Countdown

We Dressing To The 9

Blossom stood in front of her mirror. This was her favorite outfit and she had worn it only a few times before but it felt different today. Any other day and she would've felt very confident in this blush, knee length, flow skirt that twirled when she turned in even the slightest bit. The white button up shirt that made her feel so professional and powerful was making her feel self-conscious while her light tan colored heels made her feel very small. Was this outfit good enough for tonight? Maybe she should wear something else.

She ran a hand through her auburn hair. Her signature red bow tied at the top of her head. Perhaps it was the silly bow she had worn her whole life. Buttercup had once asked why she still wore it. In all honesty, she wasn't sure. The bow was just a part of her. Like Bubbles's octi or Buttercup's precious blanket. She loved her bow as much as her sisters loved their possessions. People knew her as the super girl with the red bow. Maybe she didn't want to be known just as that to him.

She pulled it out of her hair and let it her locks fall in whichever way they wanted. Blossom sighed. No, the bow wasn't the problem. She quickly tied it back onto her head, feeling an emptiness when is wasn't there. Her hair wasn't styled today. She should curl it or braid it or... Something. Make-up? She could wear some mascara. No she couldn't wear that. He liked her red lashes and any make-up would cover that up. What was wrong with her?

"Blossom?" Bubbles said from their doorway.

"Yes, Bubbles?" Blossom turned away from her reflection and focused on her sister. Buttercup's head appeared from the hall.

"You look really nice," Buttercup complimented, "You're a total babe."

"I feel weird," Blossom admitted. Her sisters exchanged looks and stepped into their bedroom. Blossom sat on her bed with Bubbles beside her and Buttercup fell onto it behind them.

"What's wrong?" Bubbles asked.

"I don't know," Blossom sighed, "I feel like everything I'm wearing is wrong and my hair is annoying."

"Blossom, you dress like this all the time. Your hair," Bubbles combed her fingers through it, "always looks like this. You know why you're feeling like that?" Blossom shook her head.

"You're nervous."

"I don't get nervous," Blossom stated with urgency, like she was trying to convince herself. She wasn't nervous. She had hung out with him before. This wasn't a new thing to them but... It felt different today.

"First time for everything, right?" Buttercup muttered.

"Put your hand over your chest," Bubbles ordered.

"What for?"

"Just do it, Blossom." She did as Bubbles said and looked up at her for directions, "Okay. You feel that?"

"My heart's beating pretty fast. I haven't done any exercise. Why is it doing that?"

Bubbles giggled, "Does your stomach feel empty or like it's doing flips? Finding it harder to breath the closer it gets to 9?"

"Y-yes."

"You're nervous," Buttercup spoke. Blossom looked at her. Her voice wasn't as rough as it usually was. She was never good at these conversations but sometimes she knew more than Blossom. After all, she had been dating for longer than Blossom had. Not by much but enough for her to get the hang of it.

"Is that ever going to go away?"

"It depends," Buttercup sat up, "How much do you like him?"

"A lot," Blossom didn't have to think about it. She knew how much she liked him.

"Love, even?" Bubbles questioned.

"I think so," She nodded.

"Then the butterflies in your tummy, the way your heart races at just the mention of his name, and your breathing faltering a bit when he's anywhere near you will never go away," Buttercup explained.

"But," Bubbled started, "you will learn to love all those little feelings too."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Bubbles placed her hand on her's.

"Trust us. You'll be just fine," Buttercup handed her a yellow clutch purse.

"Thanks," Blossom smiled at them.

After admiring herself in the mirror once more, she decided to curl her hair. Bubbles helped her do it. Buttercup had had enough girl talk for the afternoon and was quietly watching from her bed. It was now 8:45 P.M. and they all went downstairs where the Professor was waiting to see Blossom. He was pacing around the living room, like any worried father would, when they reached him. Buttercup cleared her throat to get his attention. Her sisters stepped aside to give her the spotlight from their father as she walked over to him.

"Blossom," The Professor sighed, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Professor." He was getting emotional about this. His eyes were watering and his lip started to quiver. This was Blossom's first real date.

"Professor," Buttercup whined, "Are you going to do this every time we go on a date?"

"I'm sorry," He cried, "I just love you all so much."

"We love you too, dad," Bubbles told him.

She shouldn't have called him dad. He was hardcore sobbing now. Bubbles consoled him. Once their father had calmed down, he commented on how wonderful Blossom's clothes were and how he hoped her date wore clothes as nice as her's. She didn't doubt that he had worn anything less than something just as wonderful. She sat there, next to her emotional father, wondering what kind of outfit he had chosen to wear. A ringing snapped her out of her thoughts.

"He's here!" Blossom shot out of her seat. Buttercup came flying down from their room, she was keeping watch.

"He's wearing a suit!" She announced, "You guys are dressed to the nines!"

"What does that mean?" Their father glanced from girl to girl.

"Open the door!" Bubbles reminded them.

"I got it!" The Professor, clear of tears and with a stone expression on his face, twisted the knob and pulled it open. His smile was friendly but still some how intimidating.

"Hello, Professor Utonium," The boy greeted. Blossom floated over to the doorway.

"Hello, Brick," She gave him her award winning smile.

"Blossom, you look very nice. You're making me look like crap," Brick returned his own prized grin.

"Shut up," Blossom rolled her eyes, "You look handsome in that black suit and that red tie is a great touch. You could've lost the hat though."

"You didn't lose the bow, did you?" They stood there for a moment, smiling at each other. Those butterflies were fluttering around her stomach and her heart was racing but her sisters were right. She liked this. She wondered if Brick was feeling this way too.

"Aren't you guys gonna be late?" Buttercup asked.

"Oh, right! Nice meeting you Professor," Brick broke eye contact to address their father.

"Nice meeting you, Brick," The Professor held out his hand. The girls held their breath. Brick reached for it and once they made contact, the Professor pulled him in.

"Anything happens to my daughter and I will hurt you," He whispered in the red boy's ear.

"I'll take care of her, sir. We're super beings. Nothing can hurt us," Brick said back completely unfaszed by the Professor's tough act. He turned to his date and linked their arms together, "Shall we go, Red?"

Blossom waved a goodbye to her family. She's hung out with Brick many times before but today felt different and she liked it.