Daughter of a Bada$$

Chapter 15

~ᑕᕼᗩᑭ丅ᗴᖇ 15~

Y'know that feeling when your parent tells you not to eat a cookie, but you stuck your hand in the cookie jar and enjoy a nice dessert anyways? That's how Buttercup felt as she sat at the table, her leg bouncing up and down as she bit her fingernails. Was this honestly a good idea? 'Of course it is', she told herself. 'I need answers'. And answers she was about to get.

The bell above the door rang quietly, however it was the only sound Buttercup heard in that moment. She was freaking out. When he walked inside and made eye contact with her, it did nothing to calm her nerves. Was this honestly a good idea? She'd been asking herself that question a lot recently. Over, and over, and over, until it became like clockwork. A usual occurrence, a daily routine. Something she all but ignored entirely.

Butch seemed to glide across the ground as he made his way to her. It was if he were flying instead of walking. He was so flamboyant, it was really pissing Buttercup off. The way he was so... okay with everything. All the staring. All the murmuring. All the unspoken words behind the glances of customers.

He pulled out the chair directly across of her, flipped it around, then sat down. His arms folded over the backside—which was now the front. His chin resting every so child-like on his forearms. His lips tugged up into that god-awful smile.

You know that feeling after you eat that cookie you weren't supposed to eat, and your mom didn't find out so she gave you another cookie and you end up feeling sick because you've had too much sugar? That's how Buttercup felt as she stared at Butch's smiling face. She wanted to hurl. Was this honestly a good idea?

"Hello, doll." He said in a low, gravely voice. It rattled Buttercups brain against her skull, causing an instant headache. Was it his voice that caused the headache, or the fact she wasn't supposed to be here. With him. Talking.

"Buttercup." She sneered. "The name's Buttercup."

"So I've heard." His fingers traced over the pattern on the manila envelope Buttercup didn't see him place down on the table. She was too busy feeling like she already ate too many cookies. "All the answers to the questions your doll heart desires, are inside this." He tapped his finger against the folder. "And up here." He pointed to his head. "And..." he trailed off as he leaned across the table. "Here." He tapped her temple, the easiest way to say her mind.

Buttercup rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her. "What's the catch?" She ignored the question she wanted to ask more than anything... How did he know what she was going to ask?

"The catch?" His brow quirked. "Why would you think there'd be a catch?"

"Because you didn't sound so excited over the phone to just give me a fucking file of probably a shit-ton-of-BS." The girls eyes narrowed at him. "What's. The. Catch."

"For you, my darling Buttercup, there isn't a catch. Just the answers you're looking for. However, due to me being, well... dramatic me, I have to warn you in saying: 'once you read this file, there's no going back'." Butch's green eyes reflected her own as he stared at her.

The way he said it—as if it was a badass scene from an Indiana Jones movie—made the hairs on the back of her neck perk up as a chill ran through her. Suddenly she wasn't sure she wanted answers anymore.

"Time is, however, ticking, doll." Butch stated carelessly as his pointer dragged across the table to the folder. "When the timer runs up you won't see this file ever again. And you'll be stuck having to come find me whenever you have a question." His eyes flicked from his hand to her. He studied the way her eyes showed the gears turning behind her head. Thinking over what he'd said, calculating the risks, weighing the options. When she too looked up at him and realized he was staring at her, her cheeks dusted over with a soft shade of pink. "Tick, tick, dearest." Butch tapped the folder every second, dragging it out to make her anxiety spike.

"How do I know this is all of the answers?" She frowned as panic crossed over her face. "You said the answers were in here," she glanced towards the file. "But you also said in there." She looked to his temple before back to the folder.

"If all else fails, you'll know where to find me." Butch smirked. "Only the next time you have questions—if you take the folder—there will be a catch."

She could take the risk of the folder holding every answer to every question she has. She could risk it and never have to see him again. But if she did, there would be a catch if more questions did arise.

"Twenty seconds, doll. Then I take the folder away and you'll have to make a bargain for some answers." Buttercup frantically overanalyzed every possible outcome. He was rushing her, she didn't make good decisions when she was rushed. "Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Fo-"

"Wait! If I do decide to not take the folder and choose to have you answer, will I still have to make a deal?" She put on a brave face as she asked that question.

"Darling, babes," Butch rolled his eyes and stood up. "I can't answer that. What do you think?"

Buttercup looked back and fourth between him and the beige-orange file on the table. She had three seconds left. Three seconds to make her final decision. Three to decide how she wanted to gamble.

Three.

Two.

On-

"Fine!" She snatched the file and imminently opened it up. The second she saw that picture, she really wished she'd listened to her gut and walked away. She wished she never grabbed the folder. She wished she never gotten out of bed that morning.

You know that feeling when your parent finally finds out you had more than the propper amount of cookies from the cookie jar, because you're puking up cookie crumbs into the toilet? That feling of "oh shit- I shouldn't of done that"? That was how Buttercup felt as she looked at the picture of Bubbles sneaking out of Buttercups house, holding the weapon that killed her father. As she stared at the blonde girl covered in not her own blood. As she looked from the picture to the smiling boy across from her. Was this honestly a good idea? She didn't know anymore.