Bonnibel dropped her sunglasses over her eyes and leaned back on her beach towel. She couldn't believe how warm it was; she was already starting to tan slightly, and considering it was late March, that was amazing. Usually it was still cold in England.

(Usually it was still cold in England in July, but whatever.)

She picked up her phone from where it was sat next to her on the towel and switched songs. Additionally, she used that as an excuse to check for any texts from M, but there weren't any. All that she had in her messages were things she'd already opened – the text from Lady inviting her to the beach, the text from Elle demanding she'd go to the beach and the texts from Phoebe telling her that it was okay if she didn't want to go to the beach. She checked Facebook out of habit, but found nothing aside from a notification from Bubba, asking her to video chat soon, and the already opened message from Marceline telling her that she'd set off to come to her house from the other week.

She dropped her phone again and stretched out on her towel, pulling one earbud from her ear so she could listen to the conversation around her. Nothing too interesting was going on – Finn and Jake were discussing something named Deadpool, and Elle was ranting about Keila.

Wait, Keila? Usually, Marceline was the focus of Elle's gossip and ridiculous rumours. But now it was suddenly Keila who was the subject of interest.

Bonnie quickly interrupted before Fionna could add something to whatever they were speculating. "What did Keila do?"

"I overheard her telling that boy she's friends with – Guy, I think he's called – that she's some sort of lesbian." Elle paused for emphasis, but it wasn't very long before she was talking again. "And I'm like, so confused, because she's had boyfriends before, so it doesn't make any sense."

Bonnibel froze in place and prayed that her initial shock hadn't been too obvious. Her heart was pounding so quickly that she worried its movement would be visible through her shirt and her muscles clenched in panic. She let out a shaky breath and tried to push the thoughts from her mind – of course, the one time they'd not been bothering her, they had to pop up somewhere.

She put on the best false smile she could and shrugged. "She told me she's pansexual. It means she doesn't care about gender, basically. I think that's what she said, anyway."

"That's a thing?" Phoebe wove her fingers through Finn's, and even in the state she was in, Bonnie managed a small laugh at how red he went. "Huh. Well, I guess that's just another thing our health and sex education classes missed."

Elle just shrugged. "Isn't that just being bi, though? There's hardly a difference."

"Keila would probably be able to explain it better than me," Bonnie was sure to tread carefully; she didn't want to blurt out anything that had been going on in her head lately, "but I think it's basically like the gender of a person doesn't matter to you."

Lady looked her over for a moment and Bonnibel rubbed at her thighs through the material of her dress in nervous habit. "Well, that's cool. Can we talk about something else now, though? Maybe about how Bonnie hasn't called Braco since the beach party."

Bonnibel had been hoping that her lack of contact with Braco wouldn't be brought up, but of course, Lady decided to voice the topic while Elle was there. Because that would end well, obviously. The only logical reasoning Bonnie could think of was that she'd noticed her discomfort on the topic of sexualities and had decided to change the subject.

(If that was it, then it wasn't a very good subject change.)

Elle all but screeched at this revelation. "What? Didn't you like him? Do you not like anyone? Are you some sort of Mormon?"

Bonnie shook her head. "It wasn't that I didn't like him, I just-"

"Then what's the problem?" Elle folded her arms across her chest and sent Bonnie a disapproving stare. "Come on, I went out of my way to find a guy as nerdy as you, and that wasn't easy. And I'm sure he liked you too."

"I didn't really feel like…" Bonnie paused in thought. Like he was my type was the initial thing that popped into her head. Because my type might be girls.

She shook her head and let out a sigh. She wasn't going to think about that anymore. It wasn't going to bother her anymore; she was strong and she could push it down. If dating Braco would make things easier, then maybe she'd do it.

"Didn't feel like what?" Fionna pulled Bonnie from her thoughts. "You didn't like him romantically?"

"I mean… no, not really." Bonnie sighed. She knew that she should've liked him. She knew that he was basically the perfect match for her, and yet she felt nothing but neutrality towards him. "I guess I just don't like people who are too similar to me?"

Lady sent her that weird look again and Bonnie swallowed the nervous lump that had grown in her throat. "I guess that could be the reason. Opposites attract and all that."

"Uh," Bonnie hedged, "yes, I guess so."

"You and Marshall were opposites and that didn't work." Phoebe pointed out the obvious and Bonnibel cringed. That really wasn't what she'd wanted to hear.

"I'd just moved." Bonnie quickly used that as an excuse. "It was like- I was in a whole new place and I really wasn't ready for that kind of thing. When he asked me to the dance, I'd just assumed that it was as friends, you know? If he'd have clarified, I wouldn't have said yes."

"Ah," Fionna nodded, "so it was too soon. If he'd waited, do you think you'd have gone for it?"

"I don't know." Bonnie was growing desperate to get the focus of the conversation off herself. She cast a glance down at her phone and faked a smile. "I have a Facebook message from Bubba and we haven't spoken that much because of time zones and we're both overrun with schoolwork, so I should probably answer."

Without waiting for her friends' green light, she picked up her phone and unlocked it, pretending to answer the non-existent text. Then, she flicked onto her messages and typed out a frantic text to a different recipient.

Bonnie (2:14PM): I really need your help. I'm so… I guess, confused is the only way I can describe it. Ever since you mentioned the possibility that I might not be straight it's like I can't stop thinking about it? Every single boy I've tried to like, that I should like, I just feel nothing and I don't get it because I don't want to be gay and it's not like there's something wrong with being gay I just don't want to be seen as different and I don't want to deal with the possible consequences if it turns out I am and I'm so scared, M.

Bonnie (2:14PM): And I'm really sorry for just barging into your life and dropping all of my problems on you. You can just ignore me if you feel like it's putting any kind of strain on you. That's the last thing I want to do.

She let out a shaky sigh and dropped her phone next to her on the towel. Her phone was set to vibrate, so if she received a response quickly she'd be aware of it.

If she was being honest with herself, she was kind of scared when she thought about the things M might respond with. For all she knew, she could get something that told her to go away and stop pestering her, or she could get a lengthy essay about how her problems were ridiculous and that M couldn't care less.

Because everyone leaves eventually. Especially if there's something glaringly different about you.

She sighed again, slower this time in an attempt to calm herself down and release the tension in her chest. It didn't work very well.

It wasn't until she picked up on Elle's murmuring that she was pulled firmly back into the conversation and her surroundings.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Elle's tone was snide and judgemental, and Bonnie didn't like it one bit. "I didn't invite her. I can't believe him."

"Sup, losers?" Marshall dropped a towel on the sand next to Jake and leaned across the older boy to give Finn a fist bump. "I'm not staying for long-" he craned his neck to the right to address his companion, "-just hang around wherever, okay? I'll text you when I'm done here."

Marceline sighed and nodded in confirmation, pulling her phone from her pocket. She blinked down at the screen in confusion, but Bonnie didn't pay that any mind. She was too busy awaiting M's response. "Uh… sure. I'll be around."

She walked away from them a few paces, but Bonnie didn't bother to watch after her. Instead, she just stared at her phone screen in anticipation.

M (2:19PM): just because you don't like certain boys, doesn't mean you don't like boys in general. everyone has certain qualities that they're attracted to and you're no exception to that rule. only you can figure this kind of thing out, and although I do think that you seem attracted to females in some ways from what I've seen, that doesn't mean you're gay. bisexuality is a thing. and even if you do turn out to like girls, it isn't a bad thing. girls are pretty awesome. I can also promise you 100% that you're not bothering me and you never will bother me. I care about you. :)

Bonnibel breathed out an audible sigh of relief. M wasn't angry and her response was perfectly rational. Just because you don't like certain boys doesn't mean you don't like boys in general. Bonnie gracefully ignored the second half of M's reply about bisexuality – Bonnie really didn't think that fit her – and decided that she'd listen to her friend and push any doubts from her mind.

It was logical. It made the most sense.

Bonnie (2:21PM): Thank you. You really help me a lot, you know. :)

Then, she tucked her phone back into her purse and allowed herself a small smile. She was fine. Everything was perfectly fine.

She leaned back on her towel again and decided to sunbathe for the rest of the afternoon. Yes, that sounded like a wonderful plan.

Maybe she'd have gone through with her plan if she hadn't felt someone nudge her.

Bonnie sat up in surprise at the touch and glanced up at Marceline in confusion. Aware that her friends were staring at her, she awkwardly waved in greeting. "Uh… hi. Any reason you poked me?"

Marceline shrugged. "I was going to get ice cream and I realised that I had a ten dollar bill rather than a five."

"So… you're asking me to switch your ten for two fives? Because I don't have any money on me aside from the two dollars my uncle gave me for my bus home, should I need it." Bonnie looked around at her friends. "I could ask if my friends could-"

Marceline cut her off with an eye roll. "You really can't take a hint, can you? Do you want to get some ice cream with me? I'm bored and have to hang around, and I could have worse company."

Bonnibel blinked in surprise. "You want me to get ice cream with you? I'd have thought that you'd want to go by yourself. Aren't you all for that stoic 'too cool to have friends' act you put on?"

She heard Lady snort in laughter, and she realised that the last part – however sarcastic it may have been – might have come off as condescending or insulting, which she really hadn't intended. She hoped Marceline would take it positively.

"Fine. A simple no would've been nice, but whatever." Marceline didn't look fazed as she spun on her heels and began walking away from her.

Jake looked at her with his mouth hanging open. "Whoa, Bonnie, you have guts to stand up to Marceline the-"

Bonnie didn't stay long enough to hear what Jake was planning on likening Marceline to. No, she jumped up and quickly chased Marceline down the beach, completely forgetting her purse and phone as she caught up to the other girl.

"Hey," She grabbed onto Marceline's arm, the other girl's wince going unnoticed. "I was trying to make a joke. Sure, I'll have some ice cream with you."

Marceline pulled her arm from Bonnie's grip. "The offer has since been revoked. You don't need to pity me and give me your charity company. I don't care."

"Why are you like this?" Bonnie sighed in exasperation. "I'm not going to put up with you if you start with your self-deprecating nonsense. I'm not pitying you or giving you charity. I'm spending time with you because I want to."

Marceline frowned at her. "Why?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Because it wasn't so bad last time we spent time together. And you're offering free ice cream, so…"

Marceline rolled her eyes, but Bonnie caught the small flash of a smile that crossed her face. "Of course you're only in it for the free ice cream. What flavour do you want?"

Bonnie paused in front of the ice cream store and frowned at the little menu propped up outside. "Chocolate or vanilla. I don't mind."

Marceline held the door open for her and nodded over to a free booth in the corner. "You go sit. I'll order."

Bonnibel nodded and sank down in one of the seats, tapping on the table in an attempt to keep herself occupied. Usually she'd play on her phone, but she'd completely forgotten it when she'd run after Marceline.

(She really wanted to talk to M, too. Being phoneless sucked.)

She waited until Marceline came back over with two ice creams – one strawberry, and the other an odd chocolate and vanilla combination.

"You bought me chocolate and vanilla?" Bonnie jabbed at the ice cream with her spoon. "Maybe you're not some terrifying hell demon like everyone says you are. At least you're nice to the girls you buy ice cream for."

"Girls suggests that I do this a lot, which is wildly inaccurate." Marceline ate a spoonful of her ice cream before continuing. "Not many people will come within fifty feet of me, let alone let me lure them into an ice cream shop. After you've eaten that, we're going to the cliff to perform the satanic ritual. You're the sacrifice."

Bonnie laughed. "So this is just you trying to fatten me up for Satan?"

"Basically yes," Marceline looked up from her ice cream and sent Bonnibel a wonderfully toothy grin. "I was promised eternal riches for in return for a sacrifice of a sixteen year old girl with strawberry blonde hair and a knack for science. Luckily for me, you fit the description perfectly. Satan is wonderfully specific, isn't he?"

Bonnie smiled at her. "Seriously, though. What is this really about? You could've easily called Keila to come and meet you."

"Well, I couldn't, because she's working until five." Marceline quickly shot that down. "I don't know. I didn't want to wander around by myself."

"I thought wandering around by yourself was your thing." Bonnibel commented, waiting patiently for the real answer. "You've done it before. It wouldn't have been too hard for you to have gone for a walk until Marshall texted you."

Marceline rolled her eyes. "Maybe I wanted to repay you."

For some reason, Bonnie didn't feel like that was the real answer. "Repay me for what?"

"You're annoying, but you got dad off my back about doing my work in science class or whatever," Marceline didn't meet Bonnie's gaze, "so thanks. He can be kind of a dick when it comes to schoolwork and I guess with you he thinks I'm going to do it."

"He probably nags you about it because he cares about your education. All parents do it." Bonnie assured her. She didn't reply to Marceline's thanks for a reason; she knew that the other girl would become hostile if she mentioned it too much.

Marceline didn't look like she believed her. "Do yours?"

Bonnibel felt that familiar sting around her eyes and bit down on her lip. "Uncle Peter can be pushy at times, but he knows that I usually have everything done. Depends on how much I procrastinate."

Marceline scanned her over and eventually nodded. "Procrastination is a vicious thing. I do it a lot, I will admit."

Bonnie beamed; Marceline hadn't pushed her. She appreciated that a lot. "I can do it on occasion. It honestly depends on what other things I want to do. If I'm desperate to conduct my own experiments rather than do work I've been set to do, usually I procrastinate my school work through personal work."

"At least you're still being productive." Marceline pointed out to her. "I just sit on my ass and watch Netflix for eight hours until I realise it's three in the morning and I still haven't got my work done. Then the next day I'm grumpy because I only had three hours sleep."

Bonnie smirked. "I take it three hours is your average per night, then?"

Marceline rolled her eyes and barked out a sardonic laugh. "Very funny. I'm not always grumpy."

"Yes you are." Bonnie swiftly countered that. "Literally every time I see you, you're being moody in some way. Do certain people only get bad moods or something? I'd assume I'm one of them."

"You're not getting a bad mood right now." Marceline picked at her fingernails. "Keep going and you might get one."

Bonnie scoffed. "Yeah, because I'm so scared of that. You'd probably just complain about how your ice cream isn't cold enough and then mope around until we leave."

"Shut up and eat your stupid ice cream."

After a few moments of silence, Bonnie glanced up to see Marceline smiling to herself in a wonderfully adorable way. It was enough to make her stomach flutter, but it wasn't long before the light feeling was replaced by dread and stone cold fear.

She rapidly assured herself that it was nothing and looked back to Marceline, completely relaxed when it didn't happen again. Obviously what she'd felt was just a little fluke. Nothing more than a fluke.

But then her stomach flipped again when Marceline looked up at her and flashed her a smile.

Oh no. That really didn't sit well with her.