I Don't Love You

Lovers not friends

"The snack bar will go here, and the guests can hang their coats here. What do you think?" Prince Gumball was explaining the preparations for tonight's ball to his closest friend, Fionna. She was an adventurous young lady and had been the Prince's friend for a few years now. She was one of the only people he trusted, outside of the castle staff of course.
"Fionna?"
"What? Oh, sorry I was just thinking about... something else."
"Get your head in the game, I need this ball to be perfect. Tonight is a very special night you know," the prince said, mysteriously facing away from her.

"What's tonight?" Fionna asked. Of all the royal Holliday's and such that she knew of from years of being friends with this gummy boy, she didn't remember anything important that was happening today. The prince was about to tell her why today was important, but he quickly shut his mouth in protest. "It's not that important, just another one of those weird holidays that no one knows where it came from I guess..." Fionna stepped closer to him; she knew something was up and he just wasn't telling her.

"Gumball, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it."
"Just tell me, I don't wanna have a back and forth argument until one of us snaps or something stupid," Fionna explained. The prince took in a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. He's never told anyone this.
"You know Marshall-Lee?"
"The vampire king? Yeah. Why?"
"Well.... don't say anything but... Marshall and I...... weusedtodate." The princes words came out all jumbled and hard to understand, but apparently not hard enough for Fionna to not understand.

"What..? But I thought you two hated each other?"
"Well, I don't hate him but he hates me. But the past is in the past and we probably won't be together again. Anyways, back to the ball... today marks 10 years since he proposed...
and 10 years since I rejected him. I had to build my kingdom before I ever thought about love and he was getting in the way." The Prince was now gazing out the window as if he was waiting for that silly vampire to show up. "I bet he still has the ring," he muttered.
"So... why have a ball dedicated to it?" Fionna asked, a bit confused. "Don't tell anyone this either but... the ball is for everyone. And when I say 'everyone' I mean everyone."
Fionna knew where this was leading.

"Ok let me get this straight. You dated him for a while but broke up after a proposal so you could build your kingdom and now that it's done, you made a ball that everyone can come to in hopes that Marshall will come back and you'll be dating again?"
Gumball thought for a few seconds. "Yeah that sounds about right."
Fionna sighed. This would be a looooonnngg night.
••••••••

And so the ball began, with guests flooding in from every available entrance and helping themselves to some snacks. The prince waited in the shadows of the ball room, hoping that his vampire friend might show up. People were packed in the gigantic room like a can of sardines and it was difficult for the prince to move around. He finally made it to a clearing in the crowd near the main doors and made his way outside. Guests greeted the prince and bowed to him as he passed by, but he wasn't interested in talking right now.

He walked away from the crowd, away from the noise, and walked around the garden in silence. As he inspected the old willow trees and pink roses sprouting from the ground, he remembered the few times after the break up when he would see Marshall walking around the garden, reciting to himself what he would say to Gumball to try and get him back. But of course he stopped coming to the castle after a few weeks, knowing that they wouldn't see each other again.

The sad, pink prince sat on a bench and looked up at the stars, wondering why he ever thought his vampire would show up. After ten years of throwing this party, and ten years of him never showing up, you'd think he would know better. The prince sighed, only now realizing how silly his plan sounded. Of course he would never show up. Why would he? Gumball dumped him and canceled their wedding just so he could build a kingdom. Some prince he is.