ACT TWO
The next day, bright and early at School, the students were all announced to head to the yard for the morning assembly to welcome the new exchange students.
“Good morning, everyone...” Celestia announced “As you know, today begins the start of our exchange program. We have with us nine students from the Murakami School, all the way from Jump City, our neighboring town, about fifty miles southeast from here. I want you all to give the best respect you can for our newcomers and make them feel welcome here.”
That’s when students stepped forth…
Dick Grayson: A slick and handsome looking teen with waving, spiked black hair, but he wore a special mask over his eyes.
Kori Anders: A tall girl with long red hair.
Victor Stone: A tall and really buffed up black dude with no hair.
Raven Roth: A Goth girl, with shoulder-length purple hair, and very pale skin. Her deep and rather dark expression left much to be desired from everyone.
Kato Kalinkis: Raven’s boyfriend, and just as gothic as she was, but not nearly so stern looking. He seemed to closely resemble Dick, and even had the same black hair and style, but his skin was a little pale just like Raven’s, and also wore a mask over his face.
Terra Markov: A girl with long blonde hair, and she seemed rather nervous, feeling stranger to be in a new place like this.
Jackie Amber: A girl with short red hair and freckles on her face.
Jillian Dionne: Amber’s best friend, practically sister-like. A black girl with long black hair done up in a high ponytail.
That was it, eight new students… which aroused confusion from everyone.
“I thought there were nine?”
“Where’s the last one?”
“Something’s wrong here.”
The girls would have gone on wondering too, were it not the fact they noticed all the students were wearing the exact same style school-uniform that other guy wore the other day; white shirts, blue pants-- the girls wore skirts-- and black shoes and ties.
“Do you girls think…?” Twilight asked.
Sunset agreed, “That guy we ran into yesterday; he’s one of them up there, but who was he again?”
Before anyone could guess, the last student showed up. Sure enough, he was the same boy the girls had run into the other day. He stepped onto the field like a stranger marching into town and his cape fluttered in the soft breeze
A hush fell over every single student. Fluttershy felt four chills run up her spine. Rainbow clenched her teeth in soft rage.
The guy saw her and the rest of the girls out of the corner of his eye behind his shades, and then he could see his other eight schoolmates from Murakami High; preferably one of them…
…Terra!
She stood where she was, pretending not to be looking at him, but out of the corner of her eyes, she couldn’t help but keep her gaze fixated on him, which gave her churning feelings inside.
“Are you the ninth student?” Celestia asked.
“Yes. I’m Garfield Logan. Sorry I’m late, I overslept.”
“Well, welcome anyways.”
Garfield nodded thankfully and stood by his schoolmates. Most of them didn’t seem too thrilled to see him.
Suddenly, he let out a huge yawn, and looked a little woozy, the others couldn’t help but gaze at him, but he caught of himself and scorned the others softly, “What are you looking at?”
The others all stood straight, not even looking at him.
Twilight gawked at him from the crowds, and couldn’t believe he was Garfield Logan.
“That’s the guy you were assigned to put up with?” Applejack asked in disbelief.
“I know I’d like to put him up… up on the flagpole.” said Rainbow. She was obviously still mad at how horridly Garfield behaved with everyone yesterday, but Twilight wasn’t so sure, neither was Sunset.
As for Rarity, she gawked at not only Garfield, but all the Murakami students, in a look of shock and without blinking. “This needs serious improvement.” she said.
“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy, but Rarity didn’t answer and began to make sketches down on a pad of paper she carried with her, in case she ever got ideas.
Soon, after the last of introductions, Celestia dismissed the assembly and told everyone to head off to second period, with the exception of the girls, Flash, who were given the rest of the day off to show the transfer students around, as well as take them to their homes to get them settled in before their classes began the next day.
Before long, Sunset had escorted Dick round campus. “And here’s the music room. It’s empty right now, so usually between periods, I and my friends like to hangout here.”
Dick seemed impressed, “It’s almost like the music room back at my school, only it’s not as wide as this. Most people at school aren’t even into music. It’s all usually just clubs and in-crowds, but I prefer to try and tolerate others.”
He turned to face her, and she couldn’t help but stare at his face, wondering about his mask. “Is it about my mask?” he asked slyly.
Sunset felt a little embarrassed to answer, but Dick didn’t mind at all.
“About a year ago, I was presenting my science project, experimenting on the melting points of different chemical, but the teacher didn’t check the equipment before giving it to me. For that matter I was too busy daydreaming about how cool my project was to check it myself. The hose to the gas valve was faulty, and when I turned on the gas to light the burner… Boom…!”
Sunset felt shocked! “Oh, my…!”
Dick nodded, “That flash of the explosion was so bright, it hurt my eyes really badly. I was rushed to the emergency room. I was lucky it wasn’t too serious, but the doctor told me it would take some time for my eyes to get well again, and an operation was not optional in the state I was in as it could’ve have led to further damage.
I can still see, but my eyes are so sensitive I have to wear this mask during the daylight.”
“Oh, I’m very sorry to hear that.” said Sunset. “Oh, it’s okay…” replied Dick, “I’m used to wearing this. In fact I kind of like it. It makes me look… mysterious.”
Sunset was taking quite a liking to Dick, but she wondered how the others were getting on.
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were walking Raven and Kato down a hallway. Pinkie couldn’t stop bouncing around with such giddiness. “Do you guys like parties?” Pinkie asked.
“That’s the third time you’ve asked that.” Raven said in a deep dark tone, “And we keep answer you… “Yes” if it involves poetry, reading, meditation, or a burial.”
Pinkie blinked once, “That doesn’t sound much like a fun party I’d go to.”
Fluttershy stuttered nervously, “Um… I uh… do you two have any… interests at all.”
“Yes…” replied Kato. His voice was just as deep and as dark as his girlfriends, “Poetry, reading, meditation and burials.”
The girls both blinked once, and realized maybe their two new supposed friends wouldn’t be as easy to please as they thought. “Um… well… I’m into animal care.” said Fluttershy
Kato shuddered softly.
“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I upset you? I didn’t mean it.”
Kato slowly reached up to his face, and removed his mask. His face was turned away from the viewer, but the girls almost shrieked by what they saw. His face had horrible scratch marks all over it. “You see…” he said sounding low “This is the result of a wild black cat that had crossed my path one day. Its claws were very sharp. I can never look at any animal the same way again without being reminded of how my features were ruined, and how I was mocked and scorned for the way I look.”
He replaced his mask, and Raven placed a cold but comforting hand on his shoulder. “At least we found each other. You even helped me when I moved to California when my parents split up. My dad was a jerk!” She lifted up a few of her hair bangs revealing small marks from and bad bruising, “He gave me these when I was eight.”
Fluttershy and Pinkie felt heart-struck. “Oh, you poor things.” cried Fluttershy. “That is the meanest, saddest thing I ever heard.” added Pinkie, but the goths seem as sad as they were. They were used to gloom and depression, and found it soothing.
“Can we get on with this tour already?” Raven asked.
“Sure we can.” Said Pinkie “The sooner we finish the sooner we can party!”
“Yay…” Fluttershy peeped weakly, while the goths sighed softly.
Meanwhile, Jackie, Jillian, and Terra were touring with Applejack and Flash. The two Js were texting to each other on their cellphones, as if they were bored to the bone, while Terra seemed pretty much normal. “So, what else in there around here?” she asked.
The Js seemed annoyed that she’d ask that. “Is there anything around here actually cool?” asked Jackie, “Yeah! We haven’t seen much yet.”
Applejack was very annoyed, “Maybe if you’d stop texting so much and look ahead, you’d see things.” she grumbled softly.
Flash put his hand on her shoulder telling her to take it easy and remember what Celestia said…
“Anyway…” said Flash “This is the auto-shop. There aren’t any classes today though.”
“No surprises.” grumbled Jackie.
“Who’d want to take something so lame?” added Jillian.
Applejack, being careful to maintain her cool said, “Well some of us like it. I take it every-other day so I can help fix up things on the farm.”
They entered the auto-shop class, and to their surprise they found Rainbow Dash with Victor, actually checking out the place. “Whoa, this is some sweet hot-rod.” Vic said “Fine engine, auto-transmission. I could fix this baby up one-two-three.”
Rainbow turned to Applejack and Flash, “Vic is so awesome!” she whispered “He’s into cars, and sports, but he loves rock music.”
“My ears are burnin’.” Vic said.
Rainbow blushed a bit.
“Ah, whatever!” groaned Jackie.
“Can we like, get out of here before I puke out of boredom!” added Jillian.
All the others didn’t take kindly to their attitudes, and Flash decided to take them someplace else, hoping to impress them. “I’ll catch you guys later.”
Then they were gone.
“They’re really much nicer, once you get to know them.” said Terra.
Vic sighed, “Girl, you keep hanging with those two, you’re not gonna get far.”
Applejack finally got to speak her mind. “Those two got worse attitudes than a raccoon fightin’ with a rat in the garden.” Then she asked Terra “Why would you hang with them?”
Terra looked down, taking an interest in her shoes. “My life hasn’t exactly been all that nice. My mom died when I was little, and my dad and my older brother didn’t show me much respect.
Then one day, we’re in a car crash. My father got distracted when he turned back to yell at me, for what reason I don’t know. He didn’t see a big truck up ahead, but I did. I got out of the car quickly, but my dad and brother weren’t so lucky.
The vehicles crashed, and there was a big explosion. The driver of the truck, and my brother and dad were killed, and I was on my own.”
I lived in an orphanage that educated me, and soon I got adopted into a foster family, and when I was old enough I got into high-school, but I was very unpopular. It seemed no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t fit in… until I met Jackie and Jillian.
They seemed to be popular among the students, and promised me that if I hung out with them, I’d be recognized too.
So far it’s worked… a little. We’ve always hung out, shopped, but they don’t always have the nicest attitudes. It’s best to take it as it comes.”
The others felt sorry for her, hearing her story, but as far as the Js, they still remained unconvinced, still, Rainbow and Applejack thought it nice that Terra was trying for friendship.
Suddenly, Applejack and Rainbow received a text from Rarity on their cellphones.
“Come to the Sewing room, and bring the new students. I have a treat for them.”
The other girls got the same text and complied, all meeting at the sewing classrooms. There were no classes in that room either that day. The girls had brought all the Murakami students… except for Garfield. He was nowhere to be found, and Twilight hadn’t seen him since the assembly.
“He just walked off when the crowds broke up, and I don’t know where he went.”
Before anyone could protest or say anything about it, the room went dark, and Rarity stood by a large sheet she had set up like a curtain. “Ladies and gentleman…” she announced, “I would like to present my new friend, Ms. Kori Anders in one of my best designs I call “Welcoming Wardrobe.”
She pulled down the sheet to reveal Kori. She was no longer wearing her regular school uniform, but instead she wore a white shirt with a red sequin star in the center and a black leather west with a short white leather skirt with black stripes at the sides, all topped with long white boots.
Everyone gawked at her with such astonish, especially Dick. He eyed her from head-to-toe and thought she looked pretty, or rather prettier than ever.
She caught his eye and winked at him, making him blush and turn away, but Rarity, her friends as well as the Murakami students already got the drift that Dick obviously liked her.
“Dang, girl… you look awesome.” said Vic.
“Sure, beats wearing a school uniform all the time.” replied Kori “And Rarity made a new outfit for each of you.”
The students turned to face Rarity, and she winked at them, and revealed a rack of clothes and outfits she had whipped up quickly, one outfit for each of them. “You’re all in a new school now, and you needn’t wear such dreary uniforms.”
They all took a few moments to change in private behind curtains and behind cubicle walls and one-by-one they all came out wearing their new outfits.
Dick wore a white shirt with a green jacket identical to Flash’s jacket, with matching green pants.
Vic wore a red extra-large shirt topped with a large black overcoat and strong blue jeans.
Raven won’t a black long-sleeved top with matching black pants, topped off with large blue cuffs at the wrists and a golden chain of fake, but pretty jewels hanging off of her figure.
Kato wore a black t-shirt with a white skull design ironed on the front, and matched with black jeans to go with it and metal wrist bands. He looked almost more like a punk than gothic.
Terra wore a black long sleeved shirt, with a large yellow T encircled on her chest. The lower part of the shirt was cut short exposing part of her tummy, but she wore a brown belt with pouches on each side, and bright yellow shorts.
As for the Js, they wore identical outfits. Simple white tops with beige pants, white handbags to keep their phones in, as well as anything else they would have brought with them.
“I guess this place isn’t all bad.” said Jackie.
“But don’t get cute.” Jillian warned the others, and then the two girls decided to head off. “You coming, Terra…?” Jillian asked.
Terra decided to go off with her friends, “Bye, and thanks a lot, Rarity.”
Rarity felt a little insulted by the Js peculiar compliment, “Well I do hope the rest of you appreciate my gesture of generosity.”
The others were indeed grateful and offered their comments. Dick admired himself as he looked at his reflection in a big mirror, while Vic couldn’t help but pose like a stud. Even the goths smiled, but weakly and rather wickedly. “You look… kinda cool in that.” Raven said to Kato. “Not bad yourself…” replied Kato “Reminds me of a small poem…”
He went into a deep stance, as if he were standing in an open meadow as a soft breeze blew as he recited the small verse…
“Her was dark, like dead tree’s bark
Feel the pain, a low ingrain.”
Raven felt soothed by the dark poetry while the others felt a bit creeped out. “Okay then…” said Sunset, “But… what about Garfield’s outfit?”
The last remaining outfit stayed on the rack. Rarity decided to make one for Garfield, despite the attitude he gave her and her friends the other day, and now he wasn’t even here to receive it, nor take his tour with Twilight.
The Equestria Girls all got a bad feeling about this.
“Don’t let it get to you.” said Dick, “Garfield’s always been in a bad mood, and he’s always looking down at people, but he is pretty smart.”
Twilight’s eyes widened, “He is?”
Kori nodded and explained about Garfield, “He studies harder than any student we’ve ever seen. At Murakami High, he’s the big student on campus. He aces all his tests with such ease; it’s like a waste of time to him, but don’t try to push him around. Many others tried that, and they all ended up regretting it in the end.”
Now the girls all felt concerned, “So, is he some kind of bully?” asked Fluttershy.
“Not really…” said Vic “He doesn’t’ really push people around, but he gets into moods. Ya gotta give him his space. You don’t bother him, he doesn’t bother you.”
“Heh…! Could’ve used that info a bit sooner.” Applejack muttered.
Pinkie Pie could see everyone’s faces getting long, “Come on, everybody. Let’s all head to my place, for the PAR-TY!”
Moods began to turn round to happy, and everyone agreed it best to take their new friends and celebrate what they all had going on.
They met up with the Js and Terra along the way and all headed for the front door, but there waiting for them on the steps was none other than Garfield!
He turned to face them, and his shade shined wickedly.
“Garfield!” Terra muttered softy. The other Murakami students stood where they were with stern expressions on their faces, while the Equestria girls-- some of them felt chills run up their spines, Fluttershy hid behind Sunset, and Rainbow and Twilight glared at him.
“Well, you all took your sweet time getting here.” Garfield said.
“You’ve been here this whole time?” asked Sunset “Why didn’t you come on the tour with us?”
“I just didn’t feel like it, Got it!” snapped Garfield, “Besides, I’ve been waiting for her…” he motioned at Rainbow, “I know it’s a bit early than what we agreed on, but the soccer field is free right now. Want to have that match now?”
Rainbow’s eyes flared up with eagerness, “You’re on!”
The Murakamis felt they were missing something, “Have you guys met already?” asked Vic, but the silence and strict looks by the Equestrians told them enough.
So they all headed off to the soccer field.