Chapter Sixteen: The Truth

Brick

I sat in my room, as always. Today didn't seem like it was going to be any different until a girl dressed in green came crashing through my ceiling.

"Hello Brick," she said. She slapped me across the face.

"Hey! What was that for?!" I screamed, with the most expression I had had in months. "Buttercup, why are you here?"

"Listen up and listen good. I've filled your brothers in on everything, and I think that they're better suited to explain it than me. So, go talk to them, okay? I'm leaving now," Buttercup said, heading back out.

"Wait! Why the hell did you come in here in the first place?"

"Huh? Oh, I just wanted to slap you for being such an idiot," she said with a smirk. "That'll be all. Have a nice chat. Oh, and call my sister, would you?"

I sat wide-eyed. What just happened?

Butch and Boomer knocked on the door. "Come in?" I said, my voice weak from surprise.

"Hey, Brick," Boomer said, a genuine smile on his face. "Let me just tell you that..." He saw the red imprint of a fingerless hand on my cheek. "Wow, that looks like it hurts."

"A bit," I muttered.

Butch sat down next to me on the couch. "Look, you've made some mistakes. Not that I can blame you for making any of them, but if you had just listened to Blossom, you would have saved yourselves one hell of a heartache."

Boomer smiled. "She didn't cheat on you, Brick."

"She... didn't?" I gasped. "But... I saw her kissing him! How can she explain that?"

"Riley confessed to Buttercup by use of some... interesting methods," Boomer replied, looking at Butch and half-laughing. "Anyway, he completely hit on her. It wasn't Blossom's fault at all, and she had been protesting the entire time. You really owe someone an apology."

I put my hand on my head. "I'm such an idiot. I should have let her talk."

"Well, you are an idiot," Butch said playfully, "but how were you to know?" He put his arm around me comfortingly.

I sighed. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

Butch and Boomer exchanged glances. They knew something I didn't... "Definitely."