//------------------------------// // Sunset, can you face the music? // Story: Sunset, what do you want? // by DapperLilArts //------------------------------// I don’t have a choice. I had to do something, say something. Clearly this wasn’t going away, and I was painfully aware of what I wanted by now. And yet, despite even Pinkie being able to tell that I had made a decision… …I hadn’t. Not really. I knew the second that my girlfriend stood in front of me, that it was going to get a lot harder to admit that I had. I gripped the railing on that boardwalk. I couldn’t sit anymore, I had to stand up. Sometimes I would pace around, sometimes I would just look at the ocean. I was alone now, Pinkie had left by my request. No matter how good of a company she made, I couldn’t just… I couldn’t. A distraction here wouldn't help. I had to face the music. Twilight was coming. She was coming to meet me here. And then we would talk. Despite having ample time to think, I couldn’t pick any proper words to actually say. Nothing made sense. Nothing sounded right. Nothing felt right. My stomach turned with multiple realizations. The realization that I didn’t want to dump my girlfriend; The mere suggestion of that sounded ridiculous– like this was just a stupid high school drama, and not a problem that stemmed from two worlds in my life colliding. I didn’t want to end our relationship or say goodbye. And yet… The realization that if I wanted to get what I want, I would have to hurt her. But if I let go of what I wanted, I would be unhappy. Would that hurt her too? Wouldn’t just her be enough for my happiness? It had been, all this time… …And the realization… No. The memory of an idea. That I had once fantasized about proposing to her in this exact spot. To be fair, I had fantasized about doing that in a lot of spots. I wasn’t planning on doing it anytime soon, maybe way after college, but none of that helped. I turned my head, and saw her waving at me as she approached. My stomach turned even more. I turned back to the ocean and let out one loud curse while she was still out of earshot. The sky was pretty beautiful. Plenty of clouds weren’t enough to hide my namesake– The sun was setting and it was almost possible to see a couple stars. The wind was blowing gently enough to make your hair float, but not be a bother– And it kept you refreshed. The sound of waves was comfortable, and there were very few people at the beach nearby. It was romantic. Which made me feel even worse for what might happen in the next moments. “Hi Sunsun!” She said adorably as she approached at a leisurely pace, wearing one of her cute hoodies, and even carrying a backpack; No doubt prepared to sleep over at my place, if she needed to. She was smiling at me like I deserved to be smiled at. I was sweating. “Hey Twi. Was the commute okay?” I asked. Really? Small talk? Off to a terrible start. “It was fine! I got lucky and caught a quiet bus– Not like that one that shakes more than a laundry machine.” She let out a giddy laugh, reminiscing on bus rides we had taken together, she was adorable, and she was happy. She was so happy. Was I really about to destroy that? I didn’t even offer it, but she still walked forward and hugged me, as soon as she reached me. “Gee, you’re sweaty, hihi!” She spoke with a delighted demeanor, not yet letting go of the hug. From experience of both Twilights, I could tell that neither minded that. “Uh, yeah. Feeling a bit, uhh…” There was no point in any small talk. Why was I even talking at all? She nodded with understanding, letting go of the hug but still touching my chest and jacket. “I saw that you said you were under the weather, at least it’s nice to see you getting fresh air! It’s been proven to help with nausea!” “Um, yeah.” Was that all I could fucking say? I felt pathetic. I wanted to rip the bandaid off, and yet, I wanted to not even touch it. Speaking of touch– That was the worst part. She was touching me. I could feel her affection and her joy emanating from her skin like it always had with me. It was addicting, and yet, only made me feel worse. Because I was about to break it. “So what did you want to talk about? It must be pretty important if you choose such a romantic backdrop!” Once again, she let out another giddy laugh, letting go of me but still holding my hand; And with her spare hand, she leaned on the railing. I was about to open my mouth, but she raised a finger, like a lightbulb lit up in her head. “Oh! Let me guess! It’s about all of us celebrating our college admissions? You thought of a really cool location for all of us to ‘parties hardies’, as Pinkie likes to say?” She couldn’t be more wrong. I had nearly forgotten about college altogether, by now. And that only made it worse. I could tell too– She was getting worried, just by looking at my face. She opened her mouth, as if to guess more, but I stopped her. “Twilight. It’s about the gala.” I said plainly, trying to let go of her hand, which was hard to do. I was so used to holding it. “Ohhh the horse party!” She leaned casually on the railing, but that casualness faded quickly, as she saw my expression, my whole demeanor, really. “G-gosh, was it that bad?? What happened?” There it was. The question. One I had to answer truthfully and in detail. It felt difficult to do considering how much my heart pounded. “I, well…” I couldn’t look her in the eye, like a fucking coward. I leaned on the railing and looked at the ocean instead. Her gaze followed mine. “Princess Twilight invited me there because she wanted me to talk to Celestia personally. It was a wonderful party, but they had ulterior motives.” Her eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. “G-gosh were they mad at you for something?? What–” Maybe my grip on the railing was what made her stop, maybe it was the shake of my head. But I forced the words out of me. “Remember when I mentioned that Twilight was really stressed about ruling alone? How she was dealing with the mortality of her friends, stuff like that?” Stuff like that. Stuff like that. Stuff like that. It was so hard to formulate coherent sentences. I took a brief pause to scratch my cheek. “She’s really afraid to do it alone. Terrified, really. And I don’t blame her. It’s a huge responsibility, and it’s even worse if she does it alone.” I was meandering. I was stalling. Twilight nodded, following along. “Yeah, I wouldn’t wanna be her. It sounds like a terrible spot to be in…” I nearly chuckled nervously at that statement, but held it in. Twilight, once again, saying she wouldn’t want to be Twilight. Oh boy, the irony of what my decision entailed was not lost on me.  It was time to drop the bomb. I couldn’t stall any longer. “Y-yean, and the thing is– The reason they invited me to that party… Was because they wanted to personally ask me to go back to Equestria definitively, to stay there and train to be an Alicorn and rule alongside Princess Twilight. She wants me to– She asked me to. They both said I’m uniquely qualified for the position, Celestia said that… She said that she misses me there. That she believes I could do it. And Twilight believes, too. Even more.” Silence. A silence I expected, but didn’t like hearing. With a side eye, I could see Twilight was looking right at me, eyes incredibly widened, a fist clenched in front of her chest. “T-they…!” I don’t blame her for not being able to finish her sentence. “A-and you, you said no, right?” It was a desperate, pleading question. One I had to crush. “...I didn’t say yes.” Was all I could mutter, before turning to her– I owed her at least looking her in the eye while saying this. And it was hard. She was smart enough to understand all that Implied. She was smart enough to understand all that I meant now. She was smart enough to understand that she was losing me. And I could see it in her face, all of those dominos falling one by one. Desperately, I could see her trying to hold on to her composure. “O-okay. Okay. so you haven’t decided, right? Good. Okay.” I couldn’t answer that. I just stood there like a fucking idiot, watching the girl I love suffer. She cleared her throat, trying to be professional, adjusting her glasses, but I could hear it in her voice, how unstable she was internally– The little cracks, the wavering of her tone. “U-um, okay so, let’s think about this objectively! Let’s weigh the pros and cons–” “--Already did.” I stated plainly, removing the list from a pocket on my jacket and handing it to her. She opened the list up and was met with a half portrait of her I never finished. That smile seemed pretty far off from the grimace she was giving it now. “Shit, sorry, that’s– I didn’t get to finish it. The list is on the back.” Idiot that I am, I had forgotten I had even started drawing that. Stuttering, she nodded quietly, before turning the page. “It… It looks g-good.” I watched for agonizing seconds while she read the list. While she studied every single entry on it– Her frown was one thing, her eyes watering were another– But her breathing. I was worried about her breathing. I could tell she wanted to judge and scrutinize. And I could tell that she was overthinking every word. She was too intelligent not to realize that what she was holding was not a list of pros and cons, but a list of all my hopes and dreams, and what I would be left with if I abandoned them. I could feel my energy depleting, as I watched her agonize over every little thing, narrowing her eyes, forcing the tears not to come. “...Yeah. I know. ‘Fingers’ and ‘video games’ don't seem like much when you compare it to the ability to fly and magic.” I stated, leaning on the railing, scratching my scalp. “T-this list, it feels…” She started, staring at it intently. “--Biased?” I completed. “--Decisive...” She exhaled, observing it. The cogs in her head spun overdrive. “L-look, let’s think about this–” She started, looking at me with pleading eyes. “You’re like– Super happy here, right? Think of all the girls! W-wouldn’t they all be incredibly sad to watch you go?!” I nodded, my face weary, my body weak, trying my best to remain the closest to… Professional? I don’t know. “Yeah. That’s why I visited all of them today and asked them.” Why did I say that so coldly? “W-what?” She got a little bit closer, and I hate that even at a distance, I could feel even just a fraction of what she was feeling. It wasn’t good. The wind around us picked up a bit. “I visited all of them today, before I called you. Rarity and Flutters thought I should stay. AJ, Rainbow and Pinkie all thought I should go.” Couldn’t I at least muster some enthusiasm when speaking? No, that wouldn’t help. Nothing would help. “O-oh, oh. Three to two…!” She muttered desperately. Then her eyes met mine, almost with determination. Almost. “W-well I vote for you to stay! Now it’s a tie!” There wasn’t much triumph in her voice, but she certainly wished there was. Shaking my head, my grip on the railing tightened. “This isn’t about a vote, Twi– That’s not how this works…” And how did it work? I didn’t fucking know. I was making up everything as I went, which was the trademark Sunset Shimmer strategy, but it wasn’t exactly working. “T-then how does t-this work?? Are you just–” She stopped, nearly choking a bit. “Y-you’re not here to ask my permission for you to leave me, r-right…?” “N-no!! No. It’s not like that…! I… I don’t know.” Yeah I don’t fucking know. Why was I even talking? She once told me she wouldn’t trade me for anything in the world– In any world. And I had said I felt the same way… But here I was. Doing exactly that. It was sickening. She shook her head gently, as her breathing was unstable. I could tell that she was trying really really hard to hold back tears. Her grip on that list loosened, as she clearly couldn’t digest much more of it. “T-this is everything y-you’ve ever wanted isn't it? B-but you’d have to leave me to get it… Right?” She caught on quick, even when having a panic attack. “...Yeah. That's why I didn’t say yes immediately.” No matter how much I wanted to. But there was one more bomb I needed to drop, one more card to play in this highly uneven table. One more thing that tipped the scales in the favor of leaving, no matter how upsetting it might be to her. “...There’s another thing… Princess Twilight is in love with me. That’s why she asked. She confessed to me at the party.” And just like that, I was the worst piece of shit in two worlds. Not even just one. Twilight’s expression resembled horror, but enlightenment. Just like how everything made sense to me before, it made sense to her now, and we felt pretty similar despair over that enlightenment. Her grip on the page loosened just enough, and the wind took it away. “N-no, no!!” She yelped, and I simultaneously tried catching it, nearly throwing myself into the ocean. “SHIT!” Was all I could say, as the half finished portrait of my girlfriend slipped through my fingers and was carried by the wind… Before inevitably falling in the ocean. Surely there was no way this could get any worse, I wondered, and I shouldn't have wondered, because obviously, there was. I loved Twilight– I had loved her for years, and even now, I did. And yet, she started crying, because of me, here and now. She couldn’t hold it in anymore, and I didn't blame her. “S-she–” Was all she could say, before trying to dry her own tears. “W-why did I ever think this was going to be forever– you weren’t born here, of COURSE it wouldn’t! Ugh…” I had nothing to say, there were no words I could say that could help her– But mostly, it was because I’m a piece of shit. I tried my best to remain composed, and yet, nothing that came out of my mouth was right. “L-look, I’m so, so fucking sorry. You can still go to Everton University, nothing stops you–” She shook her head quickly. “I was only ever wanting to go there because it was with you! I-I I would never have wanted to, after all this time, a-alone, I…!” She gasped for air, inhaling weakly, and once again, I felt like a horrible piece of shit, and I deserved to. “Look… I could always… Visit…?” Why did I even say that? As if that would ever be enough. She just shook her head, and I knew exactly what it meant, it meant that it wouldn’t be enough. It’d be treating her like the second option. “I’m so sorry, I wanted to… I don’t know, I…” Yeah, I don’t know. That’s all that could pass through my head. I don’t fucking know. Shaking her head more, she stared at the ocean in desperation. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to m-me, I’m n-never going to do better than you– And she has you, I don't, Goddamnit, I’m never–” That sentiment hurt. I sure as hell didn’t consider myself to be that much of a catch– But any way you spin it, I was everything to her. And here I was trying to discredit that. Here I was trying to leave her. “Twi, c’mon, that’s not fair on you–” “I’m a nerdy loser that had no friends before all this– before you! And y-you’re a magical punk hot girl from another dimension with a six-pack!! I’m never doing better than you!!” She nearly yelled that in a panic, she wasn’t trying to guilt me, just state her thoughts– Though it didn’t matter much. I had plenty of guilt to go around. What did I expect? That she could find someone out there that could treat her better than I did? What, was she going to just go date boring normal guys or whatever? Go back to Timber or something? It didn’t matter how little I could credit myself. I treated her like a Princess for years. That was a fact. It didn’t matter what I thought of myself. I was everything that she could have ever wanted. And I wanted to leave. I was despicable. “D-did y-you–” She choked, before continuing, clutching her chest. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her breathing got progressively more uneasy. “Did y-you… Only ever fall for me b-because I looked and sounded like her…??” “NO! No! Twi, no! I fell for you first!!” That wasn’t a lie– not necessarily. But my bond with the Princess was what made me attached to this Twilight. And worst of all. If I fell for either of them, I'd know that this Twilight was more likely to accept me– And the implications of that thought only make me out to be an even worse piece of shit. Was I just staying with the human because of complacency? Because I thought a Princess would never fall for me the same way? Those thoughts were like driving a fork on a plate right now. “B-but…” She looked at me. She tried, very hard, to maintain proper eye contact, and maintain a stable breathing, but it was very difficult. And what she asked didn’t help either. “Y-you love her, don’t you…?” “I… I love Twilight Sparkle. Whatever form she takes.” That sounded so fucking stupid, the moment it came out of my mouth. Yes, it was true. If Midnight Sparkle was still around, I'd love her too. But my god, was it a shit thing to say. “A-and y-you’re choosing h-her…! O-of course you are, she’s a princess, who w-wouldn't…!” And there it was, the obvious takeaway from this. That one Twilight might be better than the other, and that I was choosing who I thought was better. A ridiculous, insanely fucked notion– One that my girlfriend, in this moment, believed wholeheartedly. And I didn’t blame her. I desperately tried regaining any composure, badly. “I-it’s not about choosing one of you– It’s just–” “--But you are– You d-did…!” Her crying got worse. “A-and y-you’re leaving– you’re the best thing that ever happened to me and you’re leaving–” She desperately sobbed, choking on air slightly. I tried to reach for her, maybe to give her a hug, words sure as hell weren’t going to help. But the moment I tried approaching her, she recoiled. “N-no! D-don’t!” She muttered, with a look of extreme concern and sorrow. “Twi– C’mon.--” I knew what she was doing. “D-don’t…!” She begged. If I touched her now, I’d feel exactly how she felt. And even now, she was trying to spare me of that. I didn’t deserve to be spared of anything. I grimaced, as she started choking on her tears. This had happened before, back when she still had a couple of nightmares over Midnight Sparkle, after camp everfree. She would try to avoid touching me so I didn’t feel how bad she felt. And I’d tell her that it was okay. That sharing of that pain was worth it. It helped. Here she was, hurting more than ever. Here she was, having an asthma attack, and prioritizing keeping me at bay over getting her inhaler. I tried to reach into her bag, knowing exactly where it was, but still, while choking, she recoiled. I couldn’t help, if she wouldn’t let me touch her. I raised my hands, as if surrendering, so that she could focus, even through a stream of tears, even while choking. I knew exactly where she kept it in her bag, but she didn’t want me to touch her. So I recoiled. Finally, while choking and crying, she managed to grab it and inhale. I was at least relieved to see her breathing properly– but it was a small favor, considering how much she was still sobbing. I leaned on the railing, while keeping an eye on her– If she wouldn’t let me touch her, there was nothing I could do– There was nothing I could say. How many apologies would possibly be enough? I loved her, and yet, I was hurting her. What kind of a person or pony does that make me? She managed to lean back on the railing, still crying. I had never seen her cry like this. But I wasn’t surprised she was. No. This wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. Everything she was feeling now, I deserved to feel double. She deserved to have physical comfort– And I deserved to feel all of her pain. I extended a hand to her. An offer. “Twilight.” She shook her head. “I-I couldn't, I couldn’t.” “Twilight. I deserve it.” Truer words never spoken from me. She hesitated, still sobbing. And reluctantly, slowly, she reached out and held my hand. How do I explain what it’s like to touch a burning stove that’s not burning? All that matters is this. In a single second, tears were streaming down my face, too. All of her sorrow, her hesitation, her fears, everything she felt, passed through me like a cold arrow. And I took it all. I accepted it all. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. “T-twilight. I love you.” Those words spewed out of me without thought. “T-then stay…! P-please…!” She clutched my hand harder, begging, pleading for me to stay, and those same thoughts of longing coursed through me– so many days and nights of sheer utter joyous bliss we shared– All of them coming to an end, If I left. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. “I-it was good! It was all good, all of it. I loved being with you. I don’t regret any of it…!” I tried stating, choking on my own tears. It was true, every moment we shared was full of joy. And I was threatening that joy. “T-then please stay, please…!” She begged again, grabbing my other hand. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. “I… I don’t want to hurt you…” I knew what I didn’t want, above all. On that, I was certain. “Then stay, please just stay…!” She kept pleading, closer than ever, and I could feel everything. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. “S-she’s not better–” I tried muttering, with great difficulty– her sorrow felt like a massive weight on me. One I struggled to carry. “S-she is! She literally, o-objectively is– She is.” I wasn’t sure how true that statement was, not with all that I felt at the moment, it was hard for me to see with the tears. But I knew that Twilight believed that wholeheartedly. And it was true that I loved the Princess. Maybe just as much as I loved this Twilight. If this was even a fraction of how she would feel. If this was even a tiny part of how I would make her feel, by leaving… I hugged her tightly. Both of us, crying into each other's arms. She held nothing back, and I received all of it. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. It was almost like being taken by a river, you gasp for air, but it still takes you. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. And I accepted it fully. I submerged myself in it. I felt everything she felt. Our minds were linked. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. And with that link, came almost… Clarity. I could see exactly the pain I was causing. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. And I could see exactly how she would feel, if I left. A horrible longing. A horrible absence. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. And I could see exactly how I would feel, if I left it. If I made, once again, that terrible decision. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. Twilight was always better than me at decisions. You’re leaving me for a better version of me. So for the first time in, this horrible, incredibly long day… “I know what to do.” I said, letting go of the hug, but not of her. “Let’s go back to my bike. Can you walk? Do you need me to carry you?” I felt exhausted, but no weakness would stop me from carrying her if I needed to. For the first time in a while I knew exactly what I had to do. She gave me a frail shake of the head, muttering an affirmation related to her being able to walk. I exhaled, and stayed close. “Don’t let go of me, okay? Stay close.” I affirmed, and started moving on the boardwalk, pulling her by the hand gently, and she followed, still stuttering, still sobbing. There was no way in hell that I was going to let go of that feeling. I caused that feeling. I deserved to feel it. All of it. And it helped immensely with me doing what I was about to do. We made it to my bike fairly quickly, neither of us spoke during the walk there. There wasn’t much that needed to be said, when I could feel all she felt. I climbed on the bike, still holding her, ensuring her that she would be safe– A motion we had rehearsed dozens of times, and now, she felt the fear that this was the last time. Our drive wasn’t long. But to me it felt unending. She clung to me tighter than ever, during all of it, and I felt it, all of it. All of her unease, all of her fears, all of her pain, all during that ride. It was honestly a miracle that I didn’t crash. Finally, we made it to my target. CHS. The sun had nearly fully set, behind the mountains, and the streetlamps didn’t yet light the roads. The School was empty, but even if it wasn’t, it’d feel like we were the only ones there. I parked my bike, and we dismounted, and I made sure to hold her the entire time. She pointed at the mirror, with fear and hesitation. “A-are w-we going to…?” “No.” No, we weren’t going to cross the mirror. From the toolkit on my bike, I grabbed a steel wrench, a moderately sized one.  To her surprise, we weren’t going towards the mirror at all. In one hand, I carried that wrench, and in the other, I guided her. To my target, a very familiar target. The tool shed outside of CHS. Every motion I made next was almost nostalgic. After all, I had done all this before. I stopped in front of the door, me and her, very close, me and her, both with tears staining our cheeks. “I’m going to let go of your hand just for a little bit, okay?” She responded with a quiet, sniffling nod. With one swift determined and familiar notion, I used my wrench to violently break the padlock to the tool shed. And with the door opened, I quickly made my way inside, to grab the item I was looking for. I found it, and quickly made my way out. The sledgehammer. “Let’s go.” I took her hand once more. She gasped in surprise, because she could tell now what was happening. And now, finally, we made our way to the mirror. All of this felt familiar, certainly. And it also wasn’t. Not at all. I had done all this before, after all. The years had passed, and yet, I was doing the same thing again. And there it was. I let go of her hand one more time. My grip tightened around the sledgehammer, as I stood beside the statue. And then I turned to her. Her eyes were widened, and the crying had diminished. “It’s not fair. It isn’t. You’re right. It’s not fair that I’d make this choice.” My teeth were gritting, my voice was failing, I felt like I was shivering, but I didn’t allow my grip on the hammer to loosen. “Between abandoning my dream and breaking your heart– Breaking your heart is worse. If I have to abandon my dream, so be it. But it shouldn't be my choice. It can’t. It shouldn't. It’s not fair.” Because I already knew what I wanted. But what I wanted would hurt her. “So say the word…” I raised the sledgehammer, pointed it at the mirror, looking at her eye to eye. “Say the word, and I smash the portal to Equestria. There will be no more temptation on my side. There won’t be an easy way for me to get there… Or for her to come here.” I didn’t care about how much I didn’t want to do this. It didn’t matter. What I wanted didn’t matter. The girl I love crying in front of me was all that mattered. She regarded me with intense thought, still crying, but saying nothing. “Say the word… And there is no pony Sunset Shimmer anymore. No Princess Sunset Shimmer.” My dream, shattered, by my own hand. No other more fitting end than this. She clutched her chest, looking at me in surprise– Still, she said nothing, but I could see that she was thinking. She was strongly considering it. “Say the word, and I’ll be Sunset Shimmer the human– And I’ll be happy with you. I will.” That wasn’t a lie. It was true. I would. I could see that she was hesitating. Even now, she was considering it. “Say the word, and I’ll even burn the book that she gave me. And if she ever found another way back here… I’d tell her to leave.” It hurt so much to say every word. But I said it anyway. No matter how much it hurt me, I would do it all, if she asked. I was well aware that Princess Twilight would look for me if this happened– And that above all hurting her was a horrible thing to do– That I didn’t want. I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t want to abandon my dream. I didn’t want to hurt her. I didn’t want to potentially ruin Equestria, by having her rule alone… I didn't want any of it. but still. “Say the word.” I stated again, gritting my teeth, clutching the hammer. And still, she said nothing, looking at the floor, with that same sorrow.  Why wasn’t she saying it? Why? “S-say the word, Twilight.” This time, I was crying on my own. I didn’t need her feelings to be mine to cry over what I was considering doing. I would shatter my dream and my desires, and my way back home, if she asked. And I’d do it without regrets. If she only would say the word. But there she stood. Saying nothing. And there I stood, ready for anything. I waited. I was ready. I was crying. “C’mon, Twilight…!” I begged her. But she said nothing. Finally, she moved. Shaking her head, she moved forward, approaching me. The moment she touched one of my hands I dropped the hammer. I was very lucky it didn’t crush any of our feet. It thudded against the concrete floor, and we both just stood there, crying, holding hands, crying. I felt all that she felt. And I felt that she didn’t want this. “H-how…” She placed a hand on my cheek. “H-how could I possibly be this selfish…?” Grimacing, I shook my head. “T-then what are w-we going to do…? I don’t know what to do Twilight– I love you, but– I don’t know what to do…” We stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. Leaning foreheads together, breathing unsteadily together, unsure of what we would do… together. The sun had finally set behind us. Twilight. Hello, other me! It’s time we spoke. Yes, I believe it is. Cross the mirror as soon as you can. Me and Sunset will be there to pick you up.