Believe it or not, I knew about fear

I knew the way loneliness stung

I hid behind smiles and crazy hot clothes

Veronica could not believe what was in front of her. She could barely contain herself. She very much wanted to scream. She read the sign above her in a thrilled shriek:

"Now playing: Evil Dead 2!" She turned to Ace grinning from ear to ear. "Did you do this?"

"I told ya to be expectin' a surprise." He reminded, blushing somewhat. "I wanted to do somethin' special for ya. On account of this bein' our first date and all."

She threw out her arms and presented him with a big embrace and a kiss on his cheek. "How'd you manage to do something like this?"

"Oh let's just say I know a guy." He convinced her.

A flashback revealed the Gangreen Gang in the projection room of the Townsville Movie House with Big Billy holding a young man back whereas Ace and Snake took turns throwing punches. Little Arturo and Grubber rifled through the numerous boxes of films until at last reaching for the one they were looking for.

"Hey Ace we got it!" Arturo bellowed.

"Good job boys!" Ace uttered. He turned his attention back to the beaten up teen and smirked. "Now have we got a deal my friend? Ya give us the place for the night, and we don't turn ya completely black and blue."

"Yes, yes it's all yours!" The boy wailed. "Just please don't hurt me anymore!"

"And no cops betta be after us!" Ace demanded. "Especially not the Powerpuff Girls. Ya got that?"

"Absolutely…"

Hand in hand the couple joyfully entered the theater. Oblivious to the fact that three uninvited guests were not far behind.

"We have to be discreet as possible going in," Blossom planned. "So be extremely quiet."

The trio floated to the ground and tiptoed inside where Veronica and Ace were picking out their snacks. They proceeded to a nearby potted ficus and took turns sneaking peeks.

"It looks like they're the only ones here," Blossom noted. "I suppose they reserved the place for a private viewing."

"I bet he did it so there'd be no witnesses!" Buttercup bitterly whispered. "One minute they're watching the movie, and then BAM! He's got her choking on some popcorn with no one to give her the Heimlich."

"Look!" Bubbles gasped and sited Ace and Veronica entering the screening room alongside their snacks.

"Let's go!" Blossom directed.

The girls hurriedly glided in after them. The lights were already off and the movie was up on the screen. The pair were easy to spot due to being the only audience that night. They were seated at the very front and Ace's arm had launched in the air.

"He's gonna attack her!" Bubbles cried.

"Oh no he's not!" Blossom retorted. "Let's get him!"

They zoomed to their target ready to pounce. But were abruptly deterred when they realized his arm was used to drape over her shoulder and her head was currently resting in the crook of his neck.

"Aww they're snuggling." Bubbles cooed.

"Ugh gross." Buttercup sneered.

"Quiet girls," Blossom shushed her sisters. "Let's place ourselves in the back so we can go on keeping a lookout."

They did so and kept at it. Although as time went on their attention kept going to the movie that was getting more distracting with each scene.

"Whoa this movie is way cool!" Buttercup declared. Her widened eyes were glued to the screen and her mouth was ecstatically open.

"I-I'm not sure I like all that creepy laughing." Bubbles shivered in her seat and had her hands over her ears.

Pictured was a deer head that had commenced with laughing maniacally with a lamp joining in shortly, then some books, and then the main character himself.

"It's only a movie Bubbles relax." Blossom comforted the blue Powerpuff with a supportive pat on the back.

But it was no use given that there was a loud gunshot in the film that got Bubbles yelling. Blossom and Buttercup covered her mouth and wrestled her to the floor. Thank goodness Ace and Veronica didn't bat an eye since her scream was concealed by one onscreen.

"Good sound," Veronica commented. "Almost like they're actually here."

"Are you crazy?!" Buttercup reprimanded Bubbles who was still pinned down. "Do you want us to get caught?!"

"Bubbles I understand this movie is a tad scary, but you're going to have to endure it if you want to keep looking after Veronica." Blossom explained. "You think you can do that?"

Bubbles nodded her head and was soon free. She provided the sign of zipping her lip and returned to her seat. She and the girls kept on watching both the couple and the movie that was intensifying by the minute. Buttercup's eyes clung on to the screen, Bubbles glimpsed through her hands from time to time while visibly shaking, and Blossom looked back and forth from the two sights before her.

Eventually the film was over and the two teens stood up from their seats. The Poweruffs ducked down and watched them walk by without being the wiser.

"They should be heading out for coffee now," Blossom remembered. "As soon as they start driving off we'll fly up and follow not too far behind."

They flew out of the theater and saw the Professor's car driving off. They took to the night sky and looked down during their trailing of the vehicle. Shortly after it stopped outside a small café and the couple walked in. The three went down and peered through the window. Inside, Veronica was placing their order.

"One small caramel macchiato and a regular black coffee." she requested.

"What's Ace's plan here?" Blossom examined.

"No doubt planning on poisoning her!" Buttercup predicted.

When the two had obtained their drinks, they were on their way. The girls took to the skies for another time and carried on with their observation. They saw Ace pointing across the street. They directed their focus and recognized the Townsville Park. The two walked across and the Powerpuffs covertly tagged along. They hid themselves behind a big bush and peeped through the leaves whilst Ace and Veronica sat themselves on the swings. They were in the midst of a lighthearted debate.

"I can't believe you think the first Evil Dead is better!" Veronica exclaimed. "Everyone knows Evil Dead 2 is the best one out of the trilogy because it's practically its own movie."

"All's I'm sayin' is the first did fine on its own and there was no need for a sequel." Ace defended.

"There's hardly ever a need for a sequel. But you have to admit that if it weren't for the sequels, Evil Dead wouldn't acquire the recognition that it rightfully deserves! It's the same concept with the Star Wars franchise. The first one was impressive, but it wasn't until The Empire Strikes Back that made it great."

"Well…" Ace expressed with a smirk.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Veronica shouted. She jokingly punched his arm and shared with him a laugh.

Once it subsided they didn't say anything else for a small period of time and basically gazed into one another's eyes.

"What are they doing?" Blossom questionably whispered.

"They're just staring at each other." Buttercup said accompanied by a raised eyebrow.

"Are they sick?" Bubbles asked concerned. "They have funny looks on their faces."

"Ace," Veronica ultimately broke the silence. "Tell me about you. I feel like there's still plenty I don't know."

"What is it ya wanna know?" He inquired. "I promise to be completely honest."

"Um well I guess I'll start with the obvious question. Why are you and the Gangreen Gang the color you are?"

"Ya know surprisingly no one has eva asked any of us that."

"Really?"

"Yeah seein' as how this place is filled with weirdos, everyone just kinda goes with it."

"I hope I didn't offend you by asking." She apologized.

"Nah it's all right," he assured. "It's an easy question to answer. The reason the gang and I are green is 'cause of the toxic waste that gets dumped in the sewers."

"Wait what?!" Veronica exclaimed.

"Yeah it's from that big science lab. All from the weird experiments they do. The boys and I had lived in the Dump before we was this color. When we first saw the waste come out from the sewers, we thought it'd be cool to um…splash some of it on ourselves to see if we could get some cool powers."

Veronica face palmed when he mentioned that last part and made an effort in not laughing.

"Yeah of course that didn't happen," Ace resumed, chortling at his own stupidity. "Chemical X is the only thing that could give someone superpowers. All's we got was green and some small mutations. It's why I got my fangs and pointy ears, why Snake looks like, well, a snake, Big Billy gettin' bigger than he already was and givin' him one eye, Little Arturo gettin' that weird look with his mouth- "

"And Grubber looking the way he looks." Veronica caught on.

"Nah he's always looked like that." Ace corrected. "Other than turnin' green, he was the only one of us that didn't get any weird features."

"Um okay…" Veronica was tongue-tied for a moment but was able to shake it off in order to continue with her little interview. "So do you have a family of your own?"

"Not really," Ace shrugged. "I grew up with a buncha other kids in a home."

"You were a foster kid?" Veronica presumed.

"Yeah. Me and the boys were. First it was only me, Snake, and Billy." He chuckled as he reminisced his time there. "Back then Snake had this real bad lisp that made him spit out his S's. All the other kids liked to pick on him 'cause of it. So I told him to try to make it sound like he was hissin' like a snake. It didn't make 'em like him, but it at least freaked 'em out enough to leave him alone."

"Guess that explains why that toxic stuff made him look like a snake huh." Veronica joked.

"Ha ha yeah definitely. They also liked picking on Billy because he was this shy fat kid. He coulda easily pounded any one of 'em – or at least sat on 'em - but he wasn't really like that. So I had to do it for him."

"When did Arturo and Grubber come into the picture?"

"Arturo came after his pops got sent to prison. His ma had left when he was just a baby so he didn't have any other family. And Grubber…he had always been in and outta juvie. And there was this one time before he got sent to the home – when his folks had finally gotten sick of him - that he was in there longer than usual. It really messed him up. It's why he's the way he is."

"What'd he do?" Veronica asked fully intrigued.

"He's never told any of us," Ace replied. "I don't think he did anything too bad. I think it's 'cause he doesn't like mentionin' his time there. Like I said, he was there for a long time and it messed him up bad. He's actually pretty smart and is able to make sense from time to time. But only for a short while. When he got sent to the home, everyone made fun of him of course. Along with Arturo 'cause he was short for his age. I took care of it like I did with Billy and Snake."

"So you were like their protector."

"Someone hadta be. They had no one else. No one wanted 'em due to havin' somethin' the others could use against 'em. And I didn't have no one 'cause I was one of the oldest kids in that place due to bein' there my whole life. That's how we all came together."

"When did you guys leave that place?" Veronica asked.

"We ran away when I was 'bout fifteen. We had had enough of that place and couldn't make it work with any families that looked after us. One night we simply took off and we'd been livin' in the Dump ever since. I think they was gettin' sick of us causin' trouble 'cause they never bothered to come lookin' for us."

"Whoa." Veronica murmured in astonishment.

"Whoa." The Powerpuff Girls mimicked. They had been staying put in the bushes and had been listening with rapt attention to his story.

"Thanks for sharing that with me Ace," Veronica said taking his hand. "I know it must've been hard for you to talk about something so serious."

"I don't think it was." Ace confessed beaming brightly. "I mean I thought it would be, but ya real easy to talk to. I feel I can tell ya anything. Like I can be myself."

"I've been feeling the same way about you." Veronica responded gladly.

Their eyes were on each other once more, giving out that "sick" look from earlier. Closer and closer they bent forward until caressing the other's face and sharing a loving kiss.

"Aww!" Bubbles squealed. "They're so cute."

"Bubbles!" Blossom and Buttercup rebuked.

"But girls, I think he does like her."

"That's what he wants to make it look like!" Buttercup argued.

"Blossom what do you think?"

"I seriously have no idea," the pink Powerpuff divulged, maintaining a lock on the kissing couple. "I want to believe he's up to no good. Except, like Bubble said, it does look like he has real feelings for her. After all, remember when he first saw her? You even said so yourself Buttercup that he was giving the impression of having a crush."

"Mm I guess so," Buttercup reluctantly agreed. "Besides, he can't go wrong with Veronica. She's awesome."

"Exactly. Well I suppose we should be heading home. Doesn't look like there's any trouble going on. Let's leave while they're occupied."

They stepped out of the bushes and bolted up in the air. They lent them an additional glimpse before finally taking off.

Monday, April 22

Tonight was the best night of my life! It started off slightly rocky when Ace came by the place to meet up for our date. The girls tackled him to the ground which I guess I can understand that. He is one of their worst enemies after all. Thankfully I was able to get them to let him go. It was a tad awkward but as soon as we left for our date, things were fantastic!

He actually surprised me with Evil Dead 2 at the movies! I don't know how he did it but we got the whole theater to ourselves! We snuggled throughout it and left to get coffee when it was over. We then walked to the park and sat at the swings where we talked for a couple of hours. It was so romantic! I learned about his childhood, how he turned green, how he met the gang, and a bunch of other stuff.

It was all just amazing! I keep replaying it in my head. Only thing I'm worried about is the girls. I don't expect them to be best friends with the guy, but I want them to at least see that he's trying to be a good guy for me. I guess it's going to take some time. To quotes Miss Scarlet O'Hara herself, "After all, tomorrow is another day."

They couldn't see past my rockstar mystique

They wouldn't dare look in my eyes

But just underneath was a terrified boy

who clings to his pillow and cries

My looks were just like prison bars

They've left me a myriad of scars

-The Me Inside of Me from Heathers: The Musical