A new student transfers to CHS and falls for Sunset... though there may be more to him than what they see.
'Three months.
It's been three months since Augustine got knocked off her concrete throne. Three months since Delsin rewrote the book on Conduits. Three months since I've been out of that nightmare of a prison.
Now I'm getting enrolled into a school in the middle of nowhere, and I've got to deal with all these annoying people dancing and singing like some fruity kid's movie.
And I don't know why, but this one girl, Sunset Shimmer...
She's different. Like me.
\\\\\\//////
Sort of a crossover with INFAMOUS: Second Son and Equestria Girls (takes place after Rainbow Rocks).
Playing the games is NOT needed, it is mostly unrelated.
Thanks to DIO Brando on fimfiction for making the sick art for this story!
Sunset Shimmer looked to see Pinkie skipping alongside her as they walked to school, the pink-haired girl's hands occupied by a tray of coffee cups for the Rainbooms.
"Yeah, should be a heck of a lot better after everyone's had a chance to cool down from... well, you know," she trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck.
"You mean when those three girls showed up and turned out to be Sirens and we had to go against them at the music festival and almost lost while everyone listening was having their minds collectively controlled?"
"Um... yeah, that," Sunset answered.
"Yeah, that was a time and a half, huh?"
"You could say that."
"At least no one's going to call you out for being a demon since you saved them all from three more!" Pinkie said.
"Let's hope," Sunset murmured.
"Sunset, listen, you're gonna be alright, and from here on out, everything's fine."
"Right, but I'm just worried tha-"
"Sunset, it's fiiiiiiiiiiiiine," Pinkie insisted. "Everything's going to be A-okay!"
\\\\\\//////
"And you're certain that this student won't cause any trouble?" Principal Celestia asked as she sat back down.
Across her desk were files of a new transfer, one named "Trevor Bowick," showing a teenage boy in what looked like a prison outfit, with massive metallic cuffs over his entire forearms. The student's medical papers and transfer documents were piled up out of the way with a piece of red paper sitting in the center of the desk.
Sitting before Celestia's desk was a man with a dark-brown skin tone, running a hand over his bald head. He nodded as Celestia sat down, returning a pen to his blue suit jacket's pocket.
"We're sure of it," he answered in a medium baritone. "He's had no record of violent outbreaks his entire time, and is more reserved than any others from the facility."
"But to be there for so many years," Celestia said, leaning on her chair, "what has Augustine done to this poor child?"
"Gave him shelter, food, a warm cell, something resembling a family in the loosest possible definition, but she kept him safe and taught him restraint. After searching through the private files on her personal device, we found out that he was part of a secondary initiative for the militarization of Conduits. He was part of a group that would have been deployed to contain other Conduits and handle public intervention."
"She wanted him to be an Anti-Conduit?" Celestia asked.
Charles nodded.
"Essentially."
"And what makes you think he'd fit in here?"
Charles pulled out his state-issued smart-phone before scrolling through several pictures. He flipped the screen to Celestia to show images of the school's front destroyed, a student with wings and massive projections of Sirens over the school's property.
"We've seen you handle worse, Celestia. We know that whatever's keeping this place in one piece will either keep him in check or be a good influence on him."
Celestia hummed in thought before sighing.
"Very well. I'll tell my sister and the Custodian to keep an eye on him, just in case."
"Thank you, Celestia."
"And what about Homeland Security and the FBI? Won't they be wondering where one of Augustine's most powerful Conduits went?"
"We've kept them informed and they want to keep a watch on the school for the first six weeks. If there's any sign of trouble, they'll pull us out and wipe the records. There'll be enough black ink to dye every paper in the entire city thrice over if he so much as sneezes in a way they don't like, but they'll give him a chance."
"Very well, then. When does he start?"
"Today, if you'll allow it."
\\\\\\//////
Sunset and Pinkie walked past the Wondercolt statue in front of the school, watching as other students were walking towards the doors. Looking around, Sunset saw that there weren't any stares or glares directed at her, and there wasn't a single thing thrown towards her yet. So far, it's been a good day.
"Sure are a lot of big cars in the parking lot today," Pinkie said.
Sunset turned to see at least eight large vehicles, all painted black with tinted windows. Large men wearing suits of varying dark shades with earpieces were walking about between them, a few pulling out radios and talking into them as they went in and out of the cars.
"You think they're here because of the Siren incident?" Sunset asked.
"If they are, they're a teensy bit late," Pinkie said. "I think it might something to do with all the Conduits popping up."
Sunset nodded, remembering the footage of one from Seattle that was plastered all over the news for months on end. It almost made their struggle against the Sirens look like child's play, but she'd rather face those three down again if given a choice between them and a Conduit.
"You think it's necessary, Pinkie?"
"I'd like to think that it's not, but there are people that are responsible for the D.U.P. being created in the first place, after all. Maybe some are just really grumpy that they can't have a normal life so they don't know what to do. I mean, what if we couldn't turn off our ponying-up? Rainbow Dash wouldn't be able to join any sports team because she'd have wings, and that's SUPER cheating! Or what if Rarity couldn't make any more clothes 'cause they wouldn't fit any of us and so she'd have to make them all weird and no one would buy them!"
"Sometimes I really don't get it. It's a lot like how Earth Ponies reacted to Unicorns back in Equestria, but..."
"A lot more violent?" Pinkie asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah. I mean, I would have just let them do whatever they're good at with their powers and let it be."
"But someone's going to try something bad with it," Pinkie said solemnly. "I've seen it happen a lot, Sunset. Good people could have something awful happen and they can only lash out."
Sunset shook her head sadly.
"Just like me."
\\\\\\//////
"Sunset Shimmer, please report to the principal's office, Sunset Shimmer, please report to the principal's office," the speakers blared.
"Guess I'll catch up with you later, Pinkie," Sunset said as she departed from their walk.
Sunset turned the nearest corner and followed the hall to Principal Celestia's office. Upon entering, she saw the Principal looking over several documents, a student sitting in front of her desk. From what she could see, he was wearing a black cap over curly blonde hair and had on a black jacket where he hid his hands, bluejeans and grey tennis shoes covering the rest of him. Celestia looked up and smiled.
"Ah, Ms. Shimmer, good to see you."
"Mrs. Celestia, how can I help you?" Sunset said as she walked in.
The boy in the seat turned around, lightning blue eyes striking a line of sight right at Sunset's own. He flinched away from her look, turning to stare at a random corner behind Celestia.
"We have a new student joining CHS today, Mr. Trevor Bowick. He's from far out of town and needs someone to show him around the school."
"Okay, sounds good," Sunset said happily.
A new student meant someone that hasn't heard about the Fall Formal (hopefully) and another chance at making a friend.
"Trevor, Sunset here will show you around the school's facilities and help you find your scheduled classes as well. I hope you treat her with as much respect as she gives, and that you find comfort here at our school."
Trevor nodded swiftly, before standing up. Now able to get a better look at him, Sunset could see that Trevor was about half a foot taller than her, but was very thin, almost frail. He moved the tip of his hat down to cover his eyes from her before grabbing a navy-blue messenger bag that sat by his seat.
"I-I'm ready to go," he whispered.
"Where should we start first, Principal Celestia?"
"Wherever you think would be best, Sunset. Remember, class starts at 10:30 today, so lunch period is moved to 2 o'clock."
"Thank you, Principal Celestia."
With that, the two exited the office and walked into the hall.
"So, welcome to Canterlot High," Sunset greeted. "I'm Sunset Shimmer," she said, holding her hand out to him.
Trevor turned away from her hand, looking down the hall as if to avoid looking at her.
"Thanks, I'll find my own way, now," he said.
Sunset slowly retracted her hand, a little hurt by his action but she quickly deduced that he must be a bit shy.
"It's alright, but I need to show you around first. So, if you'd follow me, I can get you started."
Sunset took a few steps towards the main hall, but stopped when she noticed that he wasn't following. She saw that he was still standing there, unmoved entirely.
"Um... are you coming, or...?"
"You don't want me to follow you, I'll be a burden."
"What?"
"You don't need to make sure I get anywhere. Thanks. I can handle this," he said before walking down the opposite way.
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on!" Sunset said, rushing over to stop him.
Sunset grabbed his jacket's arm, pulling him back.
"You can't just leave and wander around! There's a system in place here and I have to follow it. Besides, if the teachers see that I'm not helping you, they'll tell Celestia and I'll get in trouble for not doing what I'm supposed to."
"O-oh... I'm sorry," he said before turning towards the main hall. "I'll try not to cause too much trouble."
Sunset smirked as she lead the way.
"Believe me, there's nothing you could do to cause more trouble than we've had at this school just last year."
Rainbow strummed at the electric guitar's cords lazily, her eyes glued to the clock as she and the Rainbooms waited for Sunset to arrive for practice.
"What's taking so long?" she said, leaning back.
"She probably got called up to show a new student around," Rarity speculated. "She did sign up for that program, remember?"
"Or it might have somethin' to do with all those Humvees outside," Applejack said, looking through the window.
"Do you think it has something to do with the Sirens?" Fluttershy wondered.
"Hopefully it won't have anything to do with the Fall Formal," Applejack said.
"Please, it's been months since those things happened. Who'd wanna investigate now?"
"Maybe those hunks from Supernatural?" Pinkie said as she hung upside-down from one of the room's vents.
"Pinkie, be careful up there, there's hundreds of thousands of dust specks waiting to rain down all over us if you break something," Rarity said.
"Please don't hurt yourself," Fluttershy said.
They heard a series of knocks on the door before a familiar figure walked in.
"Hey girls," Flash Sentry greeted. "How are things going?"
"Hey Flash," Pinkie greeted as she back-flipped off of the vent, landing perfectly on her feet. "We're good! Just waiting for Sunset!"
"Oh, yeah, I heard that on the intercom earlier. What do you think she got called for?"
"Don't know, but we'll just ask her later," Rainbow said. "Wanna help us practice since you're here? We need a second guitar for this one song we're practicing."
"Sure, what cord?"
\\\\\\//////
"And this is the school's library," Sunset said as she and Trevor walked by the entrance. "You can check out about five books at a time, but only for a school week, so you have to have them in by Friday if you check any out. There's also a computer lab and a printer if you need to work on something online, but it's about ten cents per paper you print out after the first ten of any week."
Trevor nodded as he looked at the door's number, keeping his eyes away from her.
His behavior was somewhat odd to Sunset, though not unfamiliar. She could recall when she first met Fluttershy in such a way, with scenarios reversed, and how she would avoid eye contact. However, his refusal to speak most of the time was a tad bit perplexing at the time. He wouldn't answer any of her questions and wouldn't ask any either.
Still, she was determined to make a good first impression, so she didn't try to bother him that much. Maybe he was just really introverted.
"So, anywhere else you'd like to see?"
He wordlessly pulled out a sheet and handed it to Sunset. She cocked an eyebrow before taking it, and examined it quickly.
"Oh, you want to know where your classes are?"
Trevor nodded.
"Well, let's see... oh, that's a heck of a coincidence! We've got the same schedule, period for period!" Sunset said.
Trevor nodded again before taking the paper.
"So when it's time for class, just follow me, alright?"
He nodded again.
"Say, by chance, do you walk here or does someone drop you off?"
"Walk," he answered.
Good, a vocal response.
"Which way do you walk from, North or South?"
"S-South."
"Great! I walk here up South with a friend! We could all walk together in the mo-"
"No, I'll be fine. I can walk on my own," he interrupted.
Sunset blinked in surprise from his sudden response and deflated a bit.
"Oh... alright, sorry."
The two walked on in silence for the next few minutes, Sunset glancing back to the new student to try and gauge anything about him. Soon, the two came across the Arts & Music section of the school, Sunset smiling as she walked up to Room 1313.
"This is where my friends and I practice in the morning," she said. "We have a band called the 'Rainbooms', and we're always open to anyone who wants to listen."
Trevor just nodded.
"Wanna come inside and listen for a bit?"
Trevor shook his head.
"Oh... okay, um... do you wanna wait out here until class starts?"
Trevor nodded.
"A-alright then," Sunset said as she walked in.
"Hi Sunset!" the five girls greeted at once.
"Hey girls, how's everyone doing?" she asked.
"We're just practicing with Flash right now," Pinkie said. "He's helping Dashie with synchronizing cords."
"How's that going?"
"Pretty good so far," Rainbow said. "So what kept ya?"
"Just showing a new student around CHS. Turns out we've got the same class schedule, so he's waiting outside until it's time for class."
"Waiting outside?" Pinkie said. "Why let him stay out there? He should come in here and hang out with us! He can have a snack from my pack!"
"I tried to get him in, but he didn't want to. He's really nervous and shy."
"Kind of shy or 'Fluttershy' shy?" Rarity asked.
"Around 'Fluttershy' shy. No offense."
Fluttershy nodded.
"He didn't even want me to walk him around school at first, but I convinced him. Didn't ask a question the entire time and didn't even look at me."
"That seems rather rude of him," Rarity said. "Are you sure he's just nervous and not being antisocial?"
"You know, I'm not so sure," Sunset remarked.
\\\\\\//////
Trevor took in a deep breath before reaching into his messenger bag, his back against the wall as he stood outside the door to 1313. He pulled out a large book with an image of electrons on the cover, the words smudged and worn off the front. Flipping to a marked page, he began to read through the text, flipping the page a second later.
He flipped through several more pages in succession, seemingly glancing at the book rather than reading it. As he did, a group of students approached from the gym doors, coated in sweat and laughing at a story that one of them was sharing.
"So then I said to her, 'Probably needs a hot beef injection,' and just laid the plate down right there!" the leading one said.
The jocks laughed at the apparent punchline, Trevor unable to hear any of them outside of his studying. As they began to walk past him, one of the jocks walked closer to the wall and, not aware of his surroundings, brushed up against the scrawny blonde. A surge of electricity ran through the jock's wet skin, a small crack snapping at he jumped back.
"GAH!" he screamed as he clutched his right arm. "Agh, shit!"
Trevor fumbled with his book as he backed away from the group of athletes, closing the book and taking a few steps back.
"Dude, you alright?" one jock with a head of messy brown hair asked as he approached the one that had gotten shocked.
"Shit, that stung!" he hissed, clutching a bicep. "Dude, what was that?" he asked, turning to Trevor.
Their eyes all fell on him, and Trevor began to panic internally. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings and let his guard drop for only a second. He injured someone. For all he knew, they would lynch him before his first day of school would begin.
"Hey man, you alright?" one of the jocks asked Trevor.
Trevor flinched from the question and turned around completely, running away from the group. As he did, the shocked jock ceased rubbing his arm before flexing it a bit.
"The Hell was that guy's problem?"
"I don't know. Probably a new student. He's hanging outside here," one said, motioning to the sign for 1313.
"Ah, so he's waiting for Shimmer."
"Why'd he run, though?"
"Probably thought we'd try something. Can't blame him, I mean, look at you, Bulk."
"Now I feel bad for scaring the new kid."
"Wonder where he ran off to, though."
\\\\\\//////
Trevor began to hyperventilate as he shut the door behind him, the restroom door locking as he jogged to the mirrors. He looked into them for a moment before slapping himself across the face.
"Stupid idiot!" he shouted at his reflection. "Are you trying to fuck this up!? Keep your shit under control! Don't hurt anyone, don't cause a scene! That's all you had to do, damn it! If not, they'll send you back!"
He felt the sting of tears as he trembled, leaning against the sink. A choked sob escaped his throat before he clasped a hand over his mouth. A deep inhale cut through his nostrils as he closed his eyes. He let the breath out slowly as he adjusted his hat.
"It's alright, it's alright. Just go out there and let them punch you a bit. Just don't let anything out until you're at the Site. Everything's going to work out fine, as long as I hold it in. I've just... just gotta make it through today... it's in the past... hoooo..."
Trevor walked up to the door and unlocked it, opening it to find the biggest jock waiting outside.
"Hey, there you are," he said.
Trevor felt his throat clench as his eyes widened.
"Just wanted to let you know that Blitz doesn't want to hurt you, alright? It was just a static shock thing, so it's just an accident."
Trevor blinked in confusion before he realized something.
No one here knew about him as much as he thought.
"O-oh, okay it... y-yeah, okay then."
"Jeez, you must have been terrified if you ran away from us like that. Sorry man."
"N-no, it's fine, I should have gotten out of the way."
"Oh, come on, don't say that. I feel like I owe you something after scaring you like that."
"Don't. I-I'm alright, just leave me alone, please."
The jock sighed in defeat before moving out of the doorway.
"Okay, okay, sure. But hey, if you ever need a favor, just ask ol' Bulk Biceps, that's my name, for it, and I'll help ya, alright?"
Trevor cautiously nodded.
"Alright, take care, kid," Bulk said before walking off.
Trevor released a breath as he panted, wiping away sweat from his brow as he recoiled from the fear.
"Well, it's been a blast, girls, but we need to head to class in a few minutes," Sunset said as she packed up the guitar.
The girls began to put away their instruments as well, Flash Sentry checking the door before going to Sunset.
"Hey, you said the new guy was right outside the class, right?" he asked.
"He's not there, is he?" Sunset deadpanned.
"No."
Sunset set the case down before running out of the door, looking down the hallway. Sighing, she went back into 1313 and grabbed her bag.
"I gotta go find Trevor," she said, "I'll see you girls at lunch!"
As the group said their goodbyes to Sunset, she rushed out of the room and ran through the halls, looking around for Trevor.
"Where did he go?"
Sunset stopped when she saw the student in question walking out of the bathroom. She gave a sigh of relief as she walked up to him.
"There you are," she said. "Got me worried for a second."
He ducked his head and looked away.
"Sorry, I just-"
"It's fine," Sunset said, holding up a hand. "I understand. Let's get to class, alright?"
\\\\\\//////
First period ended up being English with Ms. Cheerilee, alongside Rainbow Dash. She caught up to the two and waved to the new student.
"Hey, what's up new guy? Name's Rainbow Dash!" she said.
Trevor just gave her a glance before looking away. Rainbow didn't take offense to this, instead smiling as she shook her head.
"Yeah, he's pretty shy. No prob, I've seen worse. So, new guy, you hang around the band hall and hear us practice? Whatcha think?"
Trevor gave no response to her, simply opting to walk.
"Yeah, I bet I'd be stunned silent if I heard myself play live," Rainbow said.
\\\\\\//////
When the three made it to class, they found a row of free seats in the back of the class. Trevor took the seat farthest to the left of the class, near the window, while Sunset took the seat next to him with Rainbow on her right. Ms. Cheerilee began to take roll after everyone settled down, listing out the names as students proclaimed their presence.
"Trevor Bowick," Ms. Cheerilee called out.
The new student slowly raised his hand.
"H-Here," he said.
"Trevor Bowick, please remove the hat while in class, thank you."
"Uh, actually... c-can I keep it on?"
"Mr. Bowick, I'll have you sent to the Principal's office if you don't remove the hat."
"I have a scar, and-"
"Alright then, but I'll need a note from either a parent, a guardian or someone with a medical background to allow you to wear it after today."
Trevor nodded as he slouched back into his seat, removing a notebook and mechanical pencil from his bag.
Sunset hummed in thought as she looked at his black cap.
\\\\\\//////
"... And that, class, is why you never put a lighter in the dryer," Mr. Sombra said.
The class shared a chuckle at the geology teacher's story, Sunset grinning as she thought of something familiar happening to her when she first used a dryer.
Sunset looked to the back of the lab to see Trevor wasn't sharing a laugh with the class, instead sitting isolated at his own table as he read out of a large textbook.
She gave a sigh as she shook her head just as the bell rang above the doorway to the lab.
"Remember class, you go to lunch after this period and then straight to the last class on your schedule," Mr. Sombra explained. "Third and Fourth periods will have proper introductions for all of you tomorrow."
As the class packed up their belongings and moved to relocate to the cafeteria, Sunset walked to the back of the class to meet Trevor.
"Hey, Trevor," she greeted.
Trevor almost looked up at her entirely, but quickly looked to the side to avoid her face.
"H-Hello, Sunset," he said.
"I wanted to make sure you know your way to the cafeteria, so I thought I'd just walk with you. That alright?"
Trevor nodded slowly as he packed away the textbook. Sunset stole a glance at the cover and smiled.
"Studying on electrical engineering?"
Trevor froze as he slid the book into his bag.
"I-I-I just think electricity's a... c-cool thing to study."
"I'm not trying to discredit your opinion, I'm just saying that I can't really wrap my head around this kind of stuff, you know?" Sunset pulled out her smart-phone and turned it to him. "I can't even begin to understand how a bunch of electricity makes this thing able to take pictures and make long-distance calls without someone thinking it's magic."
Trevor stood up and, for the second time that day, locked eyes with Sunset. Now she was able to see his face in its near entirety, the pale skin and blonde hair coupled with electric blue irises, his lips pursed up in tension as he moved about.
"Y-Yeah, it's amazing how so much works with just electricity, huh?" he said.
Sunset smiled as she finally found a way to get Trevor to open up.
"So do you want to be an engineer when you graduate? Go for some high-paying job and run numbers all day?"
Sunset began to walk out of the class, Trevor following behind after a second's hesitation.
"Actually, I think I might just... settle somewhere quiet. Make a nice place out... away from the city," Trevor admitted.
"Not a fan of big cities?"
"N-No, not a fan of... well, being in a crowd, for one."
"How come?"
Trevor looked away, his face growing dark as he pulled the cap down.
"I... I'm just afraid of... p-people. You probably think that sounds stupid, and that I'm some kind of freak for thinking that, and-"
"Hey, I understand. I'm not the biggest people-person around either, but sometimes you just need someone to help you find your footing."
Trevor adjusted the strap over his shoulder as he spoke.
"I don't think I should... in any way, honestly."
Sunset frowned.
"Why?"
Trevor ducked his head down as he looked in the opposite direction.
"I... I-I don't want to talk, anymore, Sunset. I-I'm sorry, but... i-it hurts to think about."
Sunset nodded as she reached out to pat his shoulder.
"It's alright, I thi-"
zap
"OW!" Sunset shouted as her hand recoiled.
"Sunset!" Trevor said as he stopped in his tracks. "A-Are you alright!?"
Sunset blew air over the palm of her hand before shaking it a bit, hissing as she felt her skin sting.
"Yeah, just... ah, crap! What kind of static was that?"
As she looked back at Trevor, she saw that his face was contorted into one of pure fear. His hands were trembling as he seemingly reached out to her, only to take a step back.
"O-Oh God, I'm so sorry! I-I'm so sorry, Sunset!" he said before running off.
"Trevor, wait! You didn't do anything wrong!"
Sunset slowly stood up, the feeling of the shock fading away almost instantly, causing her to eye her hand curiously.
"What the Hell?"
"Hey kid, you alright?"
Sunset turned around to see a middle-aged man in a custodian outfit approach. His hair was shaven down to his head, several tattoos adorning his neck and forearms.
"Yeah, I'm alright, sir. Just a bit of static shock, and it was more surprising than painful."
"Well you best get on down to the cafeteria. Granny Smith's servin' up mozzarella sticks today."
"I will, thanks."
\\\\\\//////
Sunset set her tray down on the table next to Rarity, the girls all waiting for her word before they dug in.
"So, how was the newbie?" Dash finally asked.
"Yeah, did he have a good time learning everything about the school?" Pinkie asked.
"Turns out he's a bit more nervous than I thought," Sunset admitted, her gaze trailing off as she frowned.
The girls at the table exchanged a few looks before pressing further.
"Whatever do you mean, darling?" Rarity asked.
"Well... I ended up coaxing him out of his shell somewhat while on the way here, but when I tried to comfort him, I got a little static shock, a-"
"Oh, I used to LOVE that show!" Pinkie said.
"... Riiiiiight," Sunset said. "Anyways, I got a little shock from patting his shoulder, and he just freaked out like it was his fault. He looked like he thought he punched me, and then just ran off."
"Ran off?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah, looked terrified for some reason."
"Oh, he probably thought that it really hurt you," Fluttershy said.
"Well... okay, I guess I may have overreacted a bit when it happened," Sunset said rubbing, her neck. "I mean, it didn't even hurt for that long, just a few seconds and then I was fine."
"So ya just need to tell him ya overreacted, then," Applejack said. "Easy 'nough. All ya need to do is find him."
"Is that him over there?" Pinkie asked, pointing behind Sunset.
She turned around and examined the rows of tables behind them and, lo and behold, there he sat in the far end of the cafeteria, sitting alone while reading his textbook, his tray sitting next to the book.
"Hey, why don't we all go sit with him to show him he doesn't have to sit by himself?" Pinkie suggested.
"Good idea, Pinkie, let's go," Rarity said as she grabbed her tray.
The six all stood up and walked over to the mostly empty table, their eyes focused on the new student. He looked up from his book and blanched when he saw Sunset approach with her friends. He quickly slammed the book shut and shoved it in his bag before grabbing his tray.
"Whoa, where do you think you're going, buddy?" Rainbow said as she approached faster.
Trevor did not respond to her, instead removing himself from the seat and walking towards the exit.
"Hey, dude! We just wanted to sit with you!" Rainbow shouted over the noise of the busy lunchroom.
Either unable to hear her or refusing to respond, he pushed the doors open and walked out as several other students turned to watch the sudden interruption to their meals.
Trevor panted as he slouched against the wall opposite of the Principal's office door, his eyes shaking as he tried to calm his nerves. Taking a short breath, he stood up and forced himself to open the door.
"Principal Cele-" Trevor's voice caught in his throat when he saw who was in the room.
Director Charles was sitting in front of the desk, Celestia holding a stoic look while a familiar man in a custodian uniform looked to him.
"H-Hank?" Trevor said.
The Smoke Conduit gave a stern look to Trevor before slowly walking up to him.
"Hey there, kid," Hank greeted, "just stoppin' on by to make sure there's no confusion."
"What are you doing here?" Trevor asked.
Hank held his hands in front of him in a calm motion.
"Whoa there, don't mean no harm to anybody, alright? I've gone straight since Seattle."
"Then why are-"
"He's part of the Program," Director Charles said from his seat.
"What?"
"He's here to monitor your behavior and intervene if deemed necessary at any point, should you start to act out. He just informed us of something that happened not too long ago."
Trevor went pale at the thought of having the truth exposed already.
"I-I'm so sorry, I-"
"It's alright, Mr. Bowick," Celestia said. "Mr. Daughtry was just explaining how it was a simple slip on contact, nothing more than just some static. Ms. Shimmer hasn't been injured in any major way and it's clear that it wasn't intentional. You will not be expelled or reported for a small accident like that, but I would advise learning to control your power a bit better."
"I can assure you, Principal Celestia," Charles said, "we've been monitoring his fluctuations and have determined that it's a mental trigger, not a physical one. He sometimes begins to emit a small charge when learning about electrical behaviors or anything related to the science of electricity. He starts to think about how it applies to himself and channels his powers without noticing. It's happened quite a few times, but it's relatively easy for him to control. Right, Trevor?"
Trevor nodded at the Director's words.
"Very well then," Celestia said. "So there is no need to worry about the incident, just make sure that you keep these moments from happening, if you would."
"O-Of course, ma'am. Principal."
"Good. Now, I believe that it's almost time for fifth period."
Trevor nodded and walked out of the office.
\\\\\\//////
"I can't believe that we've all got Art together!" Pinkie said as she sat down at the large table.
"Yeah, kinda lucky, huh?" Rainbow said.
"You alright Sunset?" Fluttershy asked.
Sunset kept a watch on the door to the class, her schedule in hand as she tapped her foot.
"The new guy, Trevor, has this class too," she said.
"Well, try not to be too distracted by tall, blonde and terrified," Rainbow said. "Seriously, what kind of guy just runs away like that when five girls wanna sit with him?"
"An anime protagonist?" Pinkie suggested, to which Fluttershy nodded.
"Maybe he just wanted to be alone," Applejack said.
"Darling, he ran away in a panicked hurry at the sight of us approaching. That's beyond just being shy," Rarity said. "I think that he might very well be somewhat afraid of Sunset."
Sunset turned to look at Rarity.
"What? Why? I haven't done anything to him and I don't think he's heard about the Fall Formal."
"Well, you did say that you got a static shock thing from touching his shoulder, right?" Applejack asked.
Sunset nodded.
"Well, maybe he's thinking that you'd be mad about that."
"But it's just a tiny little shock, and it wasn't even his fault!" Sunset said. "He acted like he had just punched me by accident and took off."
The girls sat in silence, Pinkie balancing a box of pencils on her nose while Rainbow tapped the side to try and make it spin. The athlete backed away and chuckled as it wobbled about. The door to the class opened and the girls turned to see the new student enter. Sunset straightened up in her seat as she smiled to the boy, waving her hand for him to approach.
Trevor looked away from the group, sliding into a seat at an empty table by the opposite end of the classroom. Sunset dropped her smile and her hand as she slouched into her seat. The door opened once more as a short woman with a brown bowl-cut entered the room.
"Hello, class! Welcome to Art! I'll be your guide, Paige Turner," she greeted. "Today, I want us all to introduce ourselves to one another and- Oh! Dearie, what are you doing all the way over there?" she said, looking at Trevor.
The blonde shrunk into his seat, trying to avoid eye contact as he spoke.
"I just wanted to sit over here, it seemed comfortable," he said.
The teacher shook her head with a "Tsk, tsk" sound.
"I don't think so, young man. In this class, we're going to learn how to get out of your comfort zone with your expressiveness and I want everyone to be in groups. So why don't you sit... ah, over there, with those six girls!"
Sunset sat up when the teacher pointed to their table. Trevor seemed to freeze at the suggestion, trying to back out.
"A-Actually, I-I think I'd-"
"Upupupupup!" the teacher said, pushing him forward, "no arguing with the teacher!"
Trevor then found himself standing in front of the six girls and their table, the lot of them giving him large smiles while they shifted their chairs to form a gap between Pinkie and Sunset. The pink-haired girl pat the seat next to her while Sunset gave a reassuring look. Trevor tried to control his breathing as he sat down in the chair, his eyes darting between the six of them as he tried to hide underneath his hat. He slid his bag over the back of his chair and pulled out a notebook and pencil before trying to make himself seem as small as possible, his arms close to his sides while ducking his head.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped back a bit when he saw Sunset with a small smile on her face.
"I just want you to know that I don't hold anything against you. That shock earlier was just a freak thing, something that happens to everyone all the time. I'm not gonna hate you because of a little shock, okay?"
Trevor looked at her face in detail, taking in an image of her soft voice, her smooth skin, the flowing reds and yellows of her hair, and those shimmering blue eyes. He felt his heart rate increase looking at her, and he tried to get it to stop. He nodded to her before looking back at his notebook, relaxing his posture just a bit.
"O-Okay," he said. "I'm just... really sorry about that."
"Hey, no need to apologize, alright? Let's just put it behind us, alright? It's what friends do."
Trevor perked up at the word.
"F-Friends?" he asked, looking at her. "I-Y-You think that- I mean, you want me to... be your friend?"
"Not just her friend!" Pinkie said as she gave the pencils another spin on her nose.
Trevor looked around the table to see the other girls smile and wave at him, giving their greetings as they introduced themselves.
"You hang with one of us, you end up hanging with all of us," Rainbow said.
Trevor pushed a lump in his throat down as he returned to his notes, noticeably straighter and taller in his chair after the introductions.
"Well, that concludes our class for today!" Mrs. Turner said, clapping her hands. "I hope to see you all here tomorrow, and that you enjoy your next year in our class! Goodbye, everyone!"
With that, the class began to pack up with the hustle of the first day's end, Sunset and her friends chatting together as well.
"Well, that was quite a day," Rarity said.
"Yeah, glad that's over," Rainbow said.
"So who's up for a relaxing afternoon at my place?" Pinkie said, bounding out of her seat. "I say we party for the start of a new school year!"
"Didn't we already have one last Friday?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah, but that was before Trevor came to school!"
When Pinkie said that, the girls all turned to the new student as he was packing his belongings, his eyes going wide when he noticed the sudden attention.
"Uh, w-what's up?" he said.
"We're gonna hang out at Pinkie's house and we'd like you to join us," Rainbow said.
"Why? I'm not... I mean, I don't-"
"It's alright, buddy!" Pinkie said as she wrapped an arm around him. "We're just gonna hang out and eat some pizza and play video games and stuff! It'll be fun!"
Sunset pulled Pinkie off of the shaking student before calmly explaining.
"We just want to invite you to maybe hang out with us. You don't have to if you don't want to, I understand if the pressure of the first day's a bit much."
Trevor looked between Sunset and Pinkie, taking in a few sporadic breaths before nodding.
"Th-thanks, but I-I need to... make sure everything's alright at my place, I just moved in and, uh... sorry."
"It's alright, you don't need to make excuses, darling," Rarity said. "Moving in to a new town can be quite troubling, not to mention starting school today. No need to strain yourself."
"Yeah, don't feel bad about it, it's hard to keep up with me!" Pinkie said.
"Just remember," Applejack said, "your invite's always good whenever ya wanna drop on by. Just make sure ya send word ahead."
"Oh! Great idea, AJ!" Pinkie said. "We can give you our numbers so we can all stay in touch and answer any questions you might have about the school!"
Trevor stood from his seat and ducked his head, adjusting his hat as he spoke.
"I don't have a phone of my own."
"Really? That sucks, man," Rainbow said. "What if you get attacked on the way home from school? Don't your parents care about your safety?"
Trevor's hand shook as he brought his hat over his face before storming out of the room. As he left, the girls watched him slide between some students to distance himself from them. After a second had passed, the majority of them turned to glare at Rainbow.
"What? It's a reasonable question," Rainbow said.
\\\\\\//////
Trevor rubbed a sleeve-covered hand over his upper lip, his eyes stinging as he walked faster than the students around him. He knew that they could see his tears running down his face and his snot wiping, and knew that they would likely make fun of him for it, but at that moment, he didn't care. He was experiencing such an overload of confusion, like someone had poured bleach and kerosene into a sink filled with acid before slamming him face-first into the putrid concoction.
Making his way out of the front doors, he noticed at least two dozen eyes land on him from the parking lot, a mass of suit-wearing agents all entering their disguised vehicles as they prepared to follow him back to his designated residence.
He felt some fort of comfort in knowing that they were nearby, ready in case something wrong could happen. A faint burning sensation swept through his scalp before he swallowed a lump in his throat.
As the students around him dispersed, Trevor made his way to the sidewalk leading to the South section of the small town, his mind redrawing a still image of the map he had seen once a few days ago.
Being what he was granted him some advantages, such as his photographic memory in some cases, his enhanced stamina and slight edge of physical prowess, allowing him to walk to and from his residence and school at a higher speed than most others would. These were still outweighed by the countless downsides to being a freak of nature, but Charles wanted him to think positively on these walks. Use this time to calm down.
"Heya Trevy!"
Trevor nearly tripped over himself when he heard the familiar voice right behind him, instinct and fear struggling over one another in a fraction of a second before he yelped in surprise, and thankfully did nothing else.
Walking up to him were Sunset and Pinkie Pie, the former sporting a sweat on her brow as she caught up with the ladder, who was bouncing along casually.
"You were right Sunset, he does have the same route as us!" she said.
"Yeah," Sunset said. "Listen, I want to apologize for whatever Dash said to make you upset. It's just that we only met you today, so we're unaware of anything that might be offensive."
Trevor turned his gaze away before picking up the pace, hoping to lose them.
"T-That's fine, I'm alright, see ya."
Pinkie turned a corner out of sight, waving her goodbye to Sunset.
"Wait, hold on!" Sunset said, jogging to catch up with him.
She managed to get a pace with the student and held a piece of paper out to him.
"Jeeze, you're fast! Just, please, take this."
Trevor glanced at the paper and carefully removed it from Sunset's grasp, reading the numbers that covered it.
"It's all of our numbers, in case you have any questions," she said.
A small feeling of warmth crept over Trevor's face as he pocketed the information, the numbers etched into his mind.
"T-thanks, Sunset. I-I guess I'll... see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sounds good! Hey, hold up for a second?"
Trevor stopped at that moment, Sunset pausing to catch her breath.
"Whew. Okay, so... what time do you think you'll end up walking to school from now on?"
Trevor pulled up a memory of his schedule and then a map of the distance between his residence and the school, the numbers running through his mind as he blinked.
"A-About 7:20?" he said.
"Great! We can meet up at this corner," she said, pointing to the street signs.
Trevor looked up to see the crossroad read, 'Maple Avenue' and 'Amber Road'.
"A-Alright then," he said. "Um... t-thank you, Sunset, for helping me today. I didn't expect anyone to, uh... be so welcoming."
"Hey, don't worry about it, I've been there before. It's not easy adjusting to someplace to different than what you've grown used to."
Trevor slowly nodded.
"Y-Yeah..."
"Well, see you tomorrow!" she said, walking down the street with a wave.
"Uh, g-goodbye," he said, waving back.
\\\\\\//////
With Sunset and Pinkie gone, Trevor increased his walking speed slightly enough to manage to walk halfway out of town in the span of a few minutes. Decrepit neighborhoods started to grow abundant, several rotting houses marked with eviction notices barely peeking out above the flora as he traveled further South. The armored vehicles started to depart one at a time as they tailed the Conduit to the abandoned part of town, a few taking turns in case he tried to run away.
After another few short minutes of relative peace, Trevor made his way to a stony path laden with weeds to a rusted fence. Behind the barrier was a small house in pristine condition, completely out of place in the immediate area. The front door, however, was metallic and bolted at the edges. In front of the gate, Director Ross-Walker stood with a smile on his face.
"Trevor," he greeted as the Conduit walked up, "enjoy your first day back to school?"
"Y-Yes sir," Trevor said, straightening up.
"Easy there, I've told you, this isn't an interrogation. I imagine you've had quite a day, why don't you just vent a bit and then we can talk about how it went?"
"Yes si- I mean... a-alright," Trevor said.
Trevor took his messenger bag off of his shoulder as they made their way towards the door. Charles reached for the handle and jostled it a bit before grunting.
"Well, this is embarrassing," he chuckled. "Would you mind?"
Trevor moved aside as Charles stepped back before grasping the handle and pushing his weight into the armored door. The entrance opened with a heavy creak as Trevor stepped inside, the sunlight slightly illuminating the interior of the estate. It was a simply furnished house with a black couch in the main room, a beige carpet covering the entire floor and a 30" TV on a cabinet opposite the couch, a small wooden table between them. The kitchen was visible through a bar-like counter near the doorway, a small island with green marble in the center of the predominately white kitchen. Through the kitchen, he could see a door to a bedroom open, a twin-sized bed with blue sheets over it, and a door leading to a full bath next to it.
"This is it, Trevor," Charles said, patting Trevor's shoulder, "your new life starts here."
Trevor nodded as he breathed in deeply through his nose, taking in the scent of his house. His. House. Not his cell, not his chamber, not his closet. Not Augustine's property. It was the very first thing that officially belonged to him.
"And remember," Charles said, "out back is a transformer and distributor if you need to vent. Just make sure you don't overload it."
"Thank you, Mr. Ross-Walker."
"It's Charles when it's just us, alright kiddo?" Charles said with a pat on the back. "Now, I believe I saw you walking out of school with a couple of girls chasing you?" he said with a smirk, eyebrows poised for wiggling.
Sunset sank into the chair as the other girls started to talk of the first day back at school, each one enjoying a small treat and a drink.
"So then apparently Hoops ran into the new guy, Trevor," Rainbow said, "and said he got a shock like Sunset did! He said that Trevor freaked out and ran away, same as Sunset!"
"Oh my, he must have been terrified to see all those jocks staring him down," Fluttershy said as she sipped a cherry milkshake. "I remember when Rainbow first introduced me to Track and Field, and... well, it was quite frightening."
"Maybe he was bullied wherever he came from?" Applejack suggested as she scarfed an apple tart. "Could have been expectin' all the jocks to act alike."
"Though I must say," Rarity said, "it is rather perplexing that both incidents involve static shocks. He mustn't have a proper method of drying clothes, then."
"What do you think, Sunset?" Pinkie asked.
Sunset hummed in thought as she slurped her strawberry shake, her eyes wandering about as she thought of the new student.
"He seemed really freaked out when that happened," she said. "And I don't know if you girls noticed, but all those big cars in the parking lot this morning? They left after he did and were going slowly down the road... right behind him."
The group sat in silence for a moment, processing the information, before Rainbow started to chuckle.
"Okay, what are we saying here?"
"I don't know, Dash," Sunset said. "I really don't know."
\\\\\\//////
"So that's what happened?" Charles said.
Trevor nodded.
"Yes, sir. I-I had to refuse, I just... I don't know..."
"Don't know how to interact at a party, how to interact with them, or how to go on from here?"
"... yes?" Trevor said.
Charles chuckled before patting Trevor's head.
"Trevor, you need to calm down. All this is is a bunch of kids that want to be friends with you."
"But why me, though? I haven't done anything to show-"
"Maybe not yet," Charles interrupted, "but maybe it's because they want to get to know you. You won't know unless you let them in."
"So... d-do I avoid them?"
"No, no no no no no, Trevor," Charles said, shaking his head. "You need to open up a little bit and talk with them. I'm not saying to just flat-out tell them everything, but start off small with maybe... Gah, I don't know what kids talk about these days. But they're willing to give you a chance. This is what you've been talking about for months. Do you really want to waste it on a bunch of 'what ifs'?"
\\\\\\////// The Next Day \\\\\\//////
Pinkie bounced in place as Sunset checked her phone, no messages in her inbox, and checked the time.
"Seven eighteen," she said.
"So do you think maybe he's running a bit late?" Pinkie asked. "Or maybe he went to school earlier?"
"Let's just wait for a few more minutes and see, Pinkie."
Pinkie began humming to a tune in her head as Sunset looked around the area. To the East and West roads, there were small houses and a few small renovated shops, including a barber shop and a family-run clinic, and very few houses. The ones further South were more plentiful, but were in relatively bad conditions. She could see the paints peeling off the mold-laden walls even from where she stood, one house's foundation being uprooted by a massive oak.
'He said he lives further South,' Sunset thought, 'but is there any place livable down that way?'
The streetlight near the Amber Road sign flickered and sputtered, Sunset looking towards it. When she turned her head, she saw Trevor approaching with his hat tilted slightly higher up on his face, allowing a less obscured view of his face, though his blonde bangs still curved somewhat over his eyes. He wore the same getup as he did yesterday, but she could see a white shirt poking out from beneath the jacket.
"H-Hey, Sunset, Pinkie," he greeted, slowly waving to them. "Um... g-good morning?"
"Hey there, Trevy!" Pinkie said, spinning on the spot. "It is a good morning, isn't it?"
Trevor seemed to flinch from Pinkie's erratic behavior, but Sunset still smiled and waved back.
"Hey Trevor," she said. "Moving in to the town alright?"
"Uh, y-yeah, sure am," he said, adjusting the strap on his bag.
"Good. Just so you know, if you ever need help finding anything, just call me or one of the other girls and we can show you around town."
"Thanks, but I... I-I think I've got everything I need."
"And if you ever get an achy-breaky sweet tooth, my parents share a building with an amazing bakery!"
"Oh, um... s-sure, thanks."
Sunset and Pinkie stayed quiet for the rest of the walk up to school, neither of them noticing a trio of vans following a block behind.
\\\\\\//////
"And I want to make it one hundred percent clear," Principal Celestia said, "that you are not to address me as such again, Mr. Daughtry."
"Right, of course, sorry 'bout that, ma'am," Henry said as he went back to mopping the hallway. "Just... thought I'd-"
"Mr. Daughtry, please, let's try and keep things professional, alright? We both have jobs to do and you especially can't afford to lose focus on anything."
"Course, sorry Ce-Principal, Celestia."
Celestia nodded and walked down another hall, leaving Henry to sigh as he leaned on the mop. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a photo of a young girl, about six or seven, with a smooth, thick wave of brown hair with bright amethyst eyes gleefully looking into the camera. Behind her, a younger Celestia wrapped her arms around the child, resting her head on the girl's own as she smiled into the camera as well. Along the bottom of it was a scrawl in pen; 'For Them'. Henry shook his head as he tucked it away, returning to his mopping duty before the school day could begin.
"Seventy-three days," he said to himself. "Just another seventy-three days, and I'll get to see her."
\\\\\\//////
"Working on Mr. Cranky's assignment?"
Trevor turned from his notebook to see Sunset approaching his nearly empty table, smiling as she set her tray down.
"Uh, y-yeah," Trevor said, "just... working on Sine and Cosine formulas, I... I'm not very good at Math."
"I used to be the same way," she said, scooting next to Trevor as she pulled out a textbook.
She flipped through the book to a folded corner of a random page, placing it on the table between herself and Trevor. As she traced a finger down the page, she started to explain the formulaic difference between the two. While she did, though, Trevor felt his heart beat a bit faster as she leaned close to him.
"So Sine is the length of the Opposite side divided by the length of the Hypotenuse, while Cosine is the length of the Adjacent side divided by the Hypotenuse. Just remember, Sine is O over H while Cosine is A over H. Got it?"
"Why do you care, Sunset?"
Sunset blinked in surprise as she reeled back from the question.
"W-what?" she asked.
"Why do you care about me?" he said.
"I... why are you asking?"
Trevor shifted in his seat, looking towards the window to avoid eye contact.
"I... I-I always thought that... in the world, I'd have to be on my own for everything. I didn't think that anyone would care. Why do you? Why do you care about me? I'm just... some guy."
Trevor flinched from the feeling of a hand on his shoulder, and looked to see Sunset giving him a gentle smile.
"Why shouldn't I?" she asked. "Why think that way?"
"I..." Trevor took in a deep breath. "I... I-I don't know... social, anything. I can't... I'm a freak. I don't know how to talk to others, just... sitting here with you right now is making me feel like..."
"I know how you feel."
Trevor looked to Sunset, finding her with a warm, welcoming smile.
"When I first came here, I didn't know anyone or how things around here worked. It was awful, and I can understand how you'd be afraid of getting lost in everything happening, but you're not alone. I want to make sure that no one went through what I had to go through. That's a feeling that no one should have."
Trevor looked into her eyes, the weight of her words reaching through to him. He felt as though he should trust what she said, and he felt slightly at ease.
Sunset hummed to herself as she unpacked her guitar, her and the girls opting to get a session of practice in after school. As she plugged her guitar into an amp, she heard the girls starting to chat.
"So, we saw that you had a little moment with Trevor," Rainbow said.
"Yeah, he seemed really moved by the fact that we wanted to be friends with him," Sunset said.
"Seriously? Why?"
"Well, maybe he's a bit of a social butterfly?" Fluttershy said.
The girls turned to her.
"It's just that, well... It really seems like he's almost afraid of social interaction. Even these past few days in Art, he's been trying to keep from talking to us. I mean, he's almost worse than I was when I first moved here."
"Hey, maybe that's it!" Pinkie said. "Maybe he's just nervousited about moving to a new town and he's really, really, really afraidxious about meeting new people and trying to make friends!"
"'Afraidxious'?" Applejack asked.
"Afraid and anxious!"
Sunset nodded as she strummed her guitar, tuning it as she thought of the new student.
"Probably," she said. "Let's hope that we can at least help him feel welcome to the school."
'I hope I can help him avoid how I felt,' Sunset thought.
\\\\\\//////
Trevor sighed in frustration as he set his bag down, pulling out a biology book and flipping through to the cardiovascular section. He focused himself on reading through the passage, trying to pull himself out of the image that had been stuck in his mind all day. Seeing Sunset next to him, a warm smile on her face as she reached out to comfort-
ZAP
The Conduit flinched as a full centimeter thick bolt surged out of his arm, lancing up to the metal wiring across the ceiling. As the bolt was absorbed into the metal wires, Trevor smacked himself about.
"Stop it, stop it!" he shouted.
DDDDDDDDDDDING DDDDDDDDDDDDDDING
He turned to see the landline ringing by the front door, the old phone shaking atop the small table.
Trevor's body was consumed in a flash as he appeared next to the phone before picking it up. The plastic in his hand started to glow and hiss from contact with his skin, the Conduit holding the piece out away from his face as he spoke into it.
"H-Hello?"
"Trevor, I just got a notification that you've pinged nearly 100,000 volts in the last hour," Director Ross-Walker said. "What in God's name is going on over there?"
"I-I'm sorry, sir, I just, I... I need to figure something out, there's this girl, I can't get her out of my head and I'm freaking out because I'm afraid I'm gonna hurt someone and now I can't stop seeing her smile an-"
ZAP
The landline burst apart in Trevor's hand, bits of burnt plastic and metal showering the carpet.
"Shit!" he cursed.
Trevor began to hurry in his panic, becoming a blur as he picked up each shattered piece by hand before he heard a hard series of knocks on his door.
"Bowick, open up!"
"C-coming!"
Trevor rushed to the door and pulled it open, the hinges groaning as he swung it back to reveal three tall men in black suits. The one in front had an earpiece on his left side, his amber hair cropped to avoid getting caught in it as he looked at the Conduit.
"We just got a message from the Director that you've been surging out for the last hour," he said. "Explain."
Trevor felt his breath catch in his throat as he pressed his head against the door.
"I don't know what to say! I can't get this image of this girl out of my head, and every time I close my eyes I can hear her talking to me!" Trevor said, sparks flying off of him as he seemed to glow. "I can't take a break because every time I try to calm down I think of how nice she is and how nice her eyes are and my heart just starts beating and aching like I've got a clogged artery but I can't just purge it out of my body!"
As Trevor finished, a large burst of electricity surged from his back, arcing into the ceiling as the lights dimmed. He stood there, panting as he waited for the suited men to do something.
The agent before him looked to the ones behind him and nodded. They responded by walking back to the large Hummer parked in front of the house as the agent sighed.
"Look, just use this to talk to the Director and give it back when you're done," he said, handing Trevor a flip-phone.
Trevor carefully took it out of the agent's hand before dialing the Director's personal number.
"Status update."
"Um, s-sir?"
"Trevor, what's going on?"
Trevelyan took a breath and explained his current feelings as best he could to the Director, a lance of lightning sometimes bouncing off of him. After a brief moment of silence, he heard Charles sigh.
"Thank God, thought something was actually wrong."
"Sir, please! This is serious! I can't tell if this is some kind of sickness I'm feeling or-"
"It's called, 'Love sick', Trevor. You've got a crush on that Sunset Shimmer girl."
"So, I take it the last week has been quite a change of pace?" Charles said.
"Sir," Trevor groaned from his spot on the couch.
The Director examined the Conduit's residence and sighed, shaking his head.
"You know, we wouldn't stop you from going out with her."
Trevor's head shot up, his eyes wide.
"W-what? Sir, I-"
"Of course, you'd need some money to treat her, and we'd have to find a way for you to get it legitimately. After all, we don't have that much funding to go around as is."
"S-Sir, I don't think that it'd be right for me to try," Trevor said.
Charles stopped and looked Trevor in the eye.
"Why not?"
"I just... what if someone finds out I'm a Conduit? What if they tell her and she thinks I'm a monster? What if they think she's just as bad just because I spend time with her? I can't... I can't."
"Ah, alright, I see. You think that you'd ruin her life, not just for school, but overall."
"Y-Yeah. But, I thought you'd be more opposed to the idea. I mean, I'm supposed to be kept hidden, right?"
"You're supposed to blend in like a normal high school student, yes. That means that you should be out there, spending time with friends and get to know someone special. We didn't bring you out here just so you could mope around, Trevor. I suggested bringing you here to help you start over. Find a better life."
"At what cost, sir?"
Silence held an icy grip on the two until Charles cleared his throat.
"Speaking of cost, the Board decided that, as reward for your behavior, they're cutting the number of Escorts around here by half, and are willing to give you something to help you blend in more effectively."
Charles pulled an iPhone 5s from his jacket before tossing it to Trevor, who stared at the reflection.
"We want you to have a better life, Trevor. To make something of your time here. Please, do yourself a favor and live in the moment."
\\\\\\//////
Trevor swallowed in an attempt to try and moisten his throat, despite being nearly void of water on a molecular level. The science and numbers ran through his head hundreds of times over but he couldn't even bring himself to regard any of these with anything more than half a second.
No, his thoughts were utterly dominated by one single person: Sunset Shimmer.
The thoughts of her smiling face, her flowing hair, the softness in her voice and how she was one of the few people at the school who talked to him. Trevor wanted to punch himself in the face for this, but Director Ross-Walker was right, he had developed feelings for this girl. He didn't want to believe that he did, but whenever he tried to focus on anything but her, it always managed to loop back to that one instance they spent together.
"This is ridiculous!" Trevor said, grasping two metal rods. "I can't keep thinking of her! Something like me doesn't deserve that kind of chance!"
His arms glowed and cracked apart as he forced his excess energy into the transformer. The lights above flickered and died as Trevor illuminated the room with his body. A needle wavered on the center of the machine, indicating that Trevor had just unloaded nearly 800 kilowatts in the past few hours."
"No! I have to stop thinking of her!"
As he walked back up a flight of stairs, he pulled on his hair while forcing negative thoughts into his mind.
One small accidental discharge would be all it takes to either disable something vital or outright incinerate her. It didn't matter how he felt, he knew that he shouldn't even try to start anything at risk of Sunset's health. Not only would she be hurt physically, but her identity would essentially be on the verge of absolute coverage if anyone found out what Trevor was. She'd be targeted by so many people, she could get seriously injured by anything Trevor did, and it all hurt his chest to think about it.
Trevor cried as he smashed his forehead into the steel plating of a nearby wall. The impact dented the plate and left a white glowing spot from the intense heat he generated.
"I-I can't do this... I... I-I just have to avoid her, yeah. I can request my classes to be switched if I get there early."
\\\\\\//////
"I'm sorry Mr. Bowick, but I'm afraid all of the class rosters are already full," Principal Celestia said.
"Principal Celestia, please!" Trevor said. "I need to get into different classes!"
"Would you care to explain why, then?" she asked. "Your forms didn't exactly give an adequate reason for the sudden change in schedule."
"It's... because I, uh... I-I don't want to be in the same classes as Sunset Shimmer," he said.
Celestia's eyes widened for a moment before she sighed, shaking her head.
"I see. Has Sunset not been helping you accommodate properly to this environment or have there been... other issues?"
"... Other issues."
"And how would you describe these issues?"
"I... i-it's uncomfortable at best, and... terrifying at worst. I just... I-I don't want to be around her anymore."
"Very well. I'll have to make sure that Sunset is punished accordingly for-"
"Wait, what!?" Trevor said.
At his words, a light bulb in the next room exploded.
"Son of a bitch!"
"Principal Celestia, why would you punish Sunset? Sh-she didn't do anything wrong."
"I thought you said that she was causing you discomfort and is making the environment unpleasant for you?"
"I didn't mean... I-I don't want her to be... why would she be punished? I'm just-"
"It's alright to talk about however she's mistreating you."
"But she's not! Why would you say that?"
"Before you came to CHS, she was... a problem student," the Principal said. "She antagonized and bullied nearly everyone in her class and even in the lower grades. Often times I would receive reports from teachers that she would reduce other students to tears. I thought that, from the way you phrased it, she might be relapsing into her old habits."
"I... I didn't mean to make it sound like that! She's great! She's wonderful and I can't stop thinking about her!"
"Hmm... it sounds to me like you have something akin to a crush on Ms. Shimmer."
"I... I don't know, alright!?" Trevor said, gripping his head. "I think she's great! I can't stop thinking about how no matter how the morning's going, she's always there with a smile! And I... I don't want her to hate me, but more importantly, I can't stand to hurt her in any way. Besides, what would other students think of her if... I-I somehow, I don't know... g-get exposed?"
Principal Celestia sighed as she leaned forward, resting herself on the desk.
"Mr. Bowick, do you have any intentions of hurting Miss Shimmer?"
"W-What!? No! Absolutely not!"
"Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about in terms of your Conduit powers," she stated, leaning back. "I'm not familiar with how Conduit powers work myself, but I can assure you something from a meditation class I once took: don't believe in the worst parts of yourself. Every moment you spend fearing what you might do brings it closer to reality."
Hank smiled at the younger Conduit, patting him on the back.
"Listen, I hear what you and Principal Celestia were talkin' 'bout in there. I had... some, similar fears when I was-"
"You heard that!?" Trevor shouted.
Trevor's entire body flashed and crackled as he threw the older Conduit into the nearby Custodial Closet. Hank's instincts forced him into a cloud of smoke that went through the vent in the room, surging his entire form towards the roof as the vent glowed with Trevor's deconstructed body as both Conduits made their way through the vents.
In the closet, an older custodian looked up at the vent for a moment before shrugging and going back to his comic.
On the roof, Hank's body reformed and tumbled as the air near the exhaust ionized while Trevor's body reformed.
"Hank, I don't know why I didn't do this earlier, but please! I need your help with Sunset!"
"Ugh, shit... feels like I just got fried," Hank said, grasping his head as he stood up. "As a first tip, don't do that to people."
"Hank, you and I both know that's nowhere near the worst you've taken."
"I'm freaking old, alright!? Agh, give me a minute."
Hank unformed into a cloud of smoke and embers before he compacted and wiped off his shoulders.
"Alright then. Let's have a little talk, you and I."
"Please."
"So, you're real scared of hurtin' Sunset because of your powers."
"Exactly."
"An' that's stupid."
Trevor blinked.
"W-what? How?"
"'Cause I've been there before. Ah met a girl, 'bout six years before the D.U.P got me, an' she was a real sweetheart. She found me bleedin' in a ditch and felt bad for me. Now, Ah told her I was a Conduit when she started askin' too many questions. But, surprise surprise, she didn't care. She wanted ta help me, even knowin' she'd prolly end up in danger too. An' hearin' this, I didn't want ta get her involved. She was better than anyone Ah should have been with. But she wanted me ta stay for a while, make sure Ah was alright. Ah had the same worries 'bout hurtin' her that you're havin 'bout Sunset. And lemme tell ya somethin'... When you're with someone that makes everything feel all tingly inside, and ya don't wanna hurt 'em, no matter what, and ya feel that somethin' burnin' up in yer heart, you won't hurt 'em. Ya can't. It's somethin' deep down in us Conduits, we ain't capable of hurtin' someone like that. 'Cause when there's someone like that in yer life... sometimes, they're the only barrier between us bein' Conduits... and Bio-Terrorists."
"So... I-I just... what? What am I supposed to do?"
"It ain't nothin' yer supposed to do, it's about not bein' able to do anything. That's the important part here, kid."
"So, anyone see the new kid?" Rainbow asked, picking at her steak.
"Not really," Fluttershy said. "Only in Art."
"Yeah, but he's been acting like we've got the plague or something. Sunset, you've got a bunch of classes with him, right?"
"Hm?" Sunset said, looking up from her tray.
"Have ya heard much from the new guy?" Applejack asked.
"Oh! Um, not really, no. He's... been pretty distant. Do you think I might have-"
"Darling, don't even insinuate that you've wronged him in any way," Rarity said. "I myself have been keeping a close eye on him, along with several friends from my extra curricular activities, and I have to say that I've developed a theory of sorts."
The table turned to Rarity, interest piqued.
\\\\\\//////
Trevor looked from across the room at Sunset Shimmer and her friends as they ate. Glancing at his phone, he'd only have a minute to speak.
'Just... push the negatives down,' he chanted in his head.
He forced himself to move forward, shaking in his shoes as he approached. He could feel his hands shaking, and already he was beginning to regret this decision.
'No, come on, just get there,' he told himself.
He stopped. Here he was.
The six girls all looked at him, stopping their conversation.
And there she was, Sunset Shimmer.
She was just sitting there, eating from her tray, wearing that powder blue blouse and studded black jacket, her red and yellow hair caressing the sides of her face while her eyes... her gorgeous blue eyes.
"Uh, hello?" Rainbow said, waving a hand.
Trevor gulped, swallowing the lump in his throat as he took in a deep breath.
"H-hello, S-Sunset," he said. "I-I would like to... t-to ask you..."
Other students started to stare at him. He could feel it. All eyes in the entire cafeteria poised on him, as if waiting for him to make a mistake, to crack under the invisible pressure surrounding him. He wanted to flee, he wanted to just get out of there and never think about this again.
"Because if you don't try to move on, Trevor... Augustine wins."
"Sunset can I talk with you after school today?"
"Uh, sure? I've got some free time after class. Where do you want to meet up?"
\\\\\\//////
"So, Rarity, what were you saying at lunch?" Sunset asked, putting away her guitar.
"Oh, right! About Trevor," Rarity said. "Why, if the evidence I had prior to lunch wasn't convincing enough, then that sudden approach he made earlier certainly seals my suspicions."
"About what, though?" Rainbow asked.
"I believe that the new student, Trevor, does in fact have a crush on our dear Sunset."
All eyes went to Sunset now.
"Um, what? A-are you serious?"
"Darling, my other friends have told me how he looks at you. Of course, it may have been quite a toss to suggest before, but now I especially believe that he has some sort of feelings for you. Why else would he have asked to see you?"
"Uh, well, I mean... there's tutoring, yeah! Or maybe he needs a uh... um..."
"Well what's wrong with at least giving him a shot?" Pinkie said. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen if he asks you out? The two of you have a good time and you make another friend?"
"Yeah, I know, but... I mean, I wouldn't say no to him, bu-"
"But nothing, darling!" Rarity said. "Everyone meets for a reason. Give him the time to open up, and who knows? Maybe you'll develop something more for him as well."
"Well," Sunset said, smiling and turning her gaze away, "he does have a few things I'd like in a guy."
"Oh! Do tell, Sunset!" Rarity urged, desperate to ship her friend.
\\\\\\//////
Trevor sat at the base of the Wondercolts statue at the front of the school, beating the back of his head against the marble.
"Stupid! Freaking! Coward!" he said, punctuating each impact.
He let out a sigh of defeat, checking his phone. It was 6:14, well past the time that Sunset had offered.
"Of course she wouldn't show up. Why would she? I mean... just look at me. Sitting here, beating my head against a horse statue because I can't talk to one girl! Maybe... maybe I-"
"Trevor!"
Trevor shot up and peered around the statue.
"S-Sunset!?" Trevor said.
Sunset smiled and waved to him.
"Hey, sorry about being late, my friends were up to some stupid things and I had to talk my way out of there. So, how are you doing?"
"G-Good, very good. Great. Perfect. And how perfect are you? I mean how are you!?"
Sunset giggled at this, the melody ringing in Trevor's ears.
"Glad to hear that. And yes, actually, I am perfect at the moment. But trust me, you wouldn't be thinking that if you saw what I look like when I've had a full schedule."
Trevor let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.
"So, you said you wanted to talk about something?"
"Yes, yeah, I did. That. Do you think... we can talk while walking?"
"Sure."
The two started walking off school grounds as Sunset started to talk.
"So, I've noticed that you've been a bit distant with, well, everything really."
"Y-Yeah, I guess I have been."
"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not in any position to judge, but I just wanted to make sure that you're taking the whole 'transfer student' thing alright."
"Yes, I... would say that, I'm fine."
"Good to hear. I thought that, you know, since you're new and all you're probably just nervous. I mean, I've been there before and trust me, I would have appreciated some help back then."
"I... a-actually, I would... like, some help with something."
"Sure, what do you need?"
Trevor took in a deep breath and reached into his pockets. He pulled out two tickets to the local theater.
"Sunset, I... I wanted to say, that... I-I'm really glad that I met you."
Sunset looked at the tickets and back up at Trevor.
"I... I wanted to... thank you, by, maybe, uh, w-we could, s-s-see a movie? Together? Just you and... me?"
Trevor looked down to see Sunset looking right into his eyes. In that moment, he felt everything grind to a near halt. The shimmer in her eyes, her hair in the wind and the smile on her face were stunning to say the least, but what really captivated the Conduit's attention was her hand grasping the tickets.
"That actually sounds really nice, Trevor," she said. "Thank you."
'DON'TFUCKUPDON'TFUCKUPDON'TFUCKUP!'
"So, what time is it and what did you have in mind?"
"Ugh, I, uh - I was thinking! That, maybe, we could see, theeeeee... Power Rangers?"
"That sounds great! I love cheesy, stupid movies! You can really get into how fun some of them are because they just wanted to make something stupid!"
"Ugh, y-yeah! Yeah, that's exactly what I planned on! On Sunday at five!" Trevor blurted out, handing her the ticket.
"Well that sounds great! I can't wait! I'll see you then," Sunset said, taking the ticket. "Good night!"
"Good night!" he replied autonomously.
As she walked away, Trevor looked down at his ticket and smiled wider than he had in years. Hope in his heart, he took off for home, cheering as street lights exploded behind him.
Trevor shook as he stood outside of the theater, ticket in one hand while the other held a wad of bills in his left pocket. He had eight 20's in his hand, given to him by Charles as a means of 'ensuring comfort in a new environment'. Apparently there was enough of a budgeting gap that a hundred dollars a week or two wouldn't be noticed.
But now, the Conduit was worrying about how the actual date with Sunset would go. Would she even show up? Would he make a mess of things somehow? Will another Conduit show up and cause trouble? His mind warped and swam in the negatives of what could happen.
"Hey Trevor!"
The Conduit spun around to see Sunset approaching, waving to him with a broad smile.
"Thanks for waiting for me," she said.
"Hey Sunset, uh, y-yeah I was just waiting! Hi!" he said, trying to not fumble.
"I'm pretty excited. Couldn't stop thinking about this for a while, you know?"
"Yeah, I-I couldn't get you out of my head. The date! The date, out of my head!"
Sunset giggled at the outburst.
"Relax, I've been looking forward to the date too. You would not believe how giddy Rarity was when I told the girls about this."
Trevor felt like smacking himself for being so pathetic already, and opted to just open the door for Sunset. They walked in together and went in line to get snacks.
\\\\\\//////
"... and when they all came out in their Dinozords across the canyon!?" Trevor said. "Just when the music started playing the original theme song, too! It was amazing!"
Sunset laughed along with Trevor as they walked out of the theater, Sunset adding her own commentary while grabbing Trevor's arm.
"And when the Megazord got behind Goldar and suplexed him I thought I was gonna fly out of my seat!"
"That was awesome!"
Both of them laughed and leaned towards one another as they walked down the street. Just when their laughter started to die down, Sunset looked up at Trevor and squeezed his arm.
"I'm really glad you brought me, Trevor. I don't think I've ever had that much fun watching a movie with someone else."
Trevor looked into Sunset's eyes and smiled. They held each other's gazes for a few silent seconds until Trevor spoke.
"Sunset, thank you."
"For what? You bought everything yourself."
"I mean, for saying yes. For... you know, giving a... a weirdo like me a chance."
Sunset's smile faded as her look shifted to one of concern.
"Hey, come on, don't be like that. You're a nice guy, I'm sure any other girl would have said yes if you asked. Honestly, I'm surprised that you asked me of all people out."
Now it seemed to be Trevor's turn to drop his smile.
"What? Why would you think that?"
"Because... Trevor, I'm going to be honest with you," she said, looking at the ground, "I was a total bitch a few months ago."
Trevor blinked and shook his head.
"Yeah, I... I was pretty terrible. The kind of terrible that makes everyone into an enemy. I blackmailed students and teachers, bullied classmates and transfer students, tried to rule the school with an iron fist. Everyone in the school was always afraid, afraid that I'd do something to them. Afraid that I'd just one day spill everyone's dirty little secrets and bask in the chaos. Everyone hated me, and they had every right to. Sometimes, I just can't help but wonder how I ended up with the friends I have now," she squeezed his arm, "and how someone would want to spend time with me."
They walked in silence for a moment, stopping at the crosswalk.
"Sunset."
"What?" she said, turning to look at him again.
"The reason I asked you out. I don't want to spend time with any of the other girls. I wanted to get to know you, Sunset. I... you don't understand, but this is actually a really, really weird time for me right now. I... I just, moved out here without any time to prepare, got forced into school, and... let's just say that I've got a lot more riding on me than I'd care to admit to anyone. I've done things that I'm not proud of either, Sunset. I don't want to face any of these things, but I have to. When I came to CHS last month, I thought... I thought it'd only get worse. But, despite everything, when you met me, you wanted to be my friend."
Trevor brought his arm up around Sunset's shoulder.
"You were always there, being nice when you knew you didn't have to. You didn't have to try to be my friend, you didn't have to try, but you did. And I... I'm just so afraid of forcing any of these problems on you. I'm scared that if you find out what I'm running from... you'll... y-you'll..."
Sunset felt something wet land on her cheek. Rubbing it away, she looked up to see Trevor crying. Looking into his eyes, she could see the pain and fear he had. He's afraid of what's next, scared of messing up and hurting someone.
"I-I'm scared you'll run away too."
Sunset kept her eyes locked with his as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling Trevor down so she could rest her chin on his shoulder. Trevor slowly raised his arms and carefully held Sunset, as if she could crumble to dust if he wasn't gentle. They held each other for a few seconds before pulling away.
"Trevor," she said, "thank you. Thank you for being willing enough to give me a chance. Thank you for asking me out, because I want to do this again. I'd really like to go out again."
Trevor smiled at her, holding out his hand.
"Just name a place and say when. I'll be there for you."
Sunset returned the smile, grasping his hand with her own.
"... and that's pretty much how it went down," Sunset finished.
As she sipped from her shake,
"Oh, oh dear, I think I'm going to start crying," Rarity said, waving her hands at her face. "Oh, I can't let my makeup run, someone get me a tissue."
Rainbow reached over with a tissue in hand, Rarity swiping it and nodding her thanks.
"I know, right? I mean, I never thought I'd just come out and admit something like that to him first, but... I just, felt like I needed to get that off my chest, you know?"
\\\\\\//////
"I just needed to get that off my chest, you know?" Trevor said.
Charles hummed, nodding along.
"Well, I think that's fantastic, Trevor," he said. "It shows that you're actually ready to start opening up to the world around you. That you can move past Augustine and Curden Cay."
"Yeah... you know, I thought it was weird that Sunset of all people would say something like that, you know?"
\\\\\\//////
"Just seems weird that he'd say something like that, you know?" Sunset said. "I mean, I wouldn't have taken him for someone with anything to really regret."
"Because he seems a bit slow to try anything at all, right?" Rainbow said.
"Alright, really?" Applejack deadpanned.
"What? You saw how he acted in PE! Guy could barely finish a lap while trying to avoid touching anyone! Fluttershy, what's that weeb thing where the guy's allergic to girls?"
Fluttershy scowled at Rainbow.
"You have a phone, right? Just Google it yourself," she muttered.
"Yeah, but I don't want that in my search history. My point is, he's probably just a little loose in the headspace and needs a few bolts to get him in a good place."
"Is that supposed to be your way of saying we should try and get him to open up to us, because I feel like you could've worded that a bit better, darling," Rarity said.
\\\\\\//////
"I just... don't know if I'd feel comfortable trying to get to know everyone in there, you know?"
Charles shook his head, patting Trevor on the shoulder.
"Kid, I get it, you need to take it slow to make progress on the whole, 'reintegration' thing, but if you avoid Sunset's friends she might take a bit of offense to that."
"Really?"
"Yes. Now, what you should do, is try and get to know them all a bit better. You have classes with them, right? Start there, just ask for some notes occasionally and try to talk with them at lunch. Start small and work your way up to having a good relationship with everyone."
"... I don't have to try and make friends with that girl in the cape and hat, do I?"
"I'm not going to force you to socialize, I'm just advising you, as your overseer and guardian, that you should at least get to know the people closest to Sunset."
"Alright."
\\\\\\Next Week//////
Trevor shuffled his bag into the corner as he sat down at his desk, seated in the furthest corner in the room. He brought out a notebook and a pencil, eyeing the board as the rest of the class walked in.
"Hey, Trevor," Sunset greeted as she approached.
"Hey Sunset!" he said gleefully. "Have a nice morning?"
"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how good an extra hour of sleep feels when you eat enough cookies to put you in a sugar-coma."
"Y-yeah, I... don't think that's healthy."
"Well, that's because you haven't spent much time with Pinkie. Give her... I dunno, twenty eight minutes before you start to question the laws of relativity."
"Uh... t-thanks for the, warning?"
"Don't mention it," she said, sitting at the desk ahead of him. "Still, can't wait to see what our great Astronomy teacher has in store for our first week of real classwork."
As the last few students took their seats, Sunset waved another familiar girl over.
"Hey Fluttershy, there's an empty seat over here," she said, pointing to the chair beside her.
"Oh, thanks for saving me a seat, Sunset," she said. "I can never really keep up with Dr. Discord's wild pacing like you can."
"Just a lot of practice with speedwriting," Sunset said, opening a textbook.
Fluttershy nodded, then looked back to see Trevor sitting there. She smiled and leaned back to him.
"Dr. Discord's pretty fast-paced with how he runs his classes, but he's pretty lenient in his grading, so I wouldn't worry too much."
Trevor blinked as he took in the information.
"Oh- okay, thanks," he said, smiling back at her. "I'll try and keep up."
The door slammed open, startling most of the students as a tall man, easily 6'-9", stumbled in. He wore a brown suit with the sleeves and pant-legs stitched together and miss-matched in fabric and color. Running a hand through his wild, graying hair, he yawned loudly before walking to the center of the room, turning on the projector mounted on the ceiling, and up to his desk before collapsing in the chair.
"Ugh, it's FAR TOO EARLY for this," he said, half shouting and yawning. "Just watch the movie and... I don't know, take notes for whatever quiz I come up with after this."
A student walked up to the lights and flicked them off, earning an appreciative thumbs-up from the professor as the documentary began to play.
Fluttershy turned back to Trevor and giggled.
"Sometimes he likes to take it really easy on us."
"Man, I'm just glad that Ms. Cheerilee didn't give us another page of homework," Rainbow said as she hoisted her backpack over her shoulder.
"Dash, don't even act like you were going to do most of it anyways," Sunset said, already holding the door for some other classmates. "Day it's due, you'll be in front of the statue, panicking and rushing to scrape a C together."
"Hey, I've managed to pull an 'A' out of that kind of panic before. That's just how I make it work."
With that, Rainbow got up and turned around.
"You comin' Trevor?"
Trevor nodded and pulled himself out of his desk.
"Yeah, right behind you."
He held the door for Sunset and Rainbow Dash, pulling it closed behind him as the three walked down the hall.
"Ugh, God I just realized it's fish sticks for lunch," Rainbow said. "Think I've got time to go hit up that new burger place before Fourth Period?"
"If you want, you can borrow my bike if I get a vanilla shake and cheese fries."
"Can you spot me an extra $10?"
"What? No way, you're going to be burning some of my precious gas money to get there. Either you get me lunch, or you can starve."
"Oh, come on! I thought you agreed to stop being evil!"
Dash immediately clapped her hands over her mouth, Sunset stopping as they looked at Trevor. He stopped and turned to them, raising an eyebrow.
"Um... oh, no, I'm fine, I packed some popcorn and a sandwich. Thanks, though."
He walked on, taking out an unpopped bag as Sunset and Dash let out a breath they held.
"Jeez, that was close," Dash said. "I am, so sorry I just blurted that out."
"It... it's fine, he either didn't notice or... I don't know, maybe he thinks we were talking about something else. It doesn't matter now, just... Look, it's fine. Just," she rummaged through her jacket and tossed her keys, "get your lunch."
Rainbow weaved to catch the keys, sparing a sad glance to Sunset before she ran off.
Sunset shook her head as she went into the cafeteria.
\\\\\\//////
Trevor leaned against the window sill as he got in line for the microwaves. There were only two girls in front of him, each one using a microwave for their own meals. Both of them were on their phones, muttering about something.
"And it just happened, like, this week?" the one with purple and pink hair said.
"Yeah, look at the date," the girl with green and white hair said, showing the first girl her phone. "Came out last night. Can't even blame it on the same group, it happened in Nevada this time."
Trevor's curiosity was peaked when he heard that. He tapped the green-haired girl on the shoulder.
"Excuse me?" he said?
She turned around and looked up at him.
"Yeah, can I help you?"
"Sorry, I just heard you saying something to your friend, and I was wondering what you're reading."
"Oh, well, I was looking up a thread on Reddit and ended up in this one sub about Conduits and how some groups are, uh... not being too kind, let's say."
"Pretty sure there's a difference between not being kind and literally assaulting him until he limped out of a Costco for buying toilet paper and pasta, Lyra."
Trevor went pale as Lyra turned her phone to him. On screen was the picture of a man with pale skin and long brown hair, bruises covering his face as he was being lead into an ambulance in front of a Costco. The article itself said what Lyra had, that he was just shopping, but went into detail about how he accidentally caused a panic when another customer dropped a large assortment of glass items and he absorbed them into his body. The man claimed that he didn't want people to be hurt, but some accused him of breaking the glass himself.
"Crazy, right?" Lyra said, putting her phone in her pocket. "Oh, I'm Lyra, by the way, and this is Bon-Bon. Pretty sure you're the new kid, right?"
Trevor nodded slowly.
"Well, if I were in your shoes," Bon-Bon whispered, "I'd be careful around little miss sunshine and her friends. She says she's changed, and I want to give her some kind of chance, but still."
Just then, the microwaves dinged simultaneously, and both girls exchanged a look and squealed.
"Perfect timing!" Lyra said.
"As always~!" Bon-Bon said.
They both got their meals out and walked off, chatting up a storm.
As Trevor eyed the popcorn in his hand and the microwave, his thoughts wracked his brain like a derailed train.
Trevor's eyes darted across the room, analyzing every face in the cafeteria as he walked along the wall, popcorn bag in hand.
"Trevor!"
He spotted Sunset's friends waving him down, specifically Pinkie, who was waving a flag as though she were directing air traffic. Looking around, he saw a number of students staring at him. Trevor pulled his hat down a bit as he made his way to their table and sat down to Applejack's left, across from Rarity.
"So nice of you to join us, darling," Rarity said. "I hope this isn't a one-time occurrence."
"N-no, I uh... I'm sorry, about that time I... ran away," he said, looking down at the table.
"It's alright," Applejack said. "We figured ya'll are just nervous. Ah mean, not everyday ya move to a new town and have a bunch of people talkin' to ya all at once. Can be a bit overwhelming."
"Yeah, I know how that feels," Fluttershy said, smiling.
Pinkie smiled and quietly ate, browsing her phone as she glanced at Trevor every few seconds.
"Well, uh, thanks for taking a chance on me."
"Oh think nothing of it," Rarity said, waving her hand. "A friend of Sunset's a friend of ours, through and through."
"Yeah, an especially friendly friend, huh partner?" AJ said, smirking.
Trevor went quiet and focused on unwrapping his sandwich, flipping open the bread to drop some popcorn in it. As he filled it with popcorn, Pinkie took an interest in it and snapped a picture.
"Uh... can I-"
"Juuuuuuust checking something," she said, typing on her phone.
They heard a reply come through on her phone and Pinkie giggled.
"Ah, I wish he were here."
"Can I ask what's going on?" Trevor said.
"Oh, just texting my boyfriend. He says that a quick way to judge someone's character is to see how and what they eat. He says you look like a well-meaning weenie."
Trevor blinked.
"Well tell Dan to not be a prick," AJ said, stabbing her fork into a fish stick.
"AJ, you know that's literally impossible."
Fluttershy nodded as Rarity sighed, rolling steamed vegetables around in her tray.
'Sunset, your friends are weird.'
\\\\\\//////
Rainbow nodded to the employee, taking her to-go bag and walked out of the restaurant. She pulled out her phone and texted Sunset that she had their food and would be on her way in a minute, but stopped when she was approached by someone.
"Uh, can I..." she said, stopping as she looked up.
A familiar girl stood more than a head taller than her, wearing an aviator jacket and brown cargo pants, the tips of her white spikes of hair tinted purple, and a piercing gaze.
"Sup, Dash?"
"Holy shit! Gilda!?" Rainbow said, stepping back with a massive smile.
"Sure is," Gilda said, smirking and holding a fist out.
Rainbow reeled back her right arm and punched Gilda's fist as hard as she could, barely pushing back the massive woman's arm. She jumped onto Gilda, hugging her tightly as she laughed.
"Oh my gosh, it's been for-freaking-ever since we hung out!" Dash said, letting go of Gilda. "How the Hell have you been, G?"
"Eh, work's been piling up, but that just means more cash at the end of the day," Gilda said. "Just stopped on by to grab me and the GF some lunch."
"Wow, should have figured you'd gotten back in the game," Dash said, nudging Gilda's shoulder. "Be sure to run her by me and the folks sometime. Mom really misses seeing you around."
"I'll be sure to drop by one day. So, how have things been with CHS?"
Dash blinked and looked away, rolling a pebble under her heel as she scratched her head.
"Uh, y-yeah, CHS. Good ol' Wondercolts. Yeah, we, we uh... I think we're doing better? I mean, you know who is... not as bad as-"
"You mean Sunset Shimmer?" Gilda interrupted. "How's she been? Still a bitch?"
"No, actually. My friends and I started hanging out with her after she kinda... what's the word?"
"Fucked up?"
"Was going to say something else, but sure, that's a pretty good summary. She's mellowed out and is doing her best to move on from what she used to be."
"Good to hear. If you see her, tell her I said thanks. That little stunt she pulled got me thinking a lot about stuff. Like life, and my... situation. Got me thinking of where I could have been, where I'm heading, y'know?"
Rainbow Dash nodded as Gilda waved.
"Anyways, you should probably get back to school. I doubt they'll delay class just for your sorry ass."
Rainbow smiled and smacked Gilda's hand as she walked past her.
"See ya around, G."
The athlete locked her food in the container on the back of the motorcycle's seat while Gilda walked inside.
As the day ended, Trevor walked out alongside Sunset and her friends. Pinkie was excited for a party this Saturday, Dash and Rarity were talking about something regarding the holidays, AJ and Fluttershy were discussing rats and bats that were infesting the former's farm, and Sunset was hanging back, writing in a journal with a two-toned sun on it.
As they were leaving, he followed the group into the parking lot. Rarity and AJ pulled out their keys, unlocking their own cars, Rarity's white and small while AJ's was a large, mostly rusted pickup truck.
"Alright, well, Shy and I are gonna head to the farm," she said, hiking up into the driver's seat. "Got some bait to lay out for the rodents."
"Goodbye," Fluttershy said, waving. "I'll be online if anyone needs help with their homework."
The two climbed in and went off, the truck rumbling and clanking down the road. Rarity pulled out her phone and started texting as she leaned on the hood of her car.
"I'm going to wait for Sweetie Belle and her friends, they're staying late to finish some project in Biology," she said.
"'Kay, I'm going home," Rainbow said as she hopped on Sunset's bike. "Thanks for lending me your bike for the week, Sunny."
"Just don't scratch it and keep it fueled," Sunset said, winking.
"Later!" Dash said, popping on her helmet.
The bike roared as it revved up, and after screeching the tires, Dash took off on a wheelie, swerving around the parking lot before speeding off.
"And she thinks we don't know why her bike's in the shop," Rarity mumbled, not looking up from her phone.
"Well, I'm going home too!" Pinkie said, skipping along to the sidewalk. "Sunset, Trevor, you guys gonna stay behind?"
"No, I'm pretty tired," Sunset said. "Can't wait to get home and just sleep. Trevor?"
"Yeah, I'm going home too," he said, hefting his bag's strap over his shoulder.
The three walked together out of the parking lot, stopping at the crosswalk while Pinkie pulled out her phone.
"Hehehehee~!" she giggled, typing back.
"How's Dan doing?" Sunset asked.
"Oh, he got mugged by some weird guy wearing a Luchador costume with a horse head while getting lunch. Sent me a pic of the guy face-first in a pile of fish with the mask on his butt!" Pinkie laughed.
Trevor blinked as he tried to picture what was just said before Sunset pat his arm.
"Don't try to make sense of it, that's why they're perfect for each other," she said. "But hey! You got any plans for the weekend?"
"Well, I've got to look through some stuff and see if I need groceries, and... school supplies. I mean, it should only take a day, so if you want to hang out, I should have time," he said.
"Great! I was thinking you could stop by Pinkie's party and we-"
Sunset's phone pinged as she spoke. She pulled it out of her jacket and read the message.
"Ooooh... Pinkie, we're going to have to reschedule the party," she said, putting her phone back.
"What? Why?" Pinkie said, looking up from her phone.
"Just got an update from CHS' update channel. Since there's been a lot of... you know, stuff, going on elsewhere, the School Board decided to push the Friendship Games up to next week."
"WHAT!?" Pinkie said, jumping. "Next week!? Are they coocoo for CoaCoa Puffs!? There's no way we'll be ready by then!"
"Yeah, I can tell. I'm going to forward it to the group chat, let everyone know."
"Oh, speaking of which!" Pinkie said, pulling out another phone.
Trevor looked at the phone and his eyes widened before he panicked, patting down his pockets before turning to Pinkie.
"I-is that my phone?"
"Yep! I wanted to add your number to the group, so I just put all of our numbers in for you!"
She tossed his phone back to him and he quickly unlocked it and scrolled through his contacts. Indeed, he had all of the girls in his list, along with profile pictures. Pinkie had also altered Sunset's contact, adding hearts to either end of her name and changing the font to cursive.
"How... h-how did you-"
"Family secret!" she said, winking.
Trevor didn't know whether to be scared by the fact that she had managed to easily unlock and alter the information of his phone, or the fact that she was able to swipe it off of him without him noticing.
"How long did you have it for?"
"About... all, of fifth period."
\\\\\\//////
In the halls of Crystal Prep, many students made noises of irritation and or dismissal. The speakers across the halls blared with the bland tone of their Principle, carrying the news of the rescheduled Friendship Games. In particular, the team that had volunteered for this year's games were quite unhappy with the sudden time change.
"Gah, I can't believe we have to do the Friendship Games next week!" Sunny Flare said, slamming her locker.
"Honestly, it's better to just get it out of the way now instead of waiting another few months and preparing for nothing," Sugarcoat said, locking her backpack in her locker. "It's not like they're giving CHS any time to prepare either."
"Besides, I'm sure it won't matter," Indigo Zap said, slipping into her workout shoes. "It'll be as easy as every other year against those chumps."
"It's not about that, it's about the fact that we're still a member short!" Sunny said. "Where are we going to find a new teammate to-"
"Excuse me?"
The girls turned to see a familiar student entering the locker room.
"Twilight Sparkle?" Sugarcoat said. "It's odd to see you here, considering you were moved out of P.E. due to your horribly subpar performance."
Twilight narrowed her eyes into a glare at the twintailed girl.
"Well, if that's the case," she started, adjusting her glasses, "I guess I'll have to rescind my request from Principle Cinch and you'll have to find someone else for the Scholastic portion of the Friendship Games."
"Wait!" Indigo said as Twilight turned to leave. "You volunteered for the games!?"
"Indeed," she said, turning back. "I thought it'd be a... worthwhile experience, to try and reach into a field I'm not familiar with. So I asked Cinch if I could join the team, she said yes and informed me of the Board's choice to move the date. I asked if I should associate with who would be my teammates, and she told me to look here, since you three had P.E. as your last class."
The three exchanged glances and looked back at Twilight.
"Okay seriously, why'd you volunteer?" Sunny asked.
Twilight blinked before she blushed.
"I-is it really that hard to believe that I just want to participate for the sake of it?"
"Yes, exceedingly so," Sugarcoat said.
Twilight looked at the far corner of the room, nudging her shoes together as she stood there.
"My parents said I need to participate in something or they'd take my lab equipment away."
"And, there it is!" Indigo said, waving her hands. "Was that so hard, Sparkle? Well, now that that's out of the way, let's talk game-plan."
