eyebrow raised in temptation.

“Of course, nerd.” Marceline rolled her eyes and looked at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “That’s what friends do.”

“Well…” Bonnie bit on her lip in thought, before looking to Marceline with a smirk. “You’re so weak an ant could beat you in a fist fight.”

“Okay, that was uncalled for,” Marceline began, although by the amused smile on her face, Bonnie could tell she wasn’t at all offended, “I am much stronger than an ant. I’m stronger than you.”

Bonnie shot her a knowing, doubtful look. “Remember that time you couldn’t get the cap off your Coke bottle?”

“I loosened that up for you.” Marceline shot back. “Anyways, who needs strength when you have a good music taste?”

“I like good music!” Bonnie defended.

“Literally all you listen to is Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.” Marceline replied, “Dude, broaden your taste.”

Bonnie sat thinking up a good response, looking up at Marceline and shooting her the best faux-annoyed look she could muster. “At least I -,”

“Whoa, whoa! Shush!” Marceline pointed at the TV screen with an adorable look of genuine excitement on her face – the look which always made Bonnie feel little butterflies swarm in her stomach. “Do you not think that Darth Maul’s lightsaber is the coolest thing ever? I mean, it’s fucking double sided! I want one.”

Bonnie smiled, chuckling. “I know you always deny it when I call you cute, but you are cute. Especially when you come out with things like that.”

Marceline frowned and crinkled her nose in disgust. “I’m not cute. I’m punk.”

Bonnie smiled even wider, unsure how somebody could be so cute and yet so devastatingly beautiful at the same time. It was like Marceline was two different people; one flirtatious and so frustratingly attractive that made Bonnie feel things she knew she shouldn’t, and the other an adorable, Disney loving dork who Bonnie just wanted to cuddle and kiss and – no, Bonnie. Too far. “Whatever you say, Marceline.”

Marceline laid down, resting her head on Bonnibel’s shoulder and keeping her gaze on the TV. Bonnie gulped, feeling her cheeks heat up.

She knew she couldn’t let herself develop feelings for Marceline – even though it seemed like she already had. It would ruin everything, and she couldn’t lose her best friend. Not again. It wasn’t Bonnie’s fault that Marceline was so funny and charming and smart and gorgeous. Why did she have to ruin everything?

She wanted to keep Marceline as a friend – Bonnie cared way too much to lose her. She really did want to keep everything the way it was, but she also wanted so much more. She wanted to be able to call Marceline her girlfriend. She wanted to hold Marceline’s hand and have it mean something. She wanted to be able to lean down and kiss Marceline and show everyone she was hers.

She hated herself every second for these stupid thoughts. She could never have any of the things she wanted. She had to keep her stupid crush a secret. Bonnie had finally admitted to herself that she had a crush on her best friend.

She was such an idiot.

“You want me to make you some tea?”

Bonnibel jolted out of a daydream and frowned. “Sure. I mean, it’s my house, I should be the tea maker -,”

“Shut up,” Marceline cut in, “Chamomile, am I right?”

Bonnie blushed, nodding. “Yeah.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

Bonnie sat and watched a few more minutes of the movie, before becoming restless and heading into the kitchen to see if Marceline had found everything, only to see her picking up the cups to head back into the lounge.

Bonnie frowned. “I thought you didn’t like chamomile tea. Why did you make yourself one?”

“I noticed you had some green tea and I couldn’t resist.” Marceline shrugged, passing Bonnibel her chamomile tea which Marceline had put in her favourite pink mug.

Bonnie smiled. “Thanks. Let’s finish the movie.”

They headed back to their blanket fort and Bonnibel set their drinks down on the coffee table. As they got comfortable, Bonnie spoke up. “You know, you should hang out with Finn. He likes Star Wars.”

“Hanging out with your friends is the dictionary definition of torture.” Marceline replied. “Besides, they don’t like me.”

“That’s ridiculous. Of course -,”

“They look at me like I’m about to pull out a shotgun and kill them all.” Marceline deadpanned, before she pushed a few stray hairs from her eyes and let out a long sigh. “I just don’t see why I should try with them. They don’t like me and I don’t particularly like them.”

“Well…you’re friends with Lady and you’ve talked to Finn and Gumball,” Bonnibel tried to be an optimist about the situation. “Besides, you kind of have to like Gumball if he and your brother ever end up dating.”

Marceline just shrugged. “I barely know them. Plus, that big guy is always there and he scares me a little.”

“You’re scared of Jake?” Bonnie laughed. “He’s scared of you too, you know. You can bond over your mutual terror.”

“You’re delusional if you think I’m suddenly going to hang around with you and your band of nerds.” Marceline replied. “I have a reputation to uphold.”

Bonnie burst out laughing. “What reputation? You have no reputation.”

“Shut up.” Marceline muttered. “You’re so annoying.”

“You say that, but I know you don’t mean it.” Bonnibel replied. “You love me too much.”

“I can love you and think you’re annoying.” Marceline shot back. “Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“You’re such a jerk.”

“And you’re such a nerd.”

“Says the girl who wants a lightsaber.” Bonnie shot back.

“Actually, I have a lightsaber. I want a double sided lightsaber.” Marceline replied. “Get it right.”

When Marceline went silent, Bonnibel laughed. “You just realised how nerdy that sentence sounded, didn’t you?”

“…Yeah.”

“That is totally unrealistic.” Marceline exclaimed with a frown as the couple in the romantic comedy Bonnie had picked out ran into each other on the streets for the fifth time. “There are seven billion people on this planet. You wouldn’t run into the same attractive stranger five fucking times, especially in a huge ass city like New York. This is why I hate romance movies.”

Bonnie scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, because Star Wars is so realistic.”

“Star Wars is set in a galaxy far far away,” Marceline said, “This bullshit is set in the real world. Beat that.”

“This is still more realistic.” Bonnibel muttered.

“Actually,” Both Bonnibel and Marceline spun around to see Bonnie’s Dad making his way into the room, placing a bag of shopping on the coffee table – the only part of the living room Bonnie hadn’t moved to make their fort, “Marceline’s right. This is stupid because it’s set in the real world and that wouldn’t happen. Star Wars is a sci-fi movie. If it was realistic it’d be boring.”

Marceline nodded. “Thank you. Suck on that, Bonnie.”

“You’re such a jerk.” Bonnibel said, shoving Marceline away from her. “Get off me.”

Marceline just raised an eyebrow and jabbed her fingers into Bonnie’s sides, making the pink haired girl squeal in laughter. “Every time you call me a jerk I’ll tickle you.”

“That’s unfair.” Bonnibel stated, grabbing hold of Marceline’s wrists so the dark haired girl couldn’t tickle her. “If you do that, you have to tell me where you’re ticklish.”

“No fucking way.” Marceline crossed her arms and shook her head. “Because you’ll use that against me later. I just know it.”

“I wouldn’t. I’m not like that.” Bonnie lied, smirking.

“You are such a liar.” Marceline deadpanned, shaking her head. Bonnie could tell Marceline was having trouble hiding her smile.

Bonnie’s Mom walked into the living room and frowned. “Why does the living room look like a campsite?”

“Ask your rebellious daughter, Lynn.” Marceline replied.

Bonnie just shrugged. “I decided to build a blanket fort so Marceline and I could watch movies in style and comfort.”

“As long as you put it back the way it was, it’s fine.” Lynn replied. “Marceline, are you staying for dinner?”

“Uh -,”

“Yeah, she is.” Bonnibel interrupted.

Bonnie’s Mom rolled her eyes and headed out of the room – Bonnie’s Dad following – leaving Marceline and Bonnibel to their movie. “You know, we’re back at school on Tuesday.”

“I was aware.” Bonnibel said, “Why are you bringing this up? You hate school. With a passion.”

“As much as that’s true, I was just thinking that we could hang out.” Marceline replied. “You know…at school. If you want.”

Bonnie grinned. “Really? I’d love to. Where shall I meet you at lunch?”

“Geez, someone’s organised.” Marceline commented. “Simon’s room, probably. I’ll text you.”

“Okay.” Bonnibel smiled. “So…learned any new instruments lately?”

“Well…I bought a mini-harp. I’m going to learn that and then I might learn something else to stop myself from getting bored.” Marceline just shrugged. “Nothing big.”

“Teach me piano.” Bonnie said, looking up. “It seems interesting and there’s no holding down strings required.”

“Okay.” Marceline replied. “It’s kind of hard, but you’re smart. You’ll figure it out.”

“Speaking of being smart,” Bonnie began, “Did you do the History homework? That worksheet?”

Marceline raised an eyebrow and smirked. “What do you think?”

“Of course you didn’t do it,” Bonnie said, “Forgive me for asking.”

“Actually, I did.” Marceline retorted, “Sort of. Keila helped and did most of it for me. She does History and Music down at the community college.”

“Oh, okay.” Bonnie was surprised that Marceline had even bothered to pick up a pen at all during the Easter break. “Did Simon get you an Easter egg?”

“Yeah. He got me one and then Betty got me another in secret.” Marceline told her. “Surprisingly, my Dad got me one, too. How many did you get?”

“Well, one from my parents, one from my Aunt who still lives in New York, and the other from my Grandparents in Ohio.” Bonnie said. “We match.”

“I would say we’re twins but I already have one of those.”

Bonnie just rolled her eyes. “Clever. Happy Easter, by the way.”

“You too, nerd.” Marceline gently nudged Bonnie in the side with her elbow.

Bonnibel slung an arm around Marceline’s shoulder and pulled her close. Marceline rested her head on Bonnie’s shoulder and sighed in content. This was probably the happiest she’d ever been on her Mom’s birthday.

And it was all down to Bonnie.

Chapter Text

Friday 25^th April 2014

As the bell rang signalling the end of Bonnibel’s last lesson for the day, she sighed. She’d enjoyed being back at school, and was looking forward to completing her homework when she arrived home and then moving onto an experiment about sub-atomic particles. Her weekend was to be spent studying anything else that took her interest.

Or so she thought.

Bonnie closed her History book and picked up her pink backpack from where she’d left it on the floor. She piled her notebook and folder on top of the bulky textbook and began packing them into her bag, aware that most of her classmates had run out the door the second the bell rang, desperate to get to some party that was probably on that night. It was a Friday, after all.

She heard a scoff from next to her. “You know, you’re the only person in this entire school that packs up after the bell.”

Bonnie looked up at Marceline, who was leaning back on her chair and smirking at Bonnie in amusement. “If you knocked five minutes off of every single lesson which everyone spends packing away, it’d add up. Since September you’ve probably already lost a few hours of class.”

Marceline grinned and began picking at her bitten-down fingernails, leaning further back on her chair. “The less school the better. I bet you’re going to be spending the weekend studying.”

“I am, actually.” Bonnibel replied, reaching out and pulling Marceline’s chair so it was back on all four of its legs. “Don’t sit on your chair like that. You’ll fall and hurt yourself.”

“Actually, you’re not. We’re hanging out,” Marceline stated, standing up and grabbing her backpack from the table, “And don’t tell me what to do. Punk listens to nobody, motherfucker.”

“You’re adorable.” Bonnie teased, smirking. She stood up and followed Marceline towards the classroom door, “And when was this sudden hang-out session organised?”

“It was organised by me, somewhere in the middle of class between the daydream about the many cats I will have as a grown-up and the one about the flying horse.” Marceline replied. Bonnibel shot her a stern look and was about to chide Marceline for not listening in class, and the dark haired girl quickly held her hands up in defence. “Hey, it’s not my fault History is boring. I tried to pay attention but my mind ended up wandering.”

Bonnie pulled open the classroom door and held it so Marceline could walk through before her. “You need to know the information for the final. It’s important that you get good grades.”

Marshall – who had been waiting for them – headed over and smirked. “Are you getting another lecture about grades? Damn, Marce. You’d think what Dad tells you would sink in.”

“Which one of us has Cs and below in all of their classes?” Marceline raised an eyebrow and smirked as Marshall’s face reddened. “And Dad is an insufferable sexist prick. I wouldn’t listen to him if he told me to go and get as many new guitars as I liked.”

Bonnibel decided to move the conversation off of this topic – she knew it’d make Marceline uncomfortable. “So, what day do you insist on hanging out with me?”

Marceline seemed grateful Bonnie had changed the subject, which she was. She shot Bonnibel a gentle smile and shrugged. “You’re saying that like it’s a burden to see me. Fine. I won’t come over. Have fun being lonely.”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes and smiled. “Of course it’s not a burden to see you. Are you going to pick a day or just keep being so melodramatic?”

“Sunday.” Marceline replied, “Come round on Sunday.”

“Okay.” Bonnie said. Inwardly, she was grinning in excitement. Even though she loved doing her experiments, she loved hanging out with Marceline even more. “What plans do you have for the night?”

“I’m going to get in my pyjamas, make some popcorn and hang out with Simon.” Marceline replied. “I know – wild night for me. I take it you have some weird-ass experiment to conduct?”

“It’s not weird. It’s an interesting experiment on the properties of sub-atomic particles.” Bonnibel said, following Marceline and her brother down the hallway towards the main exit of the school. The crowds of students had begun thinning out – most kids had already set off home or had walked to the bus stop.

Bonnibel wasn’t offended by Marceline calling her science ‘weird’ – she knew her science experiments weren’t exactly a normal activity for kids her age, but she was used to the teasing by now.

Marceline paused before pushing the doors open. She didn’t understand Bonnibel’s science talk. “What the fuck is a sub-atomic particle?”

“It’s a particle that’s smaller than an atom. You know, protons, neutrons and electrons.” Bonnie explained, walking past Marceline as they headed towards the parking lot. “They add up on the atom’s shells to balance it out. For example, a hydrogen atom only has one shell and one electron.”

Marshall frowned at her. “Didn’t you teach me that last time we studied together?”

“Probably. It is on our syllabus, after all.” Bonnie pointedly looked at Marceline. “So we should all know it.”

Marceline shrugged. “Well, you can just teach me everything the day before the final. Sound good?”

“No, that doesn’t sound good. You really should care about your education, Marceline. It’s not good that you just don’t care. I know you’re getting As now, but it’s the final that counts.” Marceline and Marshall exchanged an eye roll, and Bonnibel glared at them both as she got in the passenger seat of Marceline’s car. “I’m serious! Education is important, whether you guys like it or not.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Marceline teased as she started the car up. “You need to chill. I know school is important, ‘kay? No need for the fucking lecture.”

“If you know school is important, why don’t you study?” Bonnie retorted.

“Because it’s boring.” Marshall said, looking up from his phone. Bonnie caught a glimpse of who he was texting and felt a little smile work its way onto her face – Gumball. “I have better things to do.”

Marceline just shrugged as she pulled out of the parking lot and drove away from school. “You won’t believe me, but I do study. Just not until May. I mean, there’s no point in getting myself all stressed out over finals in January when they’re not until June.”

Bonnibel sighed. “You wouldn’t be stressed out if you started studying in January because you’d already know everything.”

“Please,” Marceline scoffed. “You study every day, and I bet you’re always stressed out around exam period.”

“Well, they’re exams. Of course I’m going to be stressed.” Bonnie said. “My grades are important to me.”

“Sure, they’re important to you, but they don’t define your worth.” Marceline replied. She hated the idea that grades were the one of the only things that determine how good a college you got to go to or how high-paid a job you get. She thought it was bullshit. “I mean, Marshall failed music last quarter and that doesn’t mean he can’t play guitar well.”

Marshall frowned. “Hey, don’t tell her that!”

“I literally just said you were good at playing guitar. Take the fucking compliment and shut up, asshole.” Marceline shot back.

“You’re such a fucking bitch.” Marshall muttered. “I can’t believe Bonnibel puts up with you.”

“And I can’t believe she puts up with you and your lack of brain cells. You’re such a fucking moron.” Marceline said. “Besides, Bonnie likes me more.”

“She liked me first and she likes me more than you.” Marshall stated. “I was her first friend here, so suck on that.”

Marceline scoffed. “Shut up. Bonnie’s my best friend.”

Bonnibel laughed at the arguing twins. She couldn’t believe they went from insulting one another using language Bonnie would get her mouth washed out for to fighting over her like five year olds.

Even though Bonnie knew that she liked the twins differently, she spoke up to break up the argument. “Guys, calm down. I like you both the same.” If you mean having a crush on one of you and liking the other as a friend means ‘the same’.

Marceline frowned and leaned closer to Bonnie, whispering, “You like me more, right?”

“Of course, you dork. You’re my best friend.” Bonnibel smiled. I just like you a little more than I should.

“Good.” Marceline smirked, directing her gaze to the road.

As they pulled up outside Bonnibel’s house, the pink haired girl was surprised to see Lady sat on the doorstep, with Jake’s car pulled into her driveway. Bonnie frowned as she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, watching as Lady ran over with Jake following closely behind.

Lady stopped her before she got out of Marceline’s car. “Jake is throwing a party tonight. You’re coming. Okay?”

Bonnibel frowned. Her friends knew she didn’t like parties. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea. I was kind of hoping for a chilled out evening doing my experiment.”

“Come on, Bubblegum!” Jake said, although she could see him shooting Marceline a wary look. “It’ll be fun, we promise.”

Marshall grinned. “I’m in. I’ll get some alcohol on my way there, yeah?”

“Yeah, man.” Jake nodded. “It starts at 6PM, my place.”

“Be there. I don’t want one of my best friends turning into a social recluse.” Lady said as she shot Bonnibel a stern look. Then, she noticed Marceline and smiled. “Hi Marceline. You can come too, if you want.”

Marceline shook her head. “Nah, dude. Thanks for the offer, though.”

Bonnibel was disappointed Marceline didn’t decide to come, but she put on a smile nonetheless. “If I get a little overwhelmed by the party, can I call you?”

“Sure.” Marceline replied, shooting her a warm smile. “I’ll be on standby all night. Have fun with your friends.”

Bonnibel smiled, leaning over and pulling Marceline in for a hug. “You’re the best. I’ll see you later.”

“Later, nerd.” Marceline smiled as Bonnie pulled away and jumped out of the car, watching until the pink haired girl had made it inside safely. Then, Marceline smiled to herself and pulled away from Bonnie’s house, ignoring her brother who was complaining about how she didn’t give him time to jump out and get in the front seat.

Inside her house, Bonnibel was ignoring Lady’s rambling about what to wear at the party and staring out of the window and thinking about how whenever Marceline’s face lit up, everything else just seemed a little bit brighter, too.

Bonnie knew she’d regret going to the party. Her head hurt because of the dull lighting and the high volume of the repetitive pop music everyone seemed to know the words to. Lady and Jake had promised her that there wouldn’t be too many people, but it seemed that word had gotten out, and there were even some people there who Bonnie didn’t recognise from school.

Her friends had pulled her into a few games of ‘Never Have I Ever’, and once Cake had announced they were playing Spin the Bottle, Bonnibel had quickly excused herself to the bathroom and never returned. She’d looked in on them, and saw LSP sat in the circle holding hands with Brad, so Bonnie decided it’d be best not to rejoin them – she didn’t want LSP to cause a scene.

Bonnie had decided that she’d had enough social time for one night and since she’d left her friends’ game, she’d been trying to find a quiet spot so she could call Marceline. Assuming that upstairs would be quieter, she quickly made her way up and away from the headache-inducing noise of the party, walking towards Jake’s room. However, as her fingers touched the cold door handle, she could hear some…questionable noises from inside and hurried inside the guest room, which was thankfully empty.

The room was rather spacious – the bed was made to an impeccable standard even Bonnibel couldn’t compete with, and it was dimly lit by a little lamp on the bedside table. It had a comforting, homey smell which made Bonnie feel relaxed as sat herself down on the cool sheets. She pulled out her phone and scrolled down her contacts list, eventually landing on Marceline’s name. She was about to press the ‘call’ button, when she heard something which made her insides grow cold.

“Hello, Bonnibel.” She looked up to see Ricardio, his beady eyes trained on her with a devilish smirk on his face. “Long time, no see.”

Bonnie gulped. The last time she’d run into this guy alone, she’d ended up pinned against a locker against her will. “Uh…hi.”

“How are you?” He pushed himself from the door frame and walked over, sitting down next to her so close that their thighs were touching.

Bonnibel shuffled away from him. “I’m fine, thank you. Actually, I came up here for some alone time, if you don’t mind -,”

“Surely you want some company,” Ricardio interrupted her, “I mean, it’s a party. You have to be with other people at a party.”

Bonnie wanted to launch into the dictionary definition of the word ‘alone’, but she simply shrugged, trying to look as casual as possible. “Well, I came up here to have a little break. Everyone else is downstairs.”

He shot her that intimidating smirk again. “Would you like me to go and get you a drink?”

Bonnie jumped at the chance to get him to go away. “Yes, please.”

He nodded and strode out of the room. “I’ll be right back.”

Bonnie hurriedly unlocked her phone and dialled Marceline’s number. She held it to her ear, impatiently listening to it ringing, until eventually Marceline picked up. “Yo, Bonnie. Bored of the party, then?”

“Yeah. I’m upstairs in the guest room and was about to call you but then Ricardio arrived and he wouldn’t leave me alone and I just got him to leave because he asked me if I wanted a drink and I just need you to come as quickly as you can so I can get out of here,” Bonnie rambled, “I know that’s a lot of information to process but just…hurry, okay?”

“Sure, man. I’ll see you in a few.” Marceline said. “Hold that Ricardio dude off if he comes back, yeah? I’ll be as quick as I can, I swear.”

“Okay. Thanks, Marcy. I’ll see you in a bit.” Bonnie smiled.

“Bye, nerd.” Marceline hung up, and Bonnie tucked her phone into her pocket. Now that she’d phoned Marceline, she could head back downstairs and blend in with the crowds to hide from Ricardio.

She made her way towards the door, and as she pulled it open, she sighed. Ricardio had just finished making his way up the stairs with two bottles of beer in hand. He forced one into Bonnibel’s hands and almost pushed her back into the guest room by placing his free hand on the small of her back and guiding her forwards.

He sat her down on the bed and perched himself as close as he could to her. She frowned, shuffling away. She really wanted to teach him a lesson in respecting personal space. “So…”

Ricardio smirked. Bonnie assumed it was intended to be attractive, but in reality it just made him look like one of those cartoon supervillains, and she had to admit it intimidated her – he actually seemed quite sinister. “Will you go on a date with me tomorrow, Bonnibel?”

“No.” Bonnibel hoped she sounded firm. “I don’t date and I don’t like you like that. I already told you. I figured getting punched in the teeth by Marceline would put the message in your head.”

“Everyone knows you’re not actually friends with her.” Ricardio scoffed. “Nobody is. If you were really friends with her, you’d hang out with her at school and she’d probably be here right now. You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.” Bonnibel snapped. Her fists clenched – if Marceline didn’t show up to punch him, Bonnie would do it herself. “She’s on her way here now and she’ll probably do more than just hit you if you don’t leave me alone. I’m not interested.”

Ricardio held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, fine. Let’s just have a drink as friends.”

He held up his beer bottle and Bonnie sighed, picking up hers. He tapped his bottle against hers, and Bonnie winced at the high pitched ping as they came together. Bonnibel looked down at the beer, and Ricardio stared at her expectantly as he drank; she really didn’t want to drink any alcohol. Sighing, she politely took a gulp and then immediately put her beer down straight after, cringing at the strong, bitter taste. She didn’t plan on finishing that and didn’t know what she’d liked so much that time she’d ended up drunk.

She caught a small smirk cross Ricardio’s face which made her a little uneasy, but she brushed it off. She sat back on the bed and sighed, smoothing out the wrinkles in the sheets from where she’d been sat. “Why are you so interested in me, anyway?”

“Because you’re hot.”

Bonnibel spluttered. She’d never found herself anything more than average. “I’m…I’m not, and that’s not a good enough reason to keep asking someone out. You -,”

Bonnie paused. She’d begun to feel a little dizzy and she could feel a tingling sensation in her toes. Ricardio raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“I…” Bonnie stood up, her legs stiffer than usual. The room spun, and she staggered, toppling back onto the bed – she felt like she’d just gotten off a spinning ride at a fun fair and she was finding it harder and harder to gather her thoughts. “What’s happening? What did you do?”

“Nothing.” Ricardio replied. Bonnibel didn’t believe him as her legs began tingling and she felt herself lose feeling in her toes. “Just lay down and relax for a minute.”

Bonnibel didn’t have anything resembling a better plan so she shuffled back on the bed – however all of her limbs seemed much heavier and she found it a difficult task as the pins and needles were now working their way up her legs. She was terrified; she didn’t know what was happening to her and she was alone with some guy she didn’t exactly trust.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to go home and sit in her familiar bedroom and be away from Ricardio and this party and everyone. She wanted Marceline to comfort her and make everything better.

Ricardio slowly started moving towards her. Bonnibel couldn’t move away. “What are you doing?”

With that devilish smirk, his fingers made their way to her shirt. Bonnibel felt a cold sense of dread wash over her like someone had just thrown her into a bathtub full of ice. She couldn’t hit him hard enough to push him off her and it took her what felt like everything she had to lift her arms up. Bonnie was crying as she felt him unbutton her pink shirt. She felt the tears running down her cheeks, smudging her makeup, and her body was shaking with sobs. This couldn’t be happening.

Ricardio smiled coldly as he moved Bonnibel’s pink hair from her face, and the stench of alcohol nearly choked her as he spoke. “Just showing you what you’re missing out on.”

“Get the fuck off of her.”

Bonnibel felt nothing but relief. She was crying, but through the blur of her tears, she could see the outline of Marceline grabbing Ricardio by the back of his shirt and pulling him away from her. “You’re not really friends with her.”

Marceline ignored the statement. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing!” He quickly exclaimed.

Bonnie used every ounce of strength she had and struggled to stand up, almost toppling over again. The room was still spinning and she had to hold onto the bed to keep steady. Marceline noticed. “You spiked her drink, didn’t you?”

“I…yes.”

Bonnie wanted to hit him, but she could barely stand up. She was incredibly happy when Marceline hit him for her and kicked him in the crotch. “That’s for fucking with my best friend. Stay away from her.”

Bonnibel nearly fell over as she attempted to stagger to the door. She didn’t want to be in this room any longer. Marceline grabbed hold of her and held her up, carrying her away from Ricardio, who was on the floor groaning in pain. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Bonnibel quickly replied as they made their way into the hallway. She knew she was still crying and she really didn’t want Marceline to see her like this, but she was so grateful that Marceline had come. “I’m so scared, Marceline. What did he give me?”

“I don’t know, Bonnie. The important thing is getting you out of here.” Marceline said. Bonnie flinched back as Marceline’s gentle, calloused fingers went to the buttons on her pink shirt. Marceline shot her a reassuring smile as she did the buttons up. “Hey. It’s just me, Bonnie. You’re okay. He didn’t do anything.”

Bonnibel shot Marceline a weak smile. “Thank you.”

Marceline held onto Bonnibel and half walked, half carried her down the stairs and out of the front door. Bonnie was dizzy and her legs felt numb – so much that she kept almost falling and knocking Marceline over.

“Okay, this isn’t working.” Marceline said. “Do you want a piggyback?”

“You’d – you’d do that for me?” Bonnie asked, falling against a random car which was parked outside Jake’s house.

“Yep.” Marceline nodded and leaned down enough for Bonnibel to climb on her back. “Do you think you can keep yourself steady enough to get on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Just try.”

Bonnie did as Marceline said and almost fell on top of her. However, in a sudden burst of strength, Marceline pulled Bonnie up onto her back and started walking down the street.

“I’m not too heavy, am I?” Bonnibel whispered in Marceline’s ear.

“You’re fine. Besides, I don’t need to carry you too far,” Marceline said. “Just to my car. Then we can get you home.”

“Please don’t take me home. My parents will kill me for being at a party.” Bonnie begged. “I’m not supposed to go to them, you see. They’ll never let me out of the house again.”

Marceline let out a conflicted sigh. “Bonnie, they’re smarter than me and they’ll be able to figure out how long you’re going to be like this for.”

“I can’t go to them, Marceline. I can’t.” Bonnie whimpered. “They’ll kill me.”

“Your parents won’t kill you, Bonnie. They love you,” Marceline assured, “Besides, even if they tried I’d fight them off. I just…we need to know what he gave you, okay?”

Bonnie wanted to argue with Marceline, but logic won out. “Fine. You’re just lucky that my Mom is a doctor. Otherwise I would take the wheel of your car and drive us to the hospital myself.”

“I did not know that your Mom’s a doctor.” Marceline replied. “You never told me that. I was just saying we go to your parents because it’s quicker than a hospital.”

Bonnie shrugged. “I thought I’d mentioned it before, but I guess not. Can we not talk about the stupid situation I’ve gotten myself into and talk about something else?”

“You didn’t do anything.” Marceline firmly replied. “None of this is your fault, you know.”

“It is.” Bonnibel argued. “I should’ve never drunk anything he gave me. I was such an idiot.”

“Shut up.” Marceline snapped as she helped Bonnie off of her and leant her against her car. Marceline dug around in her pockets for the keys, unlocking the door. “Stop calling yourself an idiot. It could’ve happened to anybody. You’re not at fault, okay?”

Bonnie sighed. As much as she didn’t want to believe Marceline, she didn’t want to argue with her. Marceline had just saved her. “Fine. Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure,” Marceline replied, “What do you want to talk about?”

“You. Tell me something happy.” Bonnie said as Marceline helped her into the passenger seat of the car. “Something happy from your childhood.”

Marceline buckled up Bonnibel’s seatbelt and then closed the door, climbing into the driver’s side and starting up the car. “Something happy from my childhood? Uh…” Marceline paused in thought as she pulled away from the sidewalk, and Bonnibel hoped it was because there were too many happy things to choose from. “When I first met Simon is pretty happy, I guess.”

“Okay, tell the story.” Bonnibel smiled.

“Well, when my Dad dropped us off there I was still pretty shaken up, and typically I started crying and like hugging Hambo and stuff and he’d just finished talking to my brother and he came over and he comforted me and told me that he was going to look out for me and stuff. Then he gave me candy.” Marceline said. “And I was sold.”

Bonnibel grinned. “That’s cute. I think if I’d have moved here before high school we would’ve been instant friends.”

“Probably not instant,” Marceline said, “But it would’ve been faster than how we made friends. I was always super quiet so if someone talked to me I got scared and ran away. Plus, you would’ve been out of my league.”

Bonnibel found that hard to believe. Marceline was so attractive that she was out of everyone’s league. “I doubt that. You’re really pretty.”

Bonnie was surprised when Marceline’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Thanks, nerd. You are too, which is why you would’ve been out of my league.”

“Are you saying you don’t think you were as pretty back then?”

“It was middle school, Bonnie.” Marceline said as if it was obvious. “Nobody is pretty in middle school. Except for you, probably.”

“Middle school? No way,” Bonnibel replied, although she couldn’t help but blush at Marceline’s compliment. “I was still blonde, I wore my glasses every day even though I only need them to read and I had braces.”

“You weren’t alone in the glasses club – even though I actually need them because I’m short-sighted as fuck – and I never used to do anything with my hair, and I had acne. Like really bad acne. Ugh,” Marceline shuddered at the memory. “Terrifying. Plus, I was on the wider side, if you know what I mean.”

“So…you weren’t conventionally attractive, but that doesn’t mean you were unattractive. You’re sweet, and at the end of the day it’s personality that matters.” Bonnie smiled. “Besides, you play guitar, so you were already at least a 6.”

Marceline laughed. “Really? Wow. 6. Thanks, Bonnie.”

“I’m not saying you’re a 6 now,” Bonnie quickly added, “You’re like, an 11/10 now.”

“Nah, that’s you.” Bonnibel blushed. Why did Marceline have to say things like that? Did she want Bonnie to have a crush on her? “Like, the first thought that went through my mind when I met you was ‘damn she’s cute’. The second was ‘wait what the fuck why is she coming over here?’.”

Bonnibel laughed. Marceline always seemed to be able to cheer her up no matter what. “Aren’t you glad I sat next to you, though?”

“Extremely glad.” Marceline replied as she pulled her car up in front of Bonnie’s house. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, walking around to Bonnie and opening the door. Bonnibel had already managed to undo her seatbelt, and she steadied herself on Marceline as she got out of the car.

Marceline kicked the door shut and locked her car, assisting Bonnibel towards the front door. “Have you got a key?”

“It should be unlocked.” Bonnibel replied. She was worried – her Mom would kill her for going to a party.

Marceline tried the door, and luckily, it was unlocked. As per usual, Bonnibel’s Mom came out of the lounge to see how Bonnie’s night had gone, frowning when she saw Bonnie being supported by Marceline.

“Hi, Mom.” Bonnie replied. “This isn’t as bad as it looks.”

Thankfully, Marceline stepped in. “Someone spiked her drink.”

“What? Do you know what with?” Lynn asked. She helped Bonnibel into the living room and laid her down on the sofa.

“No. We were hoping you could help figure that out.” Marceline said.

Lynn knelt down next to Bonnibel and smiled gently. “Bonnibel? How do you feel?”

“Numb. It’s hard to move. I couldn’t think properly at first but in that aspect I’m much better. I’m still a little dizzy.” Bonnie said. Sighing, she knew it’d be helpful to tell her Mom it was in alcohol. “It was put in beer but I only had a mouthful to be polite.”

“It’s lucky that you did only have a little,” Bonnie was grateful her Mom didn’t comment on the alcohol, but judging by the stern look in her Mom’s eye, it was likely to come up later, “Mixing drugs with alcohol makes them ten times more dangerous.”

“What do you think it is?” Marceline asked.

Lynn stood up. “Judging by the symptoms, I’d say something like ketamine. We can’t know for sure, but it’s most likely. The effects should wear off in a few hours since she only had a little bit, which is fortunate as high doses can cause hallucinations.”

Bonnibel’s eyes widened. “Hallucinations? I don’t want to have hallucinations.”

Marceline kneeled down next to her. “Don’t worry, Bonnie. Your Mom said only high doses. You didn’t have a high dose. You’ll be okay.”

“Will you stay over tonight?” Bonnie quickly asked. “You know, just in case. We can hang out tomorrow instead of Sunday.”

Marceline knew she had band practise the next day, but nodded. “Okay. I just have to go and get my stuff.”

Bonnibel nodded. “Okay. I love you.”

“Love you too.” Marceline replied. “I’ll be back soon.”

“I can’t believe you went to a party and didn’t say anything, Bonnibel.” Lynn said as she laid Bonnie down on her bed. “And you drank alcohol.”

“I had a mouthful,” Bonnibel corrected, “I wouldn’t have had anything more. I knew you’d act like this.”

“Bonnibel, if Marceline hadn’t have been there, god knows what would’ve happened to you!” Her Mom exclaimed. “You should’ve told me.”

“You wouldn’t have let me go,” Bonnie replied. Truthfully, she didn’t really want to go in the first place, but her friends wouldn’t have shut up about it if she hadn’t made an appearance. “You don’t need to worry – I’m never going to another party again. No way.”

“I never thought I’d have to do this,” Lynn sighed, “You’re grounded for two weeks. I’ll let you have Marceline over tonight but you can’t see any of your friends until you’re not grounded and no science experiments. You can study for school but you can’t do any experiments of your own interest.”

“Mom! You can’t do that,” Bonnie argued. “I’ve been planning an experiment all week!”

“You’ll just have to wait until you’re not grounded anymore.” Lynn replied. “That’s final.”

“I can’t believe you’re grounding me for getting a drink spiked.” Bonnie muttered.

“I’m not. I’m grounding you for lying to me about where you were going.” Lynn quickly retorted. “You told me you were going to Lady’s for a girl’s night, but instead you went to a party.”

Bonnie sighed. She couldn’t exactly argue with that. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m just grateful Marceline was responsible enough to bring you home. I hope you thanked her.”

Before Bonnibel could reply, there was a knock on the bedroom door and it pushed open to reveal a very uncomfortable looking Marceline. “Is this a bad time?”

Lynn headed towards the door. “No. I was just leaving.”

Marceline watched as Lynn went downstairs, before she slipped into Bonnie’s room and closed the door. She walked over to Bonnibel’s bed and laid down next to Bonnie, shooting her a comforting smile. Bonnie couldn’t help but feel a little better. “Hey. Are you feeling any better?”

Bonnibel pushed herself closer to Marceline – it took a lot of effort, but she got there. “A little.”

“You’re upset because your Mom is mad at you, aren’t you?” Marceline raised an eyebrow.

Bonnibel shrugged. She let out a long sigh and nodded. “Honestly? Yeah. It’s just, she’s never grounded me before.”

“You got grounded?” Marceline laughed. “Wow. There’s a once in a lifetime event.”

“Shut up.” Bonnie muttered. “I bet you’ve been grounded loads of times.”

“I think you’re forgetting that I don’t leave the house. Grounding me doesn’t exactly have an effect.” Marceline joked, before she noticed the upset frown on Bonnibel’s face. “Bonnie, getting grounded once isn’t the end of the world. Chill.”

“I guess you’re right.” Bonnie murmured. She rested her head on Marceline’s shoulder and sighed. “I know you’re usually the little spoon, but – just for tonight – could I -,”

“You don’t even need to ask, dork.” Marceline responded, putting an arm around Bonnie. “C’mere.”

“Thanks, Marcy. You’re the best,” Bonnibel murmured, “I bet you think I’m really stupid for getting my drink spiked, don’t you?”

“I think you’re the smartest person on the planet.” Marceline replied, giving Bonnie a gentle squeeze. “Getting your drink drugged by some fuckboy doesn’t change my opinion. It could’ve happened to anyone.”

Bonnie frowned. “Has it ever happened to you?”

“No,” Marceline replied. “I accidentally ate a pot brownie once, though.”

Bonnibel laughed, looking up at Marceline in amusement. “Story, please.”

“Alright,” Marceline’s chest rumbled with laughter at the memory, “Well, I was fourteen and it was the second party I’d ever been to, and Keila had gone somewhere so I was just strolling around when some guy offered me a brownie and because I’m a dumbass I took it. Needless to say, that didn’t end well. I ended up stoned and Keila had to take me home and explain what happened to Simon.”

“How did he take it?” Bonnie couldn’t imagine Simon being relaxed about things like that.

“He freaked out and said I wasn’t allowed to any parties ever again,” Marceline replied, “He forgot about that pretty quickly but he gets a little wary when I go to them, even though I’ve assured him I’m never going to take brownies from strangers again.”

Bonnibel giggled. “That cheered me up. Thanks.”

“I do a lot of stupid things, so if you ever need a pick me up there are plenty more stories where that came from.” Marceline smiled. “Like the time I rode my bike into a streetlight and cracked my head open.”

“You were okay, right?” Bonnie looked up, concerned.

“No, I died.” Marceline sarcastically responded. “Yeah, I was fine. I had to go to the hospital and got stitches but after that I was okay.”

“Good.” Bonnie smiled. “I don’t like thinking about you hurt.”

“Right back at you.” Marceline said.

“You cheered me up a lot, you know.” Bonnibel replied. “How do you do that? You’re really great at it.”

“Well, usually I just say stupid things and hope for the best.” Marceline stated. At Bonnie’s eye roll, she laughed, but continued, “No, I try to keep the person’s mind off whatever is making them sad and then they usually feel better.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Bonnie smiled. “Thanks, though. For everything.”

“It’s no big deal, dude. You’re my friend,” Marceline said, “If people fuck with my friends, they’ve got to deal with a very angry me.”

“I’m so glad I talked to you.” Bonnie murmured. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Bonnie.”

As Bonnie laid there, all snuggled up and safe next to Marceline, she couldn’t help but think about how lucky she was to have a friend as wonderful as Marceline.

She just hoped her stupid crush wouldn’t get in the way of that.

Chapter Text

Wednesday 7^th May 2014

Bonnibel sat up and rubbed her eyes, determined to stay focused on the revision notes she’d been making. She hadn’t slept since she woke up on Wednesday morning – school had been hard to get through and she was sure Marceline and her other friends had noticed something was off – but she needed to study. She knew she had an English Language trial exam the next day and was determined to get at least an A grade. If she aced it, maybe her Mom would let her off of being grounded.

Her Dad had come in to tell her to go to bed, but Bonnie hadn’t listened. Since then, he’d been checking up on her in regular intervals, and she was sure she’d heard him talking on the phone and mention her name.

Of course, she just shrugged everything off and went back to studying.

She had just finished drawing up notes on passive constructions and their effects when there was a light knock on her bedroom door and she shot up, alert. She looked to the clock – 9:45PM. It had to be her Dad checking up again.

She was correct – her Dad stuck his head around the door and smiled comfortingly. “Bonnibel, I know you haven’t slept for over 30 hours. Even though you’re grounded, I thought I’d make an exception for the sake of your mental health. Because I can’t talk you into going to sleep, I called a friend of yours.”

Marceline stepped into view then, awkwardly waving at Bonnie. “Hey. You know, you looked kind of tired at school but I didn’t think that you hadn’t slept at all.”

Bonnie shook her head and turned back to her notes. She picked up her pink highlighter and turned to a sheet of information Betty had given them in class. Marceline noted how shaky Bonnie’s hands were. “I’m fine. You can go home.”

Peter looked at Marceline and smiled, before ducking out of the room. “Good luck.”

Marceline watched after him, unsure of how she was going to pry Bonnie away from her textbooks and worksheets. She stepped over a pile of stacked up papers which were written in German – Marceline assumed Bonnie had just finished with those – and walked over to Bonnibel, placing a gentle hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “Hey, Bonnie. I think it’s time for you to stop studying and get some sleep.”

“I can’t,” Bonnie replied. Marceline noticed how she seemed sort of dazed and quietly wondered if Bonnie had been turned into a zombie since she’d dropped her off at home after school, “We have an English trial exam tomorrow, Marceline. I have to get an A.”

Marceline reached over and shut the textbook Bonnie was hunched over. “Okay, that’s enough. You can’t do a test when you haven’t slept for nearly two days. You want to get a good grade? Get a good night’s sleep.”

“I can’t,” Bonnibel repeated, looking up at Marceline, her blue eyes frantic and wide. “I still haven’t covered sentence structures and the effects of syntax. I’ll fail if I don’t cover grammar.”

“You won’t fail, you moron.” Marceline quickly grabbed the blank sheet of paper Bonnie picked up and placed it out of the shorter girl’s reach, “You’re the smartest person I know. If you fail, I’m fucked.”

“Five more minutes?” Bonnie helplessly asked, “Please, Marcy?”

“Don’t ‘Marcy’ me. You’re going to bed.” Marceline shot back, helping Bonnie up from the desk chair she was sat in and walking her over to her bed. She sat the pink girl down and moved over to Bonnie’s chest of drawers, finding the one filled with pyjamas. Marceline pulled out a pair of silky pink pyjama bottoms and a matching shirt, forcing them into Bonnie’s arms. “Get changed. I’ll go wait outside.”

Bonnie shot her a look of disbelief. “I can’t wear this. Where’s your shirt?”

Marceline was stunned for a moment, until she realised Bonnibel meant the old shirt she’d given her. “Oh! I don’t know. Where did you last have it?”

Bonnibel shuffled on the spot, using the back of one hand to rub her eyes as she stifled a yawn. She turned to the pillows on her bed and picked them up, frowning when the shirt wasn’t there. “But…it should be there. Why isn’t it there?”

Bonnie looked at Marceline as though she would have the answers, and Marceline bit on her lip in thought before she got an idea. “Stay there. I’m going to ask your Mom.”

Bonnie nodded, watching as Marceline left the room. She then looked at the pyjamas in her arms, throwing the shirt down in disgust. She took off the pink sundress she was wearing and pulled on the pyjama bottoms, sitting back on her bed and waiting for Marceline to return.

“She said it’s in the – whoa. Put a shirt on, man!” Marceline exclaimed as she came back into Bonnie’s room, distracted by the sight of Bonnibel in nothing but her pink bra and pyjama bottoms.

“Do you have your shirt?” Bonnibel asked.

Marceline seemed rather shocked by how unembarrassed Bonnie was, but she figured it was just the sleep deprivation. She knew Bonnibel would be incredibly embarrassed after she’d had a little sleep. “Your Mom told me it’s in the wash. Sorry, Bonnie. You’re going to have to make do without it.”

Bonnibel’s eyes widened as though the thought was positively terrifying. “No! I need it. It makes me feel better and helps me sleep.”

Marceline stared at her for a second, before she discarded the black hoodie she was wearing to reveal her ‘no smoking’ t-shirt. She pulled the grey shirt off and handed it to Bonnie, aware of the pink blush on Bonnibel’s cheeks, before quickly pulling her hoodie back on. “There. Wear that for the night.”

Bonnie smiled and pulled the shirt on, and Marceline tried not to laugh as Bonnibel hid her face in the neck of the shirt and deeply inhaled. “Smells like you. I like it.”

“Okay,” Marceline smiled a little, pulling back the pink sheets of Bonnie’s bed, “Time to get into bed.”

Bonnie got into bed without complaint, and stared up at Marceline with tired yet innocent blue eyes. She smiled, shuffling onto her side. “Will you stay for a bit? Oh, I know! You can play me something on my Dad’s guitar.”

Marceline smiled, “Sure. I’ll be right back, yeah?”

Marceline slipped out of the room and into Peter’s office. “Hey. I got her into bed but she wants me to play her something on guitar. Is it cool if I…?”

She gestured to his guitar, and he smiled, nodding. “Of course. Thanks for getting her to stop studying. You did it in record time, too.”

Marceline laughed as she picked up his guitar and headed for the door. “No problem.”

Marceline walked across the hallway to Bonnibel’s room, gently nudging the door open and walking inside, closing the door behind her. She turned to the bed to see Bonnie fast asleep; the only music that ended up coming from the room was the sound of Bonnie’s light snores as she dreamed.

Thursday 8^th May 2014

Bonnibel rolled over in her bed as she was woken by the obnoxious beep of her alarm. She stuck her arm out of the warmth of her bed, tapping on her phone screen without opening her eyes – it took her a few tries to make the phone shut up.

She squinted, sitting up and looking around her bedroom. Her curtains hadn’t been drawn, and there was a single strip of sunlight casted on her revision notes which were where she’d left them on her desk after Marceline had put her to bed.

Marceline! Bonnie suddenly remembered that her Dad had called Marceline over when Bonnie wouldn’t go to bed. Bonnie looked down at the grey ‘no smoking’ t-shirt she was wearing, and pulled the collar up to her nose, sniffing it. She could smell Marceline’s intoxicating scent, and it was much stronger than what was left on the other shirt Marceline had given her. She smiled; she really appreciated everything Marceline had done for her.

Bonnie shuffled out of bed and picked up her phone from her bedside table – she wasn’t expecting any notifications, but she grinned when she had a text from Marceline which she must have sent last night.

Marceline (10:32PM): hope you got a good night’s sleep, nerd

Bonnie tried to bite back her smile, but she ended up grinning like an idiot with a bright pink hue to her cheeks. She loved waking up to nice texts – it meant a lot to her.

Bonnibel unplugged her phone from its charger and headed over to her desk. She began stacking up all of her papers from last night, sometimes having to stop to decipher the handwriting on some of them. She laughed – she really did need Marceline to come over and make her go to bed. She decided to send a text back to Marceline and pulled her phone out, typing with one hand as she kept sorting through her papers.

Bonnie (7:06AM): Yeah, I did. Thanks for coming round. I’ll get this shirt back to you as soon as I can, promise.

Bonnie threw her phone back onto her bed and separated her revision notes into two piles – one which consisted of notes that were legible and were actually worth using, and the other a pile of incoherent nonsense. Then, she found her English Language folder from her schoolbag and tucked the notes inside so she’d be able to use them to revise from at lunch and break.

Once she’d finished packing away her school stuff for the day, she headed into the bathroom to shower, feeling confident that her day would go well.

Bonnie flipped the switch on her hairdryer and cut the gust of warm air off. She wrapped the cord around the handle and packed it back away in her desk drawer, before walking back over and sitting on her bed, grabbing her phone from her bedside table to see a reply from Marceline.

Marceline (7:36AM): no problem, dude :)

Bonnie quickly typed out a message in reply.

Bonnie (7:45AM): Are you picking me up at normal time?

Before Bonnie could put her phone down to brush her hair, Marceline texted back.

Marceline (7:46AM): yeah so be ready because if you’re not out in five minutes I’ll leave

Bonnie (7:46AM): That little bluff might work on your brother, but I know you wouldn’t do that. ;)

Marceline (7:47AM): in the words of vampire willow

Marceline (7:47AM): bored now

Bonnie (7:48AM): It’s not even 8AM and you’ve already made a Buffy reference? Wow.

Marceline (7:49AM): how the fuck did you know that was a buffy reference

Bonnie (7:49AM): You told me there’s a character called Willow and you said vampire so I just guessed. :)

Marceline (7:50AM): well okay then I guess you do pay attention when I talk that’s good

Marceline (7:50AM): anyways I have to go, I’ll see you when I get to yours

Bonnie (7:51AM): Okay. Bye, Marcy. :)

“Hey, Bubblegum.” Bonnie spun around to see Lady jogging towards her through the crowds of students heading out of class.

Bonnie frowned, but she stopped walking and waited for Lady to catch up. “Hey. What’s up?”

“I wanted to say sorry for getting you in trouble with your parents,” Lady said, “You know, with the party?”

Bonnibel waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Marceline made me feel better about it.”

Bonnie was sure she saw Lady smirk in amusement, before her face turned neutral. “Yeah, about that…are you guys dating?”

Bonnie was aware she was blushing like a schoolgirl and looked down at her fingers, picking at her pink nail varnish. “Of course we’re not. She’s just my friend. That’s all.”

Lady frowned and Bonnie could tell she didn’t believe her. “You’re just friends? Then why did you blush when I asked you?”

“We’re not together.” Bonnie quickly interrupted. “She wouldn’t like me like that. She’s too good for me.”

“But you like her?” Lady questioned.

How does she know? Bonnie thought, oh god, nobody is supposed to find out. What if Marceline knows? “No.”

“Really?” Lady didn’t look like she believed that at all. At the fearful look on Bonnie’s face, Lady shot the pink haired girl a soft smile. “Relax. I won’t tell. You can trust me.”

Bonnie was sceptical – she knew Lady would be understanding, but what if it got out and Marceline ended up getting told?

Bonnibel looked around and grabbed onto Lady’s arm, pulling her into an empty classroom. She sat down on one of the desks and let out a long sigh. “You want the truth?”

Lady smiled. She was grateful Bonnie was opening up. “Please.”

“I like her.” Bonnibel admitted. It felt incredibly weird saying it out loud; Bonnie still didn’t really want to admit it to herself. “I know, I’m an idiot.”

“Whoa,” Lady murmured, looking up to Bonnie with the same sympathetic gaze she’d shown her when LSP had found out about Bonnie’s sexuality. “You’re not an idiot. It’s okay that you like her.”

“I’m trying not to, though.” Bonnie offered. She knew that her efforts were useless – she couldn’t bear to distance herself from Marceline and she couldn’t think of any other ways to stop her stupid feelings before they got out of control.

Lady laughed. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

Bonnie let out a long sigh. “I wish it was.”

“If you ever need to talk…I’m here.” Lady smiled. “Promise.”

Bonnie shot her a weak smile. She knew Lady was trying to help, but talking wouldn’t do any good. It’d probably end up with her gushing over Marceline’s jawline or something. “Thanks.”

Lady seemed to sense that Bonnie wasn’t feeling very happy with herself, so she helped the pink haired girl up and walked her towards the door. “So, we’re doing this movie thing -,”

“I’m grounded.” Bonnibel interrupted. “Remember?”

Lady rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but you won’t be grounded when we do the movie thing. Your Mom said two weeks, right? It’s two weeks since the party this Saturday, so you’re free next weekend.”

“What are you guys planning?” Bonnie asked. For once, she was considering going – it would be nice to get out after being grounded.

“Well, at first it started out as a date for me and Jake but then Finn asked if he could come along, which ended up with everyone else joining in.” Lady explained. “Gumball is bringing Marshall. You can bring Marceline, if you like. It is sort of a couple thing. Don’t tell Marshall, though.”

“A couple thing?” Bonnie repeated, “And you want me to bring Marceline?”

Lady shrugged. “I’m just helping my friend out.”

Bonnibel rolled her eyes. “Who is everyone else bringing?”

“Well, Gumball invited Marshall, but he doesn’t know about the couple thing and Gumball is saying it’s just as friends,” Lady replied, “Obviously me and Jake are going together, Fionna and Cake aren’t bringing anyone and Finn said he had someone in mind, whatever that means. And you and Marceline, if you bring her.”

“I’ll talk to her, okay?” Bonnie said, “But even if I can convince her to come, it won’t be a date.”

Lady smirked like she knew something Bonnie didn’t. “Sure it won’t.”

Marceline was sat at a secluded table hidden in the back of the library, reading over her History textbook and making notes on one of the topics they needed to know for the final. She sighed – she hated studying, and would much rather be in the music room playing on the piano. This was probably the first time she’d ever wanted lunchtime to be over quickly; at least in her next class, she had Bonnie to talk to.

She heard a light cough from in front of her, and frowned. Bonnibel was busy at a lunchtime study session for English and nobody else at school talked to Marceline.