ADD IT UP ✰ RODRICK HEFFLEY x MALE! OC

BONNIE (CH. 12)

APRIL, 2013

      Patty, Holly, Bonnie, Greg, and Rowley lounged in the living room of 12 Surrey Street, snacking on popcorn and watching The Little Mermaid, per Holly's request. Blankets were strewn across the carpeted floor, the five friends enjoying the situation playing out on screen. They watched Ariel get reprimanded by her father, Holly practically reciting the words to her favorite movie.

     "Parents suck, you know?" Patty took a big handful of popcorn and shoved it in her mouth. "One time, my mom got so mad at me that I was grounded for an entire year!"

      "Once, my mom told me that she was disappointed in me." Rowley shuttered, remembering the memory like it was crystal clear in his mind. "Greg and I went on the Cranium Shaker, and my parents said they were disappointed! It was so scary! I still feel bad about it sometimes!"

       Greg scoffed. "That's nothing. When Rodrick got caught running a red light for like the fiftieth time, my parents threatened to send him to Spag Union!" The group of friends laughed, evidently catching on with the fact that they had begun to play a game of "Worst Punishment—" the sickest excuse for a game to ever be invented by Greg. "They threatened to send me too, but I made it out alive."

      Bonnie giggled at his remark. "My mom threw a bottle at my brother's head when he forgot to make us dinner! He was trying to act all pretentious, obviously, like those big brothers in movies. There was this huge purple bruise on his head—"

      The four friends stared wide eyed, at Bonnie, evidently shocked at the scene that she had just described to them. "What?" Bonnie questioned. "Do your parents not act like that when they get drunk?"

      Holly laughed, nervously. "My parents don't get drunk."

      Sensing the awkward tension forming in the room, Bonnie made up a lie on the spot. "I was joking to win the game, guys! Lighten up!" Greg and Patty shrugged, while Rowley and Holly looked at her, concerned, for the rest of the night.

       "I didn't know we were playing a game," Rowley said, awkwardly. "My mom says that it isn't very nice to joke about things like that."

       And secretly, Bonnie agreed. She wished that she had the privilege of being able to lie about something like that. Instead of lying to win a game, she was simply stating her lived reality. A reality that she once believed was normal. But seeing the looks of shock and concern on her friends' faces made her realize that something wasn't adding up.

        Maybe there was a reason why Greg's house felt more like home than the apartment ever would. Hell, 12 Surrey Street was more of a home to Bonnie than their old Victorian townhouse was. Maybe, just maybe, 12 Surrey Street was a sanctuary. But Bonnie didn't realize that yet.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
Here's another quick character exploration for you all. I was inspired by the webcomic/LLB Dysfunctional Perspective by u/ABitchWhoMakesShit on Reddit. They upload their LLB on r/LodedDiper frequently, and I highly recommend checking them out if you like serious DOAWK content!