//------------------------------// // Unpleasant Revelation // Story: The Mysteries of Love // by MysteriousStranger //------------------------------// Rarity's P.O.V. This week has been exhausting. Studying for three exams at once was not an easy job. I correct myself, two exams at once. Predictably, I forgot most of what Trixie taught me on Sunday the very next day. Classes made me forget the basics, not to mention homework. Worst of all, I'm the only to blame for not studying harder, for thinking that I studied enough. I shall not make the same mistake twice. I'm taking everything serious now. Luckily, Trixie was kind enough to help me. "Trixie..." Each day that passed it became less strange to see Trixie being nice to me. It's a shame that she was only polite with me, though. She was still the same mean person when we weren't hanging out. I often saw her bullying people with her friends. But around me, she was a complete different girl. I didn't like seeing her bullying innocent students, but if I'm patient, maybe, just maybe, I can convince her to completely change her behavior for good. I was not going to give up so fast. As I promised, I have been talking to her after school several times since she asked me for a second chance, to start from zero, and I have been getting to know her better, like when she told me about her brother. Trixie is slowly opening up, and I like this new Trixie, even if it was just for me. The reason why Trixie suddenly decided to try to become my friend was still a mystery. Ruining this potential friendship was not an option. She might be a different person now, but she was still unpredictable. I had to choose my words carefully around her, or else I could say something that would cause her to return acting as her old self towards me. After all, she was still hanging out with Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush, two of the most unbearable students in school. While I walked down the corridor, I glanced at a clock. Classes were just over for the day. I laid my back against a wall and checked my cell phone. My friends knew that I was busy studying for the upcoming exams. I had to politely reject their invitations to go to Sugarcube Corner or other places after school. I was tempted to accept them, but I had to say no. Saying yes was what got me in this problem on the first place. I was tired, but I can't stop now. It's Thursday. One more day before I could finally rest more. The reason I wasn't going home yet was because I was waiting for Trixie. She asked me to wait for her here. I looked around. No sign from her, nor from anyone. I was all alone, which was a good thing so no one would see me with Trixie. More minutes passed and Trixie wasn't here. Where was she? Why is she taking so long? Even more minutes passed. I was so tired of being standing, that I slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor. At this rate, I didn't care of getting my skirt dirty. It took Trixie fifteen minutes to finally show up. "Hey, Rarity. I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting. My teacher asked me to stay after class to talk to me. I was just allowed to leave." I glanced at her and saw her with a worried expression. I can only imagine that she tried to everything she could to leave earlier. "It's quite alright, darling. Don't worry." I smiled at her and put my cell phone back in my bag before standing up. I had to clean my butt from all the dust I acquired from the floor. "Are you ready to go?" She nodded, but she was still worried. We walked out from the front door. "So, what did the teacher want?" "He just wanted to congratulate me for my good grades in his biology classes." "It took him fifteen minutes to do that?" She laughed. I still had to get used to her cheerful laughter. "No. He also told me that he can send a recommendation to the best University in the state to pursue a career as a biologist as soon as I graduate." "Oh, really? That's... amazing!" "It is..." She didn't sound happy, though. "What's wrong, darling? You don't want to seek a Biology related career?" "I love biology, it's easy for me, but... it's not what I want to do with my life. He spent fifteen minutes telling me all about that college and what could I achieve. I had to wait until he finished to finally be able to reject the offer. I don't see myself inside a lab." I was surprised at first, but then, I managed to smile. "I can understand why you don't.” "It would be such a waste to have this face concealed, away from the sunlight, don't you think?" She dramatically moved the back of one of her hands towards her forehead. I just couldn't avoid giggling. "My my, who would dare to do such atrocity?" "Exactly! So, nope. Trixie refuses to become a lab rat. She wishes to have a life. A real life." "A reasonable wish, but if you don't want to be a biologist, then, what do you see in your future? What kind of job do you want?" "I-I don't know. I try not to think about that right now. It makes me anxious." Which I could tell. She was starting to breathe faster and I saw her getting pale. I have to calm her down, and fast! "Nevermind that! What are you going to do today?" She regained her smile, which relieved me. "I'm heading out with my brother to have some fun. After that, I'll do some of my homework so I don't end up doing it all on Friday like last week. You have to study for your exams, right?" "Yes. The Math test is on Monday. The worst day, but I'm not really worried." As I finished the sentence, we arrived to where Trixie takes the bus. I'm staying with her until her bus comes. "I will finish all my homework between today and tomorrow so we can study together for Biology this Saturday. I think we better start now so you have plenty of time to ask me anything." "Trixie, I..." "You're welcome, Rarity." She smiled at me. I had been thanking her a little too often, haven't I? "Don't worry. With Trixie's help, you're surely getting an A." "I'll accept a C-. I only want to pass the exam, not be the next Freud." Trixie laughed and smiled at me sweetly. "Freud was a psychologist. He had little to do with Biology." "I'm sorry, Trixie. You can realize why I need help." "I do, but I will fix your insecurity. I know you're worried, but I'll explain everything to you as easy as I can. I'll give you tips and I'll let you ask me as many questions as you want." After she finished the sentence, she looked at the road. Her bus was approaching. "My ride is here. Rarity..." She looked back at me and put a hand on my shoulder. It was unexpected. I noticed my cheeks getting warm. "I want you to focus on math today, and only math. Leave biology to me. I know you're not worried about Monday, but don't let your mind wander or else you'll fail math too." I nodded at her. "Okay, yes, I'll do that." "Good." she smiled at me. "I believe you can do it, Rarity. You can do this. I'll see you tomorrow." I saw her get on the bus. For some reason, the bus driver and some of the passengers glared at her suspiciously. Has she been mean to them too? I stood still and watched the bus until it turned on the corner two blocks away. After it was gone, I took a hand to one of my cheeks. What just happened? I normally have that feeling when... no, there's no way it's that. I must be delirious for the amount of pressure I have. Turning around, I started my way home. I'm going to follow Trixie's advice and focus on one exam at a time. Today, I will only worry about math. Saturday afternoon arrived. I was able to follow Trixie's advice and focus on one subject at a time. I studied math on Thursday and Friday, and today was... biology's turn. Even knowing that Trixie would help me, I was still worried. I hope that, after today, all my worries disappear. I found myself in front of Trixie's apartment complex, carrying my backpack with everything I needed. She told me that she lives on the last floor, apartment D. I pressed her ring bell and waited until someone spoke through the speaker. "Who goes there?" Such an unique way to answer, I had to say. "Hello. My name is Rarity." "Rarity? Oh, that's right! She told me you would come. I'll be there in a sec." I heard the sound when he hanged up. I must have waited for around three minutes before a young man holding keys appeared. He walked towards the glass door and opened it. "Come on in." The young man said. It was easy to tell he was Trixie's brother. They really looked alike. "Thank you, umm, Clementine, right?" "The one and only." He chuckled and smiled. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Rarity. My sister has told me a lot about you." "She did?" As we talked, we walked towards the elevator. "Yup! Our conversations used to die quickly and she was usually in a bad mood. But once she started hanging out with you, she talks more and smiles more often. I haven't seen her this happy in a while, and I must thank you for that." I could feel a small blush forming on my cheeks. I had no idea how important I was to Trixie. "W-Well. You're... welcome?" Clementine just closed his eyes as he smiled more. The elevator stopped and he opened the doors. "After you." He walked out after me and closed the doors. "Over here, please." I followed him until we arrived to apartment D, where he used his keys to open the door. He guided me to the kitchen. "You have a lovely place." "Thank you. It's not big, but we manage." I looked around. The apartment had nice decorations and seemed like a nice place to live. The dining room and kitchen were in the same room. I could only see two doors. One from where we came in, and the other one must lead to the rest of the apartment. The decorations were standard. There was a clock on the wall, alongside porcelain stars hanging from the same wall. On the small dinning table, I could see a bowl with fruits. Fake, though. Just more decorations. "Trixie hasn't said much about you. I have to admit, I wasn't sure if you existed." "Oh, I do. My sister never lies about me, although she might not say anything about me unless she's asked." "I never asked. She just happened to tell me. I have a feeling she did it by accident, though." "I see. I'm happy to see she could talk about me so casually. What did she say?" "She told me your name, that you play in a band and that you have a girlfriend." "That's true. My band's name is Coverfield. We do covers of Indie Rock, mostly. We don't play our own songs because it's too much work for a hobby." "That's a clever name, but I have never heard your band before." "Maybe because we play in places you don't normally go? There's a Karaoke Cafe twenty blocks from here with open mic. We usually play there." "That might be it. I have never been in a Karaoke before. Maybe I can go next time. I can ask Trixie to let me know when you play." "Absolutely. She never misses our shows. I'm sure she would love to go with a friend for a change." I have never been interested in karaokes, even though I love to sing. But I think that a changing my routine will be good for me. I had be open to other options. Besides, it will be an opportunity to learn more about Trixie. "It will be fun. I'm part of a band as well. A friend of mine, Rainbow Dash, leads it. We have only played in front of the crowd for the battle of the bands." "Trixie told me about that. Sadly, I couldn't be there since I got ill." "I'm sorry to hear that." "It's fine. I recovered, didn't I?" It was amazing how cheerful he is. He kept a bright smile the whole time. "I need coffee. Do you want anything?" "No, I'm fine. Thanks. I have to go with Trixie to study. She's good at biology, apparently." "She's more than good. My sister has never failed a biology test. Never. She could pursue a biologist career if she wanted to." "But she doesn't sees herself in a lab." I finished the sentence. I just had this conversation with Trixie on Thursday. I turned around. I was about to head towards Trixie's room, but curiosity got to me. There was something missing here, or better said, someone. "Where is the rest of the family? Are your parents working?" Trixie told me that she has a brother, but she has never mentioned her parents in any way. I needed to meet them. "They're... away, yeah." His mood changed completely. His bright smile disappeared. He got nervous and started to shake. "I-I apologize. Did I say something I shouldn't?" "No, no. It's alright." He smiled at me, but it was a different kind of smile, it wasn't one of happiness or a pleasant one, it was... gloomy. Suddenly, he stood up and turned, giving his back at me and rested his hands on the countertop. "Trixie's room is at the end of the corridor. The second door on the right." What was going on? All I did was ask about their parents. Was that a crime? I don't think asking more would be a good idea. "Thank you." I opened the door and walked to the other room. The corridor wasn't long. It had two doors on the right side, one on the left and one at the end. I could hear music coming from Trixie's room. As I walked, I thought on what just happened. One moment, we were having a joyful conversation, and all of the sudden, the atmosphere changed. Maybe they didn't have a good relationship with their parents? That would explain why Trixie never mentioned them. I wish I could ask Trixie, but I don't want to overwhelm her with questions about her personal life. I was so focused on my thoughts, that I tripped on something. I gasped and desperately moved my arms to grab onto something. My hands found the knob of the door at the end of the corridor. The door opened and I fell inside. I got on all fours and looked up. Something was telling me that I wasn't supposed to be here. I could see a king sized bed, a wardrobe and night tables on the sides of the bed. I stood up and cleaned myself from dust I got from the floor and took a closer look to the room. I could see various photos on a table with who seemed to be Trixie and Clementine's parents. The odd part was that there were no recent photos. All of them were of when Clementine and Trixie were younger. Trixie looked like if she had five years old. My eyes caught something off. I checked the night tables again and gasped. I saw an urn on each table. Not any urn. They were the same used for funerary purposes. I suddenly found myself unable to move. I couldn't remove my eyes from the urns. Their parents... They're... Someone held me from my back and put a hand on my mouth, preventing me from making any noise. I was taken outside the room, all the way back to the kitchen. My captor released me and walked in a fast pace to close the door at the end of the corridor. It was Clementine. He returned quickly and closed the door of the kitchen before turning to me. He didn't look angry. In fact, I think he was worried. "I wish you didn't see any of that..." "Clementine... I'm sorry... I tripped, and... it was an accident, I swear!" "I believe you." He said, as he raised his hand. "It doesn't matter. You saw our parents. You weren't ready to know... Trixie didn't want you to know..." He sat on a chair, with his arms on the table. He was avoiding my gaze. I sat on the chair of the opposite side. "What happened to them...?" Clementine didn't answer right away. His eyes became wet. I didn't push him. He spoke when he was ready. "They crashed ten years ago." I gasped and took a hand to my mouth. Ten years ago? Trixie was only a child. She lost them too soon... "Oh, my... that's horrible!" "That's not the worst part." He fell silent for a few moments. Then, he looked at me. He was morose. "She was in the car with them." I gasped again and took both of my hands to my mouth. She was with them?! I can't imagine how that feels like. Poor, poor Trixie! "Did she... did she get badly injured?" "She was in intensive care for almost two weeks. She used to be cheerful and she was always surrounded by friends. After the accident, she distanced her from people, me included. She didn't want to lose someone close again, so she pushed them all again to avoid suffering. I didn't give up on her. I fought until she stopped pushing me away. Sadly, I couldn't convince her to be nice with other people again. A part of her died that day. She never entered our parents room again. She avoids going in no matter how much I try to convince her to visit them. I have stopped trying. She hasn't shown any signs of changing, until..." He stopped talking all of the sudden. He looked at me for a second before looking away again. "Yes...?" "N-Nothing." he stood up abruptly and walked closer to me. I stood up when he was in front of me. "Rarity, listen to me. You have to promise not to tell Trixie that you know about our parents. She will get upset and might get angry at you. Do not ask her anything, do not tell her I told you about the accident. Understood?" I nodded. "You have my word." "Thank you. Now, go with my sister. She must be wondering where you are." "Yes, I will." he turned his back to me and said nothing else. I returned to the corridor and walked straight to Trixie's room. I was still shocked. I'm sure I won't be able to stop thinking about this for some time. It would be hard, but I had to pretend to be happy for Trixie's sake. How could I smile after learning something like this? She suffered any child's nightmare. I finally knew why Trixie acts the way she does, but I wish it was still a mystery. My tears had to wait until I'm back home. I must not tell anyone about this. Trixie would never forgive me. I took deep breaths when I reached Trixie's room. I had to calm down before knocking. I quickly faked a smile before she answered the door. "Oh, there you are! I was starting to think that you gave up." I had to hold myself from hugging her. I was still depressed, but seeing her smile like this, made me feel warm on the inside. She has gone through a traumatic experience, but she managed to move on and not to think about the accident. "I can't give up. I really need to pass." I walked into her room and she closed the door behind me. "Put your bag on my bed, if you want. I'll be with you in a second." She walked to her computer, which she was surely been using until I knocked. She lowered the music's volume and walked towards her bed. Meanwhile, I scanned her room. It was a nice and comfortable. The walls colored on purple, mostly, and light blue. Besides her bed and computer, she had a chest of drawers with various photos on top it. They were mostly of her and Clementine, and a few of them were of herself. I couldn't find a single one with her parents. I also saw a two bodies couch with a game console on a table in front of it and a T.V. I could also see her guitar on a corner. I got my books from my bag and sat on the couch. "What are you doing? Sit next to me. It will be easier." "Oh? Alright." My brain was unable to think straight. Focus, Rarity, focus! "I heard the bell, but that was a while ago. Did my brother bother you with too many questions?” She spoke with the same cheerfulness she used with me lately. Not seeing her sad was helping me to ease my thoughts on her parents. "Oh, no. You have nothing to worry. He's a nice person. I was just telling him about my poor knowledge in the subject of biology, and he told me about his hobbies" "Did he tell you anything about my habits?" "What habits?" "Nothing." She looked away, clearly wishing she didn't say anything. I just laughed it off. "I don't need details, darling. Don't worry." "Thank you!" She released air she was holding in her mouth and looked at my book. "Well, then. You wasted enough time with my brother already, so you won't have breaks today." "Aww!" She laughed and I smiled. My sorrow wasn't being a problem. I don't know why, but spending time with Trixie always lifted my mood. It's the opposite of what I felt around her two weeks ago. "Let's get you ready for the test. Now, cells, as you know, have a structure. The names can be complicated, but I'll teach you a way to remember them more easily..." I paid attention to her. I could learn more from listening to Trixie than with the teacher. Just like she helped me with the homework, but without having to worry about my sister, I could completely focus on my studies. After two hours of intense studying, Trixie said that it was enough for a day. But we didn't study for two hours straight. She did give me a break after all. I was packing my stuff up, wishing that I could stay, but I must study for other exams and I only brought my biology books. "You should be a tutor, Trixie. The way you explain is so clear. I'm sure I'll remember everything you taught me the next time I study." She laughed and crossed her hands behind her back. "You flatter me. I did try to put an announcement in the school board once, but no one would call me because of my attitude. I guess I should have seen it coming." "That's a shame. You're really good," I put my backpack on. "I want to stay and spend more time with you, but there are more exams to take." "Yes, I know. We'll do something after you're finished with the exams. I mean, if you still want..." "Absolutely. For once, I want to spend time with you without worrying about school. I want to have fun." She smiled brightly. "Okay, yeah, that sounds good. I'll walk you to the door." We walked back to the entrance. In the way, I couldn't help but to glance at her parent's room. Anguish got to me again. I couldn't stop thinking how would they be like. How different Trixie would have been if her parents never perished in that accident. Would we have been friends sooner? Would she have stayed in Canterlot High? I couldn't stop my thoughts. Not until I looked back at Trixie. Something made her be cheerful again, but only around me. Why? I was happy that she chose to be friendly with me, but she literally changed from one day to the other. At least around me. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get answers once I gain more of her trust. Right now, she was a mine field. One bad step, and she could explode. "Well, umm... I'll see you on Monday." She was looking down, like if something was making her nervous. "Trixie..." "Hmm?" She lifted her head to be able to look at me. "I have been thinking... it's not really fair that I make you wait until I get the results to seal our friendship. You have been nice, and fun to talk to lately. I enjoy spending time with you, which is good. I believe... we're already friends." "Really?" Her eyes lightened. I just had to smile. "Yes. Friendship isn't sealed once the ones involved decide to do so. Friendship is forged when all involved feel those feelings I just mentioned. We already enjoy spending time together." I could see her smile more and more as I talked. Her smile turned into a grin. Her eyes became wet and, all of the sudden, she hugged me. My eyes opened widely. She caught me off guard. "You have no idea... how much I wanted to hear that! Rarity, you won't regret it. I can assure you that you won't." I hugged her back. "That remains to be seen." I joked, which caused her to chuckle. Seconds passed. Several seconds actually, maybe a minute. She refused to let me go. I was used to it when my friend Pinkie Pie did it, but with Trixie, it felt weird. "Trixie, I know you're new at this, but hugs don't usually last this long." "Oh..." She let me go. "I'm sorry. I'm just... excited, that's all." She looked away. Her silver hair blocked her face. I giggled it off. "I'm taking my leave now. Goodbye." I waved at her as I walked away and she did the same. "Bye, Rarity." I walked back home while the nightfall sun accompanied me. These two hours flew even though I was studying. Trixie made it fun somehow. I learnt so much in so little time. After today, I felt confident. I was sure that I was going to pass my biology exam.