//------------------------------// // Track #2: Different Shades of Blue // Story: Make a Mistake with Me // by CoffeeAndCigarettes //------------------------------// Track #2: Different Shades of Blue “Mmm... Bandelaro?” You nod softly as your fingers pick the strings of the acoustic guitar in your hands. Cool winds of early October caress your skin as you sit on the bleachers, wrapped up in your leather jacket. The small figure next to you hugs the thermos of piping hot coffee, listening intently. Quickly, you change the way you strum the trusty, if beat-up, guitar 'borrowed' from the band room. From B to E, you create a much more forlorn melody, full of longing. The eyes of the girl next to you are fixated on your moving fingers, and you can hear her humming along. She knows, even if she doesn't get it yet. Sonata has an almost uncanny way of recognizing songs. ”Oh! Santana's Europa!” she exclaims, clapping her hands together. “Yeah, that's it,” you murmur as an answer, letting your left hand slide back up on the neck.“Good Ol' Santana.” One more. This time, the mood barely changes, but instead of the more picking-focused style, you aim to recreate the wail of an electric guitar by lengthening the notes. This causes Sonata's face to scrunch up as she tries to wrack her brains for an answer. After a minute or so, she finally snaps her fingers. Only to turn unsure yet again. “Umm...” she scratches her chin. “B-Bonamassa, I think? Dunno 'bout the song, though...” “Prisoner,” you answer for her. “Not his, I know, but-” “Ooh, right, right!” Sonata happily nods. “It was Barbara Streisand's song originally, right? And then Bonamassa made a cover for it on the... on the, umm..." “Dust Bowl album,” you comment again. “Yeah, Dust Bowl! That was it,” she grins, before looking at you with wonder in her eyes. “But wow, North. You're good, for realsies! You must've been playing long.” For a moment, pictures of the past flash before your eyes. Of dirty, rundown bars and their stages. Of record stores and their scummy owners. Of motels and their bug-infested beds. Neon lights and cheap beer, all seen through the hazy smoke of a cigarette. You chuckle as you put your guitar aside and light up a smoke for yourself. “Yeah, I guess I have,” you tell her a half-truth. “Never noticed it myself, I suppose.” You see a small frown appear on Sonata's face as she stares at the thing dangling from your lips. She didn't approve of your habit, not really. But she tolerated it because, for some unfathomable reason, she enjoyed your company. Or so it seemed. She hadn't complained much so far. But then again, it's not like you were any better. You weren't exactly fond of chatterboxes like her, but you tolerated it. Tolerated it because you, for some absurd reason, enjoyed her company. Life had gotten so much weirder in the past few days after meeting the girl called Sonata Dusk. You lean back on the bleachers, letting a cloud of smoke rise from between your teeth to the overcast sky. It was lunch time at CHS, meaning every other student was currently hurrying to the cafeteria. You, on the other hand, had opted differently. You had your half-eaten burrito from yesterday and a thermos of coffee. That was enough for you. “You know, Blue,” you say to Sonata, who is quietly sipping her own coffee. “You didn't have to come here. Heard they were serving meatloaf today. If you don't have much money, you might want to indulge in every meal you can.” “Aha, well, um, 'bout that...” Sonata scratches her cheek sheepishly. “I don't think people really like when any of us comes to the cafeteria. Their glares are scary, for realsies you know?” “Birds of the feather then, you and I.” The so-called Dazzlings as the school seemed to know them. After meeting with Sonata for the first time, you had snooped around a little bit only to find that they were currently the school's number one pariahs. Something about music competitions, but nothing more than rumors. Just like you. After you had enrolled into CHS, somehow a bit of your past had become a persistent gossip among the students. Namely that you had been in juvie in the past. It had made you an immediate outcast, which was just fine with you. “You and me?” Sonata asks, pointing at herself and you in succession. When you nod, to your surprise she shakes her head. “Not really. To me you're more like-” ”Hi there!” Sonata's words and your dull mood is cut by a sudden appearance of vibrant pink accompanied by a high-pitched voice. The blue goof next to you yelps in surprise and scurries away from the sudden intruder. You, on the other hand, have no such luck. You find yourself staring at pools of pure cerulean, framed by a poofy arrangement of pink hair around it. Another girl. One that you have seen here and there in the school. “You know, they really don't allow smoking on school grounds,” the girl happily informs you.“Plus, it's super bad for you.” “Thanks for the info,” you groan and rebelliously take another drag from your cigarette. “Now get off me.” “Oh, sorry!” the girl giggles and jumps one pew above, peering at you two from there. You also sit up and dust off your leather jacket, taking a better look at the new intruder. She's definitely an energetic one, but different from how Sonata acts. This one seems to have no brakes whatsoever, as she's currently busying herself with the contents of her bags despite you glaring at her. Dressed in gaudy colors, she's just about everything you can't stand in high school girls. And speaking of being unable to stand, you feel Sonata quietly position herself so that you're between her and the newcomer. A glance at your acquaintance tells you enough. Sonata looks like a cornered animal, ready to flee at any moment. “By the way, I'm Pinkie Pie!” the girl happily introduces herself, fishing out a notebook and a pen from her bag. “What's your name?” “What does it matter?” you grunt, eyeing her up warily, shoulders stiff and rounded. “Well you're new here, silly, so I was gonna be friends with you!” the girl called Pinkie explains like it was obvious. “I'm friends with everybody in this school, you know?” Yeah right. Judging from how Sonata's acting, that's a gross exaggeration. “So here!” Pinkie hands you the notebook and a pen. “This is my Friend Book, so if you could write something here, that'd be super swell! That way I'll know how to be just the type of friend you need.” Something stinks here, and it's not just you. Honestly, there was no way someone was gonna just randomly decide to become your friend. Even Sonata had been afraid of you at first. But this? This was suspicious with a capital S. Not to mention that you didn't exactly get a good vibe from this pink girl. She was too happy. Too innocent-looking. Like she had no care in the world. Those were always the ones to watch out for. Everybody has something they are hiding, and you could immediately sense that from Sonata. So, even though they're somewhat alike, you trusted the blue-haired goof far easier than this pink monstrosity. Plus, she just rubbed you off the wrong way with that sickly sweet tone of hers. She must've been mocking you. In which case... After a moment of hesitation, you snatch the book from her hands. You peer inside. It's filled with empty lines inquiring about nonsense and expecting you to answer it. The most worrisome thing here is that somehow, this Pinkie Pie has already glued a picture of you on one page. Picture you don't remember being taken. “N-North... you sure?” Sonata quietly asks behind you. “Just watch,” you grin back at her. You twirl the pen and begin scribbling on the pages before you. You never were one with neat handwriting, but these days it's an absolute mess. Especially now that you're not even putting in that much effort. Still, after few minutes, you hand the book back to Pinkie Pie, who peers into it with an excited smile. Few seconds later, her smile turns into one of confusion. “Umm, hold on a minute Sod...” she double-checks the name you wrote there. “Sod Off? Are you sure there's a 69 Get Bent Lane in Canterlot City? 'Cause I never heard of it.” “Oh, definitely,” you smirk at her, hearing Sonata suppress a chuckle behind you. ”You should visit it sometime. It'd do you good to go to Get Bent.” Sonata's muffled laugh almost breaks through thanks to an uncontrolled snort. “Oh, I definitely will! I'm always happy to visit new friends,” Pinkie exclaims with a giggle. “Some might think it's kinda dumb, but I don't let it bother me. I mean, since we're all in this school together, why not get along, all of us?” “That's an admirable stance,” you say. “Means we won't bother you in the least, then.” That's as far as Sonata gets. She breaks down in guffaws, clutching her stomach and rolling on the seat. Pinkie looks a bit confused, but still doesn't drop her smile. For all you know, she thinks you're laughing with her. It's only after few seconds of thinking that she makes an expression of understanding and cocks a mischievous eyebrow at you, leaning closer. “Ooooh, you were telling a joke, weren't you?” she giggles. “I guess I didn't get it at first.” “Yeah, I was counting on that,” you understand, eliciting another cackle from Sonata. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, looks pretty unsure what to make of this. Her smile has began to falter as some sort of warning bells must be ringing in her head right about now. “Umm, I guess it was sorta funny, but that wasn't very nice thing to say,” she says to you. “Good,” you answer. You lean closer and stump your cigarette on the still-open pages of her notebook. “Then my message came across, loud and clear. Was starting to worry when you didn't get the name.” Pinkie yelps and jumps up, trying to put out the now smoldering pages of her friend book. She huffs and puffs at the paper, but it's too late to save the part where you wrote all that nonsense from before. At the very least, the name seems to remain, as Pinkie glances it. Her face falls immediately. “O-oh. Aha... haha... Y-you got me good, I see,” she says, her voice faltering. “Sorry, I suppose I'll just... go then. To not bother you anymore.” Clutching the remnants of her friend book, she bolts down the stairs to the soccer field, her pink hair bouncing much less than before. From what you saw, she was biting her lip anxiously and the look in her eyes told all you needed to know. The pest wouldn't bother you again. Good riddance. Better get rid of her before she tries whatever scheme she was planning. Too bad for her, but you were smart enough to see right through that facade of hers. “T-that was super, North!” Sonata giggles like mad, leaning on you for support. “That dumb-brain deserved that, for realsies!” “Oh?” “Yeah... I-I mean, she was one of them,” Sonata says, grinning at you. “You know, the ones that made everyone in the school hate us.” “Really now?” You ask and smirk. “Looks like my hunch was right, then. Ain't no one who'll just appear out of nowhere to be your friend.” Sonata's explanation lifted that odd pang of guilt that had been striking your heart. You hadn't even noticed it was there. Strange. “Huh? But didn't that sorta happen with us?” Sonata asks, eyes wide. You tousle her hair and she giggles in delight. “Well, you're special. After all, you're dumb.” To your surprise, Sonata doesn't pout or take offense at what you said. Instead she nods to herself, like she had just confirmed something important. She turns to look at you, those raspberry-colored eyes shining under the fading light of an October afternoon. “You know... you really are similar,” she says. “Right, you were about to say something like that.” You scratch your head. ”About how I resembled someone. So, who is it?” Sonata beams at you. “Adagio. I mean, you both can be super mean when you want to. For realsies, I know,” she explains. “But often, you don't mean half of what you say.” Adagio? That copper-colored blimp you saw the other day? Just what the hell could you have in common with her? *** You slam your locker door shut, having thrown the rest of your books there. You didn't need them back home, and honestly, who would steal from you? An idiot, that's who. So right now, the only possible culprit was Sonata. Getting them back would be easy. Speaking of the girl, she had been dragged away by those other two. You weren't sure if they were friends or sisters, but nevertheless, they seemed to get along somehow. Or see each other as a group. You on the other hand? You still feel the venom in the gazes of Adagio and Aria. And speaking of venom... “North Wind, right?” The instant you turn around your face falls into grimace. You recognized this girl. That flaming hair and pensive expression were something you had seen before. Dressed like some sort of modern pop-punk reject, she was the one who always walked around CHS like she owned the place. As she probably did. That's how it seemed to you, at least. Now, as for her name... “Baconswirl?” you ask, cocking an eyebrow at the girl. Her eyes twitch dangerously. “Sunset Shimmer. I think I told you my name when we first met,” she says, folding her arms. “I was the one who showed you around when you arrived, wasn't I?” Oh, right. So she was. Insufferable girl as far as you can remember. She went on and on about school spirit and how you'd fit in perfectly. There was also something about CHS being a place for second chances, which sent you two into an argument that most of the school had to have heard. What did a pampered teenager like her know about making mistakes, anyway? And now that you think about it, if she knew about where you came from, who's to say she wasn't the one spreading the rumor around the school? Immediately after thinking this, your mood sours considerably. “What do you want?” you ask, throwing on your bag. “I need to get home.” “I get that, but first, there's something we need to talk about,” she says, ignoring your eyeroll. “See, I happened to talk with Pinkie Pie after lunch today, and she told me something a bit disturbing.” “Isn't everything she says disturbing?” you snort. “That's exactly what I wanted to talk about. From what I understand, Pinkie went to meet you during the lunch,” she continues. “And you repaid her kindness by being a total jerk.” You groan. This is the last thing you needed today. “Who asked that hyperactive poodle to stick her nose into my business?” you ask, tone of your voice changing to confrontational. “My day was going perfectly until she had to come bother me.” “Pinkie was worried about you!” Baconswirl insists, looking miffed. “She, like many of us, noticed you haven't made a single friend since you've arrived to CHS. So she wanted to make you feel more welcome, and you practically spat in her face!” “Nobody asked her to pity me, least of all me!” you answer with equal force. “And I dunno if she noticed, but I already had company back then. I'd rather choose myself who I spent time with, if anyone at all!” Baconswirl clicks her tongue, glancing aside. Looks like your little spat is attracting some glances, as she continues with a voice much quieter. “You mean Sonata Dusk? Look, I know you're new here, but I think you should choose a bit more car-” Was it something in your glare? The girl before you stops her words short, taking a step back. “Nevermind. You're right, it's not my place to tell who you can or can't be friends with,” she eventually continues and sighs. “Just... there's plenty of others who want to get to know you. I know it might be a bit hard to believe since you came straight here from juvie, but... don't shut us out, alright? We want you to enjoy your time here at CHS.” Hearing her words, something in your minds clicks. Your eyes narrow as you stare at this girl in a new light, something annoying tugging at your chest. “Wait... so you did know about my circumstances?” you ask. She nods, looking a bit nervous. “Um, yeah.” “See, I thought it a bit funny. Only faculty should know about it, and they wouldn't start spreading rumors, right?” you take a step forward, and she takes one back. “So I figured the one who told everybody about me had to be a student. And looks like I found the culprit.” “N-no!” Baconswirl is quick to deny it, but her nervous face says otherwise. “I mean, I didn't just gossip about it. I told my friends since they wanted to help you, but... we did it in cafeteria, so someone might've overheard us, and...” Her voice falters and dies off. She, too, realized that she had hit the bullseye. You, on the other hand, rub your temples. This conversation is giving you a migraine unlike any other. Now that you thought about it, all two times you had spoken with this girl had made you annoyed beyond belief. “Great. So you're the reason everyone's avoiding me like a plague. Thanks a lot,” you say, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Not that I mind, I much prefer to be alone. Or with someone I got to know myself. But thanks for limiting my options. You're a model of a human being, Baconswirl.” Having had enough, you turn around to leave. The haste in your steps doesn't come just from how unpleasant this conversation was. It was always like this with just about everyone you talked with. Hell, Sonata might be the only one whom you feel at ease with. Which is why this idiot and her words made you riled up even more. And when you feel a slender hand grasp your shoulder, you can't help it. You shake it off. Violently. “W-what's your problem, jerk!?” Baconswirl asks, holding her swatted arm. “I know I screwed up, but we're only trying to help! I can still fix-” “My problem?” You whip around, not realizing how loud your voice is. “My problem is with all of you.” With that, you finally take your leave. Hair at the back of your neck standing. Arms balled in fists. Foul taste in your mouth. Why did they get under your skin so easily? Behind you, you hear a quiet sigh and the sound of someone slumping against a metallic locker. You refuse to look back. This conversation was done. None of it was your problem anymore. “Way to go Sunset...” you hear a self-demeaning whisper behind you. Just walk. You know you've done nothing wrong. Remaining here is only going to make things worse. You might as well head back to your apartment. Being with innumerable trash bags, yesterday's pizza and a lukewarm bottle of booze was preferable to dealing with all this high school drama. They only made you irrationally angry and caused arguments. So anywhere, alone, was better than here. … Right?