Trixie slouched down against her favorite tree. Her new companion was already there. “Ah, greetings. Eager to see Trixie again, huh?” She chuckled.
It had been over a month since Trixie set foot in the cafeteria. That wasn’t to say she hadn’t had any lunch, of course. Trixie would sooner be dead than hungry. It did, however, mean she had to find a different place to spend the lunch break.
Not that she was avoiding anyone.
"Trixie saw Vinyl in the hall today. She held open a door for Trixie." She chuckled weakly. “Nice of her to finally notice me.”
Fortunately, it just so happened that Canterlot High had what Trixie could charitably describe as a small park on it’s grounds. Perhaps ‘park’ was too generous a word to give to a fenced-off handful of trees and bushes, but it suited Trixie’s purposes just fine.
It wasn’t so much the park itself that she preferred as it was the seclusion it provided. Even in the pitiful excuse for a park, she could find some privacy by virtue of the unkept leafy bushes to the side, blocking out the view of the school.
“I-it’s stupid,” Trixie rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, “but at least she knows Trixie exists, you know?”
Coincidently, 'Just fine' were exactly the words Trixie would use to describe how she’d been since parting ways with her ‘best friend’. Sure, it had been a little hard at first, but it wasn’t as though she’d tried to sit at different tables and was asked to leave with varying amounts of clarity. Absolutely not. She didn’t want to sit with those losers anyway.
It hadn't even taken her long to find a new friend. Trixie was popular like that.
“Trixie had something in her eye...Shut up.” She grumbled and waved dismissively at her companion. “Of course Trixie knows that it’s not really about Vinyl. Trixie never missed Vinyl, just having someone to talk to. That’s why Trixie graces you with her presence, even though you are as dull as a rock.”
On the other side of the small clearing, among some loosely scattered rocks, Trixie’s companion these past few weeks stood: A friendly smiley face, carved in the bark of the opposing tree. If anyone asked, it had always been there and Trixie was not in any way responsible for it.
“Anyway! Let's see what we’ve got then,” Trixie said while popping open her lunchbox. “Oh, peanut-butter sandwich, excellent. Trixie approves of this.” Her face turned sour as she lifted out a juice box with two fingers as though it was a dirty sock. “Really now, apple? Trixie is not some farmer.”
The smiley face smiled at her.
“No, Trixie isn’t sharing. You should have brought your own.” Trixie smirked. “Flattery will get you nowhere with Trixie. She is not giving you any without at least a milkshake in trade.” By way of demonstration, she took a big bite and smugly chewed it. Not an easy task to pull off, but she was well practiced.
The smiley face smiled at her.
In the silence that resulted from Trixie having her mouth full, she stared at her self-made companion. Without her own chatter to drown out her thoughts, Trixie’s brave face faltered. She chewed gradually slower until she just about stopped.
She hated this.
Quickly swallowing, Trixie chucked her juice box over at the tree. “Fine, have it. Trixie never wanted this, anyway.”
The smiley face smiled at her.
“Yes, yes. Trixie is too good for you. Too good for anyone.” Trixie put the sandwich down and sighed, looking up through the canopy. “...It is too quiet here.”
“My sentiment exactly.” A vaguely familiar voice answered.
Trixie startled and pointed her most deadly weapon, her lunchbox, toward the talking, rustling bush. “Who’s there!? Reveal yourself or Trixie will, uh, use this!.”
After a moment, a dull-colored figure emerged from it.
“Ah, the boring girl.” Trixie surmised. “What are you doing here? Before you start, Trixie knows trees can’t hear her either. Thanks a lot. Don’t you have someone else you can annoy?”
Octavia rolled her eyes. “You are familiar with what is said of glasshouses, yes?” she asked while taking off her backpack, setting it down against the smiling tree. “Do you mind?” Without actually waiting for a response, she sat down against it.
“Oh, sure. It’s fine.” Trixie gave her a disapproving glare. “Trixie won’t even know you are there.”
“Could you, perchance, not?” Octavia asked while rummaging through her bag.
“Not what?” Trixie raised a curious eyebrow.
“I didn’t think so,” Octavia said while unpacking her own lunch, which seemed to consist of the regular cafeteria food.
It led Trixie to think Octavia must have bought it inside before coming to find her, which meant this was no coincidence.
“Here.” Octavia interrupted Trixie's thoughts and held out a soft drink cup towards her. “Consider this my peace offering.”
“For what?” Trixie asked, suspiciously.
“Spying on you, I suppose,” Octavia answered, but when Trixie gave her a look of horror she quickly clarified. “While you were talking to Vinyl, I mean! Not, not whatever it is you are thinking.”
“Right...” Trixie eyed Octavia warily, but she still reached out and took the cup. It felt cold. “A milkshake?” She gave Octavia a confused look.
“You always get those. I assumed you would miss them.”
That was true. Though it still left Trixie wondering how Octavia could know that. “This is not helping your ‘I am totally not a stalker’ case, you know?”
Octavia’s face flushed red. “It’s not like that! I—you know what, this was a foolish idea. Give it back if you don’t want it!” She reached out toward the cup.
“Hey! No take backs!” Trixie quickly pulled it out of her reach. “Trixie didn’t say she didn’t want it!”
After ensuring that Octavia wasn’t making a lunge for her, Trixie took a moment to enjoy her victory while it was still cold. It tasted every bit as good as Trixie remembered.
Trixie was halfway done with the cup before remembering she had a guest. “Oh, uh, thanks. I guess…”
Octavia had procured a drink of her own while Trixie had been preoccupied. She looked up from her cup. “You’re welcome.”
Trixie narrowed her eyes while she gave Octavia an appraising look. “Now, what do you want?”
“How are you?” Octavia asked.
Trixie blinked. “Uh, just fine?”
“You call This,” Octavia gestured around off limits park, then pointed at the carved face above her, “just fine? If you hadn’t admitted from the outset that you know the tree can’t hear you, I would have assumed you’d gone mad. Are you going to do this the rest of the school year? What do you do when it rains?”
“Hah, of course not. This is only temporary!” Trixie announced proudly. “Trixie is merely biding her time; she has the perfect plan to turn it all around. Also, Trixie doesn’t come here when it's raining, obviously.”
“You have a plan?” Octavia asked with a skeptical tone to her voice that Trixie found most offensive. “Your last one involved trying every table with an open spot… that didn’t… well….” She looked hesitant to mention the result.
“Yes, yes, they all hate Trixie,” Trixie said with a dismissive wave. “Same thing happened to Sunset Shimmer.”
“Only for a few weeks or so,” Octavia commented. “Sunset’s reputation has improved.”
“But Trixie’s hasn’t, right? That’s what you are trying to say?” Trixie said, venomously, causing Octavia to look away. “Trixie noticed, thanks. It’s because Sunset won the ‘Battle of the Bands’ contest. Trixie should have won that one. If they hadn’t cheated, Trixie would be popular now!”
Octavia gave Trixie a bemused look. “As popular as one could be in a world ruled by magical fish-horses, surely.”
“Oh… I guess.” Trixie soothed that burn with some more cold, delicious milkshake. Thus strengthened, she resumed her tirade. “Anyway! It’s obvious that winning makes Trixie popular. Even better if she defeats some terrible foe while she’s at it, right?”
Octavia nodded.
“What big event is happening this next week?” Trixie questioned but didn’t wait for Octavia to answer her. “The Friendship Games!”
Octavia’s eyes widened. “Now hold on, you--”
“Trixie will crush Crystal Prep!” Trixie exclaimed excitedly and threw her arms out in a grand gesture. “Everybody will love Trixie! It’s perfect!”
Octavia didn’t appear to share her enthusiasm. “You do realize we have never won that event?”
“Do you realize The Great and Powerful Trixie has never participated? Coincidence? I think not!”
The sheer radiant awesomeness of Trixie’s plan must have been too much for Octavia to handle because she was covering her face with both hands.
Trixie had herself a victory sip. Of course, she had already shared this plan with the smiley tree, but it felt good to get to talk to someone who would actually react.
“I… I am at a loss of where to even start.” Octavia finally managed to recollect herself. “Did you make the team?”
“What team?”
“The Friendship Games team!” Octavia exclaimed. “Did you even signup on the form?”
“Trixie didn’t see any sign-up form.”
“It’s right there in the cafeteria.”
As soon as Octavia said it, comprehension set in over Trixie’s paling face. She hadn’t set foot in there for a month.
“...Oh…” Trixie slumped back against her tree. “...I see…”
“I apologize,” Octavia shifted uncomfortably. “I never meant to be the bearer of bad news each time we speak. It must be hard for you.”
Trixie had to wonder if this was true. Perhaps it was deliberate after all, Octavia could just enjoy kicking her when she was down. What other reason was there for her to keep seeking her out. To deliver milkshakes? Hah.
No, the true reason, Trixie suspected, was a far greater insult than mere mockery.
Octavia felt sorry for her!
“Trixie believes you,” she grumbled. “Now if you are done treading upon Trixie’s soul, maybe you can take your little pity party and leave Trixie alone. The Great and Powerful Trixie only inspires awe! Awe and admiration! Not, not whatever this is.” She averted her gaze, glowering at a nearby bush.
“What?” Octavia blinked, clearly taken off guard. “I-I’m not here simply out of pity, Trixie.”
“Oh, yeah? Then what did you come here for!?”
“I’m not certain,” Octavia admitted.
“Oh, good. That’s reassuring.” Trixie groaned and returned her attention to the drinking straw; a much more worthy investment of her attention.
“I am certain I do not like you any more than you like me,” Octavia continued, drawing Trixie’s ireful gaze, “but I think I dislike getting what I wanted more. Careful what you wish for, I suppose?”
“Feel free to start making sense any time now.” Trixie gave her an offhanded wave.
Octavia refused to look at Trixie, instead letting her eyes rest on the drink in her own hands. “I guess… It’s too... boring? Do not misunderstand, I am quite pleased with my life the way it is, but it is rather mundane. The occasional magical mind control notwithstanding.”
“Is this about Trixie calling you the ‘boring girl’? Because Trixie assures you that wasn’t a value judgment on your life. You just look boring.”
“Stop. Stop trying to help, or to drive me off; I honestly cannot even tell which it is with you.” Octavia held her eyes closed while rubbing her temple. “I am attempting to convey the contrast. Every now and then you used to show up unannounced and spin this crazy story about how whatever you did this time blew up in your face. It was loud and annoying, but hearing about your turbulent life? All the things that go wrong for you? I, well, I suppose it also helped me appreciate the stability of my own life.”
“Oh, Trixie is pleased to hear she could inject some flair into your otherwise dull existence.” Trixie didn’t put much thought in the reply; she was much more preoccupied with the fact that Octavia had described her as ‘helping’ at least twice. “Still, eavesdropping is not a thing Trixie can appreciate.”
“You are a rather difficult person to ignore.”
Trixie smirked. “Trixie will take that as a compliment.”
“Of course you would.” Octavia sighed. “See here, do you wish to ‘hang out’ at lunch, or not?”
Trixie blinked. “That’s what you were talking about?”
“Yes. Very astute,” Octavia said while she got up and dusted off her clothes. “I am not saying we’ll be friends, but we can at least both get something out of this. No strings attached. Unless of course, you actually prefer this,” Octavia motioned to the smiley tree, “to me. I wouldn’t hold it against you.”
“No strings, huh?” Trixie asked, holding her cup with both hands while she looked up at Octavia.
“Unless you like there to be strings?” Octavia said, reaching out a hand towards Trixie, “I promise nothing, but we could always see where things lead.”
“Heh, you promise nothing, huh?” Trixie reached up and grabbed Octavia’s hand. “The Great and Powerful Trixie needs nothing.”
“I am regretting this already.” Octavia pulled Trixie up. “Is it too late to back out of this?”
Trixie nodded.