Bubblegum Boy

[six] Thursday, December 19

[6] Thursday, December 19

                The sixth time I see Bubblegum Boy, he sees me first. I’m shelving cereals in aisle thirteen. Just as I reach down to grab a box of Koko Puffs something falls into the basket with a thud and blinking, I glance up. I sigh and straighten up to face Bubblegum Boy straightening his beanie over his ears.

                “What? If you haven’t noticed, I am working, this thing you’ve probably never heard of before.” I turn back to the shelves, straightening the boxes.

                “Look,” he gestures down to the basket and turn back, then follow his gaze to find that what had fallen was in face a sloppily wrapped square. I pick it up and am surprised that it bends over my hand.

                “Why?”

                “Christmas. I just thought, you know, you might like something. For Christmas.”

                “Oh,” I stare at his face, trying to extract any hints of this being a joke because last time I checked, Bubblegum Boy was not nice. “You repeated that, but…thanks, I guess.” He exhales a short, staccato breath and shakes his head, looking at me with his reading expression again, and this time I don’t ask why.

                “Aren’t you going to open it?” He nods at it and after a moment I slide a finger under a taped part or the paper, ripping it in the process.

                “Damn it,” I curse and he sighs impatiently.

                “I spent fucking forever wrapping that thing,” he mutters and I can’t help but snort, though that might not have been the nicest and fairest thing to do on my part, seeing as I was the one opening a present. He glares at me and I send him a smile before returning to trying to pry the paper apart from each other.

                “Well, you might need to work on your wrapping skills then,” I blurt out and he mocks me in a falsetto voice. Finally the paper falls open to reveal a navy blue t-shirt. Dropping the wrapping onto the floor, I unravel the shirt and laugh. It has a can in the middle, a picture of beans on it, and above the picture it says CAN and on the bottom IT. I hold it up to my chest and look up to meet his eyes. “Thanks, Bubblegum Boy.”

                “It’s nothing,” he shrugs, small smile on his face and hesitantly I near him.

                “So do I…like…hug you now, or what?” I ask, scratching my head and he smiles.

                “Wow, you really suck at this, don’t you?” he asks with an amused expression and instantly I become defensive.

                “What?”

                “Showing an emotion other than pissed-off-ness to anyone other than Daniel.”

                “Okay, first of all that’s not even a word, and second of all, that’s no—” Before I realize what’s happening two arms wind themselves around me and suddenly I’m extra warm and it smells like new clothes and slightly of cologne and I realize that I like it.

                “That, Bean Girl? That’s a way of showing affection or thanks. That’s called a hug.”

A/N:

SO THAT WAS A BEAN BOY (lol ship name? Bubblegum Girl? IDK) MOMENT. YAY? NAY?

I'm halfway through the short story now :D

Vote? Comment?

-Nova.