★ Green and red★ Bfb/Tpot au

🍂The calm before the storm 🍃

"Bubble!"

It was a warm, humid afternoon , the air stuffy and difficult to breathe in. But days like this erase the average September bustle that usually appeared at this time, enveloping the atmosphere with a sense of calm and safety. Leafy warmly accepted this feeling, stifling her anxieties. Her feet padded quickly on the concrete, even though it felt like a waste to run in this heat.

So far, today had been average, and she couldn't have been more relieved. Her mind was still in her room, in the dresser that hid her pressing secret the morning of. Luckily, other things had quickly overlapped those thoughts, like narrowly avoiding failing chemistry. If she was being honest, she'd take a D- over a mysterious knife in her room any day.

Bubble turned around, her light blue hair bobbing slightly, to see the ecstatic Leafy running towards her. Leafy quickly let herself fall into Bubble's arms, tightly embracing the shy girl in a hug. 

Bubble jumped a bit at the sudden gesture, but eased into it and accepted the hug. "Oh-! Hoi Leafy!" She stuttered, her face curling into a small smile. "Oi was just about to go foind Ruby and Oicy...!" 

Being the social butterfly Leafy was, she'd suggested Bubble and her friends skip fourth to have an extra long lunch near their high school, and Bubble finally accepted! She hadn't been able to see much of Bubble lately, since they weren't in any of each others classes. It was okay with Leafy though, at first, promising they'd hang out at lunches together. Bubble always had to study for some test, or work on some project when Leafy asked. That was okay with Leafy, too; she understood. High school can be busy, and she was proud of Bubble's initiative. She could never do that. Leafy wasn't exactly the studious type anyways, or she would've joined her.

The others arrived shortly after, to the excitement of Leafy. They'd have lunch at the new restaurant that just opened up, then make a trip to the old bookstore, then be back by fifth period. Perfect, thought Leafy proudly. "Right, Leafy?" Ruby exclaimed, snapping her out of her trance. "Huh?" She mumbled, starring at the smaller girl beside her. Ruby's miniskirt swung from side to side, and Leafy noted that it was new and she'd complement her later. 

"See? I told you she wasn't listening!" She pouted, turning to the white-haired girl beside her, who was fixing her winter hat on her head, despite the current weather. Ice cube rolled her stunningly blue eyes at Ruby. " I mean, I can't blame her." Ruby punched Icy playfully at her side, which earned a giggle from Bubble. 

Leafy slowed down. A feeling of unease pelted down on her. She looked behind her quickly to find nothing. She glanced around, only seeing the cafe ahead and the trodden path behind her. She felt a tap on her shoulder, causing her heart to jump almost as much as she did. "Leafy?" Bubble asked, concerned. Why did Leafy feel like people were always concerned today? Was it the way she looked? Did they see right through her? To her bedroom, the drawer? That dreaded drawer, the only crack in her perfect face? 

"I'm fine." She snapped, shrugging the hand off her shoulder. Bubble shrank back, surprised at her sudden shift. Did she really just say that? She shook it off, considering apologizing so their perfect day wouldn't be ruined by something trivial like this. "Ah, jeez- I'm sorry! I'm just pretty stressed out lately... school, right? ..." She said sweetly, half heartedly trailing her voice at the end. Bubble kept her gaze at her eyes, her face, searching for any suspicions. Bubble decided against making her angry again and turning away. 

Ruby bounced excitedly in front of the group, Immediately sawing through all tensions in the air with her light tone. Leafy turned to the building that stood not far from them. It seemed to be a humble cafe, the kind that seemed as if it was only known to the select few who stumbled soon it. The building was mostly made of what looked like concrete, like most buildings at that, but the wood sign and accents gave it a homey, rustic feel. Planks of darkened wood ran along most of the edges of the shop, giving the impression of vines creeping up the sides. There was soft music playing at the front entrance along with a scattering of tables and chairs set up in a neat but messy way, almost natural- but not quite. This seemed to describe the entire building before them; a little modern provided a sharp contrast to the cabin like structure.