Adult-FanFiction.org : Cartoons

The Trillhouse SinThology	By : Trillhouse Category: +G through L > The Loud House Views: 4586 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Play-Date

"Tag, you're it!" Lacy cheered as she effortlessly caught up to Lemy, patting him on the back. "Now you gotta catch me!"
"Oh, c'mon… you're too-" Before he could finish, Lacy had already bolted off. "...Fast." With a groan of resignation, Lemy sped off after her.
It was a nice day at Ketcham Park. But while his siblings enjoyed themselves, running around and roughhousing with one another, Bobby was content to sit alone on a bench with his face buried in a novel. Heck, he'd only even come along because his mom wanted him to get some fresh air for a change… nice day or not, he'd much rather be home.
"Hey, you."
"…Huh?" Bobby looked up from his book, only for his blood to run cold as he saw none other than a very miffed-looking Gwen standing before him. "Um…" Bobby glanced around before pointing at himself. "…Me…?"
"Yeah, you." Gwen snapped. "D'you see anyone else around?!" The young boy frowned and shook his head.
"S-sorry… um, did you need something…?" He asked apprehensively.
"Yeah, I do." She said. Bobby swallowed. Though he mainly knew Gwen through Leia and Lemy, he'd heard enough to know that she had a rather fearsome reputation despite her young age. He looked past her towards Lemy for support, but the young metalhead was far too wrapped up in his game of tag-turned-wrestling match with Lacy to pay attention to anything else.
"I don't have any money…"
"I don't want'cher money." Gwen said. "You and the freak are s'posed to be real close, right?"
"The… freak…?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes.
"…Lemy, I mean," The girl clarified. Bobby blinked, giving a small nod of his head.
"Well, yeah…" He muttered. "Why?" Gwen's lips curled into a devious, sneering smirk that sent a chill down Bobby's spine.
"Perfect," She said. "Because you're gonna be my boyfriend." For a few moments, Bobby said nothing. He stared at her in silence, as though her words hadn't quite registered within his mind. Then, he tilted his head slightly.
"…I-I'm sorry, what?" He asked.
"Ya heard me." Gwen scoffed. "You're my new boyfriend. Congratulations." Bobby went silent again, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Um… right…" Bobby coughed into his fist, his cheeks reddening slightly. "I-I thought you and Lemy-"
"Not anymore," Gwen spat, her voice dripping with venom. "He dumped me for that… that skank with the piercings." The timid boy winced; it had completely skipped his mind that now that Lemy was dating Lina, he and Gwen must have broken up. And from the sound of things, it hadn't been an amicable split either.
"O-oh yeah. Sorry to hear that… you two, uh… you just… had such great chemistry together…" Bobby trailed off, averting his eyes as he spoke. "B-but why ME?"
"Simple. If he sees you and me together, he'll get so jealous that he'll beg me to take him back." Gwen said with a confident smirk.
"…Oh." Bobby grumbled. Of course it would be about that… as if anyone would actually be interested in him, right? The young boy sighed and shook his head. "Well, forget it. I'm not doing it."
"…Come again?" Gwen narrowed her eyes, making him shrink back against the bench slightly.
"I-I said no." He repeated. "I'm not interest-" Bobby yelped as Gwen grabbed the front of his hoodie and yanked him to his feet. She didn't even need to make any threats; her cold glare spoke volumes. "Er, th-that is… what's in it for me?" Bobby stammered, laughing nervously.
"Hmmm…" Gwen let go and rubbed her chin in thought. "I guess I'll pay ya."
"…I don't want your dirty money, Gwen…" Bobby mumbled.
"'Dirty money'…? Sheesh, whaddaya think we are, the mob?" Gwen scoffed, crossing her arms.
"N-no, just… you know. It wouldn't feel right." Bobby said. The imposing girl groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"…How is Lemy's brother such a boy scout?" She grumbled under her breath before letting out a sigh. "Look… I'll make it up t'ya somehow, okay? I just… need your help with this. Please." Bobby averted his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly. There was a note of vulnerability to her tone that he hadn't heard from her before… she sounded desperate. Clearly, she had valued her relationship with Lemy far more than he had.
Bobby pursed his lips in thought. He didn't want to make Lemy jealous, but then again, would he be? The rocker had broken up with Gwen for a reason, after all. Besides, he seemed more than happy with Lina. Surely nothing would come of this. All he'd have to do was play along until she gave up, and he'd be rewarded for his troubles. Besides, it wasn't like he could just say 'no' when she asked him in that tone.
"…What, um…" Bobby sighed in resignation. "What would I need to do…?"
"Easy!" Gwen said with a grin. "Y'just need to pretend to be my boyfriend for a while."
"R-right…" Bobby stammered. "Soooo… what would I need to do…?" Gwen shot him an unimpressed glare.
"…Ain'tcha ever had a girl-" Gwen paused, glancing the meek boy over for a moment: short, pudgy, poor posture, zero confidence, zero charisma. She sighed. "No… 'course you haven't."
"Sorry…"
"Well, first of all: man up," Gwen snapped. "No boyfriend of mine's gonna act like a spineless dweeb."
"B-but I'm not really your-" Bobby was cut off by Gwen clamping her hand over his mouth.
"Shut it," She ordered. "Anyway, it ain't hard. Y'know… take me on dates. Compliment me. Hold my hand. Couple stuff. Maybe kiss-" Bobby's eyes went wide and Gwen quickly withdrew her hand in disgust as she felt him spit against her palm. "Ew!"
"K-k-k-kiss?!" Bobby sputtered, his face red as a tomato. "I-I've never kissed anyone! I don't know how to kiss!"
"I said maybe, you little spaz. Ugh…" Gwen grimaced and wiped her hand on his sleeve. "Look, y'just gotta treat me like you'd treat a real girlfriend. I'm sure even a dork like you can figure it out… you are a boy, ain'tcha?" Bobby swallowed and nodded. She was right… how hard could it be? He'd watched enough TV to have at least some understanding of how relationships worked.
"Well, um…" Bobby chewed his lip, fidgeting awkwardly. "I guess… I could give it a TRY, at least…"
"Good boy." Gwen said with a smirk. Bobby sighed and hung his head; he was already starting to regret this decision.
"…So what now…?" The boy asked. "Do we go over there, or something?"
"Nah… too obvious." Gwen sat down beside him. "We want this to look convincin', so we need to act natural."
"Natural… right. Sure. I can do that." Bobby muttered. He sat up straight and rested his hands in his lap, anxiously drumming his fingers against his knees. His cheeks were flushed and there was sweat dripping from his brow.
"That's natural?! Y'look like y'got a stick up your butt!"
"Wh-what's wrong with this?" He asked. Gwen growled in irritation and pushed him back against the bench.
"Relax. Here." Gwen scooted a bit closer and leaned against his side. "Put your arm around me."
"Um… okay…" Hesitantly, Bobby slid his arm behind her, resting it against the back of the bench… and not so much as grazing Gwen herself. She turned to him with a baffled, annoyed glare.
"…Are you seriously hover-handing me?"
"I, er… I mean, y-you know…" Bobby laughed nervously. Gwen groaned and buried her face in her palm; she was starting to regret not seeking out the girly one instead, but then again, she'd needed a boy willing to take orders.
"Put. Your arm. Around me." She hissed. Bobby gulped and did as he was told, resting his arm against the girl's back and gently grasping her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Keep reading."
"Huh…?" Bobby cocked an eyebrow. "But… isn't that kind of rude?"
"It's called cuddlin', ya putz." Gwen scoffed. "Just two lovebirds enjoyin' the day. Nothin' weird about that."
"Oh, um… yeah, I guess." He picked up his book, trying his best to ignore the girl pressed against his side and the resultant heat in his cheeks.
"Relax," Gwen said again. "You're all on edge. Jus' pretend I'm one of your sisters or somethin'."
"…Sorry." Bobby shut his eyes a moment and took a deep breath. He tried to imagine that it was Lizy snuggled against him instead… the little girl would often fall asleep on him when they watched movies together, and that certainly never bothered him. Gwen, meanwhile, kept her gaze focused on her ex-boyfriend as he attempted to put Lacy in a chokehold. Surely, he would notice them soon enough.
The two young 'lovers' stayed like that for some time. It didn't take long for Bobby to get used to the girl on his shoulder, and he had almost forgotten she was there until she spoke up.
"So whatcha readin', anyway?"
"Huh? Oh… um, it's called The Fountains of Paradise." Bobby replied.
"Sounds lame."
"N-no… it's actually really interesting. It's about a space elevator-"
"Like I said, lame." Gwen repeated with a yawn. "Readin's boring anyway. Just watch the movie or something."
"…There is no movie." Bobby grunted.
"Not even good enough for a movie, huh?" Gwen chuckled. Her 'boyfriend' sighed, his brow knitting in agitation.
"N-not everything works as a film, you know… and I like books better, anyway." He huffed. "Besides, I've read this one already." Gwen cocked an eyebrow.
"Why would ya read a book twice?"
"The first time I read it to read it," Bobby explained. "This time, I'm reading it to get it." Gwen blinked in confusion.
"Sheesh, you're even more of a loser than I thought." She groaned, shaking her head. "So I guess you're one o' them brainy-types, huh?"
"…I guess." Bobby mumbled as he turned the page. Gwen fell silent once more, glancing back towards Lemy. He and Lacy had stopped their roughhousing and were now sitting against a tree, idly chatting with one another. She sighed and shifted her focus to the book Bobby was reading. His shoulder was surprisingly comfortable, most likely due to him nearly matching her height… unlike Lemy, she didn't need to awkwardly stretch her neck to reach. Soon, she found her eyelids growing heavy.
Bobby lowered his book to his lap and squeezed his eyes shut, massaging them with his thumb and forefinger. How long had he been reading for…? He opened his eyes, blinking a few times until his vision returned to him. It was getting late… still bright, but the park had already begun to empty out. Bobby perked up as he noticed Lemy and Lacy approaching him.
"H-hey… Gwen, he's coming! What should I-" Bobby looked to his side only to find that Gwen had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "…Gwen…?"
"Yo, Beej! You ready to-" Lemy trailed off as he noticed his brother's companion. "…Is that Gwen…?"
"Um… y-yeah…" Bobby forced a shaky grin. "We're, um… w-w-we're… dating. I guess…" Lemy's eyes widened, a broad smile crossing his face.
"No shit?"
"Bobby has a girlfriend?!" Lacy gasped excitedly.
"Way to go, bro!" Lemy cheered the younger boy and ruffled his hair. Bobby laughed nervously, feeling his chest swell with pride… before remembering that he didn't really have a girlfriend. "You and Gwen, huh? Never woulda thought it."
"W-well, you know… guess I just got a thing for tough girls…" Bobby lied. His big brother chuckled.
"You and me both. Well, we were 'bout to head back… you ready to go?" Lemy asked. His little brother frowned slightly and glanced over at Gwen. She was still sleeping soundly, and quite frankly, he'd hate to wake her.
"Um… you guys go on ahead. I'm gonna stick around a bit longer."
"Suit yourself," The metalhead said with a shrug. "Just don't stay out too long, okay?"
"I won't." Bobby smirked. "See you guys."
"Bye, Bobby! Have fun with your girlfriend!" Lacy said happily, making the boy blush.
"Later, BJ. Gimme a ring if anyone messes with ya, got it?"
"Sure." Bobby and his siblings exchanged a wave before the two headed off, leaving him alone with Gwen.
"Nnn…" Some time later, Gwen finally began to stir. "Wha…"
"Gwen?"
"Gah!" Gwen yelped and, on instinct, decked Bobby across the face. The boy was knocked from the bench and hit the ground with a startled grunt of pain. Gwen's eyes shot wide open. "Bobby?!"
"Owww…!" He whined. "Wh-why'd you do that?"
"Ah, crap… you okay?" The flustered girl offered Bobby her hand; he sniffled and accepted it, letting her hoist him to his feet. "Sorry 'bout that… ya kinda spooked me there."
"Th-that really hurt, Gwen…" Bobby whimpered, rubbing at his throbbing cheek.
"Ah, quit whinin'… I barely even got ya." She muttered as she dusted him off, though her cheeks were tinged red with embarrassment. "U-um… how long was I out for?
"…A bit." Bobby grumbled, flexing his jaw a few times before looking at her again. "Lemy left."
"He left?!" Gwen snapped, making Bobby flinch. "Why the heck didn't you wake me?!"
"I, um… y-you looked comfortable, so I didn't want to disturb you…" The boy mumbled sheepishly. Gwen groaned and ran her hand down her face.
"Great. Just great. Did he notice, at least?" She asked. Bobby nodded. "What'd he say?!"
"He, uh… he congratulated me."
"And…?"
"…That's it." Bobby muttered.
"…That's it?" Gwen asked, receiving another nod in response. Gwen's face fell. "Did he… look jealous, at least?" Bobby shook his head. The girl averted her eyes, her brow scrunching up in sadness.
"Gwen…? Are you okay?" For a few moments, Bobby got no reply; then, Gwen sighed and hung her head.
"Don't worry about it." Gwen mumbled. "Anyway, thanks for the help, but I guess that's it for today. I needa get home."
"Do you, um… do you want a ride?" Bobby asked.
"A ride?" Gwen asked. Bobby nodded toward the red bicycle leaning against a nearby tree.
"You can ride on the back." Bobby said. "I-I'm pretty good at it, so if you hold on to me you won't fall off…"
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm kinda out of the way-"
"I don't mind," Bobby assured her. "And it'll be a lot faster than walking." Gwen pursed her lips a she considered his offer; finally, she shrugged.
"Y'know what, why not." She said, walking over to the bike and looking it over. "This thing better be safe, though."
"I-it is. I give Lemy rides all the time." Bobby explained as he packed away his book. Gwen cocked an eyebrow.
"You give Lemy rides?" The girl asked.
"…He doesn't know how to ride a bike," Bobby said quietly, earning him a snort of laughter from Gwen.
"That guy's somethin', alright." She chuckled. Bobby kicked up the stand and wheeled his bike back onto the path before climbing on. He gestured for her to get on behind him, and she did so.
"Hold on tight." The boy instructed.
"Yeah, yeah…" Gwen huffed and wrapped her arms around his stomach. "Seriously though, if I fly offa this thing I'mma crack ya upside the head widda socket wrench. Got it?"
"Y-yeah, I got it…" Bobby stammered as he kicked off and began pedaling. Gwen gasped in surprise and hugged him tighter around the midsection. She couldn't help but be slightly nervous at first… riding a bike without being the one controlling it was a bit of an odd feeling, and ever time a stray stick or pebble rattled the bike she found herself clinging onto Bobby for dear life. But by the time they pulled in front of her home fifteen minutes later, she had grown to trust her chauffeur; she had relaxed against the boy's back, simply enjoying the sensation of the wind rushing through her hair.
Heck, she was kind of disappointed that it was over so soon.
"…Huh." Bobby muttered as he looked up at the modest, middle-class home. "Kinda expected something bigger…"
"Yeah, you ain't the only one." Gwen grunted as she climbed off the bike. "Not everyone at the academy is loaded, y'know." Bobby frowned apologetically.
"S-sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Ah, it's fine. Like I said, you ain't the only one." Gwen said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Anyway, thanks for the ride, Bobblehead."
"You don't need to thank-" Bobby began, only trail off; he looked at her with his brow furrowed in confusion. "…B-Bobblehead?"
"Yeah. You got a problem with that?" She asked. Bobby swallowed and shook his head. "Good. Anyway, I'll be in touch for our next date."
"Sure, I… w-wait, what?" Bobby sputtered. "B-but Lemy-"
"What, you didn't think I was givin' up that easily, did ya?" Gwen said with a smirk. Bobby groaned and hung his head; it seemed that he wasn't going to get out of this arrangement so soon.
"Gwen… I don't-" Bobby trailed off as Gwen shot him an annoyed look, but he took a deep breath and pressed on. "…I think you should give this up. It's… not gonna work."
"What d'you know?" Gwen scoffed.
"I know Lemy," Bobby shot back. "A-and I know he likes Lina a lot. You're just going to keep getting hurt-" Bobby was cut off by Gwen flicking his sore cheek. He winced in pain and covered it with his hand. "Ow!"
"Like I said, I ain't givin' up that easily." Gwen snapped, only for her expression to quickly soften. "…Thanks for worryin' about me, but I'm a big girl. I know how to take a bit of pain."
"And give it, too…" Bobby grumbled under his breath. Just as he lowered his hand, Gwen swooped in and planted a light kiss on his cheek. Bobby turned bright red, his eyes going wide in surprise. "Wh-wh-wha…?!"
"You're alright, Bobblehead." Gwen teased, leaning away with a chuckle. "Seeya next time!" She winked before turning and heading into her house, leaving the flustered boy alone on her driveway. He brought a hand to his cheek and lightly touched the spot where she had kissed him; somehow, it didn't seem to hurt so bad anymore.
"Yeah… seeya next time." Bobby muttered, a small smirk crossing his reddened face.

Play-Date 2

"You're late, Bobblehead," Gwen grunted as her 'boyfriend' pulled up in front of her home. He hopped off his bike and braced himself against it to catch his breath.
"S-sorry…" Bobby panted, forehead dripping with sweat. "Y-you didn't give me much notice-"
"Yeah, yeah. Quit'cher bellyachin' and let's get outta here," The girl huffed and strode over to him. "We don't wanna be late." Her 'date' let out a sigh and climbed back on his bike; Gwen climbed on behind him and hooked her arms around his midsection without hesitation.
It had been just over three weeks since Gwen had kicked off her plan to get Lemy back… thus far with less-than-satisfactory results. Despite her best attempts to rouse the boy's jealousy with a new 'boyfriend', he seemed to take the whole thing in stride. But Gwen was nothing if not persistent, and as long as Bobby was still willing to play along she wasn't about to give up so easily. Not that she would give the timid boy much of a say in the matter, anyway.
"Y'know how to get to the theater from here, right?" She asked as Bobby started pedaling, keeping a moderate pace to avoid spooking his passenger.
"I think so," The boy muttered.
"Ya think so or ya know so?"
"…I know so." Bobby grumbled. Quite frankly, he'd rather be anywhere but here right now… in fact, he'd deliberately avoided mentioning Lemy and Lina's movie date to her for this very reason. But no, of course Leia had to get wind of it, and of course she just had to report the information to Gwen. Now Bobby had no choice to push aside his weekend plans, all because this girl didn't know when it was time to let go. Still, he'd made a promise, and until Gwen finally gave up her pursuit of his big brother he intended to keep it.
"Where're ya goin'?" Gwen asked with a note of annoyance as Bobby diverted from the usual path, veering off towards the side streets instead.
"Shortcut," Bobby replied. Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Shortcut?! This way's longer, dummy." Gwen let go for a moment to lightly swat the back of the boy's head, but he simply grit his teeth and forced himself to bear it.
"…The other way has a lot of crossings. Th-this way has less. It's faster." Bobby stated plainly. "I told you, I know where I'm going." Gwen frowned, narrowing her eyes at the boy's tone… then again, she could hardly blame him for having a bit of a snippy attitude. Gwen sighed and shrugged.
"Guess I'll take your word for it," She said. "You really get around in this thing, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess…" Bobby muttered. "I-I mean, I ride it pretty much everywhere."
"Huh." Gwen hummed in thought. "Weird you're so fat, then." Bobby sighed and pressed on; he was used to being called fat by Lyle, after all.
As they headed down the side streets, Gwen had to admit that she could see his point… compared to the main roads they were far less crowded, not to mention the general lack of crossing lights. Even though Bobby stopped at every intersection and looked both ways before pedaling across, they were still making good time. Or, at least, they were... after some time the bike suddenly screeched to a halt, nearly throwing Gwen off with a yelp. She had to tightly squeeze Bobby's waist to hang on.
"HEY!" The girl snapped. "What's the big idea?!" Bobby didn't immediately respond; she noticed he was staring straight ahead with a nervous expression. Following his gaze, she spotted two boys a short distance away. They looked to be about about Bobby's age, if not a bit older.
"U-um… Bobby stammered. "W-we better find another way…"
"Another way…? What's gotten into yo-"
"SHHH!" Bobby hissed. Normally Gwen would snap at the boy for shushing her like that but it was clear that, for whatever reason, Bobby did not want to cross paths with those boys. "Just… let's just go." He turned to head back onto the main roads.
"Yo, Dobby! Hold up!" Dammit. Bobby hung his head, letting out a sigh as the two boys approached. Now, Gwen could get a better look at them… one stood a bit taller than Bobby, wearing a green shirt with stripe of blue across the middle and sporting bleached blonde hair. The boy beside him was even taller than that, standing at least half a head above him and clad in a black hoodie and matching skullcap. Both wore condescending smirks that Gwen did not like one bit.
"…H-hi, Hayden... A-Andy." Bobby grumbled, keeping his gaze planted firmly on the ground.
"Don't tell us you were just gonna ride off without saying hi?" Hayden sneered.
"Yeah, what? Ain't we friends no more?" Andy asked, not even attempting to mask the sarcasm in his tone.
"N-no… um… I-I said hi, so… hi." Bobby muttered. Hayden grinned and roughly tousled the boy's hair.
"That's more like it," The bully said. "Ain't been seein' you at school so much… kinda feels like you're givin' us the slip. But you wouldn't be doin' that, now would ya?"
"N-no!" Bobby lied. "O-of course not, I-"
"Who're these shmucks?" Bobby turned towards Gwen with wide, horrified eyes. She was glaring at the two boys harshly, clearly not impressed with their little power play. Bobby turned his attention back to the bullies, finding them glowering right back at her.
"…Could ask you the same thing." Hayden shot back.
"I asked first," Gwen snapped. Hayden narrowed his eyes, then turned to Bobby with a huff.
"Dobby. Who's this broad?" He asked. "'Nother sister of yours?" Bobby swallowed and shook his head.
"N-n-no, she's-"
"A friend," She finished for him. Hayden raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"…A friend? How 'bout that." Hayden chuckled. "Lil' Dobby found himself a friend. B'sides us, of course."
"An' a girl, too." Andy added with a laugh of his own. "Well, ain't he just a big ol' casa… casano… casanu…" The boy's brow contorted in thought as he struggled to remember the word. "…ladies' man."
"Casanova, you idiot." Hayden grumbled, before once again sneering at Gwen. "Well, we and Bobby go waaay back. Ain't that right?" He asked the nervous young boy; Bobby could only give a small, timid nod in response. Needless to say, his 'date' was less than convinced.
"Friends. Right." The girl spat, crossing her arms. "All I see is a coupla clowns with a lousy act."
"G-Gwen…!" Bobby gasped, but Gwen pressed on.
"I mean, c'mon. The whole 'best buddy' bit is played out." She scoffed.
"Gwen-"
"And 'Dobby'? That ain't even clever, for cryin' out loud." The girl continued. "Coulda called him 'Booby' but ya missed it." Bobby buried his face in his palm; this was exactly what he hadn't wanted to happen. For a moment neither of the bullies said anything; they glanced at each other, then back to Gwen. A cold smirk slowly crossed Hayden's face.
"I like your girlfriend, Dobby." He said. "Gwen, right? You got guts."
"More than I can say for you," Gwen shot back. "Bet ya think you're real big-shots, pickin' on a puny lil' wimp like him."
"Gwen, please…" Bobby groaned.
"So here's the deal." Gwen huffed, striding forward and getting right in Hayden's face. "Either youse two knuckleheads shove off an' leave us alone, or I'll show ya how a real big-shot fights. Got that?" For a moment, there was a heavy silence; the bullies looked at one another, straining to hold back their laughter. Finally, they broke and began laughing hysterically at the girl's threat. "W-what?!" Gwen snapped, her face growing hot with embarrassment. "I mean it!"
"S-sure… right…" Hayden managed to spit out between peals of laughter. "Do ya, now." Gwen clenched her teeth in anger, and Bobby noticed her hands clenching into fists. He could feel a pit forming in his stomach… this was about to get bad.
"N-no, sh-she doesn't…!" Bobby sputtered, getting between the two with a forced, shaky smile and his palms raised in submission. "She's j-just a bit grumpy right now, so-" He was cut off by Gwen pushing him aside.
"Yeah, I do." She growled. Hayden and Andy snorted with laughter again.
"Gwen, come on," Bobby pleaded, gently grasping the girl's arm, trying to lead her away. "J-just let it go…" Gwen just wrenched her arm away and stood her ground against the bullies. Slowly their laughter petered off and they stepped forward, looming over the smaller girl and her trembling 'boyfriend'. "G-guys, come on… j-just leave us alone…"
"Hey now, she's the one that threatened us." Hayden pointed out. "Nothin' wrong with defendin' ourselves, right?"
"Yeah… an' hey, tell ya what." Andy drawled with a cocky smirk. He leaned forward and tilted his head, presenting his chin to the girl. "I'll even give ya a free shot." He tapped the side of his chin for emphasis. "C'mon, right he-"
POW.
Andy fell back, hitting the ground like a ton of bricks. Hayden stood stock-still, his eyes wide with shock… only for Gwen to turn and gut-punch him hard, knocking all the wind from his lungs. He dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain; Gwen merely scoffed and shoved him to the ground.
"That it?" She sneered. Bobby couldn't believe what he was seeing. He knew she was tough, of course… she was Leia's muscle for a reason after all. Besides, it was only natural a boxer's daughter would know how to throw a punch. "C'mon, get up!" The girl taunted, grinning as she cracked her knuckles. "I ain't done with ya yet."
"S-stupid little…!" Andy grunted, staggering to his feet. He rubbed his sore jaw, finding his footing before lunging at Gwen with fury in his eyes. She easily weaved away from the taller boy as he tried to grab her, countering with another punch. The height difference gave her a clear shot at Andy's liver and, while not strong enough to do any real damage, the blow was painful enough to make the boy collapse to the ground once more.
"What're you doing, you idiot?!" Hayden snapped at his cohort as he too got to his feet, putting up his dukes as he eyed his opponent. Andy may have been the bigger and stronger of the two, but he was sorely lacking in the brains department. Hayden, however, was smart enough not to charge in so recklessly. Not that it mattered much; for all their bullying, neither of the boys really knew how to fight. Gwen, on the other hand, did. Every time he swung for her, she dodged. Every time he readied himself for an incoming blow, it was a fake-out. She wasn't even trying to hit him… the big grin plastered on her face proved that this was just a game to her. She was toying with him, and it pissed him off to no end.
"C'mon! That all you got?" She teased. Hayden briefly locked eyes with the prone Andy, who gave a small nod of understanding before Hayden's focus returned to Gwen; he took another swing at her but, as she stepped back, she suddenly felt someone grip her ankle. "Wha…?!" Gwen gasped, looking down to find Andy clutching her leg with a vicious glare.
"Gotcha!" Just as she was about to stomp on his arm she was pulled down to the ground with a yelp.
"Get off, ya prick!" Gwen shouted, trying in vain to kick him off, but in terms of raw strength even she couldn't match the nine-year-old. He was easily able to pin her arms behind her back, and Bobby could only watch in horror as Hayden casually walked up and put his foot on her back, pushing the girl's face against the pavement.
"Not so tough now, huh?" Hayden scoffed. Gwen growled and struggled against them, her face growing hot with humiliation. She'd gotten too cocky... she could only be glad nobody was around to see this.
"L-leave her alone!" Bobby cried, rushing forward only for Hayden to roughly shove him away. He balled his trembling hands into fists, biting his lip in frustration at his own weakness. This wasn't right… you weren't supposed to hit girls. But what was he supposed to do about it? He was small, he was weak, he couldn't fight…
…But he had to do something.
"So, ready to say 'uncle'?" Hayden asked.
"Up yours widda Louisville slugger!" Gwen shot back. Hayden scowled at her before glancing over at Andy.
"Hey, Andy… y'still got that switchblade?" He asked; Gwen's eyes went wide, her struggling halting all at once. Did he say switchblade?
"Damn right I do," The taller boy replied with a cruel grin.
"What say we give Gwen here a little haircu-" Before he could finish that thought he felt a sudden, sharp pain against his right temple. "OW!" He staggered off of Gwen, clutching the spot in pain.
"Hayden?! What- OW!" Andy cried as he too felt a burst of pain on his shoulder. The boys looked up to see Bobby shaking with fear and anger, his hands full of small rocks and bits of gravel.
"I-I said leave her alone!" He shouted as he pelted the boys with rocks. They yelped in pain and backed off from Gwen, forced to cover their faces with their arms to shield themselves from the barrage.
"Y-you're, OW, you're dead, Dobby!" Hayden warned between gasps, but Bobby didn't let up for a second.
"F-f-fine! D-do what you want to me, b-but leave her alone…!" Bobby cried. Right now, his own well-being was the furthest thing from his mind; he wasn't about to let anyone else get hurt for his sake. He threw rock after rock, not stopping until his supply had run out… and then, the look of determination slipped from his face as fast as it had come as the two furious boys glared at him with murderous intent. "…Uh… uh oh…"
"Get 'im," Hayden barked. Bobby screamed in fear as Andy charged him; he narrowly avoided the boy's grasp as he hopped back on his bike and pedaled off as fast as he could. "Get back here, you little turd!" The bullies had seemingly forgotten about Gwen entirely… she remained on the ground in stunned silence as the bullies ran off after Bobby and, soon, disappeared from her sight as they rounded a corner.
Gwen got to her feet and dusted herself off. Her back was a bit sore from where Andy's knee had pressed into her, but other that she was unharmed… shaken, but unharmed. Save for her pride, of course. Once her nerves had settled down, it occurred to Gwen that she had no idea what, exactly, she was supposed to do now. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to consider that long as Bobby suddenly screeched to a stop beside her, apparently having come down the same road that had led them here in the first place.
"B-Bobby?!" She gasped. "You're-"
"G-get on…!" Bobby wheezed, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. Gwen nodded and climbed on behind him, barely able to hug the boy's waist before he sped off again. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Hayden and Andy were still on their tail, though they'd fallen behind quite a ways. She yelped, squeezing Bobby tighter as he made a sharp turn down an alleyway. Bobby darted and weaved through the streets, between buildings, around every corner he could find as he fled his bullies. Soon, Gwen could feel them slowing to a stop. She opened her eyes to find that they were in the park… the same park where she'd originally 'asked him out', in fact. Bobby was slumped over the handlebars, dripping with sweat and struggling to stay standing.
"H-hey… yo, Bobblehead. You good?" She asked.
"Y-y-yeah…" Bobby gasped. "A-are they gone…?" Gwen looked behind them, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"…Think you gave 'em the slip," She said, before glancing over at the exhausted Bobby. "You, ah… sure you're okay, though? You were gunnin' pretty hard back there." The boy nodded weakly, waving her off as he unsteadily dismounted the bike.
"I-I'll be fine, just gotta… sit down…" Bobby staggered over to a nearby bench and slumped down into it, breathing a long sigh of relief. Gwen frowned, leaning the bike against a tree before joining him. "Are… are you okay…?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She grumbled as she sat down. "I had it under control, y'know."
"...No you didn't," Bobby said plainly.
"I woulda figured somethin' out, then." Gwen huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."
"B-but you're younger than-"
"I'm just sayin', I don't… I don't want nobody stickin' their neck out for me like that," She said quietly. Bobby frowned and glanced over at her.
"Neither do I, but… you did, for me." He reminded her. Gwen's brow furrowed slightly.
"…I just don't like guys like that, I guess." She said with a shrug. "Besides, ain't like you was gonna stick up for yourself."
"Still… th-they're my problem. Nobody else's…" Bobby muttered.
"So do somethin' 'bout it. You stood up for me, why not for you too?" The girl asked. Bobby's face scrunched up in thought; finally, he sighed and shook his head.
"…I don't know," He admitted. "I-I just… didn't want you getting h-hurt because of me. I can't do much, but… i-if someone's in trouble I should do something, right…?" Gwen pursed her lips, glancing over at the quiet boy beside her. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized that he was far from the coward she'd had him pegged as. Meek, timid, perhaps even a bit neurotic… but cowardly? No… he was more like Lemy than perhaps even he knew.
"Well, hey… it was still pretty cool." She said with a smirk, giving the boy a playful punch on the arm. "What ya did back there, I mean. Y'did good, Bobblehead." Bobby averted his eyes, smiling sheepishly.
"…You, too." He muttered, before awkwardly clearing his throat and getting to his feet.
"A-anyway… sorry about all this. S-should we go…?" He asked, offering his hand to Gwen. The girl looked at his hand for a moment, then up to his gentle face. She chuckled and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet.
"Y'know… whadda ya say we forget the movie?" Gwen offered. "Probably already started by now, anyway." Bobby blinked.
"Um… a-are you sure…?" He asked. "I-it's not far from here, so if we left now-"
"It's fine… honestly, I didn't really wanna see it in the first place." She said with a shrug. It wasn't a lie; as usual, her sole reason for going was that Lemy and Lina were going to be there. But, for some reason… it didn't seem all that important right now. "Tell ya what. How 'bout we hit the Burpin' Burger? My treat."
"Uh… s-sure…!" Bobby said, trying his best to hide the excitement in his voice. He never HAD been one to turn down a free burger, after all. Besides, all that pedaling had worked up an appetite.
"Figured you'd be down." The boy walked his bike back onto the trail and climbed on, Gwen once again sitting behind him and holding him around his midsection. "And afterwards, howsabout I teach ya a thing or two about fightin'?"
"…I-I'm not like that, Gwen." Bobby said as he set off. "I don't want to fight anyone..."
"Oh, stop bein' such a goody-two shoes," Gwen groaned, rolling her eyes. "Besides, after that little stunt ya pulled, I don't think you're gonna have much of a choice." Bobby swallowed, the color draining from his face in an instant.
"…O-oh… r-r-right…"

Saturday Sundae

"I got in a fight yesterday."
"A fight? A-are you hurt?" Bobby asked. The girl sitting opposite him glanced up from her sundae with a cocked eyebrow.
"Do I look hurt, Bobby?" Gwen deadpanned. Bobby coughed and returned to his own sundae.
"I guess not…" The boy mumbled. "So what happened?"
"Ah, some second-grader was flippin' skirts at recess. He tried it on me, so I laid 'im out." She said nonchalantly. "Got 'im right in the schnoz, too. Poor shmuck was bleedin' all over the place." Gwen chuckled, as though the memory were highly amusing to her. Bobby just grimaced as he looked down at the dark red cherry sauce topping his ice cream; somehow, it just didn't look all that appetizing right now.
"That, uh… that seems a bit harsh, Gwen…"
"What? He deserved it." Gwen said with a shrug. "Maybe next time he'll think twice before pervin' on girls." Well, Bobby couldn't argue with that… most kids would know better than to mess with Gwen Miller, lest they find themselves on the receiving end of her legendary right hook. Clearly, this kid had not heeded those warnings.
Bobby and Gwen had been 'together' for a little over a month now… or pretending to be, at least. Thus far her attempts to make Lemy jealous had proven ineffective, and in fact he seemed to be highly supportive of the couple. It wasn't that Bobby minded his 'dates' with Gwen; in fact, though rough around the edges, he found that he actually kind of enjoyed her company. But he couldn't help but wonder how much longer this was meant to go on for. Lemy clearly wasn't interested, and heck, most of the time he wasn't even around to see them on their dates. Today, they found themselves at the local ice cream parlor, and once again Lemy was nowhere in sight.
"Yo, somethin' wrong?" Gwen asked, noticing that her 'boyfriend' seemed to be lost in thought. "Lookin' kinda spaced-out, there."
"Huh? Oh…" Bobby snapped out of his daze, giving a small nod. "Y-yeah… I'm fine." He took another spoonful of his quickly-melting ice cream, being sure to scoop around what he could now only see as nosebleed sauce. "Hey, Gwen… is Lemy supposed to be coming by here today?"
"Lemy…? Not that I know of. Why?" She replied. Bobby furrowed his brow in confusion.
"So… what're we doing here, then…?"
"…Gettin' ice cream?" Gwen seemed legitimately perplexed by this line of questioning.
"Well yeah, but the whole point of this is to get Lemy jealous, right?" Bobby asked. Gwen chuckled, giving a small shrug of her shoulders.
"Ah, I've been over him for a while now." She said plainly. Bobby stared at her with his jaw agape, completely baffled by her response.
"Y-you're over him…?!" Bobby stammered. "Then why're we still doing this?" Gwen frowned, leaning forward and resting her chin on her palm.
"…I dunno. B-because I want to, I guess." The girl mumbled through a mouthful of her sundae.
"You…" Bobby blinked. "…Y-you want to?"
"Y'got a problem with that, Bobblehead...?" Gwen averted her eyes and idly spooned at her ice cream, her cheeks turning a light pink. Bobby could feel his own cheeks heating up too.
"U-um..." Bobby said with a shy smile. "I… I guess not." For a few moments neither said anything further, until Bobby felt a hand slide into his. He glanced up, his eyes meeting Gwen's as a small smirk crossed her face.
"...Good."
- 4
- 5
- 6
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Trillhouse SinThology