Sharing a Smile

Twilight sat alone at her lunch table, munching on a tuna sandwich and working on her calculus homework. She frowned as a glob of tuna spilled onto the page of her notebook. She grabbed a napkin and attempted to wipe it off, but she ended up smearing the paper and obscuring her answers. Instead of risking more damage to her work, she decided to put her books away and finish the sandwich.

Just as she was finishing packing up, she looked up to see her friend Rainbow Dash sprinting over to her table, her leather jacket and multicolored hair flapping behind her in the breeze. "Twilight!" she called as she raced over to where her friend was sitting. She sat down next to Twilight, pushing her over to make room for herself on the bench.

"Hey!" Twilight yelled as some of her milk spilled onto her purple skirt.

Rainbow ignored her friend's plight and reached into her backpack, pulling out a rather thick textbook. "I need you to help me with my Geometry homework."

Twilight stopped trying to sop up her lap and raised her head, staring at her friend's eager expression. "Rainbow, this is the third time this week you've asked me to tutor you. Seriously, I think you should stay after for extra help. Who's your teacher again?"

Rainbow made a dismissive raspberry with her lips and said, "I don't need to talk to boring old Mrs. Ingrid! She's like 70 years old and she can't teach for crap. Plus, she spits when she talks. I'd rather just ask you."

"Well, I'm flattered, but I think it would be in your best interests to talk to her sometime. You're the only junior I know who still hasn't passed Geometry; what will you do next year when you have to apply to colleges?"

"Twilight, you know math isn't my thing."

"Winning the Regional Track and Field Championship is not going to get you into Harvard."

The athlete rolled her eyes, tired of having the same conversation for the fifth time. "I've told you, I don't want to go to Harvard. I'm applying to UCLA."

"They're still not gonna let you in if you can't even pass Geometry."

Rainbow was getting frustrated. "Whatever! Can you just do my homework or not?"

Twilight didn't answer, instead looking up at the sky. It was the perfect spring weather: bright blue skies, a few cirrus clouds high in altitude, a gentle breeze, and a warm sun shining down on the courtyard. It was seventh period on a Friday afternoon, which meant there were only two more classes left before the weekend. She could manage to do Rainbow's homework without too much stress.

Sighing, she took the textbook from her pal, who smiled and said hastily, "Thanks so much Twilight see ya Monday bye!" And before Twilight could blink, her friend was gone.

Smiling despite herself, she finished her sandwich and subconsciously looked up at the table across from her. There, sitting by herself, was a girl Twilight recognized from her gym period. She had never spoken to this girl before, but she knew her name was Diane. Her friend Rarity had mentioned her last week when they were shopping together.

Diane looked like a typical goth for the most part. She was dressed in tight black pants, extremely tall Converses that came halfway up her shins, a black T-shirt of some death metal band, spiked jewelry, heavy eyeliner, and a serious amount of mascara. But what made her particularly stand out, looking as if it was created intentionally to contrast the rest of her appearance, was her straight pink bubblegum hair. Twilight wondered how anyone could stand dressed so contradictorily. And her name, too--it sounded foreign when combined with her outfit. She'd have never guessed her name was Diane by just looking at her.

She realized now that Diane was looking her way. Not wanting to appear stalkerish, she quickly averted her gaze towards her now-empty lunch tray. She sat staring at it awkwardly for a few seconds before she realized people were getting up to leave. The bell had rung.

She scrambled to throw her trash away. She was one of the last to leave the courtyard. As she pushed open the door that led back into the building, she turned around to see if Diane was still there. She was glumly picking up her backpack, which was a plain dark color, and walking towards the same door Twilight was opening.

Twilight considered saying hi, but it would be awkward to talk to someone that she knew had caught her staring at her. Besides, she only knew her name from a conversation she'd had with someone else. Instead she turned around and headed off to AP Biology.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was...compelling about her.

----

BRRING! The satisfyingly loud sound of the final school bell was music to Twilight's ears. Her French teacher had just been about to write the homework on the board, but was interrupted by the sound of the end-of-the-day bell. She attempted to get the class's attention, but they drowned her out with their frivolous chatter.

Twilight gathered up her books. Smiling, she headed towards the door, calling to her teacher. "Au revoir, mademoiselle! Have a nice weekend!"

She followed the throng of students heading down the hallway, moving as a collective body. It occurred to her that high school was almost like a hive: worker drones doing the manual labor, thinking as a group and being subjected to the rule of the queen--or in this case, principal. She smiled, then realized she was going off on one of her usual tangents and derailed her train of thought.

Applejack was waiting for her by the locker they shared. She was rather tall, towering at least three inches over the average teacher. Leaning against the wall, her thumbs resting in the pockets of her denim cutoffs, she looked rather composed for a high schooler. While everyone else was in a mad dash to get home and enjoy their time off, she was patiently waiting for her friend to show up so they could discuss their plans.

"So, Twi," Applejack began as her locker mate walked over, "are ya comin' over tonight ta work on that project for our Film Studies class?"

Twilight froze in the middle of opening their locker, her mouth agape. "Oh, no, I forgot about that! I already told Fluttershy that I'd come to see her perform in the musical tonight!"

Applejack reached into the locker and grabbed her brown jacket. "Fluttershy's in the musical? She doesn't seem ta be the performin' type o' gal."

"She said she had a small part. It's just that it's their first performance, and she's really nervous. I promised her I'd come to see her on opening night."

"All right, then. I guess showing yer support is pretty important. We can work on the video some other time."

Twilight got out everything she needed for the weekend from her locker and slammed it shut. "But I don't want us to fall behind! We still need to edit the video, add music, all that stuff. Plus I also have an English essay to write, a Bio paper due Monday, a World History quiz to study for..."

Applejack brushed her blond ponytail off her shoulder as they proceeded to walk towards the back entrance, where AJ's car was parked. "Aw, shucks! Just BS it like Ah do."

Twilight recoiled at the thought. "You mean make it up? I couldn't do that! My reputation as a scholar would be blackened! I'd get kicked off the National Honors Society! I'll never get into Stanford!"

Her friend chuckled. "Relax, I'm just playin' with ya."

They were now outside. Applejack took her car keys out of her pocket and pressed the "unlock" button. The headlights on her family's gray Toyota flashed, alerting her to where she'd parked. She opened the driver's door as Twilight got in the shotgun side. Since they lived on the same block, they carpooled to school every day. Twilight still didn't have her license, which she couldn't get until next month, so Applejack took up the responsibility.

On the way home Twilight stared out the window. She couldn't believe how warm it was for February in Pennsylvania; usually a nice spring day like this was rare for this time of year. Not that she didn't like winter and all, but it was a nice change from the drab gray clouds that typically plagued the skies during this month.

She still had Diane on her mind. What is that girl's problem? she thought to herself as she envisioned the odd juxtaposition of emo chic and pop singer pink. She'd certainly never known anyone like that in her family. She seemed like the kind of girl her parents had always told her to stay away from since kindergarten.

And yet there was something about her character that she regarded as pleasing, something that she aspired to be like. But she wasn't sure how to describe that quality. She just knew that somehow she wanted to be more...more...she couldn't think of the right word.

"TWILIGHT!" AJ called for the fourth time.

Twilight jumped. She had been so lost in thought that she didn't even realize she had arrived at home. She thanked her friend for the ride and got out of the car. As she walked up to her front door she imagined what her parents would say if she dressed in black and dyed her hair pink.

They'd most likely ship me off to a mental facility, she bemused. Or kill me.

Probably both.

----

Twilight sat in a row by herself in the auditorium. She was pretty early, but that was because she wanted to give Fluttershy some last-minute support before the show. Fluttershy had seemed more timid than usual, but she was glad for the encouragement and determined to try her best.

She was one of the first people in the theater. The show was supposed to begin in ten minutes, but considering the school's track record for punctuality it would be another hour before everything would be ready. Everyone seemed to predict this and refused to show up earlier than the scheduled time. But Twilight didn't seem to mind the sparseness of the theater; she was glad to have the time to continue her calculus homework she'd brought with her.

By the time she was finished, the house lights were starting to dim, meaning the show was about to begin. The auditorium was nearly filled with people, save for a few spare seats scattered in various places throughout the room. One of them was next to Twilight.

Just as the lights went out, Twilight felt a tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me," a voice said in her ear, "may I sit next to you?"

Twilight looked up at the girl standing in the aisle and barely managed to stifle a gasp of recognition. It was Diane. She hadn't expected to see her here, that was for sure.

She nodded. "Go ahead," she said as she got up from her seat in the aisle to allow Diane to sit down. Now the lights were completely out and the curtain rose as the orchestra began to play the overture.

Twilight looked at the program for the show. Scanning the cast list, she couldn't see Fluttershy's name at first glance. It took her a minute to find it in the dim light: She was playing the role of "Woman in Crowd." Twilight chuckled. Guess she wasn't kidding about having a small part.

While the orchestra was playing, she decided to make small talk with her neighbor. "Hi, I'm Twilight," she whispered to Diane, who nodded tersely. She didn't appear to be in the mood to talk.

"Hi," she said briefly. "I'm Diane."

Twilight smiled, pretending she didn't already know that. "Nice to meet you! Well, actually I think we've met before. I've seen you in gym third period. I guess we just never got the chance to meet up--"

"SHHH!" an overweight woman sitting in the row behind them hissed at Twilight. She heeded the woman's advice; clearly the theater was not the best place to hold a conversation. She watched as the overture concluded and the show began.

She wasn't much of a theater critic, but she felt it was a decent performance. The actress playing Kim MacAfee, a senior, was doing an exceptional job so far, but the other actors seemed a bit shallow. Especially Conrad Birdie. She felt his actor was very superficial; she couldn't connect to the role at all.

When the performance came to "Put on a Happy Face," she was surprised at how good the dancing was. That Albert Peterson was superb.

Gray skies are gonna clear up
Put on a happy face
Brush off the clouds and cheer up
Put on a happy face
Take off the gloomy mask of tragedy
It's not your style
You'll look so good that you'll be glad
Ya' decide to smile!

Twilight couldn't help but grin. Something about the song just made her want to smile. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard some sniffling going on during the song, and it sounded fairly close by. Someone must have really like the performance.

After the company sang the Act 1 finale, the curtain fell and the lights came up. It was time for intermission.

Twilight followed the crowd into the cafeteria for refreshments. She waited in line for a while and made a purchase of two cupcakes, a water bottle, and a brownie. She planned to take the brownie home for her brother. She began unwrapping the first of her cupcakes and walked around, looking to see if there was anyone she knew. She couldn't find anyone, so she sat at a nearby table and ate her sweets.

Then she realized she had to use the restroom. Making sure not to leave her goodies out in the open, she concealed her cupcakes with a napkin and walked into the ladies' room.

She went in, did her business, and started washing her hands in the nearby sink. Then she heard a positively strange sound, one she'd never expect to hear in a place like this: crying.

She turned off the water and waited, unsure of whether she'd imagined the noise or if it had been real. Then she heard sniffling again. She knew it was probably a severe invasion of privacy, but she couldn't help herself. Before she really knew what she was doing, she pushed open the stall--

And gasped.

Diane was kneeling on the bathroom floor, tears and mascara running down the sides of her face. She was holding what appeared to be a bottle of some medicine, small white pills within a brown tube. It took just one look for Twilight to know what was about to happen, and she felt it was her duty to prevent it.

But she couldn't move. She was paralyzed, her brain being unable to determine what would be the best course of action, having never been in a situation like this before. She just didn't know what to do.

Then she saw the manic look in Diane's eyes, the look of a cornered animal when confronted by larger predators. She saw the hurt on her face, a hurt that cut so deep into her being it was nearly irreversible. She saw her cupped handful of pills as it made its way towards her mouth, an act that would be her last in this life.

"NO!" Twilight shouted as she clumsily tackled Diane, spilling the pills out all over the floor and preventing her from completing her intended action. She lay on top of her, pinning her to the ground. It took her a moment to realize what she'd just done: she'd saved a life.

But it wasn't a life that wanted saving.

Diane was crying more furiously now. "Please..." she whispered as she struggled to reach the suicide pills scattered around the floor. "You don't understand...I need this..."

"You need what?" Twilight yelled, suddenly furious at the girl who was trying to take her life away. "You need to kill yourself just to take the pain away? Just so you can feel better?"

Diane was shouting through her tears. "You don't get it! You don't know me!"

"I know enough to know that this isn't the right thing to do!"

"NO YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!"

Despite Diane's sobbing, the room seemed deathly quiet to Twilight. The silence echoed louder than anything, threatening to deafen her.

After a few moments Diane stopped struggling. She knew there was no chance of getting to the pills now. She was at the mercy of this girl who had just taken away her salvation, a girl who barely even knew her name. A girl that she despised.

She bellowed in rage. "You dumb bitch!" She reached out with her fist and punched Twilight square in the jaw, knocking her over and onto the floor.

Diane pulled herself into a sitting position. "Who the fuck do you think you are, barging in here like that?!"

Twilight, her head now throbbing and her jaw aching, sat up and stared at Diane straight in the eyes. She saw her face full of hatred that was directed at her. She knew she was still thinking of killing herself right here, right now, in front of her. She had to stop her from being so intent on taking her own life. She had to get her to see that it was okay, that there was no reason for this, that everything would work out eventually. And suddenly she knew what to do.

She began to sing.

Diane froze, mesmerized by the song. It put her into a complacent trance. She listened intently to Twilight's sweet, clear singing voice.

Pick out a pleasant outlook
Stick out that noble chin
Wipe off that "full of doubt" look
Slap on a happy grin!
And spread sunshine all over the place
Just put on a happy face!

And if you're feeling cross and bitterish
Don't sit and whine
Think of banana split and licorice
And you'll feel fine

Hot tears were streaming down the sides of Diane's face. Still she listened quietly as Twilight finished the song.

I knew a girl so gloomy
She'd never laugh or sing
She wouldn't listen to me
Now she's a mean old thing

So spread sunshine all over the place
Just put on a happy face
So, put on a happy face

The song concluded. Diane was bawling harder than ever. Twilight reached out and wrapped her arms around her in a big hug. The tears fell onto Twilight's nice silk blouse, but that was the least of her concerns. She was just happy to be here, comforting someone who needed help, and showing them that life is so much better when you know how to smile.

----

The next morning, Twilight sleepily opened her eyes. She was vaguely aware that her mother was calling her name, but because her brain was still dreaming, she thought that her mother was a giant raspberry donut attempting to devour her. Slowly she emerged from her odd dream, wondering if there was even a such thing as raspberry donuts.

She glanced at the clock beside her bed. The glowing green LED digits told her it was 9:26 AM, a bit later than she usually slept on weekends. She yawned loudly, which helped to clear her sleepy head a little as she got up and got dressed.

Before heading downstairs, she decided to quickly check her Facebook page. Opening up her laptop and laying it on her bed, she clicked on the bookmarked link and sat down cross-legged in front of it.

Ignoring all of Applejack's FarmVille requests (she hated playing that dumb game), she noticed a red number 1 highlighted in the "Friend Requests" tab at the top of the page. She clicked the icon and read the name aloud.

"'Pinkie Pie?' I don't recognize that name."

She clicked on the link, which led her to the page of the person named "Pinkie". As she scrolled down, browsing some of her photos, she quickly realized that it was Diane. Apparently her full name was Pinkamena Diane Pie.

She was about to accept the request, but she hesitated. Maybe I'll just read some of her status updates, she said to herself as she pressed the down arrow on her keyboard.

She read the most recent status, which was posted yesterday evening at around 4 PM. It was only one sentence long. It said:

"I don't want to do this anymore. i'm done with this bullshit."

Several of Pinkie's friends had commented, telling her to pull through and hang in there, but Pinke herself had not replied. There were several similar messages posted to her wall over the course of the past week, each one just as brief and had an aura of sadness to them. Then there was one from about two and a half weeks ago, but this one was very angry. Judging by the number of errors present in the message, it must have been hastily written:

"I fcuking hate my parents!!!1 they think there are sooooo smart, that they cn do anythin to me and i wont care! WEL I DO CARE!! I DO FUCKING CARE!! FUCKING ASSHOLES, THEY THINK THEY OWN ME BUT THEY DON'T!!!!!1"

Twilight was afraid to read any more. She hastily shut the laptop and got off her bed. Her mother was calling her again, this time to come downstairs for breakfast.

Time passed. Twilight spend most of her morning writing her English essay that was due soon. She remembered how Applejack had told her to fake it, and she got a good laugh out of it. Yeah, like she'd ever think of doing that! It seemed much funnier the second time.

Then she remembered: She'd forgotten to congratulate Fluttershy on her performance last night. She opened up Internet Explorer and logged back in to Facebook. She moved her mouse up to the search bar at the top of the page and was about to type in Fluttershy's name when she stopped and looked at her news feed.

The first item was a status update from Diane. But it didn't look like Diane--she'd changed her profile picture. In the picture she was wearing a pink tank top with party balloons, and her hair was styled to make it look curly. She looked so different it was hard to recognize her at first.

The message said:

"I had a super fun time at the hair salon today!! Last night I went to se Bye Bye Birdie, and I loved it! The show was great, but there was a one thing in particular that really stood out to me. It was "Put on a Happy Face." I really loved it, and now I have a happy face to match! :D"

Twilight couldn't stop grinning. She had done more than just save someone's life that night.

She'd saved a smile.

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