TWO

I felt warm and toasty and it wasn't dark at all. There were bright lights and LOTS of angels, only they were on the Christmas tree a few feet away. I was sitting on the couch and Professor had the camcorder going, on Bubbles as she sat on the floor, happily ripping the paper off of a package. I thought to myself that this was a strange place to begin watching my way-too-short life; shouldn't things have started with my earliest memory? As I waited for the next little piece of my history to flash by, I hoped that they would all be good ones. And, since Christmas time was always the best of the best, why NOT start here? I just couldn't remember what Christmas this was. Each one was wonderful, though I used to feel guilty over how much stuff we got when other kids got little or nothing. Buttercup finally managed to convince me that we gave back to the world, big time, and I didn't feel so bad about it.

"Geez, Blossom, wake up! Here!"

Buttercup was impatiently thrusting a package at me. I took it, and I knew immediately something was terribly wrong. I KNEW what was inside. It was the chemistry set Professor had gotten me for Christmas, 1998. I LOVED it; he would let me play with it down in the lab while I watched him work on his stuff. So it was 1998. I was just over a month past my fifth birthday. But I was confused. If I was seeing my life flash before my eyes, like the saying went, it made sense that I would know what was in the box. But, why was I sitting there holding the package when I should have been just a spirit floating somewhere above, watching myself as I experienced the thrill of seeing my new toy for the first time? There was no thrill. My skin began to crawl. Why did everything around me seem so real, like it was happening RIGHT NOW?

"Blossom, honey, what's the matter?"

Professor's words shocked me into action. I started to carefully pull at the tape, like I always did. I hated destroying the wrapping job that time and care had created. Bubbles and Buttercup just tore the paper off.

"For crying out loud, just open it!" Buttercup was frowning at me.

My stomach felt like it was full of bugs, chewing away. My hands were shaking. I grabbed the top of the box with both hands, and ripped. The box ended up halfway across the room. My life wasn't passing before my eyes, I was stuck here in this one place in time and everything was different!

I heard a shriek come out of me as I raced for the powder room and slammed the door. I got on my knees, hugging the bowl just in case, until my insides quieted down. The coolness of the porcelain felt good. What was going on? I couldn't remember anything like this! Then, Professor was at the door, peeking inside, asking if I was sick, and I screamed at him to get out; using a word I had NEVER spoken in my life.

I should stop here for a second, Dear Diary. You might wonder how I knew a word like that. The truth is, I knew a lot of bad words. We heard them all the time from the bad guys we busted. If they didn't care about breaking the law, you don't really think they'd worry about corrupting our morals, do you? I knew it was wrong to say them, especially the ones I didn't even know the meaning of. But I couldn't help myself a few times, so I hope you can forgive me. Besides, like I said already, no one's going to be reading this. I know, that doesn't make it okay, but I did say them and I'm sorry. All right, back to the story.

Needless to say, after more yelling and cussing on my part, including the shocking statement that I didn't care if I never got another present, I was banished to my room with orders to think about the consequences of my actions. It was just what I needed.

I had ruined everyone's day. Professor was deeply hurt and Bubbles just cried and cried. Buttercup had to be restrained twice from coming upstairs to start a fight with me. Professor managed to calm them down enough to take them out, with all of my presents, to visit a few hospitals around Townsville. The Girls felt good about that, they didn't want them; and I'd already enjoyed them once (though THEY didn't know that). I was told not to leave my room. It gave me time to think.

I couldn't begin to understand how or why, but I had gotten the best Christmas gift anyone could receive: I had my life back. This was all too real to be a flashback. I had been given a second chance, and I swore to make the most of it. Ironically, I started out by breaking the rules and leaving my room. I went downstairs and whipped up the best Christmas dinner any of us had ever seen, cheating by using my powers to speed things up. Everything was cooking along nicely, timed for about when I thought they might be back. I left them a note by the front door, along with a bar of soap.

"I'm really sorry, guys. I hope you can forgive me. Professor, the soap is for me if you think I need it. Love, Blossom"

Then I went back to my room to think some more. I didn't get very far; I heard them pulling into the driveway. I expected some sort of punishment but I was just so happy I was no longer dead and I had my family back that I didn't care. I deserved whatever it was, anyway. I sat on the bed, waiting, and I heard Professor coming up the stairs. He knocked on the door and came in; the soap was in his hand. He walked over and stood right in front of me.

"Hold out your tongue."

I did and he touched the bar to it quickly. I barely tasted it. He handed it to me and told me to put it back where I got it. Then he said "I'm going to have to punish you for leaving your room when I told you not to."

"I know."

"Well, since you saw fit to disobey me, you can just spend the rest of the day downstairs, with us."

His shirt was so soaked from my tears of joy that he had to change it.