Even in her dreams that night, she could smell the scent of Princess’s perfume, could recall what it was like to hold her hand tenderly, comforting her. As she cuddled underneath her comforter, a thought flickered across her subconscious; being part of a dream, she did not fling the suggestion away as she would have in daylight.

I love her a little. Maybe she loves me back.

---

No one had remarked on her absence yesterday at all, Buttercup observed that morning as the three got ready for school. For once, the black haired girl was a little upset at the realization. Didn’t her family care if she left or stayed? Typical of them, just typical. If Blossom or Bubbles went missing, they’d probably have the matter on the front page of all the newspapers within an hour. On the other hand, she was better off not opening her mouth to find out. Imagine what Blossom would think of her, swooning, and over a villain no less!

“Blossom, which one looks better? This one or this one?” Bubbles was holding up two pairs of Mary-Janes for the pink Puff’s inspection as the three dressed for school that morning . One pair was sky blue, the other was a slightly different shade of sky blue.

“They look alike, Bubble-Brain." Buttercup sneered as she pulled on a pair of jeans.

Bubbles smiled a little, hearing one of her old nickname’s, then frowned. “They do not, Buttercup." she stated. “This pair here brings out the color of my eyes more, and this pair here coordinates with my outfits more.” She turned her attentions back to Blossom, who was gazing placidly into her vanity mirror and combing out her hair. “So which ones do you think, Blossom? Robin’s egg blue or morning sky blue?”

“Actually, they both look good on you, Bubbles." the red haired girl said. She sounded a little distant, always sounded that way when things were on her mind. It was probably school, Buttercup thought bitterly. If only Blossom had to deal with anything resembling her problems.

“I know, Blossom." the blue Puff responded, sounding a little exasperated, “but which ones do you think would look better for today? The eye shoes or the outfit shoes?”

“Dressing up for John?" Buttercup asked.

Bubbles wheeled around. “ That...that’s none of your beeswax, Buttercup!” She smoothed her pale blue gypsy skirt and muttered “Maybe I should take the outfit shoes.”

Buttercup wasn‘t quite done teasing Bubbles just yet. She hadn‘t been felt like this in a long time, and she wasn‘t about to waste the opportunity for some fun. “Maybe take both pairs, then you can ask your date what he thinks.” She smirked. “After all, the sun rises and sets with John, doesn’t it?”

Now the blonde looked a bit irked. “You should talk!" she snapped. “What about that nice outfit you bought to wear on your da-” Here she stopped herself, biting down on her tongue. “Sorry." she whispered, glancing nervously at Buttercup.

The green Puff wasn’t buying it. “What do you think you’re doing?" she hissed. “Trying to make me look bad?”

Blossom, on the other hand, hadn’t responded to any of this, not out loud at least. The red haired girl smiled faintly, wondering if what she’d suspected all along about Buttercup might really be true, ecspecially since that new outfit of hers looked far out of her price range. And if it was-

At least I wouldn’t be the only one with a secret, the leader of the Powerpuffs thought.

“I just bought that thing ‘cause I grew out of my old formal clothes, Bubbles." Buttercup lied, throwing a contemptuous glance at her closet, where the outfit Princess had bought for her hung. It was half-true: Buttercup had grown by about an inch or so over the summer, making her the tallest of the three girls at five feet, seven inches. She’d often joked that her one goal in life was to crack six feet. “Why would I ever do any of that stupid girly hugs-and-kisses stuff, anyway?”

“Buttercup-" Bubbles began.

Buttercup didn’t respond; the black haired girl only threw a silent glance at her younger sister. Not now, her eyes seemed to say.

The blue Puff nodded solemnly. Recovering, she pulled on the first pair of Mary-Janes and stuffed the other pair in her backpack. “That’s a good idea, anyway." she said. “John probably would know.”

Blossom tied her bow into her hair, and faced her sisters. “Am I in the middle of something here?" she asked.

Bubbles and Buttercup shook their heads in unison, as the two moved to finish packing for school.

---

“Hey, Bubbles?”

Bubbles looked up from the latest of her letters to the Mayor to find Robyn standing in front of her. The blue Puff tucked the letter into her binder and motioned for the brunette to take a seat next to her at the cafeteria table. Her best friend looked different, Bubbles noted; Robyn wore more makeup than usual, and her new green dress was a little on the revealing side. That did it: it was a new boyfriend, and judging by the way Robyn was dressed, it was one of the “bad” ones. This had to be good.

“So, who is it, Robyn?”, Bubbles asked, flashing a knowing smile at her friend. “One of the dangerous guys at school?”

Unless it’s...no, it couldn’t be those dangerous guys...

Robyn giggled a little. “Well, sort of. Actually, he doesn’t even know I’m that interested yet, and he doesn’t go to this school. But I do like him...a lot.” She blushed a little. “And I...um...”

“You need my help?”, Bubbles asked. She was happy to play matchmaker for just about any girl in the school; little made her happier than seeing people get along with each other: her sisters, prospective boyfriends and girlfriends, anyone. “Okay, but if you don’t tell me who it is, I can’t help you.” She waited, trying to ignore the strange, nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Robyn looked away. “I want to, Bubbles, but first, you have to promise you won’t get mad at me like Buttercup did.”

Bubbles laughed. “I won’t, Robyn. I promise. I’m nothing like Buttercup, you know that.” She didn’t bother pointing out that Buttercup lashed out because she’d had her heart broken.

“I’m just saying: it’s not someone you’d approve of.”

“Oh?” Bubbles shuddered a little inside. Judging by what Robyn had just said, this probably wasn’t going to be something she wanted to hear.

Sure enough, Robyn proceeded to fulfill all of Bubbles‘s suspicions. “You know the Rowdyruff Boys, right? I have my eye on the one in green, Butch. He’s cute and hardcore and interesting- I mean, he‘s like a berserker, you know?-, and I think he kind of likes me too.” The brown haired girl bit her lip nervously. “Bubbles, I know they’re bad guys and you‘re a hero and all, but if you’d help me get close to Butch, I’m sure I can-”

“Robyn, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” There, she’d said it. Now to deflect the protests.

Robyn looked miffed. “That’s exactly what Buttercup said! Just because Butch doesn’t act like most boys do, that’s no reason why I can’t give him my love. If I could just talk to him, maybe he’d see I’m not a terrible person to know. Bubbles, you know I’m not a terrible person!”

“I think you’re a wonderful person.”, the blue Puff said. “It’s just not a good idea: Butch always hangs out with his brothers, and all three of the Rowdyruffs have the same powers as me and my sisters. It’s really hard for all three of us to fight them, and if it’s just me out there-”

“Then get Blossom and Buttercup to come with you!”, Robyn said, her voice taking on a petulant tone. “Please, if it makes it safer-”

“Robyn, do you really think my sisters would listen? Blossom can’t stand any those guys at all, and Buttercup...well, you already heard her opinion on those three.”

“How could I forget?”, Robyn muttered. “Buttercup didn’t have to be so nasty about it, don’t you think?”

“She had her reasons to be.”

Robyn opened her mouth, ready to ask if that piece of gossip she’d heard about Buttercup this morning really was true, thought better of it, and changed the subject. “Bubbles, I’m asking you as a friend: please help me. I promise, if Butch or his brothers try attacking, we’ll leave.”

Bubbles shook her head. “And I’m telling you as a friend: I can’t do that, Robyn. I’m sorry.”

---

Buttercup was in a much better mood that morning, in fact, she was happy enough not to care about the difference in the way she was being treated. Girls and boys alike were staring at her, pointing and whispering. Elmer had been avoiding her in gym, and Robyn had thrown a puzzled glance at her in English class. Maybe they’d figured it out, the black haired girl mused. Maybe, after all this time, they’d put everything together on their own.

For some odd reason, she didn’t care that much at first. Being found out like this comforted her a little bit; it wasn’t her fault or Bubbles’ like she thought it might be, plus she’d no longer have to worry about being outed. Of course, she could be wrong, the stares might have been caused by some other crazy piece of gossip, and then, there would still be Blossom, her parents, the rest of Townsville-

She would have to work it out, somehow. It would be the hardest thing Buttercup would ever have to do, but wasn’t she up to any challenge? Eventually, they’d find out, she’d have to deal with it, and maybe, just maybe look into actually dating out in the open.

It wasn’t going to happen that way. Things fell apart too quickly. And as they did, the toughest fighter would soon find herself deeper and deeper trouble.

It began that afternoon, right before her final class of the day. If she hadn’t been so aggressive, everything would have been fine. As it was...

“Hey, you!”

Buttercup, who was en route to Biology, wheeled around to find a grimy looking boy she didn’t really recognize idling around the drinking fountain.

“What do you want?”, she asked.

“Oh, I was just curious about something.”, the boy responded. “See, my pals and I were wondering: how do you get girls? Do you go around asking if they’re as dykey as you are, or do you just grab them off the street, rip off their clothes, and go for it?”

Buttercup’s eyes widened in shock and anger. “You...who do you think you are?! That’s sick!”

“Not as sick as you, lesbo.”, the boy sneered, striding up to Buttercup. “I can’t believe people actually think you’re a perfect hero. You’re a disgusting little pervert! How do you go on living?”

“It’s easy, really.”, Buttercup said. She was trying her hardest to stay calm and refrain from sucker-punching this idiot. “I eat, I sleep, I do other stuff. You know, what people do to live. What, does liking someone of the same sex means you have to drop dead?”

“The world would be a better place,”, the boy hissed. “if there weren’t any of you sick freaks committing crimes against nature-”

Without thinking, Buttercup punched the boy in the face, knocking out two teeth and reducing his nose to a bloody, swollen mess. He went flying, sliding on his rear for about three feet before coming to a full stop, knocking his head on the opposite wall in the process.

“You-”, he began, before loosing consciousness.

Before Buttercup herself could react, the sound of excited voices carried down the hallway. It would seem that her outburst hadn’t gone unnoticed, as a cluster of students swarmed around her and the now silent boy. Their expressions varied wildly, some shocked, some pleased, some confused, some disgusted. Almost immediately, many of them moved to address Buttercup: Why had she done this, how did it feel, was what he said true, if she had any bold words for the administrators. The green Puff might have muttered an answer to a few of those questions, she wasn’t sure. At any rate, the response was the same: one of the administrators came running in, a look of shock on her face.

“Buttercup!”, she half-whispered, gazing upon the Puff. “I can’t believe this: beating up a defenseless civilian like that. How...how did you-”

“He deserved it.”, Buttercup said nonchalantly, looking over at the boy’s slumped form. “You should’ve heard some of the things he said.”

“That’s no excuse.”, the administrator responded. She looked frightened, as if she expected Buttercup to turn on her at any minute. “You know how the school looks at fighting, and more importantly, you know how every student in this school looks at you and the other Powerpuffs. I can’t believe that a superhero, someone who has civic duties like you would stoop-”

Immediately, Buttercup began to hover a few inches off of the ground. She smirked, observing the surprised reactions of the students around her. Why stop at one display of “defiant behavior”? She’d already dug her grave, so why not go a little deeper.

“What do you think you’re doing?”, the administrator demanded as Buttercup rose higher and higher into the air. She started forwards and tried to grab the black haired girl’s ankles. It was a futile effort: Buttercup was now far out of her reach.

“I’m leaving, what’s it look like?”, the green Puff snapped. She shot through the roof, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling and a throng of very confused and upset looking people in her wake.

It wasn’t until she’d flown a good distance that Buttercup realized what she’d just done. Her secret was out, she was going to be taken to task, probably suspended for attacking that boy, soon all of Townsville would hear all about...everything, and-

Well, then again, she still had a certain someone she could talk to this afternoon, didn’t she? Princess, of all people. Buttercup had promised to hang out with the rich teenager, and now she really did want to. At times like this, nothing beat an exchange with your best enemy. Besides, she did have something planned for Princess as it was...

She sped off, a look of triumph on her face.

---

Princess was jolted out of her favorite soap opera by the sound of tapping on one of her windows. She paused the television, rose from her large, plush couch, and wheeled around to find Buttercup hovering outside. A thin smile surfaced on the redhead’s face.

Well, look who came speeding to her new best pal!, she thought. I didn’t think you’d come, Buttercup. I guess I can trust you for one thing...

She crossed over to the window and unlocked it, allowing Buttercup to fly inside.

“You’re early.”, Princess remarked as the green Puff touched down on the floor and resumed looking around her room...again. The rich teenager cleared her throat in irritation, and Buttercup’s attention snapped back to her. “What happened, you just couldn’t wait any longer?”

“I got in a fight. I had to leave.”, Buttercup stated, crossing her arms.

Princess laughed. “Honestly, you are never going to get off of the ‘I’m doing this because I have to’ stuff, are you? Face it, you and I are friends.”

Since when?, Buttercup almost asked, but stopped herself. “Friends, nothing more.”, she said numbly. “As long as you don’t start asking to join us-”

The redhead gave a half-shrug. “Joining the Powerpuffs would mean putting up with Blossom and Bubbles, and you know how I...we feel about them. I’ll wait.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”, Buttercup said. She looked over at the large television. “You’re into the same soap opera as Ms. Keane? That one set in a hospital?”

“No, not really.”, Princess responded. The rich teenager was moving to grab her purse from beside the couch. “I was bored, and there was nothing else on.”

The green eyed girl laughed. “I can’t stand that show! It’s so fake!”

Princess laughed a bit as well as she crossed over to where Buttercup waited. “Um, yes, all soap operas are fake like that.” She smiled. “Daddy does know a man in the business who’s going to get me a role on one someday, though.”

“If you hate soaps, why do you want to be on one?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Buttercup? People look up to actresses, so if I become an actress, even on one of those stupid things-”

“People will grow to like you. I know.”, Buttercup looked at the wad of dollar bills that Princess was holding in her free hand. “What are those for?”

“You, naturally.”, Princess responded, thrusting them into Buttercup’s palm. “We’re going shopping, and you are getting some new clothes. There is no way I’m going to see you in those disgusting get-ups you wear all the time.”

Without warning, Buttercup darted behind Princess, moved forwards, and gently encircled her waist, making sure not to squeeze too hard. “Not today.”, she said.

Princess was thoroughly miffed now. “Get your hands off of me, Buttercup!”, she snapped, trying to stomp on the green Puff’s feet with her high heels and failing. “Are you trying to feel me up, because if you are, I have security-”

“I’m giving you something.”, Buttercup said, trying to hold on to Princess without hurting her. “I know I can’t afford a trip to a fancy restaurant or any of your snobby rich stuff, but I can give you something special.”

“What, the honor of being fondled by a Powerpuff?”, Princess sneered. Now she was kicking at Buttercup’s shins.

“Would you just relax?!”, the green Puff shouted. Princess showed no sign of having heard, though, so Buttercup had to go for plan B. She began to hover a little, floating towards the still-open window, the still-fighting Princess in her arms. “Stop it unless you want to fall.”, she told the rich teenager.

“Oh, how wonderful, we’re going to fly.”, Princess said sarcastically. Even so, she relaxed and stopped attempting to attack Buttercup.

“No, not exactly.”, Buttercup said. Without another word, she shot out of the window, Princess still in her arms.

---

“It’s kind of nice from up here, isn’t it?”, Buttercup asked Princess as the two girls, one being carried, one doing the carrying, glided over the city, swooping between skyscrapers, floating along air currents. “They all look like ants.”

“I’ve seen it before.”, Princess responded. “How does this compare to shopping, exactly.”

“Just wait for it.”, Buttercup told her companion.

The two flew away from the main hub of the city, over the lower-class district, past the city limits. Sometimes a bird or two was left eating Buttercup’s vapor trail, which did make Princess laugh a little in spite of herself. Still, she didn’t get the point of coming all the way out here: debris was getting in her hair and dust particles were landing on her outfit, and this shirt wasn’t cheap-

Finally, the two landed on hard ground. As soon as Buttercup let go of her, Princess looked around to see where they were, even as she moved to brush her clothes off and get the debris out of her hair. The two were atop a steep cliff some distance away from the city, which glinted far off. The cliff overlooked a deep lake and was dotted by a few sparse trees, which gave way to a forest some way behind them. It was a nice view, she had to admit. Still, it felt pointless.

“Alright, now what?”, she asked Buttercup. “Unless you’re going to pull a gift out of your pocket or something, why are we here?”

“For the view, among other things.”, Buttercup told her. “I go out here to get away from everyone once in a while. This is the only place I can go without my sisters following me. They avoid it for some reason.”

Princess rolled her eyes. “To be honest, I can see why. There’s nothing to do here at all.”

Buttercup nodded. “That’s the point.”, she said. “ Sometimes I get sick of being pulled out of everything to run little errands for the city, so I hide out here and unwind. To be honest, I really need to unwind as it is.”

“Oh, so this is why you came flying to me so quickly.”, Princess said. “You’re hiding out from someone?”

“I attacked somebody at school. Well, he was asking for it, anyway.” She shook her head sadly. “They know, everyone at school, and soon my family, and then the press.”

“Know? Oh, about your preferences.”, Princess said. “What’s the big deal anyway?”

Buttercup looked at the rich teenager in confusion. “What?”

“You’re acting like it’s some big thing. You like girls. So what, who cares? I already told you how I feel about it, so why do you think those idiots and their opinions are going to change anything? As long as I think you’re okay, you’re okay.”

“Oh, so now you’re the final authority on what’s acceptable in Townsville?”, Buttercup asked.

“I’m a very important person, so my opinions matter.”, Princess stated. She blushed a little. “Besides, even if they start disliking you for something, we’re on the same boat.”

“Hardly.”, Buttercup stated. “I wouldn’t put being a lesbian on the same level with robbing banks.”

“You know what I mean. There’s a perk to not being liked by those morons anyway. They don’t expect anything out of you, so you can do anything you want. They always want you to be perfect, don’t they?”

“Not really.”, Buttercup said. “That’s more of Blossom and Bubbles’s problem. I’m kind of expected to be the bad one.”

“So what changed?”, Princess asked. “Nothing, so stop moping about it, for crying out loud!”

Buttercup bit her tongue. Princess, for all her infinite brattiness, did have a point. She looked over at the rich teenager, who had returned to trying to pick dust particles off of her blouse. She did have a new sympathy for the girl since yesterday, and now that they were alone, she wondered if she should tell her that one other thing.

Neither told the other anything for a span of time. The two girls simply gazed out at the view, Princess still preening herself, interrupted only by an occasional gust of wind. Surprisingly, it was Princess who would make the first move that afternoon.

The redhead looked over at the green Puff, tucking a strand of her hair behind one of her ears. She wasn’t sure if it was the best time to go spilling her guts to this girl, but if they really were alone, it couldn’t really hurt, could it?

Princess smiled nervously as she cleared her throat to get Buttercup‘s attention. “You said no one else knows about this place, right?”

“Not that I know of.”, Buttercup said. “Why?”

Princess flushed a little. “I want to try something.” She edged a little closer to her companion. “But I mean it, don’t you dare say a thing, and don’t get any ideas, Buttercup!”

“I won’t.”, Buttercup told her, wondering if she was right about this particular “something”.

She was. Princess leaned forwards and pulled Buttercup in towards her a bit as she gently kissed the tomboy on the lips. Buttercup took it from there: before Princess could react, she thrust her tongue between the rich teenager’s lips and pulled her into an embrace in turn. Princess tasted of all that was rich and lush: caramel, imported chocolates, cakes, duck, cordial, Buttercup noted. For such a sour, spoiled girl, she had a sweet flavor. Princess, on the other hand, was marveling over how Buttercup, who had probably never kissed anyone in her life, could make her feel strange, tingly inside, a way that none of the boys she’d been with had ever made her feel.

The two girls did not part for a minute or so. Finally, they broke from their embrace and stepped back a little, each keenly regarding the other, still savoring the taste of their counterpart.

“This means nothing.”, they said simultaneously.

“Oh really?”, a third voice asked.

Princess and Buttercup both looked at one another in confusion, over their shoulders at the woods, and finally right in front of them. There hovered Blossom Utonium, a look of curiosity in her eyes and a box under her arm.

“Hello, Blossom.”, Buttercup said a bit shakily. Princess just stared.