Hey, guys! I'm back with a new chapter. Y'all are seeing the title and the music on the chapter's cover, so consider yourself warned :)
Good read! xoxo
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Lee 💜💜
im serious
i can send u a audio if ya want
Peebles ♥️❤️
shut up u trolling me lol
Lee 💜💜
peebles im real!!
hol up ill send a vid
Marshall positioned himself at the kitchen door, where his sister couldn't see him, and started recording the scene.
Still in pajamas, Marceline was making a natural red fruits juice in the kitchen, the table set with bread, a chocolate cake and an empty mug of the coffee she had drunk. She ate a slice of the cake, singing along with the music* playing through the speaker they left in the kitchen.
(*The song is Sudden Desire, by Hayley Williams. As there's other one on the chapter's cover, I recommend you to listen to this one while reading this part. And yes, Marceline is changing genders here.)
I wanted her to kiss me how
With open mouth, and open mouth
We keep our distance now
I wanna feel her hands go down
I try not to think about
What happened last night outside her house
Too far to go back now
Just wanna feel her hands go down
Marshall recorded just a few seconds to prove to Priscilla that yes, Marceline was not only eating at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning, but was singing and cooking as if life was beautiful. Very few days ago, he had to take her home in the middle of the day, as she had passed out from not having eaten anything. Sometimes, he didn't understand his sister and her sudden mood swings.
But he knew very well which were the deepest reasons behind them, he just refused at all costs to think about it. Remembering that. The image of his sister... in that situation. That image still plagued his nightmares, and the truth was: he didn't have much more stomach than she had to deal with any of it.
For now, he decided to sit there on the floor, near the door, and listen to his favorite voice in the whole world singing.
Sudden, sudden desire
Sudden, sudden desire
A sudden desire
Take The Elephant by the hand and hold it
It's cruel to tame a thing that don't know its strength
But better to walk beside it
Hmmm, than underneath
My kind companion
Soft stone
My gentle giant
Painful reminder
Marceline seemed to be in another dimension. Her voice sounded sweet and raspy, dragging the words as if laden with desire Marshall paid attention to that and got kinda confused.
Marceline could have many affairs, but she didn't dedicate music to any of them.
(Don't), don't look in my eyes, (sudden)
I feel a sudden desire, (sudden desire)
Don't know if I can deny, (sudden)
A sudden desire, (sudden desire)
Your fingerprints on my skin
A painful reminder
Don't look in my eyes, (sudden)
I feel a sudden desire, (sudden desire)
A sudden desire
Marceline whirled around the kitchen, making a spoon as an microphone. Her brother tried to see the situation in a rational way: the happiness could be explained by the success in confronting the principal, and it was normal for Marceline to take a few days to process the good things that happened to her. The singing, it could just be a fangirl attack: Paramore was her favorite band and Hayley Williams was her biggest inspiration in the musical industry. The singer's solo project, Petals for Armor, has been her obsession lately. Sudden Desire was one of her favorite tracks and the whole band knew it.
But there was something about the way she sang, the tone of her voice, the slower lines coming out almost like a moan.
There was something there.
Won't fit in the room, big balloon
Trails me, 'cause I can't let go
Everywhere I am, it sticks close like a friend
Just like her, just like her
Friendly reminder of a sudden desire
(Don't), don't look in my eyes, (sudden)
I feel a sudden desire, (sin and desire)
Don't know if I can deny, (sudden)
A sudden desire, (sudden desire)
Your fingerprints on my skin
A painful reminder
Don't look in my eyes, (sudden)
I feel a sudden desire, (sin and desire)
(A sudden desire)
((Não), não olhe nos meus olhos, (súbito)
Eu sinto um desejo súbito, (pecado e desejo)
She sang the chorus at the top of her lungs, louder than the blender sound. The sincere smile on her face melted Marshall Lee's heart. As the song approached the final verse, she leaned back in the kitchen cupboard, her gaze lost through the window, that lingering tone of desire even more present now.
I wanted her to kiss me how
With open mouth and open mouth
We keep our distance now
I wanna feel her hand go down
I try not to think about
What happened last night outside her house
Too far to go back now
Just wanna feel her hands go down
“Good to see you excited this early in the morning, baby girl”- said a sweet voice behind Marshall Lee. Megan Abadeer, their mother.
“Morning, mom!” – replied Marceline, serving herself a bit of juice. "Want some? I just made it."
“Sure, thank you. What are you doing, young man?” - she says, finally noticing the presence of her son sitting on the floor. Marshall stood up, a little embarrassed.
“I wasn't watching on my sister singing”, he replied, laughing.
“You sucks” – she replied, laughing too and showing her tongue.
Megan laughed lightly at her children, and went to the table to eat. The woman worked as an event producer for the New York elite, as well as having a network of LGBTQ+ nightclubs and two published novels. Besides being a present mother. A real multitasking.
*Flashback*
Over the years, the woman had some affairs, but never got married. Which was no problem at all, she had always been self-sufficient enough. But around the age of twenty-five, with a solid and steady career, she wanted to be a mother.
Not wanting to wait for the goodwill of the universe to put someone in her life with whom she wanted to share this moment, she went on to adopt. That was when Marshall came, still a baby, making the woman's world finally complete.
At least until the boy was ten years old, and he got it into his head that he wanted a little brother or little sister.
Megan, still single, but with her life even better structured than before, decided she was ready to be a mother again, and went again in search of adoption. Her plan was initially to adopt a child a little younger than Marshall, since he was categorical in the request. Little brother or little sister.
But everything changed that day.
On one of her numerous visits to the local orphanages, she was with the boy. While talking to one of the social workers who worked there, Marshall Lee played in a corner with toys scattered around the great hall. As it was visiting day, the local children were all there, playing while being assisted by adults interested in adopting one of them.
Suddenly, the boy feels a nudge in the arm. When he turns around, he comes across a skinny little girl, jet black hair, darker skin and honey/greenish eyes, smiling at him.
“Hi, I'm Marceline ”- says the little girl, holding out her hand.
"Hi, I'm Marshall Lee" - says the boy, shaking the hand extended to him.
"Your name sound like mine, but to boys."
“And you look like me, only with long hair. And I’m paler. ”
"You look like a vampire." Says Marceline, whispering.
"You too." He replies, also whispering.
"Let's pretend we're vampires and scare the younger girls!", says Marceline, excited.
"Let's go!" - says Marshall, also excited.
Shortly after, Megan's conversation with the social worker is interrupted by the squeak of some girls. Megan looks to the side and sees a procession of little girls of seven, eight years, running. Behind them are her son and another older girl, showing their teeth.
“Marshall! What are you doing!?" - she yells at him, who stops running and looks at her smiling.
“I'm a vampire, mommy!”
“Me too!” – said the little girl besides him.
Megan looks at the little girl and feels a warm sensation in her chest. The girl looks so much like her son. The two run again, now chasing each other, and she keeps watching, forgetting for a moment about the woman in front of her.
“It is good that if you have brought him”- says the assistant, taking her out of the trance. “It is important that he gets along with the child you choose.”
“Yes I know that. Who's that?" Says Megan, pointing to the little girl playing with Marshall.
“Oh, Marceline Petrikov. She's been with us for about a year now. She has a somewhat complicated past. She's usually more reclusive and introverted, it is good to see her interacting so well with another kid.”
“Really?" - Megan replies, curious. "What happened to her?"
The assistant tells her the complicated story of Marceline, leaving Megan's chest tight, touched by the little girl.
“We have a little more difficulty finding a home for her”- says the assistant. “She's the daughter of illegal immigrants, she's older. Her personality is a little stronger too, but it's understandable, you know? She has seen too much, she has been through too much for such a young child.”
“I understand it, completely” – says Megan.
At that moment, Marshall approaches, with the little girl by his side. Now close to adults, she is more self-conscious. She knows that adults outside the orphanage don't like her very much and don't want to adopt her. She misses Simon.
“Mommy, this is Marceline. Marcy, this is my mom, Megan. Megan Abadeer.”
“Hello, Mrs. Abadeer ”- says the girl, extending her hand to her, slightly flushed.
“Hi darling! You can call me Megan” - she says, shaking the girl's hand. After a few seconds, she takes the liberty of giving her a peck on the cheek.
Marceline is a little startled by the sudden proximity, but smiles at the woman. The adults who come to visit the orphanage don't like to touch her. This woman looks cool.
“Hey, can Marcy come to my birthday party? ” - says Marshall, looking at the assistant with big wishing eyes.
“Hm... well, your mom needs to agree, and we're going to need to talk to the orphanage management, dear. But it's possible that we can do it. When is your birthday?”
“Sixth of August. Two weeks from now ” - he replies.
“Hey, it's my birthday too!" - says Marceline.
“Wait, how old are you going to be?" The boy asks.
"Eleven!"
"What?? Man, we're twins! "
"Yes!"
“Mom, can we make a double birthday party?? Please!" - Marshall says, both hands on his mother's lap, jumping.
“Hey, Lee... You don't have to do that." - said the girl, kinda ashamed. "It's cool enough if I can get out of here a little to go to your party. I mean... if you have no problem for you, Mrs. Abadeer..." - she completes, now looking nervous to the boy's mother.
“Of course there is no problem, my dear. And I insist that you can call me Megan. But I insist that we celebrate your birthday as well. No child should run out of birthday party!”
“Really?”
“Yes, my darling. I'm glad you and Marshall have become friends so fast.”
“Thank you, Megan!”
The girl runs toward the woman and hugs her. Feeling emotional, Megan hugs her back.
Talking with the direction of the orphanage, they can allow her to take the little girl into her home on the birthday date and make the party for them. The decor more seems like Halloween, since the two insisted they wanted the party with a vampire theme.
That night, after leaving Marceline back in the orphanage and promising they would return over the weekend to see her, Marshall was thoughtful in the car on the trip back home.
"What are you thinking, honey?"- said the woman, looking at him in the rearview mirror.
"I think I've changed my mind, Mom. I don't want a little brother anymore. Not a little sister either. "
“No? But why?”
"I don't want to" - he said, and then bowed forward, whispering in conspiratorial tone: "I think having a twin sister is much cooler."
The woman laughed, relieved. She already had an idea strolling in the mind, and the child's acceptance was much more than welcome.
“You're thinking the same as me, Marsh?”
“I think I'm, mom!”
And so it happened. At the weekend, they fulfilled the promise and went to visit the girl. When they arrived, she was sitting on a sofa from the living room, a teddy bear kinds old on her lap.
“Good morning, Marshall!" She said, watching the boy run toward her.
"Marcy! What do you think of having a twin brother? "
"What?"
"A twin brother. Me. Me and mommy want to know if you want to come and live with us! "
The girl gets pale. Megan then arrives just behind the boy, her hand on his shoulder. Her voice is trembling and her eyes worn when she asks her question.
“Would you like to be part of our family, sweety?”
Marceline is silent for a moment, looking shocked. Then she starts crying, and hugs both of them. Without being able to speak, she only shakes her head in a sign of yes, several and several times, quickly.
Marshall then takes her in his arms, caring in her head. She soon begins to calm down.
“You do not need to cry, little bat. Welcome to the Abadeer's family.”
On that same day, Megan opened the application for adoption. In a few months, they returned home, with Marceline in the backseat, her things on the suitcase. Marceline Petrikov Abadeer.
As she parked the car in front of the house, Marceline stuck the face in the car window, looking with disbelief for the mansion. It was the biggest whe had ever seen.
Marshall jumped out of the car, opened the door to her and pulling her by the hand, ran down the entrance hall, eager to show each corner of the house to his sister.
Megan leaned her back against the car, her eyes wet. She already had a giant love for the little girl. But despite this, and despite having been her who had signed all the paperwork, she knew that was not her work.
It was Marshall. From the beginning, it was him who had adopted the little girl.
*End of flashback*
These things all strolled through the woman's head while watching her two children, now teenagers, implying one with the other in the kitchen, while they had breakfast.
“How are things in school, kids?”
“Great "- says Marceline, excited. Megan is surprised, she's always the first to complain about school. "Do you know that project I wanted to do at school? About awareness about trans people? It was approved."
“That's great, dear! I hope you guys can stick some common sense in the head of those students. How's Kevin?”
“Recovering fast, mom" - says Marshall, ending to swallow a piece of bread. "He's going to get oft from the hospital next Wednesday and finish recovering at home.”
“Good thing. I still think his parents should sue the school.”
"We know, Miss 'I Want To Sue All The Homophobes and Transfobes Of The World'. We know" - says Marceline, making the other two laugh.
“Very funny, Marcy" - Megan says, but her tone is sweet.
“Thank you, I learned from the best" - she says, with a wink. "I'll go upstairs to change.”
Marceline leaves the table and goes to her bedroom, humming. The dish left behind is empty.
“What's the deal with her?" - Megan asked for her son when when she sure Marceline could no longer hear. "She's very excited today!”
“I know!" - says the boy, incredulous. "I don't really know what happened. But my guess is: women.”
Megan burst out laughing. Deep inside, she kinda wishes for the boy to be right. Maybe a healthy relationship brings back a bit of the glow on her little girl's eyes.
She cheers to see that energy and joy from the 11 years old Marceline again.
[...]
Marceline rests on the bike, waiting to the other girl answer the phone. That weird feeling in the stomach has turned into something normal. Almost good.
“Hey, Marcy!" - says Bonnibel's voice, on the other side of the line.
“Hey, Bonnie! Are you going to do something today?"
“I don't think so. What do you have in mind?”
“I wanted to introduce you to a person. Can I get there to get you?”
“Of course! I'm ready in twenty minutes”.
“Fine, I'm on my way.”
Half an hour later, Marceline was in front of Bonnibel's huge house. The weather is already getting colder, and she sees the girl approaching with a jeans and a pink sweatshirt, pink hair fluttering with the wind.
"Hi!" - she says when she approached Marceline. Looking sideways to make sure there's no one coming, she leaves a long kiss on Marceline's lips.
This is how things have been since that day in the music room, a few days ago. Kisses stolen by the corners in the school, disappearing after the classes to make out properly. At the moment, none of them wants to involve their friends in this. A friendship with benefits under secrecy.
"Hi" - says Marceline, a seductive smile on her lips. "So we're going to visit a person today, that I want to introduce you."
“Who?”
“Simon” – says Marceline. The smile gets weak, the shine in her eyes change. "I like to introduce my new friends to him. It's good for him to see new people. "
“I didn't know you still had contact with him" - says Bonnibel, her voice soft.
"My mom was able to locate him about a year ago. He lives in a suburb close to where some of our colleagues live. I got in touch with his new caregiver, explaining the situation, and we sort of came up with a plan. One day I went to the supermarket where he usually goes shopping with her and offered to help taking the bags to his apartment. He liked me, asked me to visit more often. He doesn't remember about... adopting me, but he's happy when I stop by. It's better than nothing, I guess."
“I'm glad that you can have at least a little bit of that period of your life back, Marcy”- says Bonnibel, her hand lightly caressing Marcy's arm.
“Thank you, Bon. Well, let's go” - she says, extending the extra helmet to Bonnibel.
“Ugh, this thing again? Let's go in my car.”
“Get. On. The. Bike”
“You're taking revenge because I made you eat that apple!”
“Yes, now get in the bike already.”
Snorting, Bonnibel accepts the helmet and rides on Marceline's rump.
[...]
They park the motorcycle in the parking lot of an apartment building in the suburbs. In the lobby of the building, a young woman with red hair and square glasses comes to meet them.
“Marcy, hi! He's dying to see you!”
“Hi, Daisy! How are you two doing?”
“Oh, we are doing well. He's been hallucinating a lot less in the last few days.”
“This is good”- says Marceline, her voice slightly emotional. “Daisy, this is my friend, Bonnibel. Bonnie, this is Daisy. She is Simon's niece and caregiver.”
“Nice to meet you!” – says Bonnie, holding out her hand with a smile.
“I say the same” – says the woman, shaking her hand. “It is good for him to see new people. And you guys came on a great day, he's in a great mood.”
The three go up to the apartment. There, Simon is distracted by shuffling some papers, and smiles when he sees the girls entering the room.
“Marceline! So good to see you, my dear!”
“I'm happy seeing you too, Simon” – says the girl, approaching him and giving him a hug.
The trauma of losing Beth and the attempt to take his own life had severely weakened the man. At forty-seven years old, his hair already showed an advanced gray, as well as a slightly longer beard. But the man's sweet look and affectionate manner seemed untouched, at least when he wasn't delusional.
“Who's the pretty girl with you?” He asked, noting the pink haired girl's presence in the room.
“Hi, Mr. Petrikov! Marceline said a lot about you.”
“My dear, you don't have to be so formal with me. I'm not as old as I look.” - said the man, drawing laughter from the other three. Realizing that he was comfortable with the girls, Daisy retired to make lunch, and to give the privacy that she knew Marceline needed at those moments.
“Well, I hope she spoke well of me” – he went on.
“Oh, very well” – said Bonnie.
“It's not like I have anything bad to say about you, Simon.” – said Marceline, her hand on the man's knee. He smiled at her lovingly.
The three talked for a long time. Simon wanted to know how Marceline was at school, how she had met Bonnibel. The man suffered from memory problems, he forgot a lot, even in recent memory. But he seemed to be able to keep the informations about Marceline. He knew she had a band, a brother. They had already visited the man. Sometimes he confused their names, but he knew who they were.
Later, lunch was served by Daisy. Everyone ate together at the table. Bonnibel was delighted with that kind man, and especially with Marceline's posture in his presence. All that bad girl energy dissipated, and she became a sweet, solicitous girl, willingly attending the wishes of the one who had once been her father. The one who was still her father, inside her heart.
After lunch, everyone gathered in the room again. Simon brought an electric keyboard that he had received from Bongo, and a bass that he kept for when he received visits from the girl. It was normal for him to ask to play with her, or for her to play something for him. That day, he wanted a duet.
“Marceline, dear" - he said, picking up some of the papers he had forgotten scattered on the coffee table when the visitors arrived - "I was going through my things today, and I found these notes. I think it's an old family thing, I don't remember them. But I found it so funny, because they they are dedicated to someone with their name!”
“Oh, really?” – Marceline replied, trying to hide her sadness. She had a feeling they were not old family papers, but parts of Simon's old diary.
Memory problems hit him shortly after Beth's death, which was followed by a heart attack and a stroke for the man. He started to write a diary, where he tried to leave his memories, especially in relation to Marceline. Shortly after, the suicide attempt, and total delirium. As he was no longer his own master, Marceline was given up for adoption without receiving the diary, which he once intended to give her as a gift.
“Yes, dear! Come on, I had an idea. You are so good offhand, my girl. Here, read the texts. I will play on my keyboard and you will improvise a song with it! Daisy and Bonnibel will like it. C'mon!”
Marceline had an impulse to try to make the man change his mind. She didn't want to read the words of the old Simon, it was too much for her homesick heart. But the man's look of expectation broke her, and reluctantly, she accepted.
He started playing, and she looked down at the paper. Eyes filled with tears. It was with a lot of effort that her voice came out of her throat.
Marceline, it’s just you and me in the wreckage of the world?
That must be so confusing for a little girl
And I know you are going to need me here with you
But I’m loosing myself and I’m afraid you’re gonna lose me too
That part was wrote when the man had started to get involved with drugs, an attempt to forget. He knew it could have a tragic ending, and he already sensed the worst.
This magic keeps me alive, but it’s making me crazy
And I need to save you, but who’s going to save me?
Please, forgive me for whatever I do
When I don’t remember you
“Hey, this is great, Marceline! I wonder who wrote that”
Marceline collapsed. It was not possible that it wouldn't bring even a glimpse of memory to the man.
“What, you don't remember what it means? Look!” – said the girl in despair, handing another page to the old man. This time, he started singing.
Marceline, I can feel myself slipping away
I can’t remember what it made me say
But I remember that I saw you frown
I swear it wasn’t me, it was the crown
When he wrote that passage, the poor man was drugged, hallucinating. He was already beginning to believe that he really was the character he had created to entertain the girl, Ice King.
At that point Marceline was already crying openly, her bass in hand to accompany Simon. He, in turn, played happily, without the slightest notion of the weight of the words he said.
This magic keeps me alive, but it’s making me crazy
And I need to save you, but who’s going to save me
Please forgive me for whatever I do
When I don’t remember you
Please, forgive me for whatever I do
When I don’t remember you
La dada dada dada
La dada dada dada
Bonnibel and Daisy watched the scene with teary eyes. Marceline dropped the bass, ran to the man and hugged him.
“Of course I forgive you, silly old man.”
“What?”
“Nothing, Simon. I got emotional with... with these things, you know? Whoever wrote it... I think this other Marceline would definitely forgive the writer.”
“Oh, my dear. You are a good soul.” - said Simon, a careful hand stroking the girl's hair.
“You too, Simon” - she said, with a sigh.
“I think it's time for your afternoon nap, Simon”- said Daisy, realizing that Marceline's agitation could destabilize the debilitated gentleman. Marceline walked away, leaving Daisy to guide him to his room.
“It was nice to see you, girls. Come back soon!" - he said, before leaving.
“Yes, we will return, Simon” - replied Bonnibel. Marceline, still with the cry stuck in her throat, just waved goodbye.
[...]
The girls left the apartment after saying goodbye to Daisy. In the parking lot, Marceline sat in a corner and started crying again.
Bonnibel just sat beside her, one arm around her and her hand caressing the girl's shoulder.
“You're better?" - asked the girl, when Marceline finally stopped crying and started drying her face.
“Yeah, I think so.”
The girls then got on the bike. Marceline ended up at the HighLine, where she and Bonnibel sat silent for a while, watching the city on the same wooden bench as before.
“I think I'm finally moving on with this, Bonnie" - said Marceline, after a few minutes.
“What do you mean?”
“I am no longer devastated that he doesn't remember me. After all, it's not his fault, and there's nothing that any of us can do. I think... that I'm glad he likes me now. lAnd you, and my other friends. He didn't feel any pain singing that today. He's fine. Not remembering means he cannot suffer, and I am fine with that.”
“Are you sure, Marceline?”
“Yeah, yeah I'm” – replied the girl, after a few seconds of reflection. “I still have him with me and he doesn't have all that pain anymore. It's not the ideal, but it is what I have, and I l'm grateful for that."
“I'm glad for you, Marceline” – replied the other, caressing Marceline's hand that was beside her on the bench.
They stood there, watching the sunset. Marceline's soul was light.
She couldn't resurrect her old story with Simon, but she could write a new one.
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I'm not crying, y'all are. My eyes are sweating.
So, what about it? Don't forget to leave a comment and to vote if you liked it!
See ya soon!
- Tersy ❤