The Experiment

Chapter Thirteen: Blossom's Brilliant Plan

The girl's slumber party lasted well into the night, with all four girls passed out in the living room floor. There were discarded half empty soda cans lying around and an almost empty bowl of chips. Blossom was first to wake and noticed that the TV was still on. She quickly clicked it off just as her cellphone rang which she answered quickly not wanting to wake her sisters or Alexa.

"Hey, Beautiful," came a familiar voice over the line.

"Brick, hi," Blossom said. "Did you miss me last night?" She walked into the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Well…I know I missed you," she said. "It's great hanging with the girls, but…"

"I know what you mean," he said and breathed deep. "So how's our baby doing this morning?"

"Fine, I guess," Blossom said, "but I just can't stop eating. Soon I'm going to be as big as a house because of this kid."

"Then there will be more of you to love," he said and let out a small laugh.

"How do you always know how to make me feel better?" she asked smiling.

"It's a gift, but getting back to the real reason I called you," he said and then paused for a moment. "How do you feel about playing matchmaker?" he asked.

"For Alexa and David," she said.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"We already know about the problem," she said. "We just need to come up with a plan. "Can you get the guys and meet us at the coffee shop at noon?"

"Sure, but what are you…?"

"You'll see, just make sure to bring David along," she said. "Bye, bye, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you too," he said and hung up. She put the phone down and took a huge gulp of her orange juice. There was something sneaky brewing in her head. She just hoped that Alexa would go for it.

As she was finishing off her orange juice she heard noises coming from the living room. Bubbles was first to emerge out of her slumber followed by Buttercup. Alexa seemed to be sleeping like a rock. Her sisters soon joined her in the kitchen.

"Blossom, what are you doing up so early?" Bubbles asked.

"Orange juice attack," she said. "Plus, I got a call from Brick."

"Oh, really," Buttercup said sarcastically. "Were you two talking all cutesy and stuff? That's enough to make anyone gag."

"No, we discussing a particular couple," Blossom said. "Or they soon will be given a little push in the right direction, but first I have to make a call."

Both her sisters looked confused as she dialed on her phone. "Hello, Harvey?" She paused for a moment. "It's Blossom from Mister Jacob's class." Another pause. "I need you to do me a big favor. Can you meet me and my sisters at the campus café'?" Yet again another pause. "Great. I'll explain when we get there. Noon, sharp, okay?" She waited then finished. "Great, see you then. Bye."

"Blossom, what are you up to?" Buttercup asked. "You're planning something sneaky, aren't you?"

"Do you disapprove?" Blossom asked her as she opened the refrigerator door to get a snack.

"No, but that's my job, not yours." Blossom only laughed as she poured hot fudge over a fresh bowl of strawberries.

"Those look good," Bubbles said and sneaked one.

"Hey, get your own. These are mine," Blossom said and smacked Bubbles hand away.

"Fine," Bubbles said and grabbed a bag of green grapes and the raspberry jelly that was sitting in the cabinet.

"You two are so disgusting," Buttercup said ready to gag.

"It's not disgusting," Blossom said and popped a strawberry in her mouth. "We're allowed. We're pregnant."

"Well, so am I, but I wouldn't eat anything that gross. In fact, I don't think I can eat anything." Buttercup ran out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Both Bubbles and Blossom could hear her hurl.

"I wonder how long that's going to last?" Bubbles asked. "This is the first morning in a week I don't feel nauseous."

"Yeah, me too," Blossom said, popping another fudge drenched strawberry in her mouth.

At that moment Alexa had walked into the kitchen. Sleep was still in her eyes and her hair was matted to one side of her head. "Good morning, Alexa," Bubbles said cheerfully as she spooned another grape in her mouth.

Alexa looked at the food that two of her roommates were eating. "Is this morning food?" she asked.

"It is if you're pregnant," Blossom said finishing off the last strawberry. There was still a bit of the hot fudge in the bowl, so she scraped it up with her finger and ate it.

"So, do we have any non-pregnancy breakfast food?" she asked.

"Sure, I'll make you something," Bubbles said. "How about French toast and sausage."

"Alright," Alexa said. "What is it made of?"

Bubbles and Blossom gave each other a strange look. "Umm… bread, milk and eggs with a sprinkle of cinnamon," Bubbles said.

"That sounds delicious," Alexa said slowly as though learning the words. Then she sat down on the stool next to Blossom. The girls did think it was a little odd that Alexa wouldn't know the ingredients for French toast, but they just figured that it wasn't regularly eaten where she came from, wherever that was.

Bubbles was always good at cooking, not that Buttercup and or Blossom were bad at it, but she had more of an artistic flare when it came to food. Same could be said of her fashion and decorating skills.

"And breakfast is ready," Bubbles said as she brought Alexa a plate.

"Oh, thank you, Bubbles," Alex said with a smile. "The food looks delicious." That last word Alexa had trouble with, and Blossom wondered if English was her first language. Alexa didn't have a distinctive accent, but she did look as though she might have come from Europe somewhere.

The girls didn't know a lot about their mysterious roommate, only that she a sweet soft-spoken girl.

At that moment Buttercup came out of the bedroom and sat down at the table. "Would you like some breakfast?" Bubbles asked her.

"No, thanks," Buttercup said. "I'm still queasy."

"Then here," Bubbles said. "Some saltines will help and a tall glass of milk for calcium."

"But I hate white milk," Buttercup said.

"I'll fix that," Blossom said and brought over the chocolate syrup. "Is that better?"

"Yeah," Buttercup said her mouth full of crackers. She picked up the glass of now chocolate milk to wash the crackers down.

"Well, what do we have planned for today?" Alexa asked.

"I have two morning classes, but I'm free for lunch at the campus café'."

"That would be wonderful," Alexa said. "I could meet you there after my poetry class."

"And you girls?" Blossom said looking from Buttercup to Bubbles.

"Can't wait," Bubbles said excited about Blossom's plan. She didn't know what it was, but she sure it would work. Most of Blossom's plans did work to a certain degree.

Buttercup was still eating the plate of crackers Bubbles laid out for her, when she suddenly looked up and noticed the stares her sisters were giving her. "I'll be there, okay."

She got up from the table after only half drinking her milk and left a mess of cracker bits on her plate and the table. Bubbles took the initiative to clean it up.

Blossom just rolled her eyes. "I don't know what we're going to do with her."

"Yeah," Bubbles said. "Buttercup's moody on a good day, but a pregnant Buttercup… scary."

Blossom and Bubbles both laughed. Sometimes their sister could be hard to deal with but she always was quick to defend if one of them was in trouble. Within ten minutes Buttercup emerged from her bedroom all smiles. She was one hundred percent more cheery than she was when she was sitting at the breakfast table.

"See you later, girls," she said, her voice taking a high-pitched tone. Her eyes were bright, and she was suddenly so energetic.

"What was that?" Bubbles asked looking over a Blossom with a shocked look on her face.

"I think our sister just turned into Sybil," Blossom said with her mouth gaping open.

"And I thought she only did that when she was on the rag," Bubbles said and both she and Blossom laughed out loud.

Alexa looked confused. "Who is this Sybil?" she asked.

"Uh… nevermind," Blossom said. "Let's just say Buttercup pregnancy mood swings are kicking in."

"Mood swings?" Alexa questioned. "So pregnancy changes personality?"

"You could say that?" Blossom said giggling. "In some more than others." Her last words were whispered, but Bubbles caught the meaning if not Alexa.

Bubbles looked over at the time. "We better get going, Blossom. My art class starts in a half hour, and you don't want to be late for your class. What is it again?"

"Physics," Blossom said looking annoyed. She just shook her head thinking her mood swings had just kicked in. She hated getting cross with Bubbles. Of the three of them she was the sweetest. "See you at noon, Alexa. Now, don't be late."

"See you later, girls," she said as they waved to her upon leaving.

Lunch time came soon enough and Blossom was the first to arrive at the café'. She was feeling queasy and ordered a ginger ale to settle her stomach. She was barely pregnant and already it was slowly becoming unbearable. Nine months of this, she didn't know if she could take it. If Bubbles was experiencing the same thing she couldn't tell, because Bubbles never complained about anything.

She found a table and sat down. She was hungry but didn't want to order anything until her sisters and Alexa showed up. Bubbles was the first to arrive. She spotted Blossom waved to her sister who smiled back. Bubbles then raced over to her table and sat down.

"Good, you're here," Blossom said.

"Yeah, and I'm starving," Bubbles said and picked up a menu. "Mmmm… everything looks so good."

"Bubbles, would you focus?" Blossom said in a demanding tone. "We're here to help Alexa."

"And I'm all for that, but I'm starving," Bubbles said picking up the menu again. "Oooohhh…. That spaghetti dinner looks yummy."

"Bubbles!" Blossom almost shouted, but her stomach was growling as well. "Okay, we'll order something."

At that moment Buttercup walked in, and Alexa was with her. "They were talking about something, but neither Blossom not Bubbles could make out what it was.

"Hey, it looks like the girls are all here," Buttercup said as she and Alexa approached the table.

"So, will you tell me why we are here?" Alexa asked. "I have the feeling it's not to eat."

"Ask the mastermind," Buttercup said as she sat down. Alexa took the seat next to her.

All eyes were on Blossom. She looked a little nervous, until she saw Harvey Kesler walk in. "Great, he's here." Blossom rose from her seat and approached Harvey.

"So, Blossom what's this all about?" Harvey asked.

"Just come with me," Blossom said and I led him over to a table in the corner. "Here's the plan. Alexa is in love with David, but he doesn't even notice her. So I'll send her over and when I give you the signal you start flirting with her."

"You mean make this guy jealous," Harvey said, "and what's in it for me?"

"How about a date with Kelsey Steadmere," Blossom said with a twinkle in her eye.

Harvey eyes grew big. He had been trying to get a date with Kelsey for months, ever since she broke up with her boyfriend, but it seemed every time he tried something would happen to ruin it. The last time he tried was just that morning before class, but he got all tongue-tied and couldn't speak.

"Are you sure you can pull that off?" Harvey asked not being very optimistic.

"If you pull this off," Blossom said and rose from her seat. She sauntered back over to their table just as the boys had just arrived. "Alexa, I think that guy over there wants to talk to you."

"What guy?" Alexa asked and saw a fairly handsome guy with light brown hair and hazel eyes looking her way. He waved to her and smiled. "I can't…"

"Yes, you can," Blossom said. "Don't worry, it's all just an act to get David to notice you."

"Well, alright," she said and reluctantly rose from her seat and made her way over to Harvey's table. At that moment David had walked in behind Boomer. Brick and Butch were already on their way to the girls' table. Brick immediately came towards Blossom.

"Is there room for me?" he asked

As she rose out of her chair and kissed him and said, "Of course."

He sat down on the seat that Blossom was sitting on moments ago and pulled her down onto his lap. "Have you ordered yet?"

"We were about to," she said as she put her arms around him.

Butch sat down next to Buttercup and tried to put his arm around her, but she pulled away. "Hey, baby, what's wrong?"

"I don't feel well," she said and as she leaned her body forward and put her head down on the table.

"Let's me see if I can make you feel better," Butch said and caressed her back with his hands. "How's that?"

She lifted her head, but her face looked paler than normal. "Why do they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day?"

"I got something to fix that," Bubbles said and pulled out a twin pack of two cracker squares.

"Oh, god, I'm starting to hate those things," Buttercup said but took the crackers anyway. They were like the nasty tasting medicine children were forced to take when they're sick. She opened the package and took a small bite.

"See, now isn't that better?" Bubbles said in her usual cheery voice.

"Shut up," Buttercup snapped.

Bubbles looked like she was about to cry. Boomer put his arms around her which seemed to do the trick she smiled at him as a waiter approached their table.

They all ordered their food, all except for David who was looking over at Alexa sitting with Harvey. Blossom had given a him wink and suddenly Harvey had put his hand on Alexa's. He was talking to her, but David couldn't make out what he was saying since he was so far away, but she was laughing and sat closer to him. He then put his arm around her.

"Who's that?" David said, pointing over at the table Alexa was sitting at.

"Oh, him?" Blossom inquired. "That's Harvey. He's in one of my classes. He's harmless."

David sat down but still had his eyes fixated on Harvey and Alexa. "Well, if he's so harmful what's he doing…" Suddenly David rose from his seat. Blossom looked back and saw that Harvey may or may not have been kissing Alexa.

Blossom looked back at David and saw how livid his face looked. The plan worked, she thought, but then something happened that she had not expected. David stormed over to the table. "Alexa," he said in calm but furious voice. "What are you doing with him?"

Alexa rose to her feet and faced David. "None of your business," she said with a cold stare.

David looked even more furious. Harvey slipped out of the booth they were both sitting at and stood in front of Alexa. "Just calm down, man," Harvey said, but suddenly David punched him in the face.

"David, what are you doing?" Alexa shouted out in horror.

"Saving you," David said and grabbed onto her arm. "What does it look like?"

"Well, I don't need saving," she said with anger in her voice as she yanked her arm back. She looked like she had fire in her eyes. She stared David down and then just stormed out of the café'.

"Alexa, wait," David said and ran after her.

"Great plan, genius," Buttercup said as the crowd gathered around Harvey.

"This was not supposed to happen," Blossom said and buried her head in the table. Things had just gone from bad to worse, and Blossom knew it was all her fault.

Thanks for reading. Things aren't looking good for David and Alexa, but he is about to confess his feeling for her. What will she say? Be here next time to find out. See you then.