BONNIBEL'S P.O.V.
It had been a few weeks since I started hanging out with Marceline and her bandmates and I must admit it, it was actually fun. I had never expected to experience this kind of fun with them, not that I don't have fun with my friends; but the fun that Marceline had introduced me to are just full of things I hadn't experienced in my entire life. But I refuse to admit that I was (actually) having fun. I won't give her the chance to humiliate me further so I do my best to keep a straight face.
I had a lot of firsts with her, like skipping classes and other rule breaking activities. At first I was skeptical about the whole rule breaking as I am a straight A and rule abiding student but Marceline kept reminding me about our wager that I (unbelievably) lost.
And today I found myself, yet again skipping advanced algebra with Marceline and for some reason, she managed to tag Fin and Jake along with her to an arcade shop downtown hidden in one of those small alleyways (I don't know what's with Marceline and her love for these narrow, creepy places). I didn't knew that these three were close to be hanging out together. I remember back then they were kinda dissing her in class, I wonder if Marceline knew about this fact.
"Hey Marce, I didn't know you and PB here are friends. I thought you were enemies or something." Jake questions as we enter the arcade shop.
Marceline chuckles at the question when she saw me roll my eyes at the statement.
"PB here is my date."
"So, you two are..." Fin trails at his sentence and gestures his forefingers together. His face is scrunched up in disappointment? Disgust? I couldn't tell but his expression tells me otherwise it's not a good thought.
"No-"
"Yes!" Marceline replies, cutting off my reply as she smirks at me, her eyes as if challenging me.
"Oh..." Fin replies, his shoulders slumped.
"Don't believe her words, cause we aren't together although yes, we are dating because.... Just because." I explained, matter-of-factly. I glanced at Marceline who now looks annoyed.
Ha! In your face Abadeer!
"So, no labels?" Fin inquires yet again.
"Not yet now, Finny. Soon" Marceline replies with another smirk.
I really hate her comebacks.
"Oh! How about this, you guys compete to date PB here!" Jake suggests out of the blue.
"Great idea, Jake!" Fin replies, high fiving Jake in the process.
I don't know how to react to this. I'm not some kind of trophy but I don't want to date Fin. Truthfully speaking, he's like a kid brother to me. I already had enough on my plate having to date Marceline due to the wager we had before.
"Fin..." I sigh exasperated.
"You're on, man!" Marceline yells, her eyes has that mischievous glint in it.
"Don't I get a say on this?!" I burst out.
The three of them looks at me, startled at my sudden outburst.
"I am not some kind of trophy that you get when you win!"
"Hhhhmmmm... Then, how 'bout this..." Marceline speaks up, "whoever wins gets to spend the rest of the day with PB here? If Fin wins, you can spend time with him and I'll go separate ways with you guys." Marceline tells me, her face was suddenly all serious.
"How about, if I win?"
"Well then, if you win Princess, you choose who you want to spend your time with or you can do whatever you wish today." Marceline replies, her face still serious despite the smirk plastered on her face.
That was a much better wager.
"You've got yourself a deal."
*****
We've been on the games for at least half an hour now and I think I was a fool for thinking I could win on any of these games from Marceline, I can't even beat Fin and Jake over whack-a-mole! That was such a simple game yet I could barely get a point (I tend to hit the ones that shouldn't be hit). It was frustrating!
"Oohhh! I saw that shooting game over there, Fin!!" Jake yells as he points at a shooting game machine.
It was one of those 1st person shooting machines and you get yourself a mission that is to catch the enemy boss. With that you have to shoot enemies through the whole course while you avoid getting your character shot.
"That looks like fun!" Marceline exclaims before throwing me a glance, "Are you up for the challenge, Princess?" She asked me.
"I'm not sure Marce..." I trailed on my words as I eye other kids play. "You saw how I did on whack-a-mole." I murmured quietly.
Fin and Jake secured us the next game on the machine, they were holding the pistols, playing their own game as they aim the guns at each other, making sound effects "pew! pew! pew!"
"Well, let me help you," Marceline whispers, her voice sounded so sincere despite the mischievous grin she had on her face. "I'll team up with PB here," Marceline tells the duo as she grabs the gun from Jake's grasp. "If I were to play against Fin," she glances at Fin with a smirk, "He'll be destroyed. That's for sure."
Marceline takes a few strides and slids the toy gun in my hand. "This is how you hold it, okay? Then..."
Her voice fades into the background as she was now explaining to me the mechanics of the game and how to load, aim, fire the gun as well when to dock. I hardly can concentrate on what she was telling me, I was consumed by how close she is with me right now, it's overriding my senses.
"Ready now, Princess?" Marceline asks, I can only nod in response, I try to keep up with a straight face.
Marceline inserts a coin on the coin slots both for me and Fin.
"I won't go easy on you, PB." Fin yells with a toothy grin.
I just stare at the screen, trying to remember what Marceline taught me earlier, though I can barely remember anything by now.
"START!" Jake yells as he press the start button.
I saw Fin start shooting from my peripheral vision while I try my best to aim and shoot, letting out small yelps every time the enemy shoots. I guess my character was about to die when Marceline suddenly stands behind me, grabbing my hand that was still aiming the screen of the machine and points it down to the floor before aiming at the screen again, I felt her pull the trigger.
"Haven't I told you to avoid getting shot by pointing the gun towards the ground to dock?"
"Uhh..."
My brain had somehow stopped working and I know that I may look like a total idiot right now. Marceline shot the enemies down.
"Close your mouth, Princess... You look like a goldfish now." Marceline whispers into my right ear. The act would've probably sent chills right down my spine, but her last remark, left me me pissed instead.
I tried to shook her off me, "I AM NOT A GOLDFISH." I hissed. Marceline let's go of my hand and distanced herself though I still feel her hands resting on my shoulders.
MARCELINE'S P.O.V.
"I AM NOT A GOLDFISH." PB hisses under her breath enough for me to hear. I smirked when she starts trying to shake me off her, thus, I let go of her hand and distanced myself from her a bit. I rested my hands on her shoulders just in case I need to step back into the game and guide her through but I know that I pissed her enough to play take the game seriously.
She stormed her way through the game that even Fin and Jake were stunned by her sudden aggressiveness, she started gathering crowd as she play through the game, oblivious of her surroundings. Fin's character died when he got distracted by PB's gameplay yet PB was not done yet, she even managed to reach the first boss of the game before running out of life. Hah! I knew she can play it but she just needs a li'l bit of push.
"Darn it!" PB exclaims of frustration as soon as GAME OVER FLASHED the screen.
"Is this really your first time on the game?" Fin asks as he approaches us.
"Yep. Why do you ask?" PB asks, handing Jake the toy gun.
"You may have not noticed it, but you reached the first boss without my help," I told her, waving my eyebrows in the process of teasing her. "You even got a crowd watching you."
"Eh?!" PB now notices the kids and teenagers gathered around us, some even clapping and still at awe at her performance. Her face was flushed pink out of embarrassment.
"Also, that means you won against Fin." I told her. To that, she glances up at the three of us.
"I did?" she pointed at herself as we began to walk through the game center, searching for other games where we can compete in.
"Yep. you did." Jake confirmed. "Heck, that was awesome. I thought Marcy would help you throughout the game. How did you even managed to teach her that, Marce?"
"I just told h-"
"She taught me the basics well enough. Also, nothing beats the power of science." PB butts in, cutting me off midway of my statement. She suddenly tugged my necktie thus my face was suddenly matching her level and she hisses in what was supposed to be a menacing threat, "Don't you dare, Abadeer."
I chuckled in response to her rather cute threat and that's when I groaned out of pain from PB elbowing my abdomen. Gosh, I love teasing her. She gets way much cuter when she's mad.
"So, which game next?" Fin asks, eager to beat me and PB just to get his supposed reward.
"How 'bout PB decides?" Jake suggests.
"Hhhmmm.. Let's try that one!" PB points at the Basketball Game.
****
It was after about an hour or so of gaming that our little competition came to an end.
"So the final score is..." Jake glances at his pocket notebook where he recorded the scores and he also tallied them up for us. "Marcy - 10, Fin - 11 and PB.... drum roll please." Fin drum rolls on the air. "15." Jake announces flatly, he was probably being careful not to hurt more of Fin's ego.
I saw Fin deflate, along with his childish ego.
"Yes! I WON! Beat that, Abadeer! Hah!" PB exclaims in triumph.
I smiled at how happy she looks right now. I knew she enjoyed playing, like a lot.
"I knew it that Fin, Jake and Ms. Abadeer skips classes, but I expected more from you, Ms. Bubblegum." Mr. Peppermint's cold voice rang through out the Game Center. Along with him where some guards from the Academy.
"It's the teachers! RUN!" Fin and Jake yelled loud enough for the other kids to hear. The kids started to run in panic, trying their best not to get caught by the teacher and guards of the academy, although I'm sure that not all of them are from Ooo Royalty Academy.
I grabbed PB's wrist and dragged her to the opposite direction Fin and Jake along with the other kids were running, that was the main entrance and exit of the place.
"The exit's that way." PB tried to drag me to the direction everyone was going.
"Fire exit's this way." I smirked at PB and with that she allowed herself to get dragged by me.
We exited the building through the fire exit which leads us to the underground parking lot. I fished out my car keys from my jeans' pocket and led her to my black sedan. I opened the car door for the passenger for PB to get in before fishing out my phone from my black leather jacket's pocket, and scrolled through the contacts as I got in on the driver's seat, pressing the call button which was right away answered.
"Clear the CCTV's footage for today. Come up with a viable excuse as to why there's none recorded for the day." I told the person on the other line before hanging up. PB was staring at me with a puzzled look. "What?"
"Who was that now?" she asked with a rather harsh tone.
"That? Oh! The building's security team. Can't let the academy catch us, y'know." I smirked playfully while she eyes me speculatively.
"My Uncle owns this place." I explained as we pull out of the underground parking lot.
"No wonder you knew how to get us out without getting caught." she remarks absent-mindedly. "How 'bout Fin and Jake?!" she exclaims to which I scowl. How could she think of Fin when she's with me?!
I slammed my feet on the gas out of frustration. The car was zooming fast now through the highway. "They just need to avoid getting caught. I already wiped the evidence for them." I hissed through gritted teeth. My knuckles were turning white from how tight I've been gripping on the steering wheel.
"Marce.." I suddenly felt PB's hand over my right hand on the steering wheel, her voice was shaking. I glanced at her and that's the moment when i finally noticed that I've been driving beyond the speed limit, her other hand was holding onto the seat belt.
I lowered the speed and eventually parked the car along the boulevard "Sorry 'bout that." I mumbled as I combed my fingers through my dark locks out of frustration with my self. I know that I blew it, I may not openly admit, but I know that the simple act of her, showing care towards Fin upsets me. I am not even sure if I am jealous or what. For a second, I was scared that she wanted to spend her time with Fin rather than me.
"Do you want to spend the rest of your time with Fin?" I asked, I kept my eyes on the road ahead, afraid that my emotions would gush out as soon as I look at her direction.
"What made you think of that?" PB asked, her voice was devoid of emotion.
I just shrug in reply.
Silence engulfed us for what seem like hours but in reality was just minutes. I was sitting on the edge of my sit when PB decided to break the silence.
"Am I some kind of trophy to you?" PB questioned, I can feel her staring at me but I refuse to look at her; refuse to utter a reply afraid that I might spill out this budding feeling in my chest.
Silence before the door to her side clicked unlock. I can hear her sigh deeply before getting out of the car without another word.
Glob Damn it!
I can only cuss internally at my stupidity and cowardice. I am unsure of what I felt towards her. I mean, yes, at first, I was freakishly annoyed at her perfectionist and smarty side that made me wanna crush her, screw her up. But now? I don't know.
I ran my fingers through my hair before following her out of the car.
"I'm sorry." The words spilled before I can even think what I'm going to say.
"Why did you even agreed to that?!" Bubblegum yells at the top of her lungs.
"I don't know why, okay?!" I yelled back, frustrated at myself. I lean my head on the roof of my car, regretting my action after I felt the scorching heat of the metal on my forehead. "Aaahhh! Glob damn it."
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" Bubblegum rushes to my side. I thought she was mad at me for making her a trophy on that bet earlier.
"I'm fine." I tried to brush her off but she was already prying my arm off my face, examining my face. I can feel blood rushing up my face at the sudden gesture.
"Hhhmmm. I don't think you got burned by that, you're just over reacting," she stated, "but your face is all red..." she says with a puzzled look.
"I'm fine woman." I told her off. Trying to get distance between us. Her face is far too close for me. Okay, I know I've been seducing her earlier but I don't even know what to make of this situation now. I'm panicking. Internally. Holy Glob!
"Fine," she finally let's it go, "but don't you ever dare make some kind of trophy for you and your friends or with anybody to bet on." she says before turning around, walking to the other side of the car, opening the door. But before she hops in, she suddenly tells me with a smile, "I want to enjoy the rest of the day with you."
That left me speechless. When I manage to regain my self-consciousness, I can't help but chuckle at the thought of getting upset earlier. She just clearly said she wanted to spend time with me.
Author's Note:
I apologize for the super delayed update. I finally finished the chapter and hopefully this would do. It's quite lengthy and I wonder if it suits everyone. Please drop your comments and/or suggestions. Your thoughts on the recent chapter matters so much.